"..." Rem had to keep a handle on her sister's waist and keep her eyes wide open at the window above them. "Why… Why is this happening now?"
[If I had arms, I would embrace you]
Crusch's hand found it's way closer to the sleeping one of Subaru's as she watched with a small steeled glare aimed for the shadowed humanoid above Subaru.
[If I had feet, I would run to your side.]
"Fuck's this…" Heinkel looked away and held his head in his hands in order to stop the ringing inside of his brain from making him do something stupid again.
"Tis what your desperation will look like for that wife of yours, sooner or later." Priscilla hummed under her breath, observing the happening on the screen with a curious interest after removing any anger from her mood.
Heinkel couldn't help but glare at the ground as he listened more to Subaru's confession in the darkest of worlds above them. "What do you know… Or anyone for that matter about how much I loved…" He grits his teeth together. No response was given from Priscilla as she watched more.
[If I had a body, you would never be alone again.]
"Who is it…?" Felt had a grave look on her face as she came to her conclusion already, but the continuous shock running through everyone didn't put any encouragement to say it herself.
"It's not… No…" Reinhard was the one to whisper under everyone's gaze, his mind already rejecting the possibility with an astonished face.
[But none of these wishes could be granted. He had no fingers, mouth, arms, feet, or body to give.
The feeling was the same… In fact, it was a passion even greater than what he'd felt before. The warmth he received magnified his yearning, his emotions many times over, until finally they became sins.]
"Such an explanation… It's as if poetry was achieved." Tivey mused with a whitened face, appreciation for what he was hearing making things more bearable than creepy to his calculating mind.
"It's nonsense." Wilhelm was the one most glaring toward the window's words about Subaru's love for this shadow figure. "Subaru-dono's heart mustn't ache for something so forceful as this. This feeling of oppression and overwhelming pressure… It's nothing but poision on his soul."
"Hearing your words, I assume you've accepted who this is that has Barusu's heart locked in such a dangerous place?" Ram looked to the old man beside her sister and Felix with a knowing glare.
Wilhelm nodded his head as Beatrice and Petra both glared at the floor.
"To break away someone's free will and force them to establish a connection that's made from nothing but their selfish desires… It's the same person who plucked Subaru-dono from his world into ours using such cruel disregard for his life."
"What's the old man sayin', Ottobro?" Garfiel looked from Wilhelm to Otto and Julius who both held looks of seriousness on their faces.
"It can't be…" Otto trembled but kept his face glaring at the screen. "It's impossible…"
Anastasia was the one to ask for Garfield's confusion. "But when has it ever been normal with Natsuki-kun?" She hummed with her voice drifting off into a dead silence.
Emilia and Rem looked at the ground from the shock, as both realized what the others were starting too as well.
[Sloth, because I cannot wipe away your tears.
Lust, because I want us to melt together and become one.
Gluttony, because I want to consume you, to take all of you for myself.
Greed, because I want to have everything that I love.
Wrath, because I cannot forgive the absurdity of it all.
Pride, because I scorn everything that is not you.
Envy, because that is all I feel for the world that embraces you.
With this realization, the world shrouded in black was filled with an overwhelming sensation of love. That instant, the supposedly empty space warped, then shattered as irreversible time began to flow backward. It was simple. He understood that he was starting over. Where he had ended in darkness, light was born, and if he walked toward it, the world would greet him once more.
"—I love you."
He turned his back on the voice and walked forward. He wanted to turn toward it, but he held fast.
However, surely, one day he would take her hand.
"I love you."
The lovely voice called out until the very end when Subaru Natsuki began anew.]
"The Witch of Envy…" Petra's voice was the only one heard from the silence in the dark room. "S-She… She…"
"It's been her this whole time?!" Frederica's stutter was lost amongst the others who stared at the black square with horrified gazes. "This is…"
"What are you talking about, I suppose…" Beatrice couldn't but shake in her place on Subaru's lap. "Even if you're going to be hunted down by that monster, Betty won't ever leave your side, in fact." She turned to hug Subaru as tightly as she could.
Above her, the half-elf watching the scene couldn't but give a deep trembling frown. "I just don't understand… After everything he's been through… Now I see this?" Emilia's eyes couldn't but show tears building up in the corners even more than before. "He's always shown such unnatural devotion to me… He's done so much for all of us, I-I… How could you love someone who's destroyed so many lives?"
"Emilia-sama… The Witch is corrupting Subaru-kun's mind." Rem firmly rejected Emilia's words from behind. "Do not let her make you believe that Subaru-kun would fall for such a monster."
"Can't ya see that it's more complicated than that?" Anastasia spoke with a look of pity for the maid and Emilia. "I'm sorry but… We just can't know what Natuski-kun actually warrants as people he loves… Not when these meetings with the Wtich are happening within his subconscious."
Emilia and Rem looked at Subaru with expressions of doubt.
"I don't even know how to look at him knowing this information…" Emilia said, letting go of his hand, surprising Rem and Anastasia.
"This isn't wise, Emilia-sama." Crusch was the one to break Emilia's downward eyesight as she demanded attention from the half-elf. "Even should this twisted form of love the Witch and Subaru are sharing was real, Subaru had shown you more loyalty and passion than anyone in this room—"
"You heard what he was saying, Crusch-sama…" Felix interrupted with a guilty expression, his hands were trembling at the very idea. "The Witch of Jealousy… She… Loves him… And Subaru-kyun loves her too."
"Oi, whatcha sayin' about my cap'n?" Garfiel weakly protested what Felix was meant to say. "He's not at fault that… I…"
"He's in love with the damn Witch of Envy… Garf." Otto cut the tiger off even though Garfiel had drifted into silence and a weak look towards the ground. Otto continued while holding his head in his hands. "He's stuck being the toy of the most powerful demon of our history… How… How are we going to help him from such a thing?"
"You still think ya can help the guy…?" Heinkel asked Otto with a look that covered his cowardice. "Just leave him be and move on to a better life away from such a curse!"
"That will not happen!" Petra looked at the man with a glare as she stood in her seat. "That Witch will not make Subaru alone! We will stay by his side!"
No one supported her wording as all were looking at each other with looks of apprehension.
"We will help as much as we can but…" Reinhard rubbed the back of his head. "No… I want to believe in Subaru's goodwill winning against her but… His words… The feelings he has for her."
"We all heard it," Tivey looked at the floor with an aghast face. "We've almost SEEN her… The Witch of Envy herself…"
"... Jeez…" Mimi rubbed her head and hugged Ricardo's leg as she hid under the chair he was sitting on.
The theater was thick with tension, every emotion sharpened as the truth of Subaru's conflicted heart unraveled on screen.
Emilia sat close to Subaru, but a hollow ache grew in her chest with every word that repeated in her mind. Her fingers slipped away from his hand, and she leaned away from his seat, the bitter thought gnawing at her.
"Was it ever really me, Subaru? Or was I… Just a reflection…?" Emilia's whisper was barely audible as she stared at his sleeping face with a look of terror and disbelief.
Crusch, observing from a row behind, couldn't stay silent as she saw Emilia's shoulders droop with self-doubt. Her voice was steady but laced with an edge of empathy as she leaned forward. "Emilia-sama, don't let this doubt turn into poison. This is your self-loathing speaking, and it's exactly what they say—this belief that you're only the Witch's kin. Subaru chose you, not the Witch."
Emilia didn't respond, her gaze fixed on Subaru's face as she struggled to hold back tears, uncertain if Crusch's words rang true.
A loud crack echoed across the room from the back rows. Al gripped the armrest of his seat with his one good arm, his knuckles white with tension. It felt as though the weight of a lifetime of longing crashed down on him. Without realizing it, he crushed the armrest in his hand and it echoed across the room.
he spoke, barely controlling his voice. "All this time… and it was him. I was never even a thought in her mind, was I? She looked at him. Not me… never me." His helmet vizor was aimed directly towards the screen where the darkened humanoid figure of the Witch was shown.
