". . . . . !"
The stunned silence of the people in front of him did not affect the man's unchanging smile in the slightest. Rather, he took it as an unspoken agreement with the sentiment of his previous declaration. By all accounts, fate had arranged this reunion to perfectly suit his own desires.
However, even he wasn't so gracious as to overlook the rudeness shown to him by the man who had called out to him so crassly a few moments ago. Subaru's anger was evident in his glare, and Regulus's focus was now firmly locked onto him.
"Ah, you know who I am. . .? It's very rude to refer to someone as 'you'. We've only just met and you've felt the need to level an insult rather than ask my name. I don't recall us ever meeting, so perhaps this is how you greet every new person you encounter? As someone completely satisfied with my current standing and possessions, I can be forgiving of habits like those, but it wouldn't be right for me to completely ignore such rudeness in the presence of my future wives. Don't you think that levying up such inflammatory accusations could cause misunderstandings? I'm not at all concerned with how people perceive me, but according to my own sensibilities, slander is something that should not be tolerated. Did it not occur to you that needlessly directing hostility towards me would engender misconceptions among those standing next to you about my character? Surely they would assume I've done something to merit such a furious reaction, yet you know that I have done nothing of the sort. By all accounts, this misunderstanding could be considered a transgression of my rights. I'm not affected by this, don't misunderstand. Howe-. . . ."
BOOM*
All at once, a massive shard of ice crashed into the increasingly incoherent man, interrupting his ramble and eviscerating the walls of flame that locked them in the square. When Subaru turned to identify the source of this attack, he saw Emilia wearing an expression almost entirely foreign to any he'd ever seen on her before. It was a brew of multiple raw emotions, all battling for dominance for control of her face.
'E-Emilia. . !?'
During her initial chant, which he'd not even heard as the utterance was nearly silent, Emilia's bloodlust was so powerful it gave Subaru chills all the way down to his toes. By the time he'd got a good look at her, there was more frustration in her eyes than anything else, which left him even more confused as to how Emilia knew to attack this person.
"E-Emilia-tan! Wait a second, what's going on? I didn't tell you he attacked me yet!"
Subaru wasn't necessarily trying to shame her for her quick action, it had been clear that man was no normal person, but her reaction implied more of a relationship than simple guesswork.
"There's no way that finished him! Subaru, please get behind me. . !"
Before he could say another word, Emilia had bolted away from the still-spellbound Sirius and got in between Subaru and Regulus. Her first instinct was to erect another wall of ice, just in case Regulus had managed to get an attack off before her spell had obscured his vision.
WHOOSH*
". . . !"
The cloud of smoke and dust had been dispelled almost instantaneously, the man at the center of the attack emerging completely unharmed. There wasn't even a speck of dirt visible on his perfectly white outfit, which gave Subaru pause. How could it be possible?
". . .What is this? What kind of people are you? I was in the middle of airing a grievance, as any person in my situation must do, yet I was rudely interrupted. Yes, I am a rather patient person, but to expect that of every new encounter is exceedingly vain. If I had been killed just now, that would have been the ultimate expression of an unjust world. Or even worse, a man with less patience than me would take that behavior as an offense and use it as an excuse to mindlessly attack. To act in such a manner begets violence and shuts down free expression. Perhaps you hold a different perspective or narrower minds about this sort of thing, but shutting down open dialogue is the epitome of arrogance. To assert yourselves correct before I have a chance to speak hardly lends itself to living in a civil society. This is why I vehemently detest violence. However, I am also understanding of different viewpoints. I've never used violence to assert myself before, as I've already told you I abhor violence, but if this is the only form of effective communication then I have no choice but to reciprocate. I'm not angered by this action of yours, so don't confuse yourselves, it's not anything I take enjoyment out of. It's a precaution to prevent this from happening with others in the future. It wouldn't be right for me to ignore such blatant rudeness and encroachment of my rights."
The man's face grew more and more flustered as he continued through his rant, which made Subaru's blood run cold. This man's behavior was completely incomprehensible, perhaps even more than Sirius's. To claim he detested violence in the presence of a man whose arm he'd nearly blown off, and to have forgotten such an incident in less than a day. . ?
"Y-You've. . . forgotten what you did to me?"
Subaru looked at the man in astonishment, but he could see Emilia's fists begin to tremble in front of him with an unidentified emotion.
"Subaru, don't talk to him. . !"
The residual effects of Wrath's authority were still being held at bay due to a mix of Priscilla and Liliana's efforts, however Emilia was certain that if she heard that man speak another word the rage would come roaring back. She didn't want to do something reckless that could endanger them all.
"I don't appreciate people who groundlessly craft stories about others. Presuming a relationship without the consent of the other party is disrespectful to a person's individual autonomy. I've been rather forgiving with you to this point, but despite my requests to cease this cruel prank, you've persisted without any regard for my feelings. Now you've resulted in a misunderstanding between myself and prospective brides which will require a tiresome dialogue. How then, will you atone for this?"
Regulus tapped his forehead repeatedly, a nerve visibly popping in his temple as he tried and failed to suppress the frustration this conversation was giving him.
"Wait, wait, wait. . . Did you just say brides? What are you talking about?"
Subaru had to force down the urge to laugh at the sheer absurdity of this man's words.
". . . . ?"
". . . ."
"Ah, yes. It makes sense your confusion now."
Regulus's eyes widened, and he put a hand to his chin and let out a small chuckle. Subaru let out an exasperated breath, feeling now that this man had finally remembered their previous interaction.
"I misspoke, anyone would be confused in your situation. Yes, they will be my seventy-ninth and two-hundred ninety-second brides. I apologize for any misconceptions my mislabeling might have caused. My name is Regulus Corneas, Sin Archbishop of Greed. I've kept the seventy-ninth spot vacant for a lengthy period, so it would be easy to misunderstand."
