Those words lit a fire in her heart.
Everyone else seemed to be frozen solid, petrified. The shock, the confusion, the fear that penetrated their hearts. . . it left them completely dazed as to how to interpret what they'd just heard. Even the cultists briefly halted their barrage of spells to stare in the direction of the little girl that dared to intrude on their battle.
". . . . !"
But not her.
For Emilia, only one thought emerged from the haze clouding her mind. Not: 'He's alive!'. Not: 'What did she say?' No, only one thing rang in her head.
Subaru is in danger.
And nothing else mattered.
". . .haa-h~!"
Thinking quickly, Emilia scooped up Beatrice in her arms and launched out of their temporary shelter with a speed that could rival Reinhard's. She understood Beatrice's presence here would only serve as a hindrance to Reinhard's strength, so this would kill two birds with one stone. It was almost too convenient. The cultists outside were completely distracted by the little girl, along with Rem and Wilhelm's ambush. Capella was totally walled off by Reinhard.
It was like fate itself was screaming to her where she needed to be.
". . .B-Big sis?!"
Felt stood at the empty air Emilia had just occupied, dumbfounded. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but it was definitely unpleasant. In a single sentence, everything they'd worked for had been undone. Everyone knew now. Her big brother's life was in danger. . . and now she was getting thrown to the wolves by her big sister? Why? How could this happen?
"W-Wait! Where do ya think you're g-. . !?"
"Calm down, Felt-sama!"
As she prepared to activate her Divine Protection and speed after Emilia, Reinhard called out to Felt, gesturing to her to remain still. He didn't want to risk Felt's safety having her follow them, as the risk of emerging from the barricade was simply too great for Felt to handle.
". . .-tch!"
In a flash, both Crusch and Otto blocked off the exit to the shelter, preventing Felt from taking reckless action. Reinhard nodded at the two of them, thanking them for looking out for Felt in his absence.
"Ya heard that girl, didn't ya?! Big bro needs our help! Get outta' the way!"
But neither of them moved. If anything, the determination in their eyes only seemed more unbreakable at Felt's desperate plea. The blond-haired girl was prepared to start attacking them if they continued refusing to comply. . !
"Felt-sama!"
Once more, his voice pierced the monotonous clashing of swords and magic. This was what Reinhard wanted. In fact, this was what he'd planned. Using his array of Divine Protections, he projected a message to everyone on the battlefield asking them to keep Felt shielded. As much as Reinhard wanted to help, and believe me, he wanted to even more than Felt, Reinhard understood that was likely part of the enemy's calculations.
What would happen if he ran off to go and save Subaru?
In his mind, he'd already run through all the possible outcomes and none of them were acceptable. Assuming he left his position now to go and help Subaru, the remaining candidates (including Felt) would be sitting ducks for Lust and her crew. Even if he was lucky enough to have the Archbishop follow him, bringing such a dangerous opponent into a populated area would only increase casualties and decrease the odds of saving Subaru.
The only option left was to send someone else to go and help.
Amongst their group, Emilia was easily the strongest person present. And removing Beatrice from the battlefield also meant removing the last barrier to his strength.
Objectively, it was the smartest move.
But even so, his heart ached.
'Why. . . Why am I never there when you need me, Subaru?'
Memories flashed through his mind, each recurrently more disturbing than the last.
He remembered the day he first met Subaru, how he'd been too slow to stop Elsa from slashing Subaru's stomach open.
He remembered the moment Julius and Subaru took their fighting stances in that accursed duel, how he'd left the training grounds early, unable to watch the beatdown he could've prevented.
He remembered the moment Subaru was labeled an Archbishop and taken in for questioning, how Subaru had looked at him with a smile, hopeful that his testimony would be enough to acquit him.
He remembered the look in his eyes as he stood for execution, how he'd sat there knowing they were killing an innocent man.