Priscilla, sitting next to Al, barely glanced at him, her chin resting delicately in her palm as if the entire spectacle bored her. But to her other side, Heinkel stood abruptly, his eyes fixed on Subaru with an intense glare.
His voice sounded throughout the room as he stood tall for the first time since his entrance to the room. "Juukilius! Bring that sleepin' fool to the other rooms and cuff 'em with somethin'. He's gonna be arrested for his conspiracy with the Witch of Envy, the destroyer of our world!"
A murmur rippled through the theater, but two figures rose to stand protectively by Subaru's side.
"You will not lay a single finger on him, I suppose! Subaru isn't some criminal. If anyone here seeks his harm, they'll answer to me first, in fact!" Beatrice said with a loyal glare aimed at Heinkel from her standing position on Subaru's lap.
"Subaru-kun has stood by all of us time and again. I won't allow him to be harmed by accusations that hold no truth. There was no such conspiracy even if you refuse to open your eyes to him dying to save us." Rem said with an unyielding tone.
Ram and Felt remained where they were, each staring at the ground, torn between doubt and reluctant rejection of Heinkel's order.
But it was Roswaal, with a twisted smile that sent a chill through the room, who spoke next.
"Ahh, Heinkel-sama, my good man, let's not be so h~aaa~sty, hmm? Subaru's affections are none of your concern. If you seek to harm him, you'll find I am quite… unaccommodating."
Heinkel's expression hardened, and he didn't back down, even as Wilhelm and Reinhard stepped forward to defend Subaru, their words calm but firm.
"Subaru has never acted in malice. He fights for us, with us. Whatever his feelings may be, they have never tainted his resolve to protect the people around him, even those who've tortured and left him to die alone." Reinhard's words made Rem, Emilia, Julius, and even Otto flinch the hardest out of everyone. Even Anastasia had to look down for a second of guilt.
"Indeed, Subaru-dono's heart may be conflicted, but he's proven his loyalty beyond doubt. He does not deserve punishment for his struggles." Wilhelm looked at his son firmly without a second of hesitation.
A voice rang out, cutting through the building tension. Schult, with wide, innocent eyes, spoke to Heinkel, his tone guileless and soft.
"Heinkel-sama, I'm not afraid of the Witch…"
"That's good for ya, kid," Heinkel didn't look at the boy as he glared at the theater below them. "I gotta take care of somethin' yeah? Tell me later."
Schult continued to speak regardless as Heinkel faced down a relentless group of glares from Ricardo and Garfiel to an assured Petra and Felt.
"I think… you want to protect Mr. Subaru too, don't you? From… dying again?" Schult dared to hold on to Heinkel's glove, as he demanded the man's attention.
The entire theater seemed to hold its breath, every eye turning to Heinkel, astonishment etched on their faces as Schult's simple words hung in the air.
Heinkel's glare softened momentarily, his eyes flicking toward the screen, then back to Subaru. His face twitched, wrestling with the truth he'd kept hidden behind his harsh words.
"The kid's just gonna die again and again if no one does somethin'... What's the fuckin' point if the Witch's the one who's done this to 'em?" Heinkel looked at Priscilla with a pleading look. "If ya want to win this race… At least realize just how much danger we are gonna be in if that kid's curse is near us… I can't have that happen to my…"
"Your what, Heinkel-sama?" Schult asked while Priscilla leaned back with a half-lidded expression of knowledge that told Heinkel that he had lost something of a reading battle with her in just half a second.
"My…" He realized what it was she had seen from him in just this one second of weakness. "My wife…"
"Your family." Priscilla finished for him with a correction as her eyes moved from the pathetic man beside her to the two men staring at him with shocked faces. "Your family are the ones in danger most after the half-witch's ancestor comes for her beloved."
"Father…" Reinhard couldn't help but allow himself to speak emotionally, staring at Heinkel with a look of pure admiration and shock.
Wilhelm couldn't but look at Heinkel with a hung jaw and an emotional dance breaking through behind his wise eyes.
"You don't know anythin'..." Heinkel growled weakly, unable to look Priscilla in the eye as she stared at the crowds once again with boredom, already done with him and his problems.
Finally, it was Julius who spoke, his tone calm and earnest, urging the room to pause.
"Please, everyone. Let's watch the rest. Subaru… he'll show us who he truly is. Let him prove his loyalty once more, just as he always has." The greatest of knights not only proved his detractors like Beatrice and Petra wrong by showing them a humble side of himself, pleading for all of them to hear his wish for a solution. But he also showed his friends the absolute faith he had in Subaru.
Silence filled the room as the next scene began, and all eyes returned to the screen, waiting to see if Julius's faith would be justified.
"Yer one good friend, Julius… I'm glad yer mine." Anastasia smiled earnestly at Julius, fully able to replace the shock of the Witch's love for Subaru with her knight's warming belief in the boy.
"And no one else's, Anastasia-sama." The knight bowed his head to her with loyalty.
[Season 1 Episode 13 Directors Cut.
Begin.
The vast empty darkness of the screen showed nothing for a moment. No light, sound, or image could be seen or heard as the focus was placed upon the darkness of a void.
Before a certain time, the darkness changed as lights flashed across the interment dark.]
"This is new…" Felix muttered, trying to forget what he had just watched, shuffling a little further away from Subaru for a moment. "Wasn't it going to show us another death before?"
"The last one was the latest… Meaning this could be the continuation into yet another failed loop or…" Tivey paused his theorizing in a little bit of hope.
"It could be the one loop where things went fine for Subaru-sama in the end." Frederica continued for the boy with a warm hopeful smile.
Emilia's attention perked as she looked up at the screen with her hopeful glance.
[Blurry images… muffled noises…]
"That's Return By Death!" Rem gasped, holding on to Ram tighter, unable to hide her excitement from breaking through. "He's not meeting anyone! Subaru-kun's free!"
Many shared the same relief with Rem, if not only to see what Subaru would do to defeat Petelguese.
[The image of a tall, familiar-looking man holding something red and circular-shaped was shown, blurred by purple flashes all around.]
"Back here?!" Otto put a hand on his mouth in absolute horror at the very thought.
Crusch and the many others who have been living through their best moments because of their knowledge that the White Whale's subjugation went exactly how they had lived it was looking at each other with confusion.
"That isn't right… His checkpoint would make him go back to even before he had that talk with Rem-san…" Crusch muttered while looking at the maid.
"I don't wanna see this Appa guy one more time!" Mimi whined while gripping her ears in frustration.
"Yeah, this guy's gotten on my nerves every time I see 'em because of this checkpoint shit," Felt grumbled under her breath, not willing to let her spite go from what had happened to Subaru because of the three stooges she was employing currently.
[Purple flashes, muffled voices…
"Boy?" A muffled voice could be heard from the beyond of the darkness.
Subaru's voice spoke suddenly with confusion and heartbreak filling his tone. "This can't be… "
The flashing images of his loops and past suddenly dissipated into nothing as the screen went dark once again.]
"Can't imagine being stuck with the thought of having to redo everythin' all over like this…" Ricardo was the one to voice what they were all thinking when hearing Subaru's despaired voice. "It's so sucky man!"
"It's cruel." Anastasia had to agree, rubbing her scarf with a small grin. "But Natsuki-kun's up for the job, I suppose, no? He's been through enough now to save everyone… Including all those men from my company who got slaughtered last loop 'round."
She glanced at Julius and Felix with two turns of her head towards the two. "Do not forget to let us know if this one is a failed loop or… the final one… Please."
Julius bowed his head deeply and gave a nod, while Felix just simply nodded his head with a serious face.
