A/N: While re-reading previous chapters, I noticed how much my style has changed, it's surprising!

If you see me use a lot of ellipses (two or three dots in a row), my bad— I kinda just use them a lot these days in my writing, when I used to not really use them at all, lul.

Also, this chapter's a lot, and is easily the longest one yet, so buckle up— And thanks for the support!

Chapter Sixteen

Chaos Theory

Subaru's mind was in turmoil, replaying the events of the past day over and over.

There has to be a better way.. There has to be!

Never before had his gift to Return by Death left him with so many questions. Even the time when he returned right in front of Anastasia and she'd given him a reason to continue on, the future had seemed so.. certain.

Whether he left things as they were, or defied fate and used his knowledge to save others, those things had been crystal clear to him.

But now…

Can I.. go back? Subaru thought, looking over towards the napping Meili across from him, thinking of what he might do if he had one of her daggers. Is that even possible?

He shook his head quickly— even the thought of taking his own life was too much for him. Ram and Rem didn't deserve their fates, but could he even guarantee that they could be saved? How many times would he need to die and try again, over and over, to get a better result?

There was a thought born from logic floating around in his mind, and Subaru hated it, and yet.. He couldn't quite fight it off:

…Wasn't this the best result?

It felt despicable to think that way. Meili, Joshua, even Otto, all safe. Beatrice was up in the air, and possibly even the maid twins. From where Subaru was, there was nothing he could do to prevent Roswaal and Echidna's schemes either, so.. Perhaps this was how things should be?

"Su.."

Subaru perked up at hearing an unfamiliar voice, looking around, but soon figured it was his imagination, sighing and rubbing his tired eyes.

Beatrice stirred and groaned softly, but didn't seem to awaken. Subaru had let her rest her head on his lap, holding onto the spirit's hand, but still not feeling her drain any of his mana.

There wasn't any guarantee that Julius would be there when they returned, and Subaru had no clue what to do to help Beatrice survive. The spirit girl was looking more dull by the hour, and Joshua insisted it was a miracle she was still in a corporeal form at all.

"Overthinking again," Meili suddenly said softly, not even presenting the words as a question, just simply fact.

Subaru nodded, not objecting to the claim as he saw the girl had opened one eye to look at him.

"There's not much else to do," he grumbled. Night had fallen by now, and there didn't seem to be anybody making chase. "You can get more sleep ya' know."

Meili stretched and shrugged. "Why should I, when Dumbaru won't even sleep."

Subaru smiled at that, but he couldn't help but notice the troubled look on the girl's face, barely visible from the small lantern light that was bobbing around from the carriage's movements.

"What's up?"

Instead of the girl, it was Joshua who answered from the driver's seat, peering back through the slot at him.

"I believe something troubling is occurring," he stated.

Confused, Subaru poked his head out of one window of the carriage to see where they were. They'd escaped the forests leading to the Mathers Mansion by now, and were making their way briskly down a road through the plains. The Royal Capital could vaguely be seen far off in the distance, but that wasn't the most notable thing to be seen.

"What the hell's going on over there," Subaru muttered as he tried to make sense of it.

To the west, a huge wall of endless fog could be seen, sticking out against the dark of night. If Subaru hadn't seen it multiple times before, he might not have any clue what it was.

"That is in the direction of Flugel's Tree, but that mist or fog, well…" Joshua trailed off, and Subaru gulped, remembering well enough about the White Whale they had encountered on his trip out of the Royal Capital.

"Flugel's Tree… he was a pretty important guy, right? Something about a Sage, a Dragon, and a Witch," Subaru commented, mostly to help rid himself of the beastly image of the whale. "Really just sounds like a fairytale if I wasn't deep in this kind of world now."

Joshua shook his head. "As always, your strange way of speaking about important historical and political figures is quite distasteful, but yes you are correct— And while the entire kingdom could be considered the whale's hunting ground, it is quite concerning to spot it staying so close to the Capital for so long. The sightings have only grown more and more in recent times."

