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{3rd Pov}
"I refuse."
Hearing those two words that Subaru uttered, Zero's confident smile vanished in an instant.
He exhaled sharply, his expression twisting with irritation as he lifted a hand to his forehead, massaging his temples as if trying to suppress a sudden, pounding headache.
After a few seconds of silence, he lowered his hand and stared at Subaru with a mixture of disbelief and frustration, his tone dripping with incredulity as he spoke.
"Did everything I just said completely go over your head? Did you even listen to me at all? Or maybe I actually hit you too hard earlier?"
His voice carried a mix of annoyance and genuine confusion, like he couldn't quite decide whether to laugh or lose his temper.
Meanwhile, Emilia and the others stood frozen, completely stunned by Subaru's unexpected answer.
None of them could believe what they had just heard.
Deep inside, a faint spark of hope began to flicker within their hearts, but it was weighed down by guilt and shame.
They knew—every single one of them knew—how much they had wronged Subaru.
They remembered how they had doubted him, how they had failed him, how they had hurt him in ways that could never be undone.
And yet, despite all of that, Subaru still chose them.
Even after Zero's harsh words had stripped away every illusion, exposing the ugly truth about the people Subaru called his allies—how much they had used him for their own gain, how much resentment or indifference they had hidden behind their smiles, how easily they had turned away when he needed them most—Subaru still made his choice.
He chose them.
He stood by them.
It was an act that none of them could understand, a decision that both humbled and terrified them.
"I know there have been many misunderstandings between us," Subaru began, his voice steady but carrying the weight of experience.
"I know that many of them don't truly like me… and that's fine."
He reached out and gently took Beatrice's small, firm hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Then, without hesitation, he turned his gaze toward Zero and pointed at the group of people standing behind him—his allies, flawed and complicated as they were.
"You still have Betty by your side," Subaru continued, his tone calm but firm, "which proves that Betty will never abandon me, just like she said she wouldn't. She made a promise, and she intends to keep it."
As his words sank in, everyone present froze in shock, their expressions a mix of disbelief and awe.
It was true—among all the allies Subaru had in the future, the only familiar and dependable face was Beatrice.
Everyone else had changed, vanished, or had never been part of his life in the same way.
"You hate the entire Astrea family," Subaru muttered next, his voice quiet but cutting enough to draw the attention of the three male members of the Astrea family who stood nearby, stiff and uncertain.
"And yet, even in the future, you still have someone from their family with you, even if it's just one member who hasn't been born yet. That proves something important: no matter how bad things get, no matter how impossible the circumstances may seem, I will never be truly abandoned. Never again."
He spoke with unwavering determination, and as he finished, his gaze swept back over the group.
Emilia was wiping tears from her moist eyes, her expression soft and conflicted, while the others looked at him with a mixture of guilt, surprise, and reluctant admiration.
"Maybe things didn't work out as I intended before," he admitted, his voice carrying a quiet acknowledgment of past failures, "but this time, it will. This time, I will make it work."
Then he turned back to face Zero, his eyes sharp and unyielding.
"Because you showed me that there are people willing to stand by my side, even if I am standing against the entire world. Even if everything else falls apart, there are people who will not leave me. That is why I can keep moving forward and carve a better future for me, making sure there are more people in that list."
Every word he spoke carried the weight of his experiences, the countless trials he had endured, and the unwavering resolve that had brought him to this moment.
It was not just hope—this was proof, lived and earned, that he would never be truly alone again.
Subaru clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles whitening as he summoned every ounce of resolve within him.
"That is why, Future Subaru," he said, his gaze locking onto his future self with unwavering determination, "I will refuse your offer. I won't sacrifice them in some pursuit of power. I am happy as things are, and I won't give that up for anything."
Almost immediately, he felt a sudden warmth envelop him from behind, and before he could react properly, he was pulled into a tight embrace.
Startled, Subaru nearly jumped, but then he froze as a familiar fragrance filled his senses.
Slowly, he turned his head and saw who it was—Emilia, her cheeks wet with tears, yet a smile lighting her face despite her sobs.
"You silly idiot! You're far too forgiving!" Emilia cried, her voice muffled as it pressed against his chest.
"You can be angry at me, you know! After all, I've neglected your feelings, and I feel awful knowing that even now, I still can't give you a proper answer!"
Subaru couldn't help but smile at her words.
