Split

by VicariousVisions

All of the IF counterparts in one body

5. (Fuck A) Silver Lining

Split

Chapter 5

(Fuck A) Silver Lining

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

Lust's voice cut through the other's, what before was unfocused gazes and barely audible whispering was now sharp eyes and clear silence. Their gazes threatened to cut into Lust, but he stood tall, refusing to be cut down from their glares.

Lust had expected this reaction, he probably would've reacted the same way if someone else had boldly made a proposition like this. Gratefully, he saw that Sloth and Envy looked at him with reassuring soft eyes compared to the other four.

Greed looked at Lust with both in focus and blank eyes, his body paying attention, but his mind was still preoccupied by the moments before the death they had just faced. He had faced hundreds, thousands, millions of deaths in his ancient lifetime, but this one was so very different. This death was so painful compared to the others he had been through before, the feeling of losing those close to you without being able to interfere as your body moved against your will drove a small pin through his heart.

Through all the deaths he had went through before, he had always had Echidna with him, helping him through the constant cycle of fleeting life and approaching death he was in. He would always end it, restart if any of his loved ones were sad and relieve them from their suffering.

Yet, this was the first. For the first time in so long, she wasn't here, not there to reassure Greed that he was making the right choice, that it was all for their happiness. Now he was separated from her, left only with those that wore the same skin as him. Had she spoken of this before? The idea of separate timelines could exist. Maybe she spoke of it in one of their morning tea sessions, or was it when they were walking in the mansion? He couldn't remember.

Why couldn't he remember?

Pride looked at Lust with burning eyes, eyes that could either be burning in hatred or eagerness, Lust couldn't tell. Pride's usually wide smile was now only a small incline on his shut mouth, eyes burning in anticipation after hearing Lust's words. Lust's words had resonated with Pride, the meaning of hunting, when one makes sure to finish one's prey instead of giving up and losing such a meal half finished.

The more powerful they were, the more tender the spoils would be. In this case, Regulus and Betelgeuse were both on the menu tonight, their sin of causing Emilia's death would not go unnoticed by Pride.

I wonder how much this will boost her standing?

[Gluttony]"...Hunting?"

Gluttony's voice was a surprise to hear given how he barely spoke to the others. Gluttony's voice also sounded a little small to the others, but for the wrong reasons. They might've thought that Gluttony was possibly scared after that loop, or maybe just still out of it, but they were wrong.

Gluttony's voice was small because he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to give them a lot of weight. He watched everyone closely, making sure to catch any small detail that would've slipped unnoticed.

Normally, this would've helped him narrow down who was the rightful Natsuki Subaru, but it had just thrown all his plans to hell. He knew that it couldn't be Wrath, Pride, Greed, and himself, but the other three weren't looking promising either.

He couldn't believe his stupidity, looking over a detail that was brought up multiple times previously as he let it pass right past his ears. Natsuki Subaru would've noticed it before him, how Sloth always spoke of running away, how Sloth didn't look at Emilia with warm eyes. Sloth wasn't Natsuki Subaru.

Only two left.

[Lust]"Yes, hunting. Like each of you have seen, we are in quite a predicament. We've learnt that not only is the capital going to be attacked by the Sin Archbishop of Greed, but we will be attacked by Betelgeuse also."

Wrath still lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky as he let Lust's words sound out in his head. Wrath had seeds of doubt growing in his heart, from Ram even after hating him, still helping escape albeit only for a while. She should've no, she does hate him, so wouldn't she use that opportunity to kill him?

No, the situation was too hectic to kill him since she had to keep Emilia safe, but one spell still would've done the job right? No wait, maybe she would've preferred to choke him slowly, cutting off oxygen supply while watching the light in his eyes fade.

[Envy]"Then how are we supposed to fight both? Both Reinhard and Felix left to go fight Greed, and we were attacked a few hours later. It'll just be Emilia, Ram, the two knights and us."

[Lust]"While those are very good points, we should first take stock on what information we have on these Archbishops."

Sloth could practically hear the small movement of when Lust dodged Envy's points, Sloth himself an expert at adverting claims (specifically when Rem would ask him about some broken plate or vase). Granted, all of them were probably adept at changing the topic, but his years as a father had helped sharpen his senses of when someone was lying, or not sure of something.

Sloth knew, he knew that Lust didn't have a complete plan, but still chose to trust him.

[Lust]"Sin Archbishop of Sloth, from what little intel we had in the capital in my life, all we knew is that he travels with a group of ten so called 'fingers', and possibly a larger man force of which we saw earlier."

Back when Lust was still king, he had achieved what was thought to be impossible. Under his lead, Lugnica had triumphed over the Witch Cult, successfully wiping them off the map. That being said, it was a little embarrassing to Lust that he had not actually been there for any of them, meaning that he knew close to nothing about them.

He should've listened to Reinhard more.

[Envy]"I had the same problem in my life, but I know a bit more about him then you. There are two things that we must absolutely look out for, them being his authority and his ability."

[Sloth]"Ability?"

Sloth looked at Envy in small wonder and large admiration, figuring that since Envy spoke of these things so confidently, that he must have faced the Archbishop. Sloth had never done that, never thought to do that after that damn night.

When the world was painted white and cherry blossoms littered the fresh snow.

Sloth still didn't regret his choice, not even a little after all this time. If he was put into the same situation again, he wouldn't have so much as a moment's hesitation. The lives that were lost may have weighed heavily on him, but the lives made after were able to lift him from his past.

How he missed them...

[Pride]"Yes, ability...the ability to possess a spirits-art user if they don't have a contract."

Pride's contribution was a little surprising, as to rat out one of his fellow Archbishops was something that nobody expected from him, but they still didn't know too much about each other.

Once they get through this conflict, maybe they should have a bit of a talk.

[Sloth]"Possession!? So how do you counteract that?"

[Envy]"It's a pretty simple method to counter it, you just need to have a contracted spirit and not separate him from his main body until his other fingers are dead. The hard part is dealing with him."

It still made ice run down Envy's back just thinking about that night, the night he lost everything.

[Envy]"His authority is pretty simple. He's able to create invisible hands from his back that all hold great destructive power. We, for some reason, are able to see them."

Lust made sure to take careful mental notes, slowly pouring the hot iron into the mold, was would soon be knife in his disposal. What mattered now was smoothing the edges, sharpening it until it would cut straight through the Archbishop's heart.

[Lust]"How'd you deal with this?"

Lust's question was answered by an eerie silence, Envy looking trying to look calm but crevices of unease were starting to form.

[Envy]"About that...the only reason I was able to kill him was because I had a team of merc and some of Crusch's forces helping while Julius and I killed Sloth."

Lust's blade bent; the metal that had just cooled now bent as he failed to expect that this to wouldn't be so easy. There were only two knights that were with them, both who would only be able to put up a barely noticeable fight. Emilia and Ram would be helpful, but they still wouldn't be able to win against their numbers as is.

Envy shrunk a little, the feeling of both uselessness and helplessness now rising to overtake the small happiness he felt before. Why couldn't he get it right?

Pride was sitting crisscross, his hands bunched in the middle as he swayed side to side in a slow playful manner. He was smiling as normal, but not the wide smile that he wore when he was excited, but the natural smile of a kid who was listening to his teacher. The term 'teacher' didn't sit well with Pride, but it sounded the best in his head.

Deciding to go along with the little 'teacher' play in his head, he raised his hand.

[Pride]"Excuse me...?"

Lust watched Pride's hand move up, a small sign leaving his lips as he hesitantly points towards him. If he didn't think it was inappropriate, he would've just ignored him or barely recognized his existence.

[Lust]"Yes, what is it Pride?"

Lust for a moment saw a flash of satisfaction and happiness in Pride's eyes.

