Special thanks to my fiancée for being my reason to believe. I'd choose you any day.

Humility

Once upon a time, gods walked the land.

They were not gods in the traditional sense, like the Od Laguna or the Abrahamic God. Rather, they were souls of such power that their incarnations couldn't be called anything but a god. The Oni God, the Divine Dragon, the Four Great Spirits, the Sage, the Sorceress, the Mother of Mabeasts, the Witches of Sin, and the Sword Saint…They were calamities, and a battle between them would destroy the world.

Despite that, sometimes, they were weak. When tragedy befell them, it was possible to find such a being shivering in a hovel, freezing and starving to death as they awaited a savior.

Deep within the tundra, the Sage wandered aimlessly. He searched and searched and searched, but he didn't know who or what he was searching for. He often did this, to his utter bafflement. He just knew that, somewhere, a child was waiting for him. She needed to be rescued, freed from the chains binding her. He didn't know why he felt that way—perhaps the Od Laguna was communicating with him, or maybe his soul itself was crying out for someone he had lost—but as he wandered, he came upon his answer.

The village before him had been destroyed and abandoned. Large chunks of the buildings were torn off, and no signs of life could be found. As he meandered through it, he mourned the loss of life, even as he wondered what happened.

Then, he heard it: the shallow breathing of a child. He whipped around to find a girl with silver—no, ashen-grey hair, barely clinging to life. She couldn't have been more than nine years old; he wouldn't let her expire when she had so much to look forward to.

He kneeled before her, healing her with one hand while stroking her hair with the other. "It's all right," he whispered. "I'm here now. You're safe. My wife and I will take care of you."

He thought she wouldn't be able to process what he was telling her, but her head jerked up and down. It was almost unnoticeable, but he knew what it meant: she wanted to live.

He scooped her up, grimacing at how light she was. "Let's get you some food," he said. Even in her miserable state, she radiated happiness at his words. "I'm going to teleport home. Three, two, one…"

With that, the newest Witch had wormed her way into his heart.

He walked into his home, still stabilizing the child with his healing magic. "Satella!" he called out, hoping she was nearby. "We need food, ASAP!"

For ten agonizing seconds, he waited. Just as he was about to run to the kitchen himself, she appeared before him, utterly frazzled. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were bleary—had she been sleeping again? "Here," she said, holding out a bag.

Subaru blinked. "Ella, you're cute and all, but that's just a bag of salt."

"'Tis sugar, which is food," she said grumpily, having not fully awoken yet. "Had you asked for a meal, I would have…" She trailed off upon noticing the child. Her eyes widened, and, within a span of two seconds, she disappeared and reappeared with five loaves of bread in her lithe arms.

"Lay her on the couch," she ordered, jerking her head towards a sofa that he could have sworn wasn't there a few seconds prior—his wife really was an exceptional mage. "While I get more loaves, feed her these."

"All of these?" he asked incredulously. "Ella, they're bigger than her entire body, let alone her stomach!"

"Just do it!" she snapped, having transitioned from wife mode to healer mode. Knowing there was no chance he could win the argument—she had already left for the kitchen, anyway—he laid the child on the couch and began to feed her the bread. With every bite, he coaxed her throat, forcing her to swallow. Soon, a bit of color returned to her pale cheeks, and she began to stir.

He sighed in relief. They were out of the danger zone, it seemed. He reached for another loaf of bread…only to find them all gone.

'What the hell?' he thought as he patted the couch around him, looking for the missing food. 'I could have sworn that—'

A moment later, he heard the strangest sound, and the couch disappeared out from under him. It shrunk to a thousandth of its original size and flew directly into the child's mouth. She was standing now, awake and aware. Her mouth had widened to be larger than her entire head, opening into an infinite void of nothingness. For a moment, he worried that he'd be swallowed up, too, but her face and mouth folded in on itself, returning to normal proportions once again.

As she licked her lips and patted her belly, he thought,'I've seen posters for Kirby outside the library, and I'm pretty sure that this kid isn't it.'

Then, she opened her eyes, and he was met with the most stunning gold that he had ever seen. Upon the sight, a spark of hunger tried to enter his psyche, but Satella's love deflected it.

For a moment, they merely looked at each other. Her gaze was filled with infinite hunger; it seemed like she was considering eating him, too. Then, she saw something in his eyes, or perhaps his soul, and the hunger disappeared. Her eyes softened and a smile spread across her lips. She opened her mouth, clearly about to thank him…

…and let out the loudest belch he had ever heard.

It reverberated through his body, shaking him to the core. Multiple stories above them, the windows shattered from the sound waves alone. It continued for a full twenty seconds before abruptly stopping.

She smacked her lips a few times before saying a simple, "I'm hungry."

Subaru had thought that Typhon was the most "Witchlike" of them all, but it was obvious that he had found an even greater abomination.

…But she was so damn cute.

Satella reappeared, now more akin to a walking tower of bread than a half-elf. "Here," she said, her voice muffled by the loaves. "Have her take…these?"

Halfway through her sentence, the food was already gone, absorbed into the Witch's unending stomach. She opened her mouth again, causing Subaru to feel a spike of fear. However, she just gave a simple, "Thanks."

"Now you're grateful?" he asked incredulouslyperhaps a bit enviously. "Where's my thanks?"

The child cocked her head to the side. "The nice lady gave me food," she said as if that explained everything.

"B-but I saved your life!" he sputtered.

She looked at him like he was a strange, silly man who couldn't understand something obvious. Subaru just thought she was crazy.

Satella flipped her hair back haughtily and sent Subaru a teasing look. "It seems the child likes me better, my love. Ah, but what can you do?"

He mock-glared at his wife, but the child put a stop to it by surprising them both. She pointed at him, gave a fanged grin, and said, "I like him better."

As Subaru rubbed it in a pouting Satella's face, neither saw the child silently slipping away. By the time they noticed, it was too late; the pillars holding up the second floor were no more.

Thus began their bizarre, surreal life with Daphne, the Witch of Gluttony.

Now, the public's opinion on Witches was divisive, but there were people who thought positively of a few of them. After all, some Witches only caused destruction through good intentions, like the Witch of Wrath. Some had charmed the public, like the Witch of Greed, known more commonly as the Witch of Wisdom. Why, there was even the Witch of Envy, the best healer in the land, who was widely sought-after for her miracle cures.

Daphne, on the other hand, was…not quite as beloved. Her mere presence would drive most people to insanity. Her gaze would force you to eat yourself alive. She created demonic beasts of death and destruction without the use of a ritual, all with the selfish goal of satisfying her own insatiable hunger. And, well…

"You, uh…eat people," he said awkwardly.

Daphne had been living with Subaru and Satella for a year, though she often disappeared for weeks, or even months at a time. He hadn't realized what was happening until a regiment of knights had pursued her all the way to his home.

Subaru had never cared much for his reputation or political clout, but it allowed him to convince them that Daphne was innocent.

He sighed. "The village I found you in…You ate them all, didn't you?"

She gazed at him with confusion eminent in her golden eyes. "People need to eat to survive, don't they?"

"They don't eat other people!" He pulled at his hair, frustrated. "No more! No more killing! Only eat mabeasts, regular food, and inanimate objects! No people, got it?!"

Her teeth chattered, not unlike a feline gnawing on a bird's bones. She was hungry, and she needed to eat; she couldn't listen to such a pointless request…

…but the anger in his eyes made her sad.

"Flu-Flu makes stupid requests," she grumbled, "but my mabeasts taste good enough."

He sighed in relief. He knew that she wouldn't break her promise, but they would still need to develop restraints as a precaution, and—

"What the hell are you doing?! No eating the table!"

Her mouth had expanded to five times its normal size, revealing multiple rows of teeth. All of them chewed and ground and crushed the wood, with each row of teeth rotating in alternating directions. Her saliva turned the unconventional meal into sludge, and she drank what was once a table.

Her face returned to normal, and she smacked her lips in satisfaction. "Flu-Flu said I could eat objects," she reminded him. Was that smugness in her eyes? Cheeky brat.

He placed his head in his hands, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "I don't know why I deal with you," he said dramatically, bemoaning his fate. Of all the kids to rescue, it just had to be a walking black hole.

She crawled into his lap, purring like an eldritch kitten. "It's because Flu-Flu loves me," she said cutely. How was that fair? She can't be cute after literally eating people!

But Subaru was a weak, pathetic man. He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head under his chin. "I do love you, Daph," he muttered ruefully. "I'm glad you're okay, you little monster."

She smiled at that but couldn't manage a response. Her eyes drooped and her breathing slowed down. Within moments, she fell asleep in his lap. Her snores echoed through the room like a speeding motorcycle, and he rolled his eyes at the familiar sound. "Never knew Daph could have a food coma," he mused. "Then again, I guess even the Witch of Gluttony gets tired after eating."

