Chapter Text
Emilia tossed and turned in bed, trying to enjoy more of her sleep, having a rather pleasant dream. She thought, as she woke up, that she would be in her room at the Mansion and could start her day.
But upon awakening, she found herself in a room that was almost a copy of hers, yet different, for they were not really in her world or anyone else’s.
In truth, they were in a place unlike anything some could imagine.
A place that was supposed to be a kind of Theater, but was also called, by its owner, a “Cinema”—the Absolute Cinema—which existed outside their world. A place to which they had been summoned against their will to watch the story of her knight.
Natsuki Subaru.
A young man from another world, summoned to theirs, who had faced great difficulties since the moment he first set foot in this land. Hardships that would have broken any ordinary person.
And, on certain paths, he had been broken.
From what the figure, Alpha, who had brought them to this place, explained, these were paths that could have been followed if Subaru or other versions of herself or the others had made different choices. And they had witnessed many such paths beyond the seven arcs up to that moment: Route of Pride, Wrath, Sloth, Vengeance, Greed, Gluttony and the Void.
And she had said there were infinite Routes across the infinite multiverse of possibilities!
The half-elf could hardly even imagine what it meant to have infinite possible paths.
She even wondered if there were versions of herself that had met her knight earlier or later in life. If she had understood her feelings and expressed them to him sooner or later. If she had lived happily with him and even built a family together.
Such thoughts filled her chest with warmth—and her cheeks as well.
Such thoughts began to flood her mind as she wondered how much time she still had to make up with her Knight, so they could live happily, together.
A knock at her bedroom door caught the attention of the woman as she finished getting ready.
[Alpha: Hellooo~~]
[Emilia: Alpha-sama.]
[Alpha: Uh~ Awake already? I came to wake you up gently, what a shame.]
[Emilia: Hmm—.]
Emilia thought of saying that Alpha’s usual way of waking her was anything but gentle.
Either Alpha blasted music so loud it made her leap face-first onto the floor, or she had the bed toss her out, or similar tricks. Sometimes she even dumped water on her. Or pulled other stunts—never lethal, but always meant to annoy her or the others.
But if anyone tried to resist this treatment, it was useless, because the Witch of Time seemed to get more excited the more she irritated them.
[Emilia: What are you doing here, Alpha-sama?]
[Alpha: Well, I came to wake you up for the next screening. But since you’re already awake, I just have to drag you out and take you to the hall. So don’t take too long, let’s go.]
[Emilia: ... another screening...?]
[Alpha: Yep, suck it up and let’s go.]
Answering directly and indifferently, she called the half-elf to follow her after she finished getting ready.
Even though Emilia was somewhat displeased, she had to accept it.
Emilia finished putting on her clothes and followed the Witch of Time out of her room into the corridor of bedrooms.
Several others were there: people from other Royal Camps, her own Camp, and some belonging to no Camp at all—Rem, Ram, Roswaal, Garfiel, Otto, Frederica, Petra, Meili, Crusch, Felix, Wilhelm, Anastasia, the triplets, Ricardo, Julius, Felt, Reinhard, Priscilla, Al, Heinkel, and Schult—as well as others, the Witches: Echidna, Sekhmet, Typhon, Camilla, Daphne, Minerva, Satella alongside her counterpart, Envy, and the so-called Sage’s apprentice, Shaula.
A rather mixed group, who until then had been sharing the screening room since the very beginning. Each one leaving their rooms.
Emilia even glanced down the long corridor that seemed endless—where Alpha’s room should be, yet no one could reach it no matter how much they tried. Shaula, like some others, had tried to go to the end of that hallway and simply failed. It was as if it were an infinite corridor, preventing them from doing anything except staying confined to that place.
But this did not matter much to the candidate. What mattered was the room beside hers, which was probably already empty: Subaru’s, which he usually shared with Beatrice, his Great Spirit, who should already be in the screening room.
[Rem: Emilia-sama, I hope you rested well.]
[Emilia: Yes. I hope you did too, Rem.]
The two exchanged the first kind words of the day, the silver-haired girl smiling.
The two—like others—shared a love for the dark-haired boy.
[Alpha: No time to waste, everyone! Today we’ll begin a special screening unlike any other!]
The Witch of Time cut short any further interaction between the two, as the others waited for the little Witch’s announcement at the front.
[Al: Could it be the legendary Route of Lust?]
[Ricardo: Our sweet and amazing hostess will finally show us the grand Route we’re missing~?]
The two jokesters teased with grins on their faces. This drew a snort from Heinkel, who didn’t even want to be there to witness the other Routes—much less one with such a lewd tone.
[Alpha: No, no. That Route is already being screened in another hall...]
[Al: Hm?]
[Alpha: YOU AREN’T GOING TO SEE THAT ROUTE!]
[Al/Ricardo: Awww.]
The two lowered their heads in “sadness,” disappointed at missing such an opportunity.
The others around them could only let out small chuckles.
