Re:Zero Ex Light Novel Volume 5/Synopsis

Ex Volume 5

For a detailed (yet slightly changed summary of the revised story), please view Crimson Afterglow Part 1, Crimson Afterglow Part 2, and Crimson Afterglow Part 3.

Crimson Afterglow

The novel starts with Priscilla Barielle deciding to read Schult a story shortly after he woke up, which was from her favourite book that she read every morning. Roughly 7 years before the main story, there was a young girl in a red dress who had her servants luxuriously serve her a bowl of soup, but it turned out to be an assassination, as the girl agonizingly died after eating it. However, the assassinated girl was merely a doppelganger of Prisca Benedict, who entered the scene. The rest of her servants also turned out to be assassins, and Prisca made short work of them with the help of her closest servant, Arakiya, who was a spirit eater. Shortly following the attack on her mansion, her elder half-brother, Vincent Abellux, payed Prisca’s mansion a visit with his entourage. As the siblings cordially bantered, his servant Cecilus Segmunt and Arakiya squabbled. Vincent chided him to stop, as he said he didn't intend to make an enemy of Prisca yet. Prisca's heed of his deliberate wording prompted Vincent to state what he came there to say: the Imperial Selection Ceremony would soon begin, and she was to go to the Imperial Capital.

All 31 alive children of the emperor Drizen Vollachia had gathered under an annex, and Prisca would reunite with her loathed elder sister, Lamia Godwin. The emperor Drizen arrived, and the Yang Sword appeared before each offspring as Drizen commenced the Imperial Selection Ceremony, as he would be immolated holding the sword. 11 people survived drawing the Yang Sword; the rest either were not worthy or chose not to draw it. Prisca would vie against 10 contenders in a deathmatch for the imperial throne, with Vincent being the greatest threat to any candidate. Though the two sisters hated each other, Lamia proposed an alliance with Prisca to take down Vincent. Lamia herself had a private army called the Pruning Corps, recognized as the strongest retinue in Vollachia. She implied she would be back for Prisca's answer to her request, when she was done "pruning" the rest.

Barthroy Fitts was another son of Drizen, and he opposed the Imperial Selection Ceremony. He refused to grab the Yang Sword, rallying 9 other siblings to join him and follow suit. As he spoke to Lamia in the Fitts Estate, he noted his agreement with her: once she ascended the throne, Barthroy and the other dissenters would be under her protection. Little did he know, the wine he drank was poisoned by Lamia, and he died. Berstetz Fondalfon, Lamia’s master strategist, entered and asked her if he could continue with the plan, which involved now bringing the leaderless 9 siblings under her forces.

Prisca was encamped upon a small mountain near the Abellux Castle, with her private army. Lamia was about to initiate an unstoppable siege on the castle, with a coalition comprising her formidable Pruning Corps, the forces of the 9 drop-outs, forces of other Candidates vying in the Imperial Selection, and Prisca’s force, who had been instructed to act as rearguard. As they began, the formidable Pruning Corps advanced upon the castle and was faced with Cecilus. Much to their surprise, the blue-haired boy was somehow terrifyingly massacring them faster than they could realise. As Prisca was preparing to take Arakiya and a detachment of her forces to go in a different direction, a voice asked her where she was going. He was Palladio Manesque, another Imperial Selection participant allied with Lamia, telepathically speaking to her with the power of his Evil Eye. Prisca shut him down and proceeded with her plan, which was to kill Vincent.

Meanwhile, Vincent was being led through a deep forest that surrounded the nearby castle by Chisha Gold, his trusted strategist, before abruptly encountering Prisca, each backed by their entourage. The two contenders immediately drew out their Yang Swords and began a deadly yet elegant duel, while Chisha pitted the Abellux house's soldiers against Arakiya. As Chisha realized the soldiers stood no chance against the spirit eater, he decided to duel her himself, although eventually critically defeated. Just as Arakiya beat the powerful Chisha, a red light from above swallowed her. Where Lamia was encamped, Berstetz confirmed the designated Magic-stone cannon strike, and it was indubitably powerful enough to kill both Vincent and Prisca. It was just as she planned, by making the two siblings cross paths and Palladio verifying their location with his evil eye. Just as Lamia’s victory was to be secured, she realized that Arakiya somehow foiled the unstoppable cannon blast, and everyone survived the impact. The shocked Lamia quickly resorted to her Plan B, which was to use the 9 dissenters' forces to finish Vincent and Prisca off. However, she was suddenly encircled by the forces of the 9 dissenters whom she tried to use to help besiege Vincent. The double-cross led Lamia to realize that Vincent had planned this, and the late Barthroy had been working with him all along. Vincent must have also anticipated her cannon attack, as having it expended would leave her less prepared for being ambushed. She also realized that this plan meant that Vincent needed Arakiya's abilities, therefore, there had been a secret alliance between him and Prisca.

Cornered, Lamia quickly retreated and let Berstetz fend off the encirclement, before she ran into Cecilus, drenched in blood, having single-handedly annihilated the Pruning Corps. As she ran away from him, she was stopped by Prisca in her path. Lamia asked her how Arakiya managed to thwart her cannonade, to which Prisca brought up Arakiya's spirit-eating powers. Vincent had strategically chosen the area due to one of the Four Great Spirits, Muspel, lying dormant in the lands; Arakiya had taken in a fragment of its powers. The two sisters expressed their long-standing hatred for each other and dueled with their Yang Swords. Meanwhile, during the aftermath of Arakiya's selfless act, Vincent would propose to the wounded dog-girl an offer.

2 months later, Prisca killed Palladio, with Arakiya eliminating his soldiers. She somberly asked Prisca if she would have to fight Vincent soon. Shortly after, Chisha would emerge and offer Prisca fine wine as a congratulatory token from Vincent. Prisca immediately told Arakiya to destroy it, since it may have been poison. All of a sudden, Arakiya apologetically knelt to the floor and lapped at the wine on the ground. As Arakiya spasmed and collapsed, Prisca instantly thought to draw the poison out of her body before she could die. Arakiya would pass out, and the poisoned Prisca asked how Vincent convinced Arakiya to work with him. Before Prisca also sublimely met her end, Chisha admiringly remarked that had he not served Vincent, he would have served her. Going back to Priscilla and Schult, she concluded her story she told, and the dissatisfied Schult decided to spin his own ending: the princess survived drinking the poison, since she took half of it and the dog took the other half, and the two would go in a deep slumber.

Arakiya woke up to Chisha, finding out that she had lost vision in her left eye. She was told Prisca was dead, and it sent her into a flying rage before being jabbed in the head by Cecilus to calm her down. Chisha reiterated that Prisca was dead, however, her princess survived. Vincent's offer to Arakiya included his notion that Prisca would inevitably die when faced against himself. Therefore, in an attempt to keep his beloved sister alive, he would offer a chance to save Prisca. She was alive, but Arakiya was told that she could never see her. At the realization that the Imperial Selection ended in her betrayal, and that Prisca was too kindhearted to defeat Vincent, Arakiya cried and prayed for her.

A girl stood in a grassy field before a grave which had the name of Prisca Benedict. In actuality, the grave held the body double who had been killed standing in for her, just before the ceremony began. The girl, taking on the name of Priscilla, looked up at the sky. Noticing the sun, as if she could feel the heat of the Yang Sword in her palms, she remarked that the world bends itself to suit her.

The Sword Wolf of the Scintillating Flame

Scarlet Parting