A/N: Greeting's everyone. This is a chapter I've been wanting to release for a very long time now. It features art made by perfArt_ on twitter (FFnet readers disregard). This is a longer chapter, but I promise its well worth the read. Please enjoy!
Chapter 106: Hold On—
With the march of footsteps making their way out of the village, the second, separate evacuation had begun. At the helm, was Ram and Tivy taking the lead, as it was the elder twin-sister who was the most familiar with the route they would be taking. This left Rem and YN to make up the rear guard.
Around half of the villagers were with them. However as they trekked deeper and deeper into roads YN had never traversed, it became apparent the current pace couldn't be kept. Many of the villagers were already either wounded or extremely fatigued. Taking into account those who were still able bodied, there were still the elderly who were slow going as well. Least to say, the evacuation group was now splitting into two smaller groups; one moving faster than the other, which meant guarding and keeping them all safe was going to be a larger problem than it was at first.
Halting their group, an impromptu meeting was held and a decision was made. It would be Ram and Tivy who would take the more robust of their group and blaze the trail to their destination of "Sanctuary." Whatever that meant.
Now left with the slower of the fleeing villagers, Rem and YN moved along with them, being keen to follow the forward group's trail.
But as the evening drew near, the sun was beginning to go down, and the skies were turning orange in hue, signaling a loss of light in the near future.
Subaru is still definitely alive... We haven't Reset yet.
Looking up at a nearby tree, YN saw one of the many magic crystals along their path, faintly glowing in the dim light.
And at least with the barrier still up, we don't need to worry about mabeasts.
As their journey continued deep into the wooded area, step by step, a faint wind blew through the forest.
As the wind swept by, YN thought to pay it no mind, but reacting to it, Rem halted the group with a single hand up. With all stopped, she smelled the wind and lowered her head.
YN: Rem...
Calling out to the one who held his heart, she turned to him.
Rem: The Witch's scent... and blood.
YN: —!
Startled by both of those words, before Rem could say more, a few figures from the path ahead ran towards them. Two of the villagers that had gone ahead with Ram and Tivy were in full retreat.
Villager: Please help! They're attacking!
Unsure of what to do, YN's mind was torn between going ahead to assist and leaving this group undefended, or staying put in-case this was part of the Witch Cult's plan.
But without an opportunity to think, Rem bolted ahead.
Shit!
Running after her, YN had his choice made for him. Struggling to keep up with the maid who was demonically inspired to reach her sister who was certainly in combat, YN passed a few more villagers running back to the second group in his pursuit of Rem.
Reaching a clearing, he finally caught up with her.
Tivy: WAAAHHH!
Rem: El Huma!
Cutting down a handful of Witch Cultists, Rem had assistance in striking down the ones she missed impacting with her ice by the wail of Tivy's sonic voice.
Looking out on this clearing where the two stood, YN saw the death it was littered with. Bodies of villagers and Witch Cultists alike stained the ground red. But nowhere was there a figure of white and pink Rem was seeking out.
Also noticing this, Rem asked the only other one present where her Nee-sama was.
Rem: Tivy-san! Where is Nee-sama? Did she go ahead?
Figuring the reason she wasn't present and the death toll being so high must be related, Rem had panic in her voice as she asked this, but before she could get an answer, her entire composure was rocked.
Rem: —!
Clutching her head and staggering backward, nearly falling as she did, Rem's gaze was down at the ground as Tivy hesitantly replied seeing her react this way with no sign of clear cause.
Tivy: I-It started with her being yanked away... All of a sudden she was lifted up and taken away into the forest... I had to defend all on my own—
Before he could finish, Rem had heard not a word of Tivy's before she turned to YN with eyes as wide as could be. An expression of anguish lingered on her face as dread filled her mind.
Rem: My link—! With Nee-sama. It's...!
As tears welled in her eyes, Rem looked out into the forest before her. Hesitating not a second more, she followed to where she felt the severance in connection with her beloved sister.
YN: —Rem!
With the maid running out into the thicket of the trees and brush, YN turned to the small orange demi-human in shock at Rem's sudden departure.
YN: I have to follow her! Please take care of the villagers!
Running after the blue haired girl, YN feared the absolute worst.
Shit shit shit!
Jumping over fallen trees and bashing through various bushes, YN could imagine exactly what had occurred.
'Suddenly being lifted up and taken away...' Damn you, Petelgeuse!
With Ram being taken out of the fight, the Finger that Petelgeuse certainly currently possessed must have done so to make the group more defenseless. Taking the strongest out first only made sense in their weakened state.
This is bad! Ram doesn't know how to fight that madman! If we're too late then—!
Coming to a clearing, YN heard the sound repeat again.
*Ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum.*
Halting, he saw the scene before him. Three figures were in the opening.
Two stood, one was on the ground.
Closest to him was Rem, perhaps only a few paces away. But across from him in the opening were the other two.
?: What bountiful love! Truly a devotion that runs as deep as can be! Come! Oh beloved and Slothful sister!
Yelling out cries of madness, another woman was learned back, clutching their head.
?: It makes my brain tremble!
Unable to see their face at the moment with their hands and posture obscuring it, YN let his eyes fall to the final figure present.
Near the feet of a woman in black robes, was an all pink, clocked person. With a white cloak, stained a deep scarlet red, the only part that gave away who this could have been was the pink hair atop their head.
As soon as YN recognized who this was, his eyes had a hard time focusing in on the gruesome sight.
Her arms and legs were orientated in ways they should not be. It was a sight he'd seen once before, but rather than pink, it had been the soft blue that calmed his heart.
At this robbed woman's feet, laid Ram, the elder sister of Rem.
Her current condition implied no other fate than death. A painful one, at that.
No... No! Ram!
