RE: DETERMINED In Another World Chapter 9: Sloth vs Determination, a re:zero fanfic

RE: DETERMINED

Act 3, Chapter 5 - Sloth vs Determination (怠惰 vs 決定)

As Julius and the rest of Anastasia's sent mercenaries got off of their rides, Felix stepped up with a smile. "Just joining us now, eh Julius?" He teased slightly. "Thanks for gracing us with your presence."

"Please, you will tarnish my reputation." The lavender-haired knight smoothly said as he walked over, "But I am not the man named 'Julius'. Let's see… perhaps I will go by 'Juli'. Even if it is temporary, a man with a knight's status must never lower himself to the rank of a mercenary." Ah, honor strikes again, not the first time Ryu saw something similar to this. Knights were always the ones who were the most obsessed with honor. "The man you see here is not Julius Juukulius, the knight, but a simple wanderer named Juli."

"A proper household's code of chivalry's a real pain, huh?" Felix said, as Ryu's hand idly went to touch his sheathed sword. Julius noticed the motion and shifted his gaze to the Prince, smiling.

"You seem to be doing much better, Ryu-sama. I'm glad to see that you're up and running again." Julius said, as Ryu smiled back.

"Thanks, Juli. Took me a while, but I'm back and better than ever!" Ryu raised a thumbs up, as Julius nodded.

"Truly wonderful news."

"Thanks to the combined efforts of all of our friends here today, we were able to finally bring down the White Whale." Ryu began, sitting in the middle of his grouped army and looking at each one of them briefly. They seemed ready enough for battle, and Crusch did just give him these men, so he wasn't going to turn down his friend's gift. "But things aren't over yet. I've got a bone to pick with some Witch Cultists who are threatening the safety of my friends. Once we have dealt with that threat, our mission will be truly complete."

"So the Witch's Cult is next?" Mimi excitedly asked, before grinning widely once Ryu nodded in her direction, seemingly pumped up for a fight.

"Can we trust allegations that the White Whale and the Witch Cult are connected?" Mimi's brother, Tivey, asked. "We only came here as reinforcements for the White Whale's subjugation-" Mimi immediately went to whack Tivey over the head with her staff, an unamused look on her face. "What was that for?!"

"If you can't believe him, then you just need to believe me!" Mimi scolded her little brother, as Ryu blankly stared at them.

"...This is getting off track." Ryu eventually said as the focus shifted back to him. "I don't like thinking about it, but I've run into this particular sect of the Witch's Cult before." Ryu grit his teeth. "I've learned a few things since then."

"Didn't you look into that, Old Man Wil?" Felix asked the elder Swordsman, who nodded in affirmation.

"I would not term it to be definitive evidence, but the distributions of the Whale appearances and Cult activities coincided on several aspects," Wilhelm said, with Ryu faintly smirking to rid himself of his nervousness.

"On that note, we'll be heading to the Mathers Domain soon!" He informed the troops. "The Witch Cult is going to be hiding in the forests there. The way we defeat them is as simple as it gets. Raid them before they can read our movements, and crush them!"

"Is there a way to protect the villagers?" One man asked as Ryu nodded.

"I've already thought of that in advance. I asked Anastasia and Russell to talk to the merchants along the highway. In exchange for assisting in evacuation efforts, I would enter a contract that has me buy all their goods at asking prices." Well, by him, Ryu actually meant Roswaal. "And a messenger from Crusch's household is already on their way with a handwritten letter explaining the alliance and situation. There would surely be chaos if I didn't somehow explain things."

"Sounds like we're all ready to go then, little boss man!" Ricardo said, with Mimi and Tivey cheering in agreement.

"We've never been able to enjoy a battle where we had an advantage over the Witch's Cult. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Wilhelm smiled slightly, as Ryu grinned in response.

"I suppose it is! Plus with the backup from Juli and his crew, we don't need to worry about numbers!" Ryu then sighed as he grew serious. "In the battle earlier today, we lost a lot. Some of us fell in battle. Others vanished, never to return. Let's honor them by winning a decisive victory in their names, especially the ones who we do not remember." He jumped to his feet and closed his hand into a fist, pumping it into the air. "Let's return home alive!" He cried as the soldiers around him roared in response.

*File saved.

Ryu was a paranoid man, and he created a SAVE point at that moment before crushing it. He wouldn't take any chances… to defeat Petelgeuse, he would need his knowledge and his power. Meaning he would need to get a hold of his memories soon. Flugel's memories.

And with that, they rode out. Ryu had finally gotten a hang of riding Patrasche, while Teymin hung in the back in her True Form, blending in with the Rigers. Ryu looked to the side as Juli rode up to him. "So, you really pulled out a win?" Juli asked as Ryu nodded.

"Yeah… I suppose we did." Ryu then raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why'd you even ask that anyway?"

"After what happened in the throne room, I had grown concerned. When I learned of how you lost most, if not all of your strength as a side effect of that day, and then heard of how you wished to subjugate the White Whale; my worries only grew." Juli responded. "I am truly happy to see you're well though."

"I'm as well as I can be when my left arm is half-broken." Ryu chuckled, as Juli smiled slightly in response. Ryu eventually took the lead again as he had Patrasche move up, a determined look on his face. "Alright, Petelgeuse! I'm coming for ya!"

