As days before the Royal Selection was held to a close, the nefarious Witch Cult— in an act of pure desperation— launched an all-out attack at the castle. The ambush was led by the remaining Archbishops of Sin: Capella Emeralda Lugnica and Louis Arneb.
With the joint forces of all the Royal Candidates and their camp members—as well as the Royal Knights— the attack was unsuccessful and Capella and the remaining survivors escaped—with severe casualties on both sides.
As the Royal Candidates and their remaining forces were about to celebrate their victory, the last remaining Archbishop of Gluttony cracked and started laughing at all of them. As sinister and vile the laughter was —which sends shivers on some of their spines— the respective knights instinctively took guard and protect their respective masters.
With her last breath, the blond-haired girl uttered her final words—which were laced with unusual glee and satisfaction:
"I may have lost the battle, but I have won the war...There's no way for you to come back and regain your life now...Subaru Natsuki..."
...
...
...
"Who's Subaru?"
As each one of them voiced this thought— either internally or externally— a sudden jolt strikes them, each giving them a shiver in their spine and a sense of release from a mysterious mental block...
As life slowly faded away from Louis' body, forgotten memories slowly reappeared and visualized on their minds:
The boy that showed up out of nowhere...
The one who looked at the Sword Saint as a person and gave him a chance to be human...
The one that saved Felt and Emilia from that fateful at the loot house...
The one who was responsible on the subjugation of the White Whale—which himself slammed the Great Mabeast to the ground...
The one who came up with the tactics to defeat the Archbishop of Sloth...
The one who supposedly eradicated the Great Rabbit from the face of the Earth...
The one who lifted the tired hearts of the citizens of Pristella with his speech and was mainly responsible to the victory of the Watergate City...
The knight who willingly absorbed the cursed dragon blood from the duchess...
The one who defeated the all-powerful Greed...
The one who remembered the forgotten maid and 'knight of knights'...
The one that appeased, relinquished, and reclaimed Vincent Vollachia's throne during the civil war in Vollachia...
The one that was deemed a "hero"...
The one that was forgotten...
...Subaru Natsuki...
...
...
...
"No..."
...and with that, the once elated and glorious celebration slowly turned into a living hell of pain, regrets, and despair.
One and a half year has passed since the black-haired boy was last seen—in which he was chased away and labeled as a witch cultist. With that long span of time—plus the fact his name was forgotten until recently—there were no reports of the said "hero" and his whereabouts.
Some speculated that the nasty-eyed boy died in the hands of the Witch Cult. Others rumored that his own camp betrayed him and either turned their backs on him or killed him. And some speculated that he just vanished, never to be seen again and only amplifies the legend of the forgotten hero.
The blond-haired ruler wasted no time using her every resource to find any information on her "Big Bro". The one who saved her and put her in this mess in the first place. It irked and frustrated her that she forgotten the one that risked his life to defend and save her from the Bowel Hunter. Ever since the revelation by the dying Archbishop of Gluttony, those who were close to the knight were never the same again.
Even though her camp won the Royal Selection, Felt didn't feel any joy from it, for as great was the boon they have gain—both for the betterment and tranquility of the kingdom—the heavy price it paid was not—no, never— worth it. What made is so worse is that it wasn't any of them that paid such steep price— it was Subaru Natsuki.
As much as she wanted to voiced out her selfish wish, the consequences and ramifications it brought were greater than she could managed—as if her job wasn't hard enough already. Initially wanted to tear down the kingdom to the ground, she reluctantly agreed to a compromise made by Crusch and Reinhard: the other losing candidates would serve as "representatives" to a specific section of the kingdom.
The proposal spilt the group into two sides: Anastasia and Crusch agreed to work together with her— as the former would be great for the economical stability of the country while the latter would serve as the judicial and defense division.
Priscilla was strongly against it, saying that it irked and disgusted her to receive such "consolation" award and as such left them to their own devices. As much as she wants to strike her down at that moment by her prideful remark, the red-eyed queen decided that she's not worth the trouble to waste her time with. Besides, the Baroness is somewhat part of the Royal bloodline at Vollachia, so when she thinks about it, she really didn't lose any of value...
...what she was really concern was the other person who was against working together with them...
