Sealed

by Im The Person

Pandora IF: In a self-sacrificing move, he sealed himself with her. In a dark void existing in a separate space, devoid of anything and everything except each other. (Inspired Story)

10. Re:Venge

Yeah, I know, this is really late. Sorry.

Hopefully this chapter can make up for it. It's another REALLY long one. Hopefully some parts don't seem rushed, but I'm confident in this one. I have a lot of moments here that I'm proud of.

I think it's time to prove why Pandora in this story has an irreplaceable role in this story. More specifically, the start of WHY I chose her.

"You know who" is also being added to the character tags. Yay!

I hope you all enjoy this one! I'm looking forward to hearing what you all think of it!

I appreciate every single one of you! Love you guys/girls! Haha…

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Chapter 10: Re:Venge

~Two Weeks Ago~

A small hand lifted itself up, grabbing hold of a handle belonging to a rather large door. It held itself in place for a good few moments, fingers wrapped around the handle as the person holding it contemplated the action they were about to do.

The person sighed, slowly and slightly reeling their hand back and hesitatingly banging the handle against the door a few times. After that, their hand retracted from the handle and went back to their side, uneasily shaken up as they nervously waited for an answer.

It hadn't taken too long, thankfully. The door squeakily cracked itself open, revealing no more than a smidge for the person inside to look out. The one outside looked up into the gap, recognizing the oddly colored hair immediately.

"Ah, Beatrice-sama," the person inside spoke, opening the door a little more upon seeing someone they recognized. "It has… been a while."

The person outside, the Great Spirit Beatrice, nodded, "Indeed it has, pink-haired maid, I suppose."

With the door now opened fully, the maid on the inside revealed herself. Her hair was pink, running over her left eye whilst leaving her right unblocked. Compared to what Beatrice remembered, her hair was now a lot longer. In fact, it ran down all the way to her waist, a direct contrast to her previous hair style.

The two just looked at one another for a while. A silent stalemate, if one willed, but Beatrice had no interest in keeping such a prospect going, "Are you going to let me in, I wonder?"

Ram seemed to ponder that question for a moment. It irritated the Great Spirit, frustrated at the unnecessary delay. The pink-haired maid looked down at Beatrice unsurely, "What is your business here?"

She was tempted to growl, but greatly resisted the urge, "Betty is here to talk to Roswaal. Does Betty not have automatic jurisdiction, I suppose?"

At that, Ram had the gall to narrow her eyes, "Not after you disappeared for ten years. How am I supposed to know if you're friendly or not? How am I-"

"Ram, that is enough. Let her in."

The maid froze, visibly shrinking as she moved to the side. Ram's arm gestured inward, silently welcoming Beatrice into their home. The Great Spirit obliged, taking her time in stepping inside, eyes wandering in some form of morbid curiosity.

Eventually, they landed on the man she was looking for. He was coming down a set of stairs, a blue-haired maid, who shared the same characteristics as her twin, on his tail.

Once he reached the bottom, the blue-haired maid stood attentively to his left. Beatrice noticed that the maid's eyes softened upon seeing her, no doubt holding pity for her current condition. Beatrice hardly paid it any mind, though; she'd long since gotten used to it.

"It is good to see you again, Betty," the man stated, his voice rather low and neutral. Beatrice could just barely pick up the underlying sadness within. He eyed her up and down for a few seconds, "You look different, since I last saw you. Did you, perhaps, get a makeover?"

Beatrice wasn't exactly appreciating the comment, despite knowing that it was made in an attempt to lighten the mood. She decided to retort, "As do you. Betty sees that you ditched the clown outfit, I suppose. Finally, you chose something normal, for once."

"Yes, I suppose I have," to her surprise, Roswaal let out a half-hearted chuckle, slightly amused at the comment.

Behind the Great Spirit, the pink-haired maid silently shut the door and promptly began making her way to the Margrave's side. In a parallel to her sister, she stood attentively to his right; she had more hardened eyes, in comparison to her twin's softer ones.

In context to Beatrice's initial surprise, the Margrave seemed to have updated his wardrobe. Instead of his usual makeup and uniform, he now had no makeup and wore clothes more befitting of a noble in his position.

"I must… apologize," Roswaal started, his head moving slightly downcast, yet his eyes never leaving her. "I truly did not believe that the spell would have this effect on you."

Beatrice didn't give off any reaction, merely stating with the utmost certainty, "Betty does not care. The spell has done its job. Every mutation was worth it, in fact."

Roswaal's eyes glimmered with an unknown feeling, "I see." He nodded, his head tilting slightly upward as he pondered on his next question, "I do suppose that you are here because your journey has just about come to an end?"

The Great Spirit nodded, confirming the Margrave's statement, "Just as you requested of me, I suppose."

He nodded again, uttering under his breath, "Then it is time…" The maids at his side simultaneously looked at him with knowing gazes, glancing upon him with some sort of resolve. Beatrice didn't know what it meant, nor did she wish to. Roswaal lifted his head, speaking again, "Where are my manners… would you like some tea, Betty?"

She shook her head, "No, thank you. Betty is currently on a strict remedy diet, I suppose."

He only nodded, not paying mind to the Subarism she used, "Pardon me, then, but I would like to have a cup before we get to business."

Beatrice accepted that, letting Roswaal lead the small group of theirs into the dining room. Rem had been quick to get the requested tea ready, soon bringing it out for her lord to drink.

The Great Spirit watched as he poured himself a cup, refusing Rem and Ram's insistance on doing it for him. Soon after, he graciously took a sip before setting the cup back down onto the table.

Beatrice, after having gazed around for quite a while, asked a question sourced from her curiosity, "Where is the half-elf, I wonder?"

Roswaal merely looked at her, not lifting his cup, quickly answering, "Elior Forest, most likely." Before she could ask any more questions, he kept going, "She has been going there more often, throughout these last ten years. Emilia-sama does live here, but she has found a home with them, too."

The Great Spirit nodded, bringing herself to ask, "How is she, I suppose?"

The maids shared a glance. Beatrice could somewhat see the hidden fear and reluctance behind their eyes. In contrast to that, Roswaal answered calmly, "Better than how she was." He paused, taking a moment to recall some of his past memories, "Compared to her initial condition, she has… mostly recovered."

She only nodded, conveying her acknowledgment to the Margrave in a simple manner. Beatrice had no real interest in the half-elf's condition, so that information would be enough for now. Silence resumed, with Roswaal taking yet another sip of his tea.

A few moments after he did so, he spoke again, "I must be honest, I was starting to have doubts of you ever showing up. I did not think it would have taken ten years."

"The powers of Betty's Subaru and the Witch within are very great. It is incredibly difficult to reach their combined level, in fact," Beatrice responded, a bit frustrated. She raised her hands, looking into her palms, "Even though I am close to their level now, the power within me is too much, I suppose." She looked back up at Roswaal, her eyes shaken and slightly afraid, "It… changes Betty. If not for the remedy, it would have consumed me from within…"

Roswaal's eyes softened as he took another sip of his tea, then setting it back down on the table once more. His lips parted, "You cannot use that power to the fullest. If you do, you are afraid that you will change and never return. In addition, you feel as though absorbing many more creatures will also result in this outcome. Is that correct?"

"Yes," she started by giving slow nods, but they got progressively faster as each second passed, "that is correct."

"I understand," the Margrave spoke, taking yet another sip. This time, he held the cup in his hand as he voiced an odd comment, "Then, this will truly be the end."

Beatrice looked at him oddly, not correctly processing what he'd just stated, "What do you mean, I wonder?"

Roswaal only sighed, taking one last sip of tea. When he placed the cup back onto the table, it was empty. Without delay he stood up straight and tall, pivoting himself to the side and beginning to walk around the table.

Beatrice looked utterly confused, glancing at the two maids for some sort of answer. However, unfortunately, it seemed as though they had no intention of giving any indication. They still followed their lord around, though, until Roswaal arrived at the Great Spirit's side.

He looked down at her, and she looked up at him, for a few moments in silence. Nothing was said or conveyed; they just looked at one another with a sense of minor peacefulness and, in Beatrice's case, confusion. Then, without warning, he kneeled down in front of her with a slight bow.

"Great Spirit Beatrice, as acting Court Mage, and friend, I offer my very being to helping fulfilling your goal," he began, his head angled toward the floor as he spoke. "I put forth my magic, power and soul for your endeavor."

Beatrice could only begin to gape at him. If she had been holding onto anything, she would have dropped it due to the sheer amount of shock she felt. Her eyes could only stare at him in disbelief as the final words left his mouth.

The maids, who'd just been standing there by his side, were not faring any better. Their mouths hung open, bodies temping to shake more often than not. The twins shared a glance, eyes looking into the other's as they commenced in an invisible exchange.

The Great Spirit shook her head, knocking herself out of the trance she'd been put in, "Roswaal, Betty can-"

"Betty."

She froze, her words halting in her mouth. She directed her gaze upward, opting to stare above Roswaal's bowing form and between the two idle maids. Eventually, when she noticed him move, her eyes were directed back down.

Looking back at her was the Margrave, her old friend, with eyes ever so soft and understanding. She didn't like that look…

"Please, Betty," his voice was low, gentle but desperately pleading to her. Beatrice shook her head, trying to refuse it, though he kept going, "Please, let me have this."

"Have what, I suppose?!" Beatrice snapped, not understanding his point. "Have death? Is that what you want, I wonder? You wish to die and leave Betty with yet another loss on her conscience?"

Roswaal's look didn't change, "You handled yourself fine, up until now." She immediately flinched, shrinking as the words sank in. They were harsh, but they weren't wrong. The Court Mage took a breath, "I must atone for all I have done, and the sins I have committed. And… as you said, you need one last push, lest you risk yourself too greatly."

Beatrice really, really wanted to argue. To yell at and berate him for even suggesting something like this as if it were appropriate. Yet… she couldn't.

Something within her, as she looked at Roswaal's expression, couldn't find the will to deny him his wish. She'd looked into his eyes, seeing the man she once knew oh so long ago. A good man, wishing to do right by his wrongs, looking for redemption.

What right did she have to take that away, when she too looked for the same thing?

She sighed, "Very well, then. Roswaal, if it is what you wish, I shall-"

"Beatrice-sama, please wait," Ram interjected, stepping forward. Beatrice seemed a little irritated at the interruption, but her eyes tracked to the maid anyway. Imagine the Great Spirit's surprise when she too bowed before her, taking a place next to her lord's side, "Allow this Ram to request the same."

The Great Spirit could only gaping at her, repeating her earlier reaction. Her emotions were floored once more when the other twin stepped up too, bowing on Roswaal's other side, "Rem would like to stand by their side, as well."

Roswaal seemed to be surprised, too. He looked back and forth between his two, loyal maids with an expression full of disbelief, "You two… You do not have to do this."

"Roswaal-sama," Ram began, her head picking up so that her eyes could sharply drill into her master's own. "I have stood alongside you, even after all of these years. Even with your convoluted plans, your treacherous nature and depressive states, this Ram has followed you; and now, as you try to atone, I believe it would be a bad time to stop now."

Roswaal's eyes widened. He couldn't believe his ears. How could he, after hearing something as inconceivable as that?

Ram's eyes softened, her head looking up a little more to look upon the Great Spirit in full, "Beatrice-sama," Beatrice's attention went fully onto her as the maid continued, "I believe that this Ram owes Bar-… Subaru-sama, for all he has done."

The Great Spirit looked at the maid with critical eyes, attempting to read between the lines of her statement. She found nothing… not one ounce of double meaning or sarcasm; it was all genuine. Beatrice supposed that she could understand the maid's reasoning; without Subaru, many of the good things in life, things that had happened to them all, would never have come to pass.

Beatrice nodded, accepting the answer, looking to the other side in order to question the other twin, "And what of you, I wonder?"

Rem kept her head down for a moment, taking her time to think despite Beatrice's impatience. Soon enough, she lifted it, revealing the small tears running down her cheeks for everyone in the room to see, "Subaru… Subaru-kun has done so much for me… for everyone, since he first came into our lives… my life! Even when Rem gave him a hard time."

She shook her head, trying to shake away the negative thoughts regarding herself. It started once she got her memories back, but for the last ten years the maid had only been mostly living in her own guilt. She felt as though she'd done nothing but give Subaru trouble.

There was when he first arrived at the mansion. Her distrust caused issues when he only wanted to save everyone. She'd been a burden after that, too, having gone out of control in her Oni mode which caused Subaru and her sister to go after her. Then, most notably, there was what happened in Vollachia. She'd done nothing but raise hell for him there… from insulting him, not trusting him and overall causing him a lot of emotional, and at times physical, pain.

"The least Rem can do is help bring him back," she pleaded with a light voice, her eyes wide and desperate. She pleaded, "Please… Please let Rem do this."

Beatrice looked at her for a long while, internally debating everything to herself. She hadn't expected this; not at all. First Roswaal, then the maids. Admittedly, Beatrice didn't necessarily care for them as much as she did for Subaru, but… that was just it; how would Subaru react to this? What would he think of her, then?

If he learned of what happened to them, it would break his heart…

The Great Spirit feared the worst. He could cast her out, disown her and break their contract. After all, who would want a monster such as her as their contracted spirit? Certainly nobody; and if nobody would take her, then someone like Subaru definitely deserved better.

But… if him casting her away was what it took to bring him back — for him to be able to live the life he was always meant to fulfill — then it would be worth it. She took in a deep breath, attempting to relax herself in preparation of what she was about to do.

Beatrice nodded, looking over the three before her with soft eyes and a hint of reluctance. "Very well, I suppose," she started, the tone of her voice soft and somewhat unwilling. "Betty will begin, once you all are ready."

"I am ready," Roswaal immediately responded, staying in his kneeled position.

"This Ram is ready," Ram followed suit, her voice attempting to steady itself while her body lowered itself just a little further downward to the floor.

"Rem is ready," Rem spoke, her voice shaking and broken but strong-willed, determined to set things right.

Even if they wouldn't be around to see the outcome, they had all held faith.

Beatrice took in another breath through her nose, nodding, mainly to herself, in confirmation. "Betty understands, I suppose," she began, eyes soft as she gazed over them for what seemed to be the last time. Beatrice held out both of her arms, "It was nice knowing you all, in fact. Your sacrifices will not be in vain. Prepare yourselves."

The three couldn't help but brace as Beatrice readied the spell, each of them having different thoughts race through their minds all at once.

Roswaal hoped that this act would help put some of his sins to rest. Between all of the mistakes he made, Subaru's disappearance was the one that made him the most guilty. Before that, he'd forced Subaru into many undesirable situations. To think, it was all for one pointless goal. How foolish of him.

He had a lot of time to think about things over the last ten years. The boy's will to give second chances was truly astonishing. The Court Mage could only hope that his sacrifice would help make amends for all he had done.

