Emilia found herself drifting in an infinite mist. Drifting was the apt term as she sensed that she was moving without even trying to.
Emilia frantically looked around for anything of substance in the dense mist.
What do I do with the Book?! Subaru is alone with Reinhard! I have to … I have to do whatever-it-is I need to do quickly and get back there to help him!
I may be no match for Reinhard, but once his memory is restored, Reinhard will put down his sword and become our friend again.
But what am I trying to do with the Book? Subaru said to go toward the center. But where is the center?
Emilia squinted through the mist. Is there something over there? It looks like … a wall of light in the fog. Or… maybe it's glass?
She realized that she was now moving in that direction. Whether this was due to her own intent or the Od Laguna 's, she couldn't say.
Emilia felt herself become … fluid.
She felt herself twist and change. Her body was reshaped, and her memories were rearranged.
Emilia slipped into another life as easily as she might have slipped into a change of clothes. She found herself walking into a crowded throne room. She didn 't recognize where she was. Emilia stood inside a massive castle, and a crowd of frightened people were gathered in front of the throne, surrounded by armed soldiers. A horde of onlookers watched the proceedings with mixed expressions.
The king, a short, chubby man who seemed to be swallowed up by his ermine robes, glared down at them from his throne.
The prisoners were all painfully skinny, dirty, and disheveled. Men, women, and children had all been dragged before the king, and they looked up at him in fear. They all appeared to be elves.
What 's going on? Where am I?
Before Emilia could break into a full-blown panic at finding herself in a strange place and in a strange body, she felt her concerns shoved to the back of her mind, and she was assimilated into the memories of the girl.
Emilia passed a mirror in the great hall. The girl whose body she occupied was also an elf but maybe a few years older than Emilia. Her eyes were violet, and her hair was silver. She wore a simple black dress with tights and a pair of thick glasses on her face. A silvery bow was slung over her shoulder.
"Please, Your Majesty," One of the elven prisoners blubbered. "We beg your mercy!"
"You have long since given up any claim to my mercy!" The king snarled at them. "I let you disgusting miscreant refugees settle on my lands, and you have the gall to tell the Inquisitor that you weren't satisfied with the way that you've been treated?!"
"Your Majesty," The elf squeaked. "The Inquisitor came to us and asked us questions. He ordered us to be honest. When we told him about the problem, he promised us that we could settle on the lands across the river-"
"Those lands belong to me!" The king hissed. "I was given permission to claim them from the Emperor's enemies!"
The elf swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. The Inquisitor must have misunderstood the situation," He said in a small voice.
"You greedy little half-bloods," The king glowered. "Nothing would have ever satisfied you. You plotted this whole situation to ensure my humiliation…"
The elf stuttered. "Your Majesty! You forced us to make camp in the swamp. We have no clean water or anywhere that we could possibly grow crops! You ordered one of our men hung for hunting your deer when we were starving!"
The king glared at him. "I want all these disgusting half-bloods killed," He said flatly to a man in a robe who stood beside the throne.
The elves all cried out in terror and despair. "Your Majesty! Mercy! Please!" The elves cried out.
"Majesty," A man who stood beside the throne said deferentially. "I feel like perhaps killing the elves like this would be… difficult to conceal from the Inquisitor. The timing alone would be very suspicious."
"Please, Your Majesty! Just let us go!" A woman cried out, holding a young boy close to her breast. "If you'll just let us leave these lands, we promise you that we'll never return!"
"You have publicly humiliated me," The king seethed. "Death is the only fitting punishment for my embarrassment."
The prisoners cried out in horror as the soldiers closed in all around them. The minister continued to argue with the king but judging by his sullen expression, the king wasn 't even listening.
"Please let us go!" The elven woman cried out again, shrinking back from the advancing soldiers.
"Yes. Do as they say, Jareth. Let them go," Emilia said in a calm voice that carried throughout the enormous hall.
The king 's face shifted into a truly comical kind of outrage. "Who dares speak to me in that fashion in my throne room? " The king bellowed.
Emilia gracefully sauntered forward, and the crowd of observers melted away before her. No sooner did any of the audience notice her presence than they frantically backed away.
The elven prisoners drew as far away from Emilia as they could, uncertain if her arrival meant rescue or only greater doom.
Finally, Emilia stood before the king, looking up at him with a friendly smile. He clearly recognized her, and his expression was a chilly mixture of hate and fear.
"Maria of Purity," The king hissed in a voice of revulsion. "The Lustful Witch."
Emilia tittered and gave a small curtsy. "It's lovely to see you again, Jareth. "
"I do not recall granting you permission to enter my kingdom," He said in a tight voice.
Emilia simpered. "Witches need no permission, Jareth," Emilia said in a playful voice. "Never have, never will."
The king 's face twisted in fear and fury. "Get out of my throne room!"
"Soon," Emilia promised. "But first, I have some business to attend to. Let the refugees go."
"I will not simply-"
"Spare me the histrionics, Jareth," Emilia said in a tired voice. "The elves will pass into the lands beyond. The Master has decided, and there is simply nothing more to be said on the matter."
"The Emperor can not give me orders in my own castle!" The king said in a shrill voice.
"Of course he can," Emilia said in a reasonable voice. "I've just done so for him. Now step aside."
The king seethed. He trembled on his throne like a volcano threatening to erupt, but he didn 't reply.
