[AN: This story, Subaru with Ddraig, is completely overpowered. He can absorb any authority, so don't expect a story about him having fights. That's not the goal I have in mind with this fic. So yeah, if you see Subaru's fights being boring, it's supposed to be because the focus is more on Suabru's mindset/values instead then how difficult his fights are. Btw this won't end with some BS pandora shit not going with that when I talk about the seal being a door to the past thing. Just FYI, since I think Pandora is the cause for everything being overused. I like this concept because it's a betrayal fic, but it makes sense for Subaru's character. So it's a good mix of what Subaru would do in this situation. I don't think it's too farfetched, and I prefer it over the sad/moping Subaru that's the usual narrative. So let me know what you guys think about how I made Subaru very OP and balanced it with the plot and other dynamics. also, Reinhard is another card that I'm playing with, so I plan to see him later.]
After around 400,000 deaths, Subaru finally completed his total dragon transformation. He remained a human, but his body had the endurance, strength, stamina, and all other aspects of a dragon. He also had the boosted gear, which gave him access to the powers of Ddraig, the Heavenly Dragon.
Subaru's eyes opened, and his vision dramatically increased. He could see the minor details within his cage. He quickly broke out of the chains explicitly created to hold a Sin Archbishop. They had many Divine Protections imbued within them, but Subaru's strength alone could break them with little to no effort.
"Partner. During the change, you have become an evil dragon."
Subaru questioned, "What does that mean?"
"During a transformation, whether parts of your body or, in this rare instance, your entire body, if your mind is clouded with negative emotions, you will become an evil dragon. However, that is not just a title. There are benefits of being an evil dragon."
"What are they?"
"It depends on the transformation. You get the usual benefits, including high pain tolerance and more potent elemental power, which in this case would be fire. Your lifespan has increased to around one thousand years. You've developed the ability to both absorb and gain power from negative emotions, thoughts, actions, or attacks.
Subaru thought momentarily before asking, "Wait, so if I can absorb negative emotions and actions or attacks, can I absorb a sin?"
"I'm not familiar with this world, but I'd assume if the power is based on a negative source, you can absorb it."
Subaru broke the cell door that contained Sirius. She was tied up with the same chains that Subaru was.
Once within the same area as Sirius, Subaru begins to feel her negative emotions and her sin of wrath being absorbed within him. By doing so, he not only absorbed her authority but gained power from it as well.
Subaru, in curiosity, unveiled the white cloth that surrounded her face. Her face was not recognizable, but he felt a sudden thought in his head.
After losing her authority moments before death, Sirius said, "I'm sorry, Emilia."
Subaru sighed, "Why did I know she would say that?"
"Dragon instincts, usually used in combat but might've morphed into precognition or some other technique. You are still adjusting to your abilities, so learning will take."
Reinhard started, watching everything that had happened. He could blame himself for what happened. He knew his job would be to capture or kill Subaru, but his actions and demeanor were almost contradictory. He still felt disgusted with himself seeing Subaru now with some power.
Subaru turned, seeing Reinhard on the last step of the stairs to the prison where he was held. His hand was shaking over his sword.
Subaru spoke, "Reinhard, I ask you not to tell Emilia what we just saw. She will understand who she was."
Reinhard blinked, "What do you mean?"
Subaru continued, "That Sin Archbishop was Emilia's mother. That's why I said I do not recommend telling her that."
Reinhard was lost in confusion and denial. He didn't understand what he was witnessing. He even heard the voice that seemed to be the source of his power call him an evil dragon, yet he still cared for Emilia's feelings. Reinhard's guilt begins to overcome him, but he feels all of his guilt, his self-hatred disappearing.
Subaru walked towards Reinhard and touched his shoulder, "I think I may have accidentally absorbed all your self-hatred and negative emotion. In any event, I'm going to eradicate the Witch Cult. Once again, I do not blame you for what you did. The only people I blame are the Witch Cult for the tragedies they've committed."