He remembered learning of that attack on the mansion, his home, and how he'd been powerless to protect Subaru even when he'd been given another chance.
Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, as he knew this would likely be the end of the time him and Subaru spent together. With the truth revealed, his honor as a knight would be tarnished and Subaru's past life would finally catch up to him. He wouldn't be living with them anymore, and neither would the maidstaff.
The last couple months had been some of the best of his life.
But, now he was finally forced to acknowledge the painful reality. Subaru was no longer his responsibility. His friend had been entrusted to someone else.
And it was up to them to bring closure to all the terrible events that lead them to this point.
'Please. . . Emilia-sama. Save him.'
"I'm the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Wrath! Sirius Romanee-Conti!"
". . . ."
The three remaining fighters stood still, stunned speechless by Sirius's sudden surfacing. No longer was this a fight that they had any chance of winning. Their morale had been pushed so low, none of them could even muster the resolve to launch an attack. With no intervention, each of them might as well stand there and wait for death.
"Ah. I understand."
". . . ."
The bandaged woman initially looked confused by their lack of spirit, but soon she'd come up with her own insane rationalization that explained their behaviour.
"I see! You are all shy, right~? I get it very much. Yes. As you can see, I'm quite shy myself, so I really don't want to impose on others or make them feel uncomfortable. I shall make it quick, so please don't make such faces, agreed? Even a fair maiden like me will cower at your gazes."
". . . ."
The bandaged woman shook from left to right, embarrassed at the undivided attention she was getting from Kadomon, Julius, and Subaru. Right now, she seemed to be interpreting their looks as some kind of ogling. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hide herself from them, but still leaving the most problematic parts of her body in plain sight.
"Ah~! Love is here, I can feel it!"
Subaru finally opened his mouth, but paused as he lacked the courage to throw the insult hanging on his tongue. He already had a pretty morbid sense of humor about these sorts of things, especially with the knowledge he'd likely be forced into this situation again.
". . .The whole 'mummy' aesthetic really doesn't suit you. It's clear as day that you enjoy when people look at you."
Instead of going with his original retort, Subaru decided to try and reason with Sirius. He figured it was at least worth a shot considering she hadn't tried to kill them all yet. Maybe he could bluff the Archbishop using Gluttony's life as a bargaining chip?
"Hm? Could it be!? Ah~! Ahahaha! Aaaah! It's you~! I'm very sorry for the wait. I knew you'd come for me. You noticed my patience, and came back. . ! I've found you, found you, found you, found you, found y-. . ."
Sirius kept repeating herself over and over again, which made Subaru feel supremely disturbed. It appears he was a magnet to these freaks! At least it sounded like his previous iteration had some rapport with them.
'Freaky. . ! She's definitely not right in the head. However, she does seem to know who I am. . . if I just play dumb, maybe she'll leave us alone?'
"U-Uh, yes. Sirius, I-I've been waiting for a long time! It was very rude to make us wait up for you. . . ! While we were waiting, the grungy child to your right attacked us. I'd appreciate it if you dealt with him for us!"
Subaru could see the body of Gluttony beginning to pull itself back together. Using his Solar Eclipse, Roy's shattered skull quickly reformed until it was almost good as new. If he could perhaps turn Sirius against Roy, they might be able to escape in the ensuing chaos.
". . .-gh! We hate it~! It hurts, it hurts it, it hurts! Pain, red! It hurts! It hurts because it hurts~! We don't like it, never liked it. Eating shouldn't hurt!"
Roy Alphard moaned as he rolled on the ground.
Sirius eyed the, still prone, Gluttony and looked like she was considering Subaru's proposal. Her chains swung and for some reason, he could tell she was smiling wildly despite the bandages covering her face.
