The witches tomb, a location known famously around the world as the location of the world's greatest evil.
The tomb leaked thick miasma, enough to leave those who dare approach the wretched beast inside nothing but a corpse on the ground, left to decompose as not even the witch beasts surrounding the tomb dared get so close to it, too fearful of the punishment she might give them if she detects their presence.
A cruel and unfeeling aura emanated from the half elf woman bound within her seal, one reminiscent of ancient tombs found across earth that became the home of many powerful people. Her power however, matched that of even the sword saint, in fact, she may even be stronger.
Despite the overwhelming power he felt radiating from the tomb before him, as well as the splitting headache that made his ears ring so loud his eardrums felt like they were on fire, and not to mention the overwhelming nausea that overcame him the second he felt the first strong wave of miasma affect him, making him throw up instantly as he crouched down to try and ease his decaying body, Natsuki Subaru continued on.
His pale, shaky hand gripped at the walls as he limped his way over to the presumed entrance to the tomb, his form hunched over in agony as his eyes, now hollow due to the sheer terror of the things he had seen and experienced, stared directly at the tomb as he remembered a promise he made a long, long time ago.
"I promise, I will save you no matter what it takes." He muttered, his voice hoarse as he gasped desperately for air, his weak body struggling to support the weight of itself. His knees began to buckle, although had it not been for the wall he surely would have collapsed long, long ago.
He slid down the wall as he coughed and coughed, blood spurting out of his mouth as his mind raced, incoherent thoughts flying through his mind, some a result of the miasma, others just the usual voices he heard when he was alone.
He didn't even bother to hold a hand to cover his mouth anymore as his blood stained the walls of the tomb, the mossy rocks and hard floor that seemed to have been smoothed out to create a hallway being covered in his warm blood.
His hands as well as his arms had suffered a similar fate. His tracksuit, a piece of clothing he had kept ever since coming to this god forsaken place, was the worst though. Covered in cuts, so deep that they surpassed the cloth of the tracksuit and instead into his skin, likely a result of the witch beasts he had fought, or ran away from, to get to this point.
Cuts, bruises, and broken bones would not stop him however as he too a glance at his week hand, the paleness of it almost not visible past the sheer amount of red staining it. It was so bad that he didn't know where the blood came from, perhaps his mouth? Maybe one of the many cuts along his body? Or potentially it was from the large gashes across his body, particularly his abdomen? More than likely it was a mix of those as well as some witch beast blood, just to make it stink all the more.
His coughing fit has come to a close, gurgles being audible as the sheer amount of blood gave way for the vomit he spewed up. He wasn't even sure how his body had enough in it to throw it up, especially given the state of his body, covered in many fluids that he was sure made him smell horrible.
.
He grit his teeth as the headache became more and more intense, the voices got louder and more obnoxious, words being said so loud and mixed with so many other sounds that his head felt like it was about to blow up.
Despite the agony and terror the young man felt within him, he looked to the tomb fondly, a small smile gracing his lips as he closed his eyes to compose himself, taking deep breaths as he attempts to remember his goal.
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts.
Amidst the insane, almost inhuman rambling within his head as he writhed on the floor in excruciating pain a silver bell rung out as all hope seemed lost.
He had worked hard to get here, harder than he had ever worked before. He went from a self-entitled shut it who believed he had been summoned to become some great hero, to being the hero he believed he was summoned here to be, a truly great hero worthy of the title bestowed upon him by none other than his lady herself.
Despite the loud, ear-piercing screams ringing through the poor boys head he managed to work up the strength to prop himself up on his hands and knees and grit his teeth as he looked at the tomb with determination, the words said to him by the woman he had sworn to protect bouncing around in his head.
Her sweet voice, her beautiful figure, her elegant dress, the shine in her eyes and the glow in her hair, not to mention her radiant smile, a smile so pure and good-willed that he had to blink just to check if it was all real. That was his lady. His queen.