Ram wished that she'd gotten the chance to be a better sister figure for him. Despite their usual banter having been playful, without much ill intent, she couldn't help but think that it had an adverse effect on his mentality. She wished that she had paid more attention to that. She wished that her caring side had come to light more often, instead of remaining stubborn.

Rem wanted to be remembered, hoping that this, similarly to Ram, would help make up for her past mistakes. Perhaps that was selfish of her, but the maid couldn't help it. She wanted to save her hero, just as he'd saved her so many times in the past. Similarly to Roswaal, she wanted to amend her mistakes from the past.

As they concluded their final thoughts, the Great Spirit had readied herself. Fully prepared, Beatrice uttered a quiet, simple, "Ul Abso."

The spell activated immediately after the incantation. Roswaal, Rem and Ram could feel the intense pull of the spell pulling them in, yet they didn't dare fight against it. Rather, they simply closed their eyes and awaited the fate they'd chosen for themselves.

All at once, the three of them were lifted up and forcefully yanked toward the Great Spirit until they collided. Beatrice flinched and stumbled slightly as each of them slowly started to become a part of her, feeling as their individual essence intertwined with her very soul. Along with that, she could feel an incredible amount of additional power… it was almost too much for her to bear.

Rem, the loyal and powerful Oni maid.

Roswaal, the powerful Margrave and Court Mage.

Ram, the next incarnation of the Oni God.

Their souls and power became a part of Beatrice, the Great Spirit of Yin.

When everything was done, the last of their essence having been absorbed into Beatrice's very being, there was a small moment of calm. She stumbled at first and attempted to regain her balance after having been knocked around, but that proved to be futile.

Once the momentary calm ended, the effects of the three's absorption were as immediate as the spell. The Great Spirit couldn't help but yell, falling to her knees and grasping at her head as it exploded in agonizing pain.

As she screamed, her hair began to change. Light streaks of blue and pink began to flow out from her scalp, choosing very few random strands of hair to make their marks. At the same time, her left eye began to throb; a hand quickly moving from her head to her eye, as if it would help remove the pain.

When the streaks in her hair ceased coming, the pain finally began to subside. She removed the hand from her head, phantom pain still lingering as her scalp settled. Her other hand stayed in place over her eye, still feeling it throb underneath.

Beatrice took deep breaths, shakily bringing herself back to her feet while she continuously stumbled over. Grabbing a chair for support, she looked to find the closest reflective surface she could find. Once she found it, she first looked at her hair, though found herself eerily unsurprised by the changes. Then, hesitatingly, she began removing the hand away from her eye.

To her surprise, it hadn't changed yet. On the surface was what remained of her 'normal' eye. Yet, it still throbbed and ached as if it would mutate and change at any given moment. Beatrice opted to keep covering it with her hand, as if she were shielding it from any outside harm.

Her mind went elsewhere, focusing within herself to take notice of what she'd gained. The increase of power she received… it was significant, greatly so. Yes… this would do; this was enough.

Though, as Beatrice looked at her reflection, she felt tempted to cry. Not out of joy, but because she could no longer see the Great Spirit of Yin that contracted Natsuki Subaru, the Hero in everyone's eyes… even her own. In that spirit's place existed a monster; a hideous abomination that needed to be exterminated. She'd even taken away the lives of people he cared about…

She shook her head, getting rid of those thoughts. This would be worth it. Everything would be worth it. She was finally there. She could finally accomplish what she set out to do.

Natsuki Subaru could finally return.

WHOOSH!

The moment Beatrice heard it, she raised an arm with the palm facing outward. A barrier quickly formed, shielding her from a shard of ice that would have otherwise pierced her face.

The shield lowered, the shard of ice falling to the ground and breaking apart on impact. The Great Spirit looked back toward the doorway, eyes narrowing at the figure standing within.

She was met with a cold glare back, moderately crazed but so very certainly angry. Beatrice could subtly feel the chill in the room, becoming worse and worse, as the figure slumped closer with each step. Even if the icicle failed to strike her, the glare of the figure in front of her certainly succeeded.

As Beatrice looked into the figure's amethyst eyes, she could feel the intense, chilling anger striking out of them. The figure seethed, fingers clenching in and out but not turning into fists, "What… did you do."

The Great Spirit didn't move, remaining unflinching in her spot. Instead, she glared back at her attacker, "Nothing they didn't ask for, I suppose."

That made the figure even angrier, loudly growling while the floor beneath their feet froze as an aftereffect of their outburst. The dark cloak they wore, which covered everything but their face, began to freeze with it, but the figure quickly regained control of their magic and ceased the effects.

"First… it was Subaru," their cold, feminine voice growled. "Now… it was all I have left."

Beatrice subconsciously backed herself up, sensing the uncontrolled edge in her voice and wishing to avoid unnecessary conflict. She wasn't in the right shape to get into any type of fight and she had other things she wanted — needed — to do.

The Great Spirit softened her glare, yet kept it nonetheless, "It was a means to an end, Emilia. They understood that too. It was why they agreed to help Betty, in fact."

The half-elf, Emilia, was who stood before Beatrice now. Emilia, who used to be a nice, kind-hearted, lovable girl was now a cold, sheltered, broken version of herself. Beatrice could see through her unwelcoming eyes, how lost and alone she truly was… angry at everything that could've led to this very moment.

Unfortunately, the Great Spirit was less than accommodating to her. She had other priorities in mind currently, unwilling to diverge from the given path for anything else at all. Beatrice very well knew that it could lead to provoking the half-elf, but she didn't care. All she cared about was leaving and finally, after all of these painful years, getting her Subaru back.

The voice that used to ring like silver bells, reduced to that of a broken fraction of its former charm, spat out to Beatrice once again, "Why… why must this world take away everything I hold dear?!"

Beatrice backed away once again, hearing the edge in some of the words that were used, sensing Emilia's rise in hostility. Spears of ice began forming in the air, all aimed at her, which caused the Great Spirit to brace in preparation. For once, Beatrice tried to appeal with the angry half-elf, "You do not understand the gravity of what is going on. Not all hope is lost, in fact!"

But, seeing as though the contorted expression of rage on Emilia's face hadn't changed, it was obvious that she wasn't listening. It almost seemed as though the ends of the spears sharpened, subtly inching forward with a vigorous eagerness to impale themselves into their target.

"You will pay. I promise."

Beatrice didn't need any other warning, quickly using her teleportation spell to leave the area just as the spears of ice launched forward and inadvertently struck the ground. The floor cracked and broke as each spear pierced through, the damage spreading to some of the furniture and walls, effectively destroying a good portion of the room.

A few moments passed, Emilia only having taken slow deep breaths. Her arms were outstretched, after having sent her ice spears forward, and her face relaxed in a temporary calm. However, once she finally realized that Beatrice had gotten away, her face sneered and mixed into an unfathomable fury.

She loudly screamed into the air, arms outstretched to her sides and hands enclosed into fists. Emilia clenched her hands so hard that her nails began to dig into her palms, causing them to bleed. The outburst once again caused ice to generate all around her, freezing the encasing entire home and surrounding area in nothing but ice.

When she finally calmed down, an entire minute had passed. Emilia declined into only taking deep breaths, relaxing herself as best as she could. This wasn't because she was beginning to calm down; no, it was because she gained more focus. She focused her mind, her rage, on one person. One singular individual that she believed to be responsible for everything leading up to this.

It all made sense, didn't it? The half-elf laughed to herself in a more maniacal and intermittent manner, her broken, crazed state making itself continuously prominent. She planned to make do on her threat… no, her promise.

She knew what she had to do.

Meanwhile, Beatrice had reappeared back at the mansion. She was barely able to steady herself, leaning against the bedframe of the room she'd teleported into. Her eye still throbbed and ached, but it was bearable.

There was no need to delay things any longer, reaching into her dress and pulling out the very thing that stood between contractor and spirit. The Seal of Eternity.

She held the stone within her palm, looking at it almost mesmerizingly, the unnatural light shining off of it captivating her gaze. Ever since he — Subaru — disappeared, she hadn't once left it behind. Never had she taken it off her person. If she had, it would've felt like leaving him behind, too.

Her thumb gently grazed the surface of the stone, almost hesitantly. The Great Spirit shook her head, trying to snap out of it. What was she hesitating for? This was what she worked so hard to do! This moment right here!

After a while of staring into the small, yet heavy, stone tablet in her palm, she came to realize that she was scared. Scared of what would become of everything that used to be. Would he be different? What would he say, think, do…? Then… What of the Witch?

Beatrice shook her head again, her expression hardening into one of settling resolve. No, none of those things mattered. Even if he changed — even if he didn't like her anymore after all she's done — she would still love him anyway. He was Betty's Subaru, after all. As his contracted spirit, it was only right that she accept any aspect of his, different or not.

As for the Witch… the Great Spirit would deal with her when the time came. Once everything was done, the Witch would be promptly eliminated for causing this catastrophe to happen in the first place.

Nodded to herself in a sense of self-confirmation, Beatrice narrowed her eyes down at the stone in her palm. Then, without further delay, her thumb swiped across the glowing symbol, the light shining just as bright as when he first left…

---

~Present Day~

"You saw her. Tell me where."

In the dead of night, the sharp, cold voice cut through the air as if it were butter. The person it was directed to was just an ordinary man, forcefully held up against an alleyway wall by a being with above-average strength.

Despite how dark it was outside, the man could see the girl's features clearly. More specifically, it was a half-elf… the very same one that had seemingly disappeared ten years ago. She'd suddenly appeared out of seemingly nowhere, throwing him against the wall and asking questions he didn't understand the significance of.

"I-I saw her at the s-statue with three other p-people," the man stuttered out, too afraid for his life to give any solid reply.

The force against his body only worsened, making him feel as though it would be crushed under the extreme pressure. The girl holding him hostage sneered, angrily pulling him back before slamming him against the wall once more, "After that! Where did they go?!"

The man yelled out in pain, but nobody was around to hear him, much less help. He took rapid, deep breaths as he tried to find his words. Answering her questions was the only way he could survive, "I-I don't know for sure! I j-just know that there was a g-girl with reddish-brown hair! I c-couldn't see the o-other two! P-Please let me go!"

As the man begged, the half-elf lost herself within her own mind. The description of the girl he spoke of was not lost on her, easily remembering someone she used to know who fit it perfectly. The half-elf thought it to be common sense.

Who else would she be with, if it weren't someone she already knew?

With that concluded, her mind had wandered to the man's other detail. What exactly did he say, again? She visited Subaru's memorial statue?

At that, she actually scoffed. As if she had any right to visit something as special as that, after all she's done.

Surprisingly, her grip on the man loosened. His feet hit the ground momentarily after, which similarly shocked him. He was somewhat stable and able to walk, looking scaredly at the half-elf in front of him for some type of sign or confirmation. A shiver ran down his spine when he saw her giving him an eerily, uncomfortably sweet smile.

"Thank you," she said with a fake, empty appreciation. Her arms, almost gently, reached out and patted the sides of his shoulders. The man was infinitely more uncomfortable with the situation, stiffening in place as the half-elf lowered her arms. She tilted her head, getting slightly closer to him, continuing with a cold, chilling whisper, "Speak nothing of this meeting."

The man vigorously nodded, recognizing the threat on his life, as her head backed away. After that, he booked it out of the alley without looking back. The half-elf watched him run, stumbling and, at times, tripping his way out of sight. Only then did her eyes direct themselves elsewhere; more specifically, right up into the sky.

She was getting closer. Oh, so much closer. The promise she made would be fulfilled and then…

She giggled, a hand and gently putting fingers to her lips, the thought of what would happen next appeasing her greatly.

… she would get Subaru back herself.

The night became chillier, and certain people felt it a lot more than others.

---

At once, two bodies hit the floor. Neither were conscious, both lying asleep in whatever positions they'd fallen in.

"There you go," the current Queen of Lugnica — Felt — commented, turning around to face the two people standing closely behind her. One wore an identity concealing robe, while the other wore the same sans the hood. "Two Archbishops, just for you."

The one without a hood — Subaru — looked at her with grateful eyes, "I really can't express how much I appreciate you for doing this for us."

Felt shrugged, waving a hand from side to side in a dismissing manner, "Eh. I don't really need your thanks, anyway." She put her hand down, looking at him dead in the eyes, "In all honesty, I feel like we're the ones that should be thanking and appreciating you. We really owe you a lot."

Subaru felt a pit open up within him at her admission. That wasn't exactly something he wanted to hear, mainly because he didn't agree with it.

Before he had much chance to argue back, Felt proceeded to walk past him and the hooded individual beside him — Pandora. She walked up to a doorway, one which provided an exit to the cell they currently resided in. She spoke again, "Be careful with them. If they start to wake up, either knock them back out or call me so I can reseal them."

Subaru nodded, about to turn away from her but stopping short as a question popped into his mind. Turning back to Felt before she could close the door, he asked, "I forgot to ask earlier, but… why are these guys still alive, anyway? I thought you would've executed them by now."

Felt similarly halted her motions, looking back at him with an expression feigning hesitation. Her eyes trailed to the ground, thinking for a few moments, before meeting his face again. "Well… after you disappeared and we were told you were dead, since information was so scarce, we thought that they…" she used a hand to gesture to the two Archbishops behind them, "might have an answer as to what could've happened."

Subaru nodded, understanding what she said and meant. It was really unfortunate that such a miscommunication even happened. He didn't know for certain, but even just a little more information — even just knowing he wasn't dead — could have saved everyone from at least some of their turmoil.

"So, we brought them out of their separate seals and interrogated them for a while," Felt continued, grabbing his attention again. "Most of them were done by Reinhard himself. He thought that you were too stubborn to die," she half-heartedly laughed at that, mumbling something to herself that Subaru couldn't hear. "In short, we basically found out that they didn't know shit and just decided to seal them away again to be on the safe side."

Once again, Subaru nodded. "Thanks again for helping us with this. I know it couldn't have been easy for you," he said.

"Pssh. It's no big deal," she waved a hand in dismissal again. Before long, her hand dropped and her eyes gazed upon him more seriously. "Just remember what I said. If they wake up, call me."

With that, she shut the door to the cell, effectively giving all four occupants in the room some form of privacy. Subaru and Pandora turned around to look upon the two Archbishops that lay motionless on the ground. Aside from their steady breathing, one could assume that they were dead.

Sirius: The Archbishop of Wrath.

Roy Alphard: The Archbishop of Gluttony.

As Subaru's words were before, this event wasn't exactly simple or easy to put together. Felt in particular had to argue with a lot of people for them to even allow her into the dungeon alone with only him and Pandora, who to them are unknown individuals.

Not only that, but when she mentioned the Archbishops, many people ended up flipping their lid. No surprise that people would freak out about letting two dangerous Archbishops out of their confinement.

