CHAPTER 7: The fall of the city of Ganacks
She was surrounded by endless darkness, her soul drawn to somewhere only visited by one person.
Where am I, who am I?
Her thoughts were incoherent, and she could remember almost nothing of who she was. Her memories were swirling, merging, dissolving, and reforming, and it was all so vague that she could barely have an idea of who she was.
In this place inhabited by darkness, the non-existent Emilia began to float, looking for something, anything, wandering slowly through the infinite nothingness she felt nothing, and that terrified her; everything was missing, and she had nothing. She was air at best.
Would she stay in this place forever?
NO, her mind screamed. It completely rejected the idea.
She doesn't want to be in this place, she doesn't want to be alone.
It is unbearable. Nothing hurt, but her soul was still tortured in this whirlpool of dementia where her being had no vessel to support itself.
Having nobody was horrible, disgusting, unpleasant, and worst of all, it was overwhelmed by an unbearable feeling of loneliness; alone with no soul to accompany or understand.
The only thing that united her existence was her OD, but it was no consolation for all that she lacked.
Emilia wanted to cry, but she had no eyes.
Emilia wanted to scream, but she had no mouth.
Emilia wanted to run away, but she had no legs.
Amid this endless darkness where she felt she would be condemned to eternal loneliness, she wished for only one thing; she did not want to be alone. A selfish wish but one that came from the bottom of her soul.
She wanted to receive warmth, even her body warmth, but she had nobody. If she was condemned to this forever...
I wanted to cease to exist, but it was a wish that would never come true.
She would do anything not to have this fate. Her essence from its very foundation trembled with trepidation to remain here, but it wasn't just the feeling of despair and loneliness. A fate worse than that could be present.
She knew it; it was dangerous. She should not approach. It was her territory, and if she woke up, she would pay the price of having taken what was not hers. What all the entities of this place, including her, claimed.
Subaru said her soul.
She remembered his face, how that name was so important to her. It is something that is very much clung to her soul. She did not remember anything else, but that person was connected to Emilia, and because of that connection, her being would never forget him.
How nice to have this kind of connection with someone she thought to herself. A completely unrelated thought, but it couldn't be helped. Her being was relieved to know that she had someone somewhere, that she was not alone.
As she thought about that boy, the overwhelming pressure exerted by the shadows felt less suffocating, or was it she who was getting stronger?
¡-!
Emilia noticed how the darkness began to take shape in front of her. It was the form of a shadow even darker than the rest, dressed in beautiful clothes made of shadows and adorned with yellow flowers. All that emanated from her was an aura that screamed pain and depression.
But it wasn't only because of her aura that she understood this pain. In the same way that Emilia was connected to Subaru, she was connected to this entity, and it seemed that this entity had ties with Subaru too.
Emilia could not guess the identity of that entity, but she was sure it was a woman, and while her face was covered by a hood woven by the darkest shadows she had ever seen, Emilia could tell from the outline of her cloak that she must have been very attractive.
"You're not ready to meet me either," whispered the figure.
Although she could not see her face, Emilia could swear the figure was crying. Emilia could swear she was crying. How long was she here? Would she ever be allowed to leave this hell? What did this woman do to be condemned to this ordeal? What is this emptiness she felt when she was in front of it?
"When you wake up, some things will be clearer, and you will remember things that you shouldn't. Stay strong and believe in yourself". Emilia didn't understand the meaning of those words. Why should I believe in myself? What would I remember?
Her question was quickly answered.
Mother Fortuna, Geuse, Archi... Pandora. The last one had special rancor.
Emilia began to remember those memories that were sealed in her; false memories quickly fading into the ether.
Everything that happened in the forest began to play in her non-existent head. It was as if it were a movie, although she had never seen one, Emilia remembered how the forest was painted white, cursed by her magic, contaminated by the black snake, and trampled by the witch of vainglory.
She remembered her family, the people she loved. Her mother, Fortuna, her father, Geuse, her brother, Archi, the elves of the forest, her friends.
She also remembered those she hated, but they were not worth thinking about.
"Now that your memories have awakened, your contract is compromised. I know this is all so sudden, but trust Subaru-kun... he will certainly protect you." Subaru's name was spoken with strong feelings of affection. The figure seemed to trust him completely, and Emilia knew that there was a connection between them, much like Emilia has with Subaru.
How did she know him? What was their relationship? There were so many questions. Knowing about that relationship had caused a weight in her non-existent stomach. Her non-existent heart shrank from the disappointment, and she felt as if she had been betrayed.
"Protect yourselves. When he also awakens, do not abandon him. They will pursue you as well as him. When they find out, they will do so relentlessly, but never forget that some belief in you a- What are you doing in this place?"
The sentence of that enigmatic woman was interrupted by herself, but it was not her.
"You are not that person. Why is someone who is not him in this place? This is OUR place; the special place that belongs to me and him!"
There was a sudden shift in the figure's aura. Her words now seethed with hostility, hatred, anger, and envy. She was the lord of this place, and Emilia had entered her domain without permission.
Him? Was this about...
"DON'T YOU DARE THINK ABOUT HIM!" the figure shouted.
"Don't look at him, don't go near him, don't breathe his air, don't step on his ground, don't talk to him. He is MINE, every lock of his hair, every fiber of his skin, every drop of his sweat, every cell of his body, every emotion, every thought. Everything of him belongs to me all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him all of him. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU THIS!" The voice trembled with anger. Hateful cursed words that rejected Emilia's soul.
The figure would never forgive Emilia for touching for taking, for desecrating what was not hers. That which was forbidden to all but her.
Tentacles of shadows rushed at Emilia, piercing her easily, but none of them landed even a single blow. They came and passed through her as if she was not there.
No matter how hard the figure tried, it didn't work, and it wouldn't work. Those attacks that would tear anyone to shreds could never touch her like that.