Emilia slipped her silver bow off her shoulder and caught it in a dainty hand. An arrow made of pink light appeared in her other hand.
Emilia simpered. "Jareth," She said in a teasing tone. "Would you challenge me? "
The king didn 't reply. Emilia saw the soldiers in the room all turn pale, sweat dripping down their brows when the king's answer wasn't an immediate refusal.
Emilia slowly brought her arrow to the string. "Because," She continued in the same teasing voice. "You must realize that, even if I were to fall, one of my sisters would simply be sent in my place. And another after that. And another after that. The Master is … terribly stubborn about such things, " She said in the tone of one making a reluctant admission. "The very best outcome that you could hope for is to persuade the Master to come here personally to end you."
The king 's face twisted in rage, but he said nothing.
Emilia flashed him a flirtatious grin. "Well. We'll consider that settled then." She turned her attention to the soldiers guarding the chained-up elves. "Unchain them," She said, completely ignoring the king.
The guards hesitated, casting a wary look at the seething king, but then they all sprang into action. No matter how much they feared their ruler, they feared the witches more.
The elves all huddled together, looking up at Emilia with trepidation.
Emilia gave them a warm smile. "The Master has prepared a place for you. A lush and green realm where you will be able to live and prosper," She explained. "I will guide you there myself. Return home and gather your goods and the rest of your people. I want to set out at first light tomorrow."
The elves looked at each other uncertainly, but then one bolted for the castle gate. No guard dared to stop him. As soon as the first disappeared, more and more of the elves fled the audience room at full speed.
Emilia watched them go, her expression self-congratulatory.
Emilia slung her bow back over her shoulder, and she prepared to leave.
"Why?"
Emilia stopped and glanced back at the king. He sat there gripping the arms of the throne so tightly that his hands were white claws, but he forced himself to ask again. "Why? Why are all you… faeries of so much interest to the Emperor? "
Emilia looked thoughtful for a long moment. "You know, that… is a very good question," She admitted finally. She thought about it and then shrugged. "Did you have any other questions?" She asked solicitously.
The king 's mouth worked as if he were chewing on the air, but he just waved his hand dismissively.
Emilia turned and walked away, humming a little tune to herself. No one made any move to stop her.
Emilia reached the palace entrance before the entire world around her dissolved into mist.
"Lord Subaru," Reinhard began, his expression one of torment and shame. "I… I wish that our reunion could come under less… regrettable circumstances."
A small smile flickered across Subaru 's face. "Want to leave and we can try again some other time?" He joked.
"Sadly, I can not," Reinhard said in a somber voice, completely missing Subaru's joke. "I am here under the direct orders of the Sages' Council. As a knight of the kingdom… I am honor-bound to slay the witch and to save us all from her treachery. I was able to secure a pardon for you and our companions… Although, I have no expectation that this will redeem me in your sight."
"Red! Listen to me!" Felt screamed.
Reinhard 's head snapped around to see Felt, Garfiel, and the spirits huddling in a corner. Reinhard's expression of shock would have been comical under any other circumstance.
"Red, Subaru was right!" Felt said imploringly. "We have proof! Emilia isn't a witch. She's been cursed and-"
"It does not matter," Reinhard turned away with a regretful expression.
Subaru blinked. "What do you mean it doesn't matter?!" He demanded. "It's the difference between killing the innocent and killing the guilty!"
"In some circumstances… even the innocent must be sacrificed for the greater good," Reinhard said, his voice breaking. "Whether she is innocent or guilty no long matters. I know what the witch plans, Subaru Natsuki. I know that she means to harness the power of the Od Laguna, ostensibly to 'break her curse.'"
"Ostensibly?" Subaru asked in outrage. "She is cursed! Doesn't that matter to you? I would think that would make all the difference in the world to a knight!"
Subaru 's question struck Reinhard like a physical blow.
Reinhard flinched, but then he calmly drew himself up. "Even for the best of purposes, entering the Od Laguna is simply too dangerous to be allowed. Its power is far beyond mortal comprehension, and tampering with it can have far-reaching consequences undreamed of. Only the ancient witches, in their pride and their greed, ever dared to meddle directly with such powers. The resulting catastrophes are… best left vague."
Subaru took a deep breath as he sensed that all chance of talking Reinhard down had faded away.
"I am sorry, Subaru Natsuki," Reinhard said in a broken voice. "But for the safety of the kingdom, the safety of the world, I cannot permit the witch to do as she plans. Whether she is good or evil, guilty or innocent, is irrelevant in this matter. I can not permit her to endanger millions of lives for her own selfish benefit. The witch must die. I understand if this means that you will forevermore hate me…" He trailed off in a whimper.
Subaru shook his head. "I could never hate you, Reinhard," He said, his voice tinged with pity. "You're a hero… And a hero… is all that you are capable of being …"
Reinhard sighed, his face bleak. "By order of the kingdom, Subaru Natsuki, stand aside."
"No," Subaru said simply.
Reinhard 's eyes were filled with tears as he drew the Dragon Sword from its scabbard. He looked down at it with mingled pride and dismay.
"Grand Duke Montefort urged me to take another weapon with me," Reinhard reflected. "He knew that the Dragon Sword was enchanted so that it could never be drawn against an unworthy opponent. He thought that you would not live up to its expectations. But I knew better, and, alas, it appears that I was correct."
