Split

by VicariousVisions

All of the IF counterparts in one body

4. For Whom The Bell Tolls

Split

Chapter 4

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Disclaimer: This chapter does include some disturbing content. I'm not saying that it is gruesome, and you shouldn't read it, I'm just saying that if you have a weaker side to this kind of detail, then you should skip past the first two sections.

Also, for Grimm and Carol, I know absolutely nothing about them, so they won't appear at all in the coming chapters.

A man with green skin is accompanied by ten others, following him to go diligently complete their mission. They take only small brakes, only stopping for food and water to sustain themselves and one long break as they stop in a village.

They are coming to this village to pick up reinforcements, about thirty witch cultists are currently occupying it as ordered by their gospel. The man with green skin and his companions arrives as the sun is setting, signaling that it had been only a day since they separated from the white one.

The village is completely burned down, a bonfire placed in the center of the village with a corpse stack about six feet tall and eight feet wide, burning. I held what could've been twenty or more villagers. The burned figures that were once people are not completely charred yet, black skin peeling off as newly exposed flesh is exposed.

This attack could've only happened an hour before at most.

All the people in the stack have already died from various wounds or from the pain of being burnt alive. This was clearly the work of the thirty cultists, knife wounds and signs of crushed bones visible to the naked eye. Small traces of magic could still be felt in the air, deformations on the earth seen and cuts against the broken houses visible.

The green one is confronted by one of the thirty, the one kneeling before him as he gave his report. The green one was ecstatic, with clear pleasure shown as he turned and bent his body at such unnatural angles. He straightened himself with no warning, bringing his head down to the kneeling cultist.

[???]"You so diligently taken care of this village, burned it, trampled on it, made it kneel before the Witch's love!"

The green one sounds very pleased, twisting himself once more before suddenly snapping to attention.

[???]"Yet I also see that you haven't killed everyone here, you let one live, you were too naïve, prideful, thoughtless, careless!"

How slothful.

He grabbed the one of thirty by the head, slamming his head into the ground repeatedly, his skull shattering by the green one's strength. The one lay still, blood seeping out of his hood as another of the now twenty-nine quickly disposed of the body into the bonfire.

Suddenly, a window smashed, what seemed like a floating boy that could be no older than nine was pulled out, his arms and legs scraping against the broken glass. He halted in the air in front of the green one, before he was suddenly outstretched, arms and legs put out like he was on a cross.

The green one observed him, small cackles coming out of his mouth as the boy's previous shock was replaced by fear as he began to cry his heart out. What was invisible before was now seen, four purple hands were extended from the green one's back, holding the boy by his wrists and ankles as he was suspended in air.

[???]"Oh where are my manners? I believe we haven't introduced ourselves yet!"

The boy cried seeing the bonfire of corpses, the smell of charred flesh invading his nose and filling his lungs. It was disgusting, limbs that were either crumbling like chunks of coal or still steaming as the fire licked the bare flesh.

[???]"Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing Sloth... Betelgeuse Romanee-Conti...Des!

The boy's tears never stopped, streaming down his cheeks and splashing onto his shirt, causing a small stain to appear. He was scared, terrified of what was happening, the green man he saw only amplifying his fear. He heard his laughter fill the ash filled air, causing a large stain to appear near his groin area. In fear, he had wet himself.

He saw it then, what looked to be a necklace with a small wooden tome at the end, small symbols carved into it and decorated with two feathers on the side. Blood was visible on it, slightly staining the wood as it had been there for an extended period.

The symbols on the wooden tome read this.

'Mary'

It was his mother's name, engraved into the tome by himself as a birthday present to her two years ago. He made it himself, taking the time to find a nice piece of wood and learning from one of his neighbors how to carve wood. The boy whimpered as his own necklace slipped out, the same wooden pillar and feathers but with different symbols engraved on them.

'Joseph'

His own name was inscribed to it, given to him as a birthday gift only one year ago by his mother. She had also learnt how to carve wood just to give him this present. Now it was in front of him, bloodied but not broken yet. The green one saw the boy's gaze, using a fifth hand to pick it up and present it to the boy.

He dangled it right in front of the boy's face, just far enough, where the boy couldn't get it with his bite. The green one then threw it into the bonfire, new embers flying into the sky as the wood crackled and popped, feathers wilting as flames curled the corners.

The boy watched with a shocked gaze, the final thing that his mother had thrown into the fire. He felt the air shift, slowly he moved through the air with unseen grace as he was hovering next to the fire. The smoke produced caked his skin, his feet beginning to steam as the intense heat made contact with his damp clothes.

He screamed and cried his heart out, putting up a useless struggle as he was slowly being lowered into the inviting flames; the fire seemed to greet him with open arms. The pain was excruciating, his vocal cords tearing as the screams of agony never faded, until he saw them.

It was a pair of eyes, a beautiful shade of soft green that was as pretty as spring plains. They were so soft, the light in them clearly gone but the feeling of calm they gave him was just as strong.

The pair of eyes belonged to his mother, the rest of her body partially buried and the rest charred, but her beautiful eyes shone through. He felt a past memory arise, a tune that she used to sing to him whenever he was scared.

His failing vocal cords didn't allow him, but he tried his best as the broken out of tune melody came through. He couldn't for the words, so he formed a quiet hum, so quiet that he thought he was only thinking about it.

It was calming, the feeling of motherly love coming back into his mind. He felt warm. The boy no longer felt the heat, no pain as he stared into those gentle eyes, letting himself succumb to the flame.

The moon rose, and the cultists began their march once more.

By the morning of the next day, they will arrive at the Astrea estate.

By the morning of the next day, they will reclaim Pride.

A lone carriage traversed the roads as a family of three rode away from the capital. The family of three consisted of a mother, father, and their daughter. The mother and father were both in their forties, the mother running a small bakery in the capital and the father being a retired knight, released after he lost one of his eyes during an escort mission.

The daughter was about fifteen years old now, helping her mother run the bakery and taking some self-defense classes from her father in her free time. She wasn't the best at it, but she liked the time she got to spend with her father.

They were off to a village nearby to restock on supplies for the bakery, something they had to do ever few weeks as to meet demand. They could buy ingredients from the capital, but this village sold them at a lower price, making the trip worthwhile. They would stay the night in the village after purchasing their goods and then go back to the capital in the morning.

It was getting close to sundown, the village only being about five minutes away now. The carriage came to a jolting halt, throwing the daughter and mother off their seats in the carriage. They were unharmed, just surprised as they sat hunched over.

They went out the back after regaining their bearings, walking around the side as to see what the cause of the sudden halt was. The father stood in front of them, a sword drawn and pointed at a man in white.

[Father]"Stay behind me and be prepared to run."

They mother and daughter were confused but had a general idea of what this might be. They had run into bandits a few times on their trips, but the father had been able to defend them each time.