[Pride]"There's another way to kill him."

[Envy]"Really!?"

Envy could've practically jumped out of his seat at the moment, the suggestion that there was another way of killing Betelgeuse with only a small number of people was unthinkable to Envy. Yet Envy knew that there was a catch, there always was.

It was like a law of this place for some reason.

[Pride]"It's simple really...give me control."

It would be an understatement to say that the barrage of 'no' was deafening, but Pride had seen it coming.

[Pride]"I think I phrased that wrong...I'm not asking for full control, I already know you guys would never do that in your right mind...I'm asking that you let me call the shots."

[Lust]"Call the shots?"

Lust didn't like the way Pride was going about the conversation, as if he was trying to lure them into thinking that he wasn't going to do something bad which was basically impossible for him from what they've seen.

Lust could only compare him to an angler. It was a fish that would lure others with its pretty light (in this case his promising claims) then reveal its jagged teeth as it caught its prey.

[Pride]"Precisely...In exchange for you being able to help kill Betelgeuse and bolstering our Queen's position, I get to call the shots on what you do."

Lust made sure to repeat Pride's words in his head a multitude of times, reading between the lines to make sure he wouldn't miss any hidden meaning that Pride meticulously planted. After a few short moments, Lust had settled on two things that worried him.

[Lust]"There is two things that I need to know. First, what do you mean by 'help kill Betelgeuse'?"

Pride smiled a little, glad that these versions of himself weren't stupid, being able to catch the small 'errors' in his deal.

This was very exciting.

[Pride]"As I said, you will help kill Betelgeuse, but Emilia will take the credit for it, thus boosting her standing when the Royal Selection comes around."

Envy had completely forgotten about the Royal Selection, the place where he publicly humiliated himself, now resurfacing in his mind. This time, he wasn't sure if he wanted to sneak in again.

But I also don't want people to insult Emilia...will she even be able to take it? After all she couldn't even make it through the first trial...

Envy caught himself from thinking any further, shame building up as he mentally insulted and scolded himself for thinking about Emilia that way. He hated himself for thinking that, how ever since the events in Sanctuary, he found himself doubting those he kept close to him.

He hated it.

Greed watched Envy slap his cheeks as to possibly wake himself up, some others looking to him as the sudden feeling of small pain against their cheeks brought them out of their thoughts. He softly ran his hand against his cheek, maybe seeing that if he touched it ever so gently, that maybe he would feel something again.

Maybe just maybe...maybe...please?...just let me feel again...

He let his hand fall down to his side again, looking back to Envy. Greed could practically tell what Envy was currently thinking, Greed himself so familiar with the thought process that he has had for the past century.

Wait, was it a century? Or maybe a few centuries? No but that didn't seem right, it felt more like eons had passed...

Could you tell me...Echidna?

Her void presence was taking toll on Greed, his presence in the plains could be described as a puppet who had its strings cut. He felt empty, the things he lost in the endless time he spent with Echidna in order to keep those around him happy now lost.

But now she was gone, so was the endless time and effort he had spent before creating a perfect environment. Now, as he has time to look back at it, Greed cannot look back at the memories he spent before and find any of those memories that stick out to him, any that he can look back on with happiness.

Was he really...this empty?

Was all that time he spent...all the effort that he had painstakingly put through with all worthless?

Was it that they...really weren't happy?

Greed looked down to his neck, the lifeless purple stone still hanging around his neck. He gently rubbed it, a little fearful that it may shatter in his hands.

Am I...really happy?

Greed raised his hands into view, the odd stillness of them not quite what he wanted. They may be perfectly still outside, but they were trembling in his mind.

[Lust]"Then second question. For when do you get to call the shots and for how long?"

Pride ignored the fact that what Lust asked was technically two questions, now looking at Lust not with a gaze of playfulness from before, but with a gaze of seriousness. Pride examined Lust's words, how he phrased each sentence and made sure to keep the others listening to him, not missing a singular detail from Pride's message.

When Pride first met Lust, he had assumed that he was only a small animal, his fangs were dull and his hide thin. But now, Pride was starting to see that this small animal made up for its weaknesses with its words.

Even the smallest animal can have a terrifying howl.

A howl so loud and inspiring that it would rally those around this small animal, gathering those who had trained not their minds but their claws, and would let this animal fill its lack of knowledge while lending its strength.

Others started taking note of Lust's points, not letting Pride let an inch of hidden motives or plans sneak through. Too bad for them though, over all the time Pride has spent perfecting his plan in the past, he picked up a few tricks.

[Pride]"Only for the duration of when the Witch Cult arrives."

[Sloth]"When they arrive? Or when we are fighting them?"

Pride kept a calm demeanor, but on the inside, he was feeling frustrated. Granted, he was fine if this plan fails anyways, it would only be a small setback for his main goal. He would be patient, as he had been before.

Lust listened to Pride's stale silence and took that as his answer. Lust wasn't planning to take this deal anyways, since it had way too many risks. Lust was experienced with making crucial deals with differing people, whether they merchants or state representatives.

Seeing that the conversation was over, they all remained in still time as they waited for their body to come back into existence. It was weird how long it was taking, the time it took for them to wake up after being imprisoned was definitely shorter than this. Still, they were alive at the time, so it was obvious that there would be some differences.

Wrath had been listening to their conversation, taking mental notes about the information that was shared about the Witch Cultists. Wrath had never really had any encounters with the Witch Cult, keeping to himself as they kept to themselves.

It would be wrong to say he wasn't interested in what they could do, and how he could make use of them. He was still hellbent on killing Felix, new opportunities now forming in his head. With the information on how the Archbishop's authorities work, he might be able to use them for himself.

Of course, Betelgeuse didn't count, since everyone here was actively planning to kill him.

[Lust]"Then...what about the Archbishop of Greed? Anyone know what he can do?"

Silence, once again, met Lust. Lust looked at Pride, only to be met with the sight of Pride pouting, turning his head away with his cheeks puffed. Pride had already helped Lust once; he wouldn't help him again, even more so since Lust rejected his offer.

Sloth let out a little sigh seeing Pride's behavior.

He acted like a kid sometimes.

Gluttony sat twiddling his thumbs, deciding not to speak up. He knew all about Regulus's authority, reading his Book of Death and speaking to him had given him all the details on how it works, but he decided to stay silent.

He was starting to really miss those who had kept him company throughout his time in the tower, but he was sure that they would understand that it might be for the better now that he was so close to finding out who Natsuki Subaru is.

He knew that this was the moment he was waiting for. With this, he should be able to tell who the real Natsuki Subaru is. It may not be as genius as a plan that Natsuki Subaru could make, but it would suffice.

With no information on how to defeat this opponent, Natsuki Subaru would have to pull off the impossible and save the day.

Gluttony smiled.

The plains shivered, stagnant air now turning to strong winds as what was once peace now turned to ominous anticipation. All small conversation was cut short as each person looked at each other, no words spoken but a singular message hung in the air.

They needed to decide who was going.

[Lust]"I vote myself."

After the entire speech Lust had given, he was pretty confident that he was going to win this vote. It was only the right thing to do, since no one else looked like they could oppose his run.

As Lust had predicted, almost everybody voted for him, excluding Pride and Gluttony who didn't vote for anyone.

Lust felt his conscience start to meld with the now waking body, close to admiring how it felt like a piece he never knew was missing was put in.

His, well our body felt tired, his eyelids refusing to open as they begged for another minute of rest. Even if Lust couldn't see, he felt the dead air, the cold walls and hard bed under him. The small light that illuminated his cell did not blind him like the bright streets of Lugnica but soothed him into further slumber.

He knew it, he was back in the cell.

