Special thanks to my fiancée for being a real cutie. I'm lucky to have you.
The Frost Maiden
The Sorceress and the Sage moved from town to town, offering their services as healers. Due to their reputation and actions, they were always welcomed, but they denied any gifts. Room and board were more than enough.
Still, they found themselves taking a myriad of roles. They gave lectures on magic, trained platoons of soldiers, and eliminated nearby monster threats. Lives were changed at the nod of a head. Governments rose and reformed from off-hand suggestions. It was overwhelming and nonsensical, but it was better than the blatant discrimination they used to face.
Sometimes, they returned home, either to the mansion or the Pleiades Watchtower, but Satella loved to travel. "This world is beautiful," she would tell Subaru. "I want to see it all."
If it meant seeing that look of wonder again, he'd move heaven and earth to let her take another step.
Right now, they were heading to the city of Flanders. It was a rocky road—quite literally—but the city was suffering from an emergency, and Satella was not one to ignore a cry for help. Subaru would have once been on the same wavelength as her, but right now, he wished for nothing more than to be safe at home.
Blinking the setting sun out of his eyes, he wrapped an arm around his wife, keeping her steady. With a worried expression, he stated, "You're tired again."
"I am fine," she insisted, but her wavering steps belied her fatigue.
He didn't buy it for a moment. "If you were fine, we would have teleported. As it stands, you can barely walk, let alone perform magic."
They'd been through this song and dance before. It always ended in a fight.
"Do not concern yourself over me," she said aloofly. "A moment's reprieve shall be enough."
"That's not enough, and you know it," he said with a scowl. "At least let me call Minerva."
She tensed and whipped around, eyes blazing furiously. "I refuse to do that again!"
He frowned at her stubbornness. "Why not?"
Exasperated, she cried out, "A child perished when Minerva healed me!"
He waved her off. "That's just how her Authority works. I'm honestly surprised it was only one kid and not a whole village."
She gaped at him, her eyes wide with horror. As if she had never seen him before, she uttered, "How could you say that with such levity?"
He averted his eyes. "Well, you ended up okay, right? That's enough for me."
She stepped back, covering her mouth in shock. "I don't believe this," she breathed. "Do you truly have such little regard for others? Is your kindness a façade? Are your words mere platitudes, sent to silence us?"
He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. She acted like they hadn't had nearly-identical conversations before. "I care about other people," he insisted angrily. "Do you think I'm faking it around Shaula? Guese? Daphne?"
"Subaru, I—"
"That's our kid. Don't you ever imply that I don't love her!"
"I know you do!" she cried. "I'm telling you to stop acting this way! Stop pretending that your kindness is an act! My Subaru puts his entire family first!"
"Utter bullshit," he snarled. "The world can go to hell if it gives me another day by your side."
She was silent for a moment before taking a shaky breath. With sorrow in her eyes, she asked, "What has become of you, Subaru? My husband would never even think of such a thing! Where is the kind, wonderful man I married? Where is my Subaru?"
He was Subaru. He had always been like this. Satella had always come first.
Let the world burn. Let cinders and ash fall from the skies. Let shadows descend upon the land. As long as he saved her, he wouldn't give a shit about the consequences.
Quickly losing patience with her lack of understanding, he said, "I'm just looking out for you, Ella."
She closed her eyes with a pained grimace. Resigned and quiet, she said, "You're right. I apologize for my lack of faith, my love…You've always watched over me, haven't you?"
Crystal tears slipped through the cracks of her eyelids, and he reeled back. That wasn't…because of him, was it? Gulping down the sudden flush of insecurity, he managed to say, "Always. I'd do anything to keep you alive."
Bloodshot, violet eyes fluttered open. Bitterly, she asked, "Even if that includes a twisted mockery of a soul merge?"
He paled at her words. She had seen his notes. Scrambling to salvage the situation, he quickly said, "Look, the Ordeal is just—"
"'Tis murder," she said scathingly. "Trading one life for another."
He couldn't refute that. He just felt that her life was worth more than the vessel's.
…But if he attempted the Ordeal, she wouldn't be happy, and neither would he.
He closed his eyes. He really was a piece of shit. Hanging his head, he muttered, "I don't know what came over me when I created that ritual. I'm sorry, Ella."
"An apology is insufficient," she said sharply. "I need you to prove that you won't ever attempt the Ordeal."
Immediately after she said that, he earnestly declared, "I promise that I will never attempt the Ordeal."
That would have worked if he were the man she had married. However, that man would never conceive a plot to murder a child, even if it were to save his wife. So, she told him, "I cannot risk it. Such a thing would be…"
She trailed off, the idea unthinkable. At length, she resolutely said, "Let us form a contract."
He nodded quickly and held out his hand, firmly grasping hers. He'd do anything if only to wipe that look off her face. "I swear on the Od Laguna that I will never attempt the Ordeal."
With a sigh of relief, she said, "Thank you," and tried to pull away, but he didn't let her.
