Chapter 5 - The Unforgiven Sin
"Beako?"
"Beatrice-sama?"
Emilia and Ram asked simultaneously as Beatrice, the small spirit, crumpled to her knees. A sound, like the sharp snap of a frayed rope, reverberated within her mind.
(NATSUKI SUBARU NAME HAS BEEN RETURNED)
"It broke," Beatrice said, her face a mask of sorrow. Emilia, holding her like a doll, was confused.
"What do you mean, it broke?" Emilia asked.
"My contract, I suppose," Beatrice replied, tears welling up in her lifeless eyes. The rewritten memories were flooding back, and she recalled Reinhardt's confirmation that Subaru was not lying.
She berated herself for clinging to a false contract, just as she had clung to her mother's promise to wait for "that person."
"Beatrice-sama!" Ram exclaimed, frantically scanning the area for attackers. The recent attack near the Watchtower, coupled with Beatrice's strange behavior, put her on edge.
"AN ATTACK, BUT FROM WHERE? BROTTO, WATCH MA BACK!" Garfiel yelled, while Otto used his divine protection to search the area.
"LEAVE BETTY ALONE, I SUPPOSE!" Beatrice screamed, startling everyone. They turned to her, shocked by her outburst.
"Beako?" Emilia asked, pushing her back slightly. She had never seen Beatrice this angry and was confused by her mention of a broken contract.
Beatrice, freeing herself from Emilia's grasp, attempted to use her Door Crossing to reach Subaru. She knew the fate she had pushed him towards when she accused him of being an Archbishop. Deep down, she held onto the hope that he was alive. She would do anything to see his smile again. She needed him to be "alive." With a clenched heart, she tried to use her spell.
But nothing happened. She tried again.
Still nothing.
"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY. This shouldn't be happening!" she screamed, as the others tried to calm her.
She realized that with the broken contract, she couldn't track him. Then, a thought struck her.
"I will just use the last location his mana was present when he was still in contract with me, I suppose," she declared, casting a spell that opened a door of blinding light.
Beatrice ran through the door, desperate. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer.
Emilia, witnessing this, couldn't comprehend the situation. "Beako!" she screamed, seeing the door closing. She made a decision and jumped through before it fully closed.
Ram followed them, still confused, but determined to face the Witch Cultists rather than be left alone in the desert.
Garfiel tried to follow, but the door vanished in a flash of light, leaving him and Otto bewildered. They looked at each other, lost and confused.
At the prison cell
Julius glanced at his pocket watch; it was well past midnight.
He approached the corpse, giving it a final, disgusted look. "To speak so mightily and die in such a filthy way... truly suited you," he thought to himself, turning away.
"Discard the body. Get rid of it as soon as possible. During his run, he may have called for backup," Julius instructed.
"Yes, sir," the knights replied.
As they lowered the body and began to remove the hood, a sudden attack occurred.
"EL MINYA!"
Multiple Minya crystals impaled the knights' arms and legs, causing them to scream and fall back, scrambling away from the body.
Julius dodged the crystals, assuming a fighting stance, ready to face any Witch Cultist. But to his surprise, a small girl with drill-like hair ran towards the dead body. Hesitantly, she removed the hood, wondering how she would face him, what she could say after all she had done. She knew she had no right to ask for forgiveness.
Finally, she gathered her courage and fully unmasked Subaru. Her eyes widened in horror.
"Subaru, what have I done?" she whispered, her voice broken, as she cradled his head in her tiny hands. Her tears fell onto his cheeks, as she remembered their shared memories.
"Beatrice, save me!"
She remembered those words, his plea as he took her away from the accursed library, freeing her from despair.
"Why?" she cried. "Why did you lie to Betty, I suppose?"
"YOU WERE THAT PERSON FOR BETTY, EVEN IF YOU DON'T ACCEPT IT, I WILL!" she yelled, wailing like a child.
"SUBARU SUBARU SUBARU SUBARU SUBARU SUBARU!"
"I remember you, Subaru, so please wake up! Don't leave Betty alone," she pleaded, her hollow eyes staring into his.
"Subaru?" Julius whispered, the name echoing in his mind. It was familiar, a faint memory stirring within him. He scratched his head, struggling to grasp the connection. Then, it clicked.
His hands trembled, and his sword fell from his grasp. His knees buckled, and he vomited, a wave of self-disgust washing over him.
(JULIUS'S JUUKULIUS MEMORIES HAS BEEN RETURNED)
"This has to be a lie," Julius muttered, clutching his face to suppress the urge to vomit. His throat was raw and dry, his head spinning. He couldn't reconcile his actions.
