Re Zero The Sage and The Crow
All rights to the characters belong to the original series creator, Tappei Nagatsuki.
Author's Note: Got this one done. I'm actually quite proud of the way this one turned out. Next week is finals week, so I'll be taking a short breather before hopefully being able to churn out these chapters more frequently. I hope you guys like it, and as always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns then don't be afraid to let me know.
Normal Text: Represents Japanese
Underlined Text: Represents English
Chapter 11 The Sound of Blades
Subaru's footsteps rattled over the tile floor. His breathing was even, and his eyes sharp. He marched purposefully down the hall, his mind lost in the never ending ocean of his thoughts.
He thought about Heinkel and his propensity to get in their way. Never before had he seen such purposeful incompetence out of spite. It wasn't that he was getting in their way, it was that he was doing it for no reason other than his petty political gains.
"This has to be, by far, the stupidest thing I've ever witnessed." Subaru muttered.
And here he was, walking down the halls to where Heinkel's office was. He would have to give him a piece of his mind if he wanted to get through this without interference. Time was running out. The last day was upon them, and then tomorrow the elders would call Subaru to present his case. This was beginning to seem more and more like something out of a criminal justice show.
He spied the office in the distance and picked up his pace. There were no guards posted outside the door. In fact, there hadn't been any guards posted anywhere today. Subaru found this strange, mostly because of his personality than anything else. He figured that he was someone who enjoyed the thrill of having underlings dance to his every whim. He just seemed like that kind of guy.
Subaru threw the door open so hard that it creaked dangerously as it slammed against the wall.
"Heinkel! You better-...! What the…?"
Subaru looked around the room confused. The excessive office was empty. There were papers lazily strewn about the desk, several alcohol bottles doing their best to entice Subaru, and a single candle that was fresh enough that the wick was still smoking. The worst part about it was the identical smell of alcohol that Subaru had smelt on Heinkel's breath.
Subaru covered his nose. "Ahh, gross. Where did he…?"
As Subaru stared in bewilderment, he took stock of the situation. It looked like Heinkel had left in a hurry. Wherever he was, it was probably where all of the guards were too.
*Bang!*
A loud noise sounded from the hall, startling Subaru. He marched to the door and peeked outside, there wasn't a soul in sight. In fact, the place was much too empty. Subaru turned around and regarded the desk again. He paid particular attention to the papers on Heinkel's desk. An idea settled in his chest.
He knew he shouldn't do it, he could get in trouble and then some if he was caught, but in these circumstances, the reward outweighed the risk. Subaru hastily rifled through the papers, stopping just long enough to gag from the disgusting smell.
"What do you have now?" He murmured.
Subaru picked up a dossier looking object and was picking through it. Mission reports, personnel deployments, applications for promotion, all of it had been neglected and now littered his desk. It didn't take a genius to see that some of these documents went back weeks, if not months.
"You know, you could clean up and organize this a bit better?" He waved his hand in front of his nose.
*Bang!*
Another bang, this time closer. Subaru poked his head out and scanned the halls again, once again he was greeted by nothing. He pulled his head back in and went back to searching for something useful. He opened a drawer, and a peculiar looking document caught his eye.
"Oh, this should make Beako proud." He grinned after examining it.
The document was a map, with a detailed layout of the entire castle that included hidden passageways and rooms. He noted the section that said "special detainment." That particular section was, according to this map, concealed behind a hidden door somewhere in the cell block opposite where Damian was being kept.
"He really didn't want to risk those two getting together again, did he?" Subaru whispered.
If his instincts were right, then this special detainment block would be where they were keeping Damian's spirit. The castle was large enough, but this was literally on the other side of the map. It would take a considerable amount of time to cycle between the two.
If we figure out where the spirit's being kept and go after it, then Heinkel can secure Damian so he still has us in a bind. If we go after Damian, then he still has the spirit in his custody.
It was surprisingly clever. A move that would force Subaru to divide up his forces, or go to one at a time. He reluctantly conceded that Heinkel probably wasn't as stupid as he thought.
*Bang!*
Subaru's head jerked up, the noise was close. He slipped the map in his pocket and tiptoed to the door. Staring through the crack, he saw something he could only describe as unfathomable.