As soon as the Royal Selection ended and the notion that their camp had lost settled down to them, Roswaal left and abandoned Emilia and the others—with the exception of his maids Ram, Rem, and Frederica, as well as Beatrice— as he withdrew his sponsorship from her. The Margrave's etched a painful mix of rage, remorse, frustration, and despair as his path towards his goal is nothing but a fleeting dream now.
All his sacrifices, scheming, and manipulation have gone to waste. All his efforts were now in vain, and it only took an Archbishop and his own accursed sponsored camp to cast away his only "key" to achieve his goal...
With now the Emilia camp being disbanded, Petra decided to return to her own village while Otto returned to his old job as a merchant—even though his luck was never that fortunate. Reinhard took an empty and lost Garfiel under his wing and train him in order to be part of the Royal Knights.
..and all that's left was Emilia—all by herself...
Felt and Crusch would gladly accept her to any of their houses but the silver-haired half-elf won't try to listen to reason. As much as Anastasia was a bit annoyed by the half-elf throwing a "tantrum", even she pitied Emilia's current condition and sympathized with her as well—but just a little bit.
The former candidate was so devastated and heartbroken as tears won't stop flowing out from her amethyst eyes. Lost, abandoned, and all alone, Emilia wailed as she desperately called out his name, hoping that somehow, some way, he'll save her again like he always does—as she wanted nothing else but to see Subaru back and beg for him to come back for her...
As much as she wants to live through her delusions, her regrets and despair, however, voiced their own opinions:
"I have no knight! So stop telling me that you are my own..."
"I have no member that is affiliated with the witch cult..."
"If you really are my knight, then considered you relinquished..."
Her cries laced with confusion, scorn, and disgust...
"Get away from me!..."
"Stop looking at me as if you're in love with me..."
"You are no one..."
"You mean no value to me..."
As the voices gradually amplified in her mind, Felt and Crusch try to console the broken silver-haired girl as both hugged her and rubbed her back and hair to and fro—while both of them also heartbroken on what their friend had become...
In silence, they wished for HIM to come back and save Emilia once again...
Meanwhile, Subaru woke up from a weird but depressing dream. He shivered as it felt too real as he wiped his forehead. Involuntarily, tears fell as he recalled the "eerie vision"...
Emilia's broken state as she cries her heart out, calling his name...
Beatrice all alone in a library, wasting her life away...
Ram stopping Rem from self-harming as the latter was caught red-handed with a kitchen knife...
Otto drinking nonstop together with Julius...
Reinhard and Garfiel training nonstop to divert themselves from their grief...
Crusch and Felt desperately trying to hold things together as they secretly cry from time to time without being seen...
As the confusing yet depressing thoughts continued to fill his heart, a gentle yet firm grip from his free hand snapped him out from his sorrowful trance...
"Having another nightmare, Subaru?"
Slowly and steadily, Shion rustled from her side of her bed and positioned herself to sit next to the black-haired boy—her orange eyes laced with concern as she gazed at his troubled face. She patiently waited until Subaru took a deep breath and rose up to sit beside her.
"No...but it was a sad one, in fact. It felt so real, as if it really did happened..." he muttered as he softly clenched her hand to ease his discomfort.
"Would you like to share it? It could really ease the pain, you know?" the elf inquired as she hated seeing him like this.
Silence filled the room as Subaru began to think of ways to either divert or divulge her from the topic. So far from his stay here at another world, he mostly bottled up his grief and despair as he couldn't tell another soul due to Return by Death. Though he gave some vague bits of pieces to Beatrice before, it was really difficult and frustrating to simply blurt it out as it really made him feel isolated from everyone else.
He really wanted Shion to know and understand what has been bothering him— his past, his deaths, and his betrayal. He wanted "the person who holds his heart" to know the truth about him. But at the same time, Subaru was so afraid that once she knows, she'll leave him just like the others did. Being seen as a 'monster'...
And honestly, he knows that his heart couldn't take another devastating heartbreak again...
As his thoughts accelerated to many variations of possibilities, the green-haired elf abruptly wrapped him in a warm embrace.
As she learned that her love had these "nightly activities", Shion did her best to soothe and calm him down. Most of the time it would work—giving him reassurance by physical touch and words of affection. But when there are times that are too tough to break through, she would adamantly hold him tight in a warm embrace—never letting him go...