His mutterings were interrupted by the footsteps echoing throughout the hall. He smiled at the familiar presence.

"It seems our, ah, little angel is home," Satella said upon walking in. "Did she bring with her any tales of grandeur?"

"Always so formal, Ella," he teased. She gave him a quick kiss and sat beside him on the sofa. "And no, nothing special. She was just a bit hungry."

"I can see that," his wife said drily, looking at where their table once was. Then, her eyes shifted to the sleeping Daphne, and she smiled. Her hand reached out, moving a few loose strands of hair away from the young girl's face.

"She looks so peaceful," Satella murmured, but it was hard to hear over the sound of Daphne's snores. "All jests aside, she truly is our little angel."

Subaru's grin widened. "Look at you, Ella. You're such a mom."

She froze and flinched back, pulling down her sleeves as sorrow filled her eyes. "A mother," she repeated wistfully. "Do you think, in a few more years…"

"Yeah," he said hoarsely, even as his charred torso burnt as much as ever. "D-definitely."

He looked down at Daphne's sleeping face in a vain attempt to distract himself. Why couldn't he be grateful for what he had? He had a wonderful wife, and they both viewed Daphne as their own. Why, then, did they crave a child of their own flesh and blood? It wasn't as if they'd put her above or below Daphne. It's just…there was something about the thought of a baby quarter-elf with silver hair and dark-brown eyes that filled them with a profound sense of loss.

Despite that…they were happy. They had escaped a dark past, adopted a child whom they loved, and had a long—perhaps everlasting—life together to look forward to. Surely, they could afford to wait a few more years?

Suddenly, Satella arched her back and stretched out her limbs, letting out a loud yawn. "If you don't mind, my love, I would like to retire for the night."

Subaru looked at her incredulously before checking the time crystal on the wall. "Sundown is hours away. How the hell are you tired?"

She gave a coquettish grin and said, "I believe your words were, 'My hot wife needs her beauty sleep.'"

He rolled his eyes and stood up, shifting Daphne so that he was carrying her on his back. Idly, he said, "I was thinking about getting some extra sleep tonight, actually. Let me just put the little brat to bed, first. By the way, remind me to make more beds."

"Did she already eat the other ones we made?"

"Take a wild guess."

She sighed but wasn't surprised or disappointed. They had promised to provide for her and provide they shall.

As they walked through the hallway, Daphne on his back and Satella at his side, he smiled. Sure, things weren't perfect, but it was still wonderful. He loved his little family, and he couldn't imagine a life without them.


He pulled himself out of his memories, as he walked through the forest with a silver-haired half-elf by his side and a nine-year-old on his back. He couldn't help but wonder if Daphne would feel replaced.

'Betty's Subaru is spiraling again, I suppose.'

He reached down and grabbed Beatrice's hand, not even needing to look to know where she was relative to him. 'So, I'm not Betty's Subaru when I'm a coward, but I am when I hate myself?'

She shook her head. 'You are Betty's Subaru when you take accountability for your actions, no matter how much it hurts, I suppose.'

'What about when I abandoned you?' he shot back.'Was I Betty's Subaru then?'

She thought carefully before responding. Eventually, she told him, 'Grief and desperation will drive anyone mad, even if that person is as good as Subaru, I suppose.' She sent him a knowing smile, much to his bewilderment. 'But that will never happen again, in fact. You will always be Betty's Subaru, I suppose.'

With impeccable timing, Meili patted his head, the same way he did to her. Whispering in his ear so that others would not hear her, she said, "I'm not sure what's going on, but, if you're here, I'm sure I'll—that everything will be okay."

He managed a shaky smile. Both Beatrice and Meili were too good for him. Neither should have to deal with his nonsense. "You always were annoyingly perceptive," he muttered, causing her to giggle a bit. "But hey, I'm fine. I just want to finish this up so I can get started on that doll for you."

She shifted a bit in excitement but shoved it down; she wasn't a kid, after all.

Emilia laid a hand on his arm and smiled brilliantly. "Relax, my love," she soothed. "Everything will be fine."

He chuckled. "What is this, some kind of obligatory event where everyone cheers up the party leader?"

"Sorry, but I don't understand what you're saying."

He smiled at Emilia, squeezed Beatrice's hand, and ruffled Meili's hair, letting them know that he was all right now. He really was grateful to have such a wonderful family, even if he didn't deserve them.

Soon, they arrived at Roswaal's lodging, and Subaru set Meili down. 'Well, it's now or never,' he thought. 'As they say, a knight never backs down from their foe. Fuck, I'm sounding like Garfiel now.'

With that, he opened the door to find…well, Roswaal. The Margrave was not bandaged, or injured, or faking an injury, or anything like that. He was merely sitting in a chair, reading a book.

"It's faaascinating, really," Roswaal said by way of greeting, not taking his eyes off the weathered pages. "It's merely a collection of tales from a traveling minstrel, but it may very well be the ooonly written account of the Sage's Apprentice."

Subaru tensed. "Bet there's a lot of nice things about her in there."

"Quite." Roswaal gingerly leafed through the pages, though it was clear that he already knew its contents. "Why, the only information that's missing is her name and current location."

Subaru said nothing.

"Is she alive, waiting for sooomeone who will never come?" Roswaal smirked at Subaru's flinch. "Or perhaps she is not alive at all. Maybe she drowned or was incinerated. Perhaps she was driven mad in a trap or fell in a great battle."

He closed his eyes and leaned back, letting the tome fall closed on its own. "My peeersonal theory is that she wasted away in an ocean of sand."

Subaru's fist slammed into the wooden table, halting Roswaal's reverie. "That's enough," he said firmly. "I know that we don't like each other, but can we put that aside for a single damn moment?"

"No."

The response was simple, instant. Reasoned discourse had never been an option when it was just the two of them.

Roswaal's hair covered his blue eye, but his yellow one pierced through Subaru. He dropped his sing-song demeanor as he stated, "You could have been the greatest hero to have walked the land. You could have risen above your vices to become the Sage."

Subaru narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice so that the others couldn't hear. "I am the Sage: a despicable piece of shit that destroyed everything I loved."

"You squandered your potential," Roswaal agreed, as unflappable as ever. "You were a bumbling fool. You were incapable of leading or passing on knowledge. You were a demon of destruction and nothing more."

Subaru hated himself for it, but he couldn't refute that statement. There was a reason he had declined Farsale's offer, after all.

A thin smile spread across Roswaal's painted lips. "But you are useful to me."

"Yeah, yeah," Subaru grumbled. "The Gospel knows all. I have no secrets. I've heard it all before."

"Have you, now?" Roswaal asked with a twinkle in his eye. "Then perhaps you know that your presence here means everything has gone according to plan. You have defeated the White Whale and the Great Rabbit, as the Gospel foretold. You have cured Sloth and Wrath of their insanity. You have—"

"What?!"

Roswaal's head shot up, and he finally noticed Emilia standing in the doorway. Their voices had returned to a normal volume, so she had heard everything. He began to put on his typical, polite mask, but was interrupted by her panic-fueled barrage of questions.

"C-cured Wrath? What are you talking about? M-Mother is…is…" She fumbled with her words as the implications fell over her. "C-could Mother have been saved? Wh-what about Crusch and her Camp? Th-they're all dead, and—"

Roswaal's face turned visibly pale, even through his makeup. He sunk into his chair, looking like the wind got knocked out of him. With a voice barely above a whisper, he asked, "What did you just say?"

Subaru hurried to Emilia, firmly grasping her by the shoulders. "You did everything you could," he soothed, even though he was also floored by the revelation. "I'm right here. I love you."

She clung to him, but his words went over her head. She couldn't even fool herself into thinking that she had acted in self-defense, or anything like that; Mother Fortuna had been in there, and Emilia had killed her.

"Listen to me!" He grabbed her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. Glassy orbs stared back at him as she hyperventilated. "None of that was your fault! His Gospel isn't foolproof!"

Nothing worked. His words—his only real weapon—were useless. He only had one other option, and the idea had come from the panicking woman before him. Even so, it wasn't meant to be used in public.

'This is extremely inappropriate,' he thought, but he'd rather she be a little embarrassed than devastated after an ice storm. Steeling his resolve, he leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers.

For a moment, she froze. Then, she grabbed the back of his head and pushed him into her, desperately returning the kiss. There were a few mutterings of disapproval and a demand to wait until they were alone, but she ignored them all. Forget embarrassment at the PDA; she was terrified of letting him go.

He had wanted her to be able to depend on him, but not like this.

