Welcome back to Prideful Plague. Today on the agenda: Pain and Suffering. Please Enjoy.

Thanks to my reviewers and followers. Y'all are what drive me to keep writing.

I do not own Re: Zero


Instead of warmth, we feel cold glass.

Smoke instead of fire

This day was ripped from the old calendar grid

The red sun burns to ash

The day is smothered in mire

Shadows fall on the city, scorched by the heat.

We cannot be praised for having wise eyes

Or possessing skillful hands

We don't need those things, to understand our heart

Cigarettes in our hands, tea on the desk,

That's how the circle ends

And our fear of change is down to an art.

Change, we demand with our eyes

Change, we demand with our cries

In our veins and our tears and laughs so deranged

Change, we wait for a change!


Arc 2: The People that I met

A dream. He saw a dream.

A dream that would never stop searing itself into his mind. A dream washed in the gray torpor of rain clouds. A dream lined with endless rows of tombstones. A dream that brought him to the same place, over and over again…

"-Ah. Why is it that I came to visit her grave today?"

It was a question that he could not find an answer to. The six-year old boy knew very well that he did not deserve to be here. He was, after all, a monster. He shouldn't even come close to the Sword Saint's resting place.

Not when he stole her blessings and her life.

His honored father and grandfather had been kind enough to explain that to him multiple times now. It was a testament to how generous and forgiving they were that they even deemed him worthy to speak to. He didn't deserve that. After all, he was the lowliest of the low. The scum of the earth.

So why? Why had he come to the graveyard?

It had been a year since he killed her, he thought as he made his way among the silent epitaphs, cold and unmoving.

An entire year. Merely a year.

A year to reflect on how disgusting of a creature he was. A year since he struck down and humiliated his loving father. A year since he broke his grandfather's heart. A year since he caused his grandmother's death.

A year since he tore his family apart.

He stared at the mud and the bloated puddles beneath his shoes. The shoes were, as always, was not a speck of dirt on them as they trudged through the mire. He didn't look where he was going. It didn't matter. He knew that he would inevitably end up exactly where he wanted to go. His Divine Protection of Wayfinding would ensure it.

And so, here he was.

Oh. There was someone else.

Two figures stood in front of Theresia van Astrea's grave, a little ways away from him. One an adult, the other his own height. Both stared at the silent slab of rock, and the quiet made the sound of the slow raindrops splattering against the ground all the more deafening. The smaller figure, a young girl in a white dress and flowers in her hair, merely a few years older than he was, gently grasped the other figure's tattered black cloak and asked something in a small voice. The figure, a man dressed in all black, clenched his fist and shook his head.

Oh, the six-year old boy thought, they must have been acquaintances, or perhaps even friends, of his beloved grandmother. Two more people whose lives he had ruined. It seemed that everywhere he turned he would see the consequences of his horrible crime. He truly deserved being called a monster.

Self-loathing welled up inside of him. What was he thinking coming here? He was the murderer; how selfish he was to think he was allowed to stand by the burial place of the person he murdered.

He should leave.

And yet he couldn't. Something compelled him to instead do the very opposite, and he took a few more steps to stand next to the other two. Perhaps it was the crushing sense of guilt, or the grief of the loss, or maybe it was the simple and basic human need for companionship. He didn't know.

Slowly, almost mechanically, he walked up to the grave and placed a bouquet of blue flowers in front of it. Up close, the epitaph seemed even more damning.

"Here lies Theresia van Astrea"
345 AC – 385 AC

"Gone, but never Forgotten"

A strange hurt welled up in his chest and a blurriness filled his eyes. How peculiar, his Divine Protection of Perfect Eyesight should have prevented anything like that.

He backed away, ending up standing right next to the other two visitors. For a single, painfully long moment there was silence. Then, after an eternity, the boy glanced up at the face of the man with dark hair.

There was no emotion on the man's face, and the black voids on his face were less eyes than empty wells into a bottomless pit of misery. He was staring straight at the flowers, his fist clenched so hard that a few droplets of crimson splattered onto the ground.

"Do you…like flowers?" The boy asked hesitantly.

"No," The figure answered, his voice lifeless.

"Oh…"

Drip.

Drip.

Drip went the raindrops as they struck the ground. The blurriness in the boy's eyes got worse. Something warm trailed down his cheeks and hovered on the edge of his chin before splashing down onto the earth, mixing with the blood.

Drip.

Drip.

"D-Did you know m-my grandmother?"

Why was his voice breaking? Why were the hot droplets not stopping? Why…why was it so hard to speak? Why…why did it hurt so much?

"...I met her once." The voice was even more dead this time, as if the answer had sapped the last vestiges of life from it.

A pause.

"Your grandmother?" The figure turned towards the boy. He flinched, expecting anger. This man probably heard about his crime. He must be judging him.

He didn't notice the sudden curious stare of the girl in the white dress

"Y-yes. Theresia van Astrea was my beloved grandmother."

He expected criticism. Derision. He prepared to receive scorn and disgust. He tried to steel himself for the revulsion and hatred that was sure to come. As if in preparation, the hot droplets trailing down his face flowed faster.

A soft hand gently landed on his shoulder.

"I'm so, so sorry."

The boy felt confused. What was this? Did…did this man not comprehend the severity of his crime?

"Why…why are you pitying me," he found himself asking, "I-I don't deserve something like that."

"You're crying," the man replied in an oddly soft tone, "is that not enough?"

He didn't understand.

"B-but it's my fault!" he desperately forced out through the increasing sobs. "It's all my fault! If it weren't for me, grandmother would still be alive!"

"Huh?" came another voice. The girl in the white dress. The one with the flowers in her hair. She was looking at him, a strange expression in her red eyes.

"Your fault? But you didn't beat her up, did you? It was the White Fishie that did it. How can you be guilty?"

He looked down again.

"I-If I didn't exist…then grandmother would have never lost her blessings." He muttered.

"Hehe, that's silly," the girl giggled, extending her hand toward him and giving him an innocent smile. "Here, I'll prove it!"

Danger.

The first warning.

Danger.

