The rebels were gathered outside of the palace. Between Brendig's soldiers and Sonas's remaining guards, the rebels were still outnumbered but under Subaru's supernatural guidance, the rebels had so far avoided taking any casualties in the battle. Brendig and the soldiers that had been manning the gate had decided to flee the city rather than reinforce the palace.
The soldiers and guards stood their ground inside the palace, protected by a strong shield wall at the gate, six ranks deep.
Archers stood with arrows notched in a long line around the parapet, waiting for the signal to fire.
Thaddeus and Colonel Brasca stood on a tower, watching the rebels closely.
Thaddeus had barely escaped the last skirmish alive. He scowled out at the rebels. "What are they waiting for?" Thaddeus looked like he'd been put through the wringer tonight. He'd avoided serious injury while escaping from the rebels but he was still covered in scrapes, cuts, and bruises.
"I'd suggest that you focus less on the slaves and more on the Iotuns that broke the gate," Brasca said pointedly. Unlike Thaddeus, Brasca's uniform was spotless and her neat ponytail was in perfect form.
"And what the hell are they waiting for, anyway?" Thaddeus growled. "Any defenses that we had there were either slaughtered or ran away. Where did the Iotuns go? Why aren't they attacking?"
"They might be gathering reinforcements," Brasca mused.
Thaddeus scoffed. "Who breaches the enemy stronghold and then falls back?!"
"Perhaps we overestimated Iotun intelligence," Brasca murmured.
"And what about those slaves!" Thaddeus growled, pointing at the rebels that stood in a long line just behind the stone fence that marked the outer perimeter of the castle grounds. They peered over the fence, trusting the bulwark to protect them from arrows. "Why are they just standing there?"
"Perhaps reality is setting in," Brasca said. "They're outnumbered, have no meaningful supplies, and they are preparing to assault a fortified position. They'd be insane not to realize that their luck has run out. Especially since it appears that the witch's magic is exhausted for the moment."
Thaddeus sighed. "I have some of the men preparing a rope ladder to the Shelf. In case we all need to evacuate."
Brasca sniffed and ignored him.
Thaddeus sighed. "What happens if the Iotuns left the city to pursue Brendig?"
Brasca sniffed. "Most likely the general is leading the Iotuns on a long chase to give us a chance to deal with the rebels here. Unfortunately, your guards somehow managed to lose to a few dozen untrained, poorly equipped irregulars."
"And a witch!" Thaddeus reminded her with a growl.
"A witch who did nothing but stand there and look uncanny," Brasca murmured. "A scarecrow could have done as much in a fight."
Thaddeus snarled at her. He started to snap back but then the lieutenant paused and stared out over the parapet to the rebels. "What the hell are they doing now?"
Brasca frowned. "Are they… preparing to attack ? " She said in disbelief.
Thaddeus shook his head. "Looks that way," He snorted. "Seems we'll wrap this up quickly. Then we just need to worry about where the Iotuns went and what they're doing now."
Brasca studied the scene. "I don't see the witch. It appears they do not intend to use his power to break the castle fortifications open. It seems our theory about his exhaustion continues to bear fruit."
"Do you really think he has that much power?" Thaddeus asked. "He may be a monster but to tear down a whole castle-"
"Never underestimate the power of the ancient witches," Brasca sniffed. "Order your men to prepare for battle, Smite. We need to crush these rebels and then hunt down the witch while he's weak and vulnerable! He can not be permitted to escape the city!"
Thaddeus snorted. "Reliable sources tell me that man broke a Iotun's leg with his bare hands. We should use archers against the witch," He grunted. "From what I've heard, we do not want to face him in hand-to-hand combat. "
Subaru studied the palace layout. The rebels were waiting patiently behind him, just outside of arrow range.
A few archers, more stubborn or more desperate than the others, launched arrows at him but Subaru 's hand just swept them aside with an expression of annoyance.
They 've gathered their guards into a solid shield wall that bars the only gate into the palace.
They 're being more cautious this time. They won't risk getting outflanked again.
If we wish to enter the palace, we 'll need to break through using main force and we lack the numbers and equipment to counter a shield wall. Therefore, this battle is a foregone conclusion.
Or so they assume.
Cunning, Strength, and Discipline constitute the second triad of victory.
When the foe is driven to the last throw, only main strength and determination will break them.
And the rebels now are driven by my cunning, strength, and discipline …
Subaru 's rage and pain suddenly burst out, cutting through the Authority's unnatural calm.
"To arms!" Subaru roared to the slaves. "We give no quarter!"
The slaves cheered and charged forward at a run. Even while racing forward this way, they advanced in a tight formation, Subaru 's powers keeping everyone moving at exactly the same speed and ensuring that there were no holes in their defense.
Subaru glanced up at the towers and saw that Thaddeus 's expression was utterly dumbfounded by this foolish attack.
Under other circumstances, his confusion would amuse me.
No matter. It is time that these people remembered the brilliance of the Unconquered Sun. For long months, this world has rejoiced at my coming.
The people may have forgotten the light of the Sun but this world has not. It is time that they remembered.
Subaru took a deep breath and watched as the rebels charged forward, throwing themselves toward a foe they could not defeat and fortifications they could not overcome.
This world is mine. And by my will can its rules be rewritten.
Subaru knew that he didn 't have the strength to command the spirits to cast any more ultimate spells. Instead, he commanded them to do something far easier but infinitely more complex and subtle.
At his command, the spirits flew forward and then spread out into a great sphere of brightly shining lights in front of him. Subaru gestured with a finger and a spirit moved accordingly, tracing a line in midair with its passage. Subaru kept moving the spirits one by one as if the sphere was some sort of strange, gigantic puzzle box that he was trying to solve. Or as if the spirits were attempting to weave some strange shape into thin air. Or perhaps as if the spirits were weaving some new force into reality, something that hadn 't existed before.
Subaru instructed the dozens of spirits that drifted around him. They listened attentively as Subaru gave them precise instruction, not in ways to manipulate the earth or air or water but in how he wished them to engage with and modify the fundamental magic of this world itself.
These spirits follow my direction without understanding my will. Such magic is far beyond their comprehension.
Strange. They can play the notes but they cannot make the music …
Finally, the shape was completed to Subaru 's satisfaction.