He pulled back with a wavering smile, but Roswaal's mutterings broke through his thoughts. "It's not possible. The Gospel has never been wrong. Why did it not correct itself? Why has it led me astray? Why…"

For a moment, Subaru was baffled at the reaction. Shouldn't Roswaal have already known that the Gospel was thrown off course? Why was he so surprised?

Then, Emilia's words came back to him, and he understood.

"Both this event and our achievements in the coming year will be known to everyone outside our Camp."

"The Dragon Tablet didn't tell you anything," Subaru realized, "since you're still part of the Emilia Camp."

Normally, Roswaal would have said something to the effect of, "Of coouurse. I am Miss Emilia's primary benefactor, after all." Now, however, he could only say one thing.

"This timeline is doomed."

He said this…while staring directly at Rem.

All was silent for a moment. Then, filled with rage, Subaru grabbed Roswaal by the collar, roughly jerking the older man forward. "Answer carefully, Roswaal. What the hell do you mean by that?!"

Roswaal's head dropped. "I r-remember Rem," he croaked. "I want to be happy, b-but her name was supposed to be eaten, and—"

Furious, Subaru threw Roswaal to the floor. "You planned to sacrifice Rem?!" he shouted, even as he wondered if this had happened last time, too. "Her getting erased was part of your plan?!"

Rem anxiously looked at Subaru. "What are you saying, Subaru? Lord Roswaal wouldn't—"

"He would," Subaru said scathingly. "After all, he knew about the attack on your village but did nothing to stop it. Isn't that right, Ram?"

He tried to meet the pink-haired maid's eyes, but she was looking directly at Roswaal. It was as if she had never seen the man before. "Myself, I knew," she whispered. "But my little sister?"

Roswaal said nothing.

"Tell me I'm wrong," she pleaded, on the verge of tears. "Tell me you would never sacrifice Rem."

Roswaal's eyes flicked to hers for a moment before settling firmly on the floor. In the voice of a broken man, he spoke: "I would do anything to reach my goal, even if I had to sacrifice everyone that I care about. That's the only way to save the one I love."

"That's not true!" Beatrice cried, speaking up for the first time. "Betty loves her Subaru, but that doesn't mean others should be sacrificed for his safety, I suppose!"

"How ironic," Roswaal mumbled, unable to muster the energy to speak normally. "To use that man as an example…Don't you know what he's done? He would kill you in an instant if it meant saving the one he loves."

Subaru wanted to protest but couldn't. He had watched himself murder Beatrice merely to capture Emilia; he already knew what he'd do if it meant saving the woman he loved from a terrible fate.

Beatrice clearly felt otherwise. "That is a Subaru that has fallen astray, I suppose," she said like it was obvious. "Betty's Subaru would never take such a heinous action."

Roswaal scoffed. "I had thought better of you, Beatrice," he said, almost mockingly. "At any point, he could cease being 'Betty's Subaru' and turn into the monster he is, deep inside. What will you do when he casts you aside like the tool he views you to be?"

She stomped forward and shoved a finger into his chest, startling him. With her face scrunched up in anger, she said, "Rule Number Six of my contract with Subaru." She punctuated every word by forcing him back with her finger as if scolding a misbehaving child. "He will always be Betty's Subaru, and he will never leave me."

Roswaal's eyes widened, but she barreled on relentlessly. "Rule Number Seven. Subaru will never stop loving his family." She raised her voice, making sure everyone heard what came next. "Betty is his daughter, and he will always put his entire family first!"

Everyone held their breath as they awaited Roswaal's response. Emilia silently gripped Subaru's hand, drawing comfort from the contact. Ram looked as if her entire worldview had shattered. Rem tried in vain to console her older sister, even though she was in pain as well.

Subaru, on the other hand, was ecstatic. He wanted to pick Beatrice up in his arms and tell her how much he appreciated her. He wanted to make a thousand additions to his contract, all about how much he loved her. He sent those thoughts through their connection, and he received a flood of warmth in response.

But Roswaal did not share their joy.

Haunted, empty eyes look past Beatrice and directly at Subaru. "The path has diverged too much," Roswaal said hoarsely. "I can no longer guarantee that I will see my teacher once more."

His lips quivered as he said, "You need to fix this, Subaru Natsuki."

At Subaru's side, Emilia trembled, overwhelmed with the situation. "S-Subaru, what is he talking about? Why is he—"

"It doesn't matter," Subaru said plainly. He met Roswaal's empty eyes with his own determined ones. "I have a family whom I love dearly, and there's the promise of more down the line. I can't return things to how you want them to be."

For a moment, all was silent. Then, a spark of horror appeared in Roswaal's eyes. "Are you saying—"

"Yeah. I am."

The only power he had been given—Return by Death—was gone. He was even more worthless than before.

Roswaal paled further. "You can't…Then, what do I do? How do I bring back my teacher?"

"You don't," Subaru said bluntly. "Move on. Echidna isn't worth it. She wouldn't do this for you, so why do this for her? She doesn't love you, Roswaal. You need to free yourself from her influence. Ignore that stupid Gospel, and—"

With unimaginable speed, Roswaal burst forward, his arm outstretched. For one horrible moment, Subaru worried that his heart would be crushed once more.

But Subaru no longer fought alone. Though he couldn't comprehend why they felt that way, those he loved also loved him in turn. He relied on them to lead the way to his desired future, just as they relied on him to help them reach theirs.

Beatrice appeared in front of him, conjuring a multicolored shield. Right alongside it were two Huma shields and a blade of wind magic.

Roswaal tore through the shields with ease, tossing Beatrice to the side like a ragdoll. Emilia shot an ice spear and a fireball at him, but Roswaal's yellow eye flashed, and the magic was crushed into nothingness.

A mere second after his initial movement, his hand collided with Subaru's chest. A sickening crack filled the air as Subaru felt his ribs break. He flew backward, creating a human-shaped hole in the door and crashing into a tree, dozens of feet away from the lodging.

"You've ruined everything!" Roswaal shouted, but Subaru barely heard it through the ringing in his eardrums. He tried to raise himself up onto his elbows, but he then heard a word that filled him with terror.

"Goa!"

An inferno engulfed his entire body, and he instinctively shut his eyes and mouth. He felt the searing heat threatening to turn his body to ash, but he held on, for he was never alone.

In the Shadow Garden, deep within his soul, a green-haired child stood protectively in front of him. "Don't worry, Baru!" Typhon fiercely declared, her hands outstretched. "I won't let anyone hurt you!"

He didn't deserve her protection, but he trusted her to find the right path forward.

The hellish flames licked at his open wounds, and he barely managed to stop himself from screaming; he couldn't let the flames into his mouth or eyes. Unable to do anything else, he activated Cor Leonis, Third Shift. All the pain in his open wounds consolidated themselves into his heart, exacerbating them a hundred-fold, but at least he only needed to focus on one spot.

Then, like an angel granting him salvation, Emilia extinguished the flames and tackled him in a hug, closely followed by Beatrice and Meili. He quickly let his pain dissipate throughout his body before letting his head fall back onto the now-charred tree. Roswaal approached, but Subaru knew they were safe. His family would protect him.

Finally, he succumbed to the exhaustion and drifted off to sleep.

He found himself in the Shadow Garden, as he so often did. Geuse—now in his body of brown hair and silver eyes—was uncomfortably avoiding Sirius's advances. Satella gave Subaru a wink and a smile. A young, but still very much smug Regulus was pretending to be annoyed as a toddler version of Capella danced around him.

However, there was one more member, welcomed after his first confrontation with Pandora. At Al's request, Subaru had used True Face to remove the Witch Factor of Pride from the older knight. Now, she resided in the Shadow Garden, where she typically pined for Satella's attention.

When he had needed it most, she protected him. He had been horrible to her, yet she stood in front of a wall of flames, acting as a shield. She had staved off the Witch's Touch, even if Pandora had found a loophole. She had prevented him from tearing himself apart in his madness.

Most importantly, however, she had allowed him to embrace Satella, even if he still could not kiss his wife without feeling the frozen lips of the Witch.

He sat down on a floor of darkness next to a green-haired child in a white dress. She bore an innocent smile, hiding a devastating power and a lack of human morals. She held her knees close to her chest as she hummed a discordant tune. In his last life, he had known her for many years. However, unlike most of her brethren, she had not aged at all; her Pride wouldn't let her be affected by a simple thing such as time.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out as if that was an acceptable greeting. Then again, this was the second time he had said hello to one of his Witch Factors in such a manner. "Shit, Typhon, I'm so damn sorry."

She patted his leg in a comforting manner, but she lacked her old Authority, so his body didn't shatter into a thousand pieces. "It's okay, Baru," she consoled as if he hadn't committed unspeakable horrors. "Dona sinned, and you made it better by saving Tella!"

He let loose a mirthless chuckle. "I want to believe you'd excuse me that easily, even if that's the most Witchlike thing I've heard all day. Still, after Geuse, I can't trust my perception of you."

