Black Soul Mother
Twenty-five Minutes since the Last Death (Seventeen Deaths)
He had made it. He had finally succeeded. Dumbfounded, Subaru dropped to the ground; his legs simply did not possess enough strength to keep him standing. With his feet outstretched, Subaru took a close look at the portion of the dragon racetrack where until a moment ago the dreaded Archbishop of Wrath lay unconscious. In disbelief, he waited for the cloud of dust and smoke to clear.
Perhaps Sirius had somehow found a way to survive. Perhaps she had employed a technique reserved only for emergency situations and had escaped the clutches of death. Perhaps she had managed to awaken at the last moment and, as she had always done until then, had evaded the flaming projectile headed her way.
Subaru waited, waited with his nerves on edge. He was willing to start from scratch, otherwise he would never have risked trying to kill Sirius when there was a chance that it would result in him causing his own death. Sirius had humiliated him time and time again, Sirius had looked down on him, Sirius had been both the direct and indirect cause of his death. Sirius had started that cycle of death.
Sirius had fanned the flames of wrath and hatred that flared within his being, and after doing so, she had claimed that Subaru was incapable of feeling true wrath; she had underestimated him. And because of this, Subaru wished not only to witness her death, but to be the cause of it. Subaru had risked an entire loop just to prove Sirius wrong and that the wrath burning in his heart could not only compare to hers, but surpass it.
Fight fire with fire, wrath with wrath; Subaru wanted to prove that the flames of his emotions shone more brightly and burned more fiercely than Sirius'. Therefore, despite the excruciating pain he felt in both arms, he forced himself to wield his firearm, the representation of his explosive rage, and with it deliver the finishing blow to the woman who had tormented him so much throughout the loops of that cycle of death.
He waited, he waited motionless, transfixed, not venturing to move one of his fingers or even blink; he feared that if he did, he would miss the final outcome of the fight that had dragged on for three loops. He waited, even as the intense burning sensation in his arms increased as the excess adrenaline in his bloodstream was diluted; he waited. Once the dust settled and the smoke was dispelled by the gentle evening wind, Subaru could finally see it. The distance did not help in discerning the details, but there was no doubt. A charred corpse lay in the middle of the explosion crater.
"At last..." Subaru whispered, thus experiencing an intense déjà vu. Killing had become habit; perhaps that was why all sense of guilt had disappeared from his consciousness.
Letting out the air he had not realized he had been holding in, Subaru let his body relax. However, his body stiffened again as he felt intense pain shooting through his arms. Subaru looked down and saw the tissue eaten away by the flames; he had burns on every part of his arms. That would be the mark of this new sin.
However, unlike how he had believed, the previous marks had not completely vanished. The scars left by the murderous child were visible on some parts of his arms, and charcoal-black dots covered several sections of them as well. That was a sign of fate, a sign that he could never forget the sins he had committed in order to prolong his own life.
"Subaru-sama!" He was still deep in thought, his gaze fixed on his arms, when he was brought back to reality by Utada's calling. Subaru looked up and could see the imposing mercenary approaching him. His clothes were torn, and his body was covered in cuts, some of which were still bleeding. And while some were particularly deep, none appeared to be life-threatening.
"Glad to see you can still get around with no problems." Subaru said with a small smile, a smile that faltered as he noticed that Halibel's clone was nowhere to be seen. "And the clone?"
"It vanished before ya rained justice on the archbishop. He told me that his mana reserve was already depleted, and then... Poof! He turned into a puff o' smoke."
"Dang, I was hoping he'd still join us for a while longer, now it'll take us even more time to get to the castle." Subaru replied with a look of annoyance. It was clear that the welfare of his companions and his own were factors of lesser importance to him. Time, time was what really mattered to him; time was his priority.
"Subaru-sama... Are ya sure you're in condition to continue onward to the castle? Yer arms seem to be pretty messed up. Perhaps we'd return to the mansion ta have our wounds treated there." Suggested Utada after noticing the terrible state of Subaru's burn-covered arms.
