4
Stick Swinger grinned as he announced the continuation of the examination.
“W-wait, wait, wait! Wasn’t the rule as long as one person passes, that’s enough?!”
“Huh? Who said that shit, small fry? One person got through. Why should that mean everyone else does, too? It’s just common sense. Common sense! Small fry to the core, huh?”
“I—I just got a lecture about common sense from the absolute last person in the world I wanted to hear it from…!”
Subaru groaned as the man rubbed his two chopsticks together while shredding Subaru’s argument.
In truth, Subaru was the one who had jumped to conclusions, assuming the clear condition of the second floor’s examination. On the third floor, the examination had ended when the riddle was solved, so Subaru had just assumed that if one person cleared the second floor, they would get access to another archive.
If they all had to individually clear on their own strength, then getting past this challenge was practically hopeless. Especially after seeing how difficult it had been even once Emilia had negotiated an easier passing grade.
Put bluntly, Emilia had the highest combat strength of everyone present. With Julius’s contracts with his spirits broken, she was undeniably the strongest of them all.
So how are any of us going to KO this guy on our own?
“—Wait just a moment. There is a decisive mistake in what you said.”
“Mistake?”
Subaru was shivering as he searched for some path to victory in such a one-sided situation. Then Beatrice spoke up as she gripped his hand tightly, like she was willing him to calm down.
“What? You’re ten years too early, girlie. Or at least five. Come back when you grow up a bit more, get a little taller, and your tits and ass are more like BAM.”
“…Betty never had much intention of going along with your nonsense, but what little she had is gone now, so let’s get right to it.”
“Straight…? What?”
“It should be obvious. Emilia said that if she makes you move one step then it is ‘our’ victory. So Emilia winning means we all win!”
Subaru caught his breath at that and looked over at Emilia.
He was shocked at the secret trick, that she had intended that in her bold proposition from the start. But Emilia herself put her hand to her mouth and gasped. No, never mind.
“Right, I did say that! I said our! So? In that case, wouldn’t that mean we all passed the examination?”
“That is just a phrasing issue. I ain’t lettin’ you slide on that.”
“I see… I understand. Sorry, Subaru, Beatrice. It didn’t work…”
“You’re giving up too easily!”
Beatrice roared as Emilia withdrew with a delicate look on her face. But thinking about it calmly, it was a pointless bit of quick wit. Though that just showed how hopeless the wall before them looked.
“Well, not like I don’t get what the rugrat’s saying. Apparently, at the start, it was supposed to be more like ‘come at me however you want to see if you can beat me’; that was the original idea. But just doin’ what someone else says is seriously boring, so I forcibly woke myself up.”
“Like a forced reboot…? Or did a system failure happen?!”
“How the hell should I know? Use words I understand, kid. Quit sayin’ shit like some old gray hair.”
The man’s mood constantly shifted between good and bad, but from what he said, Subaru gradually started to understand what he was and what had happened in the examination system.
“So the examination was just all of us working together to meet the requirement, but because you woke up, we have to pass individually?”
“Kah! But who knows which would have been easier. All of you teamin’ up to kill me, or gettin’ a lucky shot by letting me rub some tit… Whoa!”
“Watch your mouth, you damn molester. I’m still pissed about that.”
Subaru immediately let loose with a crack of his whip at that comment. Of course, even a surprise attack didn’t catch him off guard, and he easily intercepted it with his chopsticks.
“Kah! I knew you weren’t the type to swing a stick, but a whip, huh? You got some good taste, kid. Save the whip-crackin’ for your enemies and your girl.”
“You sure look like an enemy to me! And just so you know, I’m planning on having a nice, wholesome relationship with Emilia. And I’m not planning on using a whip once we’re together, either!”
“Subaru. Subaru, calm down. Don’t get baited!”
“That’s right, Subaru! There’s no need to get so mad! He only touched my chest. He didn’t do anything inappropriate.”
“That is inappropriate, Emilia!”
“That’s the sort of thing you’re supposed to get mad at, hotness.”
Emilia tried to calm Subaru down, but Subaru and the man both interjected. Emilia’s eyes widened at their unanimous warning, and Beatrice sighed heavily.
Then…
“—Can I say something?”
A voice that had stayed silent thus far interrupted their strange conversation.
“…I don’t really want to say this, but we should probably turn back.”
Meili held up her small hand. She had Shaula’s head resting on her lap as she slowly shook her head. Her yellow eyes were clearly scared.
“I don’t know how you can just talk normally with him, mister… Mister knight and the scarf lady are both down, and the half naked lady, too.”
“Shaula’s reason is different, but…you’re right, it is strange.”
Meili’s timid opinion was a natural conclusion considering the situation.
If anything, Subaru, who was thinking about continuing to fight, was clearly anything but calm. He had been heavily influenced by Stick Swinger’s overwhelming presence. Add to that Emilia’s groping plus Julius and Anastasia getting knocked out, and it became clear why he couldn’t be objective, but…
“Hypothetically speaking, are we allowed to turn back and come in again?”
Stick Swinger’s strength was on a completely different level of destructive power.
With just two chopsticks, he had annihilated Julius, gone toe to toe with Emilia, and still clearly had plenty of energy to spare. It was no exaggeration to say he was on Reinhard’s level in terms of power. They had absolutely no chance of winning.
Having finally reached that conclusion, Subaru decided to retreat. And then…
“—I’m out.”
“Eh?”
“I’m! Out! I’m out! Done! I don’t care anymore.”
Seeing them focus completely on pulling back, the man responded like a child having a tantrum.
“Store’s closed. Beat it, all of you. I’m bored. I can’t do this.”
Sitting down on the spot with one knee up, he sent them back.
“… W-wait just a second! What the hell is that?! Do you just decide whatever you want about this examination on a whim?!”
“Who asked you? I’m the only one left to judge things here. If I say I’m not gonna do it, then I’m not gonna do it.”
It was an outrageous thing to say, and Subaru had no idea how he should respond. The man continued.
“Also, when I don’t feel like goin’ at it, I don’t play around. So you sure you wanna do this?”
A deathly chill hit Subaru’s body.
The man’s lips curled as he put away his chopsticks, abandoning every weapon. He still wore a smile, but it now had a different quality.
As ferocious as it was before, it had still had a warmth to it. Now it was the dark, bloody, murderous smile of an evil beast.
“…Ah…”
There was a soft groan.
Looking over, it wasn’t Subaru but Emilia beside him. She put her hand to her white throat, and her jewellike eyes widened in shock.
Her knees gave out, and she fell to the floor. It was only then that she realized she had forgotten to breathe…
“Haah…”
And seeing Emilia reminded Subaru to breathe, too. Putting a hand to his throat, he took a knee while desperately trying to bring air into his lungs and oxygen into his blood.
If there hadn’t been a visceral reminder, it seemed all too possible that he might’ve suffocated. The man’s looks could literally kill.
“Rack your brains and try to find a way to win. The hottie’s trick ain’t gonna work again. Not for anyone at least as hot as the sexy babe nappin’ over there. Now beat it—I’m gonna sleep.”
His voice was low and serious as he gave that final message before lowering his head. After a brief moment, he went to sleep but was somehow just as obnoxious as he was when he was awake.
In a way, he snored exactly the way Subaru expected him to—but no one in the room could muster a laugh.
“Let’s hurry.”
I want to get away from here as soon as possible.
Meili didn’t resist her instincts. And her words were the impetus the others needed. Carrying the wounded with them, they were forced to retreat from the examination.
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