He patted her gently on the back, feeling the warmth of her emotions radiate through the embrace.
Then, with a teasing glint in his eyes, he said, "Emilia-tan! As your punishment for making me worry, I demand five—no, ten dates with you!"
Emilia blinked, her tears still glistening, before her expression brightened.
"As you wish, Subaru!" she said happily, nodding in agreement.
Subaru grinned from ear to ear.
For the first time, he had playfully 'punished' Emilia, and she had responded with joy rather than resentment.
She had willingly obliged his request, and the realization filled him with warmth.
He could feel it clearly now—their feelings were no longer one-sided, no longer something he carried alone.
Turning back, he faced Zero, who still wore a passive, unreadable expression.
"I thank you, my future self," Subaru said, his voice calm but resolute.
"Even though your words were harsh, I can see that you wanted the best for me. But I think you already know this—I would rather carve my own path than simply follow in your footsteps. I appreciate your guidance, but this is the life I choose for myself."
He held his head high, the weight of past struggles lifting slightly.
For the first time, Subaru felt fully certain of the people he cared about, of the life he wanted to lead, and of the strength he had to protect it on his own terms.
Zero remained completely silent, and so did everyone else in the plaza.
The atmosphere was heavy, almost suffocating, with tension coiling around them like a tight rope.
Even though he was standing right in the middle of their formation, a commanding presence that demanded attention, no one dared to make a single careless move.
Every breath, every twitch, was measured and cautious.
After Subaru's firm refusal, a collective unease settled over the group.
Many of them couldn't help but wonder, with bated breath, what Zero's next move would be.
Would he, in his anger or frustration, annihilate all of them, sparing only Subaru and Beatrice?
The possibility alone sent shivers down their spines.
"Also, if you were now to attack me and my friends, I will stand against y—" Subaru began, his voice rising with determination, ready to challenge Zero no matter the cost.
But before he could finish, Zero interrupted him with a calm, measured tone that carried far more weight than any shout could.
"No need, Subaru," Zero said, his voice calm and deliberate, cutting through the tension in the room.
Subaru froze mid-sentence, his words hanging in the air.
Zero continued, "I know myself best. Speaking anything further will only make you more firm in your decision, and I see no logic in annihilating all of them. Doing so would accomplish nothing except making you despise me."
The calmness in Zero's voice was unexpected, and with his words, a wave of relief swept over everyone present.
They exhaled, some more quietly than others, grateful that the threat of immediate violence had passed.
Anastasia, standing slightly apart from the others, let out a soft sigh, thinking carefully to herself.
'Now the only thing left is to make sure he leaves. He has already failed in his purpose. Despite his overbearing attitude and the pressure he exerts, he still possesses a sense of justice. He won't harm the innocent. That means there is nothing left for him to continue pursuing his goal of taking over the entire city of Priestella,' she reasoned internally, calculating their safest course of action.
"I am leaving," Zero finally said, his words deliberate and final.
"There is nothing left for me to do here."
Much to their relief, he did not linger.
He slowly turned his gaze toward the corpses of the Sin Archbishops, their bodies scattered and lifeless.
With a measured motion, he snapped his fingers, the sound sharp in the tense silence.
Suddenly, the dead Sin Archbishops— of Lust, Wrath, and Gluttony brothers—stirred violently, their bodies knitting themselves back together as if the fatal wounds that had felled them moments ago had never existed.
Limbs rejoined seamlessly, gashes closed over, and life surged back into their eyes with terrifying intensity.
Everyone in the room stiffened immediately, instinctively raising their guard.
Those who had only just allowed themselves a moment of relief now felt their hearts sink in horror, confronted with the overwhelming scale of power that Zero clearly wielded.
The sheer sight of the formerly deceased Archbishops returning to full, lethal life was enough to strip anyone of composure.
"We were wrong," Beatrice whispered, her voice trembling as though even speaking it aloud was dangerous.
"He didn't turn them into corpse soldiers. He was controlling their living selves the entire time. From the very beginning, he had them under his command."
Her words carried a weight that made the others shiver.
The implication was chilling—Zero didn't just manipulate the dead; he had the power to control the living, to bend anyone to his will.
The thought alone was enough to terrify everyone present.
Zero turned slowly to face them, his expression calm and composed, as if nothing extraordinary had just occurred.