"Darling, unfortunately, I simply won't be able to comply. I know this is important to you, but I must refuse. You understand, don't you dear? Surely while I fulfill your wish, you'll disappear from my grasp once again. Just like the last time when you asked for my love, and before that, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again. . ! Ah~! Finally reuniting after all this time, it would be painful for me to part from you. Cruel~! I don't want to! I've waited, waited, waited, waited, waited, waited, waited, patiently for you. Such diligence must be rewarded! Dearest husband, won't you become one with me?"
". . . ."
The Archbishop of Wrath swayed side to side, anticipating Subaru's answer with bated breath. Her manic eyes stayed trained onto his, unblinking and unmoving. It was really unsettling, as anything alluding to a rejection would probably prompt a lethal outburst. Of course, regardless of what he said, she'd find a way to interpret his response in a way that agreed with her.
'S-She's completely insane. . .'
Subaru might have been out of the loop on everything his past self had done, but he knew himself well enough to recognize he'd never get married to someone like her. From the way she was speaking, he'd tried manipulating her before and it hadn't worked.
". . .Oh, I apologize. Troubling you for an answer so quickly must've made it hard for you to find the right words, I'm sorry. After you went out of your way to reject that spirit and filthy half-elf, there's no doubt that you belong to me. I suppose it is quite pointless for me to ask you to speak those words when you've already shown your feelings to me so clearly. Proving your love through action is the picture of diligence~! Ah~! I feel so loved. . . !"
". . . ."
Julius watched the scene with growing trepidation, using the distraction to lean onto his sword and try to prop himself up. He was currently the only person on the battlefield who knew of Wrath's authority, so even if they could land an attack on her, their victory could be compromised at any time.
". . . I-I'm sorry, but who are you referring to. . ?"
Subaru could tell by the immediate glare that formed in Sirius's eyes that this had been the wrong line of questioning. However, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. Replacing it was a wicked smile and a loud grated laugh.
"Ah~! Ahahahah! Darling, I thought I told you to be careful around Gluttony. . ! It appears you don't remember me at all. Don't worry, I won't let you get away this time~!"
She took a step forward, which made Subaru take a step back. The time for words had ended, he needed some kind of plan and he needed it now. Kadomon was still unconscious, so he couldn't be depended on for an attack. Whether or not Julius was prepared to strike was also something he was unsure of. His Invisible Providence had been abused far too many times for him to use it now.
That left. . .
"Ia! Now, while she's distracted. . !"
The fire spirit Julius had attached to him, which had slowly drifted away from Subaru and into Sirius's blind spot, was his last line of defense. In an instant, this battle would be decided.
"Al Goa!"
Subaru had laid all his cards on the table. Using the highest level of fire magic, this would be Ia's last spell, so he needed to make it count. Julius had told him that he had an unusually high spirit affinity, but he didn't understand what that meant until now. It seemed that Ia had picked up on his plan without him having to say a single word!
All he could do now way pray. . .
". . .What? A spirit~!? Spirit? Spirit! Spirit!?"
The gigantic mass of flames sped towards Sirius at blinding speeds, a shockwave coming off of it strong enough to push Subaru to the ground. The Archbishop's smile disappeared, but they made no effort to dodge it.
'W-Why aren't they moving. . ?'
"S-SUBARU. . ! Cancel the attack! Her authority allows her t-. .!"
Julius tried warning Subaru with his last bit of energy, but it was too late.
*BOOOM*
In an instant, the entire street was engulfed in flames,
The two girls flew through the air at a blinding speed. All they had to go on was the direction the little girl was pointing, however it was more than enough information to figure out where Subaru was.
That girl was undoubtedly Kadomon's daughter, Emilia could tell at a glance. Right on the path from where those two arrived was his Appa stand.
". . .W-What will we say when we see him, I suppose?"
Beatrice shook in Emilia's arms, the two of them suddenly feeling their nerves catch. Until now, all they'd thought about was finding him again. But they'd never considered what they would actually say to him if they did encounter him. . .
Would any apology be enough to bridge the gap between them? Hadn't he been deliberately avoiding them because he didn't want to see them again?