The Witch Factor of Pride, presenting herself as Typhon, stuck her tongue out at him. She yawned and stretched, whining as she did so. "Hey, Baru, can we not play like that for a while? I'm still tired after protecting you from Dora."

He raised his eyebrows. "So, there's a time limit to this Authority of Pride," he mused, "or maybe it caps at a specific energy output. Is that right?"

Typhon hummed noncommittally; he hadn't expected her to know, anyway.

"It feels kinda like a consolation prize compared to Return by Death, but at least I still have something to keep me alive." He looked to Typhon and managed a smile. "Well, I gotta give my new Authority a cool name. Any ideas?

She gave a toothy grin and began rattling off suggestions. "Deathbringer, Holy Axe of Hellfire, Sin Slayer—"

"It's a protection ward, not an endgame weapon!"

She giggled at his exclamation, so he sighed and began to think of a better name. Perhaps one somewhat inspired by the odd girl beside him?

It was the least he could do for her.

Typhon shared her name with the son of Gaea and Tartarus, the father of all monsters. A creature as tall as the stars, it was said that, in place of a head, he had a hundred writhing dragons, spitting fire and poison. Of his many horrifying children, one stuck out to Subaru: Ladon, the draconic guardian of the golden apples in the Guardian of the Hesperides.

Though the golden apples were said to give immortality, they only brought death and misfortune to those who sought them. Likewise, Return by Death could be viewed as immortality, but it had brought nothing but pain and sorrow.

Subaru made his decision.

"Because of you, I can now reach my desired future. Thank you for protecting me, Dragonskin."

The Shadow Garden faded away, but before he woke up, he turned to Typhon and vowed, "When I see the real you, I'm going to apologize."

With that, Typhon's smiling face was replaced by an unfamiliar ceiling.

Overall, he felt fine—having some of the world's best healers at his side came in handy—but his chest ached like crazy. He didn't know if it was an aftereffect of one of his Authorities or an indication that his ribs weren't fully healed, but he was just glad to be alive.

If the mess of silver hair sleeping on his chest was any indication, then Emilia was glad, too.

He brushed her hair to the side with a fond smile. He had been in this situation not too long ago, hadn't he? Though he hated to put her through this—his soaked shirt made it obvious that she had cried herself to sleep—he couldn't deny the fact that he appreciated her…enthusiasm upon finding out that he was okay. Why, especially with recent developments, maybe they could—

"Sinful Barusu, looking at your liege with such lecherous eyes. Kindly die."

Well, there goes that.

Ram was seated at his bedside, trying to hide her concern behind a disapproving mask. "Do not turn your lustful gaze upon me, Barusu. I have not forgotten what Miss Ryuzu told us about your infidelity."

Subaru rolled his eyes and tried to give his obligatory denial, but as soon as he spoke, he flew into a coughing fit. With surprising gentleness, a glass of water was placed into his hands, and Ram helped him slowly gulp the cool liquid down.

"Your throat may have been healed, but we could not easily remove the ashes," Ram explained. "Idiot Barusu, worrying your friends like that. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Subaru blinked. Then, he blinked again before a wide smile threatened to split his face in two. With barely a whisper—so as not to exacerbate his throat—he said, "You just admitted to being my friend."

Ram flipped her hair back with a dismissive "hah."

"How presumptuous of you to think I included myself in that group. I am kind, generous, and cute, but even I wouldn't be friends with literal garbage."

"So harsh!"

She continued to berate him, but as she did so, she continued helping him drink water, patting his back as he choked. He leaned against her, knowing that she would support him.

Eventually, he had recovered enough to ask the burning question that had been on his mind this entire time. "Why aren't you with Ros?"

She pursed her lips before answering. "Lord Roswaal is under close watch by an angry child and a great spirit."

For a moment, the image of a furious Beatrice and Meili circling a listless Roswaal crossed his mind. He didn't know whether to laugh, feel pity, or apologize for worrying them. Eventually, he decided on asking Ram, "Okay, but why are you here with me?"

All was quiet for a moment. Then, at length, she responded with a simple, "It's time."

He stiffened as he recalled the promise that they had made to free Roswaal of his obsession. Still, he had to ask, "Why now?"

She looked at him like he was the stupidest creature she had ever seen. "My little sister comes before anyone else, and that includes Lord Roswaal. Nobody tries to hurt Rem and gets away with it."

The response floored him, even though he knew that he should have expected it. Of course, things would be different this time since Rem's name wasn't eaten.

'Things are also different now that Crusch is gone,' he thought bitterly, but he quickly shoved it out of his mind. He refused to think of them as a trade-off.

He cleared his head and faced Ram once more. "The circumstances have changed," he reminded her. "His desired path or whatever is gone. The methods we discussed won't work."

A stray gust of wind brushed aside her fringe, and she gazed at him with both of her eyes. "Then I will put my trust in you, Subaru Natsuki, to find the best path forward."

Subaru gaped at her, even as the admission filled him with warmth. In another reality, those pink eyes had glared at him with hatred. Now, they displayed trust and a bit of vulnerability. Even in this timeline, she had been more emotional, both positively and negatively. It would be prideful of him to say that it was merely because of his choices. No, it was the continued existence of her younger sister that had allowed Ram to be more of…well, herself.

Had Ram always been like this? Had the erasure of her younger sister caused all her love to be directed towards Roswaal? Was Subaru finally going to get to know the real Ram?

He dipped his head in acknowledgment. "I…Yeah. Okay. You said there's a good man in there, so I'll trust you, too." Then, under his breath, he muttered, "Even if I don't know how it's possible to love a clown like him."

At that, she slapped him across the cheek, leaving a visible red handprint.

"Fuck, that hurt," he grumbled, rubbing his sore cheek. "It really is a bad idea to insult someone's love interest—the hell was that for?!"

Ram fell back into her seat, having just slapped him again. With two angry eyes trained right at him, she made sure he heard her loud and clear. "My little sister comes first. I could never love a man who tries to hurt her."

He looked at her in shock before anger overtook him. "But him sacrificing you is fine?" The image of a half-dead Ram in Roswaal's arms passed through his mind. "The hell kind of logic is that?!"

"It's my retribution!" she spat, surprising him further. "I wouldn't expect an arrogant knight like you to understand!"

"Then help me understand!" he said vehemently, ignoring her comment. Ram hardly ever opened up like this, so he'd be damned if he missed the opportunity to help her. "Is this about your village? Because that's not your fault!"

"It's not about my village!"

"Then what is it? You said you could trust me, so prove it! Let me help you! Tell me what's—"

"I don't know!"

She glared at her lap, breathing heavily after she had shouted that—it was a miracle that Emilia hadn't woken up.

"I don't know," she repeated, albeit much more quietly. "It's a feeling that I can't explain, but I've had it for as long as I can remember. It's not my feeling, but it hurts."

Subaru had seen Ram on the verge of crying only a few times. The first was when he had lost his memory, and as such, didn't remember Rem. The second was when Roswaal broke her heart, admitting that he would sacrifice her little sister in an instant.

Now, she poured her heart out to Subaru, as he truly was the only one who could understand her pain.

Once upon a time, he would have left her be, unsure of how to console her…but he was not the same Subaru Natsuki. He took a chance, a risk, and grasped her hand. She froze for a moment but soon relaxed.

"You're not alone," he whispered. "It's okay to feel this way. Souls are weird, you know? You may have done something in a past life, so the current you wants to atone."

She laughed bitterly, even as she gripped him like a lifeline. Drily, she said, "Of course, Barusu would be a self-proclaimed expert on the metaphysical."

"I've done lots of research on souls," he said ruefully. "Look, Ram…"

He wanted to say that her past life wasn't really her, but to do so meant admitting that he was not Flugel…and that he had never married Satella. Then again, he was the Sage. Apparently, that was some sort of exception. So, he could show empathy while still acknowledging his sins.

He opened his mouth to say that it wasn't her fault, but he then remembered his first meeting with Ram.

He had been ecstatic to wake up in a mansion, greeted by two gorgeous twin maids. This was truly a fantasy world, filled with wondrous magic and beautiful women, and they would all benefit the story's protagonist.

But with Ram, there was the slightest twinge upon seeing her for the first time. It didn't bother him back then, and he didn't even think much of it—he often felt such things around certain people—but now, he wondered just who the woman in front of him truly was.

However, none of that mattered now. His friend was hurting, and he wanted to make it better.

He brushed his thumb over the backs of her knuckles, trying to offer what little comfort he could. "I just want you to know that I understand. Really, I get this stuff, too. If you need to talk, I'm here, and…maybe, if you want, I can use True Face to help you figure it all out."