Reinhard watched as Subaru walked up the stairs. He felt something he's never had in his life. He felt no self-hatred, no guilt, and the emotions begin to return, but for a brief moment, he felt… happy. After what he saw, he wanted to question what Subaru said but couldn't bring himself. If he genuinely was forgotten, tortured, and doesn't hold any hatred for anyone that accused him of being a Sin Archbishop and tortured him… Subaru was a better man than himself.
"Partner, at first, I feared what you may have become, but I'm not sure if the title of an evil dragon is correct."
Subaru responded, his voice now static cold: "I have one goal. One responsibility that I will accomplish. I am evil, but if evil is hatred, my hatred is directed toward only one group. I will eradicate their existence from this world."
Julius saw Subaru walking out of his containment and drew his sword, "How? How did you get out?"
Subaru responded statically, "Julius, I do not wish nor will fight you. You have other responsibilities you should take care of. If you replaced me or my accomplishments, perhaps you should check on Emilia. In any event, I thank you for what you did. If wasn't for these events to happen, I don't think I would've gained the resolve I needed."
Julius questioned, "Resolse? Resolve for what?"
"To eradicate every member of the Witch Cult."
Before Julius could respond, red wings that resembled those of a dragon's wings sprouted out of Subaru's back as he began to fly towards the closest signature of a sin he could detect. His evil dragon abilities to sense, absorb and manipulate negative emotions, thoughts, behavior, or even concepts made finding the locations of the Sin Archbishops much easier.
Julius, after seeing this, ran into the prison containment where Subaru and Sirius were being held. He feared that Sirius escaped as well but was shocked to see Reinhard standing in the room with a blank expression.
Julius questioned, "Reinhard, why did you let them escape?"
Reinhard was silent. He didn't have the strength to respond to Julius' question.
Julius stared at the dead Sirius and asked, "Did you kill Sirius?"
Reinhard walked away, not speaking a word. He no longer knew if he was even right or wrong. The fact that Subaru still cared for Emilia, who had forgotten his existence, convinced Reinhard that Subaru was telling the truth.
Julius found the corpse of Sirius and went to report it to the Sage Council along with the disappearance of Subaru. When he arrived to notify them, he explained all the events.
"Reinhard was there, correct?"
"Yes though I am unaware if Subaru escaped before he arrived."
"Inform Reinhard to capture Subaru. We cannot allow a Sin Archbishop to escape, that would be both endangering the Kingdom, and other nations would view it poorly."
"Understood."
Julius went to find Reinhard, but he was gone when he returned. He begins going to the location of Felt's camp, assuming Reinhard will be there.
Subaru was getting tired after flying a distance away from the Capital. He was headed towards the location where he sensed a similar aura that Sirius had, which was in the direction of Gusteko. He saw Roswaal's mansion from a distance and remembered his old life.
"Partner, you're going to exhaust yourself. We need somewhere to go."
Subaru sighed, "I'm aware. The question is where to go. I'm probably being hunted down by the Kingdom right now, which is annoying since I don't have any interest in fighting them. Ddraig, do I have resistance to cold temperatures?"
"Yes. You're a fucking fire dragon. Of course, you do."
Subaru remembered Elior Forest. Looking off into the distance, he could see the frozen forest with his improved vision. Some towns around the area could also supply food. He also wanted to see the frozen forest as he's never been there or seen the frozen elves.
He begins to dissent towards the Forest. When he landed, a large amount of the frozen ground kicked up into the air, and he felt heavier but stronger. He was also much faster, so walking was faster than his fast speed running when he was human. Eventually, he found a frozen statue of one of the elves that Emilia spoke about countless times.
Ddraig watched in dread fearing that Subaru may take the path of most evil dragons and destroy and conquest everything in his wake. However, Subaru was not interested in destroying anything other than the Witch Cult. He was an evil dragon, but his hatred was bound by only one group.
Subaru found a few frozen homes but decided to sleep on the frozen ground as he knew nobody would come searching for him there, and the temperatures weren't affecting him. However, before he was about to rest, he remembered Emilia mentioning a seal within the forest.