So for him to act this way—eerily calm despite having a slight emotional breakdown— could give her some insight on what's going on his mind of his.
"I love you, Subaru. You don't have to force yourself if you're not comfortable with it. Just know that I will always love you, no matter what. I'll be always be here if you need me..." Shion voiced her truest thoughts as she looked at him with warm conviction and devotion.
"You don't have to force yourself to tell me what's wrong. But please don't think that I not knowing will make me love you less. We all have our secrets..."
"Heck, I'll share you one. When I was a little, I would nibble one corner of my blanket or pillow. It would soothe and calm me as it remember my mother's beautiful ears when she was still alive..." she smiled sadly as she recalled that bittersweet memory from the past. Shaking her head from a bit of sadness, she looked at the nasty-eyed boy and holds both of his hands and places them slightly above her left breast—where her heart is.
"My point is that no matter what happens to us, we're a team. And just as I love you dearly and unconditionally, I'll put my utmost faith and trust in you—as you hold my heart. So, please don't be sad, okay love?"
Subaru wasn't sure if he's crying from pure unadulterated joy or from sadness.
This warmth...
Such addicting warmth...
The pure bliss and happiness he's feeling from such simple yet impactful declaration...
"If only I met you first when I arrived from this accursed world..."he internally lamented as he wishes that the green-haired elf was the one that saved him back then at the alleyway.
But nevertheless, all the things that happened to him eventually led him to Shion.
The one who holds his heart...
The one he swore to save no matter what...
The one he vows to love with all that he has...
The one that saved him from the abyss of despair...
The one he now calls his love...
Shion really knows how to calm his inner demons away. Despite not knowing who he was, she put her trust in him and never left him. It was amazing really that as days and months go by, she never once insisted to ask him about his identity—something he was guilty about since she shares her own experiences to him.
So, it's okay, right?
It's okay to tell her who he was before and why she found him at that hill, worn-out and bloody?
To explain why he's having these dreadful nightmares?
And let her know who he really was?
As his love for Shion fills him with assurance and a sense of security, he took a deep breath and looked straight at her tender orange eyes.
"Okay Shion, I'll tell you everything. You might not believe me, but..."
...their conversation lasted until the first break of daylight...
Subaru slowly opened his eyes as discomfort started to well-up within him. It was late noon when he woke up after telling Shion everything—his identity, his past, and his current situation. He was really scared that after divulging all—but not everything due to the penalties of Return by Death— and laying-out his vulnerable heart, the green-haired elf would leave him and break his already wounded heart...
And this goes to show that he shouldn't be too judgmental to anyone, especially HER...
He turn his gaze to Shion—who was still soundly asleep— as she was still wrapping her arms around him, clinging on with tear-stains on her beautiful face. If he could, he wished to take her sadness away as she doesn't deserve to have such expression. The black-eyed knight recalled everything that happened the night before:
As he go through his troubled life, the orange-eyed beauty kept hugging him—occasionally giving him a kiss on the cheek when the topic gets too hard for him to talk about. As he choke up remembering the painful experiences he lived, Shion kept on rubbing his back and hair— assuring that she's here for him. He couldn't help but cry even further from such kindness and sincerity which prompt him to hug her tightly as well.
The "intervention—therapy session" continued until they found themselves sleeping soundly—wrapped on each other's arms, feeling each other's heartbeats and rhythmic breathing...
He must have stared too intently as Shion's eyes slowly fluttered and adjusted from the brightness of their surroundings. As soon as she rustled and looked up at him, a small and tired smile etched on her face.
"Good morning, Subaru. Or is it 'Good afternoon'? Still having bad and sad dreams?"
Subaru just hugged the lass tightly and gave her a smile of his own. "I'm such the luckiest guy on this kingdom...you don't know how much you saved me yet again last night." feeling grateful for the empathy and kindness Shion gave to him when he was in his lowest—when everything was so bleak and he reach an endless dead end— the orange-eyed beauty gave her hand and pulled him out from the pits of despair and gave him a second chance to live.
A second chance to realize that life isn't unfair.
A second chance for LOVE.
"Good morning, Shion-tan. No, I didn't have any bad dreams now...Thank you..." he answered as a light, warm, and comfortable feeling bubbled up from his chest, causing him to smile effortlessly to her.