"That's not an option, Utada. We must get to the castle as soon as possible, only then will I be able to protect Anastasia's destiny." Subaru said, dismissing Utada's concerns. After saying this, he tried to stand up, but his feet gave way to the weight of his body again and he fell onto his buttocks. "Shit..." He muttered, in frustration.
"Ya shouldn't push yerself so hard, Subaru-sama; you're worn out. And it isn't just you, I feel exhausted too." Utada pointed out, as he squatted down next to Subaru.
It was not only a matter of physical exhaustion, but also of mental exhaustion. True, they had taken measures to avoid the influence of the Authority of Wrath, but those measures were not flawless. Inevitably, both had been slightly affected by the authority, and their minds now felt completely worn out. Their bodies had been drained of energy. They could consider this Sirius's parting gift.
"Fucking loudmouthed bitch, even dead she turns out to be a pain in the ass." Subaru spat with contempt.
"So... What do we do, Subaru-sama?" Utada questioned him, prompting Subaru to close his eyelids and once again sink into musings. After a few seconds passed, Subaru opened his eyes once again and looked at Utada.
"What became of the earth dragon that ended up as our unexpected ally?"
"I thought I saw it hurryin' back to the stables. But I ain't entirely sure, I saw it as I was movin' away from the Sin Archbishop, and at the time I was more concerned with puttin' as much distance between me n' her as possible before ya fired yer weapon."
"I see." Subaru said, nodding. "In that case, I need you to take me to the stables."
"As ya wish, Subaru-sama." Utada then picked Subaru up being careful not to touch his arms and walked away from the racetrack in the direction of the stables that were only a little over a hundred yards away from there.
Once in the stables, Subaru signaled Utada to place him back on the ground and so Utada did. The pair began to scan the place with their eyes. To their surprise, what they found was not unlike the result of a terrible and bloody turf battle. Dozens of earth dragons lay on the ground, stripped of their lives. Claw and fang marks covered the dragons' bodies, and pools of blood had formed under their corpses.
Upon taking a close look at the beasts' snouts, it was easy to infer what had happened, given that fresh traces of blood, flesh and scales remained between their fangs. Sirius' Authority had driven them mad and caused them to kill each other. The carcasses were missing legs, part of the tail or even the entire tail, parts of their mouth, the entire lower jaw, one or both eyes, pieces of their back or abdomen, in which case organs protruded from the massive wounds. That had been the outcome of the battle for survival; however, no survivor was left to declare victory. All had turned out to be losers in the end.
No, that last statement was false, not all the combatants had ended up as losers. Deep in the stable was a stall that was isolated from the rest of the stalls by a thick wooden wall, twice as thick as the thin walls that bounded the other stalls, and a steel-hinged door that now lay in shreds on the ground. From the appearance of this particular stall, it was easy to assume that its inhabitant was not the same as the rest of the earth dragons in the stable.
In this particular stall lay the champion, the true winner of that turf battle. With indifference, the beast licked its bleeding wounds, thus trying to accelerate the healing process. Subaru and Utada entered the stable slowly, trying not to strain their weakened bodies too much, and it was when one of them stepped on a handful of hay that served as bedding for the beasts, that they finally caught the attention of the particular earth dragon.
Subaru and the dragon crossed their gazes. Brown eyes met golden eyes. Subaru took one, two, three steps, his gaze remained glued to the earth dragon's eyes, it was as if an invisible force prevented him from looking away. That beast had saved his life. Subaru was convinced that without its unexpected assistance, Sirius would have put him to death as she had done in their first encounter in the commercial district.
An intense heat began to spread throughout his body with a strange corner of his body as its core. Subaru soon realized that it was that fragmented part of himself. He could feel it, an unusual connection with that animal. Ultimately, Subaru stopped a few meters away from the animal, one of his feet now treading on the remains of the thick wood and steel door.
