"There goes fourteen…Now it's fifteen."
Subaru says it and waits for a while.
'The feeling after I come back, it's getting smoother and smoother, it scares me.'
He did decide to 'get used to' all this, instead of being terrified and never being in control like Satella 'proposed'...
"You can't call it a proposition either considering she was saying stuff like "I'll allow it" even when it comes to 'me being saved', what the hell, she has to decide what role she is playing. What's with these half-elves being subtly arrogant."
Just when it was time for Liliana to 'say her line'.
—Subaru throws a dagger at Emilia.
"Ehe?!" Being surprised Emilia catches it no problem, it wasn't as if Subaru went mad enough to kill her for no reason. There was no intent to kill her, he simply threw it in a safe way. He did it sideways.
"Mind throwing that back at me?" Subaru asks. Liliana doesn't speak as her attention was caught by Subaru.
"Uuuuah? Why?" Emilia looked at Subaru like he had a problem. He had lots of problems but probably those were beyond Emilia's comprehension.
"I will test something."
"...But this is dangerous right?"
"Just throw it in front of me then…It doesn't have to be straight, oh and use some mana on it while doing so."
"...Subaru, do you have a fever?"
"Aggh. So annoying, just do it. There is a point."
"Does it really have to be with a knife? I don't want Subaru to be hurt…"
"Tch. No fun." It really didn't have to be with a knife.
Seeing that Subaru seemingly had a wish to self-harm, Beatrice throws a pebble at Subaru's forehead with a good speed, just to wake him up from this weird 'moment' of his.
Yet, Subaru reacts instantly, [Negation of Mana] happens instantly according to Subaru's will. The reason Subaru waited for a while was precisely because of this, he wanted to prepare the 'spirit'.
Pebble seemingly lost its momentum, falling to the ground before it could touch Subaru.
"Just like I thought…It really doesn't matter if you made something gain momentum beforehand. So she could control the chains and something other than mana allowed it to be used by her? But since she only made the chains outside of the mana negation move…does that mean she believes she needs mana while she actually doesn't? This is hard…But I am also not willing to die for this."
There was no fear or any kind of emotion clouding his judgment, it was simply the fact that there were things to shed his blood and sweat.
Dying this would be, dying for curiosity. Subaru thought that perhaps such a simple thing wouldn't even be worth dying even for Echidna.
'That woman talks about wanting to know everything, yet she obviously has preferences.'
Whether Echidna realized it or not, 'everything' she mentioned never encapsulated the things she wasn't interested in.
However, Subaru? He couldn't lie, he just knew that a part of him sees nothing wrong for dying for certain reasons..
—Not because 'to win', or 'Greed', simply to 'wring the content dry' out of this game.
As such, Subaru had potential to reset for reasons that Echidna would not imagine.
But it seems that his self-imposed limits, whether mentally or on his ability, stopped that from happening.
"Subaru…" Beatrice called out to him, even Subaru knew this wasn't the first time.
"Yes?"
"Are you perhaps going to do something dangerous? I'll let you know that after seeing you like…this, I can't leave you alone."
"Ok. I'll hold your hand even when mine is sweaty though, be prepared." Subaru says that and smiles.
"Hah?" Beatrice can't help but be shocked.
'I was sure…something was going on? Could it be that he just wanted to test his magic? Not that I know a lot about it…Unlike mother, Subaru isn't willing to open up about magic.'
Beatrice was confident that she knew more than anyone when it came to Subaru's capabilities, however their 'cooperation' ended rather early as far as working on 'magic' went…all Subaru asked from her was 'basics' and he simply walked his own path from there.
She didn't know the full capabilities, but Subaru could do things that would make her mother's brain fry.
Biggest question she had was, if Subaru could break so many rules because of his cleverness and ability to imagine and conceptualize, or he simply could break so many rules because he was Subaru.
Beatrice herself could keep some of her pride as a magic user if the second option was true, but her mother certainly got hit harder, since she took pride in her ability to go against the world.
That being said, the existences that are called 'Witches', didn't look like such anomalies in this day and age for her, considering Roswaal who achieved 'immortality' that her mother couldn't. And Subaru…being Subaru, Beatrice could see that things have changed greatly.
To begin with, her old friend 'Guese', who had the Witch Factor Of Sloth, living for four hundred years despite being a spirit, a being that was most vulnerable against something like a Witch Factor, made no sense whatsoever.
When miasma itself was poisonous to spirits, how could his soul survive?
'It's better to not think about, in fact'
Trying not to think about when she should be talking about all these things, was slothfulness.
She stayed silent even though she realized fully that it might be too late after all.
With that, she simply gripped Subaru's hand tighter.
—After they went back, they faced the ever apologetic Sword Saint, who apologized to Subaru.
"No problem, you have a funny father, haha."
Subaru didn't seem to dislike Heinkel, which was weird to Beatrice, considering how he insulted Subaru's father…
Subaru's family seemed to be a red line for Subaru, while Beatrice didn't cross even if it was with good intentions.
The ever hostile Roswaal, whether unconsciously or by choice, didn't dare to take a jab at Subaru's possible relatives or past.
Emilia's dunderheadness also conveniently disappeared when it comes to Subaru's past. Somewhat, Subaru conditioned everyone to just ignore his past. In fact…somewhat, everyone avoided that topic even when he appeared first.
In a camp filled with special people with special pasts, some stretching towards hundreds of years and connected to great figures, Subaru managed to become the most mysterious without a question.
"It's nice that you could see it that way…" Reinhard replied to Subaru with a problematic expression.
