Retreat to Hoshin Mansion
Zero Days since the Last Death (Fifteen Deaths)
He would finally acknowledge that without Halibel he would never get through that extremely convoluted cycle of death. He would accept that without his best card, his best piece on the board, he simply would not win that game against fate. This is not to say that it had taken him until that moment to realize it; he was idiotic and stubborn, but not to that extreme. A couple of loops earlier he had determined that without Halibel's help getting to the castle would prove a virtually insurmountable challenge.
However, back then, when he had decided to contact Halibel, he stumbled upon the fact that his own obstinacy and obsession to flee from the terrible reality that was looming over him, had worked entirely against him. He cowardly escaped from the mansion and Halibel's gloomy words, and because of this he forgot the metia that Anastasia had given him, and with it, his only way to contact Halibel from afar.
Upon becoming aware of the painful consequences of his imbecility, Subaru had no choice but to cast aside the self-loathing swirling within his being and press on, the Royal Castle in the center of his field of vision. He needed Halibel's help, that much was certain, however, time was running out, and every second increased the distance between his deathless hand and the delicate fate of Anastasia Hoshin.
I can't afford to waste time going to the mansion; this had been his decision. No matter how difficult it would prove to be, he would regain control over Anastasia's destiny without recourse to Halibel. He would cup his sinful hands around the destiny of his precious boss. Shortly after making that decision, a door would finally open before him. He discovered that the cult would not make an attempt on his life if his anomalous status in the mysterious gospel that the archbishops carried came to light, and with that his options, the cards in his deck, increased.
Multiple paths opened up before Subaru, and he hoped that at least one of them would lead him to the castle. However, his hopes were betrayed by the cruel providence that laughed at his woes. All paths, without exception, led to a dead end. All paths ended in a huge wall, one that would be impossible for him to climb over.
An insurmountable obstacle towered before him, and no matter where he looked, it would rise high above his field of vision, making it impossible for him to make any movement. If he left his companions behind, Utada, who distrusted him because of his scent, would undoubtedly trail him. If he did not leave them behind, he would be forced to go to the house of Leith's family, where a lurid scene of death awaited them; wasted time would be the only result of such a detour.
His body gave off the terrible smell of the witch. He still did not know the reason, and although he had come up with a hypothesis, he had no way to verify it. Because of that miasma of death emanating from Subaru, Utada's suspicions and an encounter with the Witch Cult were inevitable factors. When the encounter with the lunatic assassins took place, Subaru's fate would have been sealed.
If he disclosed his status as an anomaly, he would gain partial sympathy from the cult, and his life would be spared; but in doing so he would incur the wrath of Utada, who, without heeding his words, would attack him. Although, even if he did heed his words, Subaru really had no way to prove or defend his innocence. Someone who was favored by the Witch Cult would automatically be a pariah in that world's society; even more so to Utada, whose village of birth was attacked by the cult when he was only a child.
Utada was the sole survivor of the attack, because he knew perfectly well the best hiding places in the village. The mercenary had been a problem child, and throughout his childhood he had become accustomed to running away from adults almost every day. It saved his life, but it did nothing to save that of his relatives, whom he heard vividly how they were slaughtered one by one. Subaru did not know this story of Utada's past, but he was not unable to infer part of it.
Therefore, if he concealed his status as an anomaly, he would be killed by the cult, unless one of the archbishops became aware of it themselves.. If he revealed the truth, Utada would attack him, and neither Otto, nor Leith, nor the Witch Cult, would do anything to aid him. That is the impasse he found himself in; the catalyst for the panic attack that led to a terrible death at the hands of Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti.
It was after returning from the dead for the fifteenth time since he arrived in that world, amidst a siege of words from Otto, who naively pinned his hopes on a pathetic loser like him, that the thought dawned on Subaru. Would he sacrifice time? Indeed, however, he had no other choice. Once again, Halibel was the only useful piece he had left on the board. And he had no other choice but to use her. Fate had him in check, but nonetheless Subaru would make his move. The lethal game against fate continued…
"... The mansion? Miss Anastasia-sama's mansion?" Otto had been taken by surprise by his words. Was it really such a surprising statement?