A second one, then a third.

DANGER.

Before he could respond back by returning the gesture, multiple divine protections flared, screaming all at once.

A threat. An authority. An anathema to the world. Stop. Do not make contact.

Confusion and unease took over the young boy's mind as he was overcome with Od Laguna's warnings.

Overwhelmed, he took a hesitant step back.

The girl pouted. "Hey, where are you going? That's so rude!"

Danger. Danger. Danger.

He stopped and shook his head, trying to force the screaming voices out. He didn't understand the warnings, but their multitude and roaring thundering volume nearly tore his mind apart. He clutched his head in pain, stumbled backward, and then…

Silence. The voices vanished, disappearing into nothingness as if they were suddenly stopped. Removed. Nullified. Hundreds of Divine Protections simply gone.

The sacred connection to the Od Laguna was cut like a mere thread.

Confused and scared, he looked back at the girl. She still had her hand extended, an innocent smile on her face. In the soft pattering rain, that smile was almost ephemeral.

Unable to understand her kind gesture, he hesitantly took her hand.

"Sin can only be repaid with pain. It will become a wedge that allows none to escape." Invoked the young girl with a wreath of flowers in her hair.

He would remember that day forever…

His form dissolved into dust, his body breaking apart into mere motes. Unable to withstand the weight of his guilt, he shattered into minute fragments, unable to bear the weight of his sins. And yet–

On that day he learned.

and yet it was utterly painless.

On that day Pride taught him that…

Reinhard Van Astrea opened his eyes, taking shuddering breaths as he woke up on the day that would signal the beginning of a new era.

"It wasn't my fault."


Re: Zero: The Prideful Plague

Chapter 6: My Mask Conceals


Typhon squealed in joy as Rein picked her up and spun her around, laughing with pure delight.

"Woohoo!" the Witch of Pride yelled out as the Sword Saint swung her, making the wind whistle through her ears. She laughed and gripped him tighter so as to not accidentally fall down, even though there was no way Rein would ever let her fall, because he was just that awesome!

She hadn't seen Rein in forever and she missed him a lot! It was always a great day when she got to spend time with him, especially because he was busy so often. He worked way too hard in her opinion, and didn't spend enough time with her. Hmph!

Stupid knight job keeping him busy. Stupid sage council. She'd make sure to judge them all eventually. It was way too greedy of them to hoard Rein to themselves, which means they had to be sinners!

Rier would've never been so selfish, he was actually nice to everyone! Then again, Rier was sick all the time and couldn't even do anything anyway. Plus, he was dead now, so he didn't really matter anymore.

Oh well.

"I'm so happy you're here, Rein. I missed you sooo much!" she exclaimed joyfully, refusing to let go of the knight even after he set her down.

Reinhard smiled back at her. "It's good to see you too, Typhon."

"Where were you?" she pouted slightly, giving the sword saint the bestest and most serious glare she could form. "I've been here for a few days now, and I wanted to see you!"

The red headed swordsman chuckled softly and ruffled her hair..

"I'm sorry, Typhon, but I didn't know that you returned to the capital, otherwise I would've made sure to visit you. I hope I didn't make you too upset."

The young witch made a face. "Hey! You're making excuses!"

Mustering up all of her sternness, the green haired girl took a single step back.

"Ok, Rein. I'll forgive you! But," she pointed a finger at the sword saint, making sure she would appear as demanding and regal as she could be. She had to make sure Rein would take her seriously after all!

"But if you're going to earn my forgiveness, then you must spend the whole day with me, and do whatever I want!"

Reinhard shook his head mirthfully. "I don't know, Typhon, don't you think that's a little bit selfish of you, to keep me all to yourself for the whole day?" He poked her forehead gently. "I do have to patrol the city, you know."

Typhon grinned. "You can't trick me, Rein, I know you're not busy! You're not wearing your knights uniform! That means today is your loafing-around day!"

She placed her hands on her hips and nodded triumphantly. Ha! Rein thought he could pull a fast one on her, but she wasn't that easy to fool! Big sis Ion had taught her all about tricking others, so she was sure she could tell when somebody was trying to deceive her. They always had that twinkle in their eyes.

That's how she knew that Mal never lied to her. His eyes never had the twinkle. They didn't have much of anything.

The Sword Saint gasped in surprise. "Oh the horror! My elaborate ruse has been seen through. And to think I thought that I could fool you." He looked down at Typhon, nodding sagely. "I see now that a witch's powers are truly formidable, even if she is so little."

"Hey," Typhon hmphed, "How rude! I'm not that little! I'm taller than Daffy at least!"

Reinhard smiled. "Ah, sorry, sorry, how inconsiderate of me. I should've known."

She was a witch. A fundamentally twisted existence. A being the Od Laguna itself rejected. The representation of Pride. A creature born into sin. A person that could only judge others, cruelly uncomprehending of their hearts.

He was the Sword Saint. A completely perfect existence. Beloved by the Od Laguna, he was the paragon of humility. A blessed child born into virtue. A person that could do nothing but fulfill that role, cruelly chosen to be a hero.

They were opposites. They were as close as siblings.

"I really did miss you, Rein." Typhon said quietly, hugging him again, much softer this time. A gentle and content smile lighting up her features. "Won't you please spend time with me again like you used to?"

She could feel him go rigid at her plea, shocked for a moment. She didn't understand why he was so surprised at first, but it was then that she felt it. Something that only a person like her could ever truly sense. Guilt.

No…

Was Rein a sinner? That meant she would have to judge him, right? For some reason, the thought of that made her feel unwell. She didn't understand what the feeling was, but it clawed at her from within, making her feel hurt and scared. She didn't want to feel that way.

Grabbing his hand in her own, she held it as tight as she could. Despite being Pride, despite knowing nothing but judging others, she couldn't help but wish desperately for the chance that her power would do nothing. That it would be unnecessary. That Rein would, for just one time, feel like he didn't need to be judged.

And yet…

"Rein…you're dissolving."

