Thanks for gracing us with your presence.
Please... You will ruin my reputation.
But I am not the man called "Julius."
Let's see...
Perhaps I shall go by "Juli."
Even if it is temporary
a man with a knight's status must never lower himself
to the rank of mercenary.
The man you see here is not Julius Euclius the knight
but a simple wanderer called Juli.
A proper household's code of chivalry is a real pain huh?
Bull...
It seems you're doing better than I expected.
How are you feeling?
Well there were only some scratches!
A little spit fixed them right up!
What about you?
Been busy writing apologies
for fighting so seriously with an amateur?
I didn't mean that...
I was talking about the damage to your honor by the mabeast subjugation.
But I'm glad your wounds from before seem to have healed.
Thanks to all of you we succeeded in defeating the White Whale.
But it's not over yet.
I have to settle a score with the Witch's Cult guys that picked a fight with me.
Once that's done
the White Whale subjugation will be complete.
The Witch's Cult is next?!
Can we trust allegations that the White Whale and the Witch's Cult are connected?
We only came as reinforcements for the White Whale's subjugation—
What was that for?
If you can't believe him
then you just need to believe me!
I'd prefer it if you believed me though.
I don't like to recall it
but I've run up against the Witch's Cult before.
I learned it then.
Didn't you look into that Old Man Wil?
I would not term it definitive evidence
but the distributions of Whale appearances and Cult activities
coincided in several respects.
That makes it doubly credible!
On that note
we're going to head for the Mathers domain.
The Witch's Cult is hiding in the forest there.
The way we defeat them is as simple as it gets.
Raid them before they can read our movements
and crush them!
Is there a way to protect the villagers?
I asked Anastasia-san and Russell-san
to talk to the merchants along the highway.
Under the condition that Margrave Mathers buys their cargo at asking prices
they'll ask the merchants to evacuate the Arlam
villagers and Roswaal mansion residents.
And a messenger from Crusch-san's household
is headed for the mansion with a handwritten letter.
There will be chaos
if we don't notify Emilia and the rest about the alliance and such.
Sounds like we're all ready.
Yeah!
We have never enjoyed such an advantage in a battle with the Witch's Cult.
Yeah.
With Julius and his crew we don't have to worry about being outnumbered.
I would like to offer one correction.
My name is Juli.
Please take care to use it.
That'll just be a hassle in casual settings!
The battle with the White Whale was so tough I thought I'd die.
Some of us did die.
Some others vanished never to return.
Let's win the war without losing anyone here.
Let's all return home alive!
You really managed to win?
Huh?
The subjugation of the White Whale
was a long-standing wish of the Imperial Knights.
It seems I owe you my thanks.
You don't have to force it.
For putting an end to a calamity that all nations ignored for far too long
I thank you.
I'm...
grateful to you too.
For coming to back us up.
Even after what happened.
About that I was...
Oh ! Crap!
I know okay? I know it now!
It was my fault.
Sorry. I... I apologize.
I apologize as well.
I cannot take back my words and actions
but I apologize from the bottom of my heart for belittling you.
I'm sorry but...
I hate your guts.
I feel bad for what happened and I'm grateful you're here.
But I hate your guts.
Seriously I hate you from the bottom of my heart!
That is fine.
I have no intention of befriending you either.
All right as I say every time let's get this fight started.
Fate bring it on!
You must be exhausted Lia.
You should rest a bit.
No.
I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep.
What about you? Aren't you tired?
I'm fine.
The forest barrier is all fixed up too.
You don't have to worry about anything!
Yeah.
But...
This feels like the time
I found a cockroach in the corner of a quiet room.
You were drawn to the smell huh?
Perfect cockroach bait...
Do I really smell that bad?
Thanks for coming to meet me.
Sorry to say it when you just arrived
but I'll leave you to work the details out for yourselves.
So don't get in my way.
If they'd stuck around long enough for me to order them
to gather their stuff and go home this would've been easier...
