I haven't seen you before.
What is a woman doing here so early in the morning?
Oh, don't worry about it.
Just come here.
Hey...
Do you like flowers?
Troops—
Let him have it!
Al Huma!
Troops! Follow those two fools!
They're firing the night-banisher!
Close your eyes!
Whoa...
It's just like everyone said! Incredible!
That's... the White Whale?
It's so huge...
Are you scared?
Yeah, I'm scared...
of the blindingly bright future
where I'm praised for defeating it!
Now, let's run like hell!
Yes.
It's so fast!
You greatly underestimate us,
looking away so carelessly.
The intangible sword with no regard for range...
That's Crusch-sama's sword art,
famous for its Hundred-Man Strike.
Disperse!
For fourteen years,
I have dreamed of nothing but this day.
Fall here, and leave your corpse behind.
You're nothing but a monster!
How wonderfully cooperative of you,
coming here to be slain!
Oh, crap!
Don't you look away from us, moron!
Here we go!
Everyone, now!
Troops, get back!
Fire at its flank!
Algoa!
Looks like that was pretty effective!
I think we can pull this off!
No, in truth,
we had hoped that attack would ground it.
It's not losing altitude at all...
We used all of our best attacks right from the get-go.
If that didn't make it fall,
that means it's a lot tougher than we thought.
The magic attacks didn't work?
Its white hair scatters mana and disperses force.
My magic wasn't as effective as it appeared, either.
Fire!
Time for the second campaign.
Hack away at its reserve power!
Acting as a decoy now would just be a hindrance.
So all we can do is watch until it makes a move?
I feel just as irritated as you do.
I don't even have any attacks,
so all I can do is watch, anyway.
But with your healing specialty, you're our lifeline.
Just fulfill that role for us!
We're counting on you!
You've really changed in just one day, huh?
What happened?
If I had to say,
I've just become a slightly better man.
Wilhelm-sama is...
Upsy-daisy!
Miserable.
What is that?
Something's odd...
What's going on?
The color of its eye...
Have you grown to like flowers?
No, I hate them.
Why do you wield that sword?
Because this is all I have.
It disappeared?
We're going to move! Hang on!
Troops, retreat!
Retreat!
Retreat! Re—
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
That's what the magic fog looks like?
If that hits us...
How many men did we lose?
Twelve from my unit.
We're three short now.
Who was lost?
I don't know.
Fourteen from mine.
One deserted.
I'm missing six. I'm sorry.
No one was riding on the opposite side of me.
Who is Rem?
Rem... Who is that?
You've forgotten Rem, too?
That's it...
People hit by the White Whale's fog
vanish from existence, along with all memories of them.
The Fog of Elimination...
You're back?
Forgive my haste.
What are the damages?
A total of twenty-one lost.
It appears one whole platoon was wiped out.
It won't even be possible
to properly protect the honor of those lost.
My apologies.
Why do you wield that sword?
Because I couldn't think
of any other way to protect.
Now that it's in the fog,
we don't know where it will attack from.
Staying close together is the worst thing we can do.
Disperse immediately—
What is that?!
Is that the White Whale?
Hey! What's wrong?!
Hey!
Hey! Rem!
That voice is the fog directly attacking our minds...
It's similar to mana sickness,
but much worse...
Some people can resist it, and some can't?
I don't feel anything...
It's all right.
It will calm down now.
Hey!
Enough! Stop it!
Felis!
Have the unaffected help them!
They say hurting people is harder on an army than killing them,
but what monster does that?
Move!
I guess Felis can remove the effects of the fog's contamination,
but there's not enough time.
If it comes for us now, we're finished.
Crusch-san!
I'll buy us time.
Have everyone regroup!
What?
Rem, sorry, but I need you to come with me to the most dangerous place here!
Of course. Anywhere.
Wait, Natsuki Subaru!
In this fog...
Anyone who can hear me, cover your ears!
Anyone who can't, stay where you are!
I'll Return by Death to—
I'm back!
Well, Rem?
Do I smell like the witch?
Yes! You reek!
That's what I wanted, but did you have to say it that way?!
Those who can move, get the injured to the foot of the tree!
We'll have to use a bit of force.
With the ulgarm,
it was effective enough to cover the whole forest.
What will it do this time?
Honestly, it's an unknown quantity...
No, it's working.
It's coming...
It's coming! Here it comes!
Ul Huma!
How?!
Sis! Together!
Captain!
I got this!
Rem!
Looking away from me? How unfriendly.
And after I've spent the past fourteen years utterly mad for you!
This is startin' to get fun!
It's more sturdy than expected, but not all that strong!
No, it's putting up less of a fight than it should.
I find it hard to believe this mabeast
got the better of my wife, a Master Swordsman.
The fact that we got the jump on it,
and that it didn't use its fog to divide our forces to start with—
I'll take one more thing before I leave!
Wilhelm-san!
Be alert!
We don't know where it'll come from!
What's up?
It ain't gonna follow us?
It comes!
The fog's coming down!
Run!
Hey, have you grown to like flowers?
What is it?
There was talk of conferral,
and I became a knight.
Well, congratulations!