What justification could they possibly give him for everything that's happened?
Were they even worthy to see him again. . ?
'C-Can I look him in the eye and honestly tell him we've changed. . ?'
Felt's words echoed in her mind, and she felt her resolve shake. After all the lecturing she did to everyone in her camp and Crusch's, telling them to leave Subaru alone and respect his wishes. . .
Here she was, charging off before everyone else to go and find Subaru. The more she reflected, the more it felt like the 'danger' was her convenient excuse to go back on everything she'd said before. Even if it was a damn good reason, it didn't change how she felt in her heart.
". . .Betty is scared."
Beatrice looked at Emilia, hopeful that perhaps she'd figured out the right words to convey the guilt they'd felt all this time. Praying that maybe, she'd find a way to fix everything and return it all to how it once was.
A quiet rumble could be heard far off in the direction of Kadomon's stand.
". . .I-I. .don't know."
Emilia and Beatrice fell silent, worried sick about the scene that would greet them when they arrived.
"A-Aghh. . !"
Almost instantly, it felt like the right side of Subaru's face had been pressed against a blacksmith forge. His hands immediately found themselves covering his face as he rolled on the ground screaming.
"A-Ah~! So this is love. . ?"
". . .g-ghk?!"
Another voice rang out, similarly afflicted with the intense pain plaguing Subaru's face. Their screams weren't as loud, but they contained just as much suffering as Subaru's. This person was perhaps the only one to realize how close their recent brush with death had been. . .
". . .-grck! K-Kua. . ! Subaru. . ! Hurry and hea-. . .hk!"
Through their contract, he made it clear to Kua who he wanted it to prioritize with its healing abilities.
Even as Julius felt pain eclipsing his capabilities for rational thought, hearing Subaru's screams was something he simply couldn't stomach. That ear-splitting torment was exactly the scream he'd elicited from Subaru so many times before. Julius had heard it so many times, it'd become his own white noise. Soon after, it became the shrieks that followed him in his nightmares.
He never wanted to be familiar with that sound ever again.
". . .A-AUHG-G-AH. . !"
The spirit quickly made its way over to Subaru and began applying healing magic with the bulk of its remaining mana. It was a temporary fix, but at the very least with this, if they both sought healers after this battle, they could still make a full recovery. All Julius had to do now was not black out.
". . .h-haa~h. . ."
Which was easier said than done.
He'd expended the last of his energy to intercept and try to redirect Subaru's attack away from Sirius. However, he'd been unsuccessful in fully preventing the attack from contacting its target. The fireball still grazed the bandaged woman's face, transmitting considerable damage to him and Subaru. Oh, and also. . .
". . .-grk! We just finished healing~! Ack! We hate, detest, loathe, despise, abhor, execrate, your Authority! Maybe we'll ~eat~ you next!"
Gluttony, who'd just finished healing himself from Subaru's previous attack, was invoking his Authority once more to heal his injuries. Truth be told, he'd always hated using Solar Eclipse, as it temporarily handed his body over to the consciousness that he was mimicking. He really hated having to work with this crazed loon, but he was powerless to defy Mama's orders.
"Ah~! Those feelings, yes, I believe that is how you truly feel. This is quite troublesome. May I ask what makes you feel so unloved that you would be driven to hatred? What I desire is forming a true understanding with others, and that can only be achieved through a mutually shared love. Sharing the same feelings as others is the quickest way for one to realize they are loved. This is what it means to reach maturity. Ah. I suppose a child like yourself may be ill-suited to understanding mature things like love. . . I'm sorry."
Running her mouth as usual, Sirius's rant went over the head of everyone there. However, her apology appeared to be enough to quell Gluttony's fury, as he'd already stopped his own incessant ranting and was simply stood still, drool leaking from his mouth.
'I-I need to do something. . !'