The ground dragons also seemed to get the message, carefully positioning themselves to run away if things went south. The father had been the one driving the carriage, and as such when he got off, had loosened the reigns on the ground dragons in case they needed a quick escape.

There was one ground dragon that stood on all four legs, being much bigger than the other, which only ran on two feet but was much faster. The one with four legs was primarily an orange color, blue running down its spine and on the tip of its face.

The other that ran on two legs was a grey color, no really different colors on its back or legs like the other except for a white splotch that was shaped like a diamond on its beak. You couldn't see it since the dragon was covered with a leather saddle.

The white man stood in the middle of the road, not showing any signs of caution or care as the father's sword was pointed at him. The daughter looked behind the white man, seeing a pillar of smoke in the distance rising from where the village should be.

[Daughter]"Father I'm scared..."

[Mother]"Don't worry honey, daddy will protect us so just stay behind him, ok?"

The daughter gave a small nod under the mother's reassuring smile, placing herself behind her parents. She knew that she shouldn't be scared now, she was fifteen years old, and they've had run ins with bandits before, but this felt different.

[Father]"Who are you and what do you want!?"

The father kept his sword at the ready, not letting himself get relaxed by the opponent's seemingly nonchalant attitude. He had the faint hope that this person was just a regular bandit or a random civilian, but the smoke in the distance didn't inspire much faith.

[???]"Isn't it rude to ask for someone's name without giving your own? We've only just met each other, putting us in an equal position but you demand my name like your higher than me? How could you interfere with my right, my authority, my entire existence with no regard to my own thoughts, feelings, or being?"

The man was clearly agitated, his rant making him seem more like some sort of child throwing a fit over something so simple. The father kept his guard, growing more anxious by the second as the mother and daughter stood behind him.

[Father]"Then how about this? My name is Arthur Kelley, this is my wife Hildred, and my daughter Jasmine."

Arthur didn't want this to drag on any longer, wanting to get his family back to the capital so that they would be safe in their own home once again. Arthur motioned his family to start backing up, slowly moving inch by inch to the back of the carriage.

The ground dragons were growing restless too, slowly moving themselves so that their harnesses slipped off while facing forward all the same. The braced their legs, waiting for a signal, any signal for them to run back and grab their owners.

[???]"So you so rudely ask for my name and only give me yours like it's some sort of chore? Now you are trying to leave without hearing my answer, denying my right to speak, to listen, to converse freely? Who do you think I am!?"

The white man raised one of his arms from his side, barely flicking his wrist. Arthur watched as the ground dragons' heads suddenly shot off, one after the other, blood spraying from the open vessels. Hildred and Jasmine started screaming, unable to move as they watched what could only be described as an invisible force take off the ground dragon's heads.

[Arthur]"Who the hell are you!?"

The white man seemed to smile; his eyes lit with some glowing conviction as he let out a small breath.

[???]"Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing Greed... Regulus Corneas."

[Arthur]"Take Jasmine and run!"

Arthur rushed Regulus, knowing that this would be his last moment of life. Hildred took Jasmine's hand as they began running towards the capital. They knew that they would never make it on foot, but there was a small chance that they ran into some carriage on their way.

Arthur brought his sword down on Regulus, watching as the sword seemed to shatter on some invisible barrier. The metal fragments from the shattered sword blew back, lodging themselves in Arthur's arms, torso, and face. Arthur gasped in pain, one of the fragments was buried in his non-working eye, blood leaking from his closed eye lid.

He collapsed to the ground, trying to stop the bleeding that littered his body only to not prevail. He didn't have any skill in magic, unable to heal his wounds except for pulling the shards in his arms and torso out. He covered the small holes with some cloth, plugging in many of the holes in his body. He knew he was too late, feeling the warmth in his body drained as the air became cold.

He wondered if he bought any time for Hildred and Jasmine, if they would escape and make it back to the capital.

He sure hoped so.

[Regulus]"Listen here, who gave you the right to attack me? To attack a perfect being like myself is nothing short of insanity! To try and strike me, cut me, harm me! I do believe that is a violation of my rights!"

Arthur watched the dirt by Regulus's feet become jagged, small spikes forming in the air about the ground. Arthur smiled, knowing his death was here. The dirt spikes shot from their position, impaling Arthur, reducing his upper body to red mist. His legs still sat kneeling as the bottom part of his spinal cord flopped around.

Regulus scoffed, resuming his journey towards the capital. He had let those two escape to the capital, but that was fine, since they would spread the news of his arrival. This would lead to many coming after him, fulfilling his role as the distraction in the Gospel.

The sun disappeared as he was on the road.

By sunrise of the next day, he would arrive at the capital.

By sunrise of the next day, he would cause a distraction.

[Felix]"Still not eating huh?"

A full tray lay in front of Wrath, none of the contents so much as brushed upon as dust had created a thin layer on top of the bread. No matter what type of food or how much they gave him, Wrath wouldn't bring the food to his lips.

Wrath could hear some of the others, specifically Envy, Lust, and Sloth, quiet in the back of his head, giving their small complaints about how hungry they were. Greed was quiet, not complaining as the taste of food and feeling of hunger was long lost to him.

Pride wasn't particularly bothered by the feeling of hunger, numerous loops before having him never eat or drink. The pain that their hungering stomach felt was nothing compared to having his stomach cut open or drinking poison that set Pride's insides on fire.

Reinhard and Felix were across the bars again, watching Wrath sit on the bed with deep bags under his eyes. He hasn't slept since he was imprisoned here, between Felix's torture and his own insomnia, he hadn't gotten a wink.

His own refusal to eat anything was weakening his body, every passing hour his body looked a little thinner and his stomach was constantly begging him for food. Wrath would not listen, not take the chance of someone poisoning his food, no matter how safe it looked. The others tried to convince him that it was safe, but he wouldn't listen to their lies.

Emilia and Ram deciding that they would leave for the Mather's mansion by afternoon. Emilia had stayed here in the hopes of finding out what happened to Subaru but had to leave since she had been gone from the mansion for too long. She was grateful for Reinhard and all that he did, letting someone like her stay here without any sort of payment. She would have the pay him later.

Reinhard wasn't sure what to do with Wrath anymore, not being able to get a clear confession out of him. It was confusing to him, some of the answers he gave conflicting with others and how he was someone who was worthy of having the Dragon's Sword pulled on him.

Felix's torture was turning up dry, the fun of it becoming stale as Wrath would only let out silent screams towards him. Felix knew that this person had to be a Witch Cultist, so why weren't they admitting it? If they would then then Reinhard could just kill him, Felix not wanting to murder someone.

He was a healer after all.

[Reinhard]"Why do you insist on not eating?"