Of course, none of them were aware of his master-servant relationship with Halibel, however, that made no difference. The vast majority of Fang of Iron members were there. Anastasia was in the safest place in the capital, a castle crowded with Lugunica's royal guards and knights, so only Mimi and Julius had accompanied her.
"Yes, Otto, Anastasia's mansion." Subaru said, as though it was a matter of course. "That's where the vast majority of Fang of Iron mercenaries are. If we go and explain to them what happened, they won't hesitate to lend us a hand. Anastasia should be fine with me coming to their aid, don't you think so, Utada?" Subaru's gaze slid to the imposing figure standing next to the former traveling merchant.
"..." Utada did not respond immediately. A tense silence formed in the room, and it was Utada himself who brought it to an end. "Ya're correct, Subaru-sama. Given the particular circumstances, I've no doubt that the lady would be more than willin' to allow ya ta take a couple of my Fang of Iron colleagues with ya."
A couple of his Fang of Iron colleagues? Subaru was definitely planning to do more than just that. How much would Utada's opinion change if he learned that Subaru was planning to remove Halibel, Ricardo and Tivey from their duties as mansion guards, at the very least? However, it was clear to Subaru that revealing such information would backfire.
That could easily elicit Utada to blame him as a conspirator and attack him; only Anastasia had the power to give orders to any of the organization's leaders, and although Halibel was not a leader, that rule applied equally to him. If Utada, who usually strictly followed the rules, learned of Subaru's intentions to leave the mansion unprotected, there was no doubt that his suspicions would lead him to thoroughly doubt Subaru and his "dark" intentions.
"Indeed. That's why we must set out for Anastasia's mansion. There we'll make a short stop in order to obtain reinforcements that will be essential to reach the Royal Castle. Our main objective is to meet with Anastasia and the rest of the candidates gathered there, in order to inform them about what happened in the commercial district."
"Natsuki... There's something I don't quite get." Otto interjected, nervously raising up his right hand. Having gotten Subaru's attention, the merchant continued. "Do you really think the royal guard hasn't learned of the siege? From what Utada-san described, the Cult's attack is by no means a stealthy one. If plumes of smoke have risen over the commercial district, I'm absolutely certain that the knights of the kingdom wouldn't overlook such signs of an attack."
"Plumes of smoke, huh?" Subaru asked him, sarcastically. "Tell me Otto, do you've any further doubts regarding my impromptu plan? After all, didn't you claim only moments ago that you trusted my judgment? Or do you also plan to let those words be gobbled up by death?" With every word that came out of his mouth, the degree of causticity of these words increased. Subaru might have managed to regain his composure, but the resentment and disgust welling up inside him had not been quelled.
"I-I..." Bewildered by Subaru's sneer-laden words, Otto stammered as he tried to justify himself. "I was simply stating my opinion with the goal that we can take the best possible course of action. I mean, the ideal thing is that you don't carry all the responsibility by yourself, right? However, you don't have to pay attention to me if you don't want to. Besides, what do you mean by "gobbled up by death"? I'm really not understanding you, Natsuki. One moment you tell me you want to listen to what I've to say, and the next you get annoyed because I say what I think and start talking nonsense..."
Sighing heavily, Subaru shook his head. In disgust, he swallowed the metaphorical bile overflowing down his throat and replied to Otto. "Forget it, delusions of an idiot, that's all. Do you have anything else to add?"
"Are you sure you want to hear what I have in mind?" Inquired Otto, unsure.
"Go ahead, say what you gotta say..."
"Fine..." Otto muttered. After a second sorting out the ideas in his head, Otto continued. "Besides the fact that I'm sure the people in the castle are already more than aware of the siege... Is it really necessary to go all the way to Anastasia-sama's mansion to recruit help? We'd be straying too far off the path to the castle, and besides that, I don't think the reinforcements we get will make much difference if Utada-san, who's part of the Fang of Iron's elite, isn't able to stand up to the Witch Cult."
