It had been one month since Subaru had been kidnapped by the Sin Archbishop of Lust, Capella Emerada Lugnica.

Just a few short weeks after returning from his unplanned excursion to Vollachia, Subaru was suddenly taken from his room in the Miload Mansion. One morning a black dragon descended from seemingly nowhere and punched a hole into the young knight's room, grabbed him with a handful of his sheets, and left as quickly as she arrived. Even Beatrice, who was knocked out of the way when he was taken, had no time to cast even a single spell by the time she was able to stand up. Subaru was already long gone among the Lugnican skies, snatched away by the one Sin Archbishop still at large. Why did she want Subaru? Why such a direct approach? Why?

Through the combined efforts of the Emilia, Crusch, and Anastasia camps, a few weeks of round the clock investigations finally led Subaru's friends and loved ones to a secluded cave in a Northern Lugnican mountain range that was close to the border to Gusteko. Though they were eager to storm the place to get him back, the strategic minds behind this rescue alliance convinced the group to stake out the location and wait for her to leave. They were all strong fighters, but they all knew that they were no match for a Sin Archbishop.

Almost a week passed since that call was made, and those closest to Subaru were beginning to grow impatient, but their collective prayers were answered when a black dragon was sighted heading north and crossing into Gusteko empty-handed. Knowing that she would eventually have to leave to check in with her assassin guild, which would take a few days at least given the travel time, the group knew that this was their chance.

With a month's worth of worry and anguish coursing through them, the elite task force of Emilia, Beatrice, and Garfiel were tasked with finding Subaru while Julius and the Iron Fang dealt with the cultists left behind. The trio knocked aside any cultists that stood in their way, Emilia and Garfiel knocking them into the stone walls on either side of Beatrice, who acted as their homing beacon for Subaru's location. The Great Spirit eventually guided them into a long hallway with a bunch of cell-like rooms with solid wood doors and metal bars to peer through the entrance. But in Subaru's case, this allowed a certain odor only recognized by some to mark his location among the identical doors in the hallway.

Beatrice: "This is the one, in fact!"

The small spirit girl frantically pointed at one of the doors closest to the end of the hallway. She noted the crudely carved heart into the wooden door, as if someone had used a knife or some kind of large claw to do it, before Garfiel grabbed its hinges and ripped the door from its frame and tossed it aside. As much as he wanted to rush in, grab his Captain, and get out, Garfiel knew that the two ladies next to him had priority over him. Beatrice nodded at Emilia, whom she discussed this scenario with beforehand, signaling her to be the first to confront the boy they mutually admired.

The half-elf carefully walked into the room. At the far corner of the stone cell, Emilia could see her knight curled up on a bed facing away from the door, dressed in the now tattered pajamas he was taken in, with the addition of a worn orange scarf around his neck. His condition was worrisome enough, but the state of his room was also making her feel uneasy.

The first thing she noticed was the smell. She nor Garfiel could smell the witch's miasma that constantly surrounded his body, but what they could smell was human blood, the familiar scent of cursed dragon's blood from Pristella, and something else neither of them recognized. If that didn't send a message, then the physical state of the room certainly did. There were no other furnishings aside from the bed, which looked like it had been smashed down to the point where the legs had splayed out and broken beneath itself. There were also claw marks and large indents along parts of the stone walls, making it look like a battle was waged within this tiny room.

Emilia: "Subaru, is that you?"

He looked over his shoulder at the sound of her silver-bell voice, then immediately recoiled in fear and backed himself into the corner of his bed and the room, holding one hand to his chest and the other to point at her.

Subaru: "HEY! NO! NO WAY, UH-UH! YOU JUST- STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"

Emilia: "-Ah!?"

She understood his circumstances but his words still stung a little. She really did expect him to jump for joy at the sight of her like he usually would, but it was almost like he didn't recognize her.

Subaru: "We had a deal! I'll play your game, I'll do whatever you want, just- Don't turn into her! You promised you wouldn't, so please! Don't… just don't… not as her, please…"

He slowly lowered his pointing hand as he spoke, losing his composure as he went on until he started to sob between his words. Eventually he just curled up into a ball in his corner and hid his face behind his legs, visibly shaking in anticipation.

Emilia: "Subaru-"

Subaru: "EITHER CHANGE BACK OR LEAVE! I can't… do this with you! Not while you have her face… her voice…"

Emilia: "..."

