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---
Chapter 80
Subaru slept for a little over an hour.
Link knew from his breathing.
The rhythm deepened, his hands stopped clutching the white cloak, and the muscles in his face lost some of the tension that had accumulated there. He did not look as though he was resting well. From time to time, his less swollen eye moved behind the lid and his fingers tightened around the sheets, as though even while asleep he continued searching for something that was no longer in the room.
Link remained seated beside him.
He had not moved since Rem left.
The ceiling lagmite illuminated the bedroom with dim light. Outside, the Karsten residence had fallen almost completely silent. Servants moved with soft footsteps, and the guards changed positions in the corridor without approaching the door too closely.
Subaru's heart continued beating.
So did his.
Link kept listening to both.
Not because he expected the hand to return without cause.
Because now he knew it could.
Subaru opened his good eye.
He did not move the rest of his body.
—You're still here.
—You told me to stay.
—I expected you to get bored.
—I'm not that easy to get rid of.
—Emilia managed it.
The words came without strength.
Link lowered his gaze.
—That wasn't the same.
Subaru exhaled.
—Everyone says that when it actually is the same.
—Then I won't argue.
Silence returned.
Subaru stared at the ceiling.
—Our shared abilities are bullshit.
Link raised an eyebrow.
—You finally said something intelligent.
—Don't insult me while I'm injured.
—I didn't insult you. I celebrated progress.
Subaru moved his head just enough to look at him.
—Think about it. When I die, you die.
—Yes.
—When I try to talk, both our hearts get grabbed.
—Yes.
—But when you regenerate an arm, I don't get a new one.
—You don't need new arms.
—After Julius, I would've taken a spare.
Link looked at the splint immobilizing his wrist.
—You wouldn't know how to use it.
—I'd learn.
—You don't share my strength either.
—Exactly. That's my point. Every shared ability is designed to screw me over.
—They screw me over too.
—You can get back up afterward.
—Not after you die.
Subaru closed his mouth.
Link rested his forearms over his legs.
—We share the worst parts.
—Death.
—The punishment.
—Roswaal's decisions.
—That last one isn't supernatural.
—Feels just as inevitable.
Link could not deny that.
Subaru moved his left hand over the sheet.
—Couldn't we share something useful?
—Like what?
—Your regeneration.
—No.
—Your strength.
—Even less.
—Your senses.
—You already talk too much without listening properly. That would be dangerous.
—Then one of your spirits.
—Luci would abandon you within an hour.
—Fire control?
—You'd burn down the mansion.
—The kagunes?
Link looked at him.
Subaru imagined six extensions emerging from his back.
The image did not seem to excite him as much as he had expected.
—Fine. You can keep those.
—Good decision.
—You could share Rem.
Link's expression changed.
Subaru raised his healthy hand.
—As a caretaker! I meant as a caretaker!
—She already is your caretaker.
—Don't make that face.
—What face?
—The one where a Mabeast decides where to bury a corpse.
—I wasn't looking for a place.
—That doesn't reassure me.
Subaru looked back toward the ceiling.
The joke had worked for a few seconds.
Then the exhaustion returned.
—The first time —he murmured—, I thought the hand belonged only to me.
—I thought it was a random attack.
—And neither of us said anything.
—We didn't know what to say.
—We still don't.
Link looked at the center of Subaru's chest.
There was no mark.
Nothing proving that fingers had been there.
—Now we know distance doesn't matter.
—That makes everything worse.
—Yes.
—You could be at Mathers Manor and still—
—I know.
—Or in the mountains.
—Subaru.
—I'm not going to try anything.
Link held his gaze.
—Good.
—I don't want to find out whether it can squeeze your heart harder than mine.
—Neither do I.
Subaru closed his eye again.
—It's strange.
—What?
—Knowing it always reached you too.
Link did not answer.
—I'm not saying I'm happy about it —Subaru added—. Just...
—You felt alone.
Subaru pressed his lips together.
—I don't need you finishing my sentences.
—Then finish them.
—Forget it.
—That's what I thought.
Subaru grimaced.
Not from physical pain.
—You're an asshole.
—And you still asked me to stay.
—Moment of weakness.
—You have a lot of those.
Before Subaru could answer, someone knocked on the door.
Link recognized the footsteps.
Rem.
Another, lighter rhythm walked beside hers.
Ferris.
—Come in —Link said.
The door opened.
Rem entered first. Ferris appeared behind her carrying a box of instruments under one arm and wearing an openly disappointed expression when he found Link still sitting on the bed.
—Don't you have a room of your own?
—Not yet.
—The residence has plenty. That was the idea behind assigning you one.
Ferris set the box on the table.
Rem approached Subaru and checked his forehead.
—You're awake.
—Apparently —Subaru murmured.
—Pain?
—My pride.
Ferris moved one ear.
—That is beyond my medical abilities.
—Then you aren't the best healer in the kingdom.
—I never promised miracles.
Rem removed her hand from Subaru's forehead.
—His temperature is normal.
—Ferri can check that too.
—Rem already did.
—Ferri has more experience.
—Rem knows how to recognize a fever.
Ferris narrowed his eyes.
Rem held his gaze.
Subaru looked between the two.
—I feel like my body has become disputed territory.