"If that's what you think, then why don't you tell us, what do you propose?" Nonchalantly, Subaru urged Otto to come up with a plan that could replace his.
"Ehmm, I wouldn't call it a proposal as such, but I think it'd be best to avoid increasing the numbers of our group. The fewer we are, the easier it'll be for us to go unnoticed. If we use the more hidden alleyways and backstreets of the city to advance towards the castle, then maybe we'll manage to avoid those-"
"It won't work." Subaru cut him off, abruptly interrupting him. With an icy look on his face, Subaru glared at Otto. "We did something similar in my vision, and it didn't work; they found us, and we were slaughtered."
"In that case-" Otto seemed ready to continue contributing ideas, but Subaru stopped him. He seemed to have finally calmed down, otherwise he wouldn't be so persistent in voicing his opinion, Subaru thought.
"I heard what you had to say, so now let me answer you." Subaru stated, raising his right index finger in the air. "First. It's true that at the castle they're most likely already aware of the siege. But that's the least of it. I alone, thanks to my blessing, understand the true extent of the cult's attack. Any royal guard or knight who came across any of the Sin Archbishops, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was murdered."
"So you're the only one who knows there are four archbishops in the Capital..." Otto concluded, earning a nod of approval from Subaru.
"Second." Subaru continued, now raising his middle finger in tandem with his index finger. "As I said, no matter what we do, if it's just the four of us going to the castle, we'll die." Without the slightest trace of tactfulness, Subaru made it abundantly clear how dire their situation was.
"Still, what difference would a couple of mercenaries make?" Subaru could tell, Otto's spirit had not really calmed down entirely. Otto's face revealed his true emotions; fear and anxiety were gnawing at his heart. Otto really wanted to trust Subaru, but the so-called plan he had come up with in his haste had not been enough to assuage his survival instinct.
Subaru glanced sideways at Utada, who had listened to the exchange of words in silence, and could tell that his sharp feline gaze was fixed on him. Depending on what I say now, Utada might decide it would be best to murder me. He needed to convince Otto and Utada that the best option they had for survival was to go to the mansion. Once there, Subaru could employ Halibel to subdue anyone who opposed following his plan; specifically Utada.
Come up with something, think of an excuse that would be enough to convince them. Insistently, Subaru repeated that in his mind. What did he need to convince them once and for all that going to the mansion was the right decision? Time was ticking, time was running out, and there he was, wasting it in useless discussions.
In his frustration, Subaru failed to notice that he had begun to dig his fingernails into the palms of his hands, causing blood to start flowing copiously between his fingers. He needed something, anything! It was in that moment of desperation, that inspiration finally came to him, and he felt, once again, completely stupid for having forgotten it. How much trouble did he go through to get it, so that in the end he would end up forgetting it altogether?
"I didn't mean to talk about it..." Subaru began, pretending that he had not just found what he had so desperately searched for. "After the attack on the inn in Priestella, I found myself in a deep state of paranoia for a couple of months. I still am, though not as badly as I was then… Anyway, cutting to the chase, I designed a weapon of sorts, a futuristic weapon reinvented from my memories. A weapon that, along with reinforcements, should be enough to get us to the castle without a scratch."
He was overstating it, of course he was. There was no such thing as a weapon capable of dealing with the monstrous Sin Archbishops. Still, it might serve to convince Utada and Otto, and it might even serve to deliver the coup de grace to some cultist. The self-loathing that burned in his chest had grown due to him remembering it until now, but that only made the memories of the weapon's crafting burn hotter on his skin...
Prior to the inauguration of the Hoshin Company headquarters in Lugunica, and with it the Reinvention Project, Subaru approached one of the designers he met at Priestella and with whom he kept in touch during his stay in Kararagi. Thanks to this, and after weeks of secrecy in which he was on the verge of being discovered on more than one occasion, his first prototype of a gun saw the light of day.