The figure wrapped in Shadows had no way to attack Emilia. She had nobody to attack, she was only a soul, something intangible that the witch could not touch with brute force alone.
How much hatred... no, how much ENVY could this thing harbor? Emilia couldn't even begin to imagine the depths of its hostility.
Realizing the futility of her efforts, the hooded figure ceased her attacks. It was unbelievable how someone with so much power could meet a wall she could not pass, but the figure would not give up, and it would not wallow in helplessness and do nothing. It would achieve its goals, even if it had to face the world to do so.
The world of black began to distort, and Emilia's soul began to be pulled by an unknown force.
"Just disappear..." she said magnanimously as Emilia's soul was expelled from that dark place.
She would vaguely remember that garden; where an angel and the devil himself resided.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Emilia woke up startled, blinked, and looked around in bewilderment. It was dark. Not completely dark like that place, of course, but partially lit by the omnipresent glow of the magical stones that illuminated the city. Her breathing was heavy and uneven. Her heart was pounding, and her head was spinning as she recoiled from the contents of that strange, meaningless dream. It was hot and enveloping and suffocating her. She felt that the sticky air coming in through the open window did nothing to help alleviate it.
She tried to push away the wet blankets but quickly realized that she was being held. Slowly raising her head, she noticed that she was trapped in Subaru's embrace. When she saw him, she felt a slight sense of relief. She wasn't alone as she had feared.
"...! hg!" -and in that instant, memories that had been resting in the depths of oblivion violently erupted to the surface.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Remembering it all was much easier than one would expect. The memories just came as if they were always there, forcing her to relive what happened. Accepting those memories and living with them is a different matter.
"-Emilia. Everyone is about to have an important talk. So, is it all right for you to wait patiently in the usual place for a moment?"
It was a voice she had forgotten. It was a voice she should not have forgotten. How could she do such a thing? Unforgivable.
"I'm clear, Emilia. Be a good girl."
She remembered how they told her that and locked her in the hollow of the Great Tree. Deep in the forest, she was in the princess's room, in her home for the last few years. It was something that greatly dissatisfied young Emilia, something that happened every so often perhaps every 10 days. Emilia did not know exactly.
She was loved, she grew up being loved by everyone in a village in the forest where elves lived in hiding. All the adults were kind to her and entertained her by humoring her selfish little whims without seeming reluctant at all. She felt somewhat lonely because she rarely got to interact with children her age, but she had to follow the instructions told to her by her surrogate mother Fortuna. She told Emilia that the rules had to be firmly followed.
Fortuna took care of Emilia in the elven village. She was something like a mother of sorts, although, for Emilia, Fortuna was her real mother. She had silver hair and amethyst-colored eyes. Her characteristic features were almost identical to Emilia's, but because long hair was bothersome, Fortuna kept it short, and her sharp eyes also differed markedly from Emilia's.
Her sharp eyes were her favorite feature. Although occasionally Emilia would disobey her instructions and anger Fortuna, her eyes would sharpen, making Emilia tremble. Excluding the times when she was in a bad mood, Emilia considered Fortuna an ideal mother; those sharp eyes of hers also harbored loving emotions.
"I am your father's younger sister. My brother; your father, and your mother are busy right now and can't be with you, so I'll take care of you." She had told Emilia.
In addition to the presence of her mother Fortuna, Emilia learned that she had a father and a mother as well. Usually, people's parents were only two, their mother and father. But Emilia had a father and two mothers. What happiness, she thought.
When Fortuna locked the door, Emilia was confined to the princess's room. She didn't really like being called "Princess", but that's what everyone in the village called her, so, without realizing it, she got used to it.
She knew that they didn't call her that in a bad way, which is why Emilia herself never said anything about it c. The fact remained, though they used that nickname with this confinement room. One of the few things that displeased Emilia.
"What's everybody doing... they're so unfair..."
It was mother Fortuna who taught Emilia that she should not lie or keep secrets. So, wasn't it also wrong that the adults and mother Fortuna herself were hiding secrets from Emilia and lying to her?
Everyone knew things and didn't tell her anything… It was unfair.
"I want to go outside."
"?!" No one was saying anything to her specifically. It was just a whisper. Nothing more. But, even as she hadn't said the whisper to anyone she knew, they still heard it perfectly well.
Inside the hollow, in a room illuminated by the white glow of the magic crystals, flashes of pale blue appeared, intermingling. In the blink of an eye, those blue flashes captivated Emilia's attention.
-It was from there that everything went to hell.
Why did I disobey her? Why didn't I listen to her?
Why did I break her promise?
DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, I wanted to shout. But it was impossible to change the past.
She remembered her sin; seeing what she had caused. The way she recovered those memories, witnessing the misfortunes firsthand…It was quite cruel.
"Mr. Fairy, wait for me." said the little girl as she ran.
The minor spirit guided the girl through the forest until Emilia could hear soft voices in the distance. The girl had a mischievous smile on her face as she began to run from tree to tree.
She remembered how she thought she was hiding, but in reality, she was in plain sight. Emilia was trying to be sneaky, but she was really bad at it.
I can see why Subaru always teases me, she thought to herself. The truth was that Subaru loved to watch her hunt in the forest and tended to tease her when she tried to be discreet. When he recovered from his injuries, he had insisted on accompanying her hunting, Emilia remembered that he was incredibly stubborn about it, but he managed to become very well acquainted with the forest. The funny thing was that, in the end, it was Subaru himself who insisted on staying in the kitchen. He was such a big fool.
The girl crawled through the brush and watched as two people began talking in the clearing.
Geuse ... and Mother Fortune ... oh, Mom. I'm so sorry…. As much as Emilia wanted to ignore how she broke her promise, the truth was she could not. She would have preferred to think of something else while remembering her sin: to think of Subaru, of Puck, or frankly anything else. She just wanted to look away.
The two people were talking, and Emilia could not understand what they were saying, but she knew they were having fun talking together.
