Chapter 62
Seeing the woman standing in the doorway, a shiver ran through Subaru’s entire body .
Even for Subaru, who had experienced so many bouts of desperation and death since his arrival in the Parallel World, this was an existence that inspired a strange kind of dread .
Donning a black feathered cloak, the dynamic curvatures of her body were packaged in jet-black attire . The same color as Subaru’s, her black hair, which was such a rarity in this world, was woven into a french braid . The far corners of her eyes were angled downwards, while a seductive smile adorned her almost gentle expression .
If it weren’t for the blood-drenched blades casually dangling from her hands, she might have been mistaken for a lady straight out of a portrait―― instead of this murdering monster that was Subaru’s worst nightmare . His first-killer . The Bowel Hunter: Elsa Granhiert .
[Subaru: How are…… you here!?]
[Elsa: ――Oh my, I was wondering where I had smelled that smell before? How has your body been faring since we last parted? Have you been taking good care of your bowels for me?]
As if having just noticed the tongue-tied Subaru’s presence, Elsa lifted her brows and slightly tilted her head .
Just from her answer to his question, it was already clear that no conversation could be had between them . Taking care of one’s bowels isn’t something normal people would consider suggesting . Hearing her make such a request like it was a matter of course left no doubt in his mind that this woman before his eyes was a lunatic .
What’s more, she was a lunatic of a completely different breed than Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti .
Feeling all the muscles in his body contracting, Subaru strained his nerves watching Elsa’s every movement .
But the combat strength of this madwoman was such that she had taken a blow from the Sword Saint, Reinhardt, and lived . No matter how much Subaru sharpened his nerves, chances were she could take him down before he’d even have time to react .
[Beatrice: ――Who gave you permission to be here, I suppose]
Suddenly, a voice came from behind Subaru, addressing Elsa .
The one who asked this impassive question was Beatrice . She remained as before, facing against Subaru, except all traces of her tears had vanished from her face .
Hearing the girl’s question, Elsa brushed her hand through her long, dark hair .
[Elsa: It wasn’t locked or anything, all I did was open the door and come in? If you’re having such an important conversation, you shouldn’t forget to lock next time]
[Beatrice: That’s not what I meant . This is Betty’s Forbidden Library, and you have entered without my permission…… aside from this man, not many others could do this, I suppose . How did you manage this]
[Elsa: Ah, that’s simple]
As Beatrice tossed a glance towards Door Crossing’s other exception, Subaru, Elsa nodded as if having understood her question . Then, she gestured to the opened doorway,
[Elsa: Your spatial-isolation magic…… uses doors as its medium, right? A door-linking spell that connects closed doors with other closed doors?]
[Beatrice: Yes . The Forbidden Library is potentially connected to any door in the Mansion . Unless Betty permits it, it should be impossible to find it, I suppose . So how did you……]
[Elsa: Then it’s easy . Seeing how it uses closed doors as the medium…… if I just opened every door, that would eliminate all the other possibilities, right?]
[Beatrice: ――――!]
Elsa spelled out her straightforward solution to Beatrice’s Door Crossing .
Indeed it was just as she said . Beatrice’s Door Crossing was a spatial transition magic that linked closed doors with one another . That is, it could not link to doors that were already open . Since there was a finite number of doors in the Mansion, once all the other doors were opened, the last one remaining could only lead to the Forbidden Library . But, in order to do this,
[Subaru: You’d have to open every door in the Mansion…… and no one tried to stop you……?]
But the moment he spoke, Subaru realized the full extent of his stupidity .
Or rather, that he had been averting his eyes from the truth that he didn’t want to see .
[Subaru: On… your knife…… whose blood is that?]
The blades of Elsa’s Kukri-knives were coated in congealing blood . Judging from the droplets still dripping from their tips, one might imagine that they had only just sliced open their prey . That, combined with his existing assumptions, gave Subaru more than enough reason to imagine the worst .