Since then, owing to the guilt that had welled up inside him for giving in to his fears and weaknesses, he hid it in a box under his bed in Anastasia's mansion. After that, his mind blocked all memory of the firearm's existence, as well as compelled him to avoid Halibel for fear that needing him would mean the beginning of another cycle of death. In the end, his pathetic escape from reality had proved completely futile and unbearably counterproductive. Still, now that he finally remembered the existence of the weapon, he would finally put it to use.
"A weapon you say?" Otto asked him, confused. "I don't remember you ever designing anything like that."
Before answering, Subaru looked at Utada. It was not quite visible, but his brow had furrowed slightly. Hearing that Subaru had secretly created a weapon might not be to his liking, but hopefully his excuse was enough to quell his suspicions if only a little. If it kept Utada from attacking him, then it was fine. Subaru's job was to reinvent gadgets after all, Utada couldn't murder him for it.
"Like I just said, I was extremely paranoid at the time. I only created it because at the time I desperately needed some way to protect myself from any possible attackers. The reason I didn't say anything about it was because I was afraid that if the design came to light it might stir up trouble in this somewhat primitive society, but none of that matters anymore. Without that weapon, we won't be able to survive the events that await us in the future." Subaru replied completely confident; though it was all but a mere fabrication. His real weapon was Kararagi's most powerful warrior.
"Hmm... A weapon capable of saving us... I can't deny that, having seen your ingenuity in action, it would be foolish of me to distrust it. Still, I'm afraid that doesn't change our current dire situation much, Natsuki. How will we avoid being attacked on the way to the mansion?" Otto's doubts had not been entirely dispelled, the terrible fear that had gripped him still clung to his heart.
"My visions are never wrong, Otto. I already know where the archbishops are, so if we avoid them by moving as far west as possible, then we'll be fine; they're the ones we must truly fear."
"But in your vision we never headed for the mansion, did we? That being the case, wouldn't it be possible that near the area there's an archbishop you've no idea about?"
"Otto..." Subaru scowled and glared at the merchant, then immediately moved his gaze to Utada, then back to Otto, repeating the pattern a couple more times. "I'm convinced that if we avoid the east as much as possible, we'll make it. We'll get to the mansion safely and there we'll gather everything we need to make it to the castle. No matter what happens, nothing will stop me from reuniting with Anastasia, do you understand? Not even your doubts will. If neither of you really intended to take my word for it, then you simply wouldn't have left the decision in my hands. Now accept responsibility for it and join me on the hellish journey that awaits us out of this room."
"..." Again, a tense silence ensued. A standoff broke out between the inventor, the merchant and the mercenary. Subaru, with a gaze sharp as the edge of a Katana, stared at the weakest link; Otto. After long seconds of stalemate, a sigh of defeat seeped past the lips of the ashen-haired young man.
"If you put it that way, I guess I really have no choice but to abide by my own words and trust your decision. If you say there are only four archbishops and they won't attack us on the way to the mansion, then I'll trust you."
"..." Utada glanced sideways at Otto, his scowl now gone from his face, and in an indifferent tone added. "My position has not changed in the slightest, Subaru-sama. I'll do as you see fit."
"... Thanks." A tense smile broke out on Subaru's face, he finally relaxed his taut shoulders, releasing a breath of relief. He had convinced them. He had revealed the existence of his weapon without incurring Utada's wrath, and in doing so had gotten them to agree to go to the mansion. Immediately, however, his back regained the lost firmness of his posture, and a look of seriousness returned to his face. "I'd like to explain my reasons in more detail, but unfortunately we don't have time for that. The earlier we leave, the better our chances of making it, so we should do it right away."
"As ya command." Utada replied firmly. Otto nodded; signs of nervousness were still visible on every inch of his body.
Subaru immediately turned toward the door, and in doing so caught a glimpse of a face pale as a corpse. Subaru froze in place, his eyes widening. In front of the door stood Leith. At what point did he move from the table to there? Subaru wondered. Trembling, Leith blocked the door leading outside with his weakened body.
"L-Leith?" Unsure of what his companion's intentions were, Subaru addressed him by name. The craftsman's lips twitched slightly, and a mournful whisper filtered through the gap.
