At last, my friends: Action!
I'll keep the author notes for last, here's not the place.
Please, enjoy!
Burning all to find the Sage
"So then-so then- ma amazin' self got hit smack dab by tha wave of princess Emilia's cold mana and thought on tha' spot: we bout ta hit it off 'gain ta fight!" Unseen enemies were boxed away by Garfiel's theatric punches. "So imagine tha' dumbstruck state when meself sniffed Cap'n's scent over a rough looking, ice gouging, angry talking, terrible behavin-"
"Yeah, yeah, Garf, everyone gets it, now please stop talking." Interjected Otto with a clipped tone.
With a glistening sheen of sweat over his forehead, the jade dressed minister patted his friend and gathered his wits about. Letting the youngster talk like that on and on was really not earning him any good diplomatic marks.
Like Od! He got it already!
"Garf wouldn't calm the second you got closer Natsuki-san. Goes to show, that presence of yours, I must stress out." Adopting a thinking pose, Otto sized Subaru from head to toes and tsk-ed uncertainly. He honestly did not like what he saw. "You look absolutely terrible!"
"Hey!"
In response, Subaru had the decency to sneak a peek at his 'exotic' appeal, judging from Lugnican standards. Maybe a bit overkill with the arrangement, he'd agree.
But top 10 fashion trends back over the Empire!
"These clothes where goo-"
"Mn-na-ah, Otto-bro ain't talkin' 'bout ya clothes, Cap'n." Instantly, Garfiel shook his head, mimicking a wise disagreement. However, peeking through a half-lidded eye the orange tiger fighter swiftly backed up form Otto's line of sight to mutely mouth to Subaru.
"Tha' look's so fekin' cool! Cap'n's gotta show me too a thing 'bout that!"
Ladies and gentlemen: the boy had no limits! Who would have guessed?
But how could Garfiel keep quiet abut such a cool flair?
Exactly.
"Exactly! Garf's right a-abou-ab-" Otto unsuspectingly, yet unsettled, repeatedly turned between Subaru and Garfiel like a bumbling old man before resuming. He could've sworn to see something out the corner of his eyes. "-about your condition, Natsuki-san. Are those blood stains?"
"Uhh… Rough travel?"
"Natsuki-san!"
"Ei, ei, aren't these things that are supposed to not be asked by fellow brothers? Where's the appreciation in battle wounds?" Acceptably ashamed, Subaru slyly attempted to appeal more on Garfiel's side of a warrior heart and completely disregard Otto's concerns.
"Anymore and Otto will start competing with Beatrice; don't sweat it."
By this point it all felt too late to consider what happened. And moreover, from the emerging philosophy Subaru inadvertently was developing, what Otto concerned over wasn't really worth the bother.
Things got out of hand, he did his best, and all's well that ends well. The end.
"Cap'n's kinda right though brOtto! Ma amazin' self can't deny!" As reliable as ever, Garfeil was an Od-sent. Unfortunately, as much as Subaru shared in esthetic taste with his demi-human brother, that also didn't cover for more worrying details.
"Still, meself's gotta ask, Cap'n" Garfiel nodded his head up and down in scrutiny. "Ya look, a few numbers thinner. 'S a… 's a joke. Right?"
Subaru wasn't shaved properly; his raven black hair was a mess. If one were to hug him, a terrible reek of iron would invade your nostrils. And most strikingly, Subaru's whole body gave off a peevish impression.
Garfiel was one individual marked forever by an undying memory establishing who this man was and will remain as; authorities go fuck themselves since this was about Boss he talked about.
For the months of separation suffered, Subaru didn't look anything alike to the one in their memories.
Pain or difficulty, whatever the hardship, meant jack shit if Boss deigned it beneath himself. Garfiel knew since his turning point: Subaru would lead and he would follow. Nothing could topple this one, the warrior was resolute.
And yet.
His vagabond-like presence put aside… why were his eyes like that? Not empty; not hollowed out; not unnerved; not shattered; not depressed.
But so resigned.
A sad deliverance swirled inside the void of his irises.
Like a bittersweet conclusion, had taken root within him.
…
In another order of ideas, once riding out the waves of wild joy, the sight of Subaru began to affect them.
What had gotten him so haggard?
Why did he look so unbothered about this issue?
Most of all, how was he here?!
It was no secret to any living citizen within this kingdom: Passing through Vollachia to anywhere was like making a round across the world and back.
Which implied many things considering this world's shattered geography!
"I'm sensing a long and overdue discussion bubbling up~" With a sly countenance, Subaru contentedly broke the energetic silence.
"Sensing?! Natsuki-san, you can't imagine what kind of ideas were slipping by the border!" Otto snapped from aweing at their reunion, quickly remarked. "You better have prepared a list, because we're talking right now over a drink!"
"Hm-hm, aside brOtto's excuse for easy alcohol," Garfiel swiftly dodged the pointed look of Suwen by focusing at the duo of Subaru and Wilhelm. "Ma amazin' self's curious in the same measure. How's it tha' Cap'n made it back like so?" Garfiel snapped his fingers to enforce the idea. "And with tha' Sword Demon along! 'm jealous, to be honest."
"Well Wilhelm is a living legend." Subaru spoke in a matter of fact cadence. Very reminiscent of a specific loli he happened to be in a forgotten time crunch to find. "Who wouldn't be jealous?"
"Meself was thinkin' more on the who found ya firs-"
"Wait, Subaru, BEATRICE!"
With the intensity of a screeching mabeast in heat, Otto hollered over Garfeil at the top of his lungs.
"Otto-san, if possible?" Gently, Wilhelm spoke up by gesticulating with his thumb and pointer for the minister to lower his volume. How well mannered.