In the end, Felt had basically ordered, or rather demanded, them to let her do as she wished. Begrudgingly, they obliged. In addition, she warned them against sending any spies or knights to follow after. He was sure that they complied, given their terrified faces when the three of them left.

Subaru's eyes narrowed, gazing down upon the foes he was once forced to face. Felt was trusting him here. She put faith in him to keep her safe and do what he needed to do without any complications. He would make sure that this trust and faith was not misplaced.

"They seem rather comfortable, no?" Pandora weirdly commented, triggering him to take his attention out of his own mind.

Subaru blinked a few times to focus his thoughts better, glancing over to Pandora. He may not be able to see her face nor her expression, but he knew enough of what she was feeling.

Guilt. Shame. Regret.

He knew why, too. Subaru was not naive to what she had done in the past, for she had once told him of everything during their imprisonment together. Even so, in the end, he'd accepted her wrongdoings and chose to see the good within her. He encouraged her to take hold of that good and it eventually grew into what it was now.

The fact that she felt this way upon seeing Sirius proved his point. She felt remorse, guilty over something she'd done wrong in the past. It was clear to him that if she could change things, she would.

Subaru was also aware that her comment was an attempt at a distraction. Pandora wished to help take her mind off of those feelings, not wanting them to hold her back during a time in which important events were taking place. Not only could Third Shift tell him this, but he also had a deep understanding with that type of mindset.

Truly, they were very much alike.

In the end, he decided to go along with it. Lightening the mood was a good thing, and, if it meant helping Pandora too, he didn't mind at all.

Subaru tilted his head, studying them just a little bit. With her earlier comment running through his head, he had to hold back a laugh. In context, it was funny. Their positions weren't exactly the best for sleeping, to say the least..

"Well, they sure do seem relaxed enough. At least they're not clinging to one another, or something," he responded back. Pandora did not miss the reference in his statement.

"Perhaps our situation was one of a kind," she simply said back, as if it were a fact rather than an alternative proposition. Subaru couldn't help but smile a little at that; after all, he sure hoped that was the case. Pandora stepped closer to the Archbishops, kneeling between both of their unconscious forms before looking back toward her beloved, "Shall we begin?"

Subaru stepped closer as well, though a bit unsure, "So, we're just going to kill them?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a single word. He was sure that one of the main reasons for that was because of her internal feelings about Sirius. Specifically, the guilt continuously ate away at the former Witch from within.

"We're completely sure that Sirius won't cause any issues with this, right?" Subaru questioned, the primary concern regarding his uncertainty coming to light. He needed to ensure that the Authority of Wrath would not have any prominent effects if he were to harm Sirius in any way.

She shook her head, "It should not. She is unconscious, so it should not be active as such."

He only nodded. Pandora saying "should not" wasn't exactly a confirmation, but he supposed that he'd have to take it. In a worst case scenario, he would need to use Return by Death, he supposed. There was no other way for him to get the Wrath Witch Factor other than killing her, so…

Suddenly, he began to feel lightheaded, which Pandora quickly took notice of. She gave him an odd, concerned look as he momentarily stumbled in place, putting a hand to his head instinctively as if it would help.

Subaru felt incredibly odd, to say the least. He could hear a whisper in his ears, while his head slowly began to throb and a feeling, an unnatural one at that, swelled within his chest. In a way, he recognized that feeling. It was familiar to him, closely resembling two other feelings he possessed.

However, this one in particular seemed to call out to him. In this moment, it was as if the Witch Factor itself was speaking to him…

The whispers in his ears became more understandable to Subaru. A female voice, doing its best to speak itself clearly. It wasn't malicious or evil, but rather guiding and kind, encouraging even, as she advised him on what to do next.

Subaru found himself listening, his body beginning to move in ordinance to her words. Pandora looked at him concerningly, ready to step in and help if necessary. Though, as she watched him, she opted to let him be.

An arm slightly outstretched as he further approached Sirius, kneeling down to better let his hand gently rest upon her. As it did so, he internally called out to and embraced the Authority that wished to be used.

His mind became overwhelmed with information at that moment. It almost felt as if his head would explode under the immense pressure it felt. In his head, he compared it to seeing her entire internal body structure, able to look into her body, mind and soul.

Everything was a mess, he knew that right away. The first things that flooded his senses were her injuries and scars, tallied all across her entire body in various different places. Her mind was also in shambles, broken and destroyed… a fragment of what it once was.

Then, there was the anomaly. A completely unnatural form resonating from within Sirius, at the very center of it all, binded and connected to her very soul and being. Right then, something compelled him to just… remove it; to rid her of the unnatural presences from within.

It was as if he took a pair of tweezers and plucked it out. He could immediately feel the uncomfortableness of the new Witch Factor entering him, bouncing around as if it were lost and confused, or even afraid of any possible dangers lurking nearby, before settling down.

Subaru's soon lost track of that, beginning to focus on other details regarding Sirius' condition. Her mind was shattered, the pieces scattered and lost… but he felt compelled to fix it. One by one, he started picking up the pieces and putting them back together again.

After that were the scars that remained. When Subaru willed it so, it was as if a calm, gentle wave flowed over the Archbishop's body. The wave cleaned each of the scars by fading them out, all in one fell swoop. Now, very little of their presence remained.

Sirius had been restored to her natural and healthy state. Her soul had been healed and cleansed of anything, and everything, unnatural.

"Natural State"… it felt like a fitting name for such an ability, Subaru thought.

The whispers seemed happy and satisfied, quieting in Subaru's ear as his mind recentered itself. He first looked down at his hands, noticing nothing different about them yet still feeling a strange tingle. A part of him questioned what he'd just done, looking to the side to see Pandora's awed and amazed expression.

"Baru… are you okay?" she asked him, her body steadily shuffling closer to his own. Once close enough, she gently rested her hands atop his arm in a comforting way.

He nodded, at the same time saying, "I think so." In truth, he was still a bit dazed, unsure as to what exactly he'd just done.

"How do you feel?" she inquired again, her head moving over just a little so that she could better see his face.

He took a deep breath, before letting it back out. He made sure to take some time to evaluate his own condition, too. As Subaru did so, he quickly became aware of how unusually fatigued he now felt. Relaying that to her, he said, "I feel… tired, more than anything. Like all of my energy just got zapped away."

Pandora couldn't help but hold onto him just a little more, after hearing that. She wanted to make sure he felt comfortable, even if just a little bit, which he greatly appreciated. In a way, he could already start feeling his energy coming back.

Unnoticed by the both of them, having been too preoccupied by each other, something twitched in the room. Then, again. A pair of eyes groggily began to open themselves, blinking a few times as they awoke from a deep slumber.

Suddenly, a loud gasp followed soon thereafter, finally garnering the couple's attention. Subaru jumped slightly, but didn't back away. In fact, he displayed an active readiness to defend himself if at all necessary.

Pandora was very much similar. While she didn't back away, she also displayed a preparation to lunge forward and attack, if she needed to. A part of her, at first, didn't know exactly why she reacted that way, but it wasn't too hard for her to figure out. She was simply very protective of her beloved. If any harm came to him…

An arm reached in front of her, preventing her from moving forward anymore. Pandora could feel herself come back to reality after the sudden contact, realizing quickly that she'd spaced out and, when she looked down, had been unconsciously moving. Her head shifted to the side, looking directly at Subaru.

Without wasting time, he told her, "You were making that face again… and I could feel what you were feeling."

"Oh," she uttered simply, taking a moment to think to herself. She'd momentarily forgotten about Third Shift's ability to share feelings, along with physical contact. She nodded to him, "Thank you… for pulling me back."

Subaru only smiled at her, letting it convey his message to her. Needless to say, she received it loud and clear. It was just so heartwarming and sweet. Pandora couldn't help but let herself smile, too. Seeing his smile just brought those kinds of feelings out of her. Nobody else could do that.

She didn't know what she'd do without him anymore.

Movement from the side once again brought their focus back to the situation. Their heads snapped to the now awake figure at their side. Sirius, the Archbishop of Wrath, had woken up.

The movement they'd previously seen had been Sirius herself, having corrected her position on the ground to sit more comfortably. She quickly moved her arms in front of her face, looking at them from the front and back in what seemed like desperation.

At the sight of the bandages, it was clear that she'd become panicked. She immediately began clawing away at them, desperately ripping them off of her arms and hands to reveal almost flawless looking skin underneath.

After doing that for around a full minute, despite it having felt much longer, she attempted to feel her face. It was obvious that her breath had become shakier, a light gasp of shock or surprise additionally escaping from her lips while she quickly clawed away at those bandages, too.

Subaru gaped at the sight before him, utterly shocked at what he was seeing. When he noticed that Sirius had woken up, he'd expected something different but… not exactly like this.

His eyes glanced at Pandora, seeing that her mouth slightly agape as well. Through their connection, he could tell that she was beginning to feel some semblance of hope arise inside of her, along with other various emotions.

Sirius had finished tearing the bandages off of her face, letting her hand finally grace the skin and ultimately revealing it for everyone in the room to see. It looked and felt good, being perfectly healthy and smooth. When her hands lowered, her eyes frantically darted around the room, eventually having landed on both Subaru and Pandora.

Finally having properly noticed them, she jolted and inched herself backward. Unfortunately for her, she didn't get too far, having quickly hit the wall. Sirius inhaled deep breaths, eyes darting around the duo's immediate vicinity in a further indication of panic. Subaru could easily tell that she was scared.

As Sirius caught her breath as best as she could, she rapidly fired off a few questions, "Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?"

Her head tilted from side to side, looking up and even down to try and gain some semblance of familiarity in her current location. It was clear that she was clueless on a great many things.

Subaru put his hands up, trying to convey that he meant no harm or hostility, "It's okay… it's okay." He began to move himself slightly closer to her, continuing to speak as calmly as possible, "My name is Natsuki Subaru," he used one of his hands to gesture to Pandora at his side, "and this is… my friend. Can you tell us your name?"

She took more breaths, shaking her head once or twice before refocusing her gaze on him. Her eyes shifted to Pandora for a second, but ultimately landed on him once again while she answered the question, "My… My name is Fortuna. I'm from Elior Forest. How… How did I get here?"

Subaru internally felt an intense wave of surprise hit him. When he used his Authority of Lust, newly named Natural State, he hadn't known what to exactly expect. But, as of right now, the facts were clear.

He'd brought Sirius back to her original, sane self. He'd brought back Fortuna.

He also felt the slightest bit relieved. From the tone of Fortuna's response, in conjunction to her expressions and movements, he could tell that she was starting to trust them, even by just a small bit.

Hesitation swelled within him, fearing that he'd frighten her if he mentioned anything too drastic. For this reason, he opted to wait just a little longer to tell her some of the things that were going on. There was still something he wanted to confirm, so he asked, "What's the last thing you remember? Can you tell me?"

"I…" she faltered, her head tilting down and slightly shaking as she struggled to recall her last memories. "I was in Elior," she finally started, looking back up at him, sometimes glancing to Pandora as well, as she continued. "Pandora attacked because she wanted to open the seal… I was protecting Emilia… I…"

She held her head, clearly struggling to recall the memories she wished to retrieve. Subaru's expression softened at the sight, feeling bad for the woman. Ultimately, he was happy that he'd brought her back but… she was still suffering.

"How…" Both Subaru and Fortuna perked up at the sudden comment. They respectively moved their heads to face the speaker, only to discover that it had come from the hooded, identity concealed Pandora. Her mouth was slightly agape, shaking her head in small motions in what seemed like denial, "How is this… I never believed that…"

She trailed off, her head motioning downward to stare at her feet. Subaru could sense the influx of emotions through their connection. He felt the need to go to her, hug her and tell her that everything was okay.

He wanted to tell Pandora that he was there for her, that she didn't need to feel sad, guilty and ashamed of herself. The urge grew, his desperation in wanting to do so becoming increasingly more prominent.

However, in the end, he chose not to act on these urges, despite how much it pained him. Internally, he knew that it was best for her to digest what was happening on her own, at least for the time being. Though he'd be at her side in an instant, when the time came.

"I am sorry…" she mumbled in a light tone, her posture visibly slumping as if she'd fall to her knees at any moment. Subaru's expression momentarily faltered, not having expected her to say those words. Again, she uttered the same line, "I am sorry."

The elf was surprised and confused, for the most part. She didn't know how to react, or what to even say. As far as Fortuna knew, the girl in front of her was someone she'd just met. What need would she have to apologize?

Fortuna had little to no words for the situation, unsure as to what she should even be thinking. Everything around her was just so… bizarre, unusual and even outright confusing. She didn't know what was going on at all, nor did she even know where she was.

That was why, when Fortuna watched the girl apologize, she was confused but all the more desperate for answers. If this girl had something to do with everything, she wanted to know.

"I… I don't know why you're apologizing, but can one of you please tell me what's going on?" she asked once more, her light yet increasingly edged tone prominently conveyed.

Subaru, meanwhile, now had all of his focus on Pandora. He had heard and registered the elf's question, but Pandora was his current concern. The more he looked at her, watching as she wobbled in place with her head guiltily tilted down, the more he wanted to rush to her side.

He almost did, too… but stopped himself when a sudden pit opened itself within him. It was an odd, somewhat terrible feeling that completely overtook his mind.

His head began to ring, but not in a way that hurt him. In a way, he could feel as his senses honed. Subaru noticed how his sense of hearing changed, registering sound more distinctively… more selectively. His focus centered itself, framing only on the feeling that ran through his core into his mind.

It felt as though things were very, very wrong. It felt as though something terrible was about to happen.

Then, as if on cue, the feeling became even worse. His body seemingly tingled at the sensation, his hairs sticking up as if he had a chill. His eyes widened, every part of his body filling with an intense, screaming urge to move aside and fast.

Without hesitation, he listened to it.

Subaru acted on his instincts alone in that moment, ducking his head and moving to his right in one quick motion. Just in time, he managed to dodge a fast moving figure that would've presumably taken off his head had he not moved at all. Pandora and Fortuna, who'd both been distracted, watched what just happened with a mix of awe and shock.

Subaru moved himself next to Pandora, stopping in his movements and narrowing his eyes as the figure skid to a halt as well. Pandora and Fortuna looked at him for a second before bringing their full attention to the only hostile entity in the room.

The figure snickered in a clear, deep, masculine tone. As everything settled and their eyes adjusted, they could all clearly see his face. At the mischievous, sharp-toothed smile he gave, it was obvious that he found this situation amusing.

"Natsuki Subaru," Roy Alphard began, his voice laying the start of a sinister undertone. Subaru hardly flinched when his name was said, instead hardening his stance and preparing himself for a fight. "I wonder what would happen if I ate your name, tsu~!"