His eyes blazed with determination as he added, "I swear on the Od Laguna that I will save you."
She searched his eyes before letting herself smile. Her husband was somewhere in there, and moments like this were proof.
There was one more stipulation she would add, as it was inevitable either way. Vocalizing the same way she did with her vows, she spoke: "I swear on the Od Laguna that I will always love you. In this life and the next, our souls will find one another."
With a smile, he pulled her in and sealed their contract with a kiss. She eagerly returned it, content with the knowledge that they would always be together.
The alien soul of a man utterly loathed by the world.
The fractured soul of a woman deeply loved by the world.
The half-soul of a sleeping child with silver hair and amethyst eyes: the first of a bloodline that would last hundreds of years.
The Od Laguna shone with life, binding the souls in a contract that transcended death itself.
It was evening when the Emilia Camp left Priscilla's Mansion. The stormy clouds matched their tumultuous thoughts as they thought of the Witch of Vainglory. Even so, they had hope. A real, solid foundation for a plan lay ahead of them. In the end, Pandora would fall to their might.
Because of their encounter, they were stronger. More vigilant. More mature. More vengeful.
They had entered as fighters. They left as warriors.
But now was not the time to muse, for their next task was finally at hand. They made their way to Crusch Karsten's manor in silence; it had only been about a week, but it felt like an eternity since they planned the attack on the White Whale.
Subaru couldn't help but think that for all that things changed, they stayed the same. Reinhard hadn't helped them defeat Elsa, but he had shown up to save them anyway. Meili hadn't attacked with the mabeasts, but he still had a life-threatening encounter in the same forest clearing. He had accompanied Emilia to the Royal Selection as a knight, but he still ended up on death's door. Now, Emilia and Beatrice were with him, but he and Rem were still about to fight the White Whale.
There was a poem from his homeland about small changes making large waves, and it often played through his head during times like this.
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
Subaru called bullshit. It didn't matter if he wanted a nail, a bulldozer, or a simple break; so long as people like Roswaal and Pandora drew breath, the world would exist on their desired courses…even if, for some reason, that course involved him standing next to Patrasche in a tracksuit while preparing for battle.
In Crusch's front lawn, dozens of carriages and hundreds of soldiers waited in silence. It had been a while, sure, but he remembered it being louder, chattier.
He also didn't recall everyone gaping at them.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered angrily. "I thought people were starting to become okay with half-elves."
"It's not me they're looking at," Emilia whispered back. "It's you."
He was about to retort before noting that somehow, she was right. The entirety of Crusch's Camp, dozens of Royal Knights, and the Sword Saint himself were staring at Subaru in awe.
Needless to say, he was hopelessly confused.
Wilhelm broke out from the crowd and knelt before Subaru. "Thank you, Sir Subaru," he said reverently. "On behalf of every Lugunican citizen, we thank you."
'What the fuck is going on?' Subaru asked Beatrice in a panic. She had no answer.
"You may not know of my history," Wilhelm continued, oblivious to Subaru's racing thoughts, "but in my younger days, I had an enemy of immeasurable strength. His name was Stride Vollachia, and he was the Sin Archbishop of Pride."
The Sword Demon looked up, his eyes shining in gratitude. "To think that you have eliminated his successor…You have my undying gratitude, Sir Subaru."
Now it was Subaru's turn to gape. "But…I didn't, what? I mean, um—"
Emilia stepped in front of him. "I apologize for my knight," she said with a slight bow. "He is merely unused to such high praise from a man of your station, Sir Wilhelm."
Wilhelm allowed himself a small smile. "Strong, honorable, and humble. An exemplary knight befitting the Frost Maiden."
Her eyes widened. "Frost Maiden," she murmured. She looked to Subaru, but his mind was elsewhere.
'Where are they getting this idea?' he asked Beatrice.
'It's the Dragon Tablet, I suppose,' she realized. 'When one of the Camps accomplishes something great, the rest of Lugunica knows.'
'That's great and all, but I'd like to point out that it's been a week since I've killed a Sin Archbishop.'
'What about your dealings with the armored man, I wonder?' she asked. 'Perhaps the Dragon Tablet recognized that the Pride Witch Factor was no longer a threat, and that's how it chose to relay that information.'
Judging by the conversation happening in front of them, it seemed that was the case. Why couldn't the Dragon Tablet have that feature the last time around? It would have been useful when they defeated the Great Rabbit, and no one believed them.
The sudden attention was kind of freaking him out. Knights and warriors of great renown were bowing to him, expressing their gratitude for his achievement. They were all thinking he had some epic battle with a mighty warrior, but he mostly just talked. Sure, yeah, he did some neat stuff with True Face, but he didn't exactly kill a Sin Archbishop.
Then again, he crushed Pandora's skull, but apparently, that didn't count as an achievement. Perhaps it did, and she rewrote history to avoid people finding out about her. One could never know for sure.
