Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Edit: This is the revised prologue. Cheers!

Subaru POV

It was supposed to be a very, very normal day.

Buying convenience store food was a normal thing for a shut-in, so is doing it during night.

What was not normal was blinding light in my eyes as I suddenly couldn't see.

And then I hear voices.

I suddenly open my eyes to find myself in the streets of some kind of worn-out country, with demihumans walking around. Then, a dragon pulling a carriage went pass me as the pieces suddenly clicked in my head.

Could it be... that I've suddenly transported into another world?

3rd Person POV

400 years ago, the Witch of Envy began her rampage on the world, destroying half of it in the process. Some say she was starved of love, and something tragic has happened. Others view her as a monster, whose actions could never been regarded as anything less of a devil's. Three heroes stood up to her: the First Sword Saint Reid Astrea, The Great Erudite Flugel, and the Divine Dragon Volcanica. The three names went down in history as the most prominent figures, while others did not. Such as the other witches of sin, and the ones who disappeared from any historical records.

Forming the land today are the four countries: The Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica, the Empire of Vollachia, the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko, and the Kararagi City States. Coincidentally, a great spirit resides in each country. The Great Spirit of Fire who resided in Elior Forest of Lugnica, the Great Spirit of Wind who dwelled in the western border of Kararagi known as Zarestia's bed, the Great Spirit of Earth who wandered the grounds of Vollachia, and the Great Spirit of Water who chose the next ruler of Gusteko.

However, many enigmas still exist in this world, and it was far from a peaceful land. The wretched Witch Cult attacked the innocents, the mabeasts who teared apart any other living being except their own, the Three Great Mabeasts who continued to bring disaster to the land, unable to be hunted down by mortal means.

Save... save him.

But what's most interesting of all is that this world was but a story in another multiverse.

I love... him. 

And a boy has happened to travel here through a misfortunate bonk on the head.

ENVY

The timeline is disastrous. Overpowered villains with underlevelled protagonists who barely win in a fight, and suffer much more pain than those who are suffering.

So, his resolve was...

"I'm saving everyone. No one. No one is dying again, for that is my purpose."

And that resolve will stay with him even after he dies. That's his legacy.

"I don't desire a 'happy end', but a 'better end'. I am here. I could help them."

"I need power, I need influence, and I need strength to save those I want to save."

"Then save them, my successor. I look forward to seeing what you can do. Go accomplish the things I could not achieve, using all your knowledge and wits."

Although this line went unheard, the boy who was branded a genius decided that it would be his duty. And for his resolve, he was awarded.

"Y/N!"

"Y/N-san."

"Thank you, Y/N!"

"Y/N nii-chan!"

"I appreciate your contributions, so, so much."

"You helped me from that pain. So in return, I will stand by you to brace your pain."

"Well? Do you have any plans in mind?"

"Not any currently, Chid-chan. But at least we're finished now, aren't we?"

"You made a good story, Y/N. It was truly an impressive feat. But aren't you afraid that I'll discard you since you can't fulfill my greed now?"

"Of course not. My existence fulfills your greed, hehe. Come on, let's mark ourselves down in another page of history today!"

"That's the world I want to achieve."

"When I can say, 'my duty is done', that's when I know I accomplished my goal."

"Hm, maybe not. Maybe I'll continue even further than that. But for now..."

The boy jumped down in front of the three thugs, and gave them a smile as they recognized who he was. Nodding, they ran off, leaving the boy along with the one in his tracksuit.

"Hey, Natsuki Subaru. My name's Y/N L/N. Wassup?"

This is the story of the boy who started defying fate, and deceiving life from zero.

Chapter Text

Okay. One thing before we start this. I'm not really skilled at using AO3, so if you see anything weird, please tell me. I'm posting this here to spread my work across different platforms, and I started on Wattpad, so make sure to check it out there! There's a lot of chapters to read there, so if you don't like waiting, go there first.

Anyways, same as Fanfic.net, the chapters will be slowly transferred over here. It'll eventually get there within a few weeks or so...

Enjoy!

Y/N POV

I never thought that this was going to happen. I mean, who would?

Out of all the animes I could've landed in, it just had to be this one.

I mean, I'm not complaining one bit. Not. One. Bit.

Because in the world of Re:Zero, the real fun begins.

To sum it up, I was working in my little room I created for my chemistry purposes. It was late, but so what? Many kids and teens stay up until midnight to do their things, whatever that is. In my case, it was doing school homework while doing a little research on my own. And by research, I meant testing out theories with my papers and computer, since I lack lab equipment.

My name's Y/N L/N. A half-shut-in in the middle of Tokyo, trying to decide his life choices and on the verge of breaking into sleep before he finishes procrastinating on his homework.

Being 18 years old with a nice brain is not easy. It means that you have a bright future, but a lot more workload than those freeloader dropouts. As much as their life is cool, I somehow set myself up on the path I'm on today.

That is, until I bonked my head on the way down to bed on a corner, and a blinding light flashed into my eyes, forcing me to close them.

The next thing that happened was straight out of an anime. The same demihumans and dragon carriage that people see when they first start watching the anime, Re:Zero, Starting Life in Another World.

To be honest, I was amazed, out of my mind, when I saw this sight in front of me, it was quite concerning in some ways. I had no starting gear unlike Subaru (Tracksuit + a few instant ramen), and I'm in my lab coat, lacking in sleep.

Unaware of my surroundings, the appa seller tapped on my back as he asked me the same question he asked Subaru. "Hey, kid, are you here to buy some appas?"

"Sorry, sir. I'm flat broke, so I'll usher myself out of your sight since window shoppers aren't your thing." My brain did I weird flip, and I yanked myself out of there immediately. The shopkeeper looked at me as if I was some kind of bizarre beast, since I did predict his line.

Exhausted from my studies, I ventured into the slums, and hoped that one place might be willing to help me. I walked longer than I expected, but when I saw the loot house in the distance, I knew I have finally arrived at my destination.

The large, wooden house seemed worn-down, but seeing that nobody was near, I assumed it was safe, and did the thing that I saw a certain blonde-haired girl do in the first episode.

I knocked slightly on the front door two times, and a coarse voice came out from behind the door.

"For a rat..."

"Poison." I replied, waiting for his reaction.

"For a white whale..." He continued, to my surprise. I suppose I shall as well.

"A harpoon."

"To the noble dragon lord, we are..."

"Shitbags."

The door opened, and I saw the man I expected to see, but with a weird look on his face.

"Who are you, youngster? And how did you know the password? I didn't think Felt would tell anyone..."

"Mr. Rom, could you please kindly take me in for a day? I'm just a little...tired..." The fatigue took over my body, and I fell head first onto the floor of the loot house.

"Old Man Rom! He's waking up!" A voice, akin to a little girl's, sounded above my head as I slowly regained my vision, finding myself under a wooden roof, on a makeshift bed made of a few chairs.

I sat up and gazed at my surroundings and eyed them warily, and I then turned to the people who were looking at me. "Thank you for your hospitality. Felt and Rom, I assume?"

"How do you know our names?" Felt asked me as her eyes bored into me, and I reluctantly thought up a somewhat truthful lie, hoping that the wind divine protection of Felt will not activate.

"Well, let's just say I do have a very reliable source of intel." I told them, and they looked a bit perplexed, but accepted my explanation. "Also, your names are somewhat known around those parts, so I connected the dots." I added that, and they seemed to be at ease a bit more than before.

"That aside, how did you know the password?" Rom asked me.

"Well, one day I was just wandering near here, and I heard a girl (Felt) near a door murmuring something and I decided to listen in. Although I couldn't deduct the meaning of the phrases, I assumed it was a security measure since she went in after saying the lines. I kept them in mind in case I ever need your help, and it turns out I did."

They looked at me curiously for a while, before sighing to show as a sign of slight belief. I then stood up and took a bow for their actions of gratitude towards me, before saying something that determined my job for the rest of the days.

"I suppose I want to repay you for your kindness, so how about I help you two out a little for the next few days in exchange for letting me stay here for a few days as well?"

"And how exactly are you going to do that? I'm already quite fast due to my Divine Protection, you know." Felt said as I gave an immediate answer that I remembered from one of the spin-off prequels of Re:Zero.

"I could act as a potential decoy while you do your job, you know, to help distract the target's attention. I might not be skilled in thievery, but causing a ruckus is no big deal." My answered seemed to be satisfactory, seeing that I was accepted quite easily by the nodding of heads.

"We start tomorrow, then?" Felt asked as I nodded in confirmation. She then left in a hurry as if to finish a job, and left me in here with Rom.

"I gotta say, youngster, although I usually don't let people stay here, you might be an exception. Few are willing to help someone in Felt's world. Thieves and jobs relating to stealing usually have the employed work along, unless a gang is in action. In our case, we did our own thing so people like you are truly bizarre. Come to think of it, I still don't know your name."

"My name's Y/N L/N. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Just as I was wondering how to discover a power to use in my mission, a tiny dot in the sky with a turquoise glow floated down to me as I regarded it. "Are you perhaps a... spirit?" I asked it, and a little hum came as a response, so soft that if not for my trained ears, few could hear it.

"Yes, and it appears that my contract with you was set in stone a long time ago. My master has told me that the one worthy of her Authority would come in 500 years, and here you are." The spirit then materialized a cube-shaped object in the air, and it floated towards me as the spirit continued to introduce itself. "My name is Alchemis, a spirit of fire magic. It appears that coincidentally, you have an affinity for fire magic. Please accept my master's wish of absorbing this Authority to gain your proper place."

"Woah, woah, this is a lot to take in, you know? Alchemis, will anything bad happen to me when I absorb this?" I remembered that when Betelgeuse took in the Witch Factor of Sloth, he kinda lost his mind and became somewhat of a different person. "And... and this..." I looked at the cubic structure of the object I received and noticed the smaller cube within the cube, connected to each other by invisible strands of energy linking their corners together. "This is a freaking Tesseract?"

"Well, master did explain why her 4 dimensional cube was the way it is, but the only shape the Authority of Elementals take is this form, when reduced to a mere witch factor."

"I suppose I don't have a choice, don't I?" I took the ominous looking tesseract, and plunged it into my heart as I suddenly spasmed and received a shock before finally coming back to my senses, while Alchemis stayed in his place, unfazed by my reaction. "I'm going to take your reaction that this is normal."

"Well, taking in an Authority will always have some pain, but look on the bright side! You should see the circle now, correct?" 

"Circle?" I looked up a little and saw the Periodic Table of Elements from my world, clear as day before I turned to the Alchemis, who looked excited despite only being a sphere of light. "All I see is the Periodic Table." 

"Well, I suppose Master was right about how the Authority changes with the user's knowledge." Alchemis sighed. "So I suppose you have to figure it out yourself since I won't be of any help. Anyways, I gotta go take my rest now, it's almost sunset, so see ya tomorrow, successor."

"Wait!" The spirit stopped before it vanished. "What was your master's name?"

"Frakinedottir, the Witch of Elements."

Timeskippu*

So after a few hours of tinkering with stuff on the imaginary table that materialized in front of my eyes, I noticed a few things:

Most (if not almost all of them) of the elements are locked, aka I can't use them.

When selecting a certain element to use, your hand will produce around litre of the atoms selected, causing them to form a tiny sphere until further usage.

While in state of tiny sphere, you can:

- Fuse them into molecules (such as H into H2 gas)

- Rearrange molecular structure.

-Make isotopes or ions if you have enough mana (note: I definitely do not have enough yet.)

After you decide to release the sphere of molecules and atoms, they'll simply spread into the air as if it's part of the air itself. (Or drop onto floor if solids or liquids unless you generate it fast enough/ throw it)

Well, added on with my fire magic, I can basically only do one cool thing, or light things on fire.

Only in theory, that is, since I didn't want to burn the loothouse down.

Since I can only produce Hydrogen atoms right now, I can only turn them into Hydrogen gas. (H2). H2 is a highly flammable gas considering how it caused a German blimp to catch fire and crash, I'd say it's a very efficient fuel. Plus, it's colourless and odourless, which means I can place it somewhere, and light it later without anyone noticing anything strange. Of course, before it floats away.

I only know one spell, Goa, which was like the torch lighting thing that you do when you first get fire magic in a fantasy world. And since I have a fuel, I don't need to worry about the base intensity of my fire.

Despite myself somewhat knowing the fire spell Goa and a little Hydrogen gas release, it was not guaranteeing my survival on the job. So naturally, I was quite stressed, and was not really looking forward to stealing things. Felt, on the other hand, looked oh-so-ready to commit some crime. Or to her, it was just business, since she woke me up early today.

We now stood on top of a building, glancing down at the target. Apparently, the client (whoever that was), asked for the purse of a certain noble. It was said that they just wanted the purse along with the contents, and hopefully have it not damaged in any case. Now, noblemen and noblewomen carry their purse on their sleeves, which make it easy to catch. My plan was to create two walls of fire out of thin air by spreading hydrogen gas down in the streets, and then light it with Goa to make the noble panic, which results to the noble falling and then Felt can seize the chance to snatch it using her divine protection while the noble is panicking. I mean, it's not the best plan, including the parts where I left my abilities out, but Felt agreed. I also gave her a mask just in case if the plan fails.

And so, Felt waited on the target building while I descended first, and began spreading the hydrogen gas around the two alleys that surrounded the building as fast as I can, and after I finished laying the groundwork, I climbed up the building on the opposite side a little bit later and gave Felt the signal to be ready. 

I aimed my finger gun at the line of gas that I could dimly see thanks to Alchemis, and whispered my first spell to be in action. "Goa."

The tiny ball of flame went towards the gas line in the air, and miraculously, my plan worked amazingly as the walls of fire activated themselves, the hydrogen linking together as the flames spread throughout the alleys. Although not hurting anyone, it was enough to give people a fright.

I'm not considered an arsonist because of this, right?

Ya, no, I'm not burning anything, technically.

Felt seized this moment, and dashed down towards the noble faster than the eye could perceive. Seconds later after she made her move, I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned to face a smiling Felt. 

"Y/N nii-san, I got it!" 

"Woah! Splendid job! I can't even follow you with my eyes!"

"Well, my ability does come into handy at times like this. Speaking of abilities, you still haven't revealed yours to us, have you?"

"Uh... sorry about this, but I don't really understand how it works either. That's one part of it, though. The other part is that I contracted a fire spirit recently, and that's how I learned Goa."

"Hmm... well, we all have our fair share of secrets, so I'm not going to pry into it further."

With that, my first mission in this world ended, and I followed the girl back to the slums to declare our mission as a success.

Profile Update: Every Episode contains one of these!

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority: 

Authority of ??? (Commonly known as Authority of Elements): 

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 0, 75/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

??? Mastery: {locked}

Spirits: Alchemis- spirit of fire (turquoise)

Magic Spells: 

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger imbued with mana.

Chapter Text

After the day of our little success, we participated in many raid missions since suddenly the client decided to promote us, in a sense. This resulted in a large amount of people coming to hire us, which means more money opportunities. Although a little work will make the days a bit tiring, it's all worth it in the end.

Some days I'll even try doing a job myself, one that does not involve stealing objects on somebody. Along with my skills of manipulating hydrogen and the usage of Goa, I pulled off my missions flawlessly, much to my surprise and Felt's as well. The Yellow Flash and the Warlock of Flame (Cringey name, I know) were now renowned in the slums, sometimes even as saviours when I decide to make a food steal trip for the poor in the slums.

Soon enough, my name became well known even in the capital, to my dismay. This meant I had to work more discreetly since the nobles have ordered an arrest for me by this point. I don't really like having a bounty, which means I'm going to change methods to avoid being recognized while doing work.

AAAAAAAHHHHHH! I hate thievery. But sadly, it's my only chance of survival right now, so it's not like I have a choice.

Frustrated, I decided to activate my Authority, which led to the panel opening up, and I gently tapped on Hydrogen, and a mini-screen showed up beside it. The 'Mastery Level' thing was now at 465/1000 right now, and apparently I have to reach Lvl 1 to unlock Helium, which leads to more choices of attack. 

The only thing I could make right now is Hydrogen Gas, which only helps in either suffocating people or lighting things on fire. I probably should try the Hydrogen balloon strategy, where we can fly away to make a quick escape and pop it to land. The other hydrogen isotopes and ions require a Yin or Yang spirit, and Alchemis certainly was not willing to find one for me. 

The thing is, deuterium, which is one of the hydrogen's isotopes, was actually quite useful and vital in the making of a nuclear bomb. Not that I wanted to make one right now, but it could come in handy if I found a certain Sin Archbishop's headquarters, and just blow it up. But that's a thing for another time because I definitely need a lot more elements to make a hydrogen bomb.

So that made me set my sights on Helium. Now, Hydrogen's mastery level thingy goes up by 15 every time I generate it in a sphere, and actually have to be tossed somewhere. I could potentially grind the level by just randomly generating, but that sucks up a lot of stamina. Fun fact: Authorities will never drain mana, so mine does a little restriction on its usage. So if I overuse it, I might die from over-exhaustion or just pass out. Back to Helium. Helium and Hydrogen make a great combo, because the compound Helium Hydride makes up one of the strongest acids ever produced, although its natural formation is extremely rare. But who cares about natural formations when you can do it yourself? Besides, it might work well against a certain assassin.

Now that I've set my sights on acquiring Helium, I have to do something to make up for the time that I can't use hydrogen to boost my Fire attacks. Goa is the most basic fire spell, which urged me to learn something stronger. In incantations of magic in Re:Zero, if I remember correctly, the power level goes up like this: No Prefix->El->Ul->Al. Since Goa was the first step, maybe El Goa is what I should aim for.

"Um, Alchemis, a little help here?" I asked my spirit buddy, and he came flashing out as I recognized the turquoise sphere of light. 

"Hm? Oh, you want to learn fire magic? Well, you already know Goa, so the next step should be-"

"El Goa, right?"

"Huh? How- HOW did you know that? You weren't even from this world! Have you been reading books?"

"Bro, where would I get the books when I'm a wanted criminal?" I asked Alchemis, who shutted up before sighing. 

"How did you get yourself into this mess?"

"Have you not been watching? I have to steal for money in this world! And now I need to stop using my Authority to avoid being found out. Worse than that, is if I use my abilities too much, the freaking dragon tablet in the capital would act up and tell the freaking sage candidates this: 'Oh, ya, there's like an Archbishop of something in the slums, go kill him he's weak!' I do not want to get slashed by knights."

Alchemis sighed, then came by my side to instruct me. "Hold your palm up to face the direction you want to shoot your attack at." I quickly ran around the loot house and found the pile of garbage that I used as my practice spot. Luckily, the things weren't flammable (most of them) so I didn't have to pour water on it after I finish. That's the pain with fire magic.

"Then, you chant the spell and envision three fireballs forming." Alchemis instructed, and I followed his orders as I pointed my outstretch palm at the pile.

"El Goa."

Three soccer-ball-sized fireballs manifested beside me, and flew at high speeds towards the pile of garbage, setting it aflame for a while before the fire died out. 

"Woah... that's some nice firepower." I said to Alchemis, who made three fireballs of his own, but they were blue instead of the usual orange flame. He then threw them upwards and formed a triangle with them before letting them explode in the sky like fireworks.

"If you have enough control over the fire, you could redirect them in battle as you wish. Maybe even make them homing." Alchemis said to me. "But how to add extra effects is up to you to find how to do it. Since I'm a spirit formed with the will of your Authority, I can't do much help for creating new spells, only teaching them. Sorry."

"It's okay, Alchemis. I suppose I have a little work to do, then."

How did I end up in this situation?

I forgot what I was doing exactly, but most likely because I seemed to damage some property by accident when I was practicing El Goa. Some guards got mad at me and chased me down the streets, where I ran using a few skills that Felt taught me during our duration of partnership.

Yes, the favour I wanted to return ended days ago, so now I'm on my own for whatever I do. 

Funny enough, I ditched the thievery job and now just focused on raising my Hydrogen mastery and practicing controlling the El Goa fireballs. Which resulted me now in an alley, panting and gasping for air as I struggled to breathe after being chased for half an hour straight.

My luck continued to run out when I saw three shadows approaching from the alley's entrance, but they were not knights. I lifted my head and saw three figures I'm rather familiar with: the thugs who tried to rob Subaru on his first day when he arrived here. 

"Well, look who we have here?" The skinny guy smiled as he took out one of his knives, smiling with a horrid smile as they approached. "The Warlock of Flame, exhausted in an alley. I bet we can get quite an amount of money if we turn you over."

I stood up and faced the thugs, who believed they had the upper hand. I summoned a few Hydrogen spheres behind my back, and sent them towards the thugs without them noticing a thing. Thank god Hydrogen is odourless and colourless. 

As they continued to advance, my plan sprung into action as they suddenly glanced at another and realized the air got denser. "What's wrong?" I sneered. "Can't breathe now, can you?"

"What did you... do?" The short guy gasped for air, but failed to do so as his lungs inhaled hydrogen once again instead of oxygen. 

"Listen up here. Ton, Chin, Kan." They gasped as I said their names. "Yes, I know your names. Or should I call you guys something else? What about Gaston, Rachins Hoffman, and... Camberley?"

"Don't act so surprised, now. You will run out of oxygen if you keep gasping. I will release the gas from here but you will swear to be loyal to me, how about that? In return, I'll grant you a favor. Nod your head if you understand. Time is running out, so do it quickly."

The three nodded their heads immediately as soon as I finished, and I proceeded to withdraw all hydrogen particles present in the area, which allowed the three to finally gasp for air.

"I suppose we shouldn't pry into how you got that info, Mr.?"

"Y/N. Y/N L/N. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Now, your loyalty?"

They bowed slightly out of respect as I got their meaning, before telling them to lift their heads. "Now, what favour do you guys want? Or you could save it for later, I suppose."

"We just want to live a happy life, I suppose, a better one-" Gaston began, but Camberley stopped him for a moment and whispered to him.

"We'll save it for later." Rachins suddenly spoke. "We might need time to decide. I thank you for sparing us, since not many who wield powers are willing to forgive such actions."

"Well, take all the time you need, since I have something I've got to do as well." I waved goodbye to the three outlaws, and made my exit using my Flame Walls.

Timeskip*

Yesterday apparently Felt had received a request to steal something, so she was spending time analyzing her target. I didn't see her since I was dealing with the three thugs in the capital after my little incident. Today she was out before the sun was up, so I didn't see her when I woke up.

I decided to help Old Man Rom to buy a barrel of milk for Felt since we were running out. I then fished out a few silver coins of Lugnica, and ran towards the market place.

A strange sensation surrounded me today, as if something new has been added to this world. I do not know why nor how, so I kind of just ignored the feeling. Weirdly enough, Alchemis has been silent for the entire day, but I figured he was just recharging mana.

I took a nice, long stroll around the capital before heading home, and by the time I saw the loot house in the slums, it was already dark. I was about to push open the door when suddenly my vision turned black and the world flipped, sending my consciousness over an abyss before it was no more.

"Huh?"

I looked around, amazed. I was somehow at the milk shop I was at before, where I bought the barrel of milk before dropping it off at the loot house. So why am I here?

Wait... wasn't it night when I got to the loot house?

I was about to push open the door... then... I... didn't do anything and came here?

Wait, wait, this doesn't make sense.

First of all, this couldn't have been Return by Death, since I didn't even die nor feel pain before I was here again. So what happened?

Could something have happened in the loot house-

The loot house.

In Subaru's first loop, he approached the loot house in order to find the insignia, but Elsa killed him when he found Rom's body. Wait... hold up... 

Did Natsuki Subaru already arrive in this world?

Timeskip*

Now I was running through the streets Lugnica, trying to find Subaru in an alleyway before he bumps into more trouble...

And I just wanna say I'm an idiot.

Because the darkness came for me again, and I had no idea why.

Okay, Y/N, think. Why did Subaru die so fast this time?

Could it be Rachin's knife that Subaru accidentally walked through?

Wait, then that means that Subaru has already died once before but I didn't remember it?

But his first death was during the night, and second was around dusk. Which means that I was looped back a little later than I was supposed to. Why?

You...Save him...

What? Who's talking? I glanced around, but suddenly I saw myself facing a shadow, in a place that I wasn't supposed to be.

Brought you here...so you can know... that I love him... please save him... go.... don't let him die again...

No way... was that... The Witch of Envy, Satella?

She said to save him, which I'm going to presume is Subaru. True, he did die three times, so I suppose I should...?

Wait! He's already back here, so I should go and find him! But before that... 

To my surprise, with a bit of luck and calculations, I managed to locate the patch of red hair in the crowd as my brain formulated a plan. If I could manage to let Reinhard help us, Subaru might get out of this unscathed. I ran up to Reinhard, who was taking a look around, and noticed me. Thank god I made a smooth entrance. 

"Hmm...? Who are you? Did you want to say something?" I looked up at Reinhard, and began my plan.

"Please, I need your help with something tonight. People will be in danger if I left this go unchecked."

"People will be in danger? What do you mean?"

"I know where the Bowel Hunter will show up next." I said in a hushed voice, and he immediately reared back a little, shocked.

"How do you know this information?"

I then made up a story of how I overheard Felt and Elsa talking about a deal, and then I noticed her outfit and blades and I decided to help Felt in case she was killed since Elsa is an extremely dangerous individual. After my explanation, Reinhard nodded in response as he promised to keep watch outside of the loot house in case of emergencies, and can capture Elsa if negotiations go well. (Which it isn't)

Now, with that plan in motion, time to move onto the next phase.

Timeskippu*

I finally arrived at the alley where I spotted the three thugs, my (underlings) acquaintances who have sworn loyalties to me. Subaru went towards them but before he could act, Rachins and Camberley moved with some erratic movement as they countered his moves. 

Shit! I did spend a little time training them, but I thought Subaru could still beat them. Seems not. I disrupted the timeline, then. I just hope that this event will not disrupt the main line further.

As Rachins decided to brandish his second knife, I made my move after climbing up the nearby building. I sang my warning tune that I taught to the thieves, and immediately they went on high alert before I jumped down in front of them, spooking them out a little.

"Yo, hello there! Ton, Chin, Kan, would you mind letting my acquaintance here off the hook today? Do me a favour, please? I might just give you a gold coin each if you comply. Or just no, you know, the suffocation part." I spoke in a clear voice as I gave them a little wink as a confirmation, and they nodded hurriedly before scurrying off.

I turned to the black-haired boy, who looked at me with a bewildered expression as I gave him a weak smile.

"Yo, Natsuki Subaru. The name's Y/N L/N. Wassup?"

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of ??? (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 0, 945/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

??? Mastery: {locked}

Spirits: Alchemis- spirit of fire (turquoise)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds

Chapter Text

"So, uh, who are you again?" Subaru asked me, still unsure of what he just saw.

"My name's Y/N L/N. I told you that." I told him again, but his eyes drifted to my makeshift cape, which was my old lab coat.

"Ya, but who were you, before all of... this?" He gestured to the world, as if it was an event that was supposed to pass.

"I was a student in Japan. But it seems that our universes were somewhat parallel." I told him based on my speculations, and he seemed to believe it. After a while, he stood up and faced me.

"Anyways, have you seen a silver-haired girl recently? I need to tell her something." Subaru asked me.

"Silver-haired?" I said, trying to act confused. I knew he was talking about Emilia, but if I screw up the fourth loop, it might cause some troubles for both me and the world itself. "I don't think I've seen anyone like that recently."

"Well, if you do see her, please tell her this." I listened to his message as I noticed a balloon in the sky, with a girl attached to it. Felt? Maybe my Hydrogen balloon prototype worked, after all. Wait... does that mean she already has Emilia's insignia? Hmmm... what to do...

"Well, I gotta go find someone now. Guess I'll see you later?" Subaru asked. I decided that maybe it would be best to go with him, so I proposed an idea.

"Hey, I think we should go together? Besides, I know the people around here pretty well anyways, so why not let me help a little?"

"Definitely! You would be a great help. By the way, I keep on forgetting that you're also a summoned like me here. People of the same world stick together, hm?" Subaru laughed heartily, and for the first time, I feel like I might've gained an actual friend.

Timeskip*

And on our way to Subaru's destination, we chatted about various games in our separate worlds and also compared some news and events to know more about each other's world. For some reasons, the time in our world seems to be the same, and Subaru did arrive in this world 10 days after I did, which miraculously matches up with Earth's time.

"So, who are you looking for in the slums?" I asked him as we entered the deserted area, where poor people lived and the weak scavenged.

"I'm looking for a little short girl, blonde-haired, and her name is Felt, I think?"

"Oh, you're looking for Felt? You should've said so earlier!" I played my 'friend of the girl' card, and led Subaru towards Felt's makeshift house. "This way, come on!"

"You know her?" Subaru asked as we walked in the direction of Felt's den.

"Of course! She was like my partner for like a few days and she kinda taught me the ropes around here."

"Partner?" Subaru said, a bit confused yet somewhat also getting what I meant.

"Well, it kinda went like this..." I began revealing my story and the basic outline of my survival days for the past ten days. I talked about my partnership with Felt, and how I learned a little fire magic.

"You can do magic?" Subaru screeched, and I hurriedly covered his mouth as I looked around.

"Yes, but can you be a little quieter about it? I'll show you later, but not here." I led him to my trash pile, and gestured to him to brace himself.

"So, apparently there's a thing called an affinity in this world, and you can only use magic that is related to your affinity. Mine's fire, so I'm going to show you the two spells I know. The first is Goa." I pointed my finger and aimed it at the pile, and chanted the incantation. The small bullet of fire came out and hit the pile, setting a wooden stick aflame. Subaru gave me a surprised face, and I proceeded to show him the stronger version of the previous spell.

"El Goa." The three fireballs manifested, and threw themselves towards the pile.

"Woah, bro, that's so cool!" Subaru exclaimed.

"Well, I can't determine what your affinity is, so that'll have to wait later. But just so you know, there are six magic types. Fire element that covers temperature, Water element that covers life and healing, Wind element that functions outside of the bodies of living things, and Earth element that functions inside of the bodies of living things. Yin and Yang are rare ones and they're like light and dark magic. Yin does debuffs and other cool things while Yang strengthens people and does um blinding light things? I'm not exactly sure." I did my best to explain, and Subaru nodded towards me, and I took that as a good sign before we moved on.

"Hey, did you know?" Subaru suddenly came up to me and stopped in front of me. "I have a cool ability as well, you know? I think I can go back to a certain place whenever I die! I call this Return by Death!"

"Oh, so that's why I've been getting Blackouts lately. You were dying?"

"You can go back in time too? Did you die?"

"No, I was minding my own business before I was like, uh, teleported back to where I was several hours ago."

"Hmmm... but nobody else seemed to notice..."

"Dying to return to a checkpoint place, hm?" I asked him, trying to change the topic a little. "Isn't that a little too painful if you want to truly do something though?"

"Well, at least I could go back and fix things if things go terribly wrong, right? Hey, I bet you also have a cool power too, right? Come on, tell me, I told you mine!"

"Wait, uh, but..." I told him that a certain feeling has been with me lately, so my ability has yet to awaken, probably. Took me a while to curb his curiosity before we decided to move on.

It took a few minutes to reach Felt's den, and when we reached it, I knocked on the door three times, as per her instruction. There was no response, so I opened the door and peeked inside. However, she was not there. I thought she finished her job... hmm...

I was going to take a look at the things inside, but I heard Subaru yelp and I quickly yanked myself out of there.

"I said get out, thieves!" Felt, now brandishing her knife, swung at Subaru as he blocked it with a nearby bench. Felt knocked him back, but before she can swing at him again, I spread hydrogen and lit it with Goa, which led to her stepping back.

"Felt, please calm down." I stretched out a hand as the fire died down. "He's with me."

"Oh, Y/N nii-chan! What are you doing with a guy like this?"

The 'guy like this' part stung Subaru a little, but he quickly recovered. "He said he was looking for you, so I brought him here. I also happened to befriend him while in the capital, so uh I decided to help him out a little."

"...ok, fine. But what do you want with me?" She sheathed her blade, and Subaru turned to her and began explaining the situation.

"Listen, I want to trade for your insignia, and I have something that's worth at least 20 holy coins for it!" He then took out his phone(very outdated, mind you), and took a picture of Felt, before giving the phone to her and showing it to her.

"This is what you would call a metia. It freezes time in front of it, and can store that moment in itself." Subaru gave Felt the metia as she examined the picture taken, and gave us a weird look. "I'm way prettier than that, why do I look less pretty in that frozen time thing of yours?"

"Okay, okay, if you say so." Subaru gave me a look that said 'dude' which was directed at Felt, before retrieving his phone.

"Felt, I'm not joking, but you are flattering yourself a bit. A girl at 15 saying that she looks way prettier than her own picture, is probably not true. I mean, it's just the resolution's low. If your beauty standards are this low, I gotta go take you to a-"

I don't know if I said too much, or maybe because she's heard enough, but Felt was walking towards me with an unreadable expression. "Um, Felt, is something wrong?"

"Y/N nii-chan, that's just mean!" Felt yelled before I looked down at my arm as I felt pain and a sharp thing stabbing me before I realized Felt's teeth began clamping down on my arm.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Timeskip*

I suppose I will never get on the topic of beauty for the rest of my life. I have bite marks to prove it.

As we went to Old Man Rom to check the authenticity of Subaru's phone, we somehow came across the topic of living in slums. Subaru was talking to Felt, trying to get information out of her or something. I decided to listen in on their conversation to divert my attention from the sunset when Felt said, "Live strong?"

"That's what everyone in the slums say." Subaru replied, exasperated.

"Don't compare me to these losers! I will not live in this place forever! I will get out!"

"Aww..." Subaru smirked, suddenly seeing something about Felt as she pouted and yelled at him.

"Hey, what are you smirking at?"

"It'll be okay..." Subaru went ahead and patted her, and continued to do so until I saw her snap.

'Wait, Subaru, you should probably stop-"

"I told you to STOP!"

CHOMP

YYYYEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Timeskip*

"Does Felt always act like this?" Subaru asked me, rubbing his sore arm with the bite mark on his tracksuit.

"Well, probably not all the time, but maybe sometimes-"

"I can hear you!" Felt snapped from up front, and we shut our mouths immediately.

As we entered the loot house, Old Man Rom welcomed me back as I finally handed him my barrel of milk that I bought from the first loop, and he took some of it as he gave a glass to Felt, who drank it quickly before gesturing to Subaru to give Rom the metia.

"Hmm..." Rom scrutinized the phone, before giving it back to Subaru. "I'd wager that if I were to sell this, it will be at least worth 15... no, 20 holy coins at minimum."

"Well then, we have a deal!" Subaru said happily, and was about to receive the insignia from Felt when suddenly a knock on the door sounded.

"That might be the other client." Felt went to open the door when Subaru gave me an alarmed look. I returned a look of reassurance since he thought is was going to be Elsa.

Felt saw Emilia at the door and immediately jumped back, hissing as she snapped at the half-elf. "You! I'm not returning that insignia to you!"

Emilia sighed as she closed the door and came in. With a chilling breeze, six ice shards shaped like pointy daggers formed out of nowhere, pointed at us. "I'm demanding that you return it to me. It's very important to me."

Felt took out the dagger before Rom and I gave her a warning look. "Look, Felt, I think we have to give it back. Lady, you're an elf, aren't you?"

"Actually, only half."

"Wait, could it be-" Felt suddenly exclaimed, and as Emilia was about to say something, I cut in.

"She's not Satella, Felt. The chills of shadows could be felt if you were in the Witch of Envy's presence." I clarified, and gave Subaru a look. He seemed to somewhat understand, but Emilia looked sceptical at my explanation.

"How do you know so much about-" Before Emilia could finish her sentence, a black kukri blade glinted in the background. Alerted, Subaru and I both yelled, "Puck! Shield Her!"

The snowflake-shaped shield appeared on the last second, and deflected the blade. Elsa, now exposed, shifted out of the shadows as she glanced at us malevolently.

"That was closer than I liked, but you guys saved us!" Puck, now appearing from behind Emilia as he floated in front of her.

"I guess you haven't gone to sleep yet, since it is before sunset now." Subaru remarked as he returned the thumbs-up.

"Spirit... you are a spirit, aren't you?" Elsa's voice cut in to our conversation. "I've never hunted a spirit's bowels before."

"And you will never get near mine! I'm Puck! Remember my name after you die!" Puck shot several ice crystals at Elsa, but she swiftly dodges all of them. Good thing that Puck is keeping her on the defensive, though. It would be bad if she started aiming for us.

"Old Man Rom, who would win this fight?" Felt asked out of curiosity as we watched the battle unfold.

"Normally, spirit users will win until their mana or the mana in the air around them runs out."

Just as he said that, Puck did a yawn. "Sorry, Lia. I have to go now. If you need me, call on me. I'll act according to our contract if anything goes wrong." With that, he vanished into Emilia's necklace. Emilia then summoned two ice shields, and the Bowel Hunter began hacking away at the shields. It was at this moment that Elsa realized Emilia's defense was too strong, so she turned her gaze onto Felt.

"Oh no you don't!" Rom noticed Elsa's gaze, and picked up his club as he swung it towards Elsa. She swiftly blocked it as she swung her knife again, which slashed Rom as he fell to the ground, bleeding.

"Old Man Rom!" Felt dashed off in fury before I could stop her, and she disappeared from sight as she activated her ability.

"A Divine Protection of Wind, huh?" Elsa remarked as she dodged Felt's insanely fast slash, and I suddenly realized that Felt will get killed. Angry at Elsa, I immediately allowed the fireballs to manifest, and dashed forwards to protect the person who taught me how to survive, and the little sister figure who I felt obligated to protect.

"El Goa!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as the three fireballs shot towards Elsa at max speed, causing her to stop momentarily and block all three fireballs. When she wanted to dash at Felt again, I was in front of her, my hydrogen already in place, and I muttered Goa using a soft voice, before pointing my finger in the shape of a gun against Elsa. "Flame Warlock Original, Wall of Flames!"

The fuse was lit as the fires spread from a single ball of fire, and Elsa jumped back in alarm, while Felt, Emilia, and Subaru seemed surprised at my sudden spell power.

"Woah, Y/N! You've never showed me that before!" Subaru exclaimed as he picked up Rom's club, and I had an idea. I sprayed a bottle of oil over the club, and lit it with Goa.

"Now you have a flaming club!" I readied El Goa, and nodded at Subaru before we both charged at Elsa.

"Your movements might be as sluggish as a novice, but it seems that you have spirit. Commendable, but I will get your bowels," She yelled at Subaru as he blocked Elsa's slash, before aiming a kick at her. Elsa grabbed his foot, but I gave him a chance to escape as I shot El Goa at her. She charged at us again, but I lit another wall of flames to impede her movement. I was fearing for my life, since Subaru and Emilia looked a little tired, while Felt and Rom were out of commission as Felt protected her grandpa figure with her dagger.

Just as I was scanning through my remaining options, a message came up as I smirked, and let it's voice flow through me.

The requirements are fulfilled. Stage 1 Mastery has been unlocked. 5/1000 points collected. New element unlocked. Helium is now available. New compounds unlocked. New molecules unlocked...

"Hahahaha..." I laughed as I looked at Elsa, who gave me a confused look as well as the others. "You lost the moment when you dragged this fight out for too long, Elsa Granhiert. The Helium atoms, like beasts unleashed, swarmed into my hand as they combined with the hydrogen atoms that were already summoned. With a swirl in the palm, the elements fused into the universe's first compound, and one of the most deadly even today.

With a sphere a of helium hydride in my palm, glowing purple, I hurled the strongest acid known to mankind at the Bowel Hunter, determined to win the fight that was supposed to be lost.

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of ??? (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 20/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 0, 15/1000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Spirits: Alchemis- spirit of fire (turquoise)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds

Chapter Text

The ball of acid flew through the air towards Elsa, and although she didn't fully understand what the substance was, she instinctively slashed out at the ball of helium hydride, only to split it in half and turn into two separate balls and hit her face and arm.

"Aaaaaaargh!" She suddenly flailed and yelled when the acid began eating away at her flesh, despite her ability constantly healing her.

"It seems like not even Curse Dolls are immune." I remarked as I held up my knife, dipped it in oil and lit it with Goa. "Infinite regeneration's only enemy is infinite destruction. The only thing that comes out of this, is infinite pain."

"You... bastard!" She yelled as she did an extremely gruesome act. She sliced off the parts of her body that were splashed with acid as they regenerated instantly, and I gave her a look of surprise.

"Well, I suppose that's one way to get rid of it." I didn't hesitate for another moment as I dashed towards her, only to be blocked by her black kukri knife, and I yelled over at Subaru and Emilia. "A little help here?"

Subaru left Emilia to heal Rom while he stood by my side and together, we charged towards the Bowel Hunter, determined to win this fight.

Subaru's club, somehow still on fire, was swung towards Elsa but she blocked it with her blade. I then charged towards her with a snarl, ready to drive my flaming blade into the heartless killer. However, she raised her leg and kicked me right in the gut and I crashed against the wall as I flew back, blood coming out of my mouth as I coughed. I was not built for fighting, even if Felt and myself did train my body for a few days. This... is really bad.

Subaru's club was sent reeling away and Elsa was about to strike down her blade. "No you don't! Ice Magic: Solid Hydrogen!"

My hydrogen atoms froze together as they squished themselves together, and the temperature of a certain area dropped drastically as they deposited into a solid, and created an invisible barrier for a second, which deflected Elsa's blade before it vanished. Hissing, Elsa ran towards me, but I realized I was out of both mana and stamina. Crap... am I... going to die?

Just as the last moments came, a voice sounded above the roof. "I believe that's enough."

The roof then came crashing down as Elsa stopped, regarding the man in the smoke who had declared the statement. The red-haired man turned around and faced the heinous Bowel Hunter, before looking at me and giving a nod.

"Thank god, Reinhard... you made it in time..." I said before my consciousness faded, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

3rd Person POV

"The Sword Saint?" Elsa said, clearly surprised that such a figure appeared here.

"The boy has told me that you would be making an appearance tonight." He gestured towards Y/N, now unconscious, with Emilia healing him after she finished healing Rom. "These clothes... and a blade unique to the northern provinces of Gusteko... there's no mistaking it. You're the Bowel Hunter."

"Bowel Hunter? What a scary name." Subaru remarked as he retreated towards Emilia's side.

"It's a name derived from her unique killing style." Subaru gulped as Reinhard explained. "Even in the capital, her name is well known as she is one very dangerous individual."

"Born from a line of master swordsman, correct?" Elsa smiled as she regarded Reinhard, smiling. "Didn't expect my prey to be so much fun."

 "I have many things to ask you, but now I strongly suggest you surrender." Reinhard declared as Elsa readied her knife.

"You expect me to give up such juicy prey?" Elsa said as Subaru gulped.

Reinhard chuckled as he waved a hand at Subaru. "I suggest you step back, Subaru."

"Will you be okay though?"

"Of course. Hunting monsters happen to be a specialty of mine."

Elsa charged at Reinhard and the battle began without any sort of warning. Elsa slashed down at Reinhard while moving at incredible speeds, but Reinhard dodged and kicked her back.

'It is as the rumours say... no, you're even better than that." Elsa remarked as she noticed the Astrea sword. "But are you not going to use the sword at your hip?"

"The sword will only allow itself to be drawn when it feels an opponent worth fighting with. It seems that this not one of those times. A shame, but it seems..." Reinhard picked up a sword from the scattered contents of the loot house. "That this will have to suffice for now."

Elsa charged at Reinhard again, but before she could strike him, Reinhard's bladework severed her kukri blade and it flew into his hand. Elsa charged at him again as Subaru yelled, "She's got another one!"

The two blades clashed as Elsa looked at Subaru. "You knew. I'm impressed, not many knows about that." Elsa was knocked back again as Reinhard faced her.

"So if I divest you of all your weapons, will you surrender then?"

"I don't have a mere two fangs." She said as she as she began dashing through the loothouse at incredible speeds while attacking Reinhard from various corners and angles. "If I lose my fangs, I'll use my claws. If I lose my claws, then I'll use my bones. If I lose my bones, then I'll use my life. That's the way a Bowel Hunter fights."

As Elsa and Reinhard continued to exchange blows, Subaru looked not entirely reassured. "Surely Reinhard cannot fail to land the decisive blow, right?"

"If Reinhard was truly intent on fighting, all of the mana in the air would turn away from me, and I cannot use my spirit arts to heal your friend here. Now I am done. Please notify him." Subaru nodded as he turned his head towards Reinhard.

"Reinhard! I don't really get it, but you can do your thing now!"

Reinhard nodded as he began releasing an aura, and both he and Elsa readied their blades.

"The Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert."

"Reinhard van Astrea, from the line of master swordsman."

With the introductions finished, Reinhard's sword let out a bright glow as it absorbed all mana around them, converging into a single stroke of light. Elsa slashed forwards as Reinhard brought the gleaming sword down, and an explosion followed as half of the loot house was blown away. Although Subaru and Emilia were not harmed, both of them experienced the shock and magnitude of such an attack.

"Woah, Reinhard, you said you hunt monsters, but you're pratically one yourself, you know that?" Subaru said as Reinhard pretended to look hurt. 

"Well, anyways, thanks, as a friend to a friend."

Just as everything seemed to be fine, the rubble beside Subaru moved, and Reinhard suddenly was alerted as he yelled, "Watch out!" 

Elsa erupted from the remains of the loothouse, and wore a look of hatred as she dashed towards Emilia before suddenly, Y/N stood up and Subaru grabbed the club.

"She'll go for the gut!" Subaru said as he yelled and picked up and lifted the club in a defensive position.

"Wall of Flames!" Y/N yelled as the spell connected. And although the spell did not stop Elsa's blade, it certainly did make her step back and slice a little bit too far than she wanted to slash.

"You two got in my way again." Elsa said as Reinhard approached and asked her to surrender.

"Well, it seems that the time is up. Take care of your bowels until then, everyone." Elsa left as she climbed over the walls and rushed away.

Y/N POV

"Woah, Y/N!" Subaru said as he looked at me, amazed. "How did you recover so fast?"

As I looked for an answer, Alchemis' voice sounded inside my head and I silently nodded to his instructions. It was another innate ability of the witch factor I absorbed, it seems, but of course I didn't tell them that. "It was one of my innate abilities, known as Vacuum Trigger. When very powerful attacks were performed or if the nearby mana in the air was sucked away, my body would automatically snap myself out of consciousness and adjust itself to adapt to the sudden change."

"That's quite awesome!" Subaru said, but before he could continue, Emilia came over and faced Subaru with a glare. 

"How could you be so reckless like that? You could've been killed!"

"Well, at least we aren't missing any arms or something, right? I don't even have a hole in my stomach anymore!" Subaru said as Emilia gave him a confused look. 

"You speak as if you have actually experienced this before..."

"That's because I kinda did... anyways, if it was not for that club, I would've been dead." Subaru pointed to the club, and Reinhard began to pick it up.

"Truly, if it was not for this...eh?" We stared at the club, now cleaved cleanly in half, and Subaru looked down at his stomach. As if it was impeccable comic timing, his tracksuit ripped, and a cut formed on his stomach as it began to bleed.

"SUBARU!" The three of us yelled as we rushed over to him.

Timeskip*

"Well, he's safe now." Emilia said as she finished healing Subaru.

"Sorry, it seems that my flames weren't enough to stop Subaru from getting an injury." I said, a bit saddened.

"Well, don't blame yourself! You risked your life today a lot of times, too, you know?" Emilia said as Reinhard nodded in agreement. Sighing, I speak into the air, expecting something. "Alchemis, is Elsa truly gone?" 

My turquoise spirit miraculously appeared as he danced in a circle before replying. "Yup. Not sensing her in a 1-kilometer radius." 

"You are... a spirit user?" Emilia said, astonished as Reinhard scrutinized Alchemis.

"Yup. Alchemis here is a spirit of fire, and although he can't use ice magic, he is quite skillful." I replied as he hid behind me. "His color is quite unique, since he does not currently possess a corporeal body." 

"Well, I guess we all have our fair share of secrets..." Reinhard said before he followed Emilia's gaze towards Felt and Rom. "What would become of them now?"

"Well, I probably should not overlook their actions today, but unfortunately, I'm off duty today."

Emilia chuckled. "You're a bad knight." She then approached Felt as the smaller girl instinctively braced herself for a hit, but that hit never came. "Is he like a family member to you?" She asked Felt.

"Well, something like that. He's been helping me for a long time now, and he's pretty much the only person I have." Felt said, and seeing that she didn't mention me, I gave a slight cough in the background the catch her attention.

"Well, Y/N nii-chan has been helping too, recently. Although he has just arrived here, he has been more help to us more than anyone has ever been, so..." She ran up to me and gave me a hug, to my surprise. "I'm glad you didn't die back there."

"Anyways..." Felt said as she took out the royal candidate insignia. "I should give this back. If it's important, keep it hidden and don't let it get stolen again!" 

Reinhard was looking until he was suddenly tense as he looked at the insignia, and I turned my gaze towards it, too. The middle red jewel engraved into the insignia was glowing slightly, and Reinhard stepped forward as he went to grab Felt's arm, but I stopped him midway and he looked at me as if telling me to let go, but I understood his intentions so I whispered in his ear.

"You're going to take her away because she's been identified as a royal candidate, right?" He gave me a shocked look. "Well, following your gaze and the magnitude of that object, it was quite easy to connect the dots. So don't be surprised. I only ask of one thing: Take care of Felt when I'm gone. When she's finished on realizing the situation, tell her that I'll be back when she needs me."

Reinhard nodded, and he turned towards Felt. "Your name's Felt, right? What's your family name? How old are you?"

Felt gave him a confused look, but she answered obediently. "I have no such thing as a fancy family name. And... I'm fifteen, I think."

"Emilia-sama, it seems that I cannot keep my promise to you. I will be taking this girl with me."

"Huh? Why, though? Is it about the insignia?"

"No, but if I overlook this crime before me right now, it will be way worse than the crime she committed." Reinhard said, but Emilia looked confused as Reinhard stretched out a hand to put Felt into a deep sleep.

"Emilia-sama, when the time is right, I may call upon you again. And Y/N, I will fulfill our promise." I gave him a thumbs up as I looked up at the moon while he took off, and let myself fall to the floor out of exhaustion, smiling as I realized that I've successfully achieved my goal.

And thus, I have conquered Arc 1.

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of ??? (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped ??? Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 110/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 0, 135/1000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

??? Mastery: {locked}

Spirits: Alchemis- spirit of fire (turquoise)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds

Chapter Text

I woke up in the morning to bright sunshine, where I expected two maids to greet meet and make harsh remarks, but the people I expected to see weren't there. So I got up from my comfortable bed, and regarded my surroundings before I found my attire that I made from my clothes from my world.

After putting on the lab coat like a makeshift cape once again, I stepped out of my room, and saw Subaru running around like a maniac before he saw me strolling around, and right away, he gripped me with some incredible strength that I did not expect. "Bro, Subaru, that kinda hurts, you know?"

"Sorry, but did you have any blackouts recently?" He asked me, and I tried to remember, but can't.

"No. Wait, did you die again?"

"Twice, and I don't know what happened. When I fell asleep in the first loop, and I woke up where I started, and I had no idea why. In the second loop, I suddenly got really sick and was almost died before someone used something to kill me in the mansion."

"In the mansion?!" I said, acting confused. It seems that Rem did it, after all. "Did you hear anything that sounded weird?"

"Hmmm... before I died, I did hear chains though, so maybe the killer was using chains? I don't get it, how-"

"Wait, you died during the night, right?"

"Ya.. but what does that have anything to do with it?"

"I think I don't have blackouts when I'm asleep. And since that Rem and Ram are not there when I wake up, I don't know if you Returned by Death or not. Good thing that you could still tell me about this stuff, though. Imagine if I don't remember everything. That would be quite disastrous."

"Ah... I see." Subaru nodded before his eyes were suddenly alert. "Wait, how do you know that Rem and Ram were in my room when I woke up? I never told you!"

I struggled for a response, and I sighed before i revealed part of the truth. "Well, Subaru, it seems that I possess knowledge of this world's future. And the more I know at the present, the clearer the future becomes. (That was a lie, but making my ability balanced. Cough.) Also, do you know of the Periodic Table?"

"Ya, like that thing from science classes?"

"My power seems to have something to do with that. I can create certain elements on the table, and fuse them together if I must. That's how I created the purple ball of acid back when we fought Elsa." I told Subaru, and he nodded as if he truly believed me.

"So if you know the future, you should know who killed me, right?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, Subaru, but since this is the start of a loop, I don't have much information. Actually, I've got a plan. You went to the village last time, right? I'm willing bet that your disease that made you sick might be from somewhere there. So while you go do a little research there, I'll go do my part to look for your killer in the mansion, okay?"

Subaru's face lit up when I said I'll help him. "Great! Make sure to follow your part, though!" I nodded as he and I went separate ways, and I went back into my room to scheme for my next step.

After I entered the room, I shut the door and Alchemis floated out of my body. "Why did you send him down the path that he'll surely die in? I know you're not cruel, but..."

"Subaru might resent me when he finds out the truth, but when he grows up later, he will learn that his ability is not a curse and that through each loop, he should gain as much information as he can." I answered my spirit. "Besides, we've got work to do."

"As in?"

"I seemed to have done a lot of practice with my helium and hydrogen for the last two loops, so I should probably take a look at the new stuff I got." I said as I activated the Authority, and tapped on the imaginary screens as I found the new elements. Lithium and Beryllium, each unlocked after I raised the mastery of helium to stage 1. Now I don't know much about beryllium and its uses, but I do know that it is an important part of the gem emerald. And also it is a nice, somewhat sturdy metal at solid state. Lithium Hydride can be a substitute for pure lithium since it oxidizes. Now, with helium and hydrogen both at stage 1, I can produce pure spheres of helium hydride without having to wait for them to fuse, which means I can produce endless amounts of acid. But instead of a tide of poison, I'm thinking something for along the lines of grenades.

I could store some acid in bottles, and throw them as grenades when I need to use them, which means that I have to find some glass tubes/bottles. My god, it would've been so nice if I had my beakers and test tubes here, but I'll have to work with what I got, it seems.

I wander around the mansion to try to find a room with glass bottles since I didn't want to ask since I'm still quite introverted, but as I opened the first door I thought that was right, I knew...

I f***ed up.

"Huh? Who are you, I suppose?" The blond loli who was actually a Great Spirit said as I gradually closed the door as I waved a sorry.

Timeskip featuring Beatrice screaming as I proceeded to break her Door Crossing by accident

"Okay, maybe I'm just too cursed for this." I said as I returned to the Forbidden Library, and slumped down on the floor as I faced the Great Spirit that was staring me down with a confused look.

"First that boy, now you. How do you people keep on breaking my Door Crossing?"

"Well, I'm trying to find some glass tubes or bottles. Do you happen to have any? Because every room I go into leads me back here." I answered.

"Betty has no obligation to help a stranger like you." She said and I suddenly got an idea. The only room I remembered was the kitchen, so I quickly dashed there after grabbing any snack-like foods before I rushed back towards a door and bursted back into the closed space, scaring Beatrice once again.

"Here! Want some snacks?" I said as I handed some pastries to her, and she gave me a glare before reluctantly taking it and munching down on it.

"Don't think you can bribe Betty with just some pastries-"

"Okay, okay..." I sighed. "You don't have that attitude with Puck, so why do you have to do this to me and Subaru? You gotta be nice to not just people who you feel comfortable with, you know?"

"Bubby is a different case, still."

"Listen, do you have any glass bottles in your multipurpose room? I really happen to need some, so 

I was about to argue back when I suddenly felt a tug in my gut, and I knew something was wrong. "Subaru's going to die." I realized as I rushed out of the door, but it was too late, the darkness came for me as I woke up in the same bed as the last loop, and Subaru came bursting through the door before I could react to anything.

"I died... again." He said as I got off the bed and walked over to him as I patted his back. 

"Bro, calm down, did you see who the killer was?" I asked, genuinely concerned for once.

"Yes. You're not going to believe me, but it changes things. It's Rem."

"Okay, so I think the future has cleared up a bit, at least up until your next save point." I said to him as I laid out the information. "This time, we're going to go down into the courtyard to learn some magic, okay? But before that, tell me about your last loop, and I'll explain our plan."

"Okay..." Subaru nodded as he explained the third loop, about how he worked as a guest and ended up having to leave, so that I could catch the killer. However, as I was waiting out in the mountains, the chain-like weapon attacked me and I was lured into a trap. Rem then revealed herself and killed me." He shuddered as he thought about his last loop, and I began to write the future in Japanese.

"So it turns out that you a curse inflicted upon you, and since I don't know much about the curses, you can ask Beatrice about that after you go to the village this time." I told him. "Also, Rem also suspects you of being a terrorist organization called the witch's cult since you have the witch's miasma on you, which she can smell. So you just have to convince her that you're not one of them."

"How do I do that?" Subaru asked me, but I just shrugged. "You will figure it out yourself since you are a smart dude, aren't you?" I said before leaving the room to attend breakfast, before Subaru went down to the courtyard to meet Puck.

"What is she doing?" Subaru asked me as I saw Emilia talking silently to herself, with a variety of little glowing dots surrounding her. 

"She's probably communicating to spirits," I replied. "The spirits seemed to like her a lot, which means her affinity with them seems to be quite high in some sense."

"That's quite right, Y/N!" Puck said as he floated down to us. "But how did you know all of that?" 

"Well, I read a lot of books in the capital while I was there, so I was able to learn some basic information about magic and spirit arts."

"Yup, you see, magic users and spirit users are different. Magic users draw mana from their own body, while spirit users draw mana from the atmosphere." 

Subaru raised his hand suddenly, and asked a question. "And how exactly are those two different except from that, Puck-sensei?"

As I left them to their own devices, I noticed Alchemis sending signals towards one of the spirits that Emilia was communicating to, and I didn't really get a good look at the spirit before it left the others and rushed over at insane speeds before bumping into me and giving me a little rub before detaching itself from me and floated over to Alchemis.

"Yo, Alch!" She screeched as she stopped before Alchemis. "I didn't expect to see you here! And judging by your standing... you're travelling with the chosen one, right? Master's successor?"

"Yup, although it has been a long time, I found him." Alchemis said as he 'turned' towards me and gave a little dance. "Y/N, meet Cahya, a yang spirit that served your predecessor alongside myself." 

"A yang spirit?" I said as I talked to Cahya, who seemed to like me a lot because she snuggles around me way more than Alchemis ever did, but maybe because she's a yang spirit and stuff. "Does this mean I can use Yang Magic now?"

"Well, I could help you." Cahya said as she came over. "Now, Jiwald is an easy offensive spell-"

"Eh? This isn't so good-" Puck began, and I suddenly understood what he meant before I gave a look to Alchemis and Cahya, telling them to run as I heard a loud 'POOF' noise, and the courtyard was then covered in a giant mushroom cloud of black smoke that blinded senses.

"Jiwald!" Cahya yelled as the smoke from Subaru's Shamac dissipated around me, and I returned to my normal state as I realized that I've been blinded a moment ago and was now in a weird pose.

"Well, that was unexpected..." I said as I plumped down on the grass, traumatized by the Shamac experience.

Timeskippu*

After that, Subaru told me his affinity was Yin, and he was straight out depressed when he learned that it was basically debuffs.

"Well, that's not entirely true, as spells like Minya and Murak are insanely useful, I told him. Hey, if you someday manage to learn Al Shamac, you can even send your enemies to another dimension!" Now that, lit his face up as he was suddenly filled with another pump of energy as he threw his fists in the air before shooting back into the mansion and began helping out.

I also went in and helped, peeling potatoes and hanging clothes while also cleaning bathrooms with him before it was even noon. But when it was time to go to the village, I told him I have something to do, so follow the plan while I work on something that'll help him later.

As I stepped into Beatrice's library, I greeted her, making sure to prepare the fill of snacks as I praised her before she finally willingly listened to my demands. I mean, all I wanted to do was read books and use some glass cups/ tubes, so what's the big deal?

"Well, never mind all that stuff now, because I have work to do!"

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of ??? (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped ??? Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 475/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 190/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery:  Stage 0, 300/1000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery:  Stage 0, 255/1000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds

Jiwald-  fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

Chapter Text

After a bit of bribing, Beatrice showed me a storage room within the library and basically donated every single glass-like bottle in there, and I began experimenting on them all. 

I got rid of some wooden cups that got mixed in, since they'll just melt from the intensity of helium hydride, and I began pouring the liquid into the glass tubes, and to my surprise, it did not damage the glass at all. I assumed that Helium hydride would have around the same power as stomach acid, so I used the properties of stomach acid to determine a lot of helium hydride's properties.

I kept a wooden cup just in case, just to test the power of my compound. It melted right away and I decided to the yeet the cup in some corner of the library due to the lack of garbage cans in this place, hoping that Beatrice would probably not notice it. (I will regret this later).

After successfully sealing the opening using lithium hydride, I decided I would test it out later, since damaging the library would result in me being yeeted out of the library, and that would hurt a lot.

And so, began my long hours of making grenades.

Timeskippu*

When I finally finished, Beatrice informed me that it only has been 2 days since I started to stay in the Forbidden Library, and since I finished making my grenades (acid bottles), I began reading the books to learn a bit more about the world's history. I learned reading and writing with Ram in the first loop, while Subaru learned it in the second and third loops. 

When I got to a place with a weird picture, I couldn't really decipher what it was, so I went over to Beatrice with the picture of the weird devil, and she began to explain. "That's Satella, the witch of Envy, who turned mad and attacked the world, destroying half of it in the process during the Great Calamity 400 years ago. She killed the other six witches bearing the sins, and some said she was starved for love."

"Wait, that's not quite right..." I said as I replied, finding many flaws in Beatrice's simple explanation. "I thought Daphne starved to death in that desert, and wasn't Typhon's remains still in Priestella?"

"Wha-wha-what?" Beatrice looked me, confused. "That's not right. The books state-"

Just on cue, my partner bursted into the library as Beatrice immediately turned to him and gave him an annoyed look. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"It's only been a day since I've told you about the curses." She continued as she decided to walk past Subaru. "Wait- you've really been cursed, have you not?"

"You came here yesterday?" I asked him, and he nodded. Guess I was too busy reading books, then.

"Guess you're both right, then. The shaman who cursed me was actually one of the villagers."

"You'll probably die within a day..." Beatrice said as she examined the curse. 

"And what, are you not going to help me?" Subaru said as she thought about it.

"Why should I?"

"If I die, then Puck would be sad." Subaru immediately pulled out the Puck strategy.

"Bubby would not be sad if you died."

"Oh, no no no. If I die, Emilia would be at least a little shocked, right? And when Emilia gets hurt, Puck takes damage as well. What would he think of you when he realized you could've stopped it?"

Beatrice looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded before she stomped her feet in exasperation before agreeing to Subaru's proposal.

"I'll get rid of the spell that was placed on you now, I suppose." Beatrice said as she made a sphere of light as she continued to explain. "The spell is burned into you at the place the shaman touched, so that is our reference point."

As Beatrice began the treatment, Subaru looked confident as I remembered he made everyone touch a different part of him. But his confidence suddenly disappeared when we both noticed the black smoke rising from his hand.

"A... black smoke?"

"How abhorrent, I suppose. There. It's all done now." Beatrice said as she made the smoke disappear, and Subaru had a look of horror on his face.

"The place that the black smoke appeared, is where the shaman touched me, right?"

Beatrice nodded.

"Could the puppy actually be... damn it! I'll have to go back to the village!"

"I'll go as well." Realizing the situation, I grabbed my stuff as I stuffed them into a bag I received from Beatrice earlier and dashed after Subaru.

"We have to get to the village." Subaru said after we found Rem and Ram, who looked at us with a bewildered expression.

"Why? The village?" Ram asked, clearly confused.

Subaru lifted his hand and pointed it to the wound. "Beatrice said that whoever touched me here is the one who cursed me, and it was the dog in that little girl's hands. The villagers are in danger!"

"Roswaal-sama's orders are to let us stay in this mansion."

"But that's not the only he gave, is it?" Subaru questioned further, and Ram gave in as she approved.

"Rem will accompany you."

"But, onee-san..."

"I'll stay here to protect Lady Emilia and Lady Beatrice. Okay, Rem?" Ram asked again, and Rem nodded before she went to get ready. 

"Subaru? What's going on?" Emilia came down, and Subaru immediately went to calm her down. I probably could've done it differently and instead just told her the truth and show her that we will be safe. 

Ram walked over to me and looked at Subaru. "Barusu really is obsessed with Lady Emilia, is he not?"

"Well, he definitely is, but that's what keeps the man going, you know?" I replied as I gauged my own mana level, and decided that the grenades (acid bottles) definitely will be of help when it comes to fighting mabeasts.

"Alchemis, Cahya, we'll be fine, right?'

"Of course!" Cahya said as she appeared energetically by my side. 

"We should be fine, unless one of the Three Great Mabeasts somehow appear." Alchemis stated as he continued to analyze my strength and other stats.

"I swear to god, please don't set up flags, Alchemis, you will doom us."

After the little discussion that Emilia had with Subaru, we waved goodbye as we set off towards Arlam Village.

Timeskippu*

When we arrived, many people were holding torches and looking around warily. Subaru immediately asked them what was going on, and teh first guy who was holding up a stick lit with fire answered him. He said that the kids has been missing and every adult is looking for them. Subaru's eyes suddenly went on alert, and he dashed towards their meeting spot, which then led us towards a fence surrounding the village.

After examining the area a little, Rem pointed to a weird looking device that looked like a Banishment Mechanicus (Please see Genshin Impact, Theatre Mechanicus Version 2.0 for more details). "The magic barrier is broken."

"And what does that mean?" The villager asked.

"It means that the mabeasts will storm the village. They live in the forest that faces us." Rem explained, and then he saw tiny footprints leading into the forest, and immediately panicked. 

"We need to save the children!" He told Rem, but Rem looked confused. 

"Why do you care so much about them?" Rem asked, as if she didn't believe Subaru truly cared. I mean, she still think he's still a witch cultist by this point.

Subaru then goes on explaining why he cared, and after a long story and some seriously moving story, Rem agreed to save them and took out her morningstar.

"Um... Rem... that is..." Subaru gulped as he saw the weapon that decapitated him twice.

"It's for safety."

"But... it's a ..."

"It's for Safety."

After a while, we arrived at a hill, where the children were laid out in a circle. Subaru immediately approached them as I checked their heartbeats. They were still alive. 

"They're cursed, aren't they?" Subaru asked, and Rem began to use healing magic on them, which caused their breathing to steady, and Petra briefly woke up as she said something. I didn't hear it since I was tending to a kid that was a bit further, but Subaru looked extremely alarmed as I realized what Petra said.

"Petra said there's another one who's still in the forest." Subaru's mind started flashing as he remembered a blue-haired girl in disguise. "The blue-braided girl! I've got to rescue her!"

"On what grounds do you think that you can come out of there alive?" Rem asked, somewhat worried.

"I can use a decent amount of magic and I brought some weapons with me." I said as I took out a kitchen knife that I swiped while getting treats for Beatrice earlier in this loop. "And we have these." I proceeded to take out the grenades, and instead of giving me looks of awe, Subaru and Rem both gave me a questioning look. 

"What are those?" Subaru asked.

"They're acid grenades! If you throw one at a mabeast, the glass shards would hurt them before the acid starts rotting and corroding their body before they die a painful death-"

"Yeah, bro, I get the generics. Thanks." Subaru took some grenades and I handed him the kitchen knife, but before we set off, Rem grabbed us.

"How will I know if you two will die or not?" She asked us.

"Even if no one else does, you can pick up my scent. The foul odour that hangs on me... the witch's miasma."

"Subaru-kun, how much do you know about-"

"I don't know. I really don't know a lot of things. But after all this is over, you can question me and Y/N all you want, we can promise you that." I nodded to his statement before finally Rem made some kind of pinky promise with Subaru, and we headed off into the forest.

"You know where she's at?" I asked Subaru, and he gave me a shrug but he somewhat seemed to be going in the right direction. 

"If it's the dog that cursed me yesterday, there's no way we might lose, right?" Subaru asked me, but I shook my head in concern.

"Mabeasts are unusually large, so you might wanna take that back." I said as we came to a clearing and I saw Meili, who rested on the ground, seemingly unconscious as Subaru let out a sigh of relief. The short peace that we had was suddenly broken when a giant dog stepped into the clearing.

"Why.. are you so huge?" Subaru said as he shuddered. "And... was it waiting for me to come here?"

"Subaru, this is no time for questions! Get ready to fight and protect the girl!" I yelled as the mabeast burst from a tree at us after blending in with the shadow, but before it could bite down on Subaru's arm, he caught it with the knife. I shot El Goa at it before it weakened, and Subaru managed to kill it by slamming it into a tree branch, which struck its organs before it died.

"That was... harder than I thought it was going to be..." I said, panting as more mabeasts appeared as I saw the red eyes staring at us from the shadows.

"Subaru, take the girl and run!" I yelled as I told Alchemis and Cahya to get ready. "I can buy you a little time before I catch up!"

"Okay, then!" Subaru said as he took Meili and ran, while the three of us readied our spells.

With a certain spell in mind, I concentrated the fire mana around me as I held out both of my hands, and yelled as I manifested the barrage of fireballs. "Ul Goa!"

Alchemis followed suit, and also sent out a barrage. "Ul Goa!"

"El Jiwald!" Cahya yelled as her heated light beams blasted into the ranks of Wolgarms, and it seems that we've defeated around 30 Wolgarms. 

"That's not all of them, is it?" I said as I began to spread hydrogen around the clearing, leaving only one spot in the direction that Subaru ran in.

"Three, two , one..." The mabeasts attacked as I lit the gas. "Wall of flames!"

As soon as the monsters caught on fire, I ran in the direction that Subaru ran in, only to find a clearing at the bottom of a path, where Subaru seems to be injured with Rem tending to him. "Jiwald!" I said as I shot the four attendants of the dog that seemed to be the leader, and he sent a wave of mud at me before I activated a new ability of my authority.

Spreading the fourth element in front of me and using elastic force to stretch the material before it fully forms into a solid, I have created a durable barrier that reflects attacks. "Beryllium Mirror- Total Reflection!"

The mud wave gets sent back at the dog, along with a few of my helium hydride acid grenades. After dodging most of my attacks, the dog stares at me with an angered expression before leaving. I look around for Meili, but I can't see the girl anywhere. "Dang that girl and her mabeast controlling powers!" I cursed as I rushed down to help my friend.

"Subaru! Are you okay?" I asked as I jumped down into the clearing, now littered with mabeast corpses. Rem was using healing magic on an unconscious Subaru as she sniffled.

"I couldn't... protect him..."

"Rem, it's not your fault, okay? Subaru jumped in to save you, I presume?" She nodded. "Then don't let his decision go in vain, right? Come on, we've got to get him to the village."

After one exhausting battle with mabeasts, I returned to Arlam Village. Tired from carrying Subaru on my back, I fell head first onto the first not-so-hard surface as my legs buckled underneath me, and the wave of darkness rushed over me, once again.

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of ??? (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped ??? Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 850/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 665/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery:  Stage 0, 690/1000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery:  Stage 0, 645/1000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

Chapter Text

I woke up once again to the bright sunshine of this world, and stretched as I groggily got up from my bed. "Alchemis... are you up?" I asked my spirit as I sat up, only to feel a warm creature sitting on my stomach. As I squinted to get a better look, a pretty face with a smirk bumped into my face, and laughed as she introduced herself.

"Good Morning! How are you today, Y/N?"

"Uh... who are you?"

"You can't tell just because I turned into my corporeal form? Such a shame..." The female fairy said as she brandished her wings and did a little imitation of Jiwald, and the pieces suddenly clicked.

"Cahya?" I said the name of my yang spirit, and the fairy bounced up and down as she nodded in excitement before rubbing herself on me again. Why does she always do that? Is it because she constantly needs warmth due to being a yang spirit?

"Wait, does this mean Alchemis is also going to show up as-"

"No, unfortunately." My partner floated into sight, still in the shape of a turquoise orb. "Unlike Cahya, I'm not a Great Spirit yet, so sadly, I do not possess a corporeal form, yet.

"Oh yeah, since Puck currently occupies that spot... wait... I thought there were only four great spirits!" I said as I looked at my fairy buddy, who smiled again and explained.

"Well, my friend and I decided to push our limits a bit, and after a few hundred years, we ascended." Cahya explained, and I'm pretty willing to bet that her 'friend' is the Great Spirit of Yin. 

"How am I supposed to explain you to Subaru?"

"Well, the 'loli' girl who has braids would understand, so just make your appearance when they're in a conversation."

"That's not going to be that easy, you know." I sighed as I headed out, and greeted Subaru before we entertained the kids a bit, and he left to do some business. Only then did I realize that Rem was missing.

Timeskippu*

Back to Cahya's statement. It really was that easy. 

I found Subaru and Beatrice under a bridge, talking about Subaru's curse. I went near them and began to listen, and it seemed quite serious.

"I really can't save you on this." Beatrice told Subaru. "The curse is to complex even for me. Sorry, but I can't undo it."

"Is there really no other way?" Subaru asked, and Beatrice sighed. "Defeating the entire mabeast group might save you, if you don't run out of time first."

"Yup, and I'm here to assure that doesn't happen." I stepped out, Cahya and Alchemis on either side of me. "It's time we go to end this."

"Y/N! Bro!" Subaru came up and gave me a bro hug, before realizing Cahya's existence. "Wait... who is this cute girl?"

"I'm Cahya, Y/N contracted spirit and the current Great Spirit of Yang! Nice to meet you!" Cahya introduced herself happily before Subaru turned to me. 

"Hey, do spirits and humans-"

"Subaru, come on, we can talk about that later. Besides, where's Rem?"

""You're right... where's Rem?"

Subaru went up and grabbed Beatrice's shoulder, shaking with fear. "Beako... Beatrice... where's Rem?"

"What would you do in her situation, I suppose?" Beatrrice replied, unfazed by Subaru's urgent manner.

"I cannot ignore what you just said, Beatrice-sama." Ram's voice sounded from above as she continued. "Rem didn't go into the forest along, did she?"

Ram panicked and jumped off the ledge and was about to run into the forest by herself, but Subaru stopped her. "Ram, you have to calm down right now!"

"Do I look like I could calm down right now? My sister is in there-"

"Subaru's right, Ram." I said as I erected a small wall of beryllium in front of her, and blocked her path. "If you charged in there by yourself just now, wouldn't you be making the same choices as Rem did, which will make someone worry, right?"

"I... that's..." Ram stopped and began to think, and Subaru pressed on.

"How would you even know where Rem is if you just headed straight into the forest?" Subaru asked, and this time Ram made her answer clear immediately.

"I'll use my clairvoyance. It allows me to see things on the same wavelength as other bugs or animals. Besides, I know a bit of wind magic as well." Ram said, and Beatrice turned to Subaru as she checked my friend's determination.

"You do know that going in there to save that girl means certain death, don't you?" Beatrice told Subaru, but he had a different response in mind.

"That's not quite right, Beatrice. Let me correct you. Life is important! You only get one chance to live! When you guys went through so much to save mine, I realized that. I am going to struggle, no matter how pathetically I am in order to make a comeback. So let's go! Let's see the continuation of this story!"

And... despite the speech, his stamina has not improved at all.

Ram seemed to share my thoughts on that since she pestered Subaru about it. "Besides, didn't you receive something from someone in the village?" She pointed to the sword.

"Ya, and say said it was the sharpest sword in the entire village, you know..."

Without further ado, Ram activated her clairvoyance and began searching for Rem in the distance. Within moments, she suddenly was alerted. "We're being watched." 

"Cahya, can you sense them?"

"Yes, Y/N! Should I fire?"

"Go ahead!"

"El Jiwald!"

The beams of light shot out of my fairy spirit as they penetrated the mabeasts, making them fall onto the floor and Subaru jumped back with a yelp. "Oh! Is this what you meant, Ram?"

"Well, yes, but... Y/N, how did you see them?"

"Well, my spirit, Alchemis is a fire spirit, so I can see the temperature of things around us." That was made up, but I felt like it could be possible to invent a spell like that after training a bit.

"I've got an idea." Subaru suddenly said. "I can Return by-"

A moment of silence suddenly came as time stopped for just a brief second, and Ram suddenly looked at the forest in fear. "Subaru, Y/N, there are many beasts coming towards us by the minute!"

"Rem is hunting down the beasts, right? And since the beasts are attracted to the witch's miasma that I emit, it'll naturally lead Rem right to us! I call this Operation: Natsuki Subaru is the bait!"

"Well, only if we can survive this!" I said as I readied my Yang and Fire Magic, and our battle with the Wolgarms began. I burned them with Goa and hydrogen gas, while Cahya was shooting El Jiwald in all directions to avoid us from getting overwhelmed. Alchemis helps as well by shooting barrages of Ul Goa at the enemy, and this successfully stops them just as Ram almost runs out of mana and collapses.