I have been waiting for you believer in love.
In the Witch's Cult I am a Sin Archbishop representing sloth
Betelgeuse Romanée-Conti.
I welcome you beloved child blessed with love.
Wonderful!
Hey.
I really appreciate the unexpected welcome.
But I'm not sure I really feel this "love" you keep bringing up.
It always begins suddenly.
Everyone on a certain day
realizes that they are loved.
They feel the love!
The love! The love! The love! The love! The love! The love! The love!
Um and what am I supposed to do now?
Ah the witch's generous love...
You wouldn't happen to be Pride would you?
Of the six Sin Archbishops
only Pride's seat remains vacant...
You have
received the Gospel haven't you?
The Gospel?
My brain
trembles!
Presentation of the Gospel
proof of love...
Proof! Proof! Proof! Proof!
Huh?
My Gospel has no account of you.
That book is the Gospel?
Then why did you appear here?
Why visit here?
What fortune are you here to deliver?!
Oh! So that's the Gospel!
I see I see...
I understand I understand.
You should have just said so.
Aw darn it! I'm sorry!
What?
My Gospel is well you know...
I used it as a coaster and it got messy.
So I threw it out.
Proof of love!
Authority of Sloth...
Unseen Hand!
What?
It's an "unseen hand" right?
So if I can see it I can evade it!
You can see my Unseen Hand?!
Okay I'm just about done buying time!
Prepare to be buried alive!
Suffer as you regret the things you've done!
How... How could this be?
My fingers so cruelly so mercilessly
so chaotically so arbitrarily so artlessly so meaninglessly...
My brain... My brain trembles!
Yikes that guy's kinda scary.
I think all the Witch's Cult members are like that.
Yes of course...
Fine... Fine.
I understand. Let's do this. I'm ready to do this.
The time has come to learn which of us is worthy of her love!
Her love! Yes her love!
Sorry to interrupt your fun but...
—ove?
I have someone else lined up to take you on!
I-It's over... Right?
He's very much dead!
The capital's most powerful healer guarantees it.
I see...
Wilhelm-san I'm sorry to ask such an unreasonable favor.
Was it unreasonable?
Isn't cutting someone down without warning from behind
the worst thing a knight can do?
Chivalry is long dead.
You need not concern yourself with that.
Hmm... Doesn't look like he's carrying anything useful.
You mini guys are ransacking his corpse like it's the obvious thing to do...
I'm not mini. I'm Tivey.
I think it's our right to search out the spoils of battle.
What is this?
I think it's the book that Betelgeuse called a "Gospel."
Eep! This is a Gospel?!
Oh no! I touched it!
I can't read it...
Felis can you read this?
Whoa nyo way! Don't point that thing at me!
And don't do something as stupid as trying to read a Gospel!
Is it that dangerous?
The Gospel is the proof that one belongs to the Witch's Cult.
They're basically their sacred texts.
Sacred texts?
Rumors say one is delivered to anyone with the potential to join the cult.
And once a person gets it... Imagine that.
They're nyow a devout member of the Witch's Cult.
How shady can you get?
Well I guess I'll take this with me.
If I can decipher it
maybe I can figure out what the Witch's Cult really is.
Hey hey we've killed the enemy here
so shouldn't we go make sure the other enemies are dead too?
You know as adorable as you look
you say some pretty disturbing things...
Aw I'm adorable? You're makin' me blush!
Then the subordinates that Betelgeuse called "fingers" number ten in total?
I think one of them is pinned under there.
Ten minus one is nine!
So nine are left!
Then shall we go?
But they really are dead right?
They won't come back the second we look away right?
Fine... If you're that worried we'll make sure.
We crushed two fingers here.
A few of the cultists were skilled but they posed no threat.
Driving them off we made no error.
I'm glad it went well for you guys too...
Given your demeanor
evidently I can assume your news is good as well?
Yep we took out Betelgeuse!
And since this guy is such a worrywart
we blasted him to bits with one more "kaboom" after we killed him!