Sometime later she met the kind Geuse who on one of his visits discovered her in her precarious hiding place. She remembered how he was like a father to her, though frankly, Emilia considered him more of a crybaby who wanted to steal her mother Fortuna.
When he saw her, all he did was cry...gosh.
Geuse was the one who was in charge and led a group of people in black cloaks. They usually brought supplies to the village and discussed strange things with the adults.
"Emilia-sama please don't run so fast. It's dangerous to run through the area like this."
"I'm not in danger, I'm fine. It's you who has scratched knees, Geuse."
"No harm you do to me is cause for concern, but on the other hand, any injury you might suffer would be grievous." Guess brought a hand to his chest, "Even my death would not compensate for the wounds imposed on your majestic skin; the master would never forgive me."
"Geuse," Emilia looked back at him with a questioning look, "the way you said that sounded very, very obscene."
"I didn't mean it to sound like that...I would never consider Master-sama in such a way."
A woman with short silver hair, sharp eyes, and a beautiful appearance appeared behind Geuse as he followed Emilia. Having seen her, Emilia felt cramps in her throat.
Mother Fortune...
"Awuh! Sorry, Mother Fortune! It's not what you think! The fairies wanted to play, and they said to come out, and then..."
"Your mother dislikes girls who blame other people or fairies - do you understand that, Emilia?"
"I'm sorry, Mother Fortune. I was bored in the room, and since Geuse is my friend, I wanted to see him, so I went out."
"But you knew what you were doing was so very wrong, didn't you?"
"I know..."
"You should never break promises. Promises are a very important thing. Promises are a representation of trust, and breaking them means betraying that trust. Don't do it again."
On the verge of tears, Emilia tried to look down-when suddenly her face was caught by Mother Fortuna's two hands, forcing her to look properly into that pair of amethyst eyes that were watching her so steadfastly.
"Emilia, promise me, will you keep your promises from now on?".
"Mmhm... yes, I promise. I'm so sorry, mother."
"Very well. All is well then."
After hearing that tearful promise from Emilia, Fortuna held her beloved daughter to her breast.
She tenderly stroked the sobbing Emilia's silver hair, accepting that the young woman was maturing and giving a soft sigh.
So-
"Geuse? What are you doing there?"
"Heh... I've witnessed it too… a bright vision... the tears... are getting out of control..."
Geuse squatted in the shade of a tree while wiping a handkerchief over his face, crying. Listening to that mother-daughter conversation pushed him to his emotional limit.
He's a crybaby. That's what Emilia thought frankly at the memory. A pleasant warmth spread through her chest.
The days she played with Mother Fortuna and Geuse were days she would never forget again. She remembered all the times they had fun together. Why couldn't those days last forever?
Everything changed when that day came...
"-Fortuna-sama, I know I'm being very insistent, but how do you find the seal?"
"Don't worry, there's been no change although the forest spirits have been acting a little weird for a while now."
"It must be because this year has many more nights when the moon will be hidden, and the circulation of mana will be insufficient." Geuse brought a hand up to his chin, "I wonder if it perhaps might negatively influence the seal inside the forest as well. I've talked to Odglass-sama and Melakuera-sama about this, but they don't seem to care. Still, though, I can't help but feel uneasy."
"You worry too much, but it's certainly not something to take lightly. Don't worry, it's stable as ever." Fortuna's stare hardened with determination, "There's not a chance in a million that it's going to fall apart. I wouldn't be able to show my face to my brother or my sister-in-law if that ever happened."
"It's an incredible shame, about your older brother and his wife," Geuse noted.
"My brother was surely decided. Although I still don't know what my sister-in-law thought. But I understand the weight of the responsibility entrusted to me," Fortuna looked at Geuse, "I don't want to give that up, or leave it only half done - don't you feel the same way?"
"I... I am incapable of doing otherwise, but I suspect it's different from the feelings of duty, or responsibility you carry, Fortuna-sama. Obsession, attachment... perhaps something along those lines," replied Geuse
The man let out a chuckle. Fortuna watched with a pained expression on her face. But that little exchange was of no importance to Emilia.
"Momentum has nothing to do with the good virtue of action. What you're doing is something you should take pride in. It's very, very frustrating that you can't go around openly talking about this."
Geuse laughed in response. "I am not worthy of such words of comfort. But, indeed, it is complicated. If the world knew the true purposes of our actions, I suspect that this society, which has begun to calm down, would plunge back into a sea of chaos. Neither you nor I, nor especially she, would wish for that."
"You're right. Let's hope Odglass-sama knows how to keep order around his lands."
Geuse suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked behind him down the path they came from.
"Geuse?" Fortuna turned too.
"Fortuna-sama the forest spirits seem to have detected an intruder."
Emilia panicked when she was caught in an embrace from behind. She quickly noticed the presence of the intruder, who came into view.
The intruder was a boy who looked like the epitome of white.
He had white hair that was neither long nor short and white skin without even a hint of tan. He was dressed in an outfit that was pure white with no other color on him. He looked sickly as if he avoided all external interference from the color itself
His appearance, in general, seemed extremely devoid of any kind of individuality; it gave the impression that he would be immediately forgotten as soon as he melted into any crowd. But that impression was in itself firm proof that he was an anomalous being.
"Who are you?" said Fortuna as she carried Emilia in an embrace.
The man leaned with one hand on a tree trunk and slid his other hand through his white hair.
"When you wish to ask someone's name, isn't it polite to say yours first?" the young man returned a look of disdain to Fortuna before answering.
The response caused Fortuna's emotions to cool at once, further amplifying her wariness and causing her eyebrows to contract.
The boy just lowered his shoulders in response as he looked back at her with exasperation at the wind of enmity blowing toward him.