—Nobody is disputing anything —Rem replied.
Ferris opened the box.
—I only want the maid to let the professional work.
—Rem is fulfilling her responsibilities.
—And I'm fulfilling mine.
Link pointed at Subaru.
—You could split him.
Subaru snapped his head around.
—I'M NOT A MANZENE!
—Manzenes resist less —Rem said.
Ferris smiled.
—They're also more pleasant.
—I'm surrounded by terrible people.
Ferris positioned himself beside the bed and began removing part of the bandages.
—Don't move.
Subaru obeyed.
Not because he wanted to.
Because the first touch of Water Magic running through his arm reminded him how easily Ferris could create unpleasant sensations inside his body.
Rem watched the treatment.
Link watched Rem.
Fatigue was beginning to gather beneath her eyes.
She noticed him looking.
—What is it?
—I need to talk about the rooms.
Ferris did not stop working.
—They're already prepared.
—I want to change them.
—No.
Link blinked.
—I haven't even told you how.
—Your history suggests that any change involves damage, enormous animals, or structural modifications.
—I'm not planning to modify anything.
—Then it's worse. That means you're asking for something personal.
Subaru smiled with the less swollen side of his mouth.
—This might be entertaining.
Link ignored him.
—I want Subaru to have a separate room.
—He already does —Ferris said.
—And another room for Rem and me.
The Water Magic stopped.
Only for an instant.
Ferris slowly looked up.
Subaru stopped pretending he was not listening.
Rem remained motionless.
The blush appeared first at her ears, then spread down to her cheeks.
Link looked at all of them.
—Before you start thinking stupid things—
—Too late —Subaru murmured.
—I have nightmares.
The humor disappeared.
Link continued:
—I haven't slept properly in a long time. When I manage to, I wake up after one or two hours. Rem is the only person who can calm them enough for me to go back to sleep.
Ferris studied his face.
There was no shame in the explanation.
Only discomfort at having to say it in front of other people.
—Nightmares about what? —he asked.
—Not relevant.
—If you're presenting it as a medical necessity, it is.
Link clenched his jaw.
Rem intervened.
—Link suffers frequent episodes. Some nights he wakes abruptly, uses his strength without realizing it, or tries to move away before recognizing where he is.
Ferris moved his ears.
—That is relevant.
—I've never hurt her —Link said.
—I didn't say you had.
—You thought it.
—Naturally.
Rem placed one hand on Link's shoulder.
—When he sleeps alone, he rests very little. When Rem stays with him, the episodes decrease.
Ferris looked at the hand.
Then at Rem's face.
—Do you agree to share a room?
The question was directed only at her.
Link did not take offense.
Rem answered without hesitation.
—Yes.
—Because he asked you, or because you want to?
The color in her cheeks intensified.
—Both.
Subaru made a strangled noise.
Link pointed at him without looking.
—Not one word.
—I didn't say anything!
—You were preparing to.
Ferris looked back at Rem.
—Do you feel obligated to stay with him because of his condition?
Rem held the healer's gaze.
—Rem does not consider sleeping beside the person she loves an obligation.
The silence was absolute.
Subaru stared at the ceiling.
—I request that someone hit me until I lose consciousness again.
Ferris blinked twice.
Link looked at Rem.
She did not remove her hand.
—That answers the question —Ferris admitted.
—Then there will be one room for both of us —Link said.
—Not so fast.
—What else?
—Crusch-sama owns the residence.
—I can ask her.
—You will not use kagunes to ask.
—I said politely.
Ferris looked toward the damaged ground outside the mansion that had not yet been fully repaired.
—Your interpretation of that word is flexible.
—I won't break anything.
—Nor threaten anyone.
—I wasn't planning to.
—And no mentioning arms.
Link pressed his lips together.
—Fine.
Ferris continued channeling magic into Subaru.
—I can authorize a temporary change. The room will remain adjacent to Subaru's. You will not seal the door using your own mechanisms, alter the barriers, and you will report it if the nightmares cause your horns or extensions to manifest.
—I don't need surveillance.
—You need accommodation inside a house you nearly attacked.
—I didn't attack the house.
—The entrance disagrees.
—That was the landing.
—The stone does not distinguish motives.
Link exhaled.
—I accept.
—And Rem can change her mind whenever she wishes.
—Naturally.
Rem squeezed his shoulder slightly.
—She will not tonight.
Link looked at her.
Subaru covered his face with one hand.
—I can't believe I'm the one receiving treatment and somehow this conversation is hurting me more.
Ferris finished rewrapping his arm.
—We can put cotton in your ears.
—Wouldn't work. Link talks too loudly.
—I don't raise my voice.
—Your entire life raises its voice.
Link almost replied.
Ferris pressed a sensitive spot on Subaru's wrist.
Subaru screamed.
—WHY?!
—You moved.
—BECAUSE I WAS TALKING!
—Then don't talk.
—Everyone here hates me.
Rem adjusted the pillow.
—That isn't true.
Subaru looked at her hopefully.
—Rem is only annoyed.
—That didn't help.
Ferris finished the bandage.
—Your Gate will need treatment in the morning. No magic, no strenuous exercise, and no leaving the residence without company.
—Am I allowed to breathe?
