Chapter 2: A Greedy Confrontation
Echidna swiftly draws out her revolver and fires at Regulus.
He's able to react in time before she pulled the trigger, making the collars of the unconscious bridesmaids rise up in mid-air using his ability, which pulled their bodies along, essentially using them as human shields. The bullet inadvertently landed on one of the bridesmaids' hip, resulting in a stream of liquid crimson to trickle.
"Stop!" The horrified Emilia locked Echidna's arm to prevent her from even aiming again. "Y… you're going to kill them! They're as much of a victim as I am!"
The half-elf gives her a piercing glare, warning her not to shoot again. Her conscience simply won't allow the innocent to get hurt. Furthermore, her glare also sends a message, conveying she won't comply with her at all if she keeps on firing. Not wanting to deal with a rebellious half-elf, Echidna sighs and puts away the revolver.
"Y… you… d-did you just try to shoot me?! You were aiming for the kill, were you?! You… you were trying to kill me!" Regulus accused with trembling voice. "Here I was! I was just standing here! And you… you tried to kill me! You tried to shoot a man who just wanted to know what went wrong with his special day! What kind of manner-less primitive savage are you?!" He demanded, his eyes full of rage. "T… t-to make an attempt on my life when I just want answers! This is the most serious violation of my rights!"
He lifted both arms. In the same moment, a gust of wind can be felt and the ruined door is being further dismantled into pieces by some unknown force at work. Then, he sends the dismantled pieces flying straight towards Echidna.
She readies herself to roll out of the way, but Emilia creates a defensive ice wall in front of her, proving her intended move unnecessary. The ice wall blocks off the incoming assault.
Not wasting any opportunity, Echidna sets off a couple of smoke bombs, engulfing the entire room in smoke. She grabs the half-elf's arm and leads her out of the room past the struggling Regulus who's wildly swinging his arms amidst the smoke, sending his unconscious wives and other random objects flying all over the place.
As soon as they escaped from the chapel and arrived in the square, Emilia starts coughing as a result of the smoke she inhaled.
"You go on ahead and get out of here. I'll distract him and buy you time to ensure your escape." Echidna suggested.
Emilia shakes her head, clearly disagreeing with her suggestion. "No. You shouldn't fight him by yourself! He's really dangerous! I can stay and fight. I'm not that weak!"
"You no need concern yourself over a sinister witch, [Frost]. I can take care of myself. And besides…" Echidna gives her a serious look. "That foolish foreign knight of yours is quite in a predicament. He charged straight to Regulus' castle like a hopeless buffoon after you got captured. We found him injured and... it's… he's in a critical state. Things aren't looking too rosy for him at the moment. He's going to need you and your tenderness by his side if he has any hope of survival."
"S-Subaru is in trouble?!" Asked Emilia, frightened by the sudden revelation.
Echidna placed the half-elf in a position to make a difficult choice; to stay and help her fight off Regulus or to go and help Subaru. Ultimately, as she expected, the half-elf's choice is obvious.
"I'm sorry, Echidna… but… Subaru…" The half-elf started in regret before she shook her head in defiance. "No. There's nothing I should be worrying about. I believe Subaru will be fine! And I believe in you too, Echidna! You can defeat that villain!" She exclaimed with utmost confidence. "But please, be careful, okay? I wish I could stay and help but I need to check on Subaru. I'll see you later!" She bid her goodbye before turning around and running towards the opposite direction.
"What a foolish girl…" Echidna almost felt pity for the innocent half-elf for falling to such an obvious lie. But now that she got rid of her, it's time to fulfill her other mission.
"Ah, Echidna. Hold on a minute. I have something else for you." Flugel called to her attention after the meeting was dismissed.
"What now? Have you not shamed me enough already?"
"Come on. Don't be like that. I just want your cooperation. You see, I have a special objective reserved just for you."
"Oh? Interesting. Do tell."
"I want you to recover Regulus' ring. The ring is a very powerful artifact and it's the main reason behind his 'fortune.' Unlike the ordinary artifact, there's something… special about it. You'll understand once you see it in action for yourself."
"How interesting. Very well, I accept. Consider it done."
"I thought you would be more skeptical about this and ask questions. But I'm glad you're interested. Even so, you have to be careful, okay? Perhaps, this will be the most dangerous artifact you've ever gone up against. Anyway, for now, it would be best if you keep this to yourself. Don't tell anyone else about it. There's going to be a separate time for that."
