A raven-haired man stood tall inside the mansion of an archbishop. He was glaring at the white-haired man in front of him with burning rage and a deep-rooted hatred.
''How does it feels, Greed? You are the first archbishop that's going to die in my hands after seven years of searching. I would've rather have Petelguese than you, but a sin archbishop is a sin archbishop. It took a long time to figure out your weakness, but in the end, I found it, and that's all that matters.'' Hunter spat out with a voice that reflected the hateful look in his scary eyes.
''Go ahead, Regulus, you have only like five seconds or something close to that. Without your wives, you're just a pathetic child with anger issues.'' He mocked Regulus. ''I'm the hunter, and you're my prey.'' He said with a feral look.
Regulus's whole body shook with rage. ''Inconceivable! Nonsensical! I am not a mere human like you, for I am invincible! Do you know even an invincible human other than me? No, you don't, because they don't exist! There's only me, and me only, Regulus Corneas!''
Hunter let out a taunting snicker. ''Invincible? I didn't know you would say such a petty lie, oh great Regulus. All I need is five seconds, and you are finished. After five seconds, you will be killed by a mere human.'' The raven-haired man opened his arms wide in a taunting manner.
''Even if my authority is gone, I can still overpower you with much ease. -insert a long ass rant 'cause I'm too lazy to write this-'' Air between them got distorted, and a large, almost massive cut appeared on Hunter's arm.
But the hunter couldn't care less about the cut. This puny thing can't even be considered painful for him. This was nothing but a scratch. ''After that whole long ass rant, that's all you can do? I thought Sin Archbishop of Greed would do something more impactful. Y'know, like beating me into a puddle of blood.'' He mocked the archbishop one last time.
Unable to hold himself any longer, Regulus dashed towards the hunter and punched him straight on the ribs. A sickening cracking noise came form the black-haired man's chest.
'One.'
His ribs cracked and shattered. They punctured his lungs and heart. Making it harder to breathe. From the force of the punch, he got slammed to the mansion's wall and fell down. Before he can register what happened, Regulus was already in front of him.
'Two.'
The sound of a howling wolf-like mabeast got in front of the heavily injured hunter. Trying to protect him from Regulus.
Hunter's eyes traced to the white and gray fur of the beast in front of him.
'Why are they here?' He weakly thought as he coughed out some of his blood. Wolf started ferally growling towards the white-haired man in front of him.
'Three.'
Wolf launched itself towards the archbishop, but he just raised some dust from the ground and launched them at the wolf, turning it into a puddle of blood.
''Spirits, I need your help.'' He managed to blurt out while coughing up some of his blood.
'Four.'
While Regulus was getting ready to kill the hunter, spirits started to appear around Regulus. Spirits launched a giant icicle at the white-haired man. He tanked the attack from the spirits.
''These annoying little pests. Why are they interrupting me?! This is a violation of my rights...'' He continued his rant like a madman.
'Five. You are done, you fucking maniac.' Hunter called out for his wind and fire spirits.
Two full-spirits came out from the crystal necklace on his neck.
''Al Foura.'' He blurted out. A massive gush of wind blades covered in flames launched from the two spirits. It swallowed everything in its path.
The white-haired archbishop got hit by the wind blades, and then fire scorched his insides.
He couldn't let out a scream, didn't have time to react.
The fire spread and started burning the mansion, while the wind blades destroyed the walls and supports of it.
'Well, I guess all I need is a few more retry.' Subaru grimly thought. He didn't want to die but him and death were things that will never be separated. 'I really am not good at keeping promises.'
Hunter's eyelids started to feel heavy, but he tried to keep them open as long as possible. A black-haired woman in revealing black clothes entered the burning building from a broken window. Her eyes searched for something, or rather someone. Her purple eyes landed on the dying black-haired man.
She ran towards him and crouched down on one knee.
''Ara~ we can't have you dying here, can we? You promised I will be the one who enjoys your guts.'' She spoke with a lifeless smile on her face.
Hunter locked eyes with the beautiful woman. ''Fu..uo.'' He tried to speak, but the blood in his throat didn't let him.
She reached out and picked up the young hunter. ''Don't speak. I'm taking you to that cat-boy.'' She got out of the mansion using the window she previously used to get in. Hunter's lungs filled with blood to the point where almost no oxygen could enter his body. The world around slowly started losing its color. His eyelids are gotten difficult to keep open. His heart was now barely beating.
When Elsa realized she wouldn't reach the healer in time she stopped moving. She gently put Subaru on the ground and pulled her black kukri blade. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you on time." She said without a shred of empathy. A sadistic smile bloomed on her face. ''But I can't let an opportunity like this go away.'' She raised her arm and brought it down on his guts.
Subaru felt the burning touch of oxygen on his guts. He felt something enter his newly opened wound. It drew something out of him. His mind was on the verge of shutting down, but for some reason, it refused to do it.
