Chapter 6

Subaru looked out into the empty village while narrowing his eyes to the numerous crimson-red eyes visible in the forest's background, which made Subaru wary of the Mabeasts in said forest.

"Alright then. I think it's time we get this started." Subaru said before he walked into the forest with Ram appearing at his side.

"Subaru-sama, are you sure it was wise to leave the Sword Saint and my sister at the mansion? Thanks to your kindness towards us, I do not doubt my sister's skills, but the Sword Saint scares me, for I fear what he will do to us when he learns what we're capable of." Ram said before Subaru reassured her with a pat on the head.

"Don't worry, Ram. Reinhardt and Rem will be protecting the people of Arlam Village should any Mabeast make it past us, along with Elsa since her part is important for Reinhardt to trust her so we can have her on our side." Subaru said before the two entered the forest to see the army of Mabeasts, which made Subaru smile, seeing a shadow blur past them.

'Good luck, Elsa. I wish you the best of luck when dealing with Reinhardt.' Subaru said in his mind before seeing an Ulgram try to get the jump on him, but the poor dog was eaten by a massive jaw, shocking the dog until it saw Subaru's smirk as his left arm was shown to reveal a massive jaw with multiple eyes.

The arm then ate the Ulgram before Subaru licked his lips as if he had eaten a wonderful meal until he spoke to Ram.

"Ram. Deal with the Mabeasts further in the forest. I'll take care of the ones here." Subaru said, which Ram then bowed to him.

"Of course, Subaru-sama," Ram replied before vanishing deep into the forest while Subaru narrowed his eyes at the approaching Mabeasts.

Subaru just stood in his position, facing the dog, who put itself in an attack position.

In the dog's mind, Subaru had nowhere to run, and there was no way he would back down now.

Subaru put himself in a combat position, too, but he didn't let go of his stare at the dog, who finally decided to make the first move.

The Mabeast jumped towards Subaru with a wide open mouth, ready to tear him apart, yet Subaru wasn't one to get underestimated. He put a step back and turned on himself to deliver a sidekick right in the dog's face, knocking him to the side. He decided not to waste any time and grabbed the beast's head, which was still a bit stunned, and smashed its throat on the branch sticking out of the tree trunk to his side before pushing it further with one final kick to the head.

That small fight made him move much more than usual, and his hair, normally lifted, fell before his eyes.

"You reap what you sow. Now stay down." Subaru said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead before he heard more growl all around him. When he turned back, he saw dozens of shiny red eyes staring at him from the darkness of the forest.

"Really? You think this is enough to take me down?" Subaru asked before changing his look to a more menacing one as he looked at the dogs again, starting to surround him.

"All right then, though I should warn you all. I'm not trapped here with you," Subaru said before his demon smile grew with razor-sharp teeth and his eyes glowing crimson red.

"You are trapped with me!"

The first dog started to jump towards him in the same way as the previous one; Subaru dodged it and crushed his neck on the ground with his right foot. It started whining while some fangs flew into the air, which made the others attack him as well.

The second one aimed for his leg, which was a terrible idea since Subaru was strongly holding his ground. Planting his left foot deep in the earth, he raised his other foot from the crushed-down beast and gave a monstrous kick right in the muzzle of the dog, sending him flying towards another one.

"Well, what's the problem? Can't take me one on one?"

Subaru asked, making the dogs growl at him before another attacked him without letting Subaru catch his breath and jump to his back.

Surprisingly, Subaru didn't seem afraid as he turned around in extremis and dodged the bite for a few millimeters, yet he was losing balance. He had the reflex to bring the dog down with him by grabbing him by the mouth and pinning him down with his knee while another jumped on him.

Subaru calculated his next move and grabbed the beast by the neck, holding him off while trying to crush its throat by tightening his grip as hard as he could.

Yet while the beasts were all around him, Subaru made a war cry while destroying the beast's throat with his bare hand before letting its body fall, panting and breathless.

Subaru started to smile, looking at the defeated Mabeast one last time before raising his gaze toward the multiple beasts approaching him.

"I'm getting tired of these pests," Subaru said before summoning a Gatling gun in his left hand and letting loose a storm of bullets that killed many of the Mabeasts around Subaru while the Demon King was laughing in amusement until he saw no more eyes.

