Chapter Eighteen

Beasts of Gold and White

Patience wasn't exactly Subaru's strongest suit, especially when he barely dared to even breathe, afraid that even the slightest thing may trigger a disastrous event that would send him back yet again.

A tray of food sat nearby, and his refusal to eat it had caused the guard to just leave his chains loosened for a while so he could eventually get to it. Apparently, Subaru looked pathetic and defeated enough at this point, that his threat to society warranted a little lack of care.

She's not gone, I just know it, he thought, listening in the silence for even the slightest shift, the slightest movement out in the dark. If I see anything, hear anything… I'll do whatever it takes!

Subaru could feel something off within himself from using his terrible Gate too much, but he would destroy it to utilize a Shamak if he had to, just for a chance to escape certain death. Although, since the knights had actually seen him use magic, he wasn't completely sure that magic wasn't being nullified here in this room, or specifically on the chains holding him there.

The thoughts were maddening. A day ago, he'd thrown away his one chance to speak to the outside world, and for what? Capella had not struck, but the wait was almost just as agonizing.

Soft footsteps could be heard echoing through the hall outside. They were unfamiliar to Subaru, who had heard the heavy footsteps of knights for many days now, but he didn't get his hopes up, instead preparing himself for a terrible fate.

Soft words could be heard being exchanged outside before the iron door slowly opened, the loud grating along the stone nearly deafening. Subaru tensed and backed himself up towards the wall, as if his chains around his arms were not loosened up, and glared towards the oncoming silhouettes.

"...This is him?"

An unfamiliar woman's voice spoke. The one who followed her in was much more familiar.

"Yes, quite pathetic, isn't it?"

Reinhard had a smile on his face as he set a lit torch on the wall, Subaru glaring at him before shifting his vision to the girl in a tan cloak with long blonde hair. She approached him without any worry, but Subaru tensed up so violently that it caused her to pause.

"This all seems…" She trailed off, looking at the state of the dungeon that Subaru was locked in. "Unnecessary?"

"Attempting to kill a candidate to the throne should be met with a slow death," Reinhard insisted with a small harumph. "If the Wise Men were not so busy with the happenings in the city, he would already have faced justice."

The girl's emerald green eyes flickered in the torchlight that filled the room, and she got closer, til she could kneel down near Subaru. He clenched his hands into fists as he watched her, and was surprised when she bowed her head to him.

"My name is Frederica Baumann… I was sent here by Ram."

Subaru's eyes widened, and he felt a pang hit his heart hearing that Ram was alive, his thoughts of violent actions hesitating.

Frederica offered a sad smile, her sharp teeth not offsetting how gentle she appeared.

"Subaru, correct? I wish we could speak properly, but.. This situation will have to do. I apologize."

Subaru had to clear his dry throat to speak. "You sound so.. Formal.. Like her.."

"Oh, yes, I am a servant of House Mathers as well, though–"

Subaru acted quickly, those words enough to end his hesitation. His right arm shot forward, letting the chain wrap around Frederica's neck before he pulled back, his other grabbing her arm to pin it behind her back as he slammed himself back against the wall, his arms shaking with effort as he held her there. Frederica elicited a gasp as she was held in such a harrowing position, the chain digging into her neck tightly.

"Damn…" Reinhard drew his blade and pointed it towards the scene, his eyes narrowing. "I appreciated the display, although I cannot allow such a thing to happen before me."

"Then… do something about it, bastard," Subaru spat, not letting up.

Something was a bit strange to Subaru as he held the girl against himself, and it wasn't just his mind screaming at him to release her. Rather, as Frederica tensed herself, he could feel that she was much, much stronger than he had anticipated, to the point where he was almost certain she could escape him whenever she wanted.

Yet… Frederica made no such moves.

"Perhaps I could slay two problematic people at once," Reinhard mused, his smug grin returning a bit. "Collateral damage, I could say."

Subaru felt a cold bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. With what he'd seen of the knight before him… Would he really just kill them both right now?

The standoff seemed to last a lifetime, until Reinhard took a step forward, then another, and another, his blade being lowered ever so slightly to a point where he could certainly skewer both of them in one go.

"S…Suba…"

Frederica spoke in gasping breaths through the chain at her throat, and Subaru felt his actions wavering.