A raven haired lady with white streaks and a black maid outfit strutted down the hall. In her hand she held something that looked like a short scepter or talisman of some kind. It was obsidian black, with a grey jewel at its head. She muttered incoherently, but the rhythm and cadence that she did so indicated that it was probably chanting of some kind. As she chanted, the grey jewel of the scepter glowed with soft white light and danced with pitch black shadows. She periodically smacked the scepter against the wall as she walked, producing the noise that had startled Subaru so much. As small as it was, it was making a much louder noise than it should've been. Every smack released a shockwave of white and black energy that reverberated through the palace walls.
Subaru could only stare with widened eyes as this was happening. Coincidentally, it was his idleness that caused the woman to notice him. She paused her banging and regarded him with a sly smile.
"Oh?" She smiled at him. "Natsuki Subaru, we meet again."
"Again?"
Subaru searched the threshold of his memory. She did look vaguely familiar…
He widened his eyes. "You're that woman. The weird one that tried to make a move on me!"
Her black eyes shimmered mischievously. "Oh please. You make it sound so indecent."
"Wha-?! That's because it was!" Subaru flailed his arms around, flustered. But the thing that was gnawing at the back of his mind was the peculiar thing she was doing.
"What are you…?"
"Ahh, my apologies." She covered her face, which had turned pink from embarassment. "I should have dressed for the occassion better. Yet here I am, dressed in my normal work clothes."
Subaru held up his arms. "You really don't need to-."
"Oh, but I do! One must make a good impression after all. Otherwise…" She smiled seductively. "The fun won't be as… fun."
Subaru stared at her for several moments. "Seriously though, what're you doing and where is Heinkel?"
Her head jerked up at the mention of Heinkel. "You don't need to worry about him, onii-san." She stepped closer to him. "He isn't a hero, not like you. All you need to do is-."
"I refuse!" Subaru said flatly. "First of all, I don't even know your name. Second off, you're out here banging a stick against the wall making noise for whatever reason!"
"Uwah! So hasty!" Regret crossed her face before being replaced by a charming smile. "I guess that's fair." She gracefully crossed her legs and curtsied. "I am Melena Grey. And as for this." She gestured to the scepter. "I am simply laying the foundations for some renovations."
"Renovations?"
"Yes." She nodded her head vehemently. "Renovations. Everyone must take part if we are to finish in a timely fashion."
Subaru narrowed his eyes. "Is that why no one's here?"
"Mmmm? Yes. Yes that's why." She brushed her lips with her fingertips. "Would you like to help? We can start our relationship with something small."
"Relationship?" Subaru tilted his head before vigorously shaking it. "Wait wait wait! I did not agree to this! This is-!"
"Then it's settled!" Melena looked ecstatic. She jumped up and down like a giddy child, much to Subaru's distress. "You get the honor of witnessing the renovations take place! Everyone else has to participate. Oh, and that purple haired one. I like him a lot."
Subaru was at a loss for words. This girl, Melena, she was strange. Her scepter glowed eerily in the shadows of the hall, and despite her modest attire she exuded a captivating sexual energy that Subaru was sure most men would fall for. It, frankly, was something that he had never seen before. Subaru took an uneasy step back from this strange woman in front of him.
"I would love to, really I would." Subaru's tone was passive, an attempt to let her down easy. "But I have something that I need to do. Today is the last day I can possibly do it so I don't have time to-."
"Oh, you mean the trial?" She was uncomfortably close to Subaru now, but the thought of the trial caused her to step back and give a disgusted wave. "I saw that. Quite distasteful, wasting a perfectly good man like that…"
Subaru stared at her, disbelief crossing his face. She raised a delicate eyebrow at his shock. "What? Is it so hard to understand? He had value, he still has value to certain parties."
*Clang!*
Subaru spun around at the sudden interuption. A clattering of noises echoed from down the hall.
"Now what?" Subaru grumbled.
"Ahh, they're coming." Melena said.
"Who's coming?" Subaru faced her. "What's going on?!"
"I'm afraid they've fallen." She stared down the hall with a regretful look. "You might want to run now."
Subaru shook his head. He had no idea what this girl was talking about. The noises continued, growing ever louder as the source clambered towards him. He heard the sound of a blade scraping along the ground as some indescribable dread settled over him.
Melena raised her scepter over her head. "I do wish you the best of luck. If you manage to make it out of here alive, perhaps we can meet under more… pleasant circumstances."
With those words, she winked and dropped the scepter. It struck the ground with a loud bang that seemed to carry through the whole palace. There was a flash of violet light that blinded Subaru's vision. When his eyes cleared, she was gone, disappeared along with all of the mana lights and torches that had been used to provide extra light. Subaru remained in pitch black, with only the light of a nearby window offering any form of visibility.