"I thought you said you can fight!" Subaru starts picking up Ram and running away, while I ran quickly in their direction, following them while making walls of flames or lithium just to slow them down. As one last resort as we reach the cliff, I pulled out my bottle of water and splashed it in the air behind me before shooting two more balls of lithium hydride behind me. Just as I anticipated, the elements react and the combustion follows, yeeting us off the cliff as I made a beryllium ledge to prevent us from falling any further. At this precise moment, the help of my authority was bestowed upon me once again as I heard the message that might've just saved my life completely.

Lithium mastery level reached stage 1, Beryllium mastery level reached stage 1.

New elements: Boron and Carbon unlocked.

New compounds unlocked, new molecules unlocked...

Diamond formation unlocked.

"This is perfect!" I said as I created a dome of diamond right above us, increasing the mastery of carbon just as I received it. This prevented and Wolgarms from jumping down at my beryllium ledge, and I made stairs for us as we walked down the cliff, exhausted before I suddenly find myself facing another horde of overgrown dogs.

"Oh, why..." I said as I told my spirits to get ready, but it seems that both Alchemis and Cahya need some rest, so I decided to use my own mana reserves for this.

As I was about to cast Jiwald, a morningstar along with a blue haired maid dropped from the sky, and Subaru's eyes lit up at the sight of Rem.

"Hey, Rem! We finally found you..." Subaru began, but Rem did not listen to him as she was in her oni form, and was losing control of herself. In anger, she swung her morningstar at us, only to be blocked by my quickly generated shield of diamond.

"Ram, do you know any way that we can stop Rem from rampaging like that?" I asked her, and she gave a faint reply. 

"I think one hit to her horn would suffice. I think." Ram said with uncertainty, but clearly Subaru has decided to bet his chances on this.

"Well then, let's execute my plan!" Subaru said after we listened in on his little scheme, and I rushed towards the boss garm, determined to buy time for Subaru while he threw Ram at Rem, which forced Rem to stop as I encased the puppy in a diamond prison, forcing it to get stuck, but apparently its spells can go through even one of the toughest materials in the world.

Subaru was launched into the air before he began to fall again, and he raised his sword in confidence, before slamming it down on the horn of the oni, ending the rampaging while I successfully eliminated the Wolgarms. The only problem was the Wolgarms' boss has gotten away, but I suppose I could enjoy the temporary peace.

Timeskippu*

Rem woke up on our way to return to the village, and she was quite amazed that we saved her.

Long story short, she thought that doing it alone would be better since no one would get hurt, but we kinda just ended up lecturing her that it is always better to rely on your friends and associates if you want to truly accomplish something.

"Ram, which way is towards the mansion?" Subaru asked and Ram answered almost immediately.

"We would have to go towards the right." Ram said, and Subaru and I exchanged glances as we nodded.

"Then you two go run towards the left, while Y/N and I can buy you some time." Subaru said, and Ram nodded as we split off, while Rem seemed to have a lot of concerns.

"But, they will-" Rem said, not being able to bear the sight of losing her hero, Subaru, but Ram cut her off.

"Don't let those two's decisions go in vain, Rem. So that's why we're running." Ram said as they dashed off into the distance, and Subaru and I leapt towards the puppy, who now grew in size as it towered over the over mabeasts.

"Shamak!" Subaru yelled as I jumped out of the range of the spell, while laying waste to the surrounding mabeasts to clear a path for Subaru. I heard the blade connect, and Subaru jumped out of the smoke as he gave me a thumb's up as a sign that he has done it.

However, the boss garm did not falter, and raised his paw in defiance to pin Subaru down before I used Beryllium Mirror again, and the force of its attack was reflected back into its body, while I suddenly realized something: My mana and stamina has both been exhausted.

"Ul GOA!" A voice came from above, and a volley of fireballs came raining down on the horde, ones much more powerful than my own. Roswaal then descended from the sky and laughed a little before he explained how he found us.

"Well, that's nice... Rem and Ram are safe, right?" Subaru asked, and Roswaal explained that he transported them back before he came over here. Subaru then fell unconscious, and Roswaal smiled as he turned his gaze towards me.

It's so ominous that I can feel his eyes boring into my soul.

"You..." he began, then examined the beryllium mirror that I made, and smiled.

"...can see the future, can't you?"

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of ??? (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped ??? Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 1000/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 940/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery:  Stage 1, 95/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery:  Stage 1, 125/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery:  Stage 0, 15/1000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 0, 345/1000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

We reached 1.1K views! I honestly never expected anyone to read my work out of nowhere, but thank you guys so much for all the support! In the next chapter, a fiery battle between Roswaal and Y/N ensues!

Chapter Text

"And how do you know that? Assuming that I do know the future, that is." I replied cautiously. "It's a pretty big claim you're making if you have no evidence."

"I trust you recognize what this is, then?" Roswaal held up a book that he took from his jacket, and although I couldn't recognize that pattern and designs, I knew what it was.

"An imperfect copy of the Book of Wisdom, I suppose? Beatrice has one of those, too."

"And why did you just expose yourself?"

"I simply have no reason to hide that ability anymore. Your Gospel thing probably told you anyways." I said, exasperated.

"I wonder, what is your goal, for one who knows the future?" Roswaal asked me, genuinely curious this time.

"I seek the truth of this world. The true truth." I replied, determination filling my voice.

"And could you specify?"

"For example, the fact that the Great Waterfall is not the real 'edge of the world'."

"Hmm... and what makes you think that?"

"I think the raven-haired boy beside us there and I myself are enough evidence."

"I see... this changes things. Without a doubt, you would definitely be a vital part in my plans. Well then, I would like to form a contract with you." Roswaal states, and I was quite shocked. Not as his action itself, but more at the 'why' component.

"Hmm... I do not wish to be controlled by anyone, just so you know, that's why I don't like contracts from a very scheming person. On what terms should I agree to sign a contract with you?" I said, awaiting his response.

"I have seen your mana usage, and in my honest opinion, you have much greater potential than the Subaru boy behind you. And I believe that developing that potential to a higher stage is the best for this country."

For this country? Bullshit to the core. He only wants this for his own benefits. However, since I'm already going into Arc 3, I should be able to sever this contract after I arrive in the Sanctuary anyways. I just need to hope that the Witch of Greed is truly willing to help me by then.

"Fine. But on one condition." I said at last. "I wish to duel you. I want to see for myself how strong exactly is the strongest mage in Lugnica. If you win, you can name the terms of the contract. If I win, I will name the terms of the contract. Deal?"

Timeskippu*

Roswaal found us a clearing in the middle of the forest after we transported Subaru back to fight, and I was checking my Authority right before he appeared from the sky using Flying Magic, and descended onto the field as he gave me a slight smile.

"Shall we begin?"

"Anytime you like." I said, and readied the short sword that I kept on myself before coating it with helium hydride, before I charged at the mage who just readied his spells.

Four orbs of different colours gathered in Roswaal's hands, and the four spells Goa, Huma, Fura, and Dona were simultaneously shot out before I blocked it with a thin layer of Boron, which helped stopped the impact. I leapt away from the spells' trajectory as they swished past me after breaking through my temporary barrier.

I formed the Boron into spikes and began to throw the metalloid shards at Roswaal while he's forced onto the defensive, and I shouted the spell I knew first in the Yang category. "AKRA!" I yelled as I boosted my speed, and thrusted my sword, gleaming with acid towards Roswaal.

"Ul Dona." A dome of earth coated Roswaal, but Cahya and Alchemis were already on the move.

"El Jiwald!" Cahya's spell destroyed the dome, and Alchemis followed immediately.

"Ul Goa!" The volley of fireballs rained down as I plunged the sword into my target, but when I pulled it out, it was already broken in half.

"Quite impressive, I must say." Roswaal said as he suddenly started combining elements for a spell. "But I suppose it is time to take it up a notch for now."

"Threefold Magic." Roswaal said as I suddenly realized the danger of that spell, with three different coloured fireballs forming on either side of him, rotating in an ominous manner before shooting themselves at me.

"Beryllium Mirror: Total Reflection!" I yelled as my elastic force stretched the beryllium before it perfectly formed into a solid, and successfully reflected the threefold magic before Roswaal cancelled it out.

Damn it! Now I'm on the defensive here. Although the threefold magic is really no joke. The Divine Protection of Sorcery is really doing its job. If it was a stronger spell, Beryllium Mirror would've shattered.

And Roswaal proceeds to break my mirror. :(

"Fourfold Magic." Roswaal said as I saw an additional fireball form with an ominous energy, and I knew what to do.

"Alchemis, Cahya, retreat formation! Diamond Dome!" I yelled as I protected both myself and the spirits from the insanely strong attack, and right before Roswaal finished preparing his insanely bright spell, I was protected from the outside world as one of the hardest substances in the entire world shielded me from the damage.

"Fivefold Magic." Roswaal seemed to continue raising his stakes as I noticed the bright pillar of light in the sky as I knew that this was impossible to evade, but I noticed that I could still reinforce the surrounding area to avoid it getting damaged too much. I used all the first six elements as they created a barrier, and I shot the concentrated beam of the molecule with the first six elements fused together as they shot towards one of the strongest spells in existence.

The fire beams shot down as they pierced through even the Beryllium Mirror, and I quickly added strength to my carbon-diamond dome, before it began to wear away at the force of all the slashes of wind and pellets of earth.

The onslaught of magic shredded all my structures before finally stopping. Just as I let out a sigh of relief, the last fire beam pierced through the diamond, having been heated to its extremes as I jumped back, but it was not possible to evade it.

Shit! Roswaal! Don't you know how to control your powers a bit? Even I'll die if I get hit by a 4500 Celsius fire beam! No way... am I... going to die?

Just as the word 'die' came out from my thoughts, the invisible panel of elements only seen by me popped up, and a voice took over my head and my body was put under someone else's control as I heard the voice that almost turned me into a killing machine.

"CRITICAL OVERLOAD- HAYWIRE WARP"

The fire beam that was about to pierce my chest disappeared as I noticed a tiny fragment of space-time being ripped apart right in front of me, and the beam struck into the tear as it vanished, and my head felt horrible as I saw plumes of hydrogen and helium, balls of acid, spears and tendrils of diamond, boron, lithium, and beryllium sprout from the ground as they went towards Roswaal, and I was knocked out for a few seconds before Vacuum Trigger brought me back.

The scene happened way too quickly that it took me several minutes to process after Vacuum Trigger brought me back. I still have no idea how that ability worked, and its mysteriousness only was increased after the drawback it did to my body. I probably won't be able to properly fight in a few days.

I walked out from my giant dome, now in shambles. I then turned my head towards the forest, and seeing that it was unharmed, I smiled at my achievement before I turned towards Roswaal, who is currently bind by the tendrils that I shot out during the weird Critical Overload phase, and thankfully, it seems that he's out of mana as well.

"You managed to protect the environment around you while fighting me. Commendable." He said as I regarded him with a glance that only had suspicion. "Oh, don't worry," He said, as if reading my mind. "The Gospel already foretold my loss, but thankfully it did not change the path of my plans."

"Then... I take it as my win, then?" I asked him, and he nodded reluctantly.

"Well then, let's form our contract." I told him as he held out his palm towards mine the best his could. "I don't exactly know how it starts, so you can start it."

"Well then..." Roswaal said as he muttered something. "I hereby state that Y/N L/N and I, Roswaal L Mathers shall go into a temporary contract. May he state the terms."

"Roswaal L Mathers will teach me magic and help me strengthen myself, while I will provide him some information on the future that helps us both, and I might help him carry out goals only if it aligns with both our interests." He looked at me incredulously, and I smirked. I never said the one stating the terms has to provide an equal amount of help, so that should leave this scheming clown a bit more passive now.

"If I break this contract... may my soul be destroyed." Roswaal said as he stated, and I didn't know what to say after that. So, I went with my gut and said the same things he did.

"... may my soul be destroyed as well. And that seals the contract, does it not?" I asked him, and Roswaal replied with something that would only be said in a comedy show.

"Yes... but, uh, mind getting me down from here?" Roswaal said as I looked at him, still bound by the tendrils of combined elements.

"Sorry, but it seems that my stamina has ran out."

"I thought Witch Factors don't consume stamina, do they?"

"Maybe not for the others, but mine does. Hey, why are you in such a hurry anyways?"

"Well, despite the fact that I'm a great mage, I still have to go to the toilet-"

"Ya, I'm gonna stop you there." I started walking away.

"Wait. Don't tell me that you're going to leave me here like this. My-"

BEEEEEEEEEEEP

Timeskippu*

Roswaal POV

As the boy sat down and began recovering his stamina, Roswaal thought about a memory from long ago, when his teacher was still alive, 400 years ago.

"Roswaal, I'm going to meet with a friend, okay? Please take care of Beatrice and Ryuzu in the time being."

"Okay, teacher, but who are you talking about? Who's your friend?"

"It's a fellow colleague of mine, you could say. To be specific, she's a witch as well."

"The Witch of what, though? You haven't met with them in ages!"

"Well, this one only came to our tea party twice, so the others don't have a very good memory of her. However, I am on quite good terms with her, considering our interests."

"Who is she, then?"

"One might call her the Witch of Elements, since the majority of the world knows her as that. However, she also had many titles. But among us, the Witches of Sin, we know her as..."

Frakinedottir. The Witch of Deceit.

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown. 

 -- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 1300/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 1240/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 695/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 725/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 0, 900/1000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Chapter Text

One Month Later:

I was training in the yard and talking to my spirits when I heard the sound of a carriage.

It was the definition of royalty in all its rights.

And with that started, Arc 3 has begun.

I can use Akra freely now without too much of a stamina drain, and I've also unlocked Oxygen and Nitrogen while I'm at it. The usage of these two elements come in handy so much, that I've already felt like I've got many things under control.

Roswaal taught me Al Goa in the last week. Though unwillingly, he did uphold his part of the contract and taught me it properly, with me even able to change the direction of the fireball at will. As expected of the Witch of Greed's pupil. His power is truly frightening.

In the distance, I saw Subaru and Emilia walking through the front gates, and the man in the carriage stepped out to greet them. His presence is terrifying to a commoner, despite the fact that I'm sensing that he's doing his best to keep is aura in.

Wilhelm van Astrea, The Sword Demon. He might just be even more frightening than Roswaal.

Timeskippu*

I finished my training, and Cahya was sitting on my shoulder, snoring after she finished hers as well. This lead to me and Alchemis going over our options of potential moves. Alchemis has been taught about chemistry by myself, and he's getting the gist of it.

With Oxygen now, I don't even need to find a water spirit, when I can create it myself. I can also create fresh water without having to worry about it being unfiltered, which is quite nice. This also means that I can start using Ice Magic by freezing water with my fire magic, and Alchemis said he'll start working with that now.

Cahya said she'll still need some time before she can use Ul Jiwald, and that's quite understandable, since shooting out a barrage of laser beams is no easy feat for anyone, not even a Great Spirit like herself.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Subaru talking with Wilhelm, and I decided to go over there and have a listen. As I approached closer, I could hear their conversation.

"You do realize you're treading a steep path, right? She's a candidate to become Lugnica's future queen." Wilhelm asked Subaru, his eyes with slight concern.

"Ya, but now we're just a super cute girl and a servant boy, right?" Subaru said. "That's probably what you said when you proposed to your wife, right? That she's the most beautiful in the world."

Oh no, Subaru, that's not good-

"I apologize for my friend's rudeness, he's not so well-informed so he does not know of your history. Sorry about that." I cut in and bowed to Wilhelm while I also forced Subaru into a bow, which made him give me a confused look. I shot a glance at him to hint that I'll explain it later, and he got the message before Wilhelm resumed speaking.

"It's... fine. Well, regardless of the situation, yes. I did think that my wife was indeed the most beautiful woman." Wilhelm said, and our conversation concluded after awhile, before I headed back into the mansion after saying goodbye to the two.

On my way back, a familiar voice sounded behind me. "Who are you, nya? I haven't seen you here before."

I turned around to face the cat-eared demi-human. "Oh! My name's Y/N L/N, and I'm currently staying here to learn magic at the courtesy of the domain's master, Roswaal L Mathers. You are the Blue Knight, one who specializes in healing magic, Felix Argyle, I presume?"

"Yup yup! But how did you know about me?" Felix asked me, obviously curious.

"Well... let's just say I've read a lot of books, and I like to have my info bank updated."

"Okay then. If we see each other again, make sure to say hello!" Felix said before be bounded over to Subaru and Wilhelm.

"The time is coming, is it not?" I sighed as I walked inside the mansion. "The times are beginning to change."

Timeskippu*

A few hours later, the road away from the Mather's domain...

"Wilhelm-San, I didn't expect you to be talking to boys like them." Felix meowed as he continued. "I thought you were more willing to cut people down than to speak to them."

"That's a grave misunderstanding." Wilhelm replied, then sighed. "I took an interest in them because of their eyes."

"Their eyes?" Felix asked, clearly confused.

"The butler boy... his eyes are the one who experienced death, at least several times. As for the mage apprentice... his eyes hold truth... insurmountable amounts of truth that could lead to certain destruction."

"You've lost me there..." Felix replied, and Wilhelm thought about the two boys before focusing back on his current mission as they returned home.

Timeskippu*

I was in the capital, thanks (not thanks) to Roswaal. I revealed to him that the fifth dragon candidate will make their presence known at the ceremony, and that seemed to make him take me along. To be honest, I have no idea why he did that. I didn't even mention my relationship with Felt, so why so interested? Anyways, this resulted in me going through the streets of Lugnica, only to find Ton, Chin, and Kan running from a street.

"Yoooooo!" I stopped in front of them, and gave them a wave. "How have you guys been?"

"Ehh??" The three of them freaked out at the sight of me, and Rachins stuttered as his tongue retracted back. "The Warlock of Flame?"

"Yup! I went and did a bunch of stuff recently, but I got a message for you guys. Or more clearly, a mission." I told them, and that piqued their interest as I led them to an alley to discuss my plan.

"Listen, I know Reinhard van Astrea. And I think I can do something nice for all three of you, if you guys don't want to just simply rot in the streets doing absolutely nothing for the rest of your lives, right?" They nodded almost immediately. 

"Meet up with him tomorrow night. He'll come find you with my instructions. From then onwards, you can accomplish things in pursuit of your own goals."

"But, uh, boss, are you sure we won't get arrested?" Camberley (Kan) asked, and I sighed.

"This is a personal request that I gave him. So don't worry too much, and just remember this: I'll meet up with you again in Priestella." I then used the Wall of Flames to make my exit, and dashed onto the roof using some generated beryllium stairs.

I overheard Subaru and Priscilla's conversation, and after they left, I tailed the Vollachian heir for a while, before her knight, Aldebaran, noticed me.

"What are you doing?" The knight with his helmet on at all times decided to confront me, and I waved, acting like a harmless person. 

"Please, I mean no harm. I simply wish to talk to your princess." I said to Aldebaran. Seeing that he lowered his guard, I walked towards Priscilla, who gave me a weird look. "You've met my friend back there, haven't you? He'll need your help tomorrow, so please help him on my behalf, okay?"

"Ha! For what reason should I help a lowly commoner like you?" Priscilla asked me, her arrogant attitude acting up. I was not riled up, so I simply continued speaking as I whispered.

"It'll be best to listen to what I have to say, this time and later. Prisca Benedict."

I then wisked myself away into the mist after I ignited my wall of flames, leaving only a diamond in the street where I had been. And strangely enough, the Vollachian heir picked the gem up curiously, and I left the scene to prepare for my entrance in the Royal Selection Ceremony.

Timeskippu*

I sat outside the door of the ceremony, waiting for my turn to enter. Subaru had already hitchhiked on Priscilla's cart and entered the throne room, and I entered after he had already found Reinhard. With a few techniques, I listened in on the conversation in the throne room before I heard a noise, and Old Man Rom was in the corridor next to me.

"Huh?"

"Old Man Rom! What're you doing here?" I asked him, whispering as I didn't want anyone to get him caught.

"Well, I'm here to rescue Felt. If you don't mind, please close your eyes as I could not afford anyone seeing me sneak in." Rom said as he walked towards a corner.

"Okay then, good luck. Just let me tell you this, she isn't in any harm, and I can guarantee her safety. However, you are free to continue on with your plan." He nodded, and I closed my eyes per his wishes.

There was a few loud clanks and swishes, and I'm surprised that the guards didn't even notice nor hear it. After the sounds calmed, I looked back to see Rom gone, and there was no evidence that he has been here.

"A trapdoor system, huh?" I remarked silently as I turned my head back to the throne room. And to my surprise, time passed faster than I expected. Reinhard's voice rang inside my head, and I grinned as I heard his lines.

History is, indeed, about to begin turning. Same with the wheels of fate that have long been in stasis.

"I, Reinhard van Astrea, announce my mission's completion. The dragon's priestess, the fifth and final candidate for the throne, has been located."

I almost hear the dramatic music being played as I waved to Felt, who was approaching the doors of the throne room. She gave me a surprised look, but I told her to go on with her performance and that we'll talk later. With a nod, she stepped into the throne room, where Reinhard declares his loyalty.

"The one I, myself, revere as queen."

"Her name... is Felt-sama."

Timeskippu*

After a heated discussion about Emilia's standing and her appearance's similarity to the Witch of Envy, Subaru was escorted out after being embarrassed in front of many people. Right as he left, he spotted me in the corner and walked towards me before sitting down next to me.

"So, you got kicked out after trying to defend Emilia and proclaiming to be a knight, huh?" I said to him as he was about to explain the unfair situation in the throne room, only to have that thought quickly discarded as he stared at me in disbelief.

"How did you know all of that?" He asked me before giving a sigh of relief. "Bro, as much as your amount of knowledge scares me, it comforts me that at least there's someone else who understands me."

"Well, I would say you put on an awesome show over there, but I did not know this beforehand. As the old Chinese saying goes, 'the walls have ears'. Now, back to our topic. As much as a nice defence you did back there, things are needed to convince someone." I told him as he furrowed his brows to give me a confused look.

"I'm about to make my debut, and I can bring you back in, too. Chaos is about to ensue, and a good appearance is one who can calm it down." Right on cue, Rom's dynamite exploded with a BOOM as I heard shouting from inside the council's room.

I gestured the knights to let me in, and they nodded as they opened the door to an unbeliveable scene, one that I had seen before, many times.

"For infiltrating into the castle, you must die." The leader of the knights stated as Felt yelled in despair.

"Let Old Man Rom go!" She yelled while being pushed back by the knights.

"Unfortunately, you have made it clear that you do not wish to participate in the Royal Selection at all, so I'm not obliged to follow your orders." The guys said as he told the knights to strike, only to be stopped by one voice. Mine.

"Now, now, aren't we all getting ahead of ourselves here?" I said as I lit my hydrogen that was placed into the room that was covered by Rom's smoke, and the Wall of Flames ignited as the knights backed away, and I told Old Man Rom to stand down for now as he complied.

The Sage Council looked at me as if I was a madman, but I only continued my speech. "Harming an old man like him, won't do your image any good, you know. Also, if my information serves correct, he's family to one of your Royal Candidates, and if you harm him, it'll be bad news. Just because she doesn't want to doesn't mean you shouldn't respect her, and I think that if any of you were a 'gutter rat' as well, you would understand."

"Nii-chan!" Felt yelled as I shot her a smile before the nobles suddenly got mad for some reasons.

"Guards! Seize this intruder!" The nobles nodded, and the knights nodded as they began to charge. I shook my head.

"Violence is really unnecessary." I said as I formed a diamond dome around me, and no matter what the guards did, it didn't penetrate my barrier. I mean, who thinks that iron can cut through diamond?

I lowered my barrier and made it disappear as I turned to the now exhausted knights. "You guys need to think with your heads a bit more instead of using strength immediately." I gestured to Subaru, who came in afterwards. "Also, give this dude a chance. He's foreign to Lugnica just like myself, and now that he's learned that some rules are not meant to be broken, give him a second chance."

"And Felt..." I went over to her, and she pushed the knights away as I approached. "Go do the selection thingy as they asked. I will help you a bit later, but I promise you that it's not a bad choice. You might be able to turn not just your life around, but many others' lives as well."

"Fine... then I declare myself also participating in the Royal Selection." Felt said as the Council of Elders seemed somewhat pleased, and I clapped my hands as Subaru went back to his original position. 

"Now, is everyone happy? Please go back to your positions and continue this ceremony first, since it seems to be quite important." I asked them as the knights returned, but the Sage Council seemed like they had something to say.

"Now, what is it? I just helped you solve a problem better, and it's all good now, right?" The 'wisemen' nodded but told me to introduce myself, and I nodded as I apologized for my intrusion.

Cahya and Alchemis floated out of my body, and they nodded as they produced a Goa and a Jiwald at the door behind us, and I blocked their spells using a diamond wall before it could do any damage, successfully showing my powers while doing no harm to anyone.

"Greetings, then, Sage Council, Lugnica citizens and nobles, Knights, and Royal Candidates." I said as I felt everyone's stares on me, making myself a bit nervous but I proceeded with what I intended to do from the beginning. "I am currently a guest at the Mathers Manor, an apprentice of the Court Mage Roswaal L Mathers, and a spirits art user. I'm accompanied by an Elder Spirit of Fire, Alchemis, and the Great Spirit of Yang, Cahya." Many people were shocked at the identities of my spirits, but I ignored the murmurs as I went on. "Formerly known as the Warlock of Flame a month ago, and the adopted brother of your fifth candidate. My name is Y/N L/N. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 1870/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 1840/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1295/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1325/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 950/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 845/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 0, 450/ 1000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery:  Stage 0, 510/ 1000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Chapter Text

The ceremony then went on as originally planned, and Felt did her speech about hating nobles. That definitely agitated people, but I , like Reinhard, believe that among the nobles, there might've been a few who have been enlightened.

After a little while, the knights and us guests were escorted out of the throne room place, and we ended up in some lounge that I didn't recognize. That is, until I noticed Julius approaching Subaru.

"Why the hell are you here?" Subaru said, deeply annoyed at Julius' presence.

"I wish you wouldn't make such an unpleasant face." Julius said before continuing. "I didn't expect a warm welcome, but I did not expect this degree of attitude, either. Also, it'll be bad for your company and friends."

"Now," Julius continued as he looked towards a nearby arena. "You asked me why I came here, correct? I came here to see you since I have some business with you. Also, you too." He directed that last one at me, and I shot him an innocent look, since I actually don't know what he meant.

"I would like you guys to come with me for a bit."

"Why? Are you going to challenge us to a duel?" I asked him, trying to unveil his intentions. Julius can be a little weird about his methods, so I'm a little confused at what he's doing.

"Precisely. But the question is, do you two accept?" He asked.

"I accept the challenge!" Subaru yelled in confirmation, confidence or whatever it is springing him up to face the knight. I sighed.

"Well, I guess I'll go as well." I said as I took off my overcoat, and headed towards the arena with Felix, Reinhard, Subaru and Julius.

Timeskippu*

I was postponed to the second match, and so I sat near the arena field's wall, watching the event I expected to unfold. However, I definitely was not expecting myself to be dragged into this business as well.

Did I overdo it at the castle? Maybe that's why Julius felt a little bit annoyed at me.... hmmmm....

"Julius, why are you doing this?" Reinhard asked him as Subaru was doing some warm-up exercises. "This isn't like you."

"He insulted us, the knights, in front of the candidates to become our future ruler." Julius stated simply. "And he mocked the chivalry that we practice."

"I admit that some things he said went too far." Reinhard argued. "But for such a matter, he should be reprimanded and corrected."

"No, that's not my only problem." Julius said, and I knew what he meant on this one. "I hereby administer the death penalty to the one who sullied the knighthood's honor!" A large cheer erupted from the onlooking knights, and I sighed at their stupidity. Cheering for someone just because they disagree with your views? And doing something like this to teach him a lesson? The intentions are fine, but your actions are a bit overboard.

"Normally, you would be slain for your insolence, but seeing that you're Emilia-sama's attendant, we'll fight using wooden swords." Julius said as he readied his sword. "Shall we begin?"

Subaru recklessly charged at him and slipped as he pretended he meant to do that, but Julius took no notice as he stabbed Subaru in the gut, sending him back. He then scored a few more hits on Subaru, and this one-sided fighting continued for a while, before Subaru was beaten bloody and only raising his sword in defence and trying to deflect some of Julius' blows.

"Bro, just give up, and stop for now. You obviously can't beat him, so-"

"Shut up, Y/N! I will make this bastard pay, and he hasn't seen my full power yet!" Subaru suddenly yelled at me, but I wasn't agitated. Fine, if he just wants to go, then let him have at it.

"Subaru!" Emilia's voice suddenly came from the balcony, and she looked in despair as she saw Subaru in that state. "Subaru, don't!"

Julius gaze turned towards Emilia, and Subaru took advantage of this moment as I sensed Yin mana. "SHAMAK!"

A giant cloud of black smoke came out of the ground, and Subaru ran towards Julius in confidence that at least he'll land one blow, but the knight parted his spell, unimpressed. "This level of spell power can only work on foul beasts." He said as he dealt the finishing blow, and Subaru landed onto the floor, unconscious.

After a series of events, Subaru was taken away by Felix to heal, and Emilia rushed off in their direction as I finally stood up, my legs slightly numb from all the sitting, and faced Julius.

"Do you still want to fight after seeing what I did to your acquaintance?"

"Well, I came here on my own terms and accepted your invitation, so it'll be a waste not to, right? Anyways, I've gauged myself against a mage recently, so I think a knight is a good opportunity to learn."

"Do you not resent me for what I did to your friend?" He asked, a little confused at my calm attitude.

"Well, I think I know what your intentions are, so I don't resent you at all. I'm more worried about my friend not getting your message than his wounds."

"I see. Thank you for understanding my intentions. You're a shrewd one, aren't you? Well, I suppose you know my intention for fighting you as well?"

"Sorry, I don't have a clue about that." I shrugged. "Mind explaining?"

"Two reasons. First, because you claimed to be an apprentice of the Court Mage Roswaal, but I never heard you say about you working for Lady Emilia, who he supports. Secondly, the fact that you interrupted the procedures in the throne room must mean that you should have the strength to back it up, and if you don't I'll put you in your place right here."

"Okay... but just so you know, I did indeed say that I'm Roswaal's apprentice, but that's only because he offered me training, so I was not making any bargains. I stayed at his manor as a guest for learning magic, not to support his candidate in the selection. That's my friend's job and wish." I said as I received a sword from a knight, which turned out to be an iron sword as I looked at Julius in surprise.

"Since you did say you have no ties with Emilia-sama, then we should duel using real swords." Julius said calmly as I felt one of my nerves drastically twitch in annoyance. What the actual hell... 

"Can I use magic, then?" I asked him.

"Anything is allowed, except killing, of course. We stop when one yields or if I declare that the battle is over." He said as he readied his sword, and I sweatdropped a little before I told Alchemis and Cahya to rest for now, since I have to win this battle on my own.

"Begin!" A knight yelled, and I stood my ground as I spread thin layers of Hydrogen and Helium in front of myself, with them barely touching each other as Julius regarded me with concern, before charging at me with his sword outstretched.

Just as the moment he entered the field, I brought together my hands, forming a large clap as the atoms were forced to merge, forming molecules of helium hydride as the acid appeared out of nowhere. Julius, instead of sticking his sword at me, had his sword and his wrists stained by the acid, and he jumped back as he examined the damage. He tried healing magic, but it only numbed the pain a little as I smirked. 

I dashed towards him with my sword, and he prepared for a block, but I turned and shot Ul Goa towards him, before throwing my sword like a dagger and forcing him to get hit by two of my fireballs, which he seemed angry at.

Julius dashed with me with another strike, but only got sent back several meters when I activated a Beryllium Mirror, reflecting his attack at full force upon himself, forcing him to feel the strain of his own attack. 

"Clarista!" Julius suddenly summoned his spirit magic, and prepared to break my Beryllium Mirror before I made it vanish itself, and cast El Jiwald with both my hands, forcing him to dodge while running towards me, but that only minimally impeded his movement, and he charged at me like a beast ready to tear apart its prey.

I didn't want to use my trump cards yet, so I gathered hydrogen and oxygen, and had them merge together in a giant ball of water. Then, I condensed some water from the giant ball and started to have it shoot at Julius like homing missiles. He cut through the first beam as he used El Clarista on the ball, but the water only allowed itself to be slashed apart before it reformed near me, and consider Julius surprised that his soul-destroying attack failed to eliminate a simple ball of water.

"The soul-destroying slash, the Clarista series, cannot be used on dead things, especially ones which are generated by a mage." I remarked as he suddenly noticed something, and charged towards me at inhuman speeds as I noticed that he sped up, a thin mana layer coating his skin as he got closer and closer while I had no time to use my Authority to defend. 

"Akra!" I yelled, and the Yang Magic manifested itself in the last possible moment as I zoomed away from my original position, while Julius still locked onto me as I dashed the arena, struggling to evade his pursuit. I picked up my blade that I threw a while ago, and formed a second one with a boron coating and a diamond base, before facing Julius' slash head on, and countered his Ul Clarista as the training sword broke, forcing me to pull out another quickly forged boron-carbon sword.

Although I wasn't very good at it back then, I was a somewhat chunibyo person back in middle school, and I definitely knew how to dual wield. There was a tournament for chunibyos that I attended for some dumb reasons, and I won the championship by using my Nitoryu on my opponents. Although that moment has long faded, the muscle memories were embedded in my mind and soul, and thanks to a little delusion, I broke through the last shell as I charged the knight, finally using a weapon instead of spells.

Coating the swords using helium hydride forced Julius to be careful while slashing, but myself as well. Although I have a certain amount of immunity to all Authorities, acids are still deadly. My onslaught of blades continued slashing at Julius' sword, and suddenly he decided to pull out his trump card as the blade began to gather light and particles that I registered as spirits, and the gathering knights looked in shock as I realized what he was trying to do.

"Julius! What are you doing?" A knight said in the crowd, shocked at his comrade's behaviour. However, the other onlooking people obviously had no interest in stopping this. Which, by the way, I have not noticed that there were other onlookers. Priscilla and Anastasia were watching with interest, while Felt was pumping her fist in the air, cheering me on. Even Al, who I assumed had Subaru explain my history and whatnot, waved at me.

"We should settle this with our respective strongest strikes, shouldn't we?" Julius said as his sword finished charging, and I nodded to his statement as the carbon atoms in my hand started arranging themselves into their pyramid structural form as the glittery substance known as diamond began to form in my hand at rapid speeds.

"AL CLARISTA!"

"Adamas Wave!" I yelled as the diamond turned from liquid into solid, forming a solid wall above my head while spreading out in a glorious manner as it served as a dome like defence against Julius' attack.

Eventually, his attack stopped and the crowd watched in surprise. Even Anastasia was shocked when Julius' Al Clarista, a spell capable of decimating the body of the Sin Archbishop of Sloth (not that they knew), was stopped by a commoner who possessed mysterious powers. 

To finish the fight, I reshaped the diamond into a blade, and slashed clean through the training iron blade that Julius was wielding, and he smiled at my merit as he raised his hand. 

"I hereby declared that this duel is over! I, Julius Juukulius, a knight of Lugnica, recognize individual Y/N L/N's efforts! He has shown courage, skill, and intelligence in battle which makes him a formidable fighter. He is befitting of a status like the rest of us. His maturity also goes past his age, despite being young." Julius concluded his statement as he turned to me with a smile.

"Y/N L/N, are you interested in becoming an official knight of Lugnica?"

Huh?

HHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHH???????????

Name: Y/N L/N

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 1870/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 1840/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1295/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1325/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 950/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 845/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 0, 570/ 1000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery:  Stage 0, 750/ 1000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Chapter Text

"A knight of Lugnica, like, as in, an official one like you guys?" I asked, astonished at Julius' invitation.

"Yes. I believe you do possess the potential to become a knight, with proper training, of course." Julius said confidently.

"I... can I have some time to think about it?" I asked him, and he nodded.

"Of course. It is indeed a big decision. If you agree, please meet me at the Hoshin Trading Company's base here tomorrow afternoon. I await your decision."

"Thank you for the duel." I bowed slightly before looking up.

Julius waved before he exited the arena, and gradually the knights began to leave the arena, one by one. This led me to go and find Felt. She was happily waiting at the top of the arena.

"Y/N nii-chan!" She yelped as she came over and hugged me. "That was quite cool, you know? Never thought you had it in you."

"Well, I have been training for the past month, so I suppose it worked out in the end. I didn't expect myself to beat Julius, either. He is a very strong individual."

"Anyways, thanks for beating that Royal's butt for me! It was satisfying." Felt said as she stretched her arms. "You know, while I was taken away by Reinhard, that bastard explained the selection process to me and basically forced me to attend it. It was so annoying~"

"It might've been the best decision, though." I said, giving it some thought.

"Wait... you knew that was going to happen? Nii-chan, why didn't you stop him?"

"Well, under no circumstances will I ever be able to beat Reinhard, so sorry about that. Speaking of Reinhard, where did he go?" I glanced around the now empty arena, only feel a light tap on my shoulder as I whipped my head around to see the Sword Saint.

"Yo, Y/N!" He smiled before slightly patting Felt's head. "I wondered where you went. Should've known you were going to spend time with your precious nii-chan."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Felt stammered suddenly, leaving me mildly confused. "I never called him precious, though..."

"Sure you did. You know, that day when we were talking about-"

"REINHARD SHUT UP!" Felt yelled as she aimed kicks at Reinhard, and as if a puzzle piece slotting into my brain, I emerged from my dense consciousness.

AH. She's a tsundere...

Wait, dere to whom, though?

Anyways... back on track. I calmed Felt down and got Reinhard's attention. "Reinhard, do you mind going over to this part of town tomorrow night? I have some friends who need some help from you."

"Uh... I'm a little bit busy on the day after that, but I suppose its fine. What do you want me to help them with?" Reinhard asked, a little perplexed.

"I would like you to invite them into Felt's Royal selection camp." I said, and Felt jumped in surprise.

"Are you sure they're trustworthy? I don't want anyone harming miss Felt, though..." Reinhard voiced his concerns.

"Don't worry. They are completely loyal to me and they know what will happen if they do something out of line. Also, their interest aligns with your master, and I believe they can help you in the long run."

"Really?!" Felt jumped up excitedly as she came over and hugged me. "Thank you so much, Y/N nii-chan!"

"Well, I guess I she is still a child, after all..." I muttered softly.

Timeskippu*

I went around town buying magic supplies and other things Roswaal requested from me, so I took up the opportunity to explore town. I loaded the supplies and materials after I bought them, so I was walking around the capital with no particular goal in mind while browsing many stores just to see what they sell, until I bumped into a little girl with cat-ears as she looked up at me.

"Ey? Are you okee, mister? You looked really tired for some reasons!" The little girl, who energetically beamed at me, was recognized immediately by me as I identified her as the vice-commander of the Iron Fang, the private mercenary team of the Hoshin Trading Company. Wait, that means...

"Sorry if she's been bothering you. Mimi, stop making mischief now, okay?" A soft voice rang out from in front of me, and I lifted my head to see the current head of the Hoshin Company.

"Oh, you're..." I said in surprise, not expecting our meeting to be so soon. "Anastasia Hoshin, leader of the Hoshin Trading Company and one of the Royal Selection candidates, correct?"

"Yes, you seem to know a lot, for a foreigner in Lugnica." She remarked. "Y/N L/N, I assume? You are the boy who bested Julius in a duel, right?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say best, since he is one of the greatest Spirit users out there..."

"Oh, no need for the modesty and all the humility." She said as she laughed slightly. "You're coming to our place to train, correct? The come with me. I'll invite you for lunch before we depart for my place." She smiled as I followed her into the restaurant that I remembered from Subaru's fourth loop from the original timeline.

We ate a nice meal before Anastasia took me to the Hoshin Trading Company's headquarters in Lugnica, and Julius was waiting for me in the courtyard as he smiled at my arrival. 

"You came. I was kind of worried that you might not accept my request." Julius said in response, shaking my hand as I approached him.

"Well, to pass up an opportunity is something that I would never do." I explained, and he smiled as we got right into it.

Julius taught me a few Lugnica knight sword styles, and I learned them all pretty quick, and I'm not sure if that's my Chunibyo genes acting up or if it was just beginner's luck. We also went on to do some runs and water training to improve my total physique, and I was exhausted by the time I laid down on the Hoshin mansion's bed.

"This... actually might not be that bad..." I muttered as I drifted into sleep, looking forward to learning more things from the knight.

Two days passed in this manner, but on the noon of the fourth day, an ominous phenomenon surrounded me as I realized what I forgot to do while immersed in the trainings. I forgot to communicate with Subaru.

Then, within seconds, the shadows and abyss came for me.

B·L·A·C·K·O·U·T

I woke up in the middle of the day, halfway through training as I realized that Subaru has returned by death, and I needed to talk to him immediately to see if he was actually on track.

I bid a temporary farewell to Julius and Anastasia, saying that I had to visit Subaru since I received a message that he was sick. 

I arrived at the place where we stayed at when we first arrived in the capital, and burst into the room where Subaru laid, with Rem beside him.

"Rem... what happened to Subaru?" I asked in shock, and she replied, shaking her head.

"I don't know either... Subaru-kun suddenly fainted like this in the middle of the street."

This is the second loop, is it not? Wait... his mind is broken, is it not?!

I sighed as I went with Rem to the carriage, where we took it to the Mathers Mansion to try and get someone to treat him, or at least, spring him out of his shocked state. However, my happiness was short lived when our ground dragon's head was sliced off, and the carriage flipped as I was thrown out of my seat along with Rem and Subaru, and I lifted my head to find myself facing robed cultists.

"Witch's Cult!" I exclaimed in surprise, but before the person in front of me can strike, a cultist burst apart as he tried to grab Subaru, and I saw Rem activating her oni form, angrily standing above the carriage when I noticed Subaru was dragged away by a cultist.

"Rem! Go get Subaru! I'll hold them off!" I told the angry oni, but she seemed to maintain her senses this time when I asked her to act, and she shot into the trees, in pursuit of Subaru.

I summoned Alchemis and Cahya, and they started firing Yang and Fire Magic at the cultists, and now 20 percent of them were gone from the attacks of my spirits. I joined the battle, and within 30 minutes, by using my magic and the Authority of Deceit, the area was surrounded by diamond spikes and ice, with the defeated cultists lying on the floor.

I then chased after Rem, before arriving at a cave that I recognized to be the cave where Subaru was held. I charged into the cave just as I saw an eerie black hand crush Rem's throat.

"No!" I yelled in despair as I noticed Subaru regaining his sanity. He yelled in rage at the Archbishop who just tore Rem apart.

"EL JIWALD!" Cahya and I yelled as the light beams penetrated the witch cultists, killing them as Betelgeuse finally noticed my presence. 

"Ehh? Who are you?" He asked, genuinely confused. "But I thought this one here is Pride... could you be Pride, then?"

"Pride? No, I don't even have the Witch Factor, you dumbass madman!" I yelled in retaliation, and Betelgeuse laughed madly at my outburst.

"So you're not Pride, huh. Then who are you? The Gospel has not foretold your arrival, yet the witch's miasma lingers on you as well." He said as he scratched his head in madness. "Hmm... I have not introduced myself yet, have I? I am a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing Sloth, Betelgeuse Romanee-Conti, DESU!"

"Nice to meet you, then." I said in fury as the title came to mind, and one that would be known throughout the history of this world in the future, unbeknownst to myself. My only thoughts were on intimidation, and there was only one way to do it.

"I am a member of the Lugnica Knight Order. And a Sin Archbishop, representing Deceit, Y/N L/N."

"DECEIT?" He remarked in surprise. "So it was you. You! The one who the Gospel foretold in a message a century before now. You finally came. Now where's your Gospel?"

"Why would have a Gospel? I have no intentions to join your creepy cult. It's quite disgusting, if you ask me."

"You! You dare reject the witch's love!" Betelgeuse yelled in anger. "Then, you shall be purged!"

I immediately used Akra to dash past him and cut Subaru's chains with the boron-carbon knife I made while fighting Julius. "Subaru, take Rem and run!"

"Don't think you can run! Authority of Sloth, Unseen Hands!" Betelgeuse yelled in fury as Subaru saw the purple and black hands came out of the Archbishop's back, but I incinerated the hands using El Goa as Betelgeuse looked at me in surprise.

"You, you... can see my Unseen Hands?" Betelgeuse yelled again, this time even more furious than before. "How dare you do this to me, it's the proof of the Witch's love!"

"You received the witch factor only because you slammed it into yourself! Isn't that right, Geuse?"

"Geu-" Betelgeuse suddenly had a wave of nostalgia wash over him, leaving shocked as I slashed away the rest of the Unseen Hands.

"This is the end, Archbishop of Sloth!" I yelled as I raised my hand over my head, and struck down in a similar fashion to Julius' Al Clarista. However, before it hit him, I felt myself bound by ropes, and saw five Unseen Hands immobilizing me. Only now did I realize that he disguised some within the shadows.

"This is for the witch's love!" Betelgeuse yelled in rage, but before he could do anything, he froze in place as I noticed the Unseen Hands disappear, and I dropped into the ground, now covered in ice. "What?" 

"The Beast of the End has unleashed its rage, Y/N. You're not going to survive much longer." Alchemis said as I quickly sealed the cave off completely, and then encased myself in a diamond dome before shattering Betelgeuse's ice statue, and lit a fire to keep me warm in the dome.

How long is this going to last? I can't survive in here forever, right? Also, why hasn't Subaru died yet-

Wait, no! I shouldn't be wishing for his death, but...

B·L·A·C·K·O·U·T

I woke up in cold sweat for the second time in the Hoshin mansion, my limbs still numb from the last loop. I sighed. "What do I do now?"

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 1870/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 1840/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1295/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1325/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 950/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 845/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 0, 570/ 1000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery:  Stage 0, 750/ 1000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Chapter Text

Subaru POV

I woke up to Rem and Felix over my bed, presumably the time after Felix healed my gate. I sat up as I struggled to remember what happened in the last loop.

I was basically brain-dead except after the weird people came and kidnapped me... Y/N and Rem were with me, weren't they? What happened after that...

A horrible image formed in my mind as I remembered the time when Rem got killed by Betelgeuse, the madman who used this weird power. Damn him! I'm going to kill that bastard...

After Y/N arrived and told us to run, I heard him announce himself as a similar title as the madman... an archbishop of deceit? What the hell is that?

Well, I suppose Y/N has all the answers, right?

Yes, right, go find that idiot.

The bastard hasn't even talked to me in the first loop, and basically left me while he went training with that purple haired bastard. Sigh... why do I have it so hard?

I stood up from the bed, and Rem immediately came with me, as if attached to me like some parasite. I didn't know what to do about that, but she looked very eager to follow me, so I didn't anything. "Subaru-kun, who are you going to see? Is it the Y/N boy?"

"Yes, I need to see Y/N." Subaru said. "I need to discuss things with him so we can plan out what we need to do next, and hopefully don't die."

"Why do you seem to be going to him? He doesn't seem like that much of a person with knowledge... except the great spirits that follow him and his unusual miasma that is similar to yours." Rem said, a little bit confused.

"Well, I'm sure Y/N wouldn't mind, so I think it's okay to tell you this. He said he knew a lot of stuff from the future, and it has been proven right so far, so I'm guessing he's telling the truth."

"So is Y/N-san like a prophet or something? Or is more like the Shaula the Sage, or Flugel?" Rem asked, curious.

"Flugel...? Anyways, it doesn't matter. He holds the answers, so we have to go talk to him." Subaru said as he stormed off in the direction of the Hoshin Estate, and Rem followed him closely as Subaru remembered something before he came to the capital.

FLASHBACK (Subaru POV)

I was in the middle of cleaning when Y/N found me, seemingly having something urgent to discuss with me. I nodded to him and he began his future talk.

"Subaru, you have to do something within 3 days after the Royal Selection, or else Emilia will die."

"WHAT?!" I yelled in surprise, scared by his ominous tone, but also of the message. "What do you mean?"

"Okay, okay, let me explain..." he said as I calmed down. "Basically, my future seeing ability has revealed up to your next save point, so I ought to tell you this. On the highway to Roswaal's domain, a ma beast called the White Whale will appear, and Crusch plans to eliminate it. The time that it will appear is 15:12 on your phone, on the second day after the Royal Selection. You need to convince Crusch to form an alliance between our camps, and Anastasia will help as well. After that, you can help exterminating the Witch's Cult that will invade Roswaal's domain to save Emilia."

"That... is a lot of information to process. How do you know so much this time?"

He sweatdropped a little, but he quickly regained his composure. "I don't know either... this time I was given more information for some reasons..."

"Well, what do I have to do to have Crusch join the alliance?" I asked, confused.

"Find clues of her unusual activities. There should be plenty within plain sight. Just connect the dots and she'll believe you. Do not lie in front of Crusch, and with my ability, I doubt that her ability will activate. One of my passives is Pure Truth, and I basically will not lie about events. So go find the evidence. And when you do, you'll know what I mean."

"Okay then..." I was about to ask another question about why he can't tell me the suspicious activities, but he's already gone without a sound.

That sneaky bastard!

Y/N POV

I was sitting on my bed trying to figure out a way to explain things to Subaru, but it was cut short when one of the maids rushed into my room and informed of my friend's arrival. When I went down the stairs and into one of the guest rooms, Subaru was glaring at me furiously.

"Okay... so let's not get all to worked up, okay? I should've told you about some things in the first loop, but-"

"Okay, you seriously need to explain things very clearly here! All your little prophecy clues did nothing to help, so would you mind explaining?"

I sighed. This is going to be a long explaination.

"I see. So the weird crazy dude, he wants to kill Emilia?" Subaru asked, and I nodded.

"Yes. But we have to defeat the White Whale before that, and with its defeat, we can advance onto the Roswaal Domain to help your Emilia and defeat a Sin Archbishop while we're at it." I explained, and Subaru nodded.

"But how exactly do we convince Crusch?" He asked, and I replied.

"Well, remember my words back then? What are some suspicious activities that Crusch has done lately? Remember them, because I know you can."

"Well... there has been a lot of incoming traffic around the Capital's streets lately, and most of them were headed towards the Karsten estate." He said, and I clapped in response.

"That is one crucial thing. Do you happen to notice any others? Or just things that in general that you've heard or saw."

"Well, when I left the mansion for the first time... there was a man at the gates and he spoke to Wilhelm. He said, 'Should Crusch-sama's goal be fulfilled, it would also benefit Wilhelm-san's wishes, too.' Is that a possible clue?"

"Yes! You got it right away..." I smiled at Subaru's shrewdness, able to pick out the most interesting clue out of all that have been presented.

"Wait, Y/N, how do you know that it was a clue? Don't tell you already knew beforehand..."

"I didn't. I knew because the future became clearer. I've told you before, when I know more about the present/past, I gain more knowledge on the future. And even if I did, you would have to find out yourself because it would not aid in your speech to Crusch since she can tell if you are lying." I explained, and Subaru nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now, as for our last piece of evidence, she's listening right at the door." I smiled towards the door, and an unexpected turn happened as I did not expect her to listen in as well. "Come on in, candidate of the selection."

"Aya~ I thought I hid my presence quite well, considering that I also love information. But I suppose I cannot fool people like you or Julius." The short girl with purple hair opened the door, eyes full of curiosity as she entered the room.

"Eh, EH?!" Subaru yelled as he jumped back, surprised. "Anastasia Hoshin?!"

"Well, of course. Are you saying that this lady here can't go snooping around her own mansion?" She asked, a little bit annoyed at Subaru.

"Well, when you said snoop-"

"Anyways... weren't you guys talking about a very interesting topic? Mind if I join in and have a listen as well?" Anastasia said happily but we looked a bit skeptical. "Oh, don't worry, I'll have my share of compensation." She winked, and I knew exactly what she meant.

"So before you guys tell me what juicy info you were babbling about, I suppose this piece of info could prove my interest in the involvement of this, right? So, as you might or might not know, a lot of weapons are being purchased... from various parts of the lands. As for how I know... the Hoshin Company does not miss a single detail in trading. And the weapons... they're all purchased under the name of Duchess Crusch Karsten."

"There it is, Subaru, our last piece of info for convincing her." I whispered to him as he nodded.

"Now, since you two were discussing this topic wholeheartedly, mind telling me why?" Anastasia asked, and I felt somewhat obligated to answer, now that is has came to this.

"Well, I have obtained from an info source that the Witch Cult will finally be moving. Their target this time is Emilia, who you know. Subaru wants to save her, so I'm just giving him my info in exchange for his collaboration. The White Whale is Crusch's target, and also one of her subordinate's sworn enemy. Crusch might be quite convinced that while the Great Rabbit could not be killed, the death of the White Whale is within reach. However, without a lot of information, she'll be quite hopeless in her subjugation. I personally do not want to see that, seeing that the White Whale is also part of the Witch Cult's plan."

"I see, I see." Anastasia nodded as she thought about what we were discussing. "I definitely want the demise of the White Whale and the Witch Cult from the viewpoint of a merchant, but what could you do to benefit me in exchange for my help?"

I got this prepared. I motioned for Subaru to go and initiate the plan. He picked up what I gave to him to invite another person into the plan, and left as I faced Anastasia. "Now, we can discuss."

"Yes. I wonder what you have in store for this lady here?"

"I will grant you a favour. Whenever you desperately need it, I will share my visions of the future with you." I stated, surprised even at myself for saying this, but she seemed to accept. However, she definitely still had doubts.

"My ability, Pure Truth, allows me to see parts of the future, and ones that benefit both me and people I care about. However, the information I receive is depended by my knowledge of the present and the past. If you don't believe me, here's an example. Let's use you as a subject for now, okay?" She nodded her head, intrigued.

"You were an orphan as your parents died. You used to work in a bar as a waitress until you met Ricardo, the current leader of your Iron Fang Mercenary Team. While exchanging some conversations, you eventually stated that you would be the one to remove his slave collar.

You seemed to have run into some issues with the Chamber of Commerce in the city, thus Ricardo pledged he would help you fix this by going along with you and pay off your debt. As they arrive, the leader questions Ricardo's intentions with yourself, assuming that the Demi-Human was a pedophile. This enraged you, making you demand them to leave him alone, and demanded to remove his collar. However, the Chamber of Commerce replied with stating that you already had a huge debt, and adding this would greatly damage your credit. Contrary to belief, you pulled out a bag with enough coins to pay off your debt and free Ricardo. After some discussions, it resulted in Ricardo being freed and your debt being paid off. Having been freed from his fetters as a slave, Ricardo pledged his allegiance to you.

Later on, you came to work for the Ryuushika Business Association, during which you voiced your opinion concerning a small business deal, earning your work. Eventually, you bought the company with your amassed wealth and renamed it into the Hoshin Trading Company. Looking to expand into the Lugnica market, you were in the middle of talks with the Juukulius family when it was discovered that you were eligible to participate in the royal election."

"That's a brief overview of your life, is it not? Now, do you believe me?"

"I do. I must say the amount of knowledge you possess is truly quite remarkable. You are indeed a very interesting individual, Y/N L/N. I look forward to working with you." She held out her hand.

"Likewise." I replied. And thus, the deal was struck. Although only halfway into Arc 3, I've secured the relationship with the Hoshins, and all that's left is to carry out Subaru's and my plan.

Five hours later, The Karsten Mansion received news that would change the fate of their future.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 1870/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 1840/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1295/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1325/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 950/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 845/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 0, 570/1000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Chapter Text

"I will say it again." Subaru declared as we were situated in the office of the mansion of Crusch Karsten, where the White Whale Subjugation plan begins. "An alliance between the Emilia and Crusch camps, on equal terms. For this purpose, I'll provide the time and place of the White Whale's next appearance."

"The White Whale?" Wilhelm asked, an intimidating aura emitting from him. Both Subaru and Rem were taken aback a little by his sudden fury, but I understood full well of this situation. Anyone has the right to be angry at a beast who killed their lover.

Wilhelm eventually calmed down and apologized, and Subaru shot me a look. I nodded to him as I told him about Wilhelm's hate for the Great Mabeast and he seemed to understand.

"And? It is rather sudden that you would bring up the White Whale." Crusch asked Subaru, a little surprised.

"Not at all." Subaru replied. "At the beginning of this negotiation, I mentioned the magic stones found in Roswaal's domain, the Elior Forest. If sharing mining rights is insufficient, then I have to offer something additional."

"Crusch-san, I'm very sure that my information will aid you in your plan to subjugate the White Whale." Subaru continued.

"Let me ask you one thing, Natsuki Subaru. What gave you that idea?" Crusch said seriously. "That remark was not something one can pass off as a baseless accusation."

"For the past days, a few things have bothered me." Subaru said, continuing the plan. "First, the increase in traffic coming in and from your mansion. It has been a little too excessive. Also, in the capital, I heard you were purchasing weapons and armor. Plus, I heard on the way here: 'Should Crusch-sama's goal be fulfilled, I'm sure it'll suit your desires as well, Wilhelm-dono.' You appeared to be planning something big. Of course, I can't prove it. Maybe it's only because that I know that the White Whale will be soon appearing did I then make that connection."

"And on what grounds do you know that the White Whale will appear?"

Subaru took out his flip phone triumphantly, and placed it on the table as if it was divine. Now that is overdramatic. "This is what you would call a metia. It tells me the location and time of the White Whale's next appearance." Crusch then examines Subaru's flip phone, and seeing that she could not do much to decipher its abilities, she put it back on the table.

"I find this a bit hard to believe, but I can see that you're not lying."

"Is this perhaps... due to your Divine Protection?" Subaru asked her, and she nodded.

"I'm surprised you knew. When a person lies, a telling wind surrounds them. You did not have that wind."

"Does that mean, you will agree to our alliance?"

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Natsuki Subaru. Whether I agree or believe you are two different matters. This is a decision that affects the entire situation of this kingdom." Crusch stated, and Subaru was forced into a temporary stalemate.

"You mind if I listen in on this conversation, too?" A voice sounded from beyond the door, and I knew all too well who it was. The short purple-haired beauty came in with a blonde man behind her, and Crusch was surprised at their appearance."

"Anastasia Hoshin? Russell Fellow? Did Natsuki Subaru invite you here, too?"

"No, it was Y/N-kun here who invited us." She stated, and Russell nodded to confirm. I was indeed the person who invited the latter, despite not coming in with them. I talked to Anastasia after she intruded our conversation, and happily accepted to come. Russell Fellow was brought up to date by the news and decided to join. Of course, that's not all.

"Sorry if I'm a bit late, but I think I'm quite on time, right?" Reinhard said as he stumbled into the room, and Wilhelm was somewhat shocked at his appearance. Wilhelm loathed Reinhard since he thought it was Reinhard's fault for his wife's death. In short, when Theresia van Astrea, the previous sword saint, went ahead and fought the White Whale in its previous subjugation attempt 14 years ago, Pandora stalled her while the two clashed. After that, when Theresia went back to deal with the mabeast, the Divine Protection recognized Reinhard as the next Sword Saint, and left her body as the White Whale killed her.

"Rein! You got the message!" I smiled as Subaru looked happy as well. That, too, was part of my plan. I wrote a letter to Felt, requesting her to help her nii-chan in an upcoming battle by personally requesting Reinhard to join. Although Reinhard was supposed to go on a mission by a courtesy call, he could not refuse an order from his own mistress. However, the Sage Council does not need to know that. Hehe.

"So, I've only got the gist of things, but if you're looking to subjugate the White Whale, I'm in on this! For us merchant folk, the White Whale is a giant hazard to everyone. Of course, our mercenary team would help y'all." Anastasia said as she voiced her approval, and Russell continued.

"In addition to the White Whale, I'm also interested in Natsuki-dono's suggestion to share mining rights of the magic stones. If the alliance is formed, magic stones from the pristine veins will be distributed to the capital throughout Crusch-sama." Russell said happily. "As the merchant guild's representative, I can not let this offer pass."

"I'll say it again." Subaru said as he began once again to prepare the finale. "What I offer in return is the mining rights to the magic stones, and information on when and where the White Whale will next appear. In other words, the fuel that is needed to subjugate the mabeast that has terrorized the world for so long! If my words make no sense of you, feel free to forget it. But if your goals and my wishes align, then let's defeat the White Whale." He stood up and extended his hand towards Crusch. "Let's go on a hunt!"

"I still have many questions... but it was brilliant of you to expose my plans. I have many doubts, so it's a bit difficult to agree immediately. However, I shall choose to trust your eyes and the spirit that led you to create this situation." Crusch stood up and shook Subaru's hand, and the seemingly difficult negotiations came to an end.

Timeskippu*

Later, at the fields where many people were discussing things about tomorrow's fight, Subaru approached me and locked his arm around my neck. "Bro, what's the big idea?"

"How dirty of you to leave all the hard work to me! Your plan really worked, however. Didn't expect that but I suppose I've grown as well." He said, laughing a little.

"Wow. What brought on that change?"

"Well, I was about to give in to Return by Death at a point, but Rem consoled me through my pains despite not knowing about the ability. Thanks to her, I guess I am where I am now."

"I see that you have someone very dear to you now. Make sure to protect her well, okay?"

"Of course!" Subaru said as he saw Felix waving to him, and he left in a hurry. I sighed in peace, glad that my actions haven't changed the timeline all that much, and headed into a secluded area of the field where Alchemis and Cahya appeared.

"So!" Cahya exclaimed as she showed herself. "You're really smart, you know that? The last person I had a semi-contract with was way worse than you."

"Really? Well, I'm glad I'm worthy of such praise." I smiled, and Cahya sat on my shoulder while Alchemis regarded me.

"You really think you can fight the White Whale like this?" Alchemis said as he scrolled through the panel of the Authority of Deceit. "You've barely got ten elements unlocked."

"Well, Flourine is a dangerous substance, so I don't need to rush. As for neon, the best I could think about it right now is being a light bulb or some kind of balloon." I replied, not sure what to do next. Sodium and Magnesium are useful, however. Both were easy to light on fire, and if done correctly, I could potentially turn chunks of magnesium into bombs.

Just as I continued to ponder about the elements, the green-haired candidate appeared, and took notice of me. "There you are." She said as she approached me before scrutinizing me all over. "You're the one who orchestrated this, aren't you? Don't even try denying it."

"Uh... well, cat's out of the bag now. Well, how did you know?" I smiled nervously, and Crusch sighed.

"You were obviously smarter than Natsuki Subaru. Despite his shrewdness, you're definitely more shrewd than him. Being able to recruit Anastasia Hoshin, Russell Fellow, and convincing the Sword Saint to come is no small feat. And also, your conversation with your friend earlier gave it away." Crusch said, slightly smiling that she nailed her investigation.

I sat down on the grass in defeat, shocked that my cover was blown. "Well, what did you want? You obviously didn't come all the way just to say this, didn't you?"

"I wanted to know your intent on why are you helping us. Natsuki Subaru's reason was one thing, but I believe you have a different objective in mind, did you not?"

I sighed. Might as well say it now that it has come to this. "Three reasons, actually. First, I want to honour my friend Subaru's wish. Secondly, it benefits my goal as the White Whale is a pet of the Witch Cult, whom I want to destroy. Thirdly, it was simply to honour a promise made to a friend in a dream."

"I understand the first two, but what did you mean by the last one? Also, whenever you say anything, there isn't a hint of a lying wind around you. Are you just too pure or is something else going on?"

"Well, I have an ability called Pure Truth (純粋な真実). It allows me to see many events of the past and future, depending on my knowledge of the present. A side effect is that it's hard to lie, which is why I had to tell you this." I said slowly, and Crusch nodded.

"That still doesn't explain that dream promise thing." Crusch said, still perplexed.

"If I said it, would you believe me?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

"If it is something out of my comprehension ability, I'll do my best to understand."

"Then it might be better to show you." I said, and tapped my two index fingers onto Crusch forehead as we dipped into a dream realm.

The flashback began in pieces, fragmented due to my past. But I remember the words all too clearly.

"Yo! Who are you?" I waved into the distance, in a field of grass as a blonde teenager sat there, seemingly mourning about something.

"Me? I'm just a sad prince who died to a disease. There's nothing much to it."

The memory flashed, and another scene showed as if I edited the iMovie. "Then, why are you so sad?"

"I didn't tell her that I loved her..." He said as the tears rolled down his face. "I died before I could relay the message."

"Well, I'm not too sure on how that works, but I can always help you tell her! I don't know why I can see you, a seemingly dead person!"

"I'm not so sure either how I came here...either..."

The memory flashed one last time, where I and the blonde prince shook hands.

"It seems that it's my time to leave, L/N. If fate allows it, I hope we could converse again."

"Me too!" My naive ten-year-old self said as I jumped up and down. "Who's the friend you wanted to confess to again?"

"Well, if you insist... her name is Crusch Karsten. A childhood friend of mine."

"Crusch, huh? That's a nice name. Well, I'll definitely tell her when I get the chance. Stay safe!"

"Oh, and please keep her safe if you... ever meet her, that is. And lastly, I should properly introduce myself now before I don't have much time." He took a deep breath. "My name is Fourier Lugnica, fourth prince of the Kingdom of Lugnica."

"I'm Y/N L/N! I'm a student in the nation of Japan! Nice knowing you!"

"Well, I suppose you aren't surprised..." That was the last line of Fourier before I saw him disappear into a gate-like structure, and he vanished from my dreams ever since.

How interesting that I heard the name of that unknown country years later, in the popular light novel that everyone loves. Could it really be fate?

Well, it's time to pull Crusch out now, right? I yanked my fingers off, and Crusch snapped back into reality as she was shocked at what she just saw.

"Was it really...him? Fourier..." She burst into tears, and I patted her back to comfort her.

"It was. And hey, he told you to stay safe. That's why I have to protect you from dying now. A personal wish and a promise to a friend both."

"He...left me the lion sword." She sniffled.

"Yes. And you used it to fend off the Great Rabbit, didn't you? He's definitely proud."

"I really hope that..."

"Well, then for the sake of Fourier, let's go on the hunt to clear our path to a brighter future!" I declared, and Crusch smiled as she took my hand and shook it.

"Really, thank you, Y/N L/N."

Timeskippu*

"Ah, are these the boys, Duchess Crusch?" An old man, probably a veteran soldier, walked up to us in the hall where warriors gathered to fight the White Whale. Crusch and I got here a little early and I already met Ricardo before Subaru did, and I'm glad he didn't lift my head up like he did to Subaru.

"Yes, they are." She said as they made our way towards us. The veteran put his hands on our shoulders, and Subaru was surprised.

"Thank you so much, young men. Thanks to you two, our wishes may come true. We could not be happier. Thank you." The veteran patted us again, and went to talk with Wilhelm. Crusch then explained the situation of those soldiers, some who escaped the failure of the last subjugation, invited here by Wilhelm.

Before long, we were organized into lines and Crusch began her speech.

"Four hundred years. Since the White Whale, created by the Witch of Envy, made the world its hunting ground, trampling the weak and dominating the land as if it were its owner, four hundred years have passed." I wanted to point out that it was Daphne who made them, but now does not seem like a good time. "Countless lives have been lost since that time. Given its fog's unscrupulous nature, as well, the number of graves we cannot even inscribe with names would only rise. "But those days of sitting idle end today! Today, those of us here will end it! We shall strike down the White Whale, and stop further tragedy! We shall give the sorrow, which fell short to true sorrow, a chance to shed overdue tears!"

Crusch slammed her sword at the ground, and made eye contact with me as I nodded. "We move out! Our destination is the Lifaus Highway, at Flugel's Tree! Tonight, we shall slay the White Whale with our own hands!"

Cheers erupted into the hall as Crusch brandished her sword, and Subaru looked relieved at the soldiers' morale. I smiled to myself, happy for orchestrating the downfall of one of the Three Great Mabeasts.

I can actually change something.

From now on, the stage settles into motion, and its gears rolls towards the destination.

The Grand Stage officially begins.

Είναι ώρα να φύγουμε.

Ήρθε η ώρα να παλέψουμε.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 1870/2000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 1, 1840/2000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1295/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1325/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 950/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 845/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 0, 570/1000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

??? Mastery: Stage 0

??? Mastery: Stage 0

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, white)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Chapter Text

It was dusk on the Lifaus Highway, and unusually quiet road was suddenly occupied by many sounds, ready for war as they marched towards Flugel's Tree.

That army is us.

The White Whale Subjugation Team, a combined force of the Crusch Camp, Anastasia's Mercenary Group, the Iron Fang, Reinhard, Subaru, Rem, and myself.

Thankfully, the highway has clear skies since we arrived a few hours earlier. Subaru's flip phone says 12:36, and the White Whale will arrive at 15:13. I sighed in peace as Ricardo, the head of the mercenary team, strode up to me on his Riger, and gave me a wide smile. "Everything good, lad?"

"Well, I think I'm a bit nervous to fight a 400 year old beast, but who isn't? So I'm just checking my supplies and strategies before the fight." I replied, and he laughed again.

"Well, you'll definitely be fine, lad! Seeing how my Lady has personally took a liking to you, you must be quite the strong character! Hahahaha!" Ricardo then left to talk to Subaru and Rem, and I decided to speed my Ground Dragon up to them, too.

Surprisingly, this ground dragon seems to like me, like how Patrasche likes Subaru. She had nice white coloured scales across her body, with a few electric blue streaks across her scales. In my opinion, that is one gorgeous dragon right there. "Yo, Fulgenta, let's catch up to your friend over there, okay?"

She whinnied like a horse in agreement, and sped up to the couple as we slowed down to travel beside them. "Yo! Subaru, you anxious?" I tried to put on my best enthusiastic voice.

"Well, I suppose I'm a little anxious about fighting a giant beast..." He scratched his head as Mimi and Hetaro, vice-commanders of the Iron Fang, strode up to us.

"Hello Y/N! Hello Strangers! I'm Mimi!" She said with her arms in the air, acting like a child.

"Not that I've ever doubted it... but you really are second-in command, huh?" Subaru said as he regarded the small cat demihuman.

"Eyyy? Have we met somewhere before? I can't remember..."

"I told him about you, Mimi." I told her just before she almost fell off her Riger.

"Ah... I see. And Hetaro is my brother! When Hetaro and Mimi are together, we're the strongest!"

Subaru watched the two children in interest, since they are veterans in battle despite being young.

And so... we headed off in the direction of the giant tree in the distance, ready to fight the monstrosity that will soon appear.

Timeskippu*

I was standing near Flugel's tree, admiring the piece of nature that was so unusual. Looking at it now, I don't think any tree on Earth can be that tall.

Wilhelm ans Subaru were talking on the other side of the tree, but I didn't need to listen in. Instead, I decided to take a look at the names engraved into the tree.

Flugel... Shaula... hmm... is no one else's name here?

I thought there would be more people to engrave their names as a memoir, but I guess not...

I took out my diamond knife, and carved my first and last name onto the tree trunk, and smiled at my work. "Y/N L/N." It will be a mark I left on this world, even after I left. I then filled the cracks I created with diamond, giving it a gleaming glow as I finished. After that, I joined everyone in preparation for the battle.

"So, before we start..." I gathered everyone's attention. "There's another thing you all need to know about before we begin. When the White Whale's eye turns red, it will let loose a deafening roar. The moment you start to its eye colour change, run away from it as fast as possible. Because right after it roars, it will let loose a bunch of fog that will eliminate you from this world. By that I mean nobody will even remember that you died. It's literally a Fog of Elimination."

Everyone nodded their heads and Crusch looked at me in confirmation, and she nodded before giving a slight smile that almost cannot be seen.

We readied for combat, and the mages lighted torches as I waited for the tune of Subaru's ringtone.

"Are you guys nervous?" I asked Alchemis and Cahya, who showed themselves after we got into formation.

"Well, you're the successor of the Deceit Witch Factor, right? Anybody who holds that cannot be defeated by a measly mabeast, I tell you!" Cahya laughed as she took a positive attitude, while Alchemis was worried yet excited.

"Well, at least you can try out that move you theorized, right? This should be good enough." He said as his glowing form floated to my side, and I patted Fulgenta as I looked to the sky to wait for the White Whale.

Minutes later, the ringtone sounded as the people glanced around the sky for the White Whale, but no signs of it was there. Crusch gave me a confused look and I nodded towards the tree, where the White Whale's shadow was. Another soldier noticed it as well, and his jaw fell in shock.

The giant beast appeared next to the moon, flying like a giant airplane in the sky. It swooped down to inspect its prey as it let out a deafening roar, and Reinhard, who was at the back of the ranks, glared at the Whale along with Wilhelm while Crusch looked at it in shock.

"Troops-" Crusch began, but was cut off as Subaru and Rem charged towards it with Patrasche, and Fulgenta rushed forwards as well as I told the spirits to get ready.

"Let him have it!" Subaru yelled.

"Ul Huma!" Four shards of sharp ice formed on Rem's pal, and shot into the White Whale's flesh.

"AL GOA!" Alchemis unleashed his fireball as it shook the sky with the force of its impact, and Cahya already had her new trump card ready.

"UL JIWALD!" The forces of the light beams split as they bombarded the White Whale all over, equivalent to the force of the cannons that we had.

Subaru and I raised her hands in victory as Crusch smiled at our actions. "TROOPS! Follow those three fools!" The soldiers cheered as they rushed forward with their steads, ready to fight as we rushed into battle with one of the Three Great Mabeasts.

The night banisher was launched, and I remembered to fully close my eyes while making some sort of diamond helmet to put on my own head. I'm not ready to make glass yet, so we're not going to have one of those PUBG helmets. Sad, but I need more elements. Guess Alchemis was right about gaining more elemental mastery.

The White Whale turned and followed Subaru as his witch's scent caught its attention, and I gathered Hydrogen and Oxygen to form an orb of water before shaping it into a giant pillar and froze it using Fire Magic.

"Al Huma!" I threw my makeshift ice spear at the whale, piercing it's side as it screamed in pain while Subaru escaped the White Whale's jaw narrowly. The Whale continued to charge after Subaru, but a blade of wind suddenly cut the White Whale as I recognized the technique.

Crusch held her lion sword as it flowed with a green light. I gave her a thumbs up as we both smiled and I caught up to Subaru.

"The intangible sword, with infinite range. That is Crusch-sama's sword art: One Blow, One Hundred Felled." Rem told Subaru as he watched the damage done to the White Whale in awe.

The White Whale finally decided to pay the others some attention. It veered towards the troops, and Crusch gave the order to disperse. The troops opened up a wide path, and Wilhelm's dragon carried him towards the White Whale before jumped off it, and leapt straight onto the White Whale to start slashing away at the mabeast.

I watched in awe as Ricardo and the Iron Fang members hacked away at the White Whale's flank, and jumped away just as Crusch unleashed another blade of wind, causing the White Whale to shriek in pain as it roared.

I continued supplying some attacks at the mabeast along the other mages, but although Cahya's Ul Jiwald and Alchemis' Al Goa are slightly affective, the White Whale showed no signs of fear as it continued to fly around.

This changed when Wilhelm stabbed one of his swords into the White Whale's eye, and blood surged out as he jumped down, before Ricardo boosted him up with his scary looking kitchen knife.

Wilhelm flew onto the White Whale once again, this time gouging out one of its eyes as it fell from the beast. Wilhelm landed on the eye as he stabbed into it, and raised it in defiance at the Whale. And just as I remembered it, I cast a warning look at Crusch. She nodded at my gaze and yelled her orders. "TROOPS! Get away from the Whale as far as possible, now!"

The people listened as they veered away from the Whale, and its remaining eye turned red just as it let out a deafening roar, causing many people to close their ears as I saw the green eerie things open up from its fur, and started shaking as I widened my eyes. "Everyone! GET AWAY NOW!"

The people began to tell their dragons to run, and miraculously, they obeyed as the riger and earth dragons carried everyone just outside of the safe zone as it unleashed its fog.

Okay, let's see what we should do here. We have everyone out of the fog, which is nice, because then we don't lose anyone in the fighting force. However... the Whale was now hidden from view, and we have no way of detecting it.

I ordered the light cannons to fire into the haze of mist, but it probably missed since the Whale can maneuver itself freely within the fog and continue to dodge attacks. Well, now that is a problem. The only solution left is... to go up! I suddenly thought of an idea as I immediately began to make platforms with pillars supporting them, in the shape of an ascending staircase towards the edge of the fog, where the last pillar reaches at at least a hundred and fifty meters tall. This drained the stamina out of me completely and I collapsed to the ground, the Crusch understood my plan, and she sent a wind blade at the fog, dispersing the first part of it.

Felix rushed over and healed my stamina back to full, and I noticed a little addition in my arsenal: Fluorine and Neon. Hmmm.... Neon isn't great right now, but Fluorine... on the other hand, is great. Its reactive nature makes it almost catch fire with anything. All I have to do is throw something into the fog...