Eventually, Ryu hopped off Patrasche, instructing her to stay with Juli and the rest of the army; before walking off into the forests where he first met the Cultists before, Teymin by his side. Ryu watched as multiple Cultists walked over to his position, surrounding him and bowing deeply. "I appreciate that you've come here to meet me," Ryu began, as they all looked up at him. "But I only need to talk to one of you. Take me to your boss, and inform the rest of your friends to not interfere if they see me." They all nodded and then disappeared, with Ryu sighing. Who knew what could have happened if the Scent hadn't been given to him by Satella? He silently thanked his old friend and lover (that was still weird to think about) before continuing on to meet Petelgeuse in his hideout, a headache suddenly striking him as he stared at the man. He instructed Teymin to hide in the forest until he commanded her return, for her safety.

"I welcome you, beloved one, blessed with love!" Petelgeuse greeted him, a wide smile on his face as he began to dance about. "How wonderful!"

Ryu blankly stared at him before waving. "Hey! I appreciate the warm welcome! I'm still confused by this 'love' you speak of though…" Ryu closed his eyes as he laughed, counteracting his Law of Integrity as he knew he was lying, but no one would know unless they saw his eyes flash.

"Ah, it always begins suddenly!" Petelgeuse said, waving his arms about manically. "Everyone, on a certain day, realizes they are loved." The man began to hug himself tightly. "They feel the love! The love! The love! The love! The love! The love! The love! The love!" He began to giggle madly as Ryu tried to cut in so the conversation could get going.

"So, how exactly does this work?" Ryu asked, as Petelgeuse took in a deep breath, smelling the air around them.

"Ah, the rich scent of the Witch's love…" He refocused back onto the young Prince, grinning widely. "You wouldn't happen to be Pride, would you? Of the six Sin Archbishops, only Pride's seat remains vacant." Petelgeuse glided across the floor, invading Ryu's personal space as he internally felt unnerved. "You have… received the Gospel, have you not?"

Ryu bit the insides of his lip as he thought about what to say. "I… I'm afraid to say, I'm not Pride." He replied eventually, deciding to tell the truth. At his words, Petelgeuse stepped closer and took a heavy whiff of Ryu, only making him more uncomfortable. The Sin Archbishop of Sloth's eyes widened moments later as he jumped back.

"Not only are you loved by the Witch… you have a scent beyond that. A scent, a scent, a scent, a scent!" Petelgeuse madly exclaimed as he raised his hands to the heavens, tears streaking down his face. "A scent lost to us for so very long! You have his scent! The scent of the Sage! Are you… his chosen?" Petelgeuse laid his tear-filled eyes upon him as Ryu eventually nodded.

"More or less." He didn't want to reveal too much, so he let Petelgeuse believe whatever he wished.

"How wonderful! How wonderful!" The man reached into his clothing and pulled out a black book, opening it up as he rapidly went through it, chanting about how wonderful his appearance was before stopping. "Oh? My Gospel has no account of you."

"Oh, that? I expected that. My existence is pretty much hated by Fate, so I'm immune to it." Ryu chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck with a grin and his eyes closed to hide his lies.

"Fate… denies your existence? Then why? Why have you appeared today?" Petelguese rapidly asked. "Why visit here? What sort of fortune are you here to deliver, blessed one?!"

"...I'm here to deliver an update to your Gospel." Ryu eventually said, as he drew Aicenfall and summoned a crimson Shield of Determination on his right arm. "And it's called The End!"

"Authority of Sloth: Unseen Hand!" Petelgeuse instantly reacted, as Ryu felt something was approaching him, but he could barely make out the figures. His eyes then flashed a faint violet color as his body moved back on his own, with Ryu stunned. He didn't do that. Petelgeuse also seemed lost. "What? You can see my Unseen Hand?"

"I think I'm done here," Ryu said, as his body instantly reacted, cutting aside the Unseen Hands with his new weapon. It was at that moment that Mimi and Tivey popped out of hiding, hitting Petelgeuse's hideout with Wind Mana-based sonic attacks, caving it in.

"How… how could this be…?" Petelgeuse muttered as he blankly stared at the caved-in hideout. "My fingers, so cruelly, so mercilessly, so chaotically, so arbitrarily, so artlessly, so meaninglessly…" He began to scratch at and tug on his hair, with his eyes bleeding 'tears'. "My brain! My brain trembles!"

"Yikes! That guy's pretty scary!" Mimi said as she ran off.

"I think all Witch Cult members are like that," Tivey replied as Petelgeuse began to bite at his fingers, causing them to bleed.

"Yes, of course…" He madly muttered, his voice changing to a guttural growl. "I understand. Let's do this. I'm ready to do this. The time has come to learn who is more worthy of her love! Yes, her love!"

"Sorry to interrupt your rant," Ryu began as Petelguese paused momentarily in shock. "But I'm afraid, this is the end!" Petelgeuse was then cut in half as Wilhelm landed behind him and bisected them. Ryu then stood up and walked over to the corpse, an unreadable expression on his face. "...Something's wrong, guys." He said to the ones around him, while his eyes narrowed. "His soul hasn't shattered."

"So, what you're saying is…" Felix's eyes widened, as Ryu nodded.

"This isn't over. He isn't dead. Everyone keep your guard up, we'll rendezvous with the others and inform them of the situation." Ryu commanded, as everyone stood straight and nodded, with them leaving. Ryu stayed behind as his eyes softened. "...Geuse… what happened to you?"

His memories were still fragmented, and he was still sorting through them, but he remembered one thing. Geuse was a friend of his, in the past. A good friend, in fact. What drove him to this level of insanity… he didn't know. He sighed as he used magic to dig the man a grave if only to respect his old friend's body. His expression hardened, as he then followed after the rest of the group… but not without taking Petelgeuse's Gospel for safekeeping.