*SCREECH! SCREECH!*
Subaru turned back to the noise. The sound of metal grating on metal caused him to shiver. Pulling out the map, he held it up to the light to get his bearings. Right now he needed…
"I need to warn the others." He shispered.
*SCREECH!*
Subaru winced at the sound and turned towards the exit that would take him to the throne room. He would make it if that thing didn't catch him first.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
The halls were filled with the sound of panting. Subaru had been sprinting through the palace for the better part of an hour. The entire place was dark, all of the mana lamps and torches had been extinguished, much to his dismay. He had made it past the first thing with no issues, running and circling around it only to find another waiting for him. He should have known his luck wouldn't hold out. It had been too dark to see anything, but he had made out the glint of a metal blade as it swiped at him. Now he was playing a dangerous game of tag with the creatures, ducking around corners and hiding, trying to avoid them at all costs. He heard clanging all around him. Unholy sounds of the creatures swinging their weapons against the palace in some mad display of power.
Where's Reinhard when you need him?
Honestly, Subaru would give his left arm to have someone that powerful at his side at all times. But he supposed it was his fault, leaving the inn without Beatrice or Garfiel to back him up. How was he supposed to know that there would be an attack on the Royal Palace. Beatrice would scold him for his incompetence, but he hoped she would forgive him this oversight.
He rounded another corner and nearly had a heart attack. There were three creatures, each of them looked like a man and held a weapon of some kind, but that wasn't the strangest part. The strangest part was that they were fighting each other. They wailed and babbled incoherently as they rained blow after blow upon each other. Subaru only caught one word out of the alien exchange; "demon."
"Demon…! Demon..!" Once wailed as it unleashed a two handed strike upon the smallest of the three.
The smaller one fended off the blade with a beautiful parry and backstepped a second strike.
"Die!" The second one screamed as he chopped the first one's arm off. So much blood sprayed from the wound that it nearly hit Subaru in his hiding place. The first one cried out in pain, but was quickly silenced by a decapitating strike by the second one. He didn't have time to savor his victory long, however, as the third, smaller one silently ran him through with his own sword.
Wait a minute. The sounds of the other clangs in the palace wasn't them bashing swords against the palace. It was the sound of them fighting each other.
The palace had become a free for all.
Subaru stepped back in horror as he tried to wrap his head around it, the sound of his heel scraping against the floor created the slightest of noises. So small was it, in fact, that Subaru could barely hear it himself. The third one's head perked up, and it swiveled in his direction. Subaru wanted to hope that the lack of light would mean it didn't see him, but the purposeful way it started walking towards him told him everything he needed to know. It found him.
Not wasting even a second, Subaru turned tail and ran for his life. He heard the quiet but thudding impact of the man's footsteps lurching after him. He was so focused on running, that he almost didn't react to the group of killers that jumped in his way. They had been fighting amongst themselves, but like any predator, were drawn to the sound of fleeing prey.
"WAHH!" Subaru's body did the limbo as he dodged a swing before he turned around and shoved the assailant into the other fast approaching pursuer. The one who was chasing Subaru cut down the obstacle without an issue, but it drew the ire of the rest of the group. They surrounded the shorter knight and swung relentlessly at him, but he dodged before drawing a second shorter blade from a sheath on his back. Hearing the roaring and clanging sounds of mortal combat behind him, Subaru fled from the scene.
"Wow!" He exclaimed. "I'm not that bad!"
He thought back to the map he had checked. The twisting, winding pathways were hard to navigate, but if he was right, then the throne room should be close. He righted another corner and witnessed the massive double doors that led into the room. There were no guards outside, which in an of itself was very unusual, but he didn't care.
"Ack! Heavy!" Subaru groaned as he rammed into the doors full force. He positioned himself so his hands were up against the door and proceeded to push with all of his might. It was tough work, pushing just one even a few inches took a considerable amount of will power and strength. His muscles popped and groaned as he shifted the weight of the door, but eventually he was able to force it open just wide enough to slip inside.
Once inside he heaved the door closed before slumping to the ground, exhausted.
"Hah. Hah. Hah." Subaru looked around the throne room. Like the rest of the palace, it was unbearably dark.
Subaru thought back to the dark cave that he was trapped in when Petelguese and Garfiel had captured him. The deafening silence that had replaced bustling conversation terrified him. A heavy ringing assaulted his ears, for this time he had neither the company of a madman or the nightmares of his memories to help. He took a single step forward, the sound of his shoe hitting the floor echoed through the chamber.