Watching the color drain from Subaru’s lips, Elsa traced her finger over the side of her blade, and then licked her bloodied finger clean .
[Elsa: I wonder whose it is?]
[Subaru: You……]
[Elsa: I’ll give you a hint . She’s dressed as a maid]
There were three people in the Mansion . They were all dressed as maids . Or no, Rem would be sleeping in her nightgown . So she’s out as a candidate . That leaves only two .
[Elsa: Hint number two . Her hair wasn’t long]
Petra’s hair was shoulder-length . Frederica’s hair was long .
――Subaru’s throat inhaled in preparation for the scream that was to come .
[Elsa: Hint number three―― “Subaru, Subaru!” she cried as she died]
[Subaru: ELSAAAAAAAA――!!!!]
Baring his teeth as he lowered his stance, Subaru charged towards Elsa head on .
Elsa casually straightened her limbs to meet his charge, pointing the tip of her right-hand blade at the oncoming Subaru’s eye――
[Elsa: ――Ara?]
[Subaru: Like anyone’s gonna charge a monster like you from the front!]
Elsa groaned as if taken by surprise .
In front of her, Subaru lowered his body, scraping his hand against the floor before swinging it in an upwards arc . Caught in the trajectory of his arm, a stack of Gospel pages went up fluttering .
In an instant, tens of white pages blocked Elsa’s view of Subaru . Immediately drawing in a breath, Subaru concentrated every ounce of his mana into the center of his stomach, and,
[Subaru: ――SHAMAC!!!!]
A plume of black smoke billowed out, completely obscuring the space between Elsa and Subaru .
Though it paled in comparison to the Shamac he used against Julius, he knew from experience that it would be effective against Elsa . Unlike last time, when he completely expelled all the mana inside his body, this time, it only left a general sense of fatigue, an indication that he was getting better at utilizing his mana .
[Subaru: Beatrice!]
Quickly turning around, Subaru grabbed the on-looking Beatrice by the arm . Though for a moment, she made an effort to resist, she didn’t manage to escape Subaru’s grip .
Forcefully pulling her almost weightless body, Subaru embraced the small girl into his arms and launched himself back into the Shamac .
――Confusion . Deprived of vision, sound, sensation, and left with only darkness .
The feeling of his footfalls had become Subaru’s everything, the entirety of his world .
In the span between one foot left the ground and his other foot landed, Subaru was completely abandoned by the world . His left foot lands . He was linked to the world . His left foot leaves . He was alone . His right foot lands . He was linked . He was alone . He was linked . He was alone . He felt something struggling in his arms . But he didn’t let go . He mustn’t leave her alone . He was linked . He was linked . He was linked .
[Subaru: ――Phaa!]
The next instant, as if popping his head out of a water’s surface, the darkness abruptly fell away .
In his clearing vision, Subaru found himself in the Mansion’s hallway . The red carpet lining the halls could only mean that they’ve dashed out of the Library .
They have bypassed Elsa at the door and escaped .
[Subaru: Knew that would work――!]
He knew that when hit with Shamac from the front, the battle-hardened Elsa would try to shoot Subaru through the smokescreen thinking that he would be running away . By going against her expectation and running towards her, Subaru passed right by Elsa through the door she had left open .
[Subaru: Kinda wanna say “Nailed it!”, but……]
This was no time to congratulate himself .
She didn’t know how long Shamac would last, but as soon as Elsa realizes that Subaru isn’t in front of her, she will immediately turn back in pursuit .
Roughly kicking the door shut behind him, Door Crossing’s link was severed . But, depending on Beatrice, Subaru couldn’t be sure if the Forbidden Library was still connected to his immediate surroundings .
[Subaru: Beatrice! Link the door to different room in the house……]
[Beatrice: I was going to even without you telling me, I suppose . Also, close some doors around us, that’ll buy us some time]
[Subaru: Shit, that’s right!]
Answering the disdainful words of the girl in his arms, Subaru scrambled to shut the closest doors around him . While closing each door he peeked inside, but found nothing of note .