So you're one step closer to your dream.
My dream?
You wield a sword so you can protect, right?
A knight is someone who protects another.
I don't want... to die...
It's humiliating!
I see.
Were you laughing at me?!
Answer me, Theresia!
No...
Master Swordsman Theresia van Astrea!
I won't come here again.
With a face like that,
you shouldn't be holding a sword!
I'm the Master Swordsman.
I didn't understand the reason why,
but I do now.
The... reason?
Wielding a sword to protect someone...
That sounds nice to me, too.
Wait, Theresia!
I'll take your sword from you!
I don't care about the role bestowed upon the Master Swordsman!
Wielding a sword...
The beauty of a steel blade... Don't look down on them,
Master Swordsman!
We've got trouble!
You're kidding me...
Wilhelm van Astrea
Captain?
How?
It's all over.
We're dead.
Don't let it swallow him!
If we get him out before he's swallowed,
we can save him!
Subaru-kun...
Don't think this little bit of despair is enough to stop me!
Giving up doesn't suit us!
Not me, not you,
not anyone!
Let's go, Patrasche!
Run right under the Whale's nose!
The only one who may sniff Subaru-kun is me!
Close your mouth!
At a glance, the situation looks dismal.
Where is Wilhelm?
If you remember him,
at least we know the fog hasn't erased him.
It'll all depend on how well Rem fights...
What do you think, Natsuki Subaru?
Does nothing seem strange to you?
Strange?
There are now three White Whales.
If it is actually a mabeast that lives in groups,
how could we not know that by now?
There must be some trick behind it.
And we need to find it, huh?
If we don't, we won't hold out for long.
We'll do something.
Retreat is no longer an option.
Fire!
Fire, I said!
Crusch-san!
Willpower!
Damn... Just being a daredevil isn't gonna be enough!
I've gotta use my head!
Why are there three of them?
Duck!
Whoa!
Awesome!
We'll all back up Natsuki-san and Crusch-san
until the captain is fully healed and we can regroup.
Ricardo's still alive?
Yes, my sister took him to Felix-san.
He struggled a lot! It wasn't easy!
I see... That's a relief.
On the verge of death, our captain sent a message.
"Hey, it's gettin' a lot lighter.
The fact that I didn't die proves that!"
That's what he said.
"Lighter"?
What's light about a hard, heavy situation like this?
Light?
That's it... I get it!
Huh?
What?!
Wilhelm-san!
Not skilled enough...
I was careless...
Is he all right?!
Yeah, he's just unconscious!
Sorry, but could you take him to Felis?
Of course! What about you?
I realized something.
It split up?
Yeah.
Its fighting strength and the left eye
that Wilhelm-san gouged out convinced me.
Your group's been engaging it head-on, so you must have sensed it.
I was absorbed in battle, but...
You're right.
I do agree with the conjecture that this one is weaker than the original body.
But what good does knowing that do?
Killing three White Whales is much easier said than done.
We don't need to kill all three of them.
Just one should be enough.
That bastard's been making its two doubles fight,
while it just hangs around up there and watches.
What do you think it's doing?
That's the real one?
It won't come down
because it knows it can't let itself be killed.
But...
I can't rely on my sword to hit from this distance.
If I had one strike, it might be possible, but...
I have a plan
that's just a bit too much of a wager.
You want in?
I think you're insane.
We're already insane for taking on that huge thing in the first place.
Perhaps...
No, you're right.
That goes for everyone here right now.
Get away!
We will hold off the two doubles.
I'll take your wager.
They're coming this way...
Stay away!
Run!
We'll be wiped out!
Crusch-sama!
Stand up! Lift your faces!
Take up your weapons!
Look at that boy!
He's so weak and fragile,
a breath could blow him away, and he's unarmed!
He's a powerless boy whose defeat I have seen with my own eyes!
He's weaker than anyone else here!
Yet he's shouting louder than anyone
that we can still do this.
So how can we sit around, looking at the ground?
If our weakest man hasn't given up,
how is it acceptable for us to kneel in defeat?
Did you all come this far
to wallow in shame?!
Follow me!
She has some nerve, calling me a weakling and a loser.
Let's do this, Rem.
Time for the climax!
Right, Subaru-kun!
Al Huma!
Please!
I'm counting on you.
Hey, now that I see you up close,
you really are creepy.
Try to keep up with me.
Just so you know, I'm infamous for being
so annoying that no one can ignore me!
Okay, let's do this!
I'm doing you a huge favor! Listen up!
It's because of you that Rem died
and I experienced such horrible trauma!
I made it back!
Rem!
Yes!
You saved me!
Thank you for the treat.
What are you talking about?
Don't let me down, Patrasche!
You're a dragon, aren't you?
Show me how awesome you are!
Take this!
Fire!
This is for my wife, Theresia van Astrea.
I win.
As a weaker swordsman, you no longer have any reason to hold a sword.
If I don't hold it, who will?
I'll inherit your reason for wielding the sword.
You need only
become my reason for wielding it.
Hey, do you like flowers?
I don't hate them anymore.
Why do you wield that sword?
To protect...
you.
Do you love me?