It would be a lie to say that Subaru felt nothing at the declaration. He was a bit shaken up, knowing full well what having one's name eaten could do to a person and their life. There was absolutely no desire in him to let that fate come to pass. Though, that didn't mean he wasn't at least a bit shaken at the threat.

One slip up and his life could be over. Just like that.

Roy launched himself forward in an instant, his arms outstretched and aiming directly for Subaru. Subaru could feel the intense dread, the feeling of danger, scream in his head, heart and core once again. His body felt the subconscious need to move, triggering his instincts into preparing his own attack in the form of his Helping Hands.

However, it would seem as though he didn't need to do anything at all.

The feeling within him ceased immediately once Pandora, who'd just a second ago been at his side, sprung forward with a sudden unrivaled speed. Before Roy could fully reach his target, only having gotten around halfway, Pandora completely halted his attack.

Her palms pressed against the sides of his face, her fingers gripping into the side of his head as she marginally began lifting him up. By the way her fingers were bent and how much they shook, it was clear that her hold on him was tight. Very, very tight.

Subaru could do nothing but watch as this happened, watching as Roy's mischievous eyes widened in an immense sense of fear. To say that Subaru was shocked would be an understatement. On the side, Fortuna wasn't faring much better.

Roy was starting to be lowered down, giving Subaru some hope that Pandora was about to stop whatever it was that she was doing.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

The lower the Archbishop went, the tighter she squeezed. Soon enough his body lowered past her neck, then past her chest. She slumped forward a little as continued to squeeze, her face almost completely blank as she continuously kept up the pressure.

It was the continuous cracks and pops of the Archbishop's skull that finally snapped Subaru out of his dazed trance. Subaru's eyes widened, his body moving on its own while a hand physically reached out to her. At the same time, one simple call left his mouth, "Dora, no!"

It was as if his words flicked a switch in her head, Pandora's eyes widening as a sudden realization hit her head-on. However, despite that, her hands moved themselves in such a quick, sudden motion that it took Roy's head along with them.

The resulting force of the movement caused the Archbishop's head to spin completely around, a loud snapping sound echoing within the room. Pandora quickly backed away, her hands separating from his head which allowed his body to fall to the ground with an audible thump.

Roy's head was completely backward, the physical indents on the side of his face additionally indicating to his crushed skull. His spine was sticking out of his neck, providing a sickening sight as blood occasionally sprayed from the wound onto the wall and floor.

Subaru's eyes could only hauntingly follow Roy's body as it fell to the ground. Even afterwards, he could merely only continue to stare, feeling just a bit uneasy and sick.

After some time he buried those feelings deep inside of him, his eyes finally moving to look at Pandora directly. They didn't give her a hard look. Instead, they were rather soft, questioning and most of all disappointed.

"Why'd you do that…" he trailed off his question, his expression shifted in a way that showed his discomfort. The disappointment he felt was laid clearly in his tone, plenty for her to take notice.

"I-I…" Pandora attempted to speak, an uncharacteristic stutter escaping from her lips.

She angled her head down, bringing her palms up so that her eyes may look at them. They weren't shaking: they were incredibly still. It quickly became apparent to her that, on the inside, she wanted to do this. She wanted to kill him. She'd done this on purpose.

It was easy for her to find the reason. That was why, without hesitation, she gathered her words and answered, "He threatened you."

When her tone solidified itself, stating her answer with certainty, he didn't exactly know what to think. He wasn't scared, but he was worried. If she snapped because of something as meager as a threat, then the possibility of her snapping for anything else was there, too.

He remembered everything that happened before this. Her blank faces… the times where she'd freeze or zone out for seemingly no apparent reason. Due to that, he'd been worried about this exact type of situation happening. Now, it appeared as though his worries and fears were proven correct.

Subaru knew that he couldn't allow this to keep going any longer. He needed to start actively pushing against it; he needed to further encourage her to stop feeling so protective of him.

He shook his head, his expression still soft yet imposingly judging — she could feel it, too. An arm extended, gesturing to Roy's body as he said, "That doesn't mean killing him was necessary."

Pandora was actually shocked to hear him say that. A part of her internally flinched at the statement, knowing full well that what she did was morally wrong and that her beloved was disappointed in her. The latter in particular made her feel especially awful, not wanting him to be mad at her. However, another part of her thought that what she did was right and perfectly justifiable.

Both sides clashed and fought against one another, neither willing to submit to the other. But that didn't mean there were no victors. Pandora's mind stuck to her justifiable actions, choosing to argue against Subaru's protest in favor of the greater good, in her eyes, "Would you rather us have risked something else happening?"

Subaru was momentarily appalled at what he was hearing. He hadn't expected a response like that, unable to properly believe that she was choosing to fight with him over this. Her defensive and agitated emotions were obvious in her tone of voice, further showing him that Pandora had no intention of backing down just yet.

Internally, he sighed. He was tired, both mentally and physically, but if she was going to argue about this, like hell he was going to back down. Subaru knew what was right and what was wrong; he knew that she was losing her way over it.

He decided to retort back, a solid tone of confidence emerging as he spoke, "I'm sure we could have prevented anything bad from happening."

"What if he succeeded in eating your name?!" she fired back, having surprisingly begun to raise her voice. "What would you have done then?!"

"He wouldn't have!" he ferociously denied. "I wouldn't have let him!"

"Because he would have killed you first? Is that it?" Pandora quickly argued against his response, shockingly without much hesitation at all.

Subaru was momentarily stunned. He didn't think she'd say something like that, but that didn't stop him from saying something back: "I can take care of myself, Dora! You don't need to protect me by doing things like this!"

He once again made a gesture to the Archbishop's corpse, doing his best to signify how wrong it was. His voice raised itself, conveying his internal anger and frustration through the words he spoke. Subaru just desperately wanted the message to get across to her.

He wanted to bring the Dora he knew back to the light, not let her fall back into the pit of darkness. Letting her fall meant bringing the old version of her back, and like hell would he ever let that happen.

She brought her hands to her head, shaking it in a show of her own frustration before throwing her arms back down to the side. She gave him a hard look, saying with a brokenly stern voice, "I do not know what I would do if I ever lost you."

Silence followed.

Subaru had nothing to say in response to that. Her confession shocked him, yet at the same time it also didn't. Some parts of him felt confused, but he also seemed to understand what she meant.

Despite these feelings, he could read the atmosphere of the room. Having detected her change in tone, along with the conveyed feelings through her words, it was clear that she was passionate about this. He did not want to interrupt what she had to say.

"You have become my everything," she sincerely stated, looking at him with almost pleading-like eyes. A hand even grasped at her heart, speaking as if she took the words directly from it, "You are what holds me down. You are what keeps me together. I love you with every part of my being. If I ever lost you… I would be lost. I cannot bear the thought of that ever happening. I will not let it have the slightest chance to occur."

Subaru's own breath shook at that, feeling the weight of her words crash upon his shoulders. He was touched by her words, truly flattered by the extent of her feelings for him. But, he also understood her worries and knew the implications of what it all meant.

He took a deep breath, gathering all of his thoughts together before giving them to her, "You know that I love you too, Dora. I… I understand what you're saying, but this," he made one, final gesture to Roy's body, "is not the way to go about it." He gave her a soft, understanding and caring look, "We can find other ways to solve a problem without having to kill people."

Pandora shook her head, as if denying his persistence, "What would you have supposed we do instead?"

This time, he gestured to Fortuna, who had been silently watching their argument the entire time. Her expression was more confused than anything, still having absolutely no idea of what to think about anything that was happening. The dynamics and opposing ideals between the two individuals in front of her only served to further send Fortuna's mind into a spiral.

"You saw what I did for her. I brought her back; I fixed her mind. I could have done the same for him too, Dora," he insisted.

"You told me that you were tired… that you did not have any energy left because of what you did," Pandora shook her head once again in a firm stance of denial. "You do not know if it would have worked."

Subaru let out a breath, his expression unwaveringly stubborn and confident, yet soft and refined. What she said wasn't untrue. In fact, he still felt as though his energy was nonexistent. The only reason he was able to move so actively was because of his passion for the situation currently at hand.

It was very possible that, due to his current unenergized condition, Natural State wouldn't have worked. The Authority is what made him feel that way in the first place, after all. If he tried to use it again, who knows what could've happened.

In addition, he didn't even know how the ability worked. His knowledge was basic, at best. He knew that it was capable of healing and repairing the minds of broken individuals, anything specific beyond that was unknown to him.

There were a lot of unknowns, many of which could have led to any type of disaster. Despite those facts, it didn't stop him from rebutting her denial, "But I could've still tried."

Finally, she averted her gaze. She had nothing to say in response to that, choosing to curl her arms inward and hug herself. The only other thing he got from her was a slight, single nod of acknowledgment.

Subaru could feel the inner turmoil within her. Pandora didn't want to look at him, nor did she even want to face Roy's corpse.

His eyes glanced downward, looking at Roy's body for himself one last time. He wasn't fazed by it too much anymore, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread and regret upon seeing it.

A part of his mind thought that this could've been prevented had he just acted sooner — it could've been stopped if he'd just gone to her, helped her and held her. Subaru couldn't help but blame himself.

"What…" a light mumble made itself prominent within the room, quickly taking the couple's attention away from their own individual issues.

The two's eyes tracked to the same place: Fortuna, who still sat still on the ground. Only, this time, something was different. Her head, once lowered, raised itself so that her eyes could stare directly at Pandora. Subaru didn't like the look she was giving, not at all.

"What… What did you say your name was?"

Her tone was particularly icy, edged and laced with immense suspicion. They'd been careless during their argument, shouting their little nicknames as if they'd been alone. Since Fortuna's mind was still wrapped up in Pandora's attack on Elior Forest, it would be very easy for her to make certain assumptions right about now.

Subaru became more and more worried, his eyes carrying themselves between both Pandora and Fortuna. The tension in the air was thick and Subaru was admittedly afraid of another fight happening breaking loose.

His eyes stuck to Pandora, carefully studying her. She hadn't moved at all, her head and eyes glued to the same place as if she'd just completely ignored Fortuna's question entirely.

The feigned ignorance did little to help, only further fueling Fortuna's increasing paranoia. The elf narrowed her eyes, other emotions mixing with her anger and conveyed through her expression. Subaru was seconds away from interfering, now knowing full well what could happen if he didn't.

Luckily, he didn't even have to. The handle of the door behind him turned from the other side, effectively saving him from a potentially ugly situation. Pandora and Fortuna's eyes readily snapped toward it, prepared for whatever may come through. Subaru, on the other hand, couldn't help but let out a breath in relief, knowing who it was.

"Alright, it's been a while so I'm just- OH MY FUCKING OD WHY IS HIS HEAD BACKWARDS?!"

Felt had come through the door with her usual snarky and carefree attitude, as per her nature. Then… she saw Roy's body, instinctively freaking out and even flinching back a bit.

Recomposing herself quickly, her eyes immediately shot to Subaru for answers. However, Felt quickly noticed a third, very awake, figure in the room. She pointed accusingly at Fortuna, her eyes looking back and forth between the elf and Subaru as she sternly questioned, "And why is she awake?!"

Fortuna, in response to everything happening, started to completely lose it. Eventually, she too began to yell, "What is going on?! Who are you, how did I get here?! What is this place?!"

Felt went on edge and seemed ready to fight. Subaru defensively put up his hands, swiping them aside as if to metaphorically, or literally, clear the tension in the air, "Look, this can all be explained… calmly."

To his insistence, everyone ended up backing down, whether they wanted to or not. Felt had done so first, trusting Subaru's words, and almost snarkily tilted her head at Fortuna to do the same. Hesitantly, the elf followed suit.

What followed next was, fortunately, a rather calm situation. Subaru had quickly explained, in very bare terms, what had happened. Specifically and abundantly, he clarified that Sirius, now Fortuna, was not the Archbishop she used to be, along with the fact that she possessed no such memories of that time. Luckily, Felt trusted him enough to believe it at face value and didn't delve deeper into the hows and whys.

After that, Felt had approached Fortuna in a, surprisingly, relatively friendly way and introduced herself in a surprisingly formal manner. When Felt outright said that she was the current Queen of Lugnica, Fortuna thought it was a blatant lie.

However, the following professionalism of the situation began proving her doubts wrong. After having been asked to similarly introduce herself and provide more information on her background, Felt had gone into great detail on the types of rehabilitation she could provide. She offered the elf a lot of things that simply could not be refused, given her predicament.

Subaru was a bit bewildered at seeing Felt's professional side. Actually, he believed that he'd never really seen it before now. He internally smiled, proud of how much Felt grew over the years.

Though, as her conversation with Fortuna came to a close, she reverted back to her normally carefree self. She led Fortuna to the door, giving Subaru an odd look once she reached it, "I'm pretty sure you have somewhere to be, and you're running late. You know the way out of here. I made sure to spread word to the guards earlier too, so you shouldn't be bothered."

At that, he was a little confused. He hasn't expected Felt to just… shoo him out. Though, still, he had to ask, "Wait- What about him?"

She tilted her head at first, but soon realized what he was gesturing to. Felt did her, now seemingly signature, wave of dismissal, "Don't worry about it. I'll send some guards down to dispose of it later. We were probably going to execute him at some point, anyway."

While she shrugged, Subaru asked another question, "Well… Are you sure you don't need any help?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, I'm sure. You should get going." Subaru sighed, knowing full well that Felt was trying to rush him out. Though, surprisingly, before she walked out, her expression and behavior suddenly became coy. She looked back at him, "But… you will come back, right?"

Subaru repressed the urge to chuckle, amused at Felt's almost tsundere-like behavior. He did allow himself to smile though, "Yes, of course I'm coming back."

Felt smiled too, genuinely happy to hear his answer, "Good, because Reinhard is on his way too and he's bringing your friends." Subaru's eyes widened in shock at hearing that. A part of him hadn't actually expected her to call them back, especially when the country was in the middle of an important war. She continued, "He seemed… very eager, after I told him the news. Expect him to be here in the day, sometime."

Subaru had to blink a few times to snap himself out of his dazed state. Well… it seemed as though he'd be meeting more of his friends again soon. Despite it not having been ordered under the best of circumstances, he couldn't help but be glad at the fact they were coming back. It was something he was actually looking forward to.

Felt left soon after that, having given both him and Pandora a simple goodbye before stepping out of the room and motioning for Fortuna to follow. Subaru gave Fortuna a small, simple wave which she hesitantly returned, nervously proceeding to follow Felt out of the chamber.

His eyes watched them leave, silently wondering what would happen next for Fortuna. He genuinely hoped that Felt and the others, such as Julius, could help her get back on the right track.

Speaking of Julius, Subaru couldn't help but wonder about him, too. He hadn't seen the former Finest Knight all morning. Though, in the end, he'd shrugged the thought away. Wherever Julius was, Subaru was sure that he was fine.