He forced his eyes open, exposing the gray stone walls to his gaze and iron bars that separated them from freedom.

[Envy]"So this is where the checkpoint is huh..."

Envy felt horrible, now knowing that Pride's proclamation was now set in stone, the feeling of betrayal from the one thing that separated him from others was unbearable.

Pride felt great, his guess that this would be the checkpoint was correct. You see, he liked to play this small game back when he was still with Elsa and Meili where he would guess where his new checkpoint would be after some event.

He had figured out pretty quickly that after some big event, it had a good chance of putting a checkpoint right after it. You could call it baseless suspicions since even after all the times he used RBD, he still didn't know how it fully worked, but it was something he liked to think he was right about.

[Gluttony]"...perfect..."

Gluttony's voice was a bare whisper, nobody except for Sloth able to pick up on it. Sloth had no idea what the meaning of Gluttony's word was, but he decided to keep a closer eye on Gluttony.

Gluttony was happy that this was the checkpoint, it just fit the narrative so well (cough, cough). What was better than a story where a person who was once thought to be some villain turns out to be the hero, saving everyone and leading them to a happy ending.

Such a story was fitting for someone as great as Natsuki Subaru.

Lust sat up, stretching his legs as they were very stiff at the moment. Lust only then noticed something that should have been broad as daylight.

The fact that both Felix and Reinhard were outside his cell.

They both looked surprised and on guard, probably a little confused by what probably was the whole 'melding with the body' process. He couldn't blame them though, if he saw someone's eyes start rolling in their head and a whole new personality comes out, he would've probably shit himself.

He quickly gathered himself, sitting with his arms resting on his legs and his back leaned forward. He faced them; no words spoken as they watched his every move.

[Lust]"So...would you like to make a deal?"

Felix and Reinhard had been watching their curious captive. Since Reinhard had brought him in the night before, Reinhard had been watching over him, Felix arriving the morning of, checking on the captive's health condition after he hadn't woken up.

Reinhard was a little confused, since he was sure that he had removed his Divine Protection only for this 'Natsuki Subaru' to not wake up. Felix had described it as, "His conscience wasn't back for some reason nyan" which coming from the best healer had put him a little on edge.

They were both (un)pleasantly surprised when the mystery boy had suddenly woken up, not in the conventional way but in the way of his body suddenly jolting on the bed, eyes open but filled with clouds as they looked blankly at the ceiling.

The jolting had stopped with the body once again back into slumber, except this time, it felt like life was in the occasional breath that came from Subaru. Neither of them opted to go into the cell, both watching as the body fidgeted a little, his hair a little raised as the body began to feel the cold stone.

The eyes opened, calm and tired as they looked at the ceiling. He swung his legs out, putting himself into a sitting position before starting some leg stretches. They weren't sure what was more surprising, just how calm this guy was or how he hadn't noticed them yet.

His half-focused eyes were woken up as Subaru took notice of Reinhard and Felix, Reinhard partially glad that he hadn't turned invisible or something. Felix watched as Subaru's aura changed, going from calm and relaxed to serious and, well, kingly.

It was like he was suddenly considering every detail of the situation he was in, making small glances at each corner of the cell. He didn't panic, didn't speak as he looked at them, analyzing all the small details about them. He didn't look surprised at all, his calm demeanor seemed to almost calm them down too.

Felix knew the feeling well, his times with Crusch showing him what it meant to be a ruler, how her presence inspired others. This was the same feeling.

Reinhard was feeling it too, the sheer amount of authority that Lust exuded almost made Reinhard think he was a candidate. It wasn't a suffocating type of authority, one that would force you to your knees and tighten your throat, but one that was warm. This warmth would flush over you, relax your shoulders and make you feel at home.

It felt like what a father would feel to his children, a King treating each of his pupils with warmth and speaking sweet words that would, if possible, taste like sweet candy.

[Lust]"So...would you like to make a deal?"

Both Felix and Reinhard were taken aback by this, feelings of confusion washing over them. I mean, he was in a cell for dragon's sake, in what world was he in a position to make a deal?

[Reinhard]"What do you mean by a deal?"

Reinhard had an even greater reason to be confused now. When he first met this 'Natsuki Subaru', he could tell only for a moment that he was worthy of having the Dragon's Sword drawn on him. Now, it wasn't even giving the slightest hint that he could draw it.

What changed? The feeling that Subaru gave off from before is nothing like the one he's giving off now, but Reinhard still couldn't wrap his head around why.

Felix was also very confused, what Reinhard told him about this person being a so-called 'Sin Archbishop of Pride' must've really been a false claim, but Felix still didn't put the possibility off.

[Lust]"I mean an exchange of information...what I can give you in exchange for what you can provide me."

Lust knew he couldn't play his cards all at once, but still had to wear one on his sleeve in order to keep Reinhard and Felix interested. The real problems would start when Felix and Emilia got into the conversation.

Felix was a wild card, a fifty-fifty chance if you will of which he will either be hostile or not. At any slight insinuation that Lust might actually be a Witch Cultist, Felix would probably torture them again. They really didn't want to go through that again.

Emilia was the other problem, as she was the one who made first contact with Envy and later met Pride. With both encounters in mind, she would be able to ask questions that would be very dangerous to answer since Reinhard would be listening.

Truely a troublesome situation, but Lust had been through worse.

Just thinking about the discussions he had to have with Vollachia made his skin crawl.

[Felix]"You seem to be getting ahead of yourself. What matters if what type of information you have and how useful it is to us."

Felix how learnt a few things from being with Crusch all the time, and it was starting to come into play now. He was seeing a few things, how Lust was controlling the conversation, keeping both Reinhard and Felix engaged by feeding small promises of information.

Hook, line, and sinker.

The other thing Felix noticed was how Lust was talking. His voice was soothing and almost made Felix want to immediately agree to Lust's deal without listening to it. It coaxed him into believing, with or without ill intention Felix couldn't tell. Felix would have to keep Reinhard in check knowing how innocent Reinhard could be.

Felix wouldn't play Lust's game.

[Lust]"Well then it would be better to decide its value as I tell it no? By tomor..."

[Felix]"Before we start this discussion, wouldn't it make sense to bring Emilia here first? She was the one who is most curious about him after all."

Reinhard could see that Felix was lying but couldn't blame him. He felt the same way.

Felix saw the slightest twitch in Lust's smile, small satisfaction coming from finding a weak point. Lust was trying to make this deal without Emilia present, probably since she ran into him before, so Felix would hamper Lust's plan.

He couldn't let Lust control the situation completely.

Reinhard began moving towards the door, but was stopped by Lust's voice.

[Lust]"Would you at least listen to my proposition before grabbing Emilia? It would be best for only you two knights to hear."

How Lust accented the word 'knight' caught the attention of Reinhard, not calling him by the traditional 'Sword Saint' name he'd grown accustomed to, but as a knight no different from the others.

Lust knew he was playing a little dirty, but it was crucial that they hear him out before bringing Emilia. He knew that he'd grabbed Reinhard's attention since he treated him with the same level of respect as other knights.

Felix was also paying more attention to, the fact that not only that he was right about what Lust didn't want to happen, but that Lust also jumped on it in order to regain control was nothing short of masterful.

Both Felix and Reinhard gave a little nod to each other, before looking back at Lust.

[Lust]"Seeing as you both are listening now, I shall begin. What we are trading is information and clearing my own sentence that I've been given."

[Reinhard]"You mean clearing your name? Like how you called yourself a Sin Archbishop?"

Felix's ears perked at the name, keeping his cool but already starting to label Lust as a Witch Cultist in him mind. Lust better be very careful with his next words or Felix would make him confess by tonight.