"Don't be scared," he said, his tone level and almost conversational.
"These Sin Archbishops weren't meant to die today, so I am simply bringing them back to life."
His words confirmed Beatrice's horrifying realization: they had underestimated him entirely.
Not only could he manipulate the living, but he also possessed the ability to resurrect the dead with nothing more than the snap of his fingers—a simple gesture holding godlike power.
The room fell silent, everyone frozen as the implications sank in.
'A complete control over life and death,' they thought, their minds reeling.
The possibilities, the potential for destruction or domination, and the absolute authority he held over existence itself were enough to leave anyone in paralyzing fear.
Each heartbeat echoed with the terrifying understanding of just how dangerous Zero truly was.
"Reinhardt," Zero called, turning his gaze toward the Sword Saint, who immediately stiffened, his body tense and alert as he awaited orders.
"Take the Sin Archbishop of Wrath. She was supposed to be arrested. The moment you take her into custody, she will regain consciousness. She will wake as soon as she is restrained… also—"
With a snap of his fingers, Zero's control made itself brutally clear.
The corpse soldiers, Theresia van Astrea, and Kurgan froze instantly, their bodies collapsing to the ground as though lifeless once again.
"They were meant to die… or rather, to become completely nonfunctional today, according to the original timeline," Zero said, a slight smirk playing across his lips.
Wilhelm, however, could not contain his emotions.
Without thinking, he charged forward, driven by grief and desperation.
He reached Theresia's pale, lifeless form and cradled her in his arms, carefully placing her in his lap as if trying to shield her from the cruelty of fate itself. T
ears streamed freely from the corners of his eyes as he stared down at the young, delicate face of his wife, her features so hauntingly familiar yet now frozen in death.
"You… you are the same," he whispered, his lips trembling as his voice cracked under the weight of his sorrow.
"Exactly as I remembered, from years ago."
As his lament continued, the horrifyingly familiar sight of another tragedy appeared before him.
The lifeless body of Regulus, who had once been thrown into the void of space, materialized in the plaza, a chilling reminder of the tragedies of the past that Zero's powers had now made disturbingly tangible.
The plaza seemed to hold its breath as Wilhelm's grief collided with the unimaginable control Zero wielded over life, death, and fate itself.
"And lastly," Zero said, his voice calm and unyielding, "Regulus was supposed to die under the combined efforts of Subaru and Reinhardt. I will take care of the rest—teleport the other Sin Archbishops away."
With a subtle motion of his hand, the three remaining Sin Archbishps disappeared from their positions, leaving the area eerily empty.
Finally, Reinhardt stepped forward, moving with precision and urgency.
He grasped the unconscious Wrath in his arms, carefully holding her as he prepared to restrain her.
With a swift motion, he summoned a Metia in his hand—a magical device specifically designed to restrain powerful individuals.
Alongside it, he produced a special blindfold engineered to suppress her authority and limit her powers.
Reinhardt worked quickly, wrapping her in heavy chains while covering her mouth.
Soon, Wrath began to tremble violently and struggle against her bindings, muffled noises escaping from her covered mouth, signaling that she had regained consciousness and was no longer under Zero's direct control.
Zero's calm, almost taunting voice echoed behind them.
"Enjoy this victory, Subaru. Enjoy it while it lasts," he said as he turned and walked away, rejoining his own group of allies without a hint of urgency or concern.
Meanwhile, Subaru's companions were brimming with anticipation and energy.
Gloria pouted slightly, unable to hide her eagerness.
"Father, we aren't just going to slaughter these mongrels? I want to fight that redhead!"
Subaru chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle her hair.
"Not today, Gloria," he said firmly, keeping his tone gentle yet authoritative.
He then cast his gaze toward Reina, who met his eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly.
She didn't need a single word of command—she understood him perfectly.
The unspoken communication between them conveyed everything: patience, restraint, and trust, even in the midst of chaos.
"Zero! Betty wants a hug!" Beatrice called out, tugging at his sleeves with both hands.
Zero's stern expression softened into a rare smile as he bent down, scooping her up effortlessly with one hand and holding her gently in his arms.
"Of course, my imuoto," he said warmly, his voice calm and steady.
"Let's leave this place while enjoying a little sightseeing of the beautiful hill stations along the way."
Meanwhile, Subaru and his group allowed themselves a moment of celebration, the tension finally easing after the harrowing confrontation.