Subaru watched as Regulus pointed to both Emilia and Priscilla with a knowing smile on his face. He could see the two of them scrunch their expression as if they'd both taken bites out of a lemon.
". . .Just die."
CRACK*
His anger having been provoked, Subaru flicked his wrist and sent his whip careening towards the man's face. It made contact, momentarily surprising the unblemished man, before repelling off him without so much as a scrape.
"Get back Subaru, that man is incredibly dangerous, I suppose. . !"
Beatrice momentarily took her attention off of Sirius and extended her hand out to gather her mana. If this man decided to counterattack Subaru, there was no defense they could erect that would shield him from it. That left only one option.
"Shamak!"
". . . !"
The entire square was covered by a black cloud, disentangling the senses of all those inside for the briefest of instances. With this small opening, Beatrice spoke once again, her real plan beginning to take effect.
"Now, Murak, in fact!"
She'd carefully taken note of each relevant person's location before casting her spell, which allowed Beatrice to target Emilia, Priscilla, Liliana, and Subaru without any risk of attack in the interim. Their main objective was no longer to defeat the Cult, but rather to escape this square.
Emilia and Subaru, who were familiar with the sensation, immediately leapt up into the air and onto a nearby rooftop. Priscilla and Liliana, on the other hand, delayed this crucial decision to disengage. The reasons for which would soon become apparent.
WHOOSH*
". . . !"
Once again, the spell was completely dispelled by a simple tap of the man's foot. The dark shroud had been nothing more than an inconvenience and he made short work of it. What awaited him was the sight of Emilia and Subaru charging an attack from a rooftop on the perimeter of the square, and an incoming tempest of flames from the opposite direction.
"Again? How unpleasant. I've already demonstrated this point to you several times, but you refuse to acknowledge it. It's not that I can't see it from your perspective, however I am allowed to disagree with it. As a man, as a human, as a living person, I have rights that must be respected. Should my rights not be as understood as y-. . .?!"
BOOM*
He was cut off in the middle of his rant as both Priscilla's flame attack and Emilia's ice crystal crashed into his defenseless form. While the inevitable smoke and clatter of debris littered the street, Regulus was fully obscured by the aftermath of a, surely fatal, barrage.
WHOOSH*
". . . !"
Both attacks were nullified in the same manner as all others before, leaving Subaru with a dumbstruck impression of this man's durability. This was really, really bad.
'How can he remain completely untouched by an attack like that!? We didn't even scratch him. . !'
Turning to face Beatrice and Emilia, he could see the same level of astonishment in their eyes at the sheer magnitude of their opponent's invincibility. Clearly, they hadn't expected their attacks to do anything, but seeing this man's impregnable defense up close had only drilled in how hopeless their situation truly was.
"A-At this rate. . ."
Subaru shuddered and cut himself off before he could say another word. The fear he'd just barely managed to quell as they approached this square was starting to rear its ugly head once more.
If they tried to run away, Sirius would escape and bewitch them all with her authority again. If they tried to take Sirius with them, it was very likely Lusbel and Tina would end up dying in the aftermath of Regulus's intervention. Subaru had personally borne witness to Regulus destroying a line of buildings with a single swing of his hand. It would likely be much worse this time. . .
"No, I won't give up yet. . !"
So long as there was a chance, he would not let it end this way.
He needed to think of a strategy, and quick.
"My child, your presence won't be needed here any longer."
"E-Eh!? Wait, Priscilla-sama. . ! What about the one we've got tied up here. . ?"
Liliana loosened her grip on the bindings they had on Sirius's mouth, a weak muffled sound beginning to break through.
"This thing is of no concern to you anymore, nor is it a reason to defy an order. You've already exceeded mine expectations, I shall call upon you again. Take the two children and find a shelter, seek out mine attendant Schult and I shall rejoin you shortly."
Priscilla spoke with a huff, gesturing for Liliana to turn and run away. Neither of them had taken the opportunity to escape due to the risk of Sirius breaking free from her containment, but with what they just witnessed, that effort was clearly futile. This fight would have no restrictions on the amount of collateral damage it could generate, and Liliana's death would result in Sirius's re-entry into the battle either way. It was safer to send Liliana away now and keep her in reserve for a more favorable confrontation.
Liliana reached out a hand towards the two children huddled behind Priscilla, who quickly got the message and began to follow behind her away from the square. At the first chance they got, Tina and Lusbel broke into a sprint and shouted one last word of encouragement to them all.
That left Priscilla and Regulus to face off while Subaru, Beatrice, and Emilia formulated a plan.
'Be grateful, clown. The role of stalling a foe is much better suited to a jester like Al, but I suppose you've earned mine favor. I wonder what strategy you shall come up with. . .'
"That's good, those two got away. . ."
Subaru let out a small sigh of relief, having been granted one small mercy in this ever-growing cascade of unfortunate developments. Once those kids were out of range, escaping with Sirius was not an impossible feat assuming they played their cards well.
"It won't be enough, in fact. That man is a threat to the whole city, I suppose. . ."
Beatrice spoke with trepidation, her butterfly pupils trembling as her gaze lingered on Subaru's immobile arm.
". . . I never told you two he was the one who attacked me. What's going on here? How did you know he was an enemy?"
Subaru asked this question as if he was directing it to both Emilia and Beatrice, but his focused stare at Emilia indicated who he was really hoping he'd receive an answer from.
"H-He. . . He was the one who helped Pandora destroy my village 100 years ago. . ."
Emilia felt her breath hitch and nails dig into her palms as she recalled that unpleasant memory for a third time. It had been hard enough reliving those memories for a second time in that accursed theater, but to encounter him so soon afterwards. . .