Subaru begins to look and eventually finds a purple door-shaped seal. He didn't feel threatened or intimated by it, which he questioned.
"Ddraig, would my dragon instincts activate if something within that seal was dangerous?"
"More than likely, yes. However, I am still not familiar with this world normally, I could tell you almost anything, but this world is also new for me. Try touching it, and I can see what it may be."
Subaru put his hand on the seal and felt nothing. However, Ddraig, who was sealed within the boosted gear, did know a bit about how seals work.
"Partner, I believe the seal prevents it from being opened, and the shape is exactly as it seems. When you touched the seal, I could vaguely sense something I'd only seen a few times. In simple words, it's a gateway between time."
Subaru questioned, "What do you mean by that? A gateway forward or backward."
"I do not know, but since it's sealed now, I'd assume it was a gateway toward the future. Opening it now would allow you to go to the past or whoever created it in the past to go into the future. In others words, I'd avoid it."
Subaru agreed that if the seal was somehow a time gateway or portal, then most likely its origins were during the great calamity. Subaru laid down on the ice as he never thought a day where he'd be sleeping on ice in Elior Forest would come.
Subaru opened his eyes to a garden. Before, he could never see or even sense where he was, but now he can. He knew where he was. However, Satella was within his soul. He began walking on the path that led to a single bench where Satella was sitting.
"Ddraig, are you here?"
"Yes, partner, our link is unique. You thought this person in front of us brought me here, but I don't think that's possible. I wouldn't have a dominant connection with your soul if it were."
Subaru begins to think and wonder. He remembered the shadow-like hand that first took him into this world and always assumed Satella was the person that did it or her split personality. However, if she didn't, that led to even more questions to be asked. Regardless he still hated her and what she represented. Even if she was not a Witch Cultist, she was one in the past.
Subaru asked, "Why did you bring me here?"
Satella replied with teary eyes, "Subaru I…. I don't know what to tell you. I don't know what to say to you. But I wanted to thank you."
Subaru replied with the same cold dead voice, "Thank me for what?"
Satella turned her head down, speaking lowly, "Your ability to absorb negative emotions well… it cured me. The witch of envy doesn't exist anymore."
Subaru responded, "You were the witch of envy. I did not cure anything, only removed a disease that were you. Making an excuse that you had a separate personality to justify what you did isn't going to change anything. If you want to live, I will kill you, and if you want to die, you will live."
Satella looked at Subaru with broken eyes, "Subaru, I'm sorry, but you did already do what I wanted. If you want to kill me, then do it. If you want to torture me, I deserve it… now that the Witch of Envy is no more, you can kill me here and unlink me from you. I'd die both here and in the world. I only live due to being connected to you."
Subaru thought about the offer that Satella gave. However, he didn't know what would happen if he did kill her, not to mention that she might want to die and is trying to manipulate him.
"Partner, if both her and I were placed within your soul, whoever is responsible for your torment is not her. Also… the energy I felt when you touched the seal feels familiar with her signature."
Subaru asked, "Satella do you know anything about the seal in Elior Forest?"
Satella tried to speak but couldn't. The person who saved her from her never-ending nightmare wanted nothing but to hurt her. However, that wasn't the issue. The issue was that Subaru went through so much, and she never could do anything but watch.
She decided she did deserve to die. She brought nothing but torment to Subaru, the one that saved her from her plague. The thing that tormented her for centuries. She walked towards Subaru but couldn't stop herself from shedding tears. When she got close enough, she didn't make eye contact and mumbled.
I don't have any reason to live, but I just can't do this. If the one who saved me wants me dead, I'll accept it.
Subaru wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't know how he entered this world and assumed it was Satella. That's why he decided he'd kill her; however, if Ddraig gave him the power to be here and be able to fulfill his goal, he wouldn't doubt his word. But it did leave more questions that needed answers.
Subaru spoke, "If you weren't the one to bring me into this world, then I'm not sure if I should kill you yet. I need more answers. I'm now an evil dragon. I don't feel anything anymore… but I can still think logically. I was sent to this world and died so many times to achieve multiple things, but it all led to this in the end. Now I'm forgotten which I prefer as I rather not have the people who tormented me remember who I was. I don't blame them or anyone except the Witch Cult. You may remain alive until I no longer need you or your information."
