The Prime Minister's office inside the Crystal Palace was suffocatingly quiet. It smelled of old parchment and cold stone, a stark contrast to the dirt, blood and sweat Todd and Jamal had dragged in from the road.
Berstetz Fondalfon sat behind a massive polished desk. The elderly man didn't look like a warrior, but the calculating weight in his eyes made him appear more dangerous than most men with a sword.
Standing beside the desk, Arakiya looked half-asleep, swaying slightly on her feet as if the political atmosphere was physically draining her.
"Private Second Class Todd Fang," Berstetz began, his voice dry and devoid of warmth. "For your swift action in the retreat from Guaral, and for successfully ensuring the return of General First-Class Arakiya, you are hereby promoted to Private First Class. Your pay and clearance will be adjusted accordingly."
Jamal grinned, elbowing Todd in the ribs.
"Hell yeah! Hear that, Todd? Movin' up in the world!"
Todd kept his face carefully blank, offering a crisp, standard-issue salute.
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
Internally, Todd wasn't smiling. A promotion didn't mean a safer bed; it just meant the Empire expected you to bleed more for your coin.
"Do not celebrate just yet, your new rank comes with an immediate important assignment. You, Private Aurélie, and First Class Arakiya will be traveling to the Gladiator Island of Ginuhive."
Todd lowered his hand.
"Ginuhive... are we reinforcing the garrison there?"
"——You are liquidating the island."
Berstetz corrected flatly in a way that made even Todd's expression shift in surprise.
"———"
"I have reason to believe that the rebel faction intends to liberate the gladiators to bolster their lacking numbers, so we will not allow them the opportunity. Upon the island is a Curse Tool made by First Class Groovy Gumlet—— it's range is the entire island and it acts as a tether, keeping the gladiators' curse marks stable within a certain range. Your task is to take that tool far from the island. Once it's out of range, the marks will trigger, killing everyone on the island instantly."
Jamal let out a low whistle.
"Damn. All of 'em at once? Saves us the trouble of swinging our swords, I guess."
Todd stared with an impressed expression, it was a brutal, efficient strategy that he imagined not many people would have the willpower to utilize.
But, wiping out thousands of people with a singular tool——that was the Vollachian way.
"Understood. We leave immediately. But... what about the other matter, Your Excellency?"
Berstetz leaned back in his chair, the wrinkles around his eye deepening.
"——The white-haired child."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop at the mere mention of him. Even Arakiya's eyes snapped open, a low, instinctual growl vibrating in her throat before she suppressed it.
"He is an anomaly."
Berstetz stated, lacing his fingers together.
"No records exist of a white-haired child with such absurd capabilities but the stars spoke of his appearance before he appeared, he arrived and burst through the doors of the Crystal Palace and possesses techniques that defies all known laws of mana. What is your assessment, Private Fang?"
"He's a monster."
Todd said bluntly, not bothering to sugarcoat it.
"But he's a monster with a leash he put on himself——he acts arrogant as powerful people tend to, but he's obsessed with 'saving' people for some unknown reason. It's a complex. If you point him at an enemy and tell him people will die if he doesn't fight, he'll do it."
Berstetz's lips curved into the faintest hint of a cold smile.
"A predictable flaw. Then we shall make use of it."
The old man stood up, clasping his hands behind his back as he turned toward the large window overlooking the capital.
"We cannot leave a variable of his magnitude wandering the capital unchecked," Berstetz stated, his voice calm and precise. "Nor can we afford to fight him directly. So, we will give him a crisis to solve. We are sending him to Chaosflame."
Todd raised an eyebrow.
"The Demon City? Yorna Mishigure's territory?"
"Precisely. General Mishigure's loyalty to the throne is currently... in question," Berstetz explained smoothly. "You will inform the child that the Witch Cult—a universally despised organization of lunatics—is planning to level Chaosflame. You will tell him that the capital's forces are stretched too thin to protect the innocent civilians there."
Jamal blinked, scratching the back of his neck.
"Wait, the Witch Cult? Are they actually going there?"
"Our intelligence confirms it. Chaosflame is under attack as we speak," Berstetz said, glancing back over his shoulder. "Furthermore, reports indicate the boy formed some sort of bond with the Mistress of the Demon City, this is only further proven by the fact that First Class Madelyn Eschart and myself traveled to the Demon City to ask him to join against the revolt. He will not refuse."
Todd stared at the Prime Minister, the pieces of the strategy clicking together in his head.
"You're using him as a diplomatic tool."
Todd muttered.
"If he goes to Chaosflame and wipes out the Witch Cult, he saves the city. Yorna Mishigure becomes indebted to the Empire for sending him. She'll have no choice but to side with us against the rebels."
"A very astute observation, Private Fang."
Berstetz said, turning back around to face the room.
"The child desperately wants to be a hero... so we will let him play the hero, and the Empire will reap the political rewards of his labor. Take the Curse Tool, Private Fang. See to the liquidation of Ginuhive... and before you all depart, ensure you deliver this mission to Satoru Gojo."