As the rebels closed in on the waiting legion, Subaru slowly raised his hand.
'Kairos,' the Greeks called it. The power of a single moment. A special moment. A moment of import, a moment of decision.
And a single moment can decide the outcome of any battle.
Subaru took a deep breath. Now.
The spirits responded, breathing power and life into the braided strands of magic, weaving a new aspect into the Od Laguna 's dream, creating something in the dream that did not exist before.
"Divine Blessing of the Mountain King," Subaru whispered.
The rebels fell upon the waiting phalanx and screams of pain mingled with the snapping and crunching of breaking metal.
Subaru watched as slender Willa 's sword sliced through a guard's armor, flesh, and bone without even slowing down.
Blessed by the world, the rebels ' moved with unnatural strength and speed. Even their skin appeared to have grown as hard as stone. The guards were shocked and horrified as their swords chipped and arrows splintered against the attacking rebels' skin. The blessing of the world had caused their bodies had become supernaturally tough. The guards' best sword strokes caused only superficial cuts and the blades often chipped and broke in return.
A single arrow flew down from the parapet and dove toward Subaru but he batted it aside with annoyance.
Driven by Subaru 's will, the rebels didn't flinch from the impact with the enemy or even blink in surprise at their newfound near invulnerability. The rebels simply pressed forward, tearing through rank after rank as if the heavily armored guards were wearing tissue paper.
The guards ' defensive formation imploded and then fell apart. Most of the guards and soldiers were trapped and torn apart by rebel swords or even bare hands.
The rest turned to flee but they didn 't get far. The rebels, with seemingly no fear of death or injury, kept charging forward, crushing and trampling everyone in their path.
Elemental. It is trivial for a man himself to be great. Indeed, how could I take any pride in my own unquestionable and unchallengeable supremacy?
But the greatest of victories is to lift the hearts and elevate the minds of your people. To take chaos and destruction and impose upon it order and the rule of law.
This is the path of a King.
By my grace have I granted these people that show me loyalty a blessing of this world. In my magnanimous charity, I have corrected the world 's oversight in not properly addressing my needs.
Now these guards face an army of divinely blessed soldiers.
Subaru looked at his hand and realized that his finger was bleeding. This minor error, caused when he had swatted the arrow away like an annoying stingfly, left him in an even fouler mood.
It seems that my own person rejected the blessing I had crafted. Likely my Authority was unable to coexist with it. No matter. The blessed rebels shall serve me well enough.
Subaru was no longer paying much attention to the battle but it didn 't matter any longer. The guards' defenses breached, their formations destroyed, and their soldiers given over to terror, the battle was over. All that remained was the slaughter.
"I say that we get out of here!" An older man wearing a toga declared. "We can't stay here just waiting to die! Our guards are gone, let's take our chances!"
"The city is full of rebelling slaves and mabeasts!" A woman in a kimono argued. "We'd never get out alive!"
"If we stay in the tower then we're as good as dead anyway!" The old man argued. "Sooner or later, the rebels will find us here or the mabeasts will. The best outcome would be for Brendig to regain control and place us all under arrest again!"
A girl with long dark hair and wearing an elaborate kimono trembled on the floor. She was surrounded by other hostages from Kararagi and Vollachia. They were all terrified. They knew that dozens of other hostages had been killed or kidnapped earlier today when an arena show went wrong. Now their guards had all abandoned them, desperately trying to save their own lives. They waited in a large dining room that still had food from breakfast lying on it and was beginning to attract flies.
For now, the hostages were left arguing over what to do.
The door opened and Koh walked into the room. "Is everyone here OK?"
"Stay back!" The older man exclaimed, grabbing a candlestick off the table and brandishing it as a weapon.
"Halibel?" The dark-haired girl whispered. "Is it really you?"
"Kaguya! Are you alright?" Koh asked.
Kaguya 's face flickered with a dozen different emotions but finally, her eyes widened in horror. "Halibel, why do you have a slave collar?" She gasped.
Koh made a face and touched his neck uncomfortably. "It was the only way that I could arrange a big enough diversion to get you all out safely. It's a long story and we don't have much time to waste. Most of my power is sealed by the collar but I am going to get you all out of here safely. You 're the only ones left. I rescued all of the other hostages except for the ones who died in the arena today. And I doubt that anyone will miss those sadists. We'll group and get out of here while the getting is good."
"Are you insane?!" The woman in the kimono gasped. "The city is full of rebelling slaves and rampaging mabeasts! Even if we avoid one, we'll still get killed by the other."
"Lady, listen," Koh grumbled. "The rebels and the mabeasts both serve the same master."
"What?!"
"There is an honest-to-god witch stalking the city. He's the one who conjured up the earthquake and the tornado. He's the one who struck a deal with the mabeasts to come here. And we need to get out of here before he has the leisure to come and find us," Koh growled.
Everyone looked horrified.
"We don't have time for this," Koh said. "I have a wagon waiting for us. We'll meet the other hostages and get out of the city while we still can! Come on!"
Koh hurried ahead, holding Kaguya 's hand as the hostages all scurried down the tower.
"Halibel," Kaguya whispered. "What's wrong?"
"Weren't you listening just now?" Koh asked incredulously. "There are three different kinds of monsters fighting in this city right now!"
"I know. It's just… I've never seen you look frightened before," Kaguya whispered.
Koh winced and let out a long sigh. "Kaguya, do you remember how you told me how hard it was to be around me? How scary it could be to have someone nearby who could kill you by accident?"
Kaguya flinched and bowed her head in silent guilt. She nodded silently.
"I just want to tell you, Kaguya," Koh sighed. "Now, I know exactly how you feel!"
Within the hour, it was all over. The rebels had seized the palace and taken control of the city. Subaru had dispatched some of his men to capture the merchants and civilians in the city before they got any clever ideas about escaping.
It appears that Brendig and Brasca managed to flee the city with most of their men.
Doubtless, they will gather new forces to oppose me.
The rebels searched through the palace to root out Sonas and his remaining forces.
With a sense of minor weariness, Subaru let slip the chains that had tied the rebels to him .
Slowly, without any of them even realizing it, the rebels began to speak to one another again, discussing their mutual situation.