"Are you sure that you want to do this, Red?" Subaru asked, drawing his own sword.
Reinhard looked at him plaintively. "Please, believe me! There has been nothing in my entire life that I ever wished to do less! " He choked. "But my duty is clear, and I will not turn aside."
"I meant, are you sure this will end well for you?" Subaru asked calmly, although his heart thundered in his chest. "The Dragon Sword recognizes my power. Once upon a time, you did as well. What makes you so certain I'm not too strong for you?"
Reinhard turned his face aside sadly. "I have spoken at length with Julius about your duel in Ganaks as well as your brilliant strategy against the Gusteko soldiers. But such stratagems would be unnecessary if you truly possessed the power to do battle with your own hands. It is clear to me that, while I do not fully understand the nature and limits of your power, I am your clear superior in direct melee combat. The Sages' Council has also recently acquired an… adviser in matters pertaining to the ancient witches. They have been assured that your power remains immature and untrained. Thus, I am wholly confident in my victory. Though … I would give my very soul to be wrong in this," He said in a broken voice.
Subaru raised his sword. "Things have changed since Ganaks, Red. I don't suppose that you spoke to anyone at Girali."
Reinhard shook his head. "I have heard the stories. I'm sure that how ever you managed to convince those men that you had blessed them is a fascinating tale, but such disassembling will do you no good against me. As we all know… I am far, far too foolish to fall for suck tricks."
Subaru took a deep breath. "It's no trick, Reinhard," He warned, desperately trying to bluff his way out of this. "I have real power now. Power that even a man like you must respect. "
Reinhard sighed. "Subaru Natsuki, you-" He suddenly trailed off, and his eyes opened wide in shock. " Where did you get that sword?! " He gasped.
Subaru blinked, suddenly remembering that the sword at his side bore the mark of House Astrea on it.
"That was my beloved grandmother's sword!" Reinhard said in disbelief. "And my father bore it in turn! How did you come by it?"
Subaru briefly considered telling him the story. Anything to stall for time.
On the other hand, telling him that Felt and Garfiel robbed his father and that they may or may not have been involved with Vollachian revolutionaries would probably not help our case.
"We found it," Subaru answered shortly. "I was planning on giving it to you as a gift after we'd… patched things up."
The unexpected presence of the sword seemed to leave Reinhard even more conflicted.
Reinhard looked away. "My own grandmother's sword appears in this place to challenge me," He whispered to himself. "Could this be an omen? A sign that I truly am not in the right?"
"Yes!" Felt thundered, startling both Subaru and Reinhard. "Red, you can't fight Subaru! I don't know which of you would win but I don't want to lose either of you! Listen to me, Red! I'm always the one trying to tell you when you're doing something dumb! Please! Listen to me now! This is wrong!"
Reinhard hesitated, staring up at Felt.
Subaru pursed his lips. Listen to her, Red. Please. You don 't want to do this.
"No," He whispered, crushing Subaru's hopes. "I must remember the danger that the witch puts millions of people in by her reckless actions within the World Soul. Even though my own heart shrieks out against it, I must stand up for those who can not stand for themselves. The needs of the many-"
"Outweighs the needs of the few," Subaru finished.
Reinhard met his gaze, his expression tormented but no longer conflicted, "You do understand. "
"Yes. But I'm not moving," Subaru said simply. "And you're not getting past me."
A spasm of agony flickered over Reinhard 's face.
"So be it then," Reinhard whispered, slowly closing the distance.
Emilia drifted through the misty world. Once again, the world took shape around her, and Emilia found herself walking instead of floating. She saw trees emerging from the mists, and she found herself deep in a forest.
Emilia felt herself pulled into the vision. But this time, it felt strange. She felt … disembodied, floating, and abstracted. She felt separate from the vision. She had the form of strange optical distortion like a blur.
Emilia felt the Book tremble in the hands that she no longer had.
The blur around her slowly faded, and Emilia felt herself fully assimilated into the vision. She was a small, slender girl who seemed barely in her teens. She was barefoot despite the cold snow and wore only a simple white cloth wrapped around her body.
Emilia 's eyes lit up when she saw a small elven girl running down the forest path, chasing a lesser spirit.
"Well, what splendid luck," Emilia murmured.
The little elven girl froze and looked up at Emilia and Regulus with a shocked expression.
Emilia gave the child a friendly smile. "We've been looking for you for a long time, little one," She said in a sweet voice. "If you'd just be so kind as to come with us, we can avoid a great deal of trouble."
The little elven girl looked terrified. She bolted into the underbrush at top speed, crying out for help.
"Hm. That could have gone better," Emilia admitted.
"I don't understand why we're even here," A sullen voice pouted.
The voice sent chills racing down Emilia 's spine, and she briefly shook free of the vision. She turned to see the tyrannical Archbishop standing less than a foot away. Regulus had a sullen, spoiled expression on his face like a trust fund bully forced to stay in detention.
Emilia screamed in terror within the silence of her mind. She wanted to tear free of this vision and run away as far and as fast as possible.
The vision completely reabsorbed Emilia a moment later, and her terror dispersed like smoke.
The thought of being intimidated by Regulus, much less afraid of him, seemed laughable.