She figured Regulus' ability to freely control and manipulate any object he touches stem from the ring... it must be the "special ability" Flugel mentioned.
"Allowing a weak and fragile girl such as myself to deal with this freak show. How manly of you, Flugel." She complained internally, glaring towards the chapel where Regulus is making his way towards her with the most displeased expression. Once he was close enough, she's able to confirm the ring on his finger.
"You! Just who the hell are you?! And where the hell is my bride?! What bullshit are you trying to pull here?!" The angry man, who had his wedding ruined, demanded.
"Who am I? I'm [the Witch] and I'm here to unleash a curse on you." She replied sarcastically.
"The Witch?" He pondered over the word [witch]. "Ah, I get it, I get it, I get it. Witch. The witch rumors those degenerates in the slums made up… so, it's true after all? The vigilante witches do exist? I see I see. If that's the case, that means you must be one of them. That's what you're saying? Or maybe you're just pretending to the Witch to intimidate me? Is that it?" He asked, pausing briefly afterward. "Well, you know what? Witch or not, who the fuck do you think you are to go around and ruin people's wedding?! Who the hell gave you the right to do that?! Who the hell gave you the permission to infringe on people's right to marry?! Have you lost your damn mind?! Do you understand? Do you understand how much of a despicable scum you are?! Well, let me tell you. You're a despicable scum! The scummiest of them all! Scummier than those who you call scum! You, the Witch or whatever… you... you're someone who thoroughly enjoys trampling on people's rights!"
"Oh, by chance, do you mean the wedding you forced on an unwilling girl? And many others? That's definitely… Greed." She countered with a faint smile. "Your brand of Greed...the Greed that imposes your own selfishness into others. The Greed that doesn't acknowledge perspectives other than your own. The egotistic Greed that leads you to believe you're always in the right. Honestly, I can't deal with people like that. I fail to understand that childish mentality." She expressed a disappointed look. "What's so interesting if you only listen to your own argument and completely disregard the other? The joys of an engaging debate… the anticipation that builds as you wait for your opponent's response and the counterargument you prepare to strike back. The suspense and thrill you experience when you observe an individual ponder over difficult choices. The questions that arise once they do make their choice. Will it turn out for the best? Will it lead them to the right path? Or perhaps, will their choice will lead to tragedy and regret? This… this is what makes life so beautiful… the people's right to choose… and your 'Greed' completely rejects 'choice.'" She gave him a sharp, spiteful gaze. "Besides, this isn't even about 'respecting the rights of others.' With all seriousness, that's rich coming from someone who forces unwilling maidens in marriage. Technically speaking, aren't you also infringing on those poor girls' rights? Because I doubt any of them would willingly marry an utter trash."
"Look, you're seriously pissing me right now. How dare you insult and mock me?! How dare you accuse me of Greed when I'm just trying to exercise the few rights given to me?! Aren't you the one being greedy here?! You trampled all over my rights!" He shot back, his eyes turning red in anger. "And what's wrong with marrying maidens that managed to capture my heart?! For example, I see a silver-haired girl with stunning purple eyes. Then, I said to myself 'I like her face. She's really pretty.' So, I decided to marry her. What's wrong with that?! It's within my rights to like anyone I want! It's within my rights to fall in love! It's within my rights to marry the person I love! It's within my rights to marry as many people as I want! So, tell me! How am I infringing on their rights?! How is that Greed?!"
"I'm definitely greedy, true. But unlike you, I'm not in denial of my Greed." She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You're hopeless. Continuing this conversation with you is an insult to my intelligence. It just might make me want to kill myself. So, let's just end this pointless talk, shall we?!"
Hoping to catch him off guard, she fires her revolver again without warning. The bullet speeds through the air, making contact with his skin. However, Regulus manages to use his ability and stop its rapid movement before it can penetrate through his skin. He flips the bullet back towards her direction and sends it back flying to her, in which she easily avoids.
"Any weapon against him is practically useless, huh? This is really troublesome. I wish Sekhmet is here." She thought of her unfavorable situation. "I suppose there's no other choice but to..."
Regulus appears to be even more angered than ever. "You did it again! You… you… you… you… you… you… you tried to shoot me! Tried to kill me! In the middle of our conversation! As I was defenseless! As I was about to exercise my right to speak! Not for the first time but for the second time already! Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Unforgivable!"