He reached Crusch and Reinhard who were standing side-by-side. Crusch looked somewhere between amused and in awe. "Three Sin Archbishops and the Bowel Hunter," she said airily. "Between your Camp's accomplishments and one of the candidates being actual royalty, I'm starting to think I have no chance."
Reinhard, ever the gallant knight, gave a smile. "You do yourself a disservice, Lady Crusch," he said amicably. "I may have great faith that my Lady is the best candidate, but I would not be dissatisfied to see you as queen. However, I will admit that our friend here has accomplished quite a bit."
Subaru blushed. "Th-that's—" He shook his head. "Well, as long as the achievements count towards the Emilia Camp as a whole, I'm happy."
Crusch gazed sternly at him. "A word of advice, Sir Subaru: take credit for accomplishments that are yours. To do so establishes your legitimacy as a leader.
He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Pretty sure that advice is more geared towards Emilia. She's the one who's going to be on the throne." At the strange looks he received, he asked, "What? Is there something on my face?"
Reinhard shook his head at Subaru's obliviousness. "It's almost time to go," he pointed out, dodging the question. "I'm honored you asked for my assistance, Subaru."
"I'm glad you're able to come," Subaru said honestly. "I know that it's a bit tough to get permission to go from place to place."
Reinhard grinned. "The name 'Subaru Natsuki, Slayer of Sin Archbishops' certainly gave me a bit of leniency."
Subaru jolted. "Wait, people heard that?" he asked in a panic. If they heard that, then they also heard—
"Heard what?" Reinhard asked, oblivious to Subaru's anxiety. "It's merely an honorable title the citizens of Lugunica have given you because of your victories."
Subaru let out a deep breath. "Oh," he mumbled, too relieved to feel flattered. "Yeah, that's fine."
So, no one heard him gloating to Regulus. On one hand, he had looked awesome, yet it would never be remembered. Shame. On the other hand, he basically confessed his love to a world-ending calamity while admitting to having the Authority of Envy.
He could imagine it now: the masses demanding the execution of the Sin Archbishop of Envy. It was probably for the best that no one knew about it.
He was about to say his goodbyes when Reinhard interrupted him, saying, "Ah, just one last question." The knight looked nervous, which wasn't a look that suited the Sword Saint. "It's the seating arrangements," he explained. "It appears you would like me to partner up with…the Sword Demon."
Subaru raised an eyebrow at Reinhard's wavering voice. "Is Reinhard van Astrea, Lugunica's Mightiest Hero, afraid of his grandfather?" he asked incredulously before flinching at his own inconsiderate behavior.
Luckily, Reinhard was too absorbed in his memories. "It's not that," he insisted. "As much as I would love to speak with him, I fear he doesn't want anything to do with me."
Subaru looked off to where Wilhelm was, finding the older man conversing with one of his comrades from the demi-human war. It seemed that he was only half-interested in the conversation, as he kept glancing over at Reinhard.
Bringing his attention back to Reinhard, Subaru knowingly said, "I'm not so sure about that. I mean, if you don't try it, you'll never know, right?"
Reinhard took a deep breath but nodded in agreement. Before he could walk away, however, Subaru leaned in and whispered, "To make amends with family isn't easy. You're a braver man than Reid ever was." With a pat on the back, he ignored Reinhard's sudden coughing fit and turned back to Crusch. She gave a hearty laugh before looking at him with twinkling eyes.
"You're an odd man, Subaru Natsuki," she said, amused. "You're establishing good relationships between the other camps, not just yours. Some would call that self-destructive."
He grinned, saying, "I call it 'helping out some friends.'"
Eventually, they split up to go to their respective carriages: Crusch with Felix and an armed battalion, and Subaru with Beatrice, Emilia, Rem, and a couple of extra ground dragons. They were in surprisingly high spirits, especially considering they left one monster and were about to fight another.
"'Frost Maiden,'" Emilia bewilderedly muttered as Subaru entered the carriage. "Not 'Witch of Frost.' The monikers are so similar, yet so different."
Subaru raised an eyebrow at her language before realization settled in. "That's what the villagers used to call you, right?"
She nodded. "Mhm. They used to throw stones at me as they shouted that," she said distantly as if it didn't bother her anymore, even though he knew it did. "Now, the public is expressing their faith in a silver-haired half-elf."
He didn't offer any words of comfort because none were needed. He simply wrapped an arm around her waist as she processed everything that was going on.
A moment later, Beatrice tucked herself under his other arm, blushing slightly.
"You look adorable," he teased.
She gave him a withering glare. "Do you want a 'Beako hug' or not?"
He pulled her in with a smile, saying, "Of course I do, you tsundere loli."
"Those words don't mean anything!"
He ignored her expected cry of anger as he pulled her in close and prepared himself for the long ride. Of course, they were using Patrasche, so they were far ahead of everyone else.