"I am more pissed at Wilhelm anyway."
"...Please don't be hard on him."
"Why is that? Because 'Sword Devil' might cut me? I read his story, he could get away with a lot because people accepted him for who he is, even in the military. That's not me, Reinhard. I see pathetic disappointments as what they are." Subaru scoffed.
He was hostile to the point that the 'pest' Liliana and even Emilia didn't attempt to stop Subaru.
Nobody wanted the hostility of someone who smiled all the time.
Beatrice had no intention to protect Reinhard anyway. She was neutral towards him, the only problem she had with him was that his 'nature' of sucking mana was dangerous to her. However that too, seemingly wasn't a problem.
Somewhat, contracting with Subaru made that problem nonexistent.
All of that aside, she was on full alert.
This was the strongest man, and Subaru wasn't exactly being cautious around him.
"Subaru…Are you threatening my grandfather?" Reinhard speaks. He feels more sturdy now.
Beatrice really didn't want Subaru to go further.
But did Subaru even know what backing off meant?
"You would want that, wouldn't you? But you see, animals like that, you don't need to really fucking butcher them and gain the hostility of all the people around. Since they are animals, you just wait for them to do something stupid, and when they do something stupid you put them down." Subaru comes extremely close to Reinhard's face.
It wasn't hard for Reinhard to imagine his grandfather doing something excessive because of his emotions.
Subaru could defend himself against that, justifiably.
Sword Saint didn't seem like the mountain he was a moment ago.
"That's right son of a bitch. Justice that your entire being depends on doesn't just mean protecting people, it also means that not protecting the people you normally protect, if that's what is deemed necessary, if that's what they deserve! A shitface hero like you is a mockery of what justice is, that's what your father probably tries to show you…He can do whatever he fucking wants in the highest position of knighthood and nobody can do a fucking thing to kick him out because then little Reinhard might get angry. Just the possibility is enough for them to not act."
"...No…You, are wrong." Reinhard's eyes became unfocused.
"Subaru." Beatrice tried to stop Subaru however—
"You think you don't oppress people just because you don't go around and use your powers on everyone? Don't fuck around. You probably think your life is sad just because they threaten you with your family, but the reason they do is because that's how much of a pain in the ass you are.
You are not wrong about thinking one day I would come and kill those criminals you took in just because of Felt, I might even kill her as well because that's what she deserves for being a filthy rat whose entire justification is whataboutism on how this kingdom is so bad. But again, that is the dream scenario for you. Not the worst thing can happen, it's the opposite. A real hard situation would be showing that you are just a little pathetic fraud." Subaru said so, peacefully.
Being from a world with philosophy and a big history of all of the human race thinking over concepts like justice and good, Reinhard was nothing more than a badly written hero who is only depicted as a good, but in practicality, just a strong person who enforced himself on others.
"..." Reinhard had seemingly closed himself off.
Just when she was about to tell Subaru to stop, he moved his hand.
And pats Reinhard's shoulder.
"Hmm…Maybe you are really unaffected?" Subaru says and mutters, moving past Reinhard. Any intense emotion he showed seemingly disappeared. Beatrice does not understand what Subaru meant.
She doesn't know that, all of this, this whole world, is there for Subaru to test things and try to find clues so he can survive in the end.
That definitely didn't mean things he said to Reinhard were lies though…
Beatrice follows him by passing Reinhard just like Emilia and Liliana, however Emilia apologies to him before doing so.
Which prompts Subaru to speak.
"Do you have a…Nah, whatever."
'Whatever he was going to say, it wasn't going to be nice.' It was obvious, especially from the disgusted glare he sent to Emilia.
Sword Saint did not follow them.
"You are being awfully cold, are you not?" Priscilla says while she covers her face with a fan.
"It's just adorable you say that, I am sure I am feeling your warmth right now."
Subaru smiles towards the Red Princess.
Right now, Beatrice was sitting between Emilia and Subaru, beside Subaru there was the woman he was talking to. Priscilla Barielle.
The way he looked at everyone, kinda changed when he saw her. Though Beatrice can't say Subaru was normal even now.
"Buffoon, of course you don't direct anything like that towards me. There is a long line before anything like that can happen."
'This woman…Where does she get her confidence I suppose?' Beatrice thought to herself.
You can't get angry at me while you still tolerate these people.
That's what Priscilla meant…Beatrice didn't like that. But she also envied her.
Priscilla liked her, somewhat, but not enough to make things convenient for Beatrice.
Truthfully, Priscilla just viewed Beatrice as someone who was cute, so she would allow her to be around Subaru in future.
That kind of aggressive, possessive behavior was a red flag. But it's not like Subaru disliked it, at all.
Why does her contractor like problematic women? To begin with, does he really have to get into a romantic relationship?
"So, did you say what you ought to say?" Priscilla looked at Beatrice.
"H..uh?" Beatrice reacted meekly.
Beatrice did not say anything private to Priscilla about herself. She did not disclose anything, in fact other than her little panic attack, Priscilla couldn't possibly know anything.
Yet she still said that confidently.
"..." She did not answer.
Beatrice was mistaken, this woman didn't interact with her just because of the way she looked or she happened to fancy doing that at that moment.
Very similar to Subaru, there was an unnerving calculativeness that appeared out of nowhere.
"How disappointing." Priscilla didn't hold back on her.
"I am jealous, being left out on secret girl talk like this." Subaru chuckled.
"Even you calling it a girl talk, no? Then why do you expect to be included? That aside, I suspect you know more than you show."