—In moderation.
Ferris closed the box.
Then looked at Link.
—You are going to sleep too.
—That's the idea.
—You will not work throughout the night inside the room.
—You can't forbid me from thinking.
—I can remove your tools.
Link frowned.
—You will not touch Pikachu.
—The yellow statue?
—Project.
—It doesn't move.
—Yet.
Ferris smiled with an enthusiasm that reassured no one.
—Then it will have no difficulty waiting until tomorrow.
Link stood.
—I need to finish it.
—You need to sleep.
—I have almost all the circuits ready.
—Sleep.
—I only need a Yang lagmite.
—Sleep.
—And to finish programming the responses.
—Sleep.
Link looked at Rem.
She pointed toward the door.
—Sleep.
—This has become a conspiracy.
Subaru raised his healthy hand.
—For once, I support the conspiracy.
—Nobody asked you.
—It's my room.
—Not for long.
Link left.
Rem gave Ferris a small bow before following him.
The door closed.
Subaru looked at the healer.
—Are they going to share a bed?
Ferris picked up his box.
—Ferri does not want to think about it.
—Neither do I, but my head insists.
—You were hit too hard.
—That doesn't explain the images.
Ferris reached the door.
—Good night, Subaru.
—DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE WITH MY IMAGINATION!
—Punishment for disobeying.
The door closed.
Subaru continued staring at the ceiling.
From the corridor, he heard Link's voice.
—The room needs a table.
—You will not work tonight —Rem answered.
—Every room needs a table.
—It already has one.
—It's small.
—Sufficient.
—My plans—
The voices moved farther away.
Subaru closed his good eye.
The room became empty.
The white cloak remained over his chest.
For a moment, he considered calling Link.
He did not.
He had already asked him to stay once.
He could not ask every time silence began resembling loneliness too closely.
He turned his face toward the window.
Emilia was no longer in the residence.
Tomorrow she would be farther away.
And he had nothing to do except heal.
Three days later.
The sky stretched clear above Subaru.
Blue.
Deep.
Almost offensively refreshing in appearance.
White clouds blocked part of the sun, but the rays passed through the gaps and descended over the courtyard of the Karsten residence. The grass was warm beneath his back, and the air carried barely any moisture.
Subaru lay there with his arms spread.
The wooden sword rested beside his right hand.
He had lost count of how many times he had ended up in that position that morning.
Looking back, he had been in that world for nearly two months.
Two months.
He had died.
He had met Emilia.
He had met Link.
He had been disemboweled, cursed, thrown from a cliff, bitten, beaten, and humiliated in front of a good portion of Lugunica's nobility.
And still the sky remained blue.
It felt like a provocation.
—Shall we end this?
Wilhelm's voice came from above.
Subaru lifted his head slightly.
The old man stood a short distance away holding a wooden sword. He wore the black servant's uniform of House Karsten and showed not a single sign of fatigue.
His white hair remained perfectly arranged.
His clothes were unstained.
His breathing was calm.
Subaru looked as though he had been dragged through the garden behind a carriage.
—No —he replied—. I was contemplating a philosophical question.
Wilhelm tilted his head.
—A philosophical question?
—Yes.
—May I ask what?
Subaru watched a cloud.
—If fire is above and water below, then I must be the garbage trapped between them.
Wilhelm remained silent.
Subaru lifted his legs, used the momentum, and returned to his feet.
The movement still produced a faint discomfort in his ribs. Ferris had repaired most of the damage, but his body had not completely forgotten the duel.
—It doesn't matter —he added—. I'm only annoyed because I keep watering the ground with sweat.
He picked up the sword.
Assumed a stance.
Wilhelm studied his feet.
His knees.
The position of his hips.
The way Subaru held the weapon.
—One more lesson —Subaru asked.
—You have said that several times already.
—And I'm still talking. That means there's still training left.
—Not necessarily.
—Don't discourage me before we begin.
—That was not my intention.
Wilhelm raised the sword.
—En garde.
Subaru stepped forward.
He attacked from below.
The strike aimed at the old man's side before changing direction toward the shoulder.
Wilhelm moved his wrist.
Nothing more.
Subaru's sword was deflected.
The old man advanced.
The wood touched three points.
Head.
Throat.
Solar plexus.
The strikes were small.
Precise.
Subaru lost his breath and was thrown backward.
He fell onto the grass.
—Gwoeh!
—Too much force —Wilhelm said—. In your arms, legs, neck, hips, and jaw.
Subaru opened one eye.
—I'm using too much force in my jaw too?
—You clench your teeth before attacking.
—It looks intimidating.
—It announces your movement.
—Then I'll stop doing it.
—Your shoulders also announce your attacks.
—I'll stop using shoulders.
—You need them.
—This is getting complicated.
Several meters away, a metal plate fell onto the grass.
—No —Link said.
Subaru turned his head.
Link sat on the ground near one of the garden paths.
He had spread out a blanket covered with tools, magical wires, small plates, crystals, and sheets filled with diagrams. Pikachu stood in front of him with its back open.
During the previous three days, the statue had been moved from storage to a workroom authorized by Crusch. That morning, Link had brought it into the courtyard to conduct the final tests.
He had not explained why those tests needed to take place close to Subaru's training.
