Chapter 3-The white whale, the red boy, and the green army

"They're all here, Crusch-sama" a flaxen-haired cat person said.
"Then, let us start."
A green-haired woman wearing light-weight armor moved to the center of the crowded room. With hundreds of rough, veteran eyes on her, she ascended the podium and addressed the crowd gathered before her.

"400 years. Since the Jealous Witch created the White Whale and it began terrorizing our world, 400 years have passed. During that time, thousands, perhaps millions of lives have been lost. And given the mysterious nature of the beast's fog, the number of graves that cannot be ascribed to people is just as numerous as those that were remembered." She took a moment to bow in respect for all of them, an action that was reciprocated by everyone else in the room.

"But tonight," she said as she broke through the silence to address her soldiers once more, "it shall stop. With all of us gathered together, we shall finally lay waste to the White Whale, and avenge all the fallen!"
Cheers followed her statement.

"We move out tonight! Our destination is the Lifaus Highway! There, the Witch's pet shall finally answer for its crimes!"
"YEAH!"

"Death to the abomination!"

"Vengeance for the fallen!"

The forces of Duchess Crusch Karsten mobilized immediately, and began a mad dash to the chosen location in an effort to destroy the Whale that had tormented the world for so long. But in the Duchess's haste, she had forgotten something. Just the day before, she'd tormented a boy that had so desperately sought her aid, denouncing him as a madman and rejecting his pleas. An act even worse than anything done by the White Whale, for a soulless animal cannot be blamed for its actions, on a moral scale. But a sentient being can and will inevitably be reprimanded. And she would be forced to accept the aftermath of her cruelness...whether she wanted to or not.


"ROOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!"
The Demon of the Mist , the very White Whale that was going to be hunted by the royal valkyrie's forces, screeched in agony, having just been spat on by a flying blue cat whose inner fluids were replaced with what was essentially napalm acid. Said acid covered its entire top side, and slight bits of pink-what were undoubtedly the creature's inner muscles-could be seen. Needless to say, the White Whale was in extreme pain.

"Yes, burn it, Dex-Starr! Let it feel the pain and rage that it has birthed into this world!" Atrocitus shouted as he stood hovering off to the sidelines, gesturing with his hands to illustrate his point. He looked quite pleased with the carnage his cat was causing on this unruly beast, so much so that one couldn't help but pity the giant whale.

Below him, a motionless carriage held three passengers, all of them staring at the barely hovering whale that was caked in blood-both from the cat and from it's numerous wounds. Of the three, their driver, Otto, was the one most petrified, having never seen such a display of strength. At first he was terrified at the fact that the White Whale of all things was chasing them, but then that flying cat created some sort of humongous red hammer-surely big enough to shatter Flugel's Tree-out of thin air, and had used it to smash the whale straight to the ground. Then the cat began spitting liquid fire on it, but Otto's mind had shut down from the shock at that point, rendering him immobile and completely useless in describing this event.

As for their second passenger, a certain blue-haired maid, Rem had dropped her morningstar onto the floor, her mouth slightly agape from her own stupefaction. Never in her life had she seen someone-no, something so powerful. Dex-Starr could not possibly be considered a regular being...and she wasn't entirely convinced that he was even a demi-human, either. The only person she knew who could fight the White Whale at all might be Lord Roswaal, and the only one who could logically beat it would be the Sword Saint, but Dex-Starr was essentially torturing it to death by himself! It wasn't even a fight.

But, perhaps the most troubling thing was the fact that Atrocitus seemed to be ordering the cat around. If Dex-Starr could so easily toy with one of the 3 Great Mabeasts, then what did that mean for the one that commanded him. More importantly, where had they come from? Surely a duo with such fighting prowess would be famous across the world, right? So why was it that she hadn't even heard about them before Subaru suddenly introduced them as having appeared out of nowhere to help him? She'd been ignoring their oddities since Subaru seemed so glad to meet them, but now?

As she looked to her hero, who himself was staring at the sight with an unreadable expression, the only thing she could think was, "What have you gotten yourself into, Subaru-kun?"

"..."

