"Kahahahahaha~! Stunned to silence by my beautiful body? Very well, I will per-. . ."
There was a bright light. Analogous to the casting of magic and the glint of a sword. Before Capella's words could exit her mouth, the cocky Archbishop's form had been completely overtaken by an overwhelming barrage of attacks. The components of this onslaught would be impossible to distinguish to the average bystander, but at least one person was able to make out the nature of this strike.
Fire magic, earth, a unique sword art, and an imperceptible slash all collided with the snout of the unwelcome dragon.
*BOOM*
". . .-kh!"
As Emilia, Crusch, Garfiel, and Wilhelm all sent simultaneous attacks at the black dragon, an explosion of epic proportions tore through the side of the Astrea manor, sending shrapnel and dust everywhere. Before the smokescreen cleared, the ramifications of their rash choices suddenly flashed into their minds. Anyone unfortunate enough to fail to react to the explosion would have been seriously injured, at least if it weren't for. . .
"Felt-sama! Meili-san! Are you both alright?"
"Y-Yeah! Get off of me. . !"
". . . ."
Reinhard looked down at both Meili and Felt, who he'd rapidly shielded in a protective huddle. The speed at which he'd moved was nigh unfathomable, something that didn't go unnoticed by the other fighters in the room.
"F-Felt-chan. . ! A-Are you. . !?"
"Don't worry about it Big Sis. . ."
Emilia dashed over to the huddled trio of Reinhard, Felt, and Meili, terrified that one of them got caught up in the barrage. Very quickly though, Felt waved her off with a tired expression. Even if she had been hit during that attack, she wouldn't have blamed Emilia for it, as she could tell that hadn't been her intention.
"W-What were all of you thinking!? T-That was really dangerous. . !"
Emilia addressed the other three attackers with a hint of frustration in her voice. Before launching her ambush, Emilia had constructed an ice wall that would shield the noncombatants from any damage as a result of her attack. However, it had only been built to withstand her own magic, not the force of that combined strike. She'd even deliberately held some power back as a failsafe in case the projectiles got deflected.
Why hadn't any of them given any thought to the others?
"E-Emilia-sama. . ! I sincerely apologize. . ."
Immediately after her scolding, Wilhelm took a knee and bowed his head in contrition. Facing someone who belonged to the Witch Cult, the same people who tortured his liege and stole Subaru's name, brought out a side to him he'd rarely let show. He thought he'd reigned in those impulsive behaviors a long time ago, but apparently, he still had more to learn.
"M'sorry s'well Princess, I-I shouldn't v'done that. . !"
Garfiel grit his teeth together, unable to meet Emilia's quivering eyes. Perhaps losing that duel had made him more upset than he'd originally thought. . . It was common sense to hold back when in the presence of civilians. However he'd thrown it all out the window. . !
"D-Don't apologize to me. . ! I'm not the one who got hurt!"
Emilia turned to Reinhard and bowed her head, her voice shaking with remorse. Having brought all three of them to this place, as well as forcing Reinhard to accept them, Emilia had full responsibility for any damage they might cause.
"Reinhard, I sincerely apologize for putting you and Felt-chan in danger. . . on behalf of myself, Wilhelm-san, Crusch, and my kn-. . ."
The half-elf froze up suddenly, realizing what she'd nearly said. One of her free hands covered up her open mouth, leaving Emilia wide-eyed and trembling. It couldn't be. It simply wasn't possible.
'H-How could I. . ? W-What is wrong with me. . .!?'
Calling Garfiel her knight? He'd explicitly asked never to be called by that title again. How unfair that was to Garfiel. It wasn't like she'd made this mistake before either. Since Gluttony's death, Emilia had always been able to refrain from slipping back into her old habits. Why now. . ? Had she become so desperate that she'd forced Garfiel to act like him?
"Emilia-sama. . . it's alright. The circumstances demanded action, if not by you, then certainly by me."
A hand rested on Emilia's shoulder, steadying her trembling breaths and letting everyone release the tension in their shoulders. If Reinhard wanted to, he could've taken this to the Sage Council as an attempted attack on one of the Royal Candidates. Though obviously, he would never do that.
In fact, all he could think about was his own shortcomings. His indecisiveness drove the others to act in his place.
"I'm glad everyone is safe."
Reinhard's smile was like poison to everyone in the Emilia Camp, especially those who'd been plotting to interrogate him behind the scenes. His sincere worry for them all made difficult for any of them to reply in kind.
Wilhelm and Crusch were the worst off, afraid to risk taking their eyes off the floor and possibly making eye contact with Reinhard.
"N-No. .! NO! S-She's not. . ! Mama's not. . !"
