Self-indulgent Humility and Unfounded Pride
Half an Hour since the Last Death (Eleven Deaths)
"Marvelous! Simply marvelous, wonderful, splendid, extraordinary! That my eyes, that my ears, that my lips, that my nose, that my flesh have dared to obviate until now the presence of such a believer in love, can only be considered the most terrible of sins! Yes! I have sinned, I have sinned against love! While a diligent servant of the witch was roaming among the lonely roads of the cursed Royal Capital, I negligently ignored his presence! That... That's slooooothhh!"
As he acclaimed overwhelmingly moved heavenward, the Archbishop of Sloth rebuked his own inaction. He had neglected Subaru's presence, and because of that he had thereby incurred the sin of sloth. By doing nothing, he had sinned; that was the mentality of the man who represented the sin of Sloth. And his only way of atonement was self-flagellation; therefore, vehemently, Petelgeuse bit his fingers until the sound of bones cracking filled the place, and, even then, he continued biting harder and harder.
Thoroughly dumbfounded, Subaru witnessed the disturbing scene unfolding before his eyes. With a revolting fascination blossoming in a corrupted corner of his mind, Subaru watched the man's deranged actions, a crooked smile creeping from the corners of his lips. In the man's maddened diligence, Subaru found something he considered minimally admirable. He loathed the Witch Cult, but the main reason he did so was because of Capella Emerada Lugunica, the despicable Archbishop of Lust.
It was certainly true that the cult was to blame for the terrible massacre perpetrated in the commercial district, but Subaru really had absolutely nothing to do with it; his mind had already become partially desensitized, and he found it hard to continue hating them simply because of it. Their actions were despicable, as was Capella's attitude, but Subaru really found that not enough reason to hate the remaining archbishops; however, he did harbor negative feelings towards the bandaged woman who had once murdered him, but they would never compare to the intense hatred he felt for Capella. Still, they were interfering with his plans, and so Subaru would see to their destruction.
However, he was incapable of carrying out such a thing, therefore, the only thing he could do was to endeavor to get out of his encounter with Petelgeuse alive. The man who, despite his representing the sin of sloth, was famous for his terrible deadly diligence. Someone who strives to overcome the sin with which he has been marked; that was the main characteristic of that lunatic, which Subaru could not refrain from respecting, however slightly. In that sense he's better than me; he thought, frustrated.
"I really don't think it's of importance that you hadn't found me until now, what's really important is that you finally did. That in itself should be considered diligence, shouldn't it?" Subaru remarked, hoping to move forward with the stalled conversation with Sloth. The Sin Archbishop, who had started tearing out his hair with his bloody hands, stopped and looked at him with his eyes completely reddened; a shiver ran through Subaru's body in consequence.
"... diligence... You're right! You're absolutely right! No use crying over spilt milk, that's right! Therefore, I must proceed accordingly. Now that a fortuitous event such as the appearance of another comrade believer in love has taken place, I must be sure to give him a proper reception. Still... We're in the midst of a work in progress. However, the involvement of the prideful diligent might permit me to accomplish my second undertaking... Of course, pride impels to diligence, doesn't it? In that case, with you by my side, yesssssss... It's possible! We could continue the sacred Ordeal that that melancholic slothful clown disrupted! Yes, if we're diligent, we could carry out the ordeal for a second time..."
"..." Silently, Subaru watched the lunatic as he rambled on; crazed, the man argued with himself. And while most of the things he said turned out to be of zero importance to Subaru, there was one thing that indeed caught his attention. "The sacred ordeal that that melancholic slothful clown disrupted"; Subaru immediately knew he was referring to the attack aimed at Emilia's benefactor's lands.
Indeed, Subaru remembered that Ricardo once mentioned that Roswaal had repelled the Archbishop of Sloth from his domain. And now that the Witch Cult was attacking the Royal Capital, the place where the meeting between candidates to the throne was taking place, and therefore, where Emilia was, it was not surprising that the lunatic wanted to conclude the pending work.
