Arc 5 – Chapter 59, "Regulus Corneas"
It can'tbecan'tbecan'tbe. What the hell is this, I don't get it. Why do I have to go through this. Who do you take me for. I am the Sin Archbishop "Greed" Regulus Corneas. The most satisfied existence in the world! The most indisputably asserted, an existence without any wavering aspects! It's supposed to be like that, so why do I have to go through this?! Don't mess around, this is no joke. Each and every one of them, what's wrong with them that they accept such nonsensical absurdities as if they are a matter of course. That man, that woman, and that knight too, just because I showed a little mercy are getting too ahead of themselves, if I had been serious from the beginning then I could have had torn them apart in bits and pieces, but aren't they misunderstanding their own power? That you can shamelessly make misunderstandings, that are from my point of view, hilariously wrong, is why I hate getting involved with others! Obnoxious, annoying, irritating, infuriating, vexing, dirty, unsightly scum. I've always always been doing well, for years, decades, centuries, this way for all that time, I have been faithfully serving as a Sin Archbishop more than anyone. When I was first chosen as a sin archbishop and received this witch factor, I killed them all, the father who despite his poor earnings was plagued with bad drinking habits, the mother who prattled on endlessly complaining day and night, and the greedy brothers who used to ravenously eye the portion that rightfully belonged to me, were all killed by me, the villagers who looked at me like I'm an idiot too, the people of the town who pushed me and my house into that hopeless village too, the inept heads of the country who carelessly abandoned the village and the town to that state in the first place too, I tore them all apart into bits and pieces, and when everything was gone I finally noticed a way I could live! I don't need anything. Everything is just annoying. I am already satisfied. It's not like I didn't have it, I just didn't need it. Unlike the intrusive scum, I've never needed anything. Despite that, giving me something, doesn't that mean that from outside, from your point of view, that you looked at me and thought that I was a pitiful lacking existence. Everyone who wants to impose unneeded things on me should be killed, so only those who will leave the satisfied me alone should be allowed into this world. No matter who, just talking about their selfish nonsense, those shits. Who has the right to pity me. Who has the right to pity me and drive me to despair. As if I would let them. I don't need anything and neither did I ask for anything. A father who despite his poor earnings was plagued with bad drinking habits and yet still occasionally buys gifts for me is scum better off dead. A mother who prattled on endlessly complaining day and night while saying obvious things like "apologies I've troubled you" is scum better off dead. The greedy brothers who despite ravenously eyeing the portion that rightfully belonged to me used to divide my part of their bun when my food got spilled are scum better off dead. Stop you shits, being arbitrarily kind towards me. Being kind, it must mean that you think I'm low, that you're looking down on me. Someone who looks the goddamn down on others, especially someone who looks down family, It's natural that they would be hated. It's natural that they're dead. It's not my fault. I've done nothing wrong. It's your fault, you you pitypitypity me, treat me like I'm pathetic, and leave me all alone. Have a taste of what it's like to be made to feel like the most worthless person in the world. Surrounding me should only be those who do not pity me. Those who do pity me should disappear from the world. I hear laughter. You're looking at me, aren't you. You looked at me and laughed, didn't you. What's so laughable about me. What did you see in me that made you laugh. All of them laughing and laughing. A bunch of powerless scum who are only good at running their mouths. Why does my heart have to break so much because of them. Don't stand in my way don't obstruct me don't pity me I'm not the I'm not the pitiable one, it's you helpless and ignorant but still with "Greed"! You have to crawl throughout your entire life just to satisfy your incomplete selves, you're the pitiable greed! I'm different I'm not like that I don't want anything. The desireless me is better than your incomplete selves. Don't pity me. The truth is that you're jealous of me, envious of me, you admire me and because you can't reach me you're just running your mouth off. That's right that must be right it's obviously right. Wait, wait, just wait. Just stop. Don't look at me don't say my name don't talk about me. Good or bad, just stop it, don't pay attention to me, ignore me and leave me alone. Even though a complete existence has a heart that should not be able to be trampled on how come the likes of you are so insistent on interacting with me. I cannot comprehend it in the slightest. Both you and I are different people. Even thinking of getting a return by taking risks, no matter how you think about it, could never be reasonable would always be a mistake. You're sick in the head. Calm down and think about it and you should be able to understand. All humans except me are just floating in a fever. Asking of others, that very fact that it is understandable is meaningless, useless and irresponsible should be easy to understand. It is all a fantasy of yours which you call it love love is friendship and trust what foolish idiocy reproductive activities themselves are the utmost disgusting acts. I don't understand what it means. For what are you doing this. Whether it's for being a mother or a child, although it makes a family, even if it is decorated with such words, it will be different from myself, whether that thing dies out or not, what does that have to do with me. If they continue to live when I die, I'll be over. If they are dead while I live would only mean my continuation. Love and affection only makes it so that people cannot be independent. A person is independent in the first place. Out of concern for those who operate under such delusions, to be looked down by others is foolish and so I found companionship by gathering well looking women, and in order to not be betrayed I ask for only virgins, what more do you want of me. Don't skip such a selfish act. Infringing on me to this extent, but you still ask whether you can infringe upon me even more? To think you've hit this point! To think your thoughts could be so twisted! Inflicting all this upon me, what more could you even ask of me. Just what do I have to do to not be pitied. The most pitiful person in the world, or whatever! There is no way anything said by that a lady plagued with such vulgar "Greed" who wants to to connect with one she li~kes is justified!