And indeed, he was. It was almost unnoticeable, and surely was utterly invisible to anyone but her and Rein. But they could see it. There, at the edges, tiny motes were flaking off of his form, like leaves falling off a tree. Pieces of him were separating and breaking away, falling to the ground as if weighed down by immeasurable guilt.

"Rein…why?" she asked plaintively.

"I-I'm sorry Typhon, I…" his words, despite being an apology, only damned him more for the dissolution of his self didn't stop.

"Why are you apologizing like it's your fault?" She asked him. Her voice was slightly louder, but there was a quaver in it now.

"Why, Rein? It doesn't hurt, I know it doesn't, so why are you still falling apart?" She wanted to hear an answer from him. An answer as to why, despite the fourteen years of them knowing each other, she still hadn't managed to fully convince him.

She was Pride. Her judgment was always the truth. She was never wrong. Never. She had the right, the Authority, to say so. Those that were evil deserved pain. Those that did not feel it were not evil. Rein was not evil. So why, why did he deny her judgment? Why did he not believe her? Why was he still falling apart?

It made her want to cry.

He went to answer, but was not able to even say a word before they were interrupted.

"Located, Witch of Pride, Search complete. I have carried out my order."

It was a little ball of heat and orange light. Floating before them, it was, in appearance, no different from an immature Quasi-spirit. Tiny, easily fitting in the palm of a hand, and pulsating with the same red light that Typhon had seen on many others. Pulses of warm wind emanated from it at regular intervals as it slowly approached, distracting them from the somber tone their conversation had taken.

By Typhon's side Reinhard's eyes widened slightly, and a moment later he bowed to the miniature sphere, in the process separating his hand from hers and immediately returning to being whole.

"Great Spirit-sama, it is an honor to be in your presence once more."

The ball of heat hovered a bit closer to the duo, before pulsing with heat twice in quick succession, as if acknowledging both.

"Reverency irrelevant, I, Given Task, Was sent to locate, Witch of Pride, I have succeeded, Greetings, Sword Saint."

"Hey Kuera," Typhon cheered upon spotting the mini-orb. Kuera was here! That was awesome! That meant Mal had finished curing everyone and she could talk to him again! She held out her hand, but like always, Kuera shied away.

Hmph, the meanie. They spent fourteen years traveling together, and he still didn't like her. Oh well, at least he wasn't trying to kill her all the time anymore.

"Greetings irrelevant, Affection unwanted. I, Mediate, Observe, Watch. By order of the Contractor, I have completed my task."

Rein's eyes widened beside her. "Fomalhaut is here?" he gasped with surprise. Kuera pulsed in agreement at his question.

"Inquiry affirmative. The Contractor, Fomalhaut, Entered the capital, Two days before now, Accompanied by, I, And Witch of Pride."

"I see," Reinhard nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I suppose it makes sense that I wouldn't know. I had been quite busy with the search for the final candidate…"

"Trivialities." Replied the spirit. "Search finished. I, Declare completion, Search no longer necessary. I, Return, Contractor awaits."

For a moment the little fireball hovered right in front of Typhon, and the little girl was assaulted with a sudden, much more direct and intense blast of hot air that had her put her arms in front of her face due to the sudden discomfort.

"Witch of Pride, Forbidden to act. I, Direct thou to not separate the others. Evil, Good, Is not thy right. I, Warn." With the final proclamation, the little ball of heat that, on sight, appeared to be little more than a barely matured Minor-Spirit, ascended into the blue Lugnican skies, its final words echoing in Typhon's ears.

"For only. I, Arbiter, Have the right to render. Judgment."


The first thing Subaru noticed about "The Clinic," was that it, despite its name, was the farthest thing from being one.

It was, just like on the outside, a partially run-down place. Despite the building being two storied, the second floor was clearly out of use as was evident by the rickety and broken down stairs and the layer of dust above. As they passed it, Subaru brushed the railing and immediately flinched in pain, as he felt a splinter embed itself into his finger.

Cursing inwardly, the mean eyed boy stuffed the injured hand in his pocket, wiping it on the inside of his tracksuit to attempt to dislodge the piece of wood, before following Shion and Fomalhaut as they entered the main room of the first floor.

In a stark contrast to the decrepit staircase, the main room exuded an aura of warmth, radiating a feeling of simple welcoming.

It was strange in a way, thought Subaru as he took in the interior. Three slightly ratty couches, with two neatly placed pillows on each; surrounded a low table covered in a mix of books, papers, and bottles. Walls with partially peeled paint added to the run-down look, yet somehow, Subaru thought, it only enhanced the feeling of accepting comfort, like that of an old family summerhouse.

"Sorry for the mess, I was going to clean up, but then I got carried away by some things, and had to run a couple of errands " Shion said in a way of greeting,

Fomalhaut nodded in understanding, and then turned to Subaru.

"The translation here is: "I was too lazy and fell asleep because I didn't feel like putting in the bare minimum of effort,""

"Hey!" Shion protested. "You don't know that!"

"You're right," Fomalhaut agreed matter-of-factly. "I don't know that. But I do know you."

Shion squawked in outrage as Subaru continued to look around, his gaze landing on one of the walls.

A single piece of paper with a drawing on it hung a bit to its right. It was clearly made by someone very young, drawn by various colored inks in a stick figure style, with a smiley face sun and clouds outlined with blue.

As Shion continued to berate and argue with Fomalhaut, Subaru tilted his head to take a closer look at the drawing.

There were five figures depicted on it. Three of them were classic stick figures, the only differences between them being the colors of their hair and the dots they had for eyes: The first of the little stick people had black hair and black eyes, the second had red hair and blue eyes, and the third had longer green hair and yellow eyes.

The fourth figure was clearly meant to be a little girl, as it was shorter than the rest and had a triangle under the head instead of a normal line. The last figure, however, was not a stick figure at all. It was some kind of four legged animal drawn in red and orange with cartoonish flames on its back. Strangely, it reminded Subaru of a horse.

A small and old fireplace took up the other end of the room. It seemed far too plain to be one, possessing not even a single design or pattern on it, but Subaru could not see any fuel for it to suggest that it was used for anything practical. Perhaps it was a decorative piece.