Out of nowhere, Meili screamed out in genuine terror. Her hands were over her ears, while her eyes dashed rapidly from left to right. None of them knew. None of them knew the extent of the danger they'd found themselves in!
Above all else, 'Mama' was cunning. Her insane schemes ran deeper than any person could foreseeably predict. There's no way she flew all the way here just to get eliminated.
"Wait, did you say 'Mama'!? What the hell are you talking about?"
Felt scowled at Meili, still resentful towards her for sending the Mabeasts out to hunt Subaru. There was no way that weird-looking dragon was her mother! What did she say her name was again. . ? Capella? The voice definitely sounded familiar. . .
"She's saying it won't be that easy. I, too, doubt that attack was enough. . ."
Crusch spoke this out to nobody in particular, recalling the previous encounter between them with less than pleased emotions. The first time she'd encountered this monster, she'd been defeated effortlessly.
"Crusch-sama. You've fought the Archbishop of Lust before, correct?"
Otto, from the little pieces of information he could dredge up about the battle of Priestella, had remembered Crusch's ill-fated duel with Capella. If anyone knew the capabilities of the Sin Archbishop of Lust, it was Crusch.
"Yes. Although, that's not her true form, I wouldn't forget that voice."
Crusch shuddered, clasping her hand into a fist and looking at the newly created hole in the wall. Their opponent was more sadistic than any Archbishop they'd faced previously, and she was also someone who possessed a keen intellect. No doubt, Crusch would've died a long time ago if it hadn't been for. . .
"True form? What do you mean?"
Ram was surprised to hear that the monster that just assailed them was not the Archbishop's real body. Concerns that it might not have been finished off caused her to go and take Rem's hand. She could feel through her synesthesia that Rem's fury was reaching a boiling point.
"That scum has the ability to transform herself and others into anything she desires. It allows her to heal from almost any attack as well as mask her presence."
From the corner of her eye, Crusch noticed Meili flinch at her description of Capella's abilities. A few moments ago, had not only Meili called the beast 'Mama', but she'd also been privy to the fact Lust survived the attack. Something definitely wasn't right here, had Meili been trying to set them up?
"W-Wait a second! Don't tell me. . . was this bi*** the one we heard over the radio!?"
Felt unsheathed her dagger and clenched the handle with an iron grip. If this was the same person from Priestella, then she was the person responsible for orchestrating the entire attack on the city. That was where it had all gone wrong for them. . .
"Yes. She was the one who cursed me and. . . S-Subaru."
The moment Crusch uttered that name, the blue-haired maid that sat quietly watching this scene could no longer be contained.
"Did you just say. . .Subaru-kun? S-She cursed Subaru-kun. . !?"
Rem had grabbed onto Crusch's shoulders, looking into her eyes with a manic desire. Their friendship from before Gluttony's attack had weathered the aftermath of Subaru's death, but Rem couldn't say she felt completely at ease around her anymore. Regardless, the hostility wasn't directed at Crusch. Instead, all that hatred had created a neurotic drive to hunt and kill the monster that created these circumstances.
"H-He got cursed saving me. I would've died if it not for him. . ."
Crusch bit her trembling lip, still trying to keep herself from looking Rem in the eyes. This entire situation had been so shameful she could not bear to look at any of them anymore. Rem didn't seem to notice though.
"Damned Archbishop! I'll kill her! I'LL FU**** KILL HER!"
She let go of Crusch's arms, starting to march towards the eviscerated wall with killing intent oozing off her. Her Morningstar wouldn't be enough to do the job in a single blow, but since Rem had no intentions of ending her that quickly anyway, it worked out fine.
"W-Wait. . ."
While this was going on, Felt had a starting realization. The person that had been in Capella's maw was undoubtedly Reisel. The only way she could've found gotten him was if she'd known where he was kept. And that meant. . .
"R-Rein. . ."
Once Felt saw Reinhard's unmoving form, she knew Reinhard understood what happened as well. He must've recognized the situation from the beginning, but kept it hidden such that he wouldn't arouse suspicion. The losses were much more than those in this room.
"Felt-sama, get behind me."
*WHOOSH* *WHOOSH*
Exactly on cue, the sound of large wings flapping drowned out all the sounds running through the room. Gusts of wind could be felt brushing past each person, almost as if they stood amidst a typhoon.
"Scum~! Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting! How dare you lay your hands on me~? You damned slabs of meat~! My beautiful body will never be tainted by rotting meatsacks like you! Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!"
The dragon reappeared, seemingly undamaged from the tandem attack that'd been made on her. In her eyes was something akin to unbridled fury, and her large mouth had smoke leaking out of it.
*CHING*
The sound of chains rattled through the air, as the head of a Morningstar blasted in the direction of the frowning dragon. Any normal person would've been reduced to a red mist if it made contact with them, but to a creature like Capella, the attack was child's play.