Berstetz and Chisha had kept their word to Gojo.
They hadn't assaulted populated areas, regardless of whether those people supported the revolution.
It was a simple enough promise to honor while the board was being set, but Satoru Gojo had been naive enough to leave the agreement open-ended.
Berstetz's eyes narrowed as he looked out at the city.
Now that the rebels had taken Guaral, the deal was over. The revolution would go no further. They would be executed before they even caught sight of the capital's gates.
If that made Satoru Gojo an enemy, then Berstetz would simply add him to the list.
The boy hadn't proven himself superior to Arakiya power-wise; he was just harder to kill.
Whether it was a wind spell or some other trick of mana, no single fighter—no matter how tenacious—could withstand the combined weight of the Empire's military and the Nine Divine Generals.
Gojo was an anomaly, certainly. But he was no Cecilus Segmunt.
————————————————————————
The morning air in Guaral was sharp and cold as the rebel forces divided their camp outside the City Hall. The courtyard was a chaotic mess of carriages, supply crates, and soldiers preparing to march.
Zikr Osman stood near the main gates, organizing his army that would stay behind to hold the city. He offered Subaru a crisp, respectful salute as he walked past. Subaru returned it with a tired wave.
"Hero-kun!"
Flop called out, adjusting an overstuffed pack on his shoulders. He wore his usual, blindingly optimistic smile.
Although he didn't know the blonde-haired merchant all too well, he hopes that he'll at the very least be safe at Chaosflame.
"Try not to get eaten by any gladiators on that island! We'll have a massive feast waiting for you when we all meet up again!"
"Yeah, yeah. Just keep your head attached to your neck in Chaosflame, Flop." Subaru said with a nod.
Medium bounded over next, slapping Subaru on the back with a grin.
"Don't lose, Subaru! I don't really know you all that well but if you die before I get to see you fight again, I'll be really mad!"
Holly and Kuna stood near the lead carriage. They didn't offer any cheerful goodbyes, just a firm, warrior's nod of respect. Subaru nodded back. They understood the stakes better than anyone.
Abel was already seated inside his carriage, his oni mask obscuring any hint of emotion. He looked down at Subaru through the open window.
"Ginuhive. The Curse. The army," Abel stated, his voice a flat demand. "Do not fail, a large weight of the revolution itself sits atop your shoulders."
"...Nice talking to you too, Abel." Subaru muttered as the carriage driver snapped the reins.
The wheels groaned, and the convoy began its trek toward the eastern gate that wasn't in ruins.
Subaru turned his attention to his own transport——a small, battered carriage hitched to a single earth dragon. He looked down, tightening his grip on Louis's small hand. She clung to his leg, letting out a soft, anxious...
"Ua..."
Subaru shot a wary glance across the courtyard. Up on a shaded balcony, Priscilla was lounging in a chair, fanning herself lazily.
Al stood completely still behind her, his one arm resting on the pommel of his sword. They were staying in Guaral to recuperate and fortify the city.
Subaru swallowed hard, moving himself slightly to block their line of sight to Louis.
He couldn't leave her here. Al and Priscilla had both been at the Watergate City of Priestella.
If either of them looked too closely at the helpless blonde girl and recognized the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, Louis wouldn't survive the hour.
Priscilla would burn her to ash without a second thought.
Dragging a child to a literal slaughterhouse was a terrible idea, but leaving her here was a guaranteed execution.
But he'll protect her, no matter who he has to face.
"Come on, Louis. Up we go——"
Subaru said, lifting her into the back of the carriage.
He climbed in after her, pulling the heavy canvas flap shut to block out the sight of the city and the piercing gaze of the Sun Princess. He sat down on the hard wooden bench, pulling his knees up as the driver urged the earth dragon forward.
The carriage lurched, and they began their long journey south-west. Toward Ginuhive.
————————————————————————
Todd found the kid standing in the middle of the plaza, staring at a patch of dry stone as if it held the secrets to the universe.
Usually, approaching the white-haired brat was like trying to walk through a wall of static. Even from twenty paces, you could feel his attention snapping toward you——that invisible weight of his gaze tracking every muscle twitch.
But not today.
Todd moved through the shadows of the surrounding columns. He kept his breathing shallow and his steps deliberate. He didn't use a soldier's march; he used a hunter's prowl. He expected Gojo to spin around at any second with that infuriating, smug grin.
Ten paces. Five.
Todd reached the edge of the fountain, standing barely an arm's length behind the boy. Gojo didn't move. His shoulders were slumped, and his head was bowed. He looked less like a living weapon and more like a lost child drowning in his own head.
"Are you alright, Gojo-san?" Todd asked, his voice low and rasping.
Gojo flinched. It wasn't a violent movement, but a sharp, genuine startle. He spun around, hand rising instinctively, but he froze when he saw Todd's face.
Behind the blindfold, his eyes were likely wide with a shock that hadn't been there before.
"Oh. It's just the guy with the bad haircut~" Gojo muttered. The arrogance was there, but it was hollow. "I knew you were there. I just... wanted to see how close you'd get."