"Why do you keep destroying my reputation in front of guests, Mal?" whined Shion piteously, crocodile tears flooding from her eyes as the girl put on an over-the-top expression of betrayal on her face.

"How could you do this to me?! What have I done to make you treat me with this disrespect?"

Fomalhaut turned and gave her the most empty-eyed look Subaru had ever seen in his life. It was a practically emotionless gaze, the judgemental stare of a dead fish on the ice, yet it somehow managed to practically ooze both disappointment and, at the same time, amusement.

"You really have to ask?"

She withdrew, gasping with mock outrage. "Why, the nerve! To think I'd be slandered this way! Do our five years of friendship mean nothing to you? Am I not even worth the effort of elaboration on your part? A lady should be treated better than this!"

"My apologies," Fomahaut deadpanned, "if I see one I'll be sure to do so."

Shion collapsed onto one of the couches, wailing loudly, and proclaiming the unfairness and cruelty of the world, causing Fomalhaut to let out another exasperated sigh.

"What is this place, Mr. Anderson?" Subaru couldn't help but wonder.

For some reason, he had felt like he needed to direct that question specifically to him and not Shion. It wasn't related to the sense that he knew the former for longer, or that the latter was currently crying into a pillow, but something more. It was the fact that Fomalhaut seemed both completely at home, yet paradoxically, also utterly out of place. Almost like a being like him should not even step into an environment as utterly home-like as this one.

"It's "The Clinic," the man replied, as monotonous as ever. "It's my-" he paused, clearly considering his next words, almost as if he didn't expect to be unable to instantly find the right description.

"It's where I stay when I'm in the capital," he answered finally, nodding as he did so.

"Give me just a few moments, Subaru," he continued, making his way across the room to a door on the other side of it. On the way he disdainfully tossed the black book Subaru had seen him read earlier onto the table, wiping his hand on his cloak afterwards in a gesture of casual disgust.

"I need to grab a few personal possessions of mine, and then we will head out. You are free to make yourself comfortable in the meanwhile." He opened the door and entered into the room beyond, closing it immediately after him, shutting it so quickly Subaru was barely able to make out only a single detail about it.

A desk. With something bone white lying on it.

Subaru blinked for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what it was that he saw, but after a few moments of futile guessing, he gave up. Looking around, he realized it was just him and Shion in the room now.

"Waaah," the green haired elf was still lying face down on the couch, loudly fake-sobbing into the pillow. As Subaru watched with a sweatdrop, she peeked outwards, her eyes completely dry as she made sure Fomalhaut had left the room. Seeing that he had, she immediately stopped crying, sitting right up with a mischievous grin.

Unsure of what to do, Subaru carefully placed his bag of convenience store snacks by his side.

"So um…you're Shion right?"

She cocked her head, looking at him with her inquisitive amber eyes. "Yup, that's me. Shion, the one and only!" She stood up, and swept her hand out in a dramatic fashion.

"Behold, for you stand in the presence of the greatest illusionist and phantom user in all of Lugnica, wielder of otherworldly magic, elegant lady, and hunter supreme! Offer praise to me, for I-" her speech was cut off by a loud growling sound.

Shion blinked and coughed, color dusting her cheeks. "Ahem, as I was saying, I-"

The growling repeated.

The green haired girl's eye twitched slightly. "Silence, stomach. Your insolence shall not be tolerated again."

The stomach, being the disobedient bastard that it was, growled yet again for the third time.

As Shion sputtered in indignation, Subaru grinned.

"Hehe. Don't underestimate me," the mean-eyed boy declared, reaching into his plastic bag.

"A hero always comes prepared for any situation! Behold, the food of my homeland!" Pausing for dramatic effect, Subaru withdrew the culinary behemoth of shut-in goods. The ultimate packaged consumable and the last food item he had bought in Japan.

A hundred-yen bag of Potato chips.

Shion's eyes widened.

"A-are those snacks?" The green haired girl breathed out, gazing at the plastic bag with an almost worshipful expression.

"That's exactly what they are! These are essential for any shut-in and trust me they are super tast-"

"Gimme!"

Subaru didn't even get to finish his proclamation before Shion lunged forward and snatched the bag out of his hand. Holding it above her with both hands like it was some sort of priceless artifact, the green haired elf let out a sound of primal triumph.

"Alright! I can finally eat! Consumption is the ultimate victory!" She tore the bag open and immediately stuffed her mouth full of the greasy convenience store food.

For a moment she froze, almost as if in some sort of trance, her green locks covering her eyes and hiding her emotions completely. Then her expression twisted into one of total and absolute bliss, and she let out a sound of pure joy.

She devoured the chips in seconds.

She turned toward Subaru, an indecipherable expression on her face.

"Subaru!" she spoke, her tone serious to the point of being comically formal. "You are now my second most favorite person in the world!"

"Only second favorite?!" the mean-eyed boy made a noise of indignation. "To think I'd already have competition in this world. I suppose it'll have to do for now. All right, I'll bite. Who's number one?"

Shion gave him a sly grin. "Hehe, a girl is entitled to some secrets, isn't she?"

Clasping her hands over her chest in a pose of dramatic melancholy, she proclaimed in a voice full of over exaggerated emotion. "Alas, I shan't reveal the secret of the person I treasure most in my heart! You'll have to be satisfied with the number two spot!"

She stared at him holding her serious expression for another moment, and then they both dissolved into a fit of laughter.

"Alright! Allow me to introduce myself properly once again!" With a flourish, she extended her hand to him.

"I am Shion! Elf-mage extraordinaire, Deacon of Confidence, and still very hungry!"

The mean-eyed boy raised his own hand to the ceiling and with a self assured grin, gave his response. "Natsuki Subaru, a little bit less lost, but still forever and eternally broke!"

The two shook hands, and thus their friendship was set in stone.


The next few minutes found Subaru walking around the room, looking around with interest. Fomalhaut still hadn't come out of his room, the only indication of his presence being a muffled conversation whose words were impossible to make out. Subaru couldn't be sure, but he swore he heard another robotic voice responding to the empty-eyed man.