Many of them silently wished for Zero to simply vanish from their lives completely, to disappear forever without another word or action.
They were content with the victory they had secured, however temporary or conditional it might have been.
Yet not everyone was satisfied with how the events had concluded.
One figure, standing slightly apart from the others, stepped forward with a haughty air that demanded attention.
It was Priscilla.
Her sharp eyes fixed on Zero, who was already turning to leave, and she spoke with a clear, confident tone that cut through the subdued murmurs of the crowd.
"You lost," she declared, her voice ringing out across the plaza like a challenge.
Her words fell like a sudden chill over the gathered group, bringing an immediate, stunned silence. Subaru's allies stared at her in disbelief, their expressions a mixture of shock and frustration.
They had just secured what they believed to be a hard-fought victory.
Even if it was a victory defined by mercy rather than complete domination, they had succeeded in preventing Zero from achieving his goal, at least for the moment.
And now, in what felt like the blink of an eye, Priscilla was openly antagonizing him?
Again?
The audacity of it left them speechless.
They could not comprehend why, in the midst of what should have been a moment of relief and triumph, she chose to provoke the very person they had just spent so much effort overcoming.
The tension in the air shifted once more, from the relief of survival to the prickling awareness that the situation was far from over.
Zero's smile widened as he slowly turned his gaze toward Priscilla, his expression calm but laced with a sharp, almost predatory amusement.
"Oh, Priscilla," he said, his voice smooth and deliberate, the grin on his face spreading further, showing the faintest trace of teeth.
"You think I lost?" he continued, his tone dripping with mockery.
"Perhaps it is you who has lost your reasoning."
If it had been anyone else, Priscilla would have reacted immediately, drawing her weapon with a swift, fluid motion and swinging it with lethal intent, aiming without hesitation for a decapitation.
She had no tolerance for opposition or disrespect.
Her reputation for ruthlessness was well-earned—she had killed Alderban thousands of times across countless time loops simply because he opposed certain decisions she had made, decisions that, in her eyes, challenged or provoked her authority.
Yet, even with this reputation, when Subaru had previously dared to insult her, she did not react with the anger or immediate violence one might expect.
Instead, she had merely raised a brow, a smirk curling at the corner of her lips, and said something that caught even Subaru off guard: "I want to hear your reasoning… Husband."
Everyone froze, utterly gobsmacked by what they had just heard.
Alderban nearly suffered a heart attack, clutching at his chest in sheer shock and disbelief.
'Damn it! At this rate, I'm going to become a cuckold!' he fumed silently, his anger barely contained behind the cold metal of his helmet.
His eyes, visible through the narrow slits, burned with resentment as he glared at Zero, who stood calmly in front of him.
Meanwhile, the others were equally stunned.
None of them could believe that the notoriously arrogant and domineering Priscilla would casually call anyone her husband.
Even Zero, whose expression rarely betrayed his emotions, was taken aback by her words—though he managed to conceal it completely behind his usual composed demeanor.
'The bigger a woman's chest, the dumber she is,'Zero thought to himself, a sly smile creeping across his face.
'To think she still believes Gloria is her daughter…'
He turned his attention back to the group, his calm, commanding voice cutting through the tense silence.
"I may have lost the battle," Zero admitted, his tone deliberate and measured.
Then, shifting his gaze to Subaru and his allies, he continued, "But I have won the war."
The statement struck the group like a blow—they were momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.
The relief they had felt moments ago now mingled with a new sense of unease.
His words implied a far larger scope of strategy and control than they had anticipated.
Priscilla, however, reacted differently.
Her grin widened, sharp and predatory, as she absorbed the meaning behind Zero's statement.
A spark of amusement and interest danced in her eyes as she thought to herself, 'Interesting… so this is the man who will knock me up?'
"The fact that I still stand here in front of you, the fact that my allies have neither vanished nor changed, and the fact that a new Emilia did not miraculously appear by my side — all of this proves the future has not been altered," Zero announced, laying out his reasoning with a chilling calm.
The instant his words reached their ears, every cheer in the plaza died as if someone had snuffed a flame.
Relief evaporated.
The fleeting sense of victory collapsed into a heavy, oppressive silence.
Faces that had briefly brightened now went pale with dread; the small surge of hope they had felt just moments before was gone.