"That's good to hear." the green-haired elf smiled further as she rubbed her eyes and let out a cute yawn. As soon she finished wearing off her drowsiness, a mischievous smile crept up on her.
"So, a knight, huh? Never knew my partner had such majestic and noble past... Should I call you Sir Subaru Natsuki now? Or maybe do a curtsey every time you talk? Or maybe call you Master?" Shion teased as she remembered everything they talked until the break of dawn.
Imagine the shock, amazement, and sadness the elf felt when she listened and consoled Subaru as he unraveled his secret past...
Don't get her wrong, she did heard rumors and stories about a legendary hero that slain two of the three Great Mabeast, defeated the Archbishops Sloth and Greed, the one who gave an awe-inspiring speech and saved Pristella, and helped prevent a civil war at Vollachia by aiding the Emperor reclaim his throne...
...but she just assume that it was a bunch of baloney since such person couldn't exist, right?
But as she further listened and understand his story, she came to realize that this boy wasn't a "great and powerful hero that eradicates the forces of evil and save the poor innocent civilians"...
...but a poor soul with a golden heart that just wanted to save everyone he loves and cherishes—which unfortunately was wasted as those same people turned against him...
How her heart broke hearing from her lover that those who he held precious to his heart attacked him, hurt him, and chases him away from his home. How he aimlessly wandered around fearing for his life until he was too tired and pass out...being left for dead...broken physically and emotionally...
Not anymore.
"No one will hurt you anymore, my love. I promise, I'll be always be here for you, no matter what. With my love for you, this I swear..."
...on that moment, the "lovable goofball" gave her own promise for him— the one that holds her heart...
"Ghk! Stop it! It's kinda weird if you say that! Also, as far as I'm concerned, I'm not a knight anymore..." Subaru groaned as it was embarrassing for him to be called as such—despite being a little sad that the title he so worked tirelessly was stripped off by him by Emilia.
Emilia...
Suddenly, thoughts of the silver-haired half-elf filled his mind...
How he first fell head over heels for her...
How he tried so hard to save her from never-ending threats against her...
How he confessed his love for her...
How he hoped that one day she'll love him as well...
How he was once an immature fool turned into her loyal knight...
How he remembered her when her name was eaten by Gluttony...
...
...
...
..and how she forgot him when his name was eaten by Louis...
...and the look of fear, disgust, and scorn as she denied and ostracized him...
...and how she shattered his heart into a million of pieces...
...
...
...
Subaru was shocked when Shion suddenly placed her lips on his own but soon relaxed and let himself enjoy the moment. Slowly, their tongues wrestled for dominance as they twist and overlap one another. After a few moments, their lips separate from one another—with a trail of saliva connecting them—to let them have a chance to breathe.
"How many times do I have to tell you, mister? No more bad thoughts. It wasn't your fault that they acted that way. So please...don't fret my love, for me..." Shion pleaded as she looked his glassy eyes with affection.
"Not fair, Shion-tan. You can't pull a surprise attack on that..." he muttered as he started to get flustered. Despite being slightly embarrassed, he was grateful for her sweet gesture as it really snapped him out from his own past regrets.
If you asked him now, he really forgave them as it wasn't their fault to begin with as Louis did it out of revenge to him...
..but he can't also forget the hurt and betrayal he felt from that day. Like really, they could have just gave him a chance to prove his innocence and not go with drastic measures...
But it really made him think that; maybe...they really didn't want him to be with them after all...
So with a final conclusion, he wished from the bottom of his heart:
"I hope you guys are happy now. To have a better future...without me."
The green elf gave a quick kiss on his lips and smiled slyly at him." That's payback from last time, mister..." she winked as she lightly chuckled at his shocked expression.
"..ghk! Why you little..."
"Hahahaha, stop it Subaru...it tickles. Hahahaha, please, stop! Hahahahaha. I can't...I can't breathe..."
Subaru countered her teasing by going on a "tickle attack" by nuzzling on her neck, tickling her sides, and lightly kissing and nibbling her cheek. Laughter and elation filled their cozy home as both lovers laughed and had fun with one another...
..and Subaru wouldn't trade it for anything...
As their playful and tender moment waned, their exhausted bodies laid side by side with smiles on their faces. As they tried to composed themselves, Subaru looked at her and said the words he couldn't get tired saying to her over and over again—a same sentiment can be said to Shion as well as she look at the black-haired boy that she saved from that day...