"Scum. . !"
Subaru grit his teeth together, putting a hand on Emilia's shoulder in an effort to calm some of the overwhelming bloodlust emanating from her cold expression. It must've been this man's fault that Emilia was frozen in ice!
"Wait. . ."
He paused, once more observing Regulus's figure as he flippantly ranted to himself at the center of an empty square.
"That guy is over a hundred years old. . .!?"
Subaru couldn't believe that anyone who was not an elf or a spirit was still around from that era, but it made sense when he thought about it a little more. Betelgeuse had also survived for hundreds of years and there had been no widely known cases of a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult being killed or dying of natural causes. At least, until last year.
'I-I don't get it. . . Is this guy also a spirit? No, that can't be it, he called himself human a few moments ago. Could it be that he lied about that?'
It wasn't out of the question; this man contradicted himself with just about every sentence he spoke. Perhaps it was an attempt to hide the source of his superhuman abilities?
"Subaru, he wasn't just responsible for the destruction of my village. . ."
The half-elf cut herself off, realizing what she was about to say could have a profound impact on how Subaru approached the fight. Subaru stared at her with his expression starting to slowly morph to a sharp glare.
"E-Emilia-tan. . . . ?"
Emilia could see the gears turning in Subaru's mind, and while she felt conflicted to spring this piece of information on him right now, she also felt he had a right to know.
"H-He. . .was also one of the Cultists who attacked the Wagon Train last year too."
". . .-hk!"
Almost immediately, Subaru's shoulders clenched, and his eyes took on a vacant look. This time, it would be Emilia's responsibility to calm him down before he went and did something reckless.
". . .D-Don't joke about this, there's no way that asshole could-. . ."
Memories of his nightly visits to Rem's room flashed across Subaru's field of vision. His weak denial was quickly tossed aside as he was finally forced to consider the reality of what the man down there had put him through.
". . . !"
'I'm going to kill him. I don't know how, but I'm going to kill this guy. . . ! Kill him, Kill him. . !'
If he wasn't currently seeing red, Subaru would probably question if he had fallen back under the influence of Sirius's authority again. This level of vitriolic hatred was nearly impossible to control, but in no way did it bother him. No, in a weird way it was almost comforting. It had always been there, lying dormant since Rem's loss. He'd managed to suppress it and push it to the back of his mind, however doing that for so long had begun to make him resent himself for the lack of progress it yielded. Somewhere in his heart, he feared that he might have moved on, that the anger might have dulled.
He was almost overjoyed to be proven wrong. To finally have someone who he could unleash this suffering back onto that wasn't himself. . !
"Subaru. . ! Please wait!"
He felt someone shake him quickly from side-to-side before a pair of arms yanked him into a short embrace. His frenzied desire was almost immediately doused in what was effectively a straitjacket disguised as a hug. Emilia had acted quickly, before Subaru could leap back off the roof and reenter into the battle.
She had already seen Regulus's battles with Geuse and Crusch, but Subaru had not been awake. It wouldn't be right to fight such an enemy without first considering all the information they had available.
". . .-hk!"
Subaru struggled in her grasp, but it was a fruitless endeavor. Her restraints only grew tighter, and he couldn't bear to look at her with the ugly expression that must be on his face right now.
"From what I've seen, he's completely invulnerable. . .! We need a plan!"
Emilia called out to him, looking desperately to Beatrice for assistance in breaking Subaru out of his unbridled fury.
"S-She's right, in fact. . ! If we rush him now, our attacks will be nullified. . ."
The spirit rushed over and put a hand on Subaru's back, drawing a small amount of mana through their contract in an attempt to dull the tempest of emotions she felt from her contractor. This was much more effective, and for the briefest of moments, fatigue caused the young man to see reason.
". . .*haah*. . .Is that right. . ?"
His breathing had been weakened, but his thoughts were more cogent than they had been a few seconds ago. Emilia and Beatrice wanted him to be aware of everything before he threw himself into the fray again, and so long as they possessed information that Subaru did not, that was not possible.
"Even the attacks that don't shatter on contact do not affect him at all. . ."
Emilia thought back to the ill-fated encounter between Geuse and Regulus, replaying it again and again in the hopes of gleaning something they might have missed.
"I-I'm confused. . .*haah*. . .'shattering on contact'. . ?"
Subaru put his free hand to his chin, focusing on the specific wording from Emilia and comparing it with everything he'd seen so far.
"Y-Yes! The spells we just launched, as well as Crusch's sword skill, simply disperse when they come into contact with him. . ."
This was odd for Subaru to think about, as his previous attack with his whip had clearly struck the man clear on the cheek. Yes, it had done no damage, but the whip itself had also not been destroyed. It was more like all the momentum had been abruptly removed from his attack, leaving the whip's edge to fall impotently on the ground.
"Has there ever been an instance where someone overpowered his defense? Even if it did no damage. . . Just something where his body was moved in any way?"
Both Emilia and Beatrice could see Subaru's glare grow sharper, his thoughts parsing through the different affinities of magic he'd encountered since the beginning of his journey. There was one theory he wanted to test, but to know if he was on the right path, the answer to this next question was crucial.
"U-Uh. . .T-There was! There was one instance where Geuse managed to successfully break Regulus's neck with his Unseen Hand. . .!"
"That's right, in fact. . ! However, the cultist's head reverted to normal like nothing had happened, I suppose. . ."
He nodded, but the look in Subaru's eyes didn't show any relief. What Emilia and Beatrice said had only confirmed his suspicions. He had some idea of how this Archbishop's immunity worked, but that didn't bring them any closer to a solution. In fact, it was likely the opposite.
"D-Damn it. . !"