Priscilla suspected that Subaru was expecting things from Beatrice.
Beatrice's panic attack caused by that revelation, she believed that girl was right.
"That's right…It's always like that. But It would be much better for Beatrice if I knew nothing, isn't that right?" Subaru looks at Beatrice with an unnatural smile.
Beatrice bit her lip and looked away.
'Why…he acts like he doesn't care now? Was I too late?'
In the end, she still couldn't do it. If she opened the can of worms with Puck…did that mean Subaru would do something drastic? What about Roswaal?
He already killed Guese.
—That's right. This man…can kill them.
In a single moment, her memories of Puck and Roswaal played out…The Beast Of The End fighting against a Silver Dragon, Roswaal doing the most impressive types of magic.
There is a looooong list of arguments to be made on how they could protect themselves.
'Who am I kidding I suppose?'
Nobody knew what Subaru was capable of.
An unexpected voice backs Beatrice after seeing her sad face. Emilia.
"Subaru…why are you being so difficult to Beatrice?" Emilia said, with a firm, icy look.
But Beatrice knew better. Whether Emilia realized it or not, she was angry more so because of how Subaru was getting close with Priscilla, and especially that pest, Liliana.
Emilia was in a state where she was just starting to get concerned about her position in Subaru's mind as far as romantic matters concerned.
From that, it got to her seeing Subaru making out with Liliana. Who is a talented idol with feelings for Subaru that couldn't be made clearer.
Beatrice disliked how open Liliana was with her feelings.
'I wish I was dumb as this girl.' If she was, she wouldn't be aware that her dislike was simply a reflection of her inability to be like Liliana. Emilia ought to be envious of Liliana as well, unless there is no space for jealousy when all jealousy she could muster is directed towards Priscilla.
It was undeniable, Beatrice tried to have Subaru as someone that was important to her just like her mother, Roswaal and other people like that. However, the matter of fact is…
Subaru was a brave person who confronted his issues, challenged his relationships and wanted people to get better.
They were people who accepted each other as they were, no matter how problematic the bad things were.
No amount of facts about Echidna will change that Roswaal and Beatrice absolutely didn't care about any of her problematic experiments or her questionable choices.
Beatrice finally understood.
The woman who kept talking about how she is a Witch, wanted someone to call out her excuses. Set the boundaries for her.
"Well, who knows. It's between me and Beatrice." Subaru said without any reaction to Emilia's sharp eyes.
"Liar. Priscilla knows more than I do."
"But I didn't tell anything to her, nor did Beatrice, as far as her reaction shows."
Subaru flashed his teeth at Emilia with a wide smile.
"You know what that means?"
To that, Emilia just gripped her skirt hard.
Unlike you, she understood without being told.
"In any case…I guess I'll just leave."
With that Subaru got up and left.
'I really can't interact with Priscilla normally…well, it is a sad feeling since I know it will be erased in the end.'
He thought he could do it, but in the end, he was still somewhat sensitive over that kind of loss.
"Subaru!" He went outside and walked aimlessly, after a while he heard a silver bell calling out to him.
"What?" Subaru asked bluntly, since he made it quite clear he wanted to be alone, even though he didn't say a thing.
'Maybe Emilia just didn't catch that…'
If it's about not understanding things when it's convenient, just leave it to Emilia.
"I…wanted to talk." She asked while nervously pressing her fingertips on each other.
"I see. But I don't want to talk now." Meanwhile Subaru lacked such nervousness.
Emilia indeed missed the times when Subaru was the emotional one in their interactions…
'But looking back, I really don't know if he was really emotional, no, he really wasn't.'
It's more like, Subaru chose to be energetic and funny, but it's not like he lacked maturity or anything. But Emilia back then simply did not understand that.
"Then…maybe until you do want to talk…we can just walk?"
Subaru raised his eyebrows.
She didn't insist. At least not in the way he imagined.
"Alright."
Subaru decided it was probably wiser to keep her around, for Emilia's own health, it would be better for her to not blow up on Priscilla.
Priscilla cannot kill Emilia. Not because she doesn't have justification or unhingedness to do so.
It would be because of him.
If Priscilla shows herself to be that kind of problem solver, she wouldn't evade his animosity. After all, that was the problem he had with his current friend group.
Was Subaru bothered by that possibility? Priscilla killing Emilia?
No.
As far as his feelings for Priscilla are concerned, for a long while he did want her to make that kind of mistake so that he can just use that reasoning to reject her. After all, Priscilla is aiming to change his life aggressively, she couldn't be more open when it comes to that.
But Priscilla is smart, plays by the rules, and knows him enough.
She will never do that kind of violence against one of his friends.
But that doesn't mean she can't mentally annihilate Emilia if she becomes aggressive enough.
In hindsight, Subaru should've kept them separate.
But that isn't a realistic solution either.
In the end, there really isn't a way to protect Emilia from Priscilla, while Subaru's care for Emilia is at an all time low, that doesn't mean he wanted Priscilla to destroy her.
Worst part is, if Emilia becomes unstable enough and does something crazy…It will be him who will stop her.
Since he isn't willing to die for her, or anyone's mental instability, Emilia will have to die.
"Emilia."
"Yes?" So far walking beside him. Stubbornly not letting him put a distance between their bodies, she stopped walking just like he did.
"You…do know that I can't let you hurt others, right?"
"..."
"Just keep it in mind."
"..."
Subaru continued to walk. Emilia followed soon after.