''Aaahh~'' Elsa let out with an aroused tone. ''What a beautiful shade of colors.'' Her hands went deeper and pulled more of his bowels out. ''You kept your promise and took good care of them.'' She had a shade of pink on her face. Her lifeless smile was replaced with an aroused smile.
His world has gotten darker and darker. The last faint fragment of light in his eyes escaped, and his eyelids closed.
When he opened his eyes, he was inside an area filled with shadows.
He calmly looked around, and a possessive chant of a woman entered his ears.
''I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you...'' Her chant kept going and going. She had silver hair and black clothing. There was a black veil that blocked her face.
''Hello to you too, Envy.'' Raven Hunter said. Silver-haired witch approached the young man and hugged him. ''I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you...'' She put her face on the crook of his face taking a deep breath of his smell. He felt the cold touch of her skin through the black-colored veil.
Even though this happened many times in the past, a touch of the witch still made him uncomfortable.
The silver witch let go of him for a second before crouching down and pulling him towards her lap.
Hunter put his head on the lap of the witch. ''I love you, I love you, I love you...'' She whispered in his ear. Her hands played with his bangs and patted him on the head.
'I don't have a choice anyway.' Hunter didn't even try to remove his head from her lap. That would only agitate her more. He tried that before, didn't work.
He rested down on her lap while she continued her chant. But after a few minutes, her obsessive chant stopped.
''Subaru, how do you feel?'' Witch's whole demeanor changed. She sounded concerned for the young man on her lap.
''I just died from internal bleeding, suffocation, and I got my guts spilled. Again. How do you think I feel?'' Subaru said this with a bitter tone.
''I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me to ask.''
''How many times I died with this one included?'' Subaru ignored her apology.
''One-hundred-and fifty-four.'' Satella answered uncomfortably.
''Just a hundred death for a single archbishop...'' Subaru murmured under his breath. He started to make a new plan to kill Regulus. Maybe he should use Elsa as cannon fodder? Or maybe attack him with the mabeasts.
''Okay then. Can you send me back?'' He said as he got up from the lap of Satella.
Satella shook her head. ''Before I send you back, there's an issue I need to discuss with you.''
''Go ahead.'' He said.
''Subaru, your soul cracking. It's on the verge of breaking.'' She grimly told him.
''What...? How do I fix it then? If you said this, there's a way to solve this too, right?'' Subaru grimaced at her words. He was confused. It wasn't something that would happen overnight. So, why tell him now?
'If it was already cracking, why did you wait for this moment to tell me?'
''I tried to keep it together, but it just keeps getting cracks. That's the reason why I kept calling you here. If you keep going like this, your soul will shatter.''
''So? What do you want me to do?'' His tone slowly filled with rage. ''Give up on exterminating those cultists? If that's what you want, I won't do it. Those bastards destroyed a place I called home, a place filled with the people I loved and cherished. They took everything I wanted away from me. Everything I have. Everything I held dear. They killed that naive idiot. Now they're going to pay back for everything they have done. No matter what.'' Subaru spat out with a voice filled with hatred and rage.
''No, no. You got me wrong, my beloved. You shouldn't rely on Return by Dea-'' Satella got interrupted by the hunter.
''And what other fucking choice I have?!'' Subaru screamed in anger. ''I'm not strong, I'm not smart, I don't have allies powerful enough to help me. Two out of my four allies are fucking assassins that caused me to die several times in the past. Knights are nothing more than incompetent weaklings. They don't help anyone unless you are a noble. Nobles are just money-grubbing assholes. So, tell me, Witch of Envy, what other choice I possess.'' He said all these parts with a burning feeling of rage and hatred.
Satella knew her beloved condition. After going thru those torturous loops, seeing everyone he loved getting killed over and over and over again. His soul just started to crack down in those loops. She tried to keep his soul together, but that was almost impossible. After his fiftieth loop, she began to call him here. That was only a little help too.
''Why aren't you asking for Rein-'' Subaru cut her off once again.
''With what face I'm going to ask for their help?!'' He roared. ''They tried to help me, even though I wasn't worth their time. Felt already has an election. Reinhard is the sword saint. In exchange for their help, what I did? I abandoned them with a letter I left in my room. They took me in after all that shit I pulled. Reinhard trained me to get stronger. Felt tried to keep me company, and both tried to comfort me when they found about my nightmares. But I still left without a proper goodbye.'' Tears of sorrow filled his eyes. But he refused to let them go.
Seeing his tears, Satella approached the young hunter and took him into her embrace. She pats his head with her left hand while the other one rubs his cheek, trying to bring a little bit of comfort to him.
Subaru's tears betray him, and a few escaped from him. Wetting the silver-haired witch's clothing.
Both of them stayed silent for some time.
''Subaru.'' Silver witch called out. Breaking the silence between them.
''What?'' Subaru's eyes switched to Satella.
''I know you would hate me for doing this, but I should do it.''
''Wait. What are you talking about?''
''I've should've done this before you become this broken, I'm sorry.''
''Will you tell me what are you talking about?'' Subaru asked with a tired tone.
''Please forgive me, my beloved, Ra Tiit.''