Subaru's thoughts were running wild, most of them illegible, even to himself. The only thing that he could make out amongst the gibberish was that he needed to act, and soon. Their situation was now beyond 'hopeless', it was damn near inescapable. However, he also hadn't committed himself to simply dying and trying again.
He didn't want to return to that labyrinth. Dying over and over again to search for Julius. . . rescuing Kadomon's wife and daughter and sending them off to get help. . .
What were the odds things would go this well on his next attempt?
Why should he treat any of his lives as throwaways when the pain he collects from those loops never disappears?
Any normal person would be feeling rage, or at least disappointment at the current situation. He knew that he certainly would if he wasn't still clutching his face in agony.
For some reason, however, Subaru didn't feel that way. He couldn't place his finger on why until he caught a glimpse of Julius, propped up against a merchant stand and heaving slow breaths.
Julius was looking straight at him, worried for him. He wasn't screaming or crying, and judging from the hand he had covering his face, he'd been hit with a similar attack.
'T-The pain is. . ?'
In his fervor, he hadn't noticed, but the pain had been slowly decreasing. A blue glow illuminated the edge of his vision, and a cooling effect gradually spread across his face. This was water magic!
'J-Julius. . ! Why would he heal me before himself? Doesn't he realize I'm useless in this fight?'
Subaru slowly removed his hand from his cheek, gesturing to Kua to go and heal Julius. However, it outright refused to move until it finished fully healing his injury.
"K-Kua. . ? Thank you, but I don't need anymore healing. . !"
The spirit moved up and down, which made Julius smile and tear up. Subaru didn't know what the two were discussing, but he had a feeling Julius was about to try something reckless, and it made his heart heavy. This lone knight, who he'd only known for less than an hour, was really willing to go this far for him?
"S-Suba-hck. . ! P-Please run away, I'll hold them off!"
For the first time in a long time, Julius felt like himself. Not a mercenary fighting off enemies for coin, or a warrior fighting to prove his own strength. Here he would emerge once more as a Knight, fighting to protect those who can't protect themselves.
"J-Julius. . ! What are you saying? I-I can't just. . !"
"As long as you remain here, I will dedicate everything to ensuring your safety."
The subtext was not lost on Subaru. If he wanted Julius to fight at 100%, to heal his own injuries, and to potentially survive this battle, he would need to run away. Just the idea repulsed Subaru, leaving an honorable man like Julius to die all alone. However, it was also something Julius wanted.
". . .D-Damn it. . ! Julius, don't you dare die! You've still got to teach me the Spirit Arts. . !"
As Subaru took a step back and prepared to run away, he immediately began to eye Kadomon's unconscious form and started crafting plans to remove him from the battlefield as well. Luckily, it seemed like Wrath's Authority hadn't affected him, so he didn't require immediate healing.
"I apologize, but I can't allow it. Please understand my willfulness, Darling. I've already waited so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so long, so I simply can't wait any longer. A-Ah~! It's quite difficult to work up the courage and speak my feelings aloud. Please give me a moment. . .Yes, alright. Darling, I am madly in love with you! Oh, I'm blushing."
A fireball streaked right past Subaru, preventing him from moving any further away whilst also cutting off his escape. She was restating things Subaru had already heard from her, but it appeared like she had selective memory regarding these sorts of things.
". . .-kh!"
Julius struggled to suppress the anger building inside him. He was so close to getting Subaru away from this place and finally achieving peace with himself. Now, he was on the verge of losing consciousness and he couldn't even be granted a tranquil death.
The color in his surroundings slowly drained, a greyish hue overtaking his sight, before it was rapidly devoured by darkness.
". . . !"
Subaru watched Julius's unmoving form fall flat onto the ground, Kua finally moving away from Subaru's face and rushing over to help Julius.
"May I ask you something?"
All he could do now was buy time. Sirius seemed quite willing to engage in conversation before, so maybe he could get her rambling long enough to think of a plan to get out of this mess? Julius had put everything on the line to keep him alive, so it wouldn't be right to act as if this was 'just another loop'. He owed it to Kadomon and Julius to try.