Wrath barely shifted his gaze up, his fatigue from not eating and getting tortured, building up. It was getting tiring to move more than he needed to, so he stuck to only moving his eyes to look at others, moving his head only if it was necessary. While some thought he was just lazy or was not moving because of his skipped meals, the real reason was because he was preserving strength.

The new body that they were in, from when they first arrived was built more than his previously fragile body. Built was still a questionable way to put it, this body padded more than muscular but it was stronger than his past one. He was keeping his strength in order to gain the chance, the chance that he would be able to kill Felix.

[Wrath]"I don't want it."

It is poisoned.

[Reinhard]"Why don't you want it?"

Felix was getting a little annoyed by Wrath's behavior. He wouldn't eat anything, speak clearly or even move at all! It was infuriating to Felix how this person wouldn't eat like he was planning to starve to death. Of course, Felix would prevent that, his job as a healer not allowing those around him to die.

[Wrath]"I don't wan-"

[Felix]"Why can't you just eat it!"

Felix's outburst came as a surprise to Reinhard, for he never knew Felix to be one to lose his composure often. Felix usually had a playful attitude, his appearance and mannerism helping make any situation a little lighter.

Wrath's glare to Felix intensified after he was cut off, more than ever did he plan out just how he would kill Felix. He wouldn't settle for just this timeline because the others might interfere, so he planned out multiple situations, so that no matter what they do Felix would inevitably meet his end.

Reinhard's pocket suddenly buzzed, the metia he used for long distance communication gaining both his and Felix's attention. Reinhard pulled it from his pocket and opened it, Felix leaning over his shoulder to meet the face of Julius.

[Reinhard]"Julius?"

Reinhard wondered what Julius wanted to have to call him through metia. It was still early enough where the sun hadn't risen, so contacting him this early could only mean an emergency.

[Julius]"Reinhard, only an hour ago, we found a mother and her child only ten minutes from the capital. When we approached them, they repeatedly told us that a Witch Cultist was coming."

Their breath ran cold, chills running down their spine as the cold reality set in. The fact that Julius hadn't even properly greeted them, only speaking in a still elegant tone showing them how serious the situation is. Felix glared daggers at Wrath, Wrath returning them with his much sharper eyes. Reinhard looked at Wrath, trying to weigh the possibility that these events may be linked, but his thoughts were cut off.

The news had affected Wrath and the others similarly, each Subaru not letting a singular sound out as if breaking the silence might kill them. This silence was interrupted by the small clap that could be heard, echoing through the plains.

The sound of Pride's small clap, followed by the quiet inhale of air in his smiling face, seemed to break the barrier that stopped them from making a sound. Some shaky breaths could be heard leaving equally shaken people, except for one other. Gluttony was the only one who hadn't made a sound yet, watching the other's reactions as if to see if he should follow along.

While Gluttony may be silent, he didn't notice as his face looked a little brighter than usual. Of course, this was a great opportunity to find the answer to the question that has weighed on his mind every day since he found himself here.

Who is the real Natsuki Subaru?

It would be a lie to say that he wasn't excited, Gluttony currently focused on keeping a straight face as his heart danced with excitement. He would be able to see the hero Natsuki Subaru as he saved the day, saved everyone with his genius that Gluttony couldn't begin to understand.

Julius saw that Reinhard and Felix were shocked by this news, deciding that it would be best to continue for them to fully understand the situation.

[Julius]"When we asked how many Witch Cultists there were, she only said one. She did say that this one Witch Cultist did identify himself as a Sin Archbishop, specifically Greed."

Reinhard had heard enough, closing the metia, returning it to his pocket, and making his way to the door. Reinhard was stopped by a tug on his sleeve, Felix's gloved hand pulling against his knight's uniform.

Felix motioned to Wrath, not wanting him to escape with them leaving for the capital. To Felix, this couldn't be called a coincidence, from capturing a supposed Sin Archbishop to a sudden attack on the capital, it had to be linked.

[Reinhard]"Don't worry Felix, we'll have Emilia-sama and Ram watch over him while we're gone."

Both Reinhard and Felix moved out of the door, leaving Wrath by himself in his cell once again. They moved through the mansion, weaving through the long hallways before opening the door that led to Emilia's sleeping quarters.

Emilia lay peacefully on her bed, covered by white sheets and her head rested on two fluffy white pillows. She looked so defenseless like that, but now wasn't the time to be make such observations.

Ram, who was sleeping on the couch on the other side of the room, woke up from her sleep like the flip of a switch, quickly standing and brandishing her wand. She saw that it was only Reinhard and Felix, returning her wand to her maid uniform and moving into a small bow.

[Ram]"Good morning, what brings you here?"

Emilia slowly rose from her slumber, rubbing her half-closed eyes as she looked around. The sun hadn't even risen yet, so why was there a commotion in her room? Her eyes widened, seeing the two knights jolting her awake as she gripped the edges of her covers.

[Emilia]"Reinhard, Felix, why are you here?"

Felix and Reinhard hesitated; the breath caught in their mouths as they seemed to wait for permission to speak. The breath they held was released, a long sigh in the short time they had let out slowly. It felt like the breath you took after drinking the last bit of ice-cold water, the frozen breath contacting the warm air.

[Felix]"Emilia-sama, while we are away, could you and Ram please watch over Subaru?"

Felix's serious tone was enough to make the air tense up, his dropping of his signature nyan giving Emilia the feeling that if they didn't keep watching the clock, then time would race without them. She gulped down her anxiety, cold sweat running down her brow.

[Emilia]"I can do that, but why are you leaving?"

Felix looked at Reinhard, pointing out the door, signaling to grab their ground dragons. Reinhard got the message, quickly leaving the room and moving out the mansion towards the stables. Felix let out a little sigh, looking back at Emilia and Ram.

[Felix]"We just received information that a Sin Archbishop might be attacking the capital soon."

Emilia's blood froze, her thoughts jumbled as she replayed what Felix had just said over and over again. Ram's body straightened, so much that it would be correct to say that she was almost a statue at the moment. Felix sighed even deeper, knowing that this news was a lot to take in right now.

Felix ears perked up, hearing rushed footsteps coming from the hallway. He peeked outside, seeing Reinhard only a few feet away from the door. He was accompanied by two knights, who probably were from the Astrea house but had no real role.

[Reinhard]"The ground dragons are out front and ready to leave. These two will help guard Subaru while we are away."

The two were close to Julius's height, one with brown hair and hazel eyes while the other had ginger hair and equal hazel eyes. They were both trained in the sword, the one with ginger hair able to use el class wind magic and the one with brown hair able to use el class earth magic.

[Felix]"Shouldn't they come with us?"

As much as Felix would like everybody in this mansion to watch over Wrath, he knew that a fight against a Sin Archbishop is anything but easy. It would help to have an extra few pair of hands to help with protecting the civilians.

[Reinhard]"I'm just being cautious, but we need to leave."