"Ah-hk-s-sorry, sorry." Nearly bashing his head in the dirt at the foreign experience of Wilhelm van Astrea speakin to him, Otto quieted down. "But Natsuki-san, let us stop distracting from the current priority. And that is reuniting you with Beatrice!"
"Eh, why's tha'?" More on the clueless side, a shared trait with Subaru, Garfiel awkwardly piped in.
"Maybe Natsuki-san has developed the bad nature of hiding things. But luckily I haven't failed to piece together just now why the disparity in presence to the Natsuki-san we last saw."
"O~h… you… figured. It out. Huh." With a pathetic burst of fake excitement, the likes a half-assed dung throwing festival would earn, Subaru mumbled what passed for an acknowledgement. "Y-a~y…!"
"Subaru-dono, if this concerns what I suspect from your tales." Wilhelm tactfully brought a hand over Natsuki's shoulder and lowly mumbled. "Then I ask you forgo this needless sense of guilt. …You could not have known your wishes would have led to this. Chisha had many agendas."
Until today, excluding the group he re-conquered the Empire with, Wilhelm stood as the sole person Subaru transparently laid himself to be openly judged.
And that went as far as Subaru revealing his, regrettable, boast to the now deceased Chisha Gold.
The claim still eroded silently inside his skull.
Capella's phantom laugh filled his ears. The recollection of that shit-feaster's laugh since Priestella emerged in his mind.
'In fact, I wanted them to wait for me to return. Like your cliché old bedtime story about the hero returning accomplished home.' Subaru vividly remembered himself admitting to the old Astrea.
'So… I…–I basically told him I wouldn't mind for them to be stalled with whatever happened. You know… inconveniences. Just to kill their time to search–Something eerily similar to what Wilhelm-san said about mabeasts appearing…'
Subaru obviously knew who was to blame for their torturous campaign of a search.
How much time and resources were dedicated to his finding? And how careless was he towards it?
Oh…
Looks like Vincent was right.
They were every bit as bad.
Like a black mirror for one another.
"W-well, I can imagine, since I know best of all!" Sharply sprung Subaru into a rushed reply that covered him spacing out. "How awfully grumpy my little Beako could be with the situation she's in and all, so, you know-"
Masking his shame and regret with a self-assured act, the young knight swished his hands in the air with extravagant charm to buy himself more time.
"The least I could do is make a proper entrance and majestically beg Beako for her mercy!"
"Natsuki-san… the fact that you'd need to beg for lady Beatrice's help… greatly unsettles me." Nervously was Otto to meekly reply. If the past time he'd spent in the magical girl's presence was bad, then Natsuki's claim had done nothing to ease his fear of her.
"Actually, talkin' 'bout that," Garf brought a hand to scratch his chin. Oh no.
Oh great, loving, sweet, God above: please don't.
Garf began to use his brain too much!
Subaru sucked in a breath.
"N-now that we've begun to make something of a ragtag team, how about we take Otto on that offer of his and go out for a drink! It'll-be-great-let's-go!" Began Subaru to powerwalk his way from problems. "Otto's treat!"
"Ma amazin' self felt curious ta ask, bu' Cap'n."
Nope!
No thank you, Subaru wasn't ready to go down that dialogue option!
"Why didn't ya come lookin' fer tha spirit lady and Emilia-sama?" Pensively questioned Garfiel. His cheer dying down to be replaced with a crestfallen concentration.
"…"
"Natsuki-san?"
Shit, this wasn't what he wanted to do since returning! This wasn't how he was supposed to put together a plan for making a good excuse when he'd see everyone.
He didn't have enough time.
"Subaru-dono."
For once, Subaru's luck seemed to change direction and excused him of this burdening subject for a different matter.
"Yes, Wilh-"
Or maybe it didn't.
"That's a" Amazed and surprised all at once to behold such a natural phenomenon, Subaru was carried to thoughts about home.
It had been years since he'd even heard of an event like this. He remembered it being called- "a supercell?"
Roiling led-like clouds engorged above the Karsten household, high above the Duchy's grounds.
Julius's heart thrummed harshly against his ribs. He would've been concerned how his chest would burst at any moment. But to let up his concentration now felt even more so deadly.
The same ear ringing pressure he'd experienced against Reid fell on him now.
Julius was short of breath.
"…"
He should have gasped to regain air.
But showing weakness now could have sealed his fate. Nothing was certain.
To Julius, an impressionable child in youth, every story and every legend was incredible.
Ever since childhood the noble son would commit those stories to memory. And ever since childhood he expected them to remain just that.
Stories.
"Are thou not the heretic contender to this country's rule?"
Tall.
Inhumanely tall.
Julius recorded only white noise when the stranger addressed Emilia.
Should he feel relieved or guilty?
Anastasia was not present, thank the Od. But with Crusch in the manor.
Therefore, was it right to feel glad right now? When Subaru's own lady did not benefit of the same boon?
Ah well, too useless to think about it now. Julius digressed.
"Silver hair."
A foot shifted on the stone to better stand.
The stranger did not approach. But neither did his body language show relent.
"Amethyst eyes."
His baritone voice heavily pressed against Julius's eardrums.
The towering goliath was very much real. Very, very real.
He'd heard of the infamy over the border.
"…A half-human…"
Warily, the stranger highlighted.
"H-how?"
Without vigor, awed and stunned, Julius uttered through chapped lips.
How was it possible?! Indeed.
This was not comprehensible.
Tall.
So, so, tall.
"…"
The stranger slanted his head just enough to pass over Julius. Ultimately, he looked unbothered.
"Ah." He uttered pleasantly. A light coloring of appreciation nuanced his cadence.
"A spirit knight." The stranger affirmed to himself. "Though not the one in question."
