[ "Gah!" Garfiel roared as his body expanded and bulked up, initiating his beastification.
He opened his massive maw, baring his fangs, and lunged at the Witch of Envy. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Can he win? Though I feel like my question is a bit foolish."
Otto said.
"How could he possibly win? Garf, run!"
Frederica said.
"Whether he can win or not, at least… Ah! What are you doing, Ram?!"
Ram tapped Garfiel on the head.
"Ram knows Garf wanted to say something like 'at least give her a punch,' right? Honestly, putting everyone else aside, your sister just wants you to stay alive."
"Exactly, Garf… Garf!"
"Waaah?! Mimi's Garf!"
Frederica and Mimi cried out toward the screen.
—
[ Just as Garfiel lunged toward the Witch of Envy, shadows stretched out from beneath her feet, binding Garfiel's limbs, and then…
Squelch.
The Witch of Envy tightened her grip on Garfiel's body, tearing it apart.
"Ah…"
In the next instant, the horde of Ryuzu clones rushed toward the Witch of Envy.
Two of the Ryuzus spread their arms, preparing to grapple with the Witch, but the Witch extended her shadows and impaled them.
Then, the bodies of the two impaled Ryuzus glowed with a blue-white light and exploded along with the radiance.
The blast of light dispersed the surrounding shadows, and the remaining Ryuzus charged at the Witch in unison.
Every time the Witch made a kill, it triggered an explosion from the Ryuzu clone, which in turn dispersed the shadows.
Garfiel took this opportunity to break free from the shadow bindings. Crouching on the ground, he seemed to be waiting for the right moment to strike.
"What?" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"What?"
Both inside and outside the screen, Subaru and Rem voiced their confusion simultaneously.
"So that's how it is… In theory, it is indeed effective… but it is only in theory. It seems this Satella's strength is far below her prime. She is too weak."
Puck said.
"Huh? This is considered 'too weak'?!"
Otto was dumbfounded.
It was hard to imagine how the Divine Dragon, the Sword Saint, and the Sage managed to seal her back then.
—
[ With the continuous sacrifices of the Ryuzu clones, a small opening was finally blasted open.
"Hrah!" Covered in wounds, Garfiel roared and raised his claws toward the opening.
The Witch also concentrated her shadows to create a wall to block the attack—
Boom!
The wall exploded, and a hole blasted right through it.
Garfiel's strike wasn't meant to attack the Witch directly; instead, his claws grabbed a Ryuzu clone to use as a bomb to blow open the wall.
This time, Garfiel bared his sharp fangs, opened his massive paws, and lunged at the Witch of Envy.
This was his true attack. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Garf is so cool!"
Mimi jumped up and down.
"I see, the young master does not rely on brute force alone."
Wilhelm looked at Garfiel with an appreciative gaze.
"An opening finally appeared; that's great! At least he can give that woman—"
Before Garfiel could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by two screams.
"Ah… Garf!"
"Eh? Garf, Garf!"
Frederica and Mimi cried out.
The scene before them shattered Garfiel's hopes.
—
[ "I love you." In the next instant, Garfiel's entire body shattered.
At the same time, dark shadows burst forth from within his body. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"This is… Could it be the true Invisible Providence that even Subaru cannot see?"
Yuriusu asked, frowning.
"I'm afraid it happened at the moment Garfiel was bound by the shadows earlier. At that time, the shadows had already been injected into Garfiel's body."
Puck said.
It was equivalent to planting a time bomb, waiting to erupt from within his body at any moment, shattering Garfiel to pieces.
—
[ "I love you."
Now, only the Witch of Envy and Subaru, who stood frozen in place, remained.
"I love you."
"Shut up."
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you."
"I told you, shut up!"
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you—Subaru-kun."
"Don't you dare call my name!" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Don't you dare call that person's name!"
Subaru and Rem flew into a rage, shouting in unison once again.
"Whoa, is this what they call perfect chemistry?"
Otto said.
"To call Subaru-kun by that name, to call Subaru-kun by that name…"
Veins popped on Rem's forehead, her body trembling with rage.
"That bastard! This is seriously disgusting!"
Garfiel was also extremely displeased.
"Putting myself in Natsuki-san's shoes, this must be sickening to the core."
Otto remarked.
—
[ "Who permitted you to call me that? Are you kidding me? Don't mess with me!" Subaru was furious. This form of address had undoubtedly touched his sore spot.
"Are you kidding me! That name belongs to only one person! No one else can… No! I will never allow you to take what is mine! Giving you even a single hair or a single cell feels like a waste!"
"Because I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you." The Witch of Envy remained unmoved, still whispering her words of love to Subaru.
"In this world, the first genuine 'I love you' I heard… had the power to make a hopeless piece of trash want to become a hero."
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you."
"The first and second spots in my heart are already taken. I won't give them up. There is absolutely no place for you." ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"W-What? Betty is the third, in fact!"
Beatrice puffed out her chest to assert her presence.
"It seems just saying this isn't enough, nya."
On the other side, Ferris said.
One kept saying 'I love you' while the other kept refuting it. This would go on endlessly.
"Running away is impossible. Flattering her or provoking her are the only two choices. Knowing Subaru, he would naturally choose…"
Yuriusu said.
—
[ "I'm going to crumple up your so-called love and throw it away. Compared to you…" Next, Subaru sneered coldly, casting a contemptuous gaze at the Witch—
"Even if they are Witches, I'd much rather love Echidna and the others."
"Ah…" The Witch of Envy finally showed a reaction other than expressing her extreme love. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Not good, not good, not good, not good!"
Otto yelled.
"What a crazy woman!"
Garfiel gritted his teeth.
"Get away from Rem's Subaru-kun!"
Their reactions were only natural, because in the next instant, shadows swept in, and the screen went dark.
—
[ Subaru was in pitch darkness, with nothing around him except the Witch of Envy and her whispers of love.
Where was this? Was this the so-called miniature garden of darkness?
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you…"
In the end, there was only this one sentence. In the end, there were only those three words.
Then, a different voice finally came through—
"Love me." ]
.....