"You lie." Todd said flatly.
Todd watched him closely. Normally, calling the boy a liar to his face was a gamble that would most of the time result in him being toyed with.
But Todd was a predator who specialized in reading the wind. Right now, the wind around Gojo was stagnant.
The kid was so wrapped up in whatever was going on in his mind that he didn't even have the energy for petty retaliation.
He was vulnerable.
"You didn't hear a thing," Todd continued, his tone deliberately blunt. "If I were an assassin, your head would be in that fountain."
Gojo's mouth thinned into a straight line. He didn't fire back with a joke or a threat of his own. He just turned away, looking back at the empty plaza.
"What do you want, Todd? I'm busy doing nothing."
"The Prime Minister has a job for you," Todd said, stepping around to face him.
He didn't like being in the kid's personal space, but he needed to see the reaction.
"——A real hero job. The kind you're so obsessed with."
Gojo's head tilted slightly.
"Tch. I already made it clear I do what I want. I can name a hundred bad things I'd rather do than follow Berstetz's orders."
"Chaosflame. The Demon City," Todd said, cutting through the posturing. "Our intelligence confirmed it's under attack. The Witch Cult is moving to level the place. They're after the civilians, and they're after the city's ruler, Yorna Mishigure."
The name Yorna sparked something. A flicker of recognition crossed Gojo's face, followed by a sharp, jagged tension.
"The Empire's forces are tied up here and at the border," Todd continued, leaning in to drive the point home. "We can't send a detachment in time. If someone doesn't intervene, thousands of people are going to be slaughtered while you're standing here staring at dirt."
Todd watched Gojo's jaw set.
Gojo was struggling, caught between the Stargazer's warning and his own desperate need to be the 'Satoru Gojo' he thought he was supposed to be.
Todd was throwing him a lifeline——a reason to stop thinking and start hitting things.
"Chaosflame..." Gojo repeated.
He straightened his back, his posture shifting back into that of a confident warrior. It looked like he was donning a suit of armor that didn't quite fit anymore, but it was enough to hide the cracks.
"The Witch Cult, huh? I've been looking for a reason to hit something."
"Then move." Todd said, gesturing toward the city gates.
He didn't even bother with the honorifics this time, and his voice was sharp with a lack of respect.
"There's a dragon carriage waiting. Unless you'd rather stay here and keep talking to yourself."
Gojo didn't respond to the rude and sudden shift in persona. He didn't even seem to notice it. He just started walking, his pace fast and purposeful. He didn't look back at Todd, and he didn't look back at the fountain where that strange man had sat.
Todd watched him go, a cold, satisfied feeling settling in his gut.
Berstetz was right. You didn't need to break a monster like this. You just have to give it a direction to run.
————————————————————————
The suite reeked of ozone and rotting meat. Tanza's fists hit like sledgehammers, but against Capella, blunt force was a joke.
Capella didn't bother dodging. She let Tanza's blows cave in her chest, shatter her ribs, and pulverize her jaw. Purple ichor hissed where it splattered, but the flesh just kept knitting itself back together, chasing Tanza's strikes.
"Is that it? Is that all the 'loyalty' you've got?"
Capella's voice shifted mid-sentence. Her head, currently hanging at a broken angle from Tanza's last kick, suddenly snapped upright. The muscles in her face writhed and locked into place, forming the smug, blindfolded features of Satoru Gojo.
"C'mon, Tanza-chan! Hit me harder! I thought you were a big girl!"
The mock-Gojo laughed, purple blood bubbling over his bottom lip. Then, with a wet squelch, the face melted away, dropping back into the golden-haired girl with the rose.
"Gyahaha! The look on your face! You actually liked that white-haired meat-scrap, didn't you? Too bad he ran off~!"
Tanza didn't answer. She stepped inside Capella's guard and drove her palm upward into the Archbishop's solar plexus. The impact launched Capella through a heavy wardrobe, reducing it to splinters.
"Meili... run..." Tanza commanded.
A thin trail of blood leaked from her forehead. She was panting.
The Soul Marriage link tying her to Yorna was burning under the sheer, oppressive malice radiating from the wreckage.
Capella stood up from the debris. She wasn't even out of breath.
"Run? Gyahahaha~ to where?" Capella asked.
Her arms suddenly elongated, skin splitting to reveal barbed, obsidian-black tentacles.
"The whole city is a playground for my children today. The 'Witch Cult' is such a useful brand. It lets me do whatever I want, and everyone just screams the same name."
She whipped a tentacle forward. Tanza caught it, her teeth gritting as the acidic blood scorched her palms to the bone.
"You're so boring!"
Capella shrieked, annoyed by the lack of screaming.
"No fear! No despair! Just that stupid, blank doll face! If you won't give me a reaction, I'll just have to carve one out of your organs!"
Tanza braced her footing. She couldn't dodge. If she moved, Meili—currently curled into a pathetic, shivering ball behind her—would be dead in seconds.
"I am a shield of the Crimson Lapis Castle," Tanza stated. "I do not break!"
"——Then let's see how much pressure a shield can take before it turns to dust!"
