Author Note: Yo, I am back with a new chapter. Here is chapter 4 and I should be able to upload chapter 5 later today. Thanks for reading everyone. Please remember to follow, favorite and review it greatly helps with my motivation for pumping out the next chapter. Thanks once again for reading and have a wonderful and awesome day!
Edit: Fixed grammar and a couple typos
Chapter 4
Subaru's breath was hitched. His back aligning on the rough edges of a couch pressed against the wall. Pandora, set him out a while ago. He had to trek through the Lagunica wilderness and walk to the capitol. Days like today made him think of his ground dragon more than ever.
'Damn, I really should have bought Pastriche with me. She didn't betray me…not like the others.'
The Emilia camp's smiling faces pulsated in Subaru's head for a second. The young man shaking his head as he got up from the couch. He took a long gaze around the room. He was in the slums of the capitol. The destroyed area where he was rewarded with his first death after following and trying to help Emilia. The true start of his journey…and the beginning of his hell.
This room was located underneath one of the many houses in the capitol. The destroyed homes were ransacked but Pandora told him to meet her here. So, he did what he was ordered and followed her command.
These long months that he stood by his new master's side made Subaru…stand out. His once neatly tidied up hair was now down his neck. Strands of loose black hair fell in front of his face even falling in front of his scary orange eyes.
The only thing he wore was light blue work shoes with dark grey worker pants. The only thing that covered his top frame was a massive cloak that clung to the sweat of his skin. Even his face, a dark black stubble grown around his mouth.
The average person of the capitol would believe that Natsuki was a beggar of all things, not the formal knight of the half elf candidate for the throne.
"Ah, Archbishop…you came here quicker than I expected."
The soft voice held a coldness to it. A coldness that Subaru had already gotten used to as his orange eyes went to the direction of the voice. He simply sighed as he noticed Pandora, the young woman catching his gaze. "I could say the same for you. It took me hours to walk here, Pandora."
She didn't smile. Her gaze didn't waiver as Subaru waved her off. The prior knight walking towards her as his eyes glossed over something. A box was implanted right in the middle of the two. It had randomly appeared; it was the length of a dinner table but the size of a medium sized computer.
"A gift…for your fist mission, Archibsihop." Pandora spoke up. Subaru eyed the strange box, moving forward as he took a knee in front of it. "A weapon of your past. I believe that it will only further your ambition…a remembrance of sorts."
Subaru clamped open the locks of the iron box. The box flying open and nearly whacking him in the face, though it was not that which caused the shock. Rather the bewilderment of what he was seeing. His breathing etched, Subaru's fingers curling into two steady fists as his neck craned right behind him. The ex-knight inching closer and closer towards Pandora's frame.
"You…bitch!" He grunted out. Pandora still not rendering her face into something else, the same cold glare etched into Subaru's eyes. "What is the meaning of this!"
Pandora, that was when Subaru saw the crack. The way she smirked at Subaru. "A reminder…of what you are. You murdered him in Volachia, the first kill that you ever had. I want you to remember it. I want you to know that there will be many more, they will come…Subaru."
Subaru turned away. His gaze fixated on the armor and the weapon…he kneeled. His fingers dangling along the cold metal of the single edged war axe. The weapon was cold to the touch, the heavy black vollachian axe fit snugly in Subaru's hand as he lifted the weapon. He tossed it in his left hand, it felt strange, and it was hard to hold with the loss of his fingers, but he managed.
He was strong enough to use it with one hand…he was strong enough to use Todd's axe, the man he murdered. The black vollachian armor was riddled with burns and scorch marks, the red paint was nearly peeled off and was nearly indistinguishable from the burns.
Subaru clamped his eyes shut. His nose taking in the scent of the fire…his ears taking in the sounds of Todd's screams as the young soldier was burned alive. 'He had a fiancé, a person waiting for him. I let him die…I used this axe to…'
He grunted as he tossed the axe back into the pile. The sound of metal hitting each other dulled and broke through the confined room. "Just tell me the mission and get on with it." He snarled at her.
Pandora then opened her mouth. "The capitol is in a tumult today; things are changing and not only the royal candidates but many are going to be gone…a massive meeting shall be happening in the castle. All those of interest and candidates shall be there."
Subaru ushered for her to continue on. "Subaru, you are going to infiltrate the base of the Fang of Iron that was set up here. Hoshin, the candidate has come into contact with an item of utmost importance. This mission is more imperative and important that you know. You must not…I repeat must not fail; this item can change the course of the world itself."
Subaru heard the tint of determination in Pandora's voice. The way she spoke to him was quite apathetic and indifferent at times. Still, he wasn't foolish enough to think that Pandora was just trying to sound more determined…this was the real deal.
"Okay, so let me get this straight. While everyone is off to deal with the tumult at the capitol, my duty is to infiltrate Hoshin's headquarters and find the item…"
Pandora nodded her head. "Excellent, Archbishop. Remember, you only get one shot here to do this…failure is not an option. Find what I ask of you and leave immediately. Kill any that gets in your way." She spoke. The edge in her voice apparent.
Yet, the end of her words was what stirred Subaru's heart. 'Kill…I killed Todd but that was different. He was a monster, an animal that needed to be put down that butchered all those people in those loops. He didn't give me an option. Though, the fang of Iron…'
His mind flashed over towards Mimi and her brothers, to Ricardo and the other men and woman that aided him to defeat the whale. This was a mission he needed to do so he could come back home, however to kill them…
"Archibishop, you won't have a second shot at this. Hesitation, it will only kill you…lose it." She commanded.
Subaru shook his head. His hands combing through his long hair as he refused to meet Pandora's eyes. "Archbishop, people will get in your way…whether it be this mission or the next. The age of the witch is over, the age of secrecy and stealth has come to an end." She spoke.