"Yes, honey?"
"Why are we attacking this place?"
Subaru was careful to use the word 'we' and not 'you', as he hoped playing into her delusion of them being allies would be enough to get an answer from her.
". . .Hmm, it isn't like you to stray from our Gospel. Surely you knew we would be meeting here? Ah~! Or has the day come where you've chosen me over that disgusting half-witch?"
". . .O-Of course I have! We shouldn't ruin this little 'tryst' of ours by bringing in work matters!"
Subaru eeked out a smile and lifted both his arms, trying to look as friendly as possible.
". . . ."
Sirius's questioning stare made Subaru's teeth chatter behind his sealed lips. She must've latched onto to something he's said, as she looked like she was digesting his proposition with some level of seriousness.
"I suppose you're right. You've always been the picture of diligence, thoughtlessly trampling my love and leaving me behind. Have you finally come to understand the depth of my love? Ah~! My heart trembles!"
He breathed a sigh of relief, as Sirius's attention fully shifted away from the bodies of Julius and Kadomon and back onto him. While he shuddered at the thought, if he played into Sirius's unhealthy obsession, the others might be able to escape.
"H-Honey, may I see your Gospel?"
Sirius shuddered as Subaru walked closer and closer to her.
"Ah, not so fast! My maidenly heart isn't prepared. . !"
Once again, Sirius wrapped her arms around herself to try and hide the more modest parts of herself from Subaru's gaze. In one of her hands, a little black book caught his attention.
"I see, so that little book is giving you orders. . ."
Subaru muttered to himself, a hand to his chin. Gluttony had been staring at the two of them salivating, not making a move, but at the mention of the Gospel, his eyes flickered.
"I'm elated you've finally accepted my feelings, yes, I've loved you for so long. Wow, there really is love here."
Sirius wept to herself, her bandages sagging off her face and chains jingling loudly. Her ramblings were still incoherent, and the sound of the Archbishop's moans were disturbing enough to make Gluttony look away.
"Y-Yes, there is. I was looking at my Gospel earlier and it told me we'd be meeting again! How about we ditch this place and find somewhere with a better mood?"
He held down the vomit rising in his throat from even considering such a proposition, much less suggesting it himself. However, he was willing to go low if it meant he wouldn't have to die again.
"Ah~! Ah~?! Ahah? I've so dreamed, dreamed, dreamed, dreamed, dreamed, of the day where you and I would elope! Oh my, I think I've reached it! True love~! True understanding~! This is what I imagined. . !"
'Yes, it looks like she fell for it. . !'
Subaru breathed a sigh of relief, putting both his hands into his pockets. Originally, he'd believed there was no chance of negotiating with these people, but at least now, he'd finally been able to find something to barter with.
"It's rude to ignore, you know~? We dislike that more than anything else, it's rude, rude, rude, rude, rude, rude! Gluttonous drinking, ~tsu! Gluttony~tsu!"
Oh.
That's right, things would never be that convenient.
". . .D-Don't think I forgot about you! You're invited too!"
"How flattering~! We're sad, sorrowful, downcast, desolate, depressed to turn down your offer. With such high-class cuisine in front of us, it's difficult for us to hold back. You understand, right oni~san?"
Roy lifted up both his arms, pulling each of his two daggers across his tongue to stem the torrent of saliva leaking from his mouth. It was a disgusting show of durability for him to be moving around so casually after receiving all those blows from them.
He took a couple steps in Subaru's direction and readied himself for an attack.
"I-I get it. . !"
Subaru's half-hearted agreement didn't slow Gluttony down at all. He still marched over to Subaru with little to no reservations about attacking him.
". . .W-Wait!"