I grabbed a nearby stick in a carriage as I rushed up the stairs, and coated the thing in hydrofluoric acid before I set it on fire. "Akra!" I yelled as I strengthened my body, and the white light engulfed me as I threw the flaming stick straight into the fog. The light did not vanish, and a White Whale came straight at me as it destroyed my pillars, and I barely escaped by liquifying and solidifying the pillars into a slide shape as I slid down the tall pillars, and got out of there as I saw more things emerge from the fog.

No way... this is NOT REAL, IS IT?

Copies of the White Whale, to be specific, 6 of them, floated out of the fog as I watched in horror. Despite the fact that we gained the upper hand by staying out of the fog... six clones is just a bit too much...

Reinhard, at this moment, finally leapt forward and used the Swordsplay of the Astrea Family, and managed to completely destroy a White Whale copy. However, he was worn out and the air was devoid of mana to get rid of a second one.

We might actually be able to do this. I smiled as I rallied the soldiers together, and talked with Subaru and Crusch to come up with a plan as I suddenly noticed Flugel's Tree.

To give something like the White Whale a surprise attack... you would either strike it with speed, from a higher height, or an extremely powerful attack. Now that they know they're clones, they'll focus on attacking the main whale but its so high up... what could trump the White Whale's altitude? The tallest tree in this world.

We don't need to blast it down to do a wager that defies odds. I have a Great Spirit and an Elder Spirit, an Authority, the anime protagonist, the Sword Demon, and the Sword Saint. We can do this.

Flugel's Tree was the answer. As for how to get up there, it's easy.

Lightning crackled as I heated the atoms and molecules, causing them form unintentional cracks and sizzling in the air. The nitrogen atoms in my palm heated until they went pass their gas stage, and entered the next stage: Plasma.

"Crusch, Subaru, I have a plan." I said as they looked at me in confusion. "Give me 20 minutes. This plan will bring down and the White Whale for sure."

Meanwhile... in Y/N's body...

The Authority of Deceit's origin, the Deceit Witch Factor, rumbled slightly as it gathered excitement. There was something tasty in sight. Specifically, the giant purple magic circle on top of the Great Mabeast.

The Witch Factor, now a tesseract, rotated as its cubes gained momentum and spun faster, before the sealed consciousness suddenly emerged... by just one bit.

"Hm? The seal is broken by a bit? Has it really been five hundred years already?" A voice, a woman's voice emerged as her consciousness formed, and looked out at the situation.

"Oh, it's just one of Daphne-chan's creations. What's to worry- oh! My successor! He's fighting it?"

"I see... well, Y/N-kun... you'll find that the Deceit Witch Factor holds many, many secrets..."

"And they're all for you to use! So don't disappoint me and Echidna-chan, alright?"

"Your stage has begun, so make the most out of it! I don't want my successor to be lame, okay?"

"Ah... you can't hear me..."

"Well, I will see you someday... but the time has not come."

With that, the Deceit Witch Factor sealed her presence once more, the Witch of Deceit disappeared for a brief moment as she watched her successor's actions from the Witch Factor, excited for the upcoming show.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 45/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 15/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-???

Il Goa-???

???-???

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

???-???

Chapter Text

The Whale copies continued to rampage upon our forces as I grabbed the pouch of bocco fruits from the back of the cart, and rushed onto Fulgenta as my plan commenced, and it sprung into action successfully.

Since there were five whale copies left, Reinhard and Wilhelm were each tasked with one. The Iron Fang held two off, with Subaru and Rem supporting them. Crusch and I held off another one, and it seems that we can probably take this one down as a joint effort after a while.

Cahya and Alchemis flew into the distance away from here to gather some mana, and they'll be back in a short while, considering that Reinhard used up all the mana here to kill a whale copy. The main thing here is to try to trick the Whale into thinking that we have fallen into its trap, but while it looks on the battle from above, I'm going to 'cross the sky' to defeat it.

Now, the question is how to cross the sky.

Thankfully, that part is up to me the moment they successfully diverted the White Whale's attention, which is when Subaru makes his move.

I continued to fire off El Jiwalds and Al Goas at the White Whale copy, and Crusch dealt the final blow to this one as the wind magic sliced it in half, making it disappear. By using wind magic, Crusch and a few other mages have cleaned the field clear of fog by this point, so that's good.

Crusch went to help the Iron Fang while I went to help Subaru and Rem, who were busily dodging attacks from a Whale copy. "Al Goa!" I yelled as the fireball swerved through the air, its trajectory curving as I directed towards the White Whale's copy.

It sensed it coming, and proceeded to dodge just like it dodged Rem's Al Huma before, but I've got a trick up my sleeve. "Il Goa!" I yelled as I remembered the first conversation with Alchemis when I arrived in this world: The ability of homing fireballs.

The spell curved in a beautiful parabola before it rammed itself into the side of the Whale, causing it to scream in pain before Rem's Ice Spear pierced its head, pinning it in place as I readied my second variant spell.

I carefully aimed for its eyes before I condensed the most powerful fire spell in my hands further and further, until it's at the thickness of a pencil. "Ol Goa!" Within that extreme moment, I unleashed the energy, and the formidable original spell shot through its eye before piercing its brain as well in the process, and the Whale Copy faded as I let out a deep breath.

Time to commence the plan.

Alchemis and Cahya came flying back as I put them on my shoulder, fully charged. Subaru was tied to Rem's morningstar as she threw him upwards, causing him to fly threw the air towards the true White Whale, who was hovering in the air high above us. An Al Huma was also sent its way, causing the whale to dodge before it noticed the strong fog of miasma coming from its horn.

"Hey... now that I see you up close, you really are ugly, aren't you?" Subaru said as he stood on the White Whale's horn triumphantly, sneering at the mabeast as it noticed his presence. "Try to keep up with me. Just so you know, I'm infamous for being so annoying that nobody can ignore me!"

Subaru jumped off the horn, and the White Whale merely looked at him before suddenly chasing him after he yelled. "Listen up! I'm doing a huge favour for you! Because of you, Rem died and I had to suffer a horrible trauma!"

Right after he said it, a horrid stench appeared as I saw the shadow figure envelop Subaru as it gripped his heart, before quickly vanishing like she was never there as the White Whale began to dive and chase him.

"Rem! Now!" Subaru yelled at the oni, and she nodded before shooting a giant ice spear at the White Whale, piercing its maw before using the morningstar chains to whisk Subaru off to safety.

And now, the stage was set as I plunged from the sky, and yelled my original spell as the White Whale noticed the immense mana concentration above its head.

The nitrogen atoms fused together and heated as they moved faster and faster, ionizing from gas into pure plasma, and the rumbling of thunder was heard as the lightning struck onto the giant mabeast that terrorized the world for 400 years.

You might be wondering... how did we get here?

3 minutes earlier...

Right after Subaru rushed off to complete his part of the plan, I rode Fulgenta towards Flugel's Tree, now having the attention completely diverted from us. As we approached the giant tree, Alchemis stared at me questionably.

"How are you going to get up there? Diamond ledges all the way up like a staircase?"

"Well, that's a beautiful idea, Alchemis, but I have a slightly different approach." I told him. And gathered mana as it flowed into my veins, muscles, nerves, and bones. "EL AKRA!"

A surge of power filled my body as I leapt up into the air, and began running at speeds that can match Felt's divine protection. I ran up Flugel's Tree vertically, almost ignoring air resistance as it bent around me, the mana forming as a thin layer of protection as I continued to rush up the tallest tree in this world. When I reached the top, I deactivated El Akra to save mana and stamina as I looked at the current situation.

Subaru was standing above the White Whale, since he just got up there. The moment he jumps is the moment I jump, but with force. "Wait!" Alchemis suddenly yelled as I was about to jump.

"What is it? If I mess up the timing, it's going to be your fault, you know?"

"Alchemis is right. This is more urgent than everything else." Cahya suddenly stepped up and took Alchemis' side, to my surprise. "It seems, that master has awakened."

"Master? You mean the former holder of my witch factor, Frakinedottir?"

"Yes. Frak-chan left a message before she was re-sealed. She said, 'The Deceit Factor is Hungry. Unleash your fifth power by saying 'Suitoru'.' I don't know the exact meanings, but it's best to follow her instructions. She has never been wrong."

"I see." I suddenly sensed Satella's presence as I realized the time, and I knew what to do immediately. "Well, that's my cue." I dashed off the branch with El Akra, and zoomed towards the White Whale from above while it had its attention on Subaru. Keeping my predecessor's words in mind, I took out the diamond sword I forged myself and coated it with the ionized nitrogen as the plasma coated the sword.

Yellow light shot from my sword as it attracted the attention of the White Whale, who just had its prey, Subaru, escape before its maw. It immediately turned my attention towards me, but it was too late as electricity sparked through the air, and the sound of thunder was heard as the bright light enveloped the mabeast. Thunder Magic:

"KILAT!!" I yelled as the lightning struck the beast, frying its nerves and veins near the spot I struck. And for the first time in this world, people witnessed a power matching the Blue Lightning, number 1 of the Nine Vollachian Generals. The yellow lightning continued to paralyze the whale before the force exploded in the air.

I laid on the White Whale's tattered skin, exhausted as I used most of my mana from the spell I created. However, the 400-year old mabeast was not showing any signs of decline despite that attack. Instead, it flung me off as I fell, and it was about to eat me.

"No! Y/N!" Crusch and Subaru both yelled as they noticed my situation, but it was too late to do anything.

Just when despair hit me, the words of the witch hit me as I summoned Alchemis and Cahya, who nodded as I muttered the seemingly magic word. "SUITORU!"

The White Whale suddenly spasmed as it I shocked it with a tazer, but I noticed the difference when the magic purple circle on its head disappeared, and I felt my body become lighter as I noticed the same mark, but smaller, appear on my own back as I began to float.

"Well, well, how the tables have turned." I smiled as I gathered the spheres of elements I unlocked, each one forming at the tip of a finger, before I forcefully smashed them together as if my palms were a particle accelerator, and they fused together into a substance that I cannot even comprehend.

"Critical Overload." I said as I aimed my palms at the White Whale's jaw as it roared in surprise, fear suddenly dawning in its eyes for the first time. "DECAGENSO RUPTURE!"

十 · 重 · 元 · 素 · 破 · 裂

Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, and Neon all surged forth from my palm, and the beam on concentrated matter shot into the White Whale's mouth as it screeched in surprise, and the spikes shot out as if a grenade exploded, piercing all of the White Whale's skin parts that emitted the cruel Fog of Elimination.

Stripped of its powers, critically wounded, the White Whale fell onto the Lifaus Plains, declaring it as one my own victory. At the same time, I fell as well, the magical spell I imprinted upon myself disappearing, and I dropped towards the ground before closing my eyes in peace.

I've done it.

I beat the White Whale.

I just hope that that's enough to stop the deaths of many.

I fell towards the ground, with no mana to support my own weight, I drifted into unconsciousness, saddened by the fact that I could not witness the battle's end.

3rd Person POV

Subaru saw Y/N fall from the sky, and immediately ordered Patrasche to go and save his friend. However, he won't reach it in time, and Rem is too exhausted to throw her morningstar.

Luckily, Crusch rushed forwards onto her ground dragon, and managed to catch him before he hit the ground. She laid him on the grass just as the White Whale fell from the sky, its flying powers absorbed by Deceit, and Wilhelm approached the foul beast that killed his wife.

"This is for my wife, Theresia van Astrea!" Wilhelm yelled before unleashing a flurry of slashes at the defenceless White Whale, who could only watch as its being decapitated. Just as he jumped up to the head of the White Whale, Reinhard stopped him as he prepared to deliver the final blow.

Reinhard took out one of the Ten Great Swords, Dragon Sword Reid as he wielded it. "Let's avenge grandmother together, grandfather."

Wilhelm gave Reinhard a look that only the two conversing can decipher, but allowed his grandson to take his place on the Whale as well as they both struck down with their swords, sending a shockwave through the Whale's body. The White Whale let out its final shriek, and its eye closed.

The Mabeast of Fog was defeated.

"Sleep, for all eternity."

??? POV

"EHHHH?" A horrid voice emerged from the undergrowth, surprised at their pet's death. "The whale is beaten? We thought it was strong enough to wipe them out, you know?"

"It doesn't matter. We will still follow the gospel." A voice, more dignified came from beside the boy. "It's time to move out. And also, please stop drooling. It's very undignified for you to do so."

"Ehh? Regulus-san, you gotta know that gluttony is never able to be fulfilled, right? To violate gluttony is to-"

"Fine, fine. Let's go, Baitenkaitos." The slim white man began to enter the Lifaus Plains, trying to keep his destruction to a minimum, while the hungry boy followed in excitement.

The Sin Archbishops of Greed and Gluttony, enter the stage.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 45/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 15/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

???-???

Chapter Text

Y/N POV

I woke up immediately due to the effects of Vacuum Trigger, and literally felt like puking. I'm still not used to the side effects of the life-saving technique that brings me back from unconsciousness when there is a large change in the mana surrounding me.

I saw Reinhard and Wilhelm standing above the fallen White Whale, now completely deceased, raising their swords in victory. From afar, I saw the two exchange words, and I hoped that it was them trying to reconnect after years of misunderstanding.

I haven't told Wilhelm that it was mainly because of the Witch of Vainglory, Pandora, that Theresia died 14 years ago. Then again, it's not the right time yet.

I sat up just a little, and the green-haired candidate walked up beside me as she smiled. "You woke up. I thought you were sleeping due to mana exhaustion."

"Yeah, it's not like I asked for it, but I have an ability that allows me to escape my unconsciousness whenever there's a large change in mana around me. Namely, Reinhard's attacks." I replied, and she helped me up as we stood together, facing the sunset.

"Fourier will be happy that you survived." I told her. "However, the real battle is the one after this."

"What do you mean?" She asked, "We defeated the White Whale, did we not?"

"Well, this is only the first part of the plan. I'm planning on fighting the Witch Cult next." Subaru came up to us and relayed our second part of the plan, where he goes to defeat the Sin Archbishop of Sloth.

"I see..." Crusch said as she pondered about Subaru's plan.

"Yeah, I didn't expect the whale hunt to tire out so many soldiers..." Subaru said as he scanned the area, and many were exhausted after defeating one of the Three Great Mabeasts.

"Well, please make use of this old man, then." Wilhelm came up to us and kneeled, and we were surprised. "Without you two's help, I would've never been able to avenge my wife..."

"Ah, it's not a big deal, you know?" Subaru said as I nodded as well, unable to take too much credit since all I did was basically disable the White Whale's flight functions and make it my own.

Come to think of it, that ability...

Cahya called it 'Suitoru', which means absorb in Japanese. Could that mean that while I was fighting... that mark...

I immediately opened up the panel, and an extra bar showed beneath the Periodic Table. "Innate Abilities?"

I checked, and surprisingly, Critical Overload, Vacuum Trigger, and Pure Truth were all present, including Suitoru. I tapped into the Suitoru bar, and a slot showed up.

Spell/:Maho@$&<•>[Fly]embed(?!¥£€'#~\|WW)

I tapped the mysterious code like word, and an ominous circle with three rings and an arrow appeared on my back, and I jumped back in surprise before quickly deactivating the spell. Thankfully, nobody saw it, and I took some time to think about myself.

So I absorbed the White Whale's spell that keeps him afloat in the air? No way... but there's no other explanation for this phenomenon.

"Well, we're not the only ones to help you." Crusch said suddenly as I looked over to the direction that she was looking at. Julius Juukulius and the other half of Iron Fang arrived, ready for

battle.

Timeskippu*

I was on the carriage now, along with Hetaro, who was stressed out from the fight. The child slept without a care about the outside world, and laid on my lap as I caressed him lightly.

I told the army to take a different and more roundabout route, since the Archbishops of Greed and Gluttony will appear along the road, and I definitely do not want that to happen. Getting your memory and name erased is already bad enough, but to face off against a guy who can stop objects' time? I'm out.

I sighed as I sat in the cart, thinking about the moment when I entrusted my handcrafted diamond sword to Subaru.

Flashback

"Yo, Subaru!" I said to him as he was about to leave. He turned to me in surprise, before shooting another dirty look at Julius, but the purple-haired knight did not notice his hostility.

"What do you want?"

"Well, you're going off to fight the White Whale, right? You have to at least have a decent weapon." I took out the diamond sword along with a sheath I purchased in the capital, and handed him it. "It's a diamond sword, and I hope you'll use it well."

"Really? Thanks Y/N, you're really a great help."

"Okay, and do you remember the plan?" I asked, hoping that I don't have to go over a previous conversation.

"Yeah... I just have to first defeat the Ten Fingers first, and they'll be easy to identify since I can see them using their Unseen Hands. After that, I'll form a contract with a small spirit before taking on Betelgeuse. If he tries to control me, I'll shout out the Return by Death, and he'll be defeated."

"Yes, and...?"

"I'll have to go with Julius." He sighed, and I gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Subaru, but Julius is the only one with spirits, and Betelgeuse's weakness is spirits. Also, you have Reinhard, Wilhelm, and the Iron Fang. Nothing should go wrong."

"Okay then... protect Rem for me then, will ya?"

"You got it!" I smiled as we exchanged a high-five, before heading off to separate ways.

Present Time

I was suddenly startled by an unknown presence, and although I was not sleeping, Vacuum Trigger was twitching as if it wanted me to be on alert.

I immediately woke Hetaro up and told him to get in position. He looked at me sleepily and did not really do anything so I immediately activated the White Whale's flying seal from Suitoru, and flew to Crusch and Rem's carriage.

"Crusch! Rem! Get out of here, now!" I yelled to them, but Crusch was more interested in my new flying power.

"Before that, Y/N, how are you flying?"

"There's not time to explain! You and Rem need to escape! The Archbishops-"

Before I finished my sentence, the first carriages burst apart as I watched tens of bodies fly into the air, and Crusch and Rem immediately readied their weapons after that.

"Stop the carriages." I told Crusch. 

"Why?"

"Just trust me. If we don't stop and attack the instigator, we're all dead." I said with Pure Truth, and she nodded before giving out the order. As we stopped, I walked up to the first carriage, where the people were facing an annoyed white-haired man, who was rambling on.

"...don't just not say anything when I'm talking to you, you know? It's common courtesy to reply when someone is speaking to you." The archbishop said as the men just stared in horror at the young man, who was rambling on about his rights.

Luckily, he stopped at some point before trying to go on, and I chose to use that moment to cut in. I really wish that I can peacefully respect Regulus, and then he'll tell Lye to back off while we happily go away. That is the ideal scenario, but I doubt we'll get anywhere near that.

"Hello? Sorry for all the trouble. My name's Y/N L/N. We're just people who want to travel back to the capital. Is it possible for you to let us past?" I asked, in the most polite tone that I could muster, which diverted Regulus' attention onto myself. 

"Ah! At last, a person who knows about manners! Wonderful! I thought everyone here was but a savage beast who knew nothing except for trampling on people's rights! Well, in return, I'll introduce myself to you as well, since you did introduce yourself. I'm a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing Greed, Regulus Corneas."

The Witch's Cult name was mentioned, and Rem's immediately spiked as I saw Crusch tense up as well. "The Witch's Cult, you say?" Rem asked, and spears of ice were conjured as they shot at Regulus, but also in another direction, where a young boy with extremely long hair jumped out, laughing.

"Ah... what mettle! To think that she can notice my presence." The other archbishop smiled as he approached, the situation getting more dangerous by the moment. And also, we have an angry Regulus since he has been attacked for not doing anything.

"Hey! What kind of decent human being would attack someone who is talking with someone else, who also happens to be your acquaintance! Also, I was speaking, and you interrupted me, so that is definitely a violation of my right to speak!"

Regulus prepared to use his Authority, and I immediately jumped in front of Crusch and Rem, trying to protect them from the deadly slash of wind that had its inertia removed. Surprisingly, the gust of wind slammed me back, but did not harm me in any way. 

"You! You dare defy my authority-" Regulus said as he walked towards me in anger, and I shielded a bewildered Crusch and Rem in a diamond dome with Alchemis to help them, before facing the Sin Archbishop of Greed.

"Hold up... you... you smell faintly of the witch as well..." Regulus noted, and Lye nodded as well as he smelled the air around me more. "You possess a witch factor as well?"

"An immense miasma follows you. Perhaps Betelgeuse was right? Could you be... Pride?" Lye said with interest.

"Nope, sorry, I'm not the Pride you people speak of. However, Regulus-san over there is correct." I said as Regulus shot me a confused look. "I do indeed possess a witch factor."

"Well then, let's reintroduce ourselves, shall we?" Regulus said as he spread his arms in an attempt to create dramatic flair. "I'm a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing Greed, Regulus Corneas."

"I'm a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing Gluttony, tasked with Gourmet, Lye Baitenkaitos!"

"Lugnica Knight Order, Warlock of Flame. The current holder of the Deceit Witch Factor, Y/N L/N." 

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 45/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 15/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

???-???

???-???

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

???-???

Chapter Text

The Archbishops of Greed and Gluttony, having now introduced themselves, smiled sinisterly at me as I unsheathed my diamond sword from my waist. Lye, who was not able to stand still, charged at me with insurmountable speed as I barely had time to activate El Akra and block both his daggers.

"Using Lunar Eclipse from the get-go..." I commented as he suddenly seemed taken aback at my remark. "You must really love Dorkell's technique, Leaper, huh?"

"You! How do you know about that!? The man's name and memories have both been eaten by me already! How could you know?" Lye yelled in dismay and shock.

"Well then, the only option is to erase you as well." Lye suddenly activated Leaper again, and disappeared from my view entirely. I struggled to find him, but only felt him touch me before reappearing in front of me as he brought up his hands lick them.

Wait... his hands... did they touch me?

No!

My names and memories... are going to be eaten!

"Well... thank you for the meal." Lye said as he gave one last sinister smile before licking both hands, but contrary to my and his beliefs, nothing happened.

For one moment, we stared at each other in shock, with Regulus also joining in on the surprised expression group. Lye frantically licked his hands again, but had no effect as he suddenly looked at me in surprise.

"Why... why didn't it work?!" Lye yelled crazily as he looked at me in horror. "You're not even using a false name! I would've felt pain if I did eat one! Could you be our mortal enemy... the Nameless?"

Nameless? What does he mean? Do I not have a name? But my name is Y/N...

"Well, if I can't eat you... you would have to DIE." Lye said as he rushed at me again, but I was prepared this time.

"Adamas Wave." I said as the carbon atoms exploded from my hand as diamond materialized and clicked into shape as the sheer reflective force of the creation was hit by Lye's extreme speed, sending him back with the same amount of damage that would hit him if someone was going at the same speed he was.

"Ha! No one can evade Newton's third law of motion! If you want to fight someone properly, go learn physics, maniac!" I yelled at him as he struggled to recover from that shock.

I then turned to Regulus. "Regulus Corneas. Seeing that you do not like to fight at all, would you mind if I went ahead and fight your comrade? I sincerely do not want to ignore your presence, but he is being awfully hostile right now."

"Very well. After all, it is only polite to ask someone to do something while not ignoring them for being there, correct? You also knew my interests, and acted accordingly. That is very respectable. So in return I also give out respect." Regulus noted, and I sighed as I can now exclude the Sin Archbishop of Greed outside of the fight and hopefully have him let us go later.

"However, it is a shame that I could not grant your wishes, due to the fact that I follow the Gospel so faithfully. It seems that I have to step in and intervene now, Deceit."

NO!

Damn the freaking gospel! This is not okay!

Lye got up again and I immediately faltered, not knowing what to do as the Archbishops advanced. Wait... I still have that one trump card left...

"Alchemis. Do you think you can do it?"

"Although the other fight has depleted many mana, I think I can still keep that spell up for around 15 minutes." He said as I nodded, and plan B began.

As Lye rushed towards me, I ran away and towards the area behind Regulus, away from the diamond dome that I put Crusch and Rem in. I left some holes for breathing, so they'll be okay for now, at least.

The second that Lye, Regulus, and myself were all in the area, I slammed both my palms down onto the floor, and looked at Alchemis to make sure he's ready, and chanted the spell that caused the Permafrost of Elior Forest.

"Domain of Frost- Absolute Zero"

絶 · 対 · 零 · 度

As the words were said, immense mana poured out of Alchemis. And then, within a 100-meter-radius circle, everything was frozen as a vacuum was created, and everything froze in place including Lye, who was moving at around 10 times the speed of sound, stopped as the temperature dropped to Zero degrees Kelvin, where for that moment, within the dome, even the universe's thermal expansion was frozen.

This spell, known as Emilia and Puck's trump card, was easily imitated by a boy who had no knowledge on magic until a few months ago.

Of course, the whole purpose was not the beat the Archbishop of Greed, but rather, to put both onto an even playing field.

The Archbishop of Greed waved his arm, and a blade of wind manifested as it went towards Y/N. However, when it touched him, it only had the force of a breeze of regular wind.

"Huh?" Regulus yelped in surprise, shocked that the boy had been able to counter his attacks twice, using two different techniques, as well.

*** Intermission ***

Absolute Zero

The spell is supposed to freeze the temperature in an area to absolute zero, namely, zero degrees kelvin. At this point, all molecules stop moving and any signs of motion is ceased. Everything is frozen and nothing can move. Even Regulus' ability, is nullified. Since he imbues the objects with his ability, which stops the objects time, is no use in an environment in which time is stopped. The objects would only behave normally in an abnormal environment. Rocks, pebbles, water, and wind are useless in the presence of this domain. Although Regulus can survive being inside it, he could not escape, move freely, nor attack in the way he used to.

*** Intermission End***

"What... what did you do?" Regulus asked me, shocked that his attacks do not work anymore. He even kicked up dirt and used his authority, but it only flew forwards a few meters before it was stopped.

"Your ability is the Stillness of an Object's Time, correct? That only does devastating damage when the environment is normal. However, it is simply useless in the face of an environment that has the same properties." I explained as he looked at me, clearly perplexed. "For example, usually, when you stomp on the ground, it would be destroyed, correct? Feel free to try it now."

Regulus listened, and tried his usual destructive stomp. Contrary to his beliefs, the ground stated the same as it ever was, and looked to me in disbelief.

"No! This... this is a violation of my rights! You cannot defy my authority like this! To do that is to violate my right to have an authority, and therefore my usage of the authority, which belongs to me!"

"Regulus, you told me that you had to heed the word of the gospel and decided to attack me. When one attacks another, it is only fair to also respond with another attack, to return the favour. I'm only doing what you did in return. And also, since you did not do harm to me, I did not do harm to you either."

Regulus might be insanely egocentric, but he is one who values logic and rights. Although he does not notice it, many times he is quite hypocritical. The only reason that he did not realize it is since he always destroyed whoever was conversing with him, since no one can successfully defend against his authority until now.

Nobody can beat me in a battle of logic. Logic is the base of science, and there is nothing that will escape from my senses when anyone tries to twist the truth to make it seem correct. Because... I am the holder of the Deceit Witch Factor, and because of that, in a conversation, it will always be me manipulating the scenes.

Regulus, now seriously confused that my logic defies his and actually made sense, he entered a deep state of thought, giving me the chance to start preparing the next part of my plan. I told Alchemis to raise the temperature a little bit, and the domain heated up just by a little, at the point where atoms can move. Of course, Regulus can't notice it since he doesn't feel anything, so I formed a nice ball of water before throwing it in the air at him, forming a nice arc that touched his barrier. In the last crucial moment, I told Alchemis to completely get rid of my domain, and Regulus' time barrier was also erased for a moment, and the water splashed on him.

He noticed it, but it was already too late. "Kilat." I muttered, and the thunder magic did its job as it navigated itself through the line of water I formed, and shocked the temporarily undefended archbishop.

It worked. The lightning shocked Regulus, who began to pulsate and move in an erratic motion, even after he reactivitated his authority. Although his atoms are stopped, they still exist, and the force of electricity jumping from one electron to another continued to happen in his body, probably for a few minutes before the effects finish.

Great. Now I can deal with Lye... hmm?

Wait! I forgot about the Archbishop of Gluttony while fighting Regulus? Where is he now?

I ran towards the carriages, and saw Rem fighting Lye, with Crusch lying unconsciously behind them, fortunately not harmed. However, I was too late as when I arrived, Lye just devoured her name and memories.

No! No! This was not how it was supposed to go! And how did Lye escape my domain, anyways?

Could it be... that when I just raised the temperature a little, the Leaper technique that he was still using was activated?!

I was foolish. I should've kept an eye on the other problematic archbishop. Now, how am I supposed to deal with him-

Just as I noticed one of Lye's daggers were broken, a wooden wheel slammed into me as it continued to push me through the air and into a carriage, where a long spike of iron pinned my leg into the ground, and I coughed blood as I looked up, and saw Regulus towering over my fallen body.

"Just like you said, when one is attacked, the other attacks back. You immobilized me back there, so it is only common courtesy to return the same action to yourself. I respect people like you who do their best to not violate rights, so we'll leave now." Regulus said as he beckoned to Lye, and the two archbishops left the scene as swiftly as they came, and I could only watch as they strode away, unable to retaliate.

Damn it... I messed up...

Rem and Crusch, their memories and names...

Hetaro...

The carcass of the White Whale...

I should've been more careful... that cost everyone everything...

Why?

Am I still not strong enough? It's my fault, isn't it? It's all... my fault...

With that, Y/N drifted into unconsciousness, with nothing to keep him awake, and the exhaustion took over as his failure sunk into his head.

You truly are... slothful.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 45/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 15/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

???-???

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

???-???

Chapter Text

You truly are... slothful.

The voice echoed through my head as I woke up in the darkness, in a realm that I immediately knew was not the real world.

If so, where was I?

The voice did not sound itself again, and so I wandered around the place. With only a faint source of light in this plane of existence, I followed it until I came to a room with a faint purple light.

The source of the light was held in the sky, just a few meters taller than myself. Up close, I saw some tendrils of shadows bound together, pulsating as it gave off the faint purple light.

Is that... what I think it is?

I jumped up to try and get it, but I was way too short. I tried activating Akra, but magic did not activate as I sat down and sighed. I'm a tad lazy to get that thing anyways.

The moment the word 'lazy' came from my mind, the ball of shadows floated down towards me, and the familiar tesseract came out of my stomach as I held it in my hand. The Deceit Witch Factor pulsated with excitement, and I held it up to the ball of tendrils as it suddenly shot its inner cube out at it, before absorbing it into the tesseract.

Huh? Did you just eat it? Give it back, you moron! I tugged at the Witch Factor, but it didn't respond. However, a few minutes later, it spewed out an identical Witch Factor as it absorbed, and I saw the original Sloth Witch Factor fly away while the copy stayed inside my Deceit Witch Factor. The original flew away with haste, and went to attach itself to its original host, Subaru.

I looked at the pulsating copy of the Sloth Witch Factor, which began to glow brighter and brighter as the black completely faded, replaced by a purple colour with a bright light glowing through the tendrils of shadow.

The Sloth Witch Factor, as if excited and happy that its owner recognized its existence, happily merged with the Deceit Witch Factor as it floated into the safety of the tesseract, before both of them slamming into my stomach.

Grk-! I coughed as the sheer force wanted me to vomit, but I felt more calm as I heard a voice in my mind. 

Synthesizing body with Sloth Witch Factor, process beginning now...

With the pain easing in with the sloth, I exited the shadowy realm.

I woke up in the middle of the night, with faint lights around me as I noticed the giant spike that used to protrude through my leg is now gone. The wound also healed, probably by a healer or something. However, before I can fully sit up to find my friends and Crusch, a hand grabbed me as I stared into the paranoid face of Subaru.

"Y/N! You're awake. Thank god..." Subaru said as he went into a smile, but it faded as the seriousness returned. "TELL ME. What happened to Rem?"

"I-" I struggled to say something, and the guilt stabbed me mentally again as I felt an uneasiness in my gut. The pain was so hard. The pain of failure...

"Tell me! What happened to Rem?"

"She... the... Archbishop of Gluttony erased her existence..." I muttered sadly. 

"Why? How could you do this to me? You promised to protect her!"

"I'm sorry, Subaru. I'm genuinely sorry. I even told the merchants to take a long way around, but the archbishops still came. It was my fault. I was so focused on the Archbishop of Greed that I didn't even notice him slip past me... I'm weak, I should've taken Reinhard, I-"

Tears flowed from my eyes as I cannot hold them back any longer. Guilt, as sharp as a knife, stabbed me over and over again as the pain did not stop. It will not stop. 

"I understand." Subaru said as he stood up, tears in his eyes as well. "It's not your fault, Y/N. You've helped me countless times. Whatever we do, we do it together. This was definitely out of your field of jurisdiction for you to control. I shouldn't blame you. So, let's get stronger together, okay?"

The figure who I thought was weak extended his hand to me. One who I thought I would be the one protecting. I suppose that's what friends are for, huh?

I took Subaru's hand as he pulled me up, and together, we limped towards the Karsten mansion, where people were waiting for our presence.

Timeskippu*

Subaru and I walked through the hallways of the Karsten Mansion, which was bright despite being nighttime. It was probably because of the many who got their existences and memories erased by Gluttony. Before we reached the room, however, Crusch appeared and we looked at each other before her eyes suddenly lit up at my appearance.

"You two are... Natsuki Subaru-san and Y/N-san, correct?" Her voice was timid and fragile, with the old Crusch completely gone. When Crusch was young, she had a feminine appearance and manner. However, as she grew older, her personality began to change, and she hardened herself more. That's what Fourier told me when he was in my dream world, anyways.

"I see. I'm sorry if I don't remember you two, but I'm trying my best to remember everyone that I... uh... forgot."

"Please don't be so hard on yourself." I said as I patted her shoulder. "Having your memories eaten is a hard thing, and it was partially my fault too, for not being able to protect you..."

"Don't be too hard on yourself as well." She looked at me with sympathetic eyes as I nodded back, and the meeting began.

Timeskippu*

"So, by the time the Iron Fang members brought back reinforcements from the capital, the only ones left were the casualties and..." Felix began.

"Those in situations similar to mine." Crusch supplied, and Subaru nodded.

"Crusch-san's memories were eaten, and Rem's name and memories were both eaten." Subaru said as he looked down, saddened by the fact.

"A lot of cases similar to this happened back in the capital as well, which people dubbed as the 'Sleeping Beauty Disease. But now..."

Wilhelm spoke up. "...it should be considered as the work of the Witch's Cult."

"We just took care of Sloth, and there's another Sin Archbishop now?" Felix said, exasperated. "This is really sucks."

"Well," I cut in, trying to supply information. "The Witch's Cult have six sin archbishops for each one of the seven deadly sins, excluding envy. Considering that Sloth is defeated and Pride is vacant, we still have four more to go. However, we technically still have six. Gluttony refers to themselves as 'we', since they are siblings that share the title of Sin Archbishop. Fortunately, one cannot materialize themselves in a physical form, which lowers that number down to five."

"Really?" Subaru said, gasping at my words. 

"Well, the moment Emilia-sama got involved in the Royal Selection, we knew that the Witch's Cult will be involved."

"Maybe it really is my fault..." Emilia said, worried. Subaru immediately jumped up and tried retaliate, but Felix sneered and shot him down. Crusch got a little mad and told Felix to apologize, which he did, but he was not done yet.

"So, you know, the alliance between our camps? Let's scrap that idea." Felix said as he slammed his hands on the table, and everyone looked shocked, including Wilhelm. 

"How did this conversation lead to dissolving our alliance?" Subaru asked, shocked that Felix could suggest such a thing at a time like this.

"You expect us to ally ourselves with Emilia-sama, the Witch's Cult's target? How can you be sure that Crusch-sama won't be hurt again?"

"I am opposed to that opinion." Wilhelm said as Subaru was struggling to give a response, and Felix looked baffled at his comrade's decision.

"Why, Old Man Wil?" Felix shouted in disbelief. "Do you want to see Crusch-sama hurt again?"

"No. But reagrding this 'Gluttony', who attacked Crusch-sama, we may be given an opportunity for revenge."

"Also," I added, hoping to calm Felix down a bit to make him think more rationally. "when a Gluttony dies, all the names and memories eaten by the user will return, so if we can defeat Gluttony, Crusch's personality could return."

"Felix." Crusch said, and Felix immediately turned towards her. "I can listen to you and walk the path that is the safest. But I loathe the thought of going with my life, knowing nothing. If I had a choice, I would rather choose my own path than do as someone says."

For that single moment, for both Felix and myself, the old Crusch emerged for just that tiny moment, and Felix broke down into tears as we resolved the issue. "If this is Crusch-sama's will, I'm sure no one would be in favour of dissolving the alliance.

And thus, that problem was over.

Timeskippu*

Dawn came, and it was time to carry on to enter Arc 4.

The Sanctuary Arc hasn't officially began yet, but it's a long road ahead. As I stumbled out into the sunlight, ready to leave the Karsten mansion, a flurry of white and blue scales barraged into me as I felt a long tongue lick my face.

"Ah, Fulgenta... really sorry about that. I shouldn't have abandoned you for you to go and fight with Subaru and the others..." The white and blue dragon nuzzled me again before motioning me to get on her back. I complied and rode on her back before I suddenly noticed Crusch coming out of the mansion.

I decided to delay my little ride with Fulgenta for a while, and greeted Crusch as she motioned for me to follow her to a remote place.

"Is there something wrong, Crusch?" I asked, and she turned around with eyes of recognition, ones that I've seen before her memories were erased.

"Why is it you? Who were you to me?" She asked me, and I was taken aback by the comment. 

"Who I was to you? I think we were just comrades, or possibly friends? I honestly don't know since you were quite a cold woman on the outside, so I didn't know." I replied sincerely.

"If that's the case... why are you the only one who I still have memories of? It might be vague, but they're there... so I figured you must've been somebody important to me." Crusch said, and I widened my eyes. 

"What exactly do you remember?" I asked, curious to know the details of a game-changing discovery.

"Well, there was that one time I talked to you about your intentions behind the alliance, but that memory came in fragments." Crusch said, and I immediately willed the Panel of Deceit to appear as I noticed a new frame: Scindo.

I tapped into the screen, and saw an unusual percentage: Deceit Witch Factor percentages:

Y/N L/N: 99.997%

Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Huh?

HUUUUUUUUH?

I could split my witch factor? Does that mean it's similar to Betelgeuse's ability to create fingers? But I'm not a Spirit, and I don't want to do that...

This is new information. I know that for a fact I'm immune to Gluttony's authority, but does transferring parts of my own power potentially save others?

"No, that's not how it works, Y/N." Alchemis said in my mind, and Cahya appeared as well.

"The moment you split your witch factor, you can't gain the piece you split back until a year later. And splitting diminishes your total power, so I advise you to not split it again." Cahya clarified. "However, it is okay to keep the piece in Crusch, and when you restore her memory, the piece will return to you immediately, since it's purpose would be fulfilled."

Wait... so when did I give it to her, exactly?

"It is when you saw Lye Baitenkaitos eat Rem's name and memories, you instinctively tried to save her and Crusch. However, since Regulus slammed a wheel into you, the shot that you didn't even know you were performing curved, and only hit Crusch." Alchemis explained, and I silently nodded.

I see. I turned back to Crusch, and gave her a smile. "Well, we might've not been insanely good friends, but we can start over to be better, right?" 

Crusch hesitated, but she took my hand and shook it. "Thank you, Y/N, for being by my side."

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997% , Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-????????????? ??????????

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 660/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

???-???

Chapter Text

No one's POV:

Of the many equipment in this world, metias are held in high regards by everyone. Unbeknownst to most, they were tools created by the Witch of Greed, Echidna. From the conversation mirror to the legendary meteor staff, each possess a great power.

Perhaps the only objects in this world that could rival their power in terms of extraordinary abilities are the Ten Swords of Power.

The Dragon Sword Reid, created by the first sword saint and possibly created alongside Volcanica, the Divine Dragon. Its current wielder, Reinhard van Astrea, remains the strongest individual that currently exists. The Sword was passed down by the Astrea family from one generation of Sword Saints to the next, and has stayed there ever since.

Cecilus Segmunt, the 1st Ranking of the Nine Divine Generals of the Sacred Vollachian Empire, holds another two of the ten. The Fiend Sword Murasame, and the Dream Sword Masayume. Although the swords are not his complete source of power, it's part of what makes the young man a powerful entity enough to match Reinhard.

The Yang Sword Vollachia lies hidden in the hands of an individual, waiting for their user to present them to the world. It chose their master, and even now, the princess is pondering about it.

The Life Sword Zeam, was collected by an eccentric noble by the name of Count Reedback. It currently lies in the storage of the noble, waiting to be discovered.

The Cursed Sword, emitting ominous auras, was sealed under the Witch of Envy's tomb, after an unknown individual moved it from its original place.

The Love Sword, hidden away in one of the corners of Kararagi, where only those true about love can approach it and make it their own to successfully draw its power.

The Blight Sword, whose powers killed various people, is sealed in the place where ironically, with the most diseases. The last Great Mabeast, The Black Snake, took it as one of its own as it placed it in its contamination zone, standing in the core of the dreaded area.

Now, lying underneath the Witch's Graveyard, an entity sat dormant in the hidden room that only the Witch of Greed is aware of. Beside it resides their own properties: The Shadow Sword, a special weapon that they have made it their own; and the Spirit Sword, the weapon of one of its former contractors. Both were stuck into the ground, unable to be pulled until it was the right moment.

And that moment was approaching.

The two swords let out a faint light as it roused the spirit from its sleep, and yawned as it smiled.

Her new master is coming. And she would be sure to see her friend as well.

For the first time in centuries, the Great Spirit of Yin, Bayanga, opened her eyes.

Y/N's POV

As we returned to the Arlam Village, the villagers got off and immediately searched the houses. To their surprise, no one was in any of them and they informed Petra and the other kids, who were extremely worried.

"So Ram and the other villagers hasn't returned from the Sanctuary yet?" Subaru asked, and I nodded in response.

"Well, I suppose Roswaal would know why they're still there." I told him, and he turned to Emilia to confirm something.

"Emilia-tan, do you know where the Sanctuary is?" Subaru asked her, and she shook her head in confusion.

"Eh? Subaru, I thought you knew where it was." Emilia asked, and Subaru looked equally shocked. 

"Um, if it helps, I know where it is on the map, but I don't know how to get there." I responded, and Subaru sighed. "Well, I guess let's go back to the mansion first."

We then took a little journey back to Roswaal's mansion with Subaru and Emilia aboard Otto's carriage, while I rode on Fulgenta's back. Midway into the journey, I spotted Otto getting shut out of Emilia and Subaru's conversation as he suppressed a sigh.

"It's not easy being a third wheel, eh, Otto?" I teased him a little seeing how the nervous merchant would react.

"Ah? No, no.... why are you so mean as well, Y/N-san..."

I silently laughed as Fulgenta chuckled a little as well. Within minutes, we arrived at the mansion, where it seemed abandoned for months. We knocked on the door, and an unfamiliar voice came through the door.

"Please wait a second, I'm opening the doors right now." The doors parted and revealed a blonde demi-human, who smiled and revealed her sparkly teeth.

"Ah, hello, Frederica-" Emilia began, but Subaru suddenly interrupted her.

"Those TEETH are scary!"

Timeskippu*

Emilia smacked Subaru on the head after that, and he pouted silently as Frederica entered. She poured us some tea, and bowed as she introduced herself. 

"My name is Frederica Baumann. I was employed here in the past." 

"Now that you mention it, I do remember that there was a maid employed here in the past..." Subaru said as he scratched his head, but can't seem to remember the exact details.

"I merely took my leave due to personal reasons. When I returned here at Ram's request, I found the mansion empty." Frederica stated. "Fortunately, I saw a letter in the master's room that was filled with a summary of what happened. Also, the kitchen and garden were in a desolate state when I returned."

"That's a pretty serious reason!" Subaru said, imagining how pissed Ram would be if she saw.

The latter went on to talk about Rem, and Subaru still had a tiny heartache on his mind as his teeth clenched a bit too hard as he explained who Rem was. Frederica confirmed that she also thinks that Rem is probably Ram's younger sister. However, Emilia was still confused at where everyone went.

"I believe that the only ones who the master trusts enough to entrust this knowledge are Ram and the great spirit of the forbidden library." Frederica said, and Subaru's eyes widened as he knew what to do.

Timeskippu*

I saw Subaru fly out of a door as he slammed into Otto, who was coming out of the former 'bathroom door'. I approached Subaru as he had a worried look on his face, and I sat down beside him as he looked at me with lost eyes after Otto got up from under him.

"Y/N... Beatrice was not in a great mood today, huh? She seemed like she was going to cry again..."

"Well, why do you think she was going to cry?" I asked, trying to get him thinking more than he did in the original timeline.

"She did get sad after muttering a name. I think it was Juice or something."

"It's Geuse. And who shares that name that also recently died?"

"Huh? Died? What do you mean-" Subaru suddenly stopped talking as he managed to slowly fit the pieces together, and came to a conclusion. "You don't mean... Betelgeuse, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth?"

"Ya, I do mean him. He was a spirit, after all. He could've lived for a long time, despite being on of the odder ones. And he also used to be a very good person until he went insane." I said.

"Is this your future ability acting up again?" I nodded, and he sighed. "Well, tell me about it, how did he go insane exactly? Because whenever I think of that dude, I can't but help to feel he was always like that."

"It has to do with the second part Beatrice talked about. The Witch Factors."

"Oh yeah. What exactly are witch factors? Beatrice even asked me why did I kill Sloth if I didn't know what a Witch Factor was." 

"Well, in short, it's what allows people to use an authority. You know how Betelgeuse can use the Unseen Hands? Those things' power stem from the witch factor. All the archbishops have one. Betelgeuse had a personality shift and went insane because his body wasn't compatible with it. If you aren't compatible, you go insane. Thankfully, Betelgeuse still had part of sanity attached, or else you would have something like a weaker version of the Witch of Envy from 400 years ago."

"Well... that is a lot to take in." Subaru said as I waited for him to process, and he suddenly remembered another important part of the talk. "Oh yeah, what happens to the Witch Factor of the host when they die? Do they disappear?"

"Of course not. If that happened, Betelgeuse wouldn't even have the Witch Factor in the first place. I don't know how those things are created, but I do know that the Sanctuary holds the answer." I responded, and he got up as I did as well. 

"Well, let's go ask Frederica how to get there." Subaru said as we walked back towards the room.

Timeskippu*

I kept thinking of that conversation, even now. I rode on Fulgenta's back as we ventured into the Lost Forest of Clemaldy, where the supposed Sanctuary was. Otto was on the cart guiding Patrasche with his Divine Protection. Subaru and Emilia were in the carriage discussing things. Everything was peaceful.

At least it was supposed to be for a little longer.

Subaru suddenly screamed inside the cart, and I pulled on Fulgenta's reins to bring me closer to the carriage just as I saw the bright light of the pyroxene crystal engulf both Subaru and myself, and we were standing in the middle of a clearing.

"Um, Y/N, where are we?" Subaru said as I regarded our surroundings, and I saw an elf girl with pink hair standing behind us, with no particular expression. It was one of the clones of Ryuzu Meyer.

The clone started to run away from us, and Subaru got a little impatient. "Hey, wait up!" He yelled as he ran after the clone, and I followed suit. After a while, the clone disappeared from our sight as I saw the structure of the Graveyard, looming before us.

"Y/N, are we in the Sanctuary yet?" Subaru asked he regarded at the temple, and took some steps towards it. 

"Well, I would probably say that we're somewhere on the outskirts, but I'm not sure..."

Subaru continued to go into the Graveyard, and I lit a tiny ball of fire just to help us see in the darkness as we advanced further into the Graveyard. However, before we can reach the end, a voice rang out as it made me and Subaru both freeze in our tracks.

"So that is the root of your desire?"

Subaru slumped forward as I stepped back in surprise, and tried to locate the voice of the Witch of Greed. However, no signs of her eagerness to meet two people at the same time showed. Well, that both sucks and does not suck at the same time. I suppose I could explore this place while Subaru's having his conversation with Echidna.

The rest of the way inside was dark, and I sensed more and more vines inside the Graveyard, but I continued on as I supplied myself with air. Just as I was about to give up and go back, a piece clicked under my foot as I recognized the cliche moment.

The floor opened up beneath me.

WHYYYYYY? 

I screamed as I fell into the hole, immediately activating Suitoru as I gained the flight powers of the White Whale. Through the faintness of my light emitting from the magic circle, I flew downwards as I saw a pedestal with two swords embedded into it, as if their owner chose this area as their final resting place.

I don't remember Echidna's tomb having a secret room... so what is in here?

However, as I lighted Goa and began to move forwards, shadows bound me as I turned around, surprised as I tried to retaliate against whoever that tried to tie me up, an unusually cute face gave me a devilish smile as the small entity floated in the air.

"If you could go into this place, you must be master's successor, right?" The floating entity that resembled a succubus asked as I looked at it in confusion.

"Master's... successor?"

"EH? Has Cahya not told you about me? That selfish, egoistic, so-called best friend of mine. Was I not even worth a mention to my new master?" The succubus pouted as I suddenly remembered from something Cahya said when I first met her. A friend that she mentioned to be on the same level as her.

"Ah! So you're that Great Spirit that Cahya talked about before! I was always looking forward to meeting you!" I said, trying to lighten her mood a bit.

"So she did mention me!" The little succubus quickly repositioned herself as she bowed down to me.

"Welcome, Frakine-chan's successor. My name is Bayanga, the current Great Spirit of Yin." She said as she lifted her head and pointed towards the two swords embedded in stone. "Complete the trial I prepared for thee, and I shall pledge my loyalty to you as well."

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997% , Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-????????????? ??????????

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 660/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

???-???

Chapter Text

"Trial?" I asked the tiny spirit, who pointed her finger at the two swords in the pedestal. "You mean those swords? What do you want me to do with them?"

"Well, obviously pull them out, dummy! I thought my future master was going to be smarter than this...what a disappointment..."

I swear, if the entity in question was not Bayanga, aka another one of my future spirits, I will literally trap them in a diamond cage that is so thick that they cannot get out in the next 100 years. Fuming at the annoying attitude of the Great Spirit of Yin, I approached the pedestal as I suddenly noticed something strange about the two swords.

The sword on the left seemed very... dim is how I would put it. As if it'll melt into the shadows behind it if it wished to, or maybe that's just an illusion. However, the sword on right, was filled to the brim with some sort of energy.

Really? Is this the best you could come up with, oh-so-great Great Spirit of Yin? A cliche scenario copied literally from King Arthur stories? I cannot imagine the amount of 'bruhs' that would be spammed if I posted this somewhere back on Earth.

I proceeded to grab the handles, and tried to feel the depth that of the swords (basically how much they were embedded into the pedestal). To my surprise, no signs showed of their depth, so I just activated Akra and began pulling. To my surprise (yes, once again), they did not budge.

Huh? Why would Akra not work? Usually using Akra to increase my own strength is already strong enough to obliterate a stone pillar, so how come?

I pulled harder, and Bayanga suddenly started laughing.

"AHAHAHA! You really are stupid! Did you really think the trial will be you pulling a sword out of a pedastal? Ahaha-urk!"

Before I can get to the spirit myself to deal a seriously devastating blow (yes, devastating), Cahya appeared herself to sucker punch the annoying spirit into the ground as she fell straight into the floor, accelerating faster due to Cahya's strength increased by Akra.

"Stop teasing Y/N-sama like that, Bayanga! It's quite disrespectful for you to due that, you know?"

Score! Cahya! Punch her again! My thoughts cheered as I watched the Yin Spirit emerge from the crack she was punched into, and threw a tiny purple crystal at Cahya, who dodged as the crystal hit the wall as she faced her friend.

"Just because I teased him a little doesn't mean you have to attack me with a magically-enhanced fist! That's just rude!" Bayanga said as she faced Cahya with Minya spears ready to be launched.

"Oh if it is a fight you want, you'll get one!" Cahya said as she gathered strings of light as she readied to fire a Jiwald.

There was this slight moment of awkwardness before the chaos began, but soon, a bunch of Jiwalds, Minyas, Shamacs, and various Yin and Yang magic spells that I could not identify, lighting up the room.

"Hey, let's focus on that test now, shall we?" Alchemis suddenly popped out as well, and I nodded to him as he sighed at Cahya and Bayanga's childish behaviour. "Even after 400 years... they're still like that..."

"Hmm... wait... these swords, could they be?" I suddenly noticed a pattern on the 'dark' sword, somewhat resembling the Yang Sword Vollachia. However, I brushed away my doubts as I suddenly began to pull on them again.

"El Akra!" I strengthened my body, and the swords budged for just a tiny moment.

"Yes!" I smiled as I pulled harder on the swords, who suddenly started to fall back as if they weighted heavier than they originally were.

I tried fighting back at the force, but the swords continued to drag me down as I reached the halfway point, where I just can't pull them out anymore. I wanted to form diamonds at the bottom of the sword-shaped cracks, but couldn't since it was still a very dark chamber.

What can I do to pull them out?

Tools? Weapons? Magic? Authority-

Authority.

The word struck my mind as if I opened a path to my solution, and I called upon the power that dwelled within me, waiting to be unleashed.

Help me! Authority of Sloth!

The ball of tendrils appeared in my mind, pulsating from dark to light as it beated faster and faster, before its power was unleashed as the two invisible hands of darkness emerged from it, grabbing onto the sword handle as it replicated strength similar to my own.

The arms duplicated the amount of force exerted on the sword, and the swords ejected from the pedestal. After soaring to the air and slamming down behind me, I smiled as I realized my victory.

I then looked downwards, and noticed the two hands protruding from behind my arms, acting as a second pair in addition to my own. Before I could take a better look at them, though, they disappeared as I coughed and spitted out some kind of liquid.

Guess that's for using the authority for the first time, huh?

"EH!? You pulled it out? You can't! You're not supposed to!" Bayanga shouted in distress, and I suddenly felt as if I actually did something wrong. I quickly reinforced the room with diamond, as if it will collapse, but it showed no signs of falling.

"What do you mean, he's not supposed to?" Cahya questioned her, and Bayanga almost immediately started to sweatdrop.

"Eh... haha... so anyways, when master was pulling on the swords, I was using Vita to keep the swords down... so he wasn't supposed to pull it out?"

You-

LITTLE BASTARD!

"Eh? Y/N-sama... you look unusually mad..." Bayanga said as Cahya made a tactical retreat, leaving her friend in front of my wrath.

"WHO WOULD NOT BE MAD AFTER YOU DECIDE TO RIG A TRIAL!!!"

Timeskippu featuring Y/N trying to catch Bayanga with a diamond skewer*

"Uwuuuuuu..." Bayanga sniffled as she sat on my left shoulder while Cahya sat on the right, quietly holding in her laughs at Bayanga's attitude. I swear, they're not better than each other in terms of maturity.

"Well, at least this means I can use Yin Magic now. So I guess you did bring me some help." I patted Bayanga on the head softly, and she suddenly pulled herself back from a state of depression.

"Yay! Does this mean you'll treat me better now-"

"Shamac."

A fume of black smoke erupted from my finger, spraying Bayanga in the face as she coughed. "Hey! Are you still mad? I thought you said you weren't-"

"I did say I wasn't. I just wanted to play with you for a little bit." I smiled devilishly, and Bayanga gave me a terrified look as I wiped the scary face off before replacing it with a genuine smile. "Well, I guess, uh, welcome to the team?"

"It's a pleasure to be here as well." Bayanga said happily, and I smiled back before activating Suitoru, flying up the hole with the White Whale's seal. After I landed on the same level as Subaru, I realized he was still asleep.

How does his time with Echidna last so long? I thought it was just around a dozen minutes, was it not?

"Ah. Getting impatient now, are we?" A voice that was all too familiar said in my head as I fell head first onto the floor, only to wake up in a weird place that I recognized as my bedroom from Earth.

Huh?

EHHHHHH?

I looked around immediately for a calendar of sorts, and found my clock as I saw the time and date.

March 15... of 2016? That's five years before I was teleported!

I looked into the mirror and found myself staring at my 12 year old face in shock. I suddenly realized the time as I quickly grabbed my bag, and ran towards my school.

Being a middle school first-year, I rode my bike to school as I entered the premises five minutes before the bell rang. I sat down in the class as my best friend, Mizuryu Shinsei, came up to me as he gave me our usual high-five before he sat next to me in our seat.

Then, came the person I disliked the most in the entire school approached me as I got a slap on the head with a book, which caused me to slam my head involuntarily into the table as I heard a shrill voice ring out from behind me.

"Ha! Loser, you aren't late today? What a surprise!" Our local bully, who's surprisingly a girl, despite common anime cliches. However, do not let her appearance deceive you. Although regarded as a beauty in our school, she is a very evil person in general who'll try to make anyone she thinks is below her's life miserable. A prime example is me.

"Hey! Do not bully my friend like that!" Mizuryu stood up immediately as he used his burly body to block the attacks, which seemed quite honourable in some sense. I was a coward back then, so I just watched in horror as he took the blows for me until they got bored. However, it is different now. I'm not even afraid of death, so why should I be scared of a bully with absolutely no powers?

"Step back, Mizuryu." I told him as I approached the bully, who's name was Suzune Haruka, and glared at her defiantly. "And you. Do not speak to me that way as if you can trample above me. I have my right to have silence and it is not okay to violate it."

"Huh?" Suzune was shocked as she was taken aback by my remark before quickly recovering. "Since when did you think you can order me around, twerp?" She then proceeded to grab my collar and tried to lift me up, but my feet stayed firm on the ground.

"Since now." I said as I slapped her right across the face, sending her flying into the ground. "Think about twice before you decide to bully anyone in this world. Because sooner or later, that karma will return to you, bitch."

She rubbed her face in shock before quickly scrambling out of our classroom in a hurry as our professor walked in, confused at what just happened. I am going to have a great day.

Timeskippu*

It was the end of school, and I waved goodbye to Mizuryu as we parted. I hummed my favourite tune as I pedalled down an alley, and suddenly a stick was shoved into my bike wheels as the bike was jammed, and I flew forwards before I face planted into the cement, nose bleeding as I swung around to face my attackers.

5 teenage boys who looked like to be part of some gang approached me with metal bats, and Suzune stepped out from behind them as I regarded her with hatred. "You!"

"Yes, me." She replied with an annoying tone as she snapped her fingers. "Boys, go get him and beat him up until he's bloody."

"Coward, do you only know how to hide behind your own lackeys?"

"Well, I have the money for it, so why shouldn't I?" She smirked as the thugs approached, and one of them raised their metal bat.

Although I could not use magic and therefore cannot boost my strength and agility with Akra, my time training with it has improved my overall physique, and I'm definitely faster than those untrained idiot gang teenagers. Using a burst step, I dashed forward straight into a thug as I dealt an uppercut to him, sending him flying as the other four thugs regarded me with surprise.

"What are guys waiting for? Get him!" Suzune shouted again, and the four remaining thugs dashed towards me like mad dogs. As I panicked at the sight of four thugs, a power started beating inside me.

Oh, it's you.

So Authorities can be used here? Or is it just you?

Anyways, help me out, okay? You are extremely useful, despite your current power level.

I haven't given you a name yet, either, have I?

Hm... Subaru called his Authority, Invisible Providence, right?

Well then, you, who lended me hands when I needed help to complete a task, I know what to call you.

Burst forth, my Imperceptible Extensions.

The named ability happily surged forth as I felt the chilly feeling come out from behind my shoulders, and two shadowy hands followed the trajectory of my fists, only more outwards, as my two fists of flesh and two fists of shadow slammed into the four thugs' faces, smashing them down into the ground.

"You damned creatures! What the hell are you doing?" Suzune yelled at her thugs, but they showed no signs of movement. However, she suddenly felt fear as she looked at me, and I was a little confused until I realized where her eyes were staring at: My Unseen Hands.

"You can... see them?" I asked her, unsure of the situation right now.

"Of course I can!" I suddenly turned my anger on her, and she suddenly made another yelp. "How... how did you make them disappear? What...are you?"

They disappeared? But the authority is still active though. Well, no matter. I launched my fist at Suzune, and unbeknownst to her, the shadow fist punched her right on the nose, as payback for what she did to me in the morning.

"The Code of Hammurabi. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." I stated as I walked away. However, before I could get to my house, I collapsed onto my knees, and I heard the Witch of Deceit's voice inside my head.

"Hey, successor-kun? Trust me just this once. Repeat my words." She then spoke a six line phrase, which I had no idea what it meant, but I did as she asked.

To know the root of thy desire,

To know the core behind your greed,

To venture into the graveyard of souls,

And to find t he truth  of thee.

Open a way to thy domain,

An entrance into the Castle of Dreams!

A blinding light flashed as I woke up to blinding sunlight, and faced the white haired girl with the neon green butterfly hairclip, who gave me a smile.

"We meet at last, Y/N L/N." The white-haired woman said as her smile widened. "Although you probably already know of my identity, it is a bit rude to not introduce myself."

"My name is Echidna. The Witch of Greed."

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 660/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Sodium Mastery: ???

Magnesium Mastery: ???

Aluminum Mastery: ???

Silicon Mastery: ???

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

???-???

???-???

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

???-???

Chapter Text

Y/N POV

"No need to look surprised. You don't need to act in front of me, you know. Also, your friend just left, so there's nothing to worry about." Echidna said as I slowly walked up to her.

"Um, hello, I guess? I'm Y/N L/N. And yes, it seems that I do know you." I politely took a seat in the other chair, where Subaru probably sat just a few minutes ago.

"You don't seem surprised." Echidna commented, and I shrugged.

"Well, all I see right now is a pretty girl with a butterfly hairclip, so I don't see what is there to worry about, personally."

"Oya? You went straight into it, huh?" Echidna's tone suddenly changed, and my whole body was rejecting her change in tone as if a disease was going to get spread.

"To be honest, what I was referring to was your actions and how you came into my domain." Echidna said as she straightened up and took a sip of her tea. 

"Wait... you didn't invite me?" I asked, bewildered.

"Yes. You came in here on your own accord, probably because Frakine-chan has said something, right?" Echidna asked, and I nodded.

"Sigh... despite sealing herself in a witch factor, I still cannot predict how she thinks... so unfair." Echidna stretched her arms as she regarded me. "By the way, why have you not drank my tea yet? I thought you were quite bold, considering that you can indeed come in here unannounced."

"Because I'm still questioning what bodily fluid is inside the cup." I answered truthfully, and she laughed.

"It's just my saliva. What, did you expect something more...?"

"No-nononono! I'm just simply wondering, that's all..." I said as I looked down at the brown tea. I did not think of anything else, I was expecting nothing... yes. I am simply wondering.

I then gulped the tea down in one go, knowing that it will help me soon enough. I'm not sure how long exactly I can stay in the Castle of Dreams, but this tea might just help me. This earned another snarky comment from Echidna.

"Well, let's get to business, shall we? What do you want to ask me, considering that you have eagerly came here on your own?" She said as she lowered her head onto her hands, holding them up as she set her elbows on the table, awaiting the answer.

Faced with an entity who could easily bring about the destruction of the world, I decided to obligate. "Actually, I'm just here to ask questions to confirm something."

"Sure, I'll give you a pass for asking things, considering that Dottir-chan is my friend, and you are her successor. What do you want to know?"

"Is you favourite colour silver?"

"Eh?" Echidna was taken aback at my simple yet personal question. "Yes, it is, I suppose. But why would you ask that-"

"Are you tone-deaf?" 

"WHAT" Echidna suddenly jumped back in shock, completely being caught off guard from my unsuspecting question. "Well, yes, I guess? It's not a fact that I'm proud of, but uh, yes, I cannot sing."

"Did you not also one time, uh...." I struggled to remember the weird fact, but it popped into my mind at the last moment. "Go into public while wearing your nightgown because you forgot that you were-"

"AHHHHHHH!!!!. Stop, stop, stop!" Echidna flipped out as I watched in bewilderment before she suddenly cupped my cheeks with her hands as she touched her forehead with mine.

"Hey, what are you doing-" Before I can finish my sentence, however, a flash of memories entered my vision.

I saw myself, 5 years old, playing in the park, unaware that people are trying to prank me constantly but only failed because I was too smart for my own good.

I saw Echidna, meeting Roswaal for the first time, as she decided to 'help' him...

I saw myself, 12 years old, cowering from the fear of the bullies as Mizuryu tried to protect me.

I saw Echidna, facing off against Hector while waiting for the Sanctuary to complete.

I saw myself, 16 years old, being called a 'nerd' because I-

I saw Echidna, older now, collecting the other witches' souls-

I saw myself, 17 years old-

I saw Echidna, creating her Castle of Dreams' version of herself-

I saw myself, 18 years-

I saw Echidna, laying in the tomb-

I saw myself-

I saw-

I-

-

"Urk, blegh!" I coughed as I spat out a black liquid as it submerged under the grass in the domain, and saw Echidna looking at me with genuine curiosity from the other side of the table.

"I see why Frakine-chan chose you. You are indeed quite special. For one who could predict the future of this world and have extensive knowledge of what happens, you are quite special. Although, you are not using it to fulfill your full potential, are you not?"

"I..." What Echidna said was true. I was not using my knowledge to the full potential. I could've achieved many great things, including killing the White Whale on my own before it could decimate a single soldier. I could went and solved many things, problems, so why didn't I?

I soon found the answer.

"It's because I want to preserve the main timeline until the story ends." 

"Oh-ho? Story? What do you mean?" Echidna said as she suddenly went through my memories again, and she found her answer.

"So this world is a story written by an author from your world, huh? Well isn't that interesting! With you, a person who knows how the world is going to turn out, what would you do, to leave it, or to save it? I want to know the endless possibilities that you could achieve, and my greed thirsts for it!"

"You look... a little, uh, crazy right now, Echidna?"

"But it is quite suitable, is it not? You and I, two beings of immense knowledge of this world. One that came from within the world, and one from beyond it. We could make many things possible, in this world! And plus that, you're Frakine-chan's successor, are you not? Can you show me your witch factor?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." I said as I proceeded to take the rotating tesseract out, and she examined it carefully. However, before I could say something, a flash of pain struck me, and I struggled to sit straight as I huffed and puffed, before I realized what happened.

"That was your tea, was it not?"

"Oh, you are a perceptive one. I really would like our conversation to keep on going longer. I did indeed did a gamble back in that tea. Since I thought your friend already carried the Witch Factor of Sloth, how did you manage to also obtain it?"

"Well, it kinda did a thing in my consciousness, and the little guy you just took a look at went ahead and duplicated it, so I don't really know what to do about that..."

"Frakine-chan has always had a knack for duplicating things, so I guess I'm not surprised that you had a variation of the ability one way or the other... anyways, we're getting off topic. We're a good pair, right?"

"Good...PAIR?!" I stepped back as my face flushed, question marks shoving themselves inside of my brain. 

"Aw... look at you, heheh..." Echidna giggled as I quickly tried to return my expressionless face, but failed horribly as Echidna lifted my face, which was on the table (faced down). "What I meant was, how about let's form a contract?"

"Eh?" Although my reaction on the outside was a bit rude, it was exactly what I wanted. The moment the Witch of Greed became willing to form a contract with me, the whole Roswaal matter can be pushed aside. 

"Sure... we could form a contract, but can we discuss the terms? My last one didn't go so well... speaking of contracts, what happens to another one that's already formed?"

"Hmm... as long as they don't clash, they'll coexist. However, forming a contract with me can overwrite most other contracts, but it depends who you formed your previous contract with. Who did you form it with, by the way?"

"Your student's descendant, Roswaal."

"Ah... then we have absolutely no hardship to overwrite his contract!" Echidna suddenly smiled so brightly one would think she suddenly turned evil, but it was just her greed acting up. "Anyways, what should be the terms for our contract?"

"We cannot use each other merely for our own benefits. However, if we are going to achieve the same goal, we can utilize other to get towards the common goal."

"Eh? I don't really like the part where I cannot use my abilities freely. And what do you mean I'll use you? In return, you can also use me! I'll even let you use me more than I use you-"

"Ya, no, sorry. I think I've had my fair share of people trying to manipulate me." I shrugged as Echidna sighed as she stretched her hand out as I held out mine as well, and the process of the contract begins.

Timeskippu*

"You know, I'm actually surprised that no one came to intervene our contract forming." I said to Echidna, and she tilted her head in confusion before suddenly realizing what I meant. 

"Oh, well, I did indeed block their access for a while." Echidna remarked as she held my hand in hers as the contract completed. "Also, before you leave, I should give you this."

She took out a black pendant, tied to an interesting rope. I recognized it immediately as the pendant Subaru had in Kasaneru IF, after he had accepted the contract with Echidna. However, I did not want the IFs to happen, and that includes guiding Subaru in the right direction. Pride IF, Sloth IF, Greed IF, and Wrath IF are all out of the question now, considering that we passed their starting point. 

"Is this supposed to serve as a link between us?" I asked, and Echidna nodded.

"I'm surprised that you know this as well. Yes, we can communicate telepathically after you put it on, even after you leave." I secured the pendant around my neck, and proceeded to leave the tea party.

"So... I guess I'll go now, since it'll be quite late now anyways, ok?" I waved goodbye, and Echidna nodded as she said her final sentence in this conversation.

"Yes... I'll see you soon, Y/N."

After Y/N left the Castle of Dreams:

Echidna POV

"That boy sure is interesting... what is his IQ, as you called it, Frakine-chan?"

"Eh? How did you know I was here?" Frakinedottir appeared suddenly, as if a chameleon stopped camouflaging itself, she appeared out of thin air.

"Your tricks have been exposed to me too many times. And after all this time, you still don't know how to control your aura. You're lucky Y/N-kun didn't see you."

"REALLY? I thought he knew I was here but just didn't notice me..."

"What, did you want him to know, perhaps?"

"No-no-no! I just... uh, wanted to see how much he has grown!"

"Sigh... well, now that Bayanga-chan and the swords are in his grasp, he should be fine. However, I still look forwards to what he could do."

Y/N L/N. You might just be the best thing just happened to me. 

Because... you might be the only one who can satisfy my greed.

What is this tingling feeling in my heart?

Hmmm....

Well, I suppose, as the partner of another one with great knowledge, I'll find out soon.

Let's begin... our story.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 660/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Sodium Mastery: ???

Magnesium Mastery: ???

Aluminum Mastery: ???

Silicon Mastery: ???

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

???-???

???-???

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

???-???

Chapter Text

Note: For talking purposes:

Y/N-bo is the nickname that Ryuzu clones call him by.

When something is italic, it's the thought of people.

When Y/N and Echidna are speaking, their lines are italic since it's a mental convo.

However, if Y/N thinks something while telling it to Echinda during their convo, it'll be italic and underlined.

Just thought I'd clarify that. Happy reading!

I woke up in the Graveyard, where the damp floor greeted me as I helped myself up, and felt two heavy things on my back, tied to it as if they were magically attached limbs. I touched them, and felt a weird sword sheath.

"What are those things?" I said as I unsheathed the swords, and I realized what they were. "No way... you guys are exactly how I imagine you guys to look like..."

In my right hand, I held a thin sword that emitted a power that could almost consume light itself. In my left hand, a bright sword that emitted spirit energy beamed as their master noticed them for the first time.

"The Shadow Sword...and the Spirit Sword." I said in shock. Those two were no joke, they're the real deal. Two swords from the Ten Swords of Power, on equal rarity with Reinhard's Dragon Sword Reid, and Cecilus Segmunt's Fiend Sword Murasame and Dream Sword Masayume.

"Yup! Those two were weapons of my former contractors, so I assumed ownership of those swords after they died, making them my property. Master showed an aptitude for using those, so the swords chose you as their next wielder!" Bayanga popped out from next to me as a sleepy Cahya floated after her as she yawned.

"Ya, unlike me, who was faithful, Bayanga was hasty for a new master so she went off contracting people before her powers ran out... pff, a punishment befitting the disloyal..." Cahya smirked as Bayanga stomped her feet in the air in frustration.

"Hey! Who're you calling disloyal?" Bayanga yelled in anger as she floated over to Cahya to punch her, and the two spirits, just like yin and yang, began fighting again.

"Sigh... they still don't learn..." Alchemis said as he appeared next to me, and I yelped in surprise. Instead of the usual blue orb, Alchemis was a tiny devil who wore a mad scientist outfit that's the same colour as his blue flames.

"You obtained a corporeal form? How?" I asked.

"You don't sound so happy." Alchemis stayed, and I waved my hands in obvious denial. "Well, I don't really know either. But maybe it's because I finally came out of the Witch Factor of Deceit, and it just eventually manisfested."

I was going to ask another question, but a pink haired elf suddenly appeared at the entrance of the graveyard, staring at me with a straight expression as I looked tilted my head in confusion.

Before I could say anything, another two dozen of the same girl popped up, and I realized who they were. "Ryuzu Meyer's clones. Why are you guys gathered here?"

"Because there's a new Apostle of Greed, of course." The one that spoke stepped forward, and I recognized her as Ryuzu Bilma, one of the original four clones tasked with overseeing the Sanctuary. "We came here to greet you, Echidna's chosen, Y/N-bo."

"Ey? What do you mean, I'm the new Apostle of Greed?" I asked in surprise. I knew what it was, since Subaru has also filled that position for a short while as well. However, the clones never acted this way towards him, neither did they towards Garfiel, another temporary Apostle of Greed. It was said that the Apostle can control the Ryuzu clones, so why am I one?

"It's because you have the necklace, Y/N-bo. Echidna-san told us that in the future, if anyone appears with the necklace, we should be the ones to listen." Ryuzu Arma, another clone of the main four, emerged from the crowd as she led the others to kneel as I waved in panic.

"N-no need to kneel! I'm just a guy who has a few spirits and two weird swords... wait, did you say necklace?" I said as I took out the pendant from the tea party, pitch black as if it was made out of obsidian. 

"Yes, Y/N-bo." Ryuzu Delma, another clone came up as she held the hand of another clone, who I recognized as the half-disabled Ryuzu Shima. "The fact that you can receive that black pendant, and the two swords on your back, is proof of the witch's approval. Now, we await your order."

"Um..." I looked to Alchemis for support, but he was shrugging at me as he went to mediate the dispute between Cahya and Bayanga, leaving me helpless for the time being. "You know what, everyone except four the main four and Shima, please stay here because I have special instructions. I'll relay them to the black cloaks at a later time. The black cloaks can go rest, and as for the white cloaks, please come with me."

The clones nodded, and just as I finished my task, I had a new plan in mind. However, before I could get to strategizing, a voice popped into my head, none other than the Witch of Greed.

Ara, did you have a fun time with that surprise?

Now you decide to show up. Couldn't you come earlier and help me a little? I puffed my cheeks in anger, and Echidna chuckled.

Well, I couldn't afford to miss enjoying this show, could I? Echidna laughed as I glared at her mentally.

Well, time to start the training with my new amassed 'army' of Ryuzu clones.

Timeskippu*

The thing I went with first, was physical exercise. No, I do not mean I want Ryuzu clones with giant muscles, but speedy ninja like girls that seem like shinobi who can leapt through trees easily. So, I created an obstacle course with wood and diamond, along with boron and aluminum, part of the new arsenal I obtained after entering Echidna's graveyard.

The process gave me a huge boost, which broke the barrier of unlocking elements. Now whenever a new element reaches level one mastery, 4 new elements unlock. This also meant that I didn't really need to use every single element, which is nice considering that I do use some more than most. 

Among the new four, aluminum was the most practical. Aluminum is a malleable metal that can easily be bent into any shape, allowing slopes and different shapes for the Ryuzu clones to go through. Sodium can be used to set off some bombs in the water, and magnesium is for the same purpose. Silicon is great for making wafers, which means that when the time comes to implement future technology, it'll be very useful. However, for now, it just acts as crafting material.

While the clones did their thing, I turned to Echidna for help.

Hey, Echidna, can you teach me Al Shario? That spell seems insanely cool... you know, the one that you wiped out a bunch of wolves with?

Eh? Al Shario? That spell... NO WAY!

Huh? Why not? It isn't some secret technique that you can't pass down, right?

No... it's just that you have way to less mana inside you to ever cast that spell... so that's why I can't.

Oh... I see... HUH? I don't have enough mana? How much mana do you need to cast a freaking meteor spell then? I can even cast Absolute Zero with Alchemis' help, so why not? Unless... it really is in a different realm.

Y/N, instead of trying new things, shouldn't you start improving your current techniques? Your Goa series seems to be fine for now, but you should develop your yang and yin magic more, including the lightning magic series you created yourself. I'm aware that you cannot use that time freezing spell for too long, so let's start working on the others first.

Ah, I knew it was the right decision to contract with you. You sound like a very, very experienced game guide, you know? Well, I guess I'll get to it, then. 

Game guide? Hold up, what do you mean???

Timeskippu*

After an hour of training, I was exhausted as I sat down on the floor after ordering the Ryuzu clones to do whatever they were supposed to do. They were fast learners, having their physical abilities drastically increased. I guess this is a good thing for now, but I haven't made any progress yet.

Perhaps I could be of assistance? Echidna suddenly said in my mind as I smiled.