He pulls out a set of cards from his pockets and sends them speeding towards her, using them as if they were sharp, cutting edge blades.
She rolls out of the way to avoid them, but she wasn't able to dodge all of them; a couple of cards manage to cut through her coat, and grazes her skin, drawing lines of red in her pale skin. Once she gets up, she quickly makes a retreat, running away.
"Run all you want! You can never escape from me! You can never hide from me!" He chased after her.
Corneas Castle, west of Lugnica City
Meanwhile, inside the castle grounds, the fray ended a little while ago.
"Haa... that should do it… huu… what a waste of time… haa..." Sekhmet complained as she slumped to the ground amidst the pile of unconscious guards.
"Dam! T'hell'r ya? Yer even human?!" The boy Garfiel asked in amazement.
Indeed, as Echidna presumed, Garfiel charged into the castle along with Ram and Rem to rescue Subaru who's being held somewhere inside. The foreign boy did attempt to fight his way through in order to rescue Emilia until he was eventually suppressed.
"Who knows… haa…" Sekhmet closed her eyes, indulging in nap time.
"Oy! T'hell?! Yer just gna sleep w'out givin' me answers?!"
As Garfiel is trying to carefully awaken the slothful woman in vain, Minerva is tending to Ram and Rem; both sustained injuries during the skirmish.
Rem abruptly forces herself to stand while Minerva was in the process of applying bandages around her bloody arm. "Subaru-kun… I need to find Subaru-kun!" She made a head start towards the castle.
"Hey, wait! I haven't finished patching you up! Get back here, Rem!"
"Don't waste your energy. When it pertains to Barusu, she's hopeless." Said Ram, getting up from her previous kneeling position. "It's best if we just follow her." Her sharp gaze landed on Garfiel. "Hey, you. Let's go."
The blonde boy salutes in response. "Ya got't!" Then, he stared at the sleeping Sekhmet. "Uh... but what we do w' er?"
"Don't worry! I'll take care of her!" Assured Minerva, picking up and carrying the sleeping woman piggy-back style like it's nothing.
"Errr… kay…" Garfiel was slightly bewildered by the two and leaned closer to Ram. "S'it just me or these're some weird gals?" He whispered.
Ram glares at him with a deadpan expression. "Don't use your irrelevant comments as an excuse to intrude on my personal space." She called out the close proximity between their faces and pinched him in the ear, causing him to take a step back from her.
"O-owie …" His face cringed at the girl's bluntness.
"Let's not waste any more time. Let's go."
They entered the castle and began the search. They spent around thirty minutes searching fruitlessly, unable to find Subaru and Rem anywhere. At some point, it felt like they're just going around in circles. It's times like these when Minerva wished Daphne was around.
Eventually, after almost forty-five minutes, they finally found Subaru inside one of the rooms with Rem already beside him. Fortunately, Subaru appears to be okay. The black-haired boy has a massive grin on his face while giving Rem a head pat; the girl smiles happily and indulges herself in the affectionate gesture.
"Yo, boss! Glad to see yer fine. Had us worried 'nd evrythin'!" Garfiel greeted.
"Yo, you're all here, too? You must have been worried sick about me, Ram! Haha!" Subaru called out to the pink-haired twin with a playful grin before turning to Minerva. "Oh, but I'm surprised to see you here, Minerva. Not that I'm complaining or anything. Hehe, thanks!" He gave her a thumbs up. "Anyway, sorry for making you all worried! I promise, from now on, Natsuki Subaru will never lose a single battle again!" He raised a clenched fist in determination. "Grrr... that punk just got a cheap shot!"
Ram scowls at him. "Dream on, Barusu."
Minerva smacks him on the head. "That's for being reckless, foolish boy!"
"Ouch! That's so mean of you, Minerva!"
After her assault, her demeanor turns soft and gentle. "Stay still." Her hands fiddled with his body, searching for wounds. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Rem swats her intruding hands away. "Rem can take care of her Subaru-kun, Minerva-san!"
"Huh?" Minerva asked, genuinely confused by the girl's action.
"Geez, there's no need for any of that healing stuff! As you can see, I'm feeling fantastic as always!" Subaru tried to convince them, lifting his arms to showcase his supposed well-being.