Still, it was a mystery to Subaru which ordeal Petelgeuse was referring to, although it was most likely that, due to Emilia's bloodline, it was related to the witch. He was also unable to understand if such ordeal had anything to do with the attack on the capital; based on Petelgeuse's words, it seemed not to be the case, that is, they were two matters isolated from each other. Be that as it may, if Subaru sincerely wished to atone for his sin and make amends for having broken the first promise he made in that world, then he would do everything in his power to prevent the Witch Cult from carrying out such an "ordeal".
Paying no attention to Subaru, who had become immersed in his own musings, Sloth continued speaking to himself. "But we mustn't rush, no... It's necessary to keep our focus on the present. Hmm... Which should be the right course of action to take? Which one...? Which one?! We have both already introduced ourselves, so, for now, only one thing is of the utmost importance above all else. You shall show me the proof of love... Love! Love! Love! Love! Love! Love! Love! Love... Yes... The proof of the witch's love..."
"Proof of love...?" Subaru asked, confused. Following the flow of the conversation was nearly impossible when one of the individuals would not stop having fits of insanity.
" If you've been blessed with the witch's gift and have been assigned to the vacant seat of pride, then there's no doubt that proof of such an enactment exists..." Petelgeuse muttered, as if this were common sense. Without another word, the man slipped his hand inside his tunic, at the level of his chest, and from it he produced a black tome. With watery eyes, resulting from the extreme emotion that overwhelmed him, the man spread the black-covered book in front of himself. "The Gospel is the proof that you're a follower of the witch. The proof of the love bestowed upon you! The copy of the Gospel - our identity, our soul, our heart!"
Subaru remained completely silent, not responding to the lunatic's acclamations. It was clear to him that he had been wrong, and that once again death was lurking nearby. This was something obvious, but which due to the circumstances he had not even considered. A method of identification; something that would prevent anyone from infiltrating the ranks of the Witch Cult. Now that he had realized his mistake in ignoring the existence of this, he had no choice but to, once again, surrender to his demise.
"..." His gaze and that of the crazed man remained fixed on each other, tense anticipation flooding the atmosphere.
As each second elapsed, the tension increased. Frowning, Sloth retracted his hand and, taking with extreme delicacy both parts of the cover of the black gospel, began to scan through its pages, his bloodshot eyes moving to the abnormal rhythm of the turning of the pages. After eternal seconds, the sound of moving sheets of paper ceased. A dangerous silence descended on the alley, and then the atmosphere abruptly exploded with violence.
"There's no mention of your name in my gospel, no such thing as an account of your existence... Archbishop of Pride? What is supposed to be happening here?! This is a mistake, a mistake! Why are you here, before me, but there is no information regarding this occurrence in my gospel?! Lies, falsehood, deceit, trickery, artifice, ruse, treachery! My brain tremblesssss!" The man rant, writhing and twisting and bending his body in the most unnatural ways possible. Then, the gleam of anger came over the latter's devoid-of-reason gaze. "I must deal with the sacrilegious fools who blaspheme against the divine love of the witch! Authority of Sloth, Unseen Hand!"
Instinctively, Subaru's body went into alert mode. He had already discarded all hope of surviving his encounter with the Archbishop of Sloth, and yet his body was unwilling to give up without a fight. I guess the promise I made to Anastasia has taken root deep in my heart without me even realizing it, Subaru thought, his gaze fixed on the enraged Petelgeuse.
Abruptly, a shadow emerged from the archbishop's back. At first, Subaru was unable to discern what it was; however, after careful analysis, he recognized it. It was one of the giant black hands that had thrown Utada away. Like a shadowy snake, the shadowy hand crawled in the air, heading towards him; it was not particularly fast, since it moved like any other limb.