"I love you, Shion-tan..."
"I love you too, Subaru..."
...
...
...
As both of them slowly tried to rise up and get out of their bed, Shion's body stumbled due to sudden motion sickness as severe nausea surges to her head. Fortunately, Subaru notices this and immediately catches her and prevent her from falling to the ground.
Though a bit shaken, Shion took this opportunity to flirt with her lover...
"Well, I guess the White Whale isn't the only thing you managed to make it fall over you, isn't it?" she teases as she winked at him.
...
...
...
...didn't he just mention he LOVE this girl so much!?
Meanwhile at Lugnica, tensions rose as a letter was received by Felt and the kingdom.
Vincent Vollachia declared war against them and will not stop at anything to try to conquer the country.
Panic and hysteria filled the halls of the castle as the Sage Council as well as Crusch and Reinhard try to come up with countermeasures and strategies for the devastating battle that's to happen. As Crusch was musing over their attacking strength and defensive capabilities, a second letter was sent to them by the same sender:
"The only way to prevent a full-scale war against both countries is for negotiations to be held only on the condition that Subaru Natsuki will act as the mediator."
As if the tasked to defend such devastating attack wasn't complicated enough, the condition for peace talks were also seem so impossible to attain. No one has seen nor heard of the "forgotten hero" for almost two years. Many assumed he was killed by either by their own forces or by the Witch Cult. It was as if fate finally gave it's retribution on their wrongdoings to the black-haired knight. A sick twist that slaps them for their own uselessness to save the poor misjudged soul.
Despite facing such lofty challenges, the red-eyed queen stood up from her throne declared her orders:
"Crusch and Reinhard, gather everyone...it's time to find Big Bro and bring him back home..."
Her vision is going black...standing on the edge of the patio...
Wishing her old friends back...wishing HIM to come back...
...really want to her life to end...
She's tired...so tired of feeling all of these feelings...
Staring at the wall and ceiling, remembering the old times...
Oh, how the Holy Dragon knows how badly she really wants it to happen...
...
...
...
As her haired lightly sways by the evening breeze—despite cutting it short— she asks herself:
Does her life have some meaning left?
Does she have any drive left to move forward?
Because, she's a failure.
A FAILURE...
She failed to save her people from Pandora and the Black Serpent...
She failed to save Mother Fortuna and Father Juice...
She failed to save Puck...
She failed to win the Royal Selection...
And...
She failed to save Subaru...
Left him...
Cast him away...
Abandoned...
Betrayed...
So what's the point of living when everyday feels like living in hell?
...
...
...
Despite being immune to the effects of ice magic, for the first time she felt so cold and was freezing...
...
...
...
Her vision is going black...standing on the edge of the patio ledge...
Wishing her old friends back...wishing HIM to comeback...
...really want to her life to end...
...she wants her old life back...
...
...
...
...she took one step...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"NO! EMILIA-SAMA!"
Just barely made it on time, Felix and Crusch dragged the half-elf away from the ledge. As the three of them stumbled to the ground, heartful cries could be heard by both master and servant.
"WHY!? Why won't you let me just die!? What's the point of living when I'm completely useless and always fail everyone!? What's wrong on wanting to just end it all!? So why...why..."
Crusch was both heartbroken and devastated in what had Emilia become. What happened to the sweet, naive, confident, and kind girl she used to know and admire so much? Why did she succumb into this?
As much she wanted to yell and vent out her frustrations as the questions keep piling up, she already know the answer and solution to fix her dear friend...
"Felix, please tend Emilia-sama's wounds and take her to her room...and please make her go to sleep." she whispers the last sentence as her guilt and shame eats her up to use such underhand tactics in order for the former Royal Candidate to rest.
...she really feels so sick to herself...
"Yes, Crusch-sama..."
As the healer proceeds to carry the mourning and wailing half-elf, the duchess stared at the clear dark skies and in the silence of the night made a vow:
"No matter what, I'll bring him back, Emilia-sama. So please, help her...Subaru."
Author's note:
Again, thank you so much for James Sider and Dorugi for beta-reading my work. Making this fic was so enjoyable to make—I can't stop smiling while writing...
Thank you guys for the love and support. I hope that you'll like this chapter. Please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts...
See you on the next chapter. Take care