[Lust]"Yes, that little misunderstanding to be exact. Here is the deal I'm offering. In exchange for my freedom and clearing my plate, I'll tell you where two Witch Cult attacks will take place, and where the final Royal Candidate is."

Felix practically gasped in disbelief, looking at Reinhard only to see a small tremor pass through him. That small tremor stopped Felix from taking a breath for another moment, gently placing his hand on Reinhard's shoulder as to break him from his thoughts.

[Felix]"Reinhard...Is what he said true?"

Lust let out a little sigh, knowing that the reaction was appropriate for what he just said but still a little surprised to see it. He could hear the surprised chatter in the back of his head, obviously each one of himself having their own reaction.

Envy and Sloth both had the same feeling of being proud but put in different ways, Sloth looking at Lust like a father to his son, being proud of his ingenuity. Envy differed, being proud of Lust like a friend normally would but an underlining tone of doubt crawled in his mind.

It wasn't doubt pointed at Lust, but placed onto himself, lingering feelings of despair from the Sanctuary still clung to his mind. He wasn't sure if this was the right move, the right plan as to ask for the help of others. They wouldn't believe him, wouldn't be able to help, accuse him, use him, the list went on.

But the real reason is because he didn't want to see them be hurt anymore.

To live through a world of pain and suffering, even if it never came to reality.

Gluttony watched very closely, listening. He smiled a little, Lust's meticulous plan was playing through his brain. But how would he back it up? What genius could he come up with to not only put this plan into play, but convince Reinhard and Felix that he was right, not insane.

Gluttony couldn't wait.

The rest of the versions of himself spoke softly, not saying anything pronounced or directed at Lust, more so talking between themselves about smaller things. It kind of annoyed Lust that he couldn't hear them, information being one of the driving factors of his success as king (and Reinhard but whatever), so the inability to hear was just slightly detrimental.

[Reinhard]"Yes...what he said is true."

Reinhard had never been one to freeze up before, but what Lust had just said would've made any knight stop just hearing it, especially if you can differentiate between truths and lies. Usually, hearing the truth settles you, but a truth like this only made Reinhard doubt if his Divine Protection was actually working.

[Reinhard]"How can we trust what you're saying?"

Felix whipped his face back to Lust, watching for his answer. Felix was shocked by what he heard, even more so from Reinhard saying that it was the truth, but thankfully Reinhard had come back with questions. If he hadn't, Felix wouldn't have known what to do.

Lust made sure to keep his poker face on, slightly disappointed to hear Reinhard question him. Granted, he wouldn't have believed either if he received an offer like this, especially if he could detect lies. Reinhard had always been one of Lust's best friends before, two peas in a pod, brain and brawn, pineapple and pizza.

(Yeah, I said it)

It didn't take long to figure out how Reinhard's personality worked back then, but that was when Reinhard viewed him as a ruler. Now, he was seeing a whole new side, some parts of what he remembered being the same but how Reinhard doubted him was entirely new.

[Lust]"There is no way for me to tell you that it's absolutely true and that you should trust me completely, but if you want your suspicions to be confirmed, then tomorrow morning, you'll receive a transmission from Julius. By the time you get to the capital to help, it would already be too late."

Reinhard dreaded the words he was hearing, how the wind of truth continued to blow from Lust as he spoke.

[Reinhard]"What about the final candidate, how do you know how she is?"

Before, Lust had ascended the throne without the insignia. He then got curious after a few months on the throne, finding some free time to ask for one of the insignias from his wives. He got one, seeing the small red glow in his hand, confirming that if he found one before Felt, he could've been a candidate.

He'd pondered on the thought of revealing himself to be a candidate for election, thinking of how then he would have Reinhard as a trusted subordinate, be able to ascend the throne with ease, and go back to his old world.

But he cast away that thought, finding that there were three main reasons why he wouldn't.

First: It would take that opportunity away from Felt.

Second: He doubted some of the others would agree with his decision.

And finally, third: Because that seemed too boring.

He'd lived the life before, everything he'd ever wanted handed over on a golden plate. He led the state to greater heights, fixing deeply rooted problems and taking care of old enemies. But that was the problem with his last life.

He only led, gave orders.

He never himself was in any danger, never had any sort of thrill.

Of course, this was to be expected. He was the king of Lugnica, his safety was of top priority, surrounded by strong allies that would always take the burden away from him.

And he let them.

He sharpened his mind and mouth but left his body to rot, surrounding himself in all the pleasures of the world until he grew fat from it. Even with all the pleasures he experienced though, there was one that stood head over heels above the rest.

It was when he almost died.

He'd been king for almost a full year at the time, having most of the kingdom become loyal to him after they witnessed his great deeds. The only small percent that was against him was a group of old-timers, who still believed that he was putting the candidates under some curse, that they were bewitched into loving him.

He was in the center of the capital, guarded by Julius since he'd brought Anastasia along to wander the streets, a date of sorts. It was a little shopping trip; the real purpose of this trip was to meet with the common folk. It was something he liked to do, treating those less fortunate than him with the same respect he did to any others, the policy of equality being brought over from Japan as one of his first kingly acts.

It happened in an instance, a knife just barely stopping in front of his eyes as Julius had deflected it. His heart raced, all his senses on fire as he felt the most alive, he'd been in months. The moment he was closest to his own death was the moment he was most alive.

Nothing came close to the feeling he felt that day, any sort of risk-free pleasure he experienced couldn't replicate that sole moment. Of course, he wasn't dumb enough to try and get hurt again or try some harmful substance.

He hadn't even known he could Return by Death at that point.

He only felt it once before, when he was going against Sirius.

At Priestella, they had an unexpected attack from the Witch Cult. It wasn't the usual horde of underlings with a few troublesome people, but a singular woman wrapped in bandages. Initially, he tried to go ask her if she was alright, but saw Reinhard quickly move to intercept.

He didn't get to hear much, no words from her mouth reaching him, but he saw clearly. Reinhard barely put an effort in, a crowd gathering as they watched Reinhard move in for the kill. He swung his sword, what should've been the end of it.

And then it happened.

The second Reinhard's sword connected; the world went dark. He woke up in the carriage he took to Priestella, blinking a little bit as the sun hit his eyes. That's strange, wasn't the sun setting before? And why was he on a carriage, did he somehow fall unconscious after Reinhard killed Sirius?

All his unanswered questions got there answer only a moment later, when the carriage rolled into Priestella, the same events from before playing out like clockwork. Luckily, he warned Reinhard to not kill but imprison Sirius when they saw her again.

Still, when he saw her before she was thrown into a cell, he felt the most scared he'd ever been. The cause of his one and only death would haunt him quietly for the rest of his life.

[Sloth]"Hey Lust? Look I'm not sure what you're thinking about but you should probably answer them."

Lust blinked in surprise, dragging himself out of the past and into the present. He gotten lost in his own thoughts, almost forgetting the situation he was in currently.

[Lust]"About the final candidate, while I can't tell you of how I know she's the final one, I can guarantee that I know her location and who she is."

Reinhard considered his words carefully; no lies being spoken again. Felix on the other hand, was too confused to contribute to the conversation. One thing was clear to him though, Natsuki Subaru knows things without giving a reason of how, making him a liability. Felix would be sure to find out more later.

[Reinhard]"For now, I think we should bring Emilia-sama in now, as we will continue this conversation later."

Felix began for the door, but was once again interrupted by Lust.

[Lust]"Oh, before you leave, one final request. Can we play this off as a misunderstanding? I know that it may seem like a weird request, but the more Emilia doesn't know of this, the better."

[Reinhard]"When you say 'know of this', do you mean your sudden change in behavior?"

Thank God Reinhard was good at catching on to things.