A few moments later, Emilia piped up, "By the way, Subaru, that power you used against Pandora…Was that Invisible Providence?" She furrowed her brow and rushed to amend her statement. "Um, Visible Providence?"
Subaru chuckled and said, "It's…something else. I call it Guiding Hand."
The name wasn't as cool as something like "Invisible Providence," but it worked. It was a power that would carve a path to the future, guiding him to success.
"It's still the Authority of Sloth," he elaborated, "but it doesn't have a corrupting influence. The only problem is that the hands are visible, so pretty much any knight could easily cut them down."
He got a major power boost, but he was still weaker than everyone else. Go figure.
"Why did it change, I wonder?" asked Beatrice. Always the scholar, that one.
He tightened his grip on her as he fondly said, "Because you both helped me find a reason to live."
With a laugh, Emilia told him, "You're reeaally weird, Subaru. Getting stronger because people are nice to you?" She gave a coquettish grin. "There's never a dull day with you by my side."
Cheekily, he responded, "What can I say? I gotta keep the women of my life entertained."
Beatrice huffed as she grumbled, "More shameless flirting, I suppose? My contractor should—"
Suddenly, she froze. "Subaru," she said flatly. "What is that, I wonder?"
He raised his hands defensively as he managed to say. "I have no idea what you're referring to. I'm just sitting here, hands in the air."
She glanced at his hands and then Emilia, who held up her hands as she struggled to hold in a giggle. With dread, Beatrice slowly looked up…
…to find a green, ethereal hand patting her head.
With the utmost suffering, she deadpanned, "Only my contractor would use a blasphemous power to give a head pat, in fact. Grow up, I suppose."
With that, Subaru and Emilia burst into laughter as a disgruntled Beatrice resigned herself to her fate.
After their laughter died down, Subaru looked to the front of the carriage in concern. Rem would usually make a comment or two, joining in on the teasing.
"I'll be right back," he said to Emilia and Beatrice. "Keep my seat warm for me, Beako."
He plopped himself down in the passenger seat beside Rem, giving her a quick, "Hey."
She gave him the stiffest response he had heard since they became friends. "How may I help you, Sir Subaru?"
He frowned. It was worse than he thought. "Just checking in on my favorite maid," he said lightly.
She tightened her hands on Patrasche's reins, saying, "You are referring to Sister."
He cocked his head to the side as he pointed out, "I mean, Ram's cool and all, but I always liked my Rem-Rem better."
"Do not lie to me," she said coldly. "I have never been Rem. I am merely a blight upon my sister."
He scowled, but it was directed entirely inwards. He should have worked on her identity issues much earlier. "That's not true, and you know it," he shot back. "You're perfect just the way you are."
She refused to look at him, but he could have sworn he saw a tear in her eye. Carefully, as if afraid of breaking the fragile bond between them, she whispered, "Then…why have you never looked at me?"
A lump formed in his throat. "Rem…"
"From the day we met, you've been friendly to me, but you've never seen me; you tried desperately to see a woman behind my eyes and became disappointed every time you failed. I never understood it…until now." She glared at him with a single, icy-blue eye. "When you look at me, you see who my sister is supposed to be, don't you?"
For a moment, he gaped at her. Then, he asked, "How could you be so perceptive yet come to the completely wrong conclusion?"
Her frustration melted into confusion. "I don't understand," she mumbled. "You're Subaru Natsuki. You always know this kind of stuff."
"I'm starting to resent that viewpoint," he grumbled. "Look, I didn't know anything about Ram's alternate self. I know you and your sister, not some Oni God bullshit."
If anything, she looked more confounded. "Then, why do you look at me like that?"
His throat closed in on itself, but he forced himself to take a deep breath. He didn't want to speak of it, but she deserved to know. "There was…someone I once knew," he said slowly. "Someone I was once in love with. She's a huge part of why I'm here today."
"Show me how awesome you can be, Subaru!"
"She was incredible in every way. Kind, strong, funny, and a hero. She was flawless at everything she did." With his gaze piercing hers, he said, "You're exactly like her."
For a moment, she searched his eyes for deceit. Then, she stubbornly insisted, "You are mistaken. I cannot be anything like the woman you described."
"That's what I told myself for the longest time," he admitted ruefully. "'No one is like her,' I'd think. 'This girl is just a fake.'"
He flinched at his own words, knowing how close to home they must be hitting, but he pressed on. "As I got to know you, I realized how stupid that was. You're better than her. Stronger, smarter, faster, kinder…You're everything she could have been and more had she not been so attached to me."
Rem died for him. Rem lost her name for him.
This Rem fought for what she believed in—she didn't mindlessly follow the man who struck her horn.
He looked into her eyes and swore, "When I see you, I don't see the girl I once knew, let alone your sister. I see Rem. You're one of my best friends, and I'm damn thankful I met you."
She didn't respond with words, but she eventually gave a small, yet angelic smile.
His breath didn't hitch, and he smiled back.