Subaru let out a small outburst, from which both Emilia and Beatrice were surprised enough to briefly release their hold on him. He had that look like he had figured something out, something important.
"Beako, take my hand."
He reached out his arm, which Beatrice eagerly clasped tightly in her own. She couldn't deny that there was something deeply reassuring about this gesture, even if it was only symbolic.
"Emilia-tan, I-I need you to do something. . ."
Emilia looked at him expectantly for what he would say next, but even she couldn't have anticipated his next words.
"Please attack me!"
"It's quite rude to ignore someone. I try to be generous with others, but even I have limits to my patience. It would be one issue if you had simply ignored my presence, but you attacked me before that and scorched the ground around me. As future husband and wife, I have no desire to marry a corpse, but this behavior can't be overlooked. I do not wish to see you provoke the fury of others who are less generous than me. It doesn't bother me, but I do expect some respect as a person, as a man, as someone who is bearing witness to you. It is unforgivable to transgress someone's rights, and I hope that some sensibility can be established before we proceed with our wedding."
Regulus lets out a sigh and shakes his head while Priscilla lets out a haughty laugh.
"Your entrance is no surprise. Rats run in packs by their nature, as one would expect them to."
This taunt made Regulus's eye twitch and his fists clench with barely restrained rage. This was someone who clearly did not understand the luxury they were being afforded, so he found himself barely holding off his attack for now.
"Now understand that this is not something I can easily forgive. I am aware that we share different values, in fact, that is the basis for all generative discussion, but I do not need to tolerate abuse from you. I don't need, nor do I want your apology, but wouldn't such an insult require requisite reproach? This is the only fair way to look at things, after all, I've been exceedingly courteous despite the poor footing our relationship began with."
BOOM*
". . . . !"
He swung his hand in a large arc, a wave of pure destruction emanating out from it at ludicrous speeds. Before Priscilla had a moment to dodge, several of the buildings on the perimeter of the square had been turned to rubble.
"I held back out of consideration for your nice appearance, so don't misunderstand my intention. I don't like resorting to solutions like this, but common decency compels some punishment for willfully violating another's rights. I'm perfectly satisfied with leaving such mistreatment alone, however, I'm also considerate to the feelings others might have to behavior like this."
". . . ."
The only thing remaining to bear witness to Regulus's self-assured words was a smoldering pile of rubble. Anything in the path of the attack he'd just launched had been torn beyond shreds. There was no way anyone could have survived such an onslaught.
". . .!?"
". . .It's as mine understanding of you cultist scum would suggest, you each live in your own crafted delusions. You are a man who lauds himself for stifling ambition, basking in satisfaction, yet lacking in everything. Mine interests could not be set any lower in you, plebian."
The dust cloud left in the aftermath of his attack was finally beginning to clear, showing Priscilla standing defiantly amidst the eviscerated heap of lumber and stone from the building behind her.
Her clothes were partially torn, her hair fluttering in the active winds generated from the surge of devastation she'd just avoided. Her Yang Sword was in one hand, while in the other was the still-struggling body of Sirius.
It was a repulsive feeling to know that she had pulled a monster like Sirius out of the way of fatal damage, but ignoring her would only mean the damage getting shared with everyone. Of course, Regulus donned a scowl at the perceived impotence of his strike as he prepared another tirade of perceived injustices to spout off at the red-haired woman.
"Lacking in everything. . .? Do you hear yourself speaking right now? Absolutely no one has everything they want. Such a ridiculous notion is far removed from reality and promotes childish and immature fantasies. Are you one of those people who idolize overindulgence? I personally can't understand that kind of thinking, I've always been satisfied with my possessions and scarcely felt the need to acquire more. This misconception you have of me as someone living under some 'illusion of grandeur' could not be further from the truth. I'm always cautious about engendering such misunderstandings because those are precisely the kinds of people I detest the most. It should be so simple, but some just cannot understand it. I am completely and utterly content with my meager possessions, my principles, and my autonomy. It's unfortunate that I'm frequently encountering those who must be taught this lesson. Then again, if someone was to possess everything they wanted, that person would most definitely be myself. I just so happen to desire so little that my humble wants can and should be easily allotted for. This is what it means to respect another's rights."
Regulus ran a hand through his hair, taking a second to examine his surroundings again to try and locate where the other combatants had gone. It was troublesome enough to have to retrieve these two without killing them, but the presence of the crazy bandaged woman only made this situation even more frustrating.
"Truly, a pitiful existence. 'Twas an instant for you to prove yourself the most detestable form of life mine divine eyes have yet beheld. To lie to oneself so utterly, and much worse, to believe it. There is more honor in a thieving slum dweller than in that twisted sermon of yours. For even in its most disgusting state, a pig still retains its impulsion to desire better for itself, even if wholly undeserving."
". . . !"
Priscilla spat out the word pig, her countenance displaying an aura of violent impulse. This man was truly vile, locked in a delusion completely incongruent with the world. It was even stronger than the fantasy which trapped Sirius. There was no way to redeem someone like this, not that Priscilla would ever extend such a mercy to begin with.
". . .Don't get fucking carried away, you woman!"
Regulus's attention had been firmly grabbed by Priscilla once more, as his already limited patience completely ran out. Instead of extending another rant, he picked up two clumps of dirt and tossed one into the sky. The trajectory had it coming down from right above her head. From his other hand, he simply threw a clump of dirt directly towards her. This effectively launched attacks towards Priscilla and Sirius from two directions.
BOOM*
The pile of debris was struck once more by complete devastation.
"W-What. . !?"
Emilia heard Subaru's words and couldn't help but recoil in shock at the proposition. His eyes had such a softness as he stared at her horrified reaction, but that only made the idea even more ridiculous. Was he giving up? W-Was he asking her to. . . !?