"Tch. If that was the best this Capella woman could've done, then she obviously isn't that smart," Subaru said before Ram was thrown out of the forest with Meli in her arms.

Subaru caught Ram and saw that she was still alive but a bit beaten up while her visible eye glared back at the forest.

"Ram. What happened?" Subaru asked before Ram replied.

"She's here. The Archbishop of Lust." Ram said before Meili shivered and replied to Subaru.

"Mama wants to play with you so much. Be careful."

At her words, something slammed down from the sky, kicking up a ton of dust and dirt from the impact.

"What the hell?!" Subaru shouted. "Who just dropped from the sky?!"

"Subaru, we need-" Ram choked when the smell hit her nostrils.

"Wonderful! Amazing! My best assassin and even Meili's creatures have been held at bay! This lovely lady is truly happy she came!"

The dust cleared away to reveal a blonde girl with blood-red eyes in the strangest attire Ram had ever seen, being revealing but somehow lacking the eroticism Elsa carried as two larger circular appendages could be seen sprouting out of her body just above her waist.

But worst of all, there was a blatant sadistic glee in her eyes as she fixed them solely on Subaru.

"W-Who... No..." Subaru shook his head as he took a cautionary step back, his eyes wide and manic. "What the hell are you?"

With a nauseatingly lewd smile, she declared. "Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing LUST! Capella Emerada Lugnica."

Subaru glared at Capella before placing Ram on the ground. "Ram. This is your order. Get Meili out of here and head back to the mansion. I'll hold her off while you go warn Reinhardt and the others."

"I refuse!" Ram snapped as she prepared to jump after the Archbishop until Subaru stopped her.

"Get back to the mansion!" Subaru roared. "Elsa said that she was here to kill Emilia and me! And she's no longer here!"

Subaru knew that Elsa wouldn't really kill Emilia since she was given her orders and is now loyal to Subaru, so she will continue her orders by getting Reinhardt to believe she can help them.

"The sun just went down! Without Puck, Emilia and the others will be easy pickings for her!" Subaru pointed back at the mansion in emphasis. "Get going! Warn your sister as well! I'll hold Capella here until you can get back!"

For one long instant, Subaru thought that Ram would disregard his words. Thankfully, she thought otherwise and swiftly ran off, leaving Subaru behind as she undoubtedly placed her sister's wellbeing above his. "Now, then..."

Subaru turned just as he heard the sound of trees being brutally ripped apart. "I have to face down a monster lady again."

"My... my skin..." Capella murmured as she stepped forward from the bush, her arms massive, furred, and clawed. This lovely lady's perfect, flawless skin is bruised, scratched, and burned."

Her face twisted into something ugly, her voice steadily gaining volume with each word. "You…You WRETCH! YOU INSIGNIFICANT, WORTHLESS, REVOLTING RAT!"

Capella surged forward, her hand glowing a malevolent violet color as she slapped Subaru's chest... but nothing happened.

"You…" Capella's rage swiftly shifted to shock and disbelief. "There was no... How did you counteract my Authority?!"

'Authority? Is this a new name for a power that's unique to a Demon's powers?' Subaru rapidly thought as he rapidly backstepped from the Archbishop.

"Wait...! Your smell...!" Capella's eyes widened as she took a step forward. "That smell… I knew it! So that is how you can become a dragon as well!"

A guttural noise rumbled deep in her throat as she declared. "All love belongs to me! Your love belongs to me! Give me your love! Give me your Authority!"

"My Authority?" Subaru parroted in confusion. "I don't know what you mean, but hell no! You can't have it, bitch! You're not getting any 'love' from me!"

"All that is love belongs to me and me alone! I am the one who harbors all the love in the world! I am the only one who will be in love! I am the only one to feel love! I am... LOVE!" Baring fangs too large to be human, Capella roared and lunged forward.

Subaru was annoyed by this woman before smiling as the air began to get cold.

"Well, in that case, here's a present to show my love," Subaru said as a massive pair of cat eyes appeared behind him before Puck growled at Capella.

"Puck. Sick her." Subaru said before the cat roared and released an icy breeze that froze Capella's arms, causing them to shatter before they regrew back slowly.

Reinhardt was concerned about this plan because he didn't like the idea of his friends putting themselves in harm's way. He trusted Subaru with his plans, but he had some concerns.

