Castle Light buzzed under a strange calm when Subaru, Reinhart, and Emilia finally arrived at its gates. Tensions had faded since Alen Drakkengard's intimidating visit, but as the trio walked past the familiar walls, the whispers returned. Divers backed away. Eyes widened at the sight of Emilia walking between the two most chaotic figures Castle Light had seen in weeks.
Subaru casually chewed a strip of jerky he'd found in his pocket. Reinhart remained silent, scanning the crowd, while Emilia kept close to the fire-wielding swordsman, occasionally brushing against his arm with a smile.
But the moment they turned the corner to the training courtyard, the energy shifted violently.
Julius was there.
He stood still, staring with wide, bloodshot eyes at the group. He had returned to Castle Light not long ago after his misadventure with Emilia, only to find his friends gone and hear rumors of more Subaru-led catastrophes. He hadn't even had time to finish his third recovery Megurger before they appeared again—with her.
"You've got some damn nerve," Julius growled, his voice low but heavy with emotion.
Emilia blinked. "Julius?"
"You brought her with you? After what she said to me? After what she called me?"
"Bro, relax—" Subaru began, hands raised.
"NO! I won't relax! You think it's okay to just stroll back in here with the same girl who called me a fat, stupid gooner?!"
Reinhart stepped forward calmly. "Julius, two days ago, you ditched us for her without even saying goodbye."
"I WAS IN LOVE!" Julius bellowed.
"You knew her for like, five hours," Subaru muttered.
"You don't understand!" Julius's halberd shook in his hands. "It was supposed to be us three! Brothers! Goonin' through the Depths together! Surviving! Getting wiped! Living! Laughing! Megurgers!"
Subaru blinked. "You're literally holding a Megurger right now."
"I WAS!" Julius cried. "Until YOU STOLE IT!"
In one smooth motion, Subaru used a gust of wind from his Galebreath to yoink the Megurger out of Julius's hand. The burger spun through the air with elegance, landing in Subaru's arms like a newborn child. Without pause, he broke it in half.
"For survival," he said solemnly, handing the other half to Emilia.
"Aww," she smiled. "You boys are so sweet." She looked at Reinhart and winked. "Especially you. You're like... really kind."
Julius's eyes twitched.
That was it.
"YOU DAMN SIMPS!!!" he screamed. His voice echoed across Castle Light. Divers turned their heads. Someone dropped a training sword.
"I WAS HAPPIER WHEN IT WAS JUST US!" Julius roared. "JUST THE BOYS! NO WINKING! NO GIRLS! NO... NO FLAMECHARM-COOKED SHARKO MEAT! JUST PURE, UNCUT BROMANCE!"
He surged forward, halberd raised toward Emilia, who instinctively took a step back, her own hand twitching toward her flame. But before Julius could get even close—
CLANG.
Reinhart's sword was already drawn, blocking Julius's halberd mid-swing. The force made both weapons tremble, but Reinhart's eyes remained calm.
"Don't do this," Reinhart said. "You're not thinking clearly."
Julius's teeth clenched. "I LOVED HER."
"She didn't love you back."
"She said I was fat!"
"You are."
Julius yelled and pushed Reinhart back, swinging wildly. His movements were powerful, emotional—but sloppy. Reinhart didn't attack once. Every strike was parried, every swing blocked with minimal effort. Julius looked like a man possessed, but Reinhart?
He looked like a teacher humoring a tantruming student.
The fight dragged on. Julius's rage turned to frustration. His frustration turned to desperation. And finally, after several exhausting minutes, Julius staggered forward for one last swing—
Only to drop his halberd.
He collapsed face-first into the dirt.
"...Ow," he muttered.
Reinhart leaned down and rolled him over gently. Julius was snoring.
The crowd of onlookers remained dead silent. One by one, they started to disperse, whispering things like:
"Is he okay?"
"That was... kinda sad."
"I think I respect Reinhart more now."
Subaru stared at Julius's unconscious form. "He'll be fine, right?"
Reinhart nodded. "Yeah. He just needs some sleep... and probably a salad."
Emilia sat nearby and resumed roasting sharko meat over a small fire. "I feel bad now."
"You did call him fat. Twice," Reinhart said without looking at her.
"I called him stupid too," she added with a chuckle. "But honestly, he's kind of adorable in a... weird gooner way."
"You know he asked to touch your boobs, right?" Subaru added.
"Oh. Right. Never mind."
Subaru leaned back on a rock, looking up at the fake sky of Castle Light. "You think he'll hate us after this?"
Reinhart stared at the sleeping Julius. "No. He'll be angry. He'll pout. Maybe he'll even eat someone's Megurger in revenge."
"Mine?"
"Definitely yours."
"But at the end of the day," Reinhart said, "he's still our friend."
The fire crackled gently as the three sat together—two goats and a former crush. Reinhart sharpened his blade. Subaru belched quietly from the expired mayo. Emilia handed him a stick of sharko meat.
And in the distance, Julius snored violently, dreaming of Megurgers, flamecharm girls, and the good old days when things made a little more sense.