He had disliked the boy's naive pronouncements during the royal candidate meeting, but he had never imagined his disdain would lead to murder.
Without a fair trial, amidst the chaos and public hatred towards the Witch Cult, the council had used him as a scapegoat.
"Finest of knights, huh?" he mocked himself. "What a joke." He had forfeited his right to be called a knight, and even a friend, when he placed the hood over Subaru's head. He was consumed by self-loathing, how could he think he was worthy to even breathe the same air when Subaru achieved so many feats that no one could come close to for 400 years.
And he couldn't keep up a simple vow of friendship, Let alone be worthy of being called a knight.
Beatrice, finally noticing the rope around Subaru's neck, grasped the full horror of the situation. She shook his body, crying, "Wake up! Wake up!"
Tears streamed down her face. "WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP! DO...DON'T...DON'T LEAVE BETTY!" Her heart shattered.
She frantically tried to heal him, her cries echoing through the cell. "You did this," she said, gently laying his body back on the floor.
Her mana surged, her murderous intent palpable to the knights. Minya crystals formed around her, ready to strike.
"Beako!" Emilia called from outside the cell.
A Minya crystal flew past Emilia, shocking her. "DON'T YOU DARE USE THAT NAME AGAIN!" Beatrice glared furiously.
She held the name dear, it was all she had left of Subaru. Her memories had been altered, stolen from her, and she had no right to claim them now, having willingly denied them.
With her most precious thing taken, she was hopeless once more, back at the beginning. "If I wasn't such a failure," she thought.
"Beak—" "Beatrice, who is this man?" Emilia asked, confused by her behavior.
"To think that this man wasted his loyalty on you is laughable to me," Beatrice said.
"Loyalty? What do you mean, Beatrice?" Emilia asked, her hands covering her mouth in shock. She moved to Julius, using her healing magic. "Julius, are you okay?"
"Emilia-sama, I am sorry," he said, vomiting again.
"What do you mean, sorry for what?" Emilia asked.
"YOU THINK A SORRY IS ENOUGH?" Beatrice glared at Julius.
"Beatrice! Enough!" Emilia said. "As your contractor, I demand answers."
"Your contractor? Pfft!" Beatrice laughed. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA! YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF THE GREAT SPIRIT'S CONTRACT! THIS MAN HERE IS THE AMAZING CONTRACTOR OF BETTY!"
Emilia looked at Subaru's body, trying to understand.
"And not only that!" Beatrice continued. "HE WAS YOUR KNIGHT! NATSUKI SUBARU!"
The name finally resonated with Emilia. "SU...BARU," she whispered.
"THIS MAN HERE IS THE REAL CONTRACTOR OF BETTY!"
Emilia looked at Subaru's body, her mind reeling, trying to piece everything together.
"Real contractor?" Emilia asked, her voice trembling.
"I was too late in realizing. How could I forget it?" Beatrice lamented. "Our memories were overwritten, the gaps filled with fake memories created by the authority of Gluttony."
"To work so hard, to care for everyone, and end up in a filthy place like this... it really doesn't suit Betty's amazing contractor," Beatrice said, her tears flowing freely.
"Subaru?" Emilia whispered. "You mentioned... but I don't recall any—" She gasped, trying to make sense of the fragmented memories surfacing.
"HE WAS YOUR KNIGHT! NATSUKI SUBARU!"
The name echoed in Emilia's mind, finally triggering the flood of forgotten memories.
"SU...BARU," she breathed.
Memories surged, overwhelming her. She felt dizzy, the reality of the situation crashing down upon her. Her eyes widened, her breathing becoming rapid.
Beatrice continued to glare at her, her expression a mixture of grief and anger.
Emilia was in the midst of a panic attack.
She clutched her heart, the guilt overwhelming her. She had lost Mother Fortuna due to her own actions, and now, she had lost Subaru. She had condemned the man who loved her unconditionally, who never left her side, to death.
Her bangs obscured her eyes, but the tension in her face betrayed her emotions. She ran towards Subaru, desperate for his touch, his warmth, his comforting words.
She approached his lifeless body, trembling. "Do I even deserve his embrace anymore?" she wondered.
Her hand, shaking, reached out to him. She hesitated, then, unable to resist, moved forward.
Slap*
Beatrice slapped Emilia's hands away.
"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY CONTRACTOR!" Beatrice yelled, her tears still flowing.
"Move," Emilia commanded, her voice cold and sharp, startling Beatrice.
Beatrice snapped out of her grief, her artificial body temperature plummeting.
"Wait, no!" As she tried to turn her head, she found herself frozen from the waist down.