Felix quickly put his head back into Emilia's room, giving a peace sign with his hand before closing the door. Him and Reinhard moved out of the mansion, Emilia, Ram, and the two knights to themselves. The hurried down the front steps, hoping onto their ground dragons and riding to the capital.

They ran down the dirt road, the ground dragons' steps making a clean rhythm.

Slowly, the sun began to peek over the horizon.

Slowly, the hand of the clock hit the six-hour mark.

And the third hour was reached, causing the bell to ring.

Emilia watched as Reinhard and Felix disappeared from sight, the small dust cloud produced by their ground dragon's drifting away in the early morning breeze. She couldn't fall back asleep, the commotion that was caused this morning, her nerves still slightly on edge after hearing the news Felix bore.

She decided that an early morning bath might be best, the soothing water would help her clear her thoughts. She moved to the baths, placing her usual attire outside and slipping out of her night gown in favor of a towel.

She sunk into the heated bath, steam rising off the water's surface and ripples of water disturbing the once still water as she got in. She let her muscles relax, the warm water brushing against her tense muscles and slowly working the knots out.

All the recent events had left her in a flurry, so many things leaving her confused and all the events with Subaru and the capital making her muscles tense. It was stressful to be honest, the seemingly endless events she had gotten tangled up in being almost overbearing.

Her head sunk into the water, small bubbles rising to the surface.

If I can't handle something like this, then how will I be able to handle being the ruler of Lugnica?

Her head rose back to the surface, a long breath being drawn in as she let her eyes focus on the steam. She knew that she had to win the favor of this country in order to win, which is why she studied every day so that she could uphold her part of the deal with Roswaal.

Speaking of Roswaal, she wondered if he was worried about Ram and her right now, if he was wondering why they were away for longer than anticipated. She must be very selfish, banking on Reinhard's kindness and staying in his mansion just for the sole reason of finding out what happened to a stranger she was interested in just because he spoke kind words to her.

[Emilia]"How selfish of me..."

[Puck]"That's no way to speak to yourself isn't it Lia?"

Her crystal glowed, Puck's form materializing in front of her and landing on the palm of her soaked hand.

[Puck]"Also, how long are you going to stay in this bath? If you stay here too long, the day might just pass right by."

Puck knew that even if Emilia stayed in this bath all day, that she wouldn't get sick. From his contract with her regulating her temperature and her ability to heal, she would come down with a fever anytime soon.

[Emilia]"I guess you're right."

Emilia rose from the bath, wrapping a towel around herself and moving to the exit door, Puck following closely behind. She opened the door, only to find Ram in front of her holding her folded clothes.

[Ram]"Here are your clothes Emilia-sama. After you get dressed, come down for breakfast."

Ram handed Emilia's clothes over and left after giving her a small bow. Emilia quickly got dressed, Puck going back into his crystal since nothing required his attention. Emilia moved to the eating area and met Ram at the table, Ram holding a silver plate in one of her hands. Emilia sat down, Ram presenting a plate of freshly steamed tatoes as her meal.

Emilia gave her a small smile, knowing that steamed tatoes were the only thing Ram knew how to cook but didn't mention any of it. Ram, seeing Emilia's smile gave a satisfied 'hmph!" before moving behind Emilia. Emilia ate the steamed tatoes, enjoying the fresh taste and the still warm insides.

Emilia finished her meal, using a handkerchief to remove the bits of food from the edges of her mouth. She got up, Ram moved to clear her plate and take it to the kitchen to be washed. Emilia left the food area, deciding that it would be necessary to check up on Subaru.

She moved towards the holding area, seeing the two knights from before standing on each side of the door. The gave her a small bow as she entered, closing the door behind leaving her to herself. She moved down the passage before getting to the cell that held Subaru.

He was still in the same position, the food in the cell untouched and still fresh. She wondered if Reinhard had put a Divine Protection on the food that made it last longer. He looked up, his eyes meeting hers as a small staring contest commenced, neither side breaking eye contact.

Emilia eventually lost, her eyes breaking away from his as she looked at the state of his body. His once full body was now slightly inclined, the effects of him not eating becoming evident. He wore strange clothing, mainly colored black and white with yellow stripes going down his legs. She had never seen clothes like that before, making her wonder if he was perhaps a foreigner.

She wouldn't get anywhere by just looking though, so she began her questioning.

Julius looked at his closed metia, as he had been for the past few minutes. He had told Reinhard and Felix to come to the capital as fast as they could, but he knew that it would take them till almost eight to get here. The message had been sent a little before six, meaning that it would take them almost two hours to arrive.

Julius was with a squadron of knights, numbering twenty and another twenty mages. The other knights in the capital were tasked with evacuating citizens and protecting holding areas. He had also sent word to the Iron Fang, but they were too far to make it here in time, so that meant Julius and the others had to hold out until Reinhard got here.

The two survivors from before had said that they encountered a Sin Archbishop, but there was a chance that other Witch Cultists were also coming. Julius's thoughts were still wrapped, the mere prospect of a Sin Archbishop appearing so suddenly and openly not sitting well with him.

The Witch Cult was never the bold type, not much of a large imposing blade but a sharp knife that would always hit something vital.

[Knight]"Evacuation has been completed sir, all citizens in this district have been relocated."

Julius gave a small smile, his elegant composure helped calm the nerves of his subordinates. One of his buds came out of his hair, circling around his hand in a playful manner. His shoulder slumped a bit, relaxation working its way through him for a brief moment.

Julius felt like this moment could only be compared to the eye of a storm. The first wave of the storm was the news and evacuating the civilians, but now they were in the eye, where time stood still, and the air's breath was hitched.

He played his hand on his rapier, running his hand on the hilt and slowly down the fine metal blade. He raised it up into the sky, letting the rising sun reflect off the blade. He didn't know exactly why, but he felt strangely confident, like he would be able to kill this Sin Archbishop himself.

The thought didn't last long.

Not when he saw the sector that the evacuated citizens were held at blown sky-high.

Time stood still, the pieces of debris and parts of bodies lay still in the air. The drop from confidence to despair so far that he felt he would never reach the bottom of it. The wind that rushed past his falling body blew hard against him, roaring in his ears so loud that they might begin to bleed.

He snapped out of his despair, the split second that he fell to despair no longer important to him. Right now, he needed the think about what was in front of him and get the others out of their head.

Is this the Sin Archbishop, or is it a distraction to get us to move?

[Julius]"All troops follow me!"

The others snapped out of their shock, immediately moving behind Julius as they maneuvered through the streets. Civilians began coming to view, running away from the wreckage behind them. A woman was running in the center of the street, a baby cradled in her arms as she tried to calm the crying child by whispering reassuring words.

She saw the incoming knights, her previously fear-filled face now showing a glimpse of relief.

[Civilian]"Hel-!"