"What kind of Sage gives up right at the end?" he asked himself, the rhetorical question bringing some life to his otherwise lifeless form as his hands scrunched into fists, scraping along the hard rock floor.
His blood-soaked fingers left marks across the floor in the shape of a human hand in a scene reminiscent to what one would see in a horror movie, and yet despite this Natsuki Subaru was grinning as he lay there on his death bed, ready to face death one last time.
Natsuki Subaru was a man who tested fate, time and time again. He hadn't always won the battle against his own inner demons, but he had passed each and every trial that stood in his way no matter what happened. That was what made him a hero.
He looked behind him, seeing nothing but a pitch-black hallway that served to intensify his fears. His chest rose and fell as he took deeper, more controlled breaths, the words of his loved ones filled his mind, making him smile as for one blissful second, he remembered the ones he held dear.
His heart lightened as he recalled being Rem's hero.
His will was restored as he remembered the toothy grin of a fourteen-year-old Garfiel as he called him Captain for the first time.
His mind was straightened as he remembered the feeling of Otto's fist on his face.
His breathing evened out as he recalled fighting in Priestella alongside the sword saint.
The strength in his arms and legs returned as the images of him and Julius messing around filled his mind.
His resolve intensified as he recalled the trials of the Pleiades watchtower.
The light in his eyes came back as he remembered the wisdom of his grandfather figure Wilhelm.
The pain faded away as the feeling of Beatrice's hand in his among a blazing inferno filled his mind.
His grin, toothy as ever, found its way upon his face as he recalled every moment he had spent with his lady, miss Emilia, Queen of Lugnica. Being saved in the alley, his promise to her, the feeling of her lap beneath his head, the memories of the first royal selection meeting, the feeling of her lips on his and so, so much more lifted him to his feet as he stood tall in front of the tomb, like a real hero.
Before the tomb stood not a knight, not a sword saint, and most certainly not a shut in NEET. What stood in front of that door was something much, much more heroic than all three of those things, the only man who could ever dream of subduing the witch of envy.
Stood there in the dark hallway was Natsuki Subaru, the sage, and the sworn protector of the Queen of Lugnica, Miss Emilia, the self-proclaimed witch of glaciation.
He slowly approached the tombs door, simple and yet intimidating in its appearance as it towered over him, the two dark, clean double doors looming over him as preasure built up within the area.
He remained unaffected, resting a hand on it as one final memory filled his mind.
"Please, love yourself." Whimpered a soft silver bell, enough to make any mans heart swoon and flutter with uncontrolled feelings of affection.
Hearing these words Subaru simply closed his eyes and looked down, resting his hand on the door to the tomb and smiled.
"I finally did what you asked of me, Satella-Tan." He muttered as he released one final breath before looking to the door before him, sighing as he mentally prepared himself for what was to come, and then, all he saw was darkness as the chains restraining the greatest evil to have ever existed were removed.
"I love you."
And with those three words, time stopped.
Tears, hot and wet streamed down a pale face at a steady pace, rolling down cheeks tinted a light pink before dripping to the floor with a slight splash, made audible only by the silence that had overtaken the tomb.
Heavy breathing could be heard as Natsuki Subaru stood there before the greatest threat to the world, arms spread as he held the doors to the tomb open.
Those doors were indestructible, built to hold none other than the witch of envy, and yet he had opened them. He wasn't sure if it was because she had let him in, or if it was due to the witch factors swimming around within him, either way, he came here with a job to do, and he would die over, and over, and over again to achieve his goal, just like he had countless times before.
But the woman in front of him would not allow that, she wouldn't stand there and watch as the one she loved suffered. No, she couldn't bare to see him get hurt, especially for her sake, it was blasphemous to even think about.
She would sooner die then let the man in front of her out of her sight.
She raised her head as she inspected him head to toe, seeing the bruises and cuts, his pale skin, his slim figure, the result of not eating throughout the long, gruelling process of reaching her.