For the first time since his eyes met the dragon's, Subaru allowed himself to let his gaze wander. It was then that he was able to notice it. During their first encounter he had not had the opportunity to closely examine the animal's body, and so he had only noticed the very obvious wounds it had sustained during its combat against the other dragons; even so, the non-lethality of the injuries its body had received was evidence of how superior it had been to its competition. But now that he was looking closely at the animal's scaly hide, he could see the scars.
Scars that had undoubtedly been caused by the striking of a whip. That animal had been mistreated, probably in order to force it to obey its owner's orders. Anger and hatred towards humans had undoubtedly blossomed in its heart, and yet it had saved Subaru. Subaru, empathetic, stretched out one of his arms. The animal turned its head away abruptly, thus preventing Subaru from touching it. Subaru got the message and stopped the advance of his limb, thus choosing to respect the dragon's personal space.
Although it was clear that it did not wish to be touched, the dragon did not seem displeased with Subaru's presence. Subaru once again could feel it, that unseen connection. The animal and Subaru remained static for several seconds, and then the dragon moved its eyes, resting them on the arm that remained frozen in the air several inches from its snout. After that, yet again nothing happened for several seconds.
Subaru then set about retracting his arm, after all, his forearm muscles were already starting to get sore. He had already partially gotten used to the burning pain, so at least that wasn't a problem for the immediate moment. Before he could move his arm, however, he sensed movement in the dragon's head. The fantasy animal opened its snout and an elongated, raspy tongue crawled out of it.
The dragon's tongue slowly approached Subaru's arm until the tip brushed his skin. Subaru instinctively winced and jerked his arm slightly, startling the dragon who withdrew its tongue, but not completely. Subaru, realizing his mistake, kept his arm stretched out, raised in the air. A few seconds passed before the animal attempted to lick Subaru again, this time successfully.
The earth dragon's tongue was rough, not unlike sandpaper. Actually, each lick hurt enough to make him want to cry, yet Subaru knew how to read the animal's intentions and so he endured the pain without whimpering or wincing. He was already used to dealing with pain, he just had to keep doing it.
Once the animal appeared satisfied with its work, it retracted its tongue back into its snout and looked Subaru in the eyes again. Subaru could sense it, that natural connection, that unseen bond, had been strengthened. That was the right time. "Come with me." Subaru proposed, without taking his gaze from the animal's. How intelligent are earth dragons? Subaru was unsure, that was the closest he had ever been to one. Still, Subaru could see a near-human intelligence in the black dragon's shining eyes. "It's obvious that you're being harmed and isolated here, so come with me, and I promise you'll never be treated like you're just a mere commodity again."
"Subaru-sama, I ain't sure dat animal can understand." He heard Utada speaking to him near his back.
"Shush! Be quiet, I'm in process of convincing it to join us!" Subaru exclaimed in annoyance.
Luckily for both of them, the dragon never looked away from Subaru. There again, Subaru tried to bring his hand closer to the dragon. His hand was not covered with burns as severe as those on his arm, but it was still injured. His fingers slowly approached the dragon's head, ever so slowly... And then Subaru was able to stroke the animal's head, which closed its eyes peacefully. Subaru could feel it, in that moment, in that instant, he had acquired a companion that would accompany him for life...
"So, do ya intend to keep it?" Utada questioned him as they left the stable littered with corpses.
"Why, of course! Just look at its scales, it's obvious they were beating it with a whip, probably to convince it that way to run in the races!"
"Hmm... Ta be honest, I don't know too much 'bout earth dragons, but just by lookin' at it I can tell that it's a very fine specimen; it must be outrageously expensive. So I hope you don't get in trouble fer stealin' it."
"Getting in trouble? Utada, are you oblivious to everything that's been going on? I wouldn't be surprised if their owners have died at the hands of the Witch Cult. And even if that wasn't the case, I doubt a missing earth dragon would be the biggest of the place's owner's problems; especially considering all their other dragons are dead."