She shook her head. "These feelings are not mine, but an evil spirit's. I won't concern myself with them. All that matters to me is that I am Rem's cute and lovable older sister."

"Well, all right," he said, "but the offer's always open."

She nodded slowly and looked down at their clasped hands. Then, she tore her hand away and held it close to her chest. "F-filthy Barusu, trying to seduce an innocent maiden. Does your perversion know no bounds?"

He managed a chuckle. "Never change, Ram." She scoffed at his words, but his eyes softened. "Anyway, I have a few ideas for Ros, though I'll need your input on them. It's not some instant fix, and it has its fair share of problems, but it will help a lot of people and put him on the path to healing."

She took a shaky breath and forced her face to return to a normal color. "Y-yes. That is acceptable, even if it came from scum like Barusu." Then, with one eye hidden by her hair, she scathingly said, "If word of this exchange gets out, I will end your life by shoving steamed tatoes down your throat."

"Is your cooking so bad, you can weaponize it?!"

She rolled her eyes, not deigning to give him a response.

He looked down at Emilia, shifting her so that she was in his lap. She seemed tense but was overall sleeping well; he had, admittedly, been worried that she'd be plagued with nightmares.

"I'll be back soon, Emilia-tan. Just hang tight."

In the end, he left Emilia with Ram—after working so hard to heal his broken body, she would be asleep for at least a few more hours—but made sure that the pink-haired maid knew to get him as soon as Emilia awoke.

"She's not in a good place right now," he told Ram. "She'll need me."

Today and the night before, Emilia had acted somewhat similarly to how she did in one of Pandora's alternate worldlines. In that reality, she had been broken and possessive. A mere scratch on his face had forced her into an uncontrollable rage. She had been completely and utterly dependent on him.

He refused to let that come to pass.

'She's just grieving,' he reminded himself. 'She's not broken. I can protect her.'

He'd do anything if it meant keeping that smile on her face, even if he had to walk through hell to achieve that.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, cupping her cheek as he did so. "You'll be okay," he murmured. "I will make you queen, even if I break along the way."

…It seemed that, deep down, he hadn't changed all that much.

He was damn glad that Beatrice and he were contracted; if what she said was to be believed, then he would never fuck up the world again. Then again, there had to have been another worldline where they had added that stipulation to their contract, right? Maybe it wasn't as binding as he thought.

As he walked through the Sanctuary, he realized that it didn't matter. Even if he had misinterpreted the ramifications of their contract, he'd make sure his family stayed safe. No more innocents would die as a result of his hellish actions.

This would be the last worldline.

He followed the familiar, comforting points of light to a different lodging than the one he had been to mere hours ago. Perhaps the other one had been burned down in the conflict.

Subaru could easily tell that Beatrice, Meili, Garfiel, and Roswaal were in there. The former two were tense and angry but were also clearly worried about Subaru. Garfiel was filled with a variety of emotions that, when combined, could be described as "I will protect my home." Their lights burned so brightly and with such power that Subaru couldn't help but feel proud of them.

Roswaal's light, on the other hand, was barely visible; he was a void of emptiness, as he believed that there was no point in living anymore. Subaru was half-tempted to leave the Margrave like that, but he had long ago made a promise to Ram, and he had renewed it today.

He stood outside the door, thinking, 'I literally did this a few hours ago. Isn't it kind of repetitive?' Then, he realized that he'd done everything at least twice so far, and that's not even including Pandora shenanigans.

With that morbid thought, he pushed open the door and was immediately tackled by a blonde rocket.

"Damn, two for two?" he said, though it was muffled by blonde hair. "Should I thank you for the hug, or apologize?"

"H-hug Betty back, I suppose," she mumbled. He was more than happy to oblige.

"'s 't true?" he heard Garfiel ask with a sense of grim admiration. "Y'were actually lit on fire?"

"He was," Meili said scathingly, surprising all of them with her vehemence. She stood on shaky legs, glaring at Roswaal with her fists clenched. Bat-like mabeasts flew around her head, poised to strike at any moment. "He hurt Subaru while we sat there, useless."

Roswaal, laying down on the bed, didn't do much more than shake his head. His face was pale and plain as he waited to die.

The mabeasts grew frantic as they closed in on the broken man, but they did not attack. "I won't be useless anymore," Meili vowed. "I won't be a burden. Subaru c-cares about me, so I'll protect him from you! You won't get through me and my birdies!"

A hand on her shoulder broke her out of her rage. "Thank you, Meili," Subaru said, his voice as calm as ever. "Knowing I can rely on you is more than enough."

It wasn't enough for her, and it would never be enough. How could she repay him if she could never protect him?

Why was he smiling at her when she was so useless?

Subaru squeezed her shoulder and turned to Roswaal. "I was wrong about you," he began with an air of casualness. "I thought you liked me, especially after we came to that…agreement, but you didn't. You hated me."

Roswaal said nothing.

"At first, I thought it was because of Dona, what with her being utterly obsessed with me." Subaru forced down the smug sense of self-satisfaction as Roswaal flinched slightly. "But that's not it, is it? No, you hate me for the same reason that I hate you.

"You hate me…because we're exactly the same."

Roswaal finally raised his eyes to meet Subaru's. "How?" he asked hoarsely.

"How are we alike?" Subaru asked with raised eyebrows. "I mean, aside from the whole 'let the world burn if it means saving her' mentality? Well, there's also—"

"Not that."

Roswaal's yellow eye pierced through Subaru. He may have looked lost, but he demanded an answer, nonetheless. "How did you have the strength to beat him, yet you were weak enough to become like me?"

Oh.

Theta's tale passed through Subaru's mind. Roswaal had been utterly mutilated by Hector, yet Subaru had sealed the Warlock with ease. To see the Sage fall apart so easily—and the Gospel would most certainly let Roswaal know what had actually happened—must have been a major blow to his pride.

…But that wasn't exactly it, was it?

"You saved the one you love," Roswaal said lowly. "You tossed everything aside and placed her first. As a result, she lived."

A spark of anger appeared in the Margrave's eyes. "How did you succeed in such a short time when I have failed after four hundred years?"

Subaru sighed, trying not to lose his temper. "I haven't saved her. She still needs me to right my wrongs."

"But she's alive," Roswaal hissed.

Subaru shook his head in frustration. "Only a Witch would think like that."

"Ram believes you're still human" was left unsaid.

He closed his eyes as vague, partially unlocked images flowed through his mind. "Let's make a deal, Ros. Not a contract, or anything like that. Just…a deal."

Roswaal laughed bitterly. "What could you offer me? The Gospel is silent. It has fallen off its course."

"That's fine. We don't need it."

Towards the end of his last life, the Od Laguna had told him what his Authorities would be as well as how to use them. Pandora had placed a block on those memories—similar to the one she had placed on Emilia—but, after confronting her in the capital, he had begun to remember parts of it. He could now use True Face to remove foreign substances, use Cor Leonis, Third Shift to stave off death, and use Dragonskin to protect himself.

But there was more, and he couldn't save Satella without that knowledge.

"I'll take the Trials," Subaru said aloud. "Before it stopped saying stuff, that's what your Gospel wanted me to do, right?"

Completing them would free the Sanctuary, yes, but it would also unblock his memories. Subaru strongly believed that, just like how some of those memories had helped him save Geuse, there was one that would free Roswaal from Echidna's thrall.

All was quiet. Then, Roswaal rose from the bed with a bit of life in his eyes. "What if you fail?" he asked warily.

Subaru didn't even have to think about it. "Then I keep going until I succeed."

"And when you do succeed?"

"We'll discuss that when the time comes."

Any other time, Roswaal would have demanded to know more information, or he might have even tried to force Subaru to reset. Now, however, this was his only option.

"I accept, Subaru Natsuki."

With clasped hands and a simple nod, their deal was made.

Subaru, Beatrice, and Meili slowly walked out of the building—Meili refused to be carried any longer, but still hadn't fully recovered—when they were called back.

"Wait up, Cap'n!"

Garfiel stood at the open door, standing guard; it was unlikely that Roswaal would try anything, but the Shield of the Sanctuary fulfilled his role admirably. Even so, he was still a child, so he looked at Subaru in awe.

"'Captain' already?" Subaru muttered under his breath. Last time, he had to go through a punch-out with Garfiel to get that privilege, but he supposed that being lit on fire was deemed to be enough suffering. That, or he just had the required character development already, like with the Royal Selection.

At a normal volume, he asked, "You need something from me?"

Garfiel ran his hand through his hair. "H-how d'ya do tha'?" he asked fervently.

Subaru tilted his head to the side and asked, "You mean telling someone off?"

Garfiel dismissed Subaru with a wave of his hand. "My amazin' self does tha' all th'time. Nah, my amazin' self wants t'be all inspirin' and all that.