Suddenly, the rebels realized that they had accrued numerous injuries during the battle without ever noticing them and many of them were forced to ask for medical assistance.
Subaru wandered through the ruins of the castle, accompanied by the spirits that formed his luminous crown.
Wherever he went, the rebels all stared at him in unfeigned adoration. Many rebels paused in whatever task they were engaged in, simply to take the opportunity to stare at him in awe for as long as he remained in their sight.
Even having freed these men from my direct oversight, in their hearts they understand that they remain mine.
"Master!" Baagh shouted, running up to Subaru. Baagh wasn't sure when exactly he'd started to call Subaru that but it felt like the most natural thing in the world. In fact, the last few hours felt like some sort of waking dream.
Baagh had fought in battles since he was barely more than a boy. He 'd joined the Vollachian army at fifteen and worked his way up the ranks, even being granted a battlefield commission. Finally, Baagh reached the rank of major and commanded his own company.
But then, Lagunican and Vollachia had another small border skirmish. It attracted no real attention from anyone but it had changed Baagh 's life.
Wounded and cut off from his fellow soldiers, he was captured by the slave traders who lurked just beyond every battlefield like vultures, waiting to capture easy prey. Being a violent and disobedient slave, no one had bought Baagh. His price had fallen lower and lower until finally, he was cheap enough to be purchased by Tolian Sonas. That was more than six years ago.
Although he 'd been a slave for more than half a decade, Baagh had never forgotten what it was like to fight as part of a unit on the battlefield. He was more than familiar with battle-madness and the concept of going berserk but he'd never had an experience like tonight.
He 'd watched as an entire army of untrained, poorly equipped, and terrified fighters had simply lost any capacity to feel fear or pain. They had fought like the crack troops that Baagh remembered fighting beside in Vollachia. Baagh had no way to explain what had happened and truthfully, he didn't really care about the details. He also just knew that Subaru was responsible and that he owed Subaru his life, his liberty, and his complete and absolute loyalty. Subaru was the man that he 'd never even realized that he was looking for: the master that he could pledge his absolute and complete loyalty to. A man who deserved to rule all that he surveyed.
Subaru turned to face the scarred man. "Yes?" He said quietly, his face and eyes both dead.
Baagh instinctively snapped a salute. "We've taken complete control of the city, Master! As you dictated, the civilians were unharmed and have all been placed under guard."
Subaru looked out over the burning city. "Did anyone escape?" He asked.
"Koh and the hostages seem to have disappeared. The Lagunican Colonel and General Brendig appear to be missing as well."
"Not unexpected. Is there anything else?" Subaru said in the same dead voice.
Baagh cleared his throat. "There is one thing, Master," He said. He gestured behind him. A group of five tall, muscular guards in full armor bound in chains were surrounded by a group of weedy slaves dressed in rags. The guards' faces were terrified.
"Some of the guards surrendered to us," Baagh said. "What should we do with them?"
Subaru stared at the old soldier who felt his breath catch and his face flush in fear and embarrassment.
Blast! I must have forgotten something obvious!
"I don't care for repeating myself, Baagh," Subaru said with a faint annoyance.
"Of course not!" Baagh exclaimed at once, feeling a green soldier bothering a superior with a trivial report.
Did he already explain this? When did he ever mention what he wanted to be done with the prisoners?
Subaru turned and walked away. "Before the battle was joined, I told you, 'No quarter,'" He said without looking back.
Baagh 's eyes widened in understanding and he nodded sagely.
The old soldier turned to the others. "You heard him!" He snapped.
The rebels looked at the guards with cold expressions.
"Wait!" A guard begged. "We surrendered! You can't just-"
Without a moment 's remorse or hesitation, the rebels thrust their swords through the unarmed men who begged for mercy. The bodies fell onto the ground, blood pooling underneath them.
The rebels calmly cleaned their swords on the guard 's clothing.
Baagh nodded in approval.
The guards ' screams trailed off into a dying gurgle as Subaru walked away.
By now, Subaru had lost track of how long they 'd been in control of the city but it was probably the 'morning' after the assault.
Subaru had ordered the slaves who 'd refused or been unable to fight in the rebellion to be brought up to the city and join in the celebration. The rebels had broken into the stores in the palace and the initial spoils to be doled out after the conquest were the very first good food and beer that any of them had had in years.
The rebels were all gathered around a roaring fire in the palace courtyard.
Subaru had ordered a great pyre built in the same place where Sonas had previously punished runaway slaves.
Subaru sat in Sonas 's old seat and stared morosely out into the dark. A crown of shining spirits hovered over him, giving him an otherworldly visage.
Xiao had been brought up to the city and he hobbled through the broken palisade toward the palace with an expression of exhilaration.
However, as he hobbled his way through the crowd of feasting rebels, listening to them speak with one another, his face grew first confused and then concerned.
Baagh had grabbed Xiao almost as soon as he arrived in the city. "Xiao! My brother! Sit and feast with us! Let us celebrate our victory and the winning of our freedom!"
With Baagh 's help, Xiao slowly sat down among the other rebels who were clearly in high spirits.
Willa sat next to Baagh, her arm in a sling. "I've never felt anything like it!" She said excitedly. "It was like… I don't know! I know that my arm was broken during the fight but I didn't even notice it until someone pointed the broken bone out to me afterward! Before the fighting started, I was terrified! But when Lord Subaru ordered us to attack, I felt like I 'd never be afraid again! It was amazing!"
Baagh chuckled. "Aye, lass. What you experienced was what we call 'battle madness' although I have no idea how we all fell under its spell at the same time," He said with a speculative glance up at Subaru. "Among my people, we say that truly great leaders can inspire their troops to fight with a ferocity that borders on naked savagery. The ancient legends speak of rulers who could share their own strength and rage with their men. Under their aegis, warriors would fall upon their foes like a clap of thunder, tossing men and beasts from their path like straw and feathers. Nothing could withstand them and no weapon was capable of piercing them…"
Willa 's face was awestruck. "Wow! I never imagined… I mean, when we were attacking the palace, I felt like… like…"
"You felt like you were part of something greater," Baagh said sagely. "You felt a sense of purpose and belonging that you'd never known before. You felt as if the sheer righteousness of your purpose would shatter mountains."