Not one to intrude upon a conversation held behind a closed door, the black-haired young man instead decided to explore the rest of "The Clinic."

Walking past the room he let his gaze wander, and immediately something struck him as odd. It was the fireplace, the little unassuming gray fireplace that Subaru had written it off as decorative. Except now it had been transformed.

"What the?"

A warm and merry blaze danced within the firebox, crackling embers launching into the chimney and suffusing the room with warm orange light. And yet, something about this happy image felt not quite right. Because even as the fire kept crackling and dancing, Subaru could still see something that made the action impossible.

There was still no fuel.

Not a single piece of charcoal. Not the tiniest twig, or shriveled piece of paper, or any other material was present within the fireplace. There was nothing that should have allowed the fire to burn.

And yet it did.

"Hmm?" Shion walked up and noticed Subaru's completely shocked visage. "Oh, yeah. That does look surprising, doesn't it?" She giggled at the mean-eyed boy's dumbfounded expression.

"Yeah, that's Mal's spirit, Arbiter. Or at least part of it. It's what causes the fireplace to burn." She put her arms behind her head in a casual gesture that conveyed that she found nothing supernatural about this phenomenon.

"A spirit?" Subaru had never heard of such a thing before, so it was obvious that he should ask this question. With every second he spent in this new world it seemed like he found new things completely alien to him, and vivid wonders that he could never have even come close to imagining in such detail from the pages of his manga.

"Yup, a spirit! Oh wow you must be from the same You-Es-Ay place that Mal is from if you haven't heard about spirits, huh?"

"You-Es…do you mean the USA? Like, America? No, I'm from Japan but why would you…Wait, wait, Is that why the sign on the building was written in English?"

"Yup, yup, sure is," Shion chirped. "Lugnican language is way different from Eengleesh though. And based on what Mal told me, You-Es-Ay is way different then Lugnica, so I'm not surprised you don't know about spirits."

"You still haven't told me what they are though."

Shion laughed sheepishly and scratched her head. "Sorry, sorry. Spirits are…well they're kind of like living magic, I guess? They're made of mana and they can take on different forms. Arbiter looks like a tiny sphere of heat most of the time, but they can take on a heck-ton of different appearances."

Subaru nodded in understanding as he moved on.

'So they're like Puck then…' he wondered to himself quietly.

He was just about to sit back down when the door to Mal's room opened and the empty-eyed man stepped out, closing it behind him. There was no visible difference about him, only that his face was perhaps a little more severe and his stance a bit more rigid.

And that the devices on his wrists were now glowing with orange light.

Unnoticed to the Japanese outlander, the fire winked out of existence, as if it were never there in the first place.

"We're heading out, Subaru. It's time to find out what really happened"

The sarcastic dryness had gone from his voice, leaving only a void in its place. He passed through the room, nodding at Shion once as he walked by, sending her some sort of silent token message.

The green haired girl's smile turned strained for a single moment, almost as if she was desperately trying to suppress some sort of desolate resignation. The next second it was gone and Subaru was left wondering if it was even there in the first place. Waving at the duo cheerfully, Shion yelled out a goodbye as they exited "The Clinic" and shut the door behind them.

Mal headed off immediately, moving at such a brisk pace that Subaru had to jog to catch up to him.

"Where are we headed now, Mr. Anderson?" Asked the mean eyed boy, looking at the dark man with a strange sense of apprehension, a cold feeling in his stomach as he tried to keep up.

"It's just Mal," the man responded, not lowering his stride. "Mr. Anderson sounds like a movie joke, and I'm not quite sure I like being a reference."

Subaru snickered. Perhaps there was still a bit of that humor there. He felt reassured by that thought, though why he felt that way he could not tell.

"But seriously, where are we going…Mal?

Fomalhaut turned to him, his eyes nothing but fractals into abyssal realms.

"To the place of your death."


Shion watched out the window as the trio departed.

Sighing, the green haired elf closed the rough and patchy curtains before walking back and plopping onto one of the couches

"Seems like things are about to start coming into motion," she muttered to herself as her eyes wandered around the room, eventually landing on the black book that Fomalhaut had thrown onto the table.

Unbidden a tune came to her mind and she began to hum, only partially aware of her actions. It was an old melody, though it was old in a land foreign to her, and completely unheard of in the four nations.

"Change, we demand with our eyes…Change, we demand with our cries..." She sang softly as she stared at the tome with curiosity.

Picking it up, she frowned slightly, noticing that her hands were still full of crumbs from the chips. A small smile touched her face.

"In our veins and our tears and laughs so deranged…"

She wiped off the grease on the book, marring its cover and pages with deliberate care before throwing it over her head into the cold and empty fireplace.

"Change, we wait for a change."


The sun was starting to set by the time they reached the "Stolen Goods Warehouse".

The slums were expansive and full of half dilapidated shacks, so Subaru had no idea where to go at first, the sour glares of the inhabitants not helping his slowly growing worry. However, a straggler had graciously pointed them to the location of the place after Fomalhaut tossed the man a silver coin.

The two had gone over the rough plan that they could come up with based on the limited information they had. Now, all they could do was hope it would be enough.

"You told me everyone inside was dead when you were here last, is that correct?" Fomalhaut asked him.

'The corpse of a large old man, lying in a pool of blood…'

'A girl's slim hand, reaching out for something, the arm separated from the body…'His breath quickened.

His hand, ready to knock, stopped mere inches in front of the door, feverishly shivering, yet incapable of moving forward.

Hmm, strange. How could one have memories of their own demise? It was a bizarre thought to even begin considering, and yet he vividly remembered…

'It's s-so hot…'

'A retching cough…wooden boards stained putrid red…'

'A black boot stepping down into a carpet of blood…'

The answers lay behind the wooden door, but the horrid nature of them terrified Subaru. He didn't want to feel that way again. His eyes dilated, iris and pupil becoming tiny dots. He was afraid.

Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid. Afraid.

"Hey." The emotionless voice reached towards him and hauled him out of the nightmarish memory. Perhaps, because it too was dead, Subaru felt like he could trust it more.