". . .-hk!"
Rem tried to pull back her Morningstar, but was met with tough resistance. In her anger, Rem had been driven temporarily blind with rage, and that meant she never actually got to see if the mace made contact.
"Weakling~! Don't mock me with mediocrity! I'll render you to a pile of flesh, you scum~! Petulant, rotting, calcified, decaying, moldy, decomposing, putrefied bags of meat!"
The Morningstar had been caught between the dragon's upper and lower fangs, leaving Rem unable to retrieve her weapon. The Archbishop was being struck with a multitude of ideas for how she planned to punish this insubordinate maid once she dragged her out of the building. However, fate intervened.
"Reinhard, catch!"
An ice sword flew through the air and gracefully landed in the hands of Reinhard. His Dragon Sword hadn't deemed his opponent powerful enough for its usage, leaving Reinhard stuck. Without a sword, he wasn't sure he could entirely eliminate the presence of the Archbishop beyond the point she could regenerate. A stalemate would be bad, as it'd likely mean more collateral damage.
"Oh~?"
As Reinhard readied himself to bring down his sword and release an attack of his own, the dragon's killing intent rapidly disappeared. It stared at him with an evil smirk that would've made the stars tremble.
"Before I eliminate you, tell me. . . what did you do with the others?"
For a moment, everyone looked at him, stunned he hadn't killed the Archbishop right there and then. However, for Felt and Reinhard, this question was something both of them had been afraid to ask.
"Others~? Ah, you are asking about those other women? You have me right in front of you, but all you can think about are those corpses? Disgusting. Their slutty bodies don't compare to my own. Tell me, which of them did you desire~?"
Capella's body started shrinking down into a mass of black sludge before reforming itself into the shape of a person. It's facial features slowly began to hollow out, with its body and clothes regaining their colors. Soon, the Archbishop no longer looked anything like the monster that tore through his home. Instead, she was the spitting image of a certain maid.
"L-Lilia. . !?"
"So, that was her name then? Did you leer at her like you're doing to me now? How perverted~! You damn degenerate meatbag!"
As she spoke this sentence, Capella's body morphed through each of the maidstaff's profiles, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination for the shocked spectators. The Sin Archbishop of Lust was truly a demon.
"A-AHGH. . !"
Meili, still hiding behind Reinhard, couldn't withstand the overriding fear that consumed her in this moment. Her only hope in life was that Capella had believed her to be dead since her battle at the Manor. Now that she knew Meili was alive, she'd never stop hunting her.
"Now you stare at me with those repulsive eyes? How dare you look upon me with disgust!? This beautiful lady has done you the favor of letting you gaze upon mine body, and you squander it like petulant snobs! You are the ones who repel others, you revolting slabs of meat~! Your imperfect, rigid, unchanging forms sicken me!"
Having driven herself into an ego-fueled rage, Capella shook with fury at her unwelcome reception. The scowls she received, the pitying words, the hate-filled spells of fire and ice. These lower lifeforms had the gall to look down on someone completely and totally superior to them? They all had to die.
"Be silent, monster! You've just talked yourself into a grave. There will be no escape for you this time. . !"
Crusch swung her sword vertically downwards, sending a slash whisking through the air poised to make contact with the cackling demon. The sword stroke lacerated the lustful woman's body into two pieces starting at her head.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh~? I thought I remembered you. I'm surprised you managed to survive my blessing. Someone as pathetically weak and ugly as you should've died, so this is a surprise!"
Capella body started to reform along the torn vertical slant that bisected her torso. The blood vessels and muscle sinews grew out from the open wounds, linking together with a pungent mulchy squelch, before new skin grew over it as if there'd never been damage there to begin with. The fair skin and kind exterior playing mask to the repugnant and inhuman insides perfectly encapsulated the vile creature that was Lust.
". . -tch! You call that a blessing? A freak like you can't be allowed to escape."
"How ungrateful. After that young man threw himself in front of me to beg for your life, you squander my goodwill fighting a battle you'll never win. Tell me, what became of that boy~?
The Sin Archbishop of Lust derisively smiled at the shocked Duchess. She'd obviously figured out the truth about what happened to Subaru, and she wasn't above using it to her advantage. Crusch rallied her arm back up, preparing another strike, but Capella's morphing body stopped her in her tracks. Both Reinhard and Crusch stared at Capella's true form with confusion.
"I wonder, what is it restraining you from striking me? Are you captivated by my pleasing curves? Wicked debauchers~!"
The young woman in front of them bore a striking resemblance to Felt, which the ruby-eyed thief acknowledged with a grimace. The rumors about Capella belonging to the Royal Family were more believable than not by this point.