Dismissively, the stranger abandoned Julius's valiant show of courage by returning his focus over the woman hugged by children.
Her silhouette. Draped in a sable and white clothing, hiding travel garbs. Orange accents highlighted the unusual fashion.
Not Lugnican, he realized.
"Peculiar."
The oddities did not end there.
Her? This one to be hugged so tightly as if asking for protection, by children no less?
How unfounded.
Perhaps a coincidence, the stranger reasoned. Under the right circumstances and ideas, the innocent could mistakenly ask demons for deliverance. Nothing new to be concerned with.
"You, who knows the one named Subaru." The stranger repeated calmly. So calmly it was maddening! "What do you know of him?"
Julius's knuckles cracked as his hand clenched harshly his knight sword.
Vivid colors pulsated around him.
"If the one you seek is who you claim. Then nothing of good nature is to follow you."
Boldly claiming with another show of mustered courage, Julius pointedly regarded the scattered pilgrims from behind the stone path.
"Seek your answers elsewhere." His knight sword pointed out; Julius denied the stranger.
"Know limit, spirit knight." Sagely advised the looming figure. Strands of his black-burned hair fluttered wildly in the growing wind. "-"
"It is alright, knight Julius. Please stand down your hostility. It leaves no good impression."
Breaking the overwhelming pressure, came the steady command of Emilia.
Left nearly with his mouth gaping, the Jukulius noble son was at a loss of words.
The half-elf breathed in gently. A dainty hand moved to closely hold the sable jacket over her shoulders. The same which was used to wrap the girls close to her.
"…" Her face was schooled in a neutral mask. No grimace or sign to indicate her emotions tarnished this presentation. Emilia carefully hugged Beatrice and Meili close. She looked to the towering individual.
"Your descriptions and insistence isn't unfounded. I am Emilia, yes. Why is it you seek my knight?"
"Lady Emilia!"
"Be calm, knight Jukulius." Emilia's tone was clipped. "As appreciable as it is, your responsibility lies elsewhere."
Like a slap to the face, Julius momentarily was washed off by his apprehension. How ridiculous, wasn't it? He almost overlooked the people he accompanied and their ability.
"I would much rather prefer you take any misgivings to your higher, knight Jukulius. This matter is one I shall resolve." Emilia gestured a finger off to the household behind.
For a second, Julius felt like arguing. But also-
Looking into Emilia's commands, it was obvious.
In other words – Alert Anastasia. Leave this to me if it becomes hostile for now – those were wise directions. Between them, and accounting for his wild composure, Julius was already aware who held the better advantage.
Or perhaps that was his elegant way of reasoning to not point out the territorial demeanor Emilia adopted in response to the pressed subject.
Either way, this led to a personal discussion.
"Very well, Emilia-sama."
Bowing his head and biting his lip in shame, Julius sneaked a last look over the stranger before calmly walking towards the Karsten manor. He'd need to gather everyone he could. The plan was simple.
"?" The stranger knit his brow in wonder over the exchange. A corner of his mouth twisted in such a way that suggested surprise. "How reasonable to think." He almost sounded stunned by this possibility. "Peculiar."
"Is it of such great wonder to be proven wrong?" Emilia's eyes squinted. She knew. The underline meanings and implications never escaped her. "But forgive me, I myself did not stop to consider your obsolete ways."
It was no secret.
If there ever was to be established a center of discrimination towards demi-humans, its location would be in a very, very, cold place. And Emilia unfortunately experienced many bitter years in a similarly cold place.
She had no shortage of experience with ilk of this one's kind.
"Mh, quite vengeful however. That is not changed, I see."
The stranger indifferently noted, almost as if continuing to work in identifying her.
"You should not be surprised to earn this response sir…"
"…"
He remained quiet. His eyes never moving away, showing nothing close to nervousness. Purely insistence. The looked like a madman's eyes.
No introduction then. Emilia took it as a sign to continue.
"Your interests do not warm up to me. Especially what you may imply. Therefore, I will not feel sorry to disappoint you. But my knight is not present as of now for you to speak with."
Stern.
Emilia, although feeling threatened by the simple virtue of this individual's presence, would not respond any other way.
"'Your' knight is not present, you claim."
The looming man did not relent his search. A sensible distaste trickled like poison towards Emilia's claim.
"Just him alone?"
"…"
Emilia remained quiet to this insistence. It almost felt like when a kid should never admit to a stranger if they were alone at home. The present sensation was quite the same.
Why that fear?
"Yet his Great Spirit, I trust has remained with your faction?"
Beatrice tensed and sucked in a breath.
She did a good job until now to muffle her anger. But this question took her for a doozey. And fear began churning inside her core. Beatrice was not sure why, but those pilgrims… no, they were nothing close to something so harmless.
These… evangelists, were a presence her mother many times bitterly regarded.
"From the stance of a stranger intruding to ask such personal information," Emilia squinted her eyes with a warning undertone. "I hope you will understand why answering is not something I shall do." Her head minutely slanted to nestle itself in the jacket covering her back and neck.
"A stranger?"
The man repeated. His unimpressed and still features mocking her fortitude.
"Have we met?" Carefully, Emilia dared asking, fishing for any crumb of information regarding the caravan of Gustekan travelers.
…
"Not yet."
…
Beatrice's eyes widened and teared up.
Meili, silent and frightened as she was, suddenly felt her body grow numb.
Emila, felt her ears ringing. A cloudless swarm of thoughts yelled in her mind to run!
"If you are not to cooperate. Then I ask to speak with the Great Spirit."
The stranger lightly scrunched his glabella. His nostrils flared to add a threatening reverb to his voice. His eyes focused on their group. And his burned-black hair sinisterly framed his threatening face.