She never finished her plea, a horizontal line appearing from ear to ear before the top half of her head slid off. Her now corpse fell to the ground, one of Julius's buds cushioning the fall of the baby by casting a barrier around it. One of the knights retrieved the baby, nodding to Julius before running to get the baby to safety.

Julius and the others ran in, the center of destruction seen clearly with one man in the middle. The ground he was standing on was in perfect condition, unlike the crater that was formed around him and toppled buildings. Debris that fell from the air never touched him; their course changed once they got too close, leaving him perfectly clean.

[Regulus]"Don't you think that it's gotten a lot quieter? When I arrived, the first thing people did was yell and scream at me, ignoring my right to speak as they yelled to drown my voice out. Who gave them that right? Who gave them the permission to so abruptly and loudly violate my right to speak, to be here?"

Julius took no chance, the mages immediately launching a row of fire magic at Regulus, causing the entire area around him to explode. The ash lingered in the air, chunks of ground falling from the air with steam from the heat trailing them.

[Regulus]"Now listen here..."

Like a blade through hot butter, the ash all immediately dispersed revealing an unharmed Regulus.

[Regulus]"I'm standing here, and you just attacked me? You see me and the first thing you do is attack me just what are you thinking!? What gives you the decision, the right, the authority to attack me as you please?"

Julius grimaced; their attack appeared to have no effect on Regulus. What Julius noticed that made the whole situation worse was that Regulus wasn't taking them seriously at all.

Julius knew that they had to stall, but for almost two hours? He wasn't sure that they had the manpower for that. He cast away his doubts, his buds all swirling around his sword before infusing themselves in it, making it glow a rainbow color.

[Julius]"Then please pardon our rude behavior."

The light on his sword intensified, the mixing of colors swirling so fast against the metal that it was now only a bright becon.

[Julius]"Al Clarista!"

A rainbow-colored wave shot out from Julius's sword, impacting against an invisible wall before Regulus before dispersing. The color drained from everyone's faces, for an attack of that caliber to be deflected without so much a glance was truly monstrous.

Regulus looked pissed; the mages all lining up and pointed their staffs to cast another attack. Regulus simply ran his hand against the ground, the dirt he put in the air morphing into small spears as they killed over half the mages instantly. Three of the knights were killed in this attack but most of them, including Julius, managed to block most of the projectiles, escaping with minor injuries.

Was it because of the fighting, or maybe the preparation then panic that made time seem to fly by. Julius looked up at the clocktower a small distance away and gave a small sigh when he saw the time.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Tick.

The hour hand had only moved to the seven.

It had been an hour since Felix and Reinhard had set out from the estate, the sun crawling slowly up the sky. They rode non-stop, almost trying and beat the sun so that it wouldn't rise any further. The farther the sun rose, the more time that had passed since Julius had requested their help.

It wouldn't be that long until they arrived, the last stretch of road before the capital came into view was nearing. Their ground dragons were nearing their limit, the hour of constant running with no food or water starting to take its toll. They had progressed faster than expected, probably the effect of one of Reinhard's many Divine Protections.

They reached the summit of the dirt road, the capital slowly coming into view. The let out a sigh of relief when they first saw it, the seemingly untouched capital they knew was still present. It wasn't until they got closer that they started to notice disparities.

The streets were empty, not a singular knight or civilian present. All the carts and stores were unmanned, so quiet it could only be called a ghost town. Dust and specks of debris were falling steadily out of the sky, an almost endless stream never wavering in density.

Reinhard and Felix moved farther into the capital, their footsteps echoing off the walls of different buildings. They moved past a canal, taking a small bridge over it that led them deeper and deeper. Their nerves were getting to them now, Felix's head snapping to whatever faint sound his demi-human ears heard.

The walked into a clearing, a water fountain present in the middle. The streets they were previously in were filled with different buildings and stands, making it almost suffocating to walk in. This water fountain felt like a breath of fresh air to them, the clock tower in the distance slowly ticked along with the day.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Tick.

The clocktower's hour hand slumped over, almost trying to deny the movement of time as to reject this day from progressing further. Its resistance was futile, the hour hand slowly was put in its place and a new time was born.

The hour hand had now touched the eight mark.

Reinhard and Felix started moving again, no words were spoken between them as they walked in cold silence. They knew that they should be running right now, trying desperately to find where Julius and the others are, but their legs wouldn't let them. For some odd reason, their legs would only let them move at this mechanical walking pace, like their mind had already cemented that they were too late.

Through the street, the buildings slowly started to lose their previous glory. The farther they walked inwards, the more evidence of the battle and the destruction caused by it were shown. Slowly, bodies came to view, none was spared as people from all age groups and all races were equally cut down.

The wounds varied from clean cuts on different parts of the body, severing limbs from the body, or multiple holes driven into the body from a dirt like substance. Those who didn't experience those types of killing blows could only be the blood that painted the bricks and wood that built Lugnica's streets and stores.

They reached the center of the destruction; the bodies of knights and mages littered the floor as they put up one last futile fight. Their hearts were frozen, what should've put them to tears or made them throw up, their faces were stuck in expressionless pity.

Reinhard moved past Felix, kneeling and moving a long piece of wood, revealing the sitting corpse of Julius. He sat with his back against the wall, lines of hardened blood tracing his face. His left arm had been cut off from his shoulder, the detached arm nowhere to be seen.

His eyes were unfocused, the light that was once in them far gone as his messed-up hair was starting to fall over them. His mouth was with a slight smile, like Julius had died knowing that he had fought his best and bought as much time as he could. His sword was still gripped tightly in his right hand, the blade laying across his lap with not so much as a singular drop of blood on it.

Reinhard looked behind him, the still frozen Felix just looking down at the bodies of his fellow knights. Reinhard shifted his gaze, locking on to a now familiar clocktower.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Tick.

The rhythm of the endless clicking hit its peak, and the hour hand was the main power of the music.

Slowly, the hand reached.

And finally, the hour hand had covered the nine symbol.

Dong~

The sound rung out, echoing through the empty streets of the capital endless times.

On third hour, the bell had rung.

And time had taken its toll.

Wrath lay still, watching as Emilia left the holding are, closing the door behind her with a soft clink. Emilia had just left from questioning them, asking the same questions that were always asked, like this time would be different. Too bad for her, none of her questions were answered how she wanted them to be, Wrath walking the fine line between truth and lie.

Wrath initially planned on lying the entire time, since Reinhard wasn't present in the room, but his plan was quickly soiled by Puck who appeared over Emilia's shoulder. Wrath spoke carefully, knowing one wrong answer would get them killed by Puck. They got through the questioning just fine, seeing that Emilia was gone, Wrath began to sink his fingers into his neck, blood trickling down his collar.

[Envy]"Hey what the hell are you doing!?"

