"I will say it again." Subaru declared as we were situated in the office of the mansion of Crusch Karsten, where the White Whale Subjugation plan begins. "An alliance between the Emilia and Crusch camps, on equal terms. For this purpose, I'll provide the time and place of the White Whale's next appearance."
"The White Whale?" Wilhelm asked, an intimidating aura emitting from him. Both Subaru and Rem were taken aback a little by his sudden fury, but I understood full well of this situation. Anyone has the right to be angry at a beast who killed their lover.
Wilhelm eventually calmed down and apologized, and Subaru shot me a look. I nodded to him as I told him about Wilhelm's hate for the Great Mabeast and he seemed to understand.
"And? It is rather sudden that you would bring up the White Whale." Crusch asked Subaru, a little surprised.
"Not at all." Subaru replied. "At the beginning of this negotiation, I mentioned the magic stones found in Roswaal's domain, the Elior Forest. If sharing mining rights is insufficient, then I have to offer something additional."
"Crusch-san, I'm very sure that my information will aid you in your plan to subjugate the White Whale." Subaru continued.
"Let me ask you one thing, Natsuki Subaru. What gave you that idea?" Crusch said seriously. "That remark was not something one can pass off as a baseless accusation."
"For the past days, a few things have bothered me." Subaru said, continuing the plan. "First, the increase in traffic coming in and from your mansion. It has been a little too excessive. Also, in the capital, I heard you were purchasing weapons and armor. Plus, I heard on the way here: 'Should Crusch-sama's goal be fulfilled, I'm sure it'll suit your desires as well, Wilhelm-dono.' You appeared to be planning something big. Of course, I can't prove it. Maybe it's only because that I know that the White Whale will be soon appearing did I then make that connection."
"And on what grounds do you know that the White Whale will appear?"
Subaru took out his flip phone triumphantly, and placed it on the table as if it was divine. Now that is overdramatic. "This is what you would call a metia. It tells me the location and time of the White Whale's next appearance." Crusch then examines Subaru's flip phone, and seeing that she could not do much to decipher its abilities, she put it back on the table.
"I find this a bit hard to believe, but I can see that you're not lying."
"Is this perhaps... due to your Divine Protection?" Subaru asked her, and she nodded.
"I'm surprised you knew. When a person lies, a telling wind surrounds them. You did not have that wind."
"Does that mean, you will agree to our alliance?"
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Natsuki Subaru. Whether I agree or believe you are two different matters. This is a decision that affects the entire situation of this kingdom." Crusch stated, and Subaru was forced into a temporary stalemate.
"You mind if I listen in on this conversation, too?" A voice sounded from beyond the door, and I knew all too well who it was. The short purple-haired beauty came in with a blonde man behind her, and Crusch was surprised at their appearance."
"Anastasia Hoshin? Russell Fellow? Did Natsuki Subaru invite you here, too?"
"No, it was Y/N-kun here who invited us." She stated, and Russell nodded to confirm. I was indeed the person who invited the latter, despite not coming in with them. I talked to Anastasia after she intruded our conversation, and happily accepted to come. Russell Fellow was brought up to date by the news and decided to join. Of course, that's not all.
"Sorry if I'm a bit late, but I think I'm quite on time, right?" Reinhard said as he stumbled into the room, and Wilhelm was somewhat shocked at his appearance. Wilhelm loathed Reinhard since he thought it was Reinhard's fault for his wife's death. In short, when Theresia van Astrea, the previous sword saint, went ahead and fought the White Whale in its previous subjugation attempt 14 years ago, Pandora stalled her while the two clashed. After that, when Theresia went back to deal with the mabeast, the Divine Protection recognized Reinhard as the next Sword Saint, and left her body as the White Whale killed her.
"Rein! You got the message!" I smiled as Subaru looked happy as well. That, too, was part of my plan. I wrote a letter to Felt, requesting her to help her nii-chan in an upcoming battle by personally requesting Reinhard to join. Although Reinhard was supposed to go on a mission by a courtesy call, he could not refuse an order from his own mistress. However, the Sage Council does not need to know that. Hehe.
"So, I've only got the gist of things, but if you're looking to subjugate the White Whale, I'm in on this! For us merchant folk, the White Whale is a giant hazard to everyone. Of course, our mercenary team would help y'all." Anastasia said as she voiced her approval, and Russell continued.
"In addition to the White Whale, I'm also interested in Natsuki-dono's suggestion to share mining rights of the magic stones. If the alliance is formed, magic stones from the pristine veins will be distributed to the capital throughout Crusch-sama." Russell said happily. "As the merchant guild's representative, I can not let this offer pass."