In any case, Felt had been correct in saying that they were running late. He and Pandora were supposed to be meeting up with Petra, Beatrice and Louis soon and if they intended to make their scheduled time, they needed to leave as soon as possible.

Subaru turned his head to the side, choosing to look at Pandora. She'd been silent and unmoving the entire time, even as Felt came and left. It worried him, with his concern only increasing the longer his gaze stuck to her. Her head kept itself angled down, indicating her downcast mood to great effect.

Through their connection in Third Shift, he knew that her feelings ran a lot deeper than that. He realized and knew that her mind and heart were essentially twisting themselves, but in what way specifically he wasn't entirely positive. Either way, Subaru knew that he needed to help her.

He went to her, not hesitating to reach out his arms and wrap them around her in a nice, snug and securing hug. Subaru could feel her perk up at first, as if she were surprised at the action, before eventually easing herself into relaxation.

Her arms curled up in front of her, wrapping themselves around his own arm. She tries to pull it toward her, as if to make his hold even closer. Pandora tried to bury her face into his arm, but only got as far as burying her mouth. Subaru gently pressed his head atop hers, both of them closing their eyes and letting themselves succumb to the calming atmosphere they created.

In that moment, nothing else mattered to them. The fact that they were running late? Not a priority. Their location? While it certainly wasn't ideal and could have been better, they didn't care. All that mattered was their time together, focusing only on what the other thought and felt.

After a while, when they finally decided to separate, no time was wasted in joining their hands. Immediately, his left hand and her right came together, intertwining their fingers just as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Then, together, they left.

---

"C'mon Pet! What's the surpri~ise?" A rather energetic voice begged.

The person being addressed, Petra, put a hand up to her face, sighing. Even so, the girl smiled in what felt like natural amusement, "Louis, you've been asking me the same question since I first told you about it. You know, the whole point of a surprise is to be… well, surprised."

The one called Louis pouted, clearly very unhappy with the response she'd received, "You know how I am with surprises! I hate them! I can't handle the anticipation!"

She basically squealed, unable to contain herself. Her legs even squated up and down a few times to further convey her excitement as well. Truly, she acted like a child, fitting her rather unnaturally short height, despite her mind having greatly matured over the last ten years.

Petra actually laughed at Louis' antics, "You can go there early, if you really want to. I'm sure it won't be a problem." Louis visibly perked up at the suggestion whilst Petra thumbed behind her, "Beatrice still isn't ready yet, so i'm going to wait for her."

"Alright, see you there!" Louis was practically out the door already. Once Petra gave her the okay, she was pretty much already gone.

Petra blinked, but chuckled nonetheless. Then, remembering something, she yelled out to Louis, "You at least look presentable, right?!"

"Yup!" she nonchalantly yelled back without much care, shooting herself out the door in a hurry.

Louis wore rather casual, yellow and white, clothes. Her hair kept its longer length throughout the years, like her height, but whether it was presented neatly or messily was entirely dependent on her mood on any particular day.

In reality, Louis never really cared about how she looked or presented herself to others. The only times where she truly made an effort was for work, since it was, and still is, something incredibly important. Other than that, especially in a casual sense, the concern wasn't even on her mind.

When the door shut behind her, Petra chuckled for one last time. "There so goes…" she mumbled, still very much amused at Louis' behavior. Sometimes, though, she believed that Louis' antics would end up driving her to an early grave.

With that, Petra turned herself around and began to make her way through her little apartment until she reached a specific door. She waited a moment before raising a hand, lightly knocking on it to get the attention of somebody inside.

A high-pitched yelp sounded from inside the room, only serving to amuse Petra further. "Beatrice, are you almost ready?"

"Y-Yes! Betty will be out in just a few moments, I suppose," came the response.

Petra was satisfied with that answer and decided to continue waiting in the living area. On the inside of the room, however, the Great Spirit fumbled with her supplies. She scrambled to put her eyepatch back on, also doing her best to gather the remedy vials she'd packed with her, as well.

She kept one vial out, being sure to carefully put the rest of them away. She unplugged the end of the vial, putting it to her mouth and drinking the entirety of its contents in one chug. Once she was done, Beatrice took some time to catch a few breaths before putting the empty vial away with the others.

Afterward, the Great Spirit couldn't help but just stare ahead of her. Her mind was jumbled, lost in a plethora of thoughts ranging from both good and bad.

She'd grabbed a mirror and looked deeply into it, straight at her own reflection. She felt disgusted at seeing such a repulsive, abominable face.

Cute? Maybe once she was, but not anymore. She was a monster, now. Nothing more, nothing less.

Beatrice shook her head, doing her best to rid the thoughts away as she pushed the mirror back. She didn't want to look at herself anymore, hopping off of the chair she sat in and slowly walking toward the door.

When her hand reached for the knob, it froze. She became hesitant and unsure, but for what she did not know. Her hand willed itself forward, grabbing hold of the knob and turning it so that she could open the door. It felt like one of the hardest things she'd ever done.

When she walked out of this room, she'd have to interact with other people. People that loved her and thought highly of her. Beatrice couldn't even consider herself worthy of deserving any of that, anymore. That was why she found everything so… difficult.

Majority of her believed that she was nothing but an abomination that needed to be eliminated. But… that would make her Subaru, and many others, sad. That was something she didn't want, so she kept going, moving forward and living for their sakes.

Not long after leaving the room, Beatrice reconvened with Petra. No abnormal questions were asked, which the Great Spirit was thankful for. They only exchanged a few words, confirming that they had everything that they needed before heading out.

They walked together in silence, slowly but surely making their way to the designated meeting point. Petra walked slightly ahead of Beatrice, occasionally turning her head back to always see the Great Spirit's head hanging low.

Petra really wanted to talk to her, desperately so. But she didn't know how. She didn't know what to ask, what to say or even how to say it. Even though her stomach churned at seeing her friend in such a depressive state, wanting to help, she couldn't find the words to take the initiative.

Without knowing it, Petra had stopped walking. She had been too caught up in her thoughts to realize, only moderately snapping out of it when Beatrice, who'd similarly not been paying attention, walked into her. The Great Spirit looked up at Petra, inquirious eyes drilling into the girl as she spoke, "What's wrong? Why did we stop, I suppose?"

Petra bit her lip, her head slightly turning away. She'd messed up here, hadn't she? There was no avoiding the topic now, she supposed.

Her head turned back to Beatrice, eyes choosing to wordlessly convey her worry. Beatrice noticed, her expression shifting for a mere second before settling on something neutral. Petra parted her lips, "Well… Beatrice, it's just… Are you okay?"

She was silent for a moment, blinking only once. As Petra studied her expression, it didn't seem to have changed at all. Beatrice tilted her head, as if she were confused, "Of course Betty is fine, I suppose. Why do you ask?"

Petra took a breath, looking at Beatrice dead in the eye as she began to explain her reasoning, "You've just been… depressed. It's pretty obvious. I just… I want to know if there's something wrong, okay? If there is… I want to help you."

It was true. Beatrice's mood had been abundantly clear, ever since Petra met her again. Even when the two had parted from Subaru, Beatrice's gloomy mood persisted. Sharing a space for the night helped tell a lot, as well.

Now, Petra felt as though she'd let it persist long enough. Seeing her friend this upset really hurt her on the inside. She didn't want Beatrice to feel this way, thus she wanted to help her.

The Great Spirit was, once again, silent for another few seconds. "I see. Betty is fine though, so there is no need to worry for her wellbeing, in fact," she stated, slightly surprising Petra.

"I… I understand," she uttered, visibly deflating at the reply. For a moment, she averted her gaze to the side, her own thoughts plaguing her mind on their own. After that moment passed, she turned her head back to her friend with a hopeful look on her face, "Beatrice, just know that I'm your friend. You can tell me anything and I'll always be there to try and help you."

"Thank you," was all she replied, nodding in what seemed to be genuine appreciation. Petra let herself smile, but just a little bit. As long as Beatrice acknowledged what she said and even gave it some thought, then she'd be happy.

Further looking at Beatrice, Petra easily determined that the Great Spirit was ready to start moving again. Knowing that, Petra started to walk forward while her eyes lingered on Beatrice a little more. Due to that, she'd ended up accidentally running into someone.

Petra quickly snapped her head forward, looking at the figure she'd bumped into with an apologetic expression, "Oh! I'm really sorry, I wasn't watchi-"

The figure moved fast, their right arm raising as a hand grabbed Petra by the face. Immediately after grabbing hold the figure threw their arm to the right, effectively tossing Petra to the side.

The strength of the movement caused the girl to gasp, flying into the air. She hit the ground hard, sliding across it for a whole second until she hit a wall with a hard impact. Petra groaned, her body slumping on its side while she gasped for air.

Beatrice gaped as she watched that happen, the shock of such an attack preventing her from doing anything for those very few seconds. The attacker's eyes drew to her, citing Beatrice to raise her right palm in an attempt to defend herself.

The figure's left hand quickly sprung forward, grabbing hold of Beatrice's wrist, twisting her palm in an extremely painful way. Beatrice grit her teeth, doing her best to regain control of her hand so that she could cast a spell. Immediately, she was interrupted when the attacker's right hand grabbed hold of her throat.

Their grip was immensely tight, quickly raising Beatrice up into the air and above their own head. Beatrice struggled to move, or do anything at all; her legs desperately flailed in a desperate attempt to break free.

The attacker continued to squeeze as if their goal was to simply break Beatrice's neck. The Great Spirit clenched her left hand, allowing heat to build up within the empty grasp of her fingers before springing it forward and unleashing it all upon the attacker's face.

The force of the hit had been enough to send the figure's face into a recoil, knocking their hood off in the process. Things moved too fast for Beatrice to get a good look at them, the attacker's arm throwing itself aside and tossing her into a nearby alleyway as an added result of the attack.

Beatrice flew a good distance in the air, her back quickly hitting a corner wall. Beatrice immediately gasped and yelped, the sharp jab of the wall's corner hitting her back causing intense pain to surge through her body. She fell to the ground, on her knees. Her mind was overwhelmed, vision slightly blurred as some of her instincts overtook her mind.

Because of that, out of desperation, her body did its best to turn itself around and tried to crawl away. Her hands poorly grasped at the ground beneath her, struggling to even bring herself even an inch or more forward.

She could hear the attacker's footsteps behind her, walking closer and closer within the alleyway. They weren't running, but they walked at a fast enough pace to clearly show that they were livid. Despite this, Beatrice continued to try desperately crawling forward with the slimmest hope of making it out in one piece.

It didn't take long for the figure to reach her, raising a single foot into the air before slamming the heel of their boot down onto Beatrice's back. Beatrice cried out in pain, whimpering as she tried and failed to stay strong.

"Look at me," came the icy words, laced with hatred as they once again picked up their foot and slammed it back down on her back. Beatrice cried out again, the pain overwhelming. "Look at me. Look at me. Look at me."

Beatrice yelped and cried out after each stomp, hearing those same three words each and every time. Her mind was jumbled, unable to properly think under the pressure. Though, she tried to turn herself over, to no avail. A part of her hoped that, if she did, they would stop.

But… the other part of her knew that they wouldn't. It was clear that they wanted her to suffer.

The attacker finally seemed to have enough, moving their boot from Beatrice's back and slipping it under her stomach. With one motion, they used it to turn Beatrice over and onto her back, allowing her to look up into the sky.

The Great Spirit took in large huffs, whimpering as her back lay flat on the ground. The light of sun in the sky occupied her vision before being blocked by a sudden looming figure. Beatrice narrowed her eyes as they adjusted to the change, only to soon have them widen at the surprising sight before her.

"Y-You…" she uttered, voice broken and almost unable to speak at all.

"Yes, me," came the reply, their boot raising itself once again only to slam itself into the Great Spirit's stomach.

Beatrice yelped, tears escaping from her eyes. She wanted, so desperately, to get out of here; she wanted to run, crawl, or even teleport away… but she couldn't. Despite how much she wished for it to happen, it would not.

The Great Spirit took staggered breaths as she looked up at her attacker: a half-elf, purple eyes widened and dilated in a way that displayed her crazed state of mind. That look, that face, made Beatrice feel a deep sense of dread, wanting to escape even more.

Emilia applied more pressure to Beatrice's stomach, making the Great Spirit beneath her cry out, "I finally found you," the half-elf said, her eyes shifting into more of a glare as they stared down at Beatrice in hatred.

Beatrice took rapid breaths, tears staining her cheeks as they continuously leaked from her eyes, "W-What do you… w-want, I-I suppose!"

Emilia didn't answer, instead choosing to bend herself down. From doing so, the pressure against Beatrice's stomach only increased. She felt as though she'd be crushed, wincing and still doing her best to try staying strong.

The half-elf raised a hand, with it soon approaching Beatrice's face. Emilia's fingers slowly, almost carefully, graced against the eyepatch around the Great Spirit's eye for a few seconds, her head tilting as she thoroughly inspected it. Then, without warning or indication, her fingers tore underneath it and ripped it off in one quick motion.

Beatrice yelped, Emilia's nails having scratched under her eye. As the Great Spirit's eyes refocused, looking at the half-elf above her, Emilia scoffed, "You use that eyepatch to hide your shame."

With the eyepatch missing, Beatrice's discolored yellow left eye was easily able to be seen.

"Why…? Why did you do it?"

The half-elf questioned, her voice still laced with an icy venom that fluently cut through the barriers of Beatrice's mind. Then, she laughed. Emilia creepily laughed and giggled, as if she'd just heard a funny joke.

"You were jealous, weren't you? Me and Subaru were getting too close to your liking, so you took him away and tried to make me suffer!"

Beatrice's expression immediately shifted to showing how appalled she was at those statements, wincing soon thereafter due to apparent, ever still present, pain she felt. "D-D you not realize… the d-delusions you… speak, I supp-"

She was interrupted by a sudden increase of pressure on her stomach, causing her to wince and lose her breath. Following that, the pressure completely dissipated as Emilia lifted her foot, moving to the Great Spirit's side.

The half-elf crouched down next to her, head tilting as she looked at her victim straight in the eyes. "I'm not insane," she stated, much to Beatrice's disagreement. "I'm not the stupid half-elf girl that I used to be, either."

Her hand went to Beatrice's ankle, right grabbing hold of it. In one motion, Emilia stood and brought the Great Spirit up with her, holding her upside down with ease. She lifted her arm, raising Beatrice high enough to bring them to eye level.

"B-Betty would never… hurt h-her contractor, in fact," she did her best to plead in reason, desperately stuttering out the words.

Emilia didn't respond, her eyes only narrowing at Beatrice in silence. Then, she started to spin. Her arm spun along with her body, building enough momentum to slam Beatrice straight into the nearest wall.

The impact was heavy, Beatrice's scream easily drowning out any noise it could have made. The pain was too much for her to handle. She couldn't even start trying to heal herself…

She wanted to cry, so much.