"Ram… B.. Believes… In… You…"

Why? Why does it have to be this way? Subaru thought, his mind finally managing to break through his emotions, feeling his eyes threatening to be obscured with tears. What the hell am I doing? People need me. I can't do this. I should die. I need to just die, die, die–

Then he heard it, the slightest scuffle that didn't come from either of the three in the small room, and Subaru saw it there lurking closer to the knight's boot.

"Reinhard, beside you… It's–"

All it took was a glance from Reinhard at the rat creeping up on him, before he expertly and swifty brought his sword down in a low arc to stab into the creature's side. Then, after a split moment, the rat exploded against the nearby wall into a mix of black ichor and guts.

Subaru couldn't believe what he was seeing. Had the Sword Saint just splattered Capella so easily?

"I thought I smelled the heavy scent of the witch.. I merely thought it was you—"

In his moment of distraction, Frederica suddenly shifted and bit straight through the iron chains Subaru was using to subdue her, then the girl shot forward with surprising fervor, slamming into Reinhard so hard that the knight was sent through the stone wall, and it sounded like several more beyond.

Subaru held up his right hand, the chain hanging loosely from it, trying to process what had happened.

"This is our only chance," Frederica said, one hand rubbing at her neck while the other seemed to shift into a beastly claw as she approached Subaru. He flinched as she struck through the remaining chains, allowing him to stand, though the shackles were still attached at his wrists and ankles. "Can you walk?"

Subaru had no idea, but as soon as he stood on wobbly legs and began to fall forward, the girl was there to catch him against her back. The girl was a few inches taller than him it seemed, and she wrapped her hands around his legs behind herself to lift him up into a piggyback.

"H-Hey…" Subaru wanted to complain, feeling a bit emasculated, but with everything else going on it was hardly.

"Hold on."

With that, Frederica took off with surprising speed, causing Subaru to throw his arms around her neck to hang on for dear life. Her legs moved at a blur, but he could tell that they had transformed into a different more animalistic form as well.

Shooting out of the room and around the corner, Subaru got his first glimpse at the overall dungeon he was being held in. There were several iron doors that looked similar to his own prison room, and many of them held a knight waiting on the other side. They had their blades drawn and were heading down the hall towards their location at this point, but Frederica expertly jumped along the walls and slid between them as they shouted at them.

Subaru clung to her tight, but his arms and legs felt incredibly numb from not being properly used for days. He felt himself slipping a bit as she bounded up a round staircase, his arms releasing her and his body flailing back a bit–

But as soon as they burst out from the stairs, the tan cloak the girl was wearing flew off, and her form grew lower to the ground, letting Subaru fall forward to cling to her like he was riding a mount.

"W-What the hell..!" Processing that he was now riding on the back of a long, slender beast of gold and white, Subaru mustered up the strength to hold on again. "Frederica?"

A flaming ball shot past, not allowing for any response as she was forced to dart to the side to avoid it. Looking up, Subaru saw that they were now in a larger more open room that was lit up enough that Subaru's eyes felt strained. Several knights were gathering at the double doors on the other side of the room, and some were hurling magic their way.

"Subaru, I wish I did not need to ask, but you may need to take action," Frederica spoke, her voice having a deeper growl to it.

Sliding in towards a knight, Frederica spun to let her hind legs knock his feet out from under him, then she leaped forwards another to slam him against the wall hard enough to leave a crack in the stone.

What the hell am I supposed to–

Subaru's thoughts were interrupted when an arrow was shot so close that it grazed through some of his hair. His body and mind felt so terribly exhausted, and he was still shaken about the violence he'd shown earlier towards Frederica. Despite what he'd done, she was still willing to do all of this for him.. Was he so pathetic?

As Frederica ducked another fireball and jumped at a knight to send him flying back, another approached with sword raised, and Subaru jumped off of her back to tackle him back to the ground.

Maybe I'm going insane, but… dammit… I'm so pissed off!

Clearly losing the struggle against the knight, Subaru caught the pommel of the blade to the chest, making him gasp, but he doubled down and suddenly bit the man's neck as hard as he could, eliciting a yell of pain.

Tasting the blood on his lips, Subaru had to fight his better instincts to stop, but thankfully he was pulled back by Frederica soon after as she bowled several knights over with a swift slam from her hind legs to burst the doors open behind them.

"That was… Something."

Spitting up the taste of blood and sweat in his mouth, Subaru threw himself onto Frederica's back just as a blade tried to strike him, and she took off again, out the doors and down a set of stairs.

