Chapter 58.3
A heel slamming down from above shot into the surface of the earth, shattering the ground in a violent blast .
Patrasche gouged her claws into the soil to brake in front of the upheaval of dust and timber . To prevent Subaru from flying off her back, she shifted her weight with supernatural dexterity before coming to a full stop, glaring at the path ahead .
At the same time, enduring the shock on Patrasche’s back, Subaru turned his gaze to the same direction .
[Garfiel: You…… what the fuck were you thinking, th’hell were you planning, hah? OY!]
Boiling rage flushing onto his face, Garfiel kicked his foot into the ground .
Crumpling his nose, with frustration and displeasure in full display, he bared his fangs at Subaru, who was looking down at him from Patrasche’s back,
[Garfiel: Don’t fuckin’ look down on me, get down . Come to th’same eye-level n’speak . Get started or I crush ya, y’bastard……]
[Subaru: I had a feeling you’d get in the way, Garfiel]
[Garfiel: And I never thought y’d do somethin’ this fuckin’ stupid! Y’think y’can turn tail ‘n run? Don’t make me laugh! You! Th’Sanctuary! Th’half-witch n’Roswaal! Everyone! Yer all in the same fuckin’ lot! ‘Til the fuckin’ Trial is done, no one gets out……]
[Subaru: Is that your excuse?]
[Garfiel: ――――]
Garfiel’s expression, flustered with rage, suddenly changed in front of Subaru’s concise question .
His seething glare sharpened while the intermittent sound of clenching teeth broke through his silent breaths .
[Subaru: Garfiel, you act like you want to keep us in the Sanctuary, and want us to complete the Trials…… but that’s not what you really feel, is it?]
[Garfiel: Th’fuck’s that supposed to mean, oy]
[Subaru: Doesn’t mean a thing . If you really hope to liberate the Sanctuary, you should let me do what I have to do . But you won’t, and you can’t, not yet, because there are more complicated factors at play . Am I wrong?]
[Garfiel: Hah, don’t give me that bullshit . I just can’t stand y’reekin of th’Witch’s stench without doin’ somethin’ ab……]
[Subaru: You… can’t really smell the Witch’s stench on me, can you?]
Once again, Garfiel fell speechless in front of Subaru’s question .
His eyes swam and his lips began to quiver . Truly a man who couldn’t hide his heart . Seeing his reaction, Subaru smiled bitterly, and,
[Subaru: What’s really been bothering me was when I came out of the Tomb last night . Honestly, at that moment, I thought you were going to kill me before I’d even have a chance, but you didn’t]
[Garfiel: ……Hah? Th’fuck’re y’talkin’ about?]
[Subaru: You don’t know what I mean? I’m starting to have doubts about whether you’ve been lying about that sharp nose of yours]
It was immediately following Returning by Death, after dying from contact with the Witch, no less .
Even though Subaru must have been soaked to the bone in the Witch’s scent, Garfiel’s attitude towards him didn’t change at all . Yet, not long after they parted, he came back to confront Subaru as if he had just remembered it, leading to their exchange last night . ――It was just all too unnatural .
[Subaru: Maybe you didn’t want to escalate the situation so you pretended not to notice, that was what I thought at the time…… but, considering your straightforward personality, I had to rule out that possibility]
[Garfiel: Y’re getting pretty far with yer conceited speculations . Y’think I’m lyin’ ‘bout smellin’ the Witch’s stench on ya? Hah, how fuckin’ stupid is that!? Why th’hell would I lie about somethin’ like that, oy? What’s the point o’……]
[Subaru: Of course there’s a point . By claiming this, you’re drawing all the suspicion to yourself…… and diverting attention away from the actual person with the sharp nose]
[Garfiel: ――――]
That single statement must have struck the heart of Garfiel’s true intentions .
The moment he heard it, Garfiel’s face contorted in the truest sense of the word .
His willingness to resolve matters through dialogue up to now was suddenly replaced by one of violence and impulse .
Garfiel’s arms swelled, doubling in thickness . Golden fur began to cover his exposed skin as his slouching back hunched even deeper, ever closer to standing on all fours .
[Garfiel: I’ve heard enough of yer prattlin’ . Looks like y’know somethin’ y’shoudn’t . I’d have avoided it if I could, but looks like I can’t let y’live]
[Subaru: Don’t say that, Garfiel . You might want to hear me out for a little longer . Otherwise, you won’t know how your secrets got leaked, right?]
[Garfiel: My secrets……?]
Stared down by Subaru’s intensified glare, Garfiel let slip a voice of doubt .
To wipe away Garfiel’s disbelief, Subaru lifted his arm atop Patrasche’s back, and gave a loud snap of his fingers . Then,
[Garfiel: A, ah?]
Garfiel groaned, doubting the sight before his eyes .
On the other end of his vision, at Subaru’s beckon, one by one, Lewes Meyer copies emerged from the treeline, gathering around the ground dragon until there was twenty-one in all .