Satella pleaded, "Just end me."
Subaru repeated, "As I said before until I learn the truth, you will live if you want to die. It's apparent that the idea of you continuing to exist is painful for you, so I'll enjoy letting you suffer just as I had before."
Subaru's eyes opened. He felt a chill that he did not feel before. His dragon instincts activated, and his vision led him to none other than Puck. Subaru stood up, ready to fight but surprised that the spirit found him in such a location.
"Partner, activate the balance breaker."
"How do I do that?"
"You fucking say it."
Subaru laughed for a moment before saying, "Balance breaker."
A suit of red armor surrounded Subaru as the parts almost felt robotic. Subaru was surprised about the ability, but at this point, nothing surprised him anymore. He stared at the beast of the end, who was preparing to kill him.
Subaru's voice in balance breaker sounded more like a mix between a dragon and his voice.
"If you attack me, I will kill you. I have no interest in doing so since you are not a Witch Cultist, but I will defend myself if you attack me."
Puck spoke, "Ever since I first met you, I knew you would bring ruin. Though I do not remember who you are, I know that the gap in my memory of that person was you. Your words mean nothing. Even if you are a Sin Archbishop, I will kill you."
"Partner, the boosted gear's weapons manifest into whatever you desire."
Subaru pointed out his hand as he planned to attempt to kill Puck with a single blow that wouldn't result in widespread damage. He formed a condensed ball of dragonic energy and sent it flying at speeds Puck couldn't register before it landed instantly, consuming all the mana within the spirit and killing it.
Subaru spoke to the many colors released as Puck died, "I warned you. You did not need to die as you are not a Witch Cultist."
Ddraig was still debating whether Subaru was an evil dragon or what to call him. He clearly cared not to damage the surrounding area but showed no emotion. He didn't know if it was due to being an evil dragon or his existence being forgotten in this world. However, he did know that evil dragons typically enjoyed killing, and Subaru showed no signs of wanting to kill those he did not need to kill. He viewed Subaru as a hybrid of the sorts. An evil dragon that was a pacifist. It intrigued him as he's never had a host like Subaru.
Subaru realized he needed supplies, food, water, and some sort of bag to contain his items to make traveling easier, and he headed towards some of the towns nearby the forest.
Julius finally found Felt after a night of no sleep and searching. However, when he arrived, Felt told him to leave.
Julius bowed, "Felt-sama, please, I need to speak to Reinhard. It's something urgent."
Felt frowned, "Leave Reinhard alone! He's my knight, remember?"
Julius continued, "I have orders from the Sage-"
"Shut up and leave. Ya, not talking to Reinhard."
Julius, confused, exhausted, and annoyed, left to rest after a night of searching just for that response. He feared that Reinhard abandoned the Kingdom or that what may be happening within his head caused him to act this way. A Sin Archbishop is on the loose, and Reinhard is doing nothing.
Felt returned to Reinhard, "Julius came for some stupid shit. Are ya alright?"
Reinhard's dead face pitched slightly, "Thank you, Felt."
Felt asked, "What do ya want to do?"
Reinhard knew he just wanted to avoid any confrontation or discussion regarding Subaru. He is the only one that knows anything or has an idea of the truth, and Subaru makes it pretty clear that he did blame him or anyone that tortured him. But Reinhard also could tell Subaru did not want to be remembered. Reinhard sometimes felt the same way, to be forgotten by everyone, but Felt gave him a purpose to continue. He wondered what Subaru's intent was or if he was eradicating the Witch Cult.
"Hello?"
Reinhard responded, "I want to wait simply. Felt anything you want to do, we can do."
Felt tilted her head, "Right, ok, let's go to Kararagi."
Reinhard smiled, "Then we can go."