The Sun was shining bright in the sky, making Subaru wince and squint. As they ran, he could see that they were along the top of a city wall, somewhere in the far corner of the Royal Capital.

"No wonder nobody could find me," he muttered, just as Frederica slid to a stop and nearly threw him off. "...Damn!"

Both ahead and behind them, knights were gathering to stop them. The parapet was wide enough for about five people to stand side by side, so there really wasn't any room to maneuver around either group.

"Halt! Or there will be no further chance for surrender–"

Ignoring the knight's call, Frederica ran towards the edge of the wall heading into the city, and jumped. Subaru let out a yell as he held onto her, the two of them going surprisingly far, but he was convinced they wouldn't be able to make it.

..But they did. Frederica stumbled and scrambled along a rooftop, beginning to dart between them along the streets before descending down to the street level to leave the sight of their pursuers.

Reinhard placed a hand on the stone of the parapet, eyes narrowing as he watched them go, having just caught up before they left, feeling his hatred towards the entirety of Roswaal's entourage burning ever brighter in that moment.

Natsuki Subaru had officially escaped.

Beatrice stood suddenly and walked towards the nearby window, gazing intensely at the city beyond it.

"What is this strange feeling.. Is it that boy, I suppose?"

"Lady Beatrice?"

The spirit girl turned to gaze back at the knight with purple hair, who sat beside a bed holding the hand of the one he cherished the most.

"Betty thinks all might not be lost, at least not yet," she said, a hand grasping the crystal at the end of the necklace she wore. "You will still honor that silly agreement?"

Julius' head stooped low, his hair concealing his dark expression as he gazed down at the calm face of Anastasia Hoshin.

"It would be what the Lady wants," he insisted. "If we failed to shoulder our duties just because she is out of commission.. We would be dishonoring her."

Beatrice sighed and shook her head. The actions of Humans were beyond her, but she knew she could not truly dismiss this strange need to fulfill a contract. Not when her own heart still ached, filled with a void that slowly grew more and more with each passing day.

Subaru must come to us soon… Or Betty will have take her own action.

Resting on a crate with his back against the wall, Subaru wiped at the blood around his mouth and looked at his sleeve, cringing at the thought of doing something that crazy ever again.

The hell is wrong with me? Li would probably

Then it was even worse when Frederica appeared again, now returned to her humanlike form. The first thing Subaru noticed was the markings at her neck, where the chain had dug into it from his assault on her, and his blood ran cold..

Then he realized she was naked.

"Gah—"

Turning his head and feeling his face run hot, he waved a hand in her direction frantically.

"Apologies, this does happen when I transform," Frederica said with a slight hint of amusement. Her long hair covered at least her breasts, but the rest was freely visible, which seemed to embarrass Subaru more than her. "I have determined that we have lost any trail, for now. But that man Reinhard is.. dangerous."

Subaru nodded in agreement but didn't look her way, both due to the reminder of his actions and out of shyness.

"I.. Don't have any money, do you?"

"Hm?"

Subaru sighed and stood, rubbing at his wrists where the shackles had been before he managed to slip them off while waiting.

"Well, I can go buy you some clothes before we set off," he said. "I feel like I need something too, right? To blend in."

Frederica nodded, her nose twitching a bit as she gazed at him.

"A disguise may not be the biggest issue," she said. "Your smell is.. I don't wish to be rude, but you were locked in a dungeon for days."

Subaru looked down at his disheveled clothes and took a sniff of himself, instantly regretting it.

"Dammit.. Do you know this city well? Is there any chance we can find a bath and clothes without getting caught by knights?"

"Well, for the time being, it does not appear the entire city is on lockdown," Frederica said. "They may be keeping this all low profile."

That complicates things.. If everyone panicked, we coulda used that to move easier maybe—

While thinking of what to do, Subaru suddenly felt something tug at his senses a bit. He blinked and looked towards the feeling, walking out towards the street beyond the alley they were standing in.

This particular part of the city seemed fairly quiet, with only the occasional wagon passing through and just a few people going about general chores.

What was.. Huh..?

Looking up, Subaru saw it. A small, black, glowing sphere hovering near the top of the buildings.

"Nes…!"

Subaru couldn't help but smile at the familiar spirit. He had bonded with it back during their time in Picouttate due to their similar affinity for Yin magic, and it seemed like that connection still lingered a bit.

The spirit glowed a bit before descending down towards him. Feeling someone behind him, Subaru glanced back towards Frederica and gave her a thumbs up.