"Yes!"
Baagh nodded. "This experience is the type of rapture that some men chase after their whole life. This is the whole reason why men join churches or armies or bury themselves in art. You felt the ecstasy of genius or madness, one and the same."
"Baagh," Xiao said slowly. "What are you talking about?"
Baagh chuckled. "We experienced a miracle, brother. I weep that you did not get the chance to share it with us. But Subaru Natsuki's grace lies upon all of now. We have been given a blessing from the world…"
Xiao cocked his head, not understanding. "What do you mean, a 'blessing?'" He asked.
"Can I show him?! Can I?!" Willa said excitedly.
Baagh laughed. "Of course!"
Xiao looked at them in confusion as Willa extended her unbandaged arm toward Baagh.
Baagh grinned and drew a long, thick knife like a machete out of his belt.
He took Willa 's hand and raised the machete high over his head.
Xiao 's jaw dropped. "Baagh! What are you doing?! Stop!" He said, desperately trying to stop this but with only one leg, he moved far too slowly.
Baagh swung the blade down hard onto Willa 's wrist.
There was a loud ringing sound like that of metal striking stone.
Xiao grabbed Willa 's arm as Baagh pulled the machete away.
Willa 's arm was cut. But where Xiao would have expected the machete to simply amputate her hand, the pale skin on the back of her wrist had a tiny cut as if someone had stabbed the girl with a butter knife.
"How did you do that?" Xiao whispered in shock. He looked up at Baagh and saw in disbelief that the machete itself had cracked and chipped against Willa's skin.
Baagh and Willa laughed in harmony.
"As I said, my brother," Baagh said, taking a drink. "We have all received a Divine Blessing from the world. The Divine Blessing of the Mountain King."
Xiao stared at him. "Baagh, that's not possible. The world doesn't just… hand out divine blessings in the middle of your life! You're either born with one or you're not!"
Baagh laughed. "It seems that the rules are more bendable than we thought! The Master gave each of us this blessing and now, we are transformed ! "
Xiao started to ask another question but then he blinked. "Wait. The Master ?! "
"Aye."
"Since when do you call anyone master?" Xiao asked incredulously. "You let Smite flog your back to ribbons rather than even call him 'sir!'"
"I will call any man 'Master' as long as he deserves to be called my master," Baagh laughed. He shook his head wistfully. "You weren't here, my brother. You can't understand."
Willa nodded fervently. "It was amazing, Xiao! All of these years of aimlessly wandering around, wondering why I was even put on this world and what to do but now, I finally understand what I was born for!"
Xiao blinked. " You what ?! " He asked incredulously.
"The Master will remake this entire world," Willa said in a tone of wonder. "And we all have the chance to help him! Where do you think that he'll lead us next, Baagh?"
"It doesn't matter," Baagh said at once. "At the Master's command, I would face the Witch of Envy herself."
Xiao stared at them. "Willa! Why would you follow him at all ? I thought that you wanted to bring Miko back to Lagunica and start looking for your mother! " Xiao said. "She's likely still in chains!"
Willa 's eyes widened. "Oh! Yes, Mother!" She said. "I can't believe that I forgot about her! I need to find her right away, Xiao."
Xiao nodded with a sigh of relief.
Willa went on, "She has to learn all about the Master! Once she meets him, she 'll understand why we needed to be enslaved. Why all of this suffering was worth it. It led us to him!"
Xiao stared at Willa incredulously but Baagh nodded sagely. "You speak wisely, lass. I have languished in bondage for more than six years. There were nights down on the Shelf when I was certain that I would die without ever tasting battle again. I tell you without shame, Willa, that on those nights, I wept like an old woman! But now I understand what was purchased by those long years of misery. They led me to my Master and he will lead us across this entire world with fire and sword, reshaping it to his purposes. "
Xiao nervously licked his lips and looked around the crowded bonfire.
The rebels were all feasting and laughing but now that Xiao was looking more closely, he saw that all of the other slaves that had not participated in the battle were looking worried, even frightened.
Xiao realized that the only thing that any of the rebels were talking about was Subaru and how wonderful he was. How they wanted nothing more than to belong to him and how everything had changed now that he 'd given their lives purpose.
"Willa," Xiao said slowly. "What about Miko?"
Willa sat up straight. "Oh, Miko! I have to bring her up here right away so that she can talk to the Master!"
Xiao 's face fell at this interpretation of his words.
Willa jumped up and started to head to the Shelf.
Baagh grabbed her by the wrist. "No, lass," He said in a warning voice.
Willa stared at him in disbelief. "Why not?" She demanded sharply. "Miko has as much right to stand in the Master's presence as anyone else does!"
"Trust me, lass," Baagh growled. "You don't want her up here right now…"
There came a loud cheer from the crowd.
Willa looked up and saw that Tolian Sonas was being dragged out in front of everyone by a few strong slaves. The Governor was bloodied but still walking and his face was twisted in what looked to be a permanent expression of shock and terror.
Willa turned to ask Baagh another question but she saw that he was gone. He 'd gotten up to help the other slaves drag the struggling Sonas before Subaru.
Sonas looked up at Subaru who reclined on what was previously Sonas 's throne from which he had dealt out 'justice.'
Sonas swallowed hard. "Mas… Lord Subaru," He said awkwardly.
"You forgot to bow, Sonas," Subaru said quietly.
Baagh doubled his fist and drove it into Sonas 's stomach.
The breath exploded out of Sonas 's mouth as he doubled over.
"Much better," Subaru looked bored. "We'll teach you the basics of courtly etiquette yet, Sonas."
Sonas fought for breath.
"You betrayed me," Subaru said conversationally. "You betrayed all of us."
Sonas finally managed to speak. "I had nothing to do with the rope being cut! That man acted entirely on his own! He-"
"You must take me for a fool to make your lies so transparent," Subaru said matter-of-factly.
"Lord! Listen to me!" Sonas said desperately. "I don't know why… I never meant to betray you! It would be madness! Crossing you would make no sense! I-"
Subaru cut him off. "I believe that this is the place where you once brought slaves to be punished," Subaru continued. "And I think that it's the perfect place to punish you . "
The slaves jerked Sonas off his feet and quickly strapped him to the same metal grate that so many others had been tied to over the years.