Probably because Rem had to watch both of them and refused to split herself in half.
Three kagunes held small components.
One held a tool.
Another kept the rear plate open.
The last traced a line across a sheet while Link worked with both hands inside Pikachu's torso.
—That circuit is going to send the charge back to the core —he murmured—. It shouldn't go back to the core.
Subaru was still lying on the ground.
—Are you talking to me?
—No.
—Then who?
—Pikachu.
—It still can't hear you.
—We'll see about that.
—Its back is open.
—You were open in several places three days ago and you were still talking.
Subaru sat up.
—Unpleasant comparison.
Wilhelm waited patiently.
He did not seem bothered by the interruption.
His eyes briefly observed the six extensions moving.
Then returned to Subaru.
—Shall we continue?
—Yes.
Subaru raised the sword.
At one side of the courtyard, Rem stood beneath the shade of a tree.
She wore her usual uniform.
The blue-and-red ring gleamed on her left hand. The hairpin bought in the Capital remained in her hair.
Her gaze alternated between Subaru and Link.
She did not watch them in the same way.
Whenever Subaru fell, she checked his posture, breathing, and the possibility of an injury.
Whenever Link brought two incorrect wires close together, her hand tightened around her skirt.
Subaru had noticed.
He said nothing.
Wilhelm attacked.
Subaru tried to block.
The impact knocked his sword upward.
A second thrust stopped a finger's width from his throat.
—Dead —Wilhelm said.
—That was fast.
—Yes.
—Again.
They reset their positions.
Link removed one piece.
Turned it.
Inserted it again.
—Source, route, command, output.
Rem heard the murmur.
—Are you following Beatrice-sama's lessons?
—I'm preventing it from exploding.
—That didn't answer the question.
—Yes.
A small spark emerged from inside Pikachu.
Link withdrew his hand.
The kagune holding the plate shut the opening for a second.
Nothing else happened.
—Progress —he said.
Rem looked at a black mark on one of his fingers.
—You burned yourself.
—A minimal amount.
—That remains a burn.
The skin was already closing.
—Not anymore.
Rem did not seem convinced.
—How much longer?
—Not much.
—You said the same thing before breakfast.
—Now it's more true.
Subaru attacked again.
This time he used less strength.
Wilhelm deflected the strike.
The old man's sword touched his wrist.
Subaru lost his weapon.
—Ah!
The wooden sword fell.
Wilhelm caught it with his foot and kicked it upward.
He seized it by the hilt before Subaru could react.
Now he held two.
—Your grip remains too rigid.
—My fingers are trying to keep you from taking my sword.
—Which is why it was easy to take.
Wilhelm returned the weapon.
Subaru caught it.
—I don't understand how that logic works.
—A rigid branch breaks before a flexible one.
—So I should hold it like I don't want it?
—You should hold it only as tightly as necessary.
—That sounds like one of those lessons that's easy to say and horrible to apply.
—It is.
Subaru assumed his stance again.
The sun warmed the back of his neck.
Sweat ran down his back.
Every muscle protested.
That was good.
Physical pain occupied space.
While Wilhelm hit him, Subaru did not have to think about Emilia.
While he tried to lift the sword, he could not hear the door closing.
While he counted movements, he did not count broken promises.
One.
Two.
Deflect.
Strike.
Fall.
Stand.
Again.
He did not need to ask himself what he should do to make Emilia forgive him.
He only needed to try touching Wilhelm.
An impossible task was easier than a conversation.
—Subaru-dono.
The old man's voice brought him back.
The wooden sword hovered in front of his face.
Subaru had stopped halfway through a stance.
—You're distracted.
—I was looking for an opening.
—You were staring at nothing.
—Openings can appear there.
Wilhelm lowered the weapon.
—You are not training to learn.
Subaru felt his body tense.
—What?
—You are training to exhaust yourself.
The observation carried no reproach.
That made it harder to reject.
—Exhaustion is part of learning.
—Not when it is the sole objective.
—I'm practicing.
—Yes.
Wilhelm remained silent for a moment.
—But you do not wish to improve with the sword.
Subaru tightened his grip.
—Of course I do.
—For what purpose?
The question struck more precisely than the wooden sword.
—To become strong.
—For what purpose?
—So I won't lose.
—Against whom?
Julius appeared in his memory.
Then Emilia.
Subaru stepped forward.
—Can we continue?
Wilhelm observed his face.
—As you wish.
He assumed his stance.
Subaru charged.
A few meters away, Link fitted one final component inside Pikachu's chest.
—Good.
The piece was different from the rest.
A yellow lagmite the size of two fingers, carved into an oval. Lines of light moved slowly within it.
Yang.
It had taken three days to obtain.
Not because they were impossible to find.
Because Link had rejected five pieces that failed to meet his standards.
One contained impurities.
Another released energy irregularly.
The third was too large.
The fourth too small.
The fifth had produced a spark when brought near the circuits.
Ferris had asked why that was a problem when Pikachu was supposed to produce electricity.
Link had answered that an explosion and thunder were not the same thing.
Ferris had not asked again.
Rem approached.
—Is that the one?
—Yes.
—Are you certain?
—No.
—Link.
—I'm never completely certain until I activate it.