Subaru recalled when Captain Ricardo spoke about how Anastasia had been worried about the demon beast, and that a hunt might be necessary very soon– but how exactly could anybody fight something so massive? It seemed impossible to even fathom when Subaru was finding himself in battles to the death against foes his own size.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall I guess," he said with a small chuckle, mostly to himself.

The carriage came to a stop soon for a quick rest, and Subaru moved to swap with one of their drivers, only for Joshua to place a hand on his shoulder and shake his head.

"You should remain inside. Rest up and watch over them," he told him. "A bit of soreness on our part is nothing compared to what you have been through."

He didn't argue with Joshua, but he felt a bit like he was shirking his duties. When they returned to Anastasia, hopefully things would settle a bit so there would be time for a bit of normalcy in his chosen life of servitude.

"Subaru."

He reached up and patted his right ear, hearing that elusive whisper of a voice again. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"Subaru!"

Meili's alarmed shout made him jump a bit in surprise before hopping back inside the carriage, seeing that Beatrice's body had a strange glow about it. When he went to grasp one of her hands, his eyes widened in alarm when he passed right through her.

"Beako… Come on…!"

He grabbed the girl's arms and shook her lightly, watching her physical form begin to dissipate into a blue light. The girl was quite literally dissolving into nothingness before his very eyes, and there was seemingly nothing he could do to stop it.

No way, what the hell do I do?

He recalled what she had said last to him. It was something about being "that person," whatever that meant. Subaru had no idea, and cursed the whole Mathers domain more than ever.

On top of everything else as well, Beatrice truly was their only possible source of insight on what was happening with Emilia and the witch, so if she disappeared now…

"Beako, I can be that person, if you need me to be," Subaru said, shaking his head as he reached for her other hand, grasping it and feeling just how cold and lifeless it felt. "Whatever that means, I won't let you go, alright? We still have a contract to settle ya' know. Don't think you're getting out of it so easily!"

There was still no pull of mana. Subaru had no idea what to do, how to possibly keep her hanging on.

She won't listen…! What the hell am I supposed to do? I can't save her!

"Su..baru… Subaru! Listen, you.. idiot!"

The unfamiliar voice rang out yet again, and this time was accompanied by the feeling of a nudge from within his pocket. The strange feeling made him look around, blinking, before he felt it again and reached into what should have been an empty pocket.

However, something cool, thin, and metal was there, and he pulled it out, staring at the strange necklace he didn't recognize at all.

"Subaru.. what's that?" Meili leaned in close to examine it as well.

The green crystal at the end of the golden chain was in a diamond shape, and it was glowing faintly. Something about it seemed to resonate with Beatrice as well, almost as if its glow was matching how bright she was becoming.

"Subaru.. There's no time. I can't do much," the voice spoke again. "I was surprised when.. Ram put me here, but I'm glad she did! Until you ignored me…"

Confused, Subaru tried to remember when such a thing could have happened. Was it on the stairs, when she'd told him to leave? Or perhaps while he was knocked out from the siege on the mansion?

Shaking the pointless thoughts away, Subaru looked into the crystal, as if someone would be inside of it looking back at him.

"Who the hell are you— No, wait, can you help us? That's way more important!"

"My name is.. Puck," the voice spoke, crackling slightly, almost like a radio might. Joshua seemed to perk up at that name being mentioned as he came close as well. "The Great Spirit of Fire, some may say! A grand opportunity indeed!"i

"That gem.. I believe Lady Emilia always wore it," Joshua confirmed, "And a spirit she was quite fond of resided within it."

"That's me! But hey, I think I've got a job to do… So listen up before I go!"

Subaru had to bite back the many questions that wanted to burst out of him, simply nodding and shooting Beatrice a worried look before focusing on the green gem again.