Minerva is still not convinced and wants to check him for wounds regardless of Rem. However, before she can re-check, Subaru's expression suddenly darkens.
"Subaru-kun?" Asked Rem, worried by his sudden shift of mood.
"Wait a minute… I feel like I'm forgetting something really important…" When he realized what's missing, dread painted over his face. "Emilia-tan?! Where's Emilia-tan?!"
His eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for Emilia. When he failed to find the half-elf, he forced himself to a stand before he immediately collapsed due to the soreness from getting beaten up senselessly. Not that it deterred him one bit. He continued attempting to stand despite his condition, using his arms to push himself off the ground in desperation.
"Subaru-kun, you should be resting! Don't push yourself too much!"
"Don't be foolish and listen to what the girl says!" Minerva agreed with the blue-haired twin. "Stay still and let me heal you first!"
"No… that can wait later! Gotta. Save. Emilia-tan!" He stubbornly willed himself to rise up again despite stumbling and struggling to stay on his feet, storming out of the room.
"Subaru-kun!" Rem chased after him.
"Ey! Wer ya both goin?! Wait fer me!" Garfiel followed suit.
With those three off to the races, only Ram, Minerva, and the unconscious Sekhmet remained inside the room. Due to Subaru's current state, they doubt the boy could make it far. So, they decided to stay still for now.
"Your sister is very close to Subaru, isn't she?" Minerva suddenly asked Ram.
"That's an understatement. She's head over heels for him. Honestly speaking, I don't understand what Rem sees in that despicable boy, but her business is her business."
"Oh… but with Subaru already in a relationship with both Emilia and Satella… this… this is a very complicated situation."
Since half a year ago, Subaru was officially in a romantic relationship with the half-elf siblings, Satella and Emilia.
Emilia may be accepting of Subaru also being in a relationship with Satella, and she has no problem with other girls showering him with affection, but Satella, on the other hand, is a whole another story. She already has a lot of trouble coming to terms with the situation. It's only her love for both Subaru and her sister that compelled her to accept the relationship. But if another girl is to join the equation…
There's no telling what could happen.
Ram nods in agreement with Minerva. "I know. It makes my blood boil."
Echidna is currently being chased by Regulus around a marketplace, causing a very chaotic scene.
He keeps striking with his cards, as well as other random objects; food stalls, vegetables, stones, fruits, anything. Whatever he gets his hands on, he sends them spearing in rage towards her, destroying most of the market. Fortunately for her, she's able to maintain a favorable distance and leads him in a chase full of twists and turns, making it easier to avoid his attacks. Instead, many innocent bystanders were harmed. People scattered all over the place in fear, making the chase even more difficult for him. As a result, he took his anger out on them and turned them into gore at times.
Puny market guards attempted to stop his rampage. Unfortunately for them, Regulus easily brushes them away like insects and they ended up a pile of bloody mess impaled by numerous sharp items.
As he keeps on hurling various things, he soon loses track of her when she retreated inside an abandoned building. He followed after her, but he didn't have any clue where she went off to next. Regardless, he presumed she's still somewhere inside the building.
"This is the game you chose to play? You want to play 'Hide and Seek?' Very well! I'll gladly play your game!" He accepted her 'game,' searching† around the deserted building for hints. "Now, don't get the wrong idea. It's not because I'm willing to play along. If I had any other choice, I won't even participate. I'm only participating because I have to! Do you understand?" His eyes continued searching around fruitlessly. "Right now, you are violating another one of my rights… the right to kill you… the right to silence you… the right to punish you in retribution! This is exactly why you chose to play a game like 'Hide and Seek,' isn't it? It's like when a criminal scum flees from justice. Your guilt led you to take this course of action. But do tell me, do you not feel ashamed? Do you not think you owe me an apology? Do you not feel the guilt? How much more greedy and heartless can you possibly be?"
As he keeps ranting on, Echidna hides behind a pillar near the vicinity, searching for an opening. Her original intent was to draw him to an area where there are no witnesses around, so she may stop withholding her real strength. Unluckily for her, she noticed there's someone else inside the building; someone who had been following them. Thus, she decided it's not worth the risk.
Whatever the case may be, she's going to need to find a way past his impenetrable defense in order to recover the ring. Or maybe, she can count on the mysterious someone as a "failsafe." After all, she already figured out who that someone is.