Nothing would stop him from getting his revenge on Subaru. He'd already lost two prime meals because of Subaru's interference, and sadly, he was unable to eat the names of people he'd already devoured. This meant he'd be going for the kill.
"Y-You can't attack me! It's against the Gospel's orders!"
". . . ."
In his panic, Subaru carelessly spoke words of which he held no understanding. All he wanted was to give Gluttony pause, but in his hastiness, he'd once again caught the attention of Sirius.
"Lies. Liar. We refuse to believe it~! It's never restricted us during eating, ~tsu!"
Both Sirius and Gluttony both simultaneously reached into their pockets and pulled out their Gospels. While Gluttony ripped through the pages of his with a crazed delirium, Sirius stared at the contents with an unblinking focus.
The Gospel had updated, conveniently enough for Subaru.
"INVISIBLE PROVIDENCE!"
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Subaru called upon that evil power one last time, sending it straight towards the distracted Gluttony with the goal of crushing his heart. He wasn't sure why he knew it would work, but he was certain he could make it phase through his target.
'I guess life does mimic art. . .'
It would be embarrassing to admit that he got this idea from the force silencing him whenever he spoke about RBD, but its not like anyone could call him out on it anyway.
"Nice try, ~tsu!"
Once again, Gluttony vanished into thin air. The feat was not simply super speed, as Subaru had seen Gluttony's movements while he fought with Julius. Whenever he used his high speed, there would at least be a disturbance in the air indicating the direction he moved in.
What Subaru was witnessing now was something akin to teleportation.
"W-Wha-. . !"
The thought had no time to register.
An unimaginable amount of force ripped through his body, launching him several meters into the air and into the direction of Sirius. By the time he could even understand what was happening, he was already plummeting to the ground with terrifying speed.
"I'm sorry, but I really must interject."
". . .-hk!"
Subaru's face, less than a foot from the ground, stared at the floor with a dumbstruck expression. Right as he'd been about to slam into the cobblestone walkway, Sirius had grabbed onto his cloak and yanked him up with a single hand!
"Interference~? We've already claimed this meal!"
Now that his body was no longer moving, the recoil from the Unseen Hand coupled with the blunt force of Gluttony's attack simultaneously caught up with Subaru. Much like Julius, his consciousness was fading fast.
"Yes, and I do apologize for interrupting you. I'm really not the best with these types of situations, so you'll have to forgive me if I inconvenience you. You see, I've already exchanged vows of love with this man, so separating us again is something I will not allow. I wish you luck in your own search for love."
Sirius tossed Subaru to the side, his unconscious body landing right on top of Julius's. Ignoring the irony of throwing Subaru's body away whilst declaring themselves to be inseparable, Sirius's strength appeared formidable.
"No, we won't share~! They're ours~! All of them! All three~! We've already prepared the dishes, ~tsu!"
Roy chewed on one of his daggers, eying the bodies of Subaru and Julius with barely concealed excitement. He'd just thought of a new method to try and eat both of their names, he absolutely could not lose a single one of them after all the effort he put into preparing them.
"Oh my. Could it be you've never experienced love? This is serious, how tragic. . . Thank you, it appears I've been insensitive."
In an instant, her demeanor completely shifted from a hostile enemy to a gaudy schoolgirl. Whether or not she was looking down on Gluttony was something unknown to either of them, as the two of them had worldviews entirely incongruent with one another.
"Yes~? No~? We don't care, it doesn't matter, we want it, we earned it, we need it, it's correct~! It's right because it's right, because it's right, because its right, because its right, because their ours~! Gluttonous drinking, ~tsu! Gluttony~tsu!"
"Yes, I am aware. The Knight and the Green-haired man. It is right that those two are shared with you, that is the only way love can exist. However, you must belong to them in the same manner, as that is the nature of shared understanding. You may take them, but please reflect on the fact you are loved."
