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The breeze at the top of the Pleiades Watchtower carried a melancholic vibe. The gentle winds bore such heavy clouds and guided the birds, all without ever being seen.
Isn’t it just how it is for you, too, Subaru?
“No! Emilia…”
“DON'T DO THIS!”
“PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS TO ME!”
His screams were harsh; I could hear his voice break. I could feel the raw pain in his vocal cords.
Tears soaked his beautiful face. It was hard for me to watch. Subaru, how can I convey this to you? I do not wish for you to hurt yourself because of me.
I failed, Subaru. I failed before I even began.
Trembling as if he were taking his first steps, he walked toward me. Hunched over, he held me tightly. “Em…lia…-tan… Emi…”
Tears choked him. The words that once saved me now failed to find their mark.
His knees grew heavy. The starry sky above us was slowly bathed in the eternal glow of a new beginning. Subaru, Subaru… Hey, Od, may I call upon my knight’s name one final time?
“I am sorry… Emilia… Please, you don’t have to do this…”
“Subaru… You don’t have to apologise. You are not in the wrong.”
“This world forced you to be a hero… if anything, I should be thanking you for carrying the weight when no one even knew.” Grasping his hand, I slowly massaged his palm. The once-soft hands were now rough and strong, the hands of a person who had grown up.
“I, Emilia, hereby declare that I am, at this right moment—”
“NO!”
“—relieving Sir Knight Natsuki Subaru from his knightly duties as a part of the Emilia Camp.”
“Emilia-sama!”
“PRINCESS!”
“Coincidentally, I hereby declare the dissolution of the Emilia Camp.”
Every plea and voice dropped the instant their eyes met mine. We all stood atop the tower, frozen in the silence.
Subaru knelt before me, clutching my feet, begging. The man who once stood so tall and brave was reduced to such a mess; my heart broke. I wanted to comfort him—to tell him, You have done enough.
I grabbed his face and knelt to his level, forcing him to look at me. Tears weighed down his swollen face, his cheeks flushed a deep, painful red.
Hence why, Subaru…
“Subaru.”
You can stop being a pretend hero.
“Thank you.”
And be yourself again.
“I...”
“Love you, Subaru.”
The first light of the sun provided the spotlight, the perfect moment for the curtain call of my story. I pressed my forehead against his, sharing my warmth, trying to calm him. I leaned in for a final kiss. In that moment, the full weight of the world fell onto me. Subaru, startled by the suddenness, let his body go limp.
My eyes remained closed. Not a single tear would I shed, not even a stray droplet. Time stopped for me. I wished this moment would last for eternity, this piece of my heart I wished to share with only you.
Breaking the kiss, I smiled at him and slowly walked toward the exit.
“Ice Brand Arts,” I whispered.
The spell surged, blocking the people I cherished for their own good. I marched down the stairs of the tower.
“Emilia-sama!” They kept banging on the wall of ice, trying to stop me, but I knew my path. My soul felt light. The light was too bright, blinding me.
I need to be somewhere, I kept thinking. But where exactly? Who knows.
I walked down the stairs, each step counting down the scenes of my life. The watchtower walls painted the moments from my birth until the end.
“Emilia.”
“Here you go, Emilia.”
“Emilia, you are such a good girl.”
“Your mother loved you a lot, Emilia.”
Mother Fortuna.
I kept walking.
“Emilia-sama is not fit for the Royal Selection.”
“Emilia-sama, you need to learn this.”
“Emilia-sama, I apologise for thinking less of you.”
Ram.
I placed my hand on the wall, tracing its uneven texture. One by one, everyone cheered for me. Every single one of them.
“EMILIA-SAMA!”
Why? I don’t wish to cry here. Don’t make me break my final promise. It’s so unfair.
“Emilia-tan!”
The voice called out, and the walls lit up again.
“I will save you, Emilia.”
“Trust me, Emilia.”
“Emilia-tan is such an angel.”
Subaru... Sorry. If only I had known sooner, I wouldn’t have lost you. I keep apologising for every death, every end he met, no matter the world. For all of it, I will no longer watch him die again and again.
You can no longer keep the secret from me, Subaru.
The stairs didn't end, but this is where I wished my footing to stop. I rested my back against a certain wall, one projecting a moment of me with Subaru.
“In every other world, Natsuki Subaru falls in love with the Emilia in his eyes.”
“But it doesn't end well.”
“Subaru... I hope I was able to be the Emilia you fell in love with.”
Mein Schatz