After some silence…
"Subaru…did you…think that I was a witch before?"
"...Before?"
What did she mean by that…? Which portion of the past she was talking about?
Those were important things to know before answering…Though the answer would be the same regardless.
"Hmm, what about all of them?…When you first learned about how people thought about me…When you learned about me more. When we were in sanctuary. After the sanctuary. After…things became like this. And…now."
"Such a greedy question."
"...You are the one talking…"
Though the question was seemingly difficult, Subaru answered without much pause.
He turned towards her, they both paused, there weren't people around.
'Thanks to the low population density in Priestella, I had many important discussions out in the open, huh?'
In any case, he spoke.
"To be honest…I really didn't think about you being a witch or not…?"
"Huh?! W-what are you talking about?" Emilia's eyes shot open and she was visibly shocked.
To her, the answer would either be "Haha, no." or Subaru would get angry for her doubting him.
But it wasn't any of that.
"You see. At first, I didn't know about Witches and all or the Witch."
"..." Emilia listened to him without interrupting.
"Well, I then learned about it…This awful woman, lusting for love, destroyed a lot…classic story villain. Looks like you. Looks aren't enough for me to be wary of someone, though I can't say the same if someone is too ugly…I don't think your looks ever caused a problem between us."
"...Even I know that." Emilia said it clearly.
Though, if not for Puck, probably her lack of self-care would've caused a problem with Subaru.
For that, she was thankful.
"After that…well, the election thing happened. There were some worries over your power and all. I learned that your power was also a worry, that didn't worry me much."
"..."
"After a while, I learned…more about…what I needed to be worried about you. Your choices."
"My choices…"
"Let's say that…You better learn about Puck when he comes back. Or there won't be any goodbyes."
"...What are y—" A serious questioning over that statement, Emilia was about to fire that without any reservations.
But, everything that made Emilia stop her from doing so, when she registered the expression on Natsuki Subaru's face.
That was all. There was no aura of killing intent, statement of power or great magic oozing from him.
Their bodies were close, a coincidence. But it's not like they didn't have any intimate moments before.
Despite all that—Emilia fully realized the height difference between them in this instant, no, much more than that.
Eyes that looked down, saw everything there was about Emilia, he was just looking at her like that. Looking down.
'I…don't want this.'
It wasn't fear, but…
'What does he…expect from me?'
Threatening her family, just like that. The reaction that would come was obvious.
Perhaps, that was an attempt to cut her off completely. From his life.
His life…
"Come on. Do it."
"Why are you…"
"I SAID IT. COME ON!"
He shouted without reservations, obviously trying to make her do something violent…but then.
"Welp, whatever."
Emotion changed, instantly. Subaru was…cheerful?
"Damn…I wasn't supposed to go off like that, there isn't any meaning either, but seriously, how do I see all this as a moment of sexual tension…another proof that I really don't have problems with your looks." Subaru whistled and continued to walk.
"...What?"
'No…he wasn't, lying or anything. But then…what?'
Who is this person? Constantly changing.
What is even real?
"Subaru."
"Just don't talk. But remember, I didn't lie. Even in this soon to be erased world, I did not lie."
Or perhaps, he didn't lie, simply because it is going to be erased.
A cowardice of a time traveler indeed.
"You were speaking before…"
"Oh…yeah, about you being a Witch?" Subaru said so.
Smiled.
Natsuki Subaru speaks.
"You don't really need to worry about it…I was always against people labeling you like that, just because you look the same…But, it really wouldn't matter to me if you are a Witch."
—
—
….."Huh?"
"Yeah."
Natsuki Subaru said so, just like that.
"...You can't just…do that to me." Emilia's knees gave in. She fell to the ground.
…But Subaru explained himself further.
"You are super strong. You have some strong spirit with you. You look like a character with a lot of special backstory…You might be a Witch? Who knows. It just doesn't matter to me. It shouldn't matter to you either."
"Haha…No way, no one should act like a Witch." Emilia shrugged Subaru's statement like it was nothing.
Witch Of Glaciation, that's what she called herself. But that was a statement against her being the next Witch Of Envy.
Emilia simply did not want to be called any kind of Witch.
"I mean at this point, that term is a bit vague. If you really want me to say…You aren't a Witch as far as having the thing that makes a Witch…Witch."
Emilia chucked, totally lost track of the conversation.
"Subaru…you are really stupid…No. You are a mean person who keeps talking without a care even though you know no one understands you."
Emilia, with tears on her face, smiled at Subaru as she said that.
She truly meant what she said.
Seeing that expression, tears and that smile of relief caused by being finally told that one thing she kept in for so long.
Subaru blushed.
"Sorry for that, haha."
That was Subaru's answer to Emilia calling him out. He did appreciate that for some reason.
First, it sounded as if he shrugged her words off, but that wasn't it.
Subaru genuinely seemed to be accepting.
In any case, right now as she was sitting on a canoe, Subaru was paddling while standing up.
Even Emilia realized the nicer atmosphere.
"Subaru…what did you mean about 'thing' that makes a Witch, Witch?"
Subaru, hearing Emilia opening a conversation, sat down in front of her.
The artificial current of Priestella was enough to make the canoe move. Subaru was simply paddling because he wanted to.
"Well I guess I will reward this to you who I reached an understanding with in this time…they call it the WitchFactor."
"Witch Factor…Oh." Emilia ignores everything he said before the mention of Witch Factor, somewhat, she knows that she can't understand that at all. It was because he was doing it again, he spoke without a care, without caring about Emilia's inability to understand.