He slung an arm around her shoulders, saying, "I know what we found out was pretty crazy, but I'm here if you want to talk about it. I have a lot of experience with earth-shattering revelations."
At length, she gave a small, "Okay," and laid her head on his shoulder. For a moment, they simply sat there, but soon, she allowed herself to give in to her tempestuous emotions. Without a word, he cradled the now-crying Rem to his chest, gently running his fingers through her silky hair.
As hot tears soaked his shirt, he realized that he felt…lighter. It was as if his feelings for Rem had held him down, but now they were…something else. They had been tempered into simple companionship, and that was enough to satisfy him.
Eventually, she looked at him with red-rimmed eyes and gave a quiet, "Thank you."
He looked directly at her and said, "Anytime, Rem."
Things weren't perfect, but she seemed to be on the road to recovery.
Sometime later, he looked out into the distance and grinned, indicating for Rem to slow down. Cupping his hands in front of his face, he called out, "Hey, Otto!"
A grey-haired merchant, being pulled by a familiar ground dragon, jolted as their carriage pulled up beside his. "Sir Subaru?!" he yelped. "H-how did you find me?"
Subaru tilted his head, confused. "Find you?" he asked. "What, were you running away from my generous offer?"
"No!" Otto cried, a bit too loudly. "I wasn't running from a stalker who knows my name and dream job!"
Subaru's eyes lit up. "Dream job, huh?" Chuckling at Otto's horrified face, he said, "Don't worry, I'm not a stalker. Think of me as a guardian angel who just wants the best for a good man."
"Guardian angels don't have such scary eyes," Otto grumbled. With a sigh, he admitted, "I'm heading to the Mathers domain to get that job you mentioned. I'd be a fool to turn down an opportunity like that.
He eyed Subaru warily. "I never got to ask, but…why are you being so nice to me?"
Subaru's grin widened. "It's like I said: you're a good man. You deserve a break, and I think you and I could be friends."
"That's great and all," Otto shot back, exasperated, "but how do you know that?!"
At Subaru's side, Rem gave a shaky smile, telling the merchant, "Subaru just knows things. You'll get used to it."
Otto's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water before he gave another long-suffering sigh. "You know what? I give up. Sir Subaru probably knows my entire life history."
"I do!" Subaru chirped. "You have the Divine Protection of Soul Language, so you couldn't understand human speech until you were eight years old. You had a messy love affair with a nobleman's daughter when you were fifteen. Your nickname was—"
"Stop!" Otto exclaimed, covering his ears. "I get it! Sir Subaru is the god of this world, as omniscient as the Sage! I forever pledge myself to him, so long as he doesn't say another word!"
With that, he rode off at high speeds, leaving a laughing Subaru in his wake.
"That was mean," Emilia scolded as he went back inside. "You should be kinder to strangers."
"That wasn't a stranger," he rebutted. He wrapped an arm around her as he sat down. "He's a nice, but unlucky guy named Otto. And hey, I just turned his life around."
"That's not true, I suppose," said Beatrice. "He now works under Roswaal."
"He works under Emilia," Subaru corrected. "It's for her Camp."
Emilia shook her head. "He works for you, too. It's as much your Camp as mine," she told him, much to Subaru's confusion.
"Could've sworn Crusch and Reinhard implied something similar." He leaned his head against the wall of the carriage, a bit frustrated. "I don't get that. It's the Emilia Camp, remember? I mean, I wanted to call us 'Subaru and Friends,' but that was shot down."
Beatrice gaped at him, saying with despair, "I knew my contractor was hopeless, but oblivious, too, I wonder?"
Emilia rolled her eyes. "Oblivious, indeed. Why does my boyfriend have to be such a dunderhead?"
"I'm not oblivious!" he defended. "And no one says 'dunderhead' anymore, Emilia-tan."
She gave him a smile that said, "you are oblivious, but I like you anyway."
Not long after, they arrived in front of the Flugel Tree. They were a few minutes ahead of everyone else, so they decided to stretch their legs for a bit.
Subaru gingerly stepped out of the carriage, straining his neck as he tried to see the top of the tree. He could not, of course; not only was it night time, but the clouds blocked the weathered leaves above. Letting his eyes roam over the murky greens and browns, he was struck with a pang when he saw the words, "Flugel was here."
"It's so weird seeing this with context," he mused as he gazed up at the towering tree. He ran his fingers over the bark, marveling at the unnatural texture. "To think I'm responsible for this…"
Emilia walked over and held his other hand, intertwining their fingers together. "Your power was something else," she said fondly. "You always try to downplay it, but it's obvious that you were reeaally strong."
His face fell. "No use praising someone for making a tree when they left the world to burn."
"None of that," she scolded gently as she laid a hand on his cheek, forcing him to face her. "Your wife was dying, and you thought you could save her. Greater men have fallen to less."
He wouldn't meet her eyes. "It doesn't make it okay."
