So I'll be honest, my classes have resumed and I'm just not feeling in the mood for writing these days. I still get the ideas but nothing really for Re: Zero well...not true...I get nothing for Beast specifically I still have a few other ideas for Re Zero. I think I need to take some time and recollect myself before I resume because I'm not done with this story yet. So I'll be going on a bit of break. Don't worry I won't be gone too long...hopefully...and I will be back. As for now enjoy the chapter. Admittedly it's short but I just wanted to give you all something to read before I leave. Enjoy.
"The Archbishop of Lust," Beatrice asked. "Are you saying this girl is a member of the Witch cult?" Beatrice inquired from her brother. "We need to go tell the others, I suppose," She told him as she got up only to be stopped by Puck.
"Let's not do that," Puck told.
"But she's a Cultist," Beatrice argued.
"It's more complicated than that," Puck explained. "She was more forcefully recruited by the Archbishop to be more accurate and she isn't a part of the Witch cult, but rather she is a member of an assassination group," He told her.
"Bubby, you better have a really good reason as to why you aren't rampaging because Betty thinks something is wrong considering Betty knows how Bubby would act," Beatrice stated. It had taken a while to realize that Puck hadn't gone off to kill the girl the moment he stepped out of her mind. Something must have really spooked him and she sure hoped it wasn't the Archbishop hiding in the girl's subconscious.
"Well apparently, this girl was abandoned in the forest when she was a baby, her parents left her," Puck explained. "Now I know what you might be thinking but no she wasn't taken into the group just yet," He told her. "She was raised by Demon Beasts; she has a Divine Protection that makes them docile around her," He explained. Now, this surprised Betty; she had been aware of the situations surrounding the Witch of Gluttony; Daphne was a very close friend of her mother and in some cases, she would tease and make fun of the other Witches as a sister would. Since the Demon Beasts were a reflection of Daphne, specifically her hunger, was it possible that they reflected other parts of her, like her familial desires? The Witches shared a strong family bond which also extended to those associated with them; it wouldn't surprise her if Demon Beasts also shared such sentiments, after all; Family wasn't a concept exclusive to people.
"So the girl was raised by Demon Beasts, so what?" Beatrice asked.
"Well she grew up with the Demon Beasts, but her Divine Protection is why she was taken into the organization," Puck informed. Explaining it was one thing, but what he experienced through the girl was truly unsettling. He had felt the pain and sadness she harbored when she was abandoned, eased by the comfort of the Demon Beast family before they were all brutally murdered before her very eyes. Her own parents abandoned her and then the only family she had was killed. Still young and impressionable, when she was then taken into the cult…she met Mama. "I thought the Witches could be somewhat twisted…but the truth is…they're angels compared to that monster known as the Archbishop," He added fearfully.
His experience with Archbishop, no Meili's experience with her, was nothing short of a living nightmare. He had felt pain; he had nearly tasted before, but what that monster did to the girl, was beyond cruel. Her body had been split into several hundred frogs, each holding a portion of consciousness. The feelings had left him overwhelmed forgetting he had even been a spirit in the first place before he was forced back together. Alongside splitting them into pieces, the Archbishop also turned Meili into what could be described as something less than alive. A mass of flesh all cobble together with various organs squishing around with a brain center. They were in a state of limbo not quite dead but neither alive, just a soul trapped in a body that would have been better off. Yet Capella's twisted mind was not sated and she indulged herself in transforming the girl into countless other abominations, some of them with the explicit purpose of sharing 'her love' with the girl. Puck would never feel the same after all that, how he and Meili hadn't gone brain dead was beyond him but after witnessing such actions, Puck had made a decision; he would destroy that Archbishop if it was the last thing he did, for both Emilia's sake and also for Meili's.
"If this is how you truly feel then I suggest we talk to Subaru as soon as possible, I suppose," Beatrice told her brother. The Great Spirit had been aware that the Cult was cruel but to think such a thing had befallen a child made even Beatrice pitiful. It was no mistake now why people thought the Witches were monsters; what else would they think if they witnessed disgusting individuals like that who claimed to serve the Witch? She wondered what Subaru and the Witches would think when they heard this.