With her mind made up, she ambushes Regulus from behind, elbowing him on his sides before kicking him straight against the wall. He quickly recovers and grabs her arms. However, it's just what she had in mind. Despite his superior strength, she managed to push her hand closer to his face and set off a metallic object which released a puff of sleeping gas straight to his face.
His grip on her arms loosened and she's able to free herself. He began stumbling backward, coughing and struggling, before he eventually loses consciousness and collapses to the ground.
She walks to his unconscious body and flips him over with her boots. She leans down, trying to quickly recover the ring. As her hands crept closer to his ring finger, she suddenly pulls back, realizing he's only pretending to be asleep.
Her realization came too late.
He lands a swift and brutal kick to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her, staggering her.
Regulus gets up and laughs maniacally. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You thought I was defeated and done for, didn't you? Well, guess what?! I know how to play a game of my own too! You see, I was only pretending I was unconscious and you fell for it! You dumb bitch!" He let out the biggest sinister grin, proud of his accomplishment. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How do you feel? Does getting tricked feel bad? Do you hate me? Do you resent me? Do you want to punch me? Has your drive to kill me gotten even stronger? Well, it's too bad, you don't have much of a choice! I won this little game of ours, after all!" He approached closer, a menacing aura building around him. "And you know what? The victor has the right to do whatever he wants with the loser!" He grabbed her by the neck, throwing away her facemask and caressing her face in an unsettling manner. "It's such a shame you turned out to be a manner-less degenerate! You have such a pretty face! If only I can fix that rotten personality of yours, I would even marry you! Unfortunately, it's too late for that. Now, be a good little girl and stay still." He let out another sinister grin as he began choking her. "Don't worry. You can forget all your troubles. I will kindly put you to rest now."
"Ahahaha… you fool… I still have my failsafe." She thought to herself, not showing any visible sign of distress despite her predicament. "Now then…"
And sure enough, as she expected…
"Regulus… please, stop this." A sweet and gentle feminine voice revealed itself.
Hearing the voice caused Regulus to freeze on the spot and let go of the girl he's trying to choke to death. Once he turned to the source of the voice, a look of extraordinary disbelief was plastered on his face. He was completely taken aback by what he just witnessed.
In front of him stood a silver-haired half-elf with purple eyes. The girl owns a face completely identical to his bride, Emilia. Although, unlike the white-dressed Emilia, this half-elf's clothing is exclusively black, wearing almost the same black capelet coat as Echidna. But, there's no doubt in his mind that it IS his bride, Emilia. Only she should have a face like that! Convinced by his assessment, his face displayed a wide array of emotions; relief, sadness, happiness, gratefulness, and love.
He covered his mouth with both hands and began choking up tears in astonishment. "M… my dear silver-haired bride! Have you come for me?!" He whimpered. "As I was facing this fiend all alone, you… you were worried about me. You were afraid you might never see me again. That's the reason why you're here, isn't it?"
The half-elf nods, giving him an ethereal smile. "Of course. Silly Regulus. Why else would I be here?"
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He cried hysterically, tears falling out of control. "TO THINK YOU WOULD CARE SO MUCH FOR ME! A NOBODY LIKE ME! TO THINK THERE'S SOMEONE… IN THIS CRUEL AND TWISTED WORLD… WHO WOULD LOVE ME AS MUCH AS I LOVE THEM! I KNEW! I KNEW! I JUST KNEW! I KNEW… FROM THE VERY MOMENT I WITNESSED YOUR UNRIVALED BEAUTY… I FOUND MY SALVATION!"
"Yes, my dear Regulus. Come here, everything will be alright now. Embrace me." Invited the half-elf, stretching out her welcoming arms, ready to accept him.
"Y... yes, my dear angel!" He approached and kneeled down before her.
She wraps one arm around his neck, while she clasps her free hand against his. Catching him off guard, she swiftly pulls the ring off him.
"W… what are you doing?!"
Before he has the chance to catch on her real intention, she uses ice magic to place him in a frozen state, rendering him immobile.
After the deed, the half-elf advances to Echidna who was resting on a knee and tries to help her up. However, the offered assistance was coldly ignored. Echidna chose to get up on her own.
She glares at the half-elf with an unimpressed expression. "Satella."
An air of awkwardness dominated the atmosphere.
"… I didn't need your help..." Of course, she would never admit she relied on her assistance to defeat Regulus.