Sirius finished her nonsensical rant with a nod and a blush. She looked at the unconscious body of Subaru and smiled with cackling laughter. Fate had rewarded her diligent efforts with the return of the love she'd sought so dearly, so naturally sharing this elation with others was the right thing to do.
"We'll take them all then~? Good, we'll take them then. It's perfectly fine for us to take them, so we'll take them? We shall eat them all then, ~tsu!"
Gluttony quickly moved over to the pile of Subaru and Julius, picking up each of them with one of his arms. Next, he would head over to Kadomon's body and begin the feast. Then he would continue on his search to find more gourmet dishes.
That was his plan.
However, as soon as he picked up Subaru, the quietly staring Sirius squinted her eyes.
"He's mine."
Gluttony continued walking over towards Kadomon.
"He's mine! He's Mine! HE's MINE! HE'S MINE! HE'S MINE!. . . ."
The screeching Archbishop lobbed a fireball at Gluttony even larger than Subaru's. After so carefully explaining to the petulant street brat the intricacies of love, he'd thrown away those feelings like they were simple complaints. No longer did she care if she was separated from her husband. She would simply find him again, love is a compelling force after all.
So she would scorch them all.
". . .-tch!"
In an instant, he reacted by dropping the two bodies and looking for methods of escape. However, none presented to him offered any chance of fleeing. Therefore, he resorted to the only choice he had left.
"MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! . . ."
Gluttony vanished, the two bodies he was holding having been left behind. Reappearing on the roof of one of the buildings dotting the road, he keeled over and vomited from the stress the technique put on his body. Using it consecutively was not something Roy had been accustomed to.
"AH, AH, AAAH! DIE!"
The fireball grew to eclipse even the sky above their heads, leaving Gluttony prone to even further damage. The emergent inferno was strong enough to torch the entire road, and should it make contact, all three of them had no chance of survival.
". . . . ."
". . . . ."
*CLINK*
Out of the ground, layers and layers of ice sprouted up like trees, forming a thick wall of ice between the flames and all the noncombatants in the street. It was so fast, the flames were pushed through the sky like simple air currents.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE. . !"
Still lost in her fury, Sirius could only watch in amazement as the flames imbued with the power to burn dragons were stopped in their tracks.
Even as the attack dissipated, the ice wall emerged from the smoky plumes looking completely undamaged.
*FWOOSH*
All of the ice walls sank back into the ground, and the Earth shook beneath Sirius's feet. The temperature felt like it'd dropped over thirty degrees in the last ten seconds.
"W-What? I don't understand."
As the bandaged woman muttered in astonishment, the culprit behind the magnificent magical attack was revealed.
". . .You."
Sirius felt her rage reignite immediately, as she witnessed the body of darling, her dear husband, being held in the arms of another woman.
And not just any woman.
He was in the arms of one very angry half-elf.
Author's Note
Phew! This chapter was a pain to write too! I swear it never gets easier writing for these Archbishops! They are literally crazy, and writing crazy requires you to BE crazy. I hope you enjoyed the moments spread across this chapter, as I feel like this is kind of what the entire fic has been building towards! Get ready for an epic rematch between Emilia and Sirius next chapter! And. . .who knows, maybe someone else will make an appearance next chapter too :)
Results of the poll from last chapter?
Ok, I'll be honest and say I was a little bit misleading with the last poll. I was kind of always planning on having the maids survive (just transformed by Lust's authority), I just wanted to see if you guys thought it was a copout. Glad most of you seem to feel the same way as me! One of the commenters totally predicted this though, so props to you.
This week's poll: Which POV would you like to see more of next chapter?
A. The Manor Battlefield
B. The Gluttony/Wrath Battle
I know this might seem like an obvious pick, but I would also like to point out we haven't really seen any of the characters reactions to Subaru's survival on the Manor battlefield, so there's a lot of room for interesting stuff to happen over there too.
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:
continuer123?up_rollout=true
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:
/tgMtCvdasb
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.
/Continuer123?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link