'Age of secrecy and stealth?' Subaru thought. The strange words didn't resonate with him as he stared at Pandora. "What…also why do you keep on saying that I only have one shot, I can use return by death to…"
She shook her head, Subaru's heart immediately sunk to the bottom of his stomach. "What!" He screamed so loud that the small room echoed underneath the weight of his voice, his hand cut through the air like a blade as Pandora simply stared. "The hell are you on about! If I can travel back and fix my mistakes I will. I don't see the…"
"…and that is the reason why you have failed all those time archbishop, that is why you have been hurt so badly." Pandora clicked her lips, Subaru's massive and muscular form towered over Pandora, but she didn't even break a sweat. "Look at what happened with the Emilia camp. You gave them your all and you were merely the girls toy. The same thing for Satella as well. The toys of two half devils."
Subaru began to understand…Pandora, sure she was a monster, but she was trying to make him value himself. Even though, he couldn't afford to fail or to die. "Listen, Natsuki. If you fail and you return by death, the mission is done. Your dream of going back home will be far more unattainable…though if you succeed, I shall further offer more of my counsel and help you achieve your dream."
Subaru nodded his head as he refused to argue. There was no point, he knew Pandora long enough that he knew how much a monster the girl was. Even then he didn't care…he would do whatever it took to return back home.
"Okay then." He spoke up. Nodding his head with her statement. "You mentioned before that the age of stealth is over, what does that mean?"
She clicked her lips. She turned around as she began to head up the stairs towards the trapdoor. "I shall award you with that answer after this mission is done, Subaru. Yet, know this archbishop that you must never tell anyone of what you truly are. Tozka, is different and was never truly a cultist of the witch. You must heed my words, just like before the archbishops of sin and the soldiers of the witch are your enemies. You shall only report to me and Tozka as well you shall never utter your true intentions. Tozka is a loyal beast, you shall see this."
'Tozka…the name sounds familiar?' Subaru thought, remembering for a brief time that he heard Pandora say that name to a figure that was talking to her before he shown her his corrupted spirit.
"Tozka, will serve you, Tozka is a loyal slave…burdened by guilt and atonement. Goodbye Natsuki Subaru, remember to not fail me."
With those words Pandora vanished. Subaru blinking his eyes as he scanned the room once again. The young ex knight going over towards the steel box. Subaru taking a deep breath as he began to don the armor. It was partially destroyed and still had the distinct smell of ash.
However, he needed all the protection that he could get. He tightened the axe bandoleer against his thigh as he connected the blade to it. From what he could understand about Vollachian soldiers from his time there, they didn't use axes as much as they favored their swords.
Todd was an enigma that used an axe; he had spent his whole time in the simulation repairing his gate and getting used to the world's mana. He even became quite the combatant with a sword. Even after all this time it was still an ongoing process, the only thing he could do was just get stronger and stronger. He would have to push further ahead to reach a goal that he wasn't sure if he could attain.
Even then…
He smiled a bit, grinning as he was already on the first step to going back home. "Vollachian Armor. It's better than Lagunica, those long coats don't protect against anything. Arrows and flails rip through them like butter."
The voice was softer than Subaru expected. He turned around to meet the hooded gaze of the person that was watching him. "Tozka…" Subaru aimlessly spoke as he turned around to meet the figure decked out in the witch cult garb. They were about Subaru's height, there voice was muffled by the cowl. Yet, it was the two straps that Tozka had lugged over there back.
Two swords. Each blade was nearly identical to the other and was sealed inside two nearly identical scabbards. The scabbards were orientally designed, with strange carvings of yellow and red silk that mirrored strange shapes and images.
The hilts of each blade were wrapped up with light grey twine, the guards of each sword held a strange but rectangular utilitarian gold finish. The pommels as well were compromised of yellow gold. Tozka dropped the blades to the floor as Tozka threw off her hood.
Subaru's eyes widened as he stared at Tozka. He raised up his right hand, pointing at the figure. "You're a girl?" He aimlessly pointed.
Tozka's hair fell from her hood as she shook her head to free the tendrils that clouded her eyes. Subaru got a good look at her. She had dark brown hair that could have been confused as red, she held striking brown eyes that peered into the ex-knight, small freckles dotted her nose and the sides of her cheeks.
She was a beautiful woman, though Subaru could see the faint scars…the stray scars that outlined her face. A small cut decorated her lower chin and a larger scar cut nearly into her right eye that went up an inch through her right eyebrow.
Though, it was the girl's eyes. They didn't radiate the warmth of Emilia's or Rem's. They were different in the most heinous of ways. They were old in their own way, almost like she had fought in over a million wars. The brown was tinted and reeked of something…they scanned Subaru's frame as he didn't part from them.
It was almost like they were searching for something…searching for something that was gone and could never be attained. They were eerie…the type of eyes Subaru saw when Emilia broke down during that loop. It was almost panicked or desperate, this girl who looked like that. For her to hold such eyes had to be…
It was almost like she hungered for war itself…for some sort of holy war that would shake the world itself.
She emptied out her breath. The cold air visible for to see as she smirked in Subaru's direction. She took a knee, kneeling in front of the boy as she kept her smile. "I am Tozka, a warrior of Vollachia. Pandora, has ordered me to stay at your service and to follow you."
That was the first day…the first start of his mission and the beginning of a long journey for both Tozka and Natsuki Subaru. Yet, there were far greater things happening. A moment that would forever shake Luginca and change the world was happening.
A half elf and her contracted spirit were walking through the halls of the royal castle. They held each other's hands as they further approached, each step holding a weight so they could explain what happened and to prove their innocence.
The royal candidates and the council of wise men, as well as the most important people of Lagunica were now an audience to the Half elf. To hear her testimony of events, for the murder of Natsuki Subaru.