[AN: REWRITE Not many changes from this chapter, just more explanations and other things to setup the future chapters.]

Subaru's mind was not that of sadness or regret anymore. The emotions he felt were pure hatred and vengeance. He wanted to get revenge on the person who removed his existence from the minds of everyone. Unknowingly to him, his greed authority manifests with the ability to absorb negative emotions, and physical pain, which would boost his mental tolerance.

He was used to being tortured every day and getting healed directly after. However, his hatred overruled any sense of pain as he continued for days being asked questions he'd only reply with a single phrase.

"I will destroy the witch cult."

The person he loved forgot his existence, and somehow, Julius is what people remember for any of Subaru's accomplishments. It was almost funny to him as the world couldn't find a correct replacement for his existence. So many inconsistencies, but nobody bothered to listen to his words. So he no longer spoke. The only phrase he'd say was what he believed within his soul. His hatred and vengeance almost acted as a shield against the mental and physical onslaught he was to deal with daily.

The floor was covered in his blood. Julius used a whip to make him talk about a witch cult he hated. He continued to whip him until his body was near death, and then Ferris would heal him, and the cycle would continue.

Julius stared at the near-death raven-haired boy, "Why are you laughing?"

Subaru responded with a tone that showed no pain would affect him.

"It's funny you keep trying the same thing repeatedly."

Initially, Subaru pleads with Beatrice and Emilia to help him, but Emilia avoids him after their first encounter. Subaru understood why her appearance and being around a supposed Witch Cultist would damage her reputation. Subaru held no ill will towards that as it was logical. Beatrice and the rest of Emilia's camp left for the same reason. Subaru did not blame them. However, he did blame a single entity for everything that happened.

As the days went by, they tried many types of torture, and at first, he did feel pain both mentally and physically however, now he felt nothing. Only hatred and vengeance clouded his mind protecting it from breaking. Subaru died many times, and he lost count of whether Julius used a method of torture that killed him too quickly or any other situation that resulted in his death. But his return point was always just enough time to avoid dying again. Three weeks have passed since his torture began, and he knew the execution they were planning would fail miserably.

However, Subaru questioned one thing from the events that led to this point. Why did Satella not help me? He remembered how Satella would be so kind to him, and at the witch's tea party, he even said he'd save her… yet after all this, Subaru realized he made a mistake not thinking of Satella the same as any other Witch Cultists. They all just need to die.

Subaru woke up this morning in his cell to notice a particularly excited Julius and Ferris. He could wonder what new idea they came up with for torturing him. The idea almost made him laugh after so long, he no longer responded to pain. He enjoyed it. It was evidence of his conviction. He did not hate himself or hate anyone. The only people he hated were the Witch Cult for bringing hell to his existence. He wanted to redact them but didn't have the power or ability to do so.

He pleaded every day and every time he died for Satella to give him something, anything that would give him the power he needed to destroy the Witch Cult, but of course, he already knew that Satella was no different. The Witch Cult was a disease, and Subaru needed to eradicate it. While the people of the Kingdom waste their time trying to learn information from him, he could imagine the people dying due to their inaction. He was the only one that knew and could act. Everyone forgot him, but he could do something to help it.

Julius approached him silently. Subaru and Julius no longer spoke as the process was the same daily. Subaru even had a feeling that Julius was tired of his role. Ferris, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy it. Today's torture was an object that resembled a drill from Earth.

Julius started with Subaru's hands drilling slowly into them as blood filled the floor. Then he moved to his arms, making more holes and more. His legs, arms, and almost every non-vital point were drilled into slowly.

In the end, his body was covered with holes, as many parts of Subaru's skeleton were visible. Subaru didn't understand why Ferris seemed so excited about this until she used a new spell she had developed. The wounds on Subaru healed, and then Julius's process with the drill happened without any action. Subaru watched as a hole started to dig into his hand from what appeared to be nothing.

Julius smiled, "I think this will work. We will return in three days to give you water and see if you'll talk yet."

The rest of the day was a process of his holes digging through his skin until he reached near death and then a repetition. Subaru was surprised by the unique idea and surmised that Julius was tired of torturing him. He understood and didn't blame Julius or even Ferris for their actions. He would do far worse to an imprisoned witch cultist.

The second day passed, and Subaru did not get any sleep. He was used to sleeping deprivation, however, so three days without sleep and getting his skin drilled into by a nonexistent drill over and over was nothing more than pain. He felt the pain, but it didn't change anything. After the third day passed, Subaru was confronted by Julius and Reinhard. He was surprised by Reinhard as ever since the day he was condemned to be tortured, Reinhard was never to show himself. He wondered if Reinhard had come to his senses and decided to help him, but he knew that dream was nothing more than a fallacy.

Julius and Ferris were smiling, but Reinhard had a face of shame. The face of a man who was forced to do something. Subaru was only curious about what they could've brought the sword saint to do. Anything Reinhard did would probably kill him.

Reinhard walked up to the chained Subaru. Seeing the holes appear and reappear almost made him sick. Ferris deactivated the spell she used and healed Subaru. Subaru stared into Reinhard's eyes. The person with the strength to kill the witch cult yet is spending his time on this? This entire world is rotting.