"A Great Spirit is not a mere tool to call and use as wished." Beatrice gulped down what could be described as her beating heart. Her neck felt stiff and clogged with rushing blood.
"Beatrice-" Meili panicked, her eyes wide, and her hand sneakily darted to hold the spirit. Yet Beatrice had a purpose to her wording.
The kind, but cunning, spirit girl patted Meili's frigid hand to calm her down.
Beatrice was looking to find out more form the unnamed evangelist.
"Therefore, one should expect from Gustekan theocrats to properly request for such a presence."
Emilia held down a budding smile. 'Well done, Beatrice!'
The petite spirit managed to somehow go passed the stranger's observation and not be recognized as she should be. It was an advantage to profit from if they played their cards right.
"Mu-" Gingerly blinking, the overbearing man lightly nodded. He seemed to be pleasantly surprised by this retort. "Forgive me, I had abandoned my manners."
The small group of girls was somewhat relieved. It was still possible to evade any issues.
"I ask on Odgalss' behalf: audience with the Great Spirit of Murder: Zarestia."
…
…
…
Color drained from the girls' faces.
Beatrice froze in fear where she stood over Emilia's back, clenching in silent terror the sable jacket draped over the elf.
"YAH!" A knight's sword swung!
A deluge of incandescent colors incinerated the mana replete air! The target struck! Julius, having stopped along his path and having heard those words, instantly moved against the looming evangelist.
"The air…" Wilhelm took in shallow breaths as he ran with Subaru and Garfiel. Otto sent to alert Heinkel, was tasked to amass the Duchy's warriors.
"Mese-can't-ha-ghah!" Garfiel nearly gagged with every attempt at talking. It required the beast demi-human to spat and cough just to get a grip. "Meself barely can breathe! The air's burstin' with mana."
"…"
Subaru remained silent, preferring to take in as much as he could from the two. Information was on a shortage these times it seemed, and going in blind already looked dreadful.
Whatever the event, it tied back to their night assault.
It seemed unconnected. A series of unfortunate events. But by this point that trend had long since died.
"…h-ah…"
Of course, the other reason Subaru kept silent had all to do with his failing body.
He looked bad.
But he felt even worse!
Until now he mastered the brave face façade to the point of going about his day like any other. Example provided by his earlier interactions.
But take him now for an uphill run and pump some adrenaline in his system from the building anxiety? And fuck!
Were those his bones that kept subtly cracking?
"Wilhelm-san; anything like this you've seen?" Subaru had to ask. Anything was better than nothing. If it seemed too bad, then screw it, he'd overreact. But better safe than sorry.
"I couldn't say. Tis familiar." Wilhelm expertly measured his words with his breaths. Each step he took was a perfect balance between effort and recovery. "In all the bad meanings."
"Wha' ta do Cap'n?" Garfiel spoke with a palpable apprehension. Whatever the reason, it was substantial enough to deter his brave hearted self. The brave boy was expecting something. A something Subaru did not look forward to delving into.
"What is the closest thing you've faced to this, Wilhelm?"
The situation steadily felt more dire. Without fanfare, Subaru dropped even his ever-present etiquette of respect.
"The clouds looked marginally worse when Valgren devastated the countryside."
And with that ladies and gentlemen, Subaru felt like bellowing at the top of his lungs! It was fortunate no other townspeople were privy to this detail
"That's not good then."
Without any more reasons to see this situation as anything but a most certain danger, Subaru promptly stopped his run. Both out of reason to set a plan in motion and spare his failing body the humiliation of falling over soon enough.
"Holy…" Like a charm, he'd tell anyone; like a charm!
Like clockwork, his body felt like burning up. The best comparison Subaru had at disposal on hand was recounting the 'thrilling' experience of having Capella's cursed blood race through his leg like a thrashing snake!
Nasty.
…
…
Alright. This wasn't good at al.
Subaru couldn't even joke about the pain anymore.
"Cap'n?" With a wavering voice, Garfiel rushed to Subaru, ready to support his weight. Yet the façade of his invincible Boss did not crack in time for him to act on this fear.
Subaru straightened up and raised his right hand.
"Wilhelm, I'm going to be an asshole and need you battle ready for me." Subaru knit his brow in concentration. A bead of sweat began accumulating over his forehead.
"At your command."
Wilhelm had nothing more to add or say. His laconic reply encapsulated everything he had to transmit.
"Garfiel, I hope you didn't slack off during my holiday vacation." Breathlessly, Subaru passed his dour encouragement to the fighter.
"'S about time Cap'n! I only begged fer a day ta shove yer expectations in tha dirt since Priestella!" Garfiel picked up on his demeanor and pumped himself up by snapping his knuckles together like a vice.
"Good." Subaru checked his right hand, his ring finger blackened at its base. With a sleight-of-hand the knight fit snugly a cold surface.
A band of charred, decorated, metal readily kissed his abused skin.
An ashen and molten crest faintly persisted in the worn treasure.
"Subaru-dono…! That ring." Wilhelm unwillingly voiced his thoughts past clamped lips. His words having escaped his better judgement, dripped with a heartbroken recognition.
A heart wrenching nostalgia of a regrettable kind. Like a familiar pain resurfacing after decades only to be accurately recognized.
Subaru rose his eyes to meet Wilhelm's mellowed ones. The light of day, dying out sinisterly in the led infected sky, horribly framed the man's sad visage. Lighting shone with muffled thunder. And light rain began to drip from the laden sky.
Hollow provocation sculpted Subaru's mien. An apologetic smile reflexively pulled at his mouth's corners.
"Don't tell me now you're second guessing yourself, Wilhelm."