Capella lunged. The floorboards exploded under her as her lower half seamlessly morphed into a massive serpent's tail. Her fist ballooned into a distorted boulder of mutated muscle, swinging in a wide arc meant to flatten both children.
Tanza crossed her arms. The faint red glow of Yorna's protection flared over her skin.
The impact was deafening. The balcony doors blew outward from the shockwave. Tanza was shoved backward, her boots gouging deep furrows into the hardwood. She held the block, but her kimono sleeves shredded into confetti, and the bones in her forearms groaned under the force.
"Oh? You're still holding on?" Capella leaned in, her manic, wide eyes inches from Tanza's face. "How about now? Or now? Or NOW?!"
With every 'now,' a new limb tore out of Capella's torso. Claws, bone-maces, and stingers rained down in a frenzied, blinding barrage against Tanza's failing guard.
Meili covered her ears. She couldn't track the movements anymore. She only heard the impacts ringing one after the other like explosions. Tanza's ragged breathing, and Capella's shrill laughter.
Mother had found her. There were no heroes——just despair.
Tanza's knees finally buckled, hovering an inch above the floor. Her vision swam. Capella raised two massive, fused fists for a final, crushing blow.
Then, the pressure vanished.
The ceiling caved in. Yorna Mishigure didn't announce herself with a spell or a flourish of her fan. She arrived heel-first.
Fueled by the collective mana of Chaosflame, Yorna's zori caught Capella squarely in the sternum. The sheer kinetic force of the kick hit the Archbishop like a falling meteor. Capella's upper half didn't just break——it detonated into a fine red mist. A geyser of purple blood and bone fragments painted the far wall.
The Archbishop's snake-like lower half stood there for a fraction of a second before collapsing into a twitching heap.
Yorna landed gracefully, the hem of her kimono settling perfectly around her ankles. She didn't spare a glance at the gore on the wall. Her eyes were solely on Tanza.
"You held the line magnificently, my daughter..."
Yorna hummed, her voice a warm anchor that instantly calmed the frantic beating of Tanza's heart.
"——Rest now. I will take the burden from here."
Tanza let out a shaky breath. The red aura of the Soul Marriage washed over her, and she allowed herself a small, exhausted smile before sagging to the floor.
Behind her, Meili stared at Yorna with wide, wet eyes, too terrified to even sob.
"Aww... that's just... meaaaan~"
The pile of meat against the wall bubbled. A wet, tearing sound echoed through the suite as a new ribcage knitted itself together out of thin air. A neck sprouted, followed by a head that violently shook itself to clear the purple slime from its eyes.
Capella sat up, her golden hair rapidly reforming strand by strand.
"Interrupting a mother's reunion with her daughter? You really are a nasty piece of work, aren't you, fox-lady?"
Capella stood up, aggressively smoothing down her lack of clothing.
Her eyes locked onto Yorna. The manic playfulness completely vanished, replaced by a cold, venomous glare.
"So, you're the one I've heard about. The one who 'loves' her city so much it actually hurts."
"I am the Mother of Chaosflame," Yorna replied, stepping forward.
The temperature in the room spiked as her presence expanded, suddenly making the massive suite feel claustrophobic.
"——And I do not recognize your brand of 'love,' Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult. It smells of nothing but rot and self-loathing."
Capella threw her head back and shrieked.
"Self-loathing? Me? Gyahahaha! You've got it all backward, you pathetic pile of meat! This lovely lady is the only one who knows what love actually is!"
Capella stepped closer, her skin rippling as she forcibly shifted her proportions into a more 'elegant' silhouette to match Yorna's height. But her eyes remained chaotic pits of madness.
"Your love is a cage, fox-lady! You tie these little scraps of meat to your soul, mmmm? Forcing them to die for you, to bleed for you, all so you can feel 'whole.' It's parasitic! It's disgusting!"
Capella jabbed a clawed finger at Tanza's unconscious body.
"——You want them to be dolls. I want them to be mine, mine MINE! I change them! I mold them! I turn them into something beautiful that can never, ever leave me!"
"You turn them into monsters because you are terrified of being alone."
Yorna countered, her tone absolute and freezing.
"You consume because you cannot inspire. You break because you cannot build. My children follow me not because they are forced, but because my heart is their home! That is a concept a hollow thing like you will never comprehend!"
"Hollow? Me?! You bitch!"
Capella's face tore open in anger, her jaw unhinging down to her collarbone to reveal rows of needle-like teeth.
"I'll show you hollow! I'm going to rip that heart of yours out and see if it tastes as sweet as you claim! I'll turn this entire city into a screaming hive of my children, and then we'll see whose 'love' is stronger!"
Capella didn't just transform——she erupted. A pair of colossal, blackened wings tore from her back, shattering the remaining structural beams and ripping the ceiling right off the Bloodflame Castle. Her stature swelled into something monstrous, blotting out the sky.
Yorna didn't flinch. She simply lifted her golden kiseru to her lips, the bowl glowing with intense, localized heat.