Baagh and the others worked the rope and hauled Sonas up high so that he dangled on the metal grate hauled him up so that he hung high above the bonfire.
The rebels all cheered. Some of the other slaves joined in but many more faces were twisted in horror and revulsion.
"This is madness! This is inhuman!" Xiao gasped.
He felt something strike him across the face like a club.
Xiao shook his head to clear it and he saw that sweet, little Willa was glaring at him as if she was inches away from tearing him apart with her bare teeth.
"Shut up, Xiao!" She shouted directly into his face. "If you say a single word against the Master then I'm going to personally throw you into the fire next!"
The blood drained from Xiao 's face as he stared at this maddened reflection of the sweet teenage girl that he'd known on the Shelf.
"The Master is good and wise and just!" Willa went on, her face twisted in rage. "If you don't understand that he's only doing what's best for everybody then… that's because you're just too stupid to see the truth!" She said defiantly.
Xiao stared at the girl in steadily growing fear. He looked at the other rebels nearby who were also glowering at him threateningly. Xiao noticed that many of the other slaves looked just as afraid as he was.
"Lord Subaru! Mercy!" Sonas shrieked from where he hung high over the pyre.
Subaru leaned back in his chair with a grave mien. "Burn him," He ordered.
Baagh and the others working the chain slowly lowered Sonas down onto the bonfire to wild cheers from the rebels.
The cheers died away as the slaves watched in confusion. Sonas was laying full on top of the roaring bonfire but he wasn 't burning. Even his clothes were unaffected.
Sonas managed to catch his breath. "I believe I mentioned to you, Lord Subaru," Sonas said with a weak laugh. "I have the Divine Blessing of Temperance. I can't be burned or frozen!"
The slaves all began to murmur angrily.
"I do recall you mentioning that," Subaru said calmly.
Sonas hurried on. "If you could just let me down, I'm sure that I can be of great help to all of you-"
"Let you down?" Subaru echoed.
Sonas swallowed hard. "Well, you can't kill me like this!" He whimpered, his face filled with desperate hope.
"Can't I?" Subaru murmured. He made a small gesture to the spirits.
"You might as well let me out of the fire while you come up with another-"
Sonas screamed in pain as his fine clothes burst into flame.
A moment later, Sonas was panting for breath. His fine clothes were ruined and his whole body singed but now he again sat in the fire unaffected.
Sonas stared at Subaru in shock. "How-"
"You possess a blessing from this world," Subaru said in a bored tone. "And you think that this gives you power over me?"
Subaru gestured again and Sonas howled in pain, his entire body now seared like a piece of meat on a grill. Sonas hung there panting, once again the flames flickering over his body without effect.
Hm. When the spirits disrupt his blessing it feels almost as if they are unraveling a thread that connects Sonas to the world. Tie it in a knot and the blessing fades. Cut the thread and the blessing ends.
Alpha told me that the spirits were a part of the Od Lagunca. They are fragments of the soul of this world and by manipulating one, I can manipulate the other.
This has … intriguing possibilities.
"Sonas, your blessing exists only so long as I permit it," Subaru said in a careless voice. "And it will abandon you the very moment that I demand it."
"Wait! Lord Subaru! Please! Let me serve you! You'll never have a more faithful servant! Please, lord, I'll do whatever you wish!" Sonas screamed.
Subaru stood up. "Then hear my wish, Tolian Sonas," Subaru said in the voice of doom. "Endure the flames for as long as you may. And then be damned . "
At Subaru 's wordless command, the spirits tore the blessing completely free of Sonas's body.
Sonas screamed in pain as the flames split open his skin and burned him alive.
The rebels all cheered, many of them jumping up and down in paroxysms of joy as their tormentor was finally destroyed.
But Xiao saw that many more slaves cringed and covered their ears to protect them from Sonas 's agonized screams.
Xiao cringed away from Subaru who sat on Sonas 's throne, watching the spectacle with faint boredom.
Subaru watched the man who had murdered his love burn to death in the fire.
He felt nothing.
When Sonas was nothing but charred bones and ash, Subaru ordered another slave owner from Girali to be brought forward and laid down on the pyre.
And then another. And another.
From her position up on the battlements, Felt stared at Subaru in unbridled horror.
A few hours earlier …
Felt woke up with a groan.
"What happened?" She whispered. "Where am I? My head is killing me."
Felt found herself someplace pitch black and she was inside of a small, metal cage of some kind.
Felt suddenly remembered what had happened and she was instantly fully awake.
She was still inside the cage but now it appeared to be lying down on its side on the ground somewhere.
"Wait. Sonas let us hang in these cages down in that strange pit," She whispered. "But I'm not hanging anymore."
Felt put her hand out through the metal bars and felt cold, hard rock below her.
"What happened?" She murmured.
A groan came from the darkness. "Felt? Is that you?"
Felt ignored the sudden tingle of fear in her stomach. "Emilia?" She called back.
"Yes. Where are we?"
"I was about to ask you that! I can't even see my hand in front of my face. Any chance that you could make some magic light?"
"No, my magic is entirely sealed by the collar," She admitted. "I couldn't even… Actually, wait a moment. Let me try something."
"Huh?"
Felt waited as she heard Emilia muttering something under her breath. A moment later, a tiny ball of white light started glowing in midair, illuminating Emilia 's prayer-like posture.
"What's that?" Felt asked.
Emilia opened her eyes. "It's a lesser spirit," She explained. "With no mana, I can't cast spells or get the spirit to do much of anything but at least I managed to get its attention."
Felt chuckled. "Never heard of one of those being used as a lantern before," She said.
"Well, you work with what you have," Emilia replied.
"Alright. Let's see where we are," Felt muttered, looking around.
They were on a narrow ledge in a dark cavern. They couldn 't see or hear anything above them and the tunnel faded into the opaque darkness in both directions.
Felt discovered that some of the bars in her gibbet had been broken open by the impact.
Felt gave a low whistle as she crawled out of the cage. "How the hell did we survive this landing?" She asked.
"No idea," Emilia admitted as she also managed to escape her cage. "You'd think that any fall strong enough to break open these bars would have killed us on impact."