Wrath ignored Envy, sinking his nails even further into his skin as to try and drown out their ramblings. His hands returned to his sides, wiping the blood from his hand off onto a dirty rag, fresh blood coating the tips of his fingers. He closed his eyes, letting his body relax as he sunk deeper into his mind, a green plain coming into view.

Wrath looked around, half of the others rubbing their necks from the pain. He looked at himself, seeing that he was back in his regular attire, his hand rubbing his orange scarf. He let out a pleased sigh, slowly bending down to get into a sitting position.

He was only halfway through before he heard what sounded like heavy footsteps. He turned his eyes up, only catching the lower half of Envy before a fist was driven across his face. Wrath fell to the ground, Envy stopping himself from kicking the already downed Wrath out of rage but choosing to save everybody from some pain.

[Envy]"What the hell was that!? Helping us my ass! Because of you, we had to get tortured for two fucking nights!"

Wrath slowly used his feeble arms to push himself up, glaring at Envy the entire time. Wrath didn't need his coin to decide, coming to the conclusion that he would kill Envy, one way or another. Whether he kills him mentally, maybe sticking him into a situation that would cause Envy to break or find a way to kill him in the plain, he would find out.

[Wrath]"And what would you have done? Do you have a better idea than me?"

Envy was seething, his anger almost leaked out of him. Envy knew that Wrath was right, that he didn't have a plan right now, but seeing Emilia look at them with such distrust, the call of an Archbishop sighting, and Felix's nightly torture, Envy was pushed over the line.

Sloth and Lust stood next to each other, both with their arms crossed as they watched Envy and Wrath argue. They both liked Envy a lot but seeing Envy's almost childish outbursts of anger was off-putting to them. Sloth could only compare it to when Rigel would get mad over the smallest things, or maybe he would throw a tantrum over something he wasn't in control of.

Greed began to move, placing himself in-between Envy and Wrath as he held his hands out, making himself some human shield.

[Greed]"Please, just please stop hurting each other."

Greed's emotionless voice rang out, his perfectly still face never changing as he spoke those words. Yet, Envy could see it, an underlying layer of sadness in the recesses of his eyes. Envy couldn't tell what the sadness was directed at, whether it be the current fight, the recent events, or maybe something different.

Envy took a breather after Greed's stand in, letting himself calm down and think more clearly. He turned around, not letting himself even look at Wrath anymore as he returned to Sloth and Lust. Sloth patted Subaru on the back, almost like a dad congratulating a child on making the right choice, back that could've just been Envy's imagination.

Greed looked down at Wrath, Wrath moving down to the ground like he was going to sleep. Seeing as the confrontation was over, Greed put his arms down, moving away from Wrath and towards his regular spot.

Wrath felt the grass prickle on the side of his head, wind that came from some unknown place blowing over him, weaving through his cloths. He kept looking at the others but came across a sensation that he rarely felt. His eyes began to droop, his eyelids feeling like some invisible weight was added to them that he couldn't lift for much longer.

He let his eyes close, letting the fatigue that weighed down on him melt away into the blades of grass, carried away by the wind. Maybe it was because this was some sort of dream world, or maybe the inner part of his conscience, but it was much easier to fall asleep here.

Before, he had stayed awake over long periods of time, ten days sometimes without a singular wink. But now, this world let him rest, albeit not for a long time since Emilia or someone else would come check on him, but for now he rested.

He would've preferred the princess room, but that would come in due time.

The others watched Wrath fall into slumber, deciding that it was best not to disturb him. Now they had much more important matters to attend to, as to who would get control after this loop. By others, it was a group consisting of Envy, Sloth, Lust, and Greed. They let Greed into the conversation just out of good grace, keeping Pride out for obvious reasons and Gluttony out because they knew close to nothing about him.

As much as Envy wanted to try and communicate with Gluttony, the current situation took precedence over him. Gluttony took note of this, but mentally agreed with the others. Why would a defect like him be included in a conversation with Natsuki Subaru? He still hadn't figured out who the real Natsuki Subaru was, but he would find out soon, one way or another.

[Envy]"So, who should have control once Wrath loses control?"

The little circle stood quiet, no voices speaking out as only one hand was raised.

[Lust]"I think I should go."

Lust's offer came as a surprise to both Sloth and Envy, both knowing that while Lust conducted himself in a higher manner, he was one of the most fragile. During Felix's torture, Lust had the hardest time, constantly screaming and convulsing on the floor. It was painfully obvious that Lust had the least hardships out of any of them, but that didn't mean that he was fully lacking.

[Sloth]"How would you get us out?"

[Lust]"That depends on the save point."

The save point was the biggest deterrent to any of their plans, since it would usually have been when they first arrived, but with how things had gone they weren't sure where it was. They could only find out through one method, death, but they didn't know if the conditions for taking the body after death were the same.

There would still be the same voting process, but when the body woke up in all the recent events, it was still alive, able to see its surroundings. Death was different, they couldn't be sure it they would take the body while it was alive or still in the process of reversing time.

[Lust]"If the save point is at the very start, then we can get Reinhard and rewrite all that has happened, but if it is when we are here, then we have to negotiate with Reinhard and Felix."

The name Felix left a bad taste in their mouths, his twisted smile as he tortured them, the touch of his hand on their skin before waves of pain took them was sickening. Sloth, unlike the others, held some resentment to Reinhard too. Reinhard had let the torture happen, albeit unknowingly, but still in his own house.

Sloth knew that Reinhard was a good guy with good intentions, but he still couldn't help but resent him a little.

[Envy]"So how will you do it if we go back to the start of our imprisonment?"

Envy wanted to have control, but he just couldn't think of what to do. The situation seemed too much for him, from his Witch Cultist accusations to Reinhard and Felix being called because of an Archbishop attack, he wasn't sure what to do.

[Lust]"I'll negotiate the Archbishop sighting and one other thing. Where the fifth candidate is."

Lust had thought about it since they were taken out of slums but Felt was never found out to be a candidate. Between those two things and Reinhard's Divine Protection of Wind Reading, they should believe him and let them go.

It was the best plan they could come up with, and Lust seemed like the right guy the do it. Lust was previously the king of Lugnica, helping solve different internal affairs and the economic problems Lugnica had although through questionable methods. When it came down to striking this deal, Lust was their best bet.

Wrath felt the air shift, disrupting his fleeting sleep as the green plains started to flicker in and out of existence. He let himself be taken in it, slowly being brought back to reality as he looked around the cell. Nothing was out of the ordinary in the cell, but one knight stood outside across the bars.

He looked to be a knight that was probably meant to watch him in Reinhard's absence. He was standing silently as he motioned for Wrath to stand up. Reluctantly, Wrath got up, stretching his arms and legs since he hadn't used them since he was imprisoned here. He walked towards the cell door at a slowed pace, one because he still wasn't used to this body and two because his body was running on steam.

