[ "Bastard—just how clingy are you, damn it!"
Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti was chasing Subaru behind the dragon carriage. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Whoa, what is that? So gross!"
Mimi exclaimed.
"He still hasn't given up, that madman."
Yuriusu clicked his tongue.
"Whoa, it really is so gross! No wonder Natsuki-san told me not to look back. Thank you so much, Natsuki-san!"
Otto said.
—
[ The madman Petelgeuse was already broken beyond recognition.
His eyes glared as if emitting light, his mouth was forced wide open, his right arm was shattered and gone, and his lower body had been torn apart, the missing portions compensated for by the Unseen Hands. His body was almost naked, covered in wounds from head to toe.
It was difficult to even say he was "barely maintaining a human form."
But the most conspicuous thing was still the several Unseen Hands surrounding him.
He clawed at the ground, digging into the earth as he fiercely chased Subaru.
"…The body, hand over, my body!"
"You're way too persistent. Don't you remember how much you suffered when you entered my body? …Is this what a Spirit is? Where's the resemblance? Aren't Spirits supposed to be more holy?"
"…Natsuki-san! Is something following us behind?"
"It's just a big black beast that's caught up to us. I think we probably ran over its tail when passing through the forest. It's really loud and has a scary face, so I suggest you'd be better off not looking."
"Are you genuinely trying to stop me from looking? Why is your description full of elements that make me obviously curious?"
"Cut the crap and speed up! If I get bitten, you're next!"
"Uwah! That's scary!"
"Neither you nor I are loved! Where in the world is there a romantic comedy where the love interest plans to crush the heart of the person they like? I can't accept a heroine like that!"
"Witch, Satella! Give, give me, love, love, love!"
"I have no ultimate move or super magic. However, your opponent is me. Don't think you can get past me, and I absolutely won't let you catch up to the person ahead of me…"
"Natsuki-san… you're actually being so [kind] to me…"
"Can you be quiet for a moment? I'm trying to look cool right now!" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Haha, listening to these two talk is really funny."
Al said.
"Regardless, the situation isn't optimistic. So how are Natsuki and Suwen dealing with it?"
Anastasia said.
—
[ "Natsuki-san, we're exiting the forest!" Just as Otto spoke, the dragon carriage flew out of the forest.
"We've broken out of the forest—I won't show any mercy now!"
"For love! Dedicate love! Only love is everything!"
Listening to that shrill laughter, Subaru picked up Otto's cargo, specifically that pot of oil, and smashed it toward Petelgeuse.
"Burn up for me, Petelgeuse."
So that's it.
Just as Anastasia outside the screen had guessed.
"I'm borrowing your strength, Yuriusu Yukuriusu," Subaru said.
"You bastard!" Petelgeuse roared.
"Rental Goa!" Natsuki Subaru chanted, and a faint red light flashed beside him—it was one of Yuriusu's quasi-spirits, Ia.
Then—
"Ahhh!"
A small ball of fire appeared and spewed toward Petelgeuse. In the next moment, Petelgeuse was engulfed in a raging fire.
Petelgeuse, who already looked wretched and terrifying, now appeared even more twisted and pathetic.
However, the Unseen Hands also attacked the dragon carriage.
"…Ah! Damn it, that hurts! Ah, damn!"
Subaru hurriedly dodged backward, but the shattered wood from the gouged-out dragon carriage struck him.
"Bring it here, hand it over, give it to me quickly…"
As he spoke, Petelgeuse's head was already resting on the cargo rack of the dragon carriage. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Oh, I understand, so that's how it is. He has lost his reason now and become a complete madman. His true goal isn't Subaru, but the Gospel."
Yuriusu, outside the screen, said.
After all, Subaru had taken his Gospel.
"By the way, what does 'Rental Goa' mean? That's hilarious."
Al said.
"After all, regardless of the chant, as long as the intent is unified, it works."
Anastasia said.
—
[ "You really look ugly enough, you bastard… though I'm in no position to talk about others." Subaru said, looking at Petelgeuse's head.
"Bo, dy, won't disappear… absolutely, cannot disappear…"
"Didn't I tell you? Even if you enter my body, you'll only suffer! So what if it's the Witch? Aren't both you and I just being played by her, spinning in circles?"
"…Witch, Satella."
Hearing Natsuki Subaru's words, Petelgeuse's tone surprisingly calmed down. He rolled his eyeballs, locking onto the person in front of him—
"You are… dangerous. Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous dangerous dangerous dangerous—dangerous!"
"Huh?"
"Received, received, received, favor, yet deny love! And drove me, me me! To such a state, die go die die die die! To the Witch, to Satella…"
Then Petelgeuse said with tears streaming down his face:
"Satella! Love! I love the Witch! The Witch's love! I loved the Witch! I was loved! Satella, everything you have done to me! I have never forgotten for a moment! Even if you forgot, I, have not forgotten! And you are dangerous! You will eventually threaten the Witch Cult! Before that! Before you touch Satella! I will right here! Right here and now! With my own hands! With my diligence! To bid farewell to the 'Slothful' me and repay the love… You must die here!" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Subaru brought back the madman's reason…"
Yuriusu said.
At this moment, Petelgeuse's goal was no longer instinctively seizing Subaru's body or reclaiming the Gospel, but killing Subaru.
"Saying things like 'everything done to me'…"
Beatrice spoke, then remembered that woman. She gritted her teeth, clenched her small fists, and said word by word—
"Pan, do, ra."
"Sigh."
Puck sighed.
—
[ "If you were still a monster, I probably would have lost." Subaru said.
After all, now that he had reason, he would act for the sake of what he loved—
The Gospel was thrown out by Subaru.
"Ah… Satella."
He extended an Unseen Hand, trying to grab the Gospel, and then…
The moment he grabbed the Gospel, due to the fierce wind, half of his body was flung out of the dragon carriage.
"Ooooooh!" Subaru stepped forward and punched the madman hard on the side of the face.
With just that blow, his body was completely flung out of the dragon carriage.
"Ooooooh!"
But it was only his body; his tattered clerical robe caught on the edge of the cargo rack.
This left him hanging upside down, constantly scraping against the ground.
The Gospel also fell out, and Natsuki Subaru reached out and caught it.
"En, end, won't end, won't end, not yet, end, no, not end!"
"…No, this is it."
Subaru said, opening the Gospel. While saying "…You 'end' right here!", he wrote the word "End" in blood on a blank page.
In the next instant, the dragon carriage bounced high into the air, and the clerical robe, along with Petelgeuse, was sucked into the wheel.
Splurt—
The sound of flesh bursting rang out.
"…Natsuki Subaru!!"
With a final scream, Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti died in the truest, most complete sense.
"This time, sleep for eternity—Petelgeuse." ]
.....