She wanted to die.

Emilia moved her arm back, raising Beatrice up by her ankle again. The wall she'd slammed the Great Spirit into was now indented with the shape of her body, but the half-elf hardly cared.

She started to jiggle Beatrice's body. Up, down, side to side… whichever way the half-elf could, she did. Emilia grit her teeth as she did so, her jiggles becoming more vigorous and angry as she kept trying and failing to shake something out.

Before long, multiple vials containing some kind of liquid dropped from Beatrice and onto the ground. The vials, made from glass, shattered on impact, their contents spilling across the ground to never be recovered. The Great Spirit heard this, but couldn't mentally bring herself to look.

A small box fell too, it's lightweight structure allowing it to hit the ground with a bounce. Both heard a small hollow clunk when it first made contact, neither paying mind to the scraping sound it made as it skidded away.

Something else fell; something thin, but clunky enough to make an odd noise when it hit the ground. Emilia's eyes followed it, expression shifting immediately upon seeing what it was. Her head and gaze quickly dropped as her attention fully focused on the object.

Without care, Emilia flung her arm aside, tossing Beatrice away. The Great Spirit flew in the air, not with too much distance, rolling on the ground before coming to a halt. She found the sudden urge and will to bring herself to her knees. Her head turned toward the half-elf, eyes widening at what she saw.

Emilia bent down, a hand reaching out to grab a small stone tablet from off of the ground. Once she did, the half-elf flipped it over in her hand, looking directly at the dimly lit symbol it displayed.

Beatrice wanted to move, to take the object away from her, but she couldn't. She could only stay on her knees, unable to properly stand as her body just wouldn't allow it.

What Emilia held was the very seal that plagued everyone for so long: The Seal of Eternity.

Beatrice never left it behind, even after Subaru had been freed. How could she? After ten years of lugging it around, keeping it next to her at all times… she developed a dependency on its very presence.

The half-elf mockingly laughed, "This is it, isn't it? After all of this time… I finally…"

The smile she'd begun to form, the victorious tone she started to use, vanished in an instant. Her face hardened, her grip around the seal becoming noticeably more tight as her frustration rose. Her eyes narrowed, gripping the seal with her other hand as she rose to her feet.

"Why… Why, why, why, why, WHY!" She shook it in her hands, her anger increasing while her tantrum proceeded.

Emilia moved herself around, hoping that, maybe, her change in position would work. It didn't.

She froze, her eyes once again landing on Beatrice. A glare presented itself on her face, her hand harshly flinging the seal to the ground. It bounced away, each impact making an echoed clang until it finally came to a halt near the wall.

"It's your fault, isn't it?" she spat, her right arm extending so that an icicle could materialize within her palm. "It won't work because of you!"

Beatrice took huffs of breath, only able to look up as Emilia inched ever so slightly closer. The icicle had since formed within her hand, raising itself up and behind her head with a preparation to strike.

It was clear to Beatrice that Emilia was done playing with her food.

"I promised… You will pay."

This was it, wasn't it? Beatrice knew that she couldn't heal, defend herself or even teleport. All of the mana and energy within her was being put to keeping her condition stable. With her vials smashed, it was probable that she'd mutate and go out of control soon, anyway.

Emilia finally got close enough, her right hand fully bent behind her head. The half-elf glared down upon her target, a snarl ever so present on her darkened face. Beatrice could only look up to see her fate.

Her suffering would end, but so would her life.

She didn't close her eyes, but she embraced the fact of what would happen next. Beatrice thought that, perhaps, her death would come to benefit those she'd inadvertently hurt and pained. Within her mind, she voiced her final thoughts.

She internally wished her contractor good luck. One final, sad tear escaped from her discolored eye as she thought for one final time, "Farewell, Subaru."

Then, much to both girl's surprise, a yell erupted from the entrance of the alleyway. It momentarily took Emilia's attention away from Beatrice, turning her head to barely catch a glimpse of the charging figure before being tackled to the ground.

Emilia was thrown off of Beatrice, much to the Great Spirit's shock, saving her life.

The half-elf was surprised, the blunt end of a dagger jabbing itself into her right wrist to make her drop the icicle in her hand. They swatted the icicle away quickly after, but Emilia's eyes were only focused on her attacker's face.

Petra growled with gritted teeth, doing her best to try and restrain Emilia so that she wouldn't move. With all of her strength, she tried to pin Emilia in place on the ground.

She didn't want to fight; not Emilia. Petra knew Emilia; she knew that she wasn't normally like this. The look on her face was anything but natural. She would have never tried to kill Beatrice, their mutual friend, either.

Something happened to her to make her act so… crazy. Petra, with all of the good still in her heart, wanted to cease the needless fighting and solve the situation peacefully. She held onto the hope that it was possible. If that meant restraining Emilia first, all so that she could get her to see reason, then so be it.

But she'd underestimated the strength of a half-elf. Emilia was easily able to overpower her, quickly pushing Petra off and sitting herself up. Despite how much she'd been trained in self-defense, Petra was still too slow to notice Emilia's next attack.

Beatrice's eyes widened, her mouth agape as a pained, staggered gasp escaped Petra's mouth.

She'd never forget the sight of her friend being impaled by an icicle, the other end erupting out of her back tainted and stained with her blood.

---

"Say, Dora…"

"Yes, Baru?"

"Can you… Can you talk to me? About everything you're feeling, I mean."

They'd only been walking hand in hand with their hoods up. Neither of them talked the entire way there, instead having chosen to bask in the silence. When they finally arrived at their destination, seeing as how nobody was there just yet, Subaru had been the one to finally break the silence.

Pandora remained quiet after he asked his question, though. He wouldn't lie to himself by saying that he wasn't worried; not only for her, but for others around them as well.

She'd dropped her gaze, her lips momentarily pursing with an influx of anger, which soon went away. When she looked up at him again, even with her hood up, he could feel the softness of her eyes.

"I am angry," she admitted, giving his hand a light squeeze as if to indicate why.

Still, Subaru still found himself lost. He carefully tilted his head to the side, eyes tracing her with care while his thumb caressed the back of her hand, "What are you angry for?"

"Threats on our lives. Your life," she answered right away, lightly shaking her head. "How can you not be angry at such a notion?"

Subaru took a breath, looking at her with resolve yet holding into the softness in his gaze, "Of course I'm angry. If someone threatened to kill you, Beako, Emilia, Petra, or anyone else, I'd be absolutely livid. But… I don't want to kill anyone; not like that."

Subaru did his best to keep his composure, under the circumstances. Seeing Pandora kill Roy in the manner she did — even before that, watching and hearing as Roy's skull cracked under the intensity of her grip — made him realize that more of her heartless, past self was still in there. More than he initially wanted to believe, anyway.

When Pandora previously stated that he was the only thing keeping her held down and sane, he believed her. Even with him around, she had moments of… relapse.

She'd draw blanks, space out and develop a particularly hostile aura. Subaru could only imagine what would happen if he wasn't there to help pull her out of her dazes, or even just not with her in general.

Pictures of Pandora fully reverting back to her old self filled his head. Her arms outstretched over the flames of the enemies she'd burned and slaughtered, a cold and satisfied smile persisting on the Witch's as she proudly looked upon her handiwork with cold eyes.

The true Witch of Vainglory would resurface again. The Pandora that he knew and loved would be gone, replaced by the one he hated. She would return to wreak havoc upon the world, fulfilling whatever twisted goal she'd set her mind for.

Subaru had to shake his head, hoping those images would follow. He didn't want to imagine Pandora in that way, especially not now. He wouldn't let her befall that fate, not again.

"I do not see the problem," she finally responded to his statement, fully knocking him out of his inner thoughts. "Killing our enemies is a very reasonable and justifiable action."

"If there's no other option, I can agree," he admitted.

Subaru decided not to shy away from the things he believed, which included this. He distinctly remembered killing Petelgeuse and Regulus in particular, believing them to both be unsavable nor deserving of such at the time.

However, now, with his expanded knowledge and mindset, his thoughts have changed. He realized that these people weren't always as crazy as their Archbishop personalities made them out to be. He saw firsthand how they could change through both Louis and Sirius alike.

His only regret was how he could do nothing for Capella's sake. Even if he wanted to save her, the means to do so were out of his hands. Her death was a prime example of killing an enemy because there was no other option available.

He then proceeded to continue, "But if there are other options, we should at least try to take them."

"We are not certain that it would have worked," she retorted, repeating what she'd said before with wavering confidence.

"It worked on Sirius, didn't it?" he rhetorically asked her, specifically inquiring for a response that she was unable to muster. Pandora averted her gaze, as if she was guilty, while he spoke, "Roy could've become like her and Louis… a normal kid."

She finally responded, looking directly at him all the while, "You have only just discovered this power. How could you be so certain that things would not have gone wrong? How could you know if the possibility of even using it again was there?"

He took a sharp breath, "You're right." He looked at his hands, as if trying to inwardly look at the ability through them. He continued, "I just got this power. I don't even really know how to really use it on my own, since I was only guided the last time." He shook his head, lowering his hands and looking at her with a sternly resolved expression, "But the possibility was definitely still there."

Pandora's eyes averted themselves, unable to respond to what Subaru said. She knew that his stance wouldn't waver; she didn't want their opposing ideals to clash and cause them to fight again. When they fought in the cell, something inside of her felt wrong. It was like her stomach twisted in on itself. She hated that feeling.

Subaru suddenly grabbed hold of her other hand, to her slight surprise. He brought their hands together in the middle, bringing them up and looking at her with pleading eyes. He spoke to her with a light voice, "Can you please promise me that we won't resort to killing anyone unless there's no other option for us?"

It was clear that he would not change his mind. She directed her head down, avoiding his eyes. She responded in a low tone, making one last attempt to appeal to him, "Surely you do not believe that just anyone can change."

"You did," he quickly pointed out. "You, more than anyone, should know that it's possible to change, no matter what was done in the past."

Pandora went completely still after that, silently considering the implications of everything he'd just said. Subaru could hear her take sharp, sometimes staggered, breaths. Eventually, her head picked itself up so that her eyes may look into his.

After a few seconds of continuous silence, she delivered a firm and meaningful, "I promise."

For a moment, he was surprised. He hadn't expected her to agree as easily as she did, but he was proud of her for it. The fact that she promised was further proof to his point that anyone, given the proper circumstances or chances, could change.

Her words caused him to develop a smile, something which made her heart flutter upon seeing. She enjoyed gazing upon his happy face. Seeing him happy made her happy. "Thank you," he said, almost in a whisper, as he pulled her close.

Their arms wrapped around one another, forming an embrace with as much love and affection as they could give. Being in the middle of a Lugnican district, their public display of affection drew some eyes — some people even smiled — but they hardly cared about the attention. Smartly, they'd kept their conversation quiet.

After a while, much to their displeasure, the two separated. The warmth of the other left as soon as they backed away, immediately rejoining their hands to make up for the lost contact. Though they wanted to stay in an embrace for much longer, the fact that they were in public prevented them from doing so.

They proceeded to wait in that location, hoping that those they were waiting for would arrive soon. Surprisingly, not even a few seconds after they'd broken from their hug, someone tapped on Subaru's shoulder.

"Uhm… excuse me, sir?" A feminine voice spoke to him from behind, prompting him to turn around. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I heard you mention my name earlier in your conversation. Do I know you?"

Subaru's eyes couldn't help but widen at who he was seeing, almost unable to believe it. "Louis… You're all grown up," he uttered out, looking at her in slight awe.

On the contrary to his reaction, the girl in front of him looked disgusted or even creeped out. She repeated her question, more warily this time, "Do I… Do I know you?

Those words brought Subaru's mind back to reality, causing him to suddenly chuckle to himself as if he was amused. It served only to further creep her out.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I have this hood on, so you can't really recognize me," he said to her, making her confused.

It was clear by Louis' facial expression that she was massively uncomfortable, prompting Subaru to try resolving things quicker. He raised his free hand, reaching it behind his head and grabbing hold of his hood. Then, in a fast motion, he uncovered his face for a few mere seconds before repositioning the hood back in place.

Afterward, his head carefully turned back and forth. They were all still in public, thus making it a dangerous place to reveal himself. Anyone could've recognized him, had they seen. Though, it wasn't like he had much of a choice in this situation, knowing that Louis likely wouldn't have followed him somewhere private so that he could do it discreetly.

Suddenly, a rough grip presented itself around his wrist, pulling him forward and subsequently dragging Pandora along as well. They were yanked into an alleyway close by, providing some form of privacy. Before he could gather his bearings, a hand reached behind his hood and forcefully pulled it down.

"It really is you," he heard Louis mutter. His eyes drew to her just in time to see her shed tears, her own eyes unable to pry away from his face. "I don't even know what to say. I…"

She sniffled, wiping away some of her tears with an arm. Subaru developed a smile, activating Third Shift so that he could use his hands to move hers aside. He did so gently, much to her surprise, lowering them down to her sides before bringing his hands back up to her cheeks.

He cupped them, wiping away some of her tears using his thumbs, "You're all big now. Though… your sense of fashion hasn't really changed since you were a kid."

That made her laugh, her head dropping a little as she developed a smile of her own. When Louis picked her head back up, he saw how her smile openly showcased her signature sharp teeth. With a playful voice, she retorted, "I can tell that you haven't changed much, either."

"Hey, I know I haven't changed much, but look at you!" Subaru took his hands off of her cheeks, bringing them so he could gesture to her, "You're not the same little girl that protected me in Vollachia. Plus, you're actually talking with actual words now! You're not communicating with only gurgles and cuddles anymore!"

Louis' cheeks flushed red, greatly embarrassed by what he'd said. Certain memories resurfaced, detailing times where she'd jump Subaru in an attempt to show affection. Sometimes it didn't even matter what he was doing, or what he was wearing, she'd just do it.

"I was younger back then!" she exclaimed, leaning her body forward while a pout made its way onto her face. "Of course I've learned a bunch of stuff!"

Subaru just laughed, "I know, I know." His smile persisted, similarly recalling some memories of the past.

Louis saved his butt many times, in many different loops, during his time in Vollachia. There would also be times where, even in his Natsumi persona, she'd jump on him for cuddles. He may not have been too fond of it all then, mainly because she used to be a dangerous Archbishop of Gluttony that personally tormented him for a while, but he sure missed those times.

He outstretched his arms again, opening them out as if to invite her in, "You know, Louis, I wouldn't mind some cuddles now. Only if you want, of course."

He tilted his head forward a little to help tempt her. She could only look at him for a solid moment, surprised at such a gesture. She remembered how he always used to push her away, unwelcoming to any of her affection. Back then it hurt her feelings, knowing that, while he didn't want affection from her, he was more than happy to get it from others.

Now though, seeing him welcome it with literal open arms, accompanied with an invitation for her to embrace him, it felt almost surreal.