"Then come, little monster——" Yorna said softly. "Let me show you the flames that protect this city."
————————————————————————
The carriage had been rattling over the sun-baked plains for hours. The dry heat of the Vollachian badlands seeped through the canvas roof, turning the cramped space into an oven.
Subaru slouched against the hard wooden bench, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of a grime-streaked hand.
His back suffered more and more with every jolt of the wheels, a constant reminder that he wasn't built for the rugged terrain of the Empire.
Across from him, Louis was completely unbothered by the miserable conditions.
She was happily occupied with a piece of dried fruit Flop had packed for them, chewing on it with a sloppy, sticky grin.
Seeing him sigh at a particularly nasty bump, she paused her chewing and crawled across the floorboards.
She held up a half-eaten, saliva-slicked piece of fruit, offering it to him with a hopeful chirp.
"Ua!"
"No thanks, Louis. You eat it..." Subaru muttered, offering a tired smile.
He reached out to pat her blonde hair, his fingers lingering for a second.
It was still hard to reconcile this clingy, innocent creature, considering who she used to be.
But here, in the quiet heat, she was just a kid who didn't want him to be hungry.
Louis seemed to sense his exasperation. Instead of retreating to her side of the carriage, she hauled herself up onto the bench next to him.
She grabbed the hem of his sleeve and started tugging, her expression surprisingly focused.
"What is it? You need something?"
She didn't answer—she couldn't—but she began rhythmically waving her small hand back and forth in front of his face. She was trying to fan him. It was a clumsy, ineffective gesture that mostly just moved the hot air around, but the intent was clear.
Subaru felt a pang of something complicated in his chest. It was a mix of gratitude and a deep, gnawing confused sense of guilt.
"Thanks... that actually helps a bit."
Louis beamed, seemingly proud of her new job.
She eventually tired of the fanning and slumped against his side, tucking her head under his arm.
Despite himself, Subaru shifted to make her more comfortable, resting his arm over her shoulders to steady her against the carriage's swaying.
He looked down at the top of her head. He was protecting a Sin Archbishop, a girl who should have been his greatest enemy, and yet, he was the only parent she had. It was a mess. Everything about his life in Vollachia was a mess.
He leaned his head back against the carriage wall and closed his eyes, the rhythmic thumping of the earth dragon's strides acting as a hypnotic metronome.
He just needed to rest his eyes for a minute.
He needed to figure out how he was going to dismantle a magical hostage situation that could easily kill them all, most likely including him, if Abel wasn't lying on how powerful it was.
He needed to——
————————————————————————
Subaru gasped, his eyes snapping open as he lunged forward.
His hands flew to his throat, then his chest, frantically searching for a wound. His heart was hammering against his ribs in a chaotic, terrified rhythm.
Across from him, Louis jumped, startled by his sudden movement. She dropped a perfectly whole, uneaten piece of dried fruit onto her lap.
"Uau?"
She tilted her head, looking at him with wide, concerned eyes.
Subaru froze. The carriage was still rattling. The heat was still suffocating. He stared at the piece of fruit in Louis's lap, then looked down at his own trembling hands.
There was no blood. No pain.
But the lingering, nauseating cold of death was still clinging to his skin. He knew that sensation intimately. It was the undeniable proof that his soul had just been yanked backward through time.
——He had just died.
"What...?" Subaru choked out, his voice barely a whisper.
He scrambled to the front of the carriage, tearing the canvas flap aside to look at the driver. The man was just sitting there, lazily holding the reins.
Subaru checked the back window. The road behind them was completely empty. There were no bandits. No arrows. No magical explosions.
He slumped back onto the bench, a cold sweat breaking out over his entire body despite the heat.
He hadn't felt a thing. One second he was leaning back against the wall, and the next, he was dead.
Was it poison in the air? A heart attack? A sniper from a mile away?
"No, no, no..."
Subaru muttered, gripping his hair as the paranoia instantly set in.
He looked wildly around the tiny, enclosed space of the carriage.
Subaru sat in shock, his breath coming in ragged hitches.
He didn't have a single clue what had just killed him, which meant he had no idea how to stop it from happening again.
He gripped his hair, his knuckles turning white.
Had he really let his guard down that much by being with Louis? He thought he'd grown past this——past the point where he could be assassinated without even realizing he was under attack.
All that training, the constant life-or-death struggles... wasn't the whole point to stop being useless? To finally see the blow coming?
This was the polar opposite of the time he'd been struck by a poisoned arrow. That had been the worst pain of his life, easily topping the agony of overusing the Authority of Pride.
This, by comparison, had been nothing. Total silence. Total darkness.
In all honesty, he wasn't sure if he should be grateful for the lack of pain or terrified by it. A death he couldn't feel was a death he couldn't track.
"Ua?"
Louis reached out again, her small palm resting on his knee.
She looked frightened by the way his eyes were darting around the empty carriage.
Subaru forced himself to take a slow, shaking breath. He couldn't spiral out of control from just that, he's been through much worse after all.
At least, not with her watching. If there was a killer out there, they were either invisible or silent, and fast. Or perhaps even both.
