Chapter 2-Preparations for battle

Subaru and Rem had brought the unknown duo of Atrocitus and Dex-Starr back to their inn, but Atrocitus was too big to fit in their room. Ergo, they decided to host their discussion in the lounge, which is where they were at the moment. Atrocitus had set his red lantern on the ground, and Dex-Starr had not moved from his shoulder. It seemed as if the cat was conserving its energy.

"So, you have divined the future, and from that you know that this Witch's Cult will have attacked in two days time?" Atrocitus inquired after hearing the specifics of Subaru's dilemma.

"Y-yep," Subaru replied nervously. "I have prophetic abilities that activate at random, and they just so happened to show glimpses of the aftermath of their assault. So...I was really in a bind until you showed up, Atrocitus-san." He looked down, then continued. "I thought I was going to have to watch them die."

"..." Atrocitus and Dex-Starr were silent as they watched the boy. Rem, on the other hand, could only frown as she contemplated this information.

"Subaru-kun can...see the future? Is that why he knew of the Mabeast curse, and why he knew of the assassin hunting Lady Emilia?" In Rem's mind, she thought back to what she knew of Subaru's deductive abilities, both from her own experience seeing them and from Emilia telling them about him. And the idea that her hero could see the future, while a strange and completely unique ability, certainly answered the question of how he did the things that he did. And yet, Rem also had her own hidden talents. One of which was the ability to read her Subaru like an open book, and from this ability, she could tell he was lying. Well, maybe it was conceited to think that only she could read his emotions, since Atrocitus looked skeptical, but he didn't openly express any doubts, and Rem was grateful. But that brought up another question: why was Subaru lying about his foresight? Well, Rem didn't really care about the reason, because she had faith in her hero and knew it had to be justified. But Atrocitus might not be as lenient in his questioning.

"Very well. Then let us rest for now and depart at sunset," the giant replied, prompting Subaru to look at him in surprise.

"Really? I would've thought that you two would want to go right away."

"Indeed, I want nothing more than to destroy those vermin right here and now," his tone made everyone in the lounge tense up and freeze in fear, "...but I believe it would be best to allow you two to prepare first if you plan on participating."

"Of course. That makes sense. Yeah, we'd probably be more of a hindrance if we were exhausted while fighting. You're totally right, Atrocitus-san!" Subaru said, to which Rem replied with a nod.

Atrocitus nodded in response. "Yes, it would do us no good not to be prepared for the slaughter." He then stood up. "I must leave you two for a bit. There is something I must do before we depart." Dex-Starr meowed in agreement with his owner, though as to what he was agreeing with, neither Subaru nor Rem knew.

"Alright, well, see you in a few hours, Atrocitus-san!" Subaru said as he got up with a wave. "C'mon, Rem."
Rem nodded. "Of course, Subaru-kun. Goodbye, Atrocitus-san, Dex-Starr-san," the maid said with a bow before following her companion.

"..." Atrocitus waited until they'd gone back upstairs before he picked up his lantern and left with Dex-Starr. If his current action was to be discovered, it would likely gain the ire of his new...allies. They weren't as bloodthirsty as the red lanterns and probably weren't as...used to their more...extreme methods. But it didn't hurt to have a more reliable power of prophecy when Subaru's could not be controlled. Though that did bring up another question.

As Atrocitus and Dex-Starr made their way to the slums of the capital in hopes of finding some lowlives to be used as sacrifices, Atrocitus couldn't help but wonder about that human. "You speak as if you've run into these Witch Cultists before. And yet I can tell that you wouldn't have survived an encounter with them. Likewise, your explanation of your prophetic abilities left much to be desired, and you actively spoke as if trying to disguise your real ability. The hatred in you is genuine, the fact that I could feel it coursing through your heart is testament to that. But you don't have the resolve to commit to vengeance. Maybe there is something holding you back...or maybe you have a reason to think that vengeance specifically is unnecessary to save the innocents that you so clearly care for. But…" He turned to Dex-Starr, then they both looked down at the lantern. "If this world is as bad as it seems, the human Subaru Natsuki may find himself in another desperate scenario. If my hypothesis is correct, if his powers are temporal rather than prophetic, then he will become a great red lantern should he encounter enough hardships. Or, should he encounter the worst of life's offerings, maybe something that surpasses a red lantern entirely…But for now, this place reeks of blood and rage of crimson red, ripped from corpses so ripened with death." Atrocitus was, of course, referring to the slums that they'd just arrived at. As he walked, the red light from the lantern shined brightly in the night, and anyone who saw it approaching them fsoon ound themselves one with the Od Laguna.