"I'll say it again." Subaru said as he began once again to prepare the finale. "What I offer in return is the mining rights to the magic stones, and information on when and where the White Whale will next appear. In other words, the fuel that is needed to subjugate the mabeast that has terrorized the world for so long! If my words make no sense of you, feel free to forget it. But if your goals and my wishes align, then let's defeat the White Whale." He stood up and extended his hand towards Crusch. "Let's go on a hunt!"
"I still have many questions... but it was brilliant of you to expose my plans. I have many doubts, so it's a bit difficult to agree immediately. However, I shall choose to trust your eyes and the spirit that led you to create this situation." Crusch stood up and shook Subaru's hand, and the seemingly difficult negotiations came to an end.
Timeskippu*
Later, at the fields where many people were discussing things about tomorrow's fight, Subaru approached me and locked his arm around my neck. "Bro, what's the big idea?"
"How dirty of you to leave all the hard work to me! Your plan really worked, however. Didn't expect that but I suppose I've grown as well." He said, laughing a little.
"Wow. What brought on that change?"
"Well, I was about to give in to Return by Death at a point, but Rem consoled me through my pains despite not knowing about the ability. Thanks to her, I guess I am where I am now."
"I see that you have someone very dear to you now. Make sure to protect her well, okay?"
"Of course!" Subaru said as he saw Felix waving to him, and he left in a hurry. I sighed in peace, glad that my actions haven't changed the timeline all that much, and headed into a secluded area of the field where Alchemis and Cahya appeared.
"So!" Cahya exclaimed as she showed herself. "You're really smart, you know that? The last person I had a semi-contract with was way worse than you."
"Really? Well, I'm glad I'm worthy of such praise." I smiled, and Cahya sat on my shoulder while Alchemis regarded me.
"You really think you can fight the White Whale like this?" Alchemis said as he scrolled through the panel of the Authority of Deceit. "You've barely got ten elements unlocked."
"Well, Flourine is a dangerous substance, so I don't need to rush. As for neon, the best I could think about it right now is being a light bulb or some kind of balloon." I replied, not sure what to do next. Sodium and Magnesium are useful, however. Both were easy to light on fire, and if done correctly, I could potentially turn chunks of magnesium into bombs.
Just as I continued to ponder about the elements, the green-haired candidate appeared, and took notice of me. "There you are." She said as she approached me before scrutinizing me all over. "You're the one who orchestrated this, aren't you? Don't even try denying it."
"Uh... well, cat's out of the bag now. Well, how did you know?" I smiled nervously, and Crusch sighed.
"You were obviously smarter than Natsuki Subaru. Despite his shrewdness, you're definitely more shrewd than him. Being able to recruit Anastasia Hoshin, Russell Fellow, and convincing the Sword Saint to come is no small feat. And also, your conversation with your friend earlier gave it away." Crusch said, slightly smiling that she nailed her investigation.
I sat down on the grass in defeat, shocked that my cover was blown. "Well, what did you want? You obviously didn't come all the way just to say this, didn't you?"
"I wanted to know your intent on why are you helping us. Natsuki Subaru's reason was one thing, but I believe you have a different objective in mind, did you not?"
I sighed. Might as well say it now that it has come to this. "Three reasons, actually. First, I want to honour my friend Subaru's wish. Secondly, it benefits my goal as the White Whale is a pet of the Witch Cult, whom I want to destroy. Thirdly, it was simply to honour a promise made to a friend in a dream."
"I understand the first two, but what did you mean by the last one? Also, whenever you say anything, there isn't a hint of a lying wind around you. Are you just too pure or is something else going on?"
"Well, I have an ability called Pure Truth (純粋な真実). It allows me to see many events of the past and future, depending on my knowledge of the present. A side effect is that it's hard to lie, which is why I had to tell you this." I said slowly, and Crusch nodded.
"That still doesn't explain that dream promise thing." Crusch said, still perplexed.
"If I said it, would you believe me?" I asked, genuinely concerned.
"If it is something out of my comprehension ability, I'll do my best to understand."
"Then it might be better to show you." I said, and tapped my two index fingers onto Crusch forehead as we dipped into a dream realm.
The flashback began in pieces, fragmented due to my past. But I remember the words all too clearly.
"Yo! Who are you?" I waved into the distance, in a field of grass as a blonde teenager sat there, seemingly mourning about something.