"My response just now was nothing short of cliché, but that being said, I think anyone can appreciate the temptation to react that way in this kind of situation. Even though we are meeting for the first time and are on completely equal ground, why do you have to arbitrarily look down on me and demand my name in this manner? Do you realize the fact that you have unconsciously, thoughtlessly, carelessly, and one-sidedly classified me as inferior? I wonder if it has happened to you: to be treated as if you were unconsciously and unsympathetically inferior, has that happened to you?"
"For a man, you certainly like long speeches."
The man sneered. "' 'For a man' is nothing less than comparing me to men you know only by my outward appearance. It is your prejudice that indicates how ignorant you are to comparative examples of men! First of all, creatures known as men are innumerable throughout the world, so by what criteria can you judge me? That attitude...I can't let it go. It is excessively lacking in manners. It goes against my individuality, against my personality, against my rights."
In contrast to Fortuna's pithy sentences, the madness in the boy's rambling gradually increased as he spoke. Sensing the danger of his words, his actions, and most importantly, his attitude, Fortuna put Emilia behind her and shielded her, looking sternly at the boy as he shouted angrily.
"Enough of your self-centered babbling! Who are you?!"
These words brought a change in the boy's expression. His face paled as his conversation was interrupted, but his cheeks, so half-hearted before, slowly receded into a grim smile.
"I am the Archbishop of the Witch Cult's Sin of Greed, Regulus Corneas." The way the boy introduced himself with a laugh was the quintessence of an anomaly.
What was a man like him doing there?
"Regulus Corneas! Why on earth are you here?" shouted Geuse, "We had an immutable promise that I would be the only one involved in this matter!" His expression was grave as if he were a different person from the one who had shown such benevolent love for young Emilia and Fortuna.
"Compromised? That's an arrangement that you arbitrarily declared and started with an arbitrary decision, isn't it?" replied Corneas, "What a conceited spirit, isn't it, trying to push that on other people and make them obey it. Some boundaries involve other people's wills and thoughts, so would you please consider putting an end to the infringements you are making on my mind and my person?"
"None of what you say gives any answer! If you weren't satisfied with the agreement, we could have discussed it in church! Why did you show up here! And who told you that this place is..."
"─That's because I ordered him to," responded a feminine voice from nowhere.
A look of fear appeared in Geuse's eyes, and Fortuna's were filled with anger. In her mother's arms, young Emilia's teary eyes clouded, and Regulus' lips curled into a vile, malevolent smile.
Slipping through the gaps between the trees of the forest, the sight of a single girl appeared. She stopped next to Regulus and looked at Emilia with such dazzling and incredible beauty that it would make anyone who saw it tremble.
The presence she emanated and the appearance she had were not those of an ordinary person. His voice possessed a magical charm, binding the minds and bodies of those who heard it. No one present at this scene was able to say anything else.
It was, dangerous.
Emilia's head began to ache, something was interfering with the awakening of those memories. Perhaps it was Emilia herself.
They were too dangerous.
Some wounds are too deep to heal, or too deep to heal quickly. Besides, many memories are painful, and no healing is possible. Perhaps forgetting them is not a bad thing after all. The saying that "time heals all wounds" is false. Time heals most wounds. The rest remain until death.
"As the witch of vainglory, let me fulfill the long wished for the desire of the witch cult."
"PAAANNNNNNNNNNNDOOOORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Why did she forget them? Why did she betray them by forgetting what she did?
Why did she remember everything now?
The days spent with Mother Fortuna and the Geuse group that brought supplies to the village.
The seal and the fairies who helped her escape from the Princess Room. And the day she met Geuse, whom she was not meant to meet, and how they became friends.
Emilia had never imagined that she would forget her mother, the one who always protected her; always noble, wonderful, strong, respectable and without even one weakness. To forget her was unforgivable.
Geuse, who always took her to play gentle, silly, whiny, and good-natured-why did she forget them?
Emilia's memory was full of gaps, but Emilia always lived without finding anything strange about it. Unable to put her hands on her cheeks in time, the tears in her eyes spilled over one after another the very same tears that she needed to cry for a hundred years.
She remembered how Geuse's faction fought bravely against Pandora's faction, how the Black Serpent killed Archi, how Mother Fortuna defended her, how she froze the loving elves who treated her with such affection... She remembered how her mother was so happy that she kept her promise.
Emilia remembered everything, even though her psyche told her not to.
Emilia had never been so wounded and placated by pain; it was so much that she was crying feverishly.
How could I live without these memories, as if everything was completely normal? She thought, berating herself.
She slowly snuggled against Subaru's unconscious body, pressed her face against his chest, and cried.
Emilia was finally able to mourn her mother's death; something she had never been able to do because she had forgotten.
She cried, and cried, and cried, and cried. All the while mourning the memories of her mother, her mother's affection, and all that she had given her.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
An icy draft blew across Subaru's face. He woke up with a slight headache from spending a night accompanying his best friend, Otto.
What time is it? Why am I naked?
A few seconds of furious blinking and memories of yesterday began to come to him.
Oh, no, said a part of his mind.
Oh, yes, said another, as he looked down at the beautiful naked woman curled up next to him, Emilia. A smile formed on his face as he saw her clinging so tightly to him. Subaru could feel how she was hugging him, affectionately, he pulled her closer and returned the gesture.
A fresh draft of icy air interrupted his thoughts. He looked around the rest of the room and noticed how it was partially frozen.
OH, NO! He quickly understood what was going on and became aware of the presence of a certain cat that was confronting Lena; a fight of intense stares.
Puck, who already noticed that the scoundrel was awake, turned his gaze to the boy and channeled all his patience as a spirit of several centuries not to kill him on the spot.
"Explain," he said in a voice he rarely used.
A loaded word. What should I explain? How should I explain it? Was it even possible that there is an explanation that will get him out of this situation alive?
Amidst the sepulchral silence, Lena awoke beside her contractor; prepared to protect him from the Great Spirit.
"Natsuki Subaru, explain to me what happened. Tell me you didn't cross the line," spoke the cat again.
