Chapter 7: The Descent

Julius lie silently on the cold floor of the library. His panging consciousness left him bereft of any motivation to move.

Somewhere inside his now stagnant mind, emotions were swirling. But, they were a part of something else entirely, another self he believed he had laid to rest.

They told him to get up. They said he had to continue on, to give every last inch of the remaining effort they could. That this was the knightly thing to do.

Julius was done with the knightly bullshit.

He tried to move his arms, but he realized that the spot he had been laying in had now become warm from his body heat. Moving at all caused him to feel the cold stone of the floor that surrounded him. He didn't like that.

Perhaps it was his 'doneness' that spurred his attempt at action. Maybe it was conviction, or possibly a hint of guilt. He wouldn't know for sure, because he had abandoned the thought. His maddening conscious latched on to something else.

Despite his failures, his lady was still waiting for him. There were also the words that Subaru left him with. What drove him at this moment was not fear of being disappointed in himself. It was simply fear of others confirming that disappointment.

It was time to get up.

Apart from his physical strength, it took every ounce of mental effort to make his way down the stairs with the young boy. It was a relatively short staircase, but all the same it was tiring. Every minute felt like hours. Every agonizing second only pulled away further at the seams of his torn and stitched together mind. If it were not for the admirable vessel of the one once known as Natsuki Subaru whom he held in his arms, he would have chosen to rot away in the library.

Regardless, he trembled his way to the bottom of the steps, reaching the inner hallway that circled the fourth floor.

He cut through the hallway, opening the door to the Green Room. Julius laid Subaru into a bed next to Rem, before taking a brief respite on a chair manufactured from vines.

The healing spirit of the Green Room really was something extraordinary. Although it could do nothing to heal the broken spirit of the purple haired knight, it did offer warmth and comfort. After relishing the relaxing feelings for a moment, Julius forced himself up and took his leave. The others absolutely needed to know about Subaru. He knew that they would never forgive him for his carelessness, and that Subaru's condition was solely his fault. But that would not phase him. He would continue forward, making way for the boy's eventual return.

Julius was fairly certain that Subaru had only had his memories eaten. Since he was still able to be remembered, his name was still present, and it was likely that he would be waking up at any time.

Rounding the circular hallway, Julius made his way to the entrance of the central room where everyone would have been dining earlier. Flashes of guilt assaulted his mind as he tried to think up the explanation he would give them. He could only imagine the tears of those close to the boy.

He continued to make his way down the hallway, before reaching a familiar face.

"Emilia-sama-"

"….!"

Suddenly, he had been flung into the wall, his back pushed against the brick as a foot landed on his chest.

"I'm surprised you managed to follow us this far without dying. Would you care to explain exactly how you made it here?"

A familiar pink haired woman was now waving her wand in his face. He turned his head back towards Emilia with confusion.

The girl in white now had her arms raised. A number of shining ice particles grew into spears, surrounding him on all sides.

"She asked how you got here, answer her immediately!"

The half elf fiercely demanded that he explain himself. Julius only grew more confused at this, as he expected Emilia to be much more gentle. Additionally, while he expected them to have distaste for his pathetic self, he had absolutely no idea why they had already become hostile.

"Followed… What? When was I following you? We have been at this tower for nearly two days."

"So you were already here then?" Ram sneered, before turning to a brown haired girl as if seeking confirmation.

To this, Shaula simply put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"Nope! Master said veeeery specifically to kill anybody who came close to the tower."

Ram turned her head back to Julius, eying him up and down.

Scrambling for words, he attempted to retort.

"N-no! I came to this tower with you, can you really not remember me? I am-"

halfway through his explanation, he came to a realization.

He tried not to think about it since he had arrived back in the library. He forced everything out of his mind in order to focus his efforts on carrying Subaru. But he couldn't deny it any longer. He knew that this was a possibility, and that Gluttony had surely done something to him.

"My… M-my name has been eaten… Again."

"What?" The pink haired girl inquired with a hint on unease.

The purple haired man simply lifted his hands to his head and began to shiver.

"He said his name was eaten… So he's like Rem?" Emilia asked the group.

"Nah, he's able to walk n' talk right now, so his name is the only thing he's lost."

A familiar purple haired girl joined the crowd from behind Emilia, giving her thoughts on his condition.

"Anastasia-sama…"

He suddenly jerked his head up to meet her eyes. They were as beautiful as they had ever been, but they lacked a sense of familiarity.

Dread began to well up within him.

Ram had removed her foot from his chest, he pushed himself off of the wall into a standing position.

Would they really cast him away? They had spared his life for now, it was likely only due to his knight uniform. He gazed at the purple haired girl. Her eyes met his with a look of discomfort, as if she was being assessed by an unscrupulous man.

Subaru would have to explain… Oh, that's right. Subaru was gone. There was only one person who could give him strength. His eyes locked onto hers, faltering and squirming. His teeth chattered as his mind processed these thoughts. What would she do? Would she still accept him?