When the ghostly hand was about to graze his body, Subaru dodged it by jumping to the side. The hand then made a grabbing motion, but since Subaru had moved, it managed to grab nothing but air, which quickly vanished from between its fingers. If it was a matter of escaping from the shadowy hand, Subaru thought he was capable of it; he was thinking so, when he heard Petelgeuse mutter in stupefaction
"Did you see it...? Did you manage to catch a glimpse of my Unseen Hand? The limb that only I am allowed to see, my authority, granted to me by love... This definitely has to be a mistake! It's intolerable, inconceivable, inadmissible, unacceptable! Who are you, you despicable Spirit Arts User, beloved by the witch!" Blinded with rage, Petelgeuse shoved the five fingers of each hand into his mouth and bit down with all his might, spreading blood all around. With bloodshot eyes and crimson liquid dripping from his mouth, Petelgeuse pointed one of his mangled fingers at him. "Who on earth do you think you are! I'll be sure to eliminate a heretic anomaly like you-u...!" Then, stuttering, Petelgeuse suddenly stopped.
"What's the matter, weren't you about to kill me?" Subaru retorted him daringly, frowning. Petelgeuse ignored these words and grabbed his black tome again, then analyzed it even more closely than the first time.
While Petelgeuse read his black book, Subaru scanned with his eyes every corner of the alley, even behind him. He was pondering his chances of escape. If he died, he would go back and do it all over again applying some adjustments; but, if he had the chance to escape from Sloth and continue on his way to castle, then he would not waste it. He was considering going back the way he had come, running with all his might, when he heard Petelgeuse mutter again.
"You may go... Remove yourself from here and never again utter sacrilege against the eternal, sacred love of the Witch." Speaking with a sanity that did not square with his character, Petelgeuse spoke words that Subaru never expected to hear coming from the mouth of a member of the Witch Cult.
"W-what?" Subaru exclaimed stupidly, gasping. His mind was simply unresponsive to the abrupt change in the unfolding events.
"An anomaly, an anomaly of love; that's what you are. Providence has no record of your existence, the Gospel that guides my actions makes no mention of your name; something in the extreme peculiar, peculiar indeed... The designs of the witch are inscrutable, even to those believers in her love; yet to oppose these could not be described as anything but heresy, treason to her love. So, as I've been commanded, I'll let the anomaly go, thus desisting from standing in its way; even if this anomaly be a despicable Spirit Arts User and a heretic of love. So disappear from my sight, false Pride."
Frowning, and with his book, still half open, lying in the palm of his right hand, Petelgeuse stepped aside. Subaru, stunned, rubbed his eyes, as if expecting the mirage before him to vanish. An illusion resulting from a near-death experience, he concluded. But his expectations were dashed.
Subaru, whose sight had been blurred by his own sweat and tears, shed during the advent of what seemed like certain death, was able to notice that, at the back of the alley, up to ten cultists were guarding his exit. Most likely it was the same at the entrance. How stupid of me, I never had a chance, he thought. Petelgeuse, with his branch-thin index finger smeared with both blood and saliva, pointed to the end of the alley; the cultists quickly dispersed, making way for Subaru to get out of there.
Subaru was still unable to comprehend what was going on. Was it a trap? Would he be killed if he obeyed the Archbishop of Sloth? No, there was no reason to go to the trouble of carrying out such a ruse; Subaru was not worth such an effort. Therefore, instinctively Subaru began to walk towards where the Archbishop was pointing. If I do not obey, I will undoubtedly die, so I can only go forward.
Step by step, Subaru drew closer to Petelgeuse. The oppressive aura emanating from the Sin Archbishop increased the closer he got, making him feel as if he would be crushed against the wall next to him. Was that the true ability of sloth? Without moving, without speaking, Petelgeuse struck terror into Subaru's heart; still, he did not stop walking forward. Sloth's pale, sickly face took over more and more space in his field of vision, until it almost completely engulfed it.
Petelgeuse seemed to have finally calmed down, at least partially. Whatever he had discovered in his black gospel, it had quelled his crazed rage. However, the glare of hatred and contempt emanating from his gaze devoid of rationality was so overwhelming, that Subaru found it necessary to look away; the hooded people at the back of the alley were now in the center of his field of vision.