Garfiel struck a pose, unintentionally—actually, it was likely quite intentional—copying Subaru. "Oh, great Slayer of Sin Archbishops, Bane 'f Mabeasts, 'n Knight 'f th'Silver-Haired Half-elf…teach my amazin' self how t'be awesome."

Keeping his face blank, Subaru thought, 'Shit, is that what I sound like when I think I'm being cool?'

But he wouldn't be so cruel as to say that aloud. The wind blew through the clearing, as he let the moment drag on. With impeccable timing, he spoke: "Garfiel Tinsel, the Shield of the Sanctuary, and future Knight of the Kingdom…I hereby take you as my student."

The sheer excitement on Garfiel's youthful face was enough to make Subaru's day that much better.

Of course, there wasn't exactly much time for a lesson; he was only able to give a few quick tips about posture before Beatrice dragged him back to meet with Emilia.

"Your little girlfriend won't want to be alone, I suppose," the spirit said.

"Ram's right there," Subaru reminded her, but he knew what she meant. Honestly, with everything that had happened, they had all been varying degrees of clingy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been alone for anything more than bathing or walking to be with someone else.

In the distance, he saw some of the villagers from Arlam. Petra waved like crazy to him, looking relieved at his condition. The older girl next to her, bearing similar features, gave a wide smile filled with gratitude. It seemed the Leyte family had finally been completed, even if Subaru had only recently learned that they had been broken.

Meili and Petra traded smiles, but the purple-haired girl carefully avoided looking at Rebecca. She was just another reminder of Meili's many failures and broken promises.

Subaru was tempted to go over there and say hello, but a pinprick of light caught his attention. Emilia was desperate, depressed, fearful; it was clear that she was having a nightmare. He felt Ram—and now Rem, as well—feeling anxious.

After quickly informing Beatrice of the situation, he broke apart from them and ran forward, swearing to himself along the way. He hadn't let Emilia sleep alone since he had attempted suicide, and her nightmares were already bad enough with both him and Beatrice there. He was an idiot, both for leaving her alone and for causing her this pain in the first place.

He burst into the door, startling Ram and Rem. "When did this start?" he asked, skipping the greetings.

"Just a minute ago," Rem replied, worry evident in her tone. "She won't wake up."

He gazed upon Emilia's sweaty, pallid face as he considered his options. Obviously, shaking her awake hadn't worked. He refused to try her kissing method; he may have been about to marry her, but she was still asleep.

Then, with dawning horror, he realized what might be happening. There was only one option.

He sat down beside Emilia and grabbed one of her hands; it was purely for his own comfort, though he wasn't about to say that aloud. "Don't let anyone disturb us," he told Ram and Rem. "I'm about to do something that requires quite a bit of concentration."

Without waiting for a response, Subaru combined both True Face and Cor Leonis, entering—

Cold. The metal on her bare back and the chains binding her wrists and ankles were freezing. She told herself that she was okay with being restrained and revealed; it was the least she could do for the one who had saved her life.

"You really are something special," her mother said. That beloved voice was calm, charming, melodic. It was the voice that had called out to her while she was dying in an alleyway and the one that had humbly requested her for this meager task. "The love of the world flowing from your soul…It truly is wonderful."

"Does it…make you…happy?" she asked, out of breath. She had managed to not scream this time, but it still sapped her energy.

She wished that she was stronger. She wished that she was able to stay awake after helping Mother with her experiments. She had always felt so ashamed to wake up days later and find out that she had prevented her mother from using her laboratory to its maximum efficiency.

That was why she knew Mother's answer without needing to hear it.

"There is no happiness," Mother stated plainly. "There is only Greed, and it cannot be satiated while my body clings to this mortal plane."

She had already known the answer, but it broke her heart, nonetheless.

"Wh-what about another experiment?" she asked, shoving down the apprehension that filled her. "I-I can handle it, I promise!"

Mother's beautiful black eyes met her own ugly, purple ones. They softened at the contact, and that made all the pain worth it. "Truly interesting," Mother murmured. "Only thirteen years old, yet your tolerance exceeds most adults. It is truly fortunate that she had led me to you."

"S-so you're happy?" she asked pathetically. "O-or, well, happier?"

With their eyes still meeting, Mother gave the slightest of smiles. "I suppose I am. Your power stands opposite of mine, yet your dedication leads me to the path of satisfaction. You truly are fascinating, Satella."

She smiled widely. Mother had saved her life, so that approval made it all worth it.

At least, that's what she told herself as the tools were brought over.

She steeled herself in preparation. She had done this every night for two years. Surely, a few more wouldn't—

"Hayresh."

The rune was carved into her inner thigh, but the pain filled her entire body. Fire coursed through her every vein as the esoteric symbol was drawn, and she bit down hard on her bottom lip to prevent herself from screaming.

The moment the rune was completed, Mother incanted, "Lo Jiwahl."

It was not simple fire magic, which would burn the area. This was a blazing-hot, concentrated beam of yang magic in the shape of the rune. charring it into her skin. She almost wished it were fire magic; that way, it wouldn't cut so deep. She hated herself for it, but she thrashed against the restraints.

"Please, stop moving," her mother scolded. "It's the least you could do for me."

It was, it was absolutely nothing compared to her life, even if she hated her life, even if she wanted the pain to end, it was nothing compared to Mother saving her, the least she could do was stop screaming, the—

The pain stopped.

Her eyes shot open, and she looked around wildly. Mother didn't just stop, even when she had pathetically begged that one time. Why wasn't she in the laboratory? Why was she in her room? Where was Mother? What was happening?

The door opened, and an unfamiliar man with striking eyes walked in. She knew those eyes, even if she didn't know the handsome face it was attached to.

Instinctively, she covered her hideous body and its disgusting scars, but he acted like he didn't even notice. He didn't seem to feel much of anything aside from a sense of peace. His unchanging demeanor creeped her out, yet she didn't find herself scampering away, like when that other man had accidentally stumbled upon her.

"Wh-who are you?" She held the blanket close to her body. "Where did Mother go?"

The man sat down at the edge of the bed and gave her a small smile. "You don't have to worry about her," he said quietly. "I'm here now. You're safe, Emilia."

Emilia.

Emilia, Emilia, Emilia.

Not Satella?

"Why do you call me that?" she asked, letting her eyes meet his. They were not black, like Mother's, but a stunning dark-brown. "Why does that name feel so…right?"

Su—The man reached for her hand, and she instinctively took it. With more affection than she'd ever heard in her life, he told her, "Emilia, Satella, it doesn't really matter with your half of the soul. They're both your name." His smile widened, much to her bewilderment. "Now, I'm tempted to give you a red pill to wake up, but I think you saying that you're ready is good enough."

She didn't understand, but she expected nothing less. Mother always did say that she was annoyingly slow.

Even so, this man…She didn't know why, but she trusted him. He had always saved her, hadn't he? He had always been there for her. Subaru had always loved her.

The tears began to fall, she whispered a few words, and she woke up in his arms.

"Don't go," she whispered as her nails dug into his back. Even as she unconsciously gripped him harder, the soft skin didn't break. "Don't go, don't leave me, don't die, don't get hurt, please don't, please just be safe…"

He tucked her into his chest and stroked her hair. "I'm right here, Emilia-tan. It was just a…well, it wasn't a nightmare, was it?" She could feel his sad eyes bearing down at her. "It seems you really are getting back your memories, aren't you? Shit, I'm…I'm so sorry you have to deal with that."

"That's not important," she protested, as she was never alone in dealing with them. "It's you! You were almost taken from me again! I j-just want you to go a day without almost dying, Subaru!"

She hated, hated, hated how he brushed off her plea; he even seemed to be on the verge of laughing. To Subaru, the thought of him not being in danger was ridiculous. Why couldn't he see that he had earned a happy, relaxing life?

'You may not see it, but I do, Subaru. You've earned your happily ever after, and in the end, I'll make sure you have it, even if I lose myself along the way.'

In the meantime, however, she'd just have to make sure she knew where he was at all times.

Subaru gathered the members of their Camp and made sure everyone was on the same page, which included an explanation of how he had survived Roswaal's inferno.

"The Authority of Pride," Rem echoed, not bothering to hide her distaste of the words. "If anyone but you had that ability, well…"

The sound of chains filled his mind, and he could have sworn that he saw his own eyeball rolling across the floor. "Y-yeah," he said nervously. "Bet you'd kill them really fast…"

"But will this protect you?" Emilia interjected anxiously. "Will it be enough?"

Subaru took a deep breath to gather himself and shook his head. Her heart plummeted to the bottom of her stomach as he said, "It's literally just protection for my skin. I can still get broken bones or ruptured organs. Yesterday proved that you're just as likely to find me with a disintegrated skull, bones sticking out, blood everywhere, and…ow, dammit!"