Felt looked at Reinhard in confusion. She knew the many rules and laws that existed because of Reinhard's power. She didn't understand what Reinhard was dealing with, but she had a slight idea relating to the Sin Archbishop that Reinhard mumbled a few times to her. She never thought Reinhard would act so fragile, but she did enjoy comforting him after all the time he spent protecting her.
Felt smiled, "Reinhard, I was only joking… but I got a feeling we shouldn't stay at ya families mansion."
Reinhard begins to process what Felt meant. If Julius were to report that he neglected an order, they might even use Felt as a hostage to force him into following their demands. He did not want to go anywhere near Subaru, not out of fear but out of both sadness and regret. He would not accept an order if he knew the truth and would respect Subaru's wishes of not wanting to be defended.
Reinhard heard a knock coming from the door of the mansion. He feared he was too late but still had time to leave with Felt if needed. He went to open the door, and it was Marco, the captain of the Royal Guard.
Marco spoke sternly, "I was told that you were not following the orders the Sage Council gave. They have requested me to escort you to discuss the matter of the Sin Archbishop escaping."
Reinhard's eyes widened, "I am the knight for Felt-sama. Currently, I cannot-"
"The Kingdom needs you, Reinhard. There is a dangerous SIn Archbishop on the loose within the Kingdom."
Reinhard sensed something was off. He felt unfocused. He began to run towards Felt and barely made it in time as six hooded figures attempted to take her. Reinhard was enraged and worried.
He spoke with a tone of anger that surprised Felt, "I will say this once. Leave, or you will die."
The six men ignored his comment and followed Felt as their orders were described. They were told that Reinhard might threaten, but he will not kill or act. However, Reinhard was completely serious when he gave his warning. He quickly caught up to the six men, who all seemed highly trained, fast, and strategic. However, Reinhard was not holding back. All six men were kicked or punched within a few seconds, so only one remained alive. Reinhard catches Felt within a few seconds of the action and begins to run to find somewhere they can stay safe.
Subaru was able to find a bag, steal some food, water, and other supplies needed, and continue his journey towards the energy signature he sensed that felt similar to that of Sirius's. However, he noticed that the energy got closer but seemed near the Roswaal mansion. Subaru's red dragon wings sprouted from his back as he flew at his fastest speed toward the point he was sensing.
When he arrived, he saw the energy he sensed, Capella, attacking the Emilia camp.
"Balance Breaker."
The entire Roswaal Mansion was destroyed. Roswaal was floating in the air, shooting spells at the Capella, but it didn't do anything. Capella's wing was moments away from killing Emilia and Petra as, within less than a second, Subaru blocked the attack in his balance breaker form. Emilia nor Petra knew who was there, so both were grateful for whoever saved them.
Subaru pointed his hand towards Capella, draining her authority and power. After around ten seconds, Capella was reduced to nothing. The power that Subaru held was a direct manifestation of his desire. He wanted to eradicate the witch cult and obtain the ability to do so. It was so simple it almost felt tedious, but another Sin Archbishop was eliminated.
Before Emilia or Petra could realize who was within the strange armor and save there, life Subaru flew off, ensuring that neither saw his face. Only Roswaal had a slight idea of what was going on.
As Subaru was flying in the sky, he deactivated the balance breaker as he began to sense the following location to eradicate any Witch Cultist he found.
"Partner, get some rest. You still not used to use the balance breaker form."
Subaru sighed, realizing he was going to sleep on ice once again. He didn't mind it. However, it was almost familiar to him. He rested his body against the frozen ground and began to think. I was wondering what he would do after he completed his goal.
"Ddraig, what should I do once I achieve my goal?"
"Partner, I am not your parent. But I must admit you are a unique evil dragon. Even if your goal is only to wipe out the Witch Cult, you did save those people even when it put you at a slight disadvantage."
"Perhaps I'm still clinging to the reality I wanted long ago. But that is long gone. I do want to ask Satella something."
"Even if you won't admit you still have some emotional attachment left within you."
"I don't deny that's true. But the only path I see for my plan to succeed is if I remain forgotten."
"An evil dragon with your mentality I've never seen in thousands of years of existence."
"Good night Ddraig."