"Me? I'm just a sad prince who died to a disease. There's nothing much to it."
The memory flashed, and another scene showed as if I edited the iMovie. "Then, why are you so sad?"
"I didn't tell her that I loved her..." He said as the tears rolled down his face. "I died before I could relay the message."
"Well, I'm not too sure on how that works, but I can always help you tell her! I don't know why I can see you, a seemingly dead person!"
"I'm not so sure either how I came here...either..."
The memory flashed one last time, where I and the blonde prince shook hands.
"It seems that it's my time to leave, L/N. If fate allows it, I hope we could converse again."
"Me too!" My naive ten-year-old self said as I jumped up and down. "Who's the friend you wanted to confess to again?"
"Well, if you insist... her name is Crusch Karsten. A childhood friend of mine."
"Crusch, huh? That's a nice name. Well, I'll definitely tell her when I get the chance. Stay safe!"
"Oh, and please keep her safe if you... ever meet her, that is. And lastly, I should properly introduce myself now before I don't have much time." He took a deep breath. "My name is Fourier Lugnica, fourth prince of the Kingdom of Lugnica."
"I'm Y/N L/N! I'm a student in the nation of Japan! Nice knowing you!"
"Well, I suppose you aren't surprised..." That was the last line of Fourier before I saw him disappear into a gate-like structure, and he vanished from my dreams ever since.
How interesting that I heard the name of that unknown country years later, in the popular light novel that everyone loves. Could it really be fate?
Well, it's time to pull Crusch out now, right? I yanked my fingers off, and Crusch snapped back into reality as she was shocked at what she just saw.
"Was it really...him? Fourier..." She burst into tears, and I patted her back to comfort her.
"It was. And hey, he told you to stay safe. That's why I have to protect you from dying now. A personal wish and a promise to a friend both."
"He...left me the lion sword." She sniffled.
"Yes. And you used it to fend off the Great Rabbit, didn't you? He's definitely proud."
"I really hope that..."
"Well, then for the sake of Fourier, let's go on the hunt to clear our path to a brighter future!" I declared, and Crusch smiled as she took my hand and shook it.
"Really, thank you, Y/N L/N."
Timeskippu*
"Ah, are these the boys, Duchess Crusch?" An old man, probably a veteran soldier, walked up to us in the hall where warriors gathered to fight the White Whale. Crusch and I got here a little early and I already met Ricardo before Subaru did, and I'm glad he didn't lift my head up like he did to Subaru.
"Yes, they are." She said as they made our way towards us. The veteran put his hands on our shoulders, and Subaru was surprised.
"Thank you so much, young men. Thanks to you two, our wishes may come true. We could not be happier. Thank you." The veteran patted us again, and went to talk with Wilhelm. Crusch then explained the situation of those soldiers, some who escaped the failure of the last subjugation, invited here by Wilhelm.
Before long, we were organized into lines and Crusch began her speech.
"Four hundred years. Since the White Whale, created by the Witch of Envy, made the world its hunting ground, trampling the weak and dominating the land as if it were its owner, four hundred years have passed." I wanted to point out that it was Daphne who made them, but now does not seem like a good time. "Countless lives have been lost since that time. Given its fog's unscrupulous nature, as well, the number of graves we cannot even inscribe with names would only rise. "But those days of sitting idle end today! Today, those of us here will end it! We shall strike down the White Whale, and stop further tragedy! We shall give the sorrow, which fell short to true sorrow, a chance to shed overdue tears!"
Crusch slammed her sword at the ground, and made eye contact with me as I nodded. "We move out! Our destination is the Lifaus Highway, at Flugel's Tree! Tonight, we shall slay the White Whale with our own hands!"
Cheers erupted into the hall as Crusch brandished her sword, and Subaru looked relieved at the soldiers' morale. I smiled to myself, happy for orchestrating the downfall of one of the Three Great Mabeasts.
I can actually change something.
From now on, the stage settles into motion, and its gears rolls towards the destination.
The Grand Stage officially begins.
Είναι ώρα να φύγουμε.
Ήρθε η ώρα να παλέψουμε.
Authority(ies):
Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):
-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.
-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ?, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.
- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.
-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.
-Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.
Elemental Masteries:
Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 1870/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)
Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 1840/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)
Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1295/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)
Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1325/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)
Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 950/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)
Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 845/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)
Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 0, 570/1000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)
Oxygen Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)
? Mastery: Stage 0
? Mastery: Stage 0
Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, white)
Magic Spells:
Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.
El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.
Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.
Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.
Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.
Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.
El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.