"…" Wilhelm sucked in a breath, successfully tearing his stare from the cursed object of past haunting. "To resort to such a tarnished possession…" Wilhelm's azure eyes flashed with numerous events. Their cloudless forms of memories churned terribly behind those ever-youthful blues. "How cruel…"
"Like I said-"
With a swivel of his head, Subaru met the confused and frightened gaze of Garfiel. The poor boy blinked owlishly without words leaving his moving jaw. Only uncertainty gripped his hammering heart.
"-I have a lot to apologize for and explain" Gently, Natsuki left a kiss over the metal ring. "for later."
Settling things abruptly: Subaru pointed his hand to the darkening sky! The Vollachian treasury, one bypassing reason, flared to life with the proper intent.
And a gout of flames flared from his wizened finger!
Burning mana with the sun's morning splendor!
Higher and higher, the firework rose! Higher and higher when:
BOOM!
Light of all colors vividly burst from the guts of the immolated mana!
"…" Subaru gulped in dry. He closed his eyes and prayed the trick remained unchanged. Shaking his numb hand, he turned his back and waited patiently.
When suddenly, a thrum of broken air tore the surroundings!
A white clothed knight rushed to them.
"Subaru!" The knight readily approached. His face hardened from gentle to neutral like a curtain obscuring the stage.
"Felt's hidden?"
Reinhard nodded. His hand on sword.
The air trembled.
Fire.
Everywhere.
Goodbye to the old houses. Burned to ashes.
Goodbye the lasting history of Karsten's Duchy. Raised to smoke.
And goodbye to people's lives. Added to the pyre.
"AaaAAAAAGGHGSASAAAAA!"
█████████▀▀▀!
The light rain mixed together with the poor man's cooling blood!
"Hhhh-KHA!"
With a booming oomph, the assaulting evangelist shoved his spear through the farmer's mouth!
A spray of blood burst from the executing strike's exit wound!
The poor man, left limp, hung like needled doll on the weapon's end.
"SCOUR ALL THE HOUSES! HUNT ALL THE HERETICS!"
!
██▀▀▀█!
Another blow! And another limp body hit the stomped dirt bellow!
"FIND HIM! FIND HIM!" Turbidly hollering, openly stating: "FIND THE SAGE! FIND HIM!" The evangelists commanded.
█▀██▀▀▀▀▀!
A running woman was bashed over by an evangelist! Her whipping body flung over a flaming cottage!
██████!
Another man marked! His skull broken wide by a spear's dull end!
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀!
Groups of people, guided like animals, ran into one another, enclosed from all sides. Spears licked by flame shone brightly, set their way to run them through.
"FIND. THE. SAGE!"
Thunder boomed! Rain fell heavier and blood pigmented the frothing earth!
"FIND HIM NO—!"
Instantly, death silenced the screaming evangelist. His head lobed off clean!
Clear steel shimmered in the stormed conflagration. Azure eyes focused.
!
With a sound so subtle, the rain muffled it, Wilhelm van Astrea cleaved a second evangelist where it stood before he could even yell.
"Wilhelm: Move for the main path! Reinhard: clear the groups!" A winded form whipped and bashed his shoulder against overrunning enemies. His rushing frenzy of shock over the spearheads, followed by a berserker! "Garfiel: you're with me!"
"GKH-HA!"
A bellowed exhale revealed a skulking shape jump in. The earth shook and the air condensed.
Garfiel tore the staggered warriors into scarlet confetti! Their bodies already abandoned by soul before hitting the soil with a visceral splat.
"Move behind the denizens! Make space for them to run!" Blood began dripping over his teeth. Subaru's neck burned and chocked on its breaking vocal cords.
His eyes madly scoured the immolated grounds. The terror-possessed folk screaming their heads off as they aimlessly ran away!
"Subaru, from your right! Find a stopper!" Reinhard's perfectly clear voice reached him. With or without divine protections of conveying, Subaru understood enough.
From the direction pointed by the Sword Saint, a stampeding hoard of citizens forced their way through the incinerating alleys.
"Garfiel…" Breathlessly muttering the name, Subaru coiled his whip.
"Here." Garfiel readied and took stance. His back arched and his foot's tip tensed over the earth.
"When they pass. Use your protection then." With succinct indicators, Subaru did not look right or left, his vision dedicated to the chaos in front.
Hundreds of people squeezed by!
They stomped, yelled, grabbed, pushed, shoved, jumped! All of them horrified beyond expectation.
A heavy girder set aflame from a looming inn creaked above.
And Subaru struck his weapon over it! The sable fabric snaked and gripped around the failing beam. And with an overexerted pull:
A flaming barrier collapsed to separate the rushing mass from Tinzel and Natsuki. Leaving them secluded with the chasing unit of evangelists.
"Now!" Subaru hollered, his breath tainted crimson.
!
Garfiel's heel contracted like a guillotine, and dirt sprung around in benediction!
The rows of spear bearers intercepted them. Only to midway be gored through the torso by columns of stone! A baseline ado for every hit.
Crimson dirt shaved off the pillars' ends, and silent breaths escaped the felled score.
"…Around… a way around." Dazed from the invasive smoke and pervading stench of iron, Subaru jogged in tow with Garfiel, navigating the enclosed trap of flames.
"Not enough time. Garfiel, make us a way." Observing a shoddy keep, the knight pointed out. "Through that one."
"Say less."
!
Auburn smog jutted skywards as Garfiel bulldozed his way through smoldering skeletons of ashen houses.
Arch after arch, and quake after quake, the two in front with the demi fighter broke their way within Wilhelm's side of work.
And what a timing it was:
"HGH-KHA!"
A posing pilgrim aimed his spear and charged the Astrea!
Saturated lights shot towards Wilhelm in tandem, a cauterizing heat emanating around them.
An old and withered knight in action. And God, what a feat it was.