"I would like nothing more than to swing this sword and eradicate you down to the last speck, but before I do, I'll give you a chance. Surrender now."
Reinhard felt conflicted swinging his sword at someone who belonged to the Royal Family, even if they absolutely deserved it. He'd already caused that family enough harm already by leaving them all to die four years ago. But admittedly, the crimes she'd admitted to were steep. He doubt he could ever forgive this monster if she'd actually killed Lilia and the other maids.
"Kahahahaha! Why don't you get on your knees and beg like a dog? It's obvious you're holding back for reasons other than simple chivalry, I can sense your killing intent from here~!"
She'd hit the nail right on the head. Reinhard's teeth gritted together, but he never followed through on his threat. Something was preventing him from dealing her the finishing blow. Something nobody else was aware of yet.
"Oi! Str'ke r'down! S'nothin stoppin' ya!"
Garfiel lobbed a piece of rubble at Capella, who tanked the impact with one of her wings. All this really achieved was obscuring her view of the room for a split second.
"You b****. . ! I'll teach you to talk down to us!"
Felt activated her Divine Protection and rapidly appeared behind Capella, cleaving through her throat with her dagger and leaving a gnarly gash. The problem was, the smile on Lust's face never disappeared.
"Hah~? You think you compare to me? You filthy whore. Slut, floozy, harlot, swinger. . . !"
For some reason, seeing Felt's face brought the Archbishop overwhelming hatred for any and everything she stood for. For the woman who'd grown so accustomed to stealing the appearance of others, having her own likeness 'impersonated' by someone else was the ultimate affront.
"I won't let you!"
Capella brought a hand up to restrain the speedy Felt and deal a killing blow, but her hand froze into a block of ice. No, wait, actually, her entire body below her neck had frozen solid.
Emilia had cast widespread ice magic (I know its technically fire magic) trapping the Archbishop in a single spot.
*CHING*
Simultaneously, Ram moved in and swiped up Felt whilst a Morningstar shattered through the statue of ice that was Capella. Rem saw her opportunity and she was going to take it regardless of the consequences.
"That's better. However, while there's still some of you left, I won't be satisfied. . . !"
Rem had aimed for the neck of the statue, and she ended up completely severing Capella's head from her torso. The head flopped to the floor and bounced like a football, the Archbishop laughing incredulously all the while.
"Rem!"
Ram looked at her sister with disappointment at what she was becoming. If that attack had been even a second earlier, Felt would've been struck by the Morningstar too. Only due to their synesthesia was Ram able to predict the incoming attack and save Felt. Her sister's recklessness nearly amounted to cold-blooded murder!
"Nee-sama, don't stop me. It has to die. . ! It has to DIE!"
"I see~. So you resent me do you? Is it for what I did to your race?"
Capella could smell oni blood a mile away, much like those who could detect her. She'd always found them to be a revolting and unattractive species. It was why she'd deliberately targeted their villages, even without prompting from the gospel.
"Don't you play dumb, Archbishop! I know you cursed him. . !"
The chains jingled as Rem's grip on her flail tightened to knuckle whitening capacity. What she'd done to Subaru was unforgivable. . !
"Him~? Ah. . . I understand now! You love that black-haired boy? Kahahahaha! And here I thought my gospel would lead me straight to him. . !"
The idea of Subaru loving Rem over a perfectly evolved being such as herself was the ultimate joke to Capella. She laughed so loudly that her grating voice forced several onlookers to put their hands over their ears. Only one person caught the slip-up she'd made at the end of her triumphant laugh.
"What did you say!? Natsuki-san. . .is dead."
Otto himself was uncertain of the details, but there was no way he was going to clue in Capella on Subaru's potential survival. It seemed though, that Capella had been certain she'd find him here using her Gospel.
"Is that what you actually believe~? Don't tell me you want to go finish the job. . ! Kahahahahahaah!"
The crowd looked at her in a stunned silence. Reinhard and Felt glared whilst desperately thinking up plans to dispatch her before she could reveal any more information.
"Then again, shutting down capital's transportation was a nice touch~! My assistants are likely having a much easier time destroying this city, so I suppose you all deserve this wonderful lady's thanks! I'll be sure to add him to my pet collection. . ! KAHAHAHAAHAHA!"
Capella smiled viciously at all of them, seeing the realization sink in that she'd simply been a decoy for the real attack the entire time. It was natural for simpletons like them to fall prey to the schemes of someone as intelligent as her.
"DI-. ."
They all moved to finish her off, but outside the manor a signal was given.
*BOOOM*
"D-Dam-. . ! They'v-. . . magi-. . . !"
Sounds of an unknown person's voice rang out in the young man's mind. Fuzzy, unparseable sounds vibrated through his brain as the feeling in his limbs slowly began returning.