"It doesn't," she conceded. "Nothing can justify your actions, but they're understandable enough that you're allowed to atone." She raised herself up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "You're a good man, Subaru. You were simply lost."
"But what if I became like that again?" he shot back. "What if you saw that side of myself?"
She smiled softly at him. "Then I'll bring back my Subaru, just like I did in Crusch's mansion," she vowed. "I don't care how angry or sad you get. Deep down, you're Subaru Natsuki, and that's what matters."
He didn't know how she could believe such a thing, and he told her as such. In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, letting her lips convey the sincerity her words could not.
It's because she loved him unconditionally. Through thick and thin, she would be there for him, because she believed in him.
She didn't love him because she believed in him. She believed in him because she loved him.
He would have liked to stay there with her for a while longer, but the arrival of Crusch's forces interrupted their moment. Hundreds of soldiers, both aged and young alike, stood at attention and respectfully awaited Crusch's orders.
The lady herself, clad in armor to make the finest of blacksmiths weep, jumped out of the carriage and made her way to Subaru and Emilia.
"Are you ready?" Crusch asked amicably as if they were merely preparing to cook a meal.
Emilia nodded. "Mhm. Ready as I'll ever be.'
Satisfied, Crusch gave a smug grin, asking, "Now, are you ready to see how a true queen commands her army?"
Without waiting for an answer, she turned to face the waiting crowd. "Soldiers!" she called out, effortlessly gaining the attention of the hundreds present. "Today is a day that will go down in history, for we are taking down an unholy monster."
She paced in front of them, enrapturing them with her oration. "You know it as well as I do. The bane of all things living. The Demon Beast of the Mist. The Hakugei. The White Whale." Her eyes flamed with hatred and determination as she shouted, "How many have died to its mighty jaws? How many have been lost in the mist?"
She strode forward and grabbed one of the soldiers by his cuff, bringing him closer to her face. "Do you have a wife?" she asked, loud enough for everyone to hear. Confused, he shook his head. Her face twisted in frustration, as she shouted, "How do you know? How do you know that the White Whale did not swallow her whole, erasing her from your memory? How do you know that your bed is cold at night, not because you are alone, but because a mabeast murdered your wife?!"
She pushed him back in a rage. "All of you have lost brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, parents, and children, and you don't even remember them!" she spat, as it truly dawned on them what they might have missed. "They died, alone and forgotten, because of that beast!"
She tore the sword out of the scabbard and pointed it at our soldiers. "So," she growled lowly, her voice echoing across the valley, "What are we going to do about it?" She narrowed her eyes at the scattered mumblings, crying out, "I said, what are we going to do about it?"
A half-dozen soldiers shouted, "Kill it!"
"That's it?!" Crusch shouted back, twice as loud as the half-dozen soldiers combined. "I thought I brought men, not terrified children! What are we going to do about the White Whale?"
Brave and determined, the entire platoon cheered, "Kill it!"
"I can't hear you!"
"Kill it!"
"Damn right we will," Crusch snarled. Raising her voice, she shouted, "The reign of the White Whale is over!"
Roaring and stomping their feet as one, hundreds of soldiers proudly demonstrated their strength and loyalty.
Off to the side, Subaru leaned to the side and mumbled, "Hey, Emma?"
"Hmm?" she mumbled back, her eyes trained on Crusch's retreating form.
"No offense, but if you weren't a candidate, I would totally vote for Crusch."
"Don't worry," she reassured him squeezing his hand. "I'd do the exact same."
They were placed at the front alongside Crusch and Reinhard as representatives of their Camp. Subaru and Beatrice were on Patrasche, whereas Rem and Emilia didn't need a ground dragon to move around quickly. Technically, Subaru and Beatrice could teleport, so they didn't need Patrasche, but Beatrice was fairly low on mana. They didn't want to risk her running out.
Their bodies were tense as they anxiously awaited the White Whale's arrival. Everything had been meticulously planned; the Whale followed a specific course, and it was set to be around here at this time. However, getting it to show itself was a challenge in and of itself.
And that's where Subaru came in.
"Hey, Beako?" he whispered. There was no need for anyone else to hear this.
Beatrice sat in front of him, leaning into him for support. "What is it, I wonder?" she asked quietly as she prepared for takeoff. "Don't tell me that Betty's Subaru is chickening out, I suppose."
"None of that." He steeled himself as he muttered, "Just wanted to say that I can Return by D—"
The world stopped, but the Witch's hand did not grasp his heart. The shadows coalesced in front of him to form an angel of unmatched beauty.
An angel who was very disappointed.
The apparition of Satella glared at him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Subaru began to sweat as he faced her ire, wishing he were capable of speaking. Wait, if he was capable of sweating, then perhaps…
He flexed his jaw. Since when could he move in these situations? Tentatively, he opened his mouth and breathed out a quiet, "Hi."
Her eyes narrowed further. "'Hi,'" she deadpanned. "You made an attempt on your own life, yet all you can say is 'hi'?"