"We're not gonna move forward if you don't take the first step." Fomalhaut told him.

The mean-eyed boy swallowed thickly, took a deep breath, nodded, and slowly knocked on the door. The knocks sounded like the hammering of nails on a coffin to his ears.

"For the rat?" came a gruff voice from within

Subaru glanced at Fomalhaut and shrugged. "Um…I don't know, cheese?"

"...For the whale?"

Subaru looked at the harpoon on Fomalhaut's back, glinting in the setting sun, and then leveled a glare at the door as if it offended him. "What the heck is this? Some kind of jab at Japan's commercial whaling? Let us in dammit!"

"..." The door swung open.

"Alright who the hell are you, you jokers?" The hunched, brown-skinned, giant of a man…'a corpse lying in a pool of blood' …glared at them, a large club in his massive hand. However, seeing Subaru, he lowered his weapon and grunted in confusion.

"Hey, Old Man Rom, who the heck are these guys?" came a chipper voice from inside.

Beside the mean-eyed boy, Fomalhaut once more, for the third time since he had known him, performed that oddly inhuman head-tilt.


Fomalhaut sipped a glass of watered down beer, observing as Subaru talked with Rom and the blonde haired girl that the giant lived with.

A single holy coin had been more than enough to convince the giant that he was a trustworthy individual. It really was a wonder what such measly resources could accomplish in the right areas.

How despondent.

He observed while they spoke of the lost insignia. Apparently, 'Satella' was a royal candidate. The idea was so hilarious it made him sick to the stomach. Whoever played a joke like that surely had a depraved sense of humor.

He observed while Subaru demonstrated his phone, gaining Rom's surprise and the blonde girl's greed.

The blonde girl. She said her name was Felt. He narrowed his eyes; The resemblance to royalty was uncanny. He knew it was impossible, but she looked so much alike…

He clenched his fist angrily, making the beakers inside of his bag clink. No use reminiscing on failed patients.

He observed as they haggled over prices, laughed, and bonded with each other. It was sweet in a way, these human acts, precious and untainted as they were, both here and on earth. He wondered how it was that no one could see the pureness of these actions.

And then he smelled it.

The plague…

His eyes widened and then dilated into pinpricks, and he clutched his drink so hard that part of it spilled on the ground from the trembling of his hand.

A carrier. Filth. Abomination. It had the sweet stink of decay. He could feel its tendrils approaching, violating the world around it. It was coming. Sent by the Tumor to infect all that it touched, turning it into vile extensions of itself. Pestilence.

The blade on his back thrummed. It sensed the disgusting infection and wished to hunt it down, to impale it and take its parasitic life from it. Put it down like the frothing animal that it was.

"Contractor, Threat, Approaches, Bloodlust intent, Puppet of sin."

He ignored the spirit's words in his mind, instead locking his eyes on Felt as she opened the door and let the obscenity in.

A whale roars in the skies. The cold grave is washed by the rain. The disease spreads. All is consumed by Hatred.

The plague entered the warehouse.

"Burn it to Ash"

"My, it appears there are some outsiders here?"

As Subaru and the others talked to the disease-ridden vermin masquerading as a woman, he reached into his bag and slowly took out a single glass beaker, quietly observing the substance within.

Thus, as Felt sent Subaru to get the visitor a drink and began explaining the situation to the odious being, no one noticed as Fomalhaut slowly, almost gently, tipped the beaker.

And a single droplet of black sludge ponderously made its way to the edge of the notch, before falling into the glass, quietly hissing as it dropped. Almost akin to a serpent.

Fomalhaut smiled softly. If anyone had seen his smile, they would have recoiled in horror.

It was time to purge.


"I see, I think I understand the situation now." The black haired woman, who introduced herself as Elsa, licked her lips as she accepted the glass of milk that Subaru brought her and took a gulp of the drink.

"That's right," Felt waved the insignia temptingly in front of both him and Elsa and grinned. "I don't really care who walks away with this thingy so I'll sell it to the highest bidder."

Elsa hummed. "I think I like that attitude of yours. So, how much did that young man bid?"

Subaru took out his flip phone.

"I'm bidding this Metia. It's a one-of-a-kind item that the old man here says is worth no less than twenty holy coins!" he nodded proudly

Taking a picture of Elsa, he showed the slightly surprised woman her "moment forever frozen in time."

She glanced at the item curiously. "I see, and what about that young man in the corner over there?"

Subaru turned around. Fomalhaut was still nursing his beer, sitting quietly on the barstool, facing away from them.

"Oh he's just here for a drink. Came in before you. He's not in on the bidding," Felt announced, discarding the empty-eyed man with no regard.

Elsa nodded. "In that case,"

"My employer provided me extra funds just in case an occasion like this would come up, so I do have a little extra to offer." She withdrew a small leather bag from her pocket and placed it on the table, each of her movements filled with a predatory sort of sensuality.

"Your employer?"

"That's correct; I don't actually want the insignia, but rather it's the person who hired me that wishes to possess it."

She paused, her eyes glittering. "Are you by any chance involved in the same type of work as me?"

Subaru grinned. "Being in the same profession as me means you're unemployed!" He declared with an exaggerating motion, pointing his thumb at his chest.

There was a short awkward silence, permeated only by the bubbling of the milk.

"So anyway, this hobo kid is saying he'll bid a rare metia against you. That puts him in the lead in this situation. How much are you offering?" Felt asked, smiling cheekily.

Elsa said nothing in response, merely turned the bag over and allowed its contents to spill onto the table. Felt's eyes widened with avarice.

"Twenty holy coins exactly," Rom stated, counting up the large metallic discs.

"This is all that my employer has given to me. This is what they decided would be enough to pay for the badge, but...am I correct in thinking their estimates may have been a little off?" asked Elsa, though her strangely enthralling gaze was directed at Felt rather than the giant.

Ah. This was it then, thought Subaru. This must be a massive sum based on Felt's expression. She and Rom would surely not refuse such an amount. He had failed Satella. He wasn't able to keep his promise to her.