It was a stupid question. It was obvious what had happened, but who was he to say anything? Your daughter is an adult, Puck! Clara is easier said than thought... shit.
"You think I can't read what you're thinking?"
"Y-Yo ".
"What are you doing to Subaru, Puck?" interrupted an angelic voice, no one in the room ignoring the tone with which she almost spat his name.
Emilia awoke, sensing Subaru's fear, and quickly questioned the spirit's behavior.
"I'm going to punish him for what he did to you, Lia... I warned him several times, many times, and still..."
The air began to drop even lower, but for some reason, such a temperature did not affect him, he could feel the cold, but it did not have the effect it would normally have on a body. Most likely on a normal human, he wouldn't even have time to think his last words.
"That's none of your business, Puck..." Emilia quickly cut off the mana supply and used her influence as a contractor to slow him down.
"Lia, what he did to you is not something I can overlook. The same goes for you." Puck said in an authoritative tone as if he was trying to scold a child.
"What happened between the two of us is between the two of us and no one else's business." The tone in Emilia's voice made it clear that she didn't want the cat to intrude on her privacy. Subaru shared these sentiments; they were both adults and even if he was drunk, Emilia, who is the issue here, was completely lucid and approved of what happened.
Despite sharing the same feelings, Subaru was surprised by Emilia's attitude, she was normally somewhat submissive with Puck and he didn't think she would assert herself now. It was a complete lifesaver. This defiant side of her was something new to Subaru, and he liked it.
"Lia, even if you say that I..."
"That matter is over, you have no say in the matter, let alone try to act like that because of it." She said flatly, cutting Puck off.
He paused a little to take a breath before continuing.
"But we still have several things to talk about."
She tried to speak calmly, but seriously, without being influenced by her emotions. For Subaru, it was only an "attempt".
"There are things I want to ask you."Emilia hesitated, "Actually, many things." Emilia, who was on the bed next to Subaru, reached for his hand slowly under the covers. The stiffness of her cheeks said better than any words that the upcoming conversation was not about anything good.
Puck's tail began to slowly lower. He didn't need to use his telepathy to read the atmosphere. Emilia was sad, angry, and disappointed, and all these feelings were directed at him.
Subaru did not understand the reason for this. It wasn't "it" that happened last night. Something Puck had done that hurt Emilia deeply. But what? Emilia wasn't someone who would get angry like that with someone, and Subaru thought it was impossible, least of all with Puck.
"What are the real terms of our contract?".
What? What is Emilia talking about? Subaru wondered.
"¡-!" Puck, on the other hand, did not hide his surprise at the accusation.
"I was able to remember my past... My mother Fortuna, my Father Geuse, my brother Archi, and the forest elves."
"Lia I..." the cat tried to speak.
"It was you who made me forget them, Puck!" As if some shackles had been released, Emilia screamed letting out her indignation.
"My MANA now I can feel it. You made me believe it wasn't me who froze them!".
"It was to protect you. I swear Lia!"
"... Mfff!" Upset by the excuse, Emilia grabbed the crystal from around her neck and hurled it at the spirit in a burst of rage. The necklace that held it was broken as she pulled it out in rage.
"Who asked you to do that!" Emilia shout.
"...!" Subaru, who was by her side, was taken aback by Emilia's outburst. He could not associate Emilia with such violent behavior. After all, the Emilia that Subaru knew was always kind, full of motherly affection, and, although she was unaware of her own taint of stubbornness, she was a kind-hearted girl who couldn't help but help others even if she wanted to. To see her lash out at Puck was something he simply could not digest.
"Forget about my Mother, about Geuse, about my friends, about what happened. You say it was to protect me? I didn't ask you for any of that! I didn't want that!".
Puck stayed silent at that.
"Our pact... our promise. You trampled on it and manipulated it as if it was nothing!". Emilia's tears began to fall from her face. Subaru tried to calm her with a hug, but it didn't do much good. "You know how important promises are, you taught me how important ours was, and yet..."
"I'm sorry," Puck said. "I know you must be upset with me, Lia, but I had no choice-"
"Stay away from me, Puck," Said Emilia, gasping through her tears, "right now I don't want to see you."
"I know you feel I have betrayed your trust and I am ready to accept the consequences of my actions," Puck finished, as his eyes filled with tears.
"I told you I don't want to see you now!" she shouted. She was crying, her sad attempt at a stone facade already broken. Puck was a spirit companion and her father, the person she had trusted the most and who had betrayed her the most.
"...It's okay, Lia." Puck set his stone down on the table and went back to his sleep mode inside it. Subaru could have sworn he must have been crying too. But that was the last thing he cared about right now.
"Emilia...". Unable to bear it, Subaru drew Emilia against his chest and began to gently comfort her while drawing circles on her back.
She embraced the gesture and accepted his comfort.
-Time passed until the sobbing stopped, and then they both got up to continue their day.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Subaru and Emilia were walking hand in hand through the first district of the city of Ganacks. Technically it had long since dawned; but the sun's rays were still rising from behind the massive Gina mountain, tinting it the red color for which it is known. The eternally snow-capped peaks of the Gusteko kingdom that covered the north reflected the light of the setting sun, dazzling the eyes of everyone along the way.
Unfortunately, this dawn did not improve the intense heat that had been plaguing the city since last night; the inhabitants of the city simply ignored the problem as they were more concerned about the economic situation. The war, who were they kidding? They were lost in the beautiful music that was broadcast from the center of the city.
Liliana was discovered. He found out that she went to look for work early in the morning. According to the innkeeper, she already owed almost two weeks of lodging, and he was about to throw her out for being a pest when one of the high commands of the city was captivated by her voice and found use of her music to calm the city that was already quite tense due to the declaration of war from the neighboring country and the annoying curfew. Who knew that the music of that scandalous woman would be so useful in this situation and would help to calm people down. Subaru thought.