"...I-if we go west...wouldn't that mean I'd be abandoning my f-family?" As pathetic as Subaru in his worst moments of mental breakdown, Leith watched his inventor friend with pleading eyes.
Your family is a goner, Subaru was tempted to reply. However, doing such a thing would also prove extremely counterproductive. If he didn't handle that matter with extreme care, all his efforts could end up falling apart. Subaru cast a quick sidelong glance at Utada and then turned his focus back to Leith.
If he abandoned Leith, Otto or both, it could cause Utada's shaky confidence to disappear. He needed to convince them all that it was best to go to the mansion. Therefore, Subaru had no choice but to resort to a selfish lie again. "Leith... if we go east, you'll never be able to reunite with your family; I can tell you that much. So first we'll go to the mansion and there we'll find someone capable of taking you to them. I'd go with you myself, but I really can't delay my reunion with Anastasia any longer."
Once again, Subaru cast a fleeting, stealthy glance at Utada. He was still as nonchalant as ever; there was no such thing as a trace of anger or hatred. Apparently the mercenary did not disagree with his "pious" way of dealing with the matter. Forcing a smile, Subaru approached Leith, who was now eyeing him warily.
Had the aura he radiated become so corrupted? Could Leith perceive the witch's miasma emanating from his body? Probably not. It was simply that before him stood the witness to the massacre of his family. Subaru had seen firsthand the tragic final fate of Leith's unfortunate family. His words were simply not convincing enough.
"Leith, you'd listen to Natsuki. I understand that you feel nervous and insecure, after all, neither you nor I ever dealt with a predicament like this before. However, Natsuki and Utada-san have. If Utada-san, an experienced mercenary, trusts Natsuki's plan, why shouldn't we? He's our trusted friend and colleague, isn't he?"
Evidently, Otto still harbored several doubts; however, his determination to honor what he told Subaru and to respect Subaru's resolve to find a solution to this disastrous scenario, were finally enough for him to cast aside the fear that flooded him and take Subaru's side. Otto respected Subaru, and that would never change. Otto knew how badly Subaru had been affected by the events in Priestella and Kyo, and he was confident that no one would know better than him how to deal with a despairing situation like that of Leith and his family.
"He survived..." Leith whispered, partially regaining the glint of reason in his eyes.
"That's right, Natsuki survived dire situations such as this one. Maybe I'm not the right person to say it, since I had my doubts too until a moment ago, but I really believe that if we follow what he says, we'll somehow make it out of this alive."
Leith and Otto had maelstroms of multiple conflicting emotions within them; both were frightened and confused. Still, the yearning for survival that burned within them, even in spite of the all-destroying emotional maelstrom, was compelling them to cling to the bonds of friendship they had formed over the past year. Maybe there was indeed a way to handle the situation with them, Subaru thought, watching his friends. Once again, his weakness had blinded him to the alternatives that lay in front of him...
"Let's go, we don't have time to waste." No matter how hard he tried, his many weaknesses were still an emotional ballast that kept him from progressing. Still, with strength he would continue to drag his heavy feet along that inclement path of destiny.
As they made their way through the alleyways and backstreets, Subaru found it impossible to stop sneaking distrustful glances at Utada, who was walking a few meters behind Otto, Leith and him. That he was being so wary of his bodyguard was inevitable. On two occasions already, the mercenary had appeared behind him with intentions of murdering him, both times the traitorous bodyguard succeeded. At any moment he could attack me; Subaru repeated mentally.
As he had expected, the east of Lugunica was still largely intact. This time they had chosen to walk a rectangular path. Or should one say triangular? If you connected Anastasia's mansion and Leith's house with a line, and called it the hypotenuse, then the group was traveling the legs of the nascent right triangle.
First we will be moving east, and then we will move north. Those had been Subaru's instructions. If they moved toward the northeast, they would shorten the distance they would have to travel, and with it the time. However, considering what had happened during the penultimate loop, in which Petelgeuse's subordinates were able to find him, Subaru preferred to avoid taking any chances.