"I'm okay, Louis, something happened... but you don't have to worry, I'll fix it soon."
He stared at the canvas walls of the carriage, waiting for the shadows to move.
How far back did he go? Not far enough to see the gates of Guaral, but far enough that the sun was still high. Return by Death was usually more generous with its checkpoints, but this felt like being dropped right back into the middle of the fire.
Subaru's brow furrowed. Cursed Energy flickered instinctively through his limbs, a cold hum beneath his skin as he leaned toward the carriage window. He scanned the horizon. No city. No landmarks. Just the endless, rolling dust of the Empire.
He'd missed his chance to check the time before he died. He was flying blind.
"Uaau..."
A small tug on his sleeve broke his train of thought. Louis was looking up at him, her brow pinched in a way that made Subaru's heart ache. He was making her worry—projecting his own panic onto a girl who couldn't even process why he was suddenly acting like a cornered animal.
"I'm alright, Louis," he said, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "It's just... some bad stuff is coming. I need you to be ready."
Louis tilted her head. She didn't have words, but she had instincts. She sensed the shift in the air, the way Subaru's eyes wouldn't stop darting toward the shadows.
"Just keep your guard up," he whispered, leaning back and rubbing his face. "If you hear anything—anything at all—you tell me. Understand?"
She gave him a slow, serious nod.
Time became an enemy. When you're waiting for a killer you can't see, seconds feel like minutes. The sun finally dipped below the horizon, staining the sky a bruised purple before the world went black. Subaru stayed tense, his hand hovering over the dagger at his belt.
He was certain he had passed the point where he died in the last loop. So they are changing their plan, he thought. They know I'm awake now.
"Damn it," he muttered. He couldn't just sit here and wait to be a target.
He scooted off the bench and unlatched the small window leading to the driver's seat. "How much further?"
The driver jumped slightly, mid-yawn. He looked like a regular guy—maybe a merchant or a low-level soldier from Guaral just doing a job. "Eh? Ah, not much longer. But listen, I'm dropping you off before the main entrance. I'm not getting close to that island. It's bad news."
Subaru nodded. "That's fine. Just get us as close as—"
Something moved in the dark.
It wasn't a sound. It was just a ripple in the moonlight.
"Well, I'm sure you'll be missing the warmth of——"
A glint of steel flashed. Subaru's Cursed Energy flared, his hand shooting out to grab the driver's shoulder, but he was a millisecond too slow.
A kunai buried itself into the side of the man's neck with a sickening, wet thud.
The driver didn't even scream. His eyes went wide, his mouth filling with blood as he clutched at the iron in his throat. He slumped to the side, losing his balance as the carriage jolted over a rock, and tumbled off the seat into the darkness behind them.
"——Shit!" Subaru roared.
He scrambled to grab the reins, but then a cold, paralyzing thought hit him.
Louis.
He spun around.
The inside of the carriage was already painted red.
Louis was stumbling backward, her hands clamped over her throat. Blood was geyser-ing between her fingers, pouring down her chest and soaking her dress in seconds.
She hadn't even had time to make a sound.
"No... no, no, no!"
Subaru leaped across the floor, catching her before she hit the wood. He lowered her down, his hands shaking so violently he could barely move.
He pressed his palms over hers, trying to stanch the flow, trying to force his Cursed Energy and mana into the wound——trying to do anything that would help.
"Louis! Stay with me! Look at me!"
She did look at him. Her pupils were blown wide, her small chest heaving as she fought for an oxygen supply that was no longer there. But even as the life faded, she wasn't looking at him with fear.
She was looking at him with hope.
She expected him to fix it.
She expected him to save her.
"Fuck! Fuck——FUCK!"
Subaru's scream was a raw, jagged sound of pure agony. He watched the light leave her eyes, her body going limp in his arms.
Who? Why? Why would anyone do this to a child? To a driver who was just holding the reins?!
He wasn't just being hunted. He was being mocked.
"———"
Subaru stared down at the girl in his lap, his jaw slack and eyes stinging with unshed tears.
The earth dragon let out a pained, animalistic yelp outside. The carriage hit something, snapped, and began to flip. Subaru didn't feel the impact. He didn't care about the splintering wood or the world turning upside down.
He pulled Louis's body tight against his chest. As the carriage rolled, he kicked through the side wall, launching himself into the night.
He hit the ground and skidded several meters, coming to a halt in a dark, towering forest.
He stood up slowly. The darkness was absolute, but his senses were screaming. He didn't think about his survival. He didn't think about the mission. He thought only of the person who had turned the girl in his arms into a corpse.
"Oh? You survived that too?" a voice rasped from the shadows. "Glad to see my instincts ain't gettin'—"
Subaru didn't wait for him to finish. He didn't even move his feet or raise his hands to attack, it just happened.
A crescent-shaped wave of Darkness infused with Cursed Energy tore through the air, silent and absolute. It eviscerated everything in its path, bisecting over a dozen trees before vanishing into the darkness of the night.
The forest groaned as the timber began to collapse. Subaru tilted his head slightly, a kunai whistling past his ear.