The next morning, hours after the four had left and arrived at the mansion, a certain purple-haired merchant princess walked through her office, eagerly awaiting the start of a new day. A new day ripe with profit potential. As she sat at her desk, she met with a visitor who just so happened to have a surprising tidbit of information.

"O~ho? Natsuki-kun has someone willing to help him take on the Witch's Cult? Are you sure you heard that right?" she inquired from the member of the Iron Fang before her.

"Yes, Anastasia-sama. I just so happened to be staying at the inn that Natsuki and the Mathers' maid were staying at, and yesterday afternoon they returned with some sort of...giant, red-skinned demi-human. He was huge, so big they had to talk in the lounge cause he wouldn't fit in the rooms. And they talked about moving out last night to stop the Witch's Cult. They've certainly already left and arrived at the domain of the Mathers."
"Hm…" Anastasia put a finger to her chin. "Now isn't that interesting? Just who is this 'red giant' that Natsuki-kun's enlisted? Who in their right mind would take on the Witch's Cult with three people?" "Was he that desperate? A part of me feels bad if he's that delusional. Either he's an unfortunate person afflicted with madness, or he had no choice but to accept help from this…probably a mercenary or something. But, business is business, and information is the keystone to-" But her thoughts were interrupted.

"There's one other thing," her affiliate said.

"Hm? And what would that be?" Anastasia inquired.

"...I'd take this with a grain of salt, but Natsuki...said that he figured this out because...he can evidently see the future at random times."

"..." Anastasia's eyes widened, her face betraying her shocked expression. She couldn't possibly have heard this correctly. "Did-did you say that Natsuki-kun…?"

"Claims to be able to see the future, yes. But like I said, I'd take it with a grain of salt. He even sounded like he was lying about it when he described it, so-"
"...I see. You're dismissed. Thank you for the information."
"Of course, my lady." The man stood up, bowed slightly, then walked out of the room, leaving the woman behind.

"...Don't tell me THAT'S why he did what he did back in the castle?" She couldn't believe it. Could the half-elf really have found...a prophet? A boy who already knew the outcome of the Selection, and laughed at them all because they were playing second-fiddle? The merchant princess recalled his words when her knight demanded his resolve and strength.

"I don't have any strength, and I don't have anything as grand as resolve, but I WILL make Emilia the next ruler!"

Could THIS have been the reason why he could make such bold claims? To say that he had neither resolve nor strength, but that Emilia would win thanks to him regardless? If that was the case, then why should she even-? "NO! I can't think like that! Emilia herself disowned him after that. We were there! There's no way she would've thrown away such a valuable asset like that if she had recruited him...right?" Or was that whole debacle merely a ruse to lull them all into a false sense of security? To have them start out the worst, then miraculously have them win at the last moment? If Subaru had stayed in the capital under the guise of needing recovery from the duel...he would be able to evaluate the other candidates and potentially exploit their weaknesses. Of course, he'd nearly died to Julius...but that could've been planned as well. Emilia had looked mad in the throne room, but was that an act? Or was Subaru Natsuki acting independently? Anastasia didn't know, and she didn't like not knowing.

"...Echidna. Is such a thing possible?" There was only one person Ana could consult in such a time as this. But the mysterious person known as "Echidna" responded unseen and unnoticed by everyone except for the merchant. And after this person responded, the merchant's expression neither lightened nor darkened; her face merely adopted a cautious expression. But, that would be replaced by despair in mere hours.


Elsewhere, shortly before the Witch Cult hit squad had left, Duchess Karsten was also getting ready for the night, but for a completely different reason. As Subaru had discovered, she was assembling her army to face off against the White Whale, a creature Subaru had never encountered. Luckily, he had no plans for fighting it, so it looked like the Duchess would be the one to take care of that. As she sat at her desk, her attendant Felix entered her office.

"Crusch-sama, the preparations are nyearly complete, nya!" Felix cheerfully announced. Of course he was cheerful, because his lady was going to be credited with taking down one of the three Great MaBeasts, while Wilhelm would get to avenge his wife. If Felix was sad about anything, it would be that Reinhard wouldn't be with them to see his grandmother be avenged. But, such was life. And by tonight, they'd be in battle, so it was too late to find Reinhard anyway.