"Even if the current track diverges for now," Zero continued, his voice steady as he reached down to pat Betty's small, adorable head with an almost casual motion, "Subaru will still abandon the Emilia camp. Subaru will slaughter Reinhardt. Subaru will burn down the corrupt Royal Capital and slaughter the filthy nobles and knights, sparking a revolution."
His words landed like a series of verdicts, each one more devastating than the last.
The implication was clear and terrible: no matter what happened this day, the larger future Zero described remained inevitable.
Then he turned his attention to the gathered Royal Candidates, his gaze sweeping over them with cold clarity.
"You will all meet your destined deaths," he said without a hint of hesitation.
He let his eyes linger on Priscilla for a long beat, the orange-haired woman meeting his stare.
"Including you, Priscilla," he stated, the name carrying weight.
He cocked his head slightly and asked, almost conversationally, "Do you like this prognosis, Priscilla?"
The question hung in the air, provocative and precise — a deliberate challenge that demanded a reaction and made everyone present acutely aware of how little control they might actually have.
However, Priscilla's grin widened, sharp and confident, as she leaned slightly forward and said, "Like it? I love it."
Her words struck everyone like a bolt of lightning, leaving them momentarily stunned into silence.
"I love this challenge," she continued, her voice low and deliberate, brimming with an almost intoxicating arrogance.
"Natsuki Subaru—no, Zero—mark my words. In this new future, something will change. Something significant will shift."
Her grin grew wider, daring anyone to contradict her.
Gloria, standing nearby, added with unwavering conviction, "My divine self will rule the new Kingdom—by your side, as your wife."
Her eyes burned with fierce determination, the intensity of her gaze signaling that she had firmly set her goal in her mind.
She would become Natsuki Subaru's wife, she would remain by his side no matter how the entire kingdom opposed him, and in the end, she would overshadow Reina entirely, securing her place as Zero's partner.
Meanwhile, Alderban, who had overheard Priscilla's bold declaration and her unshakable resolve to become Zero's wife and alter the course of the future, suffered an immediate emotional collapse.
The shock and disbelief hit him so hard that he crumpled to the ground, unable to process the weight of her words.
The man who, in another timeline, had shaken the entire world with his actions, his authority and power leaving greatest warriors trembling, was now brought low—not by weapons or strategy, but by nothing more than the audacity and conviction of Priscilla's declaration.
Mere words had defeated him where armies and tactics had once dominated, leaving him completely broken in spirit and form.
Meanwhile, Zero laughed, a sound both calm and unnervingly confident.
"I will love to see you try," he said, his gaze fixed on Priscilla as if challenging her resolve directly.
Then, without missing a beat, he turned toward Subaru, his expression serious and unwavering.
"Subaru, your future remains unchanged. The day I vanish from this world… will be the day you have actually managed to change your future. Remember that."
His words carried the weight of a warning, sharp and undeniable, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
With that, Zero took to the skies, moving with effortless speed and grace.
Gloria and Reina followed closely behind, each employing their unique methods of flight.
Gloria transformed into a golden meteor, harnessing her Yang Magic to propel herself through the air, leaving trails of radiant light in her wake.
Reina, relying on her exceptional strength and agility, kicked at the air with supersonic precision, generating the necessary thrust to maintain her high-speed flight.
In mere moments, the three of them became distant dots against the sprawling sky.
As they accelerated to supersonic speeds, a tremendous rumble echoed across the landscape, tearing the clouds apart and announcing their departure with a force that could have easily shaken the ground below.
Yet, surprisingly, none of the witnesses reacted strongly to this extraordinary display of power and speed.
There was no awe, no panic—only a heavy, lingering weight pressing down on their minds.
Their thoughts were entirely consumed by Zero's parting words, the warning echoing like a curse they could not shake.
All eyes instinctively turned to Subaru.
He stood at the center, the same as he had always been, yet something had undeniably shifted. Nothing in the physical world had changed, yet the balance among them had.
Their victory felt hollow, their sense of control fragile.
The alliances they had carefully built now felt brittle, exposed, and uncertain—an invisible tension threading through every member of the group.
The realization hit them like a slow, creeping chill: nothing had truly changed… except the stark awareness that their cohesion was more fragile than ever before.
To be continued...
(A/N: Shit's about to blow fan, also GIVE ME POWERSTONES! MEooooowwww)