"Wait, wait, wait! N-No, I swear it's not what you think. . ! I don't plan on dying anytime soon!"
Subaru rapidly waved with his hand, accidentally dragging Beatrice along for the ride as she kept a firm grip on him. She was also understandably worried at the connotation of his request, so Subaru did his best to soothe their worries.
"You better not, I suppose. . !"
Beatrice leapt up onto Subaru's back and tugged on his ear with her free hand. Emilia, during this gap, had walked back up to Subaru and put her hand on his cheek. The message had been clearly communicated; any further talk of that variety would not end well for him.
"Yes, yes. . ! I get it! Please let go. . ! A-Ah, you'll tear it off. . !"
With his clear admission of defeat, Beatrice let go with a short sigh of relief. She was still seated on his back, so it wasn't necessary any longer for her to keep holding his hand. It was painful to let go of though, that's for sure.
"W-What is it then. . ? Why do you need me to attack you?"
Emilia looked at Subaru, bewildered, and still very anxious at his request. His reasoning would become clear in a second, but no matter how he explained it, he was sure Emilia would be upset with him. Truthfully, if it had been the other way around, he wouldn't even consider striking Emilia, even if it was integral to their plan.
However, the situation was significantly more dire than even he had anticipated. . .
"Y-Yes, right. . ."
ahem*
He cleared his throat, but it came out more like a cough, only further underscoring how uncertain he was in Emilia's reaction.
"Emilia-tan, both Beako and I have been working on our own exclusive spell this past year, one which I believe could act similarly to that jerk's authority. If your attack on me is nullified in the same way as it was against him, it might give us a clue as to how his power operates. I-I realize it's not much, and I'm honestly not even sure what we'd do afterwards, regardless of the result. . . Maybe we can summon Reinhard if that doesn't work. . ?"
Subaru rambled through the last part quicker than the rest, but Beatrice and Emilia grew significantly more uncertain of this strategy after his last sentence. He'd already told them that it did not work earlier, and they were skeptical of any solution that removed their ability to utilize their mana.
"That's not a terrible plan, in fact. Betty is certain her contractor can withstand any one of that foolish girl's attacks with our combined spell, I suppose. . ."
The two of them ignored the small pout on Emilia's face, continuing on with a more serious consideration of this idea.
"Although, I would also want Emilia to strike me with my whip along with the crystal. . . W-Wait a moment, don't take that out of context!"
Subaru could see the looks on both Beatrice and Emilia's faces morph into barely restrained squeals. He quickly adjusted the course to avoid the weird implications of what he just asked them to do.
It was simply better if he had two data points to compare rather than one. If the magic shattered on contact with his spell, that didn't necessarily guarantee that Regulus's authority acted upon the same principle. However, if he could recreate that weird interaction with his whip, he was certain that he could draw a link between the two.
"Very well, Betty will support you in this reckless plan, I suppose."
She gave him a quick nod of affirmation, which led to Subaru turning back to face Emilia.
"I-I. . . really don't want to hurt you. . !"
Emilia looked away and scrunched her eyes closed, clenching her fist in front of her chest. She'd seen the damage her own magic could cause, and much worse than that, she'd seen Subaru killed by the use of that very same magic. Just the thought of her launching one of these attacks at him, using him as a test dummy, made her sick. What if something went wrong? What if he didn't activate it in time?
"Emilia-tan. . ! Ah, that look makes my heart ache. . ."
Subaru knew he had no ground to stand on with this request. If it was the other way around, regardless of the circumstances, he was certain he could never bring himself to strike her. It was a selfish thing to ask of her.
Beatrice didn't like this either, but she would be suffering the same fate as Subaru if something should go wrong.
"S-Subaru, come here over here. . ."
Emilia extended a hand out to him, gesturing for him and Beatrice to come closer, to which they both obliged. When they stopped, she kept shaking her hand until he was less than a foot away from her.
"What is i-. ."
mhm*
Before any more words could be spoken, her arms had wrapped around his back and Emilia had planted a short kiss on his cheek. It was brief, and there was no time for him to process it until she had already let him go and taken a step back. Needless to say, he had butterflies in his chest.
". . . That is all I wish to do to you Subaru, b-but if fate commands I-I. . ."
Emilia stopped, looked down at her feet, and then stared back at his blushing face with a newfound resolve.
"N-No, if you command I strike you. . . then I shall do it."
Subaru could hear the pain in her voice as she eeked out that final agreement. He knew how highly she valued promises, so for her to say something like this meant that she was fully committed now.
"Ah, haa. . ."
He was still lost in his own world after that brief taste of heaven but was promptly poked on the cheek again by Beatrice, who was still seated on his shoulders.
"Pay attention, in fact. . ! Both of you, complete children, I suppose. . ."
She scoffed at the two of them, but the small smile she held was not vanishing either. The emotions Subaru was feeling were visible to her, so she didn't want to tamp it down too forcefully. There was a time and place for this behavior though.
"I'll back up a little bit, and I-I'll also count down before I do anything. . ! I-Is that alright, Subaru? Beako. . ?"
"Yes, yes. That's fine, I suppose!"
Beatrice waved Emilia away, conveniently forgetting to enforce the exclusivity of that nickname. Subaru felt compelled to tease her about it, however, before he could do that, he noticed that a certain piece of equipment on his belt was missing. . .
"W-Wait a second, my whip. . !? Where did it go. . !?"
Subaru frantically searched around for it, as they could not conduct this test without it.
"Are you that clueless, in fact. . ? She grabbed it off you during that shameless display just now I suppose. . !"
Beatrice scowled at Subaru, who could only stand still looking astonished. Had she completely shut his brain down with a single kiss? Truly, this ability of EMT not to be taken lightly. . .