"I'm not exactly sure what you're all about, Subaru, but.. the world is changing drastically. The future is uncertain," Puck continued, the happy inflections in his tone a bit off-putting considering the current troubles. "And it seems like you're totally unbound from it!"

"Huh..?" Subaru felt a pang in his chest, wondering if Puck was talking about.. that ability, which he's never been able to share with anybody. "You…"

"No clue why! But it's messed with everything, not even Echidna can truly predict your path," he exclaimed, and Subaru sighed. "Ram snatched me away after I had to protect Lia.. Since then we've been watching that Roswaal guy go crazier and crazier! We tried our best to keep track of his plot, but.. Here we are."

"But what about Beako— Beatrice?"

"Subaru, this information is—" Joshua cut off when Subaru threw him a dirty look. "…Right, I understand."

"No.. you're right.. I just.. Can't lose anyone, not when they've helped me."

Subaru felt like Beatrice's life was way more important than the information Puck could provide, especially if his hurry was warranted and there really wasn't much time to speak. Information could be gathered, but a life could never be returned after all, as far as he knew.

"I'm getting there, I'm.. g..tting there," Puck said, the strange ripple in his voice seeming to get a bit worse. "I'll save Beatrice for the time being, but then I.. have t.. rest.. a while…longer.. I can't even manifest physically a..more.."

The glow of the necklace dimmed immensely, and Subaru nearly panicked before it suddenly returned brighter than ever, Puck's voice clearer as well.

"That Spirit Knight.. Julius! He can do more. Just.. put me on her and let me work, 'kay?"

Subaru nodded and did just that, placing the crystal at Beatrice's chest. By now, the girl's entire left half was almost completely dissolved into light. The slow destruction of her physical form didn't seem to change for a few agonizing moments.

"Puck?" Subaru couldn't help but sound worried. Meili grabbed his arm supportively, and Joshua knelt down close by, putting a hand gently on his shoulder as they watched.

Finally, the necklace began to glow, a blue light pulsing outwards before beginning to swirl around to entwine with the light emitting from Beatrice. The different hues of blue magic began to shift and change, til becoming a matching color, and suddenly, the girl's body could be seen returning.

"She.. heard you," Puck's voice came again, sounding distant. "She hasn't..fully… iven up.. just ne.. mana.. a.. pur.. pose…"

As Beatrice's physical form took shape, the necklace's chains snaked up to snap around her neck, fitting it around her neck perfectly

"Thanks, Puck, I.. I don't know what this costs, but I'll find a way to repay you," Subaru said. "I'll make sure that she knows who saved her, too."

There was silence from the necklace, the blue glow growing to a brightness that caused the group to shield their eyes—

Then, almost as sudden as it had begun… It was over.

"..Ram.. danger.."

"Lia…sor…ry…"

With those final words from Puck, Subaru grabbed the lantern that was dangling at the front for the driver's seat and brought it close to Beatrice. Sure enough, the girl looked peaceful and had returned to her normal vibrant self. The gem lying on her chest had lost all of its glow, and Subaru felt nothing stirring within when he touched it.

"...We'll take it from here," he spoke softly, hoping the spirit within could hear him. "I promise."

Subaru felt like his words were hollow, devoid of any actual substance. After all, he always needed someone else to look after him and save those around him, and what could he really do in the end?

Ram flitted into his mind, and it made him punch the nearby wall of the carriage in anger at the thought of what she'd sacrificed, and how he couldn't do anything to save her.

But then, something comforting came to his mind– A memory.

"Alright then, Subaru. Now tell me what tha' problem is."

It was Anastasia's voice, the memory feeling distant at this point. He loosened his fist and looked down at it, remembering that time that he had offered his service to the woman. Her hand atop his own had felt so warm in that moment was incredibly comforting. At that time, he'd decided to throw away his pride and trust in her, believing that he needed others help to succeed in what he needed to do.

Dammit, he thought, taking a deep breath and cradling his hand to his chest. I.. I can't mope, I can't writhe in agony, I have to stand tall, otherwise all of their sacrifices are in vain!