Definitely, Chid-chan! Please teach me how to strengthen my spells... or whatever I was supposed to do...?

You're taking this the wrong way, Y/N. Think of what you want to achieve for every different spell. Let's take Akra, the strengthening spell for example. It's a yang magic spell that drains mana quickly, meaning that you can't use it for very long. So, what is the best way to use it in the little time you have?

Use it in one burst to achieve insane speeds? I guess that could work if my mana does not go up for now... by the way, how do you increase mana?

I don't know either... there might be a mana cap for people who use their own mana, but for spirit users like yourself, all you need to do is to let the atmosphere's mana flow into you. Imagine it, and let the magic do its work.

I tried Echidna's advice, and called Cahya out to support me. I gathered mana around as I detected them, the little white specks floating around in the space next to me. Now, to absorb them to use it for my spell. I felt the mana flow into me, and when it reached its brim, I unleashed it.

"Ul Akra!" I burst forward almost at the speed of sound, charging forward so fast that if it wasn't for the protective mana skin that forms, I would've felt the blood rush to the back of my head. I punched through as I landed, around 300 meters away from where I started.

To do that in just 1 second... is that power comparable to the Bowel Hunter's now? 

The more amazing fact was that I still had mana left over. Quite a lot, actually. I think I could use around 7 more at max before having to recharge again.

That's great, Y/N! You're making progress. Another thing is your authority. Now, as I already have seen, you currently possesses two authorities: Deceit and Sloth.  I don't know how Deceit works, since that is Frakine-chan's area of expertise, but I can do something about sloth, or even any other sin. You see, the sins hold power themselves. Why do think I was able to amass so much knowledge even after this? It was because I truly had desire for it. So when you use sloth, loosen your body. Don't try to move or exert yourself. Relax. Let the extensions to the work for you. 

Okay then. I said as I unleashed the Imperceptible Extensions again, and the cold feeling purged my back as I saw the two hands emerge from my back, awaiting my order.

"Tear that tree apart." I said as I crushed my hands together in the direction of the tree, using as little effort as possible. This time, instead of their usual power, which was the same as mine, the hands bursted forward with speed as they charged the trunk, and crushed it to shreds as I gasped at the amount of power.

Surprised? You still have a lot to learn, Y/N. This world might seem familiar to you, but there are many hidden knowledge that even the author does not know. That's where I come in.

I know. That's also why I'm seriously glad that I formed a contract with you. 

So I guess we both have something to learn, hm?

Ya... I guess. Thanks, Echidna, for helping me.

Of course. Now, is it my time to be indulged in knowledge?

Sure, coming right in.

With that said, I jumped into the Castle of Dreams as I muttered the six-lined keyword, leaving the material world behind as I entered the graveyard of souls, and faced my contractor as we began our fifth conversation.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries:

Hydrogen Mastery: Stage 2, 150/5000 complete. (Spells: Hydrogen Gas Formation, Hydrogen Gas Wall, Hydrogen Gas Mist)

Helium Mastery: Stage 2, 90/5000 complete. (Spells: Helium Gas Formation, Helium Hydride Acid Creation)

Lithium Mastery: Stage 1, 1895/2000 complete. (Spells: Lithium Hydride Solid Formation, Lithium Pellet Bullets)

Beryllium Mastery: Stage 1, 1925/2000 complete. (Spells: Beryllium Solid Creation, Beryllium Mirror)

Boron Mastery: Stage 1, 1550/2000 complete. (Spells: Boron Metalloid Creation, Boric Acid Creation)

Carbon Mastery: Stage 1, 1745/2000 complete. (Spells: Carbon Creation, Coal Creation, Diamond Creation and Manufacturing, Adamas Wave)

Nitrogen Mastery: Stage 1, 575/2000 complete. (Spells: Ammonia Creation, Ammonium Creation, Nitric Acid Creation)

Oxygen Mastery: Stage 1, 755/2000 complete. (Spells: Oxygen Gas Creation, Ozone Creation, Oxide Creation, Water Creation)

Fluorine Mastery: Stage 0, 750/1000 complete. (Spells: Hydrofluoric Acid Formation, Fluorine Gas Creation, ???)

Neon Mastery: Stage 0, 660/1000 complete. (Spells: Neon Gas Formation, ???, ???)

Sodium Mastery: ???

Magnesium Mastery: ???

Aluminum Mastery: ???

Silicon Mastery: ???

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, turquoise), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

Ul Akra- A yang magic spell that greatly boosts the user's speed and strength, allowing them to travel near the speed of sound and being almost invisible to the naked eye when moving.

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

???-???

???-???

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

???-???

Chapter Text

The day after the initial training, I met up with Subaru and the others as we discussed plans. Subaru apparently seemed shaken about something, but I was confused since I thought it was not time for him to meet with Roswaal yet, so I don't get what he was so afraid about.

Well... I left him to his own devices as I circled around the village to find Bilma, who welcomed me as we discussed for the sanctuary's future.

According to Ryuzu Bilma, who I personally trust more than the other clones due to her close relationship to Subaru, Arma and Delma were in favour of liberating the Sanctuary, just like her. However, Shima, who was demoted to a white robe, was against the liberation due to the fact that Garfiel did not want it.

I sighed as I prepared the next steps for Shima, since she needed someone to take care of her, and I volunteered to take that role. I strode down the village to find Shima, who waited for me as I saw the young clone and went over to her.

"You're so caring, Y/N-bo." Shima said as she took the supplies she needed, and I sat down next to her as she sighed again.

"You know the cause, right?"

"Huh? The cause? What do you mean?"

"The cause of my illness. After saving Young Garf from the Trial 10 years ago, I was affected by some unknown force and lost my black robe, so I was demoted. You know what caused it, don't you?"

"Yes. But why would you assume that I know?"

"You has an audience with the Witch of Greed, one who possesses a vast amount of knowledge. Seeing how she chose you as her apostle, she must've told you some things."

"Ya, but how does that-"

"I will not dislike you even if you decide not to tell me, Y/N-bo. You've helped me much in the last few days, and that's enough."

After that, Shima walked away as I pondered about her words, before I ran to a hidden spot, and surrounded myself in a diamond dome before muttering the words that opened the gateway, and I fell asleep before waking in the Castle of Dreams.

"Oya? You came early today, considering that it wasn't the afternoon yet." Echidna said as she helped me up from the ground, and I noticed something strange.

"You usually don't stand when I enter, you know? What happened today?"

"Well, I suppose you aren't up to date with all the events that transpired, are you?"

"Wait, what do you mean?" I said before I suddenly knew the answer myself, and noticed why it felt strange in the past few days. There was no past few days. It was the same to days and nights, repeating over and over.

"You're right. Y/N, it seems like your ability to sense the other boy's ability usage has come to a stop. It seems that Satella has removed that authority in you."

"Eh? Then how am I supposed know whenever Subaru returns by death?! This is a huge crisis!"

"Y/N, did you forget about me, now?"

"Eh? You can actually help me with that issue?"

"Did you forget what this place is? The castle of dreams is a space that transcends time itself, it is simply not an issue to be concerned about-"

"Thanks, Chid-chan! You're a lifesaver!" I said as my body unconsciously moved, and I hugged Echidna out of the blue.

"...I didn't expect you to be this intimate, you know."

"Ah...haha, it was just because of a surge of happiness!" I replied, trying to cover up the fact that I just hugged her. "Anyways, how do you help me remember?"

"Like this." Echidna said as she pointed a finger at my brain, and I descended into darkness as the loops began to insert themselves into my mind.

Loop 1:

Walking through the forest

Going to the village

Subaru wasn't there, so I went looking for him

Subaru was not within the Sanctuary

Echidna told me he went to the mansion

I went towards the mention

BLACKOUT

Loop 2

I don't remember the last loop

I was freaking out

I rushed towards mansion

Unable to reach

I died for the first time

Empty space around me, separate dimension

Satella telling me that I failed

I saw Subaru die

BLACKOUT

Loop 3

I meet up with Subaru to come up with a plan

I didn't even remember that I had a last loop

Subaru helped me remember

We came up with a plan

He went to speak with Echidna

I saw Satella

We spoke

She tried to devour me but I ran away

Subaru came out

Garfiel and I rescue him and fight Satella

Garfiel died

Subaru insulted Satella

Satella engulfed him in shadows

BLACKOUT

Loop 4

I didn't know what to do

I went to see Shima

We talked

Happy times

Convo with Echidna about how to use Yin Magic

Learned Minya

Learned Murak and Vita

Subaru was gone, I went to go look for him

Arrived at mansion

Bowel Hunter and Meili appeared

I fight them

I manage to injure both and save some people

I carried Subaru back to Sanctuary

It was snowing

I went to stop Roswaal

Great Rabbit came

I defended myself in a diamond dome

Subaru died eventually

BLACKOUT

"Urgk!" I coughed as I returned to the present, shocked as Echidna held my head in her lap, so consider myself surprised.

"I guess that was a hell of a trip, but what I didn't expect most is you giving someone a lap pillow. Where did you even learn that, by the way?"

"Well, yours and Subaru's memories, of course." Echidna gave me a wicked smile, and let me up as I saw an unusual wall looming over the horizon that seemed a bit too fabricated.

"What's with that fake horizon over there?" I asked, skeptical about what she was up to.

"Ah, so you noticed. I told them you would notice it right away." Echidna chuckled as she snapped her fingers, and the walls disappeared as the other Witches of Sin were revealed.

Typhon, Witch of Pride, a little loli with a dress that I decided not to comment on. She immediately called me a nickname as she bounded over to me and held my hand. "N/N, are you a sinner?"

"Huh? A sinner?" I said as I suddenly felt a pulsation throughout the body, and a funny feeling went through my bones before I suddenly realized my eyes were on the ground.

"Oh!!! But you don't feel pain, do you?" Typhon smiled as Minerva, the Witch of Wrath, suddenly pushed her out of the way before she gave me a healing punch and I felt my limbs again as I looked at myself, amazed.

"Thanks, Minerva-chan." I said as I shook her hand, and Minerva, somehow with tears in her eyes, replied somewhat furiously yet not angry at my gratitude.

"I just hate the world letting Typhon hurt you! I will not allow any self-harm or any damage done to anyone happen in my presence!" She yelled as she ironically destroyed a patch of the grass by stomping right after she said that.

"Huh? But I was just seeing if N/N was a sinner or not..." Typhon cocked her head sideways in confusion, and the Witch of Sloth, Sekhmet, spoke up.

"Hoo... Typhon, Minerva is right...haa.... since Y/N over there is contracted to Echidna-chan, after all..."

"You give off a scent that I really, really love, you know? Y/N-un..." Daphne, the Witch of Gluttony, rushed over to me in her centipede coffin as she took out her tongue and licked me, surprising both me and all the other witches as they looked at me in alarm.

"Daphne! What are you doing? You do know that if you touch him, he'll...." Echidna said, worried as I looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean, I will? I feel nothing but a little wet where Daphne licked me."

"Huh?" Echidna looked at me in surprise, before nodding suddenly as if she understood something.

"Any-nyways... shouldn't... w-we, get on w-with the r-reason Y/N-kun is h-here, right?" Carmilla, the Witch of Lust, finally spoke up, and Echidna nodded.

"Yes, indeed. As Natsuki Subaru has left this place, it seems that Satella has left as well. Which leaves us six. Since you lot were very interested in helping Natsuki Subaru, I want to know if you people are also willing to help my contractor as well." Echidna said as she spread her arms, and Minerva stomped her feet again.

"I want to save him from being manipulated by you! You are greedy and you always hurt people this way. And it! Is! Not! Acceptable!" Minerva yelled as she stomped the floor again, and the entire Castle of Dreams shook.

"Actually, Y/N and I discussed the terms until he agreed to it, so I'm actually quite innocent in this scenario as well, okay?" Echidna sighed as she looked at me for help, and I shrugged as I walked over to the other five Witches of Sin.

"Minerva, do not be worried. I knew full well of what I'm getting into when I entered into the contract with Echidna. I know she might be unpredictable and ruthless at times, and that's exactly why I entered a contract with her in the first place. On the outside, she might seem like a monster beyond imagination," When I said this, Echidna faked an 'ouch' expression. "But what I see is a girl needing the help of re-education in things she don't understand."

"I-is that w-why... y-you told us t-that... you wanted to learn...w-what was love?" Carmilla said as she looked at Echidna with a determined face, and I turned towards Echidna in surprise.

"Well, it wasn't a lie, you know? Love is the most complicating emotion that humans can ever understand, yet most of them do understand it. I don't get what the best things about it is, so I want to learn about it since so many are intrigued about it, including Carmilla-chan over there."

"Now, as I've said before, I'll say it again." I looked each of the five witches. "I came in here on my own accord, knowing full well of the responsibilities after coming in here, and forming my contract with Echidna. Of course, I want to help all of you as well. So, I would also propose to form a contract with all of you."

"EH? Form a contract with us? But why?" Daphne and Minerva said, shocked. Carmilla looked confused as well.

"Well, you're worried that I will be manipulated, don't you? So I'll vow to fulfill a wish of yours, while you guys can keep me in check and also stay by my side as my friends. And I'll tell you this. You can all be resurrected. It will just take some time."

"Why would think we want resurrection?"

"To fulfill your goals, of course. Nobody dead could do anything. Minerva-chan, you want to save as many people as you can, right? What can you do if you hole yourself up here in the soul world? I can also figure out a way to stop your authority from backfiring when you heal people. Daphne, you wish that hunger could stop, so you created the Three Great Mabeasts, right? I'll guide you in a better direction while fulfilling that goal. Carmilla-chan, you want people to learn about love, right? I will stay by your side and help you spread your believes over the world. Typhon, you want to stop all sinners, right? Let's reform the world to make sure no sinners exist, but we will do it in a better way. Sekhmet, you want places to rest, right? I can create a paradise for you to have all the time in the world to rest. So, what do you guys say?"

The witches looked uncertain, but I added in the final part. "The world may see you guys as monsters, but all I see are lost girls with dreams they wanted to fulfill, except maybe they took it in a wrong way. That's why I want to help you all."

"I... accept." Minerva said reluctantly, but nodded slightly. "I want to trust Y/N-san, who expressed his feelings and thoughts very honestly, and give him a chance to see if he would do what he says."

"I accept as well! N/N doesn't seem like a bad guy, so I think I would go with him!" Typhon said as she beamed at me, and I returned her smile.

"Well, if Y/N-un can feed me well and can make no one go hungry, I think I'm obliged to go along with him as well!" Daphne said as she continued to drool, and Carmilla suddenly spoke up.

"I...t-think...I'll go with Y/N-san... t-too... since he s-seems k-kind... and he does really want to h-help us..."

"Well...haaa.... if you're all going along, I guess I will accept as well." Sekhmet said as the last vote was cast, and now the witches' lives are in my hands.

"Now, let's form our contracts, shall we?" I said as Echidna stepped up, and all the witches, including Daphne, reached their hand out towards me, and the contract forming began. At that moment, a bright light happened as everyone in the world noticed, that something was going to change.

Now, the Witches of Sin have started working together with the Holder of Deceit.

The gears started to shift once again.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries: Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, devil), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy), Bayanga- yin spirit (Great Spirit, succubus)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

Ul Akra- A yang magic spell that greatly boosts the user's speed and strength, allowing them to travel near the speed of sound and being almost invisible to the naked eye when moving.

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

???-???

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

Minya: Magic that creates stakes made of crystallized mana covered with light purple flames. They are strong enough to penetrate defences. Any stakes in the air explode and release smaller stakes that fly in all directions which then rips targets apart.

Murak: The user reduces the effects of gravity. Just by lightly pushing yourself off the ground, a person can jump as if they had springs. If the user wishes to, it can also be used to fly, although the user will get blown around by the wind like a leaf, but they won't flip around in mid-air.

Vita: The user casts this spell to amplify the effects of gravity, making an object heavier.

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

???-???

Chapter Text

I woke up in the graveyard again, and immediately checked the pendant around my neck. Good, the connection to Echidna was still there. I stumbled out of the graveyard, and saw Otto running after someone, presumably Subaru, so I decided to follow him.

Otto slid down a hill, and I stayed back a few meters, trying to keep myself out of sight. At this moment, Echidna's voice connected again.

Ah. Y/N. I see you went out of the Graveyard safely, correct? And also, what are you planning to do now?

Me? I told you, I'm just trying to follow the storyline, and not mess it up while improving people's lives.

Really? But what about...that other goal?

That one will have to wait. You're not out yet. When you successfully transfer your soul, we can talk about that.

Oh-ho? So you knew... not even Subaru knew. Well, I guess it's not that surprising, considering your ability and knowledge that you possess.

Personally, I'll be happy that you'll be out. I swear, I can hug a Ryuzu clone without feeling like a lolicon, you know?

Huh? What do you mean-

Ya... no. I need to go find Subaru to successfully complete the next part of the plan. The attack is coming soon, so I need to be at the mansion before that.

Okay then. Good luck. I'll be here if you need me.

Thanks for being here with me, Echidna.

After cutting off the conversation link, I heard Otto scolding Subaru. "Take a deep breath, Natsuki-san."

"A deep breath?" Subaru said, confused as I chuckled about what's going to happen next. I heard Subaru proceed to take one, but Otto's fist slammed into his face, sending him reeling back as Subaru collapsed on the floor.

"Huh?" Subaru said as his expression showed pure shock, unable to comprehend why Otto did what he did.

"Stop... trying to put on a tough front around your friends, Natsuki Subaru!"

Timeskippu*

After Subaru has successfully talked it out with Otto and made a bet with Roswaal, he came out looking a tiny bit exhausted about what he has just done. I chose this moment to make my appearance as I seemingly appeared next to him.

"Woah! Y/N! where did you come from?!" Subaru yelped as I gave him a head chop.

"You went on to have all the fun with your plan, leaving me out?" I faked an expression of sadness, before returning to my original expression. "Anyways, the attack on the mansion will happen within three days, right? Let me take care of that."

"The attack on the mansion? You want me to entrust you with that? I'm not saying I'm doubting you, the a mabeast user and the Bowel Hunter are really dangerous opponents..."

"Don't worry, I will not go without a plan, Subaru. I know what I'm doing. However, before you do that, let me join in on the plan to delay Garfiel while you do your thing."

"How will you delay Garfiel? I know I plan on having Ram and Otto join in on the plan, but how do you want to help them?"

"Do you want to see this? I'm sure it will scare you, but are you sure about this?" I asked him, but Subaru just looked confused as he told me to show it.

"Okay then... here we go!" I shouted as I punched towards the sky, and the Imperceptible Extensions bursted forth from my shoulders, acting as a second pair of arms as Subaru widened his eyes at the sight, backing away in fear as I quickly waved my arms in peace.

"Calm down, Subaru! I'm not going to hurt you!" I shouted, and Subaru shouted back in fear.

"What do you mean! Betelgeuse possessed you! How could you have... wait... is this because of the witch factor Echidna talked about?"

"Who's Echidna?" I said, feigning innocence as Subaru waved that thought away.

"The Sloth Witch Factor, that's what this is." I told him, leaving him surprised as he recognized the word. "You possess it as well. When a witch factor's holder dies, the witch factor will automatically find a new host. Usually, it would not split itself into two, so I don't know why. Subaru, make use of the power that dwells within you. Don't be afraid of it."

Subaru nodded, and I stopped the activation of the Authority of Sloth. "Subaru, I never told you what my powers are, right?"

"Well... I kinda just assumed you could use magic and now the Unseen Hand, but I don't know if you had anything else."

"Well, in order to build trust, it requires truth. So now, I'm going to show you." I said as I generated diamond by forming the triangular lattice structure of carbon atoms, and Subaru's eyes widened in surprise.

"My main one is Periodic Table Manipulation, which allows me to control and create elements from the Periodic Table. I can form basically any substance in existence, but it drains my stamina in return." I explained.

"Bro... how come you get such an overpowered ability, but I don't?" Subaru asked, now depressed. That was one reason I didn't want to tell him about my power, but now at least I have a counter argument.

"Subaru, you possess Return by Death. That ability alone is overpowered. You can save people who died, revert actions as many times as can. However, the Witches of Sin have consoled you about it, have they not?"

"I..." Subaru cut himself off, and nodded as he wiped his envy away. "Yes. I have a power. Then, let's change this world together for the better, Y/N."

"Glad to be along for the journey, my friend."

Timeskippu*

I hid in the forest, waiting for the right time to intercept the fight when Garfiel comes. Otto and Ram are stationed in front of me somewhere, while I waited in the shadows for Garfiel to appear and fight the latter.

Otto came running out suddenly as Garfiel chased behind him, only to be stopped by Ram using wind magic. Garfiel used his Divine Protection of Earth to block the slash of wind, but was angered by it nonetheless. Garfiel then proceeded to transform into his beast form, but Ram beat him down easily using her oni skills but suffered damage due to Garfiel's sheer retaliation.

As Garfiel charged towards the now undefended Ram, Otto raised the crystal in the air to draw Garfiel's attention towards himself. Just before Garfiel could hit him, I made my debut in this battle.

"Authority of Sloth- Imperceptible Extensions!" I punched out in Garfiel's direction, and the shadow fists followed my trajectory as they knocked the tiger back, and Otto gasped in surprise as he recognized Betelgeuse's power.

"Y/N-san? How do you have that?" Otto asked, shivering.

"Don't worry. After Subaru killed the madman, his power kinda went to both of us. Anyways, I'm here to help, so don't be scared."

"ARRRRGH!" Garfiel charged towards me again, and I immediately tested out my new improvised spell. The nitrogen atoms in the air heated up as crackling sounds were heard, as I spread the electric current throughout my body to improve my overall reaction time, and surrounded my body in a thin layer of lightning as I punched towards Garfiel's stomach, sending shockwaves throughout his body.

"El Kilat." I said as I dashed behind him and prepared to kick him, but he grabbed me and proceeded to almost break my leg before I cast my newly learnt Yin Magic.

"El Shamak!" I yelled as the black cloud burst out, and Garfiel let go of me as the cloud covered my escape, but not before I readied another few spells and placed them in the air as Garfiel de-transformed himself, and glared at me in anger.

"Well, do you want to perhaps stop now?" I asked him, and he hissed as he sent a wave of earth in my direction, and I sighed as I canceled it out with my readied spells. I suddenly looked at the sky, and realized that it was time.

"Nevermind. I guess you can go now, since we don't need to delay you any further." I said as I used my Imperceptible Extensions to pick up Otto and Ram, before stepping on a pre-laid conveyor belt that would take me straight back to the area around the graveyard. I activated the mechanism, and it took us off as Garfiel's eyes widened in frustration, but it was no use as I continued rotate the aluminum belt using my authority, leaving him in the dust as we arrived at the Graveyard's outskirts, and I bid my farewell to Ram and Otto, telling them that Subaru will take care of the rest. 

As I took off, Echidna's voice echoed in my head. Hey! Where're you going? I want to see how your friend's authority manifested, you know? You can't let me miss out on such a great show!

Well, if I want the next part of my plan to go smoothly, we have to leave now. Besides, you'll see it again soon enough. 

Hmph. As long as you keep your promise, I'm fine with it.

Of course I keep my promises! Did you think that I was just bluffing to the other Witches of Sin back at the Tea Party? 

I don't know if you can perfectly resurrect someone if it was not in my way...

It's completely possible. With my authority, I could easily create new cells and DNA, it'll just take a long time, that's all. 

Why do you want to resurrect them anyways? Am I not enough? Hmph... you really are greedy. 

Now, now, don't take this the wrong way, Chid-chan. I simply want to help you poor girls who didn't get a chance to properly fulfill their goals.

Fine...

By the way, do you know if I can win against the Bowel Hunter right now?

You probably could, but if the fight goes on for too long, you'll probably die since you do know her nature, do you not?

Yes. A regenerating curse doll is indeed hard to handle. Any ideas?

Well, you could convince her to join you.

Huh? How do I do that? I knew that in Kasaneru IF, Subaru recruited Elsa, but it was actually Chid-chan's plan?

Here, let me tell you...

...I see. Well, I guess I'll trust you on this one then, Chid-chan. 

Good luck. You'll need it.

Well, I suppose your teachings are awesome. They are really having effect. I said as I arrived at the mansion, and deactivated Akra as I realized my minimal stamina drain due to my training for the past few loops and the teachings of Chid-chan.

Now that I'm here, it's time to prepare for the final fight. Subaru should know what to do after this, so I'll leave him to the other part of the plan.

It's time to begin my final battle to decide the fate of the Sanctuary.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries: Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, devil), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy), Bayanga- yin spirit (Great Spirit, succubus)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

Ul Akra- A yang magic spell that greatly boosts the user's speed and strength, allowing them to travel near the speed of sound and being almost invisible to the naked eye when moving.

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

???-???

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

El Shamak: The target becomes unable to control their bodies while under its effects.

Minya: Magic that creates stakes made of crystallized mana covered with light purple flames. They are strong enough to penetrate defences. Any stakes in the air explode and release smaller stakes that fly in all directions which then rips targets apart.

Murak: The user reduces the effects of gravity. Just by lightly pushing yourself off the ground, a person can jump as if they had springs. If the user wishes to, it can also be used to fly, although the user will get blown around by the wind like a leaf, but they won't flip around in mid-air.

Vita: The user casts this spell to amplify the effects of gravity, making an object heavier.

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

El Kilat: The user uses lightning to spread it throughout their body, increasing their reaction speed and movement speed. The user also coats themselves in a thin layer of thunder, able to direct electrical shocks into any opponent they attack.

Chapter Text

As I approached the mansion, a certain girl was cleaning the garden in front of me as I recognized the newbie maid of the mansion, Petra. I waved to her, and it seems like she didn't recognize me, because she immediately ran inside to get Frederica.

Exasperated at the girl's action, I sighed as I advanced onto the entrance, where a quart-human was comforting the child.

"Welcome, Y/N-san. I didn't know that you were coming back recently." Frederica said, as her eyes drifted towards the swords on my back.

"Hello, Frederica. I received news that the mansion will be attacked in two days, so I came back to set things right. Subaru and Emilia has a plan against another threat in the Sanctuary, so I'm here to take care of the mansion."

"Attacked? Really? By whom?"

"Two of top assassins of the Assassination Organization. A mabeast user and the Bowel Hunter. They are extremely tough enemies, so I had to come back."

"How do you plan to fight them? I've heard of the Bowel Hunter, and she seems to be an extremely tricky opponent to deal with."

"Don't worry. I have a plan when the time comes, but first we must evacuate the village into a shelter that I'll create. With the village out of their plan, they'll come straight here. After that, you need run away with Petra while I deal with Elsa and Meili. Also, please take Rem to a safe place today sometime as well."

"Are you sure that your plan will work?" Frederica asked me, unsure about my credibility. However, I had full confidence my own planning, as well as Echidna's advice, and so I nodded.

Timeskippu*

After evacuating the villagers into my diamond shelter along with food they prepared, we also transported Rem into a different shelter, one that Petra and Frederica would escape to during the attack. I knew where Elsa would come in from, and so I installed an aluminum wire at the place where she'll meet Frederica, alerting me at the exact moment to fight.

Now that everything is prepared for tomorrow, the Feuernacht, when Elsa will attack. Besides from doing my daily exercises, I taught Petra a little running and dodging while doing exercises with a wooden stick. Echidna popped in just as I cut a tiny stump in have with my one of my swords.

Hey, Y/N, could I talk to you for a moment?

Ya? Chid-chan, did you have something to say?

Why are you calling me Chid-chan? It makes me feel like as if I was supposed to be cute or something.

Well... you kinda are, in a sense, so...

Ugh! Fine... anyways, I'm here to remind you that you missed something while you're preparing.

I missed something? But I thought you taught me everything, did you not?

I'm not talking about magic or Authorities. The objects in question are those on your back.

My... back? Oh, right! My swords!  I said as I unsheathed the Shadow Sword and the Spirit Sword. Um... what exactly am I supposed to do with them?

Well, from what I know, the Shadow Sword is Bayanga's private property, so she might have an idea on how to use it. As for the Spirit Sword, I think one of its passive abilities is to decrease the stamina drain of one who has spirits, and the amount of stamina decreased per consumption increases with each spirit you possess. I also know that the Spirit Sword will give a huge boost in the effectiveness of Spirit Magic, which will give you an advantage to the curse doll.

Well, how exactly do I develop them?

A sword always has its abilities. Refer to its name. Sorry, Y/N, that's all the help I could give you. I have to go oversee the trial of that insufferable girl.

Be honest, Chid-chan. Are you scared of Emilia?

...

You are, aren't you-

Y/N. We will not speak of this again, understand?

*shivering* Hai, hai, sensei...

With that, I cut off the communication, and took off into the forest where the demon beasts resided. I managed to find a few Ulgarms roaming around, perfect for my practicing. I jumped into the clearing, and they came towards me as I held my sword behind my back as I gathered Yin Magic as I let it flow through this sword.

Hmm... why am I in this stance?

Who does this remind me of?

Ah... I see. Thank you for enlightening me. The familiar green haired woman flashed into my mind as I smiled. "Crusch! I'm going to improvise on your ability now!"

May darkness seep into your soul.

May the abyss engulf you.

May my slash corrode the existence of thou.

Shadow Sword, from now on, your name is Inen. Be the void that will erase enemies in my path!

"Inen Original- Kurayami no Hitotachi"

I turned as my feet rotated and I spun, and unleashed the wave of Yin Magic as Inen cut forth, splitting the mabeast dogs in two as the attack's magic wave slashed the rock behind it, and I saw an interesting effect take place. Although the magic wave itself did not do much, within moments, it corroded and the darkness consumed the stone in respect to the width of the sword.

"Ha! That's actually quite interesting. Now, to test you out, Ryokyo, the Spirit Sword!" 

I yelled as I charged at the remaining mabeasts, lining them up into a straight line as I reeled my left hand back, and allowed Cahya, Alchemis, and Bayanga's energy flow into the sword itself. 

"Prismatic Spectrum, pierce them."

The rays of light shot out, similar to Julius's Al Clarista, and completely disintegrated the mabeasts. I unsheathed both swords, happy with my new discovery. I can't wait to brag to Echidna, but there's something else I need to do. Unlocking more elements.

Right now, I have phosphorus and sulfur unlocked due to the last few loops, but what I need right now is calcium, since it'll come in handy for the next phase of my plan after the Sanctuary Arc.

I started my long haul of creating coal from sulfur and carbon, since it is quite a reliable fuel source due its flammability. I also crafted some matchboxes with red phosphorus, in order to make matches for later, which requires potassium and chlorine.

After a while of crafting, I finally unlocked Chlorine, Argon, Potassium, and Calcium. These four are extremely useful, as chlorine can be used to make fresh pool water and salt. Argon is the last missing component to making atmospheric air. Potassium is important for treatment and making soap, while Calcium can construct bones, the last part I need to make bone cells. 

Why make bone cells? Hehe... that is part of the fulfillment to the Witches of Sin.

With my new arsenal ready, I returned to the mansion and checked all the traps, and waited for the assassins to show up.

Timeskippu*

3rd Person POV

The demi-human maid walked through the mansion as she patrolled it, avoiding all the strings that her ally has set up. As she went into a hallway and walked to its middle when she heard a sound. The sound of aluminum wires that were laid by her ally being triggered.

Of course, despite having keen ears, the Bowel Hunter made no notice of the wires as she dismissed the traps that seemed to do nothing as she advanced at the demi-human maid. What she didn't know was, the wires allowed the dangerous one to sense her location.

"I've never seen a demi-human's insides before. You'll do well to entertain me!" Elsa said as she rushed towards the demi-human, only to be blocked by a diamond wall that suddenly emerged from the ground and shattered one of her blades.

"Hmm?" The Bowel Hunter experienced confusion for the first time as she looked at the crystalline substance, before a woosh in the air was heard as a boy's laugh and arrows made of boron shot at her, and she quickly deflected the arrows using needles.

"Not bad, not bad. Although I expected the Bowel Hunter to do better than this." The mysterious boy with black hair landed beside the yellow haired maid, and instructed her to hide in the shelter before facing the notorious assassin.

"Oh?! It's you... entertain me this time well, will you?" Elsa smiled, as one of her juiciest prey has just offered himself up.

"Of course. I don't plan on losing, after all." The boy said as he formed two katanas made of diamond, and charged towards the Bowel Hunter at extreme speeds, having been enhanced with El Akra.

"El Shamak!" The boy yelled as thick yin magic smoke blowed out from his body, covering the hallway in an impenetrable smokescreen. While the Bowel Hunter looked around for her prey warily, the boy was already behind her as he pointed his hand at the assassin.

"Minya!" The blades of yin fire formed as they zoomed towards Elsa, and one of them hit her as her hands crumbled. However, much to the boy's surprise (or so she thought), they regenerated quickly in the blink of an eye, and she took out her spare kukri knives before engaging the boy head on in combat. 

However, the boy had no intention of doing so, at least for the time being. He rushed into a room, and Elsa followed him quickly but ended up getting thrown into a pool of water as the sodium poured in, creating tiny explosions as the Bowel Hunter struggled to realize what was going on. Magnesium was also combusted near the pool of water, and Elsa immediately leapt away despite still being burnt. 

Taking advantage of the smoke and magic traps installed in the room, the boy leapt away from the room as he bumped into two people he definitely did not expect to see: The Shield of the Sanctuary, Garfiel, and Natsuki Subaru.

"Y/N! How are you doing?" Subaru asked in relief as Y/N smiled back, and the two enjoyed a bro hug moment before he filled them in on the current situation.

"...since Frederica is already out there, I think you should be help her, Garfiel. There's a mabeast user out there, and since you'll be on the ground, your divine protection would be a great help."

"Hm. Wha'cha think, Cap'n?" Garfiel asked Subaru, seeking for his new senior's opinion.

"Go along with Y/N's plan. He's quite smart, despite how he looks."

"Ok, got'cha." Garfiel then jumped out of the window, and Y/N seemed a little peeved about Subaru's statement, but he brushed that off as he patted his friend's shoulder.

"Go rescue Beatrice now, okay? I know you can do it." Y/N said as Subaru gave him a thumbs up, before running off to find the Great Spirit. At the same time, the Bowel Hunter finally fought off all the traps as she regarded Y/N with interest.

"You really are an interesting fellow, are you not? Besides from the Sword Saint, nobody could do this much damage to me. Well, let me do my part in this entertaining fight as well." Elsa said as she suddenly rushed forward at maximum speed, and knocked Y/N out of the window as the two of them dropped into the sea of flames below. 

The boy and the assassin both landed safely, and the heated battle continued.

The assassin stepped into the boy's trap as she realized tiny lumps of black material surrounded her in the shape of rings, surprising her. However, before she could jump back, the boy lit the coal rings on fire using Spirit Magic, and she yelled in agony before coming out, burned.

Although the regeneration was slow, she recovered, but not before the boy surrounded her with bones as they enclosed her, and she was forced to take out her treasured knives as she slashed through the bones, breaking the prison of calcium in an instant.

Seeing how the Bowel Hunter unsheathed her prized blades, the white kukri and the black kukri, Y/N unsheathed his weapons as well. Inen and Ryokyo, the Shadow Sword and the Spirit Sword, gleamed brightly in front of the fire as the two introduced themselves.

"Assassination Organization, the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert."

"Witches' Sanctum, the Warlock representing Deceit and Sloth, Y/N L/N."

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage.

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries: Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Chlorine, Argon, Potassium, Calcium

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, devil), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy), Bayanga- yin spirit (Great Spirit, succubus)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

Ul Akra- A yang magic spell that greatly boosts the user's speed and strength, allowing them to travel near the speed of sound and being almost invisible to the naked eye when moving.

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

???-???

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

El Shamak: The target becomes unable to control their bodies while under its effects.

Minya: Magic that creates stakes made of crystallized mana covered with light purple flames. They are strong enough to penetrate defences. Any stakes in the air explode and release smaller stakes that fly in all directions which then rips targets apart.

???-???

Murak: The user reduces the effects of gravity. Just by lightly pushing yourself off the ground, a person can jump as if they had springs. If the user wishes to, it can also be used to fly, although the user will get blown around by the wind like a leaf, but they won't flip around in mid-air.

Vita: The user casts this spell to amplify the effects of gravity, making an object heavier.

???-???

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

El Kilat: The user uses lightning to spread it throughout their body, increasing their reaction speed and movement speed. The user also coats themselves in a thin layer of thunder, able to direct electrical shocks into any opponent they attack.

Chapter Text

After we introduced ourselves, the final fight began as the two wicked blades met another pair, and we faced off with anger in each other's eyes as I unleashed a blinding light from the Spirit Sword, which allowed me to slash at Elsa with Inen, corroding her arm as it stopped her regeneration.

Unhappy with the results, Elsa chopped off a section of her arm as the corroded part faded away, while her regeneration functioned again.

"Cahya! Ul Jiwald!" I yelled as my Great Spirit of Yang Appleseed and casted the highly dangerous spell along with me, boosted with the spirit sword's power. The volley of lasers continued to barrage Elsa's surroundings, while blinding the latter in the process.

Elsa suddenly jumped out and lashed out with her black knife, and I quickly created bones from calcium, phosphorus, oxygen, and hydrogen as they solidified into ribcages that surrounded me, fending off the attack.

Since her black knife is only made for tearing flesh, bones should be a good enough counter for now. I formed helium hydride as I dropped it into the pre-made bottle, before throwing the acid grenade at the Bowel Hunter while she's confused.

The acid tore away at her flesh, but she used the same method to get rid of the corrosion to stop the infection. I charged at her with Ul Akra, but a burst of energy flew from Elsa as I was shot back onto the field.

"Cap'n's comrade!" Garfiel yelled as he fought off a few snakes. "You need some help?"

"No, it's okay, Garfiel! I have the situation under control!" I yelled back before blocking another strike from Elsa.

"Okay Th'n." Garfield said as he fought off another mabeast, and the battle with me and Elsa ensued. We fought further into the burning remains of the mansion, blades clashing as the walls around our mansion are being slashed. Alchemis, Cahya, and Bayanga were constantly trying to help me by unleashing some spells, but due to the speed Elsa and I were moving at, they really had to take some chances.

"You really are loved by this World!" Elsa said as she threw her white kukri at me, and I dodged, but not before she dashed behind me and tried to slash at me, but I smirked as I felt the kukri blade come towards me.

"Not only by the world, miss Bowel Hunter."

"Huh?"

Elsa was surprised for a second as she was suddenly punched in the face by an invisible force, sending her flying into the wall behind her, at least 200 meters away as her knives clattered on the floor.

"Imperceptible Extensions." I said as I unleashed the two shadow hands as they grabbed the diamond swords I formed instantly, and I held Inen and Ryokyo tightly as I readied myself for the Bowel's Hunter's assault, four swords at the ready.

The smoke cleared as I saw the assassin rushed at me with her best speed. A flurry of slashes sounded across the corridor as I struggled to keep up with the quick and skilled movements of the Bowel Hunter. Within moments, the Imperceptible Extensions were cut, and the diamond swords fell to the ground.

Elsa took this opportunity to attack me, and although I wasn't directly harmed, I was thrown into a wall as I got up, only to see the Bowel Hunter looming over me.

Terror filled me as I suddenly fell as my body exhausted the last of its strength, but not before I realized that my last trump card only came in handy when I cannot move. I called upon the pulsating energy within me, and imagined the inspirational source from this battle. Garfiel Tinsel, I'll be borrowing your weapons now!

"Imperceptible Extensions, Phase Two."

Shields.

My extensions suddenly pulsated again as they happily obliged, and evolved as I felt my body involuntarily stand up. Shields, made of condensed shadows, covered my front arms similar to Garfiel's while the extensions, replicated almost an exact same pair on its own. 

"Time to end this, don't you think?" I picked up Inen and Ryokyo again, and faced the Bowel Hunter for the last brawl as she smiled and readied her blades. 

We dashed at one another for the last time, and I used my full strength as I knocked my own blades along with Elsa's wicked kukris away. However, I still had my extensions. I performed an uppercut as the extension knocked her upwards, before the other extension slammed her into the wall and the ground.

Elsa now lay there, here regeneration stopping as it has reached its limit during this amount of time. Seeing that my opponent has also been demolished for now, I released the Authority of Sloth for the time being as the extensions disappeared and I coughed up the black liquid again, as the punishment for overusing the ability. At this point, Echidna popped in.

Y/N! Are you okay?

It's okay, Chid-chan... I'm just a bit tired after all the fighting...

You stupid idiot...even after I told you the other plan, why did you insist on fighting?

I just thought that this way plus your way added together might be more effective. I said as I stood up once again, only increasing my strength with Akra just so I could face my enemy, who lies on the ground, battered as she shifted her eyes towards me.

"You know what..., Elsa Granhiert, now that it has come to this, how about we make a deal?"

"A deal? Ha, what could you possibly mean."

"I wish for you and your sister to join me, and in return, I'll protect you from your 'Mama'."

"Huh-" The Bowel Hunter seemed shocked at the mention of the word 'Mother', as few knew of her existence besides of her children in the organization.  The woman looked at me in shock, but nodded for me to continue.

"I will protect you and Meili from here at all costs. In return, join me and let's walk the path of liberation, where you can experience a world free to explore instead of being bound by the shackles of fate that forces you to do something you might not want, deep down inside your heart."

"But Meili, what about her-"

"I'll protect her as well. As the one who is loved by the Witch and the World, I swear on the name of the Witch of Deceit that I'll fulfill my promise. I might be the Warlock of Deceit, but I all promises I make are genuine and truthful."

"I see. Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Huh? She actually accepted it that easily? 

"Well then, let's go end the battle that started, shall we?" I reached my hand out to the Bowel Hunter, who smiled as she took it, and the two of us limped together towards the outside of the mansion, where a battle still raged on.

Timeskippu*

3rd Person POV

Outside, the Gorgeous Tiger and his sister just finished dealing with the fearsome mabeast that Meili called 'Rock Piggie', and it was killed as Garfiel twisted its head off after transforming into his beast form. 

Garfiel immediately de-transformed after that, but not before he snatched the girl who controlled the mabeasts as he lifted her into the air by her neck.

"You're done fer now, you annoying girl." Garfiel said as he prepared to crush the girl's neck, but a voice stopped him.

"Garfiel! Don't kill her!" Y/N's voice came out from the ruins of the mansion as Garfiel saw him and Elsa together, which bewildered the young Demi-human.

"Cap'n's buddy! Why are you with that woman?"

"We made a deal. They're our allies now. Now, put Meili down, please." Y/N rasped as he coughed up a little more black liquid, presumably from the overuse of the Authority of Sloth. Garfiel nodded as he let go of Meili, who looked at Elsa in amazement.

"Is this true, Elsa?"

"Yes, Meili. We no longer serve Mother. Y/N has offered us protection. We serve him now." Elsa replied as she picked Meili up as she examined her for injuries, before laying her down as she nodded at her new master, who smiled as he motioned for them to make their way to the others, who waited at the top of a hill after leaving the shelters since the attack was over.

"Y/N-san!" Otto exclaimed as he hugged the boy who was severely injured, in a way. "You survived! And also..." The merchant widened his eyes as he saw Elsa and Meili. "Ey? Why is the scary lady and girl here as well?"

"Don't worry, Otto, they're on our side now." Y/N explained as a bright pink light suddenly shot out from the mansion, and flew towards the Sanctuary like a shooting star. "Subaru, you madlad... you did it...I finished my part...so do yours...as well..."

Y/N L/N, Warlock of Deceit, drifted into sleep as the battle at the mansion ended. His comrades, alerted by his sudden limpness, immediately tried to help him only to realize he's just asleep. With a smile on their faces, they marched back.

Timeskippu*

Y/N POV

"Argh!" I yelled in frustration as I got off Otto's cart, and unwillingly unsheathed Inen and Ryokyo, to defend against the incoming beasts. 

How did this happen?

The Great Rabbit, or rather, its last remnants, surrounded our cart as Meili desperately tried to control them, but it did not work. Elsa was busy hacking away at the rabbits, but they were multiplying faster than I could imagine.

At this rate, there will be a second Great Rabbit after the first one's demise.

What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? What can I do-

Wait.

As if the White Whale's flying seal resonated with another of its kind, I recognized the power being activated once again.

{Target has met conditions}

Ha...hahahaha!

No way.

With my last resort in hand, I aimed my left palm at the Great Rabbit as I let out the last burst the Deceit Witch Factor could offer me, and shouted the word that allowed me to take down another one of the Three Great Mabeasts.

"CRITICAL OVERLOAD, SUITORU MAXIMA!"

As soon as the spell was said, a large vortex appeared as the rabbits suddenly stopped moving, and an indescribable mana force surged into my body, while Elsa, Meili, and Otto watched in awe as I sucked up the mana configuration of the Great Rabbit. Then, as if they were not supposed to exist, the Great Rabbit started to disappear, one by one, and disappeared into thin air into pure mana. When there was only one left, it looked at me in contempt as I regarded it with hatred.

"At last, it's time for you to die." I said as I stabbed Inen and Ryokyo into its tiny body at once, shattering its existence as I raised my swords in victory before falling back into the snow. 

Now, finally...

...it seems that the Sanctuary Arc is near its completion.

While Y/N claimed his second victory of the day, the graveyard's inner sanctum pulsated loudly, although the outside world paid no mind to it.

A pink haired girl wearing a black robe, formerly white, raised her arms in confusion as if she didn't knew how to walk. Or rather, haven't walked for a long time.

"This body seems okay for now. Testing, testing..."

The Witch of Greed hummed to herself as she smiled, thinking of numerous ways to surprise her contractor.

Although, he probably already knows.

It doesn't matter. It's done now.

The Witch of Greed completes her resurrection.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage. (Current: White Whale's flying seal, ???)

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries: Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Chlorine, Argon, Potassium, Calcium

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, devil), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy), Bayanga- yin spirit (Great Spirit, succubus)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

Ul Akra- A yang magic spell that greatly boosts the user's speed and strength, allowing them to travel near the speed of sound and being almost invisible to the naked eye when moving.

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Ul Jiwald- the user fires a volley of light rays from their palms, raining down at the opponents at high speeds.

???-???

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

El Shamak: The target becomes unable to control their bodies while under its effects.

???-???

Minya: Magic that creates stakes made of crystallized mana covered with light purple flames. They are strong enough to penetrate defences. Any stakes in the air explode and release smaller stakes that fly in all directions which then rips targets apart.

???-???

Murak: The user reduces the effects of gravity. Just by lightly pushing yourself off the ground, a person can jump as if they had springs. If the user wishes to, it can also be used to fly, although the user will get blown around by the wind like a leaf, but they won't flip around in mid-air.

Vita: The user casts this spell to amplify the effects of gravity, making an object heavier.

???-???

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

El Kilat: The user uses lightning to spread it throughout their body, increasing their reaction speed and movement speed. The user also coats themselves in a thin layer of thunder, able to direct electrical shocks into any opponent they attack.

Chapter Text

3rd Person POV

As Otto's carriage entered the Graveyard's perimeter, the ones who had just won the battle waved to him as Otto waved back, and Natsuki Subaru ran over along with his contracted spirit, Beatrice.

"Otto! You made it!" Subaru said as he embraced his friend, and they bro hugged for a while before Subaru explained the situation in the Sanctuary, and also how they defeated the Oousagi.

"You know, Beatrice used this super cool spell called Al Shamak, which sent the Great Rabbit-" Subaru cut himself off while explaining as he noticed the two figures that came out of the carriage, carrying his other friend, visibly injured.

"Otto... what are they doing here?! And what happened to Y/N?" Subaru said as he looked at the people that once killed him in previous loops, and got into a defensive position as Otto quickly blocked him.

"Subaru, calm down! Let them explain themselves." Otto said as he looked at Elsa and Meili, who nodded and stepped forward after laying Y/N on the snow.

"After our battle, your friend Y/N offered us protection if we join you. He knew that if we failed our mission, our... leader, would no doubt kill us if we were to return. We accepted and are now under his command." Elsa explained as Meili nodded in confirmation, while Subaru sat down at let out a sigh.

"Just when I thought this day couldn't get any crazier..." Subaru muttered. "To think that Y/N recruited the Bowel Hunter onto our side... that's just insane..."

"And? Why is Y/N's clothes stained in blood?" Emilia said as she also came to examine the situation, and looked at her friend's unmoving state with worry.

"Uh..." Otto stuttered, struggling to come up with a good explanation. "Basically, when we were coming back, a remnant group of the Great Rabbit that probably escaped from your battlefield came to attack us. Y/N saved us with some kind of spell and killed the last rabbits, but he fell unconscious after that."

"I can't believe that we didn't completely eliminate the Great Rabbit... if Y/N hadn't eliminated it, all of Beatrice's mana would've basically gone to waste..." Subaru said in shock as he tried to comprehend the situation.

"Well, at least all of them are finished now, I suppose." Beatrice said as she sucked out some mana from Y/N's body, which pulsated weirdly as his mana was sucked out by Beatrice, while Subaru looked at Beatrice with a scared expression.

"Beako! Why would you do that to Y/N?! He's already injured, if you suck out too much mana, he might actually die!"

"He burned down Betty's library, so I'm only giving him the punishment he deserves. In fact, Betty could've gave him a way harsher punishment than that."

"Well, you aren't exactly wrong..." A voice came from the boy that was supposed to be unconscious, and everyone jumped as Elsa helped him up.

"Y/N! You're awake!" Subaru said in glee as he also embraced his friend in a bro hug.

"You're okay too, you crazy idiot..." Y/N muttered as he checked his surroundings. "To think that Vacuum Trigger would activate... did Beatrice drain my mana?"

"Eh? How did you know?" Subaru said, surprised.

"Well, that's also probably the reason I woke up." Y/N replied, but Subaru looked confused.

"Fine... I'll explain later..."

The protagonists unite on the snow of the Sanctuary, after a victory in the harsh battle they faced. However, the last phase of this arc has not finished yet...

Timeskippu*

Y/N POV

I ventured out into the forest after the long explanation about the events at the mansion, and also was forced to reveal some of my abilities. Subaru and the others couldn't be more shocked, while the only one who was calm was Beatrice, who understood completely what I was talking about.

They also took turns punching Roswaal. To be honest, I guess he was a very bad person, but he never directly harmed me in any way, despite being a burden in some ways. So, since I didn't hold a particular grudge, I just casted Kilat on him to shock him for a minute.

And no, it did not kill him.

I trudged through the thick snow until I reached the place where charred trees and ice spikes were formed, and went to the centre of the ashes as I discovered the charred and burnt copy of the Book of Wisdom, formerly owned by Roswaal. I picked it up before brushing off the dust, and pointed my palm at it as I muttered my original Yang magic spell.

"Reinigen." The charcoal and ashes left on the book left its surface and inside, revealing a clean yet broken book. However, I was satisfied enough with it for now, so I tucked it in a bag that I took from the house, and hid the bag under my thick jacket.

"Y/N-san?" Otto's voice rang out, according to my expectations. I turned as I faced the merchant.

"Otto? What are you doing here?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"I... Y/N-san, what are you doing here?" He said, changing the topic.

"Well, I came here since I smelled smoke and ashes and so I came to check this peculiar place out. I think some kind of battle happened here, but I don't exactly know why. Now, why are you here?"

"I-, uh, I came to take a walk as well, and just happened to stumble upon this place." Otto lied, as I knew he wanted to let a friend of his in Priestella to restore Roswaal's Book of Wisdom. However, I decided not to expose him, since it'll be in my best interests as well.

"Well, I'll leave you to your own business now. I have somewhere I need to be." I said as I left, going away to the forest. Surprisingly, Otto didn't follow me, and I continued walking in the snow until I heard Echidna's voice, who has been quite dormant for a while now.

Y/N, are you there?

Yes, Chid-chan. Did you need something? I think I can hop into the tea party now.

No, no, there's no need for that. Come to the graveyard. I have something to show you.

Well, I guess this is perfect, I have something to show you as well.

What is it you have to show me?

Well, Chid-chan, you also have a surprise for me, so I can't spoil mine now, can I?

Fine... come quickly.

Coming right over now.

With that, I ended the conversation link and enhanced myself with Akra as I dashed through the snow towards her tomb. As I skidded to a halt beside the giant rectangular hole that was the basis of Subaru and Emilia's Cocytus spell, I looked at the graveyard ahead.

Nothing seemed unusual, so I hopped into the hole before dashing to the other end in a single sprint using Ul Akra. I hopped up and carefully went up the stairs of the graveyard when I realized a certain pink haired girl was standing there.

Wait. "A Ryuzu clone? Are you Arma, Bilma, or Delma? Shima has a white robe now, so she shouldn't..."

"Not quite, Y/N." A different voice spoke through the calm demeanor of the clone, resembling Ryuzu Shima, but a completely different person on the inside.

I saw the eyes that reflected my own, and the ones with endless knowledge. My lips curled into a smile as I approached the figure, now smiling as well.

"Welcome to the physical world, Echidna-chan."

Timeskippu*

Echidna and I ended up staying inside the graveyard as we discussed about the future. For now, it seems that we had to part ways due to the current situation, and since Subaru would definitely allow Echidna to be anywhere near us. He holds a strong hatred for the Witch of Greed, mainly because she abandoned his contracted spirit, Beatrice, by giving her an impossible demand. Although, as sad as it is, I personally just thought that Beatrice might be too scared to face the outside world, and that's why she was indecisive.

"Echidna-Chan, there's still a thing I need to talk to you about-"

"Y/N, you shouldn't call me Echidna in the outside world. It'll simply be very confusing and dangerous for both myself and others. So how about... a name from both you and Subaru's memories."

"What do you suggest?"

"Omega. It means 'the end'."

"From the Greek letter? Sure. It fits the current you, I guess. To be honest, you aren't the original Echidna anyways, right?"

"You're partly correct. I was a copy of her soul a few years before she died, so myself and the original can be viewed as two different entities. Now, what did you want to show me?"

"Well, I thought those would be of great help to us..." I said as I first took Roswaal's copy of the book of wisdom out, now charred and burned. I then took out the second one, in near perfect condition, Beatrice's book of wisdom copy.

"I understand from your memories that Roswaal's copy was in the open, but how did you manage to get your hands on Beatrice's?" Omega asked, intrigued.

"Well, when I was fighting the Bowel Hunter, I stepped into a door by accident that has not yet been broken fully. I managed to somehow squeeze myself into the Forbidden Library, where Beatrice was being convinced by Subaru. The gospel lay on the ground behind her, and I squeezed back through the crack in space after taking it immediately."

"Interesting... well, I would say you did great, Y/N! With these, I can potentially restore my original Book of Wisdom, or at least one with similar powers." Omega said as I gave her the bag containing the two gospels into her hands, and she tucked them into her cape before she decided to leave.

"Well... I guess this is goodbye for now, then?" I said, almost about to cry.

"Don't be so sad, Y/N. We'll be in full telepathic contact the whole time. When the time is right, we'll see each other soon." Omega said as I accompanied her off the stairs of the graveyard, and began to leave. Just as I was about to yell my last goodbyes, she stopped abruptly.

"It seems I spoke too soon, Y/N. It seems that fate would not allow me to leave your side, at least for now." Omega said as she faced the forest, and Subaru came running out of it.

"Hey, Y/N! What are you doing here at the Graveyard? Come on, we have a feast! Otto told me you went here, so I came to find you-" Subaru stopped himself as he noticed Omega, and looked at me skeptically. "Is that a Ryuzu clone? What are you doing with one of them?"

As Subaru stepped closer, I suddenly realized something as I suddenly felt an aura emitting from next to me. Subaru noticed as well, and the familiar presence ticked him off on who he was looking at.

"No way, you! You're supposed to be dead!" Subaru said in disbelief.

"Why the harsh comment, Natsuki Subaru? Is it wrong for me to be alive?" Omega spoke, in a colder tone than her original voice.

"Y/N! Step away from her! She's not a Ryuzu clone! That's-"

"Why would I abandon my own contracted?" I said back at Subaru, as he looked at me in horror.

"You- Y/N! What have you done?"

"Me? I simply saved a girl who needed saving to give her another chance at fulfilling her dreams. Why are you acting so hostile?"

"I don't know what she said to trick you, Y/N, but she is not who you think she is! Echidna is a scheming witch! She's using you!"

"Subaru, you rejected Echidna because you thought Beatrice needed saving, right?" Subaru nodded as he looked at me, confused at what I was getting at. "Well, now it's Echidna's turn to be saved. And I have rescued her. I refuse to leave a girl who needs to learn more to be a better human being alone in a world with others like herself. If you cannot she that even she deserves help, then we have nothing to talk about."

"She's deceiving you! You can't trust her words!"

"I'm the Warlock of Deceit. Do you expect me not to know when someone lies?"

As Subaru struggled with a response, he glared at us as he pointed at me. "Y/N! I challenge you to a duel! If you win, you get to state the terms, but if I win, I will decide your fate and hers!"

"Challenge accepted, Subaru." As soon as I said that, a fist, invisible and fast, punched me in the face as I was knocked back. Subaru smirked as he thought I was confused, but he was hit with two fists as my extensions hit him as well.

We shot our authorities at each other once more, this time, my two extension palms stopping his fist. "The real battle begins now, Subaru."

The two users of Sloth clashed as the battle ensued.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage. (Current: White Whale's flying seal, Great Rabbit's infinite multiplication)

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: Y/N must have his own two arms attached if he wants to use this ability. If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries: Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Chlorine, Argon, Potassium, Calcium

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, devil), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy), Bayanga- yin spirit (Great Spirit, succubus)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

Ul Akra- A yang magic spell that greatly boosts the user's speed and strength, allowing them to travel near the speed of sound and being almost invisible to the naked eye when moving.

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Ul Jiwald- the user fires a volley of light rays from their palms, raining down at the opponents at high speeds.

???-???

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

El Shamak: The target becomes unable to control their bodies while under its effects.

???-???

Minya: Magic that creates stakes made of crystallized mana covered with light purple flames. They are strong enough to penetrate defences. Any stakes in the air explode and release smaller stakes that fly in all directions which then rips targets apart.

???-???

Murak: The user reduces the effects of gravity. Just by lightly pushing yourself off the ground, a person can jump as if they had springs. If the user wishes to, it can also be used to fly, although the user will get blown around by the wind like a leaf, but they won't flip around in mid-air.

Vita: The user casts this spell to amplify the effects of gravity, making an object heavier.

???-???

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

El Kilat: The user uses lightning to spread it throughout their body, increasing their reaction speed and movement speed. The user also coats themselves in a thin layer of thunder, able to direct electrical shocks into any opponent they attack.

Chapter Text

As our authorities' battle ended in a stalemate, Subaru used his only card left, Shamak. Unfortunately, his broken gate allowed the spell to form just one last time, and it caught me within the range. I broke out of it using a burst of El Akra, but Subaru was waiting for me as he scored his second hit using Invisible Providence, and I was sent into the wall.

When I got up, Subaru was already tired to the brim as he never possessed a lot of fighting potential from the start. So why did he challenge me to a duel? Does he really hate Echidna that much?

I dashed towards him as I reared my fist back and pulled a punch, but miraculously, he somehow dodged it and tried to grab my arm, but I shot an El Goa at him and rendered him immobile temporarily.

"Well, this ended quickly, did it not?" My remark made Subaru stand up again, but he was not in any condition to fight anymore. I sighed as I pointed my fingers at him, and muttered the first Yang spell I knew.

"Jiwald." The four beams of light rushed towards Subaru, but not with the intent to kill, only to injure. Although that was the case, the beams were suddenly nullified by a pinkish barrier as I saw Subaru's contracted spirit, Beatrice, appear in front of him to defend her contractor.

"Beatrice..." Omega suddenly muttered as she noticed her creation's arrival, shocked by the turn of events.

"Well, this isn't going as expected. Chid-chan, you oughta fix that Book of yours soon or we're both going to end up dead somehow."

"Look a bit on the optimistic side, Y/N, okay? Just don't attack-"

"El Minya!" Beatrice said as she raised her hand in the air, and 40 stakes of flaming purple arrows soared towards me, which was blocked by a diamond wall as the arrows penetrated it.

The diamond broke, but completed its purpose as I gasped at the power of Minya. To be able to destroy diamond without any effort...fascinating.

More Minya arrows came my way as I pulled out Inen and Ryokyo, and deflected the arrowheads with many quick swings. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my left hand, and I realized that it got hit by a Minya arrow.

"Damn it... but that's not that big of a problem now." I said as I broke the purple crystal part, and I started applying numerous atoms of calcium, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen until my arm's skin, bone, vein, artery, and muscle cells slowly repaired myself, forming a brand new arm that could move freely.

"Y/N... I thought you said you couldn't do that yet..." Subaru said as he stopped Beatrice's onslaught, but looked at me in amazement as I demonstrated a power that even I wasn't sure would work completely.

"Well, you improved as well, Subaru." I said as I nodded towards the part of his body where Invisible Providence would emerge, and he gave me a weak smile. "So how about we call a draw, considering that even Beatrice is here?"

"A draw?" Subaru looked at me as I nodded, and he sighed as he nodded back. Although he agreed to end, Beatrice looked extremely unhappy.

"Who do think you are to hurt Betty's contractor, I suppose? You should turn into a purple crystal right now to atone-"

"I believe that's quite enough now, Beatrice." Omega said as she walked forward, a serious gaze in her eyes as she stepped in front of me.

"A Ryuzu clone? No..." Beatrice looked at Omega as tears formed in her eyes. Omega then unleashed her full aura as an image of Echidna formed behind the current physical body of herself, and all three of us looked at it in shock. Beatrice recovered as Omega stopped unleashing her miasma, and she looked at Omega in amazement. "No way... is that you... Mother?"

"Beatrice... I see that you're still as feisty as ever, my daughter..." Omega said, without certain emotions that were not supposed to be missed. That was my job. Echidna lacks a lot of understanding in emotions, which is why she needs a big lesson.

"Chid-chan, you gotta try a bit more than that, should you not? You haven't seen her in 400 years, so be a bit more intimate, right?"

"What do you mean? I gave a proper greeting to her and recognized her presence-"

"You're her 'mother'. Or at least, she thinks you are. So suck it up and do your supposed duties as a parent. I'll even help you understand what you're supposed to do."

"Y/N, you can't just order me around like that, you know? Although I might willingly oblige, it's not really nice..."

"Chid-chan. I clearly remember from our contract: Clause 2, Line 5: In addition to exchange of knowledge, I'll also teach you about emotional knowledge in exchange for mana theory knowledge." I looked at Omega with a smile, who absent-mindedly looked away, trying to get away from the situation, but that was not going to happen.

"Okay... come on..." I picked up Omega, who was actually insanely light in weight. She struggled against my arm, but it was not going to work as I set her down in front of Beatrice, and she looked at Subaru in desperation to get her out of this situation. However, obviously Subaru would not let this chance slide as he shot his enemy a somewhat evil smirk, and Beatrice looked at her mother, trying to understand this complicated situation.

"Let the mother-daughter bonding begin!" I said with glee as I shoved Omega into Beatrice, and they ended up hugging each other, which started the long run of an interesting lesson on how to be a good parent, by Y/N L/N and Natsuki Subaru.

Timeskippu*

Omega and Beatrice sat in a corner of the graveyard, far away from Subaru and myself. My guess is that they had enough of the unusual lessons that we forced upon them, although my guess is that Subaru just did it for fun to torture Echidna for a little bit.

"So, what are we doing next, hm?" Subaru asked me as we sat on the stairs if the graveyard, gazing at the forest.

"Well, I guess you're going to get knighted soon, right? That is like the first step you'll do." I answered as I fiddled around with a diamond spinner, one I made for fun.

"Ya... I'm so excited to finally be an official knight, you know? That was my goal for a while... but what do I do after this?"

"The future has stopped showing for a while now..." I said, and suddenly, Subaru looked alarmed. "Oh, don't worry, I didn't lose my ability like I lost the one to detect your loops, but it's just that the significant information shown has decreased. The only thing I know now is that a great danger is coming."

"A great danger? What sorts?" Subaru asked, now curious.

"I don't know the details, but I need time to prepare." That's why while you get knighted and stuff, I'll go off on my own for a while."

"To where? What do you need? Y/N, as much as I trust in your abilities, you shouldn't be too overconfident."

"Well, I'll take Elsa and Meili with me. The goal of my journey is to gather allies. This will take a while, so I'll meet up with you in approximately a year."

"A year?" Subaru said, astonished. "That long? How are you going to survive that long in Lugnica by yourself? Even with Echid- no, Omega, Elsa, and Meili, that's so dangerous! Who are you finding, anyways?"

"Two individuals with potential. It'll be a bit hard to locate one of them, so I need all the time could have. Don't worry, I'll be back when you guys need me." I said as I jumped off the ledge, and walked towards Omega and Beatrice, who were talking as Subaru and I approached.

"-so the 'that person' deal had nobody in particular, because mother, you wanted to see who I wanted to choose? Really? Mother, although Betty would follow you as long as I live, couldn't you have been more clear back then?"

"Well, to be fair, it was an experiment, so..."

"Omega-chan, be nice to your own daughter, will you? Although you two aren't related by blood, you two are family, important people to one another. Don't end up regretting when you can't see each other anymore, you know?" I said as I lifted Omega, who squealed as she was hoisted into the air.

"I get it, I get it! Put me down right now! Y/N, this is really not funny..."

As I talked with Omega in my arms, Subaru found a nice moment to also lift Beatrice up and swung her around like a child. Only if nice moments like this could last longer...

Timeskippu*

A few hours later, I grabbed my pack as I slung it over my back, and climbed on top of my ground dragon, Fulgenta, who whinnied happily after I petted her head. Elsa and Meili rode a giant mabeast that I did not recognize, while Omega wore some shoes that I gave her.

"So I'm supposed to go where I was supposed to go? Y/N, I really don't understand what that means..." Omega said as she held the staff of the Ryuzu clones, confused at my previous instructions.

"You know the place in my memories? The little hut beside the river? Please go save those girls and bring them to me while I recruit another person that you're quite familiar with. By the way, one of the girls also have a meteor of yours, so it's important."

"Y/N, gathering girls? Don't tell me you're a lolimancer like Subaru now-"

"No way! Don't categorize me into that label just because of this event! Chid-chan, that's really mean, you know?"

"I'm just kidding. Anyways, it's time to go now, right?" Omega said as she checked the mana amount in her staff, and nodded at me as she wandered off into the forest. 

Chid-chan, be careful, okay?

Got it, got it, Y/N. Honestly, do you take me as a kid because of my appearance alone? I'm a 400 year old girl, I know how to take care of myself.

Can't have you dying on me now, can I? 

Well, I suppose that's true... anyways, good luck on your own journey as well, okay? I'll see you as soon as possible when I'm finished on my end. 

Gotcha. I'll see you then.

"Elsa, Meili! We're leaving!" I said as the blue haired girl and the assassin nodded and mounted their ride, before moving all the way to beside me.

"Where are we going, Y/N?" Meili asked excitingly, apparently a bit excited that she can finally go on an adventure.

"Well, we're getting some more comrades. I promised to protect you guys, so we also have to have some strong friends, right?"

"I suppose that is true. Anyways, who are we finding?" Elsa remarked as she twirled her kukri knives in her hands, which still looked a bit menacing, despite that she's on our side now.

"Well, our first target is..."

"...the third leader of the demi-humans during the demi-human war, a failed clone with immense knowledge on ancient magic. Sphinx."

As the liberators set out, gears were turning in the shadows.

Deep in the dark basement in the middle of Lugnica, an almost abandoned fortress in the Barielle territory, a pink haired girl that lost her limbs wondered about the world as she waited in the dark abyss for a savior.

In the middle of a city near Flanders, an assassin sharpened her kunai knives as she set out on another mission by her employer, determined to complete it this time.

A man gathered his followers in the dark corners of a city, hoping that they could thrive again once more. With their Witch as their inspiration, the Libra wait for the next judgement. 

A mage nicknamed 'Gray' for his lack of magic abilities, tried his best to understand a spell but failed, and sighed at the sky while fiddling with his box-shaped meteor, hoping there would be a day where he could escape his talentless life.

A girl who's followed by the Sword Saint, entered the city at the south-west of Lugnica, determined to find more followers for her camp as she remembered her nii-chan's promise, and was ready to begin her grand plan.

Little did they know, a certain Liberator's arrival would make their lives all start to shift, maybe for the better.

The curtains fall on the Sanctuary, and the outerworlder's ascension begins.

Authority(ies):

Authority of Deceit (Commonly known as Authority of Elements):

-Vacuum Trigger: An innate ability stored within the tesseract-shaped Deceit Witch Factor, allowing the user to spring themselves from unconsciousness when the mana fluctuations around them changes drastically, as a built-in self-defence mechanism of the body.

-Critical Overload: A mysterious ability that protects the user of the Deceit Witch Factor, causing them to unlock their true potential while their actions are coordinated by ???, helping them avoid certain death. This ability only triggers when the user is about to die and has a 15 minute cooldown.

-- Haywire Warp: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to warp the attack that will kill them, creating a tear in space-time to absorb the attack. Meanwhile, the abilities of the elements are unleashed and they will defy the chemical laws before the user decides to cancel their existence.

--Decagenso Rupture: A variation of Critical Overload that allows the user to combine ten elements into one attack, fusing them into a substance unable to be defined by chemical laws. Then, the substance explodes from the inside to spread parts of itself into the opponent's body, replacing their atoms with the substance itself.

-Pure Truth: Y/N's knowledge of the future. Although he claims that he can only know up to a certain amount, it is only a cover-up to avoid suspicion. This ability also allows him to lie without being detected (e.g. Crusch's divine protection), as long as it is part of his knowledge of this world's future.

--Veritas Oneiro Chunyu: The 'Truth Dream Injection'. A sub-ability of Pure Truth that allows the user to show others fragments of Pure Truth to get a better understanding of a situation or past. This ability cannot show the future.

-'Suitoru': A magic spell that allows the user to absorb a certain ??? of the enemy, making it their own and can be stored for later usage. (Current: White Whale's flying seal, Great Rabbit's infinite multiplication)

-Partial Authority Immunity: Y/N is fully immune to some authorities, while some still have a diminished effect on him.

-Scindo: The ability to split the Deceit Witch Factor into pieces to implant them in others, but the pieces can only be taken back a year later. Current Percentages:  Y/N L/N: 99.997%, Crusch Karsten: 0.003%

Authority of Sloth:

-Imperceptible Extensions: Y/N's authority also somehow manifested almost the same way as Betelgeuse's did. When activated, two invisible hands can be summoned to be moved around telekinetically. Penalty: Y/N must have his own two arms attached if he wants to use this ability. If a person is not considered as Y/N's enemy, they will see the extensions. However, another holder of Sloth will also see the hands, regardless of the previous statement.

Elemental Masteries: Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Chlorine, Argon, Potassium, Calcium

Spirits: Alchemis- fire spirit (Elder Spirit, devil), Cahya- yang spirit (Great Spirit, fairy), Bayanga- yin spirit (Great Spirit, succubus)

Magic Spells:

Goa- shoots a small ball of fire from the tip of the user's index finger when imbued with mana.

El Goa- manifests three fireballs around the user, and shoots them towards the opponent at high speeds.

Ul Goa- The user fires a large amount of powerful fire bullets. A powerful flame scatters when the bullets land.

Al Goa- The user lets loose a massive fireball, scorching away everything in its path. The bigger the caster's skill, the fireball hotter and bigger the fireball.

Ol Goa-the user concentrates by making a giant fireball, before compressing it to insane densities, and shoots out the beam of fire from their palms

Il Goa- Al Goa, but the user applies a homing technique to the spell itself

Al Huma- The user creates a sharp ten meter long spear of ice.

Absolute Zero- The user creates a vacuum in an area, by freezing the atmosphere to an absurd degree. By doing so, even time will freeze inside of that vacuum and no one is capable of escaping it unharmed.

Akra- A yang magic spell that allows users to enhance their physical abilities as well as sharpen their senses.

El Akra- A yang magic spell that allows the user to move extremely fast, almost becoming one with wind as they fill the user with mana in their nerves, muscles, bones, and veins. This technique is able to match Felt's Divine Protection of Wind

Ul Akra- A yang magic spell that greatly boosts the user's speed and strength, allowing them to travel near the speed of sound and being almost invisible to the naked eye when moving.

???-???

Jiwald- fires heat rays from the user's fingers.

El Jiwald- The user fires several rays from their fingers which are then brought down in a claw-like motion.

Ul Jiwald- the user fires a volley of light rays from their palms, raining down at the opponents at high speeds.

???-???

Shamak: The target becomes unable to sense where they are, however they can still feel the ground and sense what's happening to their body.

El Shamak: The target becomes unable to control their bodies while under its effects.

???-???

Minya: Magic that creates stakes made of crystallized mana covered with light purple flames. They are strong enough to penetrate defences. Any stakes in the air explode and release smaller stakes that fly in all directions which then rips targets apart.

???-???

Murak: The user reduces the effects of gravity. Just by lightly pushing yourself off the ground, a person can jump as if they had springs. If the user wishes to, it can also be used to fly, although the user will get blown around by the wind like a leaf, but they won't flip around in mid-air.

Vita: The user casts this spell to amplify the effects of gravity, making an object heavier.

???-???

Kilat- The user gathers lightning on their fist/ weapon, and slams it down at the opponent, creating a giant electric arc to shock and paralyze enemies.

El Kilat: The user uses lightning to spread it throughout their body, increasing their reaction speed and movement speed. The user also coats themselves in a thin layer of thunder, able to direct electrical shocks into any opponent they attack.

Chapter Text

Omega POV

As she exhaled a cold, mist-like breath, the beautiful sunlight shined upon the snow as a fantasy.

The dazzling light made her eyes squint slightly. Her hand was on the side of a standing tree's trunk, and she felt the rough bark on her palm. This was not an illusion, but the reality, a real touch.

She holds her palm tightly, closed her eyes towards the bright light, and lets the cold air fill her lungs and breathes it out again calmly.

"Sure enough, for hundreds of years without a physical body, I really am not used to any of this." The girl said as she looked at the road ahead.

The cold wind blew through her pink hair, and the girl with a tone that didn't match her appearance mumbled.

The girl has a lovely appearance, the blue pupils boarded a deep sense of rationality, a cute face that can not cover the noble and elegant charm. With just a single glimpse of it, you can perceive the extraordinary temperament of the girl.

Her young, immature limbs were covered by the girl's  white hoodie. Thankfully, her contractor was kind enough to remember to give her some gear before setting out. The leather shoes certainly help, but to counter against the cold was another question.

Despite wanting to scream her emotions out, she wasn't able to do so because of the weather. The forest in this area was completely covered in snow. The girl is walking in that snow, and her body is losing body temperature quickly. She begins to shake violently.

It has to be said that the girl's travel attire is a complete failure because of the lack of consideration.

"After so much work, ugh....! If you'll be frozen to death, it'll be hilarious..."

The shivering girl had a fascinating voice in her head.

Of course, the voice is completely different from the sound of the girl.

"It doesn't seem to be a pleasant imagination. Even under my current circumstances, I still have the magic that can burn off this generation. You might want to stay silent Sekhmet." Omega snapped back, slightly annoyed at the Witch of Sloth.

"Hey, it's not usual for you to sneak out during the night, what are you trying to find?  Of course, is this worth it for you DonaDona?" Daphne, Witch of Gluttony, commented from her coffin as she chuckled.

"Well, Y/N said this would help us in general, so..."

"No, Daphne-chan stay silent. Echidna-chan isn't malicious. Maybe just a little bit, right? You see, you're resurrection already makes you lose..." The timid voice of Carmilla came through.

The sweet irony and clumsy excuses continued. These two voices are neither the girl nor the lazy woman they first heard, rather, two entirely different entities.

Different voices followed one after another in the mind of the girl. However, each voices is intertwined with the intimacy and is somewhat related to the girl.

In contrast, the adolescent girls—— no, they're the 『Witches』 who have transferred their soul into the girl's mind.

White hair and black pupils, that Witch known for her beauty and her position now has lost her original appearance. Now, the Witch's soul is within the girl's body, it's resurrection in an incredible and unbelievable way. Not even her contractor, despite having so much knowledge on this world, knows how it functions completely.

In spite of the countless efforts she has made for this resurrection, despite the intricacies of the situation, she has been struggling. However, considering Echidna's wisdom and manipulativeness, she eventually overcomes the difficulties and achieved her goals.

"I have lived in the state of a spirit for 400 years and I've not even noticed the outside environment at all...... beautiful..." Omega said as she breathed out.

"The blame is on you for being intoxicated. Dona, you're so childish... you aren't reliable at all..." Sekhmet said as she chuckled from the back, and Omega sighed.

"I wouldn't prefer to be recognized as a child by you but really, I'm really speechless..."

In any case, soon after she regained her consciousness and completed her resurrection, she would soon be frozen to death. Y/N really should've given her a torch or something...

Although she prepared for it, she couldn't care much right now, and Echidna started playing with her fingers.