The more he shouted and sobbed between his thighs, the more she began to understand what he was afraid of. Capella had used her authority to change her appearance to match Emilia's, then used that form to torment Subaru, but it sounds like he managed to talk her out using that form in exchange for cooperative behavior. But as it stood, Emilia standing in his was just Capella in disguise to a worn out and tired Subaru. He would much sooner believe that Capella simply broke their informal agreement than buy into the idea that the woman he loved was actually there to rescue him. She wanted to say something or move closer to him to assure him that she was real, but the way he was trembling in fear from her made her reluctant to make any further moves. Thankfully, someone else had the idea to break this stalemate encounter.

Beatrice: "Subaru."

Subaru: "Ehhh…?"

Confused at the sound of another voice, Subaru perked his head up to see Beatrice standing at Emilia's side.

Subaru: "T-Two, of you? H-How is that… ahhh?"

Without speaking a word, Beatrice resumed a walking pace towards her contractor. He pushed himself further back into his corner, his attention shifting completely to the one moving closer to him. When she reached the side of his bed, with her face full of regret for not being able to do more, Beatrice reached her arm out and offered her hand to him. He looked at her with a confused look, as if to say 'Do you really think I'll fall for that?', but Beatrice maintained her position. Realizing that maybe this wasn't some trick, that help had finally arrived, Subaru very cautiously reached a hand out to place atop hers. He slowly reached out further and further until their fingers made contact, and instantly he felt a much overdue drainage of his mana. Not only was this good for his physiology, but this familiar, safe sensation allowed his psyche to finally feel at ease enough for him to promptly fall asleep.

Beatrice kept his hand clasped in hers as he slipped into his slumber, not taking any chances that mana saturation wasn't already starting to debilitate his body and mind. Once he was out for certain, Emilia carefully wrapped him in some of his blankets, making sure to leave an arm out for Beatrice, and picked up her knight in her arms to carry him bridal style. She shifted her arm to make sure his head was supported, then turned with Beatrice beside her and made her way to leave this dark little room.

Garfiel: "Yo, Lady Emilia. You smell somethin' kinda off 'n there?"

Emilia: "I noticed that too…"

They would bring it up to the medical team later. Right now they just wanted to get Subaru as far away from this place as possible. The two young ones were full of confusion along with their worry, but Beatrice was not so innocent. While she was a reclusive spirit, she was old and well read enough to wager a guess as to what her Subaru had gone through during his captivity, but she held back her tears. Nothing was certain yet, there was a chance that she was mistaken, and she hoped from the bottom of her artificial heart that she was as she struggled to keep up with the fast-paced demi-humans at her sides.

Outside the cave, witch cultists were being arrested and filed into a prison carriage, overseen by Julius, Ricardo and the triplets. When Emilia emerged with Subaru in her arms, Julius shifted his attention to his sworn friend and comrade and rushed over, leaving the Iron Fang to deal with the cleanup.

Julius: "How is he?"

Emilia: "We're not sure yet. He doesn't seem hurt, but he was terrified of me when he saw me. I think Capella was using her Authority to look like me in order to torment him."

Julius: "That fiend…!"

Julius tightened the grip on his sword handle. It was sheathed at the moment, but he only wished that Sin Archbishop were here before him so he could get some form of vengeance for his sword brother.

Emilia: "Where's Ferris?"

Julius: "This tent over here."

He led them to the medical tent closest to them, opening the hastily propped up structure to see the catboy knight awaiting their arrival.

Ferris: "Nyou found him!"

Emilia: "We did, can you please look at him? He was acting hysterical when we found him and only calmed down when Beatrice drained his mana."

Emilia placed Subaru on a bed that had been reserved for him and undid some of the bedsheets she used to cover him. When she uncovered him within the light of the tent, she noticed that he looked skinnier and his skin looked almost light gray, as if he hadn't been out in the sun or eaten a proper meal in a while. He was unkempt, but he himself at least looked clean, save for the month old pair of pajamas stained with who knows what at this point. Though his sleeves were long, Emilia couldn't help but notice scratches that stained his sleeves red, and they looked recent. She sighed and placed a hand on his forehead, letting her fingers comb through his messy hair, not caring how unwashed it felt against her skin. She was just happy to have him out of harm's way.