"This spirit belongs to a friend, I bet we can find our way to them if we follow her," he explained.

"A bonded spirit? Could it belong to.. Sir Julius? I believe I remember him and Lady Emilia being close."

The spirit hovered around Subaru before returning to settle above his shoulder. He felt a bit of comfort at having Nes around as another layer of security, but they needed something else for the time being.

"I need a favor," he asked the small spirit. "Any way you can…"

After explaining what they needed, Frederica snagged a hanging cloth from a laundry line nearby as temporary covering, and the spirit fluttered through the streets, guiding them along. Frederica stayed right behind Subaru, who felt his blush the entire time as the larger woman used him to help conceal herself.

Just don't think about it, act casual—

His thoughts were interrupted when he had to stop for a passing carriage, resulting in Frederica's chest bumping into his back.

"Agh.. are we almost there?!"

Frederica chuckled at his embarrassment, and Nes hovered around the entrance to a small establishment, with a sign that Subaru reluctantly couldn't read.

"Huh.. Something about this place is.."

Subaru got a strange feeling about what was happening inside, and when he opened the door, it was all but confirmed.

"Subaru.. It appears that this is a hidden brothel of some kind," Frederica stated after reading the sign.

Letting the front door close, Subaru stayed frozen for a few moments, his poor virgin mind spinning with what he'd just seen within. He then turned a cold stare towards Nes, the spirit glowing slightly with what felt like amusement.

"It isn't ideal, but it is potentially our safest option," Frederica pointed out. "Just.. close your eyes, perhaps?"

The woman didn't seem to be as flustered, and even led the way inside. Subaru gulped and did his best to stare at the ground, following her inside.

Thankfully, Frederica did the talking, and soon the two were given a small room to.. "share," which included a warm bath prepared for them.

"This is quite the perfect place to hide out for the moment," Frederica commented as she sat on the bed. "I guess I respect their professionalism."

Subaru didn't comment, taking in the hot bathwater surrounding him and trying to pretend he wasn't in such a place with a woman he hardly knew.

To think I was rotting in a damn dungeon hours ago.. Life is looking up!

Still, Subaru couldn't help but peek at the girl sometimes from the bath, watching her rub at the mark on her neck. He knew he had to make it up to her, after all he owed everything to her at this point.

Smacking his cheeks and shaking his head, Subaru tried to get his head back into a proper place, not wanting to go into that dark place again.

Soon after clothes were delivered to them and money was exchanged, Subaru burst out from the water, feeling incredibly renewed.

"Natsuki Subaru has arisen again!"

At his exclamation, he looked around, seeing that Frederica wasn't there. Thankful for that, he dried off and put on the simple clothing laid out. The tan slacks and green tunic weren't exactly his favored look, but he couldn't exactly be picky.

Huh.. Maybe I dozed off a bit, he thought, noting that a little time had passed while he was in the bath.

Peeking out the door, Subaru was instantly greeted by Frederica who was about to walk in. Having to stumble back to avoid face planting into an awkward situation, Subaru caught himself and received a raised eyebrow from Frederica.

"Are you ready, Subaru? I believe everything is in order now for us to safely traverse the city."

Subaru blinked at her, surprised by just how reliable she was. From their talks, he'd learned that she was a servant to Roswaal who had recently returned, but something she hadn't yet explained caused her to seek him out at the bequest of Ram, who didn't seem to be in the safest position.

Frederica now wore a simple, flowing green dress that matched her eyes, as well as a golden scarf around her neck. She seemed very pleased with the clothes, and Subaru wondered if she had specifically asked for those colors and had an eye for fashion or something.

"I guess so. Sorry I couldn't help much, I'm… Er.. Lady Hoshin never got to pay me yet," he said with a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

"There are more important things happening than money," she insisted.

"Don't let Anastasia hear you say that.."

If she can hear us at all…

When Frederica nodded and turned to lead the way out, Subaru reached out to gently touch her arm to stop her.

"T-That's not all.. I… I haven't been in the best state of mind. Everything has.. sucked," he said, shaking his head. "But I still shouldn't have done that to you! I'm sorry!"

He bowed deeply towards the woman, who was a bit taken aback before she smiled slightly and returned the bow.

"Apology accepted, Subaru."

With that weight slightly off his chest, Subaru followed Frederica out to the street once more, where he was surprised to find a small, rickety cart being pulled by an ox-like beast awaiting them.