[The darkness didn't stay for longer than a second before the boy decided to open his eyes and look around.
"Boy?" A dogman half-beast was standing before the dazed Subaru with a bewildered expression that held concern.
"Huh?" Subaru's mouth uttered as he looked around him.
He was on a field. A green land with many soldiers and robed warriors sitting around him in a circle. Felix and Ricardo stood beside him on each side. Everyone was giving him looks of worry and bafflement.
Subaru stared off into space… his mind still thinking back about the lost effort and progress from the last loop. His painful death still lingers over him.
Subaru Natsuki… Returned by Death once more.]
"Thank goodness…" Emilia sighed with relief, holding a hand to her chest. "... At least you didn't lose everything you've done with Rem and Crusch…"
"You're an expert at lying to yourself more than you realize, Emilia-sama." Crusch gave a small grin to the downtrodden half-elf that refused to look back at her.
"So it did change! That moment he always returns to." Schult clapped his hand with excitement, enjoying the head pats Priscilla was giving him as she had begun showing off that she was in a good mood above everyone in the theater.
"Tis but a convenient service." She hums while stroking Schult's pink hair.
"Yes!" Petra held her hands in the air showing how happy she was for Subaru to have not started from the very beginning again like the previous long and torturing deaths she had to watch.
"Subaru-kun…" Rem had to pant from how long she had been holding onto her breath. "I thought I'd lose those memories even though I could remember them pretty well…" She smiled warmly, wiping away a tear that fell involuntarily.
"..." The last one to celebrate was Julius who seemed to look at the window with a grateful yet pained expression.
"Hey wait a minute…" Ricardo widened his eyes in the realization of something as he held the head of Tivey in his giant palm out of excitement.
"Ow! Hey!' Tivey protested while Ricardo shuffled to the edge of the seat.
[And this time, his save point updated to just before the Sloth expedition had started.
Every soldier and knight were still sitting around him with their full attention given to the lost-looking boy.
Subaru continued to look around with a wide-eyed, unfocused look. The soldiers all looked puzzled at this.
"Um."
"AAHHHH!" Subaru held his ear which had just been pecked and recoiled back from an amused grinning Felix.
"You were spaced out, so I had to pick on you. Nyow that was a satisfying reaction!"
Subaru dropped his hand and blinked back as reality hit him. "Felix?" The boy asked softly, almost in confusion.
"Who else do I look like? Did you inhale too much of the White Whale's fog?" The catboy replied sternly as everyone gazed at them both.
Subaru looked down with a hand on his chin. "Uh, no… I'm fine. That told me what I wanted to know. So this means… "
Subaru grew silent as he stared off once more while the camera panned away from him to show the army that was seated around him in the grass fields.
My save point was updated?
Came his indulgent whisper.
And then the scene changed abruptly to show the opening.
Opening Theme 2: Paradisus-Paradoxum]
"I'm right!" Ricardo laughed as he lit the room with his beastish grin. "I remember that weird flirting anywhere! 't's the one, boss!"
Felix had to flush red at the pointing Ricardo was doing toward him, but the healer had to change his expression to one of confidence and nod his head for Crusch.
"I remember this as well… It's the one." Wilhelm spoke from his seat and turned his head to look at Heinkel who remained standing above them all, hands gripped into fists.
"Don't give me that." Heinkel glared towards his father heatedly and sat down in his seat once again. "There's no one here who can say that the kid's safe after we've seen the sealed Witch try to reach 'em. The only reason why any of you are calm or celebrating this shit is because you think she can't break out to get 'em."
"It ain't like we need a reminder every second." Felt scoffed and looked down at the ground. "The Witch's always been there to keep Big Bro in line… The curse whenever he talks about his ability…"
"We already know she can reach him specifically." Reinhard sighed, looking a bit more relieved that Subaru's finally managed to reach something akin to a final loop. "This news about the Witch has lifted any happiness I had for this moment."
Many in the room looked uncomfortable, unable to show open celebrations above what Petra and Frederica had done. Even the ones who had hopeful looks became less bright, putting their hands in their laps and looking between each other and then at Subaru.
"I… Want to support Subaru-kun." Rem whispered tiredly, frowning with sadness. "The Witch's smell… Never left Subaru-kun since the day we met."
"She picked him from another world," Otto was the one most cold with his voice as he glared at the ground. "S-She… The monster sealed away by the three heroes… Natsuki-san was brought here and given this ability so they can meet."
"S-Subaru would never willingly go!" Petra shouted over to Otto.
"Don't be naive." He admonished sternly, making the little maid pause at the harshness in his glare. "It's very clear what she was trying to do to Natsuki-san."
"Otto-kun?" Emilia looked at the merchant with a confused look, unable to bring herself to hope. But the boy was already glaring at the rest of the room.
"Even though we had it narrated to us word for word, I couldn't see it before I thought about Natsuki-san's words to me…" Otto held his head in his hand for a second, rubbing his forehead.
"Tell us what you're figuring out, I suppose." Beatrice urged him with a curious glance, keeping herself close to Subaru.
"Natsuki-san might be manipulated by the Witch herself… To break her seal." Otto spoke which made everyone widen their eye.
"H-Hey now… That's…" Garfiel stopped himself and turned to look at his captain with a look of realization on his face.
"You see it too, don't you Garf?" Otto was sure that everyone's eyes were on him and the blonde tiger as he pointed at the window above them. "It's why we've been seeing things we had no right to see for the past few days… Since the start, we've been seeing the Witch's plan at work."
"She wants someone to free 'er…" Garfiel held on to his armrest and lowered himself slowly, staring at the ground with a white face of shock.
Those words spread the feeling of breathlessness across the room.
"..." Heinkel's hands trembled even as Schult held on to him from the side, his glare intensified towards Subaru specifically out of everyone.
"A power to change time itself… That's why he was given something so…" Roswaal had to chuckle to himself to stop his own secrets from spilling. "Teacher's plan managed to take advantage of her machinations and use the power meant for Envy's freedom to help me instead… Oh, how amazing this day is."
"It would make sense with how the Witch's Cult was at a disadvantage when it came to Barusu's stands against them during his loops… Even without the ability to traverse time, he was always weirdly allowed to live." Ram's voice showed her shaking for the first time in a long time. The anger she had in her veins would be physible through her tremors. "Leading to the death of Rem and the villagers… The Witch decided to only protect her precious tool instead of stopping the Cult as a whole."
"But this would mean…" Reinhard's hopeful tone forced many to look at him as he seemed to light up suddenly. "This would mean… That Subaru wasn't just battling the Witch Cult… He was using the Witch's need for him to put himself directly in the path of her followers…"
"He forced the Witch of Envy to make a choice." Julius had to blink more than once as he stared from Reinhard to Subaru. The Sword Saint also did the same, both looking at the sleeping youth with astonished faces.
"Either her lackeys or the one guy she's put investment in, eh?" Felt had to laugh loudly in her seat. "That's such a fuckin' shitty choice, I love it!"
"B-But… That would mean that Subaru-kyun has the ability to fight her influence on him…" Felix brought a hand to Rem's shoulder, urging her to bear with him. "Why would he admit that he loves her…"
"She was tryna make 'em fall for 'er…" Anastasia was the one to respond, earning looks of hope from Rem and unsurprisingly, Emilia. "Those moments in the dark… Right when he's exhausted and returning from death… Natsuki-kun has no mental strength to fight against such an oppressive and overwhelmin' feeling of need…"
"This Witch is getting more disgusting by the second even though we've lived all our lives hearing about how awful she is." Otto had to glare at Subaru himself along with Anastasia as both agreed on the same idea. "This manipulation was just meant for Natsuki-san to stay the course."
"S-Stay the course… As in… Free the Witch?" Emilia's eyes roamed Subaru with a distant expression. "He's been brought here and given such extraordinary power for such a terrible reason."