"That's great, Felis. And is everyone aware of the dangers this battle will present?" Crusch didn't doubt the valor and courage of her men, but the last time this happened, the Sword Saint perished in the fight. She at least wanted to give the chance to step away if they wanted to.

"Of course, my lady. You really should have more faith in them, nya!"
"It's not that I doubt them, it's just…" She hesitated, but Felix understood.

"This will be a marvelous accyomplishment. But you're worried about the cost required to win the Election."
The duchess nodded. "Yes. I don't want my troops to feel that they must fight the White Whale, and a part of me cannot bear the thought of needing to sacrifice people to achieve this. But, just as they have resolved to give their lives to this mission, I too will fight with everything I have. It's the job of a leader to set an example for her subjects."

"Hm-mm. As always, Crusch-sama is the greatest at what she does!" Felix responded cheerfully.

As the two got back to their busy schedule, Crusch couldn't help but reflect on her own words...and how they applied to that deluded child she'd taken in.

"Natsuki Subaru," she thought as she looked out a window at the traffic in her front yard. "I can't help but wonder if your rage was justified, if you encountered the Cult before and wanted to avenge your previous life. If that's the case, it makes sense that you would ally with a half-elf on the assumption that you'd run into them again. And considering your age, I think I understand why you did what you did in the castle. Wanting vengeance, you fooled yourself into thinking that Emilia was some sort of holy figure that would inevitably deliver your enemies into your hands...Maybe that's why you insulted the knights, because they didn't help you before. That would explain your annoyance with the greatest knight, Julius. But then Emilia forced you back into reality after your duel, and you were forced to accept your own powerlessness. Truly, you have my pity. But you deluded yourself into believing that the Cult was coming after you, a claim that you had no evidence for. Ergo, I had no choice but to refuse you. But if by some stroke of luck your claim turns out to be true, then I wish you the best. Since I've taken in Wilhelm, I certainly won't deny someone their right to vengeance. I just have to prioritize my own, realistic goals over your delusions. If you fall to the Cult, then I wish you to be born into a better life."

But her wishes were misplaced. Natsuki Subaru would not fall to the Witch's Cult...and Duchess Crusch Karsten would soon find her own goals unachievable due to the very person she rejected. All due to Subaru's new, powerful allies. And she would have no choice but to align herself with a faction that would soon acknowledge and share her yet-to-be-blossomed fear of the Emilia camp.


As Subaru and Rem walked through the city trying to find Atrocitus and Dex-Starr, they inevitably came to rest on a fountain.

"Ah, where the hell are those two!? We can't do anything without them!" Subaru yelled. They were supposed to leave this afternoon, preferably in a few hours! And now his new allies up and vanish on them!?

"It'll be alright, Subaru-kun. Atrocitus-san said that he had something to do before we left; I'm sure he and Dex-Starr will be back soon. If anything, I worry that they might not find us."

"..." Subaru looked up, shocked. "Holy crap, you're right! We just left to search for them, but they might need to search for US now!" He stood up immediately. "C'mon, Rem, we gotta-!" But he stopped abruptly when he noticed a distinctly familiar scent: blood. And judging by Rem's expression, she noticed it as well. Quickly getting up, Rem and Subaru both looked around for the source of the smell. Then they turned to the pathway facing the slums...and discovered the duo they were searching for. Atrocitus and Dex-Starr had small amounts of blood tainting their uniforms, though Des-Starr also had some on his face. He was smiling in an adorable manner that didn't at all fit the situation.

As they approached, Subaru was the first to address them.

"...What the hell..did you do?" he asked, his voice shaking and near inaudible.

"We took the time to rid your capital of injustice. Starting from the most obvious area," Atrocitus said, as if the murders he clearly just committed were the most natural thing in the world.

"...That's...absolutely a red flag," Subaru said, causing Atrocitus and Dex-Starr to narrow their eyes. "But...I'd prefer not to ruin our relationship over a disagreement in our methods, so I'll choose to ignore it for the moment. Especially if you employ this same strategy against the Witch Cult." In all honesty, Subaru was close to...reacting to the blood in a way that would be highly embarrassing in all possible scenarios, and he didn't like the idea of his new allies being mass-murderers. But from what Atrocitus said, he and Dex-Starr went to the slums specifically to take care of some seriously evil people. Or at least, what they presumed to be irredeemable criminals. While he wasn't hot on the idea, for all Subaru knew, they had some way of seeing into a person's life and judging them from that. Hell, Subaru assumed Atrocitus used that to determine his own problems when they first met. Not to mention, if they left on the grounds of not accepting each other's methods, then Subaru would be back to square one.