[Lust]"Partially, I don't want her to think I'm some sort of maniac, which I'm not, but I also don't want her to hear about our talk, since that would probably cause unnecessary panic."

Felix suspicion meter was through the room.

Reinhard motioned to Felix, Felix quickly catching on and leaving to grab Emilia. Lust let out a tense sigh of relief, slumping a little. It was a small habit of his, whenever he got through a deal or meeting, he would let out a long breath and relax.

[Reinhard]"Are you ok?"

Lust gave Reinhard a small glance, lying down on his bed as to get more comfortable.

[Lust]"Yeah...just felt like a huge weight has been put on my shoulders."

[Reinhard]"As it should be, making such bold claims does contain much responsibility."

Silence followed, neither person wanting to take initiative in making a conversation, so both waiting for Felix and Emilia to arrive.

Felix moved through the mansion, walking on soft red carpets as he traversed grand white and gold halls. No matter how many times he saw it, it was still surprising each time he saw just how big this mansion was. Every time he came here, he felt like it had grown another few rooms.

He walked up to the dining room door, opening it only to find Ram clearing the table. Ah, the conversation between him, Reinhard, and Lust must have gone on longer than what he thought.

[Ram]"What brings you here Felix?"

[Felix]"Oh I'm just trying to find Emilia-sama nyan. Do you have any ideas on where she is?"

Felix put a hand behind his ears, rubbing the back of his head at the slightly awkward situation he was in. Now that he thought about it, he'd never really spoken to Ram alone before, has he? The cold air she gave off behind that neutral face was something that he didn't see himself getting used to.

[Ram]"Emilia-sama left to her room a few minutes ago after breakfast. My I ask why you need her?"

[Felix]"Oh it's just that the prisoner that she and Reinhard brought in woke up."

The slightest bit of curiosity glimmered in Ram's eyes, gone in an instant. She had only seen this prisoner once the night before, right as he was being loaded into the carriage with Reinhard. She never heard of why he was being taken into custody, so Ram was a little curious.

[Ram]"Then let me lead you to where Emilia-sama is."

Felix silently thanked the Od hearing Ram's kindness. If she hadn't offered to lead the way, Felix would have probably gotten lost in this mansion, never to be found again.

They walked through the halls silently, Felix too focused on keeping up with Ram to start a conversation and Ram honestly not wanting to start one. For a maid of her size, how could she walk so damn fast!?

Eventually, they arrived at Emilia's temporary room, Ram knocking on the door.

[Ram]"Emilia-sama, you have a visitor."

On the other side of the door, you could hear the slight scuffle of someone nearly losing balance on their chair and the appropriate quiet thunk of a book hitting the table. Footsteps approached as the door swung open.

Felix saw Emilia's face, noticing how her eyes were slightly dilated and trying to focus. Felix would give a professional medical diagnosis of being caught lackin'. She probably was reading a book, fell asleep and or was close to, and the sudden knocking woke her right up.

[Emilia]"Sorry for not answering immediately. Oh, Felix what brings you here?"

[Felix]"Oh Reinhard sent me here to get you. Subaru has woken up."

Emilia woke up now, obviously the reason she almost fell asleep was because she was waiting to hear when Subaru would wake up.

[Emilia]"Rea~lly? Could you lead me there then?"

Felix obliged, having both Ram and Emilia follow behind him as they walked to their destination. On two separate occasions, Felix got a little lost but was able to play it off and find himself back on the right track.

Ram let out a silent 'heh'.

They arrived at the door that led to the cell, Felix opening it for Emilia and Ram as what a knight should. Keep this up Felix and you'll start becoming like Julius. They entered, lining up in front of Lust's cell door.

[Reinhard]"Hello Emilia-sama, I'm glad to see you're in good health."

Reinhard gave a small bow, Emilia smiling and motioning for him to rise back up. Emilia turned her attention to the cell, seeing Lust lying down on his bed, catching him peeking at her from under his arms that covered his head.

He quickly adverted his gaze before using his arms to push himself up, meeting Emilia's eyes again.

[Lust]"Yo."

Emilia was caught by surprise, not sure how to reply. After what she saw at the slums, she was sure she was ready for anything she saw or heard from Subaru, but once again he surprised her.

[Emilia]"H-Hello?"

Lust smiled warmly, remembering just how cute and innocent Emilia could be at times.

Emilia turned to Reinhard, maybe checking with him if she was allowed to ask questions. Reinhard understood, giving her a gentle smile. He opened his mouth as to explain why Subaru was the way he was the day before, but realized that he didn't have an excuse prepared.

Felix watched Reinhard mouth hang open as he had brought in a breath on to figure out, he didn't know what to say. Felix sighed.

[Felix]"After inspecting him this morning, we found out that Subaru was knocked unconscious by some force and a spirit forced a contract with him. That was why his personality took such a sudden turn."

A spirit forced a contract with him? Emilia had never heard of that before, but if Felix was saying it, then it is probably true.

Lia, he's lying

Puck decided to keep the fact that it was only a partial lie to himself.

Puck's voice rang out, Reinhard, Felix, and Lust all freezing at the voice. The small grey cat phased into existence over Emilia's shoulder, both Felix and Reinhard promptly showing respect for the great spirit.

[Puck]"Hello hello! It's your favorite adorable spirit! Now I'm going to ask why you would lie about something like that..."

Emilia's mood quickly soured hearing Felix's lie, moving her gaze towards Reinhard only to find that he couldn't meet her eyes. Lust grimaced, his failure to remember that Puck existed had led him to a tough situation. Lust wasn't on good terms with Puck in the last life, Puck being one of the worst parents he'd ever seen, thus making it very awkward for Lust to teach Emilia about the birds and the bees.

[Lust]"Stop. There's no need to look at them like that. I'm the one who should take responsibility since I requested that from them."

Puck watched Lust carefully as both Reinhard and Felix were surprised at Lust's cover for them. Emilia turned back to Lust, Ram watching this situation silently in the back.

[Emilia]"Why would you tell them to lie like that?"

[Lust]"That's because I wasn't sure how to tell you the truth."

It seems like he's telling the truth.

[Emilia]"Then what was that yesterday? Why did you call yourself a Sin Archbishop?"

Lust sighed; the feeling of Ram's glare might've burnt a hole through his head if her element was fire. But honestly, Emilia was in no position to say such things when she herself introduced herself as 'Satella'.

[Lust]"That wasn't what it seemed. Yes, I did say those things, but that was to grab the attention of Reinhard so that I could tell him something."

I hope Puck catches on to what I'm truly saying.

Strangely enough, he only lied once in that sentence, and it was when he said that 'he said those things'.

Puck took a moment to ponder what this meant, but eventually pieced together what it meant. When they first entered this room, Puck immediately noticed that Lust's mental state was all jumbled, like his mind was fighting itself.

He also noticed how Lust's words could be comprehended as both a lie and a truth at some times, like he had both done and not done what he said. Like what Felix said earlier, how a spirit forced a contract with him, thus taking over his body.

It was a lie, a spirit not so much as trying to contract with him, but it wasn't a lie that something took control of his body. Like possession.

Finally, Lust saying that 'he said those things' was a complete lie, showing that he hadn't been the one to speak those words. Puck let it slide for now, deciding that he probably wouldn't kill Lust for now.

Puck took note of how convincing this kid's words sounded though; he would make a great negotiator.

Reinhard stared as the wind of untruth blew from Lust, his entire understanding of the situation now flipped. He didn't say those things? But when Emilia told him about what happened, she spoke the truth the entire time.

An enigma was born.

[Puck]"I see now. Well then if you need me then I'll be in the crystal."

Puck's form dissipated, glowing particles returning to the crystal that hung around Emilia's neck. Lust relaxed a little, glad that Puck understood what he meant and decided to stop digging into him.