In the dark, fueled by despair, he felt like he could do anything. But the price was too high. He was only this powerful because he had nothing left to lose.
"Yeesh, look at that face. You look like the world just ended, kid. It's just one little life. We lose those every day in Vollachia."
A small, glowing orb sailed out of the brush toward him.
Subaru didn't flinch. He let go of Louis with one hand to keep her steady and flicked his fingers.
A needle-thin spike of darkness shot forward, piercing the orb dead center and——
BOOOOOM——!
The fireball detonated. The shockwave leveled the nearby brush, and a wall of orange flame erupted, instantly turning the forest into an inferno. The fire spread rapidly, casting long, dancing shadows against the trees.
Deep in the brush, the old man caught his breath. He had intended to talk to the black-haired boy, but a quick death in the flames was a fine alternative.
"——Who are you?"
The voice came from directly inside the fire.
The old man's eyes widened. He scrambled backward as Subaru stepped out of the heart of the blaze. His clothes weren't even singed. Even Louis, cradled in his arms, was untouched by the heat.
"What the——?!"
The old man spat on the ground and reached into his inner pocket.
"——Names Olbart. One of the Nine Divine Generals."
Subaru's pupils contracted as the name hit him like a physical blow——the very same man Abel had warned him about back during the meeting.
The rage in his chest spiked, turning into something cold and razor-sharp.
"Why? Why did you kill her? She had nothing to do with any of this!!"
Olbart raised a bushy eyebrow and gave a casual shrug.
"Bah, it's just life, kid. Don't look at me with those scary eyes. In the Empire, you're either the one swinging the blade or the one getting cut. The girl was just a prop for a good story. Besides, look at you! You're way more interesting now that you're miserable."
"I'm going to kill you," Subaru whispered.
"Feel free to try! I did the deed, after all," Olbart laughed. "Even if I wasn't the one who signed the order."
The Vicious Old Man's hand blurred the next moment as he threw a shuriken at speeds surpassing sound.
Though, it never reached Subaru.
The weapon froze in mid-air, its momentum killed by an invisible force. A second later, the metal was crushed into a tiny, useless ball of scrap.
Before Olbart could even register the failure, an Unseen Hand—strengthened by Subaru's surging Cursed Energy—slammed into the old man's stomach.
The air left Olbart's lungs in a violent spray of spit and blood. He was launched backward, his body skipping across the forest floor like a stone over water.
Powerful brat, isn't he?
Olbart rolled across the dirt for dozens of meters, his small frame twisting like an acrobat. He kicked off the ground and leaped to the side just as Subaru slammed into the earth where he had been standing.
"Grh——"
Debris peppered Olbart's body before Subaru lunged forward, his kick narrowly missing the old man.
Olbart countered instantly, slamming a palm into Subaru's side. The blow felt weak, but the aftermath was immediate.
Steam hissed from the impact site. Poison surged through Subaru's veins, making his midsection feel like it was being hollowed out by a blowtorch.
He stumbled back, grimacing, but his grip on Louis's body didn't loosen.
Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet rippled like the surface of a lake. He sank up to his waist before the dirt solidified again, pinning him in place.
"Don't wiggle too much——!"
Olbart cackled, darting in with nails aimed at Subaru's throat.
"It's better if it's quick. I'll even give ya a nice burial since ya put up such a fight!"
It was a strange, lethal technique——the mark of a true Shinobi. But it wasn't enough.
Subaru jerked his head to the side. The nails left a shallow, bloody trail across his neck, cutting through his Cursed Reinforcement. Subaru didn't flinch. He opened his mouth and hissed a single command.
"——El Shamak."
A dome of absolute darkness erupted.
Olbart skidded to a halt, his senses instantly severed from his body. No light, no sound, no sense of direction. Inside the void, Subaru tore himself free from the earth and lunged. He focused his Cursed Energy into his fist and swung with everything he had without being amplified by the taboo.
The blow connected completely, and bones shattered upon impact.
Olbart was launched out of the darkness and skipped across the forest floor like a stone.
"——Uaghh!"
The old man groaned as his senses returned in a violent rush—the smell of fire, the sound of crashing trees, and the agonizing pain in his ribs. He scrambled to a stagger, but Subaru was already above him, his leg raised for a guillotine drop that would have flattened a dragon.
"——!?"
The strike hit, but it felt wrong. It was as if Subaru's leg had passed through a ghost. The force of his own momentum was suddenly redirected back into his hip, making his teeth rattle as he stumbled back.
"Surprised? It's a nice trick, ain't it?"
Olbart wheezed, lunging with a swipe from his nails toward Subaru's throat.
"You're swinging with too much heart, kid. That's why you're easy to read!"
Subaru's Authority flared, shifting the trajectory of Olbart's strike by an inch. Olbart's eyes went wide.
"——What?!"
Olbart's eyes went wide as if he saw something he would've never expected.
Subaru didn't give him time to think. He manifested a blunt, massive shield of Darkness and thrust it forward. The impact caught Olbart full-force, blasting him through the treeline and deep into the woods.