"Receiving help from someone you've never thought kindly of… it must be very awkward for you... and it must have wounded your pride. I'm sorry."
"I don't need your apology, either. So, why are you here anyway? You're quite the stalker, aren't you?"
"My sister is involved in this, you know. Of course, I'm going to take action. Is it not my duty to look after my little sister?"
"Oh, my. You sure love your sister dearly, don't you? How sweet... almost puts a tear in my eye. Fufu~."
The half-elf narrows her eyes. "What's so funny about that?"
"I just find it REALLYYY interesting… how the circumstances have changed." Answered Echidna with an amused smile.
"What do you mean?"
"That's for me to know and for you to… never find out."
Satella pouts, not amused by her cryptic words. Before she can call out the unfairness, she starts feeling uneasy, her hand which holds the ring is shaking feverishly. She opens her hand and stares at the ring, feeling like she wants to swallow the artifact for whatever reason. Her expression darkens, everything in sight seems dark and bleak, her breathing became heavy and irregular, and her mental state slowly breaking down…
Echidna grabs her hand and yanks the ring away from her. With the ring off her, Satella returned to her regular state, her uneasiness suddenly fading as soon as she loses contact with the ring.
"What just happened?" The half-elf asked, perplexed by her previous emotions.
"Make a wish and your desire of Greed shall be granted…" Echidna read off the encryption carved around the ring. "This is a sinner's weapon; the sinner of Greed, to be specific. In total, there should be six of these. And of course, there's…" Her sharp gaze landed on Satella with unrivaled intensity, her black eyes darkening even further.
The recipient of the intense stare is taken aback. "E… Echidna? What's wrong? Is the ring affecting you, too?"
Echidna sighs, composing herself and softening her glare. "No. It's compatible with my greedy heart, I suppose. Anyway, it's nothing you should concern yourself over so long as you subdue the shadow of your heart and stay away from this ring business as far away as possible. You're not a sinner, or at least, you shouldn't be... Besides, how do you even know of this? Did Flugel fill you in too?"
"Uhm… well… I formed a Contract with him that promised he would tell me everything he has in mind for the team." She revealed.
"Oh? Aren't you a daring little girl? Since when have you gotten so bold?"
"Uhm… about that… Echidna…" She started, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to have a talk with her. "About why I had to betr-"
Regrettably, several screaming and hollering noises outside the building interrupted her mid-sentence... as if fate itself determined now is not the right moment for them to have the talk.
Echidna walks over to the window and takes a peek. A platoon of royal knights gathered around outside as a result of the commotion. The situation must have been reported as critical. Of course, with several bodies Regulus turned into gory corpses, it's to be expected. Even the [Sword Saint] Reid Astrea had been dispatched.
"The knights have arrived to clean up this mess. I wanted to interrogate him, but I suppose we don't have a choice but to leave him to them." She informed, staring at Regulus' frozen body. "It's best if we get out of here before we get caught ourselves."
"Oh, right." Agreed Satella, slightly disappointed.
Pleiades Corps Base of Operations in Lugnica City
"Well done, girls. This mission is a success!" Declared the black-haired Flugel. "[Frost], Emilia of the Elior faction, has been recovered and [Black Greed], Regulus Corneas, is currently detained by the knights. Since this case involved the daughter from one of the major faction, it could have been a real mess if the wedding went through. With the current state of affairs, there's a chance the other factions would have taken advantage of the situation and make a political move against the elven faction. Fortunately, we no longer have to fear that possibility all thanks to your efforts. On our end, we managed to seal the kidnapping of Emilia and any information regarding the whole situation from leaking to the public. Nevertheless, I'll be sure to keep caution and I'll find a way to make Regulus confess his motivation in case there are any loose ends."
Flugel's green-eyed assistant, Shaula, stood next to him. She owns a long dark brown hair tied into a "scorpion tail." Dressed in nothing more but a bikini, a pair of short-shorts, and a green cape, she flaunts an exquisite body figure and a large chest that rivals Minerva's.
In front of the Sage and his assistant, Echidna, Minerva, and Sekhmet are settled around a table. Meanwhile, Daphne, Carmilla, and Typhon retreated to the forests after escaping the chase by Carmilla's over-zealous "admirers." They were informed, via a letter delivered by Daphne's "pet" eagle, that the three youngest members of the team decided to spend the night over at Daphne's shack where she lives.