The prison cell froze, and everyone inside was gripped by a chilling nightmare. "This wasn't the usual Emilia," Julius thought, barely keeping half his body unfrozen with his contracted spirit's help.
"Return him," Emilia repeated, her voice devoid of emotion.
She lifted Subaru's body into a bridal carry, turning her back on the others and walking out of the cell.
Beatrice, gathering her remaining mana, concentrated it in her palms. She felt dizzy, on the verge of losing consciousness.
"No, wait," she pleaded. "Please don't take Betty's Subaru away. P...pl...please," she whispered, a frozen tear escaping her eye. "Betty is sorry. Su...ba...ru," she uttered his name in desperation, collapsing from mana exhaustion.
Ram arrived, having just entered the prison. She immediately sensed the source of the temperature drop.
Realizing Emilia might be in danger, she rushed towards the cell.
As Ram descended the stairs, the temperature plummeted further. The torches were extinguished, plunging the prison hallway into darkness. She heard the groans of other inmates, suffering from hypothermia. The guards had fled in terror.
Reaching the lowest floor, she navigated the dark halls, using the temperature changes to locate Emilia. Silence enveloped her.
Thud*
Thud*
Thud*
Thud*
She heard footsteps approaching, and though her energy was nearly depleted from the desert battle, she managed to remain perfectly still.
Thud*
Thud*
Thud*
Thud*
The footsteps grew closer...
And closer...
Until the source of the sound revealed itself.
"Emilia-sama!" Ram called out.
She was met with an aura she had never encountered before. A pair of amethyst eyes glowed in the darkness, devoid of any shine, as lifeless as rough stone.
"Emilia-sama?" Ram asked again, her confusion mixed with caution.
"Ram," Emilia replied, a single tear escaping her eye. "It's over," she added.
Ram's face registered shock and deep concern for Emilia.
Deep in Augria Sand Dunes
A massive displacement of mana, unprecedented in the kingdom's history, was detected.
The source was a man in shining white knight's armor, running through the desert, slicing through the wind with unnatural speed.
His eyes, once a vibrant red, were now a dull magenta, reflecting the despair within. He was acutely aware of the consequences of his actions.
"Why was I born with these blessings?" he muttered, his voice hollow. "I don't deserve them. I am nothing but a monster. A lifeless monster."
He ran faster and faster, driven by a singular purpose: to return to the capital as quickly as possible.
He tore through the sandstorm, effortlessly dispatching any mabeast that dared to cross his path.
His eyes were fixed on his destination, his mind consumed by a single, burning thought.
Present time in the capital
(NOTE: Play "Mastermind" by Kat)
As the guards fled the prison, they were met with a scene of absolute chaos.
A massive crowd of civilians had gathered at the gates, their voices a thunderous roar. The unarmed guards struggled to maintain order, their efforts proving futile.
"GIVE BACK OUR HERO!"
"HERO-SAMA!"
The name of the Archbishop had spread throughout the capital, and with it, the memories of the people had been rewritten.
The hero of Priestella, Natsuki Subaru.
"That kid is our hero! He saved my daughter from the clutches of your filthy royal blood!" a man with green hair and a scar on his face declared, standing confidently amongst the crowd.
"What is this?"
"This is getting way out of control," the guards muttered among themselves.
"Contact the council at once!"
"We need immediate orders!" the other guards added, their voices laced with panic.
Meanwhile in Milord Manor.
A loud bang echoed from Roswaal's office.
A butler, who was nearby, rushed towards the source of the noise. He was a man with a slender face and a tall, lean build, with eyebrow-length dark blue hair. He adjusted the monocle on his left eye and gently opened the door.
A wine bottle flew past him, shattering against the wall behind him.
"HOW? THIS CANNOT BE..." Roswaal yelled, his hands bleeding from broken bottles.
The butler stood shocked. In his 400 years of service, he had never seen his master in such a state.
Meanwhile, on the ground floor of the manor, one of the guest rooms was occupied. A blue-haired girl lay fast asleep on the bed, her face illuminated by the soft light of a table lamp.
Her eyes twitched. Then, slowly, she opened her beautiful blue eyes.
Back at the prison
As she was exposed to an aura she never felt before, a pair of amethyst eyes glowed in the dark, devoid of any shine, as lifeless as rugged stone.
"Emilia-sama?" Ram asked, still confused but cautious.
"Ram," Emilia replied, a single tear escaping her eye. "It's over," she added.
Ram's face registered shock and concern. "Emilia-sama, what do you mean by 'it's over'?" she asked, seeking clarity.
"I am a failure. He believed in me, he kept calling my name," Emilia confessed, her voice breaking. "'Emilia-tan, Emilia-tan,' he kept calling for me. But my ears turned deaf to his pleas, and I labeled him a stranger."