"You know it?"
"A weird…black, bobbly thing. It's disgusting. In all ways."
"Oh, so that's how it feels to you. I never saw one."
"You didn't?"
"Nope. I just know about it, anyways, it seems you know it too…end of the topic."
Emilia's eyes didn't leave Subaru's.
"What? Well…You don't have one. So you aren't a Witch, congratulations. You also don't have the weird powers that come from those things."
"But how do you know about it? I learned it from…my first trial, my past. And it's not like I know much."
"Well, there isn't any reason to not talk about it I guess."
While Emilia was surprised to hear that Subaru was willing to talk, he continued.
"It's something that no one is compatible with."
"..Huh? But I…"
"I don't know who you saw it or whatever is in your past, but anyways, there are levels to being incompatible with that kind of thing."
"I…see."
Which meant, while Guese suffered from it. That person didn't. But why?
"I think there is some incentive for the Witch Factors to not go around and fuck everyone up, by all means they should go around and destroy the world even if the vessel is a little bit less incompatible.
But in any case, I guess…they do affect the personality a bit? It's more like a minor addiction to be honest, but what makes the users crazy is simply, too much power. So if you think about it, you could be as bad as any Witch, Emilia."
"Why?"
"You are strong, no?"
"I…see."
"Haha, I guess you thought that villains are born. Well, that's not it."
"So…I am not a Witch, for sure?"
"Well, if we go by Echidna's definition and people like her, yeah."
"...Subaru, how do you know all this?"
"Echidna…mostly?"
—For some reason, it seemed that Echidna was more cooperative with Subaru.
"For some reason I thought she messed up with you too."
"She did."
"Huh?"
"I want to say that "That bitch fucks with even the people she likes" but it's probably something in the lines of making the biggest impact and then savoring the reaction out of me."
"..." She didn't get it at all, but 'like' huh?
But Emilia shouldn't be bothered about that…Echidna was dead.
And this is the first time she was glad that she was dead.
Every now and then Emilia wanted to talk with Echidna again, surely she won't be feeling that way anymore.
"So…why would she even talk about 'Witch Factor'?"
"I have it."
"...HUH?"
"Yeah…Learn a bit more about it later. I guess Sages can have more than one…but since Echidna didn't expect me to awaken the other one, I guess it's a known rule that you can only have a single weird power."
"You…have that kind of power?" Sages…huh.
Remembering how Guese suffered…Emilia's heart beat fast.
But…Subaru didn't seem to have any problem, not at all.
"No? That was the first one. But…I do have two of these factors anyway. Echidna also has some misconceptions about me."
"So…this personality change…will affect you. What can we do about it? Also what power did you get from it? And since Echidna didn't think you would get another one…you have more than one power?"
"I really do not have more than one power coming from the Witch Factors. That one didn't bloom for…certain reasons. Sloth, which I got by killing the Archbishop Of Sloth, became some shitty power since I didn't want it…though don't look at me saying shitty. It's just functionally shitty when you realize its true potential compared to what I got now, which allows me to kill anyone in a second then they are inside of a certain range, it kinda ignores defense, you see. In anycase, I won't have my personality affected."
He wasn't sure if anyone could survive their heart being popped off.
"Why?"
"Why is that? You see…I am compatible." Subaru said it casually.
"What does that mean?" It was Subaru, who said 'no one is compatible' after all.
"Well, my Emilia-tan…It's just that. These things existed for ages…they hop from one person to another…Well, when I die? That will be the end. Echidna thinks I am a Sage candidate or something, I don't know why that kind of title exists…but it doesn't matter to me. Whatever I am, there is no name for it.
Witches die, Sages die, these things hop on to the next one.
But when I die, it will be the end of it."
Subaru smiles.
"How does it feel? After all that chaos in your head about witch this, witch that, I turn out to be the devil. I didn't know about the factors and they just got inside of me anyway. In the end, it doesn't matter."
After digesting all that information, a question mark appeared in Emilia's head.
There were so many question marks…but this one? It wasn't obvious as others, it was something that Subaru seemingly didn't want her to focus…
"Hey Subaru."
"Hmm?"
"If Echidna thought you couldn't have another power from…Sloth. That means you had a power which she thought came from a Witch Factor. But you said you didn't have any power from Witch Factor…Then, what power made Echidna think you got it from a Witch Factor?"
"...To think…You would ask that—Hahahahahahahahahahaha."
Laughing hard, even when he held back, laughing without stopping.
"S-subaru?"
—But this was good.
He ceased laughing instantly, it was sudden like closing a TV.
He leaned his back more on the canoe and looked at the blue sky.
"There is…7 of these Witch Factors—"
"From Ryuzu-san's story and my pa—"
"Yeah I guess there are more sins or something, the ones that I call old sins, doesn't matter to me though. Anyways, fun fact, there are only seven of these."
Rejecting all the misconceptions Subaru continues.
After all, Subaru could feel it.
There were only seven.
Envy.
Sloth.
And then there were five left.
Nothing less, nothing more.
"In the end, with everything I forgot, all the mental blocks and limits I put on myself. It doesn't change the fact, you see—My power truly makes those Witches look like little girls. I don't even control it, and yet it controls everyone who tries to control me. That's why I can just fuck around and win in the end. It's not even an ability that is strong or anything. It just makes those concepts irrelevant, even at its weakest."
After a long pause…He sees a half-elf, covering his view of the sky.
"For someone that calls Witches little girls…you do get hurt all the time."