Flugel glances at Echidna and gives her a special nod for recovering the ring artifact of Greed, which they can't mention to others yet.
"Actually, this mission was very sloppy. You should be ashamed of yourselves." Shaula criticized. "First, that little skirmish at the castle. Second, the mayhem at the market. Third, there are witnesses who claimed to have seen 'Three young girls riding on top of a massive dire wolf.' The knights are bound to investigate those events and the cover-up, which falls under our responsibility, is going to be a pain in the ass. Fourth, five students at the Academy confirmed the witches' existence and learned of your identities as witches." She bluntly exposed their slip-ups, raising a finger as she counted. "And finally, why was Emilia running around the town like a lost and desperate lamb?" Her gaze turned to Echidna. "Would you care to explain, [Greed]?"
Echidna barely managed to contain a snicker when she heard what happened to the half-elf.
"You're such an awful bitch! You're responsible for that, aren't you?!" Minerva accused, crossing her arms, her wrathful eyes burning with rage.
"Who knows?"
Minerva continues her wrathful glare, not having it with her attitude. "Explain."
"I needed to give her the incentive to escape when [Black Greed] was closing in on us. So, I baited her away by taking advantage of Natsuki Subaru's situation… okay, perhaps, I might have exaggerated his condition a little too much. That's a mistake on my part, I admit. But it's not like I had any other choice, did I? Her kind-hearted nature didn't want to leave me for dead against [Black Greed]. You know how stubborn she is just like a certain someone who shall not be named. That's all."
"That's all?! That's all?! That's all?! Seriously?! After you played with that poor girl's emotions, that's all?!"
"Haa… loosen up, Minerva… huu… I don't see the big deal… haa… it's just our dear Echidna having a bit of fun… huu… she rescued the girl in the end… haa… even if the situation placed her in an awkward position… huu … that's the most important… haa…" Surprisingly, Sekhmet defended Echidna.
"I'm glad someone understands." Echidna acknowledged with a satisfied smile.
"Fine! I'll withdraw my wrath for now, but I won't forget about this! The next time you pull off another stupid nonsense with her, I'll wipe that stupid smirk off your face with my fists!" Minerva threatened.
"I will gladly keep that in mind."
As a team that somehow just barely gets along, the witches are always prone to arguments and conflicts. When she's in a disagreement with another member, Echidna always makes sure to exercise caution. She would rather avoid a punch or a slap in the face. Due to her twisted personality, which she gladly admits, her looks are perhaps her only good points. So, she would rather not have that ruined.
"Master." Shaula turned to Flugel after they witnessed the witches argue. "I don't believe these girlies are capable of establishing real change. They're a hot mess."
"It remains to be seen whether my desperate gamble will pay off, wouldn't it?" Flugel watched them with a pensive expression. "But, chaotic as they may be, I believe in them. Satella, too."
Echidna's attention turns to Flugel. "Well, now that we finished our report, can we go? Or would you rather shame us further and force us to stay here as your slaves? Would it please you if we call you 'Master,' too?"
Shaula grits her teeth in anger. "How dare you say rubbish like that?! Master is not an indecent man! And I'm the only one who's allowed to call Master, 'Master'!"
"Do you not understand the concept of a joke?"
"Your 'jokes' have the tendency to rub people off the wrong way, Echidna. I advise you to be more careful." Flugel suggested. "And as delightful and tempting making you all my slaves sound, I am not that type of person, fortunately for you. So, I kindly dismiss you all for now." He smiled gently. "Until the next mission."
After their dismissal, they're on their way out of the Pleiades building. Along the way, they spot Satella hugging Emilia in a protective and caring manner. Perhaps, the elder half-elf is regretful due to what could have happened to her sister... and that she wasn't able to do much for her.
The grinning Subaru, who's now in a much better state, is also around the area with Rem, Ram, and Garfiel.
Satella's face lights up when she notices them. Finishing her reunion with her sister, she and Minerva run to engulf each other in a tight embrace. The two have always been the best of friends. And that fact will never change.
"Satella! It's been almost a month! Have you been doing alright, dear?"
"Hehe, yes. Nothing to worry about~."
As Satella and Minerva caught up with each other's lives, Emilia approaches Echidna with Subaru by her side.