"We've crushed two Fingers here," Juli reported once they rendezvoused with the rest of the group. "A few of the Cultists were skilled, but they posed no actual threat. Driving them off, we made no error."

"I'm glad that things went so well for you all." Ryu nodded, as Juli smiled slightly.

"I take it your news is good as well, Ryu-sama?" Juli asked respectfully, as Ryu raised a hand and made a 'so-so' motion.

"We took down Petelgeuse's physical body, but his soul didn't pass on as I expected. He isn't dead. My theory is that he's moved his soul to another body." He replied as Juli put a hand to his chin.

"That is troubling news… we must stay on guard then, and search for the rest of these Fingers until we can put this Archbishop down." Juli said, as Ricardo walked over and placed a hand on Ryu's shoulder.

"Well then, let's get going and take care of these guys before my lady turns into an old granny!" At the silence from his words, Ricardo piped up again. "Hey, that was my best joke ya know?"

'We were supposed to laugh at that?' Ryu thought incredulously but laughed regardless so he didn't hurt the beastman's feelings.

"We will rendezvous soon with the dragon carriages you arranged," Juli said once Ryu had calmed down. "Let us eliminate the rest of these Cultists and greet our victory together."

"Okay, Ryu-kyun! It's time for the bait! Let out more of that smell!" Felix said, as he turned to Ryu. "Breathe in…" Ryu did so. "And out…" Mimi then jumped onto Ryu's back, a mischievous grin on her face.

"And out… and out… and out…!" Ryu was now exhaling blanks as he wheezed, but surprisingly he felt normal even though he had emptied his lungs of oxygen. On reflex, he breathed back in, of course, but he was thoroughly confused. He expected to cough and wheeze a lot more than this, honestly. How strange. Mimi eventually jumped off of him as she giggled, seemingly amused.

"Oh, gods, never let me do that again," Ryu said, rubbing his throat as everyone laughed at his expense, with Ryu smiling eventually. He kept his guard up but smiled as he witnessed the peaceful, happy scene of his friends and allies just having fun. As the Soul of Peace, this scene empowered him, but also brought him joy. "...Once this is over though… we'll probably be back to being enemies…"

"You worry a lot, you know Ryu-sama," Juli commented as Ryu looked over in his direction.

"I'm just thinking more logically nowadays," Ryu responded, a calm expression on his face before his eyes widened and he instinctually drew his sword, slashing the air with Aicenfall. The icy blade of the old Sage's sword cut through the air, sending ripples of freezing cold air through the sky and slicing the Unseen Hands coming his way. But the issue was, Ryu could only see the Hands faintly, by detecting the energy in them. But that was an inefficient strategy, as it drained him of his magic quickly. He needed a way to see them, and quick. "I… I can RE-" Ryu paused as the world around him froze, a dark mist surrounding him as a shadowy hand appeared before him… and reached into his chest, where it caressed his heart in an almost loving manner.

Moments later, time resumed, with Ryu able to see multiple dark appendages made of energy fading as they were cut down by his sword. 'Good, now I can see. My gamble paid off.' Ryu's eyes then widened as he felt something grab his leg, dragging him away quicker than he could react. The Unseen Hand pulled him deep into the forest and pinned him against a tree as Ryu struggled to cut at the dark appendage.

"Ah! My brain… it trembles!" A feminine voice said as a masked Cultist approached him, soon unmasking herself to reveal a woman with short brown hair and dark eyes. "Your power, your aura, your scent, your eyes! They all match up so perfectly with the vague memories of that old Sage! Of Flugel Aicenfall!" The Finger walked up to him and then noticed the sword in his hands. "Ah, yes! The Sword! The Sword of Winter! Only those of his bloodline could wield it, and it has been gone for centuries, yes, yes! You are not merely the Sage's Chosen! You are his reincarnation! Beautiful, beautiful! With the power of the Sage, the one who once sealed her away, now we may bring her back! Don't you see, blessed one?" The Finger began to cry, making Ryu only more uncomfortable and desperate to find an escape. "The Witch loves you, even after everything your last incarnation has done! And now, Fate has guided you to meet me so we can work together to bring her back! Ah, the beauty of this is awe-inspiring! This is the blessing of her Love! I will bring you with me, induct you into the Cult as Pride! Come with me and embrace your Fate! Embrace the Love that has so generously been given to you with such potency, despite its fresh scent!"

The Finger then reached into her robes, before stiffening up. "The Gospel… where is the Gospel? Where is it? The guidance of my love! The Gospel that lets me, though inexperienced, reciprocate love! It isn't here! Where?!" The Finger bent backward at an unnatural angle, before standing up straight as she stared at him. "You have it, don't you, Flugel?"

"It's Ryu! I ain't Flugel anymore! He was just a fragment of my soul!" Ryu snapped, as The Finger began to giggle madly.

"You are an anomaly! Truly! Everything I've ever known is being changed the longer I interact with you!" The Finger said a wide grin on her face. "Yes, it would do me well to induct you into the Cult!" She was then interrupted as a crimson light appeared in between them, with The Finger jumping back instantly as the light shone brightly, blinding Ryu briefly. The Unseen Hands then dropped him as Ryu gripped Aicenfall, landing on the floor with expertise. The Finger then began to wave about madly, clearly terrified of the Fire Spirit in front of her, and even releasing her Unseen Hands to try and attack it without paying much attention to her surroundings. Ryu took that moment to slice through the Finger with Aicenfall, as the blade began to freeze the Finger from the inside-out with its power. "My life… is spilling out… my blood is running cold… My diligent pulse, my life's support…" The Finger took a step forward but fell over as her legs froze and shattered. "Is stopping… freezing… Ah… my brain tremb-" The Finger was unable to finish her sentence as she was frozen solid, with Ryu pointing at the Cultist and stabbing them through their frozen skull with his sword.