As for Subaru himself...he didn't know what to feel. He'd never seen the White Whale before, but this one encounter with it would undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on his heart. Ordinarily, this encounter would have been extremely negative. He could tell that they would've died had it just been the three of them. But there were five of them, and it was the red duo that filled him with an overwhelming sense of fear, awe, and rage. Fear at the very fact that such a powerful duo could exist, that they could look at and create this bloodbath with pleasure evident in their actions. Awe at the fact that this giant beast was turned into a small cat's plaything. And finally, rage. Rage at the fact that he would've had to escape from this thing if he and Rem had come with Otto alone. Rage at this beast for existing and undoubtedly tormenting untold innocents-if Otto's reaction was anything to go off of. Rage at himself for being utterly powerless in the face of the White Whale, who was utterly helpless in the presence of Dex-Starr, who was ordered by Atrocitus. It was Atrocitus who held their fates in their hands. When Subaru had begged for help, Atrocitus had answered his call from the ether. At the time, he seemed like a god that had descended from the heavens to help him. And it was only now that Subaru thought about what accepting Atrocitus's help would entail. The red giant was undoubtedly the most powerful being out of all the people here-probably as strong as Reinhard-and Subaru was certain that not even Roswaal would have the power to resist him. Hell, not even that monster Petelgeuse could stop him. So what would happen if Atrocitus demanded something in return, something that Subaru could not provide? Why was it only now that he thought about the consequences of associating with people who appeared out of a crimson wormhole!? That wasn't normal! Was he really so desperate that he forsook all logic and didn't think about what they would've wanted? He'd just come from a meeting with that purple-haired bitch who lectured and mocked him for not doing that, why had he not thought about what she'd said? Truly, he was as pathetic as he was stupid and foolish. And it was during this moment of self-deprecation where he realized something.

"Not thinking about the consequences, doing things rashly, associating with suspicious people...I haven't learned a damn thing! Why can I never do the right thing until after I have to die!? Why is it that I always screw up, get someone killed, and then die before I finally learn my lesson!? I should've learned it back when I was facing Elsa-I'm not the protagonist of this story. Everyone but me has a better understanding of what to do here. And why wouldn't they? I'm not from this world; I have no interest in Lugunica's politics. I only thought it was cool lore that I should learn about. I have nothing to offer Emilia except for my otherworldly knowledge, and I didn't even do much aside from recreating chess and mayonnaise! When I insulted all those knights, I didn't lay out a single valid criticism, and I didn't have a single reason as to why I should be included among them! Emilia had every right to disown me, I didn't do a single thing for her...and Julius was well within his right to beat me." Memories of his "fight" with Julius played over in his mind. Specifically, Subaru recalled how completely outmatched and underpowered he was. From what Subaru heard, Julius was supposed to be the best of the knights, so maybe he could use that as an excuse for his loss...but that didn't excuse his own behavior during that important meeting between Emilia and her rivals! Emilia had given the worst first impression to the Council and nobles, as well as her rivals, all because of him. And it was as he was thinking all of this that he came to a realization-

"-I absolutely...hate myself," Subaru thought as he finally lowered his head. It was a realization that he'd always known but never thought out loud. But he couldn't ignore it any longer. There was absolutely nothing to love, admire, or even like about the being known as Subaru Natsuki. He was irredeemably weak, he had no talent with magic, no strength, he'd never bothered to learn much about the new world beyond what would make him seem competent in people's eyes...he didn't have the slightest clue how to act or what he should even do. He'd only taken the position of butler due to wanting to stay close to Emilia, and that had turned out horribly. Emilia had even fired him, so it was unlikely that he'd even have a job if he went back. What had he even expected, that if he saved her life again, she'd be indebted to him even more? How naive, selfish, and unrealistic. Those were the exact same circumstances that led her to leave him in the first place!

But as Subaru was busy mentally berating himself, he completely missed the fact that Atrocitus had turned around and set his sights on him. And his expression was certainly not pleased. Rem noticed this, and got her morningstar ready, but it was a completely hollow action. She knew that Atrocitus could kill them effortlessly if he wanted. She could only hope that Subaru would somehow escape with Otto...who was still immobile.

But she didn't need to worry. Atrocitus had no desire to kill them. No, his rage was directed at Subaru's rage...a rage that was only partially based on reality.

"Stop this needless whining at once, you pathetic excuse for a human!" Subaru heard Atrocitus's voice invade his mind, nearly scaring his innards out of him and shaking him so much he fell back to the carriage floor.