"Tch, this is just one percent of my power. No, even smaller than that! I don't need that witch liquid either! I DIDN'T NEED HER BODY FLUID!"
Being bonked in the head by Emilia, Subaru is saved from his PTSD.
"You look rather…dead, Subaru." Seeing him looking at the sky while trying to ignore her face, she says so.
"There are not enough years in my lifespan that I can properly express how bad that wording is and why you should work hard to relax my mind to pay back."
After saying that, Subaru feels her chest pressing on his.
"Emilia?"
"...I am a hard working girl."
With that her face came closer and closer.
'After all this time, acting assertive…what a naughty witch…'
Leaning over to meet with her lips, Subaru slowly closes his eyes.
'I just…don't care. I'll enjoy this a lot.'
Emilia was really beautiful after all.
…
Before closing his eyes, something happened.
Subaru's tongue was awkwardly left in the air.
"Huh?"
He pulls his tongue back and cleans the escaping saliva from his mouth quickly.
"Where is the half-elf who served herself as a price for my pain? Damn, is this foreplay? Did she already learn about playing hard to get?"
"...Subaru…I really don't know what you mean, but foreplay…that…Frederica mentioned. I am not sure…but I don't see how I can refuse Subaru either? Um…."
Saying all that and muttering more things Subaru barely can understand…the Emilia Subaru faced wasn't as close to him, didn't have the sexy expression she had just now.
"What?"
"Subaru…You don't need to be desperate I suppose! There are professionals who would be glad to relieve you in fact! Don't ever make life changing decisions just because you are pent up!"
"First Julius, now you?! Why does everyone tell me to go to the brothel!?"
'IN FACT…I THINK RUSSEL ALSO MENTIONED THAT IN PAST?!'
No. That was just Kiritaka trying to match Subaru with rather beautiful nobles that would actually serve him well as a good wife.
Subaru never thought that he had a great chance with nobles anyway…thanks to Beatrice's insane efforts behind the scenes and threatening a lot of young women with good intentions…
"Wait, none of this is important."
"Denying will get you nowhere! I, Liliana, shall take the responsibility…You don't need to stop even if I say otherwise~"
"Oi…That suggestiveness—-Wait."
Subaru mechanically turns his head to Liliana…
"After the song ends…and they chat again…"
"A-are you okay?" Liliana asks him.
"Shouldn't we prepare food and drinks for them, Subaru-sama?"
"..."
"Indulging in sweet snacks will certainly create a mood—"
""That will close the distance between them, don't you think so?""
With that and also more creepiness from Subaru's part—rejecting Liliana's questions on why he read her mind (an assumption from her side) and many insults and swear words on his manhood while tears streamed down her face, Subaru took Emilia's hand and left everyone behind.
That wasn't necessary at all.
Yet he did it anyway.
But in the end, all of this would be gone.
So does it even matter?
"Subaru…what the hell. Are we really going to do this?"
"I already got pent up bad you see—I want to play with Emilia-tan."
"Mmph~ That way of speaking, it makes me feel weird, it's like the air is getting hotter."
Subaru's true first time, on a canoe, who would've guessed.
But—It was for science, and to survive, Subaru argued.
This was about the same place—He knew that thanks to his unnaturally good memory.
However—As he was leaning his body over Emilia's, before their lips met—-
…
…Oh.
"Don't fucking tell me?!" He returned by death, without understanding what happened.
"Subaru-sama…What are you doing?"
Without anyone knowing what was going on with Subaru.
They hear a crack noise.
"Oh, that felt good." Subaru muttered that and added. "Shit, is it really him? Wait, that actually killed him…should've done in a better way."
The source of the crack noise was Emilia's pendant.
Which kept Puck in it.
"Ha….hah…ah….HA_"
Before she could shout and empty all the mana inside of her body in an attempt to freeze the world, Emilia blacks out after the merciless murderer's hand grips her throat without any mercy. Her strength failed her by unnaturally leaving her. She couldn't feel the mana inside her body. She couldn't stop him.
Last thing she saw Liliana was on the ground and was Beatrice slowly disappearing in a beautiful light that came out of her body, with a bittersweet smile.
He was, for some reason, showing her kindness even as he took her life. He grasped her little hand tightly.
"You are my that person. That person is mine. What an irony."
"Is this an attempt to piss me off? Congratulations, but never forget, you gave yourself to me, not some random man. There were some tough secrets you kept, but I know that you gave yourself to me."
"You are my Subaru, that's all it matters."
Not understanding what she means…and yet—
"I see…sweet dreams, Beatrice. Butterfly will flap its wings and we will be together again."
"...It's truly you, hahaha."
–Emilia hated herself for being jealous, even now. Just like at that time, when she could only watch those two come closer.
…
Emilia's mind was weak…her eyes opened slowly.
"Good morning."
—Until they were open to their limit, when she heard his voice.
But unlike her eyes, moving her body wasn't easy at all.
She had no strength.
"W..hy."
"Oh, why did I kill Puck? Well, because he is a piece of shit, also science too."
'Science' because Subaru wasn't sure what would happen with this attempt. But he wanted to try a new thing anyway, as Puck wasn't a threat even if it failed.
"Just…die….Just die!" Seeing his figure above hers, looking down at her with out of place eyes, Emilia's mouth started shouting those words.
She understood it now.
It wasn't that she was connecting things for no reason…it wasn't that she was being a bad person for thinking.
Those…eyes.
Words.
Too similar.
"I died a lot. Believe me…it doesn't work on me that much. Nah, let's not try to humanize it…it doesn't work at all."