He didn’t know how much of Elsa’s words could be believed, but――
[Subaru: What to do… what to do what to do what to do what to do what to do――]
The questions were endless .
Why was Elsa here now? Out of all the loops, this was the earliest she had appeared in the Mansion . It was the sixth day, then the fourth, and now the second―― no matter when, Elsa always attacked on the same day Subaru arrived at the Mansion .
He had already suspected this before . But now, after hearing Elsa’s statements in the Library, that suspicion was turned into conviction .
But if that was the case, then why――
[Subaru: Why not wait one more day…… or just wait a few more hours!]
That night, Petra would have been brought back to the village .
Subaru was already half-resigned to the fact that Elsa would attack the Mansion . The sight of Petra’s lifeless corpse remained seared into the back of his eyes . So this time he was resolved to place her far away from the carnage . Yet, even so, evil arrived sooner than his countermeasures could be carried out, and the girl could not escape her fate .
[Subaru: It’s not over yet . There’s no need to give up now . Even if she has some overpowered setup, there’s still a chance . There has to be . How can I lose hope now……!]
[Beatrice: It’s not so much hope as it is reluctance to let go, I suppose……]
[Subaru: Shut up! Just be quiet and let me carry you! That lunatic wants to kill you too, you know . She’s the kind of pervert who’ll open your belly with her knife and get turned on by seeing what’s inside!]
[Beatrice: Wanting to see a spirit’s intestines… that’s just bad taste]
While Subaru muttered in agreement under his breath, Beatrice suddenly slipped out of his arms and landed herself on the hallway floor . She lightly patted off her dress, and,
[Beatrice: So, what do you plan to do now, I suppose?]
[Subaru: It’s not about what I’m planning . The priority is to check if Petra and Rem are safe . And then…… either way, we’ll escape the Mansion together . Unless, you want to try and fight her?]
[Beatrice: ……If that thing came to kill Betty, if I just don’t resist, then I’ll get my wish…]
[Subaru: I knew you’d say that, that’s why I dragged you out… If you still won’t give up that thought, I’ll just have to carry you out of here . So which will it be?]
Looking down at Beatrice who was almost half his height, Subaru pressured her to choose . That said, he wasn’t really offering her a choice . Even if she decided to stay behind, he would still drag her out by force .
As if having picked up on Subaru’s intention, Beatrice exhaled a sigh,
[Beatrice: Even if I can’t choose the place of my death, I should at least choose who kills me, I suppose]
[Subaru: How about we discuss that once we’re settled down somewhere safe . Let’s go!]
Seeing that Beatrice was willing to follow him, Subaru took her by the hand and started running . Trailing behind him in her cumbersome dress, Beatrice struggled to keep up with her short little steps . They didn’t go ten paces before,
[Subaru: Aaaah, come on! I’m picking you up!]
He pulled her up by the wrist and took her into his arms once more .
Beatrice was a lot lighter than she looked . He didn’t know if this was because she was a spirit, or if it was just because of her stunted growth .
[Beatrice: ……let go, I suppose]
[Subaru: If we go at your speed she’ll catch us straight away! It’s faster if I just carry you! Besides――]
Even as Beatrice voiced her rejection in his arms, her hands gripped onto the front of Subaru’s jacket as if seeking something to rely on . Noticing this, Subaru fell silent, and neither affirmed nor denied nor commented on the matter .
This is enough, he thought at the time .
[Subaru: Anyway, before Elsa shows up…… we better find Petra and Rem!]
[Beatrice: I thought there’s one more maid in the Mansion]
[Subaru: Frederica…… it’s better if we don’t meet just now… I think…]
Subaru’s last words trailed away as he shook the blond-haired maid out of his mind . Beatrice furrowed her brows at his reaction, but didn’t say anything in the end .
Right now, he wanted to avoid meeting Frederica . Once he had confirmed that the other two girls were safe, he would go find her, and ask her then .
If what Subaru imagined was true, then he was sure of it――