Knowing Rem must be facing a truly terrible emotion, YN's first instinct was to comfort her despite the situation they were currently in, but as he took a step toward her, an awful fear crept into his spine.
YN: — — —
Warning bells of all sorts were going off in his mind as he looked to the blue haired maid as she simply stood in place. Unmoving, and unspeaking.
Rem: — — —
What... What is this feeling?!
As if some sort of primordial fear was awakened inside him, it kept him from approaching her. But as he racked his mind trying to figure why this was the case, the woman in black robes fixed her posture.
?: All that rage! The rage! From such a wounded body did she fight!
Looking over to the women, YN knew who these ramblings belonged to, however as he met this one's eyes, a second of doubt encapsulated his expression.
?: Oh? You appear to not believe who it is who has the Witch's prize favor. Or have you in your slothfulness forgotten?
The face and hair he recognized. It was just as Subaru first described to him, and just as he had seen before.
This woman, clad now in black robes of the Witch Cult for the first time YN had seen, had surprised him with her role as a finger, but that only seemed to make sense, given her involvement in the attempted theft of Emilia's crystal that Puck dwelled in.
With a freckled face and hair of orange-ish-auburn, the women under new mental ownership bowed to both Rem and YN.
?: Allow me to introduce myself once more—
Slowly raising their posture, the reality of this woman being a Finger sunk in for YN.
?: Archbishop of the Witch's Cult,—
No way... No way!
Standing fully straight up, the woman spoke words not of her own, but of the foe that had taken Rem's life before.
?: Representing the Authority of Sloth—,
YN: You...!
Petelgeuse: Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti—
Twisting their head sideways in an unnatural way, their eyes filled with madness seemed to be amplified by the freckles on the Finger's face and feminine voice the Archbishop's words now were spoken with.
Petelgeuse: —Desu!
Rem: — — —
Feeling like he was surrounded by threats, YN's mind raced to find any conclusions to draw.
My body can't move! Between Rem and Petelgeuse, I'm frozen!
Yet as he looked to Rem, she had remained just as still.
Is it rage? Or can she not find the strength to move too?
With all those involved frozen, the madman regained their composure.
Petelgeuse: Hmm, are all of you this silent?
YN: — — —
Rem: — — —
With no response, Petelgeuse sought to antagonize them instead.
Petelgeuse: This one here would not speak either, and look what fate awarded her Slothfulness!
Gesturing down to the corpse by their feet, Ram was made the subject Rem was forced to look at still. If it was difficult for YN to view Ram's body this way, then for Rem...
Rem: — — —
Still unable to approach her, or even see her face or eye from the side he stood to her at, YN could gather no information on Rem's condition.
Petelgeuse: Had this not been my final Finger, I could have extracted information out of her before her breath left her body. How Slothful of me to have lost so many capable Fingers!
Wait, so this is his last one? If we can kill it then—?!
With the realization that the others must have slain the other Fingers in the attack against Arlem, a shred of hope was garnered, but he was quickly reminded a good ending to this wasn't feasible anymore.
No... Ram is still dead... I won't let this loop continue... I can't. I won't let Rem face a future like that.
As dread now filled his soul, he knew all the work that had been done; preventing the theft, defeating the Whale, organizing the convoy, all of it now was as good as lost.
Rem has to realize that too now, doesn't she?
Letting his mind be filled with even more worry, the madman prattled on.
Petelgeuse: Tell me, would either of you be interested in taking up the Gospel and accepting Her love? Diligent Fingers are required for the Great Trial to come!
Removing a black book from the freckle faced woman's robes that he now controlled, the Archbishop offered to them a deal neither would ever take.
Glaring at YN though, the madman jeered at him.
Petelgeuse: That spirit will need to go, its disgusting presence litters the vessel. The girl however—
Rem (whisper): Shut up...
With anger, Rem began to shake as her first words were uttered.
Not in an extremely long time had YN heard such anger, such malice in her voice. It struck a cord deep within him and amplified the fear and apprehension he currently felt from the violent aura she was giving off.
Surprised to finally hear her though, the madman rejoiced in the response.
Petelgeuse: She speaks! She speaks! She has just proven herself to be much more diligent than the other!
Rem: Shut...—
Petelgeuse: No matter how hard I squeezed her! No matter how hard I pried she would not speak to me!
Rem: —up.
Shaking more and more, YN could also hear the continued exhaustion in her voice. While her body boiled with rage, it also ran low on the fuel to form that rage.
Rem was at a breaking point. Mentally, and physically.
Petelgeuse: Twisting! Bending! Snapping! Tearing! The demon refused to show her true nature despite such wounds to the flesh!
Rem: Shut up!
Stomping the ground hard enough to crack the stone beneath her, Rem's limit was met. Slowly, her mind began to drift away into her own insanity.
Her exhaustion, the wounds of everything occurring, the stress knowing this loop was for naught, and now the mental image of her sister turned bloody and dead now burned into her, it was all too much.
While YN still could not see the pain and anger on her face, he did begin to see something.
Starting first as a faint glow, the purple light that symbolized its conjuring began to radiate.
No... She's doing that again! If she loses control, she'll—!
Petelgeuse: Wonderful! Spectacular! You who is diligent shall be rewarded! Show me the love your sister could not! Show her how truly slothful she was!
With her fangs and nails growing, Rem was on the brink of losing total control and jeopardizing her safety.
YN: Rem! Don't—!
Petelgeuse: Now perish before Her favor! Authority of Sloth!
Drawing out many hands, YN could see them suddenly manifest, reminding him he knew Rem couldn't.
Rem: AAAHHH!
Launching her body forward, Rem charged the Sin Archbishop.
Petelgeuse: Unseen Hands!
Rocketing towards her in response, YN panicked.