Reinhard spoke emotionlessly, "I have been asked to use a certain Divine Protection on you, Subaru."

Reinhard placed two hands on Subaru's chest, which activated the Divine Protection of Mind Torture. Julius and the Sage Council asked Reinhard to find a way to torture Subaru mentally, as all physical methods seemed to be ineffective. While Reinhard hated what he was asked to do, he knew he was a monster and that torturing someone was just something in his nature.

Reinhard walked away with an emotionless empty face. Julius and Ferris thanked him but remained silent. Subaru then watched the two leave waiting for the effects of whatever Reinhard did.

The Divine Protection of Torture was given to Reinhard after the Sage Council requested him to find a way to torture Subaru's mind. Reinhard instantly knew how it functioned. It created an illusion that would target both the mind and the body. Essesinatly creating a world around the person where the pain usually a human could not experience could feel. Emotions like sadness, regret, shame, and others could also be amplified past what a human could typically experience. Time also functioned differently in this as Subaru could spend fifty years within this illusion, and it only lasted a week in the real world.

Reinhard was ashamed of what creation he was given. He swore that he would delete it when the Sage Council executed Subaru. But even this made him sick.

Felt noticing Reinhard's mood asked, "The Sword Saint lookin' weak. What happened?"

Reinhard couldn't bring himself to say what he's done to Felt. He questioned his role as Felt's knight. A man with the Divine Protection of Torture. A true monster. Reinhard begins to shed tears at what he's created. This cruelty was beyond comprehension, even if the person was a witch cultist.

Subaru noticed he was an illusion. He looked around and saw five hundred chained-up versions himself. The first thing he encountered was simple, a sword. The sword pierced all five hundred Subarus, and Subaru felt a pain that wasn't possible. A pain that defied the biology of humans. He thought for a moment to give Reinhard credit that he did a good job finding a method of torture. It continued with the following method, not being that of a weapon but rather rabbits.

Subaru thought back to the time he almost lost his mind after being eaten alive by the great rabbit, and now he's experiencing it five hundred times simultaneously. However, Subaru's hatred only grew. The fact that the sword saint was manipulated into creating something that should only be justified if used against a true witch cultist disgusted him. The Divine Protection was supposed to be able to manipulate the emotions of the person within, but Subaru's hatred and vengeance were solidified in his soul.

Ten years passed within the illusion. For the first five years, Subaru was tortured in almost every possible way, even being tickled as a method. The remaining five years were the emotional torture that Divine Protection gave. Subaru saw visions of whoever he cared for the most dying over and over. Subaru laughed as the Divine Protection did not understand him. He's already seen everyone die. He spent most of the time asking a nonexistent god if he was in hell.

Twenty-five years have passed, and the only thing that worked as torture was Subaru's boredom. No matter what the torture this strange creation of Od Lugunca created did nothing to Subaru. His hatred was his shield, and his vengeance was his shield for his mind. While it has been twenty-five years in the fake reality he was in. Only half of a week has passed in the real world.

Reinhard was broken. He frequently checked on Subaru, but despite Subaru not being affected as severely as the Divine Protection projected, the effects on the person it was placed on were… creative.

Reinhard watched as Subaru continued to shout in pain. Often his vocal cords would give out, and he'd only hear shallow screams. Ferris was in charge of keeping Subaru hydrated and feeding him while he was in the illusion.

Reinhard looked at Ferris, but no words came out.

Ferris tilted her head at Reinhard, "You did a good job, Reinhard. I've never heard him scream like that."

Reinhard stared at the grin that Ferris had. He couldn't take it anymore and left the area. He no longer knew who he even was. Even a monster wouldn't do something like this… was he a demon? Was he no different from the Witch of Envy? Placing someone who was yet to be confirmed as a Sin Archbishop in such a state. Reinhard could only conclude that he was no monster but the reincarnation of the Witch of Envy. Felt tried to cheer him up, but the days went by slowly as he waited to deactivate and delete the Divine Protection.

Twenty years passed in the illusion, and while Subaru was simply waiting for this time illusion to cease, he was also thinking of what he would want to kill and destroy the witch cult. Would it be some power? He wondered why witches were even stronger than dragons. A question he never pondered until he was put in this time illusion. As he got drowned five hundred times, he could only question why Satella brought him into this hell. Her claims of caring or anything that resembles kindness were nothing more than a facade, and he couldn't do anything as he had no power in this world. He could only hate the cretin that brought him this misery. The Witch Cult will perish.

Finally, fifty years passed, and Reinhard, with an even more destroyed look, walked up to Subaru and disabled the Divine Protection. He stared at Subaru's eyes in regret and shame, but the words he heard brought him only confusion.

"Reinhard, don't look so depressed. None of this is your fault. I only blame the Witch Cult for what happened, so I only can tell you this, your time is being wasted, you have the power to destroy them, and you don't. That is my only complaint."

Reinhard looked at Subaru, but his mouth couldn't move. He walked out as Ferris and Julius simply looked confused at Reinhard and satisfied with Subaru's torture. Reinhard returned to the Sage Council to report that his mission was completed.