"Yeah, I don't- Wait, a sec! Where's Garf?! Garf!" Felt shouted, her voice echoing through the caverns.
The echoes faded in the distance without an answer.
Felt dropped to her stomach and peered over the edge of the crevasse. It was a dark pit that she couldn 't see the bottom of.
"Emilia," Felt whispered, looking into the depths in horror. "You don't think…"
"Don't assume anything!" Emilia said sharply. She took a deep breath. "We need to focus. We have two jobs right now. We need to find Garfiel and we need to find a way out of here."
"I'm not leaving here without Garf!" Felt swore.
"We'll do whichever seems easiest first," Emilia disagreed. "If we find a way out of the caves then we can come back with a whole search party to find him."
"Yeah, I'm sure that Sonas will be just thrilled to help us out!" Felt snapped.
"We don't need to have this argument right now," Emilia said calmly. "Let's get moving."
Felt nodded but she hadn 't taken a step when the entire cavern trembled around them.
The pair stopped, looking up uncertainly.
"What was that?" Emilia whispered.
"I don't know," Felt admitted. "An earthquake?"
They stood there carefully for a minute but nothing else happened.
Emilia took a deep breath. "We need to move," She murmured. "But let's be careful. There might be more aftershocks."
Guided by the spirit 's light, the pair made their way down the dark, crevasse-covered cavern.
A hooded figure back in the shadows watched them go.
Felt and Emilia slid cautiously along the narrow ledges. The tunnel that they now found themselves in had no real floor. It was just a chasm with narrow ledges on either side.
Sometimes the ledges just came to an abrupt stop and Felt and Emilia were forced to backtrack to places where the gorge narrowed and they could cross over the gap or they needed to go back to a fork in the tunnel and choose another direction altogether.
Emilia struggled to coax the little spirit into continuing to follow them. Its pale light was all that had prevented them from falling into any number of huge pits in the floor.
Walking on the ledge was perilous. The girls were forced to press tightly against the cavern wall and slide along the cavern wall to avoid stumbling into the pit.
Worse, the tremors were getting stronger and more frequent.
"Garf!" Felt shouted, the echoes bouncing off the cave walls.
"Be careful up here, Felt," Emilia warned her as she crept along. "This ledge gets really steep and narrow."
"The echoes are carrying all over the caverns!" Felt worried. "Why isn't he answering?!"
Emilia swallowed hard. "Echoes are… complex," She said vaguely. "Maybe he wound up in another part of the cavern?"
"Emilia," Felt snapped. "Don't patroni-Whoah!"
The cavern shook and rumbled.
"Felt!" Emilia screamed, struggling to keep her feet under her as the girl slid down the ledge in an avalanche of sand and pebbles toward the pit.
Felt lay spread-eagle on a ledge that was slanted like a rooftop. She 'd already slid halfway to the edge and was poised to slide further at any moment. Just beyond her feet, the ledge turned to a true vertical drop. Emilia couldn't see the bottom of the pit.
The blond girl panted for breath, struggling not to move or do anything else to disturb the ledge.
"Can you crawl back up?" Emilia whispered.
Felt dared to shake her head and a clump of loose pebbles broke free around her, pouring down the ledge around Felt and dragging her another inch closer to the edge.
Emilia swallowed hard. "Felt. Just hold still. I'm coming," She whispered.
"I- You're doing what?!" Felt whispered incredulously.
Emilia laid down on her stomach and tried to hook her feet into a shallow depression in the rock face.
She slowly crept toward Felt, extending her arms over her head.
"I've almost got you," Emilia whispered, stretching her hand out to Felt's. "No, don't look up! I'm coming to you."
"Emilia! What the hell are you doing?!" Felt hissed as dirt and more tiny stones disturbed by Emilia slid down around her, lodging in Felt's hair.
Emilia grabbed one of the Felt 's hands and slowly reached out for the other.
"Emilia! Don't!" Felt whispered. "I'll just drag you down too!"
Emilia grabbed her other wrist. "Don't move!" She ordered.
Felt didn 't but the earth around her was less obliging and it slid again. A rock about the size of Emilia's fist tumbled down the slope and over the side. Several seconds later, they heard a muffled crash, far, far below.
Emilia desperately held onto Felt with all of her strength but without mana, her arms and ankles felt as if they were being slowly pulled apart by the strain.
"Emilia," Felt whispered. "Get back! I don't want to pull you down too!"
"I'm not letting go of you!" Emilia swore.
Felt took a deep breath. "Just leave me! Get back up there and go find Subaru! The big, dumb jerk needs you!"
"I won't leave you," Emilia hissed.
Felt slid another inch and Emilia 's feet almost left the depression that they were clinging to.
"Don't be stupid!" Felt said in a deliberately harsh voice. "I don't even like you! Why risk your life for me?"
"Because you saved me," Emilia whispered.
Felt blinked.
"I know that you don't remember this, Felt but you once saved my life and my sanity. I'll never abandon you."
"I… Don't be dumb!" Felt hissed. "Just let me go already!"
Emilia 's muscles felt ready to tear loose, her bones felt ready to crack.
Just another moment, She thought desperately. Just another moment!
"Shrimp! Frosty!" A bellowing roar came from nearby.
The shattering shout almost sent Emilia into another slide and she fought to hold onto Felt with everything she had.
"Garf!" Felt shouted.
I can make it! Just hold on for another moment! Emilia thought desperately. Her entire body felt numb and her muscles vibrated spasticly.
She heard the sound of heavy footsteps, first running and then slowly sliding across the narrow ledge toward them.
"Oh, shit!" Garfiel gasped.
"Grab my legs, Garf!" Emilia shouted.
Emilia felt a massive pair of hands grabbed her ankles and she heard Garfiel grunt as he set himself.
At the same time, Emilia was able to tighten her grip on Felt 's wrists.
"Come on!" Emilia snapped. "Climb up or die!"
Felt climbed. She managed to spin around in Emilia 's grip so that she was once again facing the ledge and then she fought for purchase, inch by inch.
Emilia let go of one of Felt 's wrists so that Felt could reach up and grab the back of her shirt.
Felt scrambled up over Emilia and Emilia 's face was driven hard into the dirt and rock.
