[Emilia POV, During the Fight]

As she was commanding the battalion, an ominous feeling started to appear. She cast those feelings aside as she bombarded the cult with her now perfected Ice Brand Arts. As she continued fighting, an unearthly phenomenon occurred. Standing there with Garfiel, Rem, Ram and Frederica was a confused Beatrice. Beatrice was acting strange. She told everyone that she was with Subaru only moments prior, but in reality, she was fighting with the rest of the Emilia Camp seconds before she was filled with confusion. Then she saw it…she saw her, she saw the smile that took her childhood away and the fragile body that forced Guese to kill Mother Fortuna.

She saw her beloved knight challenging the immortal and omnipotent witch. She desperately tried reaching him, but with every step she took, more and more witch cultists attack her to stall for time. As she was fighting, she caught glimpses of her knight fighting hordes of witch cultists with all his might as the sadistic witch clapped and watched with a smile embedded in her face. After Emilia cleared the wave of witch cultists she saw the unthinkable occur, she saw her precious knight, no her Subaru strike and defeat the witch at last, but after doing so, he only stood there immobile. She was filled with dread as she saw her knight, but the battle wasn't over. As she continued diminishing the cults number, she couldn't stop herself from worrying about her knight. With the defeat of the witch, the battle seemed to turn in their favor. After another hour of the fight occurring the battle has been victorious. They finally cleaned the world of one of the greatest evils. After the battle Emilia went to her knight to celebrate, but her worry becomes fear. As she saw her precious knight still standing in the same location, his piercing eyes focusing on something that is beyond the horizon, she couldn't stop herself from thinking that the platinum haired witch has done something to him. Beatrice and the rest of the Camp came to their distraught leader hoping they could cheer her up, but then they saw the lovable knight they know and love, immobile, pale-faced, and catatonic.

"Subaru, my precious knight we won" Emilia acclaimed as she hoped Subaru would snap out of his trance, but all she received were his ragged breathing and distant stare.

"Subaru lets go home, I suppose" Beatrice said with a tint of desperation. She saw firsthand the strength of the witch, she couldn't help but fear the implication of such power being used on a fragile knight.

"What's with tha long face, Cap'n" Garfiel said in between his choked sobs. He wouldn't allow his Cap'n, his friend, his brother leave him this early. If it wasn't for him, he'll still cling on a false presumption and he would continue fearing the world beyond the sanctuary. He wanted to continue living with all his brother's present.

Neither do they know, that Subaru is currently roaming the Shadow Garden towards the voice of great authority.

[Inside the Shadow Garden]

With envious eyes to see the shadow realm, with a gluttonous mouth that allowed him to convey his thoughts, with slothful hands that allowed to reach out to others, with a prideful head he looks down on the residents of this realm, with greedy legs that allowed him to wander in this infinite void, with a wrathful touch that allows him to interact with the garden, a melancholic view to see the world as it truly was, a lustful heart desiring to be loved by others, and a vanitous ego being overly proud of one's accomplishments.

As he continued his advances, he couldn't help but notice the other residents of this realm. One was a green haired man, bowing down before him crying, asking for forgiveness for all of the sins he has made. A kid with white hair and a crown adorning his head was also present, he acted as if he was someone with great importance, as he continued listing his long list of rights. A girl with ruby eyes and yellow hair, desperately longed for attention, love, and adoration. Siblings who are desperately begging for sustenance. A woman with silver hair, desperately wanting her love to be reciprocated. A man who's view of the world is distorted and depressing. A girl with silver hair, pointy ears, and a face similar to that of an angel, walked with him towards the voice that has appeared in her Garden. There were more people visible in this void, but Subaru must take his priorities to a count.

"Go on, I'm Waiting" The silhouette of a man said. The way the man said it made Subaru quicken his pace. His voice is laced with great authority.

"Who…who are you?" Subaru asked respectfully. The way the silhouette of a man used his words to invoke fear is of great prowess. As with a single statement, Subaru was forced to revere the man. But questions still form in his mind.

"So, you're asking who am I? HAHAHA…you're intriguing you managed to ask me even though your filled with fear" The silhouette of a man said as he stepped forward allowing Subaru to see the man's facial features. Hair as white as a canvas and eyes as dead as a corpse.

"Well then I'll introduce myself. I am the Great Sage, Flugel. Nice to meet you, sage candidate" The man who claims to be Flugel proclaimed increasing Subaru'sconfusion. This man is the same sage that left Shaula alone in that tower for 400 years.

"…" As Subaru flinched in fear, he didn't notice the angered look the half – elf beside him has. As Satella went closer to Flugel she could only ask one thing.

"Why?" She sorrowfully asked, Flugel was one of her closest friends and to see him this distorted is depressing. Flugel used to act similarly to Subaru, he used weird words that only he understands and was always happy and energetic. The Flugel present in the Shadow Gardens is not the Flugel Satella remembers.

"Why? You're asking me why? It's because you left me, all of you left me! After the Calamity one by one my friends all disappeared and the fame for sealing the witch was suffocating! So, in a desperate effort I made most of the population of the world forget me, all my achievements will be passed down to my disciple and she shall be placed in a tower inaccessible by the world. As the world forgot me, I wandered the world searching for answers. After 400 years, I came to one conclusion and one conclusion alone. Sinners should never be free to roam the world" Flugel stated seriously as his eyes seemed to rival Subaru's in sharpness. His proclamation silencing the witch and shocking the black-haired knight.

Author's Note:

I initially planned making Flugel just an entity that possess sage candidates if they have completed all of the requirements but with that concept, Flugel would just be a character with no depth. I'm sorry that the chapters seems short. I'll make the chapters longer after my final exams.