He thought about Ram slipping Puck's necklace into his pocket. She'd spent all of this time trying her best to understand and prevent Roswaal's scheme, and yet.. She'd given Subaru of all people something so precious to her own ideals.

And he'd never be able to forgive himself if he put it all to waste!

Subaru looked to Joshua and Otto, the latter of which was peeking in from the driver's seat.

"We have to get back, right away! How fast can we reach the Capital?"

"T-Tomorrow evening would be pushing it," Otto stammered. "The dragon could do it, but–"

"Then let's go!"

Understanding the urgency, the group mobilized, and the carriage was off within moments.

We'll fix this.. All of us, all together.

It was finally time to see what awaited them in the Royal Capital.

As the Sun rose over the Capital and a particular inn in the city's third layer, a double window opened up, allowing a cool breeze to enter and rustle the hair of Anastasia Hoshin.

"The weather is great yet again today," the woman said with a small smile.

"I feel like that is underselling what has happened this past week, but… Yes, you are right."

"Ya' just gotta look at the brighter side of things sometimes," she retorted to the voice of her trusted advisor. "There's more ta' life than questions— Like money!"

Running a hand along the soft fur of her white scarf, Anastasia chuckled softly and moved towards the nearby desk of her large suite, moving aside a piece of parchment dawning the royal insignia of the Karsten House.

"Opportunities should always be taken when they come around, don't ya think?"

"Hmm… I suppose."

The sound of footsteps announced the arrival of her knight, Julius, as he rounded the corner and seemed surprised that the room's doors were open wide.

"Lady Anastasia, the preparations are complete," he said, placing an arm across his chest and bowing. "The party should be setting off by noon."

Looking at the man, Anastasia had a momentary feeling of regret. After all, sending him away felt like she was exposing herself to great danger. However, she chalked that up to just worry spurred on by a certain someone, and approached him with a smile.

"Then I'll set off soon as well. Business as usual," she said.

Julius rose and looked troubled, as he always did when there was the possibility of separation between the two. Anastasia found it endearing, and just further solidified her decision to put her trust in him.

"I have to ask… What about Joshua? And Subaru, Meili… I must be honest and say that I am worried."

Anastasia nodded. "It's troublin', but we are stretched thin as it is. I imagine they'll catch up with us soon. Counting them out seems unwise."

"Still, an operation to ensure their safety would be—"

Anastasia stopped Julius' worry-fueled words by placing a hand gently on his chest. He tensed a bit, before gently placing a hand over hers. She tilted her head a bit and smiled up at him, in that way that she knew always helped to calm him.

"We all have our duties, Julius. Your brother will return soon, and all will be right again. Your duty.. is to return safely, alright?"

Julius offered a smile and squeezed her hand gently. "Of course, I would never forget to do so."

It was clear to Anastasia that his worries were not placated, but there was only so much she could do. Keeping a smile and a confident demeanor was already taxing as it was, especially after what had occurred during the ceremony days prior.

For the next few minutes, the two remained close by each other, and spoke quite fondly of things to come. The dangerous mission the knight was about to embark on was hardly a concern when he could be this close to Anastasia, and anyone possibly peeking into the suite would probably come to a simple conclusion:

That the two were truly inseparable souls.

Unfortunately, their personal time came to an end as quickly as it had begun, and Julius left to meet with the others from the camp of Crush Kersten, another of the royal candidates, to begin the daring mission that would set both parties off towards greater glory.

"Can ya' feel it? The future seems so bright," she said softly as she sat in a nearby chair, gazing towards the open window, unsure of why her chest felt so tight at that moment. "Everything will be.. Okay. I just know it."

"I am amazed by how sure you can be," the voice spoke with amusement. "It is admirable."

Anastasia closed her eyes to take in the breeze coming in from the window, nodding her head softly.