"And it seems as if his own choices have gotten frustrating to the terrible jealous beast." Frederica had a proud smile on her face, giving Emilia the push she needed to let herself calm the beating within her chest.
Emilia's heart couldn't but flood her with warmth as she looked at Subaru's innocent face. "More and more I become grateful for how crazy you are, Subaru… I can't believe how amazing you are…"
Crusch, who also had a look of amazement on her face from what they were realizing about Subaru's relationship with the calamity of their world, had to give Emilia a small encouraging nod.
"I had my worries about this but… Now we know that Natsuki Subaru wasn't brought here by mistake. And we know his purpose." Crusch's hand trailed Subaru's as she gave him a small firm look. "And we know how she's manipulating him even beyond her seal."
"She sinks him in darkness… makes him feel alone…" Emilia's face started to show a glare of pure worry and anger, slow as she was, she had been the first to replay that image in her mind. Of him sitting in a dark void with nothing but the shadow of his kidnapper. The one who turned his life upside down for her selfish wish.
"He won't ever be alone with Betty, in fact!" Beatrice reiterated what she had declared from the first moment the Witch revealed her shadow for him. "Betty won't ever let him go!"
This encouraged Emilia to at least try and put her hand on his, giving Subaru a look of curiosity and sadness. "And if I am just the afterthought of her forced operation… The thing you're using to replace her… Then I'll do my part for you. And help you stop being such a dunderhead who does things on his own." Her voice was warm, but filled with conviction as she moved to kiss his forehead softly, a small blush on her cheeks.
Above them all, as the girls started gaining their ability to look at Subaru again, while the warmth began returning in such a small amount that it was enough to offset the dread everyone was feeling when Otto first began explaining his conclusion, Al was looking through his helmet and keeping a strong grip on the broken wood he had all but crushed.
"No doubt… But no one here knows how she is…" Al sighed and let the wood fall from his hand, suddenly relaxing his muscles and leaning back in his seat beside Priscilla. "Not like pal will ever be able to get to her anyway. He's gonna change his ways just like me… In this I at least feel some security but damn…" Al looked at his only palm again, seeing it heal due to the room's effects. "This has become so frustrating to watch with every time you repeat, pal. Just stop and disappear if ya can't handle being a loser… Please…"
"Your animosity is pathetic." Priscilla snorted at her knight's moping. "Tis not mine interest to understand your mumbles as you sit beside me, but have some respect to what you represent as a knight serving this divine."
"Sorry, Princess." Al let his hand fall and leaned back in his seat. "A guy's gotta look a little bit nuts when he gets rejected this badly, y'know."
"Not of mine interest, Aldebaran. Bring yourself joy in that I care not for your history with the Witch as I've told you before this." Priscilla tapped his helmet with her fan as she smirked from the side. "But also… Do not forget yourself when you show such appreciation to a person who is not your master."
"I don't know why you're being so patient about any of this," Al had to speak his mind as the lady in red became too much to ignore. "What's the plan here? Why aren't you saying anything about these things people are revealing?"
Priscilla scoffed. "Tis but the world's service. Let the commoner drabble make mistake after another as I sit and wait for reality itself to answer my questions." She pointed her small pretty nose toward the screen for a split second. "Mineself needs not to learn from anyone in this room. Not when I've decided that the Witch's plan shan't be seen within the light of mine world."
"That's it? You just declared war on the Witch herself and all we get is to follow along in silence?!" Heinkel, who had been listening to this whole time, decided to glare at his lady like she was nuts.
Priscilla hummed to herself and ignored the attention both men and Schult were giving her as she watched the screen above without any link with their troubles or worries.
"Tis the world that revolves for mine will and mine alone. The wretched Witch is but another element that serves to present me amusement after all~"
"... Shit." Heinkel held his head in his hands and looked desperately at the floor. "I need this fuckin' drink…"
[The screen changed scenes to show Subaru sitting back down on his spot amongst the battle-ready group of knights and mercs.
"There are a few new things I've realized about the Witch's Cult."
Sounds of confusion and bafflement filled the air as everyone stared at the speaker who was looking around him with uninterested, more determination.]
"Hearing him say it like that, we should've noticed something was off about him." Julius had a small look of disappointment but shook his head and shrugged it off.
"Subaru-kyun had a lot of weirdness around him though, nya." Felix also gave the knight a small shrug of his own. "I just assumed that he was being his own self…"
"That's true for me as well." Wilhelm nodded his head gracefully.
"I just wanted t' kick someone's behind after I got caught lackin' with the Whale." Ricardo chuckled and patted his thigh carefreely.
Otto had to sigh in disappointment as he realized that his situation right now in the theater mirrored that of Ricardo on the screen.
"Hey," Ricardo noticed the merchant boy's expression and gave Otto a strong push on the soldier from behind. "Ya did well for all o' us 'ere. Beatin' the Whale from yer own mind's not somethin' I've heard a lotta people say they could'a done."
This put a small smile on Otto's face, though it was empty of meaning.
!["Does anyone know of, like… a power you can use to overwrite someone's consciousness, so you psychologically possess them?" The black-haired youth asked as his sharp gaze looked around him.
Julius found it appropriate to cut in with a look of intrigue capturing his face. "In other words, you think the Sin Archbishops may have such an ability?"
"Yeah. I call it 'possession.' It's how he stays alive. It would explain how he keeps popping up everywhere, right?"
As the soldiers grew quiet after Subaru's explanation, the seriousness of the situation sat in as they couldn't doubt the boy's words for they made too much sense.]
"Seeing why he spoke those words back then is so surreal." Tivey had a look of admiration on his face. "I had thought he was a tactical genius or a well-connected guy. It's why Boss had her eyes on 'em after all of this had settled down but now… I can't help but slam my face on my hand because I can understand exactly why he was laying it all out."
"It's true…" Julius sighed, looking down after realizing that his killing of Subaru was needed for any of this to happen.
"Hey." Anastasia nudged his head from the back since he was sitting between Otto and Garfiel. "Keep that frown away from my handsome knight's face, kay?"
"..." Julius couldn't but look at her with a surprised face as she turned towards the screen once again with a happy smile on her face.
"This is the end of all of it… And ya helped Natsuki-kun make it work." Anastasia gave him a wink that showcased pride and gratitude toward him.
[Julius thought over it for a moment until his face turned serious as he reported his thoughts. "I once saw a research account of a similar subject in an old book. It's a type of magic that has been lost, but the technique only works under certain conditions."
"Conditions?" Subaru perked up and faced the purple-haired knight with hope.
"Only members of the Witch's Cult, and only a limited number of those, are thought to be capable of it."
"And those would be fingers?" Felix asked from his place at Wilhelm's side.
"Most likely, they are the user's spare bodies. It's quite a tasteless arrangement. I suppose one might say it's worthy of a Sin Archbishop." Julius held a tone of disgust as he delivered to the men around him, making Subaru hurry with a question of his own.]
"It's not just the cult, I suppose." Beatrice had a disgruntled expression on her face, making Rem nod.
"Subaru-kun can be affected as well. You're right, Beatrice-sama. I wonder how he will—"
"That's not what I'm talking about, in fact." Rem was cut off by an annoyed Beatrice who kept her eyes on the window above. "That technique was mastered by someone long gone from this world. The Witch's cult is simply using a pathetic iteration of it."
"You have such knowledge, Beatrice-sama?" Felix looked more interested in this than anyone else. "I have a particular feeling about this study but… I dunno why, nya!"
"It should be, for this was an attempt at achieving immortality back when the creator of this research was still alive…" Beatrice had earned a shocked look from Felix and many others in the room as she explained plainly. "Sadly, the creator was gone before they could perfect it. And the Cult got their hands on some of the details even before then… Copycats of this research exist in many a failed form across the world no doubt, in fact."