Weakly, he defended, "To be fair, I'm not normally allowed to speak, let alone see you instead of the Witch."
Drily, she informed him, "Envy is incapacitated after watching you and Emilia in the throes of passion."
He flushed. She was making it sound far more risqué than it actually was.
With the same flat tone, she requested, "Please do that more often; 'tis making my life much easier."
He couldn't help but chuckle at their ridiculous situation. "There's something seriously wrong with what you just asked me to do."
She scowled. "Stop treating this with levity!" she said angrily. "You tried to kill yourself! You promised you'd value your life, not stab yourself in the throat!"
Her eyes watered as her voice dropped. "Do you know how it feels, to bear witness to your pain whilst unable to act?"
A lump formed in his throat as he mumbled, "C'mon, Ella…"
"'Tis torture," she whispered brokenly. "We were always there to take away each other's pain, but once again, I was forced to watch my love suffer."
He shook his head vehemently. "None of that. I wouldn't have made it this far if not for you." At her unconvinced look, he added, "Don't forget that you also gave me another reason to live."
She took a shuddering breath, murmuring, "I'm happy you know what that means again." She managed a shaky smile, as she could never stay upset at him for long. "You were not always afflicted with such anger."
He averted his eyes. "Was I really?" he asked distantly. "It's hard to remember a time where I wasn't hurting you."
"Regret clouds your memories," she explained patiently. "Do you blame me for your entrapment at Echidna's mansion?"
He tilted his head in confusion as he pointed out, "I was there willingly, so I wasn't trapped. I just didn't want to leave you."
"Which means you were there because of my misguided devotion," she shot back. "Do not think me oblivious to what she did to you."
He squirmed a bit. "It's easy to forget that you're always watching," he muttered. "I don't like that you heard me explaining everything to Emilia. I'd be fine with you never knowing."
'Wait a moment…'
She was always watching him. She saw him as he explained his scars, which meant that she had seen his scars from this life, too.
A revelation like that should have sent him reeling, hyperventilating. So…why was he still standing? He was uncomfortable, yes, but he was okay. Had something changed about him? Was he numb after his encounter with Pandora?
Or…was he starting to heal?
With a jolt, he pushed that out of his mind as he came to a similar, yet far more dire realization. 'Wait, if she's always watching, then did she—'
A blushing Satella, realizing what he was thinking, flirtatiously admitted, "Always watching, my love."
He wanted nothing more than to groan in embarrassment. That was some much-needed time alone, thank you very much!
He couldn't let her get away with this. He cleared his throat, adopted an angry expression, and pointed dramatically at her. "S-Satella!" he cried in mock horror. "You pervert!"
She reeled back, mortified. "What? I'm not—"
"I-it's not like I wanted you to see me or anything! B-baka!"
"L-look, 'tis lonely in—" She blinked and, realizing she'd been had, placed her hands on her hips. "You're teasing me again," she accused.
He gasped dramatically and clutched his chest. "My dear Satella, I have no idea what you're speaking of." A moment later, he paled and looked around wildly. "Time's stopped for everyone, right? Because I basically confessed my love for the Witch of Envy in front of hundreds of people."
She rolled her eyes at his antics. "Two lifetimes and you remain infantile," she grumbled.
"I resent that," he protested. "I'm the Lolimancer, but I'm not a kid myself."
"Good," she muttered under her breath. "My thoughts were sinful enough."
"Huh?"
"'Tis nothing," she waved off, a bit too quickly. "Just…survive this fight, okay?"
He gave her a thumbs-up, cheerily saying, "Will do! You can count on me!"
"I always could, my love," she responded with a slight smile. "Something tells me that the next time you see me, 'twill be at my shrine."
He couldn't help but grin. "Look at you, Mrs. Positive!"
She gave a small shrug before saying, "You've convinced me that there's hope for a happy ending." She cut him off before he could respond. "For now, take care of Emilia, all right? She's a good girl."
He was silent for a moment before shaking his head with a chuckle. "You're one of a kind, Ella," he said fondly. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."
"Most wouldn't call being in a love triangle lucky," she said wryly, "especially not one this twisted."
"I'm lucky because you two approve of each other," he pointed out. "That never happens, ever."
With the smile that always left him breathless, she reminded him, "'In this life and the next, our souls will find one another.'"
He couldn't help but match her smile. Whole or half, he loved her. He always would. Mischievously, he said, "You should know better than anyone that I have a thing for silver-haired half-elves."
She laughed. "I recall your preference, yes. You claimed she had 'advantageous typing.'"
"That was, like, thirty loops ago," he said dismissively. "I was still treating her as a protagonist's reward, and I didn't know who you were, or even what the Witch looked like. I thought you were just some cute waifu that I was dreaming up."
A moment later, a thought came over him and he hesitantly asked, "Speaking of loops…there's something I need confirmation on."