—That isn't reassuring either.
—The theory works.
—Charizard's theory worked too.
—Charizard flies.
—After setting part of the garden on fire.
—A small part.
—Roswaal-sama is still paying for it.
Link held the lagmite between two fingers.
—There won't be any fire this time.
Rem looked at the clouds.
—That leaves far too many possibilities.
Luci floated above Pikachu.
The quasi-spirit looked at the crystal.
—Shiny.
—Yes.
—Bites.
—It doesn't bite.
—Bites.
—That's electricity.
Luci descended.
She tried to touch it.
Link moved his hand away.
—Not you.
—Mean.
—Later.
The little golden sphere crossed her arms.
Link inserted the lagmite into the mount.
It clicked into place.
The internal circuits reacted.
A yellow line crossed Pikachu's chest.
Then another.
Energy traveled toward the head, descended through the arms, and ran through the metallic tail.
Link held the flow steady.
—Source.
The lagmite glowed.
—Route.
The circuits remained stable.
—Command.
The instructions engraved into the plates responded.
Movement.
Balance.
Voice recognition.
Discharge control.
Verbal response.
—Output.
He closed the chest plate.
One kagune lowered the rear cover.
The pieces fit together.
Link tightened the fasteners.
Pikachu remained motionless.
Rem waited.
Luci approached one ear.
—Pika?
Nothing.
Link touched one of the red cheeks.
—Pikachu.
The statue did not respond.
Subaru fell behind them.
—Gah!
Wilhelm raised the sword again.
—Shall we end this?
—NO!
Link ignored the response.
He touched the cheek again.
—Primary activation.
Nothing.
Rem tilted her head.
—Did it fail?
—No.
—It isn't moving.
—It's starting.
—How long does that take?
—It shouldn't take long.
The right ear moved.
Only slightly.
Rem saw it.
—Link.
—I know.
The left ear straightened.
The black eyes flashed yellow.
The tail rose.
The front paws made a metallic sound as they adjusted against the ground.
Link's eyes widened.
—Yes.
Pikachu tilted its head.
The red circles on its cheeks began to glow.
—Yes.
Link placed both hands beneath its arms.
He lifted it.
The creature weighed more than it appeared to, but that meant nothing to him.
—IT WORKED!
Subaru looked over.
So did Wilhelm.
Rem took a step.
—Wait—
A yellow current appeared between Pikachu's cheeks.
Link saw the light.
He had time to understand.
Not to react.
The lightning engulfed him.
The courtyard turned white.
An explosion tore through the garden.
Electricity traveled down Link's arms, crossed his chest, and left through his legs. All six kagunes manifested at once, rigid, their open tips aimed toward the sky.
His hair rose.
His shirt began to smoke.
His boots left two black marks across the grass.
Subaru opened his mouth.
Wilhelm placed one hand before his eyes to protect himself from the brightness.
Rem shouted:
—LINK!
The discharge ended.
Smoke remained.
Link was still standing.
He held Pikachu above his head.
His hair pointed in every direction.
Tiny sparks traveled across his teeth.
Pikachu moved one ear.
Then the other.
Its cheeks stopped producing electricity.
—Pika.
Link smiled.
A thin line of smoke escaped his mouth.
—I did it.
He fell backward.
Pikachu descended with him.
One kagune reacted before the impact and set the creature on the grass.
Link hit the ground one second later.
Subaru pointed at him.
—THAT WAS AMAZING!
Wilhelm's sword touched his forehead.
Subaru fell too.
—WHY?!
—You looked away.
—A MAN JUST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING!
—An opponent will not interrupt his attack because of a distraction.
—THAT DISTRACTION WAS SHAPED LIKE PIKACHU!
Wilhelm looked toward the yellow creature.
Pikachu took a step.
Its tail shifted to maintain balance.
—Pika.
The old man returned his attention to Subaru.
—It appears to be well.
—LINK ISN'T!
Rem reached him.
She knelt.
Her hands moved over his face, neck, and chest. The discharge had burned part of the shirt, but the skin beneath it was rebuilding itself. His heart beat hard.
Too fast.
Not dangerously so.
—Link.
He opened his eyes.
—It worked.
—It electrocuted you.
—The discharge needs calibration.
—It electrocuted you.
—That confirms it produces electricity.
—We did not need to confirm it that way.
Pikachu walked toward them.
Its legs moved with a slight stiffness.
It stopped beside Rem.
Raised its head.
—Pika.
Rem looked at it.
The creature lowered its ears.
—No —she said.
Pikachu lowered its head.
Link attempted to sit up.
His arm trembled.
—Don't scold it. It was just born.
—It just attacked you.
—Startup discharge.
—Rem does not know many creatures that nearly kill their creator in order to wake up.
Subaru raised one hand from the ground.
—I know several stories.
—Not helping —Link and Rem said at the same time.
Crusch appeared on the terrace.
She had come out after hearing the blast. Her green hair fell over one shoulder, and her military uniform remained perfectly arranged.
She surveyed the courtyard.
Subaru sprawled in front of Wilhelm.
Link smoking on the grass.
Rem kneeling beside him.
A yellow creature walking between them.
A blackened circle burned into the grass.
Crusch placed one hand on the railing.