"Ya can't just lay that out and not give us exact details!" Anastasia whined a the vague information the spirit was sharing with them. But Beatrice ignored her as she looked back at Roswaal for a brief moment.
She turned her head away from the smiling man in the background and continued to watch the window while leaning more into Subaru's abdomen.
"Disgusting versions exist closer than Betty's comfortable with, I suppose."
["So if the Sin Archbishop's confidants, the fingers, were wiped out… "
"If that happened, his soul would have nowhere to go. And that would be the end of him." Julius amended with a nod.
Subaru's eyes widened in shock for a moment but Julius carried on speaking without noticing. "We should eliminate the fingers in the forest first, and then face Sloth directly. This is my conclusion."
As the knight fell silent, the many members of the army all held excited smiles and battle-adorned faces as they finally saw a chance for victory over an impossible enemy.]
"Ya just believed everything the kid said like that?" Heinkel found it interesting to him how easily Julius accepted Subaru's explanation. "Wasn't this guy the one ya kicked to the basements of the grand arena? In front of the whole kingdom? Why trust him so suddenly?"
Julius could sense no hostility in the unpleasant man's tone. He looked at Heinkel with enough respect to dignify the man's curiosity.
"I respected his efforts during the fight with the White Whale."
Heinkel's lips thinned, and then he frowned. "So him being forced to fight and managing to win made you trust everything he said?"
"No." Julius earned a taken-aback expression from Heinkel as the theater listened in on the conversation from a man in the front row, and another in the back.
"Huh?" Heinkel expressed suddenly. Interested again.
"Even though this is our first time having a sincere conversation, Deputy Commander… I still detest you as a person." Julius simply received a small mutter from Heinkel who insulted his mother no doubt, but he continued. "However, I had long been believing Subaru's words before his achieved with the White Whale."
"Why's that?" Felix asked in Heinkel's stead, "Ya got us all interested, Julius-kyun~!"
Julius turned form them all, recognizing Otto and Garfiel looking at him with interest as well as Emilia and Petra.
"... During the royal selection… Before the duel… No sane man would proclaim his loyalty in the same manner Subaru did… It was evidence that he was too stupid to not be trusted when he needed help."
"..."
"... That's such an underwhelming reason!" Otto slammed a hand on his armrest in outrage, while Garfiel fell to laughter beside him.
Emilia had to shuffle her feet a little bit as she breezed due to the memory, a small blush reaching her pointy ears.
Heinkel shook his head and leaned back from the conversation again. "What the hell… This place's filled with idiots."
"Now you know how it feels when people sit in a room alone with your graceful presence." Priscilla sighed from the side, making Schult giggle and forcing Al to cough loudly from the other side.
Heinkel's face matched Emilia's in redness.
[But a young black-haired youth with sharp guilty eyes held his hand up with an apologetic smile filled with unease.
"Guys, there's one more thing I need to say… Sorry, but I don't think it's only the fingers. I think he may be able to possess me, too. What do you think I should do?"
As the fields around the group fell silent once more, nothing could be said or heard except for the shocked 'Huh!' coming from Felix and Ricardo.]
"And how did we ever come to have found a fix for this problem? It's very significant." Tivey looked at Julius specifically. "You've been with him for most of the fighting that happened against Sloth."
"I remember only being saved with Ricardo-san and driving Natsuki-san towards the other carriages under the Whale's corpse after escaping from a big animal I couldn't see…" Otto muttered under his breath as he looked at Julius. "That means you guys beat Sloth before he reached me in the village as I was rescued by the Iron Fang."
"How'd ya do it?" Garfiel looked at the knight with excessive impatience.
Julius didn't answer as he too was stuck holding his chin in his hand. "I… Don't have a clue what Subaru did… But he was confidently leading Sloth toward me before we battled and I killed him."
He didn't hide the satisfaction of wording it this way.
[The screen cut to black.
Darkness…
A voice could be heard.
"Filthy woman!" An old man said in disgruntlement.]
"What? Woman?" Ricardo raised a brow as did many in the theater.
Emilia frowned instantly, not liking how familiar this sounded to her.
["Then, will you also apologize for being born? You silver-haired half-elf." A rosy voice spoke out sadistically.]
"Oh…" Frederica looked from the screen toward Emilia with heartbreak visible on her face.
Others like Crusch and even Anastasia looked away from Emilia's general direction as the screen showed the abuse she was receiving even though she was helping people.
["This is a joke! Margrave Mathers endorses a half-devil? Utter foolishness!" A loud obnoxious man yelled out.]
Roswaal didn't show any emotion at this line, merely shrugging it off as if he had no care for the abuse Emilia was being subjected to because of his support for a half-elf.
"Even her own people?" Schult gave the half-elf in the front row his pity and sympathy, making his mistress in red scoff.
[From the darkness… Emilia's voice could be heard filled with disappointment.
"You know I had hope for you. I thought maybe you, only you, wouldn't give me special treatment."
A voice echoed… broken and filled with shame… "I can't do that. I can't look at you the way I look at others."
"It's impossible."
Subaru's voice echoed over the flashing images of his greatest shame. A moment where his impulse embarrassed and filled her with disgrace.
"I'm not connected to the witch at all… "
Emilia's voice echoed for a moment… before she let the darkness swallow her.]
"What were you thinking, I suppose?" Beatrice held Emilia in a glare of admonishment. "Putting yourself through such loneliness because of what? Why?"
"Emilia-sama…" Otto looked at the half-elf from the sidelines, giving her a small understanding glance. "You're too kind to be that alone."
While Garfiel nodded along with Otto's words, he couldn't but give the half-elf a small grin of pride as he realized how far she's come from that single moment.
Emilia looked away from Beatrice's eyes, feeling the ones of Julius and Reinhard on her as both knights gave her sympathetic and respectful glances.
"Don't worry about them, big sis," Felt smirked at the half-elf from the side, earning Emilia's attention. "Ya saved my behind just because ya wanted to punish the thief who brought ya 'ere. I'm grateful that this heart of yours remained the way it was before and after we met."
"We didn't spend that much time together after the loot house though…" Emilia sounded grateful but confused at the same time.
Felt chuckled at her and shook her head. "A day in this place is like a lifetime. I don't need to be with ya for days to know that yer the same person. It's also mostly the fact that I can still count the same weaknesses in yer body language that let me steal anythin' off ya. So… Work on that."
Emilia had to give Felt a disappointed frown as many chuckled at them both. But inside, the half-elf felt more than enlightened by Felt's profession of her gratitude toward the day they met.
"I'm not linked to the Witch…" Emilia whispered as her eyes settled on Subaru's face one more time. Her hand managed to find his own once more as she had removed it from before. "Maybe that's true if I can make it more and more into your heart… I don't want all of it… J-Just a little bit more than her…"
Subaru didn't reply. Didn't move. Didn't even respond to her touch.
"..." Emilia sighed and leaned closer to his shoulder, feeling his warmth to disperse the sadness that she felt at his silence.
["Lia…"
Beautiful, amethyst eyes opened to find a floating small cat smiling at her.]
"At least Bubby's there with her, I suppose." Beatrice sighed and looked a bit reluctant to give Puck this one good attribute.
"Yeah, by design." Felt scoffed, remembering Puck's words to Emilia after her fight with Subaru. "That's one nasty spirit."
"I remember what he told Emilia-sama during her date with Subaru after the snow festival too…" Petra frowned as she reminded people of Puck's manipulations during the preparation for Subaru's date.
["Your forehead is all wrinkled."
"Good morning, Puck. You're early today."
"Morning, Lia." The cat replied sweetly as he hovered down towards the girl's lap. "I thought I'd try going to sleep and waking up earlier." The sweet cat shrugged and smiled down at her. "That's a lie. The truth is I was worried about you. You've had it rough lately… Especially yesterday."