All to bits!
Then that leaves the simple task of mopping up the remnants huh?
We'd better hurry
and take care of 'em before my lady turns into an old granny...
Oh that was my best joke y'know!
We rendezvous soon with the dragon-drawn carriages you arranged.
Let us eliminate the remaining fingers and greet our victory together.
Okay Subaru-kyun time for the bait.
Put out that smell!
Breathe in...
And out...
And out... And out... And out...
Hey hang on! Don't be crazy!
So I guess...
Once this is all done
we'll go back to being friend and foe.
How confident of you to worry about what is yet to come.
Hey sue me.
It's going almost too well so I may have lowered my guard.
Get down!
What is this?
What's goin' on?!
The Unseen Hand...
Betelgeuse should be dead!
So who's—
Subaru-dono!
!
Ah!
My brain... trembles...
Who are you?
Wh-Who are you?
Are you Betelgeuse's...
Finger yes!
Let me go...
I am a finger
one who reciprocates love.
A faithful diligent disciple who will carry out
the Ordeal following the guidance of love!
A copy?
A replica of... the original Betelgeuse?
If so this couldn't... possibly get any worse.
Sniff sniff.
The love that hangs from you does not compare to that of a mere follower.
It is equal to that of a Sin Archbishop.
It is exceedingly
displeasing dissatisfying disagreeable discomforting disproportionate discordant!
But that is the proof that you are Pride!
Don't make me keep saying it...
I'm not even close to Pride.
I've never gotten a free book even as a membership perk!
My! Are you being stubborn?
Still soon enough you will quite readily...
The Gospel...
The guidance of my love!
The Gospel that allows me though inexperienced to return love!
It isn't with me now!
Was it you?
You? You? You? You? You? You? You? You?!
Did you steal it?!
Wha...
A spirit?
A spirit!
Spirit! Spirit! Spirit!
it.
Is that all you can do?
If so...
Be dismayed. Disappointed. Dejected.
Are you two slothful?!
My life is spilling out...
My blood is running dry.
My diligent pulse my life's support
is stopping... disappearing.
Ah my brain... trembl—
The first Sloth we defeated was a double
and this was the real one?
No
this may not be a matter of which is real.
You mean that there may be more than one Sin Archbishop of Sloth?
Either that...
Or all hundred followers including the fingers
are the Sin Archbishop of Sloth.
I dragged you all into this.
If I'd realized it sooner I could have avoided this.
I knew what kind of power it was so I...
Subaru-dono...
I am sure that many thoughts are running through your mind right now.
And I am certain none are superficial.
But while this may be inelegant of me I must say this.
Fight!
Even if you have regrets
even if you have remorse you must fight.
If you have made the decision for yourself to fight to struggle
then fight with all you have.
Do not give up for one second one moment or one instant.
Cling greedily to the victory you have within your sight.
If you can still stand if your fingers still move
if all your teeth have not broken.
Stand and fight.
You must fight.
You're telling me to get stronger?
No.
I am telling you to be strong.
Ready to go?
Yeah let's go.
Lend me your wisdom and strength!
We're gonna start evacuating the mansion and village!
Don't waste a single second!
Right now
the Witch's Cult hasn't noticed yet that the plain is wide open.
We can get Emilia and the others in carriages
and get them to safety in plain sight.
With Emilia-sama and the others safe we won't have to worry about them.
So we can focus on subjugating the Witch's Cult.
Fighting isn't easy when you know you have a weak point!
You're making my ears hurt...
But that's exactly right.
While I'm at it let me say one more thing.
Subaru-kyun you should really make up with Julius soon.
Soon? We already reconciled after our fight.
You didn't see?
That was just for starters wasn't it?
You still subconsciously harbor resentment.
You can rely on Julius.
But I admit he is a bit unapproachable and incomprehensible.
Go on hurry up.
Okay fine!
Uh...
So hey there's something I wanted to say to you...
A Flash of Sloth