That was why she didn't waste even a single moment of the opportunity, launching herself at him with arms opened wide. She crashed into him, making him stagger backward a bit, her arms wrapping around his waist while her head dug into his chest.

Subaru, after recovering from his stagger, didn't hesitate to return the hug. He held her securely, almost protectively, a smile still present on his face. It felt great, he would admit.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last too long. The whispers from before decided to enter his head again. Their words, as soft and guiding as they were, completely overrode his thoughts. He felt no ill intent from them; he felt as though he could trust them once more, so he did. Thus, he surrendered himself to their guidance.

This time, he didn't need to move; with Louis in his arms, it made things easier. His eyes closed as an image appeared in his head, though he couldn't completely understand it. He could feel himself searching for something, almost like moving through a maze, with the whispers carefully guiding him on where to go.

Eventually, he found something unnatural. It was hard to find, buried deep, dormant within Louis' very being and soul. Using Natural State, he dug it out. After doing so, he felt the same sensations as before. It was as if he'd plucked it straight out of her, the oddity immediately coming to him once it was free.

However, this time was different. Upon entering his body, the Witch Factor seemed rather small and attentive. Then, as if they'd been hiding, two others of similar nature emerged. The three interacted with one another, becoming closer and bonding, until they became one in the same.

The whispers seemed happy and satisfied once again, quieting and promptly making their exit from his head after everything was complete.

Subaru's eyes widened, his legs suddenly giving out and making him fall to the ground. Louis gasped in shock, doing her best to keep him standing whilst Pandora bent down to catch him. With their combined efforts, both girls prevented him from collapsing and helped him prop up against a nearby wall.

"What happened, Subaru?!" Louis exclaimed, obviously worried for his general well-being. "You're not dying, are you? You just got here!"

Despite feeling lightheaded and dazed, he amusedly chuckled at her comment, "No, I'm not dying. I just feel… really tired, is all."

"You used it again?" Pandora spoke up with an inquiry, making Louis' attention draw toward her.

The girl looked at Pandora curiously, having finally acknowledged her presence. In a fairly casual tone, she proceeded to say, "Oh, I have no idea who you are."

Pandora merely gave her a side-glance, her focus mainly on Subaru. Speaking of him, he nodded to her previous question, "Yeah. It kinda just… went off on it's own… there."

He was taking his time in catching breath, relaxing as he slumped against the wall. Pandora nodded back in understanding, choosing to sit beside him as recovered. Louis, feeling left out, chose to follow Pandora's example and sat with him on the other side.

Louis didn't bother to question what they'd said, which surprised both Subaru and Pandora respectively. It seemed as though she was only worried about Subaru's safety. He appreciated the lack of questions; he'd had too many of those from the last two days.

They sat in a peaceful silence for a while, patiently waiting as Subaru caught his breath. After some time passed, he slightly turned his head toward Louis and spoke to her, "So… you've got a job now, huh? A chef, I hear?"

She gasped at his inquiry, realizing something. "Now I know what the surprise was! Petra wanted me to see you again!" she exclaimed, feeling a bit shocked that her roommate and sister-like figure would hide something so important.

Subaru lightly laughed, "Yeah. We would've seen you yesterday, but we were told you had work."

"Mhm. I work at a restaurant nearby and it gets busy a lot," she pouted. She slumped down in her spot, visibly dejected at the information she'd just been told, "I like my job, but it can be really irritating at times. It makes me miss so much stuff…"

"That's generally how any kind of work is," Subaru commented in both understanding and sympathy.

His mind couldn't help but reminisce about his homeworld for a moment. He wondered what kind of job he would've gotten had he never come to Lugnica. A dead-end supermarket job, or perhaps some kind of office worker?

He shook his head, refocusing on Louis. It was poetic that she'd become a chef, in a way. Still, genuine words of encouragement smoothly flowed from his mouth, "You've got yourself a good job, one that you enjoy, and that's what matters. You're taking care of yourself and I couldn't be more proud of you."

He couldn't see it, but Louis blushed from the praise while Pandora smiled at his other side. Louis mumbled a small, "Thank you…"

He hummed, as if saying, "You're welcome." After another moment of silence, a question stemmed from his curiosity, "Say, why didn't you go with Rem? She's probably the closest thing you have to a mother, so I figured that you would've gone with her."

Louis shifted in her spot for a moment, her head tilting downward. Though she looked downcast, a small smile remained on her face, "She didn't want me to go with her."

Subaru's interest piqued at that, genuinely surprised. Knowing Rem and how protective she was of Louis, he figured that she would've wanted to continue taking care of her. So, he questioned, "She didn't? How come?"

"Well…" Louis started with a sigh. "I wanted to, but she said something about it not being a safe place for me. I didn't really understand why, and I still don't, but it's what made me join Petra and the others." The smile on her face persisted, distinctly remembering Rem and the things that she, as her pseudo-mother, did for her. "I still remember when we said goodbye. She said that she loved me… gave me this re~eally big hug, too."

With that explanation, Subaru easily understood why Rem didn't want Louis to go with her. Contrary to what Subaru had initially believed, Rem's protectiveness of Louis was exactly what ushered her off to the capital. Rem, for one reason or another, believed that Louis would be safer with everyone else as opposed to with her.

As for why, Subaru didn't know and he was sure that Louis didn't either. Though, he would definitely try to find out.

"Also, speaking of Petra, she and Beako aren't with you?" Subaru asked, genuinely curious as to why Louis ended up coming alone.

Louis perked up at the question, "Oh, yeah! Petra said that Beatrice was still getting ready, so they were gonna leave a little later. But, I think they should've been here by now…"

She trailed off, evident worry creeping into her voice. Subaru let out a prepared huff of air through his nose, suddenly thrusting himself up into a standing position. The girls at either of his sides sprung up with him, concern laced in their expressions as they tried to support him.

"Baru, you should not move yet," Pandora insisted, worried on behalf of his health after seeing him nearly faint and collapse on the ground. Louis nodded and hummed furiously in agreement.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he too insisted, truthfully feeling some of his energy return to him. He felt like he could stand, but he didn't think that he'd be able to do anything over the top.

Curiosity got the best of him, joining hands with Pandora so that he could activate First Shift without it conflicting with Third Shift. Two white dots, depicting whom he was looking for, appeared in his vision upon activation.

"They're close," he commented, his head tilting with an unsure feeling. He could sense that something was wrong.

When he attempted to take their burdens, his face contorted and mixed with overwhelming feelings as the ringing in his head and ears returned. He felt the same tingling sensation as before, alerting him to some kind of danger. Why did it feel like he'd be hurt, or even die, if he took their burdens?

Due to that, he physically couldn't do anything. His instincts, peaked from his "Danger Sense", prevented him from doing so. His stomach churned, his foot instinctively taking a step toward, then another, as he started to walk closer to the dots.

"Subaru?" Louis asked, looking at him oddly.

"What is wrong?" Pandora similarly questioned, her eyes laced with worry as her lover failed to even spare a single glance at her.

His eyes stared dead-ahead, senses honed as he walked toward. "I dunno," he said, stepping further down the alleyway.

The girls carefully followed behind, watching as he made what seemed to be strange and unguided turns. He stopped at a four-way intersection, looking down each possible route once with wide, honed eyes before firmly choosing one particular path without hesitation.

He was so close, just one more turn and…

He gaped at the sight, his eyes widening and the pit in his stomach ripping itself open, his heart skipped a beat, upon having turned the final corner.

"PETRA!" Louis screamed, immediately rushing out from behind him. She knelt down by her friend's side, holding the girl down as squirmed on the ground. Petra was gasping for whatever air she could get, a fairly large and sharp icicle protruding out of both her front and back.

Just a little further away, Beatrice was being held up in the air with a similar icicle aimed at her throat. Even with that, the little spirit managed to turn her head, eyes widening upon seeing her contractor, "S-Subaru…"

Subaru himself couldn't help but look on in shock, his eyes firmly locked onto the figure holding Beatrice in the air. The very same person that undoubtedly stabbed an icicle through Petra's chest.

Beautiful silver hair, unique elven pointy-ears and amethyst eyes that used to sparkle in the light. He knew exactly who those features belonged to, uttering the name in a soft voice, "Emilia…tan?"

Emilia gave Beatrice a side-glance, her eyes similarly gazing upon the newcomers before her. Her eyes first looked at Louis, who'd rushed to Petra's side. Emilia hardly paid those two girls any mind, seeing as though they weren't a threat to her.

Next was the hooded individual who seemed to look at her oddly. Emilia examined them for a few seconds, feeling something off but being unable to pinpoint what it exactly was.

When Emilia moved her gaze to the last person, Beatrice's mutter finally dawned on her. The half-elf initially thought that the Great Spirit was just making a desperate call out to the one she'd wronged, perhaps in some plea for forgiveness, but no… he was here. He was really here.

She snorted, which slowly progressed into a rapid stream of giggles and chuckles, much to everyone's confusion, wariness or disgust. "I get it," Emilia mumbled, dropping the icicle she held so that her palm could cover her face. "I get it, I get it, I get it, I get it…"

Emilia threw her arm aside, effectively tossing Beatrice away. The Great Spirit's back quickly made contact with the wall, a short and rough bounce causing her to hit the ground on her stomach. Subaru gasped as Beatrice was discarded in such a way, only able to watch as she groaned and cried out in pain.

His gaze locked back onto Emilia, narrowed and focused. His fists clenched, face hardening as his anger grew. Emilia continued looking at him, a crazed smile gracing her face, "I couldn't free you… because you were already here!"

She let out a chilling laugh, which caused mostly everyone to become more defensive. Subaru glared at the girl in front of him, unable to recognize the same sweet hearted half-elf he'd once fallen in love with. Right now, this Emilia was someone else entirely.

"I'm so~ happy that you're back, Subaru!" she giggled, swaying a bit from side to side as she swooned. "We have a lo~ot to catch up on! Let's go, Subaru~! I have a ve~ery nice home in the forest I want to show you!"

His eyes drifted down to Petra, who Louis held in her arms. She was desperately trying to breathe, still gasping for air as she writhed on the ground. It was very clear that she was in pain, suffering.

Then they shot over to Beatrice, who lay almost motionless not too far away. At first glance, one would have thought she was dead… but he could feel their contract. She was alive, but barely.

Subaru was about to let his rage take control as he took a single step forward. He was about to become the biggest hypocrite in this world, letting his rage win.

But he was stopped.

An arm extended out from the side, preventing him from proceeding any further. He snapped back to his senses, turning his head to look at the arm's owner: Pandora.

She shook her head, silently telling him not to fulfill the urges his emotions fed to his mind. She'd seen how he was about to walk the wrong path, so she'd brought him back, just as he always did for her.

"I will handle her," Pandora said, lowering her arm from Subaru's chest and taking a step to the side. It was only right. This was on her, not him; it never was his problem.

Emilia heard her comment, using her eyes to follow the girl with curiosity and amusement. Handle her? It was funny enough to the half-elf's broken mind that she almost laughed. No matter, though. Once things were done and taken care of, she'd take Subaru for herself. She'd never lose him again.

With one swift motion, Pandora reached a hand behind her hood and pulled it down. Her hair sprung out from underneath, temporarily obscuring the view of her face. But as her hair settled, Emilia's expression subtly began to change.

The crazed smile, accompanied by her rather enthusiastically displayed features, dropped low. Her face hardened as her eyes slowly narrowed, shooting invisible daggers at their target as a certain realization crawled up her back.

Emilia knew that hair.

She knew those eyes, that face.

This was the same person who'd taken everything from her… not once, but twice.

The Witch of Vainglory: Pandora.

Her mind forgot about Beatrice; she was nothing compared to the calamity before her now.

Pandora had taken away Geuse.

Pandora had taken away mother Fortuna.

Pandora had taken away her home.

Now… Pandora was responsible for taking away the one person she held above all else: Subaru.

It had taken her too long to realize it, but she loved him. When she finally came to understand her feelings, it had been far too late. That fact truly pained her.

Emilia's heart ached. Her eyes looked to Subaru for a moment, then back to Pandora. The Witch stood tall, now further off to the side, looking at her with a steady gaze. A light breeze blew through the alleyway, gently picking up both girl's hair so that it may flow in the wind.

Seeing Subaru standing next to the Witch was confusing, painful even. Why was he with her? Did he join her? Did Subaru hate her now?

No… No, that couldn't be right. He would never hate her. He would never stand next to someone so vile, so cruel. He promised her, didn't he? He promised that he would stay with her, that he would love her and be with her till the end.

Yes… Yes, the Witch had to be manipulating him. Perhaps it was some form of mind control or something with her Authority…

Emilia's hands curled into fists, tightening in on themselves by the millisecond as her rage only grew. Her eyes stayed narrowed while her pupils dilated, only one singular focus taking the forefront of her mind.

While Pandora still unmoving stood, she was not unready. When Emilia's foot drew back, launching herself forward with the next movement, she'd not missed a beat.

"Die."

With an arm drawn behind her head Emilia appeared directly in front of Pandora, preparing to strike with a singular slice to the throat. But Pandora was fast too, reaching out with one hand and grabbing hold of Emilia's collar. Her other hand went to the half-elf's arm, keeping it back so that she could not be hit by the shard of ice in Emilia's hand, while her body pivoted itself around.

Pandora lowered herself, taking Emilia down with her. Using her arms she slammed Emilia down to the ground, utilizing both of her hands to try keeping her pinned.

With all the strength she could muster, Emilia raised a leg up to deliver an incredibly strong kick directly to Pandora's behind. A half-elf's strength was not to be trifled with, the force of the kick knocking the former Witch off of her and across the ground.

Pandora quickly altered her position, rolling and bouncing off of the ground in such a way that brought her back to her feet. She skid across the ground to a halt, a hand similarly scraping against it to help slow her pace, as Emilia flipped herself over.

From the ground, the half-elf lunged at her. She sprung forward quickly, coming to her feet and attempting to deliver a clean blow straight to the former Witch's head.

Pandora brought up her left arm, blocking and hooking Emilia's right arm down in a parry. Pandora blocked Emilia's other arm with her left, parrying another strike. The onslaught of strikes and parries began, both sides stuck in a temporary stalemate, each of their arms striking and blocking the other in quick assaults.

Pandora made a move of her own, hastily grabbing hold of Emilia's wrists and holding them out to either side. The half-elf grit her teeth, trying her best to fight against Pandora's grip but unable to surpass its strength.

Both of their arms shook as they battled for control. Emilia opened her palms, a particular coldness radiating from their center as she aimed them at Pandora's face.

Pandora saw this, immediately using her hands to bend Emilia's wrists upward. It proved to be just in time, two icicles having formed in her palms only a second later and immediately shooting into the sky at high speeds. They continued on in a straight path, disappearing as a small glint into the light.