". . .rf!' Are you alright. . !?"
His body weight shifted from the ground to something moving. The ringing in his ears was still so loud that he thought he'd pass out. Someone was carrying him, that was likely the situation. However, he had little to no recollection of how he'd ended up in this situation to begin with.
"Snap out of it!"
A voice briefly overtook the overwhelming tinnitus, which he greatly appreciated. After all, who wouldn't want to wake from a tumultuous situation greeted by the voice of the person they loved? Ah, wait, that's right. . .
". . .Ram, th' hell's happenin?"
The last thing Garfiel remembered was the Archbishop of Lust's head being blown off her torso. Her creepy smile and ugly laugh was the only indication of a possible sneak attack on them, but they'd vastly underestimated her capabilities due to the presence of Reinhard.
"Garf, it would do you well to heed my advice and stop asking unnecessary questions. If you are healthy enough to speak, then heal yourself."
Ram's grip on his shoulder lessened considerably and Garfiel's feet once again made contact with the ground. In a few moments, his body would restore itself enough for him to continue fighting.
". . .-kh! S'what's goin' on!? Wasn't th' bit**''s head knocked off? 'nd where are we?"
The demihuman grit his teeth, still not comprehending the gap in memory between Capella's defeat and their current predicament. Their victory had practically been assured! His surroundings had become so different that Garfiel even wondered if they'd gotten teleported.
"Foolish. I'd expect better from you Garf, considering you were the first person to react."
Despite the cold contents of her words, Ram's delivery was much softer than her usual speaking tone. It almost sounded like she was praising him, but once again, Garfiel was left scratching his head.
"What 're ya' sayin'? My amazin' self doesn't remember. . ?"
Ram let out a huff, looking like she didn't want to be the one to tell him what was happening. However, considering Garfiel's presence might be instrumental in any plans to fight, she relented.
"There were cultists lined up outside the manor. The Archbishop must've planned ahead, as right after we cornered her, they simultaneously cast magic to blow up the manor."
Garfiel's eyes widened as the landscape around him began to make more sense. Not only were they surrounded by significant piles of wreckage, but the sky had become overcast with clouds. These were trademark signs that large amounts of mana had been sucked out of the environment.
"W-Wait, s'th' princess alright!? What 'bout Rem? Or Ott-. . ."
"They're fine. Everyone from our camp is alright."
The building weight in Garfiel's stomach felt like it'd been gracefully lifted off. He still had some worries regarding those from the Crusch and Felt Camps, but considering their proximity to the explosion, they likely had an easier time reacting.
"Kahahaha! All of you foolish cretins are powerless to stop us! Prostrate yourselves before me and grovel for your pathetic lives~!"
Both Ram and Garfiel caught a glimpse of a familiar black dragon making circles above them. As they moved past one of the larger piles of debris, they each became privy to the battlefield that the setting had devolved into.
". . . !"
Dozens of witch cultists dotted the treeline, using the cover to launch sneak attacks on the surrounded group of Emilia and Crusch's camps. Wilhelm and Rem had broken off from this group and launched what could only be called 'berserker' charges at the enemy, letting themselves get overtaken by their bloodlust.
*Swish*
Wilhelm's blade danced through the exposed witch cultists with a wild fervor. His battle cry should've given away his location, but the immense speed at which he moved left little time for the cultists to escape.
*Crash*
Rem's morningstar brutalized the skulls of those with whom it made contact. Her horn glowed pink and her eyes had the unrestrained killing intent one would see in a charging mabeast. There was no distinguishing between friend and foe anymore.
"B-Both of you. . ! Stop that reckless behavior and get back here!"
Emilia had been left with the responsibility of shielding the remaining participants from magic attacks along with Reinhard. Spell after spell made contact with Emilia's ice barriers, destroying them almost as quickly as she made them. It was beyond idiotic for them to split up and charge off when the enemy had them surrounded like this. Both of them would likely be killed if this kept up. . !
"Oi! Rem, th' hell r'ya thinkin'!?"
A barrage of Witch Cultist daggers flew towards the blue-haired demon, angled directly in her blind spot. Garfiel's keen instincts allowed him to erect a barrier of earth behind Rem through his divine protection. However, he'd been cutting it close. . .
"Ah, it seems I must tend to my sister. Garf, are you able to stand?"
"F'course! Even f'I couldn't, s'no way t'act in front f'ya. . !"
Ram smiled a little at Garfiel's familiar tenacity and took his arm off her shoulder. The plan right now would be to have Garfiel charge into Emilia's makeshift shelter and help reinforce it, while Ram went to retrieve Rem and Wilhelm. Having already taken his beast form earlier when he shielded most of the Emilia Camp from the initial explosion, Garfiel was getting low on mana. The environment certainly wasn't helping either.