Rem's frenzied and won't realize there's things she can't see! Damn it!
Knowing he was powerless to stop Rem in this state, YN could only watch on in horror at the battle about to unfold before him.
As the hands and Rem nearly met, she did something that surprised YN though.
Rem: Gya!
Sending many ice crystals down at the ground and towards the madman, a few struck down some of the hands headed towards her, while the others stirred up enough dirt to show the silhouettes of the hands.
She's copying what Wilhelm did!
In her intense rage and strength, the oni smashed and dodged many of the hands headed for her with a flurry of kicks and punches.
She doesn't have her morningstar though... She can't effectively fight them!
As YN recalled Rem's weapon having flown out of her hands during the initial confrontation with the Sin Archbishop, Rem continued her advance towards the madman, but trying as she might though, she only got so far before—
Petelgeuse: It is useless! My favor grants me greater strength than yours!
Rem: AH—!
Seizing her body and lifting her up, the Unseen Hands strangled Rem's body.
To YN's absolute horror, it was just as it was before in the cave. The distance, the height, everything reminded him of those terrible moments forever burned into his memory.
No...
Petelgeuse: Now, I shall let you join your sister!
—No!
Seeing the flash of white in his vision, YN felt a huge swell of mana flow into him, unlike ever before.
Without even the smallest amount of buildup, he had all the mana he needed in his palm to save Rem. Aiming for the mass of shadowy "arms" that were the bridge between Rem, suspended high in the air, and the Archbishop, down on the ground, he fired off his Yang magic.
YN: Jiwald!
Cascading rays of light burned their way through the shadowy hands and beyond, to the treetops behind them. Disintegrating their branches and leaves, the battlefield was now bathed in the warm hue of the orange sunset that was hiding behind those trees.
But as the hands released Rem, she fell. Hitting the ground hard, it was still a much better fate than being slowly crushed and torn apart.
YN: Rem!
Wanting to rush to her side, YN was halted by a mass of black hands reaching for him. Rolling out of the way at the last second, he counter attacked.
YN: Jiwald! Jiwald!
Using both hands, he fired on convective flashes of Yang magic. First hitting the hands sent for him, he fired the next volley towards the Archbishop itself.
Meeting the rays though, were more sacrificial hands, shielding the attack.
Petelgeuse: Such amateur magic! Weak! Unguided! Uninspired! Your level of skill is slothful!
Looking to see if Rem was okay, her body remained on the ground, but she did appear to be moving.
I'm going to end this!
YN: 'Amateur' huh? Try this!
Aiming his fingers towards the madman still cloaked in his own shadowy hands, YN sought to pierce right them.
YN: El Jiwald!
With five beams bearing down on the Witch Cultist, they met the shadowy hands.
Petelgeuse: How?! Where does your power come from!
Slowly but surely, the intense beams of Yang magic were slowly eating through the layers of Unseen Hands, knocking them out faster than they could be manifested again.
I gotta keep this up!
Pulling as much mana out the air as possible, and depleting his own reserves, Algol and YN struggled to keep the Yang spell going until—
?: HAA!
Showering the entire battlefield were pillars of ice. Fearing for his own safety and their proximity, YN was forced to retreat a few steps and cancel his magical final gambit.
Damn it! What was—?!
?: Haha... Hahahaha... Hahaha!
The maniacal laughter. YN recognized it.
No... She's completely gone now...
As the blue haired girl found the strength to stand, it was no longer her own.
Rem: Hahahaha!
With a truly demonic look, a bloodied face, and stained clothes, the oni that held YN's heart had forsaken the safety of herself in this fight now. As the madness of her state was made apparent, he could see the blood-lust in her eye, radiating anger, as the horn she had cast an ominous glow across her face.
Throwing the ice across the field, Rem even in her frenzied state tried in vain to reattempt the method to see the Unseen Hands.
But with as much mana as YN had used, Rem would be fighting this battle on her own now. Jumping forward into the fray, casting more and more crystals of ice, the oni fought on in her maddened state.
She understands she needs to stir up the dirt to see the hands, but other than that, she's fighting blindly.
Watching on as Rem shot more and more ice haphazardly, YN could barely hang onto consciousness from his mana depletion having used El Jiwald.
Even with Algol, it seems my mana consumption is way higher than it should be still... Damn it...
As Rem failed twice now to get close enough to land a killing blow on her sister's murderer, in her state she was becoming more simple minded. Her eyes still gleamed with a demonic aura, her wicked smile still had her baring her long fangs, and her nails still longed to claw out the Archbishop's throat.
Petelgeuse: Your dance is slothfully predictable!
Recalling all of his Unseen Hands, Rem was unable to see the counter attack coming right for her.
No!
YN summoned any and all strength that remained in his body.
I've got to—!
His limbs screaming, his muscles burning, and his mind urging him to stop, he pushed his body onward to rush in to save Rem, even as it was nearly completely tapped for mana and energy. Having been awake for as long as Rem had been as well, his body too, was at its limit as well.
As the shadowy hands neared her delicate figure once, YN denied them their prize.
Shoving Rem out of the way, the Unseen Hands latched on to him instead.
Rem: —!
YN: —Ack!
Catching his fall, the hands immediately lifted him up and began to pull at all sides of him.
Falling down from his shove, the oni still in her frenzy became further enraged. While her mind could not truly tell friend from foe, she still recognized the Archbishop as the one who had killed Ram. But with her state now labeling YN an enemy, she still had priorities.
No! Rem!
Giving him a look of discontent to his pained expression as the Unseen Hands now began injuring him with their strength, Rem paid him no mind as she focused on Petelgeuse.
Petelgeuse: It is time to rid that terrible spirit of its contractor!