"I...I…"

Julius began to step towards Anastasia, reaching his hand out to her as if to grasp something.

"Hey. Back off."

Ram placed herself between the two, pushing him away.

"A-Anastasia… Please…"

He knew that she didn't remember. He only hoped that somehow, some way, she would vouch for him.

The merchant backed away slowly. With a look of indifference, she let out a simple reply.

"I'm sorry. I don't know you."

Torture.

That's all that his cursed existence was.

The world only existed to torment him. His spirit was bruised and battered. It was honestly a miracle he had made it out alive to experience his suffering in earnest. He wished he could simply rest. He wanted to give up.

But something kept him here. Someone.

Somehow, he had managed to explain everything to the group without breaking. His mind was shredded between every type of negative emotion, but somehow avoided culminating into a harrowing display.

Reluctantly, he decided to hold back a few of the details. He did not inform them of Reid's book, instead choosing to use the words "a book". He feared that they would seek to find a way to retrieve his mind from the grasp of Gluttony, and did not want to risk further harm to the group.

He also decided to withhold the fact that Subaru had taken over Gluttony's body, as he himself wasn't sure if this was entirely true. It could have easily been a trick to manipulate Julius into doing something, or spreading information that would attract the rest of the group to the archbishop.

With the last of his words, and after an exasperating effort, he managed to convince them to allow his presence with Subaru in the Green Room. Despite their untrusting looks, the factual assembly of events he had delivered to them allowed to trust him within reason.

And so he would wait.

Emilia and Beatrice were laying over Subaru, holding his hands firmly.

For hours they waited. Emilia had fallen asleep on his shoulder, but Beatrice stayed wide awake. Presumably to keep an eye on the unknown entity that was claiming to be a knight, whom was now sharing a room with them.

But her attention on him was interrupted, as she could feel the hand she was holding beginning to squirm.

Noticing this, she scrambled to her feet and squeezed tighter, hoping to jerk him awake faster.

"Subaru! Subaru!"

"ehh…"

Her shouting had now roused the half-elf from her slumber, who quickly realized the same thing.

"S-Subaru!"

They both joined in trying to gently shake him awake as the boy slowly regained consciousness.

"...huuuh…?"

Opening his eyes, he moved his head back and forth between the spirit and the girl in white.

"Uh?… Am I… Dreaming?"

The room went silent for a few moments. The boy blinked several times, gazing back and forth between the two girls.

Julius sat in the corner with his elbows on his knees. He watched carefully to see what he would say next.

"…"

"Have I really…"

Everyone's eyes grew closer, examining him intensely.

"I've… Been summoned to an isekai fantasy world?!"

The room grew silent again, before the girls in front of him sighed.

"Subaru, you're sooo weird… At least it's still you, though."

"Indeed. Such a hopeless person could not be anyone other than Betty's Subaru, I suppose."

But one person did not react that way.

Julius mashed his teeth together. Waves of emotions shot through him.

He wasn't relieved. He wasn't happy. Instead, his gut could not let go of the sinister feeling that was eating away at him. He hated it.

That feeling. That dark cancer inside him disgusted him so greatly that it forced acid into the back of his throat.

It wasn't grief. It wasn't regret, or even guilt, though that one was beginning to build up as well.

It was envy.

The man in front of him had his memories eaten. The very essence of his person was removed.

And yet…

He was still there. He might have forgotten, but he was still him. That's just how strong Natsuki Subaru was.

And it clawed away at Julius. The man who changed, merely after a few failures. He had his name eaten. He hadn't even drawn the short stick comparably to this boy. He had it easy.

And yet, Subaru outshined him even in the midst of losing himself.

And now Julius hated him. No, he… Admired him.

He hated himself.

Just how much of a pathetic human being was he? To become jealous of a person who was gifted with nothing? This boy had worked immeasurably to gain everything in his possession.

He had made a contract with a great spirit of his own volition.

He had slain monsters and archbishops.

He had saved countless lives.

He had accrued companionship with people who loved and cared for him.

He had spoken for Julius when his name was eaten…

The once proud knight couldn't even sit properly. He covered his eyes with his hands so that none would see the tears that eroded into his face.

As if they would care. They didn't even know him.

They shouldn't even bother getting to know him.

He was a revulsive trash bin of a human being.

He never deserved to live. He was simply another tool.

"I wonder… Is this what you felt, Reinhard?"

A young boy walked through a distant village. Gazes from the eyes of people surrounded him.

Were it not for the gnashing of his teeth, or the drool dripping from his mouth, he might have forgone drawing such attention.

Ley Batenkaitos was once again on the move. Thanks to his authority, the eyes that followed his movements were merely laced with discomfort, as very few, perhaps none whatsoever, were familiar with his title. Much of the time, this was an optimal method of finding gourmet meals. He would need to be diligent if he were to satisfy his sister.