'My amazin' self needs t'finish this soon. R'else th' Capital will be left t'burn. . !'
With his Divine Protection of Earth Spirits, Garfiel was able to make his way towards Emilia's protective wall relatively unharmed. Aside from a couple singed hairs and a renewed ringing sound in his ears, he made it there without incident.
"Garfiel. . ! T-Thank goodness, we thought you might've. . !"
Emilia had tears in the corner of her eyes as she walked up and hugged the bloodied Garfiel with enough strength to crush a Guiltylowe.
". . .g-gah! Princess! Too strong. . !"
Sensing her mistake, Emilia backed off and let out a relieved sigh. Now that Garfiel and Ram had shown up, everyone's safety had been confirmed. Their situation was still dire, as exiting Emilia's protective encasing would result in them getting assailed by multiple deadly attacks from all directions. However, with Garfiel here, the possibility for a real counterattack was feasible.
"Everyone! Please listen to what I'm about to say. . !"
Emilia was beginning to lay out their plan of escape, but while everyone listened to her ideas, Garfiel suddenly felt an irrational spike of anger towards a person in the back. A certain red-haired man who likely could've ended this encounter several times over, but instead, sat idly while all of them risked their lives.
Naturally, he marched right up to him and grabbed him by his collar.
"Th' fuck s'all this, huh? Ya' must've had a hundred chances t'stop this disaster! Why aren't ya' out there getting' vengeance for th' Cap'n!?"
His irises shook and he could hear a tremble in his voice. Reinhard wasn't someone who could be taken out by something as weak as a fodder cultist, or even a Sin Archbishop. Hell, even after months of nonstop training and using his full power, Reinhard had defeated him with one blow. It was a mockery of all of them to have that strength and not use it. . !
"I-I. . well. . .Beatrice-sama. . ."
Reinhard seemed to feel irritated at Garfiel's taunts, but still stammered out only a couple of words before going silent.
"Why don't ya' shut the hell up!? Weren't you one of the ones who almost killed us earlier?"
Felt stepped in between Garfiel and Reinhard, feeling indignant at Garfiel's ruthless demeanor. He'd attacked indiscriminately and nearly killed her and Meili! Who was he to act all self-righteous when he'd barged into their home and forced this mess onto them?
"F-Felt-sama, it's a fair question, please let him-. . ."
"Rein."
Felt's crimson eyes bored into him with a calm fury. This was markedly different from her usual outbursts characterized by her childish behavior and habits from her uncouth upbringing. It was an unbroachable, steeled, authoritative rage. It evoked the traits of an archetypal ruler, characterized by tenacity, level-headedness, and confidence. So long had it been since he'd been faced with those imperceptible traits of royalty. . . he'd almost forgotten who he'd been serving.
Naturally, Reinhard fell silent.
"My knight isn't some tool to use to solve all of your problems. After all you've done, he still had the courtesy to house ya snakes despite all the horrible accusations ya' made towards him! And this is how you treat him? If any of ya' had faith in him, ya would've believed him when he told ya' Big Bro was inno-. ."
Garfiel's hands let go of Reinhard's collar, staring at Felt for a moment in shock. That expression would be short-lived, as he immediately squinted his eyes together trying to hold back tears. She'd correctly identified the root of his anger and had torn him to shreds with a single sentence.
"Felt-sama! I-I understand how you feel. . but that's crossing a line! I could've been more stubborn. . . I-I could've. . !"
Reinhard looked over and saw the rest of the Emilia and Crusch camp standing there silently. Otto had a hand over his face, trying to keep anyone from looking at him as he kept his jaw clenched. Crusch bit her lip and tried pretending she hadn't heard Felt's comment, but failed miserably.
Beatrice simply closed her eyes, her shaky, uncontrolled breathing being the only sound Reinhard could hear over the explosions going on in the background.
And finally Emilia. . .
". . .-hk!"
The half-elf, her back turned, was still continuously constructing barriers to cancel out the Witch Cultist's attacks. Her shoulders shook, her eyes dripped tears into a wet spot in the dirt, but she didn't say a word.
"All of you. . . don't think I don't know what ya think of us. . !"
Felt took no joy in what she was doing, but she knew it was something that had to be done. Otto, Garfiel, Crusch, Wilhelm, Rem, Ram, Beatrice, Meili, and even her big sis to some extent. . . they weren't ready to fess up to their mistakes. Somewhere in the back of their minds, they still had hope things would just 'go back' to the way they were before.
That was why Subaru couldn't be allowed to see them.
That was why they wanted Subaru to get his memories back.
For something like that. . . to just be forgotten? It was wrong.