"Did he reveal anything?"

Reinhard responded, "No. I do not-"

He was cut off, "Do it again. Continue until he reveals something of significance. We have spent so much time on this. I will not allow it to be wasted."

Reinhard tried to think of something, but he knew his role. He agreed and returned to Subaru's containment cell. Ferris looked at him in excitement, and Julius just saw the face of Reinhard and could only wonder what may have happened.

Reinhard mumbled to Subaru, "Forgive me."

"You do not need to be forgiven."

Reinhard placed all fingers on Subaru's chest, activating the full extent of his Divine Protection. Five hundred years of torture. Only a week would pass the same as before, but he didn't know if he'd remain sane that long.

Subaru's five hundred years of torture begin. After fifty more years, Subaru's hatred was the only thing that changed. After another one hundred years, his mind was nothing but vengeance and hatred, becoming an abomination of negative emotions.

After three hundred years passed, the torture worked. Not in the way it was meant to be, but the time factor was the only thing that affected Subaru. He would've felt the same result if he got put in the same illusion without torture and just the manipulation of time. His mind could no longer think of new things. Only negative emotions existed. After the final two hundred years passed, Subaru was broken by time.

Subaru opened his eyes. He was still in the cell. He felt different as he recalled the events he had witnessed for five years. His hatred for the Witch Cult was the only thing keeping his mind from breaking. He remembered what Reinhard said about his fate being the Sage and that he would cause the next calamity, not understanding what that meant.

An emerald light formed on Subaru's hand, "How are you alive?"

Subaru looked at his hand where the voice originated, "What?"

"I'm not sure how this happened… I am Ddraig, one of the two Heavenly Dragons. However, I'm unsure how I'm here or how you are even alive… do you not remember?"

"Remember what?"

"You were inside a world covered with a purple aura. There was someone with a hood on that only said she loved you… another person with white hair ranted about hating someone named Satella… your memories… let me show you. First, focus all your strength on what you desire most."

Subaru's mind begins to process what this voice has just told him. Satella? The white-haired person that ranted… Regulus? What the hell is happening? Subaru closed his eyes and imagined what he desired most: Emilia's happiness and destroying the Witch Cult. After doing so, he opened his eyes to see a red gauntlet covering his hand. The gauntlet begins to form a holographic vision of the memory that Subaru forgot.

The visual ended, and Subaru began questioning how much he didn't know or had forgotten. How many times has Satella put him inside that world? What was her goal? Regardless Subaru knew he would kill her.

"Partner… your memories are horrific. It seems the authorities you possess are allowing you to use the power of the boosted gear, which normally wouldn't be possible."

"Memories… is there anything else I am unaware of?"

Ddraig started to analyze all of Subaru's memories, bypassing any seals or contracts that may have been placed on them. He then found the origin of his previous power and how it occurred. He couldn't understand what occurred in the previous times he was in that reality after he died.

"Partner, your ability to return by death was a contract you made with Satella the first time you died. The contract you made had conditions: you would forget what would happen if you entered what she called the shadow garden. If you told others of your ability, you would be stopped from doing so, and you agreed to obtain all seven authorities. You also acted different, almost as if you were a different person when you were within the shadow garden."

Subaru slowly processed what he had learned. His entire life was a lie in this world. He got powers from a witch with rules he doesn't remember. Every life or person he saved was due to this power. But why did he act differently when he was in this place? He remembered how she said things that didn't make sense when he met Satella at the Witch's Tea Party. He said things that didn't make sense, either. Was he being manipulated this entire time? Why did Satella say she wanted to die? Before, he ignored those questions, but now he wanted to know the truth. What is his connection with Satella? Why did Satella and Emilia look so similar? Why did she want to die, and why did he act differently within this shadow garden?

"Ddraig, do you know anything else?"

"Not relating to your memories. However, I found out why none of the previous events after your name was eaten made sense… a platinum-haired girl was visible in many memories when your name was eaten and even recently. I assume you can't remember seeing her?"

"No, a platinum-haired girl?"

"Yes, and she had a disgusting grin on her face. More than likely, she is responsible for the strange responses everyone had… she may have been trying to trigger this event to happen in the first place."

"An ability to do something like that would only make sense if she was a witch or held an authority… I will kill her too. But why, what do you mean by trigger this event to happen?"

"All her actions lead to a goal of what was happening before my arrival. Assuming I didn't or Satella didn't bring me here, then your authority of greed would've continued to grow. The reason you were able to endure all that physical pain was due to the greed authority."

Subaru's mind was confused. Learning of the information regarding Satella was already enough. Still, now another witch that orchestrated the events leading to the point he was at now? He thought at first that everyone was insane or the world simply hated him. But how would they reverse whatever caused them to act strangely? Everyone would suffer more… Emilia would break learning of what she did. Reinhard, Julius, and everyone else would realize they tortured him for no reason. Both undoing or doing nothing about whatever power she used would lead to the people he cared for suffering. He felt a hatred more extraordinary than even Satella at that platinum-haired witch. Even if he kills her, it won't resolve the issue.