At the Astrea manor, Subaru and Reinhard were once again sparring with each other. It had become a routine for them, helping each to warm up. It was often alternated with Subaru's exercises as a sort of fun activity to do in the morning with even Rom and Felt joining them. However now was not the time for fun and games, Reinhard was giving Subaru what he deemed to be a test to check the latter's progress on his training to be a knight. Suffice to say the Sword Saint was rather pleased that his student was making at least some progress. Subaru had taken well to the polearm he was given, using it to poke and keep his opponents at a distance. The reach of the weapon kept most opponents at a distance and out of harm's way from short-range weaponry. The biggest issue was that if one could get past Subaru's polearm they could quickly make short work of him as the weapon's main flaw was that it was not viable up close.
Snap!
Thankfully Felt had come up with a solution that impressed even the Sword Saint. Rather than brandishing a sword or dagger, the young candidate had suggested an orthodox choice of weaponry, a whip to be Subaru's sidearm. It was a rather bizarre choice if the Sword Saint was being honest but Subaru seemed to work well enough with the weapon. He was becoming more and more proficient with each sparring session the two had. Even more impressive was that Subaru was starting to learn to channel his magic through his weapons similar to a few other knights and nobles Reinhard knew. However, unlike Lady Crusch who could harness the power of the wind to launch devastating strikes, or Julius who could channel all six magic types into his blade, Natsuki Subaru could merely use his weapons to make thick plumes of Shamac appear around him. He had managed to catch Reinhard off guard more than once with the Shamac spells and had it not been for his Divine Protections, Reinhard was certain Subaru would have finally landed a blow on him. However against enemies who did not possess resistances to yin magic or have to enhance senses; Reinhard was certain the tactic would leave them wide open to a strike from the knight in training. However much like always, Subaru once again lost to the Sword Saint.
"Oh man, we've been doing this non-stop for the past few weeks and I still haven't been able to land a single hit," Subaru groaned as he lay on the grass, Reinhard joining him right after.
"While that may be true, you have improved significantly," Reinhard explained. Subaru was putting his heart and soul into this and Reinhard wanted him to know he was actually improving. If those damn Divine Protections weren't helping him, the Sword Saint was positive Subaru would surpass him. He did have an actual reason for taking up the sword, unlike Reinhard who merely did so because it was his duty. In a sense, Subaru reminded him of his grandfather who also started from zero before becoming renowned as the Sword Demon.
"I'm still not strong enough though, if I faced the Cult now then I'd just die," Subaru said exasperatedly. He left out again.
"I understand your frustration but the Witch Cult hasn't really been all that active. There have just been false reports and rumors circulating around the area," Reinhard told him.
"That's because they are plotting," Subaru told him. "The Royal Selection is coming up, once it's revealed Emilia is a candidate they'll most likely make a move on her," Subaru explained to him. "They're cunning Reinhard; they know if they spread false rumors everywhere then no one will take them any actual calls for help seriously. They will be able to attack the Mather's Domain with ease and slaughter an entire village and no one in the capital would be aware until it was too late," Subaru explained as he stood back up.
"Are you sure you aren't being paranoid?" Reinhard asked curiously. He could feel the anger and hatred emitting from Subaru with each sentence he spoke; it was one of the few instances he ever such emotions from his friend.
"Believe me, paranoia would be the least of my concerns. The Cult looks for those similar to Satella and they have deluded themselves into thinking they can revive her by sacrificing a half-elf. Emilia would be a dead ringer for sacrifice," Subaru told the Sword Saint.
Before he actually met the Witches, he was always under the impression Satella was the typical Dark Lord or Dark Lady in this case and the cult were her minions. He had hated the cult back then for all they had done, massacring everyone he had cared for, but learning that Satella and the Witches weren't even involved with the cult made him despise them even more, as it meant they were using Satella as a scapegoat. Not only was Emilia discriminated against for merely existing, but even Satella was discriminated against because her reputation was destroyed by the Cult who used her name to instigate fear.