That is until Elsa appeared before Reinhardt but surprised the Sword Saint when she appeared to be unarmed.

"Listen to me. I know what you must think of me, but trust me when I say I wish to offer you something that'll not only help your king but also free someone I care for deeply," Elsa said before Reinhardt pointed the sword at her.

"And why, in the name of the dragon, should I believe anything you have to say?"

"Because we don't have much time, and if you truly care about Subaru Natsuki and wish to save him, then listen to what I have to say, because we don't have much time," Elsa said before the two saw how cold the breeze from the forest outside was reaching them until Ram appeared in the door.

Rem reached her sister and wrapped her in a blanket before glaring at Elsa.

"Lord Reinhardt. If what Elsa said is true, then we need all the help we can get to kill this Archbishop." Rem said before Reinhardt felt that there were no other enemies outside the mansion and that the people were still alive and well, but sensing that Puck and Capella were still clashing with their claws and fangs as well as fire and ice.

'Reinhardt. I trust you, and I know you'll make the right decision to help save the people.'

Subaru said those words to him since his king trusted him, Reinhardt Van Astraea. This made Reinhardt sigh as he put the sword down and spoke to Elsa.

"What do you have to tell us about defeating Capella?" Reinhardt asked, making Elsa sigh in relief before speaking to him.

"Mama won't be easy to beat, and if the elf dies, then the cat will try to destroy us," Elsa said, beginning to explain how to defeat Capella.

Elsa just wished she could fight by her master's side.

"Now, this is what I call entertainment," Subaru said while eating some popcorn he made with his powers since the two massive beasts were entertaining him in a fight to the death.

Capella roared as she attacked Puck, now as a panther. Her black fur and claws shimmered in the moonlight as she latched onto his left front arm and tried to bite through the fur.

A thorough failure on her path as Puck gripped her skull and squeezed, crushing her head before throwing her away just as the panther twisted into a mass of shrieking flying insects that swarmed towards Puck, only for a massive roar of ice to freeze all of them.

"Fifteen times now, you have dealt a killing blow against this lovely lady! Shall we see if you can manage a sixteenth time?!"

Undeterred, Capella smoothly regathered into a dark and rapidly growing mass, ebony nails the size of benches. Wings of darkness have been so long that they put a football field to shame. Ruby colored eyes were as large as Puck himself.

"Oh fuck yes! Now, this is a Kaiju battle!" Subaru said while enjoying some popcorn before cheering, seeing Puck charge toward Capella's dragon form.

With a mighty roar that shook the ground it stood on and tore through the forest, Capella released a pitch-black jet of flame, searing the very air around it as it flew toward its target.

"Damn! I need some sunglasses and sunscreen." Subaru said as he pulled out some sunglasses and sunscreen before applying them on himself while watching the battle.

"Left hook, Puck!" Subaru shouted, making Puck avoid the left swipe of Capella's claws before Puck blasted a stream of blue fire that made Capella's dragon form roar in pain until Puck leaped onto Capella and sank his teeth into her neck, causing Capella to roar in pain before Puck removed Capella's head before burning it with his flames.

However, it was in vain, as Capella merely regenerated her head, albeit a bit slower than the other times Puck killed her.

'So Capella's regeneration is limited to her flesh and blood. And Capella can regain more by using others, which could explain why she was trying to fuse with me to gain my power.' Subaru said in his mind while observing the battle until Capella pinned Puck on the ground and blasted a blast of fire into the cat's side, making Puck howl in pain before Puck used its left claw to stab Capella in the heart, making her stagger back while Puck slowly got up but the flames continued to harm his body before the ice out them out; however, the damage was already done.

Subaru saw this and could tell this battle was coming to an end soon as Capella then leaped towards Puck and began to sink her fangs into Puck and consume him, making Puck howl in pain before Subaru looked at Puck's pleading eyes.

'Please keep Emilia safe.' Puck said in his mind while he was being consumed by the monster known as Capella before Subaru nodded his way.

"I will. Trust me when I say I'll deal with this fool and keep Emilia safe," Subaru said, crossing his fingers behind his back, not really caring, as Puck was finally consumed by Capella, who was now laughing before feeling the icy powers flow within her.