"So, this was the next Finger, huh?" Felix asked as he looked at the Finger's corpse. Ryu nodded, leaning against a tree as he rubbed his sore arm tiredly.

"Yeah… this might be a bit more annoying than we first thought…" He hissed slightly, both in pain and from a sudden headache panging at his skull before his eyes widened. He needed to go back and make a different plan. And go back he did, as he immediately loaded his save.

"...So, you're saying the Sloth Archbishop may be able to transfer his soul to another being?" Juli asked curiously, as they all sat back down to listen to his words. Ryu nodded.

"Yeah. It's honestly a disturbing thought, but it's basically possession. If someone is compatible with him, he'll use their body as his own." Ryu replied. "It's how he's stayed alive for this long, as well as how he's able to pop up everywhere."

"In an old book, I saw a research account of a similar subject," Juli said as he placed a hand on his chin. "There is one long-forgotten magic that could allow this, but it only works in certain conditions."

"So our goal is to exterminate his spare bodies, his Fingers, before confronting Sloth. That is the way to go… where his soul will finally shatter and move on." Ryu then got up. "Then let us be on our way to execute our plan. We must win."

"Filthy woman!"

"You silver-haired half-elf."

"Margrave Mathers endorses a half-devil? Utter foolishness!"

"Ryu, please, don't go!" Emilia begged before she was stopped from getting closer to Ryu by a bunch of ice spikes jutting out of the floor, a dark aura surrounding them.

"...Goodbye, Emilia. Take care of yourself, alright?" Ryu waved at her before a bolt of black lightning fell from the sky. When the blinding flash of dark-colored light faded, Ryu was nowhere to be found.

Emilia opened her eyes slowly, awakening from a dream that was in reality far more like a nightmare. Puck floated in front of her, entering her vision as he smiled slightly. "Lia… your forehead is all wrinkled."

"Good morning, Puck." Emilia greeted the spirit with a smile as she got up. "You're up early today."

"Morning, Lia. I thought I'd give the whole, 'early to bed, early to rise' thing a shot." Puck greeted as he floated closer to the girl he was contracted to. "Well, just kidding. The truth is I was worried about you. You had it rough recently… especially yesterday."

Emilia smiled sadly. "It was nothing I didn't know already."

"Even if you know you'll fall, when it happens, it doesn't stop it from hurting or bleeding." Puck said, a small frown on his face. Emilia looked down before glancing up at Puck again.

"What do you think I should do, Puck?" She asked the spirit. "This isn't just about me, how can I do more for everyone, as well as get them to do more for me?"

"I think you should just do what you want." Puck replied. "I'll be on your side, no matter what you do. And no matter what, you won't abandon that village, right? Earlier today, Ram headed out there. Maybe we should wait to hear from her." Emilia nodded and got out of bed, a genuine smile on her face. "I'll go check on Betty." Puck said, as he flew off.

"Oh, okay! Let her know I said hello!" Emilia said back, before getting dressed so she could go through her daily schedule. She later made her way downstairs, as she then heard the doors close, with Ram entering. "Ram?"

"Emilia-sama, you have a visitor," Ram said, as she looked over at Wilhelm, who stood there in respectful silence as he bowed his head.

"You are… from Crusch's household, right?" Emilia asked curiously, as she walked over to the man, who kneeled before her.

"I am Wilhelm Trias." He greeted. "I have come here on my master's behalf."

"On Crusch's behalf? I received a blank letter from her yesterday…" Wilhelm looked up at Emilia as she said that.

"I see, so it was true…" Wilhelm said, adding to Emilia's confusion. "While this shames me to say, the letter's contents conflicted with my master's true intentions."

"Oh… it was a mistake then." Emilia smiled in relief.

"Yes, Emilia-sama and Ram-dono. We would like to evacuate those remaining in the mansion, along with the villagers." Wilhelm explained. "That is Crusch-sama's will."

"Wait, there's a ring of criminals around the forest?" Emilia asked, stunned as Ram nodded in affirmative.

"Yes. The punitive force this messenger brought is already preparing to fight the enemy." Ram explained.

"But… why would Crusch do so much to help this domain?" Emilia asked, as the doors to the mansion opened up again, with her eyes widening. Ryu had re-entered the mansion, a calm smile on his face.

"That would be because of me, I'm afraid," Ryu answered for her, as she stared right in his direction as if disbelieving that he was actually here. "I made a deal with her, and now we've got an alliance in exchange for a share in the mining rights of Elior Forest."

"Ryu… you're back?" Emilia asked, stunned. Ryu smiled at her confidently as he brought a thumbs up.

"I made a promise, didn't I? I'm not the type to break a promise, Emi. But I will need your help," Ryu said, quickly growing serious. "We've already set things up so half of the villagers will head to the capital..."

"And I will lead the other half to the safety of the Sanctuary." Ram continued for him. "Roswaal-sama is heading there now."

"I-I see…" Emilia looked down, before a more resolute expression settled on her face as she looked at Ryu. "How may I help, Ryu-kun?"

"I'd appreciate if I could get one of your cloaks, the ones that warp perception. I'll need stealth if I want to pull off my plan." The Prince replied, as Emilia nodded and said that she would supply him with one of her spares.

"But do the villagers know of the situation?" Emilia asked as Ram nodded yet again.