As YN began to feel his limbs be pulled to their absolute limit, Rem lifted a single hand, and conjured a massive ice crystal above her. Larger than herself, larger than YN could remember her ever casting, she launched it at the origin of the shadowy hands she could not see.
Petelgeuse: —!
Too distracted in taking pleasure and watching the one who held a contracted spirit suffer, the Archbishop had failed to take evasive action against the incoming projectile. Seeing it now, they could only brace for the impact and recall his hands, releasing YN.
Petelgeuse: Ul Dona!
Feeling the ground shake, suddenly a rocken dome was erected over the Archbishop. Shattering the ice on contact, the dome stood resolute.
That was way too close!
Extra sore now from his fall, an idea quickly formed in YN's mind.
Rem can't win this on his own, and I'm out of the fight... There's one thing I can do to make this work.
But as he went to put his plan in motion, a new threat halted his actions.
Rem: Hyaa!
Narrowly avoiding having his skull shattered by her stomp, YN rolled out of the way of Rem's attempt to end his life, but not before she had managed to kick him mid-roll to nearly halfway across the clearing.
YN: —Gah!
Tumbling to a stop after briefly going airborne, even in his pained condition, YN prioritized the plan. With the rock dome beginning to crumble away, he had to act fast.
YN: A-Algol... go piss him off...
His hand being held out, the Yang spirit obeyed his command. Floating over the stone dome the Archbishop still hid inside of, the little white light entered inside.
Meanwhile, YN crawled backward from Rem as she slowly approached still, anger and untold malice in her one visible eye. But as she got close enough to kick him again, the dome shattered open, taking her attention away.
Petelgeuse: Disgusting! Revolting! Indecent spirit! Leave this area and perish!
Now!
With Rem turning her attention to the greater of those she was angry at, YN knew it was now or never. Climbing to his feet, he nearly tripped as he began his charge towards the Archbishop, his shadowy hands and their real ones all swatting at and trying to bat the evasive Yang spirit.
It's just like that night in the forest, I just have to play bait!
Charging right behind him though, the oni, still in her enraged state, was hot on his heels.
Just one more—
Tripping up on purpose, YN secured the opening for Rem.
—last shot of strength!
As he fell on the rubble left over from Petelgeuse's Earth magic, YN put the last bit of mana he had into his arm muscle, slamming the ground where it was the loosest and stirring up as much dust as he could.
They're all yours now, Rem!
With the Sin Archbishop slow to react still as they were still concentrated on the annoying spirit, Rem was able to charge in. With the dust allowing her to see the few hands that had been pulled off from attacking the spirit to stop her, she easily avoided them.
Leaping, Rem in oni-mode fueled rage from her loss of mental capacity, paired her legs together and made contact with the madman.
Petelgeuse: —Ack!
Turning her entire body into a spear, her double legged kick had hit the Archbishop like a freight train. If it wasn't the hit itself, it was the impact they sustained as they slammed into the tree some twenty paces behind them that had finally ended the Archbishop's last life.
With a total organ cavitation being sustained from the one massive kick, the body of the Finger Petelgeuse had occupied was now deceased.
It's... It's finally over... But now...
As he remained on the ground, almost unable to even lift his head to look, YN could just barely make out Ram's bloodied body still.
We've gotta end things...
Approaching him still however, YN could hear her feet crunching the gravel covered battlefield.
Looking to see her, his heart sank.
Still enraged. Still frenzied. Rem approached YN with a murderous look in her eye and she continued to bare her fangs at him.
No... I thought she would have snapped out of it by now! Seeing Petelgeuse dead should be enough to get her to calm down!
Too fatigued to crawl away, YN's mind began to panic.
YN: R-Rem! No! We've got to work together to —ack! We've gotta end this Loop!
If we can't work together, resetting this so all the damage is undone will be nearly impossible.
Dreading the idea it could all end right here, YN knew he needed to snap her out of it.
I've got to somehow hit her horn!
With absolutely no strength, his mind raced until—
Like last time, if I can just manage that—!
As the enraged oni slowly continued to approach, YN had his thoughts cut off as his eyes went wide with strange feelings.
What is—?!
?: Hmm, this is a good vessel, a fine vessel, adequate for a Finger, however—
In his head, a second pair of thoughts seemed to manifest from somewhere in his mind. He heard the voice as clear as day, yet Rem did not react to it just as she hadn't with the drumming noises he had heard.
?: —were it not for this meddlesome spirit still, I'd devote this vessel to a lifetime of following her Love!
Fearful even his own thoughts could be heard, YN spoke them out loud.
YN: It can't be—! I—! I can hear him! Why?! Why is he—?!
With his panicked words doing little to stop her slow advance to him, Rem reached YN as he continued to lay in his weakened state. Lifting her leg, she hovered her foot right above his head, ready to end the second entity she had determined was hostile.
Petelgeuse: This vessel won't do though. But….—
As Rem's knee was lifted up as high as could be, her foot began to come down. With death imminent, it was the least of YN's worries now.
Petelgeuse: —she meets the minimum requirements.
Time seemed to stand still as the foreign entity departed his mind. It was an odd sensation, but YN knew that's what it was. In this frozen time, several things were worked out in his mind as it came to the realizations one by one.
Petelgeuse hates spirits... and just now while he tried to possess me... he couldn't because of my contracted spirit... he said I was a good candidate for it... This feeling though, it's just like when I first met Algol in the loot-house and later when I secured a contract with it in Fleur...
More and more, the clues unraveled for YN.
Julius said me and Subaru both had an impressive affinity for Spirit Arts. That must be the qualification to be a Finger, to have good Spirit Arts affinity. Petelgeuse did say Subaru was a great find... That must mean the same thing... It has to...
As death approached sooner, the madman's final words in his mind haunted him.
