With the battle against the White Whale now over, the mercenary force setting up the blockade of the road comes back, Julius at the lead. His arrival gives rise to mixed feelings for Subaru, but after Julius sincerely thanks him for ridding the world of the monster, Subaru finds it in himself to apologize for his past behavior. The group now looks forward, ready to enter the Mathers domain...

The group is making its way in the Mathers domain when suddenly everyone but Subaru disappears and a strange, suffocating atmosphere seeps through the forest. He quickly figures out it is nothing but an illusion, and with help from Julius on the other side, dispels the barrier for everyone caught in it. However, arriving at the village doesn't make convincing the residents to evacuate easy. Time is running out, and the invisible hand of sloth makes its presence at the back of Subaru's mind more and more nefarious.