The maneuvering witnessed put to shame the evangelist's attacking effort.
With a step and a kick in place, Wilhelm stomped on the spear's head!
The harsh blow sunk the blade deep in dirt and ash; it was left unmoving!
Exactly then had the knight finessed his craft, deflecting the spirit's assault to run the steel's length through the evangelist's neck!
The body fell faceward in a pool of rain, stained scarlet. Another daredevil added to Wilhelm's score.
Posing pilgrims drew closer. From the back and from the front. Their gathering prepared in rows. With spacing made between, their spears pointed straight.
The rain fell heavier.
The orange light burned brighter.
"THERE! HE'S THERE!"
"KILL THE REST! CAPTURE THE SAGE!"
Garfiel clasped firmly Subaru's arm. Swapping their places in one smooth twirl. Position like so they stood back to back. The uphill setting allowing Natsuki to relieve some weight over his brother's back.
His body was burning.
Wihelm obscured his front, the man ready to intercept the war flood head on. Not even a dash of hesitation. Not even a second to second guess.
Hah!
Indeed. Knighthood's highest calling!
At once, a rampage of cold metal barred down the three.
The spears skewered the raindrops. Their shimmering blades, like a beast's rows of teeth, clamped ready to squash them!
"Ah, perfect as ever, I see you've set them without fail."
Reassuringly, a warm tone reached their ears.
The outcome was decided before it even became an issue.
!
"THE SWORD-!"
Reinhard acrobatically pirouetted over them with sheathe in hand.
A gesture of his wrist and the overbearing foes slammed the earth!
The air grew heavy, the force over it incomprehensible, and the supernatural strike offed the danger I none fell swoop.
The evangelists left like cut wheat in the damp soil on harvest.
…
…
…
"…hah-…ha-hah…sh-shit…"
Gulping and breathing, struggling to calm his heart, Subaru notched his whip at a belt loop. Fortunately, times didn't need him to make use of more than just the whip. Big, big, 'fortunately'!
Months' worth of dragging his shattering body from one grueling conflict to the next was already too late to miraculously treat now. Best remedy now remained dispelling his flesh from mana.
The correct way.
"Cap'n…" Propping straight his Boss, Garfiel took a short pause to relax and school his feral features. "Wha' now?"
Despite Garfiel's unignorable concern, the warrior could not disservice his leader by confronting his condition.
Garfiel was proud, proud to fulfill his part during hardships like these. Naturally, it was then to be expected he'd bite his tongue before daring to bring any remarks to Subaru.
Silver lining was: he'd gulp down and follow.
"Now" Subaru inspected the soil peppered with foreign militants. And soon after, slanted his neck to regard the led clouds above. Rain drops cleaning his soot stained face. "I come to realize I fucked up…" Coughed the knight roughly.
"Subaru!"
Surprisingly, perhaps baffling to the group, was Reinhard jumping to inspect his friend. The peerless hero, cautiously having hugged his friend, lightly hit his back to force dirtied clots of blood out.
It was happening again.
Subaru's old wounds reopened.
Unspoken brands in flesh suffered time ago resurfaced. Some more harrowing than others.
As for the other two, fear gripped them seeing this.
The cool and collected Sword Saint, react so dramatically for a measly cough? How ridiculous!
Only then to witness revolting heaves of scarlet?
Terrible.
However, from the group, Wilhelm was the only one to realize Reinhard had spent the majority of Subaru's returning days close by. Plenty of time to pick up on any worrying secrets.
Disgraceful.
Wilhelm was so utterly convinced Subaru could never succumb to detriments… he never stopped to consider how gravely crippled he was.
"Close your eyes Reinhard; I just skipped on exercising is all." Stubborn as ever, Subaru denied his friend the extended aid, forcing himself out of the comforting hug. Signaling with a palm to not bother inspecting him further, Subaru caused Reinhard to stare at him disheartened.
"…" The knight did not know what to say.
He simply had no words in this very instance!
They rushed in alert only to be met with a skirmish.
And now… why did this seem so gloomy despite them having achieved their momentary goal?
Why did it feel like they already lost?!
"If Priscilla or Vincent would see this…" Mumbled Subaru bitterly like a senile man, relieving old memories. "What a joke!" Reproachfully he scolded himself.
"Subaru-dono." Wilhelm crouched over a robed pilgrim, forcing out of its death grip the used war arm. "What will you have us do?" Persistent shame dictated Wilhelm's every word and behavior.
The man did not meet Subaru's eyes.
How could he when he felt so low to be permitted this much?
!
It was heartbreaking.
Just as they realized, the consequences Subaru eluded to burst in their distant view.
Fire.
Fire!
The far side from where they rushed erupted in chaos. Another vulnerability no one was left to manage. People howled deranged cries in terror.
"…the ice soldiers…" Only then had Garfiel understood too.
With the golems Emilia had built gone? And the skies obstructed of light with rain falling?
Demi-beasts poured in with vicious killing intent.
Agh… Damn.
And Subaru suspected his moment of anger-letting was too good to be acceptable. Those tauntingly faced statues were ultimately pivotal. What a farce.
███■████▄▄▄██!
Suddenly they broke apart. Both sky and household.
Subaru, Garfeil, Reinhard and Wilhelm watched mortified as the Kartsen manor's west tower ruptured. Old masonry cracked like fine glass to fold over itself. The closest this world presented to a demolition show.
As for the sky: bright lights popped with deafening booms over the domain. No different from Natsuki's craft earlier, improvised fireworks colored the led clouds above.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Torn over three objectives to prioritize, it became obvious their teamwork reached an abrupt end.
What to do?
"Reinhard…" Subaru's shoddy exhale pierced Reinhard's heart with apprehension. The following instructions would not consider his wishes. It was a given. Reinhard could feel moisture building in his eyes.