"Die."

Emilia drew her head back, bringing it forth with immense strength and power. It made contact with Pandora's nose, drawing blood and making her recoil from the hit in a stumble.

As Pandora stumbled back, Emilia took advantage of the ample opportunity to move forward and roughly push her against a wall. Pandora's face recoiled as Emilia delivered a hard punch to her left cheek, reviving another hard push to keep her against the wall.

The half-elf's left hand raised, prompting Pandora to duck so that she could avoid a quick moving slice from a sharpened ice blade. The slice from the blade cut cleanly through the wall, causing bricks and rocks to fly out and onto the ground.

Pandora pushed her away, causing Emilia to momentarily stumble and quickly regain her footing. The former Witch rushed forward, taking advantage of the opening so that she could pin Emilia on the ground once more.

This time she put a knee on her chest, using both hands to keep her wrists down. Emilia struggled underneath her, gritting her teeth and grunting as she did her best to fight against Pandora's strength.

Thinking that it may help her see reason, Pandora decided to utter one simple line, "Fortuna is alive."

However, it immediately had the opposite effect. Those words caused Emilia to momentarily freeze, her eyes widening as her mind went haywire. When her thoughts recentered themselves, her facial expression turned into a furious snarl.

She raised her leg and attempted to knock the Witch off of her once again. Pandora was somewhat surprised at how hard Emilia kicked her, thinking that her rage amplified her strength.

Though she only budged a little, having expected the attack this time. Pandora did her best to keep a sturdy position over the pinned half-elf as powerful, repetitive kicks assaulted her behind.

After that didn't work, Emilia improvised. Turning a palm to the ground, she quickly began generating a mound of ice.

"Die."

Pandora was barely able to notice before it erupted out from the ground, having to roll off of Emilia so that she could avoid being impaled by the ice spike.

Emilia rolled over too, taking the opportunity to reverse the situation. She pinned Pandora to the ground, putting her right palm right up against her face. The half-elf immediately began calling upon her magic, attempting to freeze Pandora right where she lay.

Pandora thought fast, opening her mouth and delivering a hard bite to Emilia's thumb. The half-elf's eyes widened, immediately registering the pain and drawing her hand back.

She instinctively grabbed at her thumb as if it would soothe the pain, giving Pandora a chance to knock her off. Emilia landed on her butt, watching as Pandora quickly stood herself up.

With her eyes narrowing into a shivering glare, Emilia rushed forward with a blade of ice appearing in each hand.

And so the fight continued.

Meanwhile, Subaru rushed to Petra's side, holding both his nose and behind. Third Shift, at times, was counterintuitive. Though, from watching the girls fight for a short time, he knew that he could trust Pandora with handling Emilia.

It was clear to him that she was holding herself back. Had she wanted to gravely injure or hurt Emilia, she already would have. He was just thankful that Pandora would keep true to their earlier promise.

Subaru quickly knelt down on Petra's other side, giving Louis her own room. The former Archbishop of Gluttony was looking at her friend with immense panic, hands waving all around with a lack of confidence in where to put them.

When she saw him bend down, she looked at him with tearful eyes, "S-Subaru! What d-do we do?"

Petra, laying bloodied on the ground, slowly turned her head to look at him. Almost breathless, she gave him a small smile using her red-stained lips, "Su…baru." She tried to catch some more air, barely able to even speak, "Hap…py … to … s…ee … y…ou."

Subaru's breath hitched, his body and hands shaking as he heard Petra's broken words. Despite how hurt she was, she still tried to smile at him; she still told him that she was happy to see him.

Tears escaped from his eyes.

A hand shakily slipped behind her head, gently lifting it up so that she could become just a little more comfortable. He shook his head, trying to deny the reality he currently found himself facing. With a soft voice, he desperately did his best to beg, "No… Please, save your energy, Petra… Save your energy."

He gently laid his other hand atop her stomach, closing his eyes and trying his best to focus on his internal powers. He tried so desperately to call upon Natural State, knowing that, if he did, everything would be okay.

Only… nothing happened.

Nothing was changing. Nothing was different.

Petra was still dying!

He tried harder. His eyelids tightly clenched themselves shut, reaching out so desperately for help within his own mind.

Nobody answered.

As more tears broke through the dam in his eyes, he continued to try harder. He internally hoped and begged for his Authority to work. He wanted the whispers to come back, to show him how to heal her!

He could see Petra's dying form in his head, but it wasn't the image he needed. What visualized in his head was not the work of his Authority, but instead a horrific memory of what still lay beyond his closed eyes.

He could still see every detail. The bloodied icicle that still impaled her. Pieces of her insides and skin laying across her body and the ground. All of the blood, her blood…

"Sa…ve…" Subaru heard her utter, immediately opening his eyes so that he could look at her.

No matter how much he tried to keep it steady, his gaze shook as he watched her struggle. Her fingers twitched ever so slightly at times, her eyes never looking away from his continuously shaking form.

Not even a moment later, the girl began choking on her own blood, coughing it up in large amounts onto her stomach.

Subaru and Louis did their best to raise Petra up, marginally helping to clear her throat. However, the icicle impaled through her chest made it difficult to move her and caused Petra too much pain when the two even tried to do so.

Subaru moved his hand away from her stomach, now covered in her blood. He brought it to Petra's own hand, gently yet firmly gasping it while trying his best to hold onto her in whatever way he could. He felt the slightest of pulls on his hand, her fingers lightly wrapping around his own in return.

He still could do nothing but watch her choke on her own blood, feeling more like a failure than ever. Petra was taking her last breaths, and he could do nothing to save her.

Tears continued to flow from his eyes, but he didn't even notice. Petra looked back to him, her eyes lingering on his face with an open and bloodied mouth. She gurgled out only two words, "Sa…ve … h…er."

With a shaken breath and a quivering lip, he could only shake his head. Desperation clawed away at his mind, begging to her, "Please don't talk Petra… I-It's okay, you'll be okay. Just… please…"

She tried to close her mouth, but it only opened again a second later. Blood flowered out of it, spilling on both herself and the ground below.

Her head marginally began to tilt to the side, Subaru's hand behind her head slightly moving to compensate. Her eyes never tracked back to him, staring forward as her head continued its descent.

"Beli…eve … in … y…ou."

Petra's breaths hitched, more soft than ever as the slight grip on his hand loosened. Her entire body suddenly became heavier in their arms, finally going limp. As her head rested on its side, her eyes could only continue to lifelessly stare ahead.

"P-Petra…?" Louis tearfully called out, leaning herself forward. Louis' hand cupped Petra's cheek, turning the girl's head to the other side so that she could look at her. "Petra, please wake up!" she exclaimed, tears blurring her vision as she pleaded for the girl to awaken. "Please don't leave me! Please, I can't…"

Subaru gently removed his hand m from behind Petra's head, watching while Louis desperately held onto the corpse of her dear friend. He blankly stared ahead, his mind breaking down on itself.

Petra's final words stuck with him like glue, clinging to his mind and replaying on loop over and over again without stopping. It haunted him.

His heart shattered, trying to remember her signature smile only for the image of her bloodied one to take its place. His eyes glanced upon her pale and limp body, the realization of everything that happened dawning on him in full force.

Petra was dead.

He failed to save her.

Louis was alone now; she had nobody. Her friend, her roommate, is dead.

He failed to save her. He

failed to save her.

He failed.

Images flashed through his head; memories of Petra. He remembered all of her sweet smiles, her cheerful nature and kind-hearted personality. He remembered when she smiled at him and wished him luck on his journey, waving him goodbye. It didn't matter what loop it was, she never seemed to change.

Now she's gone.

A sudden glint caught his eye. When his focus drew to it, he froze. Upon looking at the object he saw, it was apparent to him that there may still be hope. A solution to everything lay in sight, and all he needed to do was reach for it.

So he did, his body loosely bending itself down and leaning forward. His fingers lightly grasped at the object, taking it in his hand as he sat himself back up. Despite his somewhat blurred vision, courtesy of his tears, Subaru could still clearly see what he grabbed hold of.

Petra's dagger, stained with only small drops of her blood.

He grasped the hilt with both hands, his grip around it tightening as the pointed end met the skin of his throat. His Authority, sensing an imminent threat to his life, made his head ring, more intense than ever before.

This was the only way.

He'd save her.

He wouldn't fail again.

Without hesitation, he deactivated Third Shift as the blade pierced his skin.

"SUBARU!"

The sudden scream erupted throughout the alleyway, echoing against the walls and interrupting the fight between the half-elf and former Witch. Both girls pushed one another away, their heads quickly turning toward the one who called the name of the one they held so dear.

Simultaneously, their eyes widened at the sight. On the ground lay Subaru, blood spurting out from his neck with a bloodied dagger gripped tightly in his hands. Louis had been the one to yell his name, rushing over to him right away and knocking the dagger out of his grasp.

Pandora immediately abandoned the fight. Her mind failed to even think about Emilia at all anymore. The only thing that raced through her mind was the condition of her Subaru.

Not even a moment later she appeared by his side, putting her hands on his chest as she began using her Authority in an attempt to save his life.

Emilia was shell shocked, unmoving in where she stood. Her eyes stared ahead at Subaru's body, blank and unfocused as her thoughts went ballistic. Only when tears rolled down her cheeks did she snap back to reality.

A sense of unanticipated clarity filled her mind. It rapidly opened up to the world, taking in everything around her. She fell to her knees, unable to keep herself standing any longer.

Her palms covered her face, the gravity of everything weighing heavily upon her mind. She thought of every event that led to this.

It was as if the madness in her mind dissipated, allowing her to think clearly. Because of that, unending guilt began to well up within her as she wallowed on her knees.

What had she done…?

She'd hurt people.

She'd tortured and almost killed Beatrice.

She'd killed Petra.

Now she was about to be the cause of Subaru's death, too.

The same person that saved her — the same person that she wanted to save — was now lying nearly dead on the ground in front of her. She was such a failure.

Pandora was panicking at his side. Why wasn't it working? Her Authority could change the events of anything, so why wouldn't it work?!

"Natsuki Subaru never stabbed himself."

Nothing.

Again…

"Natsuki Subaru never stabbed himself."

Nothing.

Again, again…

"Natsuki Subaru never stabbed himself!"

Nothing.

Pandora grit her teeth, repeating the process over and over again but receiving the same result each and every time. She didn't know what else to do, a void in her soul beginning to overwhelm her as she droned on.

She suddenly froze. Her eyes felt weird… as did her cheeks.

What… What was that sensation? They felt wet.

A hand reached up to feel under her eyes, her index finger making contact with a single droplet before pulling away. When Pandora looked at her finger, seeing its dampness, she could feel the repeated sensation of multiple droplets falling from her eyes and down her cheeks.

So… these were tears? This is what it felt like to cry?

Behind her, Beatrice finally had the strength to bring herself up. It took a while, but she'd been able to heal herself just enough to sit up.

Her eyes immediately tracked to the body of her friend, eyes widening and heart breaking at the sight. She couldn't believe it, at first. A part of her wanted to think that what she saw was nothing but the delusions of a deceased spirit, but the pain she still unendingly felt proved otherwise.

Right after that, she caught sight of her contractor's body. Her broken heart shattered into millions of pieces, seeing his bloodied form and the similarly bloody dagger that was used to do it resting nearby.

Without wasting a second, Beatrice searched within herself, desperately looking for the one thing that had kept her together for the last ten years. The anguished hopelessness which shrouded her corroded soul only served to make her look harder.

Freezing, she widened her eyes in shocking surprise. She felt something. It was still there; there was still hope!

Out of the corner of her eye, something snapped forward. Beatrice quickly shot her head toward Emilia, who still wallowingly knelt on the ground.

However, something was off. It didn't take long for her to notice the ice quickly spreading out from under her, rapidly snapping itself forward in all directions. Beatrice knew what would happen if left alone any longer.

Emilia's emotions were too much, overwhelming her and causing her magic to go out of control. What happened in Elior Forest over one-hundred years ago would happen again, only this time she'd end up freezing most of the capital.

Quickly, a resolve formed itself within her accursed soul. Despite her physical deformations, she was still the Great Spirit that contracted the great Natsuki Subaru!

She failed to protect him once, so she would not fail again. She would make sure of that. It was her turn to do what was right.

As the half-elf cried, beginning to scream out in anguish with the ice ever expanding underneath her, Beatrice used all of her strength to rise to her feet. She quickly shot herself forward, her right hand dragging itself across the ground and picking something up before she latched herself around Emilia's back.

With the sudden weight of Beatrice being thrust into her, Emilia's body slightly recoiled forward. The girl's mind barely registered it, though; she was too consumed by her inner emotions and sadness to realize what was really going on around her.

As the half-elf's frozen tears fell and broke on the ground, ice began to crawl its way up Beatrice's body. Emilia's body radiated the temperature she expelled, freezing the Great Spirit whole.

Beatrice grit her teeth, feeling the cold of absolute zero. She narrowed her eyes, determined to carry out her resolve to the end.

"Betty will not let you or I harm him ever again!"

Tears of her own broke from her eyes, extending her right hand out in front of both Emilia and herself. The object finally took the half-elf's attention, immediately recognizing what the Great Spirit held within her hand.

The Seal of Eternity.

Before she even had a chance to act, Beatrice's thumb swiped across the stone's center. The symbol, once dim, began to glow brightly in her palm. Then, in an instant, the two were gone. With nobody left to hold it, the seal fell to the ground, landing with an echoed clang before it soon settled.

Finally, that left Pandora and Louis alone. The former continued to remain beside the body of the only person she ever loved. Tears unrelentingly continued to break free from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and falling onto Subaru's unmoving form beneath her.

Her mouth quivered, her hands removing themselves from his chest as they began to violently shake. She turned them over, looking at her own palms as her heart went into overdrive. Her pupils dilated, eyes staring deeply at an invisible void while quiet whispers of her own voice flooded into her mind.

She wanted to die. She wanted to die. She wanted to die.

Die, Die, Die, Die, DIE!

With breath shaky, her quivering mouth turned into a gritting snarl. Her hands clenched into shaking fists while memories, the only good memories she had, replayed in her head.

This world, as cruel as it was, took away the one thing that gave her true, genuine happiness; the one thing that pushed her to change, to be a better person.

Now, she had nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was all gone, snatched away for no reason other than spite.

The world wanted her to suffer, to be miserable.

She was truly, completely, utterly alone.

In the middle of wallowing in her thoughts, her gaze suddenly hardened. Her head straightened itself by looking forward, her body rising from the ground. She slowly turned around, revealing her snarling face full of tears to the light.

She wanted to die, so it would be made true. She would make them kill her; she would do whatever it took to make that happen.

Whatever it took.

…

Soon, she would reunite with him in death.

But first, she'd make them all feel her pain.

If she wasn't allowed to be happy, then nobody did.