"Where… is everyone?"
Subaru strode through the abysmal void, keeping his head on a swivel. There wan't anyone in sight, it wasn't a throne room so much as it was a graveyard. Subaru made slow progress, but the darkness was so intoxicating that he was afraid he'd get lost in it.
He saw the silhouette of the throne in the distance and quickened his pace. The sloshing sound of his footsteps the only noise he could hear.
Sloshing? Wait a minute.
Subaru paused and slowly looked down. The air smelled of iron and charred flesh, and the ground was covered in…
"Gk!" Subaru covered his mouth to keep from throwing up. But his panic caused him to lose his balance and fall unceremoniously in the blood pool.
Bodies, bodies everywhere. The carcasses of dozens of people littered the floor while the blood was so thick that it came up to Subaru's ankles. The glimpse of patches of pure white cloth told him everything he needed to know.
"These are… knights?!"
There was no doubt about it. The swords and garb were telltale signs that everyone here were knights. Severed limbs and rolling heads floated in the blood. Absolute carnage was all that there was to describe this place. But if this was the case, then the creatures outside, weren't creatures at all. The dark combatants that fought each other… were knights as well.
Subaru had an awful thought cross over him. He stared at the bodies and tried to pick out any features that he could identify. From the ones he saw, none of them had long, purple hair. He waded through the grim sight, but upon looking further, still found nothing.
*SCREECH!*
Subaru spun around. The entrance to the throne room was grating open, accompanied by the sound of ragged breathing. Subaru thought that it may be someone sane, but those thoughts were dispelled by the mad rambling the person was doing. He fled to the only thing that he could think of as a hiding place.
Once he reached the crimson throne he ducked behind it.
"This isn't what I thought of when standing here." Subaru whispered.
He had always imagined being close to the throne in some capacity, but not like this. His fantasies were more along the lines of standing by Emilia's side while she ruled the kingdom. Maybe to the left? No, the right sounded a lot better. To the right and handing out her requests with pride and enthusiasm. Instead he knelt in the shadows, darkness his benefactor, silence his king.
The ragged breathing drew ever closer. Subaru heard the sound of blades scraping on the floor. Based on the uneven footsteps that reached his ears, the pursuer was limping.
"Spider… Spider…" He murmured. "Where are you…? Everyone…"
Subaru peeked over the throne, his heart beat so loud it seemed deafening. The attacker was short. He held two swords, one shorter than the other. Subaru suspected it was the same one that initially followed him from the trio. That group of knights he used as a distraction must be dead then.
Still, he was wounded. It was better than nothing.
Subaru ducked back so he was hidden and pulled the map out from his pocket. The cloth opened soundlessly as he unfurled it. He made out lines in the faintest of light, tracing a path from the throne room to anywhere that wasn't here. He narrowed his eyes, there was a notch in the map where the throne was supposed to be. A secret passage maybe?
He felt along the back of the throne, his hand slipping in crevices and seams.
Suddenly, a loud clattering deterred Subaru. Jerking his head upwards to the darkness, he narrowed his eyes as unease settled in and his body trembled. He peeked over the throne and scanned the room again. A lone helmet rolled towards his hiding place from off in the distance. Subaru looked to the place where it had come from. He saw nothing but shadows.
Where was the limping knight?
Subaru didn't see or hear anything. Not the scraping of the man's blades, not the injured gait of his footsteps, it was all silent.
In the silence, he felt a single chill go down his spine. He didn't know what it was, maybe all of his times dying had given him a sense for death, maybe he was just crazy, but in that moment, all of his instincts screamed at him to dive.
Subaru listened to the sixth sense and dove to the side. Right as he did, something went sailing by his head. He successfully dodged and rolled in the gorefest. Right as he thought he was in the clear, however, he collapsed.
"W-What?!" Subaru looked at his legs, or leg in this case. The other had been severed clean off and lay where his previous hiding place had been.
"AAAHHHH!" Subaru clutched his stump and rolled on the floor as the pain caught up to him. There was so much blood that it was hard to tell if it was his or the remains of the knights that had died here.
His stump spasmed as it lamented its missing part. A shard of white bone stuck out from the hole, and Subaru felt sick from the pain. Tears streamed down his face, unbound by agony. Through the throbbing ache he saw the short knight limping from behind the throne. He dragged his dual swords on the ground, the scraping noise signalling Subaru's doom.