"What...how did-?" Subaru stumbled, trying to think up the proper response, but Atrocitus kept speaking.
"I haven't the slightest clue as to how you went from someone whose rage impressed me to this, but if all you're going to do is stand there and mope about how pathetic you are, then you have no business enlisting our help! I might as well kill you for contributing to this backwater world's miserable state, if doing so wouldn't make you into an even worse person! What you have is neither rage at injustice nor a sense of righteousness. It's the ramblings of a spoiled child that won't ever change their ways!" Atrocitus screamed into Subaru's head, reminding him of that red princess.

"That's…" Subaru spoke out loud, his voice barely a whisper. He couldn't find anything to say, though. He had no redeeming qualities, nor did he have any idea as to how to fix himself. He was worthle-

"NO!" Somewhere, from deep inside of him, unseen to even Subaru himself, a part of him screamed out in pure opposition to his own words. And that opposition permeated throughout his very being, rising to the surface and forcing itself out into reality.

"You're wrong…" Subaru muttered, his face slowly contorting into one of anger and annoyance.

"Huh…?" Rem took notice of Subaru's mutterings immediately and looked at him with an expression of concern. If she had to guess...it looked like he and Atrocitus were somehow speaking to each other telepathically, just like her and Sister. And Rem couldn't help but assume that Atrocitus wasn't being nice to her Subaru-kun. But just as she was turning her head to give Atrocitus a piece of her mind, a piece that she knew he would hear regardless of the distance between them, she saw it.

Both the ring on Atrocitus's finger AND the red lantern in his hand were...glowing. And Rem couldn't help but notice that their glow was getting brighter as Subaru was seemingly getting angrier. She thought again about confronting the red giant, but then he began speaking out loud.

"Hm? You dare call me wrong!? Then, right here and now, prove it to me! Show me how your lack of strength and nonexistent resolve surpasses that which has lived for generations! Show me your rage that can bypass even your weakness, self-proclaimed knight Subaru Natsuki!"

"Gah…!" And as Atrocitus said those words, almost uncontrollably, the painful memories that Subaru tried to forget about began forcing themselves to the surface as his face contorted in pain. First came the memories of his merciless and degrading rejection from the royal candidates, where the three of them had all refused his claims and insulted him before sending him off to die. All so that they could have an easier time in the election. Of the three, he couldn't decide which one he wanted to burn the most. Perhaps he would go in sequential order and start with Crusch, the woman who somehow knew he wasn't lying but sent him off on what she believed to be a fool's errand, all the while secretly planning to hunt the White Whale, this very whale that was being toyed with in front of him. Assuming that it was this whale that she was gathering resources for, he felt a sense of glee at the fact that she clearly wouldn't get her chance at killing it. Excluding the fact that Dex-Starr was making mincemeat out of it, however, wasn't it equally as foolhardy for her to challenge this thing? Dex-Starr and Atrocitus were aliens who were clearly stronger than anyone in Lugunica, barring maybe Reinhard, so it wasn't like Crusch could hope to match their power when facing this...well, it was probably a Mabeast. Of course, he only figured her plan out because he connected the dots himself from what Anastasia told him about her buying up all that supplies, and him knowing that the Whale was supposed to be a problem last time...but he was annoyed that he didn't even think about encountering it this time. Regardless of his own stupidity, though, that woman's pride and hypocrisy would really be the downfall of her one day, so why shouldn't that day be chosen by Subaru himself? He surely had a right to enact just revenge, didn't he? Yes, he most certainly did!

Or maybe he'd go after Anastasia first, who purposefully sought him out while he was at a low point in order to steal such useless information from him about his previous host? And to threaten him with an entire army, how senseless! Suppose they had decided to kill him then and there, did they really think they could get away with a mob death on him? The guards already knew he was no threat from his fight with Julius, so surely people would question why Anastasia needed several people to kill him, right? Or was the capital just that corrupt that his death wouldn't result in any questions whatsoever? Sure, he'd basically insulted every important person to their face, but any true seeker of justice would look past that...Wait, no. They would, if their most powerful member wasn't her knight! She could get away with anything so long as Julius covered for her! The same bastard who'd rejected him for not having any accomplishments, yet never actually presented one of his own! Sure, Subaru might've been completely in the wrong, but what basis did Julius have for doubting his own claims? Neither one of them knew anything about the other, yet there was something that Subaru could still hold against him: "I acted like a complete child, that much is true. But you're supposed to be the pinnacle of all their knightly chivalry and honor, so what gave you the right to act like one, too? And now that I think about it, you obviously weren't this strong as a child-you would've had to work your way up. You AND Felix both insulted and belittled me on the basis of me being weak and irredeemably powerless, yet you did nothing to show me another way! You just wrote me off! Is that what they call 'justice'? If that's the case, then I'm glad I'm not a knight! I'm already much more merciful than either of you!" As he was thinking this, memories of Rem and Ram torturing and killing him popped up next, and his feelings of rage were displaced by his love for the two of them, which had halted his wrath before and allowed him to be compassionate towards them. That was what justice was-using compassion, empathy, and mercy to temper vengeance. Who among the knights had done any of those things?