"Maybe each dragon has a different owner and they simply decided to leave 'em housed in the stable near the Dracodrome." At Utada's comment, Subaru turned his face towards him and leered at him. Sighing, Utada added. "But ya're right, considerin' the dark times loomin' over Lugunica, I've no doubt that a missin' earth dragon will be the least of its owner's problems."
"Exactly." Subaru said, pleased. "Well, I think we've already wasted too much time and now it's our duty to make up for it. Help me get on Patrasche so we can get the hell out of this place."
"Patrasche?" Utada asked, confused.
"Yeah, that's how I named it, what do you think? Perfect, isn't it?"
"Uhmm... I guess."
At Utada's hesitation, Subaru clicked his tongue. "Tch! Anyway, help me get on it, with the state my arms are in, I don't think it's possible for me to do it by myself."
"Are ya sure ya don't want us to go back to the mansion? With the use of the earth dragon we'd be able to-"
"Utada, help me mount Patrasche, dammit!"
"Sigh... As ya command, Subaru-sama. Just one question, have ya ever ridden an earth dragon?"
Subaru had never ridden a horse in his entire life, let alone an earth dragon. With his injured arms it was spectacularly difficult to cling to Patrasche's neck and the weakness of his legs made clinging to its torso an extremely arduous task. Nevertheless, it was clear that Utada had not lied when he stated that Patrasche was an extremely fine earth dragon. It was capable of doing all the work by itself. It could balance so perfectly and had such a firm posture when moving, that even the inexperienced and injured Subaru could ride it without any hitches.
Thanks to this, the trio was able to advance at a steady pace for a couple of minutes. There was no sign of hostile presence and it seemed that they were progressively approaching the castle, therefore Subaru began to feel confident. He was confident that their route to the castle would be an uneventful one thanks to the collaboration of Halibel, Ricardo and the rest of the Fang of Iron mercenaries, who would pave the way. But, yet again, he was very much mistaken.
"What… the fuck?! Subaru-sama, are ya seein' the same thing I'm seein'?!"
"I'd love to say no, but the truth is I'd be lying." Subaru replied, his gaze fixed on the reddish sky of beautiful cloudscape. A spectacle whose unparalleled beauty was disturbed by a gigantic silhouette furrowing through the crimson clouds.
"A friggin' dragon, are ya fuckin' kiddin' me!?" Utada exclaimed, incredulous.
"Crap... This's definitely the worst day of my life." Subaru muttered, his voice laden with a mixture of anger, frustration, exhaustion and dejection. But after a moment, he patted Patrasche's head and added. "Except for you, you're the shining pearl in a fountain of blood and shit."
Utada looked at Subaru strangely, but refrained from saying anything about it. His boss was out of his mind; fortunately, he was already aware of it. However, Subaru's insanity was a small matter at the moment. "What do we do, Subaru-sama? Do we keep movin' forward? Do ya think it has seen us?"
"We can't afford to keep losing time, so the best thing to do would be not to stop and increase our pace."
"Okay, let's hurry up and get ta the castle!"
Subaru, Patrasche and Utada then increased the speed of their movement. However, this soon proved to backfire, as it became clear that the dragon was hunting them down. Subaru proposed to make their way under roofed areas and into narrow alleys, thus hindering the dragon's view and making it lose sight of them. What they did not count on was the superhuman insistence of the dragon, which in a short time began to tread on their heels; or tread on their heads?
The dragon's flight speed was supreme, as was its vision. Not even as they navigated through the most convoluted and narrowest of the capital's roofed streets did they come close to losing him. And, to Subaru's despair, this chase was consuming precious, non-renewable seconds of time. Each time they wasted time veering into alleys that led them away from their destination in an attempt to lose the dragon, Subaru grew more and more frustrated.
Whatever that dragon was, there was no doubt that its target was them, and it would do anything to catch them. And by that time, Subaru was beginning to wish that it would descend once and for all and confront them, so as to stop wasting time in vain. A wish that the dragon immediately fulfilled, given that they erred in exiting an alley and unwillingly entered an avenue with enough space for the creature to land.