Just as Petelgeuse had assured him, Subaru was not attacked from behind. What kind of entity had obtained such a result? What was this "anomaly" thing all about? What did that black book, which, according to Sloth, signaled his own destiny, say? Who was Subaru really...? With those questions, especially the last one, the one he had come to hear so many times in that world, reverberating in his mind, Subaru left the archbishop behind.
Sloth did not rant. With oppressive silence, he watched Subaru walk away until he finally reached the end of the alley. Subaru, ignoring the hooded cultists, crossed through the black crowd of lunatics and finally broke free of Sloth's oppressive presence. Without looking back, Subaru began to run. And it was not until he had gone several blocks away that he was finally able to stop and take a breath.
With his hands propped on his knees, Subaru breathed in and out, over and over and over again; he was hyperventilating. Heavy tears formed at the corners of his eyes, which quickly soaked his face, and then he vomited up the little contents of his stomach. With his gaze on the small puddle of yellowish-green liquid that had come out of his mouth, Subaru began to laugh; it was a laugh of relief, a laugh of pain, a laugh of tension, an unhinged laugh...
Once he regained his composure, Subaru resumed his desperate race towards the Royal Castle. Whereas after leaving Leith's house he had moved cautiously and stealthily through the capital's loneliest alleys, after his encounter with the Archbishop of Sloth, Subaru threw all caution to the wind. Recklessly, he ran in a straight line towards the castle.
For Subaru, his meeting with the Sin Archbishop had meant his death; or at least that is how it should have proceeded. However, he still had his life, even though he had already given it up. An impossible, implausible second chance. That he was still alive was nothing more than a whim of fate, which had not yet tired of seeing him strive so vainly.
His life must have ended the moment Utada was killed by Petelgeuse, just as it had before his penultimate death. No matter how far he escaped, death would always meet him. Nevertheless, he had been spared; the providence of the gospel had so dictated. With no regard for his own safety, no regard for his own life, Subaru kept running.
He was alone, there was nothing he could do... Even so, his life had been spared. He had no more cards to play, his pieces had disappeared from the board, he only had his own self left, his life. He would gamble everything and get to the castle before Greed; he would go all-in. Without Utada's support, he was completely unprotected. Furthermore, it would be impossible for him to confront any kind of enemy force. Running was all he had left to do.
Could not he be stealthy? It would just be a stupid waste of valuable time. He had been stealthy before and that had ended up leading to his encounter with Sloth. Subaru remembered the déjà vu he felt when he was attacked by the cultists in the alley; how many times had he not been through similar situations?
That was not the first time he was attacked in an alley, nor was it the first time he was suddenly surrounded by hooded people. That alone would be enough to cause him to experience déjà vu, and yet neither was the reason why his heart still could not get rid of that sickening feeling. Just as it had happened with the mabeasts, and later with the false Zarestia, Subaru had been found as if something about him attracted his enemies. My scent? Subaru thought...
Halibel had mentioned that the Oni girl was out for revenge against the Witch Cult, and the beasts were creations of the witch. Did his body emit an odor similar to that of the witch? Halibel, even with his keen senses, never seemed to detect such a scent on him, so Subaru could not be sure of such a thing. However, there was no doubt that the Jealousy Witch had some sort of relation to the fact that he was always being encountered by enemies in some way or another connected to her.
This, coupled with a sense of detachment from his own life caused by his encounter with Petelgeuse, resulted in Subaru foregoing caution altogether. If he died, he would simply restart, just as it had to have happened after his face-to-face encounter with a Sin Archbishop; if a miracle happened and he reached the castle, he would proceed as he had planned.
In pursuit of reaching the castle, he had neglected the lives of his friends, his bodyguard's life, and his own. Could Utada have survived Petelgeuse's attack? Subaru had no idea, and he was not about to find out. Turning back in search of Utada meant returning to Petelgeuse's territory and wasting valuable time. He would keep going.
"Still... that attack..." Subaru muttered in between breaths. As he approached the arc-shaped entrance leading to the nobility district, Subaru recalled the eerie shape of the black hand.