She sensed Felt climb off of her. Then Emilia was painfully dragged back up the slope.
The three sat together on the edge of oblivion, panting for breath.
"I've been down here for hours," Garfiel explained. "My cage broke open on a ledge, way up there. I've been going crazy, searching the caverns, and trying to find you guys ever since. I did manage to locate a way out but I doubled back to try and find you. It's lucky that I saw that little guy there glowing," He gestured to the tiny spirit hovering above Emilia.
"How did you even see where you were going down here?" Emilia asked.
Garfiel shrugged. "I'm a demi-human. I have pretty good senses, even in a place like this. At least good enough to avoid blundering off the ledge."
"Why didn't you answer me when I was screaming for you?" Felt demanded.
Garfiel blinked. "Wait. That was you guys making all that noise?"
"Who the hell else would it have been?!" Felt snapped.
"I don't know, shrimp! With all the echoes down here, it sounded more like the snarling of some big, bad mabeast looking for lunch."
"A mabeast that knew your name?" Felt grumbled.
"Like I said, shrimp, I couldn't make out what you were saying. From up where I was, you sounded more like…" Garfiel opened his mouth wide and gave a shuddering roar.
Felt sighed and closed her eyes. "Well, whatever. Now we've got to find our way out of here again."
Garfiel grinned. "Not to worry, shrimp. I already found the way out."
"Yeah but now you're all the way down here with us so we'll need to find it again," Felt reminded him.
"Nope," Garfiel reached into his pocket and pulled out a sharp, chalky rock.
"What's that?" Felt asked.
"I dunno. Some kind of chalk. I found it in the caves. Since then, I've been marking my trail along the walls so we can head right to the exit from here."
Felt stared at him. "Garf. You are a genius."
Garfiel chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head."
"Garf," Emilia whispered. "Any idea where all the rumbling is coming from?"
"I don't know for sure," Garfiel admitted. "But areas near volcanoes are supposed to experience serious earthquakes when eruptions are imminent."
"But that's not a problem, right?" Felt asked uncertainly. "The volcano erupts all the time."
Garfiel looked uncertain. "I don't know. But I'd rather not stick around and find out. Come on, this way," Garfiel went off.
Emilia started to follow but was jerked to a stop. She realized that someone had grabbed hold of her wrist.
Felt was standing there with her head hanging down.
"Hey, uh, Emilia," Felt grumbled to the floor. "Um… Thanks for… saving me back there."
"Don't mention it," Emilia said simply.
Felt nodded and quickly moved ahead, chasing after Garfiel and Emilia followed her.
"Whew!" Garfiel exclaimed when they finally stood under the desert night sky. "Am I glad to be out of there!"
Felt sighed. "If I'm never trapped underground again it will be too soon, " Felt agreed. "But what the hell do we do now, Garf?! We 're trapped up here!"
The trio were standing on a small ledge that jutted out of the plateau. The desert floor was at least a hundred feet below and the Shelf was far above them.
"Eh. How do you like that, Frosty?" Garfiel gave Emilia's shoulder an affectionate punch that nearly staggered her. "You rescue somebody from a lightless abyss and the next thing you know, they get demanding."
"It's not much of a rescue if we're still stranded on top of a cliff, fleabag," Felt spat.
"Maybe we can try yelling for help?" Emilia murmured.
Felt snorted. "I feel like Sonas might be somewhat reluctant to assist us. And yelling has as good odds of getting the guards ' attention as anyone else's," Felt muttered.
"Hey!" A voice called from above.
The trio looked up and saw a little girl peering at them from high above.
Felt squinted. "Miko? Is that you?"
"What are you guys doing down there?" Miko sounded honestly baffled.
"Long story," Felt sighed. "Can you find us a rope or something?"
Felt scrambled up the rope which Miko and a few other slaves were holding steady.
"So, Subaru took over the whole town?!" Felt gasped for breath as she finally reached the top after Miko finished her explanation.
Felt heard Garfiel burst out laughing from far below. "Alright! Us and the Captain are making it happen!"
Miko nodded. "Well, that's what I've heard. My sister and most of the other slaves are still up there. Almost everyone has gone up there but they left all the youngsters and a few babysitters down here for some reason. Along with some of the slaves too scared to go up the elevator," Miko gestured matter-of-fact to some of the shamefaced, older slaves who were helping to secure the rope.
"Alright," Emilia shouted up the cliff. "Are you ready for me to climb up?"
Felt carefully inspected the rope.
"You'd better not, Emilia," Felt called back down. "This cheap rope was fraying under my weight. I don't think that you two using it is a good idea."
"So what do you suggest?" Garfiel shouted up incredulously. "We just get comfortable and build a house down here?!"
Felt glared at him. "I suggest that you wait five goddamn minutes, fleabag, while I run into town and find a better rope! "
"Oh," Garfiel said in a more composed tone. "Yeah, that makes sense," He admitted.
Felt shouted up to the slaves stationed above the Shelf and they quickly sent down the lift for her.
I need to get that rope but I 'd better check in with Subaru first. The poor guy must be going absolutely crazy right now.
"Where's Subaru?" She asked them as soon as she arrived in the city.
"The Master is at the palace, dispensing justice," One of the slaves said with reverence.
Felt frowned. The Master?
OK. That 's a weird thing to call Subaru but I guess that I've heard dumber from members of his unofficial fan-club. Garf for instance.
Wait a second. 'Dispensing justice?'
Making her way to the palace was not very difficult. The city was now deserted. The palace was illuminated by a great bonfire in the courtyard and thunderous cheers echoed off of the palace walls.
Felt tried to get in but the portcullis was blocked by a pair of burly former slaves.
"Hey!" She complained. "Let me in! I'm one of you guys!" She jerked on her collar.
One of the slaves snorted. "Yeah. Now you 're one of us. You lot sat out the entire fight, safely down on the Shelf!"
"Hey! I fought in the arena!" Felt protested. "Where were you guys when that was happening? I'm a friend of Subaru's!"
"Get lost!" The other slave ordered and they both turned their backs on her.
Felt stalked away, swearing.
"Alright, well these pricks sure as hell aren't going to stop me from reaching Subaru," She grumbled.