Then his memories changed once again, and he was forced to remember his conversations with Priscilla and Al. And surprisingly, he didn't have as much rage at the red candidate in comparison to the other two. He already knew that she had no concept of loss and altruism, she wasn't exposed to those things as a child. If anything, he was more annoyed at Al for supporting her and abandoning his Earthly roots. But even then, Al had been here for 18 years and had probably been forced to adapt. In the end, Subaru Natsuki truly couldn't care enough about Priscilla-someone so disconnected from reality-that he'd actually want to wish her long-lasting harm. Hell, some small part of him didn't want to go after Crusch. Thinking back on it, while she may have been needlessly cold and harsh, it wasn't like she had any obligation to help him...but the same couldn't be said for her knight.

"If there's one person I hate more than that smug ass Julius-not including that bastard Petelguese-it'd be you, Felix Argyle!" Everything that cat ever did to him was forcibly flooding his mind. Flashbacks of him mockingly referring to Subaru as Emilia's knight right after he was escorted out of the throne room, the times that he insulted Subaru by calling him weak and sending him off to die, and every horrid thing that cross-breed did forced themselves on him. He was supposed to be the greatest healer in Lugunica, but he did nothing when Subaru said that the Cult was going to wipe out Arlam Village. And when Crusch was needlessly cruel and told him that her and Emilia would be enemies after he wanted to leave when they discovered something was going on at the mansion, he defended her and insulted him yet again. Seriously, what was with these medieval dumbasses? Portraying themselves as perfect, incorruptible pillars of virtue, yet not doing anything to help the common people? And Subaru had thought he was arrogant. And it was with this final thought that his rage peaked.

"..." His face began to shake as Subaru Natsuki couldn't take it anymore. And it was at this climax of rage that Atrocitus finally smiled.

"Burn...them…" Subaru muttered while clutching his sides.

"Yes, accept your righteous rage and rebel. Succumb to it, and burn your enemies to the ground with our power!" Turning his head to the cat, who was still toying with the whale, he called out, "Dex-Starr, to me! We have a test to oversee."

Heeding his master's call, Dex-Starr immediately stopped what he was doing and raced back to Atrocitus's side, leaving the Whale to drop helplessly to the ground, its breathing extremely labored and its consciousness fading. As the blue cat in red returned to Atrocitus, he was immediately given a new set of instructions:

"We must test this human's resolve! The last human we met gave to us our god, and we shall see if this one can live up to the previous Butcher's reputation! Let us see how high the rage of a human can carry them-!"
"-El huma!"

The second Atrocitus and Dex-Starr started making their way to the carriage that Subaru, Rem, and Otto where in, Rem went on the offensive and shot at them with a barrage of icicles. They shattered when they made contact with Atrocitus, much to the dismay of the maid.

"I don't know what you're doing to Subaru-kun or what you want with him, but I won't let you hurt him!" she said, brandishing her weapon and summoning more icicles. She was prepared to defend her Subaru, even when it meant certain death. And as Dex-Starr hissed and shot toward her, she surely would've died defending him...had Atrocitus been caring about her attempt on his life.

"Wait, Dex-Starr." The crimson-clad cat, hearing his master's command, halted just before crashing into the humanoid girl.

"Why do you throw away your life by attacking us, humanoid? Do you wish to anger the red lanterns even further by preventing this human from proving himself? Do you wish to keep him from attaining godhood? Answer Atrocitus, so that his rage may be quelled!"