Rem said it herself, she has bad affinity with spirits... but...
Echoing in his mind, the final words, when compared to all he had just realized, came to their truest, darkest meaning.
'—she meets the minimum requirements.'
With no other Fingers left, it was clear what madman— no, mad spirit meant by those words.
No. No! Rem! Not Rem!
Fractions of a second away from having his skull impaled, if nothing was done, Rem killing him would be the last thing she'd ever do under her own will, enraged or not.
Looking past the impact meant to end him, a green spec of light seemed to shoot out of him in slow motion.
How do I stop it?! How?! Please! Something! Anything!
As the green spec —no, the spirit known as Petelgeuse traveled toward Rem, a white spec of light had appeared from behind her head, starkly contrasting the still murderous intent in her eye.
Like a beacon of hope showing itself to him, it felt as if the Yang spirit was looking back at him as time ticked by ever so slowly, knowing something critical had to be done.
Although it pained YN greatly, the success of restoring a new Loop without the mistakes and dread of this one relied on him severing this connection.
Algol... please protect Rem.
Feeling like he just lost a close friend, though only truly knowing of them for less than a day, YN broke his contract with Yang spirit.
Thank you, Algol for everything. Please take good care of Rem for me, won't you?
Sending the spirit to the one who held his heart, a loose, but thwarting contract was signed between her and the Yang spirit.
As time began to move forward again it seemed, the Spirit known as Petelgeuse reached Rem.
But as it set its sights on possessing her—
Algol: —!
Denying him entry, the Yang spirit reflected the Sin Archbishop.
Rem: —Ah!
With the recoil strong enough to even push Rem's incoming stomp back, the maid was knocked back as the force of the repulsion had focused itself right on her glowing horn.
Seeing her eyes regain their former consciousness and kindness, the rejected green spec of light danced around in bewilderment for a moment before moving at great speed.
Right back toward YN.
While YN had sacrificed his connection with Algol to save Rem, he in turn knew this meant also sacrificing his own autonomy, as without Algol, he was completely vulnerable now.
Petelgeuse: Oh? Have you finally realized Her Love? Have you come to finally accept the truth of the Gospel?! Wonderful! Wonderful! Truly how diligent you've decided to become in your last few moments!
His eyes going bloodshot from the reverberating echo of the madman's words in his mind, a thick pain was levied on his mind.
YN: Get out!
While he knew it was a sacrifice for Rem, it wasn't as if YN was about to go down without a fight.
Clutching his head and rolling around, the pain his head felt had actually managed to get him to stand once more.
Slowly returning to her senses, Rem's mind was foggy and her memory was blurry. She knew Ram was still deceased, and she knew she had managed to slay the last Finger, yet something still didn't seem to set right in her mind.
Because before her, YN was standing clutching his head with both hands as if writhing in intense pain.
Rem remembers vaguely trying to stomp on YN-kun... Did she actually do that?
Worried now that she had harmed the one who held her heart in her frenzied state, a great guilt grew in her.
Rem has done it again, hasn't she?
YN: Get out! Get out!
All The while, YN hollered for other reasons. Keen on finding out why he was holding his head, Rem took a step towards him. Seeing she was beginning to become aware again, YN knew he had to keep her safe.
YN: Rem, stay away!
Fighting and fighting, YN was losing the battle against the Sin Archbishop.
Petelgeuse: You simply wanted to experience Her Love for yourself! Didn't you!? You saw the Slothfulness in the maid-girl and denied her the opportunity out of wishing to earn Her Favor! Such diligence! It! Makes! My! Brain—!
Losing what felt like his very soul, the Sin Archbishop finally overpowered his own mind.
"YN": —Tremble!
While Rem had continued to move closer in hope to comfort him in the pain she believed she had inflicted, she halted as he yelled to the orange sky above.
Rem: — — —
Hanging his head, YN looked down at the ground as stood, shoulders slumped, eyes not visible. With an eerie silence growing between the two, Rem finally grew the nerve to speak.
Rem: YN...-kun?
Still silent in immediate reply, "YN" threw his head back in maniacal laughter.
"YN": Hahaha! What a wonderful feeling! I have not fit this comfortably into a vessel in generations! What a great boon this truly is!
Horrified by the words, Rem's soul shuddered at the sheer thought of what she may be witnessing.
YN-kun told Rem to stay away... and for something to 'get out' of him...
Shaking, it felt like she was about to pass out.
We just ended the life of the last Finger... so why—?
Cutting off her own thoughts, Rem hollowly spoke the dreaded conclusion that she was forced to draw.
Rem: This person before Rem... He is no longer YN-kun, is he?
Lowering his head, his eyes, intense and foreboding, stared back at her before answering. Gone was the familiarity they had.
?: No... I am—
Bowing suddenly, his back remained as stiff as a board that had been bent in half. Crossing one arm across his abdomen, as he rose, he announced his name.
?: —the Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing the Authority of Sloth—
Hearing these words in the voice of the one she loved, Rem's heart sank to its newest low.
Petelgeuse: Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti—
Standing straight once more, his head twisted to the side just as the first revealed Finger's had.
Petelgeuse: —DESU!
Instinctively taking a step backwards in horror, the look upon Rem's face was one complete shock and agony. Somehow, in some unthinkable fate, her beloved had been taken away from her in the most cruel way.
Rem: No... This cannot be...
On the verge of breaking down once more, Rem was completely lost on what she could do, —what anyone could do to fix this.
Petelgeuse: Now then...
As YN's head lowered, unbeknownst to Rem, a pair of the shadowy hands had manifested from the captured body.
Petelgeuse: Let us end this and dispose of this newest vessel's old belongings!