"Ya' can only be as confident as those around you. Ya' taught me that, remember, 'Dona?"

Within the peaceful, quiet moments that followed, the window curtains fluttered, and the sound of the movement could be heard for a brief moment, and then a gentle thud, before.. silence.

And then the doors to the suite slowly came to a close from within.

It was later that evening when Natsuki Subaru made a loud entrance into the Inn, not caring to check with any of the staff around as he barged in with Joshua right behind him.

"The Lady was to stay in the merchant's suite on the second floor," Joshua stated. "However.. I am worried to have not seen any of the Iron Fangs, or the great Spirit Knight til this point."

"Maybe they're out shopping, who knows," Subaru said, though he had to admit it was pretty strange. "Would you be able to feel if your brother was around?"

"Most likely. Though the means of which I would be able to do so, I cannot say."

Totally a brother complex, Subaru thought with an internal chuckle. As they moved up the stairs winding around the foyer of the inn, the silence became only more and more eerie. Have they truly already left the Capital?

Their trip wasn't supposed to be cut so short, so they had hoped that Anastasia and co. would still be here. However, they had no clue what might have happened during the ceremony, so they remained cautious, leaving Meili and Otto outside with Beatrice and the carriage.

Rounding the corner, Subaru stopped at the double doors they were looking for. He quickly grabbed the handles, but hesitated.

"I guess I should handle myself properly, right? Can't forget my training so so–"

To his surprise, Joshua brushed him aside and suddenly flung the doors open. Subaru stared at him in disbelief, which made the smallest smug smile appear on Joshua's face.

"Times like these, being cordial is a little unnecessary, I feel."

Subaru grinned. "You stiff bastard, I must be rubbing off on.. you…"

Stepping inside, his words trailed off as they saw that the suite was seemingly empty. He was about to casually check the place out, but was stopped when Joshua grabbed his shoulder, adjusting his monocle with his other hand.

"Something feels off," he said softly, pointing towards the desk near the back of the room. Papers could be seen lying on the floor or hanging barely from the edge.

Nodding, Subaru gulped nervously and slowly began to approach the desk, taking a round-about path around the furnishings of the room.

No way she'd leave the room in disarray, right? He thought, spying a bit of something white and fluffy as he grew closer. The heiress of the Hoshin Company has better manners than that, and… and…

Subaru's breath caught in his chest, and his mind froze.

Blood, and lots of it, was pooled beneath something on the floor. After a few more steps, it became much more clear what the source of the crimson liquid was, and it shook him to his very core.

Anastasia Hoshin was there in the bloody puddle, face-down, and unmoving.

"…Why?"

Seeing Subaru's pause, Joshua moved past him, and his eyes widened.

"Lady Hoshin…!"

Moving to her side, the servant hesitated upon seeing so much blood, visibly trembling as he clearly had no idea what to do.

It wasn't like Subaru fared much better, but he was able to react and get down to a knee beside the girl, ignoring the mess of blood he'd get on himself. He reached down and gently turned her over, letting out a soft gasp as he did.

The front of Anastasia held a single, deep cut that sliced across her front diagonally. Subaru's hand was shaking as he placed a hand against her chest gently, feeling its gentle rhythm as it rose and fell lightly.

…She was still breathing!

"She's alive," Subaru said in a huff. "Joshua, you should go find someone to—"

The sound of rapid footsteps and the clanking of metal could be heard, and Subaru peered over the desk to see four armor-clad knights enter the room, swords brandished.

"That's some damn good response time," Subaru said, though his heart sank when he saw one of the workers of the inn peer in, eyes terrified when she saw him.

"T-That's.. him..! H-He was flaunting the murder too!"

"Huh?!"

The woman's shrieking accusations, mixed with the sight of Subaru handling the incapacitated Anastasia, looked terrible for him, and he knew it.

Joshua stood, legs visibly shaking, and stepped out with hands raised placatingly.

"P-Please, honored knights," he said shakily. "This.. this is.. all a misunderstanding."