"...You...just what do you plan on doing to Subaru-kun?" Rem demanded, not understanding all this talk of having Subaru-kun prove himself and attain godhood. All she knew was that Atrocitus seemed to be forcing Subaru into a state of extreme pain, as evident by the fact that he was doubled over on the carriage floor, and that the crimson giant had mentioned something about a "butcher", and she wasn't about to let her hero get sacrificed in the name of Atrocitus' god. "I won't let you kill him!" Her expression was one of confidence and defiance, her resolve was firm, and her heart contained a great deal of rage. Against a normal opponent, Rem surely wouldn't lose. But this wasn't a normal opponent, and if Atrocitus had wanted to fight her, she would've gone out trying to protect the one she loved.

"You seem to be confused, girl. We have no desire to kill him," Atrocitus responded, extending her lifespan from what would've been seconds had they actually fought.

But to Rem, who was unaware of Atrocitus' motives, she could only tilt her head in confusion and mutter out a, "Huh?" Was she missing something? "Did Atrocitus-san not just say that you wished to call forth a butcher to test Subaru-kun? And if you have no desire to kill him, then why is he in pain!?" She gestured to the still hunched-over boy right beside her to illustrate her point.

"A mere side effect of my journey through his memories. If you want it to stop, we merely need to complete my instructions and bequeath him with the power of the red light." In truth, Atrocitus could go into more detail about what he wanted from Subaru-which was for him to become the next host of the Butcher-but instead opted to skip it for now. This human needed to be inducted first.

"...And...this power will help him? You said you wanted to test him, so what will happen if he doesn't pass?" Rem asked, her face doubtful and her weapon still drawn. Her magic had already been dispelled, but she clearly wasn't fully trusting of Atrocitus' explanation.

"...If he were to fail, we would take back the power of the red light and abandon you. We have no time to associate with rejects of the red lanterns."

"...Very well. You may proceed." Rem stepped back, knowing that she couldn't do anything anyway, but still hoping that everything would be alright.

"Now then…Ordinarily, we'd give him a ring, but I don't know what will happen if he inherits the Butcher while wearing one, so I don't want to risk stopping his heart. We'll need to try an alternative method…" Both Atrocitus and Dex-Starr aimed their rings at the hunched-over Subaru...and fired.

FLASH!

"GAHHH!"
"AUGHHHH!"
"HAGHHH!"
Rem, Otto, and Subaru all screamed as a blinding reddish light overtook their vision. But for Subaru, the light blotted out the pain he was feeling, and the rage that was coursing through his body, threatening to destroy him if left unchecked...it began escaping his body and encompassing him on a physical level. He could feel the power his rage was giving him surging through him, renewing his sense of purpose...and showing him the face of the person he hated most: Petelguese. Subaru Natsuki wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he knew one thing now: Atrocitus had given him great power, and with that power, he would slaughter the Witch's Cult.

"…"

Wha-what the hell was that!?" Otto asked as the light died down, having finally regained his consciousness. He hadn't heard a thing that Rem or Atrocitus had said about wanting Subaru to ascend to godhood, and he was understandably confused as to where that binding red light had come from. But he soon got his answer when he looked around.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" he screeched as he caught a glimpse of a red figure that definitely wasn't there before.

Rem, meanwhile, wasn't listening to a thing the merchant was saying. Having recovered much quicker than Otto, she was able to see the aftereffects of Atrocitus' action sooner than the merchant...But she couldn't believe what was in front of her eyes. His miasma was still there, that much was true...but kneeling in the same location as her hero was something completely foreign to her. If one was to look solely at the new entity's appearance, this apparent newcomer was donned in red and black armor that completely covered their entire body. And though she couldn't see it due to her facing their backside, they adorned an identical symbol to Atrocitus and Dex-Starr on their chest. But...surely this person couldn't be-

"-Subaru-kun…?" Rem asked.

The being turned around, revealing his vizor-covered face to Rem and the stupefied Otto.

"...What is it...Rem?" he said in a deep and raspy voice only partially reminiscent of the butler that Rem had come to fall in love with. There was something off about him, something that Rem couldn't help but fear, and it didn't sound like he was with them completely...but it was definitely Subaru.

"...W-what...happened to you?" Her face was filled with worry. It looked like she might start crying if he said he was anything but 100% okay. But...he wasn't in any sort of pain, and if anything, he felt better than 100%.

"I…" Subaru wanted to respond, to ease her worries and tell her that everything was not only fine but that it was going to get even better.