The scrawny man steering the humble vehicle looked almost bored, not even offering them a glance.

"There is enough room for you to catch a ride," Frederica spoke in a hushed tone. "I will follow close by. I am far less recognizable."

"Do I really stand out that much?" Subaru ruffled his hair, thinking he had looked fairly normal, though his Japanese appearance wasn't exactly common in this world.

"Just a bit. That spirit will find us again, yes?"

Subaru nodded. He had sent Nes out to tell Julius they were coming, but he hadn't explained the situation and how he was a wanted fugitive, unsure if that was a wise decision if anyone intercepted the spirit somehow.

"Then let us set off," Frederica said with a bow, stepping back.

With a bit of reluctance, Subaru squeezed himself through a narrow space in the back of the cart, which was stacked full of crates and barrels, til he was sure he was out of sight. Feeling a bit claustrophobic, he felt a rumbling as the cart began to go, and he was thankful that the creature wasn't going as fast as an Earth Dragon.

As the cart rumbled along deeper into the heart of the city, Subaru got some time to reflect in the general darkness and silence.

Things had only gone wrong since he split from Anastasia, Julius, and the Iron Fangs in Picouttate. He made an agreement with himself to stay by their side as much as he could from now on, feeling like things were too volatile to not have him around.

I guess I deserve to be a little prideful right? Subaru thought with a chuckle. After all, it was his ability that guaranteed their success up to this point, right?

Shaking the vanity-filled thoughts from his mind, Subaru stayed quiet and listened to the sounds coming from around the cart. The street was getting busier it seemed, confirming they were heading deeper in.

He did his best to reach out in his mind, trying to feel for Nes, or Beatrice even, out there. His affinity for spirits was something special, Julius had insisted weeks ago, so he figured trying to learn and fine tune it would be wise.

Hello? Testing. Can you hear me? Beako? Nes? He thought, as if speaking into a radio. Your gallant knight Subaru is—

"You really are a rat.~"

Subaru's blood ran cold as he heard a voice, so sinister and scratchy, reminding him of that Assassin boy from Picouttate— Stern.

He felt something press close to his ear, realizing it was a pair of soft lips.

"But I can respect that."

Then it clicked, the voice sending him into an agonized yell as he burst out from the cart with all his strength, sensing crates and barrels toppling over.

"What the—!" The driver's exclamation was followed by yells as he tried to keep the beast pulling the cart under control.

Subaru jumped off, tumbling along the road before rising to his feet, staring towards the cart that was moving away.

Capella… So she is alive?!

However, there was no sign of anyone following. Subaru didn't care however, and quickly ran into a nearby side street.

"Subaru!"

Frederica had called out to him, but he didn't dare stop or trust in it. He ran around a few corners before entering a wider alley, where something fell from the sky to land before him.

"Down!" Frederica suddenly pushed Subaru over as she jumped in, her hand shifting to a claw as she swung towards the person ahead of them.

Capella's smile didn't even fade as the claw tore through her head. Frederica was shocked by this lack of care, but still delivered a powerful kick to send her flying into a nearby wall.

"Be careful, don't get too close!"

Frederica braced herself, watching as the small blonde girl emerged from the wall, her head reshaping and forming from a black sludge-like substance.

"All eyes on me, just as they should be," the Archbishop said with a wicked grin, before bringing both hands forwards, daggers flying from then at a blinding speed towards Frederica.

Managing to jump out of the way of the assault, Frederica didn't see what was forming from the opposite wall behind her.

"Behind—!"

Subaru couldn't shout in time. One of the daggers had transformed in mid air, turning to a spear dripping in black fluid, which flung back towards Capella via a barely visible string, threatening to hit Frederica form behind.

TING! There was a flash, and the spear was deflected down towards the ground, as Julius Juukulius entered the fray, his sword coming down in a powerful swing.

Frederica landed on the ground finally, looking at the spear in surprise.

"Subaru, go to Lady Anastasia," Julius spoke with no room for argument in his tone. His six contracted spirits began to spin and flare with energy around himself as he glared towards Capella. "I will do what I must, as I always do."

Subaru watched the knight as the mana in the air around him seemed to flare brightly. He'd never seen Julius so fired up, but he figured there was no reason to stick around.

"Be safe," Subaru said, running to Frederica and urging her on. The girl reluctantly went, though she seemed to still want to help.