—It appears the morning has been productive.
Subaru raised his head.
—THAT'S YOUR CONCLUSION?
—Both of you remain alive.
—Your standards are adapting to our presence way too quickly.
Crusch looked at Wilhelm.
—Did we interrupt your practice?
—Only briefly.
Wilhelm bowed.
—My apologies for the noise, Crusch-sama.
Link sat up.
—The noise was mine.
Crusch directed her gaze toward Pikachu.
The creature took another step.
Its rigid tail moved.
—Is that the statue?
—Project —Link corrected.
—It no longer resembles a statue.
—Exactly.
Pikachu looked at Crusch.
—Pika.
She returned its gaze.
—Does it speak?
—An amount.
—What did it say?
Link looked at Pikachu.
—Pika.
—I heard that.
—For now, it means almost everything.
Crusch lifted one eyebrow slightly.
—Can it produce that discharge again?
Rem answered first.
—No.
Link answered at the same time.
—Yes.
They looked at each other.
—After I calibrate it —Link corrected.
—Outside the residence —Rem added.
—The courtyard is already outside.
—Outside the property.
—That makes testing difficult.
—That is the intention.
Crusch contemplated the burned area.
—I agree with Rem.
Link looked betrayed.
—It still needs to learn how to control the energy.
—Then it will learn away from the stables, the servants, and the mansion's barriers.
—I can contain it.
Rem touched the burned section of his shirt.
—The evidence contradicts that statement.
Subaru laughed.
The movement made his abdomen hurt.
—You shouldn't laugh —Link said.
—Your hair looks like a broom.
—Your face looks like someone hit it with a broom.
—My face is recovering its charm.
—Ferris exaggerated the recovery.
Wilhelm positioned himself beside Subaru.
—Shall we end this?
Subaru looked at the old man.
Then at Link, still emitting smoke.
Pikachu.
Rem.
Crusch on the terrace.
—No.
He picked up the sword.
—One more.
Wilhelm observed him.
—As you wish.
Crusch rested both arms against the railing.
—You work diligently.
Subaru assumed his stance.
—I have trouble telling whether that was a compliment.
—It was.
—Then thank you.
—Although your method appears to focus more on receiving blows than learning how to avoid them.
—The style is still in development.
—That part is evident.
Crusch looked at Wilhelm.
—Has he interfered with your duties?
—I am using my free time, Crusch-sama.
—I do not wish to be such an arrogant lady that I prevent another person's serious effort.
Wilhelm inclined his head.
—I appreciate your consideration.
—Besides, I feel like training this morning. When you finish with Subaru, I will delegate the remaining matters and take my lesson earlier than planned.
—As you command.
Subaru pointed his sword.
—Does that mean I'm being kicked out?
—It means the session must conclude —Wilhelm said.
—I knew there was a trap.
—It is not a trap.
—You say that because you're on the winning side.
Wilhelm assumed his stance.
The kind expression disappeared.
The sword remained motionless before his body.
Subaru felt the difference.
Until then, the old man had been teaching.
Now he was ending it.
—En garde —Wilhelm said.
Subaru swallowed.
—Whenever you're ready.
He attacked.
He did not attempt deception.
He lacked the skill, speed, and experience for a feint to mean anything before that man.
He raised the sword and delivered a direct strike.
Wilhelm vanished from his range.
Subaru's wooden blade struck the earth.
Momentum carried him forward.
He tried to turn.
He did not make it.
Impacts appeared from every direction.
Shoulder.
Side.
Wrist.
Knee.
Back.
Wilhelm's sword did not seem to move.
It merely existed for a moment at every place where Subaru lost his balance.
One.
Three.
Five.
Too many.
Subaru fell.
His sword left his hand.
The grass received his face.
He remained there.
He did not immediately try to get up.
—Shall we end this? —Wilhelm asked.
Subaru spat out a leaf.
—The way you ask that has become offensive.
—That was not my intention.
—That makes it worse.
Wilhelm lowered the sword.
—Practice is over.
Crusch moved away from the railing.
—I'll wait for you inside.
—Yes, Crusch-sama.
She gave Pikachu one final glance.
The creature remained beside Rem.
—Try not to let it destroy the mansion.
—I can promise to try —Link said.
Crusch looked at the scorched mark.
—I would prefer a better promise.
She left the terrace.
Wilhelm bowed toward where she had stood, then retrieved Subaru's wooden sword.
Link was already capable of remaining seated.
Rem was still inspecting the damage from the discharge.
—The shirt cannot be repaired.
—I have more.
—Not many.
—I can buy some.
—With the mineral money.
—That was for projects.
—Clothing is part of keeping the creator of those projects alive.
—That is a broad interpretation.
—Rem considers it correct.
Pikachu touched Link's arm.
A tiny spark jumped between them.
Rem immediately pulled the creature away.
—No.
Pikachu lowered its ears.
—Pika.
—You cannot use that expression to avoid consequences.
—It doesn't understand yet —Link said.
—Then it must learn.
—It just activated.
—That is the best time.
Subaru was still lying on the ground.
—Does anyone remember that I'm injured too?
Rem turned toward him.
—Wilhelm-sama did not cause serious damage.
—That does not mean I don't require attention.
—You can sit up.