After several minutes of pursuit and as if it were a dark comet, the dragon crashed to the ground raising a dense layer of dust, blocking any possible escape routes with its huge body. It was a dragon with a jet-black body, wicked crimson eyes and golden horns rising above its head. Laughing as if it were a crazed beast, the fierce creature lowered its face to take a closer look at its victims.
"Kahahahaha, I finally caught you sneaky meat creatures! Did you really think you'd escape the great me? Pathetic, disgraceful, shameful, pitiful! Gahahaha! How very pathetic you are, you should drop dead!" Mocked the creature, as it wagged its tail from side to side, partially showing the entrance to the alley they just came out of; it was obvious it was toying with them.
"Fuckin' bitch..." Utada was utterly baffled by the black dragon's despicable behavior, while Patrasche kept snarling at the gigantic, winged figure resembling itself, but Subaru did not fail to recognize that venomous voice and disgusting attitude.
"Capella Emerada Lugunica, so it's you." That was not a question, but a statement.
"Oh, you seem to be a more intelligent insect than I thought! Yet, how did you recognize the beautiful Capella even when she's in this mighty form? I don't recall ever seeing a despicable creature like you in my life. Though of course, it's not strange that an ugly creature like you is not stored in my memory, while my beautiful figure was imprinted in your pathetic one."
"Tch! And they call me Pride." Subaru muttered in disgust, while constantly stroking Patrasche's neck to calm it down; after all, he did not wish for his earth dragon to be killed just minutes after acquiring it. "Anyway, I'm the anomaly you're ordered not to target; that's probably why you didn't kill me last time. So just let us go." Subaru knew it was futile, even more so when a part of himself was begging him to kill Capella right there and then, but he had opted to listen to his reason and try his luck.
"Last time...? Tch! What a conceited creature of meat! Still... The anomaly... If you know about it, that in itself makes you an anomaly. Or is it not that you're the foolish missing sin?"
"I'm not, for fuck's sake! I'm the damn anomaly, so just let us through already!" Subaru exclaimed, exasperated.
"Tch, tch, tch. Not so fast you, you pitiful insect who doesn't know its place. What makes you think I'd let anyone else go besides you, the despicable anomaly? Kahahaha! Besides, if I'm here, it's because I've been alerted that one of my disgraceful fellow Sin Archbishops was murdered. You two are disgustingly covered in wounds and blood, you seem to have fought a very fierce fight recently. Suspicious! Very suspicious! Gahahahahahaha!"
"Shit... I figured..." Subaru knew that would be the outcome, and yet he had tried. It was to be expected that Sirius' death would not take long to be discovered, and yet it had happened sooner than expected. Sadly, there was nothing left for him to do. However, Utada, who stood beside him and had not taken his eyes off his face, did not feel the same way.
"Subaru-sama, don' worry 'bout me. Go ahead and rescue Anastasia-sama; after all, if it weren't for her, I'd never have had the rare opportunity to slay a Sin Archbishop." Utada said to Subaru, stepping between him and the huge dragon who watched them with the same smugness with which a vile child would watch two ants.
"So you really were responsible for the death of that disgusting, foul-mouthed lunatic! Kahahaha! What a pathetic woman! How shameful it is to claim that we share rank within the Witch Cult! If I had been in her place, I would've immolated myself before suffering such a ridiculous, pathetic fate! Though of course, there's no way such a thing could happen, I, who should monopolize all the love and admiration of this sad world of revolting inferior beings, would never lose face in such a way."
"Utada, do you really understand who you've in front of you?" Subaru asked the mercenary, turning a deaf ear to Capella's words of self-praise. "I hate to say it, but I'm sure you don't stand a chance."
"From what I've heard, seen and smelled, I don't have any doubt that it's another one of Sin Archbishops. Three in one day, tis must be my lucky day." Utada replied casually. Of course Utada, capable of detecting the witch's scent, would have managed to deduce what they were up against.