"They have been made aware of the dire situation, Emilia-sama," Ram affirmed, as Puck finally made his appearance again.

"Betty says she'll stay here," The Great Spirit said. "She said, and I quote: 'Betty can't go. I suppose I'll wait for your return. Don't worry about me'." Puck then crossed his arms. "Well, in Betty's case, the Forbidden Library is a much safer place. Besides, due to her contract, she can't leave the mansion. You know that, right Lia?"

"No fair, using that as a reason…" Emilia half-pouted, as Ryu winced, feeling another headache assault his senses, along with some memories. One, in particular, being the flash of a woman's face. A woman with long white hair and barely exposed, white porcelain-like skin, wearing a pitch-black dress and a jade butterfly hairpin. His senses quickly returned to reality, but not before a name came to the face. Echidna. "We will evacuate," Emilia said, as Ryu realized he had tuned out the conversation during his little… episode. "I don't want to endanger the villagers!" Ryu smiled slightly at that.

Emilia's kindness and selflessness knew no bounds, it seemed.

Ryu watched from above, crouching in a tree as his eyes narrowed. Using Hate's power, he was able to both keep an eye on the Cultists and on the village down below. He had already set things up down there in preparation, knowing that there would be a limited amount of space due to the carriages being also limited in number. He also knew that the kids had grown fond of Emilia, and had told them in advance, that if they were required to ride with Emilia; they were to show their affection and also protect her. 'Those kids are always determined to make me happy, it seems.' Ryu smiled slightly before his gaze shifted to the Cultists directly below him, where he silently snapped his fingers, summoning a wall of knives behind him and spearing the Cultists along with the hidden Finger. One target down.

Ryu's eyes narrowed as he grit his teeth, knowing this wasn't the first time he reloaded his save. This was actually his second load since he fought Petelgeuse, taking a certain factor into the equation. It wasn't that big, but he needed to ensure Ram knew about the mistake of a certain blank letter, along with getting the villagers on his side. Ryu picked up their metia as well as a map that was on the Finger's possession, handing both over to Wilhelm, who appeared behind him. "Take this to the others, handle the Fingers. I need to meet my fate." He said, as the man nodded in respect and left. Ryu looked up to the sky, as a faint light-blue and violet aura surrounded him for a moment. "Geuse… I'm coming for you."

Ryu blankly stared at the Archbishop of Sloth, who'd face was obscured by the darkness of the cave, a wide grin on his face. "I have been waiting for you, believer of love." Petelgeuse greeted him again, insanity visible in his eyes. "I am a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult. Archbishop of Sloth..." He walked out of the shadows, before bowing eccentrically. "Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, at your service!"

Ryu took a deep breath and approached the man. "Pleased to meet you, honorable Sin Archbishop. I am the reincarnation of the old wise Sage from 400 years ago, the one who sealed away the Witch." He bowed, as Petelgeuse stared at him in shock, while Ryu kept his eyes closed. "I have come to atone for his actions, and to do so, I thought that I must bring back the Witch into the world. The easiest way of doing so, I heard, was the Ordeal you have been tasked with; and I have come to assist you in the task ahead of us."

At his words, the Archbishop began to cry tears of religious devotion. "How wondrous, how vivacious your faith is! To recognize the Love of the Witch, to come here to diligently attempt to atone! To think that the reincarnation of the Sage would be such a devout believer of Love!" Petelgeuse then turned to a stone and began to repeatedly bash his head in with the stone. "Please forgive my Sloth, for failing to find you! For failing to attempt searching for him! Forgive me! Forgive me! Forgive me! Forgive me!"

"Please stop, Petelgeuse! I don't wish to see you hurt, and I'm sure the Witch wouldn't want to see such a beloved, devout believer in pain." Ryu attempted to calm the crazed man down. "She would most definitely wish to see the Ordeal carried out instead."

No, she wouldn't, a voice in his head said, as Ryu internally agreed. He was sure Satella wouldn't want this, or at least wouldn't care for it. The Witch of Envy though… was a different conversation in its entirety.

At his words, Petelgeuse gasped. "You are exactly right! Yes, the Ordeal! What she needs from me now is the Ordeal!" The Archbishop of Sloth then jumped into the air and landed on the floor moments later, quickly embracing Ryu into a tight hug. "You have opened my eyes! Thank you! Thank you!" Ryu felt uncomfortable from the close embrace but knew he had to deal with this for now if he was to end the threat that Petelgeuse posed his friends. "With this Ordeal, we must test her. To see if the half-devil is a worthy vessel… if she is worthy to put the Witch into." Petelgeuse then drew back from the hug and drew out his Gospel. "The words inscribed in the Gospel tell of her Love! All of it guides my path!" He then tilted his head at a true 90-degree angle. "Show me your Gospel."

Ryu silently pulled out the metia he had stolen from the Finger he executed, and opened it up as Petelgeuse stared at it in confusion. Moments later, the metia activated, with Felix's face appearing on its screen. "Oh, I see him! I see him!" Felix's voice echoed from the artifact. "His face looks just as scary as I'd heard!"

"Exactly who are you?" Petelgeuse asked, before he began to panic. "No! Who are you people!"

"Your end," Ryu smirked, a dark look entering his eyes.

"Now then! Tora, tora, tora!" Felix chanted, as Ryu snapped his fingers, with Patrasche then rushing in and slamming into the Sin Archbishop. Ryu stroked Patrasche's neck lovingly as he then looked over at Petelgeuse.