"Yes, the Witch Cult will receive worse than those mere scum we eradicated earlier. They will bear witness to the wrath of Atrocitus!"

"Okay, then. Let's go!" Subaru said, his lips forming the first genuine smile he'd had in well over a week. But as was tradition in this world, Subaru's hopes would be dashed by the maid that had so confidently supported him earlier.

"Um, about that...How are we getting to the mansion?" Rem asked.

"..." Subaru's smile didn't waver, but his eyes said it all.

"..." Rem, while objectively crushing on Subaru, could not help but internally cringe-not at her hero, but at the situation in general.

Atrocitus then spoke up. "That is of no-"

"WAIT!" Subaru exclaimed, cutting him off and earning him a glare from Dex-Starr. "I got it!" He then pulled a folded white paper out from his jacket. "This here is a letter, which'll allow us to get any spare dragon carriage in the city!" "Never thought I'd be thankful to that greedy bitch."
Rem clapped her hands together while smiling. "As expected of Subaru-kun!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Atrocitus asked. "Let us go." He'd planned on flying them over there, but if they had an available alternative-who would naturally know the lay of the land better than Atrocitus-then there was no reason not to use this letter. And…"I can sense your rage at this Anastasia person, yet you aren't hesitant to use her letter. That's good for a potential recruit. Very good, Subaru Natsuki. In time, I can only hope you learn to guide your rage and use it to its fullest. I'd gladly welcome someone with your wrath into the corps...and if my guess is correct, you've seen things most red lanterns would go berserk over. Maybe you're even worthy of our recent ensnarement." As Atrocitus thought this, he shifted his gaze to the red lantern in his hand, the anger in it pulsating, as if coming from a crazed beast.

"Alright, let's roll!" Subaru exclaimed for a second time.


As night began to creep into the world, the sound of wheels turning at a rapid pace could be heard as a carriage was seen racing out of the capital and out into the wild, uncivilized fields surrounding the capital of lugunica. Inside the carriage, a gray-haired man wearing green clothes was driving the duo of Subaru and Rem, having been persuaded by the letter from Anastasia. But as for the other two that were with them…

"...Um, Natsuki-san?" Otto said out of the blue.

"Yes?" Subaru looked up, his mind having been preoccupied with the upcoming ordeal ahead of him. "What is it, Otto?"

"Well, uh, about our other two 'passengers…'" His gaze shifted from inside the carriage to right beside it, where Atrocitus and Dex-Starr, both encompassed by red auras, were flying beside them. "I was just wondering how you came across these...uncommon individuals."

Seeing two people flying with what appeared to be a strange red-colored magic would be enough to surprise any regular person, though demi-humans were known for having more mana than regular humans. But what triggered Otto's survival instincts...was his first encounter with the four of them. He subconsciously shuddered, remembering how he'd been about to leave, only to run into a strange guy with a letter from a royal candidate, along with a maid...and two unusual-looking demi-humans covered in blood. Needless to say, Otto was not exactly eager to help them, only accepting the deal when they explained that Atrocitus and Dex-Starr had gotten into a fight in the slums and had to defend themselves-and then "reinforced" their story with a large sack of money when asking if he could help transport people. Fortunately, he'd been travelling with a caravan of merchants, and they had all agreed to help out. Of course, Otto had to leave his merchant group to prepare for the extra passengers while they went ahead to the Margrave's to start the evacuation process, though they'd regroup later. But still, he was hoping they could put in a good word for him and help him sell his oil. But, Natsuki-san did agree to buy half of his supply, so that was good.

"It's just, I've never seen such specific types of demi-humans before, and I've never seen someone with flying magic. Add to that their energy glow things are keeping the blood from flying off their bodies, and I think it'd be weird not to get suspicious!" he exclaimed.

"..." Subaru was silent as he thought about Otto's concerns. Truthfully, he didn't know the answers to Otto's questions. He'd just accepted their help, no questions asked. Really, it was stupid of him in hindsight...but, he was desparate at the time, and if it meant saving Emilia and the village from the Witch Cult, he honestly didn't care what those to did afterwards. He just wants the Cult dead. Like how Rem wanted him dead before he gained her trust. Well, maybe it was because Atrocitus seemed to have psychic insight regarding his own heart...which was an ability he honestly might have. Someone who creates a portal and flies isn't exactly normal around here, after all. Subaru internally suspected them to be from another parallel world, but again, it didn't matter right now.