"Why am I even here?" Regulus grumbled. "Why do I, of all people, need to be dragged away from my sainted way of being and involved in such pedestrian matters? I have never asked you to rearrange your delicately calculated schedule for my benefit or for you to amend your own plans on how to spend your time. I am the most satisfied existence in creation, and all that I have ever asked of anyone is that my right to live my life as I choose be respected and that others provide very reasonable accommodations for my preferences and yet today, I find myself bereft of the perfect life that I have cultivated for myself and wandering through a dank and grubby forest in a baffling quest for something. Now I ask you, does that seem-"
"My darling Regulus," Emilia murmured. "Do you feel that I'm treating you… unfairly?"
Emilia spoke calmly and without a hint of rancor, but Regulus stopped talking immediately. His formerly sullen face looked worried, and he swallowed hard. "Of course not, Goddess!" He said at once. "Never! I just… want to serve you more… efficiently."
"How good of you," Emilia purred. "But that is no matter. Come. We must find the girl before disaster befalls her."
"What girl? What disaster?" Regulus asked.
"You needn't concern yourself with those details," Emilia said calmly. "Just remember that we must find her."
Regulus sighed. "Why don't I just rip up the forest so that-"
"No," Emilia said at once. "We are not here to start a fight if it can be avoided. We are here to provide a warning, Regulus. Please try to remember that."
Regulus grinned at her. "How long until the Snake gets here?" He asked.
"Not long. So let us hurry along before our friendly warning does no good."
Emilia walked calmly through the snow. The chill didn 't bother her at all. Not a spec of dirt or a single snowflake dared to mare her perfectly white feet.
Emilia heard Regulus following a few paces behind her, grumbling to himself.
Emilia calmly followed the little girl 's trail through the dense foliage while Regulus floundered behind her. The branches simply moved out of Emilia 's way. Trees and shrubs lifted their roots to give her a smooth path forward. Meanwhile, Regulus bit off a steady string of curse words as the branches snapped in his face. Accustomed to simply bulldozing his way through obstacles, the smallest inconvenience was enough to make Regulus livid.
Emilia emerged from the undergrowth to find Guese and Fortuna comforting the little girl.
Guese stood up, looking both furious and horrified at the sight of Emilia. " You , " He whispered in rage and disgust.
"Hello, Guese," Emilia said in a friendly tone. "It's been such a long time."
Guese scowled at Emilia and then turned his attention to Regulus. "What is this?" He demanded. "We agreed that the girl would be under my protection until she comes of age! If you wanted to discuss changes to our arrangement, it should have been done at the Cathedral!"
Regulus snorted. "What arrangement?" He asked indifferently. "I agreed to nothing. I simply didn't care enough to become involved."
"And now you're working with her?!" Guese asked incredulously. "Are you insane?!"
Regulus 's face darkened. "I don't much care for your tone," He said petulantly.
"Calm down, Guese," Emilia said in a placating tone. "I'm not here to cause you any trouble. I'm simply here for the girl. You did some remarkable work keeping her hidden from me for all this time. I truly thought that she was dead. But Regulus kindly explained the situation to me."
Guese looked at Regulus with both disgust and outrage. "You traitor ! "
Regulus scowled. "That's enough out of you! " Regulus reached down and seized a handful of snow, which he threw at Guese.
Without even looking at him, Emilia flicked Regulus 's wrist with a single finger, and the snow fell out of his suddenly nerveless hand.
"I told you," Emilia reminded Regulus patiently as the snow he dropped burrowed through the ground, leaving deep holes in the earth. "We're not here to fight right now. I'd much prefer to handle this diplomatically if at all possible."
Regulus looked outraged. He snarled at Emilia who met his expression with a kindly smile.
A moment later, common sense prevailed over his rage, and Regulus bit back his fury, his face sullen.
Emilia smiled and turned back to Guese. "Guese," She continued. "You know that the girl is in great danger from the monster, and you are in no position to protect her. She will be safer with me."
Guese snarled at her. "Define 'safe!'"
Emilia sighed. "Come now, Guese," She murmured. "You know that I mean the girl no malice. I simply wish to keep her out of the monster's clutches."
"Had a falling out, did you?" Guese taunted. "I thought you said that you had her perfectly well tamed!"
For the first time, Emilia felt really quite annoyed. "Guese, I really don 't know why you persist in speaking to me this way," She said in exasperation.
"You murdered my brother and his wife!" Fortuna shouted, her voice twisted with terror and rage. She clutched the little girl tightly to her, trying to protect her from a pair of monsters whom she knew she could never defeat.
Emilia 's mind momentarily pulled free from the vision. What?! This person with Regulus … she not only attacked the forest with him, but she killed my parents? My real parents?!
A moment later, Emilia 's mind was pulled under again. "I did no such thing! " She protested. "That is a blatantly false accusation. In fact, I even warned them that continuing along their proposed course of action would lead to their almost certain deaths. "
"Ha! There's a very fine line between a 'warning' and a 'threat,'" Guese scoffed.
"Sometimes," Emilia admitted. "All the same, I hardly think you have any right to blame me for what happened to them. I was barely involved in that incident."
Guese actually bared his teeth and snarled at Emilia. "What is the point of all this? Haven 't you caused enough suffering already? What is any of this going to prove? "
Emilia sighed. "I don't actually have to prove anything , my dear Guese, " She said patiently. "But I do have a goal. My prior efforts may have gone awry, but I have a new plan. And that darling little girl is the key to helping me achieve it. So please, give her to me. For your own personal safety? "
"You'll lay a finger on Emilia over my cold, dead body!" Fortuna hissed.