To act like it'd never happened? It was wrong.
Even if this was absolutely not the time to pull something like this, Felt decided it couldn't be put off any longer.
"The first instinct ya had when you thought Subaru returned was to revert right back to the behavior that got ya here to begin with. . ! It's infuriating! You don't trust me or Rein, ya never did. . ! Resorting to taking my knight hostage, . . locking down the Capital, . . infesting the city with Mabeasts. . !? Who the hell are you people!? I never thought you capable of sinking this low. . !"
Felt could feel her fist balling up and her breath running ragged. Not a soul dared interrupt her, even as the ongoing barrage of fireballs grew more intense.
"I'd really began to believe all of you were our friends. . . that perhaps the nobility here wasn't all bad. . !"
Crusch seemed to be the most impacted by this offhand remark, as a choked cry escaped her open mouth. She knew she'd regret what she was about to say, but she also knew Felt didn't understand the guilt that came with her position. Any chance to feel whole again was something she would pursue with all her ability.
"What about you then. . !? How about you tell them all what you've been hiding!"
Felt paused for a moment, stunned at the question Crusch just lobbed at them. Both Reinhard and Felt had no way of working around this question.
"You think I owe you people anything?"
She stared at Crusch and they both continually matched the intensity of the others gaze. While Crusch had been deeply struck by Felt's aspersions, the fact that Felt had INDEED been harboring Subaru this entire time made it all feel two-faced.
What gave her the right to act this way? She was involved in what happened too. She'd clearly managed to smooth things over in the time since Subaru's return, why deny them all the closure they so desperately needed?
"W-Why you. . !"
Crusch grit her teeth and bit her lip even harder.
The two people (Subaru and Felix) who'd saved her from that damned curse were both beyond her reach.
Felix was gone. He'd disappeared, offered himself up for execution, and was now living in a state worse than death. Ever since that day, she'd lost everything. Fourier was gone, Felix was gone, Subaru was gone, her retainers were gone. . .
Felt knew nothing of the weight she carried. The guilt. The isolation.
There were even moments where she'd contemplated ending it all.
To deny them all an apology was beyond the limits of arrogance. It was cruel.
"Ah~? Hiding from us? I'd expect nothing less from such stagnant rotting bags of flesh~! Take every opportunity you can to leer at my beautiful form before I get sick of toying with you and find more interesting toys~!"
At this declaration, the dragon's mouth spewed black flames in a circle that encompassed the entire Astrea property, creating a perimeter that was nigh unbreakable. Similar to what she'd done in Priestella, these flames were enchanted in such a way that they could never naturally burn out. (Gee I wonder where Tappei got that inspiration from?)
This new development was dire enough that it forced the demoralized fighters out of their funk and back into the battle. If the Archbishop was telling the truth, then this entire attack had merely been a diversion to remove the Capital's defenders from the city. They couldn't afford to let her run off and wreak havoc on the rest of the Capital.
"I-I apologize Beatrice-sama, but our options are dwindling."
Reinhard looked over at Beatrice, asking her for approval for what he was about to do next. The little girl clutched onto Emilia's hand, clearly feeling upset with herself for even doing so at all.
"I thank you."
In that instant, Reinhard became a blur of light.
The battle that followed was incomprehensible to those on the ground.
The already mana-sapped environment had all of its remaining power centralized into one man, who zipped up into the sky like he, himself, was a dragon. Almost instantaneously, Reinhard's sword swipe burst the flying dragon into a red mist, splattering all over him and sending a rain of blood onto those below.
Luckily, the dangers of this blood was something everyone was well-aware of, so Emilia created a roof to shield them from any accidental contact.
". . .-tch! I should've used more power to vaporize the blood! How careless. . !"
Reinhard's ice sword melted away from the sheer power of its wielder, with his attention immediately shifting towards everyone on the ground.
As it stood, Wilhelm was still going strong, standing on a pile of nine Cultist corpses and with no real signs of stopping. Rem, on the other hand, had passed out from sheer exhaustion and was being carried by Ram. All of them were exposed to the incoming cursed blood, but the real problem should've been the remaining cultists. If they had remained focused, Reinhard's scuffle would've been the perfect chance to catch all of them by surprise.
Luckily, the cultists had also been shocked by Reinhard's immaculate attack and momentarily stopped firing. If he was going to take out the rest of the cultists it would be now or never. . !
"Grandfather! Rem-san, Ram-san, find cover. . !"
He could only pray that they heard his warning in time, but Reinhard couldn't waste this perfect opportunity trying to find the others. He needed to eliminate the threat quickly before all the mana in the environment was exhausted and Beatrice got put in danger.
"Where do you think you're going~? This lovely lady isn't finished with you yet. . !"