"I can't Subaru" shaking his head repeatedly for every syllable, Reinhard lost all his marvelous presence. He looked no different from a child ready to cry. "I know what you'll do. …" Choked breaths stopped the peerless knight from speaking. He breathed in violently. "I swore for everything done to sav-"
"REINHARD-!" Boomed Subaru with a whizzing yell, gradually dying nearly to a whisper. His eyes hauntingly fixed the Astrea knight "-please, do not panic."
With unbelievable understanding, as if reading his exact emotions, Subaru pierced Reinhard with his void-black eyes. The shine in those irises roguishly reached Reinhard to appease his fear.
In a way, it was like denying his fears from being even possible.
"Reinhard, go to the manor, find whoever you can and get them out. Obviously, there's danger there. Preferably, I want you to avoid it altogether instead of facing it."
"W-why?" Reinhard was distressed, why be instructed so?
"Because they maybe know you're here as well… And who the fuck would ask a fight with you senselessly?" Instantly Subaru drew close and vaguely answered. His words were clipped and precise. The ominous message behind left to be interpreted.
Lesson learned since Priestella.
"I…" Reinhard closed his eyes, thinned his lips and knit his brow. He did not voice any disagreement. Yet the battle waged inside to refuse Subaru and instead stay close was visible on his face. "I understand…" Tensing his throat, the man replied. Opening his eyes, the raindrops framing his visage, perfectly reflected a sentiment repressed.
Without further pressing, Subaru silently looked at Wilhelm. The undaunted legend listening without call.
"Wilhelm-san is the best fighter we have." It was a statement.
Wilhelm listened on.
"Therefore, only Wilhelm can direct the garrison. There are too many people behind." Straight to the point. Subaru already knew who could remedy the chaos breaking behind their path.
"Garfiel, I'll strain you further. Fell free to complain all you'll wish later." Nodding to his friend, Subaru shakily prepared to continue.
"I'll complain how easy 't was Cap'n!"
Their objective stood to reach the distress signal.
Reinhard would navigate the royal household.
And Wilhelm would control the fight in the old center.
They already rushed off!
…
"Hmn-h…fh—ha-h…fah-"
It was unbearable to breathe.
"Ff-hmm…"
It was agonizing to move.
"g-HK! Hfm-"
Julius could not see.
"Ah…"
Sounds blared in his ruptured ears.
"Hmn!"
His skin felt damp against the earth. His clothes imbibed in blood.
The shine of fire imprinted gnarly shadows through his eyelids.
"HAH!"
His struggle agitated the ashes underneath. A disgusting and sick aroma of charred flesh smoked his lungs.
"GhUH!"
With a thudding plop, his arm fell beside. His hand releasing the molten knight blade. Vivid colors dulled from the cooling metal.
"h-hA-h…" Sone enough his heart would stop.
"Hm-nmh…" Sone enough his last Spirit would fade.
"S-…S"
He questioned why even resist this long. There was no helping him. It was a torture to persist. He would not escape this. No, he wouldn't.
Not even Felix could help this…
"Gh-hk!" Malignant liquid pooled at his mouth… It felt like piercing him from the inside.
"S-Su…" Was this how Subaru felt every day? With that, that… thing inside him?!
It was horrible!
He could not think!
It…
IT SNAKED INSIDE!
BURNED!
SEVERED!
"GH-HK…"
Julius could not cry. He didn't have the ability anymore.
It was hell!
It was unbearable, in conclusion. Simply unbearable. Impossible to struggle through.
Why did he continue to stay like this?
Who knew how the time passed around him anyway? 'Might as well' were his desperate thoughts.
Going to sleep now felt like the only escape. Not like he could do much else.
Only…
!
"JULIUS!"
Ah! How dramatic!
Heh… he wished to laugh.
It was just in the nick of time! Stellar punctuality. At last, his friend was brandishing quite the remarkable etiquette! Not too shabby.
…
Oh alright.
Yes, yes, Julius was going mad… He was very much aware.
Who else thinks this inane at this time?
Just; It was better than falling completely into erosion.
"Do not move your head. Just stay awake."
How rough. Julius would have to scold this bullheaded approach. Subaru sounded so serious… but also so sad…
Agh, what kind of deplorable impression could he have made? There went off months' worth of graceful preparation. No witty line to recuperate his pathetic presentation.
"Julius, please try and speak. Do not move your head."
This time Subaru coaxed him with a gentle cadence. Yet his sadness did not fade.
"Julius?"
"Mm…mh…" How embarrassing. Ah! He could not even muster a syllable.
"Cap'n! Ya found who-… feckin' Volcanica almighty…"
Ah! That had to be the young Tinzel. Thank the spirits! It seemed Subaru was not alone after all. Julius was glad to know this small detail.
However… goodness gracious: was he in such a bad state? The unrefined words of sir Tinzel indicated so.
"Garfiel, keep watch around us. I'll treat Julius…" The hesitant words of Subaru were deeply colored by doubt. In fact, judging by how quiet everything was around, exclude the fire and rain, Garfiel clearly was not convinced.
"Cap'n… ya can't help this… Magic Blue can't-"
"Go Garfiel." Gently repeated Subaru.
…
Lightly, sensing a rhythmic weight against the earth, Julius assumed the young Tinzel to have listened and stepped away.
"Mm…" Julius tried mumbling a thanks.
Being seen in this terrible state? No thank you. This was indeed a great favor if anything.
"Julius" the Jukulius noble tensed "Keep your tongue tucked and relax your jaw." Better than choking on your viscera, huh? This was bound to hurt.
"…" The noble son nodded.
Passingly, Julius felt a cool palm cup his temple.