The stiff and cold fingertips made a slight noise, and Echidna's surroundings continued to ignite crimson. Echidna manifested a fireball, which was smaller than the palm of her hand, swayed while shaking, and the coldness of the frozen forest was successfully driven away. No one could possibly imagine that such a small fireball could have such a great power. Truly amazing. Echidna breathes out and realizes that there is no need to worry about the danger of freezing.

"The difference from my Gate is somewhat concerning. There seems to be no problem in using Magic though. Ahh..." Omega muttered as a chuckle came from a child behind her.

"The next time you use fire magic, and if you'll burn the forest down, I'll laugh." Typhon said as she gave Echidna a smile, to which the Witch of Greed did not appreciate too much.

"When this is over, the irony inside me will become really unstoppable. I have worked hard to make plans and strategies, and I've no choice but to play with my intrigues to bring you out. Now I must regret it."

The voice that she heard was the fifth person. Echidna sighed. The hand of the girl unconsciously stretched out to the bare neck from the top of the kerchief, where the only thing that emphasized her existence was jewelry inlaid with the blue pyroxene.

「——」

Grabbing the hard pyroxene necklace, Echidna was temporarily lost in her mind. From the appearance, it is clear at a glance that the piece of jewelry is a hidden treasure with unique power. It is a high-purity magic crystal block that has more than common sense. The endless magic volume is used up, and overwhelming power is stored inside.

Even if it is a magical storage capacity that is used by a thousand magical masters, it is hard to believe that only one piece of magical crystal can be used to complete it. But in fact, anyone can imagine that the capacity is completely used up.

No one would possibly believe that this Pyroxene Necklace could possibly store the souls of the remaining five witches. Well, maybe except her contractor, of course. He even insisted to cast some kind of protection spell on the necklace so it won't be broken in any attacks, which he did after some arguing.

It is the most troublesome to ensure this magic crystal and the container of my own spirit. After four hundred years of being a mere soul, it took ten years for the plan to gradually take shape—the moment when the goal was finally achieved.

"Echidna ! I said Echidna! Are you even listening !?" A blonde girl said as she yelled at her comrade, deeply insulted that she was being ignored.

"——I'm listening. Don't always be in my ear Minerva......No, it's hard to say whether you're in my ears or not. Don't you always yell in my senses. My head will hurt. Anyways..."

"Hey! It's not like you're our master ! You, show me next! I'm next!"

"Next......?" Daphne said, confused at what was happening.

Suddenly, the red flames engulfed the forest and the fire spread along the neighbouring trees.

Looking roughly, it can be roughly guessed that the fireball fired by Echidna had ignited the trees and eventually ignited the forest fire.

"This is so wrong. Y/N would surely disapprove this...sigh..." Omega said as she looked at the flaming trees in distress.

"What a good life, haaaa.." Sekhmet sighed from the back once again.

"What is this? It's not necessary to be overwhelmed by this level of difficulty and obstacles. Although the fire is indeed unexpected..." Omega said to herself, a bit lost at the current situation.

Right when she stopped talking, Echidna turned her palms towards the burning trees and closed her eyes.

"It's still burning......"

"Like I said, Daphne thinks... this thing is not the dream world that Dona Dona made, but I just can't interfere with the two things."

"It wouldn't be right..." Omega muttered.

"Big, big miscalculations......right?" Carmilla supplied.

"Dona, you set the fire ? Dona, are you one of the bad guys? Do you want to compete with Typhon?"

"There is no time for discussion! Now ! Faster ! Go and extinguish the fire! I'm serious!" Minerva yelled with urgency.

"Of course. Now's the time......Uh..."

Echidna suddenly felt a dizzy sensation when she was trying to activate a fire extinguish spell. The technique that had not yet been casted was also unsustainable and had drifted away from its composition

The technique that has not yet been written is also unsustainable and has collapsed from its composition.

What happened ? When the Witches were in a mess, Echidna quickly understood the circumstances.

"To manifest water during the usage of magic... It appears that this body is somewhat incapable of doing so..."

In other words——

"The fire will kill us." Omega said, but not before her contractor's voice cut in.

Chid-chan! What's happening on your end? Why do I even feel smoke in the tea party? The voice of Y/N L/N, Warlock of Deceit, entered the conversation.

"Then immediately, give me a go——!!" Minerva said as she cut Y/N off, pumping her fist in the air as Y/N regarded the situation, completely perplexed.

As the fire grew bigger and bigger, even the escape route seemed to diminish. Even before that time, even if she had not used this body yet, even if she had not done a little physical work for four hundred years, Echidna could only breathlessly fled to the outside of the forest.

"YOU SET A FOREST ON FIRE?" Y/N yelled as he panicked.

"The cruelty of the outside world is a bit different from my imagination..." Omega muttered, struggling to get outside of the fire.

Her body feels very heavy, and the cold air that collided with her skin would damage her soon.

Although she was being tortured by her own body, she thought that it was a feeling she hadn't felt for hundreds of years, it was exhaustion ——

"No, it has to be possible..."

"Chid-chan! Use that cloth I gave you and dip it in water! After that, cover your nose with it and crawl on the ground to escape! Why do you never search for the important stuff in my memories, like seriously, stop going to the ecchi stuff because they're interesting and look at the survival guides, please?"

"Okay, okay, I'm doing that right now..."

Listening to her contractor's words, Omega slowly crawled out of the burning forest. Fortunately, thanks to the desperate attempt to escape, Echidna successfully avoided the fate of being burned to death.

Despite the fierce flames that burned the forest, as long as Echidna consumes a little magic to manipulate the wind direction, she can induce the direction of the spread of fire. This is the most critical factor in ensuring the escape route.

"Unusual heavy snowfall and a burning forest......Isn't that enough? It's quite a lot for a girl with a piece of cloth, is it——"

"Take it easy. We saw the same thing......Don't move!" A voice rang out from behind Omega, and the seven people (present in the situation) turned to look at the voice.

"Hmmm...?"

Suddenly, Echidna was surrounded by multiple people, all men.

This, fascinating feeling the girl expressed, wasn't right.

Those people were all wearing the male costume. The group looks like a group that is emitting a dangerous atmosphere. There were eighteen in total. It was even maybe funny that the young girl was surrounded by these man.

"Hey, Chid-chan, are those... who I think they are?" Y/N said as he recognized their outfit from the descriptions he once read.

"Yes." Omega then faced the group. "I guess your purpose is the Oousagi......In other words, you're the『Corpse Scavengers』, aren't you ?"

"What?"

"N..？What do you mean?"

Echidna is silently puzzling in her mind, the men are as straitened as seeing something creepy.

Four hundred years ago,『Corpse Scavengers』had a reputation of some renown— the occupation, in short, involved finding places which had been attacked by Demon Beasts, and plundering all the treasures left untouched during the chaos.

Although their presence would be less prevalent than it had been during Daphne's lifetime, in this era, Demon Beasts still roamed. Of particular note was the Oousagi; while their rampage left no traces whatsoever of anything organic, anything else would be left untouched, leaving a perfect hunting ground for『Corpse Scavengers』.

"In case that there is a Witch to eat the rest, someone would easily be disguised as a Witch these days. It can be said that that's a clever way. For you, rotten food is the vocation." Omega remarked as she waved a hand at the men, who were surprised by her statement.

"Rotten food......？What the fuck are you talking about!?..."

Shaking his head, the man standing at the front took a hatchet and walked towards Echidna. There was a strong sense of killing in the eyes and a glimmer of fear for the little girl.

"I'm not completely sure about your business. But our life is on our side and it's already not easy, plus this fire......and now I find you here."

"Shut up, stop talking! Where are the other Elves ?"

"Ha! They really are stupid like you said, Chid-chan, to think that they still believe elves roams this area..."

"Despite this girl being really strange, it looks like she isn't that bad."

A dazed smile appeared on her face, and the girl slapped her ears softly. These movements implied the physical characteristics of Echidna.

Minerva was silent as she watched the situation in silence. Y/N stood by her side, intrigued by their meaning as well. In a while, Y/N understood.

"——Oh?" Omega said, suddenly interested.

For a moment, the man was lost for words at the sensation of goosebumps prickling up on his skin. The other men seemed to be feeling that as well; all of them were astir, talking about what was going on right now. 

The only person who knew what was going on was Echidna. She touched the Pyroxene necklace on her chest and tried to calm down the Witch of Wrath's outburst along with her contractor consoling her on the inside.

"Hey! Whether you're a kid or a youngster, don't think about using tricks on us......"

"That reaction makes sense. Our reactions aren't that different from each other. You basically want to catch me to earn some money, right? However, I just want to travel like this. So I want to propose a mutual solution..."

"Solution !？Don't you realize in what position you are to propose something ?!"

"Just listen to it. There is a way that we all will be safe and have a smooth life after this."

Echidna tilted her head and smiled while asking the man. The man sighed out of exhaustion. Immediately after revealing his expression that he could not believe that he had made such a response, he immediately said,

"Keep going and talk..."

"Alright, good, really good. My proposal is really simple. Stand in front me for thirty seconds. If you succeed in standing in front me for thirty seconds, I'll walk with you silently. Interesting?"

"Ha! What do you think this is ? Just your way of thinking, do you actually think we will be afraid of......"

"——From now on, thirty seconds. Go on."

As the conditions had been agreed to, that next instant, Echidna made a physical appearance right behind the Omega. With long white hair, and black eyes, she gazed upon the men.

「——」

The men stand frozen in front of Echidna with the expression of not knowing what just happened. In their eyes, they saw a girl who was about ten years old until suddenly a girl with white hair appeared.

Then before this question was answered, the men had fallen because of the successive changes.

"Oh... Oh..." One of the scavengers were shocked as they stepped back and watched in horror, disbelief on his face.

The man with the hatchet squatted on the floor. His eyes that were going back and forth in the void have lost their focus, and a large amount of white foam has emerged from the corner of his mouth.

Such things happened to not just him, but all men around Echidna began to become like him.

The eighteen people who weren't able to reach the proposal's goal were all unbearable affected by Echidna's wickedness and madness.

Grabbing at the neck, turning up his white eyes, spitting at the mouth, falling to the ground, blocking his throat with his tongue, cutting his head with a knife, and burying his head in the snow, the men went mad in a variety of ways.

"——Time is up!"

After thirty seconds of counting, Echidna patrolled around. The only thing is left are corpses, blood and vomit. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any Sages here, who could endure these thirty seconds of hell, and successfully obtain the qualifications to make the six witches their own.

"Ah... this is what you meant by people puking when they saw you. Shame. The amount of miasma you emit completely diverts their attention from you beautiful appearance."

"Well, thank you, Y/N. I guess this is a very regrettable scene. We could have talked a bit more. Well, let's continue to travel as I wanted. Also, allow me to borrow your clothes. They won't be used anyway." Omega spoke to the now dead group, and approached them.

Saying that, Echidna stripped the fallen men away and wore relatively well-fitting clothes and shoes.

"Can't hold on for a long time...? But now it's only a matter of getting used to it..."

Looking back at the fallen men, Echidna's eyes reflected the dark-haired teenager.

How could it be unusual for a teenager who was surrounded by enraged witches to remain in a state of calmness? Echidna is afraid that she herself is completely unaware of it.

"After getting used to things, I've to go to the city as soon as possible. I still look forward to have a cup of tea after a few hundred years, it be a bit different..."

Echidna turned around again and stepped forward towards the goal-less journey again.

Just at the moment they were about to leave, Echidna had a sudden gratitude for the men who gave their clothes and shoes.

"What I've done is quite disrespectful——I will always remember you all as benefactors in my mind..." Omega spoke with that tiny hint of sarcasm.

Inadvertently speaking, there is no hint of bullying, but mere facts.

Echidna won't forget their "kindness". Those who acted as 『Corpse Scavengers』 and who encountered『Witches』here won't forget this scene until their souls disappear.

Y/N, who watched the whole scenario happen, sighed as he shook his head in disappointment. It was unknown what it meant, since even Omega might not fully understand the boy's actions fully.

"Oh, now I remember again what to do... You noisy guys, let's move."

As the Witches within her brain responded to her voice, they started a leisurely journey towards their goals.

——The sky was bright as the sunshine was a blessing for the Witches who had not seen it for centuries.

Short Side Story: The Clones' Watchful Eyes

Y/N POV

Around 10 hours after the slaughter of the Corpse Scavengers...

I rode on Fulgenta towards the south of Lugnica, with the weather slightly getting warmer by the minute. Elsa was holding Meili as she slept, but the mabeast still trudged on as if it was being commanded. To be honest, that really is some awesome skill...

Now that I think about it, it was time that Subaru gets knighted, right? His ceremony should begin the night after I left, so that's about now. We had travelled for around 16 hours before Omega had her 'incident', but we're fine in general.

Since it was time, I guess the Ryuzu clones are going have to go to the party as well, right? Time to begin my next plan.

"Nect." I said as I activated the combined spell of Yin and Yang magic, and my senses connected with Ryuzu Bilma's, who went with Roswaal to the Miload mansion, where Subaru will be knighted.

"Oh! Y/N-bo, you're here!" Ryuzu Bilma said extremely quietly, and she distanced herself from the crowd to get a better conversation with me, the current Apostle of Greed. "Is the spell functioning well on your side?"

"It's going quite well, thanks, Bilma." I said to the clone, who smiled a little. I'm not exactly sure if it was because I was the Apostle of Greed or something else, but the Ryuzu clones always react to me with kind and warming speech patterns. Not that I'm complaining, but I'm just curious to why that is.

"Y/N-bo, is there something urgent that needs to be discussed? Considering that this is the first time you used it with us."

"Well, sort of. By the way, how many clones are there right now?"

"Arma and Delma are with me, along with the one Su-bo named Pico. Epsira and Garma are both here as well, with the rest guarding the Sanctuary."

"I see." I said as I touched my black obsidian pendant, and connected with Echidna, who was continuing her trek towards the destination.

"Chid-chan, you there?"

The pendant gave a slight glow, and my contractor's voice came through. "Yes, Y/N? Is something the matter?"

"I want to show you something interesting that I'm working on. You up for it?"

"Sure... let me settle down first."

After a while, Echidna agreed as I hopped into the New Castle of Dreams, where she waited for me. This plane was created only due to our contract and link, and it was different than the one in the Graveyard.

"Ready? El Nect."

As I connected my sense with Ryuzu Bilma, I added Echidna's consciousness into the chain as well as both of us started to see the image of what Ryuzu Bilma was seeing.

"Fascinating. To use Nect in this manner, although not entirely practical with other people, is truly a breakthrough for magic." Echidna said as she congradulated my success on this particular feat.

"Oh, by the way, here's something else." I said as I begin switching the senses of who we're sharing with, starting with Arma to Delma, Pico, and the other two as well. This shocked Echidna as she took some notes as I talked about the spell's construction and evaluation.

"By the way, Y/N, you had another purpose for showing me this, did you not?" Echidna asked, and I nodded.

"Yup. The reason of that might make you a bit uncomfortable, but I've located a suspect for you to beware of." I said as I switched the clone back to Bilma, and talked to her. "Bilma, can you please find the blue-haired man with a monocle on his face? I think his name is Clind, by the way."

"Okay, Y/N-bo, I'll go find him now." Bilma said as she ran for a while, but eventually found our target as she set her eyes towards him, and both Echidna and I felt a strange force as soon as he came into sight.

"Chid-chan... what was that?" I asked, suddenly scared by the energy that man emitted, and that energy was something only Chid-chan and myself can detect.

"I don't know, but I do have a theory for it. He has something within him that seems very similar to the Authority of Melancholy. I trust you know by now who Hector is?"

"He's the Warlock of Melancholy, right? He was also the reason you built the Sanctuary... because he was hunting you down for some reasons. Do you think he's still alive?"

"I don't think so. But that man has something very similar to his powers, does he not? Your memories told me that as the other world also suspects he possesses Hector's witch factor, do they not?"

"Well, I guess so." I said as I turned my eyes back onto Clind, and exited the Nect link as we returned to the New Castle of Dreams. "Speaking of the other world (my world), it's not your first time hearing about it, is it?"

"Oh-ya? What makes you think about that, Y/N?"

"You know various phrases from the other world, ones that were not even in Subaru's and my native language. Although English is popular, I didn't know that you could just know. From my knowledge, there has only been 4 other Outerworlders like me in history. The only ones alive right now are Subaru, Aldebaran, and myself. The only other two that existed were Flugel the Sage and Hoshin of the Wilderness, who founded Kararagi..."

"Wait." I suddenly looked at Echidna as I realized something. "You helped found Kararagi, did you not? No way... did you actually know Hoshin, by any chance?"

"Your speculation is not wrong, Y/N. However, the specific details of my relationship with him will be disclosed at a later time. I have to get on with my journey now."

"Okay, then. Good luck, don't die on me!" I said as I left, and continued my path while Echidna continued hers.

Echidna POV

As my contractor jumped out of the tea party once more, I looked at his shadow as he left.

You really are a fascinating boy, Y/N L/N. To think that your deduction skills and IQ could compare with my own, the 'so-called' smartest character from your world...

Maybe that's why I long for you... maybe I should go to seek help for Carmilla, really...

The tingling feeling I have in my heart. I think I have an idea of what it is now.

Is this, perhaps, what they call-

The Witch's words were not heard, but the meaning already sank into the world.

She began her journey once again with the other five, but with her contractor still hanging to her mind this time.

Bio Format, New:

Instead of our long as hell character bio per chapter, we're going to have only the new spells / authorities / moves / equipment / allies added in this section, and I hope you guys would like this better!

New Magic:

Reinigen (forgot to add this): A Yang magic spell that cleans off any residue from an object, removing any dirty spots and completely restoring it before the damage from chemical reactions sank in. However, if something is burned, it would just be less dirty, as this spell cannot revert the damage of burning or corrosion from acids.

Nect - A high level magic that enables people to share senses within the effect area by connecting their gates. If it is too weak the thoughts won't get through, yet if it's too strong people won't know where the line between them and other people begin.

El Nect- A high level Yin and Yang magic spell that connects another user to the chain of shared senses, which allows them to wiretap onto a situation that is already being used on by Nect, or can invite someone via gate connecting or soul bonding.

Chapter Text

Colette POV , 3rd Person Omniscient

Colette dipped her hands into the freezing-cold water, her narrow shoulders shuddering.

"Gha, it's cold. So cold..."

She rubbed her numbing fingers together in the water while letting out frosted breaths. The dirt clinging to her fingers slowly washed away into the river and she began to feel them again.

It was that time of the year where it was getting much colder. Colette's hometown didn't really get that warm to begin with; however, even if she was used to that, it didn't mean that she was immune to the chill of the Ice Season. To make matters worse, the air was far, far colder this year compared to the typical year.

Though adults would probably laugh it off as her being "cheeky" if she used a phrase like "compared to the typical year" considering she was still 12 years old.

"There, all cleaned up now. Still, it's so cold... I'm gonna have to hurry and warm myself up by the fire." The brown-haired girl muttered to herself, trying to help herself do her daily duties.

Colette drew her washed hands out from the water, then picked up her bracelet, which she'd left on a nearby tree stump, and slipped it back onto her wrist. With a shudder of her narrow shoulders, she turned back towards her small cabin.

She'd already gone ahead and kindled a fire in front of her cabin, having imagined something like this would have happened. Back when she'd still not been used to these kinds of chores, she'd ended up putting off lighting the fire until later. But because of that, she'd kept failing to light it due to her frozen numb fingers, and had been left unable to even get warm.

Nevertheless, Colette took those failures as a learning experience; one that would help her to spread her wings out and grow. She would probably fail again when she next unfurled them, but she'd use those failures as a learning experience as well.

Slowly but steadily, one step at a time. That was Colette's mantra.

"I don't need to rush since it's the Ice Season, though it'll be much tougher on me if I don't. So I'll..."

Colette began to walk over to her cabin so she could warm herself by her fire, all the while checking off the steps she'd done from her fingers. Then...

"...You there, do you perhaps have a moment?"

Suddenly, Colette heard a voice echoing. She stopped in her tracks, having been in the motion of heading back.

She'd heard a girl's voice, one which she wasn't familiar with. The village she'd been raised in wasn't that big, so all its inhabitants knew each other. She could immediately tell who it was when anyone spoke.

Since her voice hadn't matched any of them, Colette felt a little, or rather, fairly surprised. She nervously turned around to look at the river where she'd just washed her hands in.

However, surprise came to her in that moment in a manner that was far greater than her surprise at the unfamiliar voice.

"...Wha"

"My apologies, but it looks like I could use some help... The cold water's dropped my body temperature right down, and I feel like I'm about to lose consciousness. I may die, you see." A girl said as Colette saw the person's situation, and she widened her eyes.

The individual was being swept away by the freezing-cold river as she said that to Colette.

Colette barely managed to stop herself from letting out a scream, before hurriedly reaching her hand out to the girl in the river.

***************************************************************************************

"You have my thanks. I would have ended up drowning if you'd left me there. Or perhaps I would have frozen to death first? Either way, I would have died. Some people believe that freezing to death is an easy way to die, like falling asleep... But having actually felt what hypothermia is like when I was soaked in the river, I would say that it doesn't seem one bit easy, wouldn't you agree?" The pink-haired girl said as she pondered about something, and Colette looked quite flabbergasted.

"U-Uh..."

Colette felt overwhelmed by her companion, who was rattling on, showing no signs of stopping as they warmed themselves by the fire. But it wasn't like she wasn't showing a response to what had just occurred; her companion's face was awfully pale, and her fingers were trembling with cold.

Perhaps she was delirious, cornered down in both mind and body, Colette thought.

She felt sorry for the shivering girl, who was still showing a smile. She gently offered her some freshly boiled water, in an attempt to ease her suffering.

"Something hot to drink? Truly, you have my thanks. Restoring one's body temperature back to normal is the most important thing to do when dealing with hypothermia. It makes sense in that respect to warm one's body up from the inside. So, you had that kind of knowledge inside you all along, even though you look like you come from an environment with lacklustre education." The pink-haired girl rambled on again, and Colette fortunately found a point to reply.

"I'm not really sure about education. But like, even children, nevermind adults, know to give someone who's cold a hot drink, no?"

"...Right. I was the one being big-headed here. Then I shall gratefully accept your drink."

The girl brought her parted lips to her cup of hot water, then almost dropped it, likely because it was so hot to the touch. She breathed on it, and somehow started to drink from it.

"...What a strange girl."

Colette muttered that to herself, without even meaning to.

The girl had been carried in by the cold river. ──That expression alone carried a strange vibe to it, however the girl gave off an odd impression in many other respects.

She had long pink hair, and was wearing a cloak made for men, as well as shoes that didn't at all seem suitable for a girl as slender and petite as her. She looked to be close to Colette in age, and was probably a tad shorter than her. However, her facial features were quite attractive, so much so that Colette couldn't take her eyes off them. She possessed a beauty that was unsuiting to her age.

And, the most eye-catching feature about this girl's appearance was...

"Have my ears perhaps caught your attention?"

Colette realised for the first time that she'd been staring at the girl's ears ── At her distinctive, long ears.

Many different kinds of Demi-Human lived in this world, but amongst them, there was only one species that was renown for and wide for their long, beautiful ears.

"Are you an elf?" She asked, unsure of the other girl's meaning.

"The answer to that question is a difficult one. Certainly, the girl who I got this body from had elvish blood flowing through her; but, it's hard to say whether the same blood is flowing through her body when it was reproduced like this. If we were to dig more into it, then it's also a matter of which out of one's body or soul revolves as its main driving force. This body is elf, but my soul clearly isn't..."

"Erm, umm...?"

"...I'm dipping into my bad habits again, aren't I."

The girl finally answered her question, though Colette hardly understood what she'd said. Still looking around, the girl brushed her chest with her finger and then drew a breath.

Some kind of blue, glittering stone, which looked rather beautiful, was hanging there over the girl's chest. She held it pinched between her fingers as she mumbled "I get it, I get it" to herself.

"There's some really noisy girls around, you see. I'll go ahead and recognise myself as an elf here, so as to keep things going smoothly." The pink-haired girl said as she gave a slight smile, but Colette seemed to have realized something.

"...! Th-Then, could it be that you're much older than me?"

"How old am I? If you mean this body, then I suppose I could say that I'm roughly 400 years old."

"400 years old...!"

Colette had heard that elves were a species which lived for far longer in contrast to their looks. But even so, 400 years was quite a surprise; far beyond what she could fathom. Because, when it came to the topic of 400 years.

"Back then, was when the "Witch of Envy" was carrying out her evil..."

The girl's expression clouded over immediately after she'd let the name of that abominable "Witch" slip through her mouth.

Her expression could only literally be described as having clouded over. Colette felt deeply regretful, wondering if her careless remark had hurt her.

"Oh, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just that I had a few things on my mind. Which reminds me, I still haven't heard the name of my benefactor yet."

"...Huh, me? I'm Colette, and I live in this cabin."

"I see, I shall remember it, Colette. My name is... Omega. For now that'll do."

"Omega...chan?"

"I'm really not too used to people calling me by "chan". It sounds rather sweet, wouldn't you say? Although my contractor insists on calling me by a nickname..."

Not blaming Colette for her blunder, the girl── Omega gave her an adorable, yet relatively intelligent smile. And while keeping that smile on her face, she spoke.

"While we're on the topic of "sweet", do you have anything to eat? It seems like my once slumbering stomach has kicked back into life after drinking your hot water... I'm famished."

Though feeling unsure as to whether she was good or bad at relying on the kindness of others, Colette willingly complied with Omega's request.

Luckily Colette had a rabbit in her cabin that she'd caught just before she'd found Omega, so she began to quickly prepare it and cook it for the starving girl.

"Hm, Colette, for such a young girl, you sure know your way around knives, don't you? There's no hesitation in your hands as you handle the rabbit."

"My parents passed away, so I had to help out with adult work since I was small. That's why I'm pretty good at catching wild rabbits like this one. Oh, Omega-chan, are you okay with eating meat?"

"Yeah, I have no problem with it. Even so, rabbits, rabbits, huh..." Omega said as she pondered about the Great Mabeast that was defeated recently.

"...? What about them?" Colette asked, completely unaware of her new companion's thoughts.

"Nothing, it's just that I've had a recent run of fate with them, so they're like bad luck to me. Naturally, I have no problem with eating them, so I'm looking forward to it."

Since she was expecting from her, Colette determined herself to cook it properly for her rare, yet welcome visitor.

She really wanted to take the time to roast it with some herbs, but from the way Omega was lying on the floor, bursting with hunger, it didn't seem like she could afford to wait any longer.

All she could do was sprinkle some solte and peppa on it as she hurriedly roasted it on the fire, preparing it with speed in mind. The fragrance lured Omega back to her feet, which she did so unsteadily.

"Here you go! It's hot, so be careful when you eat it." Colette said with a smile as she handed the food she made herself to her friend.

"Oh dear, you mean that because you saw me mess up with the hot water earlier, right? Sure, I've been showing you a bunch of clumsiness for a while now, but that's because this body appears to be more sensitive to hot stuff than my original one." Omega clarified, hoping that the young girl wound not misunderstand.

In all honesty, Colette had no clue what she was talking about anymore. Nevertheless, Omega accepted the rabbit meat she'd offered, served on the bone. She breathed hard on it, before then daintily taking a bite out of it.

Daintily taking a bite out of it. It felt like a weird expression to use, but at least that seemed to be the only way Colette's eyes could describe it. Even Palmyra, who lived in the biggest house of the village, wouldn't have been able to eat this in such a captivating fashion, she thought.

"Me being washed away by the river earlier was also like that, but you see, I've been asleep for quite a long time. It's been a very long time since I stood and walked on my own two feet." Omega said.

"Really? Is that why you ended up forgetting how to swim?" Colette said back, now curious.

"No, I've never been able to swim. I was swept away by the river because I was trying to get some water to quench my thirst, and I slipped. My legs were shorter than I remembered them being after all...seriously, if my contractor saw it, he'll probably laugh..."

"You have a contractor?" Colette asked, even more intrigued now.

"Well, yes. He and I shared a common interest in something, so we ended being together. I could take you to see him later, maybe..."

She took another bite out of her meat-on-the-bone as she proudly professed that she couldn't swim with a shake of her leg. Colette's conversation with Omega was refreshing, considering she was used to passing time in idle boredom.

From what she'd heard, Omega appeared to be in the middle of an aimless journey. Frankly, given her age and her ability to handle things, didn't her travelling alone seem like a recipe for disaster?

Colette, though hesitant, offered her a proposal.

"Um, if it's okay with you, why don't you stay in my cabin for a little while? It's going to get way colder, so I think you should prepare properly for your journey."

"Hmm, I appreciate the offer, but even if I allow you to do all that for me, there's not much I can give back in return..."

"...Then please tell me a story"

"A story?"

Colette got a positive response to her proposal, thus taking away the reason for Omega's own hesitation from her.

She was an elf with a long life-span, who'd lived for more than 400 years. ──A being that was familiar with events that many living in the present had no knowledge about.

"It'd make me really happy if you told me some stories that I don't know... Like, for example, a story from long ago, from the times that no one knows about."

Omega closed one of her eyes and nodded as soon as Colette had asked her that.

Then...

"Indeed, people typically want to know, don't they? He was strange in that respect as well."

Colette looked confused, but allowed Omega to continue.

"My apologies. I was talking to myself. ──I don't mind. Talking with people has always been one of my favourite things to do after all. If you're okay with that, then I suppose I shall trouble you for a little while."

Omega gave her a small smile which indicated that she'd accepted Colette's proposal.

The Witch of Greed began her long speech of the tales untold and those lost to history, while the girl listened intently as the cold wind blew, the words drifting into the peaceful night.

Chapter Text

Omega POV, 3rd Person Omniscient

"The world was a tough place for humans to live in 400 years ago. Magic was an exclusive strong suit Demi-Humans and Spirits had, regardless of which country you were in. Humans even struggled at building fires."

Omega snapped her fingers as she spoke, making the flames of the fire dance.

A few days had passed with Omega staying in Colette's small cabin. In that short amount of time, this young-looking elf had rewritten everything she knew about the world, one by one.

At first, when she'd been swept in by the river, Omega had seemed to her like a bundle of danger. However, the way she displayed her knowledge and magic in these various everyday scenes had changed Colette's perception of her.

Omega was heedless, and an absentminded kind of gal to boot. Nevertheless, the reason she was able to keep travelling with a disposition like that was because she possessed the "power" to make it more or less feasible.

She could easily tell how powerful Omega was by just looking at the way she created fire, boiled water, chopped firewood with the wind and tilled the soil with a mere snap of her fingers.

"A knack for magic? Indeed. I would like to say that it's become possible for anyone to do this sort of stuff with some practise, but that would be wrong. Magic too is an art, so it greatly depends on the qualities of the individual. As far as I know, there are only four people in history who can do what I can." Omega said as Colette let out a surprised gasp.

In history, not in the world. Her use of that expression conjured up images of Omega's grandiosity in Colette's mind.

She was taken aback, gripped by Omega's face in profile as she declared that without showing any signs of laughing it off as being bombastic, let alone as being braggadocious.

Omega unreservedly declared that she was one of the best in the world, and not out of conceit. A certain word popped up in Colette's mind seeing her like that.

How would Omega react if she were to muster her courage and say it out loud?

"..If you've got something to say, why don't you try and say it?"

Omega said that in a quiet tone as she looked at the taciturn Colette.

While feeling like those clear blue eyes had seized her, Colette spoke that "word" out loud. As soon as she heard what it was, Omega gave her her most bewitching smile yet.

"Yes, it's like that of course. ──I'm quite the wicked witch you know?"

That was her reply.

...In other words, Colette's life had become such that she was spending her daily life with a Witch who knew about the days of yore.

***********************************************************************************************

"Why am I wearing a cloak that doesn't fit me, you ask? That's because it didn't belong to me from the start, I received it from someone else."

Omega calmly answered Colette's question as the latter hung up her cloak to dry, having just been washed.

Colette had a fondness for asking questions, and often pestered Omega for "stories", which had been the condition she'd offered her for staying here. Her overwhelming curiousity was something which Omega liked, considering she loved to talk.

"After all, most people tend to either ignore me when I'm talking pleasantly, or they'll forcibly tell me to shut up from the start."

"Really? Butbut, that's such a waste. Your stories are super interesting Omega-chan, and I love finding out about all these things that I didn't know about."

"Mhhm, that's good. Knowledge is a treasure that no one can steal from you. Whereas, with stuff like possessions, it's basically like, having more of them can only give you more of an edge in life."

There were many situations where not having knowledge would lead one to being compelled to take the long way around things.

Even the act of lighting a fire had been a struggle for humans, back when they couldn't use magic. However, that struggle had abated drastically when they'd been able to learn how to light one.

"With knowledge, you end up not having to risk your life in situations where there's no need to die. Naturally though, you mustn't let it become a waste of a treasure, so it does take talent to use it." Colette once again was intrigued by the Witch's words.

"Talent..."

"Indeed. Without knowledge, or, even if you do have the knowledge but lack the talent to use it, you'll just end up having stuff taken away from you. Like this cloak I own for example."

She pointed at her cloak that was hanging out to dry and continued the lecture she was giving Colette, as she washed stuff in the river.

Though she didn't have many of it, most of Omega's luggage had been borrowed from their original owners. That said, she had no way of returning any of it at the present, since they were already dead.

But then, they probably would have sympathised as well, since this had been their just reward for trying to steal from Omega. This world was a survival of the fittest after all, just like how bigger fish eat the smaller ones.

"Or rather, I guess saying "the strong devour the weak" is more apt. I prefer the saying "the survival of the fittest", but it's in my nature to want to use the most accurate one as possible..."

"You've been through a lot as well, haven't you, Omega-chan? Would it be because you've lived for so long?"

"It's true that I've gotten way more opportunities to learn given that I've lived for so long. But, the stuff I need to know keeps growing the longer I live on for. I don't think the day will come where I'd want to die, unless my thirst for knowledge runs out. In that respect, I feel like I'm able to enjoy life to its utmost."

"Errm, is that so?"

Colette was trying her best to understand what she'd said, but it must have been a difficult topic for her.

Omega batted one of her eyes shut at the girl, who looked like smoke was about to come out from her head. She then stretched up and turned her eye over to Colette as she continued with the washing.

"Colette, about that bracelet of yours..."

"...Oh, this? It'd end up getting drenched with river water if I kept it on while doing the washing, no? It'd be a real pain if it got washed away or started to rust: that's why I take it off."

It seems I found the meteor that Y/N was talking about. Omega smiled to herself.

She'd quietly placed her silver bracelet on top of a tree stump by the riverside. The bracelet itself looked a bit like it had some work put into it, with artisan patterns running down both its inside and outside. It felt like it had value in its own right, such that wearing it wasn't deserved by a young girl dwelling in a forest.

"You seem to have a pretty decent upbringing though, so where did you get that from?"

"This? This is a memento from my mom and dad. They left it to me when they died... That's why I always carry it around with me." Colette pointed at  the bracelet as if it was some kind of mystifying object.

"A memento from your parents? I see."

"They were working on a job that took them out from the village. This bracelet was something they brought back from the outside as well. I was really small, so I couldn't go with them. They left me at my mom's sister's... my aunty's house. I learnt so much stuff there."

She probably meant she'd learnt these skills of life, like cooking, washing and hunting there.

The trauma of her parents' death must have been like a scab that was still healing inside her as well. So long as no one tried to peel it off on purpose, the wounds would slowly heal until one day, she would start to not be ailed by them.

That was the passage of time people lived under. ──Sweet music to Omega's ears.

"Colette, since it looks like it's still going to take some time for you to do the washing, you don't mind if I take a short walk, right? Come to think of it, lately I've been doing nothing but going back and forth between your house and the river."

"I did drag you from the river to my cabin, but..."

Colette's face looked meek when she heard her proposal. Omega tilted her head in response to her hesitation. Her reaction seemed rather odd in regards to an approval for just taking a walk.

"Is something the matter?" Omega asked, since Colette seemed to be a bit scared.

"No, no, nothing at all. It's just, like, I don't think you should go too far towards the east side of the forest. They erm... They say that a Witchbeast lives there, so the villagers don't go near it."

"I see. The east side of the forest, yeah. I appreciate your worries."

Omega left Colette behind by the river to continue with the washing as the latter saw her off, and went for her stroll. Then, she stretched herself up as soon as Colette was out of sight.

"So, a Witchbeast's appeared in the east?"

She could safely say that a dangerous Witchbeast appearing there would be a life-threatening problem for both Colette and the villagers.

Witchbeasts were pure, unadulterated threats to most human's lives. There were many different kinds of them, and their danger levels all varied as well; however, they'd no doubt be a danger to the average person, regardless of what species it was.

As she thought about that, Omega's feet slowly made their way to the "East Side" of the forest.

Of course, it wasn't like Omega was trying to disregard Colette's words of warning for no reason.

Though perhaps surprising, her warning made Omega feel unexpectedly grateful for Colette's kindness. If a girl with such pluckiness as her's was terrified of a Witchbeast, then she'd be willing to get rid of it.

However...

"...Hmm."

Omega came out into a small clearing in the east side of the forest. She gently stroked her pink hair, narrowing her eyes at the spectacle in front of her.

──Before her, lay slightly frosted ground, and atop it she could see some scattered piles of stones. There must have been more than thirty of them there, more or less.

If it had just been one or two of them, she could have dismissed them as being the work of a child's playfulness, but a deeper meaning started to take root with so many in one place.

Considering there were so many piles of stones that had been carefully stacked, their purpose was clear.

This place was a...

"...Who are you?" A voice rang out behind her, containing slight fear and menace.

Omega didn't show any particular signs of surprise at having heard a voice calling out from behind her.

She'd been able to sense that someone had been approaching her by the sound of their footsteps as well as their scent. What she hadn't expected was that her opponent had called out to her. She'd been sure that they would have attacked her without bothering to exchange any dialogue.

"First things first, I hold no animosity towards you. I'd just like to put it out there that the reason I treaded in here was, well, it was on purpose, but not out of ill will. Oh, that reminds me, I don't have any kind of weapon on me, so I'm going to slowly turn around now. You aren't going to freak out, right?"

"...Just quit your damned babbling and turn yourself around." The girl said as she demanded.

Omega held her hands up, showing she wasn't hostile, and then closed her mouth as well, so to show her opponent that she was doing exactly as they'd said. After that, she slowly turned back where she stood.

"...Never seen you before."

A tall girl looked down at Omega as she said that.

She was dressed in black clothes, had long dark hair, and was rather pretty. However her sanpaku eyes were incredibly sharp, giving her an awfully piercing impression.

"Hmm." Omega regarded the girl, unsure of what to say.

Just after she'd finished processing her initial impressions, she noticed that the girl in front of her wasn't that old either. At most she was fifteen years old; thus there didn't seem to be much of an age difference between her and Colette. The only differences in their impressions came from her atmosphere and height.

"What's with that reaction. You're such an irritating girl."

"Aren't you the one being awfully snappy at a young girl that you've just met? Besides..."

"What?" The girl snapped again, annoyed at Omega.

"I mean, the fact that you're carrying around something like that was quite a shock for me too you know."

She'd realised from the signs she'd felt when she'd walked up behind her── Mostly from its stench; that held within the arms of the girl with the baleful eyes was something really shocking.

Namely, the cadaver of a living creature that had been wrapped up in white cloth.

It must have once been in decent shape she thought, but right now it didn't retain any of that.

"That's far too much of an overkill to call it hunting. Doing that would have ended up ruining both its flesh and hide. The way you went about it would be awful for securing them for their pelt or as food. Even so..."

Omega first trailed her words off and then continued, all the while examining the girl's reaction.

"If you're just killing them for the sake of it, then I won't say anything to you." Omega said, showing her clear disdain.

"──. Don't speak to me like you know everything."

Sullenly flinging those words at her, the girl made her way past Omega, and placed the cadaver on the ground── Or rather, maybe she ought to call it something that was once a rabbit. Regardless, she placed it on the ground and began to dig a hole with the Habou she'd brought along.

(Note: Habou, literally a digging stick, was an instrument used to dig out root crops and digging holes for the seeds for various grains. Basically an ancient shovel.)

She buried the body, covered it with soil and piled stones on top of it. ──As she looked at her doing this, Omega was convinced that the impression she'd harboured at the start wasn't a mistaken one.

Just like she'd mused, this place was a graveyard. The remains of many critters must have been buried beneath the piles of stones, just like the rabbit from now, to be memorialised.

"I've been around graves a lot too after all."

"...Who are you? Where did you come from?"

The girl finished her burial work, stood up, and asked that from Omega.

There was quite an intensity about her in not bothering to hide her bloodstained hands. It felt to Omega like she was going to end up in this graveyard along with them if she screwed up her reply.

Omega vied for friendly relations, hence she introduced herself, though not specifically due to the aforementioned reason.

"I am Omega, I'm pretty much a travelling vagrant. I just happened to drop by in the vicinity en-route down the river. I won't be staying long so I hope you won't be too harsh on me."

"A traveller, huh. At your age... No, rather, those ears of yours... are you an elf?"

Noticing Omega's distinctive ears, the girl's face turned to one of open discomfort. It made sense that a strong tide of discrimination remained towards elves in this era, even so, her reaction seemed different to usual ones. She must have had still another reason for despising elves── However, before Omega could question her about it, she'd begun to walk back the way she'd come, with her hands still stained with blood.

"Sorry to barge in, but the river's over there if you're looking to wash your hands."

"...You said you wouldn't be staying long, right? Take my advice and kindly hurry up and leave this place."

"I'm not really catching what this talk is about. I guess I must suck at this?"

The girl paid no heed to her casual chit-chat and started to walk away from the river without pause. And, just before the back of her slipped out of sight, she spoke up,

"Because if you don't, then you too will eventually be torn apart by the "Beast"."

The girl left behind only those words before her figure vanished from Omega's sight.

"...A "Beast", she says." Omega hummed as she pondered the information her contractor passed onto previously, and smiled.

"Well, the Book also needs some fixing, so after that happens, we can go on the path we want." Omega said to the air, wondering how her contractor is doing as she returned towards Colette's cabin, intrigued at how the future would unfold.

Chapter Text

Omega POV, 3rd Person Omniscient

"So that's what she told me; do you happen to know anything about it, Colette?"

Omega told Colette about what had happened in the east of the forest as they had dinner by the fire. Colette puffed out her cheeks as she listened to her story, sipping from her vegetable soup.

"I did tell you not to go to the eastern side of the forest..." Colette said, a bit irritated.

"Did you? Ah, you did. However I thought that I could help if you were having problems with a Witchbeast, considering that I can deal with most of them. That said, I didn't come across a Witchbeast, but rather a girl with a look so terrible in her eyes, that it almost looked like a Witchbeast's."

"...I think you mean Palmyra's."

Was it actually an honour for said person to be pinpointed merely by the terrible look to their eyes? The boy Omega knew, who had the same terrible look, would definitely complain loudly and say it was disgraceful.

"I rather think there's a charm to it... But, well, the feelings of others are things that can't be inferred by other people no matter where you go, so I suppose it can't be helped." Omega said, completely off-topic that Colette once again, had no idea what she was talking about.

"So, um, what did you talk to Palmyra about?"

"I didn't really manage to have a proper conversation with her... Though, yeah, she told me to not stay long and hurry up and leave the forest if I valued my life." Omega shrugged.

"──hk! That's so...!"

Colette raised her voice in a flash and stood up from where she was sitting. The bowl that had been resting on her lap toppled over, spilling its soup down onto the ground.

"Isn't that boiling hot Colette? We ought to cool it down with some water as soon as possible..."

"That's so... That's so selfish of her! Why would Palmyra do something like that..."

Speaking rapidly, Colette turned her quivering eyes towards Omega.

"Hey, Omega-chan, you're not going to leave, right?"

Colette asked her that, not even paying any heed to how hot the soup was that had spilled onto her lap.

She wasn't lending her ears to the words that girl── Palmyra had said. She only wanted Omega to stay with her. However, that wish couldn't be granted by Omega. Or at least, it's not time yet. Y/N said to let things play out, and Echidna had no intentions of breaking that promise after she agreed.

"I'm glad about how you feel, but I wasn't planning on staying long from the start. My body's in far better shape thanks to these past few days. I'd like to repay you for your kindness, so I'd hope to at least take care of that Witchbeast in the forest, or whatever it is."

"..."

"Colette?"

Omega frowned at the fact she hadn't gotten any sort of response from her, of either affirmation or denial. Then, after she'd called out her name, Colette let out a short sigh and said, "Oh."

"Y-Yeah, right. Yeah, of course. From the beginning, you were just dropping in for a short while, so it's only natural that you'd leave for another journey. It's only natural."

The way she was saying it felt more like she was convincing herself rather than telling Omega. Then, Colette picked up her dishes and cleared them away, still half-eaten.

Omega was lost for what to say to Colette, who had an air of tension about her. Despite that, she flashed Omega a smile as she cleared away her dinner, and said,

"It's alright, Omega-chan. I'm lonely, but not that lonely. So..."

"'Feel free to set out on your journey'? Well, that's what I'm planning on doing, but..."

"Yeah, go for it. That would be great. Definitely, it's for the best."

After she said that, Colette turned her back away from Omega. Her small back looked pitiful, but it wasn't like she could say anything to her, so she kept her silence.

She kept her unforgiving, ruthless silence.

Unable to process what just happened, Omega remembered Y/N's lesson on emotions and telling his contracted to understand it. And so, it was at this moment that Omega knew, she-

"..."

That night, Omega slowly woke up on her bed.

In all honesty, getting up wasn't a strong point of hers. She didn't think this was an issue with her body, but rather one with her soul. When she thought back to it, she'd never been great at getting up, even when she'd had her own body.

She hadn't been aware of it, but perhaps it was down to what they called 'low blood pressure'.

How strange it was that even changing the receptacle of her soul didn't solve her issues with her blood pressure one bit. But now wasn't the time to think about the relation of souls and blood pressure.

"...It's not here."

Her crude bed was just a blanket spread out on the floor. Her blue pyroxene, which should have been near her pillow, was nowhere to be seen. Omega typically wore it as a necklace, with it attached to a string; though naturally she took it off when going to sleep. She remembered doing that tonight before sleeping as well.

"Colette?"

A lick of flame came alight from Omega's raised fingers inside the pitch black cabin. There was no sign of Colette in the bed next to hers, and her cloak, which should have been hanging on the wall, was also nowhere to be seen.

Colette had vanished, and so had her pyroxene. This relationship between cause and effect probably went without saying.

"No way, it's hard to imagine she was out for money."

Omega rubbed her weary eyes and hurriedly put her cloak on, before stepping outside of the cabin.

The forest air at night was chilly, and her misty breaths sapped away the strength from her legs. But she didn't have the option to abandon her pyroxene and go back to bed. ──She couldn't part with it. It was one of her most important things in the world.

As she began to walk, a sound rattled Omega's eardrums── She could hear a howl off in the distance.

The howl had come from deep within the forest. It had been sharp, seeming to reach o'er yonder of the chilly night sky. As soon as Omega heard it, the word "Beast" flashed through her mind.

"Not a Witchbeast, a "Beast", huh."

Omega recalled the state Palmyra had been in when she'd left her those words, and then took another step forward. There was no doubt as to where she was headed. ──The eastern forest.

Omega narrowed her eyes as she entered the clearing she'd visited during the day, with the cemetery within.

The scent of blood filling her nostrils lay thicker compared to what she'd smelled during the day. Probably because of all the fresh blood that had newly been splattered around the graveyard.

"Hmm."

Omega gave a curt nod of her chin as she gazed at the graveyard, which was now dyed in red.

The flesh and blood that was scattered around must have belonged to animals that lived in the forest. At a glimpse, the scene looked gruesome, however none of the flesh and blood there appeared to be human. Could that have been an expression of the "Beast's" conscience?

"Or perhaps it already decided on its first target."

Omega slowly took a look around the graveyard and the cadavers. The light of the moon was obstructed by heavy clouds, and the ground was shrouded in a darkness so still, that it would make anyone want to die.

──Yet the host of fireballs that Omega had conjured cut through the darkness without relent.

They became quite literally lamplights that laid bare the state of the bloodstained surroundings. That, and it was nothing short of an act of despicableness for those who dwelled in the darkness, who held no love for light.

"──ϡ ϡ!!"

The "Beast" came flying out from the veil of darkness, letting off a ferocious howl.

It thundered towards Omega at razor-sharp speed and threw its claws at her with tremendous force. She'd surely end up like the flesh and blood scattered around them if she ended up on the receiving end of its attack.

Having said that, Omega didn't have the finesse to dodge these attacks quickly enough. In regards to her physical ability, she was as delicate and frail as a child, just like she looked.

Though, despite being slender, she was still made from different stock than your atypical half-elf, that could break even boulders by hitting them.

"My my, that reminded me of someone I dislike."

Omega's face soured a few moments before its claws stuck into her head, as memories flashed through her mind.

The speed which significant thoughts flash by at was far quicker compared to actually moving her body. There were some theories that stated that the flashbacks that appear on the verge of death were lookup operations which the brain, caved by the risk of death, did, using one's own memories to find a way to escape from the situation at hand.

That's just how overwhelming the speed of her thoughts was. The claws of the "Beast" still hadn't reached Omega, even as she finished with her absurd intrusion of thoughts.

──Thence, a protective wall of earth easily got in the way of her enemy's attack.

"Dona."

She didn't actually need to recite the incantation. If anything, the wall of earth rose up far quicker than the movement of her lips. Even so, she'd still bothered to chant it because she liked to put stuff that happened into words.

The "Beast" was thrown up from underneath by the rising wall of earth, and was blown up into the night sky. Its small shadow spun round and round; however, it quickly kicked out at a nearby tree branch, stopped itself from spinning, and fell back to earth. It skilfully protected its head and back from the fall, landing on the ground on its own four limbs. Not too shabby.

However...

"Didn't I hit you a moment ago using that very same earth?"

There was no way it was going to best her attack with a mere stopgap countermeasure.

Her attack commenced before the "Beast", who had now landed on the ground, made its next move. Once again, the earth writhed, and this time it swallowed the "Beast's" limbs within, pinning it down.

"──ϡ ϡ!?"

With its arms and legs swallowed all the way up to its knees and elbows, it had absolutely nowhere left to place its strength. An earthen stake savagely rose up towards the exposed belly of the pitiful, struggling "Beast", as it lay unable to move.

"──ϡ ϡ"

"Using everything around as tools is where you really get to show off your skills as a mage. Wind, earth, fire, water; all of it under my spell. ──This must be how it feels like to make the world your enemy."

Omega muttered those words out without any real emotion as she unleashed her vicious blow. Receiving it, the "Beast" was struck in its belly. It gulped down a roar of pain, and lifted its face up, baring its fangs.

"──ϡ ϡ"

"Hmm, you still look lively, don't you? Shall we perhaps do two or three more of these?"

Omega closed one of her eyes as she looked at the lively, howling "Beast", and then she pointed her palm at it.

Her earthen stake had punched against its guts, albeit she had rounded its tip before she'd unleashed it, to go easy on it. However, perhaps it'd be easier for her to fire off a sharp one into it. For now, if she had to resort to bloodshed to stop its movements, then...

"...That's enough already!" A sharp voice rang out from behind her, and Omega looked at the girl in surprise.

Omega had tried to stick her palm out and unleash a barrage of attacks on it. However, she was stopped in her tracks.

Reflected in her cold, blue eyes was first the struggling "Beast", whose limbs were caught in the ground, and then the girl who'd stood in front of the "Beast" to protect it── Palmyra.

Large tears were welling up in her round eyes as she glared at Omega.

"What are you doing?" Omega asked, confused at why Palmyra is defending the creature.

"I beg you, enough already! Don't you think there's no need to go any further!?"

"It's up to you if you can't bear to watch, but I cannot help but feel that it would be irresponsible of me to leave this be. I imagine that in the first place, they must have been a bother for you too, right? You must have been shunning the "Beast"." Omega replied, flawless logic in her words.

"No! As if I'd ever think "I want you to kill the Beast!"

Palmyra turned around as tears streamed down her face, disregarding Omega's words with a snarl. Then she wrapped her arms around the shackled "Beast", pulling it into a tight embrace.

"I never wanted to turn Colette into a "Witch". I wanted to help her!"

She desperately shouted that as she continued to embrace the "Beast"── Rather, Colette.

A/N: By the way, I'll release a new bio at the end of every arc, to show Y/N's overall growth.

That way, we don't need 1000 word-long bios at every chapter. :)

Chapter Text

...All the strange things about this had been visible, in various respects, from the start.

The way Colette lived, for example. Why would a girl of only 12 or 13 years of age be living alone in a ramshackle cabin in a forest right next to a village? She had told her that her parents had passed away, but she was still too young to be living on her own.

She was precisely at the kind of age where the villagers ought to be looking after her, given that she'd been born in its vicinity. Communal life wouldn't be possible if not for the spirit of people mutually helping each other out.

If they weren't going to help her out, then that meant...

"The very fact that a young girl has ended up living in a ramshackle cabin in the forest is proof that Colette is shunned by the people of the village. She can't get any help from the adults, so she's had no choice but to live on her own. Though, surprisingly enough, it seems like she's been living quite a strong life." Omega concluded, realizing the situation that Y/N hinted to her days ago.

She'd acquired her cooking and hunting skills back when her parents were alive. Despite not receiving any love from the villagers, the love she'd received from her parents had kept her from dying.

However, having been shunned and turned away from her village, the girl's loneliness had attracted a different problem.

Namely, the issue which Palmyra had shouted at her...

"...A Witch? This sure is a fateful thing."

Colette's living circumstances, the presence of the "Beast" which Palmyra had told her about, as well as the word: "Witch" that she'd cried out as she embraced the struggling Colette.

The whole picture surrounding this snowy forest became clear from the fragmented pieces.

There'd been a downwards spiral, wrought by the fear they'd held against the unavoidable "Witch".

"It started when Colette's parents died."

Palmyra let go of Colette as she twisted her body with a bestial roar, and began to talk.

The death of Colette's parents. ──That had been the trigger for the collapse of everything.

"Colette's house was attacked by a Witchbeast. Both of her parents were killed, leaving only Colette behind..."

The house was left in a dreadful state, and Colette's parents, having been attacked by the Witchbeast, had apparently been left in a state so terrible, that no one could bear to look at them. Palmyra had said that Colette had ended up being the only one to survive in this bloody house.

Colette had afterwards been taken in by one of her relatives in the village and begun to live there.

However, tragedy wasn't going to let her escape.

"The Witchbeast hadn't overlooked Colette after it failed to kill her. It found the house that had taken Colette in and..."

"Sunk its fangs into that family, I imagine. ──Witchbeasts are the nemeses of mankind. It's really no wonder that there's some around that show such guile if it's for the sake of killing or maiming."

"...The harm the Witchbeast brought didn't end only with that. It went on, and on."

The Witchbeast had kept pursuing Colette without showing signs of relenting.

Tragedy struck each house every time that Colette was taken into them. ──Despite that, the Witchbeast had never bothered to kill Colette.

As the damage spread, no matter how kind of heart the villagers were, they became unable to keep her. They perceived the presence of the girl named Colette as a burden.

"In the end, they got so spooked out, to the point that no one would take Colette in. The opposite in fact, they drove her away to a small forest cabin... It was like she was..."

"...A human sacrifice."

Omega took over for Palmyra as she choked for words.

Palmyra's expression stiffened as soon as she heard her. She was a rather innocent girl, unlike what you would imagine from her face. You could perhaps say that she was good of heart, in stark contrast to her upbringing.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but say it was a meaningless sentimentality when compared to the facts at hand.

"When you consider it from the perspective of protecting the village, they must have thought that offering Colette as a sacrifice would have resulted in less damage, compared to defeating this dangerous Witchbeast. It's only natural, from a risk management point of view." Omega pointed out.

Rituals where sacrifices were offered, to pray for things such as good weather and bountiful harvest, have been carried out everywhere throughout the course of history.

In all honesty, Omega couldn't see the validity in offering sacrifices to unwilling enemies. However, if said enemy presented a concrete threat, then she could say that trying to draw out its warmth wasn't that bad of a move.

"Although, that presumes your enemy's one that can understand conversation."

"...I know, right? Why would a Witchbeast that lacks all manner of reason leave, even if they offered Colette to it. I didn't really get it, and I'm still unconvinced. But, the entire village was gripped by fear. That's why they tried to offer Colette..." Palmyra said as her tears leaked again, streaming down her face.

"As a sacrifice... Well, no, not just that. When I think back to the warning you gave me Palmyra, it's obvious."

"..."

"It's nothing. The villagers thought that Colette was the Witchbeast's master, right?" Omega inquired.

She could say that too, was a natural development.

They'd been attacked by the Witchbeast over and over again, and each time, only Colette had survived. It was logical that people would turn their eyes suspiciously towards Colette as it kept happening. "A sacrifice for the Witchbeast" was a nice excuse, with the real reason being to keep the dangerous Colette away from the village.

It must have been the least scrap of conscience the villagers could spare, for them to not have made any attempt to kill Colette.

"Well, I suppose they were protecting themselves. Humans aren't good at sympathizing with others in times where they can't afford to."

"And like that, the villagers started to call Colette a Witch." Palmyra explained.

"──. I see. No better proof of being kicked out than that."

Mending their ties had already become futile, now that they'd insulted her with a curse that spelled out the most abominable being in the world. She knew what it meant for Colette to live in the forest, alone.

And if Omega's conjecture was right, the manhunt should have started, rather than ended.

"There were incidents where animals were gruesomely slain in the forest, right? This graveyard serves as a place for you to bury these brutalised animals. You made it, am I right?"

"...How..." Palmyra said, completely baffled at Omega's intelligence.

"Elementary my dear Watson."

Omega thought back to when her contractor asked if she knew about the other world, and yes, she indeed did. Not his world, rather, a parallel universe of her contractor's original world.

Her much unneeded words she'd squeezed in didn't get through to the frantic Palmyra. By wanting to show off her knowledge as well, she'd ended up messing about, saying words which held no particularly positive meaning to them.

Without brushing back on her casual remark, Omega circled her hand around, and pointed at the gravestones,

"In fact, similar things to this happened everywhere 400 years ago. Back in those days, the requirements you needed to become a "Witch" were rather unclear. That's why, to put it in other words, some thought that maybe anyone could become a Witch, provided they fulfilled the minimum requirements. Thus, weird rituals became widespread."

There'd been quite a lot of these rituals, so gruesome they had been, that they'd make anyone with a delicate disposition avert their eyes. She could truly say that back then, the world was at its darkest.

"This is off topic, but why must rituals always escalate towards the path of gruesomeness? Wouldn't it be great if once in a while we had a ritual taking place during the day, rather than at night, where we just laid flowers out?" Omega asked to no one in particular.

"What are you trying to say..." Palmyra looked at Omega, trying to understand her words.

"Whoops, pardon me. Well, it's nothing so complicated... What I mean is that the girl who's been treated as a "Witch" by the villagers decided she might as well actually try and become one. Or, perhaps she started the ritual because she was under the impression that she'd become one."

So regardless of the actual person's intent, the ritual would prove effective when the conditions were right.

Living alone in the forest, Colette had involuntarily brought about these conditions.

"The factors choose those who are qualified. Had she been found by them, the path to being a "Witch" would have opened... Unfortunately though, it seems like the Witch Factors of this era have already found qualified individuals. Well, I suppose this is a Witch-lacking era, thanks to that kid who's keeping a bunch of them on their own."

The kid in question was also a Witch, another one that orchestrated many events that lead to the downfall of many cities and lives. One that also seemingly is absent from the historical just like Hector. As for why she did indeed have them, Omega did not know...

For starters, in this era, they called those with Witch Factors names like Sin Archbishops, rather than "Witches". Quite rightly, the way they were treated didn't change, no matter how they were called.

"Looks like I got sidetracked again. Anyways, Colette was alienated from her village due to this, and so, left alone, she began to dip her hands into carrying out these gruesome rituals to try her damndest to become a "Witch"... Luckily, it doesn't seem like she's sullied her hands past killing some animals. Though, it would have only been a matter of time."

"...She would've probably you know, hurt someone, if we'd left her alone..." Palmyra sighed.

"Indeed. Oh dear, without a doubt I would have been the prime candidate for that. Or perhaps it would have been you. Both of us were lured into the forest."

Had Palmyra come here to the graveyard tonight because she'd predicted things were about to move forward?

Considering she was actively carrying out the ritual, the concept of opening a path towards becoming a "Witch" by cutting herself free from all of her attachments wasn't a bad one. She had a really keen eye.

However, Palmyra's prediction was off the mark here. ──Colette hadn't set her mind on that.

"I'm sorry to say, but this girl is not a "Witch". And getting more into this, her true nature isn't that of a "Beast" either. By the way Palmyra, is it okay if I ask you something?"

"What is it. If you know so much, what are you even..."

"The villagers fear a Witchbeast; but no one has seen it, right?"

As she said this, Omega walked over to the two embracing girls. She stretched out her hand over to the still struggling Colette── And gently took off the bracelet she was wearing on her wrist.

Instantly, the strength from Colette's body left her.

"...Colette? Colette! What did you do to her!?" Palmyra yelled in alarm, but Omega was as calm as ever.

"She's only lost her consciousness since the link's been severed. She used up way too much of her strength, so it's really no wonder that she fell asleep immediately. At any rate..."

Colette let out soft breaths as she slept, despite Palmyra's panic. Her angelic sleeping face felt quite out of place in this brutal situation, but that couldn't be helped either considering that she probably had no idea that she was the "Beast".

"'Meteors'... They were named after "Shooting Stars" because they can make your wishes come true."

Note: "Meteor" is commonly mis-romanised as "Metia". But it should be Meteor, as can be seen here.

Wishes like that were fleeting; in the long run they became a breeding ground for causing trouble, deviating from the manufacturer's intent. Both now, and in the days of yore, that was the main issue underlying these "Meteors".

Was it the wishes people had which were tainted, or the tools themselves? Perhaps it would have been better to also include an instruction manual with them.

"Though, you should be able to hazard a guess at what kind of use the tool has just by looking at it."

Anyhow, there were many cases where they wouldn't, so maybe she was overestimating the general public?

Either way...

"Colette won't be running rampant anymore. So long as she gets rid of her bracelet." Omega stated.

"But that's a memento her parents left her..." Palmyra argued, but Omega continued her explanation.

"This is the "Beasting Bracelet"... That's what the "Meteor" is called. It's a tool that you can activate even if you don't possess any special powers; a harness that people who lack strength may use to protect themselves."

There'd once been a time where humanity had been swamped with enemies. The "Beasting Bracelet" had been created out of pity for humans, who back then, were putting their lives at risk even to just set up camp. It had been created to help them.

"When it senses danger, its owner's mana is temporarily increased, making it so their body is able to fight. The owner's sense of reason decreases drastically in exchange, and they become similar to a beast. That's why it's called the "Beasting Bracelet"." Omega continued her explanation.

"Then it's all because of this damn bracelet that Colette's parents, and all of the other victims..."

"I heard that her parents were merchants who had dealings with the outside. I dare say they got their hands on the "Beasting Bracelet" from somewhere there. They made it into a gift for their daughter, and after that..."

On that fateful night, the "Beasting Bracelet" had transformed Colette into a "Beast" and carnage had ensued.

Typically, the "Meteor" would spring into motion whenever danger loomed; however, it wasn't all too strange a naive girl could feel danger coming from even the turmoils of a nightmare.

"The same thing occurred wherever she was taken in, until finally she ended up alone. Ironically enough, Colette thought of herself as being dangerous, after being treated as the root of all evil. Contrarily, that made her acquire the qualifications to control the bracelet. The killing of those animals was an "in your face" resistance."

That was the truth of the matter that surrounded Colette, the girl who lived in the forest all on her own.

She'd lost her family, she'd been shunned by the villagers, and she'd been driven away into the forest. The little girl had kept performing her ritual to turn herself into a "Witch" instead of sealing up the fearsome "Beast".

But this time, she was going to sacrifice the traveller who'd stopped by her place, to turn herself into an actual "Witch"...

"...That's ridiculous." Omega mused to herself, chuckling.

"Does she really think that killing all those wild rabbits is going to turn her into a "Witch"? That's a child's dream." Omega said, smiling at the girl's innocence.

Omega looked up above her as she said that. The sky was still covered in heavy clouds, with not a star in sight. That irked her, so she swung her arms up.

In an instant, a gust of wind kicked into life far above in the skies and dispersed the clouds, revealing the pale moon behind.

"...Hgha..." Palmyra gasped, and she noticed Omega's changing apperance.

Moonlight poured down from the pale moon, illuminating the girls in the forest clearing. Then, the girl who was embracing the "Beast", and was face-to-face with this ancient being, gasped.

Because, the girl who'd been standing before her eyes was...

"...I see. The fact that you can keep your cool while looking at me means you have promise."

...a white-haired "Witch" with the hint of a smile on her face.

"The villagers cursed Colette as a "Witch", right? That's no good. Something like this being mistaken as a "Witch" would make both I, as well as those girls turn in their grave." Omega said.

Palmyra gave a small *Eep* as she looked at the Witch in disbelief.

"The village was this way, right? I'm terrible with directions you see." Omega clarified, but that did not stop the fear from the young girl.

The "Witch" smiled at Palmyra as her throat froze, before then asking her that. Still unable to muster any kind of thoughts, all the frightened Palmyra could do was nod repeatedly.

"My thanks."

The "Witch" thanked her for her reply, and began to slowly walk away. Straight towards the village. To show each and everyone of those cretins who'd mistaken Colette as a "Witch" the real truth.

Palmyra had felt her heart freeze over as she'd looked at the "Witch" walking off into the distance. After she'd left, she turned her gaze up to the sky ― at the moon.

──The pale moon was looking down on the two embracing girls, silent as ever.

She nibbled on some cured meat that had been left over, and warmed her body up with some warm water.

Then she put on her dried cloak, and straight after she'd made sure that her shoes were on again, her journey preparations were complete.

"I ended up staying longer than I'd imagined... Though I guess I did enjoy myself more than I thought." Omega mused to herself as she walked around.

Even ordinary daily life was a treasure in and of itself for one with a penchant for being able to enjoy just about every kind of event unknown. So long as it abounded with stuff happening, she needed no more.

"That said, nothing substantial remains. That must be my fate as well."

As she spilled those words out in a quiet tone, Omega exited the cabin that had served her for several days. Since its owner wasn't in, she had no one to say farewell too. A thank-you letter would be a bother as well, she supposed.

"A bird fouls not the nest as it is about to leave. Well, after it's been fouled plenty already."

Leaving these impressions behind, Omega left the cabin, went through the forest, walked across the empty graveyard, before finally she stepped out onto the path outside of the forest.

She would resume her aimless journey once more. With those feelings in mind, Omega would─

"──Where are you going all on your own, Omega-chan?"

"...Now this is an unexpected reunion."

Having been called from behind, Omega turned around, feeling slightly taken aback. Two young girls standing side-by-side appeared in her field of view.

The two girls, Colette and Palmyra, were holding hands, eyes fixed on Omega.

"You couldn't have come all the way here just to see me off right? I shouldn't really be saying this, but I don't think we parted in the best manner."

"You realize that, and you're still saying it... Look, you forgot something."

Palmyra tossed something over to her after she'd finished speaking. Omega instantly stretched out her hand to catch it as it arced towards her. She tried to catch it, but failed, and the object dropped to the ground.

"──. Oh, damn it. I nearly forgot about it." Omega was actually glad to have it back. If she lost it, not only the other Witches be mad, but her contractor as well.

"...Are you for real? It looks pretty important. You must be out of your mind."

Palmyra gave Omega a sigh as she picked up the important object that had fallen near her feet── Her blue pyroxene. Beside Palmyra, Colette raised her voice and called out with an: "Omega-chan".

"Um, you know, I really have so many apologies I need to give you. After all, I nearly..."

"Nearly killed me? Well, sometimes such things happen when you're alive. In reality, 'twas no more than an attempt, so you needn't fret about it."

"But that's not fair! Come on, please please let me make it up to you. Don't just keep everything away from you and shut me out like that."

Faced with Colette's vehement attitude, Omega once again felt regretful that she'd messed up with her choice of words. She'd just wanted to tell her not to worry, so how had it ended up like this?

"You don't need to thank me. You being treated as a "Witch" was a result of a series of unfortunate accidents. We identified the source, so the misunderstanding should have been cleared up. No one in the village should be treating you as a "Witch" anymore, right?"

"Uh-uh, that's right. Definitely not."

"I see. That makes me glad."

A lot of slip ups had happened that couldn't be remedied, but she was glad that at least one of them had turned out well.

The village had turned into pandaemonium when an actual "Witch" had visited. Since she'd staged it to be as un-traumatic as possible, the villagers would only be left having nightmares for the rest of their lives.

"All that's left is to pray that they don't accidentally choke on their own vomit." Omega chuckled.

"...Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Palmyra sighed at her behavior.

"...? I was just pointing it out from a logical perspective, was there something strange about that?"

Palmyra let out a deep sigh as Omega cocked her head, with the latter unable to comprehend her reaction. Colette piped up in her place, with an "Uhm..."

"It's thanks to you Omega-chan that everyone in the village doesn't believe that I'm a "Witch". And their misunderstanding about the "Beast" has also been cleared up... But, you know..."

"But?" Omega asked, confused at what she could possibly hinting at.

"They also know now that I'm friends with a 'Witch'."

"──That's..."

Omega frowned as Colette said with a tap of her flat chest.

An actual "Witch" making its appearance had worked in proving that Colette wasn't a real one. However, it seemed like this kind of treatment had worked too well. The villagers sought the reason why an actual "Witch" had appeared, and thus, Colette had once again bore the brunt of the blame. Ugh, Y/N's really going to laugh at her unpreparedness for this situation...

Meaning...

"This time, I can't stay in either the village or the forest."

"I see... Yeah, I kinda get it. I kinda can't help but feel like it's partly my fault..."

"No, it's definitely all your fault."

Palmyra interrupted Omega as she stumbled for words, clearly stating it. Almost floored by the force of her argument, Omega suddenly took notice of the outfits the two of them were wearing.

Now that she looked properly, they were both wearing travel clothing. And not the sort you'd wear for a small trip, they were fully decked for a journey.

"Didn't I already tell you? I can't stay in the village." Colette told Omega, an expectant look on her face.

"And I've also used up all my courtesy with that village. That's why I'm going with Colette."

"So like, we were going to discuss it from here... But are you really alright by yourself, Omega-chan?"

Her question caught Omega off guard in its fullest sense. And that was why the eyes of the two girls shone brightly as they looked at Omega, her facial expression having changed without meaning to.

One of them was full of unbridled delight, while the other was full of pernicious delight.

"I've told you this many times, but my journey is an aimless one. I cannot promise you that it'll be a spectacular all-action grand adventure like you both desire."

"Spectacu...? Erm, I don't really get you, but if it's with Omega-chan, I bet it'll be really fun. I just love hanging out with friends!"

"I don't trust you to that extent, but... I feel like both you and Colette would fall into danger if I left you both to your own devices."

Colette happily clutched Palmyra's arm as she seemed to tail off into a sulk. Then, Omega let out a deep, deep breath as she looked at the girl beaming from eye to eye at her.

"Alright. I do need to teach you how to use the "Beasting Bracelet" as well. I don't know how far we'll be able to stick together, but you're both welcome to do as you like until you get fed up with it."

"Yaaay, way to go! Let's keep treating each other well, Omega-chan!"

Both Colette and Palmyra hurriedly shuffled over by Omega's side as she walked off in resignation. Of course, fake 'resignation', to complete the mission.

I wonder when we're going to tell them about why I was even here in the first place...

Then again, the gears of fate would shift a bit more interesting.

Omega clutched her pockets, and confirmed that the two ruined copies of the Book of Wisdom were still with her, and smiled.

Y/N. I fulfilled my part, so you better do yours as well, okay?

Omega thought as she walked with the girls, reminiscing about an incident that had occurred once.

The blue pyroxene hanging down from her neck shook; illuminated by the sunlight, it glittered brightly. It almost looked like it was trying to say something to Omega...

However, the complaints coming from the blue pyroxene only reached Omega's ears.

The three girls set out towards the city of Flanders, where the meeting point was set.

Meanwhile... in the south-western parts of Lugnica...

The Liberator and his two companions finally arrive at their destination, where he detected their target using a piece of Ryuzu Bilma's body as an indicator to locate ones like herself.

The large fortress of a house loomed over them, and within the basement of this particular house, is where their target resides, in that deep, dark place.

The Liberator readied himself for a fight, because no matter what it takes, he was going to rescue that girl down there.

Chapter Text

Omega POV, 3rd Person Omniscient

"...I'm against you taking those girls along."

The beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Witch ― Minerva ― crossed her arms and puffed out her flushed cheeks as she declared that, anger filling her glimmering eyes.

She was sitting on one of the six chairs positioned around the white table. Opposite to her, Echidna let out a choked "Hmm..." in response to her complaint.

She raised her cup of tea off the table and gazed at the hot steam rising up from it,

"I'd like to go and see how much the world has changed in these 400 years. What do you all think about that? I mean, Y/N did agree to take us to a city after he finishes his business, so..." Echidna said, completely ignoring the first remark.

"Now hold on just a minute. Didn't you hear what I said? How can you ignore me so easily! This is unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable!"

Minerva flared up in anger at Echidna as the latter tried to ignore her earlier complaint by changing the subject. With her face still flushed, Minerva grabbed Echidna by the scruff of her neck; however, that only caused her smile to grow deeper.

"I was just joking. It sure would be nice if you didn't fly off the handle so suddenly."

"You goddamn..." The Witch of Wrath raised her fist in anger, but a voice stopped her outburst.

"――You shouldn't always get so riled up Minerva, hhaa."

A languid voice called out to Minerva as she grew angrier and angrier, with her soft eyebrows raised on end. The voice belonged to a woman who was sitting hugging her knees on one of the chairs, submerged in a sea of her own hair.

For better or for worse, that lethargic gaze belonged to Sekhmet.

"Echidna's messing about with you, hhuu. This wouldn't be the first time, hhaa. She's just going to take advantage of you every time you fall for them, hhuu."

"So you're saying I should just let her be? I'm completely against this!"

Minerva bellowed that she wasn't in the wrong with tears in her eyes, before then crouching down where she sat, looking completely at wit's end. Two small hands came from her left and right, patting Minerva on the head.

"I D-Don't, I don't think... M-Minerva-chan... Is in the wrong here, y-you know?"

"I agree, Nerva's not at fault. Dona's the real baddie here. Should I tear her apart?"

The ones who were comforting Minerva from both sides were Carmilla and Typhon.

Unlike Carmilla, there'd been no bluff in the words the young Typhon had spoken. Left unchecked, there was a real chance she'd use her authority on her. Thus, Echidna shrugged her shoulders in apology. If her soul was shattered beyond repair, it would not benefit her contractor as well.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that. Someone as weak as I am wouldn't stand a chance against you all, if you were to turn against me. Besides, considering that I'm the host, you'd all fall together with me if I did. Besides, Y/N would be sad if you guys destroyed me, you know?"

"Don't use Y/N as leverage to justify your actions! He's a nice person, so don't drag him into this!" Minerva said in defence for the boy, who was technically her contractor as well.

"If you're going to use that as a threat Dona-Dona, then isn't it just a little strange that we're all here with you like this~?"

"...You had to go and put me on the spot there." Echidna sighed.

Right next to her, while restrained in her coffin, Daphne gave her a laugh. She'd already "devoured" her own chair and was now stuffing her face with the tea cakes that were set on the table, drool pouring down the corner of her mouth.

Echidna let a wry smile slip onto her face as she looked on at the participants of the tea party. They were the Witches, her friends.

"You girls are always such an odd bunch, if I do say so myself." Echidna said as she gave the other witches a smile, but that definitely ticked Minerva off.

"I really don't want to hear that coming from you!"

***********************************************************************************************

There once was a Witch who plunged the world into a maelstrom of chaos and terror.

The world then entered an age of darkness because of that being known as The Witch of Envy. Afterwards, said Witch passed down into legend, becoming an object of terror that few dared to speak of.

But there were actually six other Witches of Sin during that era; yet, they remained surprisingly unknown, with all of their deeds, personalities and such falling into obscurity...

"...Or, to put it more accurately, they're in my citadel of dreams, after I collected their souls."

"Y-You... You know you did all of that on your accord though..."

Carmilla looked at Echidna reproachfully, as the latter placed the cup she'd been drinking out of down with a smile.

That look of protest in her eyes was rather cute, but have too much of it and it would become poison. After all, Carmilla could make people devote their lives to her by merely staring at them and asking them to do so. None of the Witches of Sin could even come close to Carmilla in regards to how many people she'd made throw their lives away because she so desired. The only person immune to her charm might be her contractor, since Deceit's powers really work in some fascinating ways.