"Our surprise attack is a success, it seems." Ryu hummed, as Petelgeuse tried to get up, but Ryu was prepared for that. He snapped his fingers again, as the Sin Archbishop was surrounded by ice spears made of Soul Magic. "Don't bother trying to flee. Everything surrounding us has been uber-charged with Soul Magic. If you leave, your soul will be immediately fried and you will be sent to the Void." He coldly said as the Archbishop of Sloth began to panic.

"You, you, you liar! You said you wished to atone for your actions!" Petelgeuse roared, as he began to bite his fingers in panic. Ryu looked to the side as he closed off his metia.

"I did… I still do. But not in your plan. Not when it will only bring suffering to everyone." Ryu said, as he eventually looked up at Petelgeuse, his eyes glowing brightly. "I will save Satella, one way or another. But on my own terms. I will find the perfect ending of this world, just as I did back home. But this time, I will keep it and hold it close. I swear, Geuse… I will even save you. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, or even in the coming months. But one way or another, I will save everyone."

"You heretic! To reject the guidance of the Gospel, to reject the Ordeal! You do not deserve her love!" Petelgeuse said as he formed his Unseen Hands, with Ryu jumping onto Patrasche and avoiding the Hands with her help. He drew Aicenfall as he guided Patrasche to turn around swiftly, pulling the blade back as he released a massive wave of blackened electricity at the Archbishop.

"BLACK LIGHTNING: CURRENT!" He called out, as the spell impacted into Petelguese and slammed him into a wall of ice. The Archbishop pulled himself back up, but was unable to do anything as Ryu shot at him, punching him into the air with extreme speed; courtesy of his Integrity Platforms and Patrasche's help. Ryu then appeared in the air with the assistance of Black Warp, evading two Unseen Hands thrown at him as he pointed his hand at Petelgeuse. "Bipolarity!" He said as Petelgeuse felt his soul split into two. Ryu dodged the Unseen Hands with effortless ease, yet again without even meaning to. Like his body was moving on its own. Ryu then disappeared, as Petelgeuse looked down to see the young man charging up a spell. Yellow light formed in his hands, before shooting out like a large heat-seeking ray. "AL JIWALD!" He called out, as the spell slammed into Petelgeuse, frying his body as the Sin Archbishop felt his soul taking damage from the spell.

Ryu could see the panic and confusion in the Archbishop's eyes, as Ryu smirked. He was unable to use the highest Jiwald spell for one reason, and that being how costly it was on his Gate. So what was his plan? He found he was able to use spells he normally wasn't able to when enhancing his Gate with Soul Magic, meaning this spell… was able to attack Petelgeuse's soul! He eventually let up on the spell when he felt the taxing strain it had on him finally come up, giving Petelgeuse time to land on the floor, his body burnt and scarred. "You… I'll kill you!" The man madly said, as he charged right at Ryu, who dodged the initial movement; as he snapped his fingers. Just above Petelgeuse, courtesy of Ryu's Black Warp, all the jars of oil he knew Otto wanted to sell appeared and fell onto Petelgeuse, soaking him in oil.

'I'll make sure to buy all of his oil at double the price I offered in the original timeline,' Ryu thought to himself, as he then pointed his hand at the panicking, oil-soaked man from his position in the air, standing on an Integrity Platform. "I told you it was the end, Petelgeuse. I wasn't lying." A small flame appeared in front of him before it condensed as he flowed more Fire Mana into it. Eventually, Ryu felt that he put enough, and ignited the dense Fire Mana sphere with Bravery Fire and threw it at Petelgeuse. The disfigured, damaged man exploded outwards with a flurry of Unseen Hands, trying to push back on the growing sphere of fire. Ryu pushed back as well, flowing his own power into it in order to ensure the magic did hit the man. He then felt his left hand's soreness flare up, causing him to wince and flinch back, while Petelgeuse's mangled body grinned with its broken and charred teeth.

'Damnit, my arm! I can't do anything in this state! And I'm out of magic!' Ryu thought in a panic, not wanting to give up as he then felt something, looking to the side and seeing Patrasche's worried expression as she cried out to him. Ryu stared at her blankly for a moment, before a more determined expression settled on his face, both of his eyes glowing red. He shifted his gaze back to the incoming sphere of flames, straining his left arm as he forced Hate into it to speed up its healing process and then pushing against the Brave Fire Bomb with his last bits of offensive Soul Magic, feeling drained but knowing this was necessary. The last-ditch attack shot at Petelgeuse even faster, burning away the Unseen Hands as it went, as the man… no, the spirit's eyes widened. Ryu's expression softened.

"Geuse, I regret I wasn't able to save you. I regret that I died, unable to guide you and assist you better, old friend. But for now, you may rest. You've worked so diligently for these past years, even if your diligence was misguided, I must recognize you for the friend you are." Ryu softly said as Petelgeuse's eyes widened.

"Old…. friend? Flugel-sama?" The spirit asked as Ryu nodded solemnly. With that, finally, Petelgeuse stopped fighting back as the spell impacted with him; exploding outwards in a flare of light and force that was seen for miles, though the explosion was managed by Ryu on purpose; so it only would affect a small radius. Ryu fell off his platform as a side-effect of it, as Patrasche then caught him, curling up on instinct as the explosion caught up with them.

"Ryu-sama! Ryu-sama, wake up!" Ryu felt someone shaking him as he opened his eyes to find himself in a strange building which he recognized as one of the buildings of Arlam. He looked up to see Julius looking at him. "Ah, thank the Dragon. You're awake. We all got worried about you when we saw you injured. You never mentioned your plan being this risky."