It brought momentary comfort. His head, drowned with madness, given reprieve.
But that was all it was.
Passing reprieve.
The next second, a harrowing pain scraped through Julius's head!
He felt barbed wires dragged themselves through his veins! He felt boiling venom eat his flesh! He felt unseen claws cleave his skull!
As nightmarish as it was, the experience was equally short.
Perhaps a fair trade.
But don't ask him, his lady would know better at such times.
"Better?" With a rhetoric inquiry, Subaru patted his damp head.
"…Immensely." Alas! Julius revealed his impish grin. Naturally the only one to be gifted this exquisite show of character was his friend. "Hopefully you're not set to leave Felix without a job."
"I'd smack the upside of your smug-ass mug…" Grinned Subaru ruefully. "But…"
"Ah, my exclusive honor!" Replied the man as if recognizing his childhood toy. His eyes glistened with fog. "It's alright." Surprising his friend with such awareness, Julius nodded weakly. "It's already more than I could've hoped for…"
…
Beneath Julius's line of sight, Subaru clenched tight his blackened fist. Sable drops pooling at his bent fingers.
A coiling ice snaked its way through his flesh.
Subaru grimaced between altering emotions. From joy to sadness, his face twisted painfully.
"Oh~" Julius having picked up this much, smugly whimpered. "Gonna c-cry for me, Subaru?" His faint smile was dropping steadily. "I'm actually touched." He breathed out in a hurry.
"What happened?" Repressing every instinct from his being, Subaru sucked his teeth to appear unshaken. Using a hand to support Julius's head, he stared into his fogging irises.
"Y-…your daughter…" Puckering his mouth like a fish on land, whispered Julius. "Demi-beasts. After her…" Forced the man more out of his numb lips.
"Meili." Subaru's eyes widened. Tears drained from his eyes. Snot cleared from his nose. Heat or cold stopped being registered by his skin. His body pulled taut like a bow.
"H-hid her. I hid h-…" Julius stopped to compose himself. "Close. In a set- of… inns. Beside ma-nor."
Subaru scrunched his face taut. His teeth showing in a pathetic display of kept calm. "More. Tell me more Julius. Force yourself to remember."
Reacting to the request, the eldest Jukulius son concentrated.
"Blood… don't; do-t touch…" Wheezed Julius. A pause, then a pant. A pause than a pant. "G-Gus-…up. Up."
Julius widened his eyes, afraid to fail transmitting his message. His trembling hand gestured in accordance to his words.
"Cold. Up… Nor-h. G-Gus…"
"Gusteko" filled in Subaru without outward emotion.
"Mhm" Nodding with a twitch, Julius sadly smirked once more. "I- I-s-sor"
"It's ok. It's just a dream. A bad dream." Frowning with a fake harshness. Like scolding a child, Subaru grabbed his friend's shaking hand. Cold and emaciated. Wizened and dry. "Close your mind to it. It's nothing real. Otherwise I'll make you the butt of all jokes." Subaru bit his tongue and lip, hiding a sniffle. His vision hot. "You just slept on the job. An asshole, like always. Remember?"
"Ah." Breathed out Julius. His smile warbled, his fingers tightly grasping Subaru's. "I know." Tainted tears flooded from his milky gold irises. "Ah. Y- al-ays right."
…
…
…
Fire ate beside them.
Rain washed blood beneath them.
…
"Cap'n!"
Garfiel returned. His restless voice the only sign of emotion in the darkened midday.
Their silhouettes outlined in the bleak condition by roaring flames around.
Subaru gently laid Julius's head to rest more comfortable. He'd need to be quick and return. He couldn't leave him here alone for long.
"Cap'n. Let's go…" Quietly mumbled Garfiel. "You did everything."
"No need to debate." Gestured Subaru with a hand for silence. His back still turned to Garfiel. Kneeling by the knight, Natsuki held his hand. "I'll make it quick to treat him."
"Cap'n…" Garfiel cringed on himself as he repeated. His lips pulled inside his mouth.
"I'll let the bastard rest for a bit." Subaru decided. "I'll wake him later when he feels better. He owes me." He sucked in a breath. "My daughter's missing now."
Much to Garfiel's heartache, he did not meet Subaru's eyes when he got up.
"My daughter's hidden at the inns close by." Mechanically repeating words transmitted by another, Subaru felt his whole brain rot. His bloodied fist clenched further, drawing fresh black blood.
The cursed substance still stained Julius's clothes and temple…
Once more, a bodiless voice influenced him in the cloudless shape of Subaru's thoughts. How annoying. Exactly when he got rid of it too.
"We after Emilia-sama? Or Beatrice-sama? …Cap'n needs their help first." Tried the demi-human warrior to convince his Boss.
"Meili takes priority."
But softly, with ease to reply, Subaru set their aim.
"Got it." A nod. That way Garfiel hid his sniffle.
Voilà!
We've officially entered the 'Not supposed to be this way' zone.
And yes, I'll fabricate Gusteko subjects. And by the looks of it, hopefully in a different way than other works here have done.
Religion, places, monsters, situations, myths, circumstances, hardship and so on. Can't be too bad to try at least.
Better be ready, because if you're still reading this piece of flaming shit, then I'm about to abuse the 'fiction' label. That's right, the government itself will need to hunt me together with literature's greatest just to put a stop to my barf-fest. But don't you worry, fat ass pops Gorge Martin won't dethrone this dumbass.
Joking aside, I hope I'm managing to make this time-killer entertaining and worth the effort to read. Hopefully.
;
Lastly with that aside I'm going to be a bit more direct than usual. Seeing how I've basically lived a hermit's dream until now on this site by mentioning very little.
But thank you, everyone, who has kept putting up with this fever dream of a word-vomit.