"Uhm… Echidna… thank you for saving me." Emilia bowed slightly, displaying her gratitude.
Echidna frowns. It always made her uncomfortable when people expressed their gratitude and appreciation to her. "Should you not be cursing me out right now? Just like that boy who's desperately holding his tongue." Her eyes shift to Subaru who's trying his hardest not to lash out at her for the stunt she pulled with Emilia.
Once he was called out, Subaru could no longer contain himself. "YOU-"
Emilia squeezes his hand tight to keep him silent. "Well… hehe…" She chuckled nervously. "What you did was sooo mean but I'm sure you only did that because you didn't want to put me in a dangerous situation. You had to risk your life in order to save me… that's why I wish you had not done that, Echidna."
Echidna frowns once again. "You're far too optimistic for your own good..."
After the exchange, Subaru is able to calm down and the thick atmosphere was somewhat lifted.
"I still don't trust her." Subaru stated nonetheless.
"Good for you. You shouldn't trust a 'Witch' anyway~." Echidna agreed as a matter of fact.
"The Witches of Lugnica, huh?" Ram interjected. "Who would have thought they're actually real and not just some mindless rumors? And to think, some of its members are students at Lugnica City Academy; Minerva-san and the smartest student in the entire Academy, Echidna-senpai. And apparently, Carmilla-san, too?" For whatever reason, her tone exhibited hostility when she mentioned Echidna.
"Ahahaha… don't worry. They promised to keep quiet about the whole situation." Emilia guaranteed the witches.
"Whatever. I don't really care." Said the pink-haired twin before raising a finger towards Garfiel. "It's this ruffian and his uncontrollable mouth you should be worrying about."
Rem nods in agreement. "Yes. Rem and nee-sama will keep quiet about this. Rem also agrees it's this boy you should worry about."
"Whoa, ey, ey! Why ya gangin' up on me like that?! I won't tell 'nyone! Geez!" Garfiel protested the twins' insults.
All of the sudden, Emilia was hugged from behind by Minerva.
"Are you alright, dear? That man didn't do anything disgusting to you, did he?" Minerva asked with concern in her voice.
Emilia shakes her head to indicate she's perfectly fine and turns around to return the embrace.
With Minerva spending her time with Emilia this time around, Satella is about to approach Echidna...
"Oh? Do you want to embrace me, too? You should know I'm nothing like Minerva. I'm sorry but I'm just not into sentimental stuff like that."
"Uhm… how unfortunate… that would have been nice…" Satella played along before her expression turned serious. "Anyway, I… I just want to talk… if that's okay… there's something I want to discuss… alone." She still hasn't given up the idea of a one-on-one talk about what happened one month ago with her "betrayal."
"As much as I would like to have that enlightening talk with you, I'm going to have to decline. I REALLY have to be on my way home now. I'm a busy girl, you know. I still have matters to take care over at the orphanage." She excused herself. "I'll see you around the Academy, Satella." She said her parting words, walking coldly past her.
A frown of disappointment envelops Satella's face as she watches the white-haired girl walk away. She knows Echidna just wanted to avoid her. After all, Echidna had always expressed dislike and hostility towards her even before her "betrayal." At this rate, she may never get the chance to explain herself…
As Sekhmet is about to walk past Satella, she places an arm on top of the half-elf's shoulder. "Don't let her get to you… huu… she's being a sore loser like always… haa… she'll get over it eventually…" Leaving words of encouragement to the half-elf, she followed after Echidna.
When she noticed them leaving, Minerva immediately sprints after the two before she gets left out.
In the meantime, Satella's purple orbs are fixated on the three as they walk farther and farther away into the distance, slowly disappearing from her view. She smiled melancholically, feelings of longing slowly creeping through her. A moment later, she felt the ache of her heart, and a single tear flows down her eye.
She yearns to be together with them once more. The moments the seven of them spent together were easily the best moments of her life... even though Echidna never liked her. They were a group of lost, shunned, bizarre, and peculiar individuals who have no place in society. A group who somehow manage to find comfort among each other even if they frequently argue and bicker about almost everything.
The realization that those times may never come back frightens her.
Out of the blue, as if he sensed her distress, Subaru holds her hand in affirmation. Satella faces him and forces a smile.
"Ah, that's right... I still have my love."
...
"I will do everything to ensure I never lose him too."
...
"No matter what happens."