Vol. 6 Ch. 3 Ep. 4: Royal Blood

Royal blood.

Special blood. A special lineage.

For as long as I remember, I was placed on an imaginary pedestal for this one, intangible thing.

To me, it meant nothing.

After all, I was treated like trash, all the same.

The more "special" I was, the more restrictions I had. The more things I couldn't speak of.

Thank you, Sao-Sao.

I was able to endure because of you.

Thank you, Sensei.

Our meeting is what finally allowed me to be myself.

Misaki, and Hiyori too.

If not for each one of you, I would have remained a voiceless doll, a sacrifice.

My entire life would've been spent as someone else's symbol.

Did learning the mysteries of Arius make you feel powerful?

Did you graze paths with what lies sleeping under this land, and believe you were unstoppable?

Too bad for you. That amount of knowledge...

...it was my birthright, before it was even a thought in your mind.

But at least now I can be certain of one thing.

The Angels of Revelation were merely a phenomenon brought about by Kakehashi Subaru.

You weren't even aware what you'd done at first, correct? But, without realizing it, you summoned them.

I hope you're not too disappointed.

This isn't the Trumpeting Angel of the scriptures.

There was a chance, however. This phenomenon could have transcended into the true seven Trumpeting Angels.

If only you could have been a flawless judge.

A..."flawless judge"?

Like I said, you're not the only one of Arius here.

You're not the sole keeper of Arius' secrets.

Thus...revelation, so to speak, has been mine since long ago.

I was simply forbidden to speak of it. I still am.

That is what it is to carry the royal blood of Arius.

Even so, I should thank you, Subaru.

I can speak a bit more freely now, since you've exposed a part of it.

It is rather refreshing. Do you know how suffocating it can be to be the only one in the room to know something?

"So what exactly is it, Atsuko?"

Before us, that angel...rather, that angel-shaped thing...

Simply put, it is a phenomenon, the manifestation of Arius' energy and emotions.

I told you a while ago, remember? That Arius has become a land where the inexplicable happens.

"Ah...!"

There was always "something" in Arius.

Lament, grudge, resentment, rage, resignation... this place is where all of that comes to gather.

...One way or another, Arius' leadership wanted to bring about the end of the world.

I'll be honest, Sensei. That's exactly it.

A neglected child will set fire to their village just to feel the warmth of the flames.

To someone who has nothing left to lose, the end of the world might even feel like salvation.

"You mean to say it could have...transcended?"

"You also said it'd be possible with a 'flawless judge,' right?"

Yes. Whatever was simmering beneath the surface in Arius was powerful enough to make that happen.

...At the very least, it was enough to pay 'some kind of result' back to Trinity.

If, literally, Subaru had been flawless.

So you're saying there was some kind of flaw?

There was.

And that flaw was this child.

Ah...!

I... I...

It seems you finally understand.

The moment you abandoned this child, there was no longer any justification for your actions.

It would have been better if you had used yourself as the medium to construct this phenomenon.

Instead, you chose of your own will to become the Trumpeting Angel.

I understand. You, and all those who remained in Arius, must have so fervently desired to play the role of judge.

There was an intrinsic issue, however.

A judge must be flawless.

"Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made."

You remember that verse, don't you?

If nothing else, if only Maia had...

Even if you hadn't sought out Sensei, you still had potential to become a judge.

Don't abandon me!

Ah...

Ah... Aaah...

Subaru?

I heard a faint voice. Could it be...maybe...?

...

H-Hiyori...?

If you have something you'd like to say, you can say it, Maia!

Th-That's why we came all this way, right?

...

Yes, thank you, Hiyori.

Um, Subaru? Um, there's something I've wanted to tell you. For a long time now.

It's okay, Subaru.

Everything...is okay.

...!

I definitely don't understand everything, but I think I understand you pretty well, Subaru.

You, the Squad, and everyone in Arius...

And you, Sensei. I really...like all of you.

So I don't want Arius to disappear.

I just want Arius to become a better school.

S-So what I'm trying to say is...

So... Um...

Please help me, Subaru!!

...!

I really, really love when you play the harmonica!!