Images of Emilia being kicked out and rejected by Arlam village played before the screen cut back to the silver-haired lady sitting in her own melancholy within her room with none to comfort her except for the dotting cat.
"It was nothing I didn't know already," Emilia said with a disappointed tone.
Seeing her falling into a depressed state, Puck held his arms at his sides and calmed his anger by breathing heavily.
"Even if you know you'll fall, you still hurt and bleed when it happens."
The girl flinched on herself as Puck reprimanded her with a stern tone.
"What do you think I should do, Puck?" Emilia asked in desperation. "No, not just me." She shook her head in defiance. "How can I be better to everyone, and have them be better to me?"
At the girl's pathetic despair, the floating cat could only chuckle in amusement and give her a warm smile. "I think you should do what you want. I'll be on your side, no matter what you do."
Emilia's eyes widened in surprise suddenly at her father's gracious words. Her heart calmed as her lips quirked up in comfort.
Seeing his words' effects on the girl, Puck took advantage to continue cheering her up.
"And no matter what you do, you can't abandon that village, right?" The cat turned to the door with a thoughtful look. "Ram headed out there again early this morning. Maybe we should wait to hear from her."
Emilia nodded her head with a more confident smile on her face. More comfortable and cheerful, the noble princess shuffled out of her warm bed as her spirit floated away.
"I'm going to check in on Betty."
"Oh, okay. Tell her hello for me." Emilia replied in startlement.]
"That's one suffocating existence…" Heinkel looked a little bit guilty for the half-elf's situation. "Can't believe I said those things 'bout 'er…"
"You'll stop doing that right?" Schult looked hopeful at the older man which Heinkel had to roll his eyes at.
"... Maybe…" Heinkel sighed and rubbed a hand through his short red hair.
"I missed you Puck…" Emilia couldn't but give a small frown at her father's small appearance. "Why would you act as if any of them matter when they don't to you…?"
She held a hand to her jewel, giving a small moment for her heart to calm down. Conflicted between hate and love for someone who's kept a lot more from her than she realized.
"This bastard killed Cap'n. He ain't gonna care for any village or anyone near princess!" Garfiel spat as he glared at Puck without any intention of hiding his thoughts.
Anastasia gave Emilia a small pat on the shoulder, which broke the half-elf from her thoughts.
"... That was good leadership. Putting them before yer own and making sure the forests were closed off by increasing the magic on the barrier stones… It's a nice touch from someone who can do so little to please a world that hates 'er like ya."
Emilia was slack-jawed, staring into Anastasia's nonchalant smile of support.
"T-Thank you… Anastasia-sama…" Emilia stuttered, not being able to handle the sudden praise from someone very much against Emilia's way of doing things at the start of this.
Rem, Crusch, and even Felt had to smile at the small interaction which brought warmth back into the center and lower rows of the theater.
[Screen cut…
The screen moves to show a now robe-dressed Emilia walking down the steps to the mansion's entrance hall.
The silver-haired beauty was startled once more when she noticed a robed pink-haired girl standing infront of the gates with a familiar butler standing beside her.
"Ram?"
"Emilia-sama, you have a visitor."
The sharp-looking man bowed his head to the lady as Ram gestured to him.
"You're… from Crusch-sama's household, aren't you?" Emilia stepped down the stairs as her boots echoed across the hall, looking at the man with confusion yet sternness as she recalled what she had left behind in that household.
The butler fell to one knee and placed his hand over his head. "I am Wilhelm Trias. I've come here on behalf of my master."
"On Crusch-sama's behalf? I received a blank letter from her yesterday…" Emilia spoke in a concerned manner as she recalled the shocking letter she had received.
"I see… " The old man's gaze fell for a moment. "So it was true."
Emilia's face showed surprise at this. But the man explained himself swiftly.
"While it shames me to say so, the letter contradicted the message my master wished to send."
Emilia's smile was one of relief as she heard this statement. "Oh… It was a mistake, then?"
"Yes. Emilia-sama and Ram-dono, we would like to evacuate those remaining in the mansion, along with the villagers. That is Crusch-sama's will."
Only shock could be seen on Emilia's face. "Uh?"]
"Ha! Look at her face! She doesn't know what's going on and is going on!" Mimi laughed at Emilia's shock as Wilhelm worded things with suspense that toyed with Emilia up and down.
"How did you ever come to fix the issue with the blank letter?" Crusch looked at her knight and Wilhelm who both gave her their versions of embarrassed smiles. Expected from a boy like Felix, very unexpected from a diligent man of wisdom and age like Wilhelm.
[Screen cut….
The screen showed the conception of the evacuation as Julius arrived with the merchant carriages and started filling the people of Alarm into the carts.]
"Those carts have big explosions in them no!" Schult shouts over the screen, looking worried.
Most of the others also seemed to look on worriedly but the people who were there assured everyone that things would go in a better light than what they were thinking.
[Emilia's voice played over this scene as panic filled her tone. "There's a ring of criminals near that forest?"
"Yes. The punitive force this messenger brought is already preparing to fight the enemy."
"But why would Crusch-sama do so much to help this domain?" Emilia asked in suspicion and a shocked voice.
"My master received a proposal from the margrave to form an alliance with respect to the royal selection. The condition is a share of the mining rights in Elior Forest. Do you understand?"
Emilia seemed to calm down, her expression falling into one of deep disappointment for a moment since she clearly didn't have a say in any of these sudden events. "So that's what this is about."
"However, it will be difficult to evacuate all the villagers to the capital. Half of them will go to the capital." Wilhelm said his part and let Ram take over which the maid did diligently.
"I will lead the other half to safety in the sanctuary. Roswaal-sama is heading there now."]
"The sanctuary…" Anastasia muses interestedly, feeling the sudden flinches from everyone in the Emilia camp. It was visible that they were all hiding something.
So visible that Felt and Crusch ended up looking at them one by one to inspect what was making them stare at the screen in abject dread.
"Let's not think about it… Please…" Otto warned Garfiel, not looking at anyone around him, even Julius who was inspecting them with interest.
"Y-Yeah… Sure Ottobro… Only for you." Garfiel sighed with relief, not willing to think about anything except for one. "Heh… At least I could meet Cap'n because of those villagers that went to my home…"
"Yeah… I guess that's one good thing…" Otto smiled a little, being hit in the shoulder by an excited Garfiel.
Frederica smiled at them both from afar, holding both hands together in a small prayer.
Meanwhile, Petra was looking downward at her chocolate bar, given to her by the Warden before a few viewings ago. "I don't wanna think about what he might've endured after all of this… The Sanctuary and everything in it… Elsa…"
Petra opened the bar and began swiftly munching on the candy.
["O-Oh, I see… So discussion on the matter is already over." Emilia fell silent for a moment, letting the disappointment fall over her.
"But isn't there something strange about this? It all seems too well-timed… "
*BANG! *
"Pardon me."
Before Emilia could continue her statement, the gate to the mansion was opened by a man wearing a very signature hoodie.
"The group hiding in the forest has been observed moving strangely. We haven't a moment to waste! Once they make their move, the entire region will be a sea of blood! What will it be, Captain? No, Sword Demon Wilhelm-dono?" The hood-wearing boy reported in urgency and flare, compelling the true pace this situation needed to be taken.]
"I didn't know… He was this close to me this whole time?" Emilia had to sigh with a tired face overcoming her expression. "I should be surprised but I am not."
"That cloak removes a person's attributes and makes them disguised as other people, correct?" Julius asked the Emilia camp with a look of interest.
"Yes indeed. Created by Roswaal-sama himself." Ram proudly showed off her master's knowledge who held his hands together and waved them with pride in the back.