"Well you're not wrong, you stupid creature of meat. I guess I really should promote you to insect too. Gahahaha! Don't you think it's obvious who I am? It's so obvious! Yes it is, you're just slow-witted, that's all! After all, no one in this world should be able to exude such a magnanimous aura as mine. Capella Emerada Lugunica, Sin Archbishop of Lust and the only being in this foul world worthy of love!"
"Lust, huh? I thought ya said she's only capable of usin' her blood ta torture, Subaru-sama."
"So I said, but apparently that wasn't her authority; or at least, it wasn't all that her authority could do."
"So you know about the Authorities? Hmm... I can see why that woman labeled you as an anomaly. Kahahaha! Still, don't get too cocky, you pathetic insect! If you think being an anomaly to that woman is a good thing, then you're in for a huge surprise when she finally shows herself to you. At that point you'll understand that you would've been better off becoming one of my test subjects. Kahahaha! Then you would have gotten someone to place your love on who really deserved it."
"Tch, you bitch! Anyway, it's obvious that this whole anomaly thing will backfire in the future, but for now I've no choice but to take advantage of the few benefits it has. So stop gloating and let us through, we're in a hurry."
"I told you already, you stupid insect of senseless pride, only you, the anomaly, will be able to keep going. You must get out of your rotten little brain the idea that things will go your way. You are nothing, and you will remain so until you die. So accept reality once and for all, or you're in for a miserable future. A very near miserable future! Gahahahahaha!"
"Subaru-sama..." Utada turned his head slightly and glanced sideways at Subaru; he understood what his bodyguard wished to tell him. Frustrated, Subaru balled his hands into taut fists, and then stretched one of his arms toward Utada.
"You cannot die, Utada. Your distrust caused me too much trouble and now I expect you to pay for it by serving at my side, do ya hear me?!"
"Course, Subaru-sama." Subaru was unable to recall a time when Utada smiled, let alone one where a smile from Utada was directed at him; perhaps that was why seeing his bodyguard smile at him astonished him so much.
"It's always touching to see two pathetic insects say goodbye with absurd promises that they themselves realize are impossible to keep. I can't wait to crush both of your hopes with my tail, my legs, and my jaws. Gahahaha!"
"Bitch..." Subaru muttered in disgust, and immediately raised his head so he could look into the sharp eyes of the black dragon. "I can leave riding my earth dragon, right? Without it, it'd be impossible for me to get where I'm headed, and therefore you'd be interfering with me, don't you think?"
"That's not how things work." Capella stated, shaking her massive head. "However, animals were never part of the purge of this cursed city, so there's really nothing forcing me to slay your dragon. Hmm... What should I do? Yes, it's true that splitting you from your dragon would mean interfering with your affairs, especially considering the pathetic, ugly state you're in. That woman might get upset, and that's not my intention. Well damn it, whatever. I'm in a good mood because you got rid of that annoying lunatic who naively thought she understood what love is, so I'll let you keep your earth dragon. I only hope you remember this merciful deed, prideful insect, as it's proof that Capella, the kindest archbishop, is the true deserving of all the love this ugly world can spare."
"Whatever you say..." Subaru replied in annoyance. Subaru was about to gesture Patrasche to start moving away from there, but stopped a second before doing so. "A group of warriors composed mostly of demi-humans was heading towards the castle. Did you interfere with them as well? Did you kill them?" If Capella was there, that certainly could not mean good news for the Fang of Iron mercenaries.
"Hmm? Now you're interested in leeching information out of me? You're really pushing your luck, you pathetic insect. Know your place." Replied Capella with contempt. Subaru, assuming he would get no response, decided not to insist, but, to his luck, Capella kept talking. "I assume you're talking about that disgusting group of meat creatures that so shamelessly interrupted my spectacular work a while ago with their despicable presence. I was about to annihilate them personally, unfortunately I was informed of the death of that pathetic lunatic before I could do it. But worry not, I left one of my less incompetent subordinates in charge of dealing with them. Kahahahahaha!"