Reinhard stared at his friend for a moment. He heard Subaru clearly but something was off. His Divine Protection had been feeling Subaru's emotions and while he felt a greater deal of anger and hatred for the Cult, Reinhard felt a strange sense of love. It was obvious when he said Emilia that Subaru would feel compassion for the royal candidate but surprisingly such compassion had also extended to Satella. Subaru had addressed the Jealous Witch by name, something few would dare do, but while in context his words would be taken as wrathful, his emotions held a different sentiment. It had happened a few times before where Reinhard had sworn he heard Satella's name be muttered but when asked about it Subaru would always mention the Cult and the Archbishops and how much hated them, all true statements. It was a paradox, compassion for the Witch but hatred for her cult. Subaru had no malice except for the Cult, nor were any of his intentions amoral. He desired to protect the weak, to destroy the cult, to liberate them from the Witch's influence so why were his feelings for the Witch so different.
"If it makes you feel any better, then I will see about talking with my superiors into letting me look into these rumors," Reinhard offered his friend.
"Thanks, Rein, I appreciated," Subaru told him. Reinhard glanced at his friend noticing a look of contemplation on his face before Subaru turned his attention back to the Sword Saint. "Hey Rein, I need to tell you something," Subaru told the Sword Saint. He took out the 'cellphone' he always had on his person. "This is a special device my parents gifted me, it's an old keepsake from my home," He explained as he showed the device to Reinhard. "It told me the time and date where the White Whale would appear," Subaru explained. Reinhard stiffened at the mention of the creature who he helped slay his grandmother. Subaru's words were true but why was he bring this up now.
"Listen I'm not a hundred percent certain the Whale will be there, but it was right before," Subaru told him. "I've been keeping quiet about this because I didn't want to alert anyone and cause a shift in the timelines. A small warning about this could cause a huge ripple effect, you know," He told the Sword Saint.
"If you had this kind of information, then why didn't you start with that?" Reinhard asked.
"I only know that one time," Subaru informed. "I was planning on heading to Lady Crusch's camp to request their assistance on defeating it," He told Reinhard.
"I see," Reinhard muttered. It made sense. The Sword Saint was bound by Law to stay in the capital; he could not leave to go hunt the Whale. As such Subaru would have been forced to seek help from another capable party. Lady Emilia didn't have much of a military force; neither did Lady Felt have any besides Reinhard himself.
"She's actually organizing a Whale hunt in the foreseeable future but if she gets this information beforehand then I feel confident she would agree," Subaru told the knight. "The only problem is that I doubt she will want to see me, I'm just a 'nobody' with nothing to my name," Subaru sighed.
"Do you require my assistance in getting an audience with Lady Crusch?" Reinhard realized.
"Well when you put it like that…yes," Subaru said nervously. "Don't you have any knight friends who are close to her," Subaru asked.
"I may just the person," Reinhard responded. "I'll see what I can do," He told Subaru.
"Thanks, man,"
"Don't worry about it, if what you say is true then we will have a chance to damage the Witch Cult and kill one of the Great Demon Beasts, I should actually be thanking you," Reinhard told him.
"Dude you are too nice, Reinhard," Subaru told him. However just as they were about to start training Subaru's phone began to vibrate.
"What is that?" Reinhard asked. Subaru glanced at his phone before muttering it was nothing, a lie according to Reinhard's Divine Blessing. However, the Sword Saint would not press matters even though he could sense some anxiety rising in his friend.
"Reinhard if you will excuse me, I need to get going," Subaru told him.
"Oh… of course," Reinhard said as he allowed Subaru to leave. He stared at his friend worriedly. They were fine just a moment ago. Maybe the Sword Saint was being paranoid. However this was Subaru he was talking about, the boy had been in some dangerous situations before. Perhaps he should follow him…just to keep an eye out. The last thing the Sword Saint would want is for his lady to throw a fit if Subaru was injured once more.