Julius looked at everyone in the room who were confused as to why Emilia couldn't recognize Subaru in just that hoodie.
"It's magic! That's so cool, Priscilla-sama!" Schult had stars in his eyes and jumped in his seat while pointing at the screen. Priscilla patted his head and forced him to be regal via a small touch to his knee with her fan.
"Oops! Sorry, hehe!"
[The old butler swiftly stood up from his kneeling position and faced the lady. "Emilia-sama?"
Holding her hands together and ignoring her concerns, Emilia swiftly nodded her head. "I understand. I gratefully accept your kindness. Has this been explained to the villagers?"
"They have been informed in a timely fashion, Emilia-sama," Ram answered diligently.
"I see… "
"Betty says she'll stay here." Emilia turned to find the speaker floating beside her ear with a smile plastered on his muzzle.
"Puck!"
The screen flashes a scene with a white filter indicating it was a flashback.
The small elegant spirit blonde was shown sitting on her stool and reading through a book placed decently over her lap. "Betty can't go. I'll wait for your return, I suppose. You don't have to worry."
Beatrice smiled softly at Puck before the screen flashed back to the present.
"Well, in Betty's case, the forbidden library is a much safer place to be. Besides, she can't leave the mansion due to her contract. You know that, right, Lia?"
Emilia's face turned stern and pouting as her father gave her a smug smile. "No fair using that as a reason… "]
"Beatrice…" Emilia looked at the blonde spirit with a small frown on her face.
Beatrice, who was on Subaru's lap couldn't but tremble in place, unable to show her face to anyone. She gave the floor under Subaru's sneakers a hard stare as her frown overtook her cute expression.
"Betty's guilty of many things, in fact…"
"In the end, Subaru managed to make it right… We don't know what happened." Emilia patted the girl's shoulder.
"How many times do you think he had to do it, in fact?"
Emilia's hand was rigid as Beatrice asked this. Both girls looked down at the floor, no answer between them to what they both recognized as Subaru's many future loops for what he would call Beatrice's contract.
"... As many as it took to get you out…" Emilia's weak smile didn't offer comfort to the spirit. Though it was appreciated by Beatrice to the point the blonde actually gave in and hugged Emilia while sitting on Subaru.
["So, since my cute little sister will be staying here, we shouldn't do anything to the mansion. Betty is sweet and kind, but she'll show no mercy."
The old man bowed his head in respect. "Understood, Great spirit."
Giving a nod of his head, the cat swiftly flew inside his daughter's hair, almost disappearing if not for his little head coming out of Emilia's silky hair beside her ear.
"You should do what you want to do. I'm on your side, and yours alone." He whispered and integrated himself into Emilia's hair.
The three servants before Emilia fell silent and ready for her word as she calmed her nerves and used the confidence her adoptive father placed in her to take command.
"We will evacuate. I don't want to put the villagers in danger."
Behind his hood-covered face… the screen showed the young man's smile.]
"Thank you…" Emilia sighed and patted Beatrice's head, noticing Subaru's smile and blushing at the thought of him dotting her even from so close and at a hidden distance.
"He noticed something he liked~!" Felix teased from behind them, forcing the blush to reach the pointy ears of the half-elf once again.
"What's there not to like? It's a perfectly heroic choice." Crusch blinked at her knight's attempt at teasing the woman beside her and Subaru.
This led to more redness covering Emilia's white skin from her neck to pointy ends.
[Screen cut…
The window showed Emilia standing at the outskirts of the village, seeing off the last of the merchant carts that were filled up with villagers and started taking off towards the other moving wagons towards the capitol.
"We're ready, lady." A sweet high-pitched voice spoke cheerfully towards Emilia, making her turn around and face the group of village kids holding backpacks and nervous smiles towards her.
Petra took the lead and smiled cheerfully at the confused Emilia.
"Um, I think there's been some kind of mistake."
"No." Ram suddenly took to standing beside the group and explained to Emilia. "No, given the number of people and carriages, we must ask you to ride with these children. It's a necessary measure."
"Can't we put them in a different carriage? That would be better for the children-" Emilia's words were cut off as the hooded young man from before came back with his voice filled with amusement and confidence.
"You think no one would want to ride with you?" Emilia turned to the boy as he spoke. "Have you asked the kids how they feel about that? Perhaps you just assume that they hate you and wouldn't want to be around you?"]
"Here he comes again." Ricardo laughed loudly at the very notion that they expected Emilia to have no support with Subaru around.
"He's so sweet!" Frederica had to gush on her own, giving Subaru a proud smile once more.
Emilia was the only one giving the screen something akin to a flustered pout in a sea of chuckles and small cheers.
["That's not… I don't need to ask them. I know it's best for all of us." Emilia spoke with a tone of finality but the hooded youth wouldn't budge as he ignored her.
"Six children and one dragon-drawn carriage. If we stumble here, how will your wish ever come true?"
"A-Are you… " Emilia's words went dead as the hooded boy knelt before Petra and the kids.
"What do you think, Petra? Do you refuse to ride in the same carriage as her?" The young boy turned with a smile to Emilia as he gestured for the kids to speak.
Fearing what the answer might be, the silver-haired lady closed her eyes and held a hand to her green-crystal for bravery as she waited for the verdict.
"Of course not," Petra answered cheerfully.
"Huh?" Emilia breathed in bewilderment.
"You're the lady with the potato stamps, right? The one who always came with Subaru to watch us do our radio calisthenics!" Petra asked with a wide smile.
"Well…" Emilia stuttered at the questions.
"We couldn't see your face, but we saw you having a good time talking with Subaru!" Petra delivered a bright smile as the rest of the kids nodded energetically. Emilia could only raise her brows slightly as a small hand was offered to her by the cheerful village girl.
"Come and ride with us."
Emilia's amethyst eyes teared up a bit.
"Me, too!" Another kid outstretched his hand with a wide smile.
"I wanna ride with you!" Another came from Petra's side and offered his hand as well.
"Come on, let's go!"
"Come with us!"
"And it's gonna be pulled by a dragon!"
"That's cool!"
Emilia could only smile in relief at the innocent laughter the kids were emitting as they huddled around her.
The hooded young man smiled gently at the sight and noticed how Petra was shooting him a bright one of her own as her friends surrounded Emilia.]
"You were in on it, Petra-chan?" Emilia looked at the little maid with betrayal covering her face. Even Ram had to glance at the village girl with a surprised expression.
"Like we told you in the carriage…" Petra didn't look at Emilia, setting her chocolate beside her, and neatly wiping away any remnants. She gave the screen a stern expression, enjoying the looks she shared with Subaru but disliking how they all ended up in this room and what they had watched. "Subaru made us promise not to leave your side."
"Made you, huh…" Emilia's gaze lowered.
"After we begged him to come with us," Petra added with a small grin on her adorable face.
Emilia's blush had to have unlocked a few different tiers in this one session alone as her ears became blood red.
[Emilia turned to the pink-haired maid. "Ram, take care of things at the Sanctuary. Be sure to protect the villagers."
"You take care, as well, Emilia-sama."
Turning around as the kids tussled around her, Emilia smiled at the unknown stranger wearing the hood. "I need to thank you, too… huh?"
"Where did he go?"
Ram sighed as Emilia looked around for the kind hooded boy.
He was gone.]
"He was working hard to make it all turn out perfect." Ram nodded her head with respect. "I always thought he just wanted the flare like an attention-starved clown, but Barusu was also trying to be thorough, much like his senpai at mansion chores."
As Ram crossed her arms with a proud look, Al had to speak from behind everyone, not sounding as upset as he once was after a long while of moping.
"I didn't think he called blue-haired-san 'senpai'. She's the one doing all the housework after all, right?" Al chuckled as Ram grew a vein on her forehead while the rest shuffled away from her.