—I would prefer someone to lift me.
Link extended a kagune.
Subaru recoiled across the grass.
—NOT YOU!
—You asked for help.
—I want help that doesn't have teeth.
The tip closed.
—Demanding.
Rem helped Link stand first.
Subaru watched.
—Favoritism.
—Link received a considerable electrical discharge —Rem said.
—I received countless blows.
—Controlled ones.
—The lightning looked fairly controlled too.
—It wasn't —Link admitted.
Rem approached Subaru.
She did not offer him her lap.
She took a folded towel from the basket she had left beneath the tree and placed it beneath his head.
Then she offered him water.
Subaru accepted.
—This is less soft than I expected.
—It is a towel.
—I know.
Rem knelt beside him.
She checked his pupils and lightly touched the places Wilhelm had struck.
—There is no new swelling.
—My entire body disagrees.
—Your body exaggerates.
—It learned from me.
—That would explain many things.
Subaru drank.
A few meters away, Link had sat in front of Pikachu again.
The burned shirt was still smoking.
Rem saw him open the rear plate.
—What are you doing?
—Reducing the initial output.
—You were just struck by lightning.
—That's how I know how much to reduce it.
—Link.
He stopped moving his hands.
—Yes?
—Rest.
—I'll only adjust—
—Rest.
Link looked at Pikachu.
Then Rem.
—Five minutes.
—Thirty.
—Ten.
—Thirty.
—Fifteen.
Rem held his gaze.
Link closed the plate.
—Thirty.
Pikachu sat beside him.
—Pika.
—You aren't helping either.
Subaru watched the scene.
Rem returned to him.
—You worked hard this morning.
—Me or Link?
—Both.
—He built an electric creature. I learned how to fall in more directions.
—That is progress.
—That sounds like something you'd tell a child.
—Then stop behaving like one.
Subaru closed his eyes.
—Rem.
—Yes?
The question had been inside him too long.
Perhaps since Emilia had closed the door.
Perhaps from before.
—Do you think I'm pathetic?
Rem did not answer immediately.
Subaru opened his good eye.
She was watching him.
Not with pity.
Nor with the adoration some selfish part of him would have wanted.
—Yes —she said.
The ease of the answer made him blink.
—That was fast.
—You asked what Rem thinks.
—You could've lied a little.
—It would not have helped.
Subaru looked back toward the sky.
—So you think so too.
—Yes.
—Why are you still here?
Rem looked toward Link.
He lay on the grass, using one kagune as a backrest while Pikachu sat on his abdomen. The creature moved its ears every time Luci flew around it.
Rem looked back at Subaru.
—Because thinking someone is behaving pathetically does not mean Rem must abandon them.
Subaru waited.
—Emilia-sama entrusted your recovery to Rem —she continued—. Subaru still belongs to the camp. You are also important to Link and someone Rem considers a companion.
It was not the answer Subaru would have wanted in the past.
There was no love in it.
No blind devotion.
There was something solid.
—Only because of an order? —he asked.
Rem shook her head.
—Even if Emilia-sama had not ordered it, Rem would not have left Subaru alone in his current condition.
—Why?
—Because she does not want to.
The sentence came simply.
Subaru looked at her.
Rem adjusted the towel beneath his head.
—That does not mean Rem approves of what you did.
—Of course.
—Nor that she believes Emilia-sama acted wrongly.
—Understood.
—Nor that she will allow you to leave the residence.
—That already seemed obvious.
—But she will remain here.
Subaru closed his eye.
The words eased part of the weight.
Not the part Emilia had left behind.
No one could touch that.
—You're pretty cruel —he murmured.
—Nee-sama is better.
Subaru gave a small laugh.
—You had to mention her.
—It is true.
—One day I'm going to find something you're better at than Ram.
—Rem already knows one thing.
Subaru opened his eye.
Rem looked toward Link.
The meaning was immediate.
—Ah.
—Yes.
—I didn't need to know.
—You asked.
—Not in words.
—Rem understood.
—That is dangerous.
Link spoke from the other side.
—I CAN HEAR EVERYTHING!
Subaru lifted his head.
—YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE RESTING!
—RESTING DOESN'T MEAN I BECOME DEAF!
Rem brought a hand to her mouth.
She did not entirely hide her smile.
Link pointed toward Subaru.
—Stop asking my girlfriend personal questions.
—I ASKED WHAT SHE'S BETTER AT THAN RAM!
—That is personal.
—SHE POINTED AT YOU WITH HER EYES!
—Then the answer was obvious.
Subaru let his head fall back onto the towel.
—I hate this residence.
Pikachu walked toward him.
Subaru watched it approach.
—No.
The creature stopped.
—Pika.
—I am not touching you.
Pikachu took another step.
—You just electrocuted someone much tougher than me.
The tail moved.
—Pika.
Subaru looked at Rem.
—Do something.
—It does not seem aggressive.
—People have said that about many creatures shortly before tragedy.
Pikachu placed one paw on Subaru's arm.
A tiny spark ran across the fabric.
Subaru stiffened.
Nothing else happened.
Pikachu tilted its head.
—Pika.
Subaru slowly raised his hand.
He placed it on the metallic head.
—Fine.
The ears straightened.
—Pika.