Emilia frowned and mulled that over. "I really must urge you to reconsider," She coaxed. "You might need my help sooner than you think."
Guese 's face grew panicked. "Why?" He asked.
There was a thunderous sound in the distance. Guese 's eyes widened in horror.
"I'm afraid that the Black Snake is coming to the forest," Emilia said regretfully.
"You brought the Black Snake to the forest?!" Guese demanded.
Emilia sighed. "Guese, why do you persist in telling these horrible stories about me? I simply came here to warn you and to offer you my assistance in repulsing the beast. You know that not even the Snake 's creator was capable of controlling it. I certainly can 't. I have no power to force the snake to attack any specific target."
"No, but your power could simply bring it here and let it run wild!" Guese thundered.
Emilia sighed. "I feel like we're now talking in circles," She said regretfully. "Still, I am willing to make a deal. If you surrender the girl into my custody, my companion and I will drive away the snake before it causes any further damage."
"Never!" Fortuna screamed. "You'll never touch her, do you understand?!"
Emilia looked pained. "Then it seems we're at an impasse…"
Fortuna looked at Guese in desperation, but Guese 's face was hard and fixed. He whispered something to Fortuna, then turned back to the invaders.
Guese reached for something in his pocket. "If… you'll both depart, send the Snake away, and leave us in peace," He said slowly. "I will give you something that will aid your objectives far more than this little girl. "
Emilia 's eyes sharpened. "And what could that possibly be, I wonder?" She whispered, her face twisting in sudden hope.
"Is it a deal?" Guese pressed as he approached them, his hand in his pocket.
"You're in no position to negotiate!" Regulus spat. "You-" Emilia made a silencing gesture, and he quickly cut himself off.
Emilia walked forward, staring at Guese, her eyes gleaming hungrily. "What are you offering me?" She whispered, her eyes now alive with dreadful hope. "'Something that I want more than the girl?' …There's only one thing …But how could you possibly have it? "
Guese pulled a small object out of his pocket and held it up for Regulus and Pandora to see. They both crowded in to inspect what Guese held.
A brilliant flash lit up the clearing, and Emilia staggered back, blinded. Regulus cried out in pain.
Treachery! Emilia thought venomously as she heard the sound of fleeing footsteps.
"Ugh," Regulus moaned. "Can I kill them now?"
Emilia 's eyes cleared just in time to see a bolt of fire lancing directly toward her face.
Emilia swatted it aside contemptuously. She saw that men wearing the purple robes of the Order were attacking them.
Emilia fumed. "Regulus… Deal with them," She said dismissively.
Regulus hissed. He reached down and picked up a handful of snow, flinging it at the men in one smooth motion.
Amplified by Regulus 's power, the snow shot through bushes, trees, and bodies without slowing down. In seconds, the entire area was demolished, and all of the attackers lay dying in pieces on the ground.
"Do you want me to go grab them?" Regulus asked tartly.
Emilia ignored him and took a deep breath. "We are not lost in the forest," She whispered. "We are where the girl is."
A moment later, Emilia stood at the apex of the great hill where the full tragedy of the Elior Forest had played out. Emilia was surrounded by the elves, who could do nothing but look on in terror. Emilia had eyes only for Guese, Fortuna, and the little elven girl.
"You are making this extremely difficult for me," Emilia hissed through clenched teeth. "I need to take the girl away so that I can keep her safe from the monster. Something that should benefit you as much as it does me. Now, I could simply take her, but I think it would be far better for the child if she thinks that you are agreeing to this arrangement voluntarily."
Fortuna held the little girl tightly in her arms. Guese stared at Emilia for a long moment, and then he seemed to come to a decision.
Guese reached into his pocket again. This time, he pulled out a small black box.
Emilia 's eyes widened, and for the first time, she felt truly alarmed. "Where did you get that?" She demanded, taking a step back.
Regulus looked confused, glancing back and forth between Emilia and the box. Whatever was in that box, he clearly didn 't know what it was.
"From my Master," Guese said with reverence, "He gave this to me for safekeeping. He warned me never to use it. I know that I am not wise enough to understand it nor strong enough to contain it. But I will use it against you if you force me to."
Emilia 's hands clenched into fists. "You forget yourself, Guese," She said politely, but her eyes were clearly furious. "Such a dreg is clearly no match for me. And to use it like this would be to break the ancient laws."
Guese laughed. "An appeal to rules and law? From you ? Truly, the last refuge of the cheater, " He said mockingly.
Then, as if seeing that there was truly no other choice, Guese brought his fist down hard on the box that he held, smashing it open.
Something huge erupted from inside, something far too big to be contained in such a tiny container. Something black and viscous leaped out of the box, wrapping itself around Guese, enveloping him like a constricting snake.
Guese screamed in pain as the strange thing engulfed him, pierced him, and absorbed him.
Emilia took an involuntary step back, her face unsettled. Regulus just looked confused.
Guese turned to Regulus, his face wild with rage. "Your sloth did this! " He roared at Regulus. "Had you the diligence to open up even a single book in the Cathedral archives, you would realize that the Deceiver is simply using you just as she has all the others! But I have studied, witch! I know your wickedness, and I know your secret! I know your weakness ! And I will now correct you both with my diligence! "
Guese 's body jerked erect with a howl of pain as dozens of arms made out of shadows erupted from his body.