She looked at him warily, as if knowing what he was going to ask. To be fair, she was probably able to read his thoughts. Evasively, she said, "'Tis not critical for you to know."
"Yes, it is," he stressed. "When I die, am I going back in time or traveling to an alternate universe?"
Her gaze pierced his, dissecting him, but she said nothing.
"Please," he begged. "In the Tower, did I leave her behind?"
At the desperate look in his eyes, she relented, muttering, "'Tis better if you remained unaware, lest you use your power as a tool instead of a failsafe." She took a shuddering breath as she remembered his suicides; honestly, he didn't like to think of them, either. Slowly, she told him, "The Authority of Envy, Return by Death, allows you to go back in time upon reaching your end. There are no alternate universes involved."
He exhaled deeply as he let his body relax. Just how long had he been holding in that tension for?
That time in the Tower, and the heartbroken look on Emilia's face…That didn't happen. At least, not to her. It was still in his memory, taunting him, but so did all of his other mistakes.
Emilia in his arms, her heart crushed by the Witch of Envy. Beatrice with a knife in her gut, a teary smile on her face. Rem torn to shreds by the Unseen Hands. Shaula with her skull smashed to pieces. Meili strangled to death by Subaru's own hands. Ram and Otto murdered by the Witch Cult.
They were okay. Those he loved could still be saved.
"Thank you, Ella," he murmured. "That's a huge weight off my shoulders."
Satella stepped forward until she was at Patrasche's side and grabbed Subaru's chin in her thin fingers. Sternly, she told him, "You will not treat this information lightly, my love. Death is death, whether you're leaving others behind or not."
"My resolution hasn't changed," he asserted, though it was muffled from his squished face. "Please let go; you're freakishly strong."
She relented, dropping her hand from his mouth, but immediately replaced it with her lips.
Cold. Freezing. Death. Despair. The horrors of a million lives being snuffed out by the shadows. Her kisses were supposed to be full of love, of warmth, but he took that away from her.
When she broke away, he managed a wavering smile. "Right in front of Emilia?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood. "You know I'm not into NTR."
A bit possessively, she declared, "I can kiss my husband whenever I want. Emilia will have to deal."
His eyes widened and he gave a breathy laugh. "Damn, Ella," he muttered, somewhat ruefully. "I'm not sure I can handle one assertive woman, let alone two."
"Keep it at two," she said sternly. "I'm more than happy to let you court my other half, but I'm not willing to share you with a harem."
He blushed and started sputtering, but her finger on his lips silenced him. With her amethyst eyes filled with boundless affection, she told him, "Just remember that I love you. You're my whole world, as I am yours."
"And I love you," he said emphatically. "Even when I didn't remember you, I never once stopped loving you, Ella. I promise to come back to you, soon."
His confessions had never been as eloquent as hers, but they always brought a blooming smile to her face. She inclined her head as she declared, "I will hold you to that, my love." Her eyes twinkled as she said, "But please, do come quickly. As I said, 'tis very lonely in my shrine."
With that, the shadows gathered around her, leaving a flushed, but laughing Subaru behind.
The world resumed, and the surrounding soldiers looked strangely at him. Beatrice looked up with a frown. "What's so funny, I wonder?" she asked, a bit annoyed. "Betty is trying to take this seriously, in fact."
He wiped his eyes as his chuckles died down. "It's not that funny," he admitted. "Just thinking of something that a cute girl told me."
She reached up and flicked his cheek. "Hmph. My contractor's scandalous escapades continue, I suppose."
"You're still my favorite," he teased, enjoying her blush.
"Save your flirtatious idiocy for someone your own age, I suppose," she grunted. "And before you say it, you are not older than Betty, in fact!"
He was about to say that. So, playing his ultimate trump card, he said, "You're adorable, Beako. I'm glad I'm here."
She huffed and leaned into his chest, mumbling, "Betty is glad her Subaru is here, too."
He wrapped an arm around her and steeled himself for the upcoming battle.
Ahead of them, the mist coalesced, but he wasn't worried anymore. After all, he had done this fight before, and now he had Reinhard on his side. Hell, Beatrice and Emilia would have been enough to turn the tide of battle but having the Sword Saint was great. There was nothing to be scared of.
Satella believed in him. He could do this.
Keeping his eyes trained in front of him, he watched as the White Whale flew above them. The soldiers gasped and shuddered, but Subaru kept his face carefully blank in a display of strength.
…Until he saw what was on the ground.
All confidence fled as he stared in front of him in abject horror. His heart stopped and he began to hyperventilate.
'Not like this,' he silently pleaded. 'Run away! Get away from that thing!'
He wanted to find her safe and happy, not with—
He could vaguely make out Beatrice calling his name, but it didn't matter. She would die soon, and he would follow. All he could do was stare ahead of him as he awaited his death.
"I'm sorry," he whispered as the Grim Reaper faced him with a guileless smile.
Walking out of the mist was a young, purple-haired girl carrying a small, white rabbit.