[Screen cut…
The scene changes to a hill overlooking the center of Arlam. Situated on top of the apex was a normal-looking man and two witch cultists standing at his side as the three looked down at the evacuating village.
The normal man swiftly opened up a small golden machination that somehow showed his mana.
"Now I get it." A young speaker startled all three cultists with a smug tone.
"We couldn't figure out how you guys stayed in touch. Those metia sure are handy, huh?" The normal-looking cultist spy could only hear two thuds on the ground behind him.
He looked back to find a white-robed boy standing right before him while both of the other cultists were bleeding on the ground, courtesy of Wilhelm and Julius.
"There's a heavy price to pay for the crime of interrupting my touching reunion with Emilia!" The hooded youth finally lifted the hood away, revealing Subaru's nasty-looking eyes and smug smirk, scaring the spy and making him step back while deploying the cultist's blade in his hand.
"You're… "
Before he could speak, two more cultists rose from the ground beside him but they both got sliced in half in a single second.
The spy found himself with a blade pressed to his neck. "Too slow." Wilhelm mocked as he held the spy at sword's point.
"In short, we knew you were a spy. How we found out is a trade secret. So we set a trap for you, the contact for the Witch's Cult." Subaru explained whimsically as he took possession of the spy's metia while Julius cuffed him.
The witch cultist spy could only stare at Subaru in bewilderment and a bit of fear.
The black-haired youth stood up and glared at the scum below him with hatred. "Two hours. You gave your buddies a schedule that was two hours behind. We'll use that time to get Emilia and the others out of here, crush the fingers that know our location, and make preparations to crush your Sin Archbishop."
As Subaru explained in a vengeful tone, the spy's eyes widened more and more to the point of dilation from fear.
"Having your enemy always a step ahead, ready to destroy you… You're about to learn just how terrifying that is." Subaru was cursed with hate.]
"That…" Otto swallowed as Garfiel cheered beside him.
"That is terrifying, but it's fantastic work." Anastasia had it within her to grin at Subaru's sudden backbone against the Witch cult. "That's majestic to watch after such a losin' streak."
"It's only because the Witch's Cult isn't fair or moral." Reinhard defended Subaru's words and actions even though there was no need for it.
"Calm yerself. The kid doesn't need yer kiss assy protection in this situation." Heinkel sighed and put his face against his palm as he leaned back. "These bastards blasted children to bits…"
"I didn't recognize that they could be within the Merchant collection I was with during the Lifus Fog situation… This is scary to think about how many cultists I've met throughout my career." Otto shook his head and let Garfiel slam a fist on his head in casual admonishment.
"Be brave, Ottobro! Cap'n won't have t' face as much trouble because of his quick wit!"
"I have to say that things are going far too smoothly this run around," Reinhard held a look of hope as he smiled at the others. "I'm hoping the hard part's going to be taken care of soon?"
Julius and Tivey smirked as Mimi giggled from the side.
"That Sloth will go *BLEEEHHHH *!" She imitated the sound of someone losing air before jumping high in Ricardo's lap. "He will be crushed like a bug! Yaaaaay~!"
"I do not feel comfortable," Tivey said with a stone face as people looked from his creepy sister toward him specifically.
[Scene change….
Emilia, now in the carriage with the kids and looking at the rest of the army as they made preparations for battle, held her arms in a praying manner and gazed at them all with a hardened look.
"May the blessing of the spirits be with you."]
"I wish I could've done the same to your carriages as well, Crusch-sama, Rem." Emilia felt like she was speaking to foreigners all of a sudden but her bow was as respectful as possible.
Crusch and Rem gave each other a small smile before nodding at the half-elf.
"No need, Emilia-sama. Your knight was more than sufficient as a blessing." Crusch said with a small glint in her eyes.
"Mhm. Subaru-kun's great, Emilia-sama." Rem nodded with a grin.
Both of them could see Emilia's respectful expression slowly morph into one of a pout that showed jealousy and heartbreak.
They both giggled at her small scoff away from them.
[As the final carriage started moving along the knights were given roles to protect the evacuated carts, Subaru was surprised to see Wilhelm gazing toward him as he walked along the carriages on his dragon.
"Good luck." The old man whispered farewell and carried on his road and duty to protect the villagers, leaving everything else in the hands of the youth.]
Heinkel and Reinhard looked at the scene with varying degrees of understanding and frustration as both recognized what many had.
"Your respect for him shows through such mannerisms, Wilhelm-dono," Crusch smirked at the Sword Demon who was unabashedly smirking at his younger self on the screen.
["So this is what enabled you to trick Emilia-sama and chase her off, huh?" Felix teased while holding the white robes Subaru was hiding behind all this time.
The sharp-eyed boy flinched back with a blasphemous expression. "Don't put it that way! Even if it's accurate, it makes me sound bad!"
"That robe has been woven with quite an odd spell." Julius inquired from the side as he gazed at the robe with interest.
"It was handmade by Roswaal," Subaru spoke with a disgruntled expression, not liking the subject of the explanation at all. "Apparently, there's a spell woven into it that prevents recognition. It was originally Emilia's… " The vision of Emilia's fight with the boy as she threw her robe against his pathetic face and left him playing.]
Some flinched at the memory of the fight, Heinkel and Schult seemed more interested than most in it since they hadn't watched such a scene before.
"Ya threw somethin' that good at him?" Heinkel whistled at the stupid move by Emilia. "I'm holdin' my tongue pretty hard right now."
Emilia had to blush in embarrassment at her oversight, fiddling with her fingers and shuffling her feet again.
Roswaal, who made the robe, didn't seem all that bothered by Emilia's mistake. He merely chuckled at her forgetfulness being used by Subaru.
"He's mind is truly a w~ooo~nder. Who remembers such mundane details."
"It was left by his master, the pig probably sniffed it for a day or so." Priscilla hummed from the same row as Roswaal, equally as uncaring about the happenings on the screen as he was.
"Ew!" Schult looked disgusted by the prospect which earned his innocence a small head pat from the beautiful woman
[Subaru softly looked at the two knights beside him… then he noticed their looks of disappointment.
"I didn't steal it, okay?!" Subaru yelled defensively.
"Hmm…" Felix mused with a suspicious face. "Well, the plan to correct the mistake with the blank letter worked out."
The screen showed Ram standing in the forest with her clairvoyance activated, making the maid take hold of every insect or creature's vision in the forest.
The vision showed Subaru and Mimi running along the roads to Alarm while holding giant signs with writing on them, clearly placed for the maid's clairvoyance vision.
"The letter was a mistake it was my fault?" Ram read the signs in amusement.]
"That is just Barusu being creative, Ram approves." As many looked at her with amused glances of disbelief, she nodded her head telling them that it was all real.
"We kinda helped his brains to run but this was mainly all him and Mimi-chan." Felix smiled at the little girl who cheered at being praised, earning a head from Anastasia.
[The scene changes back to Felix, carrying on with his explanation.
"And you worked so hard to convince the villagers, Subaru-kyun… " Felix teased mercilessly as Subaru blushed in shame.
The scene changes to a pleading Subaru bowing with his head to the ground infront of everyone in the village.
"Please! Emilia's… She's a girl who can be friends with all of you, and I want you to give her the chance to make you see that!"
The villagers all looked at one another as they thought over the bowing boy's pleas…
Ram and the other knights looked at Subaru with expressions of surprise and some respect.]
"No…" Emilia looked at Subaru with a bit of emotion overwhelming her eyes. "Don't do that… Raise your head, Subaru." She whispered with her hand squeezing his and her eyes watering with positive emotion.
"What a way to turn them around…" Wilhelm snorted with a small smile of his own, giving Subaru's sincerity and respect.
"It was unbelievable to watch in person," Ram explained to the ones looking at her and Felix in the second row.