During the current death cycle, he had died a total of five deaths. The smell of witch's miasma emanating from his body must have been particularly intense. If he had not decided to get as far away from the cultists as possible, they would undoubtedly have found him before he could even take the first step towards the mansion.
It had been about forty minutes, and they had finally started walking north. If they kept moving in a straight line, without deviating, then they would reach the mansion in less than half an hour; even sooner if they discarded stealth. Subaru looked at Utada again. The mercenary remained as impassive as ever. At any sign of fiery anger, Subaru would opt to break the taboo and entice the cult.
Admittedly, if he drew the attention of the cultists, he risked one of the nearest Archbishops finding them, however, he was willing to risk it if it meant getting to Anastasia's mansion alive. Still... Utada did not really seem particularly vigilant of Subaru's movements.
Granted, that could be because the mercenary knew how to appear uninterested about all that surrounded him, even when hatred burned within his heart. But Subaru did not feel that was the case at that particular moment. If he offered him no reason to be suspicious of him, Utada would simply let him be. Therefore, the best thing he could do was to continue to avoid the cult. However...
"Natsuki…"
"I know." Subaru replied. The dangerous silence had returned, and it did not take Otto's Divine Protection to notice it. "Utada, we'd better start running. At any moment they'd attack us, so keep an eye on the rear. In case they surround us, I'll use Shamak to distract them, I trust your nose to take care of the rest."
"Understood." A curt response was more than enough.
The group then increased the pace of their strides, thus discarding any intention of continuing to move stealthily. With the cult so close, there was no doubt that they had already picked up Subaru's scent. Still, he was absolutely certain that it could not possibly be more than a lone group; possibly the same one he encountered after running into the guards.
An advance party that was commencing to attack the eastern areas. Probably if they managed to elude them they could avoid a premature encounter with Petelgeuse; since before leaving Leith's house he had assumed that such an encounter would take place. His only real objective was to avoid the Sin Archbishops. However, to think so was too optimistic, and Subaru knew it. They continued to run through the streets of the urban sector of the capital, which was completely desolate. There was still no remnant of massacre, but Subaru knew that it would not stay that way for long.
"'Ere're those fuckers..." Utada whispered. Since the witch cultists were not yet visible, it was clear that he was detecting their presence with his sense of smell. They were only five minutes away from the mansion, so close yet so far. "I'll keep 'em busy, ya-" Before Utada could finish speaking, ten hooded subjects were already surrounding them.
"This time I won't be who you expect, so I'm sorry, but I need you to get out of my fucking way. Kuro! Shamak!"
Along the way had briefly discussed the details of how they would act should the cultists find them. Assuring Otto, Leith and Utada that they would not encounter a Sin Archbishop, Subaru informed them that Utada would be able to keep the subordinate cultists at bay, while he would use Shamak to open an escape route and in the process hinder the attackers.
Subaru grabbed Otto by the wrist, who in turn did the same with Leith, and together they went through the black cloud. Subaru knew his own spell well enough to know how to move within it, so in a few seconds they were back in the world dyed red by the rays of the evening sun.
"Will Utada-san really be able to handle them?" Subaru heard Leith whisper.
"Probably yes, still the best thing would be for us to keep going. We really don't have time to waste."
"Are we going to leave him behind?" The question was uttered by Leith, but Otto's gaze conveyed the same sentiment. It is necessary, Subaru was about to say, but...
"That won't be necessary, Su-san. I'll take care of givin' Utada-san a hand." In front of the trio of young men, a grinning Shinobi warrior materialized out of thin air.
"I'm glad I finally found you, Hal-san. If you weren't able to sense that something was off with the capital, no one would be." A faint smile came across Subaru's face; the only one who was not paralyzed by shock. A smile that disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "... I'm sor-" He was about to apologize for his attitude of the past few weeks, when he was interrupted by a carefree laugh.
"Ha, ha, ha! No need, Su-san." With a kunai in each hand, the warrior turned towards the black cloud, from which came screams of anger and noises of bones being crushed. "I'll only say this... I told ya so, boss. Hehe!"
For the first time in a long time, Subaru felt safe.