[Lust]"As for what I wanted to tell them, I guess I have to tell you now."

Reinhard and Felix listened closely. Lust had told them there would be an attack but had only alluded to where one would be and that the Witch Cult were the reason behind them.

[Lust]"Tomorrow at the capital, there will be an attack at sunrise by the Sin Archbishop of Greed."

Morning? If they left at noon today, then they would make it in time to warn the capital before the sun even rose. What mattered was the second attack.

[Lust]"The second attack will happen in the morning, and it will be carried out by the Sin Archbishop of Sloth including more grunts. They will be attacking this mansion."

This mansion? Now Reinhard was in a situation. He could either travel to the capital, in which he would make it before the attack starts, but that would leave the mansion barely guarded, or he could stay here, which would leave the capital exposed.

While it may seem like there was a choice, it was already clear that both Reinhard and Felix had to go to the capital. They couldn't call Julius here either, since he was on a mission currently and it would be crucial to lock down the capital while Reinhard and Felix were travelling.

That left the mansion to be guarded by two knights, Emilia, Ram, and Lust. They could possibly just bring everyone along with them, leaving the mansion completely empty and securing the safety of everyone here, but that might lead to the destruction of the Astrea mansion.

Reinhard weighed his options but found that the safety of the people far outweighed the price of losing the mansion. It would be a blow to his family's wealth, but they could manage.

[Reinhard]"If I may, I think I have an idea."

The soft rumble of the wheels against the rough road kept Lust's ear company. Across from him was Emilia, she was engrossed with her own little conversation with Puck. Lust didn't care much, looking outside the window to see the carriage being flanked by two knights, Reinhard, and Felix.

Ram was the one handling the carriage, sitting quietly in the front as they rode in the now late afternoon.

Reinhard had come up with a plan of how they would evacuate the Astrea mansion, having all staff being moved for the time being. They were moved to a village only a few hours away from the manor, each being given enough money to stay there for a few days.

Reinhard hadn't given them much explanation, but thankfully they followed his words without much complaint. Now, their group was heading to the capital with two objectives in mind.

Reinhard and Felix would meet up with Julius, explaining the situation before taking on the Archbishop. They hadn't contacted Julius, deciding that while it would be important for him to know what would happen beforehand, the information would also not help him currently since they can't evacuate civilians yet.

If they moved the citizens now, it would only let the Archbishop know where they are preemptively and moving them into a different district would overpopulate the area, in which keeping them there would be very troublesome.

The two knights would oversee helping with evacuation when the time comes.

Emilia, Ram, and Lust would be in charge of finding the final candidate and bringing her to Reinhard after the battle was over. Reinhard had provided them with an extra insignia in order to identify if Lust was telling the truth about who it was.

It would only be a few hours until they arrived, the trip taking a little longer than expected with a larger party traveling. They'd still arrive right before nightfall, in which Lust, Emilia, and Ram would temporarily stay inside a hotel until morning, in which they would go find the candidate.

While Reinhard had wanted them to start the search immediately, Lust insisted on waiting until morning, when they'd be able to see better. That wasn't the only reason though, Lust wanted to be able to speak to the others without making it sound like he was talking to himself.

While that happened, Reinhard, Felix, and the knights would move to the knights' headquarters in order to spread the news and begin formulating a counter attack. It was a half-baked plan, but it was the best they had currently. Pride still wouldn't speak about what the Sin Archbishops authority was and Gluttony looked like he knew something, but Lust could tell his lips were shut.

The carriage began to slow down, Lust peeking out the window to see the lamp lit city come into view. The carriage went through the gates without much trouble, Reinhard's presence enough to grant us entry. The roads were just how Lust remembered them, smooth bricks that were cleaner than the building next to them, even though carriages rode over them all day.

Something Lust would have to be fixed again.

The carriage came to a stop, soon after the door opening where Reinhard could be seen offering a hand. Emilia accepted it, walking down the carriage steps as Lust followed behind. While Lust wasn't particularly listening, he could feel some of the others jealously.

They walked into a hotel, renting a room for two and a room for one, Lust obviously being kicked to the single room. He pouted a little, remembering the nights when Emilia would gladly accept him into her room.

Envy felt the need to grab a bat.

He moved into the small room, doing a little spin as he had nothing to unload or so much as do. He flopped onto the bed, feeling the now heavenly sensation of soft sheets and a nice pillow. The rock-hard bed they provided him with before really made everything else feel great.

He turned the lamp off, enclosing himself in darkness and tried to rest his mind. The silence of the night was off-putting compared to how loud it is probably going to be in the morning, but he'll enjoy it for now.

Well, that's how it should've been.

Tip, tap, tip, tap.

He lay still in his bed, his hearing going into overdrive with his sight being gone. He tried to be as quiet as possible, making slow movements as he pushed himself out of the bed and gently placed his feet on the floor.

Tip, tap, tip, tap.

He could hear them, footsteps, him reaching to his lamp but drawing his hand back at the last moment. If he put the light on, he might be able to see, but that would alert the person that he was awake. Even more, he would lose the element of surprise which was critical for someone who had no combat prowess.

Tip, tap, tip, tap.

They were close, the shape of the person becoming more defined in his mind. The footsteps were light, either from someone with a light frame or purposely trying to be quiet. He leaned more towards the former, since the footsteps were consistent enough to not be purposefully quiet.

He knew after many nights trying to sneak away from his duties or, late night activities, that a person trying to be quiet always makes some loud-ass noise on accident.

Tip, tap, tip, tap.

Tap.

The footsteps stopped, Lust hiding in the corner where the door opens, in which the door would cover him when it actually opened. He had a hand over his mouth and nose, trying to keep his breathing quiet and steady, his heart racing.

He knew this feeling, but it still wasn't there. It wasn't enough.

The door slowly opened, Lust trying to make himself as straight as possible, a lamp flickering on. He peeked out the crack of the door hinges.

It was Felix.

Why was he here? Lust almost let out a relieved sigh when he first recognized Felix but realized what Felix might be here for. Felix entered the room, passing by the empty bed and looking at the wardrobe across from it. Seeing as it was empty, he let out a little sigh, but his ears twitched a little.

His ears twitched?

Shit.

Felix turned to the door, specifically the corner, and began his slow approach. What should I do? Fuck, shit, what do I do about this? Lust gave up on being quiet, readying himself to kick the door as to make as much noise as possible, which would alert Emilia and Ram.

He raised his leg.

He kicked but only felt a soft surface, not a hard wood door.

His body froze up, his mouth trying to scream but the sound was not coming out. He forced his eyes to look down, to see Felix's left hand touching the bottom of his extended leg while his right arm had moved the door out of the way.

Lust looked at Felix, seeing him let out a relieved sigh before making eye contact with Lust. His eyes didn't hold any sign of goodwill or hostility.

Only cruel curiosity.

[Felix]"Good thing I stopped you nyan, that could've been really bad y'know?"

Lust let out a pained grunt.

[Felix]"Guess you can't say much huh? Well, that's to be expected, so why don't we lie you down on the bed huh?"

Of course, one of the basics of being a medic was to make sure your patient was on a stable surface, something that wouldn't harm them, so a nice soft bed was best.

It would even help absorb some of the sound.

Felix grabbed some line from outside the room, tying the still frozen Lust's limbs to each corner. Felix ran his hand down the neck of Lust, feeling the blood flow, the air inside him, and finally, the voice box.

[Felix]"Did you know? That if you are precise enough, you can cut off control of the voice box without harming the rest of the body? Crusch-sama helped me learn that which really helped me during some tough times."

Felix's touch was nauseating, if Lust had control of his body, he would probably be hurling on the ground right now. It was disgusting, putrid, dirty, filthy.