"Well, I guess you're right in assuming that they're unnatural. Truth is, I don't know where they come from, either. But they agreed to help me take on my most hated enemy when I was by myself, and I won't start doubting them hours before we meet them. That'd just be rude. And also, aren't we bribing you to not ask questions? No, wait. Why would you ask questions? If you think we're some sort of killing group, couldn't Atrocitus-san just break your neck like a twig?" Subaru said with a straight face, summoning the most enjoyable reaction from Otto.

"EEP!" He shuddered and flinched. "W-well, I've never been one for chatting, anyway!" he hurriedly said before looking away.

"Hmph." Subaru chuckled a bit before looking towards the maid beside him. Rem had actually inquired as to the origins of the red-suited duo while they were waiting until sunset, to which Subaru admitted that they literally came out of nowhere. He'd omitted the part about the portal and just said that they'd stumbled across him in the alleyway, but he still said that he didn't know anything about them. Rem was skeptical at first, but Subaru quickly refuted it by saying that it didn't matter where they came from, so long as they helped him. But...he'd snapped at her a bit when he said that.

"Rem...I'm so-"

"You do not need to apologize, Subaru-kun," Rem cut him off.

"No! I was really mean to you earlier, and you were just trying to-" But again, Rem interrupted him.

"I wanted to know the origins of your new allies. That much is reasonable. But, in doing so, I completely disregarded the relief you obviously felt towards them. We both had our reasons for our actions there, Subaru-kun, and the very fact that you regret it is evident based on how you've been glancing at me this entire time." At this, Subaru blushed, evoking a giggle from Rem.

"I don't deserve you," he muttered.

Rem just tilted her head. "Why is that?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"What is the basis for you 'deserving me?' What would make you deserve me? Not defending the people who have offered you salvation and instead doubting them, leading yourself back into the well of desperation and hopelessness you fell into before you met them? If that would make you worthy of me, then I have to politely decline."
"...You're really smart, you know that?"
Rem blushed at his compliment. "Subaru-kun is such a charmer," she said while hiding her face with her hand.

"I take it back, you're weird."

"..."
The two then start giggling.

"Say, Rem. After this is all over, do you want me to take you on a date?"
"Eh?" Rem's eyes widened.

"W-well, it's just...er, I realized that I went on one with Emilia, but I never did take you on a date, and that'd be a great way to laugh about our future together, right?" Subaru's face heated up immensely; he didn't realize what he had suggested, so he hastily tried downplaying it.

Rem merely smiled joyfully in response. "Of course! Rem would love to go on a date with-!"
"It is here."
Atrocitus's voice suddenly range out, surprising the carriage trio of Otto, Subaru, and Rem. Subaru quickly looked up to Atrocitus in worry, but all he could see was mist all around them.

"What the hell, Atrocitus? What was that!?"
"The demon of the mist is coming," he replied as he flew right up to Subaru while Dex-Starr eyed their surroundings.

"Demon of the what?" Subaru retorted, dumbfounded. But the same could not be said about the other two.

"The-the-the…THE WHITE WHALE IS COMING!?" Otto immediately flew into a panic, nearly dropping the reins out of his hands.

Just as he started screaming, it appeared. A giant mass of mist, and inside it, barely visible, there was a massive shadow. And mere moments later, that mist parted, revealing the shadow to be that of a massive whale.

"HOLY!" Subaru immediately exclaimed, before falling on his butt in fear. Rem quickly moved beside him in a protective position, her weapon drawn.

The White Whale began approaching them, quickly making its way towards the carriage. Just as Rem was about to strike at it, Atrocitus's voice spoke out from beside them.

"Dex-Starr."
With just the call of his name, the blue cat Dex-Starr immediately flew straight at the whale...and proceeded to create a giant red hammer that he used to smash the whale into the ground!

To say that the three inside the carriage were shocked or speechless would be like saying someone who just swam in the ocean was a little wet. But just as they were processing whatever they had witnessed, Atrocitus spoke again. This time, he addressed all 5 of them, including the whale.

"And now, it begins: the events that were foretold in blood! Go, Dex-Starr! Bring down this egregious and unholy beast! And let those that tremble in fear of it rejoice and know peace!"


Next chapter: Dex-Starr vs the White Whale. See you then!