Space around Subaru started breakdown. From the cracks, white light slowly entered the ever-dark garden of shadows.
Satella approached Subaru and hugged him. ''Remember my beloved. Even if you don't love me, I will not stop cherishing you from here. No matter what choice you choose I will be here for you.'' She ended with a kiss on Subaru's forehead.
Subaru's eyes widened in fear and confusion.'' NO! SATELLA DO-!'' His words cut off as he got swallowed by the white light that came from the cracks.
''I hope you can forgive me, my beloved Subaru.'' Satella silently whispered to herself. Tears began to swell up in her eyes. She couldn't hold them any longer, and her tears started to escape from her eyes, one by one.
Cracks of space appeared in front of a fountain in the Capital of Lugunica.
From the cracks, a man got out. He was wearing a black and orange cloak that reached down to his knees. The outer side of the cloak was made from black animal fur while the inners side was from orange-colored cloth. Under the cloak, he was wearing a black vest with orange stripes at the edges of it. And under the vest, there was a simple black t-shirt. A black pants with an orange belt.
There were throwing knives strapped on his pants and vest. And a black kukri blade on the back of his hip. On his left arm, there was a chain bound to him. A blue-colored lagmite (mana crystal) necklace was hanging from his neck and a black bracelet on his right arm. And lastly, a coin pouch from leather on his hip.
''No, no, no, no, no.'' Subaru's eyes were wide open at what just happened. Thankfully it was night time no one saw a man appearing out of nowhere.
''It can't be, right? It can't be.'' He started rambling in fear. ''She didn't send me back, right? No, of course, she didn't. She can't do that while being sealed.'' Subaru's jaw started to tremble. His muscles tensed up.
''I must calm down. Calm down.'' He took a deep breath that filled his lungs. And then he slowly let that breath out. He repeated this a few times, trying to control his breathing. After he calmed down a little, his hand went to his mana crystal. He gently squeezed it.
''Fue, Kozu. If you two can hear me, please come out.'' Subaru called out his spirits in distress.
His spirits came out when they heard his call.
''Subaru, are you okay? What happened?'' His fire spirit was the first one to talk. His voice held a very concerned tone.
Subaru's tensed muscles relaxed when his fire spirit remembered his name. ''I didn't go back then.'' Subaru sighed in relief.
''Did you say something?'' Fire spirit couldn't make out what he just said. Subaru denied it with a shook. ''No, I was just mumbling to myself. Thanks for your concern, Fue.''
''Y'know Subaru, if you are stressed, you can share them with us.''
''Yeah, you don't have to keep your things to yourself. We're here for you.'' Subaru's wind spirit backed the red spirit.
''No, no. I'm okay. Just wanted to check some things. I'm fine, see.'' Subaru flashed a fake smile to put them at ease.
If Fue had a lip, he would bite it. ''If you say so. But remember, I'm always with you until the end of time.'' He repeated their oath. He went back into the lagmite.
His wind spirit didn't go back. She just stood there, looking at him.
''Why didn't you go back after Fue, Kozu?'' Subaru returned the look he got from his spirit companion.
''I don't want to. You seem like you need someone. So, being the merciful spirit I am, I decided to stay with you.'' Kozu explained.
''You need to save your mana in case something goes wrong, Kozu.'' Subaru tried to convince the spirit. But she was having none of it.
''No, I can always replenish my mana from you and the atmosphere.'' Subaru let out a defeated sigh. ''Fine, do whatever you want.'' Kozu let out a victorious snicker.
In the dark of the night, Subaru and Kozu started to roam around the streets of the Capital. Looking for a place to stay.
After roaming around for good half an hour, they found a cozy inn to stay. Subaru went up to the receptionist. ''How much for a night?'' The receptionist eyed the raven-haired hunter. Looking at his clothes, strapped knives on his vest. And the floating green light orb.
''You're not some escaped convict are you?'' Receptionist asked in suspicion.
''I'm not.'' Subaru replied simply. The receptionist looked at the black-haired man in front for a few more seconds before answering Subaru's question.
''It's fifty bronze coins per day.'' He said calmly.
Subaru reached out for the pouch that was attached to his with a string. He took fifty bronze out of it and placed them on the counter.
''Here's the key.'' He took a key from the cabinet and gave it to Subaru. ''The second floor, at the end of the corridor, left side.'' Receptionist told.
Subaru nodded and followed the instruction. He used the key to open the door. His room was a basic one. A bed, a table, and two chairs. And a chest right beside the bed. He closes the door behind him and lets himself fall onto the bed. A loud tired rose up from the black-haired man. ''Kozu, I'm gonna get some sleep. Go back to the crystal.'' Subaru didn't leave a place to argue, so Kozu -without wanting it- went back to the lagmite.
Subaru closed his eyes as he fell deep into the darkness.
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this.
Let me know your thoughts on the reviews, and if you guys have any questions, ask me.
Well, that's all for today, see you guys on the next chapter, and have a better day than me. Papa Buko shutting down.