Beatrice glared at him, having just pinched his forearm. "Don't use such grotesque imagery, I suppose," she scolded. "You're scaring the purple thing, in fact."

"I'm not scaaared," Meili protested, right on cue. They were acting like she was some kind of kid. "I prooomised to protect him, didn't I?"

But she couldn't. She was useless. She let him get hurt.

Subaru ruffled her hair, almost undoing her braid. "And that's why Dragonskin works," he proudly informed her. "When I go off on my own and don't really consult people on my plans, things go south. I need people to tell me when I'm being stupid, or I'll never get to where I want to be. I'd say it's 'the power of friendship,' but it's more that I overcame that specific aspect of my pride."

She blinked at him, bewildered. Slowly, she asked, "You…you trust us?"

He let out a chuckle. "Course I do."

Her eyes flicked to the strangers in the room for a moment before zeroing back in on Subaru. "Aaall of us?"

"Well, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You know how I said I'd take care of you?"

She nodded furiously. She hadn't stopped thinking about it since it had happened. He wasn't trying to take it back, right? He wouldn't—

"And that won't ever change!" he reassured her, having noticed her tense up. "I don't care if it's from a monster, a Sin Archbishop, or a boy trying to take you away from me. I said I'd protect you, and I meant it…but you're stronger than me."

She didn't believe that last part for an instant. Mama had only kept her around for this long because her ability had niche uses; her worth as a toy had expired a couple of years ago, anyway. She wasn't like Elsa, who was one of the world's strongest fighters. She was Meili, and she was only kept around on a whim. For Subaru, the man who had killed Whaley and Rabby, to claim that he had faith in her abilities was unthinkable.

…But Subaru would never lie to her. She saw the sincerity in his eyes. He trusted her to keep him safe, just like he trusted the others in the room.

Subaru trusted her.

She stood up abruptly, startling the other occupants. "I'm going to stand guard," she said resolutely. She spun on her aching heel and strode towards the door, not looking behind her. She would keep him safe.

"Mei—purple thing!" Beatrice called out. "Betty's coming too, in fact!"

Meili frowned as the door closed behind them. "Subaru trusts me to protect him," she reminded Beatrice.

The spirit waved her off. "Betty will let you have your character moment, but only after Betty kindly informs you of how negligent you are, I suppose."

Meili blinked at the unfamiliar word. "Negligent?"

"Careless. Reckless. Rash. Irresponsible."

Meili tried not to let it show on her face, but every word hammered into her skull. Subaru may have believed in her, but Beatrice didn't. Beatrice was also really smart, and—

"…What are you doing?"

Beatrice had fallen to her knees and grabbed Meili's injured leg. "You're exactly like Betty's Subaru, I suppose," she grumbled, even as she gently pushed healing magic into the shaking limb. "Not only are you walking far more than the healer had ordered, but you've even run at least three times today, in fact. This is most unfortunate for Betty, who is worried about her li—"

She trailed off and blushed. "Th-that is to say, worried about the purple thing being hurt further."

Meili frowned. She was fine. She wouldn't be useless anymore. Even so, she couldn't help but whisper, "Thank you. I'm fine now."

Beatrice huffed, having regained her composure. "Of course, you're fine. Betty is an excellent healer, so it's only natural that your pain would shoo away, I suppose."

They stayed in companionable silence for some time. Beatrice sat on the steps, letting Meili stand guard. It was silly, of course; Beatrice was powerful enough to protect her hopeless contractor on her own, thank you very much. She simply wanted to let the purple thing have her moment, was all. Why, she might even—

"…Meili."

The young girl turned her head as her name was called. "Hmm?"

"…It smells like mabeast dung, I suppose," Beatrice deadpanned. With a bit of dread, she looked up. The same flying mabeasts from before were circling her, and one had defecated right next to her. If she weren't about to make a portal, she might have used up the rest of her mana on an Al Shamac just to get rid of the feces.

"It's just what birdies do," Meili said casually. She tilted her head to the side as a thought came to her. "You guys talked about a barrier, right? How did my birdies get in here?"

Beatrice scooted away from the cursed creatures. "The barrier doesn't protect against mabeasts," she explained, "since so few people can create them. Mother only wanted protection from demihumans, though it's intended mostly for a half-elf, in fact."

Suddenly, she stiffened, and a deep scowl formed on her face.

"What's wrong?" Meili asked, not taking her eyes off the wary passersby. It seemed most people weren't sure how to act around a calm child surrounded by hellish monstrosities.

"My contractor is an idiot, I suppose," Beatrice grouched, having listened to his conversation through their connection. "Was he really going to go through with this plan without telling us, I wonder? There are far too many flaws, in fact."

"If Subaru thought of it, then it's fine," Meili stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Beatrice didn't seem too thrilled, but she didn't bother to argue. The bond between spirit and contractor was one of absolute trust, after all.

The discussion inside continued well into the evening. Meili fought down her exhaustion, keeping her eyes trained on the now-empty road.

"He's coming, I suppose," Beatrice said, breaking the silence.

Right on time, the door opened, and a wary Subaru walked out. Beside him, Emilia gripped his hand tight, as if worried he'd float away if he let go.

"I believe in you," she told him quietly. "You don't have any memory blocks aside from specific bits of information, so you should be able to pass it easy-peasy."

"No one talks like that," he said drily. "All right, I know what'll happen. I'll say goodbye to my parents, see a few…visions—and I already know they're false because Ella told me—and then I'll see a possible future."

She squeezed his hand. "But you're still worried, aren't you, love?"

He sighed. She always saw right through him. "Because I'm me," he said. "Something always goes wrong."

She gave him a brilliant smile. "You're my Subaru. I bet you'll get them all on your first try."

He chuckled. "Even after everything, you still keep your optimism," he said fondly. "When I got my memories, my pessimism got a hundred times worse."

"Mine helped me realize how important it is to cherish what's left."

Subaru froze. He had never thought of it that way. He merely grieved what he had destroyed. "I don't know how you do it," he mumbled, "but you manage to surprise me every day."

She leaned into him with a satisfied smile. Whether it was shameless affection, drawing comfort from his presence, or making a statement to anyone who might see them, neither knew.

Beatrice cleared her throat. The two looked up but didn't break apart. "Betty's Subaru should be ashamed of such lewd conduct, let alone in public, I suppose."

"You've spent too much time with Ram!"

A "hah" announced the pink-haired demon's presence. "Barusu is incorrect, as usual. I am not as lovely as my cute sister, but one can never get enough of my presence."

At her sister's side, Rem giggled. "To be fair, I haven't seen Sister spending time with Lady Beatrice. Have you considered that she's merely able to recognize perverted behavior?"

Emilia pouted. "All we've done is hold hands…"

In confusion, Meili looked at the aforementioned clasped hands. Elsa had often made off-hand comments about things being lewd—even if she wasn't sure what that meant—but holding hands had never been one of the examples.

Meili placed her palms together and intertwined her fingers. It didn't seem inappropriate, and both Subaru and Beatrice had held her hands, so she didn't quite understand. Then again, Elsa had often gotten frustrated because she was slow on the uptake. Also, Beatrice was smart, and she had said it was lewd, so it must be lewd. Meili should probably just accept it and be done with it.

She shrugged her shoulders. She'd wanted to walk without help, anyway.

The tomb itself wasn't far from their temporary lodging. When they arrived, they were welcomed by…well, not the primary Sanctuary residents. Ram and Rem had said that the people here would jump at the chance to be freed—even if Garfiel had been wary—but it was still unlikely that they would know that the Trials would be taken at that moment.

Then, how did Theta know? Or was she literally just standing there waiting for hours?"

"It took you long enough, Young Su," she grouched. "I had high hopes for your entertainment value, but you left a tired old woman waiting for so long."

"You're four hundred years old, yet you can't handle sitting around for a few hours?" he asked incredulously.

She tilted her head up, revealing her smile. "Ten years may feel the same as a hundred, but an hour is always an hour, even at my age." She nodded at Emilia, asking, "Wouldn't you agree?"

Emilia looked confused. "Eh? How would I know? I've only been alive…or, well, aware, for about nineteen years."

Theta frowned. "Ah, my apologies. I must have mistaken you for somebody else."

Emilia fidgeted nervously. "Wh-what do you mean?"

At Emilia's side, Beatrice tapped her chin in thought. How would Theta recognize Emilia? Judging by how she had said it, it didn't have anything to do with the Witch of Envy. If anything, it was more like…

Oh no.

"It's nothing, in fact!" Beatrice said quickly. All eyes turned to her, and she blushed. "The clone is clearly mistaken, I suppose!"

Theta looked confused for a moment before her eyes twinkled mischievously. "I see," she said airily. "I must be misremembering the drawing."