"I-I'm ready. . ! Whenever you are, just give a signal. . !"
Emilia shouted back over to the two of them, breaking them out of their typical banter.
The timing of this ability activation would be essential, as it drained a significant amount of mana whenever it was active. To alleviate this, they would want to activate it at the last moment possible and deactivate it at the soonest available opportunity. This didn't leave a lot of room for mistakes.
"We're ready! Count us down Emilia-tan. . !"
She looked nervous, but kept a strong exterior and began the countdown with her hand outstretched.
"3. . !"
Her gate began to pull in mana and an icy mist began to form around her extended arm.
"2. . !"
A noted increase in humidity in the air around her began to increase the cold temperature exponentially.
"1. . !"
A large crystal began to form right in front of her hand, levitating off the ground and angled directly at Subaru and Beatrice.
"Huma!"
Emilia flinched as she launched the crystal towards the spirit duo, but soon snapped out of that state and unfurled the whip in her other hand.
"E. M. M.!"
Subaru chanted this phrase, and in conjunction with its utterance, his damaged gate's sensitivity to mana increased dramatically. Fortunately, Beatrice's expertise prevented that mana from causing him bodily harm and funneled it into this new form of absolute defense magic.
A shroud of stopped time surrounded the body of Natsuki Subaru, capable of nullifying any and all attacks that might attempt to breach it.
CRASH*
In under a second from the chant's completion, the crystal made contact with Subaru's unmoving form. As Emilia watched closely, the spell shattered on contact, just like it had against Regulus. It was as if the force behind the attack had been neutralized and struck an invisible wall right around his body.
CRACK*
Not wasting this opportunity, Emilia sent the tip of the whip careening towards Subaru's face. Truth be told, she was not as skilled at this as Subaru had become, and for fear of missing, she'd held back a significant portion of her strength. However, it was still strong enough to deal significant damage if it was not blocked.
". . !"
Once again, just as it made contact with Subaru's cheek, the whip fell to the ground as if all the force it contained had been completely canceled out.
"Deactivate it. . !"
Almost immediately, the odd feeling in his stomach disappeared and Subaru hunched forward, breathing heavier as Beatrice put her hand against his head and started using light healing magic.
'T-That's exactly how they looked before. . ! So that must be how his works too. . .'
Subaru could feel a sense of relief at having timed his spell usage just right. Those feelings were unfortunately being offset with equal frustration at the concept of the opponent they were facing. This spell was meant to be his trump card which could only be used for a limited amount of time. There were also significant limitations that came with using it, like being unable to move or cast other spells while it's active.
Their enemy had all the benefits of a permanent absolute defense, without any sort of time limit or restrictions of movement.
'How are we supposed to break through it. . !? If it's really the same as mine, it's completely intangible. . !'
He chewed a bit on his thumb, but was interrupted by Emilia and Beatrice before it got any worse.
"Subaru. . !"
Emilia had run back over to the pair, eagerly inspecting him to make sure nothing had slipped through and caused any damage. Beatrice had already been rendering healing magic in case the strain had been too heavy on his gate, but Emilia only took that to mean that all the damage wasn't stopped.
"Ah, Emilia-tan. . ! I-I'm going to be frank, we've got some bad news. . ."
She was still focused on where Beatrice was healing, and as a result, was circling him to check if he had sustained injuries on his face, back, and legs.
BOOM*
They all turned to look, and saw hundreds of specks in the air, approaching them at an alarming speed. Some of these particulates had been thrown earlier, leaving a massive crater in the ground.
There was little to no time to react. . . !
"Bothersome pests. I've already said it over and over again, haven't I? Who are they to ignore me? It's the simplest courtesy you can extend to another human being. Who do you think you are to pull this stunt? With what right, with whose permission, are you taking my... my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my my mymy my my my my my my my my my my mymymymymymymymymymymy! Getting in! My way!"
Regulus screeched with complete abandon at the absurdity of these people to treat him with such disrespect. The people on the roof had been talking with and even attacking each other, treating him as a bystander in what was ostensibly his own scene. It had been a long time since he'd been so patient with someone, much less this many people! This should've been a five-minute task, not a full-on battle. Now that his anger had been provoked, the only thing that could pacify him was the complete and utter capitulation of those who disobeyed him.
WHOOSH*
". . !?"
A large wall of flames struck Regulus's back, engulfing him in a pyre of white-hot fire. It was part and parcel for him at this point, as he'd been attacked with these flames a dozen or so times, and an aggressive swipe of his hand dispersed them once more.
"Insolence will not be tolerated from something with your standing, cur. To claim your lies 'simple', is to call delusions truth. The only simple truth that must be grasped is that this world turns in my favor, and thus it is mine alone."
The Yang Sword made contact with Regulus's throat, but it did little more than skim him, leaving no mark. However, Regulus's reaction would have one think that it did render some damage.
"You, you, you, you. . ! The hell is with you and surviving? Just take my attack and die already! In the first place, I'm not even on the same level as any of you. Compared to all of you, I'm flawless. I don't feel the need to assert such useless sentiments as if the world should just bend itself to my whim! The world is not some being that operates in regards to one or another, it is a place comprised of people with autonomy, with rights. This is what sets me apart, I'm completely content with that. I don't need to change, I don't require it. Each of you should though. It's quite clear that you fools lack the self-awareness to yearn for a path of self-improvement. Shall I take on that burden myself? I don't particularly feel inclined to do so now that you've all acted so cruel. I will rearrange you into vile chunks of gore unless you extend me some fucking consideration. . !"
". . . !"
As Regulus began to swing his hand down, he stopped midway and squinted his eyes at the, now singular form, of Priscilla with a snarl. There was a missing person, who was likely lingering somewhere in the surrounding smoke causing even more trouble.