"Ahahaha! Now I have the stupid cat's love and his power! I am inevitable!" Capella laughed before Subaru yawned as he interrupted her rant.

"Wow. You killed a Great Spirit. Congratulations. Give the lady her prize." Subaru said, throwing away his sunglasses before seeing Capella's annoyed face.

"Didn't your mother tell you never to interrupt a lady when she's revealing in victory?"

"Well, that's true, but I don't see a lady but an ugly old hag who's just pretending to be a kid to make herself think she's pretty when she's just a sad, ugly old bitch, who no one will ever really love," Subaru said which seemed to make Capella's eyebrow twitch a bit as her dragon form then flew into the air and began to laugh at Subaru.

"You mock me, and yet I have the high ground!" Capella laughed as she then blasted Subaru with a volley of her jet-black flames that spread through the forest before summoning another head and blasting a stream of ice at Subaru. This made her laugh even more at the fool for challenging her and denying her love until she ended her attack to see that the entire forest was burned and frozen at the same time.

Capella flew down and looked at Subaru Natsuki's body before laughing at his corpse until her ears picked up laughter from above her. This made her look up to see that she was underneath a still-alive Subaru Natsuki, who had massive wings that fit an Angel on his back. Subaru's grin grew on his face.

"That was a cute assault, but sadly, that isn't going to be enough to kill me. I've dealt with far more terrifying demons than some wannabe demon who thinks she's tough shit just because of a cute little regeneration trick." Subaru said before snapping his fingers, causing chains to bind Capella's body to the ground before Subaru gestured and up motion, causing the ground beneath Capella to become an island as her body was lifted towards Subaru.

Subaru was now looking at a pinned dragon's eyes before placing a hand on her head.

"Your body may be able to regenerate, but how about your mind when it's not destroyed but filled with so much knowledge?" Subaru said as his eyes glowed crimson red. The sky began to darken with lightning and the wind blowing wildly around them.

Capella struggled against the chains, her wings beating furiously, but she couldn't break free. Subaru's hand on her head seemed to anchor her even more firmly in place. He could feel the fury and desperation radiating off her, but he paid it no mind. This was an opportunity he couldn't waste.

"Infinite Void."

Subaru's eyes glowed even brighter, and an intricate pattern of crimson light spread from his hand onto Capella's forehead.

The knowledge transfer began. Images, memories, and thoughts flooded Capella's mind, overwhelming her senses. She screamed a high-pitched, guttural sound that echoed through the ravaged forest.

"Do you feel it?" Subaru's voice was calm, almost gentle as if he were speaking to a frightened child. "Every single memory, every piece of knowledge I've ever gained from the infinite knowledge I gained from the Cosmos Devil. Do you wish for my love? Well, here you go."

Capella's roars of rage turned to cries of pain. Her regeneration was useless against this mental assault due to her powers being only able to regenerate her physical body but not her mental state.

Her mind, previously a fortress of arrogance and malice, now buckled under the weight of Subaru's experiences. The countless deaths, the suffering, the determination, and the demons Subaru had traversed through all of it pummeled her consciousness.

Subaru watched impassively as Capella's form flickered, her body trying to shapeshift in a desperate attempt to escape the mental onslaught. She shifted from dragon to insect swarm to a twisted humanoid form, but the chains held firm. Finally, her movements slowed, and she collapsed into a heap, her dragon form barely recognizable as Capella finally became a puddle of black sludge.

Subaru released his hold, and the chains dissipated before floating down as he looked at the black sludge on the island, trying to pull itself together.

"Y-You b-b-bastard..." Capella gritted as her head began to emerge from the puddle of sludge, but Subaru didn't care, so he began to speak to her.

"You see, Capella, true power isn't just about destruction. It's about control—over yourself, over your enemies, and sometimes, over reality itself." He stood up, turning away from her broken form. "I told you you're not getting any love from me. But you've earned my pity."

As Subaru began to walk away, Capella weakly raised her head, her voice a mere whisper. "This... isn't... over..."

Subaru paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Oh, it is. For you, it's definitely over."

He continued walking, leaving Capella behind. Capella growled in hatred toward Subaru until she used her strength to make her top half a dragon's jaw as she tried to kill Subaru.

Subaru, however, was fine with this.

"You fool."