He exited the cell, the guard forcing his hands behind him and putting a pair of handcuffs on him. The knight noticed Wrath's damaged neck as he put the handcuffs on, him running his hands over it. The feeling of the knight's touch against his skin made his skin crawl, probably a side effect from Felix's torture and what should've been the warming feeling of healing magic almost made Wrath empty his already empty stomach.

The knight finished with healing Wrath's wounds, giving Wrath a slight push, making Wrath start walking through the grey stone halls. The knight walked behind Wrath much to Wrath's displeasure, staying just close enough to keep control but far enough so that he could react if Wrath made a sudden move.

He was escorted out of the holding area, walking out the last door to enter one of the Astrea estate's halls. What would've usually been a luxurious hall of red, white, and gold was only a grey palate to Wrath, no different from his cell. A push that was hard enough to send Wrath stumbling came from the knight, breaking Wrath from his observations.

Wrath glared at the knight hatefully, an unpleasant memory of Envy punching him flashing in his mind. Wrath got up, resuming his slow walking pace down the hall as the knight followed behind. They continued down the hall before turning into the eating area.

The other knight was guarding the door, moving to open the door as Wrath and the other knight approached. They moved in, the other knight, following behind and closing the door, returning to the side as to keep watch. Wrath was slightly surprised to see Emilia sitting on one of the chairs, Ram by her side holding a covered plate.

Wrath moved to her, the knight pulling a chair for him to sit in right next to Emilia. Wrath sat down, his handcuffs making his movements awkward.

[Emilia]"Can we remove his handcuffs? He looks rea~lly uncomfortable in them..."

The knight at the door let out an audible sigh, moving next to the other knight as they removed his handcuffs. Hearing the knight's sigh, Emilia shrunk a little in her seat, adverting her eyes from the knight's eyes that screamed 'Really?'. The knights followed through with Emilia's request, their movements seemed exaggerated to drive the point that they didn't really respect her home.

Wrath rubbed his wrists, looking at the two knights who stood guard behind him. They both looked down at him, a little smirk could be seen edging their mouth's. Wrath turned his attention back to Emilia and Ram, losing interest in the colorless and back to the colorful.

[Wrath]"Why have you brought me here?"

Wrath's cold words made Emilia flinch, Ram's beautiful crimson red shift as a small pulse ran across it. Seeing Ram made Wrath smile a little, the time he spent with her in 'her room' made Wrath feel a little warmth. Emilia pulled herself back up, straightening down her posture as she faced Wrath.

[Emilia]"When I saw you this earlier, I noticed that you weren't touching your food so I thought we could eat together."

Emilia's childish proposal almost earned a snicker from the knights, but they kept their poker faces on. Ram moved to Wrath with the covered plate, putting it on the table in front of Wrath before opening it and letting the steam rise out.

[Ram]"Please enjoy your meal."

Ram's voice sounded emotionless, but Wrath could sense the small bit of something else hidden in her voice. It was small, only an atom size even but it was still present. That hidden bit was the smallest sense of pity, the smallest feeling of pity towards Wrath. He couldn't make sense of it, she should surely, no, she does hate him. Her color doesn't lie after all.

Steamed tatoes.

He simply stared at the food, not moving his arms to pick up any of the utensils or interact with the food. The others just stared at him, Emilia waiting for him to start eating and Ram and the knights watching in case he made any sudden movements. One second, five seconds, now twenty seconds, and Wrath had still not made an attempt to eat, much to Emilia's disappointment.

If he doesn't eat, then the tatoes are going to get cold...

Emilia stood up from her seat, moving over to Wrath's side and leaning over the table. Wrath stayed dormant, his eyes flickering to Emilia for only a moment before they went back to watching his surroundings, namely the two knights. As much as he hated them being behind him, he had to put up with it for now.

I wish Cecilus or even Halibel were here...

Emilia picked up one of the utensils that was by Wrath's side, using it to split the tatoe open and expose the orange insides. She scooped a chunk out, the orange mush contrasting with the silver utensils. Wrath eyed her hand, looking as she slowly raised the food towards his face. She used her free hand to move her fallen hair over her shoulder, exposing her full face.

The knights stood on edge, not sure whether they should stop her or if that would be considered rude to the guest Reinhard was housing. Wrath's gaze was now locked onto Emilia, a small sense of bewilderment and disbelief present in his eyes. She should hate him, or will soon, because that was what was the truth.

Right now, she should hate him, a potential Witch Cultist, Archbishop no less, yet why did she look like that? Emilia's colors that were once diverse were now changing, what could only be the melding of colors as the first snow fell on the grass.

A pure white, so clean that the dust in the air might dirty it. Wrath looked at her color, frozen as she looked at him with confused eyes. He felt a finger touch his chin, turning his gaze towards the table and food again. The touch that should make them feel like throwing up felt like plunging into a pile of snow after a long day of work, the stress and sweat from that day being pulled away by the cold of the snow.

Wrath saw Ram's crimson spike again as Emilia touched him, her displeasure was worn with only a small scowl on the outside, but Wrath knew better. His attention turned back to the food, slowly and slowly getting closer to his mouth.

Should I eat it? But it isn't made by Frederica...yet Emilia's color is so...no but the food surely is poisoned. They hate me, despise me they don't change, can't change...but...

The food was only an inch from his mouth, the smell of the tatoes making his mouth almost unconsciously open, his stomach battling his mind in a war of attrition. His mouth wavered, slightly open, if it was close any longer than he would surely not be able to breath anymore, not wanting to breath from his nose any longer because of the smell.

The food approached his slightly opened mouth and...

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Emilia's hand froze, the food on the utensil losing its precious balance and falling onto the table. The sound of the food hitting the table cut through the silence, both knights holding with their hands on their sword's hilts. They nodded, the one that could use wind magic moving slowly to the door.

Could it be staff? The Astrea house had plenty of staff so it was a possibility but what would they be doing here at this time? Ram moved behind Emilia, her hand on standby to grab her wand. The knight made it to the door, slowly reaching his hand to grab the knob.

Huh...?

A loud crack sounded out, no doubt the sound of wood broke and splintered but the door looked untouched. Wrath shifted his gaze downward, looking at a purple hand that had punched a hole through the knight's stomach, right through the door. The knight looked down at his stomach, spitting out blood, his eyes widening as the blood stopped on some invisible force.

He weakly turned his head back, blood now leaking profusely out of his mouth and tears streaming down his eyes.

[Wind Knight]"Please...Hel-"

Another loud crash came, a hole in the door appearing about head level as the Wind Knight's head was crushed. Ram grabbed Emilia and Wrath, rushing out of the dining room as the Earth knight followed close behind, not taking looking back as the door fell. They burst out the kitchen door, Wrath basically being dragged along as he was on the edge of collapsing, his eyes partially closed and a hand over his mouth after seeing that knight's blood.