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Regulus: "Ra—ah!!"
Higher, higher, along with the wind, Regulus's body flew into the night sky.
The instant that his underarm had been struck, Regulus had activated [Lion's Heart] and stopped his heartbeat to enter a state of invincibility. As a result, though the damage from the blow had been counteracted—
Regulus: "Ku, ku— hk"
Regulus panted, groaning as his vision blurred with pain.
Regulus's stopping of time, alongside his heart, could last for five seconds maximum. Although during this period, he could hand [Lion's Heart] over to a wife without issue, going any further would mean that Regulus's body would be unable to recover.
In addition, once [Lion's Heart] was lifted, the ever present pain of the sudden release of a stopped heart was inescapable. Anything like pain and suffering, hadn't been tasted in more than a hundred years.
Regulus: "You're, kidding…"
Painfully coughing hatred as if it were blood, the rising Regulus could no longer speak comprehensibly. His flying body was stuck in orbit, infused with who knows how much momentum, reaching a height that offered a bird's eye view of the city of Pristella.
Watergate City Pristella— there, upon seeing the [Gospel]'s writ that the empty wife's seat could be filled, clearly only fortune had been in his heart.
Regulus: "Such a… foolish unfoldingaaaaah!"
Losing those wives which had been collected with such hard work, even his status as [Greed] had been shaken, insulted by a damn kid whose only talent lay in his foul mouth, pitied by a shameful woman who had only just met him.
There was no greater shame. He couldn't remember having ever tasted such humiliation. Wasn't it precisely because he didn't want to taste this loathsome feeling, that he became an archbishop. Clearly still receiving this kind of treatment, wasn't this different from what had been foretold.
Regulus: "Enough, enough, enough… hk!"
No need to think about being merciful. The show of indulgence would end here. This had nothing to do at all with [Lion's Heart] being seen through by an opponent, or with that extraordinary Sword Saint.
As long as he could stop his heart for five seconds, Regulus could kill them many times over. Because he hadn't wanted to see the expressions of despair, hear cries of death, he'd refrained thus far.
Using [Lion's Heart]'s effect of creating a state of invincibility, Regulus could ignore every physical law in the world if he so wished. Reaching speeds that could outpace the wind, in that logic defying moment, with power so overwhelming the denizens of this world could not conceive, he'd turn them into corpses.
If he used the authority of [Greed] to take him higher into the sky, it'd be easy enough to kill them by scattering sand into the city. Although the other Sin Archbishops had also come to the city, he couldn't care less whether they lived or died. At the moment, washing his own humiliation clean was the priority. He would have the faces of those fools who boasted of victory be painted with horror.
Once this pointless momentum came to an end, his fall back to the earth would spell those guys' death. Before that, at best they could be excited about a superficial victory—.
Regulus: "—Aaaaah!?"
Regulus who continuously recited words of hatred, screamed as an attack collided with his back.
Looking from the side would determine that Regulus's rising momentum had come to a sudden stop, having been forcefully nailed into the air. As if something from the heavens… had stepped on him to pin him in place.
Reinhardt: "If this were a normal duel, I'd withdraw my blade once my opponent lost their will to fight."