Emilia 's mind broke free from the vision again. She suddenly remembered the flight from Arlem when they had first gone to the Sanctuary. She looked at Guese and then thought back to the monster that had attacked the village.
Oh, no! No! No! No! It 's impossible! Emilia wanted to scream as tears fell down her face. Guese was that monster?! He became that monster because he dared to use the witchcraft?!
No! That means that he was still alive all this time … Subaru killed him at Arlem. And I never even knew that he was still alive. I never tried to save him. I just ran away…
Oh, Guese …
…Could Subaru become like this if he uses too much witchcraft? His Authority is so much stronger than whatever Guese had in that box. Could it do this to him? Could it do something even worse to him?
Then, the vision completely reabsorbed Emilia 's mind.
Guese flung himself at Emilia, but he never reached her. Emilia invoked her magic, and Regulus suddenly stood in her place. Guese crashed into the Archbishop, his many arms fighting, clawing, and tearing at him.
Guese 's blows didn't even seem to phase Regulus. If anything, the sullen Archbishop just looked shocked to have swapped positions with Emilia.
Emilia watched the Archbishops fighting with frustration. I need to stop this before it gets any further out of control … A distraction should suffice.
Emilia fumed, and she made a gesture, invoking her power. One of Guese 's flailing shadowy arms, desperately trying to crush Regulus, suddenly went wide and drove a hole straight through Fortuna's stomach.
Guese froze, staring at Fortuna in horror.
Guese screamed in despair, and he again flung himself at Regulus, but by now, Regulus had collected himself, and he made a negligent throwing gesture. Regulus 's power flung Guese far up into the sky until he crashed down in the woods where the colossal snake was tearing through the forest.
The little girl screamed a deafening wail. Her magic surged out of control, and huge walls of ice began to spread all around her.
Emilia 's eyes widened. "Stop it!" She shouted. "You don't know what you're doing!"
The little girl either couldn 't hear her or didn't care as her magic continued to surge and buried the people and the forest in ice.
Emilia fumed. How did this go so wrong?!
Emilia tried to negate the child 's spell but found she could barely hold her power back. Regulus looked astounded as the creeping ice began to engulf him as well. He broke it off his body, but it reformed almost as quickly.
That girl 's power is extraordinary. Not very surprising, considering her lineage. Her power is as blunt and brutal as an avalanche and feels just as heavy.
The cold surged out of control. The very air around them began to freeze.
If we don 't get out of here quickly, we might be caught up in the spell, too. That would be… inconvenient…
"Goddess! What do we do?" Regulus cried out, sounding utterly baffled.
Emilia growled. "We are not in the forest. We are back at the Cathedral. "
Instantly, the pair was just gone, and the world again dissolved into mist.
Emilia was herself again, floating in the endless void. The Book was again held tightly in her hands.
Emilia didn 't move. She floated there, and she closed her eyes. She wanted to remember everything that she had seen here today.
You 're the one , Emilia thought. Hatred was usually a foreign emotion to Emilia, but now, it surged inside her. You 're the reason why I never met my real Mother and Father. And you're the reason why Guese and Mother Fortuna were taken away from me. You're the reason that the forest was attacked. You're the reason that I lost control of my powers and all the elves were frozen.
It was all you. You did all of it. You ruined my life …
Emilia shook her head, a snarl of hatred twisting her beautiful face. If Regulus is still alive, then I know you are too. And one day, I will find you. I 'll find you, and I'll make you pay for all the misery and suffering that you've inflicted on me and on everyone else that I love.
Subaru watched Reinhard slowly walk toward him, counting every step as if he were facing his executioner.
Shit! What the hell do I do?! I have no chance against Reinhard, none at all!
Reason and Judgment isn 't going to do me any good in a fight like this. Reinhard can move faster than lightning when he wants to. The only reason that I'm not already dead is because he's trying to avoid killing me.
At least as long as he can do it while still killing Emilia.
I have Indomitable, but that 's a one-shot trick. Reinhard might be taken aback the first time he strikes me when his sword just bounces off, but the second and third strikes will go right through me.
Maybe a fake-out? Reinhard isn 't very adaptable. And he doesn't think fast on his feet.
He 'll have to get close to slash me, and he'll probably be shocked into standing still for at least a second after it doesn't work. Maybe I could capitalize on that shock to… kill him…
No. I can 't do that. Reinhard isn't a bad person. He's been nothing but kind to me since the day that we met.
He 's my friend. I can't kill him…. At least not until it comes down to a choice between him and Emilia…
What if I just slice his arm? After his sword bounces off me, I 'll have a moment to act while he's distracted. If I just lightly cut his arm, he'd have to reflexively drop his sword.
Yeah. And then what? Reinhard can move so fast that he turns into a blur during a fight. He 'd be able to pick up his sword, chop off my head a dozen times, and then goddamn make himself breakfast before I could even move on to step two in my nonexistent plan.
What about Pridebreaker? I could summon the spirits to fight him … of course, without the staff, they're as likely to try creating a beautiful garden as they are to blast him with elemental power.
Reinhard vanished before his eyes.
By reflex, Subaru triggered Indomitable.