"Eh, all my plans are super risky," Ryu said as he slowly got up, hissing as he felt his body was sore all around. "What's going on anyway?"

"We have a small problem. The fire stones that were in the merchants' inventory are gone." Felix said as he walked over to him and began to heal his sore body, which prompted Ryu to immediately thank the knight. Felix smiled slightly but returned to healing. Ryu looked to the side as he saw Otto standing in the corner.

"I hope my oil was useful to you, Ryu-sama," Otto said, as Ryu grinned in response.

"It totally was! I'll make sure to pay you double for letting me borrow that stuff!" He then grew serious. "What's this about the stones anyways?"

"Well, we unloaded all our cargo so we could transport the villagers, but the fire stones alone are missing." At his words, Ryu's eyes widened.

"We need to go find them then!" He then stumbled as his sore body wasn't in its best condition right now. Julius instantly caught him and made him sit back down on the bed, shaking his head.

'In your condition, it wouldn't be wise for you to run off, Ryu-sama. You could get yourself hurt." Julius advised, but Ryu instantly shrugged him off and slapped away his hand, glaring up at him with glowing eyes.

"Like hell, I'm just gonna sit here when people are at risk! I made a promise that no one would die on this quest, I'm not going to break it!" And he made a promise to Emilia too, and he wasn't going to break that either. He pulled himself to his feet, feeling the pain of his battered body, but his soul refused to let that stop him. The pain quickly subsided as his body numbed itself out of sheer Determination, with him grabbing Otto. "You're coming with me, Otto! You help me out, and I'll give you a position as my personal assistant and manager of funds for my joined camp between me and Emilia!" It was the offer he gave to Otto once before the White Whale came to interrupt.

Otto stared at him with shock, before a more resolute expression landed on his face. "Of course, Ryu-sama!"

"Rather than take this road, it's faster to go through the glad to the left," Otto explained as Ryu sat on a carriage pulled by both Otto's Dragon and Patrasche. Teymin sat in the back, exhausted from her work of helping the others in the army take out the fingers. "This is the shortest way!"

"Man, your Divine Protection is really useful!" Ryu grinned at Otto, genuinely amazed by this useful ability as he had never seen something like it before. "To be able to understand and talk to animals sounds like a convenient ability."

"I had... and sort-of still have a problem learning to control it. Since I hear all creatures' voices, from Ground Dragons to insects, it means I sometimes have a hard time figuring out which is which." Otto shrugged. "But if we play our cards right, this shortcut will lead us to Ketty's cart with Emilia and the others quickly."

Ryu's eyes widened at those words. "Did you say Emilia?" He asked hesitantly, as Otto eventually nodded, somewhat scared of the expression that appeared on Ryu's face. Ryu then put his hand out, as his eyes gave off a bright red glow. "We have to hurry then! Road of Truth!" In front of them appeared a glowing blue 'road' of Integrity Platforms, interconnected closely together, as the dragon-pulled cart rolled over them; giving it a large boost in speed that genuinely terrified Otto… but Ryu's expression was grim and resolute. Determined. 'I made a promise!'

Eventually, they were close to their location, as Otto immediately pointed it out. "Ryu-sama, we're here!" Otto called out, as Ryu instantly formed a downwards bridge, which the Ground Dragons used to ride down. Ryu jumped off and tossed a bag of coins at Otto before Teymin transformed into her True Form and jumped out the back to let Ryu climb on.

"Thanks for the help, Otto! Once this is over with, I'll appoint you officially as my assistant! Just stay here for now!" Ryu said before Teymin rushed off with him on her back. Ryu shifted his gaze to Wilhelm once he saw him, stopping momentarily as he glared at the surrounding Cultists. "Petelgeuse has passed on!" He roared as the Cultists stopped to look at what they probably saw as the next coming of their savior, the Sage who befriended the Witches. "I command thee to give up and accept the punishments of the kingdom, or else I will personally punish you!" It was either death or a fate worse than that, so the Cultists immediately gave up. Ryu then looked at Wilhelm. "Where's Emilia?" He asked the man, who cut down one of the Cultists who tried to go against the rest's choices.

"Just ahead!" Wilhelm replied. "Go straight, to the remains of Flugel's Tree!" At his words, Ryu nodded and commanded Teymin to run off faster, to catch up with the refugees' carriages. His eyes narrowed as they began to glow brighter, a faint aura surrounding him.

"I'll be okay, Rem. I'll find a way to fix everything." Ryu swore, a confident grin coming to his face. "I'm supposed to be a True Hero, right? Well, I've taken one step in that direction! So you don't need to worry about a thing! Right now, I'm powered by the endless Determination you've given me!"

Ryu's yellow-green eye began to emit a bright glow that trailed behind him as Teymin picked up speed, as said eye slowly changed color to a pale violet tone. The aura grew in size and potency, slowly becoming visible as it flowed into Teymin, boosting her speed tremendously. Once the carriages in front of them began to suddenly slow down and stop, Ryu jumped off of Teymin, who also stopped by digging her sharp claws into the floor as she skids; and jumped into the carriage, instantly searching for the makeshift bomb that awaited him. Without saying a word, he pulled up one of the floorboards of the carriage and ripped it off, before pulling out the bag of fire stones and jumping back onto Teymin. "W-wait!" Ryu heard as he looked at Emilia, her eyes wide with shock. "Why? Why do you do all of this for me? Haven't you heard-"

"Emilia, I don't need a reason for wanting to help my friend and save innocent lives, now do I?" Ryu smiled at her, stunning her into silence. "I care about you. You've become a good friend of mine in the time that I've known you. Besides…" His expression hardened as he then had Teymin run off. "I need to make up for my actions… if I'm to become the hero that she believes I can be!"