"Why are you acting like such a wimp? You're a man, aren't you? Twenty holy coins is an outrageous amount, sure, but your metia sells for twenty only in the worst case scenario. That means it's worth more than that." Rom roughly patted Subaru on the back, the force so strong it nearly made him stumble forwards.

"The way it looks to me," the hunched-over giant continued, "the negotiations lean towards the kid over here. You should take your coins back to your employer and be on your way."

Subaru let out a cry of excitement. Felt leaned back and put her arms behind her head, showing that she was satisfied with the arrangement.

Elsa simply shrugged and put her coins back in her bag, not looking at all disappointed. Subaru found it strange. She had just lost a bid with a lot of money, why would she be so disinterested?

"Sorry about your assignment, Miss Elsa," he offered, "Your employer will probably be mad at you."

She smiled. "It can't be helped. It was their fault for underpaying. Well, I'd best be on my way."

She took the glass of milk to her mouth and took another, final, slow gulp.

And darkness descended.

Elsa's eyes widened. She let out a mad screech of agony and stumbled backwards, a knife flashing out from the folds of her purple dress. With a chill, Subaru realized that it was the same knife that had slashed his innards at the moment of his death.

Subaru, Felt and Rom jumped up, sudden fear in their eyes, as they bore witness to the unfolding scene of nightmare.

"Sickness…" came a disturbingly familiar growl.

Elsa shrieked and twisted, before suddenly clawing at her throat. As Subaru watched in morbid horror, black veins spread from her neck and began to cover her body, her pale white skin quickly becoming crisscrossed with thin dark tendrils.

Only now, with this ghastly caricature on her visage, did he realize her face was the same as the woman that had killed him in his vision before.

"The disease spreads, infecting all whom it touches…" It was a monstrous sound, frightening and alien, yet Subaru knew this voice, and when he realized that he did he became truly afraid.

Elsa let out a coughing scream of rage and lunged forward, moving at inhuman speeds. In desperation, Felt tackled him out of the way. But it was pointless because Elsa had not even been aiming for them. She blew past the two, her curved knife descending onto her target with near supersonic speeds.

"But not I."

And it was blocked.

It struck against the handle of a pitch black harpoon.

Subaru turned around, and his pupils shrunk into mere dots.

A long black cape, whipping back from the power of the impact of blade against blade, A form clad in dark, standing in hateful defiance against the overwhelming force pressing against it, twin black cylinders on the arms, each glowing on the inside with an angry searing red. And upon the face…

Subaru's mouth opened in a silent scream.

A nightmarish visage stared down Elsa's strike: A mask, bone white in color, even more ghoulish then Elsa's skin. In the darkness of the warehouse, it stood out like a carnivorous phantom.

A long beak like that of a crow's, extended in place of the mask's mouthpiece, ending in a terminally sharp edge. And the eyes. Oh god the eyes. Two orbs full of terrible nothingness, leading down into a hideous abyss at the bottom of which burned nothing but the most horrible of wraths.

"For I am the Plague Doctor," The being spoke its dark challenge.

"And I will not rest until I've burned this infection to ash."

Elsa's mouth opened in an attempt to say something, but only gurgles came out, and she retched, bile mixed with blood coating the ground. The black lines crossing her skin had grown and began to bubble, the skin near them turning black and necrotic. Sickly red spots covered her form, the skin near them drying up and turning flaky, even as other parts turned unnaturally liquid and began to melt off entirely.

The Plague Doctor angled its arm so that the glowing cylinder on his wrist was facing the purple-eyed woman. The horrid mask slowly tilted in a nauseatingly familiar manner. With a churning dread Subaru realized why it had seemed so wrong before.

It was like a crow, cocking its head to peck out the eyes of its victim.

Suddenly he knew what was coming. Without thinking he grabbed Felt and, reciprocating her earlier gesture, dived out of the way, pulling Rom along by the arm as he did so.

"Perish."

Fire erupted from the cylinder. It engulfed Elsa, covering up any screams she could make and consuming her form in a scorching red blaze. The inferno covered the warehouse in seconds, the violent conflagration singing Subaru, even as he crawled out of the way.

It may have been merely a trick of the twisting fire, but as Subaru stared at the flames, almost enraptured by their consuming brilliance, he thought that he could see shapes within the fire.

Horses. Beautiful winged horses stampeded through the blaze. They were made of fire themselves and they roared along with the inferno as they charged and trampled everything in their path, turning all to dust.

"Burn to ash," repeated the Plague Doctor.

The fire shrieked like a living thing, and congregated in a fireball, before suddenly rupturing in an ear-shattering burst. In its wake, nothing remained but a boiling crater, and the open night sky.

Elsa lay in the middle of the half melted floor, her body horrendously disfigured. Her white skin was flaking and charred, and the remainder was covered in bubbling black lines and horrific blisters. Her neck had melted completely and pus was oozing out of where her eyes used to be. Even as Subaru watched pieces of her skin sloughed off, turning into nauseating black sludge as they did so. The sludge wriggled, writhed, and hissed like a serpent, and Subaru couldn't help but recoil.

And yet it appeared that despite all of this, Elsa was somehow not dead. She thrashed in agony, unable to make a sound due to her nonexistent throat, and yet she endured. In front of Subaru's eyes her flesh regrew, reforming into coherence, before the hissing black lines once more dissolved her.

"You are sick, but do not fear, I am the cure."

In a single smooth motion, the Plague Doctor raised the harpoon in his hand, the black steel of the weapon thrumming with eager bloodlust as its edge pointed squarely at the rotting woman's brain.

"Blight Sword: Pequod"

The blade descended. Elsa's head burst like a fruit, dissolving into red and black goo.

Amidst the burning and splattered blood, the dark masked figure tilted its head backwards and erupted in an insane maniacal laugh.

It was too much. Too much for Subaru, too much for anyone. He heaved, retching violently. Some of it landed on Felt, but neither she nor Rom noticed, too shocked by the gruesome sight before them.