There was no retort from Julius about the absurdity of Subaru of all people saying that, and he didn't watch them go, faced with what was clearly a terrible foe.

Capella cackled and spread her arms wide towards the glowing knight before her.

"I haven't had such a handsome man in a while. All mine!~"

Then there was a huge explosion, and Subaru looked back over his shoulder as they ran.

Julius…

Then he felt it— A connection, from somewhere not too far off.

"This way!"

Without thinking, Subaru grabbed Frederica's wrist and led her along down several streets, pushing through crowds that were looking around worriedly, til they arrived at a thin red-bricked building.

"Beako?"

Subaru looked up towards the second floor of the place, and after a moment, the girl in question showed herself at the window.

Subaru headed inside, and it wasn't long before he and Frederica burst into the room. Inside, Beatrice was by the window, and Anastasia was lying in a nearby bed, but nobody else was around. He looked again, wondering if he'd missed Meili, Joshua, or the Iron Fangs, but alas they were not there. He grinned at Beatrice and took a step forward.

"Hey, I'm so glad to— Blagh—!"

A book was thrown at Subaru, hitting him square in the face. He held his nose and looked towards the spirit girl as she approached, her eyes narrowed up at him.

"Were things not so dire, Betty might throw Subaru out the window," the small girl said with a huff.

"…It's good to see you too," Subaru said bitterly as he rubbed his face. "What the heck did I do..?"

"Lady Beatrice.." Frederica entered and bowed to the girl. "I am glad to see you well."

"Hmph… Well is not what Betty would describe this as," Beatrice said with a shake of her head.

Another explosion could be heard in the distance. Subaru ran to the window to peer out, unable to see any signs of the battle going on. Frustrated, he turned back to the room and approached the bedside of Anastasia, gazing down at how peaceful she appeared.

"I'm glad you're all alright, but.. We don't have much time.. We need to get the hell out of here," Subaru insisted as he looked at her.

"No."

"What do you mean No?" He looked to Beatrice as if she was insane, the girl moving to his side and reaching out to touch the white scarf around Anastasia's neck. "This place is about to be even more of a shitstorm, we gotta—"

"Can you leave the room?" Beatrice looked towards Frederica, who looked confused, looking to Subaru before bowing.

"Of course, I will be outside."

With that, Frederica exited the room and closed the door. Subaru felt like he was about to explode with questions, but thankfully, he didn't need to.

In the blink of an eye, the scarf Anastasia wore shifted and rose. He took a step back and gasped as he watched what looked like a small, snow-white wolf raise its head to look at him.

"What the…"

"Sister.. Can we speak now?"

Subaru watched as the wolf nodded its head, and Beatrice smiled softly, placing a hand on the necklace she wore.

"Sister?" Subaru shook his head and pointed at the wolf. "How long have you been there?"

"Much longer than you have, Subaru," came a bemused, gentle voice. "I am Anastasia's contracted spirit and advisor, essentially. Though I am also the only reason she is still alive now."

Subaru glanced to Beatrice and the necklace, thinking about Puck. Perhaps it was his connection to spirits, but something felt.. strange. Like there was a familiarity between them all.

"..Who are you?"

"I am glad to finally be able to introduce myself," the spirit said. "I am.. Echidna."

Subaru gasped, but before he could say anything out of pocket about the name, Beatrice raised a hand, wind picking up around it, and he bit his tongue to stop himself.

"Betty thought we would never be together again," Beatrice said fondly. "Mother… She hardly cares for us three in the end, I suppose."

Mother…

It all hit Subaru at once. The three spirits here before him— Beatrice, Puck, Echidna. Three sibling spirits under the Witch of Greed.

"It is a shame, but we are not the one who created us," Echidna insisted. "We will do better.. And.. I will save Anastasia."

"How? Also.. There's some crazy bastards after us," Subaru said urgently. "I don't know if Julius can win against that crazy chick."

Echidna nodded in understanding. "I have had a long time to watch and learn of the world and those around Lady Anastasia," she began. "Though I cannot speak long, if I wish to continue to keep her safe.. Please listen close, Subaru, Beatrice.. I believe I have a plan towards victory—"

"One to subjugate that man, Roswaal L Mathers, the Whale, the Witch of Greed, and any others in our way all in one fell swoop."

Subaru wasn't sure why due to the wolf spirit's stoic appearance, but he could feel like Echidna had a wicked grin on her face in that moment.

To Be Continued

Next Chapter: Dance in the Dark