It pained Subaru to see Joshua trying his best despite their overwhelming situation. Subaru knew he didn't have long, so he searched, carefully scanning the scene.

There's nothing but the wound. No weapon, no footprints.. Shows make it look so easy!.. Wait—

He noticed a letter that was strangely farther from the rest of the papers that lie around the scene, as if Anastasia had been holding it before collapsing. He grabbed it and cursed his still-lacking language skills in this new world. He couldn't quite make out what the backside of the letter said, but it looked incredibly official and was stamped with a particular symbol.

"Stand aside," a stern voice said, and Joshua yelped as he was pushed away by one of the knights.

Subaru looked up, seeing Joshua slinking against a chair, lifting himself up slowly, but clearly he was too distraught to truly do anything. He felt terrible for him, knowing that this sort of situation, this sort of confrontation… It was too much for him.

Is this… a setup? I can't believe it! Subaru watched as the four knights moved towards him, time almost coming to a crawl from how frantically his thoughts came to him. But she's.. she's alive… So I have to make it through!

Setting Anastasia down gently once more, Subaru felt his chest swell with emotion at seeing her in such a state. He had hoped to have a nice chat with his boss upon his return, to celebrate and reminisce, but…

Subaru rose, his blood-soaked palms shaking, his pants soaked in the crimson as well. It all looked terrible, but he couldn't worry about that now. He eyed the open window across the room and took a deep breath, knowing that he couldn't risk getting captured, not right now.

"Shamak!"

Focusing as he had in times before, he felt the mana explode outwards from himself, black clouds erupting to fill the room in a haze that caused chaos amongst the knights, as they were cast into unfeeling blackness.

Subaru, as well, could only feel the floor beneath his feet as he ran, letter clutched in his hand tightly. After a few moments, he could feel the open window, and leaped into the unknown.

Doing his best to catch himself on the opposite wall of the side street, Subaru let out a yell as the world returned to him and he slid and fell down hard to the paved road below, managing to somehow land on his feet.

The jolt of pain that shot up through him from the maneuver almost fully paralyzed him for a few moments as he tried to sluggishly move forward, eventually managing to round the corner towards the front of the inn.

The carriage was still in the same place they'd left it, and Meili was peering out from the door, her face looking paler than normal.

"Li..! We've.. got trouble," Subaru called out, grunting with effort as he hobbled her way. Once at the carriage, he hopped inside, panting and smacking the front wall of the vehicle. "Otto…! Otto wake up! Move it, dammit!"

"A-Are those.. city guards?!"

Otto's eyes went wide and he perked up, seeing two armor-clad figures shuffling out of the front of the inn.

"Exactly! Go!"

Getting their Earth Dragon into motion, the guards began to yell as the carriage took off, barely weaving around a couple more knights that had arrived on the scene down the road.

"Subaru…! Sh-she's here," Meili said in a shaky voice, kneeling beside him. Then she noticed the blood and her eyes widened. "What happened? T-There's so much blood!"

"It's not mine…" He shook his head, sitting up and handing the letter over shakily to Meili. "I need a sec.. Can you read this? I.. might've overdone it a bit back there.."

That was an understatement, as Subaru felt like something within himself was cracking and nearing its breaking point. He tried not to think about his awful Gate and how much mana he had unfortunately let billow out of himself back in the suite, but it was better than thinking about Anastasia lying in a pool of blood.

Meili took the letter and opened it and then the paper within. She scanned it for a few moments, raising an eyebrow and bracing herself against him as the carriage rocked.

"..Well?"

"Um.. It's.. using some big words, but it's a contract, I think?" The girl shook her head. "Something between the Hoshin Company, House Karsten, and um… Lady Emilia? For the joint operation to…"

She gulped. Subaru steadied himself as the carriage took a sharp turn, putting a hand on Meili's arm lightly, wincing as he got some of the blood on her.

"Yeah?"