You should know.
I still want to hear you say it sometimes.
All right...
Someday...
When I feel like it.
Sleep for all eternity.
It is finished, Theresia.
At last...
Theresia, I...
I...
I love you!
The White Whale has fallen!
The mabeast of fog
that has terrorized the world for four centuries
has been defeated by Wilhelm van Astrea!
We have won this battle!
Are you all right, Natsuki Subaru?
Somehow or other...
I'm glad you're safe, too, Crusch-san.
I am, yes.
But our losses are not few.
With the White Whale defeated,
those who have vanished will not return.
I think you did great, Crusch-san.
Your popularity should shoot through the—
Wait, did I just give you a boost in the royal selection that I shouldn't have?!
That's quite a gloomy look on your face.
You don't look like the hero who brought down the White Whale.
The first thing Emilia-tan's gonna do is call me a traitor...
What did you call me?
The hero who brought down the White Whale.
I don't want to be so shameless
as to claim your achievements for my own.
No, I really didn't do anything...
It sounds like your opinion of me has improved a lot.
I'm surprised.
There's no reason to be modest.
In truth, I'd love to welcome you
into my household and reward your accomplishments.
Please don't ask that of me!
It's not really about loyalty or allegiance,
but my faith already lies exactly where it should.
I'm going to make Emilia the ruler.
Not for anyone's sake.
It's just what I want to do.
I was already aware of that,
but it still stings a bit.
Honestly, I think you're an amazing person.
If I'd been on my own, I'm pretty sure I would've accepted your offer.
I'll be counting on you to uphold the alliance.
Even if we end up as enemies,
I believe we can get along until then.
Natsuki Subaru, allow me to correct one idea you have.
Even if we do find ourselves in conflict one day,
I will remain friendly toward you.
Even if the day comes that we must settle things,
I will not forget the debt I have incurred to you this day.
Therefore, even if we do become enemies,
I will respect you and show you favor until the end.
If I didn't already have a #1 and #2 in my heart,
that would've been a close call.
I haven't gone so far as to think of you the way a woman might.
I don't deny there were occasions where my heartstrings felt a pull,
but my heart lies at the end of my dream.
Now...
I'll be leaving
to take our wounded and the White Whale's carcass to the capital,
but it would seem you still have a duty to attend to.
Yeah.
It may sound rude,
but in a sense, that's what this whale hunt was really about.
Oh?
Subjugating the White Whale was secondary?
Intriguing.
Do you need assistance?
I do.
But...
Frankly, I didn't think it would take this kind of toll on us.
On top of that—
In that case, why not make use of this old man?
Natsuki Subaru-dono.
With this subjugation,
it was because of you that I was able to carry out my reason
for living all this time.
I thank you...
I thank you.
I thank you with all that I am!
It was your own strength that made it possible, Wilhelm-san.
The reason I thought to defeat the White Whale, and could fight without giving up...
I don't know if it's okay to say it like this, but...
Congratulations.
And thank you for your service.
I believe you were able to do this because you loved your wife like crazy.
I thank you.
You should hold on to that treasured sword for a while.
In the days to come, being unarmed will do you little good.
Yes, my lady. Thank you.
Take Felis and half of the uninjured.
They should number about twenty.
Are you sure?
I told you, I don't want to be shameless.
And that I would respect you.
Thank you.
Why?
Well, nya can't move, right?
As a healing magic user, I can't let you push yourself any further.
You'll stay behind—
But...
H-Hey, careful!
Please, do as Felis says, and don't overdo it.
I won't!
It hurts too much! I can't bear it!
When you're in trouble,
I want to be the first to reach out to you.
That's all I want! So please...
In that case, you don't have to worry.
You've already saved me so many times.
Don't you realize how much you've done for me up to this point?
I want you to help me from now on, too.
So leave everything to me this time.
You'll still keep me by your side from now on?
I'm the one who should be begging you to do that.
I'll take that as a promise.
You can't back out now.
It'll be okay, Rem.
I'll find a way to take care of everything!
I'm your hero.
I've made up my mind to take that first step.
So you don't have to worry!
I managed to pull off the whale hunt.
Your hero is demonically inspired right now.
Subaru-kun...
Right!
My hero is the greatest in the world!
Man, you really got all the good parts back there, y'know?
Captain! Mimi, too! Mimi, too!
I did super-duper good!
Didn't you almost die?
Also, your brother was exhausted.
How do you have so much energy?
Hetaro's just a baby. He's weak.
Honestly, it's so pathetic.
I didn't get much done later on in the battle with the whale,
but don't you worry.
My lady asked me for a favor, after all.
I'll show ya what I've got in the real battle comin' up!
The real battle?
What're you trying to do here?
You're takin' on the Witch's Cult, right?
Never underestimate the merchant information network.
Ah, here they come.
That's half of our mercenary team.
Half?
Half of 'em were sent to block the road
instead of fightin' the whale.
They're going to help us, too?
Who's leading them?
My younger brother, Tivey!
You have another younger brother?
I'm really curious to know whether he's more like you or Hetaro.
Hey!
Why is he with them?
A Wager That Defies Despair