Link smiled from the ground.
—It recognizes you.
—As what?
—A person.
—I was hoping for something more specific.
—The programming is still basic.
Subaru stroked one ear.
The surface was warm.
It did not feel like a statue.
The movements were small, slightly clumsy, but contained enough intention to fool the senses.
—You really did it —he said.
Link looked at the sky.
—Yeah.
There was no arrogance.
Only satisfaction.
Clean satisfaction.
He had imagined something.
He had worked.
He had failed.
And then he had made it exist.
Subaru lowered his gaze toward the abandoned wooden sword.
He trained.
Fell.
Got back up.
He did not know what for.
He said he wanted to become strong.
He did not know what he would do with that strength.
Link had built Pikachu because he wanted to build Pikachu.
The difference seemed simple.
Subaru hated it.
Rem saw the expression cross his face.
—What is it?
Subaru removed his hand from Pikachu.
—Nothing.
—You looked that way again.
—What way?
—As though you are seeing something the rest of us cannot see.
The sentence reminded him of Emilia.
If you don't tell me, I can't understand.
Subaru closed his hand.
—I was only thinking.
—About what?
—About how Link gets struck by lightning and ends up happy.
Link raised one finger.
—Because it worked.
—And I get hit without accomplishing anything.
Wilhelm, who still had not left, spoke.
—That depends on what you were attempting to accomplish.
Subaru looked toward him.
The old man held both wooden swords.
—You said you wished to train.
—Yes.
—You trained.
—But I didn't improve.
—That cannot be determined after a single morning.
—It's been three.
—Three mornings remain very little.
Subaru clenched his teeth.
Wilhelm saw.
—Again.
Subaru relaxed his jaw.
—I can't help it.
—You can learn.
—How long would it take?
—I do not know.
—Weeks?
—To master the fundamentals, perhaps.
—Months?
—To use them adequately under pressure.
—Years?
—To approach the competence of a trained knight.
Subaru looked at the sword.
Julius had reached that level long ago.
Reinhard stood beyond any useful scale.
Link did not even need a sword.
—I don't have years —he murmured.
Wilhelm remained silent.
—Why?
Subaru did not answer.
He did not know why.
He only felt that he did not.
Every day away from Emilia was too long.
Every hour spent doing nothing felt like a defeat.
He needed to return strong.
He needed to return worthy.
He needed her to look at him and understand that he had changed.
He did not know how much change would be enough.
—Haste can allow a person to advance —Wilhelm said—. It can also prevent them from seeing the road.
Subaru released a bitter laugh.
—Do all sword lessons come with philosophy?
—No.
—Then I'm unlucky.
—Only when the student asks questions that cannot be answered with a sword.
Subaru looked at the sky.
—Thank you for the practice.
Wilhelm inclined his head.
—You worked seriously.
He walked toward the mansion to attend Crusch's request.
Subaru watched him leave.
He did not feel better.
Rem picked up the wooden sword.
—We should go inside.
—Five minutes.
—You need treatment.
—Five.
Rem looked toward Link.
He was still lying down.
—Link needs to go inside too.
—I can walk —he said.
He attempted to stand.
A spark ran through his leg.
He fell again.
—After five minutes —he corrected.
Subaru laughed.
Link raised his head.
—Don't laugh.
—Why?
—We share the worst abilities.
The sentence only made sense to the two of them.
Subaru stopped laughing.
Rem looked between them.
—What does that mean?
—Nothing —they answered together.
She narrowed her eyes.
—That answer never means anything good.
Link extended his hand.
—Help me up.
Rem took it.
—After thirty minutes.
—They already passed.
—Twelve have passed.
—Your perception of time is cruel.
—Rem is keeping count.
Pikachu returned to Link.
It sat beside him.
Luci perched on one ear.
The other four lights appeared around them, attracted by the new flow of mana.
—Pika —the creature said.
Luci raised both arms.
—Pika!
Pikachu answered:
—Pika.
The spirits repeated the sound.
Within seconds, Link was surrounded by a chorus of tiny voices all saying the same word.
Subaru covered his eyes.
—This is going to be unbearable.
—It's perfect —Link murmured.
Rem smiled.
The sky remained blue.
The grass remained warm.
The courtyard was full of voices.
From the outside, that morning could have looked peaceful.
Subaru trained.
Link built.
Rem looked after both of them.
Crusch worked.
Wilhelm fulfilled his duties.
Ferris slowly repaired Subaru's damaged Gate.
Everything moved forward.
Subaru's body recovered.
The bruises lost their color.
His bones stopped hurting.
Every day, Ferris's magic corrected another small portion of the damage caused by Subaru's own recklessness.
But the wound Emilia had left when she walked away did not improve.
Subaru did not try to heal it.
He covered it.
With training.
With jokes.
With exhaustion.
With Rem's presence.
With conversations with Link.
With anything that allowed him to reach the end of the day without asking himself what he would do once he could no longer keep avoiding the answer.
Pikachu turned its head toward him.
—Pika.
Subaru dropped one arm over his eyes.
—Yeah.
He did not know what Pikachu had said.
It did not matter.
Three days after separating from Emilia, Natsuki Subaru was recovering on the outside.
Inside, he was beginning to rot.