He was not intent on attacking anyone during this time. He was completely unsuspected, and as such would take the liberty to scout out the town. The moment the sun fell, would enact his plan of-

Without any warning, memories flushed his mind.

He was a boy in a distant far off land. He grew up a normal life, disappointing his parents. After skipping school for the last few months, he was suddenly transported to a new world.

These memories were special. He had never seen such sights before, the metal carriages that carried people were incredibly spectacular. The cities and technology were like something merchants abroad could only dream of taking advantage of. There was so much, and yet…

The next memory was different.

He should have died.

Why wasn't he dead?

Was there something wrong with his authority?

Ley licked his chops with a confused face. He almost wanted to spit the memories out, but it seemed they were being shared with him by someone.

"Sister?"

Unable to halt the flow of memories, more flashed through his eyes.

He was in love. He was afraid. He was confused.

Emotion after emotion swept over him. A feeling of elation threatened to drive him mad.

But after each one, another distaste layered between them. Putrid and bitter, he wished he could remove it from this meal.

Death after death. Time and time again, his consciousness went blank, only to resurface. Logically, it made no sense.

3 times. 5 times. 10 times.

The strange feeling washed over him again and again, until…

Peace. He was living a full life again. Surrounded by those he loved, he enjoyed the days free of death and torture.

For over a year, he was able to continue moving forward without having to experience the trauma of death a single time.

However, his efforts only proved futile. Entering the grand city on Priestella, shadowy hands once again dragged him into the depths of a phantom maw.

20 minutes. That's how much time he had before he died again. He could feel the puke burn away at his skin, only to be followed up with gagging and tortured, pained breaths.

But he was once again spared the punishment for a short period.

He was on a journey.

Riding across the country, he made his way to a great tower that resided in the sand.

Within an instant, his relief faded.

He was in a pit.

He was in hell.

He was dying again and again.

Hot. It was incredibly hot. His flesh seared as he cursed himself with his mind.

"Why…"
Ley grasped his ears as he experienced death after brutal death, his wretched being trapped in an oblivion he only wished would pass from him.

"Why… Louis!"

He pondered as to why she was sharing these memories with him. Was she too horrified to keep them? No, it had to be something else, she had to be planning something.

"Ah. There we go. I finally found you."

"A… What?"

A familiar voice burst into his consciousness. Unfortunately, it wasn't the lovely voice of his sister that he could only wish he was blessed with.

"You're a despicable trio, honestly. It's a good thing I got here in time, who knows what you intended to do to this poor village."

"Who… How are you talking to us, ~tsu?"

"Oh, that. I already told your sister. Go ask her."

"Sister… No, Louis! What did you do to our sister!?"

Ley ripped away at his hair as he attempted to fight the voice within his consciousness.

"Stay away from her! We… We'll kill you!"

"Oho! Extra points for the victim play, but unfortunately for you, your threat doesn't amount to much. You saw what killing me does already, right? Bad idea. Please don't."

"You… Scum! What are you doing to us ~tsu?!"

Ley's grip began to fade as his appearance began to shift.

The sound of bones popping and flesh ripping assaulted the air. A horrendous scene to any outside spectator.

"Ghg. This feels even more gross the second time."

The voice was no longer a thought in the back of Ley's mind. It had emboldened, and reaching fruition, manifested into the form of a black haired boy.

Emerging from the body of the archbishop, the young knight sporting a tracksuit opened and closed his hands, eyeing his palms closely.

Gasps and shouts echoed around him at such an abnormal sight.

"Witch!… No, Devil!"

"Huh?"

"He changed in shape, he's grown 10 years in only seconds… What is that thing?"

Natsuki Subaru only closed his eyes and shook his head.

Brushing the back of his scalp, he let out a sigh.

"Um, yeah I know what you saw just now was pretty weird. That said, could someone please tell me where the hell I am?"

Chapter 7, End.

Ooookay, another short one. I know this one is super mega ultra late. I don't feel like throwing out excuses, but since I would like my audience to have a coherent idea as to when to expect another chapter, I'm going to try to give you the run down.

Work has been busy. I was working from home during the pandemic, and over new years I had quite a bit of free time to write this stuff up. Right now, I have almost no days off, and we are no longer working from home, leaving me with much less free time. On top of that, of the free time that I do have, writing this fanfic has to compete with a lot of others hobbies, while also taking a lot of mental effort. Since I'm not really "bitten by the fanfic bug" at the moment, you can imagine this one's been on the backburner for a while. That may change soon, as I have outlined what I am hoping to occur in this arc by about 6-8 chapters ahead, so there is definitely content. I'm going to try and fix my schedule and motivation up a bit, but I can't make any promises regarding timely future chapters. Thanks a ton for your patience!

As always, please drop a review and let me know what you think. I'm a little rusty on arc 6 characters right now, so I'm hoping I didn't get anybody out of character this chapter. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks and have a good day/ night!