Subaru had no doubt that Capella was referring to the powerful multi-armed cultist, the only one besides the archbishops who was capable of giving Utada a fight on his own. Subaru clenched his fist tightly, being overcome with anger and frustration again, but quickly calmed down. Ricardo and his party could manage to defeat it, he had to trust in that. And if that was not the case, and the cultist did indeed slaughter them, then there was nothing he could do; their lives were not his priority. Anastasia's destiny at that moment only depended on Halibel, who was moving apart from the mercenaries.
Having obtained that small piece of valuable information, Subaru decided to escape from there immediately before Capella changed her mind; he truly could no longer push the limits of his luck. "Utada... Don't hesitate to escape if you find yourself in trouble." Utada nodded and for Subaru that was the signal that he could retreat.
"One last thing before you flee, you pathetic insect... I bestowed information on you, and now I expect to receive information in return; don't you think I deserve it?" Subaru, who had started to ride away on Patrasche, motioned for it to stop. Without saying a word, he turned his head towards Capella, who remained in her dragon form. The latter continued with what she was saying. "Earlier you mentioned someone named Anastasia Hoshin, were you talking about the King candidate?"
"It's none of your business, is it?" Subaru asked back.
"That pathetic pride of yours will get you nowhere! You should wise up, you damned insect lacking in intelligence! Gahahaha! No doubt about it, you're a dog of Anastasia Hoshin, aren't you?"
"Tch!" Subaru clicked his tongue, annoyed.
"Yes you are. The anomaly is that candidate's dog, could it be a mere coincidence? Hey, you pathetic repulsive insect! You wouldn't by any chance be...?" Subaru thought he would once again hear that tedious question he had come to hate hearing, but he was wrong. "You wouldn't by any chance be the disgusting creature of flesh that that shady fellow wanted my daughters to torture and make it suffer to death? Wouldn't you be the one to blame for the death of my two most talented daughters, would you? "
It was then that Subaru's body froze completely, and his mind went blank. Subaru was transported by his memories to that alley in Priestella, to the moment when his torture was finally about to end. The word mother reverberated in his brain, the Bowel Hunter had uttered it; and then that fragment of information stored in a recondite corner of his mind just clicked into place.
"You! You despicable fucking bitch, you sent those killers after me!"
"I suppose that answers my question." Capella said coldly. "You know, I've been longing for months to meet the one who managed to snatch two of my most prodigious assassins from me. Both were extremely useful to me, and now that I've the despicable talking meat creature responsible for it before me, I find it hard not to take the opportunity to make it pay for the trouble it caused me... I guess you can really thank that person..."
"Fuck... Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! Fuck it all! "Each word that came out of Subaru's mouth was perceived to be more distorted by anger than the previous one. "You know, don't you? You know who sent them to kill me. You know the Client!" Wrath was once again taking over his body. Blood burning like magma coursed through his veins, dilating every capillary vessel in his face, which was completely flushed with anger.
"Kahahaha, you stupid creature of meat, why should I answer to a pathetic, inferior being like you?!"
"You answered me before! So I order you to tell me their name! Tell me who the damn Client is! Tell me who's the bastard that commissioned my torture!" Keeping control of his emotions was becoming more difficult as the seconds ticked by, that fragmented part of his being begged to take control of his body.
"Know your place! Know your limits! You are nothing! I would never reveal the identity of one of my clients. I wouldn't give such information to one of my daughters who isn't working directly with that client, let alone a pathetic creature of meat like you. Gahahaha! So if you keep pushing your luck, I'll be sure to amuse myself by turning you into something that will be in my eyes far less repugnant than you already are!"
"Shit! You don't know how much I hate and loathe you, Capella!" Subaru exclaimed in frustration and then looked at Utada one last time. "Don't die, that's an order." Stunned, Utada only managed to half nod; never in his life had he ever seen Subaru so angry.
"You'll see! We'll meet again, you pitiful insect of pathetic pride! And when that happens I'll make sure that no one in the world will ever be able to love you or even see you again without throwing up, before I turn you into mabeast food!"