Ferris: "Well, mana saturation was my main concern. But as for acting hysterical, he may have had his hopes of escape weakened over time, and being around a Sin Archbishop probably didn't help too much either. If Subaru-kyun were any less of a crazy man than he always was, I daresay he could've come out even worse. All we can hope for is that with the love and support from us all, the old Subaru will bounce back over time."

Emilia: "That's good to hear at least…"

Garfiel: "What 'bout that weird smell?"

Emilia: "Oh, yes! Ferris, Subaru seems to have a strange scent about him that Garfiel and I can't recognize. Do you know what it is?"

Ferris: "Strange scent? That's just blood, some sweat, and- *sniff* *sniff*… Oh no."

Emilia: "Ferris?"

As if something just clicked in his head, Ferris' feline instincts kicked in and brought his face down to Subaru's body. He sniffed along his face, his chest, but stopped when he reached his lower abdomen. He squinted his eyes and took a deep whiff, then quickly reared his head back, eyes wide with surprise and face full of disgust.

Ferris: "No, no, nonono…"

Julius: "Ferris, what is it?"

Ferris ignored him as well. He moved his focus back to his face and took a closer look, noting the red streaks that went down his face that evidenced a familiar flow of tears over an extended period of time. On his face that looked so peaceful when at rest, they seemed out of place. Then again, all of this was out of place. Of all the people in the world to get kidnapped by a living embodiment of evil, Natsuki Subaru was among the last who could ever deserve such a fate. That's when the scarf caught his attention.

Ferris: "... Does Subaru-kyun usually wear a scarf to bed?"

Beatrice: "He doesn't, I suppose. He has one like this at home, but he hardly uses it outside of cold weather. Betty was wondering about that scarf as well, in fact."

Ferris: "Let's see then…"

The medic knight put a finger to Subaru's scarf and pulled it down just enough for him to peek underneath… And Ferris' complexion went pale as if he had stared death in the face.

Garfiel: "Oi, I don't like that face yer makin'!"

Julius: "Ferris, talk to us!"

Emilia: "Ferri-"

Ferris: "Get out."

Everyone: "?"

Ferris' voice dropped from its normal high pitch into something more befitting of a Lugnican Knight exerting his command over his jurisdiction. He grit his teeth as he spoke, holding back multiple forms of anger.

Ferris: "Everyone except Lady Beatrice needs to leave this tent. RIGHT. NOW."

Emilia: "Now hold on a minu-"

Ferris: "No! I'm making this call, both as a Knight of Lugnica and as Subaru's physician, the only people that should be in this tent are me and his contracted spirit. Everyone else, leave! This will only take a minute, I'll call you in when it's done."

Emilia: "When what is done, Ferris?"

Garfiel: "Hang on a damn-!"

Julius: "Come. We must give the medical team their space."

Both Garfiel and Emilia were versed in healing magic just as Ferris and Beatrice were, so their restriction from helping out was understandable, but Julius nonetheless honored his colleague's request and held his tongue, as much as it pained him to do so. He held out his arms and nudged the two Emilia Camp members out of the tent along with himself, Ferris eyeing them to make sure they left.

What came next proceeded to be the longest wait the three outside the tent had ever experienced. Emilia paced back and forth, Garfiel grit his teeth and sharpened them against each other, and Julius merely stood guard with his hand glued to his sword handle. What felt like several minutes ended up being closer to forty seconds, all of them relieved to hear a 'You can come in nyow!' come from the tent.

When they came back in, both Ferris and Beatrice were in the same state; They had their healing hands dimly glowing beneath the scarf they hadn't removed, while simultaneously trying and failing to hold back their tears. The three newcomers were all collectively going to ask what had gone on, but when they looked at the bedside stand they all swallowed their words.

Within a medical tray atop the table, along with a pair of clippers, was a leather band with a small metallic lock that had been snipped at the side. Around the inner part of the band was dried blood, making them realize just how tight and how long that thing must've been around his neck. His eating, drinking, and even breathing must have been inhibited for as long as this thing had been on him. For Julius and Garfiel, their hearts sank into the pit of their stomachs upon realizing the implications this situation had, but Emilia instead tilted her head in genuine bewilderment.

Emilia: "I don't understand. Why would she make him wear a… dog's collar?"