[Felix]"Here's how this is going to go nyan. You see, I'm very curious about how you knew those things about the Witch Cult, and even where a candidate is! So very quietly, I'm going to ask you a few questions."

Lust tried everything, trying to have his 'mind over body' moment and break out of Felix's grip, but it was worthless. Lust may have desired an adventure, to feel the exhilarating rush of near death again, but this was the opposite.

This was pain, this was torture, but with no chance of fighting back, no feeling of being a hero. It was not what he wanted, while adrenaline rushing experiences were his goal, he didn't actually want to feel any pain.

Felix looked at the terrified eyes of Lust, gently placing his hand on the center of Lust's chest.

[Felix]"I hope that you won't comply easily, friend."

The lantern turned off.

And a burning hell was lit.

Soft rushes of wind gently brushed against their hair, rustling it as Wrath's scarf blew with it. They all lay there, silently, dead fish in a barrel. Greed was crouched down trying to help the downed Lust and Envy, Sloth insisting that he was fine while huddling to himself.

Luckily, the torture hadn't caused Lust to go unconscious, which made it so that he kept control. He was happy but didn't have the energy to show it. Pride still sat in his crisscross position, rocking back and forth with the wind, eyes closed as if in deep thought.

Pride thought of Felix, the roles between them now switched as Felix was the torturer and Pride was the victim. Admittedly, he didn't like it, the tasteless torture they were put through for someone's sadistic entertainment. Maybe this time, he wouldn't Felix as a tool, just kill him and get it over with early.

Pride felt a small ping of guilt in the back of his heart, knowing that while he may want to, it still was painful to put down a well-used tool.

Gluttony sat in disappointment, but still held a small hope for Lust. Sure, he did make a mistake getting caught and tortured, but he still had a redeeming chance.

Saving the city and defeating the Sin Archbishops.

He couldn't wait.

Wrath felt a burning conviction like never before, a fire that felt so hot that Wrath might need to take his scarf off. He was feeling it now more than ever, the hatred he was feeling towards Felix was now in full throttle.

He would kill him.

He would not be swayed on this.

Felix's fate has been decided.

Lust faced the endless sky, his body still trembling from the pain. He felt tired, sore, and heavy, tears falling from his eyes down to the grass below him.

[Lust]"haha..."

It wasn't on purpose, only a small burst of pained laughter escaped his mouth. Greed moved towards him, seeing his tear-stricken face and freezing because he didn't know what to do. Lust watched Greed's mind race, thinking back to all his lives before but not being able to recall even one where he helps a crying person.

Only those of him killing himself the moment he saw their tears.

Greed patted the chest section of his attire, feeling the pocked on his left pec before procuring a handkerchief. It was actually the first time Greed used this handkerchief, it uses becoming more of fashion than that of something to give a person.

He wiped Lust's tears.

Lust let out a weak smile.

He could feel it, the slow drowsiness of the body waking up. It hadn't been that long since he got here, has it? Well, he probably only got two hours of sleep anyways.

He felt himself being dragged, blinking his tired eyes as he examined his surroundings. It was the same one-person room, clean with no signs of other people even entering. He checked his body, looked at his smooth skin that showed no signs of torture.

He pushed himself up, losing balance once he got up and using the wall as support. He held his head, headaches now slowly surfacing and beating against his temples.

He slowly and painfully slipped his clothes on, grabbing the door handle, mustering up the strength to open it. His stomach growled at him, throat begging for water as he made his way to the kitchen area. He looked out the windows on the way, seeing how the sun wasn't up and the capital still waking up.

He made it to the kitchen, sitting at a table and using his arms to support himself. A waitress came over, obviously very tired and a little mad at whoever decided to wake up at an insanely early time.

[Lust]"Just...water...and bread..."

The waitress left, Lust having a constant battle to keep his heavy eyelids from falling. He heard footsteps behind him, turning to see Ram and Emilia both entering. They sat at their own table, Emilia giving Lust a small wave which he could barely return.

His meal arrived, Lust taking a large bite of the bread before immediately needing water to get it down. He felt through his pockets only to realize that he had no money, not that it mattered anyways since everybody would be leaving soon.

He finished his meal, walking out of the hotel and towards to center fountain where he first arrived. It was a meeting place; Reinhard's group would meet with Lust's before the evacuation would begin.

Lust sat, maybe because he was so tired that he didn't notice Reinhard approaching him.

[Reinhard]"Are you ok Subaru?"

Lust looked at Reinhard, Reinhard able to tell immediately that he was indeed not ok. Reinhard rummaged through his pocket to procure a small cracker like food, handing it to Lust. Lust looked at the small cracker, a small smile forming as he remembered what it was.

It was something Reinhard used to give him in order to wake him up, like an energy drink of sorts.

Lust ate it, feeling his body slowly filled with energy. Lust never asked Reinhard how he made these, but assumed it had something to do with one or more of his Divine Protections.

Lust looked around, seeing knights of all kinds begin to move through the streets and knock on each door, civilians soon leaving their homes and going towards some designated route. So, it was beginning.

He saw Felix and Julius moving over, Emilia and Ram only a few paces behind them.

[Reinhard]"It's good to see you all made it here safely."

[Julius]"Same to you. Is this person..?"

[Reinhard]"You are correct Julius; this is the person who helped inform us on these events. Julius, meet Natsuki Subaru."

Lust gave him a smile and waved, which Julius returned equally.

Felix frowned a bit, recalling how last night turned no fruit, Felix not able to extract a singular piece of information from Lust.

[Lust]"Seeing how everything is starting, I take it that it's our time to go separate ways?"

[Reinhard]"That is correct. I pray for each of your safety and success."

Lust scoffed on the inside.

Emilia and Ram moved with Lust; their destination clear.

The slums.

Reinhard and Julius made their way towards the approaching battle, each with confidence in their steps. They weren't blind on this one, which filled each with a sense of small victory.

[Julius]"I'm surprised you gave such an important role to someone you had imprisoned just the day before. What happened?"

[Reinhard]"Well let's just say that he said a few interesting things and I chose to believe his words."

Julius let out a little chuckle, always amazed at just how innocent and humble Reinhard could be. He wasn't opposed to those traits though.

[Julius]"What'd he say then? Was it the information on the attack? Or something else."

Reinhard held his head, Julius immediately recognizing that there was indeed 'something else'.

[Reinhard]"I'll tell you after, it'll be a surprise."

They arrived, both knights and mages lined behind them as they waited for the coming storm, the clocktower behind them letting out its small minute clicks.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Tick.

The air felt very tense all of a sudden, like they had just walked into a mabeasts den. The sun began to rise over the horizon, warm rays lighting each knight and mage in brilliant golden light. Every second felt like a minute, every minute an hour, every waking moment slower than the last.

Reinhard stood tall, but inside felt growing concern.

His concerns were correct.

He didn't see it, but one of his Divine Protections told him.

He swiveled his head, to see the world rise.

And smoke signal the start of a war.

Lust moved with Emilia and Ram through the slums at a nice pace, thankful that he was leading as to not have to keep up with Emilia's elvish strength or Ram's Oni endurance. He crossed one dirt path after another, some people peeking from their battered shacks to see what the noise was about.

Lust heard it, the sound of destruction far behind him making him turn to be presented with a shockwave that blew his hair back. Smoke rose from where the civilians should've evacuated to, barely visible traces of ongoing battle and wisps of blood filled the area.

[Lust]"What the fu-"

He was cut off by Ram grabbing his wrist and quite painfully squeezing it. That snapped Lust back to the present. She had the same look, but Lust could see hints of pain in her eyes.

[Ram]"Stop spacing out, we need to keep moving."