Liliana was the bard who played at the Inn/Bar where they were staying. Her talent was simply divine, but apparently, she avoided going out and decided to stay as a shut-in during the whole problem. Whether the reason was because of the curfew or because Emilia traumatized her for life with her singing, he didn't know.
It is also worth mentioning that Liliana knew Emilia's identity, but surprisingly, said nothing despite her obvious fear.
Thanks to that, no one paid attention to the spiritualist duo walking quietly through the city. This is quite rare, though Subaru. It was odd since it's usually hard to find someone with black hair or silver hair. If they weren't wearing hoods, they would always be the center of attention of multiple gazes. Liliana's music was certainly something else.
They were currently on their way to the garrison, which was quite far from the center of town and thus from the inn. Neither of them had said a single word since they left, rather, not a single word since Emilia broke down in his arms after the fight with Puck. They were deathly silent and this was particularly difficult for Subaru. He took his time to think about his situation, but with his inability to read the atmosphere, he honestly didn't know what to say to his partner.
Emilia had barely let go of his hand since they got up, but it wasn't like it bothered him anyway.
"...Emilia-tan, do you want to talk?" Gathering some courage, Subaru was the one to try and break through the silence that existed.
"There are so many things I want to talk about Subaru, but right now I just want to walk with you'" Emilia said, "I know I'm so selfish to have you worried like this...I'm sorry."
"T-there's nothing selfish about that, it's a privilege you bestow upon me, Emilia-tan," Subaru said as he waved his other hand, a little happy that she was leaning on him.
There was a momentary pause before Emilia's response.
"...yes"
But her smile and the slight squeeze of her hand erased Subaru's doubts. Emilia just needed some time to clear her head. He thought, simply giving her space to sort out her thoughts as he supported her at his side.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
The couple had arrived in the shade of a large old tree that stood in a park, a few minutes from the garrison and near the great walls that protected the city. The intense heat had not diminished at all, and not even in the shelter provided by the shade of that great tree helped. It was as if the source of the heat was something other than the natural climate of the region.
It was already past noon, as both sat down to talk and plan their actions to get the job as mercenaries. Although at this moment Subaru's real objective was to get Emilia to open up to him. Subaru, as the spiritualist that he is, understood how difficult that fight must have been for Emilia, but he did not understand what exactly provoked it.
"Emilia, are you really alright?". The black-haired boy asked gently as he tried to close the distance between them.
Subaru was applying the basics of fire magic, using the mana from the environment to lower the temperature noticeably around him to create a more pleasant environment for chatting.
"Yes, I'm sorry for being so pathetic this morning. I'm absolutely fine now, Subaru," replied the half-elf as she fiddled with her beautiful silver hair and avoided his eyes.
Subaru blushed a little at her last statement but did so to cheer her up. "I really don't mind you showing me your weak parts, and I think you've seen enough of mine... But we're supposed to be a couple, aren't we?"
"Yes... Subaru, do you want to talk about this morning?" Emilia asked shyly, this time looking him in the face.
Subaru held his breath at her question and thought hard about how to broach the subject without pressuring her.
"Yes, Emilia, I'm very worried. I... I've never seen you so angry, let alone with Puck." Subaru tried to get to the heart of the matter. He concluded that there was no point in skirting around the subject. It would even be inconsiderate in response to Emilia's direct question.
"He… he had hidden or secretly added some terms that were not part of our contract." Emilia's voice cracked as she looked away again. "I don't want to talk about it now, Subaru. I'll explain everything, I promise, but it's not the right time."
Subaru understood. Emilia was still very hurt by it, but the best thing would be to talk about it and not leave her carrying it alone. Maybe ask her at night... he blushed, remembering what happened the night before. Because of what happened with Puck, they still hadn't broached the subject of their 'Relationship' But is it a good topic of conversation to distract her from what's bothering her? Well, it's better than having her depressed. Subaru thought.
"Do you want to talk about something else…" A slight scent of ash filled the air as Subaru tried to change the topic, "by the way, Emilia-tan don't you smell something burning?"
"... huh?"
They both looked up and put on an expression of astonishment, but once comprehension came, it quickly turned to one of horror as they saw how one of the towers that were guarding the city had been transformed into a tower of flames.
-Hell came to town, looking for them without anyone even noticing.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
The city of Ganacks was a mining city protected by gigantic walls, walls that gave it the title of "impenetrable fortress". Not even an army of a hundred thousand men would be enough to overcome this almost legendary defense.
In the center of that city was the tower of the garrison of guards. It was a gigantic tower where the archers could control the area and be able to alert the other guards of danger. On top of that tower, decorated with blood and mangled human parts, stood a black-robed man. Green hair, emaciated face as if he were a corpse but somehow he transmitted more vivacity than many young men; a vivacity that could be described as "Madness".
"Ahhh... I can smell her love from here-desu. The unmistakable love of the witch... Look for the half-demon! THE TEST, we must see if the WITCH GENE takes root! Let us show the witch our devotion and our DILIGENCE." As he finished that word the madman raised his hands and at that very moment, multiple explosions occurred in different parts of the city.
The screams of terror, pain, and fear were overshadowed by the roar of the multiple buildings collapsing due to the consequences of the bombs that had been implanted; fire stones and their power was strong enough to break almost every window in the city.
"How lazy, ahhh how wonderful, my DILIGENCE will be rewarded Ahhh! O Witch and well-beloved, look at my proof of love!"
The madman ranted excitedly as he heard these cries of despair and slowly opened a black book. "Why do they still not appear!" he cried. "Is this a test of love, should I get through this without your divine guidance, sounds PERFECT to me!"
Determined to pass his test of love, the madman jumped from the tower and zigzagged erratically through the air as his "Invisible Hand" carried him to his destination. The people underneath him were crushed by an invisible hand-shaped force as if they were being stepped on.
"Noooooooooooo!" a mother screamed in horror as one of her children was crushed into a red smear on the sidewalk. The boy's shriek was lost until only the wailing of those who were still alive remained.