"I'll make sure to beat all the information you possess from the Client out of you and then make your last minutes of life an absolute torture!"
Having exchanged promises with Capella of a destined reunion, Subaru gave Patrasche's neck a little smack and then finally left the avenue where Utada and the Archbishop of Lust remained. Still, Subaru could feel it, could feel the wrath fluctuating through his body and flooding his head. He longed to return and fight alongside Utada against Capella. With difficulty he ignored the sounds of combat that arose behind him and continued to advance towards the castle.
At last, he had finally found a solid clue that could lead him to the Client. Capella Emerada Lugunica was the "mother" of the assassins who had tortured him. And regardless of whether that was a blood relationship or not, it meant that the Archbishop of Lust had been one of the culprits of the terrible torture that had fragmented his mind. He previously had a reason to desire revenge on her, but now that desire had been magnified a thousandfold. Capella had indirectly caused the Royal Selection, and she was also one of the orchestrators of the torture that destroyed his mind; indeed Capella was responsible for all his misfortunes.
If not for the fact that time was running out and he needed to rendezvous with Anastasia, Subaru would not have hesitated to fight and die as many times as it took to kill Capella. Still, Utada was willing to sacrifice himself so that he might have a chance to regain control over Anastasia's destiny, and it would not be honorable of him to belittle such resolve. He would save Anastasia and reunite with Halibel, and then he would begin to search for a way to locate Capella and how to defeat her.
Anastasia, Anastasia was his top priority. He could not allow his wrath to control him, or else he would suffer a fate similar to Sirius'. Yes, his priority was Anastasia's destiny, his desire for revenge was on the back burner. With that in mind, Subaru rode through the streets of the nobility district without losing sight of the silhouette of the castle.
Forty Minutes since the Last Death (Seventeen Deaths)
Five minutes had passed since he left Utada and Capella, when he finally managed to enter the main avenue of the capital, the one that would lead him to the Royal Castle. Sighing in relief, Subaru began to ride across the bloody landscape on top of Patrasche. The signs of the massacre brought about by who was probably the Archbishop of Greed were already visible. Soon he would reach the area where skirmishes were still raging between guards and cultists.
It was then that Subaru glimpsed a small silhouette completely out of place standing among a sea of corpses belonging to guards and witch cultists alike; the figure boasted a heavenly purity that made it stand out dramatically in that landscape of death. Subaru considered for a moment that it was best to ignore it, but his sight was drawn to the figure as if it possessed magnetic attributes. It was a girl, no, a woman with a petite frame, whose beauty was unnatural, dazzling, mesmerizing. That little woman had a lethal beauty capable of murdering anyone who dared to look at her for too long.
Instinctively, Subaru touched Patrasche's neck, signaling it to halt. The figure was a few meters away from him, and stood motionless at the side of the cobblestone path. Only her beautiful platinum hair and the white cloth that draped her body moved, as a result of the gentle breeze that blew. Subaru stared transfixed at the girl, unable to utter a word. And he did not come out of this state of trance until the girl's voice reached his ears.
"At last we meet... It seems to me that the Ordeal I subjected you to is finally about to bear fruit."
Finally Subaru found out that Capella was related to the torture that started it all, and with that he found a solid clue that will lead him to the "Client"; the first target of Subaru's revenge has appeared. In addition, Patrasche officially joined the group, Subaru will no longer take so much time moving from one place to another.
Utada, after having attempted to assassinate Subaru, and having succeeded in two loops, has decided to risk his life for Subaru. Why such a change? Because Subaru gave him what no one else, the opportunity to consummate part of his revenge; everything revolves around revenge. Therein lies the birth of a possible allegiance.
Lastly, Subaru and Pandora's meeting has finally taken place. With this, we have officially reached the climax of this arc. What will happen to Subaru now that Pandora has shown herself to him? Will what happened in the castle be avoided? What I can tell you is that it will entail a major change in the direction the fic has been going. Anyway, as always, thanks for your support.