Subaru tried to crawl away. He heaved his body forward with all of his strength, using his arms to pull himself along the ground. But the ground was slippery, he grabbed blood and entrails but nothing useful. His eyes flitted towards a stray blade. He crawled towards it, his hand reaching for salvation.
I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!
"GK! AHH!" Subaru cried out as he felt a blade impale his other leg. "Ahh! Hah! Hah!"
He hyperventilated as he felt a tug on the blade. His body was dragged backwards until the killer stood over him. Subaru cried out as the sword was ruthlessly torn from his leg. He felt death looming over him. He knew he wasn't making it out of here. He was too wounded, his condition was too dire, and no one was coming to help him.
I'm sorry guys. He thought as fleeting images of the ones he'd be leaving behind came to him.
He twisted his body so that he was belly up. He wanted to see. Before he went he needed to-.
The other sword slashed across his throat, interrupting his mission. Subaru's vision became red as he choked on the gout of his own blood. His strength failed right before he could see the face of his assailant, stopping on the bloodstained knight's uniform and knight's sword in his hand. Subaru's head collapsed back into the pool of gore.
His tears became that of blood, Subaru's vision twisted and waned as his lungs filled with his own viscera. His chest tightened and felt like someone had poured liquid flame down his throat. He tried desperately to breathe but was denied the relief. In his fading vision, he saw the knight turn away, his job complete.
"Spider…" He muttered. "Spider. Spider." He limped away from his dying prey, satisfied that the job was done. His vision now completely red, Subaru could only hear the ominous sound of blades being dragged on the floor.
He released one last sputtering gasp before darkness took him. And he joined the ranks of the other dead knights, his body the latest addition to the pile of corpses.
"GAH! Hah. Hah."
Subaru's vision cleared of death as quickly as he had been taken by it. The fires of life once again lit his eyes, but he still had the phantom pain of cold steel cutting into his jugular. His throat felt like someone was clenching it in their fists. Subaru collapsed, grabbing his throat and gasping for breath like a dying fish. His body forgot what it felt like, but his soul and mind remembered.
"Oy Cap'n!" Garfiel rushed towards him. "What's wrong?! Oy, look at me!"
He didn't respond, his voice couldn't even croak out the slightest word. His eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets as he felt his face turn beet red.
"Subaru, I suppose!" Beatrice approached him, worry plastered on her face.
"Natsuki-san! What's wrong?" Otto stood over him with a pale expression.
Subaru looked up at the three of them, they all looked so terrified. He felt the pressure on his throat start to subside and turned on his side. He coughed and hacked up a ball of phlegm. His breath escaped in short gasps as he blinked away painful tears.
He offered them a strained smile from his grounded position. "I-I'm alright guys. I just choked on something."
"Are you sure in fact?" Beatrice raised a disbelieving eyebrow. She reached towards him with comforting hands, but he waved them away.
"I'm fine." He gagged. He rubbed his throat with a tender hand. It was fine, everything was fine. There was no corrupted knight coming after him, the lights were all on, and everything was just fine. But Subaru knew that it wouldn't be for long.
"Someone attacks… the palace?" He said to himself.
"What was that?" Otto asked, but Subaru paced away from their perplexed forms. He observed his surroundings, he was back at the inn. The familiar couch and table sat in welcome. He staggered over to them, much to the trio's protest. He shakily sat down before musing on what had happened. The others voiced their concerns, but their voices faded into nothing as he found himself lost in his recollections.
Someone definitely attacked the palace. Who it was, he didn't know, but the fact of the matter was that someone did. It was a bold move, with regiments of knights stationed there. It could be no mere cannon fodder that had been deployed had to be powerful, extremely powerful. He needed to find out who it was as soon as possible and stop them before they could enact their baleful ritual.
The knights were all… killing each other. Subaru still had trouble wrapping his head around that. The palace turned into a dance of death, with brutal slashes and piercing thrusts as the rhythm of choice. Not a single knight that he knew of seemed immune to whatever ill effects had been placed over the palace. It almost seemed like a giant trance.
Subaru looked out the window towards the palace. It looked so peaceful, so beautiful, but that was an illusion to be shattered.
Subaru stood up and stretched, feeling quite invigorated with renewed fire within him. He had died once, but that was hardly enough to break his resolve. He would continue pushing forward, and this time there would be no mistakes.
"Let's go Beatrice." He pointed at her. "We're going to the palace immediately."