". . . ."
"Ah~! This contrast is exactly what makes dialogue so beautiful, isn't it? Without that conflict, without hate, we lack the sufficient portrait to understand love. . ! It all begins with that understanding, yes? That is why you shouldn't ignore those feelings, especially from one who you would call your wife. Isn't that just a refusal of those sentiments? My beloved Betelgeuse would disagree, but my maidenly heart has told me so. . ! Thank you for listening, I'm sorry."
A flaming chain swiped across the square, which Priscilla narrowly dodged and Regulus simply tanked. The residual momentum in her chain swing caused the length of the chain to wrap around Regulus's torso several times.
"And now you've let that troublesome one loose? Can't you do anything simple?"
Regulus glared at Priscilla, before shattering the chain as if it were made of air. He then turned his attention to the person responsible.
"As fellow members of the Witch Cult, I've extended you utmost consideration for your misguided and odd proclivities, but this is a discussion between a man and his wife. This is one where you have no entitlements or rights to demand involvement. It is quite creepy that you refer to yourself as 'maidenly' when you so clearly possess the face of someone who should go die somewhere out of sight. Truthfully, I can't see what either you or that freak Betelgeuse saw in one another, but to refer to yourself as his 'wife' is the ultimate transgression of his rights. It's unsightly, and out of consideration for your seat, I let you continue to act that way as a sign of my own magnanimity. Yet, you repay me by attempting to interfere and belittle me in front of my spouse?"
Sirius's visible eye grew shaky, and her breathing became erratic. What had this man just said about her husband?
"AH~? To speak so arrogantly!? You, who laughed at his death? WE loved each other. . ! There was love there, I won't let anyone deny such a thing. . ! I'll fucking kill you. . !"
She launched a fireball at Regulus, who turned to face Priscilla and completely ignore the oncoming attack. It was not the first, as an onslaught of follow ups, including chains, crashed into Regulus and obliterating on contact.
"EL HUMA!"
A large icicle came crashing down into the center of the square, equidistant from Priscilla, Sirius, and Regulus. All of them turned their attention to the group of three people, still crawling out of debris and each coughing up a lung.
"And now you? Why now must we all lend an ear to you? Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? In the first place, all of you left this woman down here to fight me so you could go off and talk all on your own. It's completely pointless to go off and strategize, yet you did so anyway in a deliberate attempt to aggravate me and waste my time. Such an obvious ploy would never work on me, but it goes without saying that such tactics could be considered cheating. I doubt that you've produced anything of merit in that study session, but I anticipate something. That being the case, whatever you have planned can never work because I am now expecting it. Or perhaps you are thinking about groveling? By this point, you've each racked up a significant number or infringements that are unforgivable to any reasonable person, so I can't say a simple apology will suffice."
cough* *cough* *cough*
Subaru and Emilia were leaned over, covered in soot and ash, as Priscilla made her way over to them while the two Archbishops stared with contempt in their eyes.
"Rise, clown. Mine own labors have racked up on your account. Tell me what plan you've come up with."
The black-haired knight took Priscilla's outstretched arm and used it as support to get himself upright again. Beatrice was still on his back, currently staring down Regulus, who watched Subaru take Priscilla's hand with a look of absolute disgust.
"To tell you the truth, nothing. . .*cough*. . .concrete. I believe I've got a grasp on how his authority might work, but countering it is a different story. . ."
Subaru could see a look of displeasure forming on Priscilla's brow, which brought a gloomy expression to his face. This time he really was caught unprepared.
"Don't fret about, boy. Your presence here was a boon to those people wandering this square an hour ago."
Priscilla, in her own way, reassured Subaru that things weren't as hopeless as they may seem. She was honestly torn on whether or not she was upset that his plan wasn't rock solid. This doubt he had was proof that his loops had never made it this far, and conversely, that he likely had not died too many times. On the other hand, it meant the odds of her being responsible for a failed loop were significantly higher.
"Unfortunate, I suppose. . .the other one escaped as well."
Beatrice voiced out what nobody else wanted to say. Even if they did somehow figure out a counter to Greed's authority, their only defense from Wrath's authority had been sent away earlier to find shelter. That meant victory was impossible, even if they did somehow manage to summon Reinhard.
Assuming Reinhard could win against Regulus, it didn't really matter. What mattered was that, while the fight was happening, they would all be left unable to use their mana. All it would take is Wrath speaking a few words to put them all under her spell.
"I'll take that one, Priscilla-san. Don't worry about her interfering. . !"
Emilia did a small flex with her arm, to which Priscilla scoffed and shooed with a disinterested look.
"Leaving mineself with the pig. . .? Just like my previous husbands, this other cultist is a spiritual eunuch, castrated by his authority. If this is how the world deems it, then let it be. For it is mine own will this pig be slaughtered."
Regulus's face grew even more disturbed at the offhanded remark Priscilla directed at him.
"You see this? You won't believe the temperament of this woman. How can someone be so arrogant as to claim the world turns in their favor? It's ridiculous and fantastical. Truly, the one living in delusion here must be her. I've always strived to embody tenets of humility, so such a statement is completely antithetical to the values I practice. In fact, I am the humblest man in the world, as I want so little of this world and take so little of it in return. I believe spouting such lines is the epitome of unfettered greed and unjust virtue. To desire the entire world is immature and foolish. Maturity comes with acknowledging what you have and finding satisfaction. Like what she said earlier about 'previous husbands', why can't you just be satisfied with what you have? Abandoning a marriage and marrying someone else is the most egregious example of this. You clearly understand, don't you?"
Regulus looked at Subaru with a chuckle, pointing at Priscilla and expecting some form of agreement with his last statement. Instead, all he got was an eyebrow raise and a barely hidden glare. The irony, no the gall, of this guy to claim that another person was arrogant or delusional was completely incomprehensible.