All that left her was a sob, quiet and heart wrenching. It was a barely audible sound, but in the silence of the room it sounded as if an explosion had gone off as the quiet sob echoed throughout the tiny tomb and into Subaru's ears, causing his confidence to waver slightly.
He was unsure as to why she had let out such a pitiful noise. Was she crying because she finally got to see the outside world? Was she crying in fear? Happiness? Joy? Excitement? Just what was the witch before him thinking he wondered.
His question was left unsaid and therefore left unanswered, but as her eyes looked to his it felt as though the world itself had stopped to give them this long overdue moment, and in that moment, Subaru was lost.
He didn't know what to do, what was best or how to move forward. Was this his greatest achievement, or was it his biggest fuck up? He was unsure.
He opened the witches tomb, not to kill or harm her, but instead to free her. He chose to free the single biggest threat to the world, a world that he had worked so hard for, a world he had died for, over and over again until he reached the brink of insanity, only to be brought back time and time again by those he loved, and those he had learned to accept love him too.
But as far as he was concerned this world could go to hell. It chewed him up and spat him out, both literally and figuratively hundreds of times. He went through horrific and horrible things not even considered by even the most twisted men and women in the world.
No, he didn't care for this world, he merely cared about what was in this world.
The people he had met, the friends he had made… and the family he had gained. That was what he was fighting for, and the woman in front of him was the centre piece.
"I." He closed his eyes, ready to hear the familiar words echo within the cold tomb.
"Love." His brown eyes reopened as he took a breath, determined to see whatever fate awaited him through.
"You."
The last word hung in the air like a bad smell, not leaving after five, ten, twenty seconds, the weight of the words that had escaped those lips came tumbling down on the both of them as they stared deeply into each other's eyes, his harsh gaze meeting her soft, sorrowful expression as tears cascaded down her face, her lips quivering as whimpers escaped her.
"Satella-Tan." And with that the sentence was completed by the nasty eyed boy, the words he had wished to convey had finally been said to the woman before him, the woman this was all for.
As she heard that, every word and every syllable of what the boy had to say. She blushed, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she heard her name said with such affection, such joy, such happiness. Tears continuing to fall down her face as her knees lost all of their strength, sending her straight to the floor as her tears continued to fall, her eyes glued to the floor, with little wet dots from her tears.
Thoughts flooded her mind, but unlike usual they weren't all bad, and they were more than just thoughts, they were memories.
Memories of everything Subaru had done on his journey, every death, every failure, and ever single victory flashed before her minds eye as she sat there slumped on the ground with the object of her obsession stood mere metres away from her, so close she could smell him.
It was an odd thing, but just his scent alone was enough to comfort her. The familiar and unique smell of Subaru, it was intoxicating, something she couldn't get enough of; something she needed more of.
The pace of her breathing quickened, her heartrate increasing as her chest rose and fell with each and every deep, desperate gasp for air. Her now wide amethyst eyes darted around the room, strangely avoiding the black-haired boy as she fought alone in her own mind. She had come.
As Satella's panic inducing behaviour continued she lost track of her surroundings, Subaru's scent no longer being recognised as she blocked the world around her out. That is, until two strong arms were wrapped around her, pressing her head to a firm, and yet comfortable place. Without thinking she raised a hand to rest it against the surface her head had been forced into as she listened to the heart beating violently inside of the young boy.
This was a true show of affection. He was terrified, scared enough to run away; after all, who wouldn't be terrified of her? And yet despite his fear eating away at him slowly he still wrapped his arms around her in an effort to make her feel safe. He had put his needs behind him and focused solely on her needs.
That was love.
Wanting to return the favour she wrapped her arms around the man before her, returning the hug as her dainty yet strong fingers caressed his back, memorizing and relearning every inch of him as she listened to his hearts intense beating.
"It's okay to be scared my beloved." She whispered, a soft look in her eyes as she looked to the side, her ear placed on his chest as she smiled softly for the first time in four hundred years.