…Ah, so that's why. He is…not even hiding anymore.
Dying and coming back…
Dying and coming back.
Endlessly.
"Please calm down. I am sure that discussion will lead us to an understanding."
"We should stop. You are kind by nature, and not a girl capable of harming others. Has your Mother never told you so?"
"It would sadden your Mother to see you like this. Neither your legitimate Mother and Father, nor Cardinal Betelgeux, would desire this."
"This is something of a predicament. It appears that the effects were the opposite of what I had intended."
Throughout all that, her smile did not leave her face.
And when she failed, LOST against Emilia.
—She still smiled.
"...Kghh….Why? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? Just like that, for no reason! Why did we even meet?" She tried to cast any magic…she couldn't.
She tried to call the minute spirits she contracted to.
They weren't alive.
So…what it means to be his enemy. Being helpless like this.
Just like being against her.
The way he talked made it obvious that he is the same as her.
"..."
SubaruThis person didn't answer her either. Why? Why?
"Man…You gotta do what you gotta do I guess. Is it sexual assault if I have the permission from the time that never happened? It's not that I am this desperate but it cannot be luck that I died every time we were about to have fun…So I think Puck is the one who killed me."
"...What are you even—"
Talking about?
Emilia wondered if Natsuki Subaru knew how insane he was. She wondered this all the time actually, sometimes deep down, sometimes more clearly, but then she would hate herself for thinking that.
She didn't finish her words because she got an answer.
"...Is this it, you…want my body?!"
You…could've done that! YOU COULD'VE DONE THAT!
One way or another!
It's not even about their relationship. Ignoring even that. Ignoring that he could do so much if that was his wish!
If Subaru wanted to have her body as a price for everything he did for everyone and her…He could do…that.
"You killed Puck, Beatrice…Liliana…for that?"
"...No. Liliana is alive. As for Beatrice, that was a bit of a reflex after she tried to attack me, though I didn't actually think it was for you though, she was trying to attack you it seems but I am a paranoid fuck so I killed her. But that girl, did she realize something? She was too calm for a random sad death like that…"
"..."
"You don't react?"
"...Do as you wish, I don't care anymore." Emilia's body simply went limp. Eyes empty. All the weight she carried disappeared.
Puck. Beatrice Selection. Emilia Camp. Roswaal. Forest.
—Did not matter.
She could freely let it go, she always wanted to do that, deep down.
That was the only positive thing.
"...What does that even mean? You aren't the type to go for suicide."
–Even he can misunderstand. Emilia realized.
"..."
Just for the sake of doing the same things, and not carrying any emotions similar to the times they were about to kiss…Subaru leaned towards Emilia.
Emilia opened her arms like a doll, and slowly opened her mouth to greet Subaru.
Subaru's mind couldn't comprehend why she would do that…perhaps Subaru was the last straw that she could hold before drowning.
'You know, even in a loop, I couldn't possibly think of accepting you like this, but well, you would probably do worse to me even while I was dying'
The Kiss Of Death. Subaru did not forget.
Neither he ignored the fact that Emilia thought kissing made children at that time.
—Clearly, Emilia had it in her to do it. Raping him.
To think that the secret grudge deep inside of him would allow Subaru to consider bad things of similar nature.
In the end none of that mattered, regardless of her state, Emilia accepted it. If not—Who knows whether he would cross the line or not.
There was no way to know.
It wasn't important either, not to Subaru.
Their lips—came close—about to touch.
…
"Is this even possible?"
Subaru muttered to himself as he watched Liliana. The scene changed instantly.
Waiting for her…to say it.
"After the song ends and they chat again, shouldn't we prepare food and drinks for them, Subaru-sama? Indulging in sweet snacks will certainly create a mood that will close the distance between them, don't you think so?"
"There was no sound, no feeling, no nothing. I don't even know if it's an attack or not, I don't even know the direction of it."
Puck was dead. He knew it. So why?
He broke the crystal, when Puck's form was about to form he dispelled it with mana negation his Od has nothing to hold onto…so it disappeared.
Puck died in a textbook way as far as how spirits died.
Not knowing what is what anymore, Subaru walked towards Emilia and pushed her towards a wall.
"Subaru what—-hmmph?!"
Claiming those enchanting lips, exploring her mouth, Subaru was still alive.
While he was shocked by that, a little part of him was surprised how quickly Emilia allowed her mouth to submit to his tongue.
—They continued for a while. In front of Beatrice and Liliana.
Emilia was happiest she had ever been, since forever.
"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hahaha!" Humming, giggling and laughing while holding Subaru's hand, Emilia walked with him, Liliana and Beatrice.
"Wow…For some reason, I really felt weird in a good way while watching those two do it."
"You pest! What are you even saying I suppose!" Beatrice slapped Liliana's head while Emilia was pulling Subaru from shop to shop.
Now, they were trying hats in front of a shop.
"Hey hey! Subaru, how does this look!"
"Yep, you need to level up your fashion sense. That does look like a hat worn by the children of this world…not to mention it doesn't fit you! And you have nice hair so just don't!
Though if it's a pointy hat…"
"Well, if you want it…I guess I can just wear whatever Subaru wants…I am not confident on picking stuff. I couldn't care less about what I wore before…so Puck always did it for me. Now I just wear the same stuff…if Subaru wants it, he can handle it as he wishes."
"Eh…Your daddy would go crazy over this."
"It's more direct than making Puck pick outfits that you would like."
"...You said that as if you had made him do that before."