"You're the last person who should be talking down on someone for having multiple spouses!"
Subaru callously threw that line at Regulus, who flared his nose with discontent.
Emilia had already engaged Sirius in a close quarters' melee brawl with her ice brand arts, so it was up to him, Beatrice, and Priscilla to find a way to damage this prick.
"I-I've only got one idea that I think has a chance of working, but I'll need you to make an opening. . ."
He whispered to Priscilla, who in return, whispered something back that Regulus was unable to hear.
"How come nobody can practice any basic goddamn form of consideration? Am I really asking for anything so difficult? After I showed you how incredible the power gap between us is, after I taught you in such succinct and plain terms, how can you possibly figure that you can do anything? What on earth are you people thinking?"
Regulus stuck his finger in his ear and frowned at the continued contact between his wife and some jerk child.
"Go now, let's see if it shall work. . !"
Priscilla called out, four pillars of flame emerging from each side of Regulus, and momentarily blocking his field of vision.
". . . ?"
Regulus turned to his left and right, about to raise a hand and disperse the flames one more time, but was shocked to find his footing disrupted. He had just tripped on something invisible. . . !
"E.M.M.!"
A fist burst through the wall of flames, entirely too close to Regulus's face.
"W-Whawhawha.. ?"
WHACK*
His face was clocked, hard, from left to right. Naturally, the Archbishop let out a sharp groan of shock, before falling over backwards and making contact with the ground.
"Did that work. . !?"
Subaru yelled out, rubbing his hand and staring back at Priscilla. She responded by dissipating the flames, and giving Subaru a glimpse of the person he'd just knocked over.
". . . !"
". . . !"
". . . !"
"You fucking bastard. . ! What would you have done if that actually hit me? The one to win will be me, can't you understand?"
No damage. None at all.
Their all-or-nothing gamble had failed. . . They really should have just run away after they secured Sirius. Sure, Regulus might have freed her, but they would've been able to go and secure backup. Now they were facing down two Sin Archbishops at once with no reinforcements and no way to effectively damage either of them.
'Damn it, damn it. . !'
Subaru backed away, as Regulus got back up on his feet, considerably angrier than he had been at any point previous. His new resolve was already on display, as Regulus prepared a lethal attack on Subaru without so much as a word spoken.
"Priscilla, let's. . !"
CHOP*
". . .-hk!"
As Subaru turned around, he felt the sensation of consciousness beginning to slip away, his vision turning black, and his legs giving way. Someone behind him seemed to catch him, and before he could say anything more, everything went dark.
". . .ughhh. . ."
He could feel a pounding headache in his temple, and his body ached all over. A drowsy feeling washed over him, as the sounds of whispers fluttered all around his head.
". . .aking up!. . ."
A voice was talking to someone else. It was a high-pitched voice, one that he was sure he recognized. Unfortunately, fully coherent thoughts had not fully returned to him yet, so all he could understand was the feeling of familiarity.
". . . .suppo. . ."
There was another one! A different voice, but another he was certain he knew from somewhere.
". . . .up! Wake up. . !"
That voice. . .sounded kind of muffled by something.
'Wake up?'
". . .-ghk!"
Subaru shot up, eyes bolting left to right, breathing heavily as several pairs of arms attempted to restrain him and hold him back down onto the bed he was sleeping on. His thoughts had finally come back, but he had not run through the events that led him to this place just yet.
Imagine his surprise when. . !
"Tell me right now! What happened to the Princess!?"
He was greeted with the concerned faces of several royal candidates, their knights, and a very scary man with a helmet!
Author's Note
Happy New Years!
We're finally free of that insane loop and into the next stage of Arc 5! Oh man has it been forever since I've updated. . . Yes, don't worry things will be explained in the next chapter. I'm really really really excited about the next few chapters, I think they'll hold some of the best plot points of this fic and I've been thinking about them for literally two years at this point. By the way, this chapter was really difficult to write, as Priscilla, Regulus, and Sirius are all difficult to write on their own! All of them in one scene was hellish to even figure out, but I think it's at a point where I'm satisfied. It's got a lot more details I wanted to include, but not dropping a chapter was beginning to weigh heavily on me, and I'm honestly satisfied with how this turned out. I'm curious if you all liked my Regulus, I think I really got a feel for him his chapter and I'm actually so excited to write for him even more.
I want to include here, someone actually made a continuation of this fic that I think is worth checking out as it is pretty well written and diverges pretty significantly from my fic in its first chapter. It honestly makes me really happy that someone was willing to go to those lengths to continue this premise, and I personally think having someone continue a fic is the greatest honor a fic can receive (patting myself on the back here lol). I will still be releasing chapters for this fic though, so don't be afraid! Just wanted to add this so people can go over there and show them support.
Second thing I want to include is; a supporter of mine made a really amazing piece of art which I am now using as the cover page to this fic on . His name is leymax, and he's done a bunch of other specific commissions for this fic and they really add life to it in a way you just can't get with only words. I want to thank him for sticking with this fic for so long and going out of his way to make those images for the sake of this story. Leymax, you are truly an OG, and you've got all our respect and love!
Last thing I want to add is the survey. Now this will be controversial, so let me ask you this and see what the audience gauge is:
Who's POV do we want for next chapter?
We can obviously do Subaru's, as he's in the place with the most people. However, there are some characters I want to cover who have entirely different roles than they did in the previous story.
Let me know if you just want to get right back into it with Subaru, hop over to Garf/Otto/Mimi, or even some non-viewing characters like Heinkel. Trust me, things are different for them too!
Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:
I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:
/tgMtCvdasb
I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we've actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that I've begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they're interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!