"…To bring down and slay the demon beast known as the White Whale."

It took a moment, but then it all clicked in Subaru's mind. The fact that nobody was around to protect Anastasia… They had just been contracted to a dangerous, joint mission between the three camps

Someone chose the perfect time to strike, Subaru thought bitterly. And of course I showed up to be the perfect blame victim too!

Remembering just how smug that bastard Roswaal and the witch Echidna had been upon their return to the mansion, it seemed like this could likely have been yet another setup by them as well. Did they bring about this plan themselves, with someone at the ready to strike Anastasia down when she was most vulnerable?

"M-Mister Subaru, we can't make it much farther," Otto called back worriedly. "Or we might get smited by the entire Royal Army!"

Slowly rising to his feet, Subaru gazed over to where the sleeping Beatrice lie. She looked so peaceful, despite everything, and the necklace around her neck didn't seem to stir either. He could only hope that she would awaken soon, or that they could find Julius and get the answers they needed.

"Li… Things are gonna get rough, but you've got an important job to do," Subaru began, gazing down at the girl. "You need to find and warn Julius, and the Iron Fangs. Wherever the hell they are… And watch over Beako, alright?"

The carriage suddenly rocked, and Otto let out a shriek as an explosion could be heard.

"T-That was fire magic!"

"Don't you bail yet, Otto," Subaru called, "Or I'll never let you live it down!"

Subaru moved towards the door, but Meili grabbed his blood-soaked hand, not caring about it as she peered up at him with wide eyes.

"Wait..! I have to tell you! She… Mother… She's here!"

Subaru froze and looked back at her. "Mother? The one who runs that Assassin Organization? Why.. How can you tell?"

"I can feel her.. Something's not right, I'm.. so scared.." Meili shook her head. "Y-You can't trust anybody, Subaru. She can change herself, and others.. It's.. horrible.."

Another blast rocked the carriage, making Meili hold onto Subaru. He peered behind them and saw a few knights pursuing them on the back of Earth Dragons of their own. He braced himself, knowing what he had to do to ensure everything went right.

Just another problem to add to the pile, he thought, imagining someone disguising as him to attack Anastasia. He might not have believed it weeks ago, but he felt like he had a huge target on his back these days, and the fact that Puck had made him sound so important didn't help in that fact either.

"Find them, Li, and then I'll come back to you before you know it, okay?" He patted Meili's head reassuringly. "You known I always do!"

Subaru didn't feel like smiling, but he gave her the most genuine one he could manage. They had come a long way since they met here in the streets of the Capital. The troubles of those times felt like they were a lifetime ago, and could hardly compare to the struggles they had these days.

Sorry Li, Beako… I'll find you again, he thought.

Then… He did only something Natsuki Subaru ever could:

Something very, very risky and incredibly dumb.

Letting out a yell, Subaru opened the door to the carriage, braced himself, and leaped back towards their pursuers. The knights looked surprised, but were clearly well trained, the lead one brandishing his blade in a hand, ready to strike.

"Nurak!" Subaru made a finger gun with a hand, focusing and sending a pitifully small sphere of black mist out from it. However, to his elation, it was certainly better than it had been the last time he'd attempted the spell, managing to have enough force behind it to hit the man's face and disperse, causing him to flinch and lower his guard.

SLAM! Subaru landed against the man hard, toppling him off the Earth Dragon. The wind knocked out of him, Subaru barely managed to reach out and hang onto the beast's saddle, yelling in surprise as he nearly slid off face first onto the ground rapidly rushing past due to the beast's Divine Blessing.

"Stop!" A voice signaled another knight coming in for a sword swing, but the Earth Dragon Subaru commandeered slid to an abrupt stop, the trained beast recognizing it had an unfamiliar rider.

Subaru flailed as he was sent tumbling forward across the road a little ways when the dragon stopped, groaning as he got up on one arm and saw the other knights slowing their mounts to turn and run him down. He felt a burn on part of his cheek and hands from being ejected so fast from the speeding dragon, but there was no way he was going down so easily!