But, even then...

"Those are rookie numbers compared to Minerva, since she's the one who killed the most." Echidna sneered, but Minerva was put into a silent lament.

"..."

"Oh no, someone's made Nerva cry! Was it Dona again? She really never learns her lesson!"

Large teardrops had welled up in the silent Minerva's eyes as she listened to Echidna's recollection. Yet, the reason she didn't pose any objections was because she was fully aware of how much of a mass-murderer she was.

Minerva's authority let her forcefully convert the destructive energy she could hold into healing power. Her punches and kicks were some of the gentlest in the whole world, but they didn't come cheap.

Minerva saved the lives of many people; but at the same time, she also killed many with natural disasters. The Witch who had saved and killed the most people in the world, was Minerva.

Nevertheless, the amount of lives she'd taken by no means repudiated the gentleness of her heart. That's why her point had been a deeply honest and sincere one.

"...How long do you plan to keep Colette and Palmyra around?"

The focus of Minerva's agenda became what they were going to do about those two girls from now.

The Witches were gathered here in the citadel of dreams that Echidna had built, merely as souls. However, it was a citadel only in name; a green hillock was situated there instead, with a tea-party taking place on it.

The topic they were discussing was regarding the two girls she'd met on her journey. Currently, both of them were outside of the citadel of dreams ― To put it briefly, they were tagging along with Omega in the real world, who was possessed by Echidna. The girls were far more resistant to the miasma than your average person, based on the fact that they kept their wits about them even when coming into contact with the Witch Echidna. Regardless though...

"This really isn't good enough. It's not safe for starters. What are you planning on doing with them?"

"...Well, it's like I told the two. One of them was driven out from her hometown, and isn't even able to use the "Beasting Bracelet" that her parents left her as a memento. So I want to at least give them the knowledge and skills to keep them alive. Also, Y/N vowed to protect them as well, so I want to find out why he would do that for two random girls out in the wild..."

"There must be something more to it, hhaa. I'm guessing it's not something you did out of kindness, hhuu. This isn't like you, considering you've brought chaos to so many countries for one reason or another, hhaa. Do you have a fever or something? Hhuu."

"Ooh~, she was soaked in ice cold water for quite a looong time, wasn't she~? Isn't it pretty much unheard of for a Witch to drown to death~? Bhahaha~" Daphne laughed slightly.

Only within this world of dreams would sweets appear as much as one desired. Daphne, who was constantly stricken by insatiable hunger, laughed happily as she devoured them.

The young Typhon tilted her head in response to what Daphne had said, and said: "Oh?"

"You're wrong Phinnie, I drowned 'cause all of that water came pouring in! Since I met my watery grave, I suppose I managed it before Dona?"

"Indeed, when it comes to drowning, Typhon has a lot more experience than I do. We have to take our hats off to that." Echidna chuckled.

"No! We don't!"

Minerva snarled at Typhon and Echidna as they unmindfully shared a laugh together.

Centuries had passed since the Witches of Sin had wreaked havoc everywhere. Now they were long-dead, with naturally each of them having their own manner of death. Typhon's death by drowning had been one of those.

Either way...

"W-We're... We're getting off topic... We're getting off topic, aren't we?"

"Yeah. I don't have a fever by the way. Nor does my body on the outside. Therefore, I can safely say that the decision I made to take them with me was done under normal circumstances."

"So~, you're saying that you actually meant what you said before~?" Daphne said as she drooled again.

"...Joking aside, my body is quite weak as things stand."

Echidna brought up the body she had on the outside ― Omega's actual body ― in response to Daphne's question.

The body which she was possessing was a duplicate of Ryuzu Meyer's, fabricated using Pseudo-Od as its core. It wasn't truly made from flesh and blood, rather from an artificial substitute that wasn't too far off from a Spirit in terms of composition.

"I'm making use of it in a way that wasn't originally intended. I had to get rid of quite a few things so that I could pour myself into this vessel. I might ask Y/N for some modification help, but that'll have to wait, unfortunately..."

"So you did something like that, hhuu. Don't you think the world is going to end this time, hhaa, if one of your flops goes out and about again, like the olden days? Hhuu."

"Whoa there, I didn't expect that from you, Sekhmet. You care about whether the world ends?"

"It's not the end of the world, hhaa, that I care about, hhuu. It's just that, if the world ends, your favourite things would be in deep trouble as well, hhaa. That's what my issue is, hhuu."

"..."

"It's as I've been telling you for a while now, hhaa. I'm more terrified of you losing your interest in this world than anyone else, hhuu. After all, there's no knowing what you would do, hhaa."

Sekhmet spoke for an unnaturally long time; when she finally finished, she let out an utterly exhausted sigh. Then, she placed her head on her lap, and began to talk again.

"I'm exhausted, hhuu. I don't have anything else to say, hhaa."

"Whaa? Whaa, you're going to sleep? Want me to sing you a lullaby?"

Typhon somewhat valiantly began to take care of the exhausted Sekhmet. Echidna took a glimpse at their topsy-turvy parent-child relationship, one that she was all too used to seeing, before then batting one of her eyes shut.

"The point Sekhmet brought up now was rather interesting, but you needn't worry about it. I am not going to repeat my past mistakes. The problem I had with those was that I shaved off parts of my soul to make myself fit into the vessel. That's why this time, I shaved off a different part."

"A-A... A different... part... W-Which one?"

"My powers." Echidna said, somewhat regrettably.

She had to regulate how much of herself she could pour into the vessel she called Omega, otherwise she wouldn't fit.

This time around, Echidna had cast aside the powers she had no particular attachment to, in order to preserve herself. Thanks to that, she'd been able to step out from the Sanctuary while still keeping her own identity.

And in exchange for that...

"It seems like I've regrettably lost most of the powers and skills I developed as a Witch. I still have the knowledge, but I don't imagine it will be easy for me to regain my former strength."

"Oh~, is that why that happened~? You ended up burning a bit of the forest straight after you left the graveyard, right~? It did kinda seem like you weren't able to control it at all~" Daphne inquired, a slight sarcasm in her voice.

"――. Yeah, that's why."

"Wait up, why did you hesitate there? Are you sure it wasn't just down to a lack of effort on your part?" Minerva questioned.

Daphne had pointed out the incident where she'd messed up after leaving the Sanctuary as Omega.

When she'd used her magic like in the citadel of dreams, she'd imagined that she would have been able to put out the fire. However, that hadn't been the case. Part of the forest had burnt down as a result, with her almost dying after being caught up in the smoke.

"Of course not. What other reason are you saying it could be?" Echidna responded, feigning innocence.

"It could be that you're a complete dolt! You've always been someone who's quite careless in a lot of respects, ever since the olden days! How many times is it now that you've burnt forests down?" Minerva yelled, not pleased with Echidna's response.

"Not that many. Please don't just spout out whatever you like."

"W-Wasn't there a time... that you went out... i-in public... still wearing your nightgown?" Carmilla supplied once again from the side.

"Who's side are you on Carmilla? Also, I'm thinking that it was you who told Y/N about that event, although that shouldn't be possible..."

Echidna gazed at Carmilla as a look of dissatisfaction appeared on her face, having just been on the receiving end for her past slip-ups. Carmilla however just tilted her head wonderingly in response to her gaze.

"I-I'm... I'm on my own side... Y-You know?"

"...I suppose so. You've always been that way."

Echidna facepalmed as Carmilla put herself first without any shred of hesitation.

Certainly, it was true that she'd set forest fires; and if need be, it was also true that she'd carelessly gone out in public wearing just her nightgown. Even so, the circumstances surrounding Omega now had nothing to do with those things.

The key thing now was that Omega had lost her powers, making her extremely weak and fragile.

"Of course that doesn't apply when I materialize myself, even if it's just for a short amount of time. Most people end up dying from mental breakdowns just by looking at me, thanks to my miasma. It's just that I don't want to make heavy use of it. Anyhow, I..."

"...There's someone you don't want to be found by, right?"

Typhon anticipated what Echidna was going to say, and spoke them for her innocently. The latter didn't bother to deny the point the young Witch had made.

She was speaking the truth. All of the Witches here in the citadel of dreams knew that. It wasn't just Echidna after all.

This someone was an enemy all of the Witches had in common.

The person who they all considered as enemy, is even known by their contractor. Although he does not the full fact, there does indeed exists a reason why the witches all despise that man.

"Anyways, that's why I don't want to stand out. So rather than wandering around on my own and bringing about modern Witch-related legends, I'll..."

"You mean to say it'll be far more convenient for you to mingle in as a trio of female travellers, yeah?" Minerva asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. There's a chance I'm inviting different kinds of dangers, but there's no way anyone would think that a Witch would be moving about with other people. Especially when I'm with Y/N. A hero from the camp of a royal selection candidate's partners would not be questioned for such a 'horrid' status."

"...If you say so."

Her explanation should have made quite a lot of sense, being a valid reason for travelling along with Palmyra and Colette. But it didn't have much of an effect on the others, considering how long they'd known each other.

She did like them, but sometimes, in instances like this, they were such a nuisance.

"By the way, how long do you think it'll take to get your powers back?" Minerva inquired, interested.

"Right, I guess they'll be in a far better state in roughly two to three years. Though that's just an estimate from how I'm seeing it now." Echidna replied, a little disappointment in her voice.

"I see... Then your deadline is two years."

Minerva's compromise had been to set a deadline for the time Echidna spent with the girls. The very fact that she'd set the shortest time possible as the deadline was indeed typical of her good nature. However, with Y/N's involvement in this, maybe she could just allow it. The Warlock of Deceit keeps his promises, after all.

"So, we're moving towards where Y/N said, right?" Minerva asked her fellow Witch, wondering on how things will turn out later on.

"I suppose so, right? Colette and Palmyra seemed fine with it, so I'm just travelling with them for now. Don't be so agitated, Minerva, I can protect them despite my lack of control for magic in my current state. Besides, I'll be going against my promise with Y/N, and I'm sure we all don't want that, do we?"

It was true, since now that boy has became one of their final hopes for survival, and the survival of their ideals.

Having settled on how they were going to deal with the girls, Echidna's interest moved over to the next subject. The other Witches exchanged glances with each other, shrugging their shoulders as they witnessed Echidna coming more and more to life.

A bundle of curiousity, an incarnation of the thirst for knowledge. None other than said person would whisper those words. Yet, from the eyes of her friends, this sort of stuff amounted to nothing more than simple nosiness.

"It terrifies me that your nosiness, hhaa, could quite easily destroy the world, hhuu."

"Whaa? Didn't you say that you were done with talking?"

Typhon caught ear of Sekhmet's exhausted mutter and innocently cocked her head in confusion. Sekhmet gave her hair a brisk ruffle, before placing her hand over her mouth to shush her.

Meanwhile, Minerva was letting out a bunch of "Yeah" and "uh-huh"'s with a disgruntled look on her face as Echidna talked about her plans for the future. Daphne was there, god knows whether she was listening in or not, as well as Carmilla, who'd occasionally interject with some ill-choiced words.

――The Witches' tea party, unleashed on the world, continued to take place for a while to come.

??? POV, 3rd Person Ominscient

In the darkness of who-knows where, a pink haired girl in her black robe lied on the floor, staring into the darkness since she couldn't really move.

Her limbs have been cut off for a long time, so she didn't know what to do.

She might fade away soon, since damaged pseudo-spirit bodies are vulnerable to damage.

If she was going to die, what would be her last wish?

She had all she could've possibly wanted. She travelled the world far and wide and saw it from different eras, commanded an army, and learned ancient magic. What else could she possibly want?

A 'defect'. That's what she was. A defect from the other clones that have been created, who went off and wandered the world on her own.

But maybe... there could be one last thing she desired. Emotions. It was a word that she never completely understood, and a feeling she never really felt. If there was a person that could help her with that, then maybe, just maybe...

...she'll feel alive again.

It was at this moment she suddenly noticed a lot of movement in the upper floors. The guards and residents of this almost abandoned mansion never had this much of a haste in their movements, so, why now?

A loud crash sounded overhead, and she suddenly sensed that somebody was attacking the mansion. The entire second and third floors has been blown away, and screams filled the air as she took a deep sigh.

Well, I guess this is my moment. The girl thought as she felt the first floor being blown away as well, the ceiling of the basement opened up, and she saw sunlight for the first time in decades.

"To die in sunlight... what a beautiful scene." She muttered, but fate betrayed expectations.

A black-haired youth entered the basement after he jumped down, and yelled up towards the first floor. "Elsa! Meili! I found her! You guys can clean the rest up now!"

As if a order was received, more chaos ensued upstairs, but the boy did not seem to mind as he made his way towards her.

"You're Sphinx, right?" The boy asked, no source of hostility in his voice, which surprised her, since usually when someone says her name their voice is laced with venom.

"Don't worry, I'm here to get you out, hold on for a moment, okay?"

Huh? He wants to save me? Sphinx was bewildered at the boy's actions, since why would anyone save someone who would turn her allies into the undead and also shoot crazy Yang magic?

With a swift slash of his two swords, the chains restraining Sphinx shattered and disappeared into nothingness. Although this was shocking, what surprised Sphinx even more was the next actions of the young boy.

"Periodic Table Manipulation." The boy muttered softly, and Sphinx's limbs began regrowing, half flesh and half spiritual substance, making energy surge through her systems as she moved her new hand, and looked up at the boy.

He was surprisingly dazzling in a sense, but that just might be the lighting in the room. Her core suddenly felt warm, and for the first time in 300 years, Sphinx felt warmth, and perhaps the thing humans called emotion.

He radiated a feeling similar to the sun, yet it could only warm Sphinx's heart. She experienced the feeling for the first time, and remembered one of her creator's last orders.

You all must obey the Apostle of Greed when that person comes. You'll know who the 'true' Apostle is, since their black pendant will be able to be sensed by you all.

Is he... the legendary 'true' Apostle of Greed?

As if understanding her thoughts, the boy pulls out the exact same obsidian pendant that was foretold. She gasped, and the boy nodded again without meaning.

"Are you...?" Sphinx spoke, her voice coming out as confused, but also expectant.

"My name is Y/N L/N. I am the current Apostle of Greed, Warlock of Deceit and Sloth. I'm here to rescue you, Sphinx. Do you wish to join me, on our new path of Liberation?"

Sphinx had no words, as she was already so shocked by the event. She had tears roll down her cheek for the first time as she stood up and ran into the arms of her saviour.

Thank you... for you are here at last...

Sphinx thanked her creator for this moment, and the word emotion took root in the girl's mind.

Chapter Text

No One's POV

A swish can be heard as the man fell, and soft footsteps sounded when the girl with pinkish red hair landed on the floor as she sheathed her kunai knives.

"Ahhh.... finally, I did it. I was starting to think I couldn't finish it."

The girl said as she smiled, and took an object on the man's body as proof of her success, before she returned towards her base, where her employer would be arriving a few hours later.

Little does she know, that what awaits her is certain death.

And only one boy can save her.

Y/N POV

We continued our travels towards Flanders now that we've met and rescued Sphinx, and partially destroyed a Barielle mansion as well. I hope Priscilla won't track us down, but knowing her, she probably won't care a mansion that's just destroyed since it poses no threat to herself.

Oh, right, about Sphinx...

I don't know whether if it was because of my Apostle of Greed ability, but Sphinx seemed to be reacting to it, and quite strongly in some manners. I thought she would be a cold girl that's like... devoid of emotions, and I would have to teach her about that stuff like I did for Omega.

But now that seems a bit unfitting.

Because for some reason, Sphinx has been clinging to me since we met her, and she would not let go. Even my arm feels sore by this point and I even considered relieving the pain a little by Akra.

At last, I didn't comment on her erratic behaviour, and we continued towards our next target's location. But before we get there, I need to visit another place.

Within an hour, we arrived at a storage house, where I recalled an important detail from a non-canon route of Re:Zero.

The Aganau IF, a non-canon route of Re:Zero that barely anyone knew about, was discovered when I came across the topic of the Ten Swords of Power. Now that I'm in this world, the only thing left to do is to obtain the last 6 swords that have not been claimed yet.

The owner of this storage is called Count Reedback, and he greeted us as we entered the mansion's vicinity. I asked him for a trade for an item in his storage, since he is a man who likes to collect eccentric things, which means there is also a chance of finding meteors inside this place.

In exchange for my main target, I offered a diamond sword to the count, along with a pre-made sheath. I told him that the sword will not break under normal circumstances, which is against pure attacks. I believe that nobody without mana could possibly break a diamond sword just by enhancing their body without spells. There are exceptions, of course, but we don't need to talk about that.

I also offered up some grenades and bottles of hydrogen and helium, which made the Count laugh as he inhaled the helium, and his voice started sounding high-pitched. I told him not to inhale too much, of course, since it could damage his lungs. He accepted my gifts and allowed me to enter the storage, which I did.

After digging up many weird things, I found the needle in the sea, which was the object I was looking for. Thank god nobody has taken it yet. Then again, they probably thought this was just a regular sword that looked fancy, anyways.

I unsheathed sword with the purple handle and the golden handguards, admiring it as it gleamed slightly, reacting to my other two swords.

With a smile, I sheathed the sword. I picked up the meteors that I found, and was astonished as I recognized three out of the six. The first was a conversing mirror, which I thought belonged to the Lugnican knight order in general, but apparently there were still lots of them out there. The mirrors came in a pair, so I guess that's what it was for.

The second was a Collar of Submission, which fit one of the phrases Reinhard described it with in a prequel story. The third was a Void Garb, which I thought was destroyed by its previous user. However, I never knew the specific amount of each meteor that Echidna created, so I guess I'm going to consider it as authentic.

With my third Sword of Power, the Life Sword Zeam in my hands, I exited the storage and bid farewell to the Count before starting to travel once again.

Yae POV, 3rd Person Omniscient

Yae entered the building that she was supposed to meet her employer at. She sat down in the empty cafe, cleared out just for this occasion. It was around a year after she has been exiled from the Barielle mansion because of her failed assassination attempt against the candidate. Later, her previous employer discarded her and she somehow wound up in this town, known as Bonobo.

The cost of living here is not much, so it was a perfect base for an undercover assassin.

It was supposed to be, at least that's what Yae thought.

Until today, when her employer walked in with mages and serious-looking men with weapons.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yae yelled at her employer, furious at the betrayal.

"Well, although the mission you were given was completed, I have received new information on your identity. And your old employer would give an abundant amount of money if you are killed. So, I have come to claim your life." He sneered as he ordered the men to move, and Yae took out her kunais as she began hacking away at the enemies.

Yae thought she would be successful until the mage shot a Jiwald at her, crippling one of her arms as they advanced, ready to strike her down until the door to the inn was opened by a boy who seemed lost.

He regarded the situation calmly as he sat down at the bar. "Excuse me, is this place still open for business?"

The shocking words from the boy confused everyone, as if he just ignored the harsh situation in front of him. Of course, the men weren't going to take it, and the bandits advanced on the boy before he sighed and muttered a name.

"Elsa. Slice them up."

"Sure thing."

In the next moment, a purple flash was seen as the men fell to the ground, unconscious right away as some leaked blood while some foamed at their mouths. The woman appeared again, as swiftly as she entered. She spun her kukri knives in her hands before readying them again, and Yae watched in amazement.

Who are those people?

Yae wondered as the mage decided to aim a spell at the boy, and shot it before both parties could realize.

"Watch out!" Yae yelled at the boy, hoping that she could save the one who turned the situation around.

"Sphinx, barrier."

A magic shield appeared around the boy as it sucked mana from the mage, and defended the boy against the dangerous spell. The next moment, the mage fell as a flying mabeast revealed itself, and flew outside.

A pink-haired girl then entered the bar along with a blue-haired girl who had the mabeast on her head, smiling as they entered the fight scene. Yae's employer, now so scared, fainted himself before he could make a move.

Since the bartender has also fled, the boy spun his chair around as he faced Yae. Now that she could calmly observe the young man, she saw three swords strapped to his back, all radiating a powerful energy. The black-haired boy spoke again, to Yae this time.

"It seems I was not too late. Are you Yae Tenzen?" The boy asked as Yae scurried back, shocked that her savior just uttered her name as if he knew it since a long time.

"Who... how do you know my name? Are you here to kill me as well?" Yae yelled back, a realization dawning in her eyes before that theory was disproven.

"HA.... As if I'm stupid in enough to do something like that..." The boy chuckled. "No. I'm here to recruit you. Do you wish to join the Liberator's Battalion, Yae Tenzen?"

"Liberator's... Battalion? What do you mean?" Yae asked, unsure of his intentions.

"If you join, I'll help you achieve your goal while also protect you. As you can see, even without myself moving, my comrades can take care of things just fine." He gestured to the three people. "Do you guys want to do a self-introduction?"

"My name is Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter." The woman said as she gave another twirl with her kukri knife.

"Hi! I'm Meili!" The blue-haired girl who had the flying mabeast as a pet waved cheerily.

"My name is Sphinx." The pink-haired girl who used magic said as she gave a slight nod.

Yae's eyes widened as she realized who the three were. The Bowel Hunter and her partner, two notorious assassins at the pinnacle of the international Assassination Organization, so renowned that the woman had a bounty on their head while the child was not known except to other assassins.

The other was a leader of the demi-humans during the demi-human war. An user of ancient magic, she was the main reason for the many successful attack of the demi-humans during the war, and they only started to lose after she was supposedly struck dead. Now that three powerhouses like themselves appeared here, and all under command of a single young boy, who seeks to recruit her...

"I didn't even introduce myself yet, did I?" The boy said as he stood up and approached Yae. Although he should be completely feared, Yae did her best to look the boy in the eyes as he began.

"My name is Y/N L/N. Leader of the Liberator's Battalion, Warlock of Deceit, and Greed's contracted. Yae Tenzen. I ask you again, do you want to join us? All the previous statements still stand."

That day, Yae Tenzen made the most important decision of her life, as she took the hand of the one who would lead her to the most glorious path one could tread.

Timeskippu*

Y/N POV

After Yae accepted my request, we spent a day at the inn (cough, different rooms of course). After that, we set out from the city, and continued towards Flanders, where we were supposed to meet up with Omega and the others.

We were about a few kilometers away from Hakchuri, a close city to the giant hill that the city of Flanders is situated upon. I saw a tiny cart of girls who were being attacked by bandits or something, so we decided to take a closer look.

However, before we can go and help the girls in trouble, the bandits attacking suddenly started to scream and foam at their mouths before they fell to the ground, unconscious. The girl who was the perpetrator of this scenario was my contracted, Echidna/Omega, who smiled as she let her miasma and true form disappear.

"I was about to step in, but it seems like you didn't need any help after all, Omega." I said as I approached, and Omega noticed me as she ran over and gave me a slight hug, pretending to be a bit more normal than her supposed personality. I guess the emotion lessons are finally doing its job.

The only downside to this was the other Ryuzu clone. Sphinx did not really like Omega for some reasons, because she immediately hissed at Omega when she got into my vicinity, and was doing some kind of protective wave to keep Omega away.

"It's okay, Sphinx, she's a friend." I said. Sphinx probably detected Omega's dangerous presence. Now that I look at it, Omega's hair is now white, and her eyes are a shade of yellow instead of Ryuzu Shima's original blue eyes.

"Omega-chan? Is it over now?" A whimpering voice came behind the cart, and the two girls I told Omega to rescue has arrived.

"Who are those people?" Another voice, shriller than the first and a bit more protective, rang out as the blue-haired girl with sanpaku eyes regarded us with interest and suspicion.

"Colette, Palmyra, this is my contractor, Y/N L/N. And those are his comrades." Omega said as she pointed towards myself and the others, and I introduced my companions as Colette's eyes lit up.

"Omega-chan! Are those the amazing people that you told us about?" Colette said as she shook my hand. "I'll be happy to be in your care!"

"On what basis do you think they can protect us? Omega is one thing, but..." Palmyra had her doubts, but it's completely understandable, so I took it upon myself to prove it.

"Okay then. Step back, and I'll do a power demonstration." I told them, and everyone hopped back as Colette and Palmyra followed, wondering what kind of power I will unleash.

"Ah... time to do that chunibyo thing that I haven't attempted since I almost wrecked my neck in the first attempt." I muttered to myself as I took out Inen and Ryokyo, while also using Imperceptible Extension to place Zeam in my mouth, holding its handle with my reinforced teeth from Akra.

The shadows of Inen started to leak out and Ryokyo began glowing. Zeam glowed as it absorbed the life energy around my surroundings, withering grass as it sucked their 'souls' in, converting it into pure Od.

I readied the sword as I dashed forward towards a hill using Ul Akra, and swung the swords as I slashed through the tiny plateau, going straight through it as I slashed it with a clean cut.

"Umbra-spectro-vivum Trinity Slash."

The grass on the plateau that was slashed grew brighter as they bloomed flowers as the dirt was corroded by darkness while also being recovered by spirit energy. The plateau slammed back to its original place, and I used the Authority of Deceit to restore it. The plateau looked as clean as before, with no damage seemingly done to it.

I dashed back again, appearing in front of the Battalion.

"Well? Do you think that's enough?" I asked Palmyra, who was at a lost for words. "Don't worry, you'll be a great mage in the future as well." She widened her eyes at my words, and I nodded. "You have a strong affinity for water, wind, and earth magic."

"Really? How did you know?" Palmyra asked me as I nodded towards Omega for confirmation, and she nodded back.

"If one is strong enough, you can detect the type of mana flow the Od Laguna produces within you." I explained as Omega nodded. "So, since you two are the weakest here, we're going to train you and Colette to become strong."

"So that... you will never lose anything again."

With that promise made, the Liberator and his companions headed towards Flanders, where chaos ensued in the regional capital.

Bio Update:

New Meteors:

Void Garb- it allows the user to create shadowy humanoid figures using their hair that can be controlled. The user shares in the shadows senses, including in their sense of sight and pain. When the user has an yin affinity, it can negate the recoil damage from the shadow figures done to user's body when normally it will kill the user.

Conversation Mirrors- Conversation Mirrors are rare meteors that connect with another Conversing Mirror to communicate with others, similar to a cellphone.

Collar of Submission- A collar which limits the powers of the one that wears it.

New Sword: Life Sword (Meiken) Zeam- This sword has been "fed" with copious amounts of mana, which gave it an ability to kill a person's very soul. One of its main abilities is to absorb life energy from plants and animals (including humans) to convert that energy absorbed into pure Od, enabling it to unleash powerful attacks that hacks away at their astral body.

New Moves?: Umbra-spectro-vivum Trinity Slash- a technique that combines the techniques of three of the Ten Swords of Power, condensing shadow, spirit energy, and life energy into a triple slash.

Chapter Text

Flanders, one of the five regional capital cities of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica, is a tumultuous place with many dark organizations under its surface. It is also known as the Earth Dragon Capital (地竜の都 Chiryuu no Miyako) due to being known as the place where Earth Dragons originated from. The Sage is said to have become friends with the Dragon here, in addition to the land being blessed by the dragon so that Earth Dragons would be born. It's famed for having what is known as a "dragon industry" since the city makes use of its Earth Dragons beyond transport labor, such as powering water wheels, opening and closing canals, or raising and lowering drawbridges. These innovations are only made possible due to the abundance of Earth Dragons there. The famed Astrea territory is located nearby.

Although it is mainly a city known for being situated upon high ground and its bizarre festivals and celebrations, the ones who run rampant underground are probably the ones in full control, despite the mass public not knowing about it.

Of those organizations, only four stand on the top.

It was a brutal hierarchy during its beginnings, but now it has mainly evened out, due to an agreement between the leaders.

The Big Three, referred to as the three heads of Flanders' underground, are the strongest ones around. The Libra/Balance, are a faction that worships the Witch of Pride and likes to have tattoo symbols engraved onto their bodies. The Shadow Flower Garden, a giant organization of woman prostitutes. And the Golden Beetle, who's main purpose is to give money to those in the underground so that they can act to their desire.

Another organization towers over them at the top, led by the Pig King, Doltero Amule. The Black Silver Coin is a dangerous organization that has even more power than any of the Big Three, and that's why in terms of hierarchy, they are at its pinnacle.

The current situation happened when a mysterious figure decided to mess with the top of the top, and the Big Three's representatives are ready to meet with the boss of the Black Silver Coin to decide on a plan to eradicate this threat.

However, before they moved out, Balance was visited by a young boy and his battalion, who demanded something interesting while also promising something almost impossible.

***********************************************************************************************

3rd Person POV

A young man walked through the alley with three people behind him, leaving his other comrades behind to enjoy the city. He taught Palmyra Huma, Fura, and Dona, so they should be good at this moment.

Even a skilled bandit cannot stand up to a mabeast user, a Witch, a mage and a girl with a Beast Bracelet. They're just too powerful.

"Hehe..." The young boy chuckled as he entered the last alley by taking a sharp left turn as he came into view of the two men guarding the entrance to their base.

"Who are you? Identify yourselves!" The two men said as they unsheathed swords, ready to fight, but the young man held a hand up to signify peace, and opened his mouth.

"Calm down, will you?" The young man said as he stalked forwards, and an immense amount of aura poured out of him, scaring the two guards. "I am simply here to meet the leader of Libra, or whichever representative you have."

The boy casually spilled out the name of a Big Three organization in the alley of Flanders, and the vanguard of their base is nothing but shocked. No one wanted to mess with them, except for the Shadow Flower Garden and other big shots. So who is this kid here? What kind of place of origin does this kid have?

"Who exactly are you?"

"Oh, oops, I forgot to introduce myself." the young man said as he put on a dramatic flair and gave a slight bow. "My name is Y/N L/N. The Warlock of Deceit, leader of the Liberator's Battalion. Elsa Granhiert, Yae Tenzen, Sphinx." The boy then pointed to each of his companions behind him.

Fearful of the names he just uttered, the guards ushered them inside as a member was called upon to greet the people.

***********************************************************************************************

Manfred Madison never thought he would be called to another meeting before the great conference of the Big Three. Sure, he was the representative of the Libra, but that doesn't mean he had to go around doing everything!

Their leader was absent once again, due to 'business' he had to take care of. Manfred never understood what it was, but he decided to go along with it as he entered the guest room, where a boy and three girls were waiting for him patiently, and all four emitted a dense sense of danger.

Manfred was cautious, but against powerhouses who showed their potential right away, he can't help but feel dwarfed in front of them despite not knowing their identity. Their presence was even more dangerous than Doltero Amule, arguably the most dangerous individual in the city of Flanders.

"So, what do you guys want?" Manfred said to the quartet, unsure of how to start it off.

"Manfred Madison, the Tattoo Head, I presume?" The young boy said as he exposed Manfred's identity immediately, showing no sign of reservation when it comes to spewing facts. "I'm here today to form an alliance with the Libra. I want you guys to send help to me whenever I need, since I would be indeed requiring your assistance in the future."

"Huh? Who do you are to demand such things of our organization, one of the Three Heads-"

"Of course, I'm not suggesting that I have no payment. You people of the Balance, worship the Witch of Pride, correct?" The young man said as Manfred gasped, since that's one of the things that they almost never reveal. "If you do agree... I will resurrect the Witch of Pride, Typhon, for you."

'Just who do you think you are' is what Manfred would've said a year ago. But through his new experiences, he knew that someone who can have the guts to demand something so large must mean they must be able to do what they said, if not only to an extent.

"I'm listening..." Manfred said as he considered the boy's offer, seriously this time as the official negotiating begun.

Timeskippu*

Slice of Life Short-Story: Touring Flanders with a Witch

Omega looked at the buildings surrounding her, fascinated. It has been 400 years since she came to the outside world, and maybe even longer to set foot in a city due to her immense miasma.

Now, as an inconspicuous girl who was simply touring the city along with three others, it can be described as bliss.

Although her contractor ran off to conduct business, Omega supposed it was fine for him to leave her to babysitting the other girls, since she could go and drink some real tea.

Entering a coffee shop along with the three others, she sat down at a booth as the others stared at the menu in surprise, which is normal, considering that they have never been in such a big city before.

"Omega-chan, Omega-chan, what do you think is yummy here?" Colette asked her as Palmyra sighed as she regarded the menu, ironically excited as well.

"Well, Colette-chan, do you want to go with the kids meal?" Meili asked as she stared at the food, drooling.

"Have what you want, girls. Y/N gave me all the money we needed, so just eat away..." Omega said as she took out a bag containing at least 50 holy coins, and the girls widened their eyes as they immediately raised their hand and ordered.

Omega herself ordered some pastries, coffee, and tea. She wondered how did Y/N manage to accumulate this much money. He didn't seem particularly wealthy, so how...

Then again, Y/N told her about a quote he heard from his world...

A/N: this is an actual quote from my friend.

"Theft is just forced communism. Ian S."

Omega sighed at the interesting logic that this so-called 'philosophical figure', but she decided not to argue against it since it's what's keeping her alive.

As she sipped the tea into her mouth, a wave of refreshment washed over Omega, helping her reminiscing about the past.

As she struck a pose of drinking tea similar to what she did back in the Castle of Dreams, she thanked her contractor for bringing her out here, to a place where she can enjoy the scenery and food of the real world once more.

"—Lady Felt!"

In the moment she instinctively knew she wouldn't be able to evade it, she heard the pleasant voice of a man running towards her.

Before she could react to that shout in any way, something collided with her forehead. It split open with a flash of red, giving off a watery sound.

"───"

As a spray of red emerged, her slender figure fell backward. Her defenseless body collided with the wooden crates behind her, kicking up a large cloud of dust as they were smashed to pieces.

The girl, having fallen into the differently sized wooden crates scattered about, had miraculously fallen into the one spot that allowed her to remain unharmed.

Facing upward with the blue sky in her view, there was nothing being reflected in her crimson eyes. Her confident look, her cute, well-defined features, had been dyed in red by the wound in the center of her forehead. Her golden hair, which seemed to sparkle like the rays of the sun itself, had also been stained by it, and one could not help but avert one's gaze at such a terrible sight.

In fact, there had been many who had seen that sight and averted their eyes, their shoulders lightly trembling. However, among the many who had reacted in such a way, there was one who could not look away.

He jumped over the fence, seemingly flying, and the wind flowed beneath the girl. No, not quite the wind, for the young man had kicked off the ground with such power that it could have been mistaken as the wind.

"Lady Felt..." said the man down on one knee, peering at the fallen girl's face. He had an amazing physical appearance. That manifestation, which had deep crimson hair that seemed to burn as brightly as a flame, blue eyes that were so beautiful that they looked as if they held a clear blue sky within them, and whose handsomeness was so heavenly that not even an unparalleled sculptor with a lifetime of experience would be able to reproduce it, was there.
The handsome young man knelt down, his well-shaped eyebrows distorting with remorse, and murmured something softly. "My deepest apologies. I, was unable to reach you in time..."

His voice was tinged with sorrow, revealing his feelings of regret and responsibility for what had happened. It looked so excessively tragic that if it were put into a painting, it would be a timeless masterpiece capable of making anyone who saw it weep.

Within that scene that seemed to be detached from reality...

"—Reinhard."

As if by some sort of miracle, the girl spun a word together with her lips, letting out a murmur. And then her arm, which had powerlessly fallen to the ground, rose, her fingertips slowly drawing closer to the young man's cheek.
The young man watched the movement of her fingers, his breathing slow and faint—and then she pinched his nose.

"Lady Felt?"

"Hey, you! Haven't I told you to stop doing stuff like that because it totally kills the mood? This is why I like Y/N nii-chan better than you! Ugh, if you were trying to earn friendship points, I'd say you're failing horribly..." Pinching his nose, the girl, irritated, replied to the young man's muffled words.

From that position, she stretched out her legs, brought them up, and then swung them down with enough momentum to upright herself.

After that, she wiped off the red stuff that had gotten on her face with a hand. "Wooow, it's so sweet! Friggin' amazing. Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"I am not sure if it is sanitary to lick the stuff on your face, milady..."

"Haaah?" she replied. "Are you implying that my face is ugly? I'm gonna kick your ass for that!"

"No, you have an incredibly lovely appearance, Lady Felt. Though that has nothing to do with whether or not it is sanitary to..."

"Ugh, shut up—I can't stand you—you're so annoying!" said the girl, rudely, while covering her ears.

She—Felt—then got up, seemingly jumping as she did so. She brushed the dirt off her clothes and then said, "Hmm?" while taking a look around. "So, the reason you barged in like that wasn't just because you're a total airhead, huh..."

"That is correct, milady. Though it pains me to say it, your team has lost."

"Tch, can't be helped." Putting a hand on her waist, Felt smacked her lips, accepting her defeat. The young man—Reinhard—gave a wry smile at the sportsmanlike behavior, then gave her a cloth to wipe her face with before stepping into the middle of the square.

He then declared in a sufficiently clear voice, "Well then, the winner of the Harvest Festival game this time is the team from the West District!"

"""—!"""

They took in Reinhard's declaration for a moment, and then immediately following that, there was an explosion of cheers. The town of Hakuchuri wasn't all that large, but it was still amazing to see nearly every resident gathered in the town square. While wiping her head, Felt's expression relaxed at the sight of everyone embracing each other and cheering.

"Ah, I lost, I lost, damn it! ...And some of you guys still have the nerve to turn your faces away!" Felt scowled in the direction of the spectators, sharply thrusting her finger at them. Everyone she was pointing at had turned their faces away with their shoulders trembling when she'd taken a fall.
Felt suddenly narrowed her crimson eyes at those who were continuing to act like that. "No need to bottle up your laughter," she said. "I know I look pretty damn funny as I am now." She proudly showed off her tometo-covered self.

A/N: tometo is probably tomato 🍅

—A roar of laughter seemed to envelop the town square, reverberating unreservedly throughout the rest of the town.

Felt walked back into the fray, sighing as she wondered when she would see her beloved brother once again.

Meanwhile, Y/N sneezed in confusion somewhere in Flanders, wondering who was talking about him.

The Warlock of Deceit and the Golden Lion's meeting countdown: 2 Chapters

Chapter Text

3rd Person POV

—The room was saturated with the thick stench of blood.

To be precise, rather than there being a thick stench of blood, you could say that it was the scent of blood that lingered.

The people gathered in this room, without exception, had survived whilst being splattered by the blood of their victims—consequently, the smell of blood was ingrained into their very beings.

The atmosphere within the room was dominated by the un-diminishing scent of blood and the hint of violence that stung one's skin; everyone stared at each other, their eyes filled to the brim with tension, which was akin to blades of hostility being contained in their scabbards.

In the place where imposing men and women had gathered, there were several who gave off a particularly prominent smell of blood—they shared an appearance that was not inferior to the other in any way and had a glint in their eyes, evidence that they shouldered duties and self-awareness that befitted their positions.

It was indeed so, for the so-called big shots who ran society from behind the scenes had gathered here in Flanders, a city they controlled from the shadows that could be counted as one of the five largest cities in the kingdom.

"This is the sixth occurrence this month... Give me a break... I've had enough of this."

What had broken the blood-swelling atmosphere was the sweet scent of tobacco smoke and the languid voice of a woman.

Laid back in a chair was a beautiful woman in the prime of her life wrapped in a dress, boldly exposing her captivating legs, a golden tobacco pipe nestled between her lips. She had tannish skin, and her voluptuous body was rich in feminine charms. Her devilish good looks could entice men and women alike to give in to their passions at a single glance. She was also known as the Wicked Temptress, a truly befitting name.

This beautiful woman was Toto, the proprietress of the Flower Prison Garden, one of the people who gave off a particularly thick scent of blood.

When Toto, who had started the conversation, saw that no one followed suit, she took in a chest-full of smoke, gave a sidelong glance to a man at the back of the room, and then sent smoke and words his way. "Not saying much today, are you, Manfred? Which way is The Libra learning towards? Cowardly opportunism? Or perhaps you're unable to speak because you placed your much-vaunted tattoo on your tongue?"

"Shut your trap, you damn whore. If I feel like you're fussing too much, I'll grab all the women in your place and turn them into lapdogs. Then I'll train you thoroughly and present you to my boss."

The one who had responded with vicious words to Toto's provocation was a slim man leaning against the wall.

Although he was tall, bald-headed, and wore long robes, the skin exposed on his head, neck, and even his face was densely packed with tattoos of balance scale motifs. It was likely that they extended even underneath his robes.

It was one of The Balance's rules that every member had to be tattooed with balance scales where they were visible, and he had gotten more tattoos than any other. This was an obvious sign of loyalty in the eyes of the organization; therefore, he won their favour, and they gave him the position of an executive in the organization in Flanders. 'Tattoo Head' Manfred Madison was the name of the young wolf spearheading The Balance here.

The proprietress of the Flower Prison Garden and the representative of The Balance; the two of them carried the responsibility of being part of the three big factions operating underground organizations in Flanders.

And then, the final leader of the underworld, the head of the Black Silver Coin, spoke. "—Did you gather here just to have a childish dispute? Know your place, you pigs."

"───"

A deep, solemn voice reverberated throughout the room, and the two who had been bickering shut their mouths instantly.

It wasn't that the owner of that voice inspired fear. It was simply that they inspired awe. Self-aware of that fact, Toto and Manfred had slightly discontented expressions etched onto their faces.

However, said person who had made the two faction leaders make such faces simply sat in the furthermost chair, not paying them any mind, although he felt cramped. "What, have you nothing to say? —Not even a You're the one who's a pig?" The large man said as he shrugged his large shoulders, sounding bored.

"...I just can't understand the mind of a guy who'd crack such daredevil jokes at the Pig King."

"And as for me, it's simple. I simply have no intention of going along with such an unamusing joke, Mr. Doltero."

Hearing Doltero's remark, Toto and Manfred explained why they had remained silent in their respective attitudes. Listening to their rebuttal, the giant man clasped his wide fingers together above the table. "Don't understand the mind of a guy who'd crack jokes, huh. I suppose you're right."

"—? It sounds like you're making an implication. Did that remind you of something, perhaps?"

The grumbling man did not answer Manfred's question, the corner of his mouth slightly curving.

He approached around two meters tall, his thick and mighty width a good match for his height. His limbs were as strong as a log, and his physique was like that of a large tree in comparison to Manfred's, which was like one that had withered away. In contrast to his powerful body, he had blond hair that was combed back and azure eyes that anyone would find attractive, giving off a certain distinctiveness within the pig race that was known for its ugly appearances.

He was the Pig King, Doltero Amule—the leader of the Black Silver Coin, the largest criminal organization and faction in Flanders, and the most feared man in the city.

Even the Wicked Temptress and Tattoo Head could not carelessly go up against the Pig King. For Doltero had been in an influential position for much longer than them, giving him reign over the whole city.

Within an underground tavern in a neutral area within the city, the representatives of the three major criminal organizations of Flanders met face-to-face. It was a suitable place for holding secret meetings, and they had made use of this venue to hold these Regular Meetings quite often.

Members of the underground society assembled together for Regular Meetings. They were held for the purpose of maintaining brittle, peaceful relations, and a balance of power, centered around the underworld's Big Three. Though they had originally been enemies, they were without a doubt business rivals now, so not once had they tried to move towards building an amicable atmosphere when they met up.

However, even following the general conventions of a Regular Meeting, the tension in the air today was abnormal. The reason for that was...

"—Let's get down to business. Have you figured out the identity of the criminal...of that low life?" Doltero fired off that question, bringing up the source of the Regular Meeting's bloodthirsty atmosphere.

In the last couple of months or so, there had been a number of injuries and deaths in Flanders—none of which were unusual if looked at individually. Though it was unfortunate, incidents that resulted in casualties seemed to be a rather commonplace thing.

However, for the people who understood the connection here, this wasn't something they could ignore.

"If all the victims are related to us, the situation is quite serious. Who is attacking us?" Doltero asked.

"Who knows?" Toto replied. "I was certainly looking forward to clearing up this matter here today. I thought they would at least declare war on us. Right, Manfred?"

"The prostitute over here is spouting some nonsense, but I think so too," concurred Manfred. "I was also looking forward to it. That's why I can put up with the womanly smell in here, which stinks more than usual."

After exchanging gazes infused with the intent to kill, Manfred and Toto continued to give each other threatening glares.

Among the Big Three, the relationship between these two was the closest to being the worst, and they had actually attempted to kill each other in the past. If the head of an organization were in a rage, it would make sense that the ones below them would take that as a sign to be ready for anything.

The fighters from The Balance began to move, and the flowers from the Flower Prison Garden gave them sharp looks. Before they thoughtlessly went at it, Doltero crushed the armrest of his chair.

"───"

The iron armrest was deformed as if it were molded into candy, before being twisted off the chair. Like that, Doltero flung the detached armrest to the floor. "Keep chattering pointlessly if you want to die in a similar manner. Time is short for the elderly. Use it efficiently."

"Even though you are just as impatient?" Toto retorted. "What a cunning man, trying to pretend to be the only clever man in here... Don't you think so as well, Miss Golden Bug?"

"Pardon? Are you perhaps referring to me here? Rather than serving as a peacemaker, wouldn't involving me just be adding fuel to the fire?"

Having smiled sweetly in the face of Doltero's warning, Toto tried to draw a third party out, the golden pipe still nestled between her lips. The one who'd frowned at being called upon was a petite woman who hadn't even spoken once until now.

She was sitting in the corner of the table, as if she had been erasing her presence since the start of the Regular Meeting, wearing a well-made black suit. Not only a black suit, but she had even been thorough enough to include a black tie, gloves, socks, and shoes. She also had dark green hair that looked black depending on the amount of light. A woman of unknown age, her hair was tied into a knot on either side of her head, the slight smile affixed to her face hiding whatever she was truly thinking.

Once her presence was pointed out, Manfred raised his finger and said, "Yeah, right," and then continued, "Why the hell's Helaine the gold eater even participating in this meeting, huh? This woman shouldn't even have the qualifications to participate in the Regular Meetings."

"If that is what you say, then my lowly self has no words to reply with... Ah, and the name is Golden Bug, not gold eater, Mr. Manfred," Helaine replied.

At Manfred's identical attitude to Toto's, who also did not hide her feelings of disgust, the woman in the suit—Helaine—scratched her cheek weakly.

The one who had extended a helping hand to Helaine was none other than Toto, who was puffing out tobacco smoke. As if trying to emphasize her voluptuous breasts by crossing her arms, she gave Helaine a sidelong glance. "It was I who invited her. That should be a good enough qualification to join us, yes?"

"It's nothing but unpleasant to see these women hanging around each other, one reeking of blood, and the other of iron. You must've been prepared to be shunned since you bothered to show yourself here. You have something to share, don't you?" Clicking his tongue, Manfred threatened Helaine as he touched the tattoo on his face.

Receiving the vicious but hypocritical threat, Helaine broke the ice with an "Actually..." then continued, "As I am sure everyone is aware, our company has received the patronage of this city for a long time. This gift was only possible because of the daily assistance of everyone involved..."

"Enough with the introductions. Get to the point," Doltero declared.

"—Our company's office was attacked, and the precious lives of my employees have been lost. I am utterly ashamed of my negligence and lack of preparations for a time of emergency, as I had taken the harmony of the city all of you created for granted."

"───"

None of the Big Three took Helaine's humble, self-deprecating words at face value.

Though Helaine was ashamed of not being able to protect it herself, by no means was she as sorry as her words seemed to suggest. She was a so-called moneylender belonging to a company called the Golden Bug. Based on that, her being able to participate in the Regular Meeting was simply a result of her having a lot of clients from the underworld.

Of course, their clients included personnel involved with the Big Three, and the Golden Bug was an inviolable domain thanks to their patronage. No fighting there and no aggression against them were unwritten rules, so if the Golden Bug were ever threatened, the organizations, including the Black Silver Coin, would do everything in their power to crush whoever was responsible.

The guarantee of security that had been included in that unspoken agreement had all but been broken.

She continued, "Whether it be the loss of money or human life, we would like to avoid any further losses. And as one who can serve as a representative of private citizens, I'd like to humbly request your esteemed selves to swiftly get this situation under control."

"What an obvious lie," Manfred spat. "Calling yourself a representative of private citizens."

"I implore you to make haste in restoring our sense of security and peace of mind. —Otherwise, the trust that has been cultivated between us and all of you will be in danger of being broken."

While Helaine was politely lowering her head, even Doltero couldn't help but feel disgusted due to her words. The existence of the Golden Bug itself was like a type of magic in Flanders, after all.

The Golden Bug lent money to people from underworld organizations to guarantee the safety of their operations within the city. If they were unable to do that, it was only reasonable for them to resort to methods that allowed them to get the money they had lent back.

Not a single soul here was foolish enough to brush her rash remarks off as being those of a mere moneylender.

"To sum it all up, the absolute buffoon in question brought disgrace to us by sticking their nose where they shouldn't have," Toto began. "We must pay them back in kind and be thoroughly vicious about it. What say you?"

"Fine by me," replied Manfred. "We'll find them and carve balance scales onto their eyeballs. Anyway, it seems like quite the fool had the nerve to show themselves here. On our turf; in the Pig King's territory, no less."

As ash fell from Toto's pipe, Manfred took over from her, introducing a course of action.

When he'd finished speaking, Tattoo sent a meaningful look Doltero's way.

"...What?"

"Nothing. It's just that even the worst of the worst would tremble in fear of the Pig King, but now a guy who isn't afraid of you has appeared. Perhaps times have changed? Maybe you aren't as powerful as you once were?"

"You seem to prefer having your head crushed before that low-life's."

"That's what I'm talking about. If you were truly like what I've heard about in the legends, wouldn't you have already crushed my head effortlessly before threatening me?" Manfred did not back down at Doltero's dangerously low voice, sneering at him.

A look of displeasure on her face because the flow of the meeting had been diverted off-course from its destination, Toto spoke. "That's enough!"

Breaking into the conversation was Helaine, who'd raised her black-gloved hand. "Now, now, please calm down, you two. You have nothing to gain by fighting like that. Please consider it as allowing us to save face..."

Doltero roared, "Why should I allow you to save face and let this insolent piglet off the hook?"

"That's... Well, because I have something good to tell you! Indeed, it might have something to do with the incident that happened recently."

In the face of Doltero's increasingly intimidating air, Helaine placed her hand in her breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"And what would that be?" Toto asked.

"An investigative report," Helaine replied. "In order to do something for the surviving family members of the employees that had been lost, and unwilling to simply wallow in despair, we forwent from eating and sleeping to conduct an investigation into what had happened."

"Did you find anything?" asked Manfred.

"Though I am not entirely certain, however... The aforementioned criminal who did it most certainly does not know how the city works. And this made Hakchuri's Sword Saint weigh on my mind."

"...Wait a damn minute, are you serious?" Manfred blurted out in surprise.

The second those words had left her mouth, everyone in the meeting place started to lose their composure. Manfred and Toto were included, and even Doltero wasn't an exception. However, the way Doltero had reacted was quite different compared to everyone else's surprise, which no one had noticed.

The Hakchuri's Sword Saint was a disaster that the people from the underworld must never get involved with.

Seeing that there was a possibility that he had a part in it, everyone there went up into an uproar, prompting Helaine to quickly wave her hands. "Oh, please do not misunderstand me. We need not concern ourselves with the Sword Saint himself, but rather the young lady he brought home with him."

"Young lady... So, that royal selection candidate, then?" Toto inquired.

"Selection battle for the throne... You mean that young lass who's just there to make up the numbers?"

Realizing that the disaster wasn't at the centre of what was going on, Toto and Manfred threw themselves back into the conversation.

The royal selection was currently the biggest matter of interest for the people of the Kingdom of Lugnica. Since every member of the royal family had died due to an illness, the kingdom had announced the start of the Royal Selection in order to select a new ruler.

And one of the candidates for the royal selection had a base of operations in the town of Hakchuri, which was close to Flanders. However, she didn't even have a proper sponsor, for she had just been a pitiful girl they'd found to make up the numbers to start the royal selection—common knowledge for the people of the underworld who were sharp-eared for information.

Helaine, however, threw another piece of information into the pot, one that was worthy of causing a stir. Which was...

"If our investigation is anything to go by, the aforementioned young girl met with the Black Silver Coin, or so I have heard."

"───"

"We also heard she had been extremely discourteous towards you, sir. If that is really the truth, then I cannot imagine her as being anything but fearless, but... perhaps she did that as a part of increasing her popularity?"

Bringing her hands in front of her slender chest, Helaine declared that cheerfully, in clear contrast to the content of her words. However, those listening to her nearby were unable to maintain a peaceful state of mind, unlike her.

In particular, the person in question, Doltero, could not prevent himself from being drawn out to explain what had happened.

"Is what she just said true, Mr. Doltero?" Toto asked.

"...We had some qualms with each other, yes. However, I've already taken care of it."

He didn't really feel any inclination to explain further, his intention having been implied in his statement. However, upon hearing that, Toto and Manfred's eyes flickered with seemingly profound emotion.

"If it's true that they had a dispute with the Black Silver Coin, the gold eater's words won't be something we can laugh off. The hopeless young lass might be trying to bring herself back from the brink by cleaning up the darkness of the city...perhaps."

"Though it's only the foolishness and cute rashness of a child, she does have the capacity to actually pull it off."

"The Sword Saint..." uttered someone in a low voice, gulping as they did so.

Toto's and Manfred's attention shifted over to the young female candidate, ignoring Doltero, who had little to say. Setting aside whether they saw her as the one responsible for their present circumstances, or whether they were interested in her as an individual.

"Credibility aside, shouldn't we first talk with the girl, at least?" Toto posited. "Especially since the girl we are speaking of is in the neighbouring town...with an adorable face that will most certainly shine if polished."

"Ugh, there we go again" Manfred replied. "Your tastes are pretty damn lame. That said, we'd be in quite a rut if we didn't go greet her, huh. —What was that lass called?"

"Hmm, let me see... If I'm not mistaken—"

Manfred touched the tattoo on his face as Toto gave a captivating smile, then looked at Helaine. She tilted her head at that—stealthily looking Doltero's way.

With that action alone, it was as if Helaine's immeasurably detestable nature had wrapped its claws around him, trying to bring him into its embrace.

Then, without alluding him to it, Helaine continued to smile.

"—Lady Felt. Her name goes something like that, I believe."

"Oh-ho? What business do you guys have with my imouto, hmm?" A voice rang from the back of the room, and a foreign figure walked towards centre of the fray as the young boy took off his hood, and Manfred widened his eyes.

"You! I thought I told you to stay out of our business for a few days, so what are you doing here?"

"Well, I never pledged myself to Balance, nor did I ever state that I would be operating per your orders." The young boy said as he stopped at the circle, where the rest of the superpowers sat, and materialized a chair of some material out of thin air as he sat down on it.

"Who are you? Who do you think you are to enter here without out permission? This is also the Pig King's territory, mind you." Toto said as she glared at young man then at Manfred, who was assumed to be responsible.

"Ah, yes, the Pig King, Doltero Amule, leader of the Black Silver Coin. But even you underground people can never hope to be on par with those like the Sword Saint or the Blue Lightning, can you? You cower in fear at the moment you realize that he might be involved, instead of having someone resolve the situation either peacefully or brutally." The young man pointed out, which made the other more angry. Helaine looked at the situation with skepticism, wondering how her plan turned out to this scenario. Doltero, however, regarded the young man with interest as he wondered how he has mustered the courage to talk on the same level as powerhouses such as himself.

"Do not be agitated, everyone." The young man said as he waved a hand to demand silence. "I simply want to know what you plan to do with your target, as you said before, Felt, I presume?"

The four leaders nodded as they looked at the young man with confusion, unable to see what he's trying to point at. "Well, I'm only suggesting that I could make your negotiations way easier than it will go, so how about let's form a temporary alliance?"

"An alliance? And on what basis do you think that you can persuade that feisty girl to work with us peacefully? Even Doltero Amule can't handle her, so-" Manfred said, enraged to a certain degree as his new partner silenced him with the wave of a hand once again.

"Well, reason number one, I can easily wipe out the entire city of Flanders within the hour, so I suggest you accept my offer. Also, I'm friends with the Sword Saint, so I suggest you take this seriously. Now, before we decide the specifics, let's do this, shall we?" The young man snapped his fingers and walked towards Doltero Amule.

"Sansyīn." The boy muttered as sound disappeared around the sphere of Doltero Amule and himself, shocking the man. "I used a sound obscuring spell, so don't be worried. Speak what you like to me."

"Well, to be honest, you're an interesting individual, so I don't think I hold anything against you if you were to form an alliance with us." Doltero said as the boy's calculating gaze swept over him.

"Hmm. If you are a demi-human, I assume you would know Valga Cromwell, then?" The boy uttered out a name that many would despise, yet he showed no hostility while saying it. "Why the surprised look? He was definitely here recently, was he not? You gave Felt the Meteor Staff because of her relation with Rom-san, correct?"

"You... who are you, really? I never had information on someone who has such a vast information network, nor anyone with power. And yes, I can sense power. You are even more dangerous than when Valga was in his prime."

"Oh? Thanks for the evaluation, I guess." The boy smiled. His Pure Truth allowed him to be more persuasive and convincing in general, since he's just spewing facts. It's hard to argue when anyone has factual evidence of your activities. "I see... even more powerful than when Rom was in his prime, you say? I guess that might be why I took Sphinx under my wing..."

"Ah, to answer your question, Mr.Doltero."

The boy turned around and took off his hood, revealed the three wickedly powerful swords on his back as his comrades took off their cloaks as well, and eyes widened as they recognized the three behind him, while all eyes pointed towards the silent bubble between the Pig King and the boy.

"My name is Y/N L/N. Leader of the Liberator's Battalion, Warlock of Deceit, and Felt's nii-chan. Pleased to meet you, king of the underworld."

The boy then removed his sound barrier, and the Pig King sighed as Helaine, the Golden Beetle, looked at the boy in amazement. To make the Pig King calm down in an instant, is something not anyone can do. He's an important asset that must be obtained-

Before Helaine could finish that thought, sound vanished her as she saw the boy appear in front of her in an instant.

"You're Y/N L/N, aren't you?"

"How do you know, Helaine Gatness, the Golden Beetle?" The boy looked shocked, and Helaine felt like she finally gained an upper hand in the conversation. However, before she could talk, the boy dropped her hopes of winning into the flames.

"Ah, sorry. Of course you know, since you are... a member of the secretive information organization of Lugnica, Six Tongues, aren't you? I suppose you've heard of me from Russell, or even Bordeaux, since I did cause quite a ruckus back in the capital. But... if you think that you can sway the one who's one of the main orchestrators for the downfall of the White Whale, The Sin Archbishop of Sloth, and the Great Rabbit, think again."

The boy, as if reading her mind, left that warning message for her as he exposed her identity, dispersed the sound barrier, and stood in front of the four leaders once again.

"Now, if I may say it again, let me introduce myself and my comrades." The boy said as he pointed to each of the people who revealed themselves.

"Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter."

"Yae Tenzen, Swift Flash."

"Sphinx."

"Y/N L/N. Leader of the Liberator's Battalion, Warlock of Deceit, Greed's Contracted, and Felt's nii-chan. Now, Four Heads of the underworld, shall we form that alliance now?"

Chapter Text

Y/N POV

We exited the underground tavern, and marched onto the streets with our hoods off. Although some of my partners are infamous, they should not be recognized on sight. I hope, at least.

Chid-chan, where are you? I asked through my pendant to my contractor, who responded almost immediately.

Y/N, I'm in the food district. The girls said they were hungry and so I was dragged around  and ended up buying a bit too much for my body and their bodies to consume.

Uh... how much... did you spend exactly?

If I remember correctly, maybe 20 holy coins?

Phew... I thought you spent all 50 of them...

Honestly, Y/N, I'm disappointed in your lack of trust in my abilities. Even if I haven't went to the outside world in 400 years, I still have a sense of finance, you know?

Okay, okay... sorry. In compensation for my actions, I'm giving you 5 more as allowance.

Allowance? Who do you take me for, a kid-

Do you want it or not?

YES, please.

Anyways, I'm heading over with Elsa, Yae, and Sphinx now. Please wait for me there, and when we meet up, we'll go down to Hakchuri.

Hakchuri? Isn't that the place where the Sword Saint lives. You don't mean...

Yes. It's time to pay my little sister a visit.

I walked through the streets of Hakchuri, accompanied by my 7 companions. I ignored any glares from jealous males, since I didn't recruit girls for a harem or whatsoever, but because of their abilities.

Stalking further into the vicinity of the of the city, I came across a weird crowd who was seemingly cheering for something. When I someone budged to the front of the crowd, I saw Felt, who flew through the air after being knocked away by something.

I was going to rush and help her, but Reinhard caught her before I could rush in. My worries only stopped when I saw tomato sauce instead of blood upon closer inspection.

Felt swatted at Reinhard and yelled about him being ruining the mood or something, and hopped off as she checked the situation. Apparently, they were in a game of sorts, and Felt's team lost, one way or another.

I was about to leave and visit them later, but a scream behind me stopped my movement as I saw Palmyra propel herself high up into the air using Il Fura, an original spell that she created. Seeing how she had no control over the spell, I sighed as I elevated myself using aluminum, and caught her as I walked down stairs that formed as I walked.

I set her down on the ground. And looked at her questioningly. "Palmyra, didn't I say not to use magic inside the city for safety reasons?"

"Well, I wanted to show Colette, and I didn't know that Il Fura would be so powerful, since before I've only been able to elevate myself of the floor a little."

"Sigh... well, next time, tell me or Omega before you do something like that, okay?"

"Fine..."

After I placed Palmyra down on the floor, I noticed that apparently our situation caused quite a commotion, and the crowd opened up to a circle as we were featured in the centre of it.

"Let's go, Palmyra." I said as I scurried away with her into the crowd, but not before a voice stopped me from behind.

"Y/N nii-chan?" Felt's voice rang out from behind me, and I stopped as the crowd opened up once more, and I faced her as she let out a smile.

"Y/N nii-chan!" Felt rushed over and hugged me as Reinhard followed, worried.

"Felt-sama, I told you, you can't just go running off into places..." Reinhard stopped as he saw me, and quickly stopped as he let out a long sigh of relief. "Hello, Y/N."

"Rein! Nice to see you here, I guess?"

"You know what, Y/N nii-chan? We're heading back to the Astrea Mansion, so how about you come with us for a tour?" Felt asked, excited.

"Rein, is that okay with you?" I asked the Sword Saint, who shrugged as his approval. Felt gave me a wide smile as she pulled me in the direction of the mansions, but I stopped as I gave Palmyra a look to tell the others to follow us, before getting dragged off by Felt as we walked down the streets.

The crowd was apparently still shocked that the very feisty girl who seemed annoyed even at her own caretaker could have such an intimate friend. I couldn't blame them, since Felt's mood seems to be swinging from one extreme to another every moment.

Felt introduced me to many people in Hakchuri, who all seemed very friendly, and occasionally gave me some gifts of some sort for being able to be a friend or something. Well, weird places have weird traditions, so who am I to argue against that?

When we finally entered the vicinity of the Astrea Mansion, I saw my comrades in the distance and immediately waved to them. Felt was confused until she noticed the girls, and she gave me a weird look.

"Y/N nii-chan, have you seriously been gathering girls for the past few months and not visiting me just for that reason?"

"No, no! I really wasn't! We were busy fighting the White Whale and the Witch Cult, you know? And also some really tough enemies."

"Hmmm.... if I find out that you're lying..."

"I really wasn't!"

While continued to gaze at me questioningly, Reinhard, on the other hand looked shocked and defensive. It was only then I realized why he was being hostile as I noticed Elsa and Sphinx.

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell him that-

However, before I could finish my thought, Reinhard rushed out with the Dragon Sword Reid in hand as he somehow unsheathed it, and Elsa immediately smiled and took up a fighting stance before I used Inen and Ryokyo to block Reid and push Reinhard back to defend Elsa and the rest of my comrades.

"Y/N! Have you lost your mind! Elsa Granhiert is a very dangerous criminal, so why is she with you!"

"Rein, your slash would've hurt the girls behind her too, you know? Also, Elsa's on our side now. It's a long story, so I'll explain it all later when we get inside and rest." I tried to calm Reinhard down as he realized his mistake and sheathed his sword, which I was surprised that it allowed itself to be unsheathed in the first place. Is it because of Omega?

"Fine, then. Y/N, you better not make me regret this." Reinhard said as he sighed and signalled us to follow him.

Reinhard POV

To think that Y/N L/N has recruited the Bowel Hunter... just what magic d id he do to  manage to accomplish that?

And, also, that pink-haired girl with them... she looked like Sphinx, a leader during the demi-human war...

But the most mysterious incident is definitely, this.

Reinhard thought as he looked at the Dragon Sword Reid, who was supposed to not allow itself to be unsheathed until it deemed its enemy worthy. Now that I think about it, this happens every time Y/N is around...

But why? I never once considered him as an enemy, and always as a friend. So why is the Dragon Sword allowing itself to be...

Well, I suppose many answers will be revealed when Y/N tells us his story. I suppose we'll just have to wait.

Timeskippu*

Y/N POV

As we sat down in a lounge within the Astrea Mansion, the hostility rose as I felt the people from two sides glare at each other, mainly my comrades looking at Reinhard and the Astrea people in contempt as they did indeed try to kill them, one way or another. Even Palmyra and Colette looked a bit angry despite not fully aware of the situation.

Felt and I sat in the middle as mediators, since we were like the bridge between the two parties. I sighed as I suddenly saw three more people join us, and one of them was Rom.

"Old Man Rom! You're here too?" I said, pretending to be surprised.

"Oh, youngster! Yes, I'm here as well to watch over Felt. By the way, what's happening here?" Rom asked, clearing up the tense atmosphere just a little.

"Well, we were discussing on how I happened to have such a bizarre-" Everyone in the battalion glared at me, and I decided to use a change of words. "-ahem, interesting, group of comrades/ travelling partners. Anyways, I'm just trying to clear up animosities here, so can we all just be friends here?"

"Now, Mr...Y/N," the old man who entered alongside Rom and a woman who I presumed as his wife, spoke to me. "I know you are a good person as Reinhard says, but I hope you can see how hard this is for us. I just finished adjusting with this dude over there, you know." He jabbed a finger at Rom.

"I see. Well, Mr. Grimm Fauzen, who could use his shield to deflect an Al Jiwald, the strongest spell in Sphinx's arsenal, I hope you can also understand that times have changed since then. Sphinx is loyal to me, and obviously I do not want her attacking her old enemies or whatsoever. The past is the past, I'm not saying you should forget, but it will be nice to forgive to a degree. She could also be of help to training many potent mage, being one herself. Don't be too hard on my partner, okay?"

After my speech on defending her, Sphinx wiggled close to me as she clung to me once again, and Omega sighed as she held the Ryuzu staff that was supposed to be shared among the clones. Grimm sighed as his wife Carol comforted him, and I began to tell our story.

I filled in the battle of the White Whale for those that were not there, and my encounter with the Archbishops of Greed and Gluttony. I then talked about the Sanctuary, mainly skimming it and leaving out parts related to Echidna, and described my experience on defeating the Bowel Hunter and how I recruited Sphinx and Yae. After a lot of explaining, everyone finally calmed down and eventually let us go rest.

I was so tired that I'd rather just go sleep, but the girls insisted I take a bath. I grudgingly agreed, and I took off my clothes as I entered the bath with a towel. I sat in the pool, reminiscing about the times when I fought hard battles that would've never been won, if I didn't have my Deceit Witch Factor. Am I relying on it too much? I can't tell. Out of the 10 main abilities, only 7 are unlocked so far. I only have 22 elements unlocked so far, and I really need to step up my game if I were to face the Archbishops in Arc 5, who are insanely overpowered.

At least I am given a one-year period where I can train... the only worrying part about this is that I hope I won't be tracked down by the Archbishop of Lust, who is the leader of the Assassination Organization. Taking Elsa and Meili away might've down great damage to their group, so it is almost impossible to determine if she would send people to kill me.

Well, no use worrying about that now, is there?

Before I could enjoy myself more, Echidna's voice came through.

Y/N! How's the bath?

It's pretty nice, Chid-chan, the water temperature is great. Are you going to the bath as well?

Ya, although Sphinx, Elsa, and myself do not need bathing, we decided to do it as a group anyways. By the way, you entered the one with the eagle on it, right? So I'm going to assume the Lion is the woman's bath, since Reinhard also said-

Wait. The Lion one is the woman's bath? And they're all coming in right now?

Oh no.

I quickly ran into the change room, grabbed my clothes, and decided to modify the walls a bit as I sneaked through the crack before closing it up with all the elements I could muster. I sighed peacefully as the cracks closed and I heard the voice of Sphinx and Meili entering on the other side, making me relieved.

Thank god I did some quick thinking there, or else I would've-

I turned around to see Felt, who was lying in her own personal bath, yawning as she closed her eyes in peace. Seeing that she didn't notice me, I covered myself with aluminum foil as I snuck across the floor, and finally reached the other wall.

Why did my luck just drop by 100%?! I could've gotten caught so bad back there... I have to be more careful the next time I take a bath in this mansion, dammit...

Now finally in the men's bath, I sat down in the water once again as I left my clothes in the male change room, relieved that I just survived that scenario. But my tranquil time was quickly interrupted by three other people: Reinhard, Rom, and Grimm, who all decided to take a bath at this time as well.

Why couldn't I just have a peaceful time to myself?!

Now that I look back on it, I might've had a better time if I just stayed over there...

The Warlock of Deceit let out a long sigh as he sat in the water, hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Y/N POV

"Ah... a bright new day for myself in this world, isn't that just great..."

I sat up as I stretched and yawned, and rubbed my eyes as I laid my hands out as I spread my body on the bed, stretching my muscles and bones before my left hand and right hand came into contact with foreign objects.

UH...

I looked to my left, where Omega slept soundly as she showed no signs of waking up. Felt clung to my right arm as I rested it down by accident, and I just realized that I'm trapped below when I saw Sphinx sleeping on my legs.

Oh god no...

How did I end up in this situation?!

I remember last night I went to sleep in this room with no one else, so how did it become like this...

As I carefully got out of the bed and placed myself on the floor, I saw Colette and Palmyra sleeping on the bed across, and Yae slept on a futon like thing on the floor with Elsa and Meili on another. There are... 1, 2, 3, no, EIGHT GIRLS in this room. I think I might faint...

After I reached the door using some serious stealth, I opened it and a man was waiting for me as I saw Rom, who smiled at me sheepishly.

"Oh! Y/N! Did you perhaps... have a lot of fun last night?"

Okay, it's official, I'm going to be executed.

And no, I didn't mean that I actually will be, but my heart and mind definitely were as I approached the breakfast table. By the time I got there, everyone was already up, surprisingly. It seems that they didn't know what happened either, and didn't suspect anything, so I just ignored it. Reinhard asked me where Felt was since she wasn't in her room, and Rom came to my rescue as he directed the Sword Saint away.

I ate the bread and drank the milk as I sighed, wondering what we could possibly doing today. I strengthened my bones by rearranging the lattices of calcium, and fiddle around with my tiny diamond stick when I suddenly saw three more faces enter the room. Familiar ones, at that.

"Eh? Why are there so many people here today? That brat said we were the only ones, did she not?" A shrill voice sounded from the guy with the silver and pink hair, who looked at us in contempt as a fat man and a dwarf stood by his side. My eyes widened in recognition, and I rushed over to give them a surprise.

"Yo! Rachins! How're ya?" I appeared in front of them using El Akra, which absolutely terrified them before they recognized my face.

"Warlock of Flame?" Camberley said as he pointed at me, stepping back a little as I pulled all my aura back and just smiled.

"C'mon, don't call me by that nostalgic name... I go by Liberator, or the Warlock of Deceit now. Anyways, come eat breakfast! Reinhard said he prepared training for us all."

"Training again? We're really going to die..." Gaston grumbled as he sat down.

"Die? I'm sure that Reinhard isn't going to overtax you guys' energy too much, is he?"

"No, it's not Reinhard that's troublesome, but rather, the two tiny brats of Remendis..."

Brats of Remendis?

Oh, Flam and Grassis, the two granddaughters of Grimm and Carol, who share the Divine Protection of Mindspeak, which allow them to telepathically communicate with each other. Also, the two are interesting people who can beat thugs like Rachins without a sweat, so I wonder how my teammates will fare against them...

***********************************************************************************************

And, soon enough, we're in the training field of the Astrea Mansion.

The Battalion stationed themselves out here, including Palmyra and Colette, who claimed that Omega has indeed given them a lot of lessons. While I'm confident that Palmyra can definitely use magic better now, Colette's beast bracelet might still be a problem.

Oh right, I haven't summoned those guys in a while.

"Alchemis, Cahya, Bayanga. Come on out."

My three spirits floated out as they manifested themselves in their physical corporeal forms, yawning as they felt refreshed after the last battle at the Roswaal Mansion. Their mana has been fully restored and replenished, so it was definitely time to give them a chance to show off.

"Huh? Three spirits, with corporeal forms as well?" Reinhard said in amazement as Grimm and Carol strolled down here to watch as well.

"Hey! I don't know what made you think that, but we're not just spirits. I'm the Great Spirit of Yin, Bayanga-desu!"

"Cahya, Great Spirit of Yang."

"Alchemis, Elder Spirit of Fire."

My three spirits introduced themselves as Bayanga floated around, trying to boast her titles and achievements as Cahya tried to stop her. Alchemis, on the other hand, caught the curiosity of Reinhard.

"Alchemis-san, may I ask, what is an Elder Spirit?"

To be honest, I didn't know what it meant as well, so I let him explain.

"An Elder Spirit simply means that one has lived long enough to witness many events, shifting of tides, and changing of the world. I lived for more than 450 years myself, so I guess the main difference between myself and a normal spirit is that I have a corporeal form and a heck lot more of experience. I was a quasi-spirit once, but I guess after... never mind. Anyways, Sword Saint, do you get the idea now?"

"Yes. I think I understand. Anyways, Gaston, Rachins, Camberley, you three are up."

The three thugs grumbled as they stepped onto the field, and readied for a fight as I saw Reinhard walk away. Before my confusion could sink in, two sisters with almost identical hairstyle walked onto the field as the thugs grimaced.

If you underestimate children, you'll be regretting it. It's a simple law that can be seen in many situations, especially in Re: Zero.

And they proved it immediately in this battle.

Using their telepathy and immense speed, the two knocked down the three thugs in an instant. I can see that Rachins attempted to use Goa, but the attacks as easily thwarted.

And so, this one sided battle went on for a long time, before I decided to intervene as I cast Akra on the three. For the first time ever, Camberley dodged a kick as Gaston defended against one, while Rachins finally shot his Goa out and made the two step back in surprise.

"Ah, it seems that the Akra has worked." I said as I got up to the training field and approached the pair. Standing in front of the thugs, I gave a slight bow to the girls as I smiled.

"May I have a chance of duelling you two?"

I looked at Reinhard, who nodded as he got approval from Grimm and Carol, who looked at me interestingly as I nodded back.

"Then, let the battle commence."

I enhanced myself with Akra right away, and the two disappeared from my view of sight as I activated the White Whale's Flying Seal and leapt into the sky as their combo attack hit where I was standing.

They were obviously amazed, but their attacks didn't stop as I saw they shot an accelerated sword at me, but it was nullified as I formed a wall of diamond.

I then dashed towards them and they reappeared behind me, but since that's what I expected, I yelled out Shamak as the black smoke concealed my location before firing Jiwald in their direction, causing them to take minor damage as they leapt away from the smoke.

"Okay, time to show you a cool trick." I placed my hand in the famous style, and smiled as I let the air shimmer, before two identical clones of myself splitted out of me.

The clones dashed towards Flam and Grassis, who fought desperately to beat my clones. Unfortunately for them, I lured them into a trap as aluminum foil folded around them from mid-air as they were trapped inside the bone cages I created from Calcium and other elements.

"Checkmate."

The twins were trapped as they struggled to get out, but to no avail. Grimm widened his eyes at my tactics as my made my clones disappear, and felt a weird stretchy sense in my body.

It was the aftereffect of cloning myself, a technique I called Infinite Multiplication. Currently, using it normally can create 10 at max, while Critical Overload can boost that number up to a 100. The former technique that was the secret of Great Rabbit's insanely fast asexual reproduction was inherited by me after its defeat, so I decided to finally put it to use.

The other one that evolved from Deceit is a gamebreaking one, and maybe it might just let me win in the next fight...

"Reinhard, do you mind if we sparred?"

"Huh? Y/N... you want to spar me?" Reinhard looked shocked at my statement, and so did everyone on my team.

"Well, I did defeat the strongest mage, Roswaal, by an inch. So I simply want to test how strong I am by doing like a proxy duel with you. Let's not use our full power sincc that might wipe out the entire Hakchuri, okay?"

"You... really are a crazy kid, aren't you, Y/N?"

Reinhard eventually accepted as he understood, and took a step back as we both readied ourselves. Reinhard picked up an iron sword from the weapons pile, but I looked at him with confusion.

"Why aren't you drawing that... you know?"

"Drawing what?" Reinhard said, a bit afraid of what I'm suggesting.