But he couldn't. Maybe it was because of all the power flowing through him, maybe it was because he saw one of his victims right in front of him...but Subaru Natsuki could not spare any thoughts for anything beyond his one desire. Yes, there was something so potent in his heart that he couldn't construct any coherent sentence to one of the people he loved.

The only thing he could think about was...his need for revenge.

Revenge against every single person that had wronged him. Elsa, Julius, Felix, Anastasia...he wanted to slaughter them all. And it didn't stop at them. Crusch, Priscilla, and Al...Even if he thought he could ignore and forget their sins, the memory of their rejections still burned bright in his mind. Well, maybe not Al. He was pretty forgettable, but he refused to let go of his anger towards them until they repented for their transgressions.

And finally, there were the people he hated the most: the Witch Cult, and their archbishop, Petelguese Romanee-Conti. He didn't just want to slaughter them...he wanted to BUTCHER all of them! Every single one of those purple-robed bastards! Those Satan-worshippers! He'll kill them all! EVERY LAST ONE! SUBARU NATSUKI WILL BE KNOWN AS AN AVENGER OF THE INNOCENT, THE ONE TRUE KNIGHT OF RAGE! THE-

-But before Subaru's rage could spiral out of control, Atrocitus answered Rem's question for him.

"I told you, maid," he said, gaining both her and Subaru's attention. Otto, meanwhile, went back into shock...and if one looked closely enough, one could notice that his pants seemed to carry an incriminating stain. "We bequeathed him with the power of the red light. As I said, we'd normally grant him a red ring...but the Butcher has yet to inhabit a red lantern, and I wouldn't want him to accidentally kill himself if he overloaded the ring. Instead, we've given him what you might call a 'power suit', a set of armor crafted from our rings that will give him all the normal powers of a red lantern."

"..." Rem silently nodded her head in a very slow manner, implying that she didn't completely understand what Atrocitus had said but could comprehend the basics. At the very least, it sounded to her like Atrocitus was saying that he and Dex-Starr created a set of armor that would allow Subaru-kun to do whatever they could do without the "side effects" they apparently experienced. Assuming that her assumption was true...that would put Subaru above most people in Lugunica, nay, the entire world in terms of power.
Subaru, on the other hand, didn't seem capable of responding to the crimson giant, and it was unclear if he even understood what he'd said. Such was the extent of his rage that only someone he could recognize as superior to himself was able to stop him from exploding and burning the land into a fiery hellscape. No, it wasn't the fact that Atrocitus was stronger than him that halted his rage...it was the fact that Atrocitus was one of the few people Subaru didn't feel rage toward. Why would he? This...god? Yes, Atrocitus must be a god. A god that descended from his throne to assist him, and gave Subaru power like his. If there was one person he was truly grateful to, it was Atrocitus.

But Atrocitus couldn't allow Subaru to remain a mindless brute, certainly not if he wanted him to become the next host of the Butcher. The boy needed to learn to control his rage first.

"Focus on the maid." he commanded, forcing his thoughts into Subaru's head once again.

This time, however, Subaru was completely willing to accept his words. And as he turned to face the blue-haired girl, he found that his rage died down, just a little. He felt...something else in his heart when looking at her, though he couldn't identify it. It was...unpleasant.

"Remember everything that hurt her. Remember your enemy...Petelgeuse...remember how he broke her. Remember them-remember every one of those royal candidates that rejected you, that thought of you as selfish and unrighteous for trying to save the lives of their future peasants. Remember how they all acted even worse than you and still lorded themselves over you...Remember how Emilia abandoned you without a second thought. You think that your fight with her was your fault, but she was guilty of everything she accused you of. She didn't explain anything she wanted from you, she didn't ask you about your past, nor did she talk about your desires. She only told you hers. The only one who stayed with you was Rem. Focus on her, and despise those that oppose yourself, for they are HER enemies, as well."

"...Death...Death to all that hate me...Death to all that oppose her. Those...that hate me...that hurt us...they must perish." Atrocitus was right-he needed to direct his rage at anyone and everyone that went against him and Rem. For Subaru, who sacrificed his life again and again for the sake of his friends, who died horrific deaths that would break the minds of the royal knights and candidates alike...he DESERVED to win. He was acting for the sake of the common good, he was DOING good! Anyone that tried to stop him must be evil...they had to die! They deserved to be SLAUGHTERED! And as for Rem...she was the one person who stayed with him, who gave him her full support. As someone who supported a good person, anyone who harmed her was also evil. And evil people needed to die. That would solve...EVERYTHING!