On the other side of the streets, a group of men in black robes could be seen chasing citizens while carrying daggers with the red-colored blades of the blood of other innocents.
"It's them! The witch-cult has come to this town!" a man shouted.
Black robes flared as one of the men in black stopped and turned. From underneath his robe, there was a flash of silver as the cultist threw a dagger at the man, piercing his skull.
The younger ones tried to fight, but the difference in skill was clear and they were of little use. Some tried to shield the children, others fled, but all were killed without mercy.
It wasn't long before corpses and pools of blood adorned the cobblestone streets, as more screams of horror appeared and others ceased. The slaughter continued.
Emilia and Subaru, who were already aware of the attack, were currently on their way to the inn. Emilia had separated from Puck given the fight and needed to confirm that her friend, Otto, was safe.
As they ran, a voice suddenly assaulted their eardrums.
"Hello, hello, can you hear the voice of this lovely lady? If so, listen to me well, you pieces of meat, and those of you who don't; kill yourselves! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"What?" said Emilia as she stopped and looked up at the garrison tower, from where the voice originated.
"It's the Metia they use for emergencies...did they take over the garrison so fast already?", Subaru replied. The concern in his tone was evident. Not much had happened since the start of the chaos, and now they learn that they couldn't count on the knights to protect them
Both exchanged glances as if consulting with the other as to what course of action to take. It was obvious, this city had become their home.
As they exchanged looks, the voice continued to fall from the sky again.
"Well, well, well, well, did some idiot accept this offer and die already? If there are none, then so be it. If anyone dares to ignore this lovely lady, they will spoil my mood~" finished the voice in a sing-song voice.
The annoying voice reverberated through the chaotic city of Ganacks at a volume that no one was able to ignore, ignoring the conflict that was taking place. Most people would not pay attention to the message and those that did listen did so in stupefaction.
The voice permeated the entire city, overlaying the shouts and booms of the city.
"You dull creatures can't seem to do anything but just breathe, but even just doing that already puts me in a bad mood. There is no doubt that you are all worthless and useless creatures. Nothing but scum who only know how to eat, go into heat and reproduce without doing anything else with your pitiful lives. Clear your disgusting minds of those filthy thoughts, and as soon as you do, go and find some shitty ditch and stick your head in deep! In fact, die right now, seriously! Pretty please will you! Gyahahahahahaha! "
Her character was vulgar, her goals were unclear, but just by listening to her Emilia and Subaru knew one thing.
That person's soul is incredibly twisted.
For Subaru, Emilia, and any sane person. That was their honest opinion of that scandalous and creepy woman.
"Emilia, let's hurry. Standing still won't do us any good." Having said this, the duo resumed their march as they listened to the madwoman's ravings.
"Well, well. It seems you useless and ignorant minds still don't realize what's going on. This precious lady will enlighten you! My opinion, the only one that is completely valid, will guide you so don't ignore her if you don't want to die Kyajajajajajajajaj!"
Explosions continued to rumble through the city as the madwoman gave her speech as if she were indifferent to the chaos.
"The garrison of your useless sacks of meat-proclaimed knights and the main gates that your stupid minds would use to flee this place is in my, or rather, in our hands aren't they? "
When the voice said that, a cold sweat broke out on Subaru and Emilia's backs. They knew what it meant.
"Have you finally realized what kind of situation you're in? Now, this city is a miniature garden where we can run around having fun, abusing, and playing with you as we please, alas! You meatbags are like insects in a cage, aren't you? No cards to play! No bright prospects! No dreams or hopes! Do you understand what that means?! It's amazing how stupid you can be, but I shouldn't tell you too much! I'll just laugh at your stupidity as I watch you run in panic to realize it's all useless Ah, you pathetic scumbags, scumbags, scumbags! Kyajajajajajaja"
Subaru and Emilia stopped dead in their tracks when they saw a path of corpses. Cut, mutilated, incinerated, crushed.
"How horrible," Emilia said as Subaru clenched his fists and unconsciously bared his teeth. The sight would make him vomit, but this time it created a feeling other than disgust, hatred.
"Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha, ay I can't go on. You all are so pathetic, making pitiful expressions. " The woman's hateful voice kept mocking and belittling the lives of those who lived quietly in the city. That only contributed to Subaru and Emilia's hatred growing. "Fine, fine. If I keep not saying my name, at this rate they're going to start trying to escape reality and do something stupid like trying to fight aren't they? Why don't you allow the mercy of this sweet and gentle lady to give you a plain and simple answer so that you understand what's going on!"
The duo looked in the direction of the sky, anxious to know the name of who was behind such barbarity. Adults, women, and children. Slaughtered without distinction or mercy.
"I am the sin archbishop of the witch-cult!"
"Witch cult!" they said in unison.
Will they be here for me... or for Emilia, thought Subaru.
"Capella Emerada Lugunica! Kyajajajajajaja! Respect me! Adore me! Then cry, beg, piss yourselves as you moan and die tragically like the maggots you are! Putrid slabs of shit! Kyajajajajajaja! "
...
"By the way, I told them that if you listened to me you might be able to save yourselves. If any of you want to get out alive, you can come to the garrison, preferably couples in love. I promise you that I will do you no harm...I will indulge your every whim and you mine."
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"─Round that bastard up," Ulfrig shouted as he unsheathed his sword.
A group of knights formed a circle formation, cutting off any means of escape.
One of those "Bastards" was a black-clad, hooded figure of slender, feminine physique, and it held a long, slender, single-edged blade; its posture exhibiting such beauty that it made all the knights tremble. She was undoubtedly a monster.
The knights knew no better swordsman than the knight Ulfrig, nor did they want to know them. He was the strong, Clian, the other bastard.
"Is this a joke, Captain? Are you really behind this?" asked Ulfrig as he looked at his former boss.