It was an instinct that saved his life. Subaru felt a sharp poke in his upper thigh from behind him.
Subaru spun around, and the whole world seemed to move in slow motion. He saw the predicted look of shock on Reinhard 's face as the 'unstoppable' Dragon Sword simply bounced off of Subaru.
Red was going for a thigh wound. Painful but not lethal. And it would leave me on the ground, unable to chase after him. Luckily, he decided to try to get behind me first, or I 'd never have had time to activate Indomitable.
Alright. That was my one idea. Now, I need to think of something else. Something that Red would never see coming.
Subaru 's eyes widened as one of the strange 'bubbles' of the Od Laguna bore down on them with great speed.
"Red!" Subaru shouted in warning. "Look out! Behind you!"
Reinhard 's face grew faintly reproving as if offended that Subaru thought that even he would fall for such an obvious trick. Reinhard resolutely raised his sword to strike again, but the Od Laguna 's bubble engulfed them both.
Subaru was walking down an opulent but familiar hallway.
Wait, what the hell just happened? Wasn 't I in a duel for my life?
Subaru tried to turn around but discovered himself unable to do so. His head felt heavier, and he was wearing much more elaborate clothing than usual.
This is just like those weird dreams that I keep having. Did Red knock me unconscious or something?
Subaru felt himself fully absorbed into the vision as he entered a large, elaborately furnished room with an enormous red couch.
Seated on the couch was Reinhard, who was holding a tiny bundle in his arms very carefully.
Subaru didn 't think he made a sound, but Reinhard still looked back at him as soon as he entered the room.
"My king!" Reinhard said in surprise. He sprang to his feet and managed to bow quite gracefully in spite of the tiny bundle that he clutched close to his chest.
Subaru gave him a fond sigh. "Red… we've been friends for close to a decade . I 'm a guest in your home and I'm about to meet your daughter. Do you think that this once you could just call me Subaru? "
"Of course not, Your Majesty," Reinhard said with a straight face. "I wouldn't dream of teaching my daughter such poor manners."
Subaru sighed and rubbed his forehead as Reinhard turned his attention back to the baby. He stared down at her with an expression of awestruck wonder.
"She's beautiful, Subaru," Reinhard whispered with a tiny catch in his voice. "She's the most amazing thing that I've ever seen."
"She's adorable," Subaru agreed, inspecting the hours-old infant. She was tightly swaddled, and her face was still florid red face from the birth. Her eyes were tightly shut. "You know, I think she looks like you," He commented.
Reinhard gave Subaru a sly smile. "King or no, my friend, I might be forced to demand satisfaction if you persist in insulting my daughter in this manner."
"Red," Subaru said, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.
Reinhard laughed and sat back down on the sofa with his daughter.
"Did the birth go alright?" Subaru whispered.
"It was very easy," Reinhard replied. "Or so the healers tell me. It seemed altogether horrendous to me. When they shooed me out of the room with my new daughter, I was in tears. I asked them if my wife was dying… They all laughed at me," He said matter-of-factly.
Subaru laughed quietly, trying not to wake the baby. "I know exactly what you mean. I reacted the same way with Emilia. But she is alright? "
"She's just resting right now," Reinhard said fondly. "She's exhausted."
"Enjoy these hours while you can," Subaru said mischievously. "Emilia treated our baby like a new appendage for the first month. I usually couldn't persuade her to put her down long enough for me to have a turn holding her."
Reinhard looked alarmed. "Truly?" he said, holding the baby more closely.
Subaru chuckled and waved the thought away. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the diplomatic mission to Vollachia next week."
Reinhard looked anguished, but he quickly hid his emotions and nodded. "Of course, my king," He said respectfully. "I will be ready."
"You are not going," Subaru said pleasantly.
Reinhard blinked. "Subaru, you are going to be in foreign and possibly hostile territory. I think-"
"I've already spoken to Felix and Julius," Subaru cut him off. "They're more than happy to take your place on this trip so that you can spend time with your family."
"But-"
"Lady Crusch is also coming. As is Emilia," Subaru pressed on. "And me. Between the lot of us, I think that we can handle whatever the world throws at us."
"But-"
"You are going to stay here and learn how to be a father," Subaru said fondly. "That is an order, by the way. And you can take it from me, being a father takes some serious practice."
Reinhard sighed and shook his head in defeat. "Thank you, my friend," He said gratefully.
"Don't mention it," Subaru said, looking down at the tiny girl. "What did you name her?"
Reinhard broke into a radiant smile. "We agreed on Theresia," He said.
Subaru nodded. "That's a fine name for a young lady. Your grandmother's, I believe?"
Reinhard nodded. "Yes. It was… important to me that something of her is carried forward. And my beloved eventually agreed."
Subaru shook his head at the little infant. "I can already imagine them running all over the castle."
"She and the young princess?" Reinhard asked.
Subaru nodded. "I can already tell that these two are going to be trouble," He said with a smile. "…But they'll probably be best friends."
Reinhard broke into a huge grin. "And thus are our families tied together in a new generation," He said. "And nothing could please me more, my friend."
Subaru nodded. "Well. I'll leave you here to take care of your family. Have fun. It's going to be a long couple of months before you figure out what you're doing."
"How long did it take you?" Reinhard asked curiously.