Racing out to meet her, in Rem's completely drained state, she stood no chance of thwarting, or even evading the Unseen Hands. Yet, just as they were to reach her—
"Petelgeuse": —Ahhck!
Throwing himself to the ground, the hands invisibly dematerialized. Floundering about in pain, YN's body kicked and punched at the dirt on the ground.
"YN": Get out of me!
Realizing he was still fighting, that in his body, the person she adored more than anyone else was still alive, Rem rushed to his side.
Rem: YN-kun!
Flipping over to his back, Rem cupped her hands around his face.
Rem: Fight this! Your Rem believes in you! YN-kun, please win!
Distressed and panicked, Rem pleaded to the part of YN that was still fighting and was now on top it seemed.
YN: —Ack! Rem I can't hold him back!
Rem: You must! We will fetch Ferris-sama! Perhaps with him, we can—!
YN: Rem...
Softly speaking to her despite the pain, his voice cut her words off as a great pain started to well in her chest.
YN: You're protected by Algol now... Meaning if his latest host dies, he won't be able to jump bodies again... That means... You know what you have to do...
Speaking of things like Death, Rem began to shake and tremble even more.
Rem: No... No. No! Please don't say these things! YN-kun—! Rem can—!
YN: Rem.
With his own emotions returning to his eyes, Rem looked down at one who held her heart with tears beginning to form in her own.
YN: —You have to kill me. It's the only way.
As the tears fell now, Rem replied through her growing sobs.
Rem: Please do not request this of Rem... she can't! She won't!
Shrieking out her answer and tightly shutting her eyes, she shook her head in defiance. Rem denied doing that which she believed would forever seal her fate of being hated by the one she loved.
"YN": —Ack!
Fighting to maintain control, YN was losing it once more.
Rem: YN-kun! YN-kun—!
Petelgeuse: Oh, what love! You are both true believers in love! To be so loved is unfounded! Unexpected! Unimaginable!
Rem: Leave his body now!
Yelling at the entity occupying YN, Rem's words went unanswered.
Petelgeuse: So much love one would cast away their life to preserve the other's!
Rem: Shut-up!
Petelgeuse: YOU ARE BOTH TRULY LOVED! SUCH STRONG BELIEVERS IN LOVE!
Rem: Rem said...—
Letting her anger take hold once more, Rem firmly grabbed the collar of YN's shirt as she moved to pin his body to the ground by straddling his torso, using her knees to trap his arms.
Rem: —Shut-up!
Pulling his head forward by his collar, in her blind anger, Rem lashed the back of YN's head into the stone covered ground.
"YN": —Gah!
Hearing his voice cry in pain, Rem quickly moved her hands off his collar and cupped her hands to her mouth.
In her rage, she had let herself consciously harm YN, something she had swore never to do again.
Rem: —! Y-YN-kun! Rem didn't mean to! Please forgive her! Please don't hate her! Please don't—!
Panicking as her hands shook, she was unsure if she should try and force herself to apply healing magic despite having zero mana left.
But while YN was shocked back to his consciousness by the blow to the back of his head, it felt like even while he was in control, he was losing his total advantage of this being his body.
While the back of his head felt hot and sore from the wound, in his blurred vision, he saw two shadowy hands creeping up the side of Rem as she remained in shock from her actions.
No... Don't—!
YN: —Don't touch her!
Cursing the one in him trying to harm the one who held his heart, YN used all of his mental fortitude to push back and smother the Archbishop, if only for a few moments.
Unsure what she should do still, Rem could only painfully watch on as YN came back to the surface.
YN: Rem... You have to do it. You have to kill me and than make sure *he* dies. It's the only way out of this mess now.
With more tears falling, Rem shook her head as she replied.
Rem: E-Even if Rem could... Her strength is gone... Her morningstar is gone... she could not do so in a way that would not make her YN-kun suffer from her own weakness.
Intensely sobbing up imagining those things, let alone saying them, YN could feel her tears falling on his face.
YN: —Tch... What about ice?
Shaking her head again, Rem answered.
Rem: Rem cannot focus her mana so soon after her horn was struck.
Seemingly without any other options, YN moved his arms out from under Rem's knees where they were pinned, her pressure letting up now that he was in control.
Reaching for her hands with his, he placed her soft, delicate palms around his own throat.
Opening her eyes wide, a great fear of memories flooded the maid's mind. This was a forbidden place for her hands to be. Never could she trust herself to have them here. Never again could she allow herself to do this.
YN: Rem. You have to do this again.
With more and more tears streaming down her face, Rem gently shook her head and mouthed the word "no" as she was shocked speechless at the mere idea of repeating one of the most horrific things she knew she had done before.
Rem: N-N-No... Please don't make Rem do this... Please! YN-kun! Rem is begging him!
Frantically pleading, Rem's voice was filled with dread and shock.
YN: Rem. Please let it be you who does it.
Rem: YN-kun...
In complete agony and pain, Rem's fingers remained wrapped around YN's neck, but had yet to apply any force. But, feeling like was going to lose out to the madman inside him soon, he pressured her to go through with it.
YN: It's for our future, okay? I need you to do this. Only you can. I wouldn't want it to be anyone but you.
Seeing so much agony dwell on her beautiful face, YN used his hands to push hers into his neck. Feeling it begin, Rem's tears began to flow intensely.
Rem: If YN-kun must make his Rem do this... She has but one request of him the next time he sees her.
Nodding in lieu of his breath becoming short as his windpipe was slowly being closed off, Rem voiced her request through her tears.
Rem: Before YN-kun tells [Rem] of how he died, please ask her to say what she thinks she cannot to him. Please promise Rem that he'll do this. If not, Rem is afraid—
YN: —I will.
Sealing the fate of a future [Rem], Rem realized she was now locked in. Her final gambit was now cast.