[Lust]"Thank you for that, but you should probably help Emilia first."

Emilia was frozen watching the destruction that happened in the capital, Ram moving to her and giving her a gentle shake on the shoulders. There was no use, Lust knew that Emilia was probably thinking about running over to help right now, which would make getting Felt a whole lot harder.

[Ram]"Barusu, please move ahead of us for now while I keep Emilia here."

Barusu? Lust hadn't heard that in a while.

[Lust]"Alright Ram, but if anything happens, you know how to find me."

Know how to find him? He couldn't mean...

Lust began running towards the loot house, weaving through alleys and crossing the tell-tale bridge. He saw the loot house, arriving and started to bang on the door. He heard heavy footsteps, the door swinging open the show a very pissed Rom.

[Rom]"The hell you want to be bangin' on my door!? This early in the damn morning too..."

Rom took a moment to realize who was in front of him, seeing Lust and softening his expression a little.

[Lust]"Yes I am still alive thanks for asking, but right now I need Felt."

He heard small footsteps from the back, which gave him a little reassurance.

[Felt]"Did someone call for me..? Oh, you're that one guy!"

Did Lust every introduce himself to Felt? He, well, Envy did negotiate in the loot house with Rom while Felt was present, but didn't remember having any distinct conversations with Felt. Or maybe she just didn't remember his name, but whatever.

[Lust]"Hi yes I am the one guy. Anyways I need to get you guys out of here and towards safety.

[Rom]"Out of here? What's happening this time?

Distant booms could be heard, not to loud or powerful enough to shake the loot house, but still audible enough to help Rom start understanding the situation.

[Rom]"What's happening outside?"

[Lust]"There's currently an attack in the capital, which is where you come in."

Lust took out the insignia.

[Lust]"Take this and run towards the city. It may sound crazy, but there are a few of mine companions on the way who can help you. By the time you get there, hopefully the fighting will be over or the enemy will have retreated. Find Reinhard and tell them that I sent you. Make sure you have Felt hold this."

Lust gave the insignia to Felt. Rom noticed a small glow that emitted from it.

[Rom]"You couldn't mean...

[Lust]"It's a second chance. Stay strong."

Felt looked at the glowing stone in her hand, Rom moving out of the loot house and into the open street with Felt. He looked at Lust, giving a small nod before turning to leave. Lust caught himself from sighing, knowing that it wasn't quite time to be relaxed yet.

Dust blew up, blowing into his eyes and temporarily blinded him. He wasn't sure what caused it other than a strong wind, but wasn't the weather pretty still? He rubbed his eyes furiously, slowly beginning to regain his vision.

Wasn't that Rom's shadow? Why hadn't they left yet?

He looked over to Rom, who stood completely still as he looked down the street, opposite of the capital. Lust followed Rom's gaze, before becoming equally still. Felt was down the street, not facing them as she hovered just an inch off the ground, arms spread out.

She looked the be struggling and screaming, but the wind created from her Divine Protection was interfering with her voice. To Rom, he could only see Felt struggle against the air itself, some unknown force holding her captive.

Rom's mind went blank, his body rushing to save Felt, no rationality, only the parental instinct in him working overdrive. His hulking form rushed towards her, his strength beginning to break the ground beneath him. He was only a few feet away, before it all came to a halt, his muscles now trying to break through some invisible wall that held him.

Felt managed to turn her head around, tears streaming down her cheeks as a small smile formed.

[Felt]"Old man..."

She was slammed into the ground, wind forced out of her lungs by the force of the impact. She struggled to fix her breathing, dust in the air interfering with her breathing. She looked up and noticed some small detail.

Why was the dust starting to split?

Rom watched as the dust dispelled from above her, pressure applied to her terrified face and eventually becoming too much. Blood shot out; her skull cracked as the front of her face collapsed with a hand-shaped imprint left on it.

Rom watched it all, unable to in any way prevent it, he himself is now at the mercy of this thing. He didn't care though, his meaning in life now taken from him, himself greeting death with open arms as to reunite with his lost one.

His arms and legs twisted, bones snapping as his screams filled the air. He didn't scream on purpose, his body just doing it because of the sheer amount of pain he was feeling. It kept twisting and twisting before he felt a slight touch on his neck.

He smiled.

A violent twist, and Rom's life ended.

Lust watched it all, too frozen in fear and panic that all sound was drowned out. He could only watch and see what they couldn't.

The legion of purple hands occupied the air, all leading back to one sole person. He had green skin, wearing a purple robe that had red highlights and a small cap on the top of his head.

Betelgeuse Rominee Conti.

Lust returned to his senses, as he watched Betelgeuse and a group of cultists make their way towards him. He turned and could only do one thing.

Run.

Run pitifully.

Run like the weak being he was.

He knew that he wouldn't make it far, but his legs didn't care, over the bridge, through the alleys, and down the streets. His lungs screamed for air, but his brain could only tell him to run.

He saw them, Ram, Emilia, still in the same position only with Ram and Puck consoling a distraught Emilia. He came to a stop, gulping down air because he knew it was the last he would breathe in this life.

God he was scared.

They were trying to talk to him, but he couldn't hear, the racing in his heart echoing through his ears. He felt it, his arms and legs freezing, seeing a pair of purple hands enveloping him and slightly lifting him. Tears began to fall.

He gave them a smile as Ram got her wand and shards of ice began to form over Puck.

[Lust]"Please...kill me."

Puck was more than happy to oblige. Shards of ice broke against the hands that swarmed to protect him, Betelgeuse obviously tasked with capturing him, but the defense wasn't impenetrable.

A shard of ice broke through, burying itself in Lust's stomach, his blood and internal organs starting to freeze from just touching it.

He tried to speak but no words formed.

Ram saw Lust become pale, the shard of ice taking its tole and putting him on his death bed. She couldn't hear it, but for only a moment, she saw it.

[Lust]"Thank you."

His form slumped, and Lust let out his last breath.

Lust had failed.

A small girl stood in a cave, her platinum hair flowing as wind came from the entrance, sun lighting her perfectly smooth skin. Her eyes were closed, her taking in the cold morning air as it went against her white clothing.

She smiled as she thought about him. The one who would fulfill her desires. The Sin Archbishops were beings that would perfect him, making him into his ultimate.

Into Sin.

Not a singular sin, no, but as Sin as a whole.

She thought back to how he left the mansion as to avoid the attack that would happen only hours later. But would there actually be an attack?

Perhaps your eyes deceive you?

Hello, Vic here. Thanks for reading this new chapter and I'm sorry for the wait. I've had some things going on in school and at home which cut down on how much time I could write, but the main reason this took so long to make was because of my own slothfulness.

Yes, I did spend a lot of time with my homies and doing other things, but I mainly spent a lot of my free time procrastinating. I had trouble writing this chapter because of how unmotivated I was at the time and spent a ton of time in the chapter trying to fill in as many plot holes that could possibly come up later.

That is why I had the whole backstory thing with Lust even though it's totally not canon. Which is fine, since nobody really read the backstory and I didn't want Lust to become some plain character that everybody would hate. That also applies to some of the other Subaru's.

I won't change who they are completely, I'll try and stay as close to the original as possible, but there will be times when I might do something with them that isn't completely them. If you don't like it, then please tell me in the reviews.

You may have noticed that there are less IF comments in the middle of conversations or actions, which is something I did purposely. This is somewhat of an experiment for me, so please tell me if you like the absence of their input in a situation or would like me to change it.

Also, if you have any questions, put them in the reviews and I'll answer them to the best of my ability in the next chapter. I have read all the reviews you guys sent and am happy about all the nice things you say about this story.

Anyways, I'll try and not take like 5 years writing the next chapter, but no promises.

See you next time bby.