That was the first time he had seen it... No, Subaru still had those translucent creatures that had murdered Utada, Leith and Otto engraved in his eyes; the perverse aura they radiated was the same one that the shadowy hand exuded. There was also the shadowy hand that emerged from nowhere every time he broke the taboo. Could they be the same? Taking into account Petelgeuse's reaction upon realizing that Subaru had seen his Unseen Hand, Subaru immediately assumed that somehow the former two were the same; however, he could not be sure concerning the black hand of the Return by Death taboo and Petelgeuse's Unseen Hand.
Besides... Why before his first death was he barely able to perceive Petelgeuse's shadowy hands, and now he was able to see them clearly? Subaru did not know; after all, the abilities of the Archbishops of Sin were an enigma even to the inhabitants of that world. Stripping their victims of their memories, and even their very existence. Possess an apparent invincibility. Inflict excruciating pain through blood. Subaru was certain that his understanding of the Archbishops' sinister abilities was extremely shallow.
With such a power I could... Realizing that his thoughts were straying into dangerous territory, Subaru shook his head. Once again, he was letting anger and hatred consume him; if he was not careful, he could end up becoming corrupted. Petelgeuse had come to mistake him for a Sin Archbishop; this had left him with a terribly bad taste in his mouth, causing fear of himself to begin to blossom.
Did it have anything to do with his disregard for his own life? Subaru really did not want to think about complicated things like that at a time like that. Therefore, Subaru silenced his mind and focused on running. Just meters away from him was the concrete wall with an archway, under which the main avenue ran; once he crossed it, he would be in the nobility district.
"Hmm... What are you doing here? There's not supposed to be anyone around these vicinity. Was this a mistake on my part? If so, then excuse me..." His running was brought to a complete halt upon hearing those words. "Oh, my apologies! It seems to me that you're in such a hurry to get somewhere. Still, it would be of great help if you could wait a moment and listen to me."
Emerging from the cabin where the royal guards that monitored the border between the commercial district and the nobility district would usually be stationed, a woman with a body entirely wrapped in bandages spoke to him endearingly and overflowing with rationality; an obvious facade that was unable to disguise the unpleasant aura she conveyed. Just being in the presence of that woman, Subaru felt the need to slip into the shadows.
Between Petelgeuse and the bandaged woman, Subaru undoubtedly preferred the former. Not because he liked Sloth, quite the contrary; however, while he is straightforward and sincere about his emotions, to the point where every move he makes perfectly conveys what he thinks and feels. On the contrary, the bandaged woman, as well as covering her body, covered her true intentions by using a repulsive good-natured attitude; perhaps because he saw himself reflected in her, in that aspect, Subaru was unable to tolerate her presence.
"I don't have time for this. As you say, I'm in too much of a hurry to get somewhere other than here." Subaru replied, intending to resume his escape towards the castle. However, he had refrained from abruptly starting to run, since he knew that doing so would undoubtedly result in his death. He would keep his promise and do his best not to die; with that in mind, he walked slowly in front of the alleged Sin Archbishop. Feeling dissociated from his own life, Subaru was able to move even in the presence of the terrifying woman.
"I see... Then I was correct, there is somewhere else you should be right now." She murmured. Only her hair and one of her eyes were visible; one lined with silver and the other lined with amethyst purple. However, it was color corrupted and worn by the passage of time; a metal and a gem that lost its value. "Even so, could you stay here for just a moment and listen to me? I don't think it's going to take me long to accomplish what I need to do. I'm sorry if it comes across as an annoyance for me to ask such a thing of you."
Bowing slightly, the woman insisted. At that moment, Subaru began to feel his judgment begin to be clouded by an intrusive and alienated sense of tranquility; just as before he was burned to death. It was clear that, using an ability unknown to him, the woman was manipulating his emotions in order to make him give in to her pleas. A state of calm was being forced upon him.
However, the woman never considered what it would trigger to use such an ability on Subaru, who had previously died consumed by the flames of her chain of wrath. Subaru's mind immediately associated that sense of repose with the excruciating pain of the flames consuming every cell of his being. The suffering had been engraved in his soul. Immediately, the influence of that alienated fragment of his being increased, clouding his mind with another emotion contrary to tranquility: Wrath.