"There's no drawing, in fact!" Beatrice said in a panic. "End of conversation, I suppose!"

"Come on, I gotta hear this," Subaru said with a grin. "What drawing?"

Beatrice covered her face and muffled her scream with her palms.

Theta reached into the pocket of her robes. "It's one of the last remnants of the old Sanctuary," she explained. "None of us clones knew what it was until I took the Trial, and even then, I was only able to determine one of the people depicted."

She looked at Emilia and said, "You looked so familiar, and I thought it was because you were the woman in the drawing."

She held out a weathered piece of paper, barely held together after being carried for four hundred years. Emilia gingerly unfolded it before covering her mouth. Tears came to her eyes; the figures depicted were poorly drawn but had easily recognizable characteristics. "Did you…make this?"

Beatrice nodded slowly. "It's so embarrassing, I suppose," she mumbled. "Betty was one year old and going through an art phase, in fact. Please, just…just…I suppose?"

Emilia had fallen to her knees and wrapped Beatrice in a hug, letting the tears fall freely.

"I love you sooo much, Beatrice," she whispered into the spirit's ear.

Beatrice turned as red as a tomato. "Wh-what are you doing, saying such silly things? What brought this on, I wonder?"

'Say it back, you fool,' Beatrice thought, 'say it back!' Now's the perfect time, in fact!'

However, what came out was, "Is now really the time for such things, I wonder?!"

Emilia giggled and pointed out, "There's never a wrong time to say, 'I love you.'"

"There you go again, I suppose! Have you no shame, I wonder?!"

No, she didn't. She just hugged Beatrice tighter, and the spirit easily reciprocated, even as denial after denial was spat out.

Subaru came over, and Emilia handed him the paper. His eyes widened as he took in the contents. "Holy shit," he mumbled. "Beatrice, did you…"

Beatrice nodded into Emilia's shoulder.

"But that's…us," he whispered so that the others wouldn't hear. "You, Ella, and…is that me?"

Subaru knew that his appearance differed depending on who was looking at him. That was strange enough, but it was even weirder to be seen as a blonde. Nonetheless, it was most definitely him, Satella, and Beatrice.

He sniffled as he looked at the messy silver lines and amethyst dots, holding hands with a short collection of blonde, curly squiggles. "Beako, you…you didn't hate us?"

Her head shot up in shock. "Betty could never hate you two, in fact!" she exclaimed, as if she couldn't believe he'd ask something so ridiculous. "Betty missed you both so, so much!"

She couldn't get out another word, because suddenly, she was squished in a hug on all sides.

"Maybe…your flame would have stayed bright," he muttered, much to her confusion. Still, she was used to his nonsense, so she awkwardly tried to reach around and hug him, too. It resulted in a fumbling mess of limbs and torsos, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Then, Subaru planted a massive kiss on Beatrice's cheek, shot up with his back straight, pointed his finger into the air, and declared, "All right, everyone! It's time to watch all of my fuck-ups!"

Before anyone could ask if he was mentally stable, he ran off. A brilliant pale-green glow emanated from the tomb as it declared him worthy of the Trials.

Silence descended upon the clearing. Nobody moved for almost two minutes.

"I take it back," Theta deadpanned. "Young Su's chaos is an entirely different brand of entertainment."

"It's exhausting," Emilia corrected. "But that's my Subaru, and that's how I like him."

"It's certainly hard to keep up with," Rem agreed, "but it tends to lead us to the right places."

Ram scowled. "If Barusu did not have exceptionally good timing, then I would have smacked him for his antics."

"Sister, you smack him anyway."

"Because he's Barusu."

Luckily, Emilia was oblivious to those last two comments, as she had turned her attention back to Beatrice. She wanted so badly to tell the spirit about her recent betrothal, but she and Subaru had agreed to wait until everything was done with the Sanctuary before announcing it.

For now, she would simply enjoy Beatrice's embrace. She now saw why Subaru and Beatrice were so cuddly with each other. Beatrice was small, light, and easy to hold, but she was also warm and filled with love. How was it that such a love-filled girl came from such a loathed woman? Perhaps the two forces could coexist in one being?

She pushed her idle musings aside. "Um, Theta?" she called out. "How long, exactly, are the Trials? How will we know if he's finished one of them? Does he have to come out between them?"

"You ask many questions," Theta said before Emilia could ask another one. "I know the answers to approximately zero of them."

Meili let out a yawn, even as she continued to scan the perimeter. "So, we just…haaave to…wait…" Her eyelids fluttered shut for a moment before bursting open. She wouldn't let the area stay unguarded. What if the clown came back? Besides, she'd once stayed up for four days straight in order to finish a mission. This was a piece of cake.

A hand fell on her shoulder, causing her to jump away, looking around wildly. She had drifted off again, hadn't she? Did something happen to Subaru?

Emilia walked into her light of sight. "We don't know how time works in there," the half-elf said softly. "He could be in there for a reeaally long time, so let's take turns standing guard, all right?"

Meili plastered a smile on her face. She had promised to protect Subaru, not sleep while others watched over him!

Emilia squatted so their eyes were level. "I'm very protective of my knight," she said with a grin. "Beatrice, too. So long as one of us is watching, he'll be fine."

Meili matched that grin, but it was wavering. "Yeah, Subaru will be juuust fine because I'll be watching over him!"

"And you will after you rest for a bit," Emilia insisted. She pulled out a cloak and handed it to Meili, presumably to use as a blanket or something. "At least try to get some sleep, all right? I'll even conjure a little fire so you don't catch a cold."

Meili's smile dropped as she held up the cloak in her arms. It was white, unlike both Elsa's cloak and the dress that Emilia currently wore, but it had the same strange feel to it. Even an idiot like Meili was able to detect the magic in every thread. A bit lost, she asked, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Emilia tilted her head. "Why wouldn't I?"

'Because I'm a murderer. Because I'm stupid. Because I don't deserve your kindness. Because I could never hope to pay you back.'

Meili smiled. "No reeaason! Wake me up in a bit, okay?"

'They're not gonna wake me up,' she thought bitterly. 'What can I do that they can't?'

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

She bundled herself in the cloak, trying not to cry as she drifted off to sleep.

Several hours later, she was woken up.

She rubbed her eyes, taking in the impossible situation before her. Emilia, barely conscious, asked if she could sleep for a couple of hours while Meili kept watch.

"Wake me up if you see anything," the half-elf ordered. "Subaru still hasn't come out."

Meili blinked, now fully alert. They had actually woken her up? They trusted her?

She didn't have time to ask anything, as Emilia had laid down on the stone ground and promptly fell asleep.

Beatrice came over and gazed at Emilia in concern. "Subaru's little girlfriend was tired out from a panic attack, in fact. She hasn't been away from Subaru for this long since that incident last month, so this must be hard on her, I suppose."

Meili didn't know what incident Beatrice was referring to, but she thought she understood. She had panicked on her first solo mission, too.

As she scanned the area while Beatrice watched the tomb, she realized that she preferred her current partner to her old one, even if that hurt to admit.

However, after twelve more hours passed, no one was feeling any sense of fondness.

"I need to get in there!" Emilia yelled at Beta less than a minute after trading spots with Meili again. Theta had run out of energy and had to leave, and her replacement was even more clueless than she had been. "My knight's been in there for almost an entire day! He hasn't eaten, drank, or anything! He could be dead!"

Beatrice tugged on Emilia's arm. "Betty's Subaru is fine," she reminded the anxiety-riddled woman. "Betty would know if anything happened to him, in fact."

But he was alone, and he wasn't okay, and something was wrong. She knew that something was amiss, yet she couldn't do anything unless she checked on him.

"Please, come back soon," she whispered, training her eyes on the tomb. The eerie glow lit up the area, even in broad daylight. Subaru was right there, and she should just—

"Wait, Betty can't feel him anymore, in fact!"

Emilia whipped around and grabbed Beatrice by the shoulders. "What happened?! Is he okay?!"

The spirit began to hyperventilate. She had never lost connection with Subaru; even when unconscious, she had felt their bond.

Emilia turned away and dashed towards the tomb, intent on getting to Subaru as soon as possible.

She was too late.

A wall of shadows rose up, and she crashed into it like it was made of stone. She looked on in horror as it surrounded the tomb, preventing anyone from getting in…or out.

Amidst the fear and panic, a thought passed through her mind. 'The focus is entirely on the tomb. The others aren't in danger.'

That didn't make her feel better in the slightest. Subaru was inside. Subaru was in danger.

She threw everything she could at the wall, both fire and ice, but nothing broke through. She even tried to tap into her better half's aptitude for the other colors of magic, but she encountered a wall even more solid than the shadows before her.

She screamed his name, but he could not answer, for he was in the clutches of the Witch of Envy.