"The Dragon Sword Reid. Supposedly created by the first Sword Saint, Reid Astrea after he slayed countless dragons with it. The sheath has been engraved with marks from the divine dragon Volcanica itself. Why are you not unsheathing it, when it allows itself to be drawn?"

"Y/N! This is not funny anymore! You'll actually die or get severely injured if you do something like this! I'm concerned for your own safety!"

"I'm not worried myself. After all, I have three of its equals." I said as I unsheathed Zeam, Inen, and Ryokyo. I held the Spirit Sword in my left hand, the Shadow Sword in my right, while the Life Sword was held by an Imperceptible Extensions as Reinhard widened his eyes.

"Y/N... I don't know how you managed to get those, but you do know that having strong swords doesn't mean you are strong, right?"

"Did you say that to Cecilus too, when you two duelled?"

"-?"

"He had Murasame and Masayume, did he not? The two alone can kill a man by just existing, and although my ones are less powerful, they can still perform the same feats."

"Fine. But take it easy, okay?"

"Gotcha. Ready to learn, Rein!"

The four Swords of Power clashed as the shockwaves vibrated off the walls, shaking the entire town as if an earthquake struck.

The battle that nobody saw completely, one between the Warlock of Deceit and the Sword Saint, raged on for an hour before it stopped.

Somewhere in Flanders...

5 hours after the 'Quake'...

"Ugh... welp, my muscles hurt."

A boy muttered to himself as he strolled through the streets that he 'controlled' from the shadows, sighing as he rubbed his arms.

"Even the newest power, Blessing Eradication, cannot fully defeat Rein... he really is a monster. The amount of Divine Protections is just insane! Like how and why would you even need that much, for example, the one about how you can never mistake salt with sugar..."

The boy sighed as he sat on a chair that formed out of nowhere, relaxing on the street as he stared into the Earth Dragon Capital. It was a scary time after the 'Quake', as people dubbed it. However, many did not know it was merely a duel between the Warlock and the Saint, nothing more.

It was supposed to be peaceful now.

That is, until a scream came from the alley next door, and the boy got up slowly as he regarded situation, where a suspicious man stabbed a girl in the lung, and another boy was desperately trying to save her. The boy knocked the man out right away with a pellet of diamond, before he regarded the girl and the boy with interest.

"P-Please! Save her, anyone!" The boy wailed as he tried applying healing magic.

"You know... I could help you, but can you promise me something?"

"Huh? I'll-, I'll promise you anything! Please, just save her!" The boy bowed in front of the other one, and the one standing sighed as he made way over to the victim as he removed the knife in one swift movement, before he placed his hand over the girl's lung. The skin cells began repairing themselves, the dust and unwanted substances filtering out, as well as the blood began restoring. Within seconds, it looked like there was no damage done. The girl sat up in amazement as she touched her chest, shocked at what just happened.

"H-Huh?" The boy on the ground looked at the girl and the mage in amazement, unable to comprehend what just happened.

"So, now, the payment? Or should I say, your promise?"

"Y-Yes? What do you want? I don't have money, but I could help you-"

"No. Calm down for a second, boy. All I wish for you to do, is to join Felt's Royal Selection camp."

"Royal... Selection camp? No way, I couldn't... I'm too weak to be of any use, you know-"

"Precisely. That's why I'll help you. As the one who is given the annoying alias of Grey, don't you feel belittled for no reason? That's I wish to help you. Talent lies in you heart, Ezzo Cadner. You could even take that girl with you to the camp if you wish. I'm sure my colleague would have no trouble letting her go."

"My name... you knew it? And I can't take her with me. She's a prostitute, under the command of a very powerful organization. I can't just-"

"You see, Ezzo, I made a deal with that particular organization a few days ago, and they shouldn't dare to mess with my business, so rest assured. Do you want to come with me, who's capable of liberating you from the fake shackles that chain you down? If so, accept my offer to join the camp."

"I, I-"

Ezzo slowly took the boy's hand, and signalled to his friend, who also stood up. "Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?"

"My name is Y/N L/N, leader of the Liberator's Battalion, the Warlock of Deceit. I look forward to our cooperation."

New Abilities:

Infinite Multiplication: A skill Y/N obtained after defeating the Great Rabbit. It allows him to make flesh clones of himself that contain a fifth of his regular power, and can control them from a distance. The maximum amount of clones that can be made is 100, under Critical Overload.

Blessing Eradication: ( 加護消滅 )  Kago Shometsu : Y/N can forcibly cancel all divine protections on a person for 10 minutes, cutting off their flow of magic from Od Laguna by forcefully severing the link that connects them to it. All DPs will be stopped, but the user can and will regain them after the duration ends. Cooldown: 1 day

Chapter Text

The days of training and staying in the Astrea mansion came to an end when I decided that it was time for us to go, and possibly make a name of ourselves.

Fighting Witch Cultists that attacked random cities and settlements is not a big deal for me or any of my members, since they're strong enough now. Even Colette, formerly the weakest, can fully control her Beasting bracelet by staying conscious during its activation.

Omega really has a knack for knowing how her own meteors work, I suppose.

Following the 'Quake', Reinhard and I never had a duel again, for safety measures, of course. He taught me how to properly swing a sword and use more fluid movements, which I grasped rather quickly. Maybe it's because of the Deceit Witch Factor, but I can't tell for sure. I also worked out a few more moves with my Swords of Power, before today came.

It was time to leave Hakchuri.

Of course, it wasn't a willing decision, by any means. It's only because that we needed to move on and we cannot stay here for too long, or else we'll end up being viewed as an official supporter of the Felt Camp, which we're not (yet?).

For the better good, as they say.

I sighed as I sat on top of the Astrea Mansion's pinnacle point, viewing the sunset as the rays flashed into my eyes. Zeam, Inen, and Ryokyo's sheathes glowed as they absorbed mana from the atmosphere.

I always wondered... why can I not see my predecessor?

Alchemis had said that she sealed herself within the Witch Factor that she created, but he never specified why she did it, or if there was any way to unlock it. To be honest, finding her was only a matter of time, in my opinion.

I touched my black pendant, and told Echidna to gather the battalion at the main gate, since we were leaving. As I jumped down into the yard, Felt was waiting for me at the gate as she blocked my path.

"Nii-chan, you're leaving already?"

"Well, we do have to go to take care of some business, Felt, but I'll see you again soon enough, you know?"

"Why do you have to leave? Why can't you just stay here and help me grow stronger?"

"You are doing quite well on your own, are you not? You know what, let's make a bet, if you can touch me in a minute, I'll stay here one more week. If you can't, then let's make another bet. Deal?"

"You think I would give up a chance like this?" Felt said happily as she disappeared from my sight, and suddenly appeared behind me, faster than ever. It was only using Ul Akra did I jump away from her by chance, or else I would've lost right then and there.

"You're really using your Divine Protection well, Felt! I'm pretty sure your speed can be comparable to Elsa's now..."

"Where are you looking?" Felt said as she attempted another swipe, but I dodged it again before she ran around me in a circle.

"You know, doing that isn't going to help, imouto-chan." I said as I went over to the circle and flicked a finger on her forehead, and she immediately leapt away and glared at me.

"30 seconds left."

Her next attempt involved a lot of erratic movements, which caught me off guard in some sense before I managed to get a light grasp on her focus. I split myself into clones and mixed up my real body within them. Felt went around trying to get me, but I watched outside the fight as I smiled when the timer clicked.

"You're definitely stronger now, Felt, but you need to learn a little tactic, should you not?" I smirked as I dodged another blow, and the time's up.

"And Felt one minute has passed-" Before I could give the final verdict, a body slammed into me just as I deactivated Akra, and I was sent flying into the wall, feeling immense pain for the first time since I battled Elsa at the mansion.

"Nii-chan? Are you okay?"Felt asked as I sighed in the rubble, and got up thanks to her pulling.

"Is this your way of making me stay here longer?"

"Well, that was unintended, you know..."

"Okay. Time to make that bet, then."

"Hah?! But I won, nii-chan..."

"You did not. I clearly was about to say-"

"Okay, okay, fine! I'll bet this! If you can defeat a really really bad person, and managed to get everyone to like you, you need to become my knight!"

"Hah?"

"HEEEEEEHHHH????"

"Hehe! Knowing you, nii-chan will always get into all sorts of fights! So when you defeat someone strong, it means you can protect me and therefore be my knight!"

"Who said they wanted to be your knight in the first place..." I muttered as Felt gave me a sharp glare, and I immediately retracted my words.

"I understand, I understand. From this moment onwards, I agree with Felt's bet and swear on the Dragon, the Sage, and the Saint." I said as I held out my pinkie, and Felt looked at me, confused.

"Back in my homeland, we make promises by hooking our pinkie fingers together as a sign of trust." I explained, and Felt happily smiled as she wrapped her own around mine, and the contract was sealed.

The ascension's first phase completes, and the Outerworlder begins to leave for his next destination.

Meanwhile...

Bodies were torn as they flew into the air, but no screams sounded as the woman tore through the witch cultists with no mercy.

When she finally reached one that didn't have their usual uniform on, she immediately rushed over to him and looked at him with interest. "Are you perhaps... Betelgeuse?"

"N-no! I'm just one of his fingers! I'm-"

The man was torn apart before he could utter another word, and then was burned. The woman laughed hysterically as she looked at the sky with sadness.

"Oh, my dear Betelgeuse, where did you go...?"

The woman said as she dragged her golden chains behind her, and continued leaving destruction for a while to come.

A white haired man sat in his mansion's room, pondering about his life as he felt the book in his pocket shake, and immediately fished it out to look at it.

A smile formed on his face as he realized the contents, and thought about that woman the Gospel mentioned.

Number 79... who was she?

As the fragmented memories slowly pieced everything together, he remembered the basic outline, and smiled again.

I... will make you my wife, for sure. Nothing can defy destiny.

"We're going to go there- tsu!" A young boy said to another as they walked across the plain of animals, uninterested as they headed towards a remote village.

"Really, Lye? What fun meal is over there? Then again, everything is quite tasty to me -tsu!"

"We really think you oughta up your standards, Roy. There are certain meals that deserve praise, while some don't -tsu." The first boy said to the second as they continued forwards.

"Anyways, don't we have another big, big meal a while later? The Gospel really is very-very good, -tsu!"

"Well, let's begin the feast, shall we -tsu?"

That day, another village full of names and memories have been eradicated again, due to the two Sin Archbishops of Gluttony.

In a bizarre fortress within the unknown territory, a person sat upon the throne that she created herself, and finally smiled as all her attendants in the room bowed to her when her messenger entered.

"So, you finally came back, you masochistic meat, do you have any news, huh?" The one stop the throne sneered as the messenger hurriedly reported.

"My lady, we have successfully sighted Elsa Granhiert and Meili Portroute. Do you want us to bring them back?"

"What are they doing and who are they with?"

"We've sighted around 5 more girls travelling along with them, led by a person who calls himself... the Liberator."

"Heh? Who's that? Elaborate further."

"He's a person who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and is now a renowned 'hero' due to his recent endeavours and saving villages."

"I see. Then we do not need to worry yet. We do have a big thing to prepare for, you know." The girl waved a hand, and the assassins left their 'Mother'.

The Sin Archbishop of Lust jumped off her throne and flew to the top of the building, admiring the stars as she sat down and relaxed. She thought of the individual who can provide so much love for his comrades, to the point where she, the one who should hold all love in the world, thinks it's commendable.

"Then, one who can make such a feat... I~ will~ make~ you~ mine~"

She laughed as the sounds spread into the sky, even making the Warlock of Deceit shudder slightly, far away from her location.

The Outerworlder's ascension completes, and the Grand Stage finally begins to rise as the Witch Cult's grand plan on the Water Gate City begins.

Chapter Text

M/N POV

Year 0, 2003

Y/N L/N was born.

A child with beautiful brown eyes looked up at M/N L/N, who smiled at her child as her husband looked at his child and gave the same expression as his wife.

"He looks like you, you know?" F/N said to M/N, who smiled again in happiness.

"I'm just glad that both of us were okay during the birth progress." M/N replied. "But he has your eyes, you know? The same sanpakugan that runs in your family's veins."

"Really?" F/N exclaimed as he took a closer look at his child, and realized what his wife meant. Although his son was not his splitting image, there were indeed resemblance in the body structure and eye features.

"He's going to be a great boy. He's our angel now."

Year 1

Y/N L/N looked up at the bright, blue sky.

The stars shone down on him, and he wondered.

What are you guys made of, that allowed you to float so high up in the sky?

One day, I vow to find out.

Y/N thought that as he wiggled his fingers, and tried to comprehend the thought he just had, which was definitely beyond a regular human's capability when they're one year old. Then again, since he is one year old, he can't do much about it as he fell over and whined to get his diaper changed again.

M/N quickly came into the room and hushed her baby as she changed Y/N's diaper, confused at what her son was looking at. It was not until she saw his pointing finger that she realized that he was looking at the sky.

"The sky, huh? I wonder, if one day, you, my son, can go up there one day."

Year 2

Y/N L/N sat on a swing, pushed by his father as he glanced up at the sky again, trying to find the stars. However, contrary to his belief and knowledge, the stars did not show up in daytime to satisfy his desires. Th sun's light blocked out all of those who were way further, and Y/N sighed.

Kids his age couldn't bother with the things he's interested in.

Why could they not? He has absolutely no idea.

His obsession with the stars and the things that created the world was something that only people who are at least several years older than himself could ever be interested in.

Well, that kinda sucks, does it not?

While the other kids lived a leisure life, Y/N began to go through all the possible books he could read by looking at the pictures. Words were a hassle, so he mainly looked at the diagrams in the books. Although they definitely did not completely make sense in his young mind, this foundation that he built would be indeed, a very strong constitution that would help him later on in his life.

Year 3

A boy sat in the library, glad that he finally knew how to read.

M/N has taught Y/N on how to read and write since he seemed very content in learning it. By this point, Y/N is perfectly fine with romaji, hiragana, and some kanji. His passion for study is like no other, which is also why he happened to be in here, the library's most 'nerdy' section.

Unbeknownst to the boy who happily sat reading an astronomy book in the corner, his actions caught a certain man's interest, one who would guide his world into his desired future.

But, since he does not know, the boy carried his books in his wagon and headed over to the checkout counter, where he got the books he wanted as he strolled home.

The sky was blue again, with no stars in sight. Y/N knows by this point that the stars only come out at night due to the sun being too bright or something, but he can't discern the exact reason. Lack of vocabulary was a problem. Y/N thought as he listed out his current goals.

Learn Algebra math within the next two years.

Do a lot of vocabulary so that he could understand words in books and so on.

Maybe his mom and dad could afford a dictionary or something.

Nevertheless, his journey for knowledge had just begun.

Year 4
Y/N POV

Kanzaki Gorou was not expecting a genius to come to his school.

Well, I guess it depends on your definition of genius, of course.

The school principal of Hiragi Elementary was definitely not prepared when he heard I'll be going to his school.

Oh yeah, by this point, you probably don't know why I'm saying this.

Apparently, I made a name of myself by frequently visiting the library's most 'educational' section, and I'm now known as the Young Sage of the Corner.

Lame name, I know. I couldn't believe that someone is defiling my profile like this...

Anyways, lame nicknames aside, the reputation is an annoying part, since now I cannot go to the library and read without having someone just randomly calling out my name and recognizing me.

"Yo, Y/N!" My friend, a fellow four-year old, who's name is Yogami, strolled over to me as he looked at the pile of books in my hands. "Let me help you carry some of that, here."

Yogami said as he happily took four books, a bit too much for a kid like him and myself. Then again, I don't even know how I carry seven books in the first place. Perhaps it's the practice that I've exercised over the months.

Anyways, elementary school is about to start soon. Guess it's time to get ready for my first batch of education.

Timeskippu*

Well, school was somewhat within my expectations while also being somewhat unexpected.

Let's talk about the expected parts first.

Math and Japanese was easy as heck. If science existed as a subject on the first day, in pretty sure I'll ace it anyways. I was okay in PE since I was a bit fit from the library trips.

The books in the school were boring. I read most of them myself in around 10 minutes, not learning anything new except maybe moral lessons.

Is this a curse of being too smart when you're not supposed to be?

Well, I just jinxed my life. Congratulations, Y/N, you absolute idiot.

Next are the unexpected.

I was called to the principal's office for some reasons. I definitely did not know why at the time, but everyone looked at me as if I just murdered someone. With the current 'criminal' status embedded onto me, I walked into the room with a heavy heart as I met the principal, Kanzaki Gorou, for the first time.

He was an eccentric to an extent, somewhat like me. However, he definitely wasn't as smart as me, or so he said.

Basically, he was going to test me to see if I was actually a genius/extremely hard working student or not.

I was not going to agree to the quiz since it needed parental consent, and I'll be happy to keep trouble away from my mother and father, since they don't earn that much money to give me tons of supplies. However, being the quirky parents they are to their quirky child, they immediately agreed (almost too fast) and I was now in the testing centre.

The test overall was not hard, but there were definitely parts that I did not understand. What the hell is the Pythagorean Theorem? Nani?

Of course, I later learned I wasn't even supposed to solve one, so I guess getting only 20% on that quiz was acceptable to say the least.

What was not acceptable was what came after that.

The principle decided that it would be best to put me into a class with a higher grade, which I immediately refused and used many big terms. I knew it was not going to be great the moment I heard that, since they will view me as a freak child who knows too much.

Despite my efforts of trying to reverse my already declining luck, I was dragged off to the advanced class.

Year 5

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It is going exactly as I expected.

Being in a class of seventh-graders is seriously not poggers.

I mean, being surrounded by people who are seven to eight years older than you does not give you a very nice feeling overall. To me, they looked like monsters ready to devour the one prey that dared enter their classroom.

"Aghh..." I sighed as I sat down in my seat again, and saw my only friend in this class who didn't view me as a freak, Koharu, come up to me.

"Y/N-kun! Are you okay?" She said as she patted my head. To be honest, she was like the big sister I never had. We even eat lunch together sometimes.

"I'm fine, Ko-nee. What are we doing today again?" I asked her, sighing as I looked at the sun in the sky with my enhanced sunglasses.

"We're doing the Pythagorean Theorem, I think. And Y/N-kun, don't stare at the sun directly! You're going to kill your eyes!"

"The sun won't harm me with those enhanced ones." I replied as I diverted my glance. "And the thing is a^2+b^2=c^2 in a right triangle, right? I see, well, it seems a tiny bit of revision is needed..."

"Honestly, Y/N-kun, I sometimes wonder how did you even get this smart in the first place..." Ko-nee let out a sigh, and I thought about what she said.

How did I, indeed, get to this level of intelligence?

Surely it's not unachievable, but why did I reach it?

Things always start at the origin. To understand how one is, one must trace back to one's origin. So what is my origin?

The... stars.

The first thing that caught my curiosity.

And just like that, things that were caught in my net of curiosity was being evolved, by the continued pursuit of knowledge in all of those topics. That, is also how I probably reached this point.

Then again, I'm only 5 years old, and it'll be a long time before I reach my end. Therefore, I'll begin my journey of the accumulation of knowledge.

I stood up and walked back towards the classroom with Ko-nee, with a new goal in mind.

The conquest for information begins now.

Year 6

After that year, I left elementary school after I found the man who I saw at the library once three years ago. The amount of knowledge was just not enough, and so I left that place in search for something grander.

It was at this moment that I met Harold Scott, a member of the NASA team who was interested in taking me as his student.

I was surprised that anyone would even recruit me for something in the first place, but apparently, in the realm of geniuses, everyone is mad.

"Why did you want me, an insignificant random person, and a kid at that, to be your student?"

"Well, who hasn't heard of the Young Sage of the Corner in this area-"

"Please don't call me by that lame nickname."

"Okay, I understand." Harold gave a slight chuckle, and looked at me again, seriously this time. "So, do you accept my offer?"

I honestly took a while to think about it after I gave him the answer.

Although not widely known, Harold is indeed a man of high standing within the NASA community, one of the best space companies in the world. To be a student to a great astrophysicist like him seems to be out of my reach.

But I'm forgetting something, aren't I?

I'm the one being invited, and as someone once said:

'Chances are taken, not given. One strives to seek out opportunities and use every single one of them to one's advantage to reach the top.'

Then I too, shall do the same.

I'm not sure why I did this back then, but I decided to put on the best evil face I had as I looked up at the man, extending my hand out in accordance with his request.

"I agree with your proposal. Now, shall we dive into the sea of knowledge?"

Year 7

"I'm coming!" I yelled as I ran down the hall to the lab, where my teacher was waiting, and burst through the door as I carefully set the items he requested on the table as I checked them over. "This is all that you needed, right?"

"Yup! Now, Y/N, let's take a closer look at superconductivity, shall we?" Harold said as he connected the piece of magnet to an object that has been frozen to temperatures that cannot normally occur on Earth. He then lifted the piece of magnet above the frozen solid, and it started floating, just like a magnetic levitating train.

He then placed an entire line of those frozen solids, and slid the magnet across them. It floated beautifully across before it stopped at the end of the line, and did not fall off either, contrary to my expectations.

"You see, Y/N, superconductors are objects that can conduct electricity completely with no resistance at extremely low temperatures. This means it'll be quite efficient when it comes to practical use." Harold explained as I suddenly thought of something.

"It would revolutionize the way transportation works if we can keep those frozen solids frozen, correct? For now, it might be only usable in Antarctica or the Far North."

"Yes, indeed, an excellent observation and analysis."

Just like the small superconductors, I was a similar one. I learned recently that I seem to be able to absorb any knowledge that I come across, as long as I'm interested in it. And I do mean fully absorb. I can make connections and analysis as I'm learning about it, and Harold says it's great for studying.

Is this another side effect of becoming curious too quickly?

Maybe, but the result to it is still to be determined.

As 'he' once said to me...

If you want to do something, like truly, really want to, then you can achieve it. Any human can do anything if they use their full potential and effort.

Year 8

And so, soon, I put that quote to use within a year.

I went with Harold to Antarctica for a stargazing trip, and surprisingly, my parents agreed to it. Do they seriously have no care for a child going to the coldest place on Earth or what...

The good thing was, Harold had been generous enough to take me out on a shopping trip as we gathered all the supplies we needed.

This was for a project that we discussed over a year, and we were ready to put it in action at last.

The research stations of Antarctica are extremely cold in every sense, and obviously no one would like to repeatedly go out into the cold to deliver one thing to another station. Hence why I'm doing this project.

What is this project about, you ask? Well, did you listen to me earlier?

Anyways, after experimenting with different versions of superconductors, we found that the YBCO (yttrium barium copper oxide) was so far the best in conductivity at a relatively higher temperature and is the easiest to find in the market.

And so began our long journey to make a path.

We laid out the YBCO in this long path along with some other metals to keep it cold while not damaging it, and seeing that we're revolutionizing how the world is working, some other researchers also pitched in to help. Thank god for now the weather is fine, and working in a snowstorm isn't really ideal.

With more manpower, we finally finished laying down the track in 2 days between the bases. Now comes the long 10 days of us using all the resources NASA supplied us with for a project. We built a nice roof and walls around the system, allowing people to walk between the bases using this as a tunnel, and accumulated lots of condensed snow to keep the structure in shape. 

Now, it was time to test it out.

After loading the magnets onto the track along with some other parts, we positioned a few boxes on top of the platform before we let it speed off after pushing it, and it turned out to be a success when the guys on the other end received it. In addition to that, it was working so well that this prototype was already used so frequently that food is being delivered at this point. 

The interesting part is the cold weather of Antarctica and the refrigerating blocks that keep the superconductors cold while still not completing this project. The miraculous balance that plays a part in this shocked both me and Harold, and we began to run some tests before we left Antarctica to finish my studies.

Little did I know... weeks after I left Antarctica, an article was written about me and Harold.

It was titled along the lines of this: "The NASA Scientist and his student make a breakthrough in transporting objects in Antarctica bases!"

Thank god they did not use the stupid Sage title again...

I continued reading the article. Mind you, this is 3 months after I left Antarctica.

"...the astrophysicist, Harold Scott, led an expedition of two people to Antarctica, which included himself and his student. They implemented the use of the longest superconducting rail to ship food and other items from one snowy base to another, making many things efficient. Harold had said that the idea was created by his student when they were in a lesson about this particular topic. And as for his student's name, we believe that he is the rumoured 'Young Sage of the Corner' from the Japan's Prefecture of-"

"AHHHHHHHH FUQ THAT NICKNAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Year 8 end

Chapter Text

"Y/N, you really had such an eventful childhood, did you not?" Echidna said as she sat on the sofa she created using the knowledge from my world, and laid down beside me as I reminisced about the events.

"Well, if you compare it to the others, sure, I guess?"

"Anyways, please get on with the story. I'm very curious to know what happens next in that world of yours, you know?"

"Hai, hai..."

Year 9

Y/N POV

After the three long years of my studies, I said goodbye to Harold as I left the NASA research institute, now basically having a bachelor's degree in physics and chemistry.

Now that education is done for the most part, we can start with innovation.

Superconduct rails are something that Harold vowed to produce, so I guess I'll leave that to him. I will create something new, but not now.

I've also earned a nice amount of money in the US, so I guess I can slowly put it to use.

Dad helped me with investing and stuff while I tucked the other half of my fortune into a bank, and wondered what to do next.

Everybody probably forgot me at this point, except for Yogami, who I constantly phoned and texted since we were best pals. So maybe it would be nice to go to that elite school I've heard of.

Yes, within my prefecture, there exists a school that ones call elite.

They probably have better education system and other stuff than the rest, but I can still ace things if I go there. Best keep a low profile for now until a bit later, and let that 'Young Sage of the Corner' nonsense die out.

With that plan in mind, I headed towards the school.

Miraculously, I managed to mix into the crowd of the Elite Academy, not standing in any way as I portrayed myself to be of low standing. I wanted to see just how much effort I needed to put into classes by this point, and how much further I should advance to secure positions within the society without having the reveal my true abilities.

Yogami has transferred here as well due to the request of his parents and ours, since we were best friends, after all. We immediately embraced each other with a bro hug upon reunion, and entered it's grounds to start our era.

The introductions went by quite smoothly, since I enhanced my public speaking skills by sometimes presenting the projects that I've learned with Harold to some other teenage researchers there.

I met a cool guy called Mizuryu, who seemed well built as if he is a professional bodybuilder, which he probably isn't. This man has a strong sense of justice and can be immediately identified as an absolute chad, so I made sure to stick with him if any bad events transpire later on.

The first class went by without any problems, and the same happened for the next few days, so I assumed that I could potentially enjoy this stasis stage.

That assumption turned out to be a bit wrong. In a sense, yes.

And that particular scenario that I did not account for is lunch.

Oh, it was definitely hell.

Reason number one: We had to line up to buy lunch. Maybe China and India has worse lunch lines due to their population density, but this was already bad.

I did not account for this, and so I'm here at the back of the line with Yogami. The two of us sighed as we watched the lunch line slowly progress. Mizuryu was at the front, but sadly we could not go cut in there since the angry monitor person is watching. Dammit.

Reason number 2: I didn't remember to bring enough money. And now I only have one miso soup. 

Congratulations, Y/N. The achievement 'starving' has been achieved.

Since neither Yogami nor Mizuryu brought enough money, I sat sulkingly in the corner until I recognized a familiar face walking here. "Ko-nee!"

"Y/N-kun! I hold you transfer this school as well! How're you doing?" Ko-nee said as she sat down at our table, and offered me a yakisoba bun as I smiled at her and accepted her generosity.

"I'm doing quite fine, so thanks for asking. Also, Ko-nee, how come you came here?"

"Well, my family said that it would be a good idea to attend this particular institute, and here I am! By the way, Y/N-kun, where did you disappear off to for the past three years?"

Grk.

I was not supposed to tell anyone about my trip and studies with Harold at NASA, since it was something both he and I agreed on. And so, I began to make up a tale as they followed. In short, I told them that I went to a place to do studies at, since they had a bunch of 'smart kids' attend the training camp of sorts.

They believed me, so at least that was good. Didn't want to deal with the situation if they did think I'm lying anyways...

The next few days went by in a flash, and I arrived at the place where I would make a mark in the history of this particular school. 

I was just casually strolling through the hallways that day, and I noticed that inside a certain room to my right, there were a lot of shouting of sorts going on, and decided to take a peek inside the room out of sheer curiosity.

What I saw was fascinating, in a sense. At least to a 9 year old.

There were three people in the room, doing some sort of combat training. I'm sure this isn't the judo club since they have their own dojo, so who are these people?

A guy swung his plastic sword to another who made a perfect parry and block. The third person, who was standing outside of the fight, launched an arrow from his crossbow, which the first guy dodged by performing a backflip.

I don't know what it was that roped me into seeing the spectacular scene, but I was definitely drawn in due it being new and I've never experienced nor seen anything of the sort. I knew how to do self defence to a degree, but their movements is something I could never hope to achieve in the short amount of time I invested into self-defence.

I stepped into the room as the three stopped fighting, and two boys and one girl looked at me with a funny face as if I just intruded their territory. I raised my hands up in a surrender-like position, and they gave off a laugh as they waved their hands in peace as well.

"Hello there. What brings you here today, kid? I wasn't aware that anyone wanted to sign up." The guy sounded like a delinquent, although he was definitely well kept in terms of cleanliness. 

"Uh... I saw you guys fighting just now, and it looked pretty cool, so I was wondering if you could teach me some moves..."

"I see. Then, I'll be quite happy to teach!" The second guy who made the parry and block happily extended the hand, but the girl stopped him.

'We only teach our techniques to those who devote themselves to the club. Do you want to join? If you do not wish to, please leave immediately and do not tell of the events transpired today."

"The events? Oh, do you mean the fighting? Well... I wouldn't, but-"

"There. Are. No. Buts." 

"Eh..." I looked at the girl in half-fear, and the first boy came up to calm her down a little. 

"We can't have you scaring away our new potential recruit, now, can we?"

"Um, so, what is this club?" I asked, still unaware of the context although it was displayed quite clearly around me.

"We're the Chunnibyou Club of this school, the Third Circle of our Prefecture's Chunnibyou League."

Year 10

I entered the large building that had lots of people, surrounding myself with their eccentric costumes and dress-ups. Mind you, this isn't Halloween. After I joined the Chunni club, I decided to take it as a serious profession as I came into the gathering of all Chunnis in the prefecture.

The Grand Gathering of the Chuunis, Hexenpulgis.

It was the place where all otakus, chunnibyos, and the ones alike joined together. The great feast that everyone provided was simply incredible. I got to meet some people from another circle in the prefecture, and they seemed to share similar interests.

In the past year, I immersed myself in light novels and manga, understanding the brand new world that was just under my nose the entire time. And you know me, when I see knowledge, no matter what kind, I'll strap myself to it and absorb all the info I need to know.

Today, I'm dressed up as a guy from an anime I watched recently, and had his sword strapped to my back. I walked around along with my senpais in glee at the situation until a sudden phone call turned the entire situation around drastically.

"Ko-nee?" I said into the phone as I looked at the number in confusion. "What did you need me for?"

"Y/N-kun... shhh.... I'm trapped somewhere right now and there are people searching for me, so please..."

"Ko-nee? What's wrong?!"

"HELP...."

I immediately turned my phone off and rushed towards my senpais and explained the situation with them, and to my surprise, they agreed, and suddenly pushed a button.

"Big News?" I stared at the screen as the Chuunis suddenly got so excited an uproar was created. "What does that mean?"

"ATTENTION ALL CHUNNIS AND OTAKUS!" My senpai shouted into a mic as he announced the news. "Our time has come! The desired situation is upon us! It's time to show the world the real power of the Chuunis!"

"My kouhai here-" He pointed towards me. "Has a friend who has been captured by a group of dangerous people! So, it's time to-"

"-COMMENCE the Chunni Crusade!"

"Heh? Y/N, you're going to leave off the story there?" 

"Well, Chid-chan, it is getting quite late, so-"

"PLease.... Can I just hear a bit more?"

"If you don't sleep well we all know who's going to get sick."

"Okay then... at least share your bedsheets with me."

"Okay then- wait what?!"

"As compensation that you're not giving me the story, I guess. Also, I want to learn and experience the sensation of a boy and girl sleeping together... Carmilla did say that it should improve our relationship in the general sense..."

HOW THE HELL did the Witch of Lust get these kinds of ideas? Wasn't she so shy to the point that verbal insults seemed like stab wounds to her?

"-fine... don't you try anything funny though."

Omega nodded as she lied down next to me, and snuggled up to me while starting to slowly snore in an attempt to pretend that she was asleep. Sighing, I patted her head as I looked at the night sky, where the stars of another world stared down at me.

Chapter Text

A/N: Merry Christmas! 

How're y'all doing? Over here in B.C. Canada, it's freezing cold and it's gonna snow this weekend! I'm looking forward to having snow fort fights... 

What are some of your presents this year?

Side note: this chapter was made after I blew through my trigonometry homework (it's such a pain but still doable).

Anyways, enjoy!

8 months after the events of Arc 4.5...

Countdown to Water Gate City... 3 months.

Location: Costuul, regional capital of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica.

Y/N POV

"Hey! Hey! Wake up, everyone!" I yelled, excited as I remembered today's date. It was December 24th, the Christmas Eve of the first year I arrived in the world of Re:Zero. 

My teammates, who are asleep on the beds next to and around me, gradually woke up as they groaned. "Y/N onii-san... why are you shouting so early in the morning?" Meili said as she stretched, before plunging herself back onto Elsa's resting body.

"Well, it's Christmas, so I thought we oughta start doing some festive things!" I said as they looked at me, confused as Omega raised her hand. 

"Um, Y/N, what do you mean by, it's Christmas?" 

"Hah?"

Oh wait... they don't know what it is, do they? And you, Chid-chan, have you not explored my mind long enough to know what that is? Really?

"Uh, anyways, back in my hometown, we celebrated a festival of sorts called Christmas. Basically, we have a giant feast of sorts before giving everyone gifts on the day. Now, since we're here in Costuul, I was thinking we could buy each other some gifts."

"Ah..." Yae said as she rubbed away the sleepiness, and nodded in agreement. "But Y/N, aren't we kinda broke?"

"Oh, money? That won't be a problem. Imma just leave this on the tab of the Golden Beetle. Helaine won't really mind it if I told her to pay small gifts for me. Just don't buy anything too expensive, okay? If you are going to buy something expensive, tell me, because..." I said as I created a few holy coins out of thin air. "I can just always make more."

My battalion members all sighed at my currency creation, and Omega shook her head in mock disappointment. 

"Well then, just so you know, everyone have please take one of those Merchant Association 'Cards'. When people ask you who to relay the money pay to, tell them Russell Fellow- Golden Beetle. This way, we can make sure the transaction doesn't go wrong. Got it?"

A few 'okays' went across the room as they began to change and get dressed, which gave me my cue to leave. I stepped into the lobby of the inn we were staying in, and the receptionist greeted me kindly. "Hello, Liberator-san. How may I be of assistance today?"

"Don't be so formal, Lilia. I'm not that famous to be honest. I only saved a few villages..."

"But you're all across the papers, you know? You also prevented the Disaster of Plagues, and drove off the poison from the Black Snake in the west just a few weeks ago! You know how impressive that was?"

"You flatter me, honestly..."

"And that's not all! Some sources also say that you were fighting alongside the Duchess Karsten in the Hunt for the White Whale, and you delivered a critical blow to the Great Mabeast! Also, look here in the paper..." 

Hm? I usually don't pay attention to the newspaper much, but I'll guess I'll look at it just this once or else Lilia will keep on bugging me about it. 

"Look here, it says 'My nii-chan can go fight toe to toe with my knight, Reinhard! He's definitely going to change the world for the better-"

I spat my water out.

Felt... why did you have to go and say that.......

"Ey? Y/N-san, what's wrong?" Lilia looked at me as if I just got hit by a rock, but I waved it off. 

"It's nothing... anyways, the girls are going shopping today, so if any of them doesn't know where to go, please find someone to accompany them first, especially the three kids. 

"Okay, gotcha. To be honest, I'm actually still quite surprised that you guys aren't just a whole big family...?"

"Trust me, Lilia, if that was the case, I would be mobbed to death in multiple universes."

"EH? What's that supposed to mean?"

****************************************************************

After departing from the inn, I activated the White Whale's flying seal and shot off into the sky, before taking a look around for the general direction I'm going to go in. After making sure that I'm heading northeast, I began my flight.

Within the bag on my back were Christmas presents for everyone in the Emilia camp. I hope they would like it, since I did some serious thinking on what to make for everyone. 

For Emilia, a Puck plushie that I created from scratch using the elements.

For Ram, a nice new kitchen knife along with a snow globe.

For Otto, a special potion that I devised alongside Echidna that allows the mana to flow better in his body, which also extends the time limit on the usage of his Divine Protection.

For Garfiel, a pair of 'leg shields' that can allow him to perform kicks while also not taking that much damage in case he's fighting against an extremely strong enemy.

For Frederica, dolls with dress-up features on them (since she like that, apparently).

For Petra, a beautiful dress that she can wear for any important occasions / or just whenever she wants to.

For Roswaal, ahem. A picture of Echidna making an ahe-

CUT

RETAKE

For Roswaal, a picture of Echidna smiling in her castle of dreams, which I copied from the dream realm onto a real piece of paper. This took a long time, Ros-chi, so you better appreciate it! Don't be salty just because you won't see tongue action again!

For Subaru, it was actually the hardest gift to decide. I debated on many different things, like a Emilia body pillow to a Yin Magic meteor. However, I went with something that I knew he would truly and genuinely like: I gave him figurines of Emilia and Rem: and....

A large box of instant ramen!

This is going to get him so hard he's going to be so confused when he gets them. Also, I'm currently not carrying them with me. I found a teleporting meteor that allows us to send items to somewhere whenever I wanted to, as long as I have another piece and the user on the other side agrees to it.

After an hour or so of flight, I landed in front of the Miload Mansion, I contacted Echidna through my mental link, and a pop sounded as I saw the box of food drop in front of me. Quickly dumping all the presents from my bag into the box and then resealing it, I knocked on the door loudly with the hardest yet the most polite knocks I could muster.

"HELLO! Delivery service!" I yelled loudly as a crash sounded from indoors, and I heard Ram talking to Subaru. Using Nect on a Ryuzu clone who I stationed in the mansion, I listened in on their conversation from outside the door.

"Barusu, there's a weird man outside the door."

"Huh? What do you mean, weird?"

"Well, for starters, he knocked on the door very loudly, and yelled something like 'delivery service!' before leaving."

"Delivery service? Man, they must be joking." Subaru said as he began to go for the door to take a look, and I severed the Nect link as I flew up to sit on top of a nearby tree to observe, hiding myself among the leaves.

As Subaru opened the door and expected the box, he saw the logo I imprinted onto the box, and seemed puzzled. "Liberator's delivery service? Why does it feel familiar for some reasons?"

How do you still not know me from the newspapers... unless you don't read them?

"EEEEEHHHH? Instant noodles? Is this some cruel joke... wait..." Subaru said, surprised before seeing my letter. "Y/N! I know you're there somewhere! Don't try to play Santa and actually greet your friend!"

Sorry, Subaru, but I cannot see you just yet. However, Imma play another trick on you. 

I folded a paper airplane real quick with the words Merry Christmas written on them, and threw it towards Subaru at the entrance. "Sayonara, then."

I took off towards the sky once more, returning to the city of Costuul.

******************************************************************************

I landed on top of the clocktower in Costuul, fiddling the pen between my fingers as I watched the sun in the sky. Twelve bells signalled the start of noon, and I took my bag out from behind my back to check everything I prepared for my teammates. 

I got two things for every single one of my teammates. A combat-related gift and a casual kind of gift. I mean, in a world like this, you definitely have to fulfill wishes from two sides of the same coin, right?

First, I took out the two wickedly sharp knives that Elsa had, the 'White Blade' and the 'Black Blade'. I renamed them Bonecrusher and Gorecutter due to their usage, and enhanced the edges to make them able to contain certain substances such as poison or magical add-ons. For the casual gift, a cotton doll knitting kit since it was one of her hobbies.

For Meili I personally carved out a nice, short pair of daggers that were dubbed 'Fangs of the Rabbits' by myself. During my extermination of the Great Rabbit, I managed to 'de-tooth' almost every single one I killed, so now I have a bunch of those in stock. The teeth were also durable, so I thought of using them to make a weapon. It turns out that I was able to succeed. Anyways, I gave her some figurines of everyone in the Battalion, and people from the Emilia Camp as well. She wasn't exactly pleasant when I found out her 'childish' hobby, and she set quite a few mabeasts on me that day. I also couldn't kill any of them while running away, since... ya.

For Colette and Palmyra I both prepared them some baked goods that I purchased from a local bakery. I gave Colette a mental calming bracelet to match her Beast Protection meteor, which also helps her control her new power later. I made a pyroxene crystal staff for Palmyra with the help of Omega to have her channel her magic better.

I had help from Lilia to find a clothes shop, and found a nice pair of shoes and a jacket for Yae, and I enhanced her kunais, which gave them a few Yang Magic buffs. I took my time to learn some magic theory between Arcs 2 and 3, and Echidna has been helping me improve as well. Might as well get a Ph. D. in it since I'm here anyways.

Also, Sphinx's gift was a pair of warm mittens and some nice shoes. I also got her a hairpin just so she doesn't think I'm giving her too less gifts. I'm not exactly an expert at spoiling children, but Echidna had no argument against it, so I guess it's fine? As for her combat-side gift, I made a 'Lunar Pearl' with the help of Echidna, as a catalyst to cast her magic faster.

Now that the gifts are set, I flew back into the town, and visited the inn's lobby, where many people were drinking and eating together. I sat down at a nearby table, and a good friend of mine in the town slid into the seat next to me. 

"Yo, Pratis. How's life?"

"Good! And you? More busy 'Liberator' businesses recently?"

"Nah, we're taking a short holiday break."

"Holiday break? I don't remember having any holidays though..."

"It's a tradition from my faraway hometown. We celebrated a festival there to give each other gifts. By the way, I also got one for you." I said as I took out a nice box of pastries I picked up from another town on the way back.

"My goodness... this is the pastries from the Claudrea Café in Picoutatte! When did you have the time to go do this?"

"Well, flying does make movement easier, you know..."

"Ah, I know you're amazing alright. Thanks again, bro! By the way, you should check out that new apple cider they're selling. It's so damn good." Pratis said as he ran off to join his merchant friends, who seemed to have a nice scoop on a new sale. I met Pratis after saving his cart from being robbed, and I kinda followed him all the way here to Costuul, and we eventually began to hang out and talk as friends. 

"Y/N! We're back!" Sphinx said as she flew over and latched herself onto me, and I hugged her back. 

"I guess we should all go and open our presents now, should we?"

******************************************************************************

Timeskippu*

After the busy night of fun and games, we eventually went to bed, but my night was apparently not over yet. 

No, I'm not losing my virginity...

"Y/N, are you ready?"

"Open the gate, Chid-chan."

A bright white flash blinded my eyes as I entered the Castle of Dreams, where the giant grass plain that I knew so well faced me once more. Echidna was already in her seat, with a larger table this time. The Six Witches of Sin sat in their respective seats, with me settling down between Echidna and Minerva.

There was one empty seat between Typhon and Daphne, and I gave Echidna a look.

"She didn't come, Chid-chan?"

"Well, what do you expect? She can break into my Castle of Dreams if she actually wanted to, but it's not like I can pull her out of her Shadow Garden. Such an unfair situation, don't you think?"

I had actually told Echidna to send an invitation to Satella, since she could come to all her old friends and have a nice time. Unfortunately, it seems that her alternate personality was getting the better of her these days, since she's quite reclusive.

"I guess we have to start without her, then." I said as I snapped my fingers, and the Christmas dinner I had on the list I gave Echidna a while ago materialized itself on the table. This is what's good about the Castle of Dreams. You do what you want here, and all you need is your imagination. Such a nice place indeed.

"Can I pwease start eating, H/N H/N?" Daphne asked me as she started drooling at the smell of the amazing food. I can see her leaning towards the turkey already.

A/N: H/N stands for Half-name. As Daphne calls Echidna Dona Dona, Typhon Tyu-Tyu, Carmilla Mila Mila and so on. H/N H/N will be what Daphne calls them, and N/N will be what Typhon calls Y/N. 

"Hold up, Daphne-chan, I have to give everyone their silverware and plates first." I said as I materialized the things I needed, and we began dining in the pocket dimension those souls called home.

Daphne definitely did not hesitate to begin barfing down food, and I immediately told her to eat a little slowly so that she doesn't choke herself (but maybe she has a wider esophagus). I had to monitor her using an Imperceptible Extension while eating my own food.

Sekhmet was lying on to chairs, too lazy to sit upright in the first place. Typhon was taking her sweet time to feed her mother figure, who was opening her mouth as a natural response to Typhon's delicate spoon feeding. I made a good decision putting those two next to each other.

Just when I was about to check on everyone else, the blonde-haired witch next to me grabbed my hand, to my surprise. "Y/N! This food is actually so good! Did you make all of this?"

"Well, Minerva-tan, it was indeed me but only from imagination, you know..."

"Really? Because those things can wash away my anger, even if it's just for a little bit... anyways, these taste way better than Echidna's dull cookies at our usual tea parties!"

"You really are criticizing my hard work, aren't you..." Echidna pouted. "Then again, Minerva, I didn't expect you to be this big of a gourmet. Your speed of eating right now is on par with Daphne's."

"Huh? Really?" Minerva suddenly stopped, and as if she realized something. "Hold up, didn't you say last time that you had to actually make them in the real world to be able to bring them here?"

That was a fact. I did indeed make those foods that I imagined, and it seems to be a requirement before I could materialize anything in the Castle of Dreams. Then again, I didn't make them all in one day, so...

"To be able to make this much food... have you burned yourself somewhere? Did you cut yourself while peeling the potatoes or anything like that?!"

Minerva continued to worry as she sent a healing punches my way, and now I have one of her fists stuck to my face. "Minerva-tan, you shouldn't worry yourself so much. Also, if your healing punches aren't doing something, they could really hurt, you know..."

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, we should be enjoying this time, after all. Speaking of enjoying, is something wrong, Carmilla-tan?" I said as I glanced towards the Witch of Lust, who sat shyly in her seat, her utensils not moved yet.

"Uh...um..." She mumbled slightly, unsure of what to say. "I am not exactly fond... of hot food... since it reminds me of my death of burning..."

"Sorry about that. I do have some desserts, if you like." I said as I walked over to Carmilla, and Echidna gave me a warning look possibly due to her authority, but waved it off after realizing that I was immune to it. I then whipped up a mango pudding for Carmilla, and she began slowly trying it.

"It's...good..." 

"I know, right? Mangoes are surprisingly delicious. Anyways, smile a little more, okay?"

"I...see.... I will..."

As I sat back into my seat, Echidna immediately grabbed my face and shoved a spoonful of food in front of it.

"Say ah..."

"Ah...?"

I complied with her demand as she shoved it down my throat, causing me to choke a little.

"Hey, Chid-chan, what was that for?"

"It's called payback for not tending to your contractor first." Echidna pouted, retuning to her original position.

"But technically, we're all of his contractors, by extension..." Minerva added.

"Well, I am the first Witch he contracted with, after all."

"Dona, are you perhaps jealous?" Typhon asked, an innocent smirk plastered across her face.

"You guys...!"

And thus began a heated discussion that I definitely did not want to take part of.

********************************************************************

"Hey, Y/N, are you really going in there?" Minerva asked me as I stared at the dark portal Echidna just opened, which was enough to block out the light of the Castle of Dreams.

"I can't exactly just let that recluse rot away in there, can I? She is a poor soul who took in an incompatible Witch Factor, after all."

"Just... be careful in there." Minerva said as she sent one last healing punch my way, and I nodded before I leaped into the dark portal, and landed in my destination.

A leakage of green mist covered my the area underneath my legs, and I blew the fog away a little, revealing the Witch of Envy, huddling in a corner.

"Love him... love him... love him...love him...love him...love him..."

"Hello? Satella? Are you awake or are you sleeptalking?"

"You..." Satella turned around, surprised at my sudden appearance.

"How... why... you are not the one...."

"Why I'm here? Well, it is Christmas, so here's a present for you." I said as I set the bag of contents down, surprising her. 

"What... is... Christmas... You are not the one. BEGONE! Get out-"

"I'm not here to speak to you, alternate personality-san. Scindo." 

I said as I sent out a piece of the Deceit Witch Factor, and it penetrated through her chest as she suddenly hang still for a while, and I sighed.

"Well, if even that doesn't work, I guess I have to take my leave. The amount of miasma here is too dense even to my liking, so I guess I'll see you- woah?"

I was dragged back to the tea party by Echidna so suddenly, and the gateway closed before the Witch of Envy was secluded once more.

********************************************************************

??? POV

Scindo... implant complete.

"Huh?" Satella suddenly regained her consciousness, astonished that her alternate personality faded away for the moment.

What just happened?

She noticed the bag at her feet, and took out two pictures:

A picture of her alongside the other Witches of Sin,

and, a picture of Natsuki Subaru, smiling.

"Thank you... Liberator..."

"....Warlock, of Deceit."

Chapter Text

11 months after the events of Arc 4.5...

??? POV

"Osprey, what are you doing over there? Get over here to properly guard Lugnica's borders!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming..." Osprey said as he grudgingly trudged over to his post. "Seriously, Nagen, why do you nag me so much anyways? There won't be an incident like last time."

"Just because we're not back at that Vollachian border fortress does not mean that you can slack off! In fact, it's even more dangerous here, considering that this is a gathering point of all four countries!"

"Ya, but will there be another Cecilus Segmunt running past this particular fortress? No! So relax, Nagen, it's not like we will have a country attacking us or something..."

"Oh, ya? Then what is that in the distance?" Nagen said with urgency as Osprey looked at a dust cloud in the distance.

"No way... is that a... mabeast horde?" Osprey gasped as he spotted a rock covered pig, and many other ones surrounding it. The weirdest part was... there were people riding it as they came into view, with saddles on their back.

"Mabeast horde? Are you serious?" Nagen said as he took a closer look at what he just told his comrade to observe, and shock expressed on his face. "Tell all units to engage and be ready to fight! If we're unprepared, we might actually die to all of them! The amount is insane... almost as if someone was coordinating them..."

"Hey, look!" Osprey said as he noticed a boy riding a ground dragon in front of the mabeast horde, seemingly trying to escape the impeding danger behind him. "We gotta help that kid!"

"You serious? Osprey-"

"Nagen, we can't leave a kid like him out there alone, you know! I'm going to rescue him."

"Osprey, you can't just-" Nagen started, but Osprey was already off. Sighing, Nagen followed his comrade as they went outside the gate.

"Hey! Kid!" Osprey yelled out to the boy on the ground dragon, who looked quite unfazed at what was happening behind him despite having a mabeast horde right there. Osprey didn't know if this kid was sleeping, but upon closer inspection he realized he wasn't, and the boy was waving back with glee.

Osprey would've yelled 'Kid what the hell are you so happy about' if he didn't hear the kid shout back once his voice was in range.

"Hello! Is this the border fortress I've heard about?" The boy said with a carefree spirit as he halted his dragon, and got off it as the mabeast horde suddenly stopped behind him as Osprey and Nagen looked at the situation with shock, their mouths agape.

"Y/N nii-chan! We can stop now, right?" A blue haired girl who popped up from one of the mabeasts said to the boy as he gave a thumbs-up back, and the girl nodded as she started to speak with the mabeasts, before they went away as if obeying her.

"Anyways, sorry about that commotion that I caused." The boy said as he bowed and apologized, but Osprey was still processing what just happened and didn't hear a word. "We should probably switch to our second method of transportations when we're in the vicinity of cities and dense areas of populations, check..."

"Excuse me, but how..." Nagen was also at a loss for words as he looked at the retreating mabeast horde, then back at the boy and his other companions, who showed up out of nowhere.

"Oh, the mabeast horde? Sorry about that. You see, they're a really useful and efficient type of transportation, and it would be a waste to not utilize that when one of my companions happens to have such a neat divine protection... isn't that right, Meili?"

The girl named Meili, who was supposedly controlling the mabeasts, gave the boy a bright smile as a sinister presence loomed over them. A woman in black and purple walked over to the young girl, and patted her on the head. "Meili, I know you're all powerful and stuff now, but please don't overexert yourself, okay?"

"I will, Elsa-nee. Don't worry. Besides, Palmyra can heal me if I do happen to be tired, right?"

The blue haired girl raised a thumbs up to a mage in the corner, who gave a slight nod back.

Now that Osprey noticed it, this group is quite strange.

A girl who can control mabeasts, a woman with insanely sharp knives as if she was an assassin who the little girl calls her sister. Next, we have three girls who seem to be also part of the group but each have their own characteristics. A mage, a girl wears a visible bracelet who doesn't have any other weapon, and an elf with a very intricate-looking staff. There's also an ominous girl floating back there was well. Then, we have the assassin girl in red hair with Kararagian weapons. What the hell is with this team of misfits?

Not to mention the boy, who Osprey assumed was their leader.

He had three swords strapped to his back. Very interestingly carved swords indeed. But three swords? How the hell are you supposed to hold three? Dual wielding was possible and not unheard of, but this dude...

Not to mention the three Great Spirits around him. It's already rare enough to see a corporeal form of a Great Spirit, but this guy has three just hanging around him normally? Unbelieveable...

"Ehh... I know you seem all powerful and all, but please do not bring mabeasts within the vicinity of fortresses again, okay?"

"Ah, I see. I'm really sorry about that." The boy apologized immediately, before forming a giant carriage-like object right in front of him as he constructed a vehicle that Osprey has never seen before. Is he a genius at magic as well?

"Anyways, Priestella is over there, right?" The boy said to Osprey as he pointed towards the north, and nodded.

"You're off to Priestella? Have a safe trip then." Osprey said as he did a knight stance before giving them a wave, and the boy headed off.

"Osprey... that boy..." Nagen said as he walked up to Osprey, who looked at him, dumbfounded.

"Huh?"

"HE HAS WAY TOO MANY GIRLS WITH HIM! UNACCEPTABLE!"

Timeskippu*

Y/N POV

Ah... it was nice to see that they're guarding the border well. I didn't have any plans to go to any other countries yet, but that can be arranged for later if time and other things allow it...

Meili sat happily in Elsa's lap while Fulgenta pulled our reinforced carriage, which can be pulled manually or move by the help with a steam engine.

Yes, we have a steam engine.

I unlocked Titanium in the past few days, and the things I can make with the awesome material is just endless. I even made a new pair of glasses for myself, which I thought was quite cool.

The steam engine was pretty easy to make. I've seen a diagram of it before and I understood it's basic components, which is basically just using the built up water vapour push a valve that would move the machine. By using some nice fire stones that I managed to stabilize, our carriage vehicle was a go.

Halfway there, I switched Fulgenta out, and had the carriage move on its own with the engine. Fulgenta was tired since she did carry me for a few days now, so she slept in the back wagon prepared for her as I ruffled her fur slightly, soothing her into sleep.

Sphinx decided to once again attach herself to me as a sign of affection, and this time I accepted it, somewhat. I held her in my lap as I told her stories while she listened intensively.

Elsa was knitting dolls for Meili in the back, Omega was reading a book that we found somewhere, Yae was sleeping, and Colette and Palmyra were chatting about the new stuff they learned recently.

With those antics continuing for a while, we eventually reached the Water Gate City of Priestella.

"Hello, please identify yourselves." The border checkpoint guard said to me as Fulgenta glanced at him a bit menacingly, causing him to flinch. Calming my ground dragon down, I showed a letter of the various guilds of Lugnica's support on my travelling. After taking a look at the contents, his eyes lit up as if I did some divine miracle.

"You're... the Liberator? Please! Come in right now, sorry for my attitude back there! I am a huge fan and I'm amazed by your actions. Can we perhaps chat sometime?"

What is this fanboy attitude? The hell?

Okay, I knew I made a name for myself since it was quite necessary for the events in Arc 5, but to think that it spread so far...

"Sure." I maintained my calmness, and spoke to the guard cautiously, somewhat. "What's your name? I'll be sure to remember it when I have time."

"Oh, my name is Inkal, Liberator-san. See you around, then!"

After leaving the excited guard behind, we ventured into the streets on our carriage. Due to its exotic looks, I was approached by many merchants, but I just told them that this was a new prototype of the carriage. "The rest of the information resides with Russell Fellow, leader of the merchants' guild. I have been informed to not leak any details, sorry."

Hehe. Special Tactic: Responsibility Diversion.

Isn't that just pushing your responsibilities away?

Ah! Chid-chan! Please notify me next time before you engage in mental conversation with me, that scared me a little.

That... scared you? You're exaggerating...

No really, I was indeed a bit spooked.

You're lying, Y/N... hmph...

Aya... don't get all worked up over this, okay? I'll go buy you some new novels to read here, Chid-chan, so cheer up!

Really? I thought you were out of money by donating resources?

Nah, I obviously had my own private stockpile, you know?

"Come on!" I said as I hoisted Omega onto my shoulders, giving her an elevated view of the city as Sphinx struggled to not hit Omega out of jealousy. Seriously, she's a real vinegar pod. Chinese reference if you don't get it. (A/N)

With the two elves latched onto my body, I walked into a bookstore near us to take a look. I left Omega and Sphinx for them to wander around a little, and I little did I know, I ran into someone I recognized.

"Oh? It's you, Y/N-san!"

A familiar voice rang out from the back of the store, and I turned around as I faced a person that I once rescued from a village.

Flashback*

3 months before current time...

I happened to come across a young girl as we were travelling past a village, and she hopped on our cart with urgency as she looked at me, pleadingly. "Please... save us."

I was genuinely confused since the village didn't seem to be on fire, but the girl seemed distraught enough for it to seem like a serious problem. "Lead the way." I said to the girl. "Don't worry, we'll save you. But first, can you explain what happened?"

The girl went on an explanation about how the thieves took over her village, due to the fact that one of her relatives violated a deal with them. They were going to massacre everyone in the village and plunder their resources. Sighing about humans and their overboard actions, I advanced into the village as I faced the leader of the thieves.

"Huh? Who are you? Scram now if you don't want to die." The guy said with arrogance as I let out a laugh at his ignorance.

"Bruh, seriously? It seems that against a person like you, I don't even have to move."

"Sphinx."

The moment that name was uttered, a geometric algorithm was implanted into the dirt, immobilizing all the thieves in the area as Yae jumped up and knocked every single one of them out.

"There was no need for killing, so we could just tie them up and notify the knights." I told Palmyra, who nodded as she set up the flare that I used to contact the knight order.

"People of the Syrulian Village! Do not worry about the thieves as they're bound with strong ropes infused by mana. I have sent out a notice to the Lugnica Knight order, so do not fret."

"Please, mister, tell me your name before you leave!" The girl who notified me about the situation before held my arm.

"My name? It's Y/N L/N. I'm a Liberator."

Present

"So, Y/N-san, what brought you to Priestella?"

"Well, Kitia, to be honest, it was more like fates beckoning. However, I did have something to do."

"Oh? What could you, a Liberator, have business in the city?"

"Well... do you know of the Royal Selection Camps?"

"Royal Selection Camps?! Don't tell me, Y/N-San, you're friends with them?"

"Quite good friends, in fact. I could take you along as well."

"Heh? Surely that's too much..."

At this perfect moment, Sphinx and Omega returned from the books, carrying a small load as they noticed Kitia.

"Y/N, who's this?" Omega said as Sphinx gave her a glare as a sign to back off, but Tia just smiled back at Sphinx.

"This is Kitia. You guys might've forgotten about her, but she's from one of the villages we saved a few months ago." I explained, and Sphinx suddenly gasped.

"I see, so this is why I'm getting bad vibes... she held your arm before as well, did she not?" Sphinx said as she observed with suspicion, and I sighed.

"Sphinx, why are you so hostile to everyone who does that?"

"Because you're mine, you know?"

Heh?

Huuuhhh?

Omega and Kitia looked at her confusingly since she said it a bit quietly, but I heard the messsge loud and clear, so I proceeded to pat her head.

"Don't worry, Sphinx, I'll be sure to spend some along time with you during the city trip, so don't worry."

"Okay then..."

Now that that problem is sorted out, we bought the books and met up with the others at around dusk, before I went and picked a nice inn for us to sleep in. It was a big day tomorrow, so obviously preparations are needed.

Timeskippu*

3rd Person POV:

The sun shone on the Water Gate City of Priestella, illuminating the city of canals.

However, unrest and conflict was already rising in the hotel that the Royal Selection Camps stayed in.

The reason for that is...

The last candidate, uninvited to the party, Priscilla Barielle, has entered the stage.

Along with her knight Al, and the man who supposedly follows her.

Heinkel Astrea. Vice-captain of the Knights of Lugnica.

"You shouldn't pretend, father. It's already too late to make amends." The man said towards the Sword Demon, who looked at him with an indescribable face. 

"And you, Reinhard." The man said towards his son. "The Astrea family is mine to control. And I do not support you. Not. One. Bit.

"Commoner?" Priscilla spoke, suddenly surprising everyone in the room as she looked slightly annoyed.

Heinkel responded casually. "Yes, Lady Barielle? I'm in the middle of a conversation-"

"Silence."

With a swift slash of her fan, Heinkel fell to the ground as he turned unconscious. The action shocked everyone in the room as they struggled to process what just happened. Priscilla continued to kick the fallen body, and drew a dark, red blade out of thin air as she begun to swing-

Before she could or before her knight could stop her, a pink haired boy ran into the room with fear in his eyes, apparently shocked by something. A noise then sounded throughout the corridor. 

Priscilla paid no attention to the noise nor the boy for this particular moment. Subaru, who was watching this entire situation, was not really able to sit still any further. His rage that has been pent up towards the arrogant woman was going to be unleashed as he grabbed his whip and was about to strike until a swish was heard.

A sword, wickedly gleaming, flew through the entrance and embedded itself with such force that it lifted the table cloth with little effort. It landed right between Subaru and Priscilla, where the future conflict was going to take place. 

A hand, purple and blackish in colour, came through the doorway. However, this fact was unbeknownst to most, except for Subaru. He immediately recognized the entity: an Unseen Hand.

The hand grabbed the sword as it swished back into the corridor, where footsteps were heard. The sword stabbed itself into the ground near the door and the hand rested there with it. A boy with features almost anyone in the room could recognize came through, sighing as he suddenly saw his sword, and looked at the thing Al would call the Sun Blade.

"Ah... so that's why Zeam went haywire as soon as I entered the vicinity... an equal was spotted. Then again, the Yang Sword... it really is it, isn't it?"

The boy's confusing phrases did not shock the room, but rather, it was the presence of himself. He held two other swords in his hands: A gleaming white one and and a pitch black one, both radiating ominous energy.

"Oho? This is quite the gathering, is it not? Looks like I came just on time. Or perhaps I was late to the party?"

"Nii-chan!" Felt exclaimed with happiness as she recognized the figure and Subaru sighed in peace as he sat down. 

"Welcome back, Y/N."

Chapter Text

Y/N POV

As I entered the room, everyone's gazes landed on me and my swords as they were a little shocked at what just happened. I mean, I did what I could to stop a fight, so I guess it was agreeably fine...

"Y/N nii-chan!" Felt gasped as she ran over and gave me a hug, delighted that I was back.

"Welcome back, Y/N." Subaru said as he smiled and gave me a bro hug, before going back to sit down beside Beatrice, who happily took her contractor's hand before warily eyeing me for a while.

"Huh? Who's this commoner that entered the room without acknowledging my presence? I believe that I'm quite significant enough to be given a care about." Priscilla said as she looked at me with contempt before suddenly remembering who I was. "Wait... you're that boy..."

"Oh, hi, Prisca-san, do you still have the diamond I dropped way back?"

"Diamond? You mean that jewel back then?"

"Ya... and please... since..." I suddenly boosted myself right beside her, and whispered. "I do not wish to reveal any secrets regarding your Vollachian history, so how about you take a temporary leave, and I'll explain the specifics of some things you might want to know at a later date, hm?"

"You... I do not where you gained such knowledge, but if you intend to go against me, know that the world's luck is on my side."

"I have no will to go against you, so I guess that's a yes from you then?"

Priscilla sighed as she waved a hand to Al and Schult, and turned to leave. "My business here is finished anyways, so take care of yourselves."

Well, all that ends well, I guess?

I jinxed it almost too immediately. My comrades chose this time to enter the room, and Al widened his eyes under his helmet as he noticed the red-haired girl next to me, and unsheathed his sword immediately at Yae as she blocked it with her kunais.

"You! What are you doing here? Don't think you can assassinate the princess on my watch again." Al said to Yae as she snarled back.

"I'm not here for your petty disputes anymore. Y/N-san here saved me, and I'm only here because it was his will."

Hm? I knew Yae looked up to me as a savior figure, but not this loyal... when did this change occur? It isn't bad, though, and I'm not complaining at all.

"Calm down, Aldebaran..." I said as I lifted the sword after I coated my hands in diamond. "The former Grand Chamberlain of your faction is now in my hands, so what happens to her is under my field of jurisdiction, okay? Now, follow your princess before she snaps again."

Al gave me a weird look through his helmet, before sheathing his sword and sighing. "Well, I'll trust this one on you then, bro." The Priscilla camp members then left, and I felt relieved as they left, hoping that the trouble will be a lot less now.

"Y/N-san..." Yae said as she pulled me aside. "How did you know that I had a history with Al?"

"I would be lying to say it was pure intuition, and since you're my comrade, I'll tell you the truth. It's simply because of an ability I have. Going into the details would take a long time, so I'll tell you about that at another time."

"I... understand. Thank you again, Y/N-san." Yae said as she blushed slightly and took a seat in the room, before our next pod of disaster dashed through and hugged me as she flew onto my neck.

"Y/N! What is happening here? Omega said to stay back, but you shouldn't just leave me like that, you know?"

Sphinx has appeared.

And now at least three people are on alert.

Wilhelm van Astrea was one of them. His eyes burned with a specific hatred directed towards the girl who just hugged me with affection. He was going to unsheathe his sword, but Reinhard stopped him.

"Reinhard, you shouldn't stop me. Do you know who that is? She... is the witch of that war! Who slayed hundreds of my comrades!"

"Grandpa, you should leave that hatred behind. Times have changed. As Y/N once said, we shouldn't forget, but we should forgive. Also, do you still think she'll fight you?"

Wilhelm looked at Sphinx, who continued to latch onto me like a monkey hanging from a tree, and he sighed.

"Y/N-dono , I'm eternally grateful to you and Subaru-dono for giving me the opportunity to slay the White Whale, the foul beast who killed my wife. But I want to ask you why and how did you recruit that witch to your side?"

"Well, Wilhelm-San, then I believe that answer is quite simple." I turned to him, "As a certain friend of mine once said, 'I just wanted to save a cute girl'."

Subaru looked at me with a funny expression that I couldn't exactly deduce, but he's probably dying of cringe on the inside somehow. Then again, isn't that kind of his signature line?

"I understand the, Y/N-dono, but if she ever turns against us, will you be the one to strike her down?"

"IF she does indeed, then I'll just turn her back to our side. That is the way of a Liberator."

"I see."

After our conversation ended, I had a talk with Anastasia, who wanted some trade business deal struck with me, and I happily obliged as it would further improve my relations in this kingdom, and in the Kararagi City States as well.

Crusch also had a talk with me to fill me in on the events that occured while I was gone, including the talk at the Flugel's Tree, which involved people deciding what to do with the White Whale's corpse and some further discussions on our victory against the Great Rabbit.

Lots of people definitely did not believe that we actually killed the Great Rabbit successfully right after we eliminated the White Whale, but the dead body of the last rabbit definitely proved our victory, along with a meteor that I received from Echidna that allowed me to record the event.

Yes, I placed it on top of the Graveyard and let it begin its recording before I left for the mansion.

My plan sprung into action when it entered its next phase, and that was the suggestion of distributing food to Lugnica via the White Whale's corpse, since it was a waste to go and just burn it. I mean, I could easily recreate Whale meat since I already analyzed its genome data and element formation, so if they ever needed food, I'm just going to make another whale.

Also, it's to fulfill Daphne's original wish to end world hunger. She did say that people took gluttony too lightly, and I will defy the expectations by simply erasing the fact that anyone would be killed to get food.

The last problem is the Black Snake.

The most annoying part of the Black Snake is that I don't know where its location is.

If I did, I would just nuke it after I got uranium, but it seems that option isn't avaliable yet. I could potentially go to Elior Forest and use the frozen Black Water as a guiding compass, but it's too risky for now, since it even has a consciousness of its own.

The Blight Sword is related to that Mabeast, so it seems I have to obtain that before I can take on the Black Snake. Well, I don't have any plans to subjugate it for now, so I'm just going to leave that for now.

At least Subaru stuck to the plan I made, so now that corpse is not wasted. Come to think of it, I should probably go out to take some fresh air.

Timeskippu*

I stepped out into the street, walking around the shops and stores to scan the items that were being sold by the citizens of Lugnica. To be honest, other than food, everything else is quite worthless, considering I can make most of them myself. I could probably also cook just by using my control over the elements, but that's going to take some time to learn...

On my way towards the place where a disaster would take place, I bumped into a young man who was wearing a hood. I felt as if I just got reflected by a pure force, and steadied myself as I looked at him. "Hey, are you okay? Sorry about that..."

"Thank you for being respectful. As one would give another an apology when they accidentally trample on another's rights, correct? When people give respect, it's natural that I also return respect to the person who showed me it." The boy said as I suddenly caught a glimpse of his white hair, and I gasped silently.

This speaking style... that arrogance and hair...

Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas!

"Ah... I see. Well, thank you as well, then. I'll be on my way." I said before he gave me a slight nod as we walked away from each other.

He didn't recognize me? That's odd, I thought he would. Is it because of my new clothes? Probably, considering that none of the archbishops ever change their clothes... I think...

Well, I don't want to get into a brawl with him right now unless I have to, and not even in Critical Overload can I have a chance of guaranteed victory.

After some more strolling, I came across a pair of people bickering, and immediately recognized them.

"Oi! Subaru! Rachins!"

"Heh? Oh, Y/N-san." Rachins sais as he dipped his head with respect, before lifting it up as Subaru gave him a look.

"Why are you being so nice to Y/N? Share some of that familiarity with me, will ya?"

"Why would I, you annoying prick..." Rachins grumbled at Subaru, annoyed by his... friendliness? "Besides, Y/N had helped me back then, so of course I'm familiar with him."

"Eh? When did you two meet?" Subaru looked at me confusingly, and I just sighed and gave him a look that said, 'We'll talk about it at a later time'.

"Anyway! Don't bother me! I'm working right now!" Rachins yelled at Subaru, who just went back with a sarcastic response.

"The you who used to screw around and mess with people is now doing proper work... I'm so happy for you."

As we continued to walk, we arrived at the clock tower that was a symbolic landmark of the Water Gate City. However, there seemed to be an unusual amount of people crowding near the base. Rachins disappeared into the sea of people, but Subaru and I were able to catch up to him as we noticed something strange.

The people... they were all... stopped.

"Huh? What's happening here?" Rachins demanded as he walked into the square, where everyone seemed to be staring at the same thing, up in the sky. "Hey! What are you looking at? Hello?"

The people did not respond to Rachins' outburst, and instead continued staring in the direction of the clock tower. As our eyes drifted up, we caught an eccentric figure that was standing atop the tower, looking down at us with a smile as she begun speaking.

"--- To all of whom had been interrupted by me, I would like to offer my sincerest apologies."

Everyone stared at her. It was not because she was beautiful, but just strange.

Her outfit seemed to remind me of something, but I just can't grasp what exactly it was that made me reminisce about it.

"Please, allow me to just take a tiny amount of your time, thank you."

The figure spoke again as she raised her arms, and I noticed the other weird thing about this figure.

This feminine voice, the bandages surrounding her body, the golden hooks with chains...

Without a doubt, she is-

"I'm the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Wrath." She said with malice as she smiled.

"My name... is Sirius Romanée-Conti."

Chapter Text

"Sin... Archbishop of Wrath?"

The words were uttered out of Subaru's mouth, who looked up at the figure in shock.

"Huh?"

"What did that person just say?"

"No way... the Witch Cult... here?" The crowd also uttered words of disbelief, unable to comprehend the situation in front of them.

"HEY! Y/N-san, and you over there! What did that person just say?"

Rachins yelled towards me and Subaru, but I suddenly realized something. The opponent we're facing right now is an archbishop. And Subaru... seemed to stare at her as he formed a train of thoughts.

He probably thought that it was weird for another cultist to share the same last name as the delusional Sloth, but in reality, it was all part of Wrath's delusions, too. They were never related.

Sloth. Wrath. Greed. The three archbishops whose authority seemed to give them immense longevity, since they have been supposedly operating over a century.

And now two of them are in the same city?

Also, if I remember correctly, the Water Gate City of Priestella was going to be attacked by-

I suddenly saw Subaru begin to move, and immediately stopped him. "Don't. That person up there... is able to cause our death at this instant."

"But, Y/N, if we can capture him, he could potentially lead a path to find Gluttony!"

"Okay, first, Subaru, Sirius is a 'she', not a he-"

"She's a woman, then?" Subaru looked up towards the Archbishop, and confirmed his suspicion.

However, before our conversation can continue, Sirius began speaking again.

"Alright, it took 28 seconds for everyone to quiet down. I'm very happy, now in addition to that..."

While Sirius' verbal irony took a second for me to realize, she pointed at four people, amazingly, not including myself, and began to speak again.

"You. You. And you two people there. I'm sorry, but please don't be so angry. I'm very sorry to take up everyone's precious time. Sorry, and thank you."

Subaru gasped as I looked towards the people who were pointed out. A demi-human with a giant longsword, and also a woman with a mask. The last two being Subaru and Rachins. She said... they were angry.

After that long year, I have begun to forget some details in the plot. But I remember now. The Authority of Wrath.... that despicable power is actually....

It was a sign to the four, that their plans had already been exploited, and further retaliation is futile. Subaru and Rachins could only stare at the figure in horror while wondering how she knew.

The other thing is Rachins' ability to summon Reinhard. Rachins had been told by Reinhard to summon him with the Goa spell whenever there was serious trouble, but looking at the situation now, summoning him would lead to many casualties before Reinhard could arrive, which is why Rachins did not make a move.

"Okay, thank you. It looks like we've all calmed down a little bit. I understand your restlessness. Hearing the name 'Witch Cult' didn't evoke a good impression, did it? So, I didn't plan to do anything too special. The reason I took everyone's precious time today is because I wanted to confirm a matter." Sirius raised her hand again.

"To confirm what matter?" Subaru muttered under his breath.

Although Sirius seemed to be intimate and quite rational during the speech towards the people, it still gave many people a sense of disgust due to her outfit and some kind of tone that just irritated them.

Subaru spoke up, since nobody did. "With all due respect, can I ask you a question?"

"Hm? You were someone who got angry just now, weren't you? So what did you want to know?"

Instead of the angry manner people expected, Sirius was not mad at all at Subaru's attempt to question her.

"Although I don't know what's going on here, I'm keeping some girls waiting. Four of them, actually. So it'd be nice if you could let us go as soon as possible." Subaru said, and Sirius continued her farce.

"Oh, my! That's truly terrible, I'm sorry. But I didn't expect that from you. Is it a man's dream to have four girls to serve? That's really bad. Isn't it sad to leave some of them crying? We have to put an end to this unallowable disloyalty that absolutely can't happen that must be completely banned."

"E-Eh?" Subaru said, taken aback by her response.

Sirius' voice suddenly diminished by a little before she noticed Subaru's tiny whisper. "No, no, I just got a little emotional. Sorry. Although I try so hard to remain level headed, I always become unwittingly excited. Thank you for worrying about me. Well... you asked when I'd let everyone go?"

"Yes, that's right. we would appreciate it if you could." Subaru said to Sirius, who nodded but shook her head at the same time.

"I'm sorry bother you, I'm really very sorry. But it's okay. Even though I'm in the Witch Cult, I honestly hate troubling anyone. My compatriots often give people trouble, and I feel very sorry about that."

Sirius continued to prolong the conversation a for a while, adding some... rather unnecessary sentences which only made everyone else a bit more angry.

At last, she finally announced her true purpose. "Okay! Well, I'll say it. The matter I want to affirm is very simple. To put it bluntly, there's something I want to affirm about Love. Wow, that was embarrassing."

Although the bandages would definitely block any sense of blushing on her face, Sirius put a hand up onto her face, which surprised most people, and the crowd bursted into laughter.

"Although I expected that I'd be laughed at, it still makes me feel troubled. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you, and I also have a request."

"I think, if everyone can stay with me for a while, I can affirm that Love. I'm sorry, I can really say some unruly things."

Now that they knew the intentions behind the once-terrifying figure, the people agreed immediately as they thought, 'what, is that all?'