The temperature dropped as Emilia accepted her loss and took responsibility. She realized her selfishness, having made Subaru, who selflessly aided her, wait for her acceptance.
She had prepared herself to outlive her allies, being a Half-Elf, but not to lose someone in this way. She hated the Witch Cult and herself for falling prey to their tricks.
Deep down, she knew she was responsible. She hadn't sought more information about Subaru, even after Ram's suspicions.
Ram approached Emilia silently, unsure what to say. She wasn't skilled at expressing emotions, leading to misunderstandings.
"If only he was here," Ram said, picturing Subaru's smile.
"Nee-sama," she whispered, recalling Subaru's image.
A sharp pain shot through her head, and her memories rewrote themselves. She sat down, clutching her head.
"Ram?" Emilia asked, walking closer, hesitant. She feared that closeness would lead to doom, like with Subaru.
She fell silent, staring at the floor, feeling like she was back at square one.
Ram recovered, piecing together the memories. She bit her lip until it bled, remembering accusing him of being a spy, crushing his hopes.
She recalled his face, his plea for her to remember him.
"I am a butler under the Margrave manor."
"Remember me Ram."
She clenched her fists, filled with guilt. "How could I betray his trust?" She had treated him like a brother, only to condemn him like a Witch Cultist.
"Ram!" Emilia called, snapping her out of her reverie.
"Are you okay?" Emilia asked, now calm, aware of her outburst. She was close to repeating her freezing of the Elior Forest.
But she still held a grudge against Subaru's torturers.
"Ram, would you please hold Subaru for me? We need to get him back to the manor," she requested.
Ram's face mirrored her grief for Rem. She had feared this since his capture, but held onto hope.
She approached the body, her hands trembling. She took his hand, adjusting her eyes in the dark. Her composure shattered.
She witnessed the horrors of his torture. His once healthy, silly, and naive form, the one who unfroze her time by bringing her and Roswaal together, was now scarred and emaciated.
"Baru..."
"Barusu," she whispered, tears flowing.
Regaining control, she asked, "Where is Beatrice-sama?"
Ram looked at Emilia, who frowned and looked away.
Emilia's guilt deepened, her anger having clouded her judgment. Ram, sensing her internal conflict, understood her hesitation to help Beatrice. "Why should I help her? She was the one who pointed out the miasma," she thought.
Beatrice, regaining her composure, assessed her surroundings. She drained the mana from the unconscious knights, a meager replenishment, but necessary. Her priority was to bring Subaru back to the manor.
She left the cell, a final glance at the chilling space. "To think he endured this for so long," she muttered, her expression grim. She ignored Julius, her anger simmering. "This isn't the time."
"We need Beatrice-sama's help to bring Barusu safely to the manor," Ram said, looking at Emilia. Emilia appeared troubled and remorseful.
"We can drown in self-loathing later, I suppose," Beatrice interrupted, drawing their attention.
"Beatrice-sama!"
"I know. There's no other way, I suppose," Beatrice said, cutting Ram off. "After this idiot Half-Elf's outburst, the guards are surely on alert." She glared at Emilia.
Emilia, unable to meet her gaze, focused on Subaru, tightening her grip on his sleeve.
Beatrice opened a Door Crossing to the manor. Ram and Emilia, carrying Subaru, stepped through.
Back at the manor, the light revealed the full extent of Subaru's injuries. Ram, unable to bear the sight, made an excuse to inform the others and fled. Emilia followed, wanting to calm Ram and avoid another outburst. She had never seen Ram so emotional.
Alone, Beatrice looked at Subaru's body, gently ruffling his hair. A determined look settled on her face. She began searching through her grimoires.
Desperately, she sought a way to revive him. "There has to be," she muttered. "It can't be... Mother's greed wouldn't let her ignore such a possibility." She frantically searched, throwing books aside.
Her hand paused, her gaze fixed on a diary. She picked it up, reading the title: "Betty's Endless Storybook." Her eyes began to regain their shine as she flipped through the pages, recalling the precious memories she shared with Subaru.
She read and reminisced, but the stories ended. She reread them, clinging to the memories.
Finally accepting the truth, she closed the diary and crossed out the word "Endless" from the title.
Meanwhile On the ground floor of the manor.
The blue-haired girl, after numerous failed attempts, finally managed to stand on her own.
Previously, no matter how hard she tried, she'd stumbled back onto the bed. She heard loud noises coming from outside her room.
She smoothed out the wrinkles in her nightgown and proceeded to leave her room, determined to find the source of the disturbance.