〜Inside, the Theater〜
"So—then, what exactly does that mean? Reize and Zerestia."
Roswaal looked at Natsuki Rem.
And Natsuki Rem said:
"It's like this. To make a long story short, Miss Reize is of the same race as Rem. After the Witch Cult attacked her village, she craved power due to her hatred for the Witch Cult, and thus stole Lady Zerestia's Light Sphere. The Light Sphere was actually stolen by Miss Reize. Then, Miss Reize transformed into Lady Zerestia's appearance. And my Su—… Rem's husband has the scent of a witch on him, so Miss Reize targeted my husband. On the other side, Lady Zerestia also arrived, mistaking Rem for the one who stole the Light Sphere, and thus targeted Rem."
—
[ "…" Subaru stood frozen in place—his eyes locked onto Zerestia with unmistakable hostility.
"What's with that look? Totally zoned out, huh? Can you stop staring at me like that already?" Zerestia said, raising an eyebrow.
"What a cruel yet quick-witted woman," Subaru muttered.
"Huh? You've gotten awfully rude all of a sudden. What's that supposed to mean the second we meet?" Zerestia shot back, clearly taken aback.
"There are hostages everywhere—if you even think about running, I won't hold back. That's your usual trick, isn't it? Lure someone in, then strike when they let their guard down."
"Hmm… never mind that now. Let's talk while we walk," Zerestia replied coolly.
"What?" Subaru frowned.
"It's too loud here, and—let's be honest—our destination's the same. You know you don't really have a choice in the matter, right?" Zerestia said, her tone calm but edged with quiet authority.
"The same destination…? Wait—what? Are you… after Rem?! Like hell I'd just walk you right to her! There's no way I'm leading someone as dangerous as you straight to Rem!" Subaru snapped.
"Your judgment is mistaken," Zerestia said evenly.
"I have no intention of killing you… at least, not for now." ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"What's wrong with this woman?"
Felt, who was outside the screen, was a bit confused about what Zerestia wanted to do.
Why does she want to kill one moment and not the next?
Now she even says she won't kill for now?
"That… it's because of Regil."
Natsuki Rem spoke.
"Regil is…?"
Otto asked.
"Ah… it's Rem's and my, and Subaru-kun's child."
"Then that probably means it. Not killing the child."
Otto said.
—
[ "What on earth are you thinking? I really can't make sense of it," Subaru said from the screen, addressing Zerestia.
"Do you seriously expect me to spell everything out for you right away? Are you a baby or something? If you're going to be a father, shouldn't that baby be safely in your wife's belly—not you acting like a helpless child yourself? Grow up a little and use your head properly," Zerestia retorted, voice laced with dry wit.
"…I was just thinking—Subaru came back awfully early. The day after discovering your wife is pregnant, you show up at home with another stunning woman by your side. Is that really the kind of person you are?" Halibel stepped in then, her tone playful but edged with gentle teasing.
"Ah, Hal! Where's Rem?" Subaru asked quickly, trying to deflect.
"How can you even ask that right now…?" Halibel sighed.
"She's inside. Just a moment ago, she insisted on doing housework, and I honestly couldn't stop her."
"…"
"Excuse me," came a soft voice. Rem appeared in the doorway, calm and composed.
"If it's alright, could everyone please settle down a bit? I've already prepared tea—I hope you'll all join us for a proper cup…"
She extended the invitation warmly—even to Zerestia, who had only just arrived.
Then, with a gentle smile, she added, "The child in my belly mustn't be startled… so let's speak calmly, shall we?"
..... .....
"I am… Ah, Zerestia. I suppose I should introduce myself first," Zerestia said, settling onto the tatami mat.
Rem gracefully served the tea, then bowed slightly.
"I am Rem. The one sitting beside me is Subaru—my husband. And standing by the wall is Halibel-sama, our neighbor. We hope you'll look after us, Lady Zerestia." ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"This atmosphere is a bit strange, nya."
Ferris, who was outside the screen, said.
As enemies, they now sat together peacefully in the same room, drinking tea and chatting as if they'd known each other for years.
"Hmm… Like the feast at Azuchi Castle before the storm…"
Al dropped another remark that left everyone else scratching their heads.
—
[ "Always on high alert—this pointless territorial instinct of you males really is a terrible habit. Never mind. Fine, have it your way. Let's settle this quickly. I'm not here to waste time; in fact, I'm extremely busy." Zerestia spoke with cool impatience.
"What needs to be settled…" Subaru echoed, wary.
"So—I—already said it, didn't I? I told you I'm not here to kill you… Though that could change depending on what you do next. Out of my rare mercy, I might just let my goodwill slip for a moment—and allow darker intentions to take hold. So, I'll even accept your running away as fair retribution. But in return, hand over the Light Sphere. Honestly. Now."
"Light Sphere?" Rem tilted her head, genuinely perplexed.
"You're quite skilled at playing innocent," Zerestia said, eyes narrowing.
"It's the thing you stole. I don't care what you call it—I call it my Light Sphere, and I've come to take it back."
Subaru and Rem exchanged confused glances.
"…Where exactly is this Light Sphere? Return it to me at once." Zerestia's voice cut in, sharp and impatient.
"…I'm truly sorry. Rem's answer is the same as Subaru's. If she doesn't know of this item, she cannot give an answer about it." Rem replied softly, her expression sincere.
At that, Zerestia released a surge of violent wind—shattering furniture, tearing through the walls, leaving the room in ruins.
It was clearly a threat.
Yet they truly had no idea what this "Light Sphere" even was.
"Lady Zerestia," Rem said calmly, bowing slightly despite the chaos, "as I've answered time and again—Rem has absolutely no knowledge of your Light Sphere. And once more, I must say: the one who took it was not me."
"I'm sorry," Zerestia replied, voice sharp as steel, "but my nose doesn't lie. And right now, it's telling me—you're the culprit." ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Nose?"
Emilia, who was outside the screen, was puzzled.
"A dog?"
Otto spoke.
"It's like this. Because Miss Reize is also an Oni, her blood scent is similar to Rem's, so she was misunderstood."
Natsuki Rem explained.
—
[ "Wh-what, you guys… with that look, are you treating me like an idiot? My nose is absolutely infallible!! Wait, you dog! Since you also have a dog-like face, you should understand, right?!" Zerestia said to them.
"Why do you think my thoughts would be the same as yours? Are you my wife?" Halibel said.
"Who's your wife!!" Zerestia shouted, her cheeks red.
Then she spoke again: "Return what you stole! How dare you treat me like an idiot? What are you guys planning!? Planning to become parents or something, I'll make you regret it! It was definitely Rem who stole it! I will absolutely not be wrong!" ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"…"
Yuriusu, who was outside the screen, fell silent.
It felt somewhat like…
"It feels somewhat like a tantrumming child."
Al voiced Yuriusu's inner thoughts.
—
[ "Lady Zerestia thinks Rem and Subaru-kun stole something, right? I want to retrieve Lady Zerestia's stolen Light Sphere. However, Rem and everyone else don't know about the Light Sphere. If you don't believe us… could you please wait a little longer until you are convinced?"
"Convinced or whatever… isn't that interesting? Alright, let's do that. You'll definitely show a flaw someday, so I'll wait. If I made a mistake, I can even give you the Light Sphere as an apology!"
Zerestia puffed out her chest, looking confident. ]
.....
〜Inside, the Theater〜
"Huh!? That's it!?"
"Yep, that's it."
Felt said to Garfiel, and Garfiel nodded in full agreement.
Then, in perfect sync, they blurted out:
"What a total idiot!!"
—