"Yes, focus your rage. Embrace it fully and aim it at the unrighteous. Burn them to cinders with it, and let them serve as a warning to all those who want to shed innocent blood!"

"...Yes…Who should we...burn first…" Subaru looked the giant directly in the eye. "Boss?"

"It seems you've regained your ability to speak. Good. It wouldn't have done for you to remain in such a useless state. Not when your destiny is much grander." Atrocitus was, of course, referring to Subaru's potential to host the rage entity, though Subaru was surely unaware of this, having just regained lucidity. But that could come at a later time. For now…

"Now," Atrocitus said, finally landing on the ground and turning back to the motionless, possibly dead whale laying in front of them, its flesh almost completely burned off. "Test your new abilities...and blast apart its corpse."
"...I'm almost disappointed with how easy my first task is," Subaru said before walking over to the hulking beast. Once he got to it, he extended his palm toward it...and began channeling his rage at the palm of his hand, bringing his rage to a physical level and concentrating it for one goal.

Once he had focused it all into one concise form, he raised his palm…

...And unleashed a beam of red light so intense it could be seen for miles. Just from being in the ray itself, the White Whale's body was broken apart, its bone ripped into shreds and sent as far as the winds could carry it. If Dex-Starr had mutilated it, then Subaru had eradicated it in its entirety. Had it not been responsible for the deaths of hundreds, probably thousands, its fate could be called cruel. But for Subaru, who had no personal grievances against this beast, he could only feel a longing for more bloodshed. One beast did not satiate his blood lust for everyone that fought against Rem and the villagers of Arlam.

But this would suffice. For now. Now that he knew he finally had the power to annihilate the Witch Cult and burn Petelgeuse beyond a corpse. Yes, this would definitely-

RUMBLE RUMBLE

Suddenly, without any sort of warning, an earthquake caused the entire ground to shake.

Looking around, Subaru found something, just approaching the horizon. It was...an...army? Ah, it wasn't an earthquake after all. It was some sort of army, and it appeared to be led by…

"YES! PLEASE! PLEASE LET IT BE HER! AND PLEASE LET ME BE RIGHT ABOUT MY ASSUMPTION ABOUT HER TRYING TO HUNT THE WHITE WHALE! PLEASE, IF I COULD BE PETTY JUST ONCE! PLEASE!" Subaru's mind exploded with guttural happiness, a feeling of euphoria resonating throughout his entire body as he saw her family crest adorning the carriages that were approaching. It was a nice contrast to the more...unseemly feelings he'd been plagued with for the past few wee-days, for the past few days.

As the ground dragons drew closer, Subaru noticed that one rider, in particular, was approaching faster than the others.

It was Wilhelm. And through some unknown means, possibly the new red suit or maybe his emotions were that obvious, Subaru could sense the rage emanating off of the butler's body.

But the second he came close enough to make the group out and take the sight of Atrocitus, Dex-Starr, a red suit Subaru and a carriage all in, his expression changed to one of great confusion.

"Who…?" the old man questioned, not recognizing the party in front of him. Then his eyes locked onto Rem, the one person here that he knew.

"Old Man Wil! Do nyou see any-NYUH! Who are you!?" a girlish voice spoke out as another, flaxen-haired individual rode up behind the man. And coming up beside him…

"..."

"...So you did come, Cruch Karsten…" Subaru said in a low voice that somehow conveyed anger and happiness.


Alright! I'm back! And we're getting the ball rolling with Atrocitus' motivations and reasons for helping Subaru. We also find out the endgame for Subaru Natsuki: to go from an honorary red lantern to the Butcher! Hopefully I portrayed that well enough in the chapter, but I wanted to restate it here. Of course, the actual hosting the entity will happen later down the line...I have the scenario in mind, and I hope I'll be able to write it as great as I can imagine it.

P.S. For the design of the red power suit, just think of the Batman: The Brave and The Bold episode where Batman gets a green lantern power suit, just with red instead of green...and the red lantern insignia instead of the green lantern one.

It's two weeks early, but considering my upload history...Happy Thanksgiving!

Crossoverist!