That part of himself, which he found it difficult to consider as part of himself, began to cause interference with whatever the woman was using to manipulate him. Still, Subaru immediately knew that if he did not do something, he would be submerged in the powerful feeling of calmness. As if he had been thrown into the water with a stone tied to one foot, Subaru was beginning to sink into the indulgent waters of the alienated calm.
"T-The Archbishop of Sloth... Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti let me through..." Subaru managed to say, as he gripped his head tightly and forced himself to stay afloat. Since Subaru had already assumed that he might run into her, he had prepared those words beforehand. Immediately after he finished speaking, the sense of calm that was being forced into his body began to dissipate.
"My darling? My darling has allowed you to pass through? Really? My darling has allowed you to roam freely in this area, where we have been instructed to remove without any discretion every person we see? Are you not lying, perhaps?" The woman, puzzled, began to question him. As she asked each question, her endearing attitude dissolved, giving way to a more unstable one, which seemed capable of reacting violently at any moment, like potassium in contact with water.
"I-I'm not lying! He said I was an anomaly and so he let me go on!" His last ray of hope lied in convincing that woman to allow him to continue living, just as Petelgeuse had. He also had the option of trying to deceive her and introduce himself as the apparently missing Sin Archbishop of Pride, but he had ruled it out due to his fear of incurring her wrath should she, like Sloth, catch on to his lie. "Check it out by looking in your gospel, I'm sure if you do, you'll realize I'm telling you the truth."
The black gospel was key to his survival. Subaru had no idea what was written in its pages, but, whatever it was, it had saved his life previously. Petelgeuse had stated that his providence was written there. Did that have a literal or metaphorical meaning? Subaru could not be sure. Nevertheless, he could only depend on what was written in the gospel in order to survive.
There was a possibility that the bandaged woman did not possess her own gospel, but Subaru doubted that was the case. Petelgeuse had called it the proof of love, but apparently it was a type of identification given to members of the Witch Cult; did only those of high rank, meaning the archbishops, possess it, or all witch cultists? Subaru did not know the answer to that either. Still, Subaru was confident that this woman was not a mere subordinate.
"Huh?!" She exclaimed, dumbfounded. "The gospel you say? If it comes to that, it is possible that darling has noticed something that cannot be noticed with the naked eye. Still, for you to know of the gospel... Though the witch's miasma oozes out of you in abnormal amounts..." She muttered, though Subaru failed to hear her last words properly. Before he could ask about it, she continued. "I'm sorry for asking, but... Are you Pride by any chance?" That question again, Subaru thought. Had all his effort to assimilate humility into his heart been in vain? The useless one would always be a proud idiot...
"The Archbishop of Pride...? Sadly, no. However, I am apparently someone beloved by the Witch." Someone favored by the Jealousy Witch, who was worshipped by the Witch Cult, would undoubtedly be given preferential treatment by its members. So Subaru had thought, but his expectations were proven wrong by the terrible aura the woman emanated.
"Loved by the witch, you say?! By that demon bitch who stole my beloved's heart?!" Anger flashed in the only visible eye of the woman, who angrily approached him. Subaru immediately understood that he had been mistaken in assuming that all the members of the Witch Cult worshipped her...
"I-It's not like I had anything to do with that! I had no idea that was even the case until Archbishop Romanée-Conti told me about it!" Subaru defended himself, as he stepped back, so as to keep distance between the woman and himself.
"Hmk! If it wasn't for darling sparing your life, I would have reduced you to ashes by now, witch worshipper!" All trace of the good-natured facade was gone, but just as quickly as it disappeared, it returned... " Excuse me, I seem to have gotten carried away... Anyway, what's your name? Sorry for asking..."
"S-Subaru, Subaru Natsuki."
"Subaru... Hmm... Nice to meet you! And well, in that case I'll introduce myself as well." The woman's mouth was hidden by the bandages covering it, and yet Subaru could notice a twisted smile forming where her mouth should have been. "I'm the Sin Archbishop of Wrath of the Witch Cult; my name is Sirius, Sirius Romaneé-Conti."