Personally restaging the scene he had once witnessed before, Subaru pointed his finger towards Garfiel,
[Subaru: Now that you’ve seen it, do you more or less understand my position here?]
[Garfiel: How…… how th’hell did y’find that place!]
[Subaru: Using regret and pain as the sacrifice, I’ve summoned the truth . Now, it’s my turn]
Raising his palm to the sky, Subaru looked down at the defeated Garfiel from atop his dragon .
On the receiving end of his gaze, Garfiel’s throat froze, as if unable to come to terms with the reality of having been beaten .
[Subaru: The command authority has transferred to me . So that you wouldn’t notice, I told them to follow your orders for the rest of the night]
[Garfiel: ――a]
[Subaru: But there’s no need to hide it anymore . Listen up, Garfiel . I am going to leave the Sanctuary and head back to the Mansion . There are things I have to do . So I can’t have you getting in the way]
Just now realizing the implications of Subaru’s order, Garfiel’s expression collapsed .
The firm determination of moments ago had melted from his face, and, in its place, was only an expression of weakness and confusion like that of a lost child .
His body’s beastification had ceased, and the swollen figure shrank back to its original, scrawny form .
[Subaru: Don’t follow, Garfiel . There’s a mountain of things I want to ask you as well, but it’s best if we leave it till later . The command authority too, there’re way too many things I need to ask you]
[Garfiel: Quit…… quit jokin’ around . Y’think I’m gonna give up that easily……?]
[Subaru: You will . Deep down, you’re just that soft]
At Subaru’s provocation, Garfiel leaped forth with a roar . Baring his fangs, his momentum seemed to be set on crushing Subaru and Patrasche in a single strike . But there, a tiny figure stepped in between them .
A replicant . Garfiel swung his arm as if to swipe her away to clear the path of advance or else run her over . But, just before his arm made contact,
[Lewes: ――Gar-bo]
[Garfiel: ――!?]
Being called by his nickname, Garfiel’s expression changed once more, as he reined in his arm at the last moment to strike at empty air . And, just like this, Garfiel’s body was caught mid-flight by a multitude of hands, pulling him to the ground without resistance .
The replicants reached out all over Garfiel’s body and held him under total restraint . Then, standing above Garfiel’s despondent face, looking down,
[Lewes: Now, is that enough of a head start, Su-bo?]
[Subaru: Yeah, thanks for the help . I don’t think Garfiel ever expected something like this]
During their battle against the Witch of Envy, Garfiel never hesitated in using the replicants as sacrificial pawns in his attack . But back then, there was no conscious Lewes Meyer at the scene . The active Lewes at the time must have already been swallowed by the Witch’s shadow, but Subaru suspected that there might be another reason as well .
With a calculation that could be said to be beyond cruel,
[Subaru: You can’t treat the Lewes you see as family the same way you treat the other replicants . If there’s a difference between how you and I use the control authority, that would be it]
[Garfiel: Y’motherfucker――!!!!]
[Subaru: But, even if not for that, you still couldn’t destroy Lewes Meyer replicants with your own hands, right? So, be good and let me off this time . It could be worse]
[Garfiel: How can it get worse than it already is! Quit fuckin’ with me, y’quit fuckin’ with me!]
Hearing the barks echo out into the horizon, Subaru consciously ignored it as he gave Patrasche a few taps on her back . Sensing Subaru’s intention, the ground dragon gave a little snort, turned her back to the restrained Garfiel, and headed for the bounds of the forest .
Before leaving, Subaru turned back to Lewes, and,
[Subaru: I made you do something disagreeable, sorry about that]
[Lewes: I can tell that it must be necessary . As unpleasant as it is, I wouldn’t have refused . There’s no need to worry about me]
[Subaru: Still, sorry]
Subaru left this apology as Lewes turned to Garfiel with a look of sympathy . With that as his farewell, he signaled Patrasche to get going .
Once again, with the activation of the Divine Protection, all noise and wind were left behind them .
[Garfiel: Wait! Stop! Y’motherfucker! Quit fuckin’ around, oy!!]
The distant voice hounded Subaru’s trail .
As if to shake off its pursuit, Patrasche accelerated once more, carrying Subaru through the forest and out of the Sanctuary .
[Garfiel: Let go! Y’can’t let that guy outside…… why, whywhywhy! Granny y’rather take that guy’s side than mine? Why, just why……]
[Lewes: ――――]
[Garfiel: GRANDMAAAA――!!!!]
A wail, as if at a loved one’s betrayal, resounded through the forest .
Leaving it and all else behind him, Subaru kept his course amidst the passing trees .
Necessary sacrifices, and necessary sorrows, all stepping stones towards the perfect future .
Biting down on the corner of his lips and feeling blood trickling out of the gash, Subaru wrote off Garfiel’s despair as another sacrifice .