Clian laughed. "But how lazy you are, don't you see? My love is with the witch! Praise be to her affection. This city has been granted to us and we will consequently use it as a sacrifice." He said, making all the knights feel a knot in their chests.
Whoever commanded the city was the person who gave him access to the witch's cult and served the devil himself.
"You sick bastard," said Ulfrig as he took a slash to decapitate him.
The figure parried and answered the attack with ease. Swords flashed and the clang of metal found an echo in the hall. The spectators could barely follow the duel. One minute after the start of the fight, there were a hundred deaths from women in the hood. At the end of that first minute, everyone understood who would win.
Ulfrig wielded a sword enchanted with earth magic which fortified the steel despite adding no weight to the blade itself. This was thanks to the runes of power engraved on the blade. Ulfrig wielded his sword naturally, the sword was part of him, and it was a living being from hilt to tip. It was proof of his hard training every day from early on.
But even so, he could barely keep up with the hooded figure, even with the help of the other knights who were slowly being reduced to sacks of meat.
The woman wielded the weapon with such captivating beauty that it was enough to make some of the knights lose themselves in her. They were on different levels, on a level that far transcended their capabilities.
In the blink of an eye, a life was lost and before the end of the second minute, there were only three people left alive in the room.
"Daaagh!", Ulfrig's arm had been cut clean off. After a moment the pain reached his brain. His vision went blank as a terrible pain shot through him. An instant later it was all over. He could no longer feel anything, nothing, he could only see his decapitated body, and everything was plunged in darkness.
"That was impressive, I expected nothing less from the heroine of the demihuman war, a great offering from the witch," Clian said those words as he applauded for the extermination of his former comrades.
As she heard that, the black figure stared at the damage she caused, fixedly. She said nothing. She made no sound. She didn't even smile like her companions. Her empty blue eyes said nothing at all.
What thoughts could that doll who was once a hero in these lands have?
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"This is terrible," Emilia said as she hurried to the inn with Subaru following close behind. If they wanted to help people, she needed the help of Puck; the great spirit who was Emilia's main fighting force. Subaru also wanted to make sure Otto was okay. Otto had no way to protect himself, and knowing his bad luck, Subaru could only pray silently that Otto would be safe.
They both kept running at a high speed. In another time Subaru would have commented on how his physical capabilities had somehow increased since yesterday, but there was a new feeling too. He had felt it before when he first came to this city, but since this morning it was much stronger.
"This is not the time to think about that, Emilia, are you fit to fight?" asked Subaru as they made their way through the alleys of Ganacks.
"Don't worry," replied Emilia, "the contract with Puck isn't broken or anything...I know what I have to do."
As they ran they could hear the symphony of death that could be heard in the city replacing the annoying voice of the sin archbishop that had tormented them. The black-clad figures had stormed the streets they passed through, and while they had not met any head-on, they could see them in the distance confronting knights and guards protecting the place.
"Those bastards!" said Subaru, but his voice could not stop the vile blades of the cultists. They were skilled no doubt. Some used fire magic to set the city on fire, even more, making taking shelter in the houses unthinkable unless one wanted to die in such a painful way as it was to be burned to death.
The city already bore several traces of destruction: human corpses were scattered all over the place, flames were raging and mingling, the wailing of the wounded, and the sound of clashing steel sounded throughout the city.
"Subaru we're here. Stay on guard, I'll look for Puck, you look for Otto-kun," said Emilia as they made the last turn to the street their inn was located on.
"Understood, Emilia be careful," replied Subaru
AS they turned on the street where the inn was located, the two separated momentarily. Otto lived in the same inn as they did, but it was very likely that he had hidden in his wagon waiting for the right moment to run off with his earth dragon, Frufoo.
"Natsuki-san!", Otto came out from under the cart shouting on Subaru's behalf. "And where's Emilia-san? Don't tell me those cult people...!"
"She 's fine!" said Subaru short-breathed. "Emilia's fine, she just went to pick up Puck. Don't worry, I made sure there was no one following us, and I was more worried about you who can't defend yourself."
"I know it will sound arrogant, but I know how to hide," Otto replied, "I was waiting for you and Emilia-san to come. We should flee immediately. The main gates will be blocked, but the merchants have a secret route where they smuggle supplies. We'll use that before they find out."
"What, and you'll let those bastards do whatever they want?" Subaru replied, offended. "If we can team up with the knights, we can beat them. There were people who were still fighting. Women and children who could still be saved!" If Subaru had the strength to do anything, how the hell would they run? He couldn't keep running away like before, he knew that if he kept doing it he would never forgive himself.
Of course, he didn't want Emilia to be in danger, but Subaru already knew that she wouldn't run away, even if she had to fight alone, and he certainly wouldn't abandon her. If he could take her outside and let him be left to fight alone, he would certainly do so. But it was impossible and it was Emilia's wish, so he wanted to respect and protect her.
"Are you stupid! Those leading the attack introduced themselves as the Archbishops of Sin. The sin of Sloth appeared in the square and I was lucky to get out of there alive!" shouted Otto from his cart.
Subaru's expression did not change. He didn't know much about archbishops, as there wasn't much information about them in the cult's library, only information from the witches of old. However, the name "Sloth" was a popular one among the members.
"Capella Emerada Lugnica and Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti," he whispered to himself in such a way that Otto could not catch it. That man was the owner of the cathedral where Subaru took refuge his first year in this world in the kingdom of Gusteko. If he wanted to overcome that episode where he allied with such scum, then the least he could do was to strike at the root of the problem.
Flee? I'm going to kill them. It wasn't just an act of justice or revenge. It was something deeper as if his soul was urging him from the bottom of his heart to do it.
"Subaru!", Emilia shouted from the direction of his back as she carried the Puck colgate in her hand. Naturally, she had broken the collar when she yanked it from his neck. "It's Puck... he won't wake up."
─ As she said that, a booming voice echoed from nearby and an invisible force sent Subaru flying.