Knowing that she was now going to be responsible for yet another death of YN's, Rem feared this would be the final deciding point in him ever loving her.
How could he love someone who has killed him so many times now?
That was why this was Rem's only hope. If she could somehow get her next-self to say the words she could not, that would more than likely be her last ever chance to ever muster the courage to say them. For if she ever came to permanently know she was the cause of yet another of YN's deaths, her words would forever be sealed in her complex maiden heart.
But with his agreement, and much to her own lament, Rem applied pressure to the fingers that held YN's life in them. Pushing down on his throat, she began what she needed to do.
Looking up to her with no anger, no sadness, and no regret, the one she loved held not a single bit of those emotions in his eyes.
His voice soon to leave him, he spoke to her.
YN: This... it brings back memories... doesn't it?
Breathing in sharply at such words, Rem gasped.
Rem: Please do not say that... Rem will lose her will to continue... Such wretched memories stab very deep in her soul.
Smiling despite the pain, he reprized her lamenting.
YN: To me... they're good memories...
Surprised to hear such a thing come from her YN-kun, it countered everything she believed it was for him.
Rem: H-How—? How can YN-kun say these things...?
YN: Because... you're in them. Any memory with you is a good one.
Wounding the ideas that Rem thought was the "Unfortunate Truth" she'd one day need to come to terms with, she was thoroughly caught off guard. But before she could think any more on it—
YN: I can't hold it back anymore... We need... to finish it...
Knowing their borrowed time was at an end, Rem pushed her fingers deeper into his neck's flesh. Her tears, now a waterfall of sadness ran and fell over YN as she hated every second of having to do this.
Her face was filled with more sadness and pain than he had ever seen before. Sobbing and crying uncontrollably, the tears fell like rain on YN's face. As her grip tightened and his life slipped further and further away, one final clear thought crossed his mind.
How cruel am I? To ask this of her...
Losing his consciousness and soon, his life, his vision began to blur. His hearing began to muffle, and his sense of touch faded.
As YN began to die, the last thing he saw was the azure figure that was Rem's hair, the very same hue of blue he had come to adore as it shined brilliantly in the evening rays of the day's last light.
However, he did see her lips move as his senses became more dull.
They moved in the same way they had when her twisted and broken body first said them while he held her in his arms. Still true for now, he could not make the words out for what they meant.
As his life slipped from this world, his death caused by Rem's own hands, YN died entrusting her for their happy future together once more. He was fully confident that she'd attain that for them like she had done so many times before now it seemed.
The last dull sensation he felt were the many tears Rem shed, falling from her painstricken eyes as he passed.
With his life fully extinguished, Rem's near iron grip on his neck finally relaxed as she felt no more resistance, and no more pulse.
She had done it again. Her hands had squeezed the precious life from his body. Although she had been tasked to do this, and with no other option available, the reality was hard for her to accept.
Dry tears stained her face and the clothes YN's corpse still wore. Slowly, she removed her hands from around his neck.
While the after effects were unknown to her, just like last time this happened, under each finger, there were black and blue bruises from the pressure needed to crush the windpipe.
Seeing the morbid sight, Rem choked up again, her self guilt magnifying to new extremes.
Turning her palms toward herself, they shook uncontrollably. Her fingers each twitched as she witnessed her instruments that were once again responsible for her beloved's death. Slowly she moved her vision upward as she again looked upon the first of the three corpses to have been made in this clearing. Again reminded of it, Ram's body still laid where it was.
With the reality that the two closest people in her life were now gone, the immense and overwhelming realization of her newfound loneliness exploded.
Choking up several times and drawing more and more air into her lungs, she let out an immense scream of misery and anguish.
Echoing through the empty forest, the maid's cries of the deepest sorrow imaginable went unheard by a single soul. Collapsing down onto the body below her, Rem buried her face into his chest as she sobbed without end.
Never before it seemed, had a heart known such despair.
It was now nearly twilight. The last rays of light skimmed across the empty blue sky, now turned a dark indigo with faint rays of pink scattering the last hour of sun.
Rem had remained beside herself until only recently. Egged on by courage to right the wrongs she now faced, she had finally stood and presided over the ones she had lost.
Having moved each of the two bodies to the opposite side of the clearing to be away from as much of the destruction of the fight as possible, it was only to give them the most peaceful rest she could offer.
Gently leaned against each other, with their backs against a large tree, they were both cast into Rem's shadow from the setting sun that danced just above the horizon.
Rem: Nee-sama... YN-kun...
Now fully alone in the world thanks to the Witch Cult, Rem felt completely hollow and devoid on the inside. All the light in her life was now extinguished. She had been pushed to her absolute limits and back, and now had everything she held precious in this world taken from her.
Having shut the eyes of each of the two before her, never had this been a sight she even wanted to imagine was possible.
Ram and YN's hair gently swayed in unison as a calm, evening breeze went by. As Rem looked down upon them each however, a new visitor approached, having tried to give her all the space and time it could for her to grieve, it now knew there were things she needed to do.
Slowly coming into her vision, the white spec of light she had known as YN's former contracted spirit did what it could to console the one it was now loosely contracted to protect and serve.
Extending her hand out, the Yang spirit rested gently in her palm.
Rem: — — —
The connection of a Contract is there... Although it is weak and Rem has poor affinity for spirit arts, she can very much sense that this spirit, —Algol, is now in her direct company.
Rem turned her gaze now to the way she had come from. If she was to be successful, she would need to hurry and put an end to this Hell she was now living in.
Floating up and out of her hand to somewhere past her vision, Algol left the rest up to the blue haired maid.
Setting off, Rem gave the two who were left behind one final look of love. Softly closing her eyes, she began her final purpose for living.