"N-Nice to meet you." Subaru replied. The woman's ominous aura continued to grow, it mattered little that Subaru had already explained why he was there. Even so, is that the wife of the Archbishop of Sloth; Subaru thought. Since, by mere dismissal, he had already assumed that the identity of the bandaged woman was that of the Archbishop of Wrath, Subaru paid little heed to this revelation.
"Hmm... So you say you're an anomaly... Excuse me, let me look in my gospel, it won't take too long..." Just like Sloth, the woman scanned the black covered book with her gaze. After a minute had passed, the woman nodded in satisfaction. "As you say, you are a disturbing anomaly; there is no record of your existence in my gospel. Hmm... It's not entirely to my liking, but just as that person said, I won't meddle in your affairs. Do whatever you see fit. I'm sorry for speaking so coldly to you, but I honestly have no interest in your existence whatsoever!" And bowing slightly, the woman turned her back on Subaru. "Still, I'm sorry for taking of your time unnecessarily, so I'll tell you this... You should start running."
"Start runnin-?" Subaru hadn't finished asking that question, thoroughly bewildered, when he felt an overwhelming bloodlust directed at him. Acting on instinct, he leapt forward; a decision that quickly proved to be correct, given that right where he had found himself milliseconds before, there now lay nailed to the ground the massive blade of an axe.
Terrified, Subaru looked up, only to meet the enraged eyes of his bodyguard. His clothes were completely torn, his body was bathed in blood, he had deep wounds throughout his body and was missing a large part of an arm, whose bleeding had been stopped with an improvised tourniquet. With anger clouding his eyes and his rationale, Utada watched Subaru as if he were prey.
"I-I... Grhhh!...right." Utada managed to say, between unintelligible grunts. Wrath had already consumed him completely, and he was in berserker mode. "One... Grrrhh!...of 'em..." With a vacant stare, he watched Sirius and Subaru; with that Subaru understood what was going on. Still, he did not feel confident of managing to convince Utada of his innocence; after all, Utada had found him at the worst possible time.
"I-It's a misunderstanding, Utada!" Shouted Subaru, but Utada, ignoring him, plucked the axe from the ground with his only functional hand. Realizing that it would be useless to talk to him further, Subaru turned to Sirius and, groveling, begged for his life. "Please help me! I'm an anomaly, aren't I?! Some value I must have, otherwise you wouldn't have left me alive! So save me from Utada!"
"Excuse me, but my only order was not to interfere with your affairs, that person didn't say anything about protecting you." Sirius told him, as she watched him disinterestedly. Subaru tried to plead once more, but all that came out of his mouth was blood. An excruciating pain began to spread with his heart as the epicenter. With his gaze beginning to dull, Subaru lost all strength in his arms.
Shocked, Subaru felt his body being lifted from his chest. His head, which was not able to support itself, fell on his chest; it was then that he could notice the handle tip of Utada's axe protruding from the left side of his chest. Suddenly, he was violently jerked, and his body once again fell to the ground. The axe handle had been torn from his body, leaving behind a gaping hole in his chest.
The pain in his chest, specifically in his heart, had already begun to numb from the enormous loss of blood; in a few seconds he would die. It was a quick death. After all, his heart had been pierced. Utada had granted him at least that much mercy. "Die, ya fuckin' witch cultist..." He heard his bodyguard grunt. That one in charge of guarding his back had stabbed him in the back. In his last lucid moments, Subaru savored the pathetic irony.
His eyes, now a shade of white, still unfocused, were pointed at the bandaged woman, Sirius. Subaru would not be able to see it, but a long golden chain now lay in her hands. "Sorry, but apparently you weren't as beloved by the witches as you thought you were... No matter how much you reek of the witch, her despicable love will never reach you... When will you also understand that, my darling?" And that was the last thing Subaru managed to hear, though his dying brain was unable to process such information received, before finally returning to the world of shadows he had grown accustomed to visiting.