Event Year: 2016

Tragedy strikes the Sanctuary, and Elsa takes aim at both Roswaal’s mansion and the village of Arlam. After being told that all these threats are cruel traps, Subaru can’t help but give in to despair. While he’s stuck questioning himself and unable to come up with a way out of the dilemma closing in on him, Otto shows up and punches him. Thanks to the many feelings packed in Otto’s fist, Subaru finds his hope again.

Subaru is shown several visions of events previously unknown to him during the second phase of the trial. When he feels as if he’s worn away to nearly nothing, the one to stir him is the one who loves him more than anyone else…and is tougher on him than anyone else. When he awakens to see Echidna extending a hand to help him, he tells her he’ll never accept it. Then the Witch of Envy appears, clad in a veil of darkness, and extends her hand to him as well. Subaru refuses again, screaming that he’ll solve everything on his own without any of their help.

Subaru awakens in the graveyard with Emilia lying nearby. This time, he makes up his mind to save not only Emilia, but everyone in the Sanctuary and Roswaal’s mansion from the threats that hang over them. Roswaal makes it clear that he will use Subaru’s power to keep starting over by force if he has to, if it will allow him to achieve his own goal. What is driving Roswaal to go to such lengths? In search of the answer to this and many other questions, Subaru goes to see Echidna once again.

Subaru heads to Roswaal’s mansion in hopes of finding out what’s going on there and how he can fix it. He has Frederica and Petra evacuate to Arlam Village to protect them from Elsa’s attack, then heads to Beatrice’s forbidden library. He tries to get Beatrice out of the library, but her wishes don’t align with his plans, and their discussion goes nowhere. Then, against all logic, Elsa finds her way into the forbidden library…