Coming upon an equally dreadful scene, Rem had moved through the ruined village of Arlem, now devastated from prolonged fighting and the massive explosion that had occurred. While it was filled with death and destruction, it did not phase her now. She had seen things now that to her, were much more horrible.
Like a phantom, she silently traversed its streets, somehow going completely unnoticed by all around, either they were still too shocked from the death, or were simply too exhausted to pay her any mind.
Rem avoided seeing any of the key members from either camp until she happened upon the main square of the village.
There it was she saw the large ice entrapment that held a single un-hooded Witch Cultist.
Another Finger...
Estimating this had to have been the ninth one, Rem's attention was drawn towards the silver haired girl standing near the ice, as if lamenting her actions. Unfolding as it had, this scene must have originated from before she had taken YN's life. The ninth Finger, encased in ice, must have been killed, which had sent the Archbishop to his last Finger, the one responsible for taking Ram's life.
Near the base of this ice entrapment though, sat Emilia. With a blank stare going out across the distance, and a devoid look on her face, the poor girl it seemed was coming to terms with the consequences of killing, even if they were an enemy as ruthless and cutthroat as the Witch Cult.
It appears as if Emilia-sama is dwelling on the reality of taking a life...
As Rem realized what that must be like, an itch of envy had grown from the idea of being so inexperienced in the way of life and death. Yet, any passion it might ignite was smothered like a candle under a tea cup with her newfound dread and depression.
How fortunate, to be so innocent.
While Emilia now had blood on her hands, it felt like drops in the bucket versus what Rem had shed with hers.
But taking her attention away from the half-elf, Felix and Julius' panicked voices caught her ear.
Felix: Subawu just ran away! He finally worked up the spine to go comfort Emilia-sama, but then just took off into the woods, running away!
Looking at where he had run to, Julius turned back to the healer.
Julius: I have a bad feeling about this... Ferris, follow me.
Going after Subaru, Rem guessed what it potentially was. Slowly, she followed in their path, still unnoticed by anyone else.
Just as she had concluded, Rem watched on from the brush, hidden from view.
Julius: Madman!
"Subaru": Yes! Mad for love! Oh I have witnessed such love today! The most powerful love imaginable! Affectionate love! Undaunted love! Pure love! Cherished love!
Speaking the words of the Archbishop, the spirit known as Petelgeuse had now taken over Subaru's body.
Shouting for him to fight it, to resist the madman inside of him, Rem knew their pleas were in vain.
There is no winning against it now... It is better to end his suffering.
Pushing back the madman though, Subaru was in control of his own body once more, much like how YN had managed a few times.
Weakly speaking to Julius, Subaru requested the same fate that YN had.
Subaru: Julius... do what you gotta do with that sword of yours...
Horrified by the request, the finest knight wore an expression of agony that was unbefitting of him. With no promise to deliver the blow, Subaru turned to Felix, who also seemed unwilling to end the life of a friend in such a way.
But in their hesitation, the madman returned.
Petelgeuse: How slothful! To not strike your foe down while he is vulnerable! It makes my brain tremble!
With the Archbishop surfacing again, a swift action came from the demi-human. Placing his hands on either side of Subaru's head, he spoke before using his advanced skills.
Felix: Mew can hate me for this, Subawu.
Subaru: —I hate me too.
As Felix had tried to deliver a painless death via his unrivaled healing magic techniques, the sudden surfacing of Subaru had caught him off guard.
Subaru: —AAHHHH!
Perhaps only halfway doing what he intended to do, Felix had been shocked out of completing the action.
Rolling in extreme pain now, Subaru flashed between himself and the madman as they both now experienced an awful pain of unspeakable magnitude.
Like a case of medical malpractice gone extremely wrong, Felix could only watch on in horror.
Felix: Ferri didn't—! This wasn't the intention—! I—!
Turning to Julius for help, the cat-eared demi-human pleaded for support from his botched method of an easy death for Subaru.
Felix: Julius, please—!
Knowing it was up to him now to do it, he drew his knightly sword. Pointing the tip to body rolling in pain, flashing between the one they knew and wished to save, and the madman they sought to end, in rare form, the sword shook with the trembles of its user.
All he needed to do was thrust, and their dear friends' suffering could be at an end. But with this apprehension—
Julius: I—! I can't—!
Felix: Mew must! If not mew, then who?! Subawu would want a friend to do it!
Bickering and bickering, Rem had seen enough suffering from the sidelines.
Coming to her side, Algol granted her mana from the atmosphere to do what must be done, as the two others were incapable of doing so, bless their souls.
But now with Rem herself hesitating, it wasn't for the same reason she had for YN, or why Julius and Felix were now for Subaru.
If Rem ends Subaru-kun's life with her magic, he will know it was Rem that was responsible...
Meaning—
He will suspect something upon his Return. He will question YN-kun about it. He will wonder why Rem was the one to end him.
Unsure of how to proceed, an answer came to her in the form of a warmth in her hand.
Landing in her palm, the spirit seemed to gift her something. As it departed and returned to her side, the warmth remained.
That is correct...
Even with the weak link the rapidly drafted contract provided between the two, Rem knew what having a contracted spirit meant in terms of magical talent between the two entities.
Still unseen from view, her location afforded her the perfect opportunity for what needed to be done.
Letting the warmth grow in her hands and feeling mana flow to her from the spirit's ability to pull it from the atmosphere, Rem readied her magic.
Aiming her palm from the brush, she knew it was now, or never.
As the mana reached a critical heat, she chanted the borrowed magic's name, and with its impact, the world was Reset with the death of the one on the receiving end of it.
Rem: Jiwald.
From one final cascading white light filling her vision, Rem welcomed the black unknown that followed, signaling the end of this Hellscape she suffered.