The owner of the voice was perched on Regulus's back in midair, leisurely saying so.
As to what the existence who stepped on his back in midair was, Regulus understood instantly. Shuddering as he came to this realization. He grasped just how high where he was right now.
Arriving faster than the Regulus he had struck, just how had he managed to reach such heights.
Reinhardt: "Though I have no intention of boasting, I have quite the confidence in my jumping ability. I had once even leapt from the ground, to land on the back of a flying dragon."
Regulus: "Damned, monster…!"
Reinhardt: "Indeed. I am a monster who hunts monsters. —For you too, the time to accept fate has come."
Reinhardt's feet left his back.
As soon as the sound of his voice fell, Regulus felt a fighting spirit. In the course of his life, although he had repeatedly faced strong opponents, Regulus had learned nothing whatsoever.
Even the him who was like this, had greeted those powerful opponents who had come forth to confront him with a yawn, and his conscious memory was limited. Relying on this memory, Regulus tried to react.
—[Lion's Heart] was activated, in the same instant that an attack came.
Regulus: "Aaaaah!!!"
Toward the center of Regulus's back, Reinhardt swung his hand like a blade.
Regulus received an attack even more piercing than an actual blade would deal, but he took the impact with his invincibility, and slammed downward in one motion.
Accelerating toward the ground, Regulus slammed straight into the slate. However, the effect of the [Lion's Heart] persisted, and his body continued to dig into the earth as if being swallowed.
Regulus's body penetrated the paving in a line, crossing a rigid sheet of rock to drill through the earth. While helplessly continuing to drill into the ground, Regulus suddenly noticed.
If this momentum were left untouched, his body would plummet to the lowest level of the earth. He'd never considered whether or not there was a lowest level before. But, the land of this world was not endless. Surrounded as it was by the Great Cascade, at the end of this would be where those falls flowed to.
If he kept falling like so, was that where he would wind up?
Regulus: "Something like this, how could I endure… guu!?"
Literally, the limitless horror had made Regulus hold his breath, reaching the limit of his heart.
Five seconds had passed. Sirens began to blare, as Regulus found himself confused over his judgment. Stopping his heart within his own body for more than five seconds wasn't feasible. The number of seconds that he could hold it at maximum, was perhaps less than ten. And even if he could extend it, that was just more distance he dug.
But here, what would happen if he dispelled his ability while drilling into the ground?
—There was no time to debate. Heart stopping or brain dying or whatever, stupidity should have a limit.
Regulus: "Uuuuuuuu—!"
Gritting his teeth in preparation for the shock that was about to meet him, Regulus strengthened his resolve.
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Hearing the sound of his heart which demanded to resume its beat, Regulus lifted the effect of [Lion's Heart], let go of his invincibility, and the laws of physics were restored—
Regulus: "Bu, ue—!"
His entire body, all his bones, shattered.
Regulus's body was attacked mercilessly upon impact.
That was a matter of course. Regulus's body had hit the ground with a much higher velocity than free falling, and the momentum continued drilled into the earth without loss. The reason his body hadn't shattered in every which way, was that there was no space for it to scatter underground.
However, although it could not spread horizontally, vertically was a different story.
Regulus: "Aa, ue…"
With a hollow voice, tears of blood flowed from Regulus's ruined eyes. The impact penetrated through Regulus's body, rendering it completely destroyed.
Saying he'd received damage greater than a shattered body would be no exaggeration, even the organs within his stomach had been twisted together. Originally impeccable white hair was covered with blood and mud, and his incontinent lower abdomen had lost its function and freely released waste.
Existing here, was a slab of meat which had lost human form.
And what was most surprising was, that this slab of meat still clung to life.
Regulus: "Aa, au…"
Peerless persistence in clinging to life— or rather, this transcended persistence into a grudge.
This was not merely some attachment to clinging to life. Remaining was solely, a grudge against those above who remained alive. Still struggling in such a condition, was this empty vanity.
If I were to, get serious, you fuckers— merely this.
Regulus: "Au, uu."
Yet, this fixation should not be sullied.
Having exhausted a lifetime in pursuit of being that would not be pitied, an evil whose root was unharmed after experiencing more than a century's worth of attacks and beatings, making the most suitable judgements for his own survival.