And as the remnants of the loothouse collapsed into a burning sea, the last thing he knew was a horrid, beaked, white mask, and the Plague Doctor's gleeful laughter.


He woke up moments later; though to him it seemed like years had passed.

"Y-you saved my life…" Felt told Subaru calmly. It wasn't the normal, every-day calm, but rather the calm of a person that has experienced so much horror that their emotional spectrum has broken down. It was the calm of a person that has become incapable of speaking in anything but an empty calm.

"H-huh?" Only now Subaru realized that he was still cradling her to his chest. Her head was still partially covered in bile, so Subaru did his best to brush it off of her before setting the girl down.

"Man, you really did us both a favor, kid," Rom groaned, managing to stand up before looking around sadly. "This place really got trashed. I thought that crazy woman would get us for sure, but I think we may have traded one monster for another."

Subaru could only nod. His eyes were trained on the spot where Elsa's body had been. In its place was a puddle of writhing black ooze. It constantly shifted form, growing pseudopods and tails, hissing all the while. Subaru gulped and scooched back, instinctively holding his arms out to shield Felt from whatever the thing was.

Footsteps approached the puddle. He could see the black boots of the owner of those footsteps as they made their way across the charred crater of a floor. Right in front of the puddle the footsteps ceased and an arm extended towards the pool of decay. It was holding a single beaker filled with the same black sludge.

The writhing ooze on the floor hissed violently and lunged at the arm, becoming the maw of a red-eyed demonic serpent. In a single, smooth motion, another arm, this one bearing a black harpoon, descended and impaled the serpent through its mouth.

It thrashed and hissed before shrinking and deforming until it became naught but a mere drop of black sludge dangling on the harpoon's edge. In another smooth motion, the arm brought the edge of the weapon to the beaker and tapped it lightly, causing the black droplet to fall inside of the glass. A second later, the beaker was sealed tight and placed inside of a brown bag, hanging on the waist of the arms' owner.

Behind Subaru Felt slowly peeked out, before pushing something into his hands.

"Here, I want nothing more to do with this damn thing," said the girl as she handed him Satella's insignia.

Subaru nodded mutely and accepted. For a moment, he just sat there, staring at the badge that had caused all of this. Still, he had finally been able to get what he promised he would.

"Will you keep lying on the ground, or will you stand up?" came a familiar emotionless voice, snapping him out of his thought process.

He glanced up. Fomalhaut was offering him a hand, a dry grin on his face. The bone white mask was nowhere to be seen. Subaru hesitated. Fomalhaut offered him a deadpan, and then grabbed his arm and hauled him up to his feet.

"There, you good now?"

Once more, Subaru found himself unable to do anything but nod softly and clutch the insignia in his hands.

Fomalhaut turned to Rom and walked up to the muscle bound man, gaining his attention. The giant was scratching his head and looking around the bar in a mix of sadness and confusion in his eyes

"I apologize for the troubles. Your business and home are ruined. In compensation please accept the following. Use it to restore this place."

Taking the bag of money that Elsa had revealed during the negotiations, the empty-eyed man tossed the money to Rom who caught it clumsily.

Subaru allowed himself a small smile. It seemed that everything was turning out ok.

"Hah?" asked Felt, peering at the coins curiously, "What the heck are you talking about, Evil-Bro? Why would we restore this place?"

Subaru and Fomalhaut looked at her confused.

"What do you mean, Felt?" Subaru ventured cautiously. "Isn't this the place where you and Rom live and conduct your business? Why would you not want to fix it?" Something felt not quite right about Felt's casual dismissal of the warehouse that seemed so important to her before. Then again, maybe thieves were like that naturally?

"Hmm, what are you babbling about, kid, we're vagrants. We got nowhere to stay. This place was just for one night. We're thankful for the money, but we ain't going to use it rebuilding a place that we got no connection to," Rom grumbled, taking the money from Fomalhaut's outstretched hand.

Subaru furrowed his eyebrows. This made no sense at all, and he felt a chill run through his spine. Beside him, Fomalhaut visibly tensed as well.

"So…you guys don't stay in the slums?" the mean-eyed boy questioned, getting only confused looks in response.

"What are you talking about bro? There are no slums in the capital; this whole area is a wasteland, no one's lived here in forever."

Felt's words, so genuinely confused, were completely incomprehensible to Subaru. Before he could even begin to try to piece together this new oddity, he suddenly felt a violent force as he was roughly pushed out of the way.

"Subaru, get behind me, now." Fomalhaut whispered, sudden apprehension in his usually dead tone.

"W-wha?"

"NOW!" The dark man yelled out, his grip on his weapon tightening, his other hand dropping to his waist where Subaru knew the pistol was hidden. The cylinders on his arms began to grow with red light.

Jolted by the sound of Fomalhaut acting so uncharacteristically panicked, Subaru scrambled to stand by him, his own eyes racing to try and see the cause of Fomalhaut's sudden worry.

"Ah, more~ Give us more food. We crunch, and we munch, and consume, and devour, and it's still not enough~"

There was a giggle to their left and a short burst of wind, something in the darkness moving so fast that Subaru's eyes didn't have time to perceive it. Beside them, Felt and Rom collapsed on the ground like puppets with their strings cut. Their eyes closed and they fell, their consciousness suddenly vanishing, as if taken from them.

As if eaten by something.

"What is this…" Subaru trembled, his eyes full of disturbed realization. Something else was here. Something horrible and vile.

"More~ We feast, and we eat, and we hunger more and more. Never, never filled! Ah the sensation of this Bizarre Eating!"

To his left, Subaru felt something make contact with him. With horror, he realized it wasn't Fomalhaut, for this contact felt wrong. It was raw, and filled with endless starvation.

He whirled around, filled with sudden terror.

A child with long dirty hair, and carnivorous green eyes stared at him, his smile full of unnaturally sharp teeth.

"Please, won't you fill our hunger, Tsu~"

The child licked the palm of his left hand, and Subaru knew no more.

End.

Well, I hope you folks enjoyed that monster of a chapter. If you did, then give reviews and all that.

Next chapter, this Arc comes to its finale.

Goodbye.