Felt scurried off to the side of the courtyard 's gate. She found the mountain of rubble that Subaru had climbed earlier and she inched and climbed her way up it until she stood on top of the partly broken battlements.
Felt blinked when she noticed the 'hanging tree,' far overhead. The dozens of hanging gibbets were all stocked with brand-new corpses. But these bodies were wearing what looked like fine clothing.
Felt looked down at the courtyard where an enormous bonfire was surrounded by a great cheering crowd. There was a strange aroma in the air.
Subaru sat on a throne, seemingly contemplating the fire.
It 'd be nice if I could just yell out to him but he'd never hear me over all this noise.
Felt started to make her way across the castle wall above the courtyard as she continued to make her way to Subaru.
"Let go of me!" A familiar voice shouted.
The voice made Felt freeze in place. She watched as the bullying chef, Petrov, was dragged in front of Subaru by two burly slaves.
Subaru looked at Petrov with boredom. "I remember you," Subaru murmured to a suddenly silent courtyard. "I heard all about how cruelly you treated your slaves."
"That's a lie!" Petrov shouted desperately. "I treated them as well as anyone! I even gave them a place to sleep in the restaurant so that they wouldn't have to the Shelf at night!"
"Yeah," A slave woman whose clothing was still splashed with drying blood scoffed. "And that place was in your bed! As soon as one of us said that she wouldn't sleep with you, you couldn't get rid of her fast enough! We all understood the deal! Either we let you put your filthy paws all over us or we went back to fields!"
"You're a liar!" Petrov said, his voice shaking in fear. "I swear, Master! I've never seen her before in my life!"
"What's your judgment, Master?" A teenage girl cried out in ecstasy. "What do we do with the sinner?!"
Felt blinked and realized that the zealous girl was Willa .
Subaru waved dismissively. "Cleanse his sins," He said quietly.
The crowd exploded in cheers. Petrov was screaming something but Felt couldn 't make it out. Two burly slaves dragged the struggling cook to some kind of strange metal grate and lashed him down to it with chains.
Petrov struggled helplessly as the slaves yanked on a pulley and drew the grate high into the air, hovering over the bonfire.
Felt 's mouth went dry. He wouldn 't. I mean, Petrov is a pig and bully and he deserves to die but Subaru wouldn't… he couldn't…
Subaru stood up to wild whoops and cheers from the slaves and he extended his fist.
As Felt looked around the crowd, she saw that despite how many people were cheering for execution in delight, many more people were crying, turning their faces away from the horror, and trying to cover up their ears.
After a long pause, Subaru rotated his fist so that his thumb pointed down and the slaves quickly dropped Petrov onto the fire.
The deafening cheer nearly drowned out Petov 's agonized screams.
Felt gagged and stumbled back, clamping her hand over her mouth.
The courtyard air filled with the sickly-sweet aroma of pork that had gone rotten.
Petrov 's skin was bubbling like grease on the stove. His entire face seemed to soften and then it slid off of his skull in one piece.
The slaves cheered even louder at this but Subaru studied it as if the entire process was nothing but a particularly boring chore.
Felt stared for a long moment at the naked skull whose empty eyes seemed to be staring back at her. The meat was burning and sliding off the bones.
Felt retched.
She stumbled to the edge of the stone wall. She fell to her stomach and then vomited off the side.
Felt lay there, panting for breath but then she threw up again.
Her stomach had been empty for more than a day but her body demanded that she purge and so she did, vomiting up thin, sticky streams of bile and stomach juices as if her belly had been caught in a press.
When Felt had finally finished, she just lay there panting. She felt as if she couldn 't move right now if her life depended on it.
She lay there limply, staring down at Subaru in horror as another slave owner was brought before him.
"No, stop," Felt gasped, knowing that he could never hear her over all the noise. "Subaru. Please stop."
The sentence was the same as before and Felt used every ounce of strength she had left to cover her eyes and ears and to block out the agonized screaming of that endless night.
Finally, after the last slave owners were burned alive before a cheering crowd, Felt slowly managed to get back to her feet.
What the hell?! Felt stared in horror at Subaru. I expected that Subaru would have killed people during the fight. Maybe even execute the slave owners afterward but this?!
This is torture! Burning people alive is-
Felt 's thoughts were interrupted as she dry heaved again and she was forced to fight it back.
Shit. Subaru must think that we 're all dead. He's probably snapped. Anyone might go crazy after losing his wife and his friends like that.
I need to tell him.
Felt jumped off the castle wall and into the crowded courtyards where the liberated slaves stood cheering over the ruins of the burning corpses.
Felt dashed to Subaru 's throne and grabbed his hand.
"Subaru!" She shouted.
Subaru turned his head and looked at her. "You are very bold to lay your hands upon me," He said coldly.
Felt 's eyes widened in shock. He doesn 't recognize me!
"Hands off the Master, you filthy whore!" Willa screamed in outrage.
The entire crowd began to close in on Felt, shouting angrily.
In desperation, Felt said the one thing that she thought might cut through Subaru 's fog. "Emilia's alive!" She shouted.
Subaru blinked.
He stared at her for a long moment, his face creased in confusion as the crowd closed in around Felt, threatening violence and death, and Felt desperately pressed closer and closer to Subaru.
Subaru stood up and the crowd stopped in their tracks. "Felt?" He asked suddenly, sounding like a man just awakening from a dream. "You… You're alive?" He whispered in shock.
Felt stared at the crowd in terror but they all now looked confused, seemingly looking at Subaru for direction.
Felt swallowed hard and looked up at Subaru uncertainly.
Subaru broke into a huge smile. "You're alive!" He shouted, catching her in a huge hug.
Subaru squeezed her tight. Felt trembled in his arms as the crowd of formerly violent slaves huddled around them did not look assuaged just yet.
She felt drops of water strike her face and she realized that Subaru was crying.
"I am so, so glad to see you!" Subaru choked out. He said it with such naked gratitude that Felt could almost believe that the fiery holocaust that she'd just witnessed had all been a bad dream. Subaru looked like just a lonely child, desperately in need of a hug.
Felt swallowed hard. "We're all alive! " Felt said quickly. "Now, come on! I need your help to rescue Garf and Emilia!"