"...I did. When we went to our daaaytoo (Date)"
"Damn…that makes me happy. Though decision making each day will take so much time to the point that I might need wages."
"I'll pay Subaru with kisses ok?"
"...Yes."
"Don't look so happy. I only said it because you are bad at asking for rewards…You should've been to ask for it."
"I'll be more proactive from now on then."
"..." To that, Emilia's face went red and she just nodded.
Not being able to feel those warm emotions inside, she jumped and hugged Subaru.
Rebalancing herself after struggling to fall, Subaru chuckled.
"Damn…what a failure I am. Becoming more successful and better at life when I simply do things randomly in loops…Tells so much."
He embraced Emilia as well and slowly caressed her head, ignoring all the eyes on them. They didn't matter…
They should…not matter.
And yet—
Subaru's head, for no reason other than a weird feeling, turned to the side.
A white figure.
…
Everything becomes nothingness, darkness dominates.
A place time and space held no power over, where concepts were nothing but inhabitants.
It was such a place.
A place where he shouldn't have a body, yet he had it.
Almost as if, things went so fast that…Subaru simply didn't grasp the fact that he should be shapeless in this place…so he wasn't shapeless.
It was simply that.
But he didn't care about any of that.
"He….He…"
…
"He just sighed."
A disappointed expression, disgust, accompanied by a sigh.
It wasn't Subaru's eyes that saw it, or his ears that heard it…it wasn't any kind of sense that kept up with it.
But it was a literal response from the product of his determination, Return By Death, moving his consciousness, giving him sense to see the enemy.
Instinct that went beyond, a kind of precognition.
In the end, what Subaru gained from that.
The fact that—
"Just…a fucking sigh."
"He just sighed. I was dead."
"What was that?"
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"
"I was dying…to that?"
"For what reason…Why in the hell?"
"How fast was that?"
It was fast enough that Subaru's mind, that would normally be in a different form, awakened inside of this place.
This nothingness, slowly turned to shadows…
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
A confused girl, who was eager for something.
Her end.
Subaru didn't even see her, didn't acknowledge her, hence why she couldn't reach him. She didn't just disappear from his vicinity, she was never there, never uttered those words of love.
She would never know how close she was to getting her ultimate wish.
Natsuki Subaru who was trying to get the most out of his death…
It took three deaths to learn that he had been killed by a sigh.
And yet—that too, meant nothing.
As he didn't even scratch the surface of Greed's power.
I hope you liked the chapter.
Yes, Regulus is indeed gets the Sirius treatment, he has no plot nerf on him in this story…hence overpowered as fuck. He kills Subaru so fast that it causes his 'precognition' of death to get better. This exists even in canon, Subaru can sense death and shit like that. Avoiding an attack he can't see in arc 5 and his body instantly reacting to Todd's ax throw are some examples.
Throughout the chapter, Subaru was checking out how the loop normally would go without his involvement with Sirius, checking the longer range effect of her ability and so on…basically, he is collecting data without dying. I don't think I will be explaining everything that Subaru does. The way we see loops will change after all bishops get their time.
Regulus kills him so fast that Subaru ends up thinking Puck is basically killing him from the crystal. Subaru neither feels pain or anything when he dies to Regulus, Return By Death and Subaru is also not used to this. One of the reasons why Subaru thought that Puck was killing him? Well, Death always happens just before he can feel Emilia's lips. But that's just Regulus coping "Maybe she won't let herself be sullied" or something else in those lines and then kills Subaru because he refuses to be NTRd by him.
Amount of tolerance Regulus has towards a woman doesn't have a complicated equation. How beautiful you are, how fresh you are (new bride candidate) and in Emilia's case, a chance to refill a vacant number(Emilia instead of Fortuna).
Emilia is really beautiful, baby face and all too…which Regulus likes. Hair is also according to his tastes. But again…will his tolerance be at the level of canon where Emilia could get away with certain things she did in canon?
:D
I won't answer that, but if the answer is no, just imagine the implications and the level of difficulty increase for Subaru.
And yeah, Subaru just starts to let things go a bit. In some parts here, he was quite the piece of shit. But pieces of shits do not die for no reason or get 'punished'...I am not Tappei so Subaru won't get some forced bashing for it. Not to mention one of the reasons he isn't self-hating and thinks about stopping these actions is because everyone around him are just frauds when it comes to that.
This was what Subaru's reasoning on being with Emilia camp was all about. WIth Emilia Camp, Subaru has the most freedom, if he ever decides to do something fucked up or something questionable, there is always someone to call out. Of course this is how he rationalized things deep down, before the one year Subaru changed he never understood that part of himself.
His kryptonite would be someone who never fucked up with him.
In any case, Subaru's journey here won't conclude with him realizing the secret of everything and how he becomes the best version of himself. It's hard to do that when he is a time looper and there are no morals for that shit…
But again, realizations will be there. He is already having it as you can see. Letting a loop go normally instead of thinking he can brute force Sirius and how every opponent in this world is just 'no difficulty' for him…yeah we will see about that.
He isn't wrong exactly, but 00000,1% enemies that can be harder than 'no difficulty' happen to be in the city…at the same time.
That ought to be fun.
And now, we see Emilia straight up thinking Subaru is basically somewhat connected to Pandora. It's not just he is like her but straight up connected. That's because she already had seen the disturbing similarities with the way both talk and so on, when Subaru talks about death not working on him while never thinking Emilia would take it seriously…she actually takes it very seriously thanks to her experiences with Pandora. After that it's just her getting PTSD.