Out of nowhere, Reinhard senses a large presence approaching behind him and he moves quickly to dodge. A mere moment after his well-timed escape, two rows of massive teeth crunched the air where he'd been standing. It's not like it would've done much damage to him though. . .
"You regenerated from that? You are quite durable. . ."
Admittedly, he hadn't been going all out. However, when using that much power in a sword strike, its typically very hard for him to gauge its effectiveness on his opponent. If his attack is too strong, there's a real risk of it resulting in a worse outcome than simply defeating his enemy. Especially when the attack is likely to cause collateral damage.
"So you're holding back because of that spirit girl~? Contemptable. My followers are torching the Capital as we speak, I suppose your primitive mind couldn't grasp that?"
There was only enough ambient mana for him to do one attack, but Reinhard would ideally want a weapon to ensure he channels enough power to completely destroy her. Any more than that, and Beatrice would likely be in serious trouble. She'd read them like a book.
"Nothing~? Disappointing, disappointing, disappointing, disappointing~! Perhaps I should change back into one of those slutty maids. . . would that get your attention?"
Capella was goading him for a reaction, but all Reinhard could do was stare at her blankly. He'd understood the situation the moment he'd seen Reisel's corpse in her teeth, and while he wanted nothing more than to avenge their deaths, if he squandered this chance, she'd likely escape.
"Uncooked meat spoils and rots with a putrid smell, but cooking at least allows us to preserve the flesh's appearance. Wouldn't you agree~?"
With a sinister smile, Lust's black flames made their target the shelter holding Felt and the others. Reinhard moved swiftly to intercept this attack, brushing the cinders from his clothes like dirt.
"Your fight is with me, monster. It would be foolish of you to remove the only reasons I'm holding back."
The Archbishop raised an eyebrow and started cackling with a wicked grin. She'd finally gotten a response out of him. Now that she knew who to impersonate, the reactions she could elicit made her shudder with excitement. Wouldn't the world's strongest man make a wonderful pet?
The two readied themselves for another bout, Reinhard's weapon being his fists, and Capella's being her claws/dragonfire. Without the Dragon Sword, which sadly couldn't be drawn here, this fight looked to be a permanent stalemate.
Before either of them could make a move, they were both frozen in their tracks.
A shout rang out across the battlefield, its voice reaching the ears of each and every combatant.
Two newcomers had arrived: a woman with purple hair and her daughter. They looked to be in terrible shape, covered in dirt, disheveled clothes, and minor injuries littering their bodies.
The young girl sucked in her breath, and let out a desperate cry:
"PLEASE HELP! PAPA SENT ME HERE! HIM AND SUBARU ARE IN GRAVE DANGER!"
Uttering words that under no circumstance should've ever been spoken.
Author's Note:
Wow, its been a while! This chapter was for some reason really hard to write. . . I think it might've just been all the characters having to contribute to a single fight and me having to find a way to balance this so it doesn't feel forced. I hope you all really liked the chapter, we are REALLY close to the big cliffhanger, and kind of the official *start* to this story. I can't wait! My break is this week, so expect some more updates from me in my other two ongoing fics: The Secret, and Cast Reacts to Arc 7! I think the quality may have dropped off a little bit at the end of this chapter, but give me a break I haven't really written an update for this fic since November XD!
So, the poll for this chapter. This one is actually pretty impactful.
Are the maids dead?
Yes?
No?
I want this fic to be authentic, so when I started it, I really wish I knew more about the characters of the Felt camp and wrote it accurately. However, they will all be making their appearances later in the fic and will rejoin with the Felt Camp, so don't worry! However, sometimes hard decisions have to be made. . . or in this case 'maid'. I think having Capella kill the maids here gives the story a lot more weight, cause characters can ACTUALLY die. But I do want to hear your opinions on it, I do have some side plots I've kept around in case they remain alive, so they won't be cast away. That's why I'm leaving the decision to you!
Finally
Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:
I've started taking commissions for anyone who's interested in my writing style and wants me to write them a short fic! I charge $40 for 5K words, which is pretty cheap relative to everyone else I see on there! I don't really have any rules regarding what I write either, I just ask that once you receive the document you don't put my name on it unless I say its ok. I don't wanna start beef with people over something I got commissioned to write. It doesn't just have to be Re:zero either! If it's something I'm familiar with, I'll write a fic for you to the best of my ability! If you are interested, check out this link:
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I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:
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I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we've actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that I've begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they're interested in that kind of thing) through a account I've made. If you want to participate in those, then join the discord! Alongside that, subscribing to it gets you an exclusive rank on my server + the absolute earliest access to any drafts I put out. I will also consider doing requests from you guys, assuming they are reasonably possible.
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