He rushed off with Teymin, the bomb in hand as he reached Flugel's Tree and chucked the bomb into the carcass of the White Whale, forming a few dozen Shields of Kindness with his limited magic as insurance as he then had Teymin run off… before the bomb went off, shattering through the shields he put up as the force knocked him and Teymin over, but the Wolgarm curled up around him to protect her master. The world went white for Ryu, as he instantly lost consciousness.

When Ryu finally awoke, he felt the wind blowing through his hair and the sensation of his head resting on… something. He opened his eyes slowly, feeling a massive headache as well as some minor chest pain, causing him to groan. "Ugh… remind me to actually make plans and think things through in the future…"

"I most certainly will make sure to do so, Ryu-kun," He heard, as he looked up to see the smiling face of Emilia. Ryu silently stared for a moment as his brain registered this, before looking around with his eyes and realizing.

'Oh shit, I'm resting on Emi's lap-' Ryu panicked internally but didn't have enough energy to panic externally.

"You know, I'm glad to see you're alright," Emilia said, catching his attention as he slowly got up. "I know you're a very resilient person, but I couldn't help but worry."

"...How's Teymin?" He asked eventually, looking directly into Emilia's purple-blue eyes.

"She was burned pretty badly, but she'll survive. Felix is looking over her right now." Emilia explained as Ryu sighed in relief, looking out upon the horizon. He was now one step closer to his goals. One step closer to being the Hero Rem believed he could be. "Ryu… I still don't understand why you're so adamant about helping me. On saving me."

"Ne, didn't I already say it?" Ryu amusedly said as he smiled at Emilia. "You're my friend. Friends have to support each other. Protect each other. I want to be helpful, to be useful to you, because you were the first friend I had when I appeared here in Lugunica. I care about you because you're a good friend and an even better person."

Emilia's eyes widened before she began to softly cry. "I'm a half-elf…" She said, as Ryu slowly got up.

"I know that."

"I'm a silver-haired half-elf and many people hate me because I look like the Witch." Emilia continued, as Ryu smiled sadly.

"I know that, too. Those guys are blind to the real you."

"I don't have much experience with people, I'm naive and not very worldly… so I say strange things sometimes. And my reason for being the kingdom's ruler is really, really selfish." Ryu shook his head at her words, as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Every living being is selfish on some level. But as long as you rule with genuine kindness, and bring the Kingdom to prosperity, then it doesn't matter what your original intentions are. I'm sure your actions will soon bring people around, once they see how caring you can be." He softly said, as tears welled up in Emilia's eyes. He reached over with his free hand to wipe away her tears, as the silver-haired girl took his hand into her own after a moment.

"Ryu-kun… thank you, for everything. For saving me." Emilia said as Ryu's lips twitched into a genuine smile.

"Don't mention it, Emilia. I'll always be here for you."

Later, back in Otto's carriage, Ryu smiled at the sleeping forms of the Arlam kids and Teymin, sitting in the cart with Emilia next to him. Ryu blinked when he felt something grab him and looked over to see Petra attached to his arm. "Uh… Petra? What're you-"

"She had you all to herself earlier!" Petra exclaimed as Ryu felt dread settle into his soul, with sins he didn't even have crawling on his back. Petra then looked over at Emilia, almost as if challenging her. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Um… it's not like that, Petra-chan!" Emilia tried to calm down the girl, who seemed unimpressed. "Ryu and I were… just talking about some important things!"

Petra stuck out her tongue at Emilia, as expected of someone her age. "I'm not gonna lose to you! Do you hear me?!" Emilia seemed briefly alarmed before a more serious expression settled on her face.

"Even if you are a child, I can't take such a rude attitude from you!" Emilia said, as she then grabbed Ryu's other arm, stunning the young man for a moment before he tried to diffuse the situation.

"Hey, Petra! I recommend you rest, so we can get to the next stage of your training with soul magic! I want to see if you can summon your own Familiar, but that kind of training requires you to be well-rested." He began to stoke Petra's hair gently, soothing her as he infused Peace Magic into his touch. "You want to get stronger, right?"

"Yeah! I want to be really strong like you!" Petra cheered, as she then went to go to sleep, with Ryu sighing in relief once she had finally rested. He then looked at Emilia, who still hadn't let go of his other arm.

"Uh, Emilia-"

"You don't control me, Ryu! I'll let go of you when I feel like it! I don't want you running off again!" She retorted, as Ryu just gave in for now since he didn't see too much of an issue with this situation. He then sighed as he leaned back slightly, looking out the carriage.

"Man… I just can't wait to see Rem again. I wonder how she'd react to me being the one to beat a Witch Cult Archbishop singlehandedly!" Ryu laughed slightly, as he then felt Emilia tug at his jacket. "What is it, Emi?"

"Ryu-kun…" She looked at him with confusion, as Ryu's dread only grew. "Who is… Rem?" It took mere moments for Ryu's mind to register the words, and he instantly reacted, horror grasping his soul.

What did she mean, who's Rem? Didn't she know-

Instantly, two headaches struck him, coming and fading just as fast as they came; but Ryu only felt more dread as he tapped into the purified Hate within Crusch to see destruction for a moment, along with a strange man walking over to Crusch's unconscious form… along with Rem on the floor, comatose next to her.

Ryu, in the next few moments, was overtaken by grief… and rage.

RE: DETERMINED

Act 3, Chapter 5 - Sloth vs Determination (怠惰 vs 決定) - END