Subaru laughed. "Currently, I'm at three months and still as clueless as the day I started!" He said flatly. "Frankly, I think-"
The bubble swept off Subaru and Reinhard, who both crashed to the floor, their bodies covered in something that felt like equal parts soap detergent and spiderwebs.
Subaru frantically rubbed his face and coughed, desperately trying to clean his face and, more importantly, his lungs of something that felt almost intangible.
Subaru was the first one back on his feet.
I may be less robust than Reinhard, but I definitely have the edge in knowing how to deal with insane shit like this.
Or maybe this … whatever-this-gunk-is is somehow interfering with his Blessings. Like an overload of Od Laguna energy?
He saw Reinhard struggling to rise to his feet and fumbling blindly for his sword hilt.
Subaru stepped forward and kicked the Dragon sword away from Reinhard 's groping hand. The knight's expression was comical as he watched the sword fly through the air. It landed on the chamber floor far away with an unmusical clatter.
Reinhard stared at the sword with a baffled expression. Then he grabbed Subaru by the shoulder and used him as a crutch to haul himself to his feet. Reinhard shoved him away and he darted toward the Od Laguna.
As he fell toward the ground, Subaru barely managed to grab hold of Reinhard 's arm. The knight was still off-balance, and Reinhard went down, falling on top of Subaru just as another bubble swept over both of them-
Subaru lay in the freezing snow, his mouth overflowing with blood. Reinhard was kneeling on top of him, his expression horrified. "Subaru! No!" The red-headed knight cried.
Subaru fought to cough out the blood, but more kept pooling in his mouth. He realized that the cold he felt wasn 't just a matter of lying in the snow.
My tongue? I bit my tongue? He thought in complete shock. After everything that I 've been through? What a dumb way to die…
Subaru could barely move. He looked around and saw Felt and Beatrice were both staring at him in horror. Not far away, lying face down in the snow, was a bloodied body with a mane of once silver hair.
Emilia?!
Subaru fought to get to his feet and run to her, but Reinhard held him down, and his body was in no shape to rise anyway.
This is the Gusteko border, Subaru realized. This is when Reinhard and Felt caught up with us. This isn't a possible future. This… This is… a possible past? Does that even make sense?
Subaru stared up blankly, his mind filled with horror. In this timeline, Reinhard must have killed Emilia. And I decided I couldn 't live without her, and then I…
The wind suddenly howled, and the forest became intensely cold. "Reinhard," A great voice thundered through the forest.
Reinhard looked away from Subaru, staring off through the woods in shock.
Felt was slowly backing away from whatever Reinhard was staring at.
Beatrice glanced in the direction of the voice. Then, she seemed to dismiss it. Her tiny face was a mask of tired apathy. She just laid her head down on Subaru 's stomach and waited patiently for whatever would come next.
Reinhard stood up and stepped backward, his hand on his sword hilt. "Master Puck?" He called out in disbelief.
"You killed my Subaru," Puck rumbled in the voice of a titan. The forest around them grew even colder, and the wind grew bitter and intense.
"I did not!" Reinhard protested. "I killed the witch!"
"You are a fool, Reinhard van Astrea," Puck growled. "Did you truly believe that killing the witch was beyond my abilities if I had wished to do so? I spared her so that her cruel spell would not destroy the one that I loved. I could sense the emotional web that tied them together and I knew that to destroy one was to destroy them both. I tolerated the witch until her web of lies could be unraveled. Then you struck her down without thought or foresight, and in so doing, you struck down Subaru as well."
Reinhard looked stricken. "I… I didn't know…" He whimpered.
"Your ignorance is no excuse," Puck growled as the temperature in the forest plummeted and the savage wind blew snow around them. "His death is your responsibility. Subaru was the world to me. There is no purpose to a world without Subaru in it. Now, as stated in my contract, I will destroy the world."
The howling wind started to pile snow on top of Subaru and Beatrice. Subaru couldn 't move, and Beatrice clearly didn't want to bother.
Reinhard struggled to keep his balance in the howling storm. "Master Puck, you must not!" He shouted. He didn't look behind him and see Felt's eyes roll up in her head as she collapsed in the snow from the sheer cold.
"A world without Subaru has no value," Puck said disinterestedly. "I will put it out of its misery."
Reinhard shook his head, tears running down his face. "I never wanted… I didn't mean… I… I will stop you, " He declared, his voice gaining certainty. "You are powerful, Master Puck. But you're no match for me."
"Perhaps," Puck muttered, not sounding too concerned about it. "But you may find that your sword is ill-equipped to fight an endless winter. My death will avail you little. This is the way that the world ends, Reinhard: Not in fire but in darkness…."
Subaru vision dimmed and-
The bubble swept off of Subaru and Reinhard. Subaru was lying on the floor, and this time, Reinhard had fallen hard on top of him.
Subaru struggled to push Reinhard aside. He choked and then spit out a huge glut of blood.
By sheer accident, Subaru spit the blood directly onto Reinhard 's face. Blinded, Reinhard flailed around in surprise and disgust.
Subaru shoved Reinhard off of him as he kept coughing up blood. Subaru 's mouth was full of blood. And no matter how much he spit, it just kept flowing.
What the hell? My tongue is still gone! It 's just a shredded bit of meat in my mouth! Wait a second! I bring back the wounds inflicted in these dreams?! How can-
Before Subaru or Reinhard could even try to do anything else, another bubble engulfed them-