Faced with that response, Sirius began to clap her hands immediately as she lit up. "Really? Thank you, thank you! I'm sorry. The world is really very gentle. Full of love and tenderness. Whenever I understand this, I cannot help but to want to express my gratitude. People are able to understand each other and care for each other. Maybe I always speak with 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry' so that I can confirm that."

"Okay, we get it, Sirius! So get on with it!" The blindfolded female adventurer who was hostile to the figure a moment ago, was now cheering her on as if they were old classmates.

By this point, Sirius took a weird turn as if she remembered her original purpose, and motioned towards the window next to her. She then grabbed a boy who was bound by chains after a while, and lifted him up with one hand as she brought him over for the crowd to see.

She then went on a rant about the boy, whose name was Lusbel, and his life story. In short, it was a touching tale, and Sirius began to urge the crowd again to cheer on the boy.

"Alright, that's enough, everybody! It's true that this child is a little clumsy, but he's in fact very brave. Isn't that right, Lusbel-kun?" Sirius said again, and the crowd immediately followed suit.

"Lusbel, don't cry! You're the best!"

Subaru shouted loudly, praising the courage of the young boy's tears.

Knowing the true courage buried under those tears, how could he laugh at that shame? Larkins, who stood next to Subaru, joined in the encouragement.

"Yeah, don't cry anymore! You're a man, right!? If so, show us your handsome side, kid!"

"Yeah, listen well, Lusbel! You're Pristella's pride!" "Lusbel—! Amazing—! You'll be a great man!"

The audience cheered up, and everyone present began clapping. I, however, seemed to be immune to the Authority of Wrath, and stood a little further away from the crowd to avoid being crushed within the madness.

It seems that even my hostility cannot be detected by Sirius, which seemed handy to an extent. Then again, would it truly be beneficial?

If Sirius' authority has to do with connected emotions, then I suppose I could freeze everyone's senses by using Shamak. However, if the spell isn't strong enough, it would only end in a even worse situation.

I suddenly noticed the Archbishop moving, and immediately took a closer look as my eyes widened in horror.

"I want to commend your courage, your love, Lusbel-kun! Please look below. Everyone, so many people are affirming your feelings! Ah, thank you! I'm sorry, Lusbel-kun. Although you were a last resort, I just want to affirm this scene. Ahh, ahh, the world is so gentle!"

Sirius held Lusbel tightly in her arms.

In the face of this beauty, thunderous applause began. Subaru put his hand to his mouth and whistled. The recipient of that warm applause, Lusbel, stared in surprise.

That was a man who had struggled his hardest. Even if he had no strength left to even cry, not a person laughed at him.

"Sure enough, there it is. We have Love. It existed, here. Everyone's heart is one, and in a scene of joy as well. We do not need tragedy. We are tired of a world which would have us cry. No one wants such a world. If our hearts want to connect, then they should do so through sharing joy and happiness. Whether it be tragedy! Or Wrath! We don't need any of it!"

"That's right! Tragedies or whatever, we don't want any of it!"

"Ah, that forbidden Wrath that causes hearts to tremble so! Rage, that passion! If that passionate sin is rooted in our hearts, if we are unable to unroot that retribution, then we should fill it with joy! At this moment, everyone's heart is connected as one!"

Sirius cried loudly, and once again lifted Lusbel into the air.

However, the movement did not stop there. Sirius, bathing in everyone's admiration, tossed Lusbel into the air.

NO!

I have to reach Lusbel. If he dies, everyone will die in this square. I activated El Akra and shot towards the child, but my hand seems to be too far.

"Help me! Imperceptible Extensions!" I yelled as the power bursted out from my shoulder, and the Unseen Hand travelled towards the boy at immense speed, but-

Splat.

A sound of eggshells cracking was heard through the square as suddenly, the heads of those who stood there turned red with blood almost as if they exploded. I leapt away from the scene with fear, and saw my Extensions inches from the boy.

No....

I failed them.

I turned towards the Archbishop of Wrath, and shot myself towards her as I activated my Authority of Sloth, brimming with anger as I shot the fists towards her.

As they connected, she was caught by surprise as she noticed me, who was supposed to be dead due to her emotion link. Then the force of the shadow fist blasted her away.

"No way! You actually came back!" Sirius yelped in delight as she got up immediately, as she is the strongest physically out of all the archbishops. "My Dear Betelgeuse-"

Then, as if a movie scene was cut, I fell into a void of nothingness and disappeared as Subaru's body died.

BLACKOUT

"Hmm? Subaru?" I looked towards the boy who was with me and Rachins, and he was trembling as I felt confused at what he was doing.

"Are you okay? You're breathing quite fast. Anyways, why did you run here in a hurry?"

"Y/N. Do you not remember?"

"Remember what?" I suddenly felt dread in my heart as I realized what he was saying.

"I returned by death." Subaru said in a quiet voice so that Rachins couldn't hear. "Also, the Sin Archbishop of Wrath is in the city."

Chapter Text

"Sin Archbishop of Wrath?! Are you serious?!" I whispered to Subaru, and suddenly pretended to have a headache. "Hold up, Pure Truth is acting up..."

As I pretended to have my future ability act up, I established a mental link to Echidna, who was hanging out with the people in the hotel at the time, and she immediately responded.

Y/N... is something the matter?

Chid-chan, there was a blackout, right? Can you please fill me in on what happened?

Subaru returned by death? Well, that's new. What happened?

Apparently, the one you would dub as 'this generation's Wrath' showed up, but I don't know the exact specifics.

Okay, let me enter the Castle of Dreams to fill you in.

I stood as my soul left my body, and entered Echidna's portable domain. The other five witches were also there, and everyone seemed happy to see me.

"N/N!" Typhon yelped as she hugged me as I descended, smiling brightly as Echidna sighed.

"Typhon, let Y/N go for now, we have work to do." Echidna told her, and Typhon reluctantly let me go Sekhmet let out a languid sigh, diminishing the happiness in the atmosphere by a bit.

"How have you all been doing?" I said to Minerva, Sekhmet, Typhon, Carmilla, and Daphne, who all were seated on the grass in the tranquil domain's hill, and their personalities were reflected by their unusual responses.

"I'm fine. However, Echidna just showed me your last loop! That was too reckless! Do you not worry about yourself at all when you throw yourself into danger? Also, there are others who worry about you too, so you shouldn't make them sad either!"

I was going to say 'do you mean yourself', but that seemed like a hassle to add, so I just accepted her warning of sorts. "Okay, Minerva, I'll be sure to make sure that I'm not hurt when I go rescue people next time."

"Hmph! As long as you know!"

Typhon just went ahead and judged me by using her Authority of Pride on me, but since I had a partial immunity, I only felt a slight pain. Can't tell if that means I'm actually evil or not, since I will not break into pieces no matter how severe the evil is.

Typhon smiled as she thought I was a good guy again, and ran off to Sekhmet to tend to her desires, and the Witch of Sloth just gave me a look that meant my presence was recognized and that she was listening.

Daphne was quite easy to deal with. She just came over using her centipede coffin and gave my face a lick, and I understood what she meant as I gave her an ice cream to eat, on a stand that held it, of course, considering that she doesn't want to move.

Carmilla was quite shy once again, so I just went beside her and struck up a conversation that appealed to her, which is again, about loving people and oneself. She thanked me as she stuttered again, and I went towards Echidna.

"So, 5 Witches are not as easy to deal with as you thought, huh?" Echidna teased as I sighed.

"You're a hard nut to crack as well, you know that, Chid-chan?"

"Okay, okay, let's get on with what we're supposed to do." Echidna said as she materialized two chairs, and put her hand to my head as I recalled the events of Subaru's last loop.

"I see. So I didn't die after Lusbel hit the ground. At least that's fortunate. And my Imperceptible Extensions were immediately recognized by Sirius as the Unseen Hands. I wonder who would she recognize as the true Betelgeuse if both Subaru and myself used or Authorities?"

"That is indeed an interesting question, Y/N. In my opinion, the more 'hands' one possesses might be the deciding factor, but-"

"Argh! I hate her! I hate her I hate her! How could she harm people like this in this gruesome manner! Unacceptable!" Minerva shouted as she stomped the floor, and I turned towards Echidna with a confused look.

"Minerva is mad that this generation's Wrath is using her power to harm people, which kinda goes against her whole doctrine. And as a result- you get this."

"Well, I think I have to go. And Minerva, don't worry, I'll stop Sirius from harming more people in this loop."

I exited the Castle of Dreams, and waved goodbye to the Witches of Sin as I returned to the real world.

I woke up in the exact same spot that I started in, somehow still standing with Rachins and Subaru, who once again had a look of horror on his face.

"Y/N... I looped again."

"Heh? How did you loop again? Wasn't I just here before?"

"You... uh... you fainted in the last loop or something. Anyways, the point is, you fell unconscious and I tried again on my own. I went to the clocktower to try and save the kid, but apparently, he was so scared of Sirius that when she used her authority on me, my mind broke and I kinda just died."

"Sigh... I guess I didn't have time to tell you her full ability yet, did I?"

"So you know now?"

"In short, her Authority of Wrath allows her to connect people's emotions and feelings, which includes pain and other physical links as well. If one feels happy, everyone feels happy. If one feels angry, everyone feels angry. Likewise, if somebody gets beheaded, everyone gets beheaded."

"So we need to take care of the problem at its root. We should call Reinhard."

"Reinhard won't work. Sirius can also apply her Authority on herself, and if she dies, everyone dies as well."

"Ugh, dammit!" Subaru stomped the ground furiously. "Is there anything that might work on her?"

"How many minutes do we have left?" I asked Subaru with urgency as I thought of a way to decrease a loop.

"Around 10, why?"

"I'll go pick up Beatrice and Emilia. They should have an idea on what to do. Go to the square with Rachins for now. I'll be there soon."

As Subaru nodded in confirmation, I leapt off towards the park where Emilia and Beatrice should've been. I trust Subaru to relay the information to Rachins and fill him in on what happened so he could run away and get help.

Activating Ul Akra and the White Whale's seal, I flew into the park where the two girls I was looking for, and they were surprised by my appearance.

"Y/N!" Emilia yelped as I landed with a giant thud. "What's the matter? Is there an emergency?"

"Yup. You and Beatrice need to come immediately. Subaru's going to be in trouble because a Sin Archbishop is going to show up soon."

"A Sin Archbishop?" Emilia gasped. "The Witch Cult is going to attack here?"

"I don't know for sure, but Subaru needs us. Come on, let's go." Beatrice nodded in understanding as I used Murak on all three of us, and we leapt from building to building as we arrived at the square around 5 minutes later.

"Y/N! We still have around 3 minutes until she appears." Subaru said as he greeted me from this side of the square. "What do you think we should do?"

I described the Authority of Wrath to Beatrice and Emilia, and Beatrice suddenly seemed to have an idea after hearing my explanation.

"I might be wrong, but Y/N's description of Wrath's abilities sounds familiar... I'm thinking of a higher level magic called Nect that has a similar effect."

"Nect...!" Subaru gasped as he remembered the form of magic that he had experienced in the past. With Nect, magic users could share the awareness and feelings of others. 

"So is there any counter for Nect?" Subaru asked, eager to find a solution.

Beatrice shook her head. "Usually, countering Nect is unnecessary, I suppose. It is intended to unite comrades and express feelings, in fact. Using Nect as a weapon seems strange, I suppose."

That's true. Subaru and Julius defeated Betelgeuse by using Subaru's ability to see the Unseen Hands, which means it's utilized for cooperation between allies.

"Normally, there is a condition for Nect that requires contact through mana circulation, in fact. The Archbishop's authority probably has the power to circumvent such a condition, I suppose." Beatrice conitnued, and Subaru seemed to get something.

Subaru: "So her authority can forcibly achieve it. More than that..."

Beatrice: "How to counter it, I suppose. — Shamak is the most obvious answer, in fact."

Subaru: "Shamak-san has arrived! That's magnificent!"

Subaru perked up at Beatrice's proposal. He had always used Shamak to get out of dangerous situations, and according to my knowledge, he believed in that spell to inexplicable realms. I guess that's the way to go, then.

"Then, we should let Emilia attack the Archbishop while we distract the civilians." I added, and Subaru seemed to agree.

"That's right. We have to get the first blow in, or we actually might be screwed.

This should be good enough-"

I began, but I suddenly noticed that Sirius was approaching her stage.

"She's here!" Subaru whispered to us, and within seconds, we looked up and noticed the archbishop smiling eerily at the crowd below. And, the next thing that should happen is-

"AL HUMA!" Emilia yelled as a ten-meter-long spear of ice emerged from spin air, and descended upon the clock tower as it knocked out a chunk and slammed itself into the enemy before she can even begin her speech.

"E-Emilia-tan?" Subaru yelped in surprise at her instant attack, caught unawares.

Emilia: "Subaru said we needed to strike first, so I did... did I mess up?"

Subaru: "No, good job. I just didn't expect you to attack before her introduction.

Before we could continue talking, however, Emilia took out an ice sword and brandished it as I noticed the crowd acting strange. No, not just strange. They were hostile.

"Emilia-tan, that's not really necessary, right-"

"Subaru." I told my friend as I motioned my hands towards the crowd. "Look. They're not themselves anymore."

"Y/N's right." Beatrice confirmed. "Their sanity is completely gone now."

The mob was furious. So angry in a sense, that if you dared to breathe the air they breathed, they would lash out.

"Beako!" Subaru looked at his contracted. "What about Shamak?"

"Shamak failed, I suppose." Beatrice said as her eyes widened in fear. "This magic is nothing like Nect... no, it's evil, in fact. This is nothing like magic, I suppose. A curse... it is magic, in fact!"

"I expected this." I said as I looked towards the crowd with contempt. "Authorities can not even be overpowered by Divine Protections. So even if Reinhard tried his best against an Archbishop who's using their ability to their best extent, he would not win."

"You guys hold Sirius off." I motioned to my friends. "I'll hold off the incoming mob for now. I might have a way to save them."

"Hold up, how would you ever have a way to save them when even Divine Protections can't counter it?" Beatrice asked.

"Authorities can only be countered by two things. And one of them is another Authority. Although Sloth isn't going to be helpful now, I still have Deceit up my sleeve."

"Deceit?!" Beatrice gasped. "You don't mean..."

"Yes. I never told you, Beatrice, but I'm Frakinedottir's successor. Chid-chan would explain later." I said as I rushed off towards the crowd, but ominous footsteps started to sound as i looked towards the direction of the tower, and I saw Sirius advancing. 

Emilia's icicle really did a number on her, because she's bleeding through her bandages. Her chains waved around as a flame sparked, and I suddenly widened my eyes as I saw fire engulf her surroundings.

"Disgusting, the stench of that woman, filthy and detestable, the stench of the one who stole my husband from me, the stench of maggots, endless filth. Hate, I hate it so much, burning it to cinders isn't enough." Sirius cursed as she walked closer.

"And that other woman, she's obviously not that person, but she has such a similar stench, how shameless, the stench of rotting insects, ah, ah, AAAAAAH! How hateful! How rancid! How vile!" Sirius yelled with wrath as she waved her arms in the sky, and more flames poured out of her. "My! Are you testing the love for my husband, spirit?! Were you not satisfied with taking my husband from me, YOU HALF HALF-WITCH BITCH!!?"

Subaru and Emilia looked equally confused at her weird exclamation, but I got the gist of what's going on. Basically, Sirius recognized Satella's scent on Subaru, and she seems to be very mad about it.

Betelgeuse loved the witch, but Sirius loved Betelgeuse, hence why she viewed Satella as a disgusting love rival of sorts, although that is just part of her delusion. This is why she harboured a deep hatred to the Witch of Envy, including anyone who has the scent and Emilia, as well.

"I! Am the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Wrath!" Sirius yelled as she proclaimed her identity. Within the frenziness of the situation, more flames bursted out as they burned the crowd around her.

"—Sirius Romanee-Conti!! Damn half-elf and spirit, I'll scorch your corpses and scatter your ashes at my husband's tomb!!" With that, the battle begun.

Chapter Text

"DAMNED HALF-WITCH AND SPIRIT! I'LL BURN YOU!!!" Sirius shrieked as she let her flames run wild, growing in size and heat.

Subaru looked confused at Sirius' outburst, since she had been only manipulative in the past loops. He probably didn't get why her anger was like that, but I understood it completely. She probably mistook Emilia for Satella, who Betelgeuse 'loved', and Beatrice being another one of Betelgeuse's supposed lovers according to herself because she was a spirit.

I didn't want to explain this to Subaru, since the logic will probably be messed up partway through, so I told him the simplified version.

"In case you're wondering, Subaru, Sirius lost her composure because she loves Betelgeuse."

"She LOVES Betelgeuse?" Subaru asked, bewildered.

"Did you really think they are family members?"

"Well..."

"Anyways, since Betelgeuse keeps on rambling on about Satella, Sirius now views her as a love rival."

"Uh..." Subaru looked at Sirius and thought about what I said, and cringed. "That's... kinda messed up."

"Ya, I know. It's like their whole thing."

While we talked, Sirius was busy throwing insults at Emilia. And god was a verbal battle between two women intense. Even when one of them is not sane.

It went a little something like this:

"If you feel angry at me, I'll hear you out. After all, the sudden provocation came from us, so of course you'd be angry. However, this has nothing to do with the other people here. Please liberate them." Emilia said calmly, which only made Sirius angrier.

"That's the wrong attitude! If you want to let everyone go, do it right! Of course I'll be angry? Then show me the right attitude! Apologize, repent, cry and beg for forgiveness, then let me shoot flames into your ass and scorch your internal organs away!"

Emilia said something about how her organs being burned would be bad, and the two clashed. Sirius' chains were a pain, but Emilia managed to fend them off by manifesting ice swords and parrying them off to a certain extent.

And then, more insults from Sirius.

"Disgusting! Half-witch! Maggot! Fly! Insect! Loathsome bug!"

I might even give Sirius a medal for attempting to come up with such variety of curse words while being mentally insane.

Anyways, I have work to do. The crowd that is being mind controlled is advancing towards us, and they looked quite angry, almost like a mob of zombies.

"Subaru, Beatrice! Hold some of them off while I attempt to save them!" I yelled as I gathered energy within my palm, and they nodded as I rushed off towards the crowd.

They were sharing Sirius' Wrath, which means that they are connected via magic.

A year ago, I realized that Crusch retained some memories of myself due to a certain skill of mine known as Scindo. That ability allowed me to split my Witch Factor into tiny, tiny little pieces, which allowed other people to have some of my abilities, namely the Partial Authority Immunity.

A/N: I just realized Partial Authority Immunity's abbreviation is 'PAI'. this is completely unintentional.

Anyways, if I could touch them, which should be easy, I can snap them out of the trance by using Scindo. I can get my Witch Factor pieces back as soon as they finish their purpose, as Cahya said. What's even better is that I only need a thousandth percent per person, so I don't have to worry about running out.

"SCINDO!" I yelled as I shoved the piece into the first person I could see, which was Rachins, who was spearheading the group at the moment. As soon as the piece of tesseract touched him, he stopped moving as the effects began taking place.

"Great!" Just as I was about to celebrate my discovery, the Beastman who was previously hostile against Sirius charged out from the group, and swung his broadsword at me with me having no time to react. Thankfully, a barrier blocked me.

"Hey, did you forget about us, Y/N?"

"It's very rude for you to not rely on your spirits, Y/N!"

"Honestly, even after spending the longest time with you, you still get yourself into unnecessary trouble, don't you?"

Cahya, Bayanga, and Alchemis said as they blocked the broadsword with magic, and pushed the beastman back.

"I knew I could count on you guys! Don't injure the guy too badly, by the way!" I said to my spirits as they gave me a thumbs up and engaged with the enemy. Meanwhile, Subaru and Beatrice fought against the blindfolded female adventurer, leaving me free to complete my mission.

"I promise to not let you guys down." I vowed as I charged towards the mob, pieces of my Witch Factor in hand, ready to solve this crisis.

Timeskippu*

As I managed to purge the last civilian in sight with Scindo, I saw Subaru and Beatrice defending themselves against the blindfolded adventurer, who kicked Subaru in the stomach as he bended and skidded across the floor.

I was about to go help them when the beast man with the broadsword threw his sword at me, blocking my path. However, before he could retrieve his sword, I spun around and punched his stomach with an Akra enhanced fist, sending him back before I sent my left palm into his chest, which applied Scindo as he stopped moving.

Meanwhile, Subaru and Beatrice fought the woman off, and I touched her with Scindo before she could get back up again.

The troubles were far from over, of course. Sirius just got even angrier as her flames' intensity and amount doubled, roaring ever so brightly.

The flames rushed towards Emilia as they devoured everything in sight with no mercy, and Subaru couldn't move due to his mana deficiency.

I wanted to go forward to help as well, but apparently, Scindo has drained most of my stamina, and if I tried to save her from danger right now, Regulus will kill us too.

Wait, speaking of Regulus...

"It seems I caught up." A voice sounded as the flames crashed into Emilia, and Subaru gasped in despair.

When the fire dispersed, the white-haired man stood there, Emilia in his arms without harm. His smile gave off an eerie feeling as Subaru looked at the situation with confusion before the young man announced his name.

"I am the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas."

"And as promised, I'm here to take her as my 79th wife."

"Archbishop of... Greed?" Subaru said in horror as he looked towards me for confirmation. This indeed was the person who made me lose for the first time in the world, despite me having fate-altering powers.

However, over the past year, I've already come up with a solution to injure him. I can only throw one hit that'll make him bleed. Hopefully.

And here he goes.

"Although it's gratifying and satisfying to see nothing wrong, it seems regrettable that I can't reveal my heroism to my bride today. I think that a heroic rescue in the midst of a dead end crisis brings two people people's hearts to a very important place, as many places in time have suggested this. Well, after all, the combination of the two is already an established fact and the only question is of the timing. Isn't it great?" Regulus prattled on, completely ignoring everyone else's thoughts. Which is quite ironic, considering that he gets mad when someone ignores him. Gotta use that against him later. But first, let's observe this situation.

"Hey, you..." Subaru spoke up. "What have you been saying?"

"Hm?"

Regulus finally noticed Subaru, who looked at him with an angry glare. The Archbishop sighed as he began his long-winded talk once again.

"You over there, don't you understand the most fundamental and basic concepts like politeness? The first thing I did was give a self-introduction at the beginning, and to ask why would anyone even do that, it's because it's the most important thing when people start relationships which each other. It doesn't matter what kind of relationship we are going to have, be it allies or enemies, it's very important that we should at least know each other first. And since I hold no animosity towards strangers I don't know, as they don't hold any against me, I try to be as friendly as possible when I meet other people. I'm not giving the impression that I didn't predict that the other party could be shy when meeting new people. Even when people want to be well-connected, there would always be that gate that people sometimes that just have on them when they connect with others, especially those that they don't know. Considering that there's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping up your guard against someone when you don't know of them nor their identity, therefore I try to create a environment that could be as comfortable as I could make it by introducing myself to someone else when I meet them. Of course, I don't expect this grace to be immediately obvious. However, I do have hopes that after some time, they will be able to detect the meaning of an introductions. Or, rather, that they will become aware of it. Or is it natural to talk to someone you meet for the first time without introducing yourself? If that's the case, then there's a slight difference between my common sense and culture. In that case, although both parties feel a sense of obligation, it becomes necessary to refuse the other side in advance so as to prevent a misunderstanding. Looking back at it now, doesn't that seem different from what I've said before? Taking people's politeness towards yourself for granted? That sounds quite impolite, if I do say so myself. That seems to be a loss of etiquette, and an imbalance in the attitude towards each other, where I, already introduced myself and is friendly towards the person in question, you, so shouldn't you treat me the same to prevent me to be left at a lesser value? A false assessment of each other's value imposes on others. This is a violation of the rights of others. From any rational perspective, this is an infringement of my rights."

"E-eh? Ok, sorry about that... my name is Natsuki Subaru."

Subaru was obviously trembling, first, at the amount of power Regulus demonstrated, and the fact that nobody was questioning him during his speech, which just seemed to be repeating points over and over again. 

"...Yes, that's fine. Because giving respect invites respect. I have done that, so it is only expected for you to do so as well. Although the conditions for achieving a world that creates both is taken for granted, you don't have to seek the happiness of others. As long as you pursue your happiness, others will also correspondingly find happiness. Don't get caught up in your desires, just accept your truths and feel satisfied with your everyday needs. That is the peaceful way of life."

"After all, is it really so hard to find the proper mood to converse in? Why is it impossible to do this as a matter of course for mankind? Why is it impossible to consciously, unconsciously, indifferently, continue to cause subtle harm to others in the days when such things are done? Subtle injuries hurt, don't they? On top of that, if anything serious works its way in, it might grow into a life-threatening disease. The body and the soul are one. I hate those who misunderstand life to the extent that they unconsciously threaten others. Don't their minds seem warped? Obviously, they're flawed as a human beings, and it isn't okay for that behaviour to remain unconscious. It is, of course, wrong to impose a burden on those who are discriminated against. Most people have common sense, but why can't they consciously realize that the world is slowly turning on? Even without realizing that they're trampling upon the hidden hearts of others, if they don't become conscious of their twisted, flawed mistakes, then don't their feet just keep trampling and trampling?"

"All that said... don't you know..." Subaru began to speak after being given a chance at the end of Regulus' long speech, but Sirius' flames roared once more.

"Thanks for the lesson. —BURN, SCORCH AND DISAPPEAR!!" A cascade of fire poured down from behind Regulus. Sirius yelled with anger as she let the barrage rain down, but Regulus stepped out from the flames unharmed once again.

"Really... I know you're messed up in the head, so I will allow a few actions slide. However, when you decided to burn this innocent girl, my bride, along with me! That is truly unacceptable to many degrees!"

After that encounter happened, Sirius and Regulus started an argument, and I was too lazy to listen in to what just happened, and so I just decided to call for backup while they're at it. 

Moshi moshi? This is Y/N to Chid-chan, over?

Message received. Liberator, to where do you require assistance to be landed? Over.

Town square, clock tower where the flames are. Bring Specter. Over.

Got it. Hehe. Witch to Liberator, Out.

I love doing this. Although I haven't made a radio yet, but this is good practice. During our trips over the past seven to eight months, it seems that Echidna has taken her sweet time to learn history, technology, and the majority of science of my world. She seemed extremely interested in the World Wars for some reasons (don't know if I should be concerned about that) and that's how we eventually spoke to each other like this when we're serious.

Also, codenames.

Just another future precaution, we developed codenames for us to go undercover in case if we needed to. 'Hunter' for Elsa, 'Swarm' for Meili, 'Specter' for Sphinx, 'Kitsune' for Yae, 'Beastie' for Colette, 'Mage' for Palmyra, 'Witch' for Omega, and 'Liberator' for myself.

While I waited for Omega and Sphinx to show up,  I saw that Subaru make his move. As he ran towards Regulus, he activated one of his original spells with Beatrice: EMM. It removed him from this plane of space-time, although that rendered him unable to move. Seeing that this could come in handy one day, I asked my spirits (specifically Bayanga) to analyze the structure of the spell so that I could potentially copy it later.

After his demonstration of magic, Regulus appeared to be shocked as his attack that should've tore Subaru apart did no damage at all. Subaru then punched him, and punched him once again as he used Invisible Providence, which sent Regulus reeling back, although not doing any significant injuries towards the invincible Archbishop.

As I watched this, I felt hands cover my eyes.

"Hello, Y/N."

"Uh... who's this?"

"HEH?! Are you saying you don't know who this is? I'm not very happy with you, Y/N."

"I really can't tell. Sphinx and Omega's hands feel the same since you two are both in bodies of a Ryuzu clone, so how am I supposed to tell."

"Y/N IM GIVING YOU 5 SECONDS BEFORE I GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH! It's Sphinx! It's Sphinx! Isn't it..."

"Yes! You guessed correctly!" Sphinx said as she hugged me tightly, while Omega held her laughter back.

"I didn't expect you to join in to troll your contractor as well, Chid-chan."

"I honestly don't know why either, but maybe because Ryuzu clones think alike?"

"That's a horrible answer..." 

I turned my eyes back towards Regulus and Sirius, who both seemed to be immersed in reading their Gospel. At this moment, Omega squatted down beside me. "Is that the copy of my Book of Wisdom that you were talking about?"

"Yes, and it seems all Witch Cult members follow it with utmost care and respect, including the archbishops."

"Wait, Y/N, what is the white man doing?" Sphinx suddenly pointed towards Regulus, who was raising his foot after standing still for a long time.

Shit! He's going to mutilate Subaru!

I immediately activated Ul Akra and shot towards the Archbishop, who kicked up the dirt that he stomped up, and activated the spell with Alchemis' help.

"ABSOLUTE ZERO!" I gathered mana as I froze the space in front of Subaru, hoping to stop the impact. Unfortunately, my aim was a bit off, and the dust shaved off a portion off of Subaru's foot.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Subaru let out a painful screech, looking down at his severed foot in fear. Maintaining the wall of frozen space, I quickly reattached Subaru's severed foot as I reconnected the tendons and bones as I poured in phosphorus, calcium, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and more elements. It will not numb the pain, but at least Beatrice doesn't have to waste mana to heal him any more.

"Was that really necessary, Archbishop of Greed? Removing one's right to bear a foot just because he annoyed you? Did he violate the same right that you had-"

"Hey! Who are you, showing up unannounced and not introducing yourself. Just like that annoying person over there, you people continue to violate my rights-"

"I could say the same to you. First, you cut me off while I was speaking. According to you, that is a violation of my right to speak. Also, to not recognize another when somebody has already introduced themselves to you? Another insult and reason for me to exact vengeance upon you."

Regulus looked shocked that his logic failed him, which seemed to be working perfectly fine without contradictions until now. Truth is, all humans are bound by logic and emotion, and a conversation with only logic will fail sooner or later without any hint of emotion, since it will betray you.

"Since I am a nice person, I'll say it again."

"My name is Y/N L/N. I am the leader of the Liberator's Battalion, contractor of the Witch of Greed, and knight of Lugnica. Also known as the Warlock of Deceit, from the Witches' Sanctum. Now, shall we begin the counterargument?"

Chapter Text

As Regulus looked at me with a funny expression, Beatrice began healing the rest of Subaru by filtering out the rest of the impurities that were mixed in his bodies when his foot was half severed.

"Wait... Deceit? You are that kid who was on the highway with Gluttony a while back, are you not?"

"Yes. I myself am quite disappointed that a supposedly very 'friendly' man like you would forget anyone's name when they already introduced themselves. By your definition, isn't that discrimination towards another party's existence?"

"Urgh... you... fine. I understand your point. I would like to apologize for that. Now, can you move out of the way so I could eliminate that person's right to bear his foot since he violated one of my rights?"

"Uh, sorry, but no. He violated your right of speech, not your right to bear feet. I believe that it should be of equal exchange when rights are broken, or else the other party can take more vengeance on you."

"Hold up, he was the one who violated my rights, so I should be the one to decide his punishment." Regulus argued. "It seems that we have hit an impasse. However, I need to complete my mission as the Gospel foretold, so please move out of the way. I won't say it twice."

Seeing that I refused to move, Regulus sighed. "I told you, I warned you." Regulus then swung his right arm downwards, and I almost felt the gust manifest when he used his authority. However, I was prepared.

"Bayanga, if you did the analysis, do it."

"Got it, Y/N! EMM!"

As my Great Spirit of Yin removed me from this plane of space-time, the gust was nullified as it hit me, and I was unaffected by the attack. Regulus showed an expression of shock as he saw me defend against his attack without using Absolute Zero.

As the effect cleared, I smirked as I reeled my fist back. "Now it's my turn. Absolute Zero."

The domain stretched out and covered Regulus and myself, freezing time as Regulus realized he couldn't use his ability anymore. He kicked up dirt, but the dirt functioned like normal and Regulus cursed.

"You are violating my Authority once again! Do you have no shame in doing so?" Regulus stomped the floor in anger, but I wasn't exactly in the mood to listen to him rant again. My next move... is the result of my training and experience!

"Imperceptible Extensions Phase III- Swords."

The blades formed out of shadows soared towards Regulus, unaffected by the sopping of time within my domain. As they connected, no leakage of blood was found, but the effect definitely took place as the blades impaled into Regulus' arms, and he looked at them with a confused yet painful expression.

In theory, shadows are not made of anything. Light needs photons to be made and is dependent on the waves that they produce, but shadows exist only because of light, yet needing no part of it. They are not made of elementary particles either, therefore having time stopped does not impede its movement in terms of speed or size.

Hence, my Imperceptible Extensions can still punch Regulus, who was undefended since the domain and his authority canceled each other out. Although Lion's Heart can enable him to move or talk, if anything external hits him, it will surely make him feel pain. However, this is only assuming that he does not have Stillness of an Object's Time activated.

Seeing that my shadow swords connected, I immediately canceled out one of them and turned it back into Phase I, punching him in the face as he was sent out of my domain. I deactivated Absolute Zero, and grinned at my victory.

"You actually did it, Y/N... you madlad..." Omega said as she walked up to me along with Sphinx. "I thought you said that this generation's Greed is practically invincible, so how did you do it?"

"Well, Chid-chan, it would've been explained to you if you didn't start searching my memories for unnecessary things... and you know what I mean."

"We do not need to talk about that!" Omega flared, and I waved my hands in defeat.

"Okay, okay... I'll explain it to you later. However, for now, we have to-"

SWISH

A blade of wind so fast that even the ear cannot perceive severed my left arm as I was talking, and I saw one of my Extensions fade. It seems that the extensions depend on my arms as well. However, the pain that came with it was quite bearable.

"Y/N!" Sphinx gasped in horror as she began shooting all sorts of magic spells, including an Al Jiwald at Regulus, who lowered his hand after his attack.

As I began healing myself with my Authority, Regulus scoffed at Sphinx's attacks and picked up Emilia once again, shielding himself and her from the barrage of spells. "It's a shame that I cannot administer punishment to you people today, since the Gospel said that I cannot delay any longer. You should thank me for being so lenient."

With that, Regulus left the scene, and the remaining archbishop watched Subaru with interest. "Ah, what beautiful pain! You might have forgotten, my dear, but my beloved Petelgeuse would definitely say that pain and suffering is the most beautiful thing in the world, for it lets us connect together in love!"

"Okay, uh, can you scram now? I thought the Gospel already told you to leave." I said to Sirius, who gave me a weird look.

"Don't interrupt when I'm talking to my husband! I, Sirius Romanee-Conti-"

"I know, I know, spare me the yadda-yadda." I said as one of my extensions, punched her back, but surprisingly, she did a weird backflip and skidded to a stop before she looked at me in surprise.

"Marvelous! I did not expect you to already have two compatible bodies, my dear! But if so, why didn't you go welcome me sooner? You know that I've been waiting... Also, which one of you is the main body?"

Dammit. Now that Sirius thinks both me and Subaru are vessels of Petelgeuse, it's going to be a bit complicated. Maybe I should just act for now. Is it really the best option though?

"Sirius." I turned towards her, pretending to be Petelgeuse. "Since the Gospel has ordered you to leave, I believe it is best. If I require your assistance in the future, I shall call upon you."

"Of course, anything for you, dear! Now, take care of yourself and your spare bodies, so that we won't be separated again!" Sirius said in an unusually caring tone, and leapt off in the direction of a Water Gate, before disappearing from sight.

"I am never doing that again." I sighed as I turned to Beatrice, who was healing the others while casting worried glances at Subaru.

"Beatrice, Subaru will not suffer a fatal injury, but he needs rest. I'll heal the rest of the people here, so just take care of him." Beatrice nodded immediately and went to tend to her contractor, while I repaired everyone's lost body parts. The fragments of my Witch Factor that I gave out returned to me as the Authority of Wrath was lifted, and my percentage returned to what it was at before.

"Now... it's time to go to our next location." I said to Sphinx and Omega. "Sphinx. Go back to the battalion and tell them to come to the square next to the city hall. It's a Code Zero."

"Understood. Approximately 5 minutes is estimated for arrival. Who do we need?"

"Hunter and Kitsune. I cannot let Meili, Colette, and Palmyra face a dangerous situation like this. Go now."

Sphinx nodded as she flew off, leaving me and Omega as we rushed towards the city hall's square, where a fight ensued. However, before we left, a voice sounded as I heard it cackle, as if a prey had just been caught in their jaws.

"Hello, hello? Is this okay? Can everyone hear? Meat creatures who can hear, good for you! Meat creatures who can't, go fester and die, that'd be a huge help. Gahahahaha—"

Omega was prepared as she knew what the situation was and did not flinch. However, I was taken aback by the early appearance of this voice, one of the most malicious voices--

"Well, well, well, was there any idiot who died from shock at that moment? If not, well, it doesn't really matter, but if there's anyone who dares to ignore this lovely lady, then, my mood will be ruined! You boring creatures do nothing but ruin my mood. There's no value here at all. —You're all just garbage, garbage, garbage! Clear your disgusting minds of your ugly thoughts, and immediately find a ditch of waste to stick you head into and down in! Please go die soon, please, I beg you! Gahahaha!"

"Y/N... who is that? She sounds quite annoying, despite me spending my time with quite demanding girls in the domain." Omega asked. "Also, she's broadcasting from a meteor, right?"

"Yes. I think Priestella has one of the radio meteors, which allows them to broadcast messages across the city." However, before I could explain further, the voice came back again.

"Well, well, then, since the bit dull rotten meat creatures can't figure it out, I'll explain it. I have control of the radio— meaning, meaning, meaning—! That——— I, no, we have control of the City Hall. Ah, by the way, is there a control tower at the end of the city? That's also ours now! Kahahahaha—! By now! At this moment! Only now are you realizing that you're all going to be decimated! It's shocking how brainless you all are! It's too much for me! Ah, garbage, garbage, garbage! Gahahaha—"

"Chid-chan, that girl... the one who's broadcasting right now, she's the Witch Cult's-"

"I am the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Lust—Capella Emerada Lugunica! Gahahaha! Respect me! Worship me! Then cry and beg and die tragically like worms! You rotten slabs of meat! Kahahahaha—!"

After the annoying broadcast from Lust, I hurried towards the plaza where I knew tragedy would take place. I mean, the reason I exist in this world is to prevent disasters from happening, right? Then, it is my destiny to liberate everyone from their cruel fate.

As I arrived on the rooftop, I saw the clashing of blades and magic. Down in the square, a giant in the Witch Cult robe was fighting a Garfiel in his beast form, while Mimi Pearlbaton, one of the vice-commanders of the Iron Fang, defended against a woman with a sword.

"Ugh... the War God of Vollachia and the previous Sword Saint... this is truly a pain..."

Just as I strategized on how to fight them, two thuds landed next to me as I saw Elsa and Yae arriving along with Sphinx.

"AH... It's been so long since I could have a taste of someone's bowels... so... who are we dissecting today, Y/N?"

"Please don't use that tone Elsa... it's gonna make people feel creeped out... Anyways, after I make my move, you two delay the giant guy over there, while Sphinx could buff you guys with Yang Magic. Omega would assist me over here with the swordswoman."

They both nodded, and I begin preparing to jump in.

As Garfiel's punch in his beast form struck Kurgan, a loud sound was heard but the intended effect never came. Kurgan's other six arms, hidden under his coat, grabbed Garfiel's fist. Due to this he was left in a shocked state while I saw the woman ready to perform a blow on Garfiel, unbeknownst to him.

"Ul Akra!" I yelled as I dashed off the roof, and unsheathed Zeam before rushing to Garfiel's right side, where the woman was going to strike down. If I didn't appear, Mimi would've jumped in to save Garfiel, and she would've been so badly wounded that even Felix's magic could not fully heal her. And so, to prevent that tragedy, I'm here.

I swung Zeam as hard as I could towards the approaching sword, and to my surprise, I was able to deflect it as the swordswoman stumbled back. Mimi stopped just as she was about to jump, and I yelled at Garfiel with urgency.

"Garfiel! Take Mimi away and go to Subaru, now!"

With a quick nod, the beastman ran off carrying the young girl, and left us. Elsa and Yae already engaged in combat with the Eight Arms Kurgan, and they seemed to be doing fine with Sphinx's Akra buffs and other spells.

"Omega, how long do you think your power can be restored?" I asked my contractor, while I used my extensions to deal with the swordswoman.

"It seems that I have indeed overestimated my time for regaining my magic power. In your terms, 75% have definitely been restored, and using Al Goa should be no problem, but I have to spend a day or so to stabilize the mana output."

"Perfect. However, take everyone else and run away for now to the shelter that Subaru is staying in. You should know how to get to there using my memories. We shouldn't waste any more time fighting them since all they do is guard the City Hall anyways."

"Gotcha." Omega said as she took out a microphone meteor that she made during our year, and tapped on it. "Liberator's Battalion! Leader has issued a Code Blue to Shelter Pleiades! I repeat, Code Blue to Shelter Pleiades!"

Miraculously, my teammates followed Omega's message and dashed out of the plaza. Seeing how Kurgan and the swordswoman made no attempt to follow. Relieved at my correct assumption, I unsheathed my swords and activated the Flying Seal, before flying away from the square.

Just you wait, Archbishops. We're coming for you.

Chapter Text

OK Before we start I have an idea to announce

Recent comments have brought me to a realization, and I'm officially announcing IF stories for our main series! One will be written after every arc finishes, and 5 chapters per IF on a different story!

Now I have some IFs in mind, along with a few recommended (one for each sin)

BTW if there's a "HARD" label next to an IF, it means I need a LOT of time coming up with what to do with it.

Here's a description for each current one I could think of:

Sloth IF: Y/N decides to abandon the storyline and go off to explore the world along with his spirits and his comrades (only Elsa and Meili) on vehicles because he's too lazy. Takes place after Arc 4's end.

Greed IF: (HARD) Y/N sets out on a journey to obtain every single Witch Factor after his contract with Echidna has been made. Takes place after Arc 4 cour 1. Basically main route but with only one goal.

Wrath IF: Y/N loses his mind and decides to nuke everything (quite literally). Takes place after Arc 5.

Gluttony IF (N/A until after Arc 6): Influenced by the Gluttonies, Y/N accepts a portion of the Gluttony Witch Factor and goes to uh eat everyone's names and memories while working for the Witch Cult.

Pride IF: (HARD) IDK what to do with this one, but in short: Y/N takes over the entire economy including Hoshin Trading Company and Anastasia. In this IF, rich Y/N and maybe a mental exhaustion thing in the end. Takes place after Arc 4.

Lust IF: Uh....Capella IF & Harem IF? Takes place after Arc 5.

Envy IF (This one might be an entirely different project or the longest if I was to write it): Y/N gets Return by Death and every one of his future powers are severely weakened. Contract with Echidna is still a yes tho. Starts in Arc 1.

Vainglory IF: We dominate SCHOOL.

Melancholy IF: IDK.

Deceit IF: (HARD) We become a professional fraud. Basically.

An hour after I returned to the shelter along with the Battalion, Subaru woke with a start after his injury was cast. I minimalized the damage, but his foot still seemed to be bleeding, with internal damage to his right leg, according to Felix.

"Where's Beatrice?" Subaru immediately looked around for his spirit, but she was beside him the whole time, and Beatrice gave him a little punch.

"Betty's right beside you, in fact. But since you are just recovering, Betty would forgive you for this mistake, I suppose." She then hugged Subaru to make sure she was okay.

"Bro, I found you just lying there in the square dyed with your blood and the others. Thankfully, they were all okay, including you. How did that happen, though?" Al, who was sitting near the bed, came into the conversation.

"I believe that is my work." I spoke up, stunning many people. "I helped heal the people in the town square, so Beatrice could heal Subaru better while exhausting less of her mana. Had she healed everyone, her mana would've ran dry."

"And yours wouldn't?" Felix asked me with surprise. Of course they'd be surprised. My mana pool could never come close to Beatrice's, but there's always another way.

"Felix, I'm pretty sure there are other ways to heal one without the use of Water Magic. And also, I don't even have an affinity for it."

"Then how did you heal them?" Al asked, a little suspicious at me.

"It's quite obvious by this point, is it not? I mean, this secret was only known by Subaru and a few others, but I'll just say it here. It's an Authority."

"A what-" Felix gasped as Crusch walked in on the exact moment that I started explaining, confused at what I was getting at.

"Bro, you're not Pride, are you?" Al asked me with a hint of urgency that I didn't really catch, while Crusch seemed to suddenly notice what we're talking about.

"I'm not Pride. In my opinion, Pride himself never even had the Authority to begin with, so he couldn't have a successor. Anyways-"

"Hold on, Y/N." Crusch suddenly stopped me. "I sense that you are going to reveal something big, and seeing that you have no trouble doing so, why not come to our meeting first?"

"A meeting? For some kind of Stratagem planning session by Anastasia?"

"Yes, I see you are as shrewd as ever. It's time we discussed how to fight back against the crisis in the city."

Timeskippu*

"Is that the Witch Cult's symbol I see up there?" Subaru asked.

"It seems so. It's rare to see the Witch Cult engage in public activity, but..."

"Then I should assume that all four towers have the same flag?"

"Yes..." Crusch sighed. "That is correct. Now that they have seized all four towers and could submerge the city at any moment, we need to take action immediately."

Assuming that everyone has safely got to the safety shelters since Priestella is ready for flooding at all times, I'm going to guess that nobody is really panicking. However, to successfully evacuate everyone out of the city is near impossible. There is only one bridge to Priestella, which is in the centre of a lake, and that bridge is awfully long as well. Even if we do sneak past the Witch Cult in the city, there's no guarantee that they have no troops waiting at the bridge as well.

"Also, Y/N, Crusch said you had something you wanted to say?" Anastasia looked at me with interest.

"Yes. I had kept this secret for a long time, but in order for us to utilize the best strategy, I think it's best for me to reveal it. As some of you may already know, I possess an Authority."

"An... Authority?" Anastasia asked, a little unsure of what I meant.

"It's a power born from a Witch Factor, embodiments that are the antithesis of Od Laguna. Due to their insanely unnatural nature, they bestow power upon those who absorb them. However, only those who are compatible can remain sane can utilize the power efficiently, and Sloth is such an example since he was insane. The other prime example... I think it's best to not talk about it now."

"So you're saying... you have a power similar to the Archbishops?" Crusch asked.

"Essentially, yes. I received it shortly after arriving in this nation, brought to me by my spirits. I do not know why I was compatible, nor why it came to me in the first place. The only thing I do know about this particular Witch Factor's history... is that its predecessor wanted me to have it."

"Okay, okay, we don't need the whole backstory. What does it exactly do?" Anastasia asked, intent on finding out. Subaru suddenly chose this time to intervene.

"You said it controls the elements, right, Y/N?"

"Yes. But those 'elements' are something that the vast majority do not understand. In fact, I believe the only three people who could understand what I mean are myself, Subaru, and... Al."

"Ey, bro? What do you mean I'll understand?" Al said, surprised that I dragged him out.

"You've heard of the Periodic Table, yes? Anyways, the world is created my tiny, tiny particles, and they can form many different objects. For example, we drink water, which is made of hydrogen and oxygen. And, if you arrange the carbon a little..." I said as I formed a tiny stone of diamond. "You get diamond, a material that is indestructible without the use of magic."

"So, Y/N-san's abilities are to create basically anything from this 'Periodic Table' thing, right?" Anastasia asked.

"Yes, that's the basic gist of it." I confirmed.

"Okay, then if we move on-"

Before Anastasia could resume talking, a voice cut through her.

"Yahoo, yahoo, yahoo!"

"Oh god..." I sighed. "Here she goes again."

"What do you mean, she?" Subaru asked, but I motioned for him to stay quiet.

"Hello, all you meat creatures! No matter how many times you've heard it, doesn't my beauty and my lovely voice excite you? Gahahahaha!"

"What a stupid voice... is this the city's broadcasting radio?" Subaru muttered while Capella continued to ramble on.

"Alright, you meat creatures enthralled by a beautiful girl's enticing voice, I have news for you: we're all tired, so we're going home now. Just kidding! The true tossing and turning of day and night starts now! Gahahahaha!"

Capella's sneers continued to sound through the radio, and I could see the sweat dripping from Subaru.

"Setting aside my funny, laugh-inducing joke, let's continue with the news. As I said just now, the city has been occupied by us. You're all caged birds... no, you're all insects in a cage for insects. Insects are just bugs, and the owner of that cage gets to decide just what to do with you. Wings and head, prepare to have them removed... Kahahaha, how ugly, how awful! What a merciless life. You should be thankful for being left in my tender care. Gahahahaha!"

"I swear... she needs to shut up and reflect on humility for one single moment." Are Archbishops this prideful because Pride is vacant? Or if there was a Pride, his insanity in this sense is even more extreme?

"And, the end. My precious words end here. Metamorphosing meat creatures and insects should work their hardest. Like I said before... we've taken control of the four towers that operate the waterways. I think it's best to not try anything weird? A drowned man's dead face is unbearable ugly! Gahahahaha—"

After that, the broadcast cut off, and Subaru turned to me with a somewhat terrified face. "Y/N, who was that?"

"You were asleep earlier, so you didn't hear the first broadcast." I said with a serious expression. "The one who made the broadcast declared herself as the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Lust... Capella Emerada Lugnica."

"Okay, so to sum it up, we have three archbishops present here, that we already know of. We have Wrath, who controls people and was the one who decimated the ones in the square, Greed who kidnapped Emilia... and Lust, who broadcasts from the city hall with an extremely annoying and condescending tone. What an all-star team of assholes." Subaru said as he counted.

"Not just those three, Ferri-chan believes there might be at least five." Felix added as Subaru suddenly jumped in surprise.

"Eh? Really?"

"Think about it. There are four control towers that they occupied, including the city hall. That's a total of five strongholds that they captured. With Sloth out of the way, it's safe to assume all the archbishops are here."

"Then, Wrath, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, and Pride are all here?"

"No, that's not entirely true." I cut in. "Remember how Petelgeuse asked you if you were Pride? That's because the last Sin Archbishop of Pride died 40 years ago, and nobody ever succeeded him."

"Then who's the last Archbishop?"

"There are three Archbishops of Gluttony. The one who ate Rem's name and memories is the one charged with Gourmet, Lye Baitenkaitos. Considering that he showed up, there's another Gluttony here."

"Gluttony..." Subaru hissed in anger. I guess it must be hard to lose someone in such a brutal way. I wouldn't want any of my teammates 'eaten' as well.

Subaru suddenly perked up as if he remembered something important. "Y/N... you said Lust introduced herself as Capella Emerada Lugnica. What's with that?"

"You mean it sounds like a royal family name? Well, I personally believe that she was either just playing a very mean prank, or impersonating someone from long ago. I don't know who has the name, though."

"About that... one thing does come to mind." Wilhelm spoke up after being quite silent all those times before.

"And what might that be?"

"While I do not have anything to add about the name Capella...there was most certainly a member of the Lugunica royal family who went by the name of Emerada Lugunica."

Gasps sounded across the room, since Wilhelm just confirmed a possibility of impersonation.

"Lady Emerada was alive prior to the Demi-human War...over fifty years ago. I have never met her personally, but records mention that she was a woman of exceptional beauty and wisdom."

"So is this a case of them impersonating someone who actually existed? Maybe it's an attempt to ruin someone's good name?" Subaru asked. His assumption isn't exactly wrong. That would be a rather petty and spiteful thing to do, but such an unsavorypastime was far from unthinkable when the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins were involved. However, this case was different.

But then Wilhelm retorted with a quick No, shaking his head at Subaru's remark.

"I do not know the opponent's aim in doing this...but Lady Emerada was not someone who passed away with great deeds to her name. If anything, it is the opposite."

"You mean..."

"Lady Emerada succumbed to illness at a young age. However, not only was her death not mourned by the kingdom, but she was also denied a state funeral, as would be standard. The stated reason was that conditions at the time were too dire to hold a formal ceremony. However, the real reason is that the kingdom's people had no desire to do any such thing."

Wilhelm's explanation left us with such a disturbing sense of foreboding that we said nothing.
"Lady Emerada was a terribly beautiful and wise person...but she was also reportedly cruel in the extreme, and constantly shrouded in an unfathomable darkness. As such, though she was part of the royal family, she was branded a heretic, and even news of her passing seemed to have been suppressed for some time."

"So there's no way for the real person to still exist after all this time, right?" Subaru asked.

"Unless with the use of a certain spell, I don't know of any necromancy magic that exists. I could ask Omega, considering that she is a walking library."

"Hm." Subaru grunted at my suggestion. I guess he still hates Echidna for what she did to Beatrice. Some hatred is just too deep to be cleared too quickly, I guess."

"All that aside, how are we going to deal with the demands of the Witch Cult?" Anastasia said as she brought the conversation back on track.

"Demands?" Subaru asked.

"That's right. The Witch Cult came to Priestella because they were in search of something. Controlling the city was simply a means to an end."

"So what exactly are they looking for? Subaru asked.

"The Witch's bones."

"Huh?" Seeing that Anastasia replied with no hesitation put Subaru off. The answer she gave was also very interesting. The question is why and why now. I do remember them asking for it, but in the books back in my world, they didn't ask for it this early and without such direct wording... did the future change due to my actions?

"The Witch's bones. That's why they came to this city." Anastasia repeated.

"The Witch of Jealousy, who swallowed up half the world long ago, was never destroyed and continues to slumber in a land far to the East, still coveting the world—or so goes the tales that have been passed down for generations."

Still holding Ferris's hand, Crusch directly addressed the source of Subaru's agitation. Swallowing, he simply responded with a "yeah" and a nod.

"I heard that from Beako, too. The Witch of Jealousy isn't dead; she's just sealed away. But if that's the case, then how would she leave bones behind?" Subaru suddenly shuddered as he spoke. "That's right. There's no way that's true. It can't be..." The uneasiness filling Subaru made his breathing uneven.

"—Calm down, Bro. Look, about these Witch's bones... It's not like they have to belong to the infamous Witch of Jealousy, right?"

"—Wha?"

Al grasped his shoulder, speaking those words in an effort to soothe him. Everyone else in the room turned their eyes on Al, though they couldn't see his expression under his steel helm.

"So how about it? Like Bro and the young duchess were sayin', the most famous Witch was sealed away and all, but there were other Witches, too, right?"

"There are beings besides the Witch of Jealousy who we call witches as a term of convenience. During the Demi-human War, magic users cooperating with the Demi-human Alliance were often called witches as well, and they were greatly feared. The one in Y/N-dono's group, Sphinx, is such an example."

"Meaning there's a precedent. Then..."

"Well, it's a little different for this city. If a witch is mentioned here, then it must be about a real one rather than some imitation who's only a witch in name."

Wilhelm had been the first to answer Al, but Anastasia's follow-up confidently drew a conclusion that Subaru found difficult to accept.

"From that manner of speaking...I take it that Lady Anastasia has something in mind?"

"Even I wouldn't be talking like this if I wasn't almost certain. The reason I wanted to meet up with Kiritaka after hearing Lust's broadcast is because of that same hunch, even if it meant going out of my way to make it happen."

Anastasia narrowed her light-blue eyes as she divulged what she'd kept hidden up to that point. She then surveyed everyone's faces all at once.

"Anyone can find this out with a little digging, but does everyone know how this Water Gate City came to be?"

"...I heard that way back, this was originally supposed to be a trap for catching something."
Subaru recalled.

Wait. That's what Priestella was built for? Chid-chan, you never told me this!

Hm? Is something the matter, Y/N?

I naively thought that is was built solely for entertainment purposes, considering that Hoshin of the Wastes was a Japanese. Is this the real reason behind Priestella's construction, its real purpose?

"That's correct," said Anastasia, nodding at Subaru's reply. "Apparently, this city was a trap set for the Witch. The Witch met her end here when the entire place was flooded. According to legend, her bones remain somewhere in this city, even today."

"Typhon drowned in a flood, right? So this is where it happened..." Al suddenly muttered under his breath, and both myself and Subaru caught his side comment.

How did he know? Also... it was Typhon?

That's right, N/N. Typhon drowned in this city right here.

The childish voice of the Witch of Pride suddenly cut in from the back of my head, scaring me.

Typhon? How did you get into the link?

Well, Dona allowed me to come in, and it seems that you guys are talking about me, aren't you?

Yes, but... you don't know where they took your remains to, did you?

No, I don't think so. Dona took me to her domain not long after I died.

"If that's true, then I perhaps might also know a thing or two about it." I decided to speak up, to lay out the first steps of my future plan.

"About the witch's bones, Y/N?" Anastasia asked, and I nodded. Subaru gave me an alarmed look, but I gave him a reassuring look as I spoke.

"Remember how the Witch Cult has one Archbishop for each sin, right? There never was an Archbishop of Envy because her witch factor still resides within her at this very moment. The only way for a Witch Factor to move on from one body to another is for that individual to die."

"So you're saying... the one who died here was a forebearer of the power of an Archbishop?" Crusch asked.

"Yes. The seven sins: Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, Pride, Lust, Wrath, and Envy. All of those had a representative for them, in a time long gone. I came across an ancient scroll on my journeys, and in it contains the details of the former 'Witches' of that era."

"A scroll... and where is it?"

"It was burned. We were attacked one day and I saw get thrown into a fire along with some of my supplies when the thieves attacked. We were victorious, but it was lost in the process. However, I memorized most of the content. It says that the one who drowned here was the Witch of Pride. And her remains that are now stored somewhere secretive in this city, is a single, withered arm."

If Typhon's remains are in this city, it means that I could fulfill my promise to Libra a lot more quickly than I expected.

Chid-chan, how's your progress on the Book of Wisdom?

It's around 90% complete. If time allows during this battle, we could potentially finish restoring it within two weeks.

Perfect.

It seems that coming to Priestella was not such a bad idea after all. The Witch Cult's forces should be decimated to only a third, and the rest of the plans should move forward without fail as well.

Now, let's begin the operation to resurrect the Witch of Pride.

Chapter Text

After a few hours on the discussion on our plan to retake the City Hall, I sat on the roof of a building, gazing into the quiet yet chaotic Water Gate City of Priestella.

We'll leave in about half an hour, since we don't have much time. If we don't fulfill the Witch Cult's demands, they'll flood the city.

Kiritaka, the guy who owned the Muse Company visited earlier. Upon hearing the Witch's bones, he stiffened and explained that if the bones were moved, the city would collapse and Priestella would drown even without the water gates opening.

Also, I've figured something out.

The Witch Cult does not, and definitely does not have the power to drown the City of Priestella. It was an empty threat.

Considering that Roy and Capella are in the City Hall, Regulus in his mansion, Sirius and Lye roaming the streets, nobody was there to guard and open the gates if they wanted to. I went around the walls and checked, and there wasn't a single cultist in the tower. The only ones I found were two standing in the city, and I disposed of them quickly. So technically, the only heavily armed place is the City Hall.

With that in mind, I assigned Elsa, Meili, Colette, Palmyra, and Yae to take care of any evacuation procedures while also defending the water gates just in case anyone attacks. Omega and Sphinx would go around the city to stop any corpse soldiers by releasing the soul in their bodies. Sphinx had some knowledge on the spell Immortal King's Sacrement, and now coupled with Omega's knowledge, they should be able to pull it off.

I'm accompanying Subaru and the others to the City Hall. There are two simple reasons for that.

First, to allow others to realize the danger of Kurgan, the Eight-Arms Hero of Vollachia. The second... is to defeat the Sin Archbishop of Lust.

Capella would cause immense damage to both Subaru and Crusch in the real timeline, including infecting Crusch with a deadly disease that even Felix can't heal. Avoiding that would place the entire Crusch Camp in my debt, further strengthening my relations with a camp.

To be honest, if there was one camp that was not interested in me, that would be Priscilla's.

Then again, Arc 7 is deliberately set for them, so I don't need to rush. For now, I just need to focus on my current goal.

I jumped back down into the Muse Company, and watched my comrades gather as I saw Crusch tying her hair up in a bun. "Crusch, you're going too?"

"Y/N-dono, you needn't worry." Wilhelm said suddenly. "Although Crusch-sama has lost her memories, it seems her skill with the sword is still intact. I have verified that myself."

"And you, Subaru?" I turned towards Subaru, who limped slightly on his leg. Although the damage was repaired by myself, the pain still existed.

"I'm fine, Y/N, and thanks. Without you, Beatrice and I would be so crippled right now."

That's exactly what my purpose in this world is, Subaru. I wanted to say that, but it's better off for them to not know about it now.

We set out towards the city hall, where the two undead warriors await.

"Bleah..." I looked at the piles of pink flesh in disgust and shock, turning my head away from them to not look at the monstrosities. I know they're supposed to be humans or something, but it's just too...

When we arrived at the City Hall, piles of flesh were left in the yard, scattered around as if leftover food from a beast's dinner.

It seems to be the work of Capella. I do remember her intentionally making people like this. However, it seems that the only Authority I have problem countering is Capella's.

I never fought Petelgeuse myself, and since he's dead now, I don't need to worry. Regulus' authority can be bypassed to a certain point using Absolute Zero and Imperceptible Extensions. I'm immune to Sirius' authority. Gluttony's does not work on me for some reason, and even if he wanted to fight, I could avoid him and deal blows with my swords of power and the Akra series.

This leaves the Authority of Lust, Capella's power.

Variation and Change, is a power that is derived from its name. The ability to shift anything and anyone into another type of object or a variant of their former selves. The thing is, even if I do turn them back, there's a chance that their soul might not automatically fit with their new body.

This means that if I ever wanted to undo Capella's work, I need her to undo it herself.

Ugh...

Well, this just got a lot more complicated. I would have to make her join the Battalion. Although the most important question is how. There was this line I remembered when I looked up her information page on the wiki. It went a little something like this, I believe...

Q: For some reason, I can't help but think that Capella-chan is cute! For some reason, her words and actions are attractive! And so, what can I do to become just another person to her?

A: Share her sense of values, love her, wipe away the great trauma she bears. Then she'll be yours~

I don't have a single idea who wrote this, but the answer seems genuine from the author. Everything else might be fine, with exception of her values. The only possibility that rules this one out is to change her values. And how to do that, I have no idea.

However, before I could continue thinking further, Garfiel let out a warning. "They're here!"

I heard a loud thud as I saw Kurgan and Theresia, in their Witch Cult uniforms, descend from the sky as they took out their respective weapons. Kurgan carried his Demon Cleavers, while I suddenly noticed something about Theresia's rapier.

Isn't that the sword... she went to fight Pandora with?

Ignoring that fact, I readied my blades, but Crusch was already on the move. "Here I go!" She yelled.

The large green blade of wind that manifested from her sword was flung towards her attackers, so lethal that it should've sliced them in half. Unfortunately, they blocked it through unknown means.

"It hit!" Subaru cheered.

"No! They defended it! It didn't even touch them!" Crusch said as she had a sour look on her face before Garfiel, Wilhelm, and Ricardo charged at the giant man and the swordswoman.

Julius readied up a spell at the side, and his six spirits shone like a rainbow as they began to concentrate mana into a beam of light.

Garfiel sent a punch towards Theresia, while Wilhelm unleashed a flurry of slashes. Theresia countered them by swiping her sword at their feet, which they both dodged. At this moment, she used the momentum as she hooked onto one of Garfiel's arms, broke his nose, and forced him to pull her out of the field of magic that Julius shot at her.

Wilhelm rushed back with another one of his techniques, only to be deflected by Garfiel's shield as Theresia pulled his arm up. She then threw Garfiel away and sent a kick to Wilhelm's stomach, which made him bend in a C shape as he was sent flying backwards.

As I was about to rush in, I realized that the situation on the other side wasn't looking too good either.

Ricardo was getting plummeted by Kurgan as he unleashed more and more arms. The Eight-Arms Kurgan has now revealed himself, while I struggled on who to help.

It was at this moment that Subaru pitched in. His Guiltywhip, made a crackling sound as it swished through the air, sending the enemies just a little out of range for out close ranged attackers.

I should do what I do best. I pointed my palms towards Wilhelm, Garfiel, and Ricardo. "EL Akra!"

Suddenly receiving the buffs from my Yang Magic, they lightened up and dashed to our opponents with incredible speed. Julius launched an improvised Ul Gora, which sent a fire tornado towards the duo. As they hastily avoided it, I managed to snipe one of Kurgan's arms with Minya. However, Theresia dodged the spike that I shot at her.

"Damn it!" I said as I stumbled back, and launched several Ul Goas at the duo, distracting them while Crusch sent another invisible wind blade. Julius shot another rainbow strike at them, and finally, the battlefield seemed to be evening out at last.

That is, until she came.

"Bwah-hahaha! You guys actually came, huh?" A voice came over from above as I turned my head towards the city hall's roof, where a dragon perched on top of it, cackling at us.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!! What's with that face?! Such a stupid face! Did you practice it just for me? If you did, I want to reward you!! How about my spit? Would my saliva make you overjoyed? That should literally be mouthwatering for meatbag scum like you!!"

"That's..." Subaru took notice of the dragon, and widened his eyes in surprise.

"Let me reintroduce myself! I'm the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Lust!" With a cackling grin in her dragon form, Capella laughed.

"Capella Emerada Lugunica—that's meee! Now die, you rotten sacks of meat!!"

Capella took flight and circled around us in the sky, her large wings flapping overhead. Kurgan and Theresia suddenly kneeled down as if greeting their master, and I stared at the sheer size of her body in amazement. I did not expect the dragon form to be this large.

"Gawking at me with those passionate gazes means you're all turned on, aren't you? What, are you animals in heat the whole year? Are you enjoying this chance to ogle me? Oh noooo, whatever shall I do?!" Capella unleashed another bunch of unnecessarily expressive words, and I sighed. Seriously, she just seems so wrong in many ways all at once.

"When fighting a dragon, the important thing is to break its wings as soon as possible, bringing it crashing to the ground. If we permit it to fly in the sky as it pleases, it will rain dragon breath upon us unopposed. We must avoid this at all costs."
With all of them unsettled by the appearance of the dragon, Wilhelm delivered that bold pronouncement at the centre of their formation. His words, filled with such certainty, made Subaru and I glance over toward the Sword Devil.

"From how you said that just now, it kinda sounds like you have experience fighting dragons."
"Once, nearly four decades ago, I crossed swords with Valgren the Black Dragon, who appeared in the south of the kingdom. Compared with that one, this dragon is far too small. Should we lop off her head once, she will surely perish."

"Huh? Was once not in enough for this Valgren?" Subaru asked.

"He had three heads which all needed to be removed."

"Ah, so a Hydra." I remarked.

Capella then continued to fly about until Garfiel threw some declaration of war against Capella, and she laughed it off by saying he's a disgusting demi-human. I'm calling racist for that. She's getting cancelled.

Subaru also joined in and complained about how Capella's war strategy is shit. Subaru argues that big shots of a war need to bide their time and let their troops take care of the enemies first and the boss only appears after those have been taken down. Showing the head of the troops immediately just defeats the whole purpose. Then again, this is exactly why the Witch Cult won every time. Take a look at how Regulus destroyed Garkla.

"Okay, I'm done stalling. Nail her, Julius!" Subaru yelled to the Finest of Knights, and Julius smiled as he gathered his six spirits into his blade.

"Burn under the light of the rainbow! Al Clauzeria!"

The beam of light made by the six spirits struck the dragon in the sky, and Capella let out a high-pitched screech before she crashed into the city hall.

At this moment, Theresa and Kurgan moves again. Garfiel crashed against Kurgan, who used his flowing battle style to counter the giant's brute strength. Meanwhile, Wilhelm and Theresia's duel became deathly silent as they started moving at inhuman speeds, to the point where sword slashes and hits were barely audible.

Suddenly, Crusch pushed me and Subaru out of the way as Ricardo stepped in front of us and let out a Howling Wave, the Pearlbaton Siblings' special move. His target was the roaring black and purple flames that appeared out of nowhere, and seems to be eating everything in its path.

I poured water towards the flames, but they didn't seem to be extinguished. Frustrated, I compressed carbon dioxide and liquid nitrogen and sprayed it towards the flames, which seemed to diminish its effects on the surroundings and stopped its spreading.

The Black Flames that Capella shot out... I can't analyze it's substances!

Even fire extinguisher liquids did not work on it! I also tried various other kinds, including KHNO3 and evaporating fluorocarbons.

This is bad. If I couldn't counter her moves, this means that if I somehow get into a fight with her, I might actually lose. How to fight... how to fight...

At this moment, Capella burst out from the city hall's roof, where she landed after being struck by Julius' Al Clauzeria. Flesh and blood dropped from her, but she looked fine for some reasons. The next thing I knew, the blood dripping stopped, and the flesh wriggled. They started reforming into the giant purple and black body. The scars healed, the wounds closed, the damaged organs reformed.

Capella's insane regeneration speed shocked all of us as we stood there, mouths agape at the situation as she gave out another cruel laugh.

"So are you satisfied now that you've caused even my beautiful viscera to be exposed for everyone to see? You're all perverts with such uncontrollable lust that you'd do anything to see even your beloved meatbag's rectum, aren't you? Hey, hey, are you satisfied? Hey, are you totally sweaty because you had your fill?"

"You're... What the hell...is that?" Subaru gasped in shock.

"Asking something you can figure out the answer to just by looking makes you a fool through and through, doesn't it? But I will reply because of the depths of my compassion. As you can see, I have conquered death! I am a complete being!! I'm immortal, obviously!"

As soon as she said that, a bell rung from the tower, and Capella sighed as she rushed back into the city hall. "Ah, it seems that the time is up. I do have to broadcast my beautiful voice across the place."

As Capella disappeared, I turned towards Subaru and Crusch. "We should go in there right now. She won't have a lot of time to move around if she's in that confined space."

They nodded before rushing off towards the city hall with me. Along the way, I applied Titanium to Garfiel, Ricardo, and Wilhelm's blades, in hopes of making them more durable. Seeing that we were going to attack, Theresia moved towards us to try and intercept, but Julius' ray of light stopped her.

"Go, Y/N! I'll stall them here!" Julius shouted, and I nodded before running off. I grabbed Crusch and Subaru with my Extensions, and leapt off into the air as I activated the White Whale's flying seal. The two let out a surprised sound, seeing that I carried them easily. To be honest, they weren't that heavy anyways.

As we landed through the broken roof, there existed a single door towards a hall. Julius landed in here not too long after we did, and we rushed towards the door. 

However, before we could reach it-

"Settle down now, onii-sans and onee-san."

The metal door was kicked wide open. A youth with scorched brown hair and green eyes entered the scene, in his long robe and bare feet. A sadistic smile attached to his young face. 

"You're..."

"We're so happy. We're so glad. We're so delighted. We're so overjoyed. Happy thoughts help us feel happy! Drink! Gorge!! The longer we have to wait, the emptier our belly becomes! And the more we savour the very first bite!"

His scorched-brown hair was tied up in a braid, and his small physique was wrapped in a long robe, with long hems, cuffs, and sleeves that hung about. There was a sadistic smile plastered onto his youthful face, and his smile showed that he had teeth like a shark's. 

Subaru immediately gave the boy a death glare, since he fit many of the descriptions of his worst enemy.

"Hmm? Why do you look so annoyed, mister? Could it be that you have some kind of grudge against one of us guys? We're tryin' and tryin' to remember, but we're really bad at faces. Really, we're no good at remembering at all..."

"Hey, you shitty brat. If you just walked in here because you have no sense of direction, now's the time to surrender. That's pretty stupid, but it's forgivable. Still..." Subaru began, but he wasted no time to introduce himself.

"We are the Witch Cult's Archbishop of—" I can see Subaru trying to do everything he could to remain calm. "—Gluttony, Roy Alphard!"

"Gluttonyyy!!!"The instant the boy openly declared himself as Gluttony, Subaru unleashed the fastest and mightiest whip blow of his life. The tip of the whip tore through the air, mercilessly scoring the face of his greatest foe. A direct hit should have peeled the skin back and rent the flesh, leaving a scar so severe that anyone who saw it wouldn't dare look at it twice, and this blow—

"—Well, lots of people hold a grudge against us because of our feeding." Catching the tip of the whip with his teeth, Roy Alphard gave us a shameless grin.

Chapter Text

Roy Alphard caught Subaru's whip in his mouth, which had been shot forwards with all the force he could muster. Even I couldn't imagine myself doing a feat like that.

As Roy continued to give us his annoying smile, Crusch readied her blade backwards. "Your luck's run out!"

With that, her One Blow, One Hundred Felled technique was unleashed, and the speedy wind blade zoomed towards Alphard and the violent gusts picked up. The boy, however, didn't even flinch as he leaned backwards onto all fours as he completely evaded Crusch's move.

Crusch thrust forwards at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, but Alphard merely twisted his arm as he avoided an attack yet again. He equipped his tiger claws, and thrust them towards Crusch as he knocked her arm back.

"Your attack power is fine, but it lacks polish! You're barely going to be an appetizer for us!"

Before Roy could claw Crusch's face off, Subaru wrapped his whip around Crusch's waist, and pulled her out of there before the attack can connect. I blocked his claws with Zeam, and he jumped back as he looked at me with interest.

"Oho? This onii-san, have we met you before? There is a weird sense of familiarity, you know? We like interesting people, after all. Now, let's begin the feast!"

"Nice to meet you, Roy of Bizarre Eating. My name is Y/N L/N, Warlock of Deceit." I said as I readied Zeam with my left hand, which I had been training over the past year.

He dashed forward with Leaper, and I activated Ul Akra immediately as I swung my sword up at full speed, deflecting his dagger as I twisted my wrist once again. I changed the direction of my blade mid-swing as Zeam slit a tiny wound on Alphard's left arm, and he jumped back in surprise.

His movements suddenly slowed even with Leaper active, and he stared, amazed at the wound I inflicted upon him.

The Life Sword, Zeam. Although it sounds like should give life, the sword itself chips away at one's soul when it attacks them. When it fully destroys a soul, one cannot even reincarnate like Echidna did.

Zeam let out a dim glow as it happily gulped down the piece of soul it obtained, while Roy Alphard glared at my sword. Although he didn't realize what it exactly did, he knew that part of his life force has been chipped away.

Taking this moment, Julius shot a beam of rainbow light at him, and Ricardo entered after that. "Go, Y/N! We'll take care of him!"

"Oops-"Julius suddenly realized he just said my name, and Roy's face showed immense delight as he swept past me at the speed of sound, and touched me with his left hand as he tried to lick it.

"Eh? Huh?" Roy Alphard stares at his hand, his authority unable to function like normal as he looked at me in surprise. "You are... no way, the one Lye of Gourmet mentioned, the nameless?"

"What, are you flabbergasted now? There's always people above you in things, Alphard."

"Remember your objective, Moppet Mage!" Julius said to Subaru as Roy suddenly regained his composure and dashed towards Subaru, who was undefended until I erected a giant barrier of titanium in front of them.

"—Damn it all! Fine, I get it! Hey, Juli! Don't you dare lose on me!"

"That is my line. Make sure to fulfill your duty as the substitute knight of the Valkyrie!"

"Let us entrust this to Master 'Juli' and go, Master 'Moppet Mage'!"

Scratching his head, Subaru set his rueful thoughts aside and took Crusch's hand. Then relying upon the boundary lines generated by the aurora, they escaped Gluttony's attack range. We dashed inside the room where our objective lies, and noticed the giant machinery on the side of the room.

"Is this... the metia?" Subaru said as he noticed the unusual number of amplifiers and buttons, lights and other control panels that were situated upon the broadcasting device.

"It seems like it." I replied as I took a scan of the meteor, analyzing for traces of magic upon the device. However, before we could finish, Crusch suddenly swung her sword towards a dragon who appeared out of nowhere.

The blow connected, and the one thought to be Capella screeched in pain as it crashed back into the floor. "That was close... thanks, Crusch." Subaru said as I noticed something strange. She wasn't regenerating.

As Crusch was about to land another blow, I realized there was a girl beneath the dragon, completely tied up. Another thing I realized was that the dragon did not speak, nor did it harbour ill intent.

"Wait!" I said as I stopped the sword from swinging as Crusch looked at me in surprise. "First of all, there's a hostage below him. Second of all, that is definitely not Lust. He's not regenerating nor is he speaking like an annoying Archbishop."

"You are quite correct, but how would he be a dragon, then?" Crusch asked me.

"I think I figured out Lust's Authority. You saw the piles of flesh outside? They might be actually humans but just transformed by her, same with this person. Also, now that I think about it... are you Garek Thompson?" I asked the dragon, and he nodded with surprise.

"I would just like to say your children are safe for now. Hmm... and where is Lust?"

I looked around the room, scanning every corner until I saw a certain door. That was when Subaru went to help the girl under Crusch's advice.

"Everyone is... in there." The girl pointed to the very door I noticed, and I suddenly had a very bad feeling.

As Subaru went to open the door, I heard a large amount of buzzing. Before I could go and see, however, I realized the problem.

"Stop putting on the facade now," I turned towards the girl in chains. "Capella."