Subaru gave chase, his boots pounding against the earth until the sound of lapping water filled his ears. He emerged from the trees and scanned the shoreline.
The forest was silent. Olbart was gone.
"Fuck... fucking... FUCK!"
Subaru gripped his head, his fingers digging into his scalp as he tried to stop his brain from spiraling. He looked down at Louis. The tears started again, hot and bitter.
He had failed.
Even with his power, even with his rage. He had promised to keep her safe. He had promised to get them both through this.
Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed. Failed.
The word echoed in his mind, a rhythmic torture. He looked out across the massive lake. In the center, rising from the dark water like a jagged tooth, sat the island.
Ginuhive, The Gladiator Island——
He had made it, but the price was everything.
————————————————————————
Natsuki Subaru walked along the edge of the Gladiator Island, his boots leaving deep, staggered ruts in the wet sand.
He held Louis's body tight against his chest, his face a hollowed-out wreck of grief.
He wasn't wet at all however, because he had crossed the massive lake by using the Authority of Pride to force the shadows to carry his weight, 'running' across the surface.
It was a frantic, desperate feat that kept his body dry while his mind drowned in the depths below.
He didn't know why he was still moving. He had no plan, no goal, and no reason to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
He had made a promise not to take his own life, and he intended to keep it——but right now, that vow felt like an unbearable curse.
He wasn't looking for a way to win anymore.
He was just walking blindly through the sand, hoping that in a place as blood-soaked as Ginuhive, he'd run into someone—or something—merciful enough to kill him so he wouldn't have to do it himself.
And perhaps, the world listened.
"——My, my! What a terribly dreary expression you have! That simply won't do for a stage as grand as this!"
Subaru stopped. The voice was high, energetic, and completely out of place on a desolate beach built to keep prisoners from escaping.
A young boy with striking blue hair and a traditional haori stood in the sand a few paces away, his hands tucked neatly into his sleeves. Despite his childish appearance, his posture radiated an arrogant, unshakable confidence.
"If you are to make an entrance on my stage, you must do so with far more flair than this I say!"
The boy proclaimed, puffing his chest out with absolute pride, even as he noticed Louis bloody corpse.
"A tragedy is fine, of course——I especially can agree that a tale would be rather lackluster without emotion, but you look like an extra who completely forgot his lines! I, the star of this world, demand a better performance!"
Subaru didn't really process the words. He didn't care about the boy's strange clothes, his theatrical nonsense, or why a child was wandering around a place like Gladiator Island.
All Subaru felt was rage. It was a hot, blinding fury directed at the universe, at Olbart, at his own pathetic weakness, and now, at this loud, smiling brat blocking his path.
He knelt down, gently setting Louis's body on the dry sand. He lingered for a second, making sure her head was resting comfortably, before he stood back up.
Then, without a single word, Subaru raised his hand.
A torrent of pitch-black darkness erupted from his palm. The Authority of Pride formed into jagged, Cursed Energy-infused spikes that tore across the beach, aimed directly at the boy's chest.
The boy didn't even blink, merely tilting his head with a small smile.
With a casual, almost lazy sidestep that defied the laws of physics, he avoided the barrage entirely.
The darkness sheared the sand and split a massive boulder behind him in two, but it didn't touch a single thread of his clothing.
"Oh? A villainous opening strike?!"
The boy's smile widened into something intense for a moment.
But as his bright blue eyes locked onto Subaru's dead, hollow ones, the theatrical cheer faltered just a fraction.
The boy tilted his head again, his gaze suddenly piercing right through the dark energy and the anger, reading the complete lack of self-preservation in Subaru's stance.
"Ah... however, that look I see in your eyes, I believed for a moment that following the wind allowed me to find something fortunate, I suppose it did in a way, but I can't help but believe I missed a major part of something dramatic!"
The boy murmured, his voice dropping the childish act for a fleeting second.
"There is no true killing intent in your strike, stranger. Only a desperate plea for the curtain to fall?"
Subaru lunged, manifesting a jagged blade of pure darkness in his grip. He swung wildly, leaving his entire torso exposed. He didn't care if he hit the kid. He didn't care about defending himself. He just wanted the pain in his chest to end.
"So very well then——"
The boy sighed softly, watching Subaru as he sprinted forward with anguish in his eyes.
A real sword suddenly materialized in his grip, though Subaru hadn't even seen his arm move.
Then, a flash of absolute, blinding silver illuminated the beach through the darkness.
Subaru didn't feel the blade, nor did he hear the sound of his own torso being cleanly bisected.
"——As the star of this show, it is my duty to grant a tragic character their final, beautiful climactic end."
The boy said quietly as he sheathed his sword and placed his hands behind his back, stepping past the falling halves.
"——Be sure to rest well knowing that I shall not forget you, tragic stranger."
Caught by their fading consciousness, that cheerful voice accompanied them all the way until its end.
The world simply tilted on its axis, the dark sand rushing up to meet Subaru's eyes before the crushing cold of the shadow finally swallowed him whole.