From above her Subaru gulped, unsure of what to say next as his breathing became shaky, his grip on the shorter woman tightening as he composed himself by taking deep, concentrated breaths.
Once composed the man inhaled her scent for the first time. Unlike all the other woman he had been around, her scent wasn't carefully crafted to ensure she smells as good as possible, it was an intoxicating and addictive scent yes, but it was for different reasons.
This was Satella's scent, and nothing could ever replicate it.
Subaru smiled into the woman's hair, feeling comfort within the silence as they sit there together hugging before Satella decided to break the silence, her voice low and sweet, almost a whisper as she spoke.
"Do you mean it?" she asked, almost pleadingly as she held back the tears, deciding that she had cried too much already as she nuzzled herself into Subaru further.
Neither of them were under the illusion that this moment was forever, maybe that's why it was such a special moment, it was one of a kind and they could never redo it no matter what.
In this moment, the witch of envy felt no envy.
She hadn't even realised she didn't feel any envy as she merely enjoyed the presence of the most important and wonderful man she had ever met. The man that sealed her in this very tomb all those years ago was the same one who freed her from the tomb, just as he had promised.
Subaru sighed into her hair as he closed his eyes, his cheeks dyed a soft pink as he smiled softly, enjoying the feeling of her breathing against him. It was odd but something so simple, so unimportant made him smile like never before.
He wasn't sure if it was fatigue, or maybe he was finally going insane, but just the feeling of her head on his chest made his heart swell with love as he slowly nodded into her.
"Yes." He answered simply, leaving it at that as he went back to gently caressing the smiling woman's hair as she looked up at him, a smile so wide that the happiness in her eyes was uncontainable.
"I love you too, my beloved." She whispered softly, echoing his words for the first time that night, not wishing to shatter the peaceful atmosphere as she knew it wouldn't last long as familiar feelings of dread resurfaced within her. "But… you came here with a purpose, my beloved, and that was to kill me." She muttered, almost as if it was an order despite her voice cracking at the end.
She didn't want this to end, she didn't want this to be the end, she wanted him.
Subaru shook his head softly smiling down at the young-looking half elf as he pressed his forehead to hers, their breaths intermingling and filling each other's lungs
Satella's heartrate increased tenfold, her cheeks, normally pale in colour, turned a deep crimson as she looked into the determined eyes she adored so much. He was so close, and yet so far, that reminder shattered her, only for the black-haired boy to put those shattered pieces back together with a simple gesture.
A kiss.
She hadn't expected it, her eyes had widened to a comical size, staring straight at Subaru's closed eyelids as one of his hands found its way to her cheek, his thumb leaving soft strokes along her sensitive skin as tears once again fell from her beautiful amethyst eyes.
With time she too closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the kiss as she leaned forward, wishing to show her love how much he meant to her in their parting moment. Truly this was their first, and last kiss.
Subaru broke away, only for Satella to follow, latching her lips onto his as she kissed him passionately, enjoying every second of it as Subaru's embrace became tighter.
But alas all good things must come to an end as Subaru pulled away for the final time to catch his breath, simply saying "I could never kill you, Satella-Tan. I promised to save you and so I will, even if it means I have to stay locked in this tomb with you." He stated with a level of conviction that left the elven woman confused.
He didn't know what it was like in this tomb, he didn't know of the horrors it put her through… or maybe he did, and maybe, just maybe he was willing to go through that, just to be here with her, in the witch's tomb.
She smiled at his declaration, her expression brightening as the idea of being with her beloved filled her mind.
"You would truly make this wretched tomb bearable. No, you would make it the only place I want to be, my beloved Subaru." She said, confident in her delivery as she smiled and kissed him once more, enjoying the feeling even more now knowing that even if the doors behind them close forever, she will forever be with her love, no matter what.
This was for the fanfic exchange in the reactionist discord server, I have another I plan to upload soon. I hope you enjoyed!