He looked at the hall they ran through, the bodies of butlers and maids alike scattering the floor, causing Wrath dry heave, not being able to throw up since he had nothing in his stomach. Wrath's ears rang from the loud crashes of walls collapsing from behind them, Ram letting go of him and yelling something at Emilia.

[Ram]"Emilia-sama, you need to leave!"

[Emilia]"But what about you Ram!?"

Wrath used a nearby wall to support himself, seeing the knight do his best to fend off multiple Witch Cultists. His sword swung and cut, shouting out incantations to try and stall the Cultist's progress or summon spears of earth from the ground. Even with Ram sending the occasional wind blade, he was obviously nearing his limit, his magic running out and his sword slowing, the wave of Cultists taking its toll.

The knight looked at the bodies by his feet, the bodies of fifteen cultists killed in various ways whether it be through sword, earth, or wind. He looked at the incoming fourteen, their pace not slowing as they soon approached. A loud crash came, a green man walking through the dust in calm madness. He turned his head to them, smiling as his head twisted in unnatural ways. The knight looked back at Wrath and the others, giving a small smile.

[Earth Knight]"El Dona."

A wall of earth rose from the ground, separating the knight and the cultists from Wrath, Emilia, and Ram. His message was clear, sacrifice not wasted as Ram grabbed Wrath's collar, his feet slowly leaving the ground.

[Ram]"Run!"

Wrath's body felt weightless, the distance between him and Ram growing as he caught a glimpse of Emilia's shocked expression. His back impacted against glass, shards falling through the air as he landed on the lawn below, numerous cuts on his skin. He tried to lift himself up, a sharp pain from his back stopping his attempt. There were three large shards of glass embedded in his back, two of his ribs were probably broken on top of that.

He lay on the grass in pained silence, not able to move, not because of the pain, but because of what he was feeling. He was feeling happy, the feeling of joy almost bringing his to tears. He now knew that he was right, that people didn't change, that Ram still hated.

His beautiful flower was now in full bloom.

He heard footsteps, his eyes meeting another's.

[Betelgeuse]"Ohya ohya, what do we have here? While the others so diligently oppose us, you lie here? How slothful"

Wrath just glared at him, not having the energy to do much else. He felt the air shift, a singular purple hand extending from Betelgeuse's back and grabbing Wrath's hair, lifting him off the ground to eye level. Betelgeuse smiled at him, his grin reaching from cheek to cheek.

[Betelgeuse]"How loved you are! Surely you must be Pride!"

Pride. Envy grinded his teeth so hard that they might crack, the hatred for that word boiling in his gut. He ignored Pride's laughter as they echoed throughout the vast plains. Envy already hated being associated with that word, but now having to be alongside someone who claimed it made his stomach turn.

[Betelgeuse]"I believe we should give our introductions since we will be working with each other from now on...Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing Sloth... Betelgeuse Romanee-Conti...Des!"

Wrath dangled in the air, blood staining his tracksuit and dripping onto the grass beneath him. Betelgeuse looked to be having fun, dangling the limp boy around in the air as he pulled out a black book.

[Betelgeuse]"Do you know what this is? Given to us from the Witch so that we can diligently carry forth her will, earning her love! So...where's yours?"

Wrath gave no words, his attention now shifted to the approaching Witch Cultists. There were seven in total, six of them fingers and the other one being a leftover grunt. Betelgeuse put his Gospel away in his coat, turning away from Wrath and listening to the one kneeling Cultist grunt.

[Betelgeuse]"Ah, so you carried forth our mission that was given by the Witch's love, striking down the half-elf girl and her maid with such diligence!"

Blood ran cold, Greed's emotionless face not giving but his eyes filled with pained grief as he just looked at the ground. Envy was on his knees, hands trying so desperately to block out Betelgeuse's voice but slipping on his tear ridden face. Pride stood still; his usual antics were now gone as he stared blankly. His fist was clenched so tightly that blood would've spilled out and his smile now almost pained.

[Pride]"So we will face each other once again...Geuse."

The air went cold, light snow falling as the wind slowly gained speed. What was once light snowflakes turned into a raging blizzard, grass freezing and piles of snow starting to appear. A large shadow loomed over them, covering the sun's warmth and letting winter's wrath come in full force.

The Witch Cultists didn't stand a chance, bodies freezing instantly as they shattered into pieces. Only Wrath and Betelgeuse were still alive, their eyes turning to the sky as they saw the Beast of the End.

Betelgeuse dropped Wrath, manically laughs erupting as he bit all his fingers, tens of unseen hands squirmed out of his back, all aimed at Puck. Puck merely opened his mouth, his breath sending a wave of frost so powerful that Betelgeuse's arms and legs shattered. Betelgeuse remained laughing on the ground, the rest of his body being slowly consumed by the cold.

Wrath lay facing up, slowly being buried by the cold winter shadow. He used the last of his strength to look at puck, getting one good look in before he was completely buried.

So, grey...

He closed his eyes as the coldness of death took him into its loving embrace.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Tick.

The sun was at its peak in the sky, an hour hand slowly reaching the top of the mountain of time.

Dong~

The bell rung out, time reaching its crux.

For it was the third hour.

And time had reached twelve.

The plains were especially quiet, their first death taking effect on everyone. Some were affected less than others, mainly Greed, Gluttony, and Pride, all of them wore different expressions. Greed let out a long sigh, like the entire world was waiting for him to breathe life into it once again after this horrible end. He didn't show it, but inside, he felt like a crushing weight had been removed from his shoulders, the effects of this failed loop now erased from this world.

Lust lay on the floor, his tears far run out from the constant pain they had all endured. He pushed himself up, shakily standing and dusting himself off. He was the King of Lugnica, Natsuki Subaru, the one who fixed the economic crisis, the tension at our borders, and even eliminated the Witch Cult and Mabeasts.

He should fall after a slice of pain and despair.

He strode over to the others, placing himself confidently into the middle of the group. He stood tall, posture straight as he had learnt from his training (thank goodness he took those classes on presentation), speaking in a clear voice for all to hear.

[Lust]"Everyone..."

He waited for everyone's attention, not falling under their gazes but rather letting them bolster his confidence. He would not fall after this, not as a Natsuki Subaru, not as a King.

[Lust]"...who would like to go hunting?"

Hello!

I'm sorry for this chapter taking so long to come out, between school, different projects, and my own laziness, it was a little hectic.

Also, this is my longest chapter! I wanted to make sure this chapter was something that could live up to the cliffhanger I left last time, so I tried making it longer and wanted to improve on the OOC moments.

And yes, I have read every single review you guys have left! Don't worry I'm trying to fix OOC as much as possible and all your kind reviews really helps. Once I get to a part of the story that I feel comfortable at, I might revisit the first two chapters to fix a few things because in my opinion they were an OOC fest.

Until next time!