Wretchedly, repeatedly using [Lion's Heart] in short bursts, Regulus dug at the earth. If he entered a state of invincibility, his injuries became insignificant. In the absence of pain, he could exercise even his injured body without harm. With his empty hands, Regulus dug ceaselessly at the soil.
His body had been buried upside-down, and he adjusted it by digging in a circle. Once his head faced upward, he needed only to slowly work his way aboveground. And perhaps once he made it he would see those self-satisfied maggots, smugly celebrating Regulus's fall.
Unforgivable. Could never be forgiven.
To be mocked, to be scorned, to be pitied, was a pain without parallel. That such injuries were impermissible in life went without saying, and even in death could not be tolerated. Aah, right. Directly acting was all that was needed. Whether those who saw him and those who didn't, if he cleanly did away with them all no one would bully him anymore. If only he'd done so at the very beginning. This time he would certainly not make the same mistake. Returning to the surface, killing all three of them, that would be the end of this.
Regulus: "——"
No longer capable of making sound, Regulus turned his hatred into strength and continued to dig at the ground.
When he made it aboveground, he'd be sure to savor the sight of those guys pleading for their lives. Especially the woman who had continually scorned him, he would be sure to mock her in equal measure. The 79th wife, was the role she'd been meant to fill. Speaking of which, the woman who was originally supposed to fill this vacancy was that elf woman living in that forest, where the hateful Petelgeuse had been as well—.
——.
————.
——————.
Aaaaaaah. Ah, ah, ah, ah. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
He remembered. Now, he remembered.
That woman! Indeed, it was that woman. No, she had been a child then!
The little brat who'd been crying and yelling nonstop, when he'd gone to retrieve No. 79! The little brat from then, had grown into the woman of today!
He now understood, the reason for which he'd felt inclined to fill the vacancy with her the instant he'd laid eyes on her. A simple matter. Serving as a substitute for her mother, it would only be natural that the daughter takes up this position.
That was the the little brat of No. 79 who scorned me, and that fool Petelgeuse. Why hadn't I realized earlier. No, thank goodness I'd realized it now.
If he'd killed them without having noticed, he wouldn't be able to derive proper joy from it. Precisely because he had now clearly realized their sins, would there be value in killing them. Would he feel the accomplishment of avenging his humiliation. Would he experience that long-lost feeling, of the significance of fulfilling a desire.
Watch me tarnish her, No. 79. Watch me snatch her, Petelgeuse.
The one you all cherished, who dared to pity me, that girl.
Regulus: "Aah, hehe."
An impulse surging from deep within his throat, Regulus grew giddy with excitement.
With a mouth missing teeth and cracked lips, he smiled. A hope of survival emerged. Feeling joy, at the idea of brutalizing those who dared to insult him.
Climbing up, climbing up, climbing up, and then—.
Regulus: "——?"
The upward striving Regulus, suddenly felt his fingertips come into contact with something. He withdrew the right hand with fingers no longer in comprehensible positions, and with a blinded eye tried to catch a glimpse. His bloodied and muddied form was faintly wetted by something other than blood.
He tried taking a lick at it. Although tinged with the bitter taste of mud, it seemed to be water.
Water. It was water. After understanding that it was water, Regulus immediately felt a thirst parch his throat. One drop was not enough. He wanted to soothe his throat, to fill his stomach. [Lion's Heart]'s effect had been interrupted, and Regulus's body having returned to the cycle of time, finally had the opportunity to ingest again after a century.
For now, water was fine. It tasted sublime. As he thought so, as if in accordance with his wishes, the water gurgled as it poured down from overhead.
He sipped this slightly muddied water. Even if all his teeth had fallen out, his tongue had been shredded, his blood spurted forth without cessation, this water tasted amazing. So satisfying. That feeling existed here.
—The flow of water pouring in suddenly grew, and Regulus's body once again fell to the bottom.
Regulus: "Aa, uu, waaah?"
Flowing down. Flowing in. In this earth with nowhere to run, the water gradually rushed in.
This was the underground, without any extraneous space. In a blink of an eye, Regulus's body sank into the water where he lost his freedom of movement.
—Perhaps until this moment, Regulus still had not understood what was happening.
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This water came from overhead in Pristella, where all the canals gathered.