That's right, come at me, I'm your targ—

"Agh..!"

Something sharp pressed into Subaru's shoulder, pushing him down into the ground. He squirmed, but the force of whatever it was was overwhelming.

"Still yourself," came an unfamiliar voice. "In the name of I, Reinhard van Astrea."

Turning his head, Subaru looked back and up at the looking figure. A man with tired eyes and red hair striped with white, pressing a blade into Subaru without any remorse.

"The Sword Saint has him," called one of the knights. "Grab him!"

Sword Saint..?! He had heard the term before, namely from Julius who had spoken of him fondly, but this didn't quite seem like the person that had been talked about.

Subaru let out a gasp of pain as Reinhard pulled his blade free. He tried to get up as fast as he could, but the soldiers were already grabbing and manhandling him, binding his arms behind himself.

"I.. didn't do anything," Subaru spat, feeling his legs go wobbly from his overuse of his Gate as he rose. "Let.. go..!"

Looking back towards Reinhard, the man was surprisingly smiling at Subaru, clasping his hands together as if staring at the boy endearingly.

"It is lucky that I was passing by. Committing crimes during this joyous time is pretty daring, but very stupid," the man said, almost giddily. "My dearest Felt will be entertained to hear of the failures of her old lifestyles."

"Felt?!" Subaru recalled the small, feisty blonde from his first day in the Capital. "What the hell are you–"

The man who Subaru had knocked off the dragon earlier stepped up and got his revenge by punching him in the gut, causing him to double over. The armor-clad guards of the city were certainly more poignant and willing to rough people around more than the Royal Knights were.

"Well, this is what happens to people such as yourself," Reinhard said with a sigh, turning with a flourish of his white cape of his Royal Knight uniform. "When the rightful heir takes her place, such things will never happen again. Oh how I dream of it…!"

Subaru could hardly process the mad ramblings of the Sword Saint before he was dragged along the road, towards an iron carriage as it pulled up, being tossed in the back haphazardly, squirming against the bindings around his wrists.

He lay there on the cold metal floor of the carriage, panting and breathing heavily, the light from outside fading as the door began to close.

In that moment, Subaru couldn't help as flashes of the good times entered his mind.. Especially the celebration after they'd defeated the Assassins in Picouttate. The future had seemed so bright in those moments…

But now, Subaru knew better. He was a living, breathing wrench in the future's plans. Nothing was certain as long as he fought for what he believed in, even if it cost him his very sanity in the process.

I'm the chaotic force that'll fix this world, he thought, mind growing numb from the overwhelming exhaustion of his mind, body, and soul. I.. can't be stopped forever…

As the light fully faded and the iron door slammed shut, Subaru had a smile born of exhaustion and delirium on his face, remembering the smug looks on the faces of Roswaal L Mathers and the witch, how certain they had been…

I'll change it all, just..

You..

Wait.

End of Arc III - Blasphemy of Snow

Next Chapter: A Fate in Chains

Beginning of Arc IV - Shatter the Everlasting Greed

A/N: What to expect before the next main chapter:

1. A recap chapter for Arcs 1-3. Most likely will explain every major character's role in each arc, so it's separated, organized, and easy to consume. It'll be a great reminder of how everything is different from canon, especially when I have long breaks between chapter releases!

2. An EX chapter. As always, it will help fill some gaps this story has, since main chapters primarily follow Subaru only. It will involve the Royal Selection ceremony and what occurred there, so it should be verrrry enlightening!

3. Revisions. I might go back and change a few things here and there— If I do, I will mention them somewhere, whether in the next chapter or the recap chapter. Just tidying things up so it's all coherent— Even Tappei has had to do it before so shhhh.

Thanks for all the support! This is an ambitious story and I want it to be an absolute banger in the end, so I'll keep trying my best!