Capella snapped her jaw down on Subaru but didn't feel anything as Subaru appeared behind her once more and stabbed his left hand into her chest, making Capella stagger a bit until Subaru removed his hand from her body but had something else in his hand.

Her soul.

"Your soul is mine, and it's time for you to die," Subaru said before snapping his fingers.

"Eternal Void."

A small sphere appeared and sucked Capella's soul into the sphere, making her yell as her soul was sucked into the orb until Subaru saw her soul was no more.

"Your soul is now trapped in an eternal abyss where you'll never be able to escape for all eternity," Subaru said, sighing in relief as the sky began to clear and the winds died down.

The forest, though damaged, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Subaru's thoughts turned to Emilia and the others. He had to get back to the mansion.

However, he looked at Capella's body, which had no soul, before Subaru smiled, feeling hungry at the moment.

"Well, I am a bit peckish after using a bit of my magic," Subaru said as his body and jaw began to open. Subaru began to enjoy a wonderful feast of meat and power.

Later.

At the mansion, Reinhardt listened intently to Elsa's plan. Despite his reservations, he knew they were running out of options. "Fine. We'll do it your way, but if you betray us—"

"I won't," Elsa interrupted. "Subaru saved me, and I owe him everything. I will not betray him."

Reinhardt nodded, though his grip on his sword remained firm. "Ram, get everyone ready. We move out as soon as Subaru returns."

Ram, still cradling Meili, nodded and hurried to prepare for the next phase of their battle. She trusted Subaru, but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread in her heart. She had to believe that he would come back to them victorious.

Outside, the cold breeze began to fade, and a silhouette appeared on the horizon. Subaru, in the uniform that he had worn earlier while wielding the sword Reinhardt had given him, walked towards the mansion, a determined look on his face but clutching something in his left hand.

Reinhardt rushed to Subaru and caught Subaru as he was about to collapse. Still, Reinhardt sighed in relief after seeing that Subaru was fine but a bit tired after the battle until he saw that Subaru was holding Puck's crystal in his hand, making Reinhardt shocked before carrying Subaru inside the mansion where Elsa and Meili were glad he was okay but surprised Subaru managed to defeat Capella, one of the two strongest Sun Archbishops which made Elsa think that Subaru is more than an Archbishop.

Subaru Natsuki is the Warlock of Pride, and she will serve him now and forever.

Meanwhile, in the capital of Lugnica, history was about to be recorded.

In the throne room, the Sage Council, the Captain of the Royal Guard, Marcos Gildark, a select few nobles, and finally, a group of knights, mages, and servants were having a meeting.

The topic of the moment, as it had been for the past few days, concerned the sighting of a dragon in the capital's slums.

However, all of that came to a halt when a maid brought something to their attention.

"Look!" She yelled, pointing at the Dragon Tablet. Everyone in the room turned to see what had caused the maid so much visible shock and promptly felt the same.

The Dragon Tablet, gifted by the Divine Dragon Volcanica and the Great Sage Shaula, could report the news as long as it concerned the kingdom as a whole and establish a magical and mental link with every Lugnican citizen when needed.

Its last report was to declare the Royal Selection and reveal Volcanica's intent to choose the kingdom's new ruler out of five specially chosen maidens.

And now, there was a new report. Something that would've surely shocked a certain Sword Saint had he been present to witness it.

"Sage Candidate and Fifth Candidate for the throne, Natsuki 'Flugel' Subaru, has defeated the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Lust, Capella Emerada Lugnica."

And with that one sentence, the whole room proceeded to lose their shit.

"WHAT!?"

Yep, things were definitely going to be interesting.

Scene!

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Subaru showed his tactics, magic, and combat skills.

Now, Subaru is much smarter and stronger than his canon self, but he does have his weaknesses. For example, magic can be very draining on his body since Subaru doesn't have a contracted spirit but does have much better control of his magic.

Also, Subaru is prideful when he battles people who think they're superior to him, causing him to enjoy battling arrogant people and putting them down. However, Subaru's biggest weakness is when he uses so many demon powers at once since Subaru is able to use many demon powers, but using so many in unison wears him down since he still requires blood to revitalize himself. Still, thanks to the Dragon Blood from Capella, Subaru will be satisfied for a while.

I hope you all enjoyed it, Ta-Ta, for now. Stay tuned for some random ideas that will become a reality!