Due to Reinhardt's attack, Regulus had smashed through the street and into the ground. Between the underground tunnel that he had made with his body, and the path he had dug himself, the four currents of the canal had been blocked. It now rushed to Regulus without pause, submerging the murderer entirely.
As if expressing the fury over the destruction of the streetscape, from the city and its inhabitants.
Regulus: "Kuu, fwah."
Needless to say, Regulus who was busy drowning at the moment naturally did not notice.
Trapped by the soil, Regulus panicked from the pressure of the water that poured directly into his lungs, and began to struggle with desperation. However, he had no room with which to struggle within the earth. All he could do was curl up through the sludge himself and protect himself with [Lion's Heart].
When [Lion's Heart] was active, he would be able to breathe freely. The same held true for the pain of his ruined flesh.
However, [Lion's Heart] could last for only five seconds. Once he felt his heart reaching its limit, fear of death would cause Regulus release the effect and once again be dragged back to hell.
His cause of death alternated.
No matter which, he could choose neither side. No matter which, neither side could not be eliminated. However, Regulus had no choice but to endure. All he could do was resent this unreasonable situation.
The time limit had disappeared.
Even if he could use [Lion's Heart] repeatedly, that wasn't the case for breathing. And to reuse [Lion's Heart], he would need to wait several seconds.
Heart failure.
Drowning.
Heart failure.
Drowning.
Heart failure—.
Drowning—.
As if continuing without end, pain and suffering without end or pause.
Regulus opened his mouth, and water and mud are poured together into open mouth. With this repeated violation of his lungs and internal organs, Regulus cried out. With a voice that could not make sound, he continued to cry out.
No response. Around him, there was no one.
Even so, he continued to cry out. From his cries, spilled a hatred that hoped for all of mankind to die off.
After he died, mocking laughter would be begged leave of.
For that girl, rejoicing over the vengeance of her mother and Petelgeuse would also be begged leave of.
The mere thought of that girl's delight over Regulus's death, growing radiant with excitement, was vomit inducing.
A life's goal, a motivation to keep living, its consummation would certainly bring joy.
Her existence being moved by Regulus's death, giving off radiance, to say this significance was unknown would not be incorrect.
Because this was wrong, completely unexpected, unreasonable joy, the notion of satisfying that girl was unbearable.
His death, would greatly impact to the girl's heart—.
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Regulus Corneas shattered through the stone street, and was buried in the dirt.
Toward the grave dug by the murderer's body, water from the Watergate City gushed voluminously. How deep the murderer had sunk was unknown. However, considering the limits of his authority, crashing through to other side of the world— such a thing was impossible.
In all likelihood, the effect had been exhausted somewhere underground, and like that he had been crushed by the momentum. Even if he hadn't been crushed somehow, the water that poured in would never allow the murderer to escape.
The murderer who indulged in his powerful authority, had finally drowned as a tribute to the city he had destroyed.
Subaru: "… Emilia-tan, you look sorrowful."
Emilia watched the cave where Regulus sunk motionlessly. Seeing a trace of mourning on her face, Subaru spoke in response.
For that murderer, there should have been not a single hint of sympathy. Emilia was supposed to share that feeling, and not feeling badly about his underground demise should have been right—.
Subaru: "Although Emilia-tan's kindness is wonderful, I don't think it should be wasted on him. A completely hopeless guy, really does exist."
Emilia: "… Thank you for worrying about me. But, that's not it. It's not like that."
Subaru: "Nn?"
Toward the concerned Subaru, Emilia slowly shook her head from side to side.
Then she fell silent for a long while, while casting low the eyes from which hung long lashes—
Emilia: "Regulus, seemed… When I first saw him, I felt like I'd met him somewhere before."
Subaru: "So this wasn't your first meeting? In that case, when?"
Emilia: "That, I can't remember."
Faced with Subaru's question, tilted her head in doubt.
Miraculously, this coincided with the exact moment the buried Regulus screamed.
With a voice that could not reach, the murderer screamed for Emilia to not cheer for his death.
Her mother's death and her benefactor's madness, he'd been closely entwined in both. Toward a young girl this was perhaps a turning point that she could never forget, he did not want for her to find satisfaction upon his death.
Such was the murderer's dying wish, which had no way of reaching the surface.
Emilia: "—Regulus, just where did you meet me?"
Regulus Corneas, had left no impression on Emilia.
In this ironic manner, it was precisely achieved.