[Shaula: Uh~ Are we going to see the Route of the Great Disciple of the Master? The first-class lady, Shaula?]
[Alpha: No. We aren’t, scorpion-girl. Even if it would be mildly interesting, I admit.]
[Shaula: OwO]
[Alpha: Don’t make that face at me.]
The Witch of Time pointed at her, slightly frustrated at seeing the scorpion-girl’s pleading expression.
And they continued walking until they entered the hall.
In the seats at the very front, the second main row, sat the figure of Natsuki Subaru, seated at the center, while Beatrice was perched on his lap—the definitive spot of the drill-haired little loli. Beatrice cast a sharp look at anyone who might think of stealing her place. Some of the younger children wanted to, but it would have been a hopeless battle against the Great Spirit.
[Alpha: Take your seats.]
So, without asking further questions, they knew they shouldn’t waste any more time at that moment. They all took their places.
Fifth Row: Heinkel, [Empty Seat], [Empty Seat], Alpha, [Empty Seat], [Empty Seat], Ram, Roswaal, [Empty Seat].
Fourth Row: Al, Schult, Priscilla, [Empty Seat], [Empty Seat], [Empty Seat], Felt, Reinhard, and Wilhelm.
Third Row: Ricardo, Mimi, Hetaro, Tivey, Julius, Anastasia, Crusch, Felix, [Empty Seat], Shaula.
Second Row: Otto, Garfiel, Rem, Subaru with [Beatrice], Emilia, Frederica with [Petra], and Meili, [Empty Seat], [Empty Seat].
First Row: [Empty Seat], Daphne, Camilla, Minerva, Echidna, Satella, Typhon, and Sekhmet, [Empty Seat].
Everyone was in their properly chosen seats.
Sometimes, of course, they switched places, but most of the time the members of the Cinema had pre-destined seats. The Witches, for instance, always sat at the front, while Beatrice had her “special throne,” with the other two—Rem and Emilia—taking their places around Subaru.
Some changes were worth noting as examples: Wilhelm, who gave up his seat to Shaula after everything that happened in the first four Arcs of the Anime version, so he could stay closer to Reinhard. Or Meili, who had originally sat in the back, but moved to sit with the Camp starting directly from the Pride Route when they began watching the Novel version—at Petra’s own request, as she had “claimed” Frederica as her throne—so Meili could get closer to the others and start integrating into the group. Another was Heinkel moving far away from Wilhelm and Reinhard. And sometimes there were minor shifts, like when Subaru ended up surrounded by members of other Camps, such as Anastasia’s or Crusch’s, or even Priscilla’s.
Meanwhile, Alpha always remained in her special seat at the top center, in a mighty metal chair, ready to smack the heads of the girls who dared try—or ended up breaking Subaru’s hands out of jealousy—especially Emilia, who held the record for most hits to the head.
But these were just small trivialities.
[Alpha: NOW THAT EVERYONE IS HERE, WE CAN BEGIN OUR NEXT SCREENING!]
The Witch’s usual words left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.
The next screening could only mean one thing: more suffering to watch.
[Heinkel: Tsk! What is it this time, huh?]
[Alpha: You could ask more politely, you know? What? You want me to give you a little lesson in manners? Want some practical education?]
[Heinkel: ——!!!]
[Reinhard: Alpha-sama, please...]
Reinhard pleaded with a sad and desperate look when he saw her raise a finger in a threatening manner, accompanied by a faintly cruel and terrifying aura that made everyone tense up.
The Witch glared at him for a few moments, then withdrew her aura.
[Alpha: Fine, fine. Let’s not start with that. —— Today, in our screenings, I decided to show you yet another Alternative Route—one of what could have happened.]
[Echidna: Is it a divergence from Arc 7 or 8?]
[Alpha: No. We don’t have many divergences in Arc 7 or 8. Though one does exist, I don’t find it very interesting—not compared to the one I wish to show you right now. That’s the one we’ll see.]
[Crusch: Then, from which Arc does this Route we are about to watch come?]
[Alpha: From our beloved... ARC 3!!!]
She spoke while spreading her arms dramatically, which only gave everyone a fresh bad taste in their mouths.
[Alpha: The most intense Arc, with the best divergence in my opinion. I love it when my father abandons all of you to die facing the consequences of your own decisions, while he goes off to live a happy life with his own family. Truly, Sloth is one of my favorites.]
Her words felt like blades stabbing into the hearts of those who might have died in that situation.
Both Crusch’s Camp and especially Emilia’s. Even more so because of Alpha’s clear indifference, her animated tone as she so excitedly described their deaths in that scenario, and the chaos that would have ensued had Subaru and Rem fled at that moment. This left everyone with a look of resignation and faint anger toward the Witch of Time for the tone she used to describe it.
Alpha, however, remained indifferent, even briefly pondering whether or not she should break their arms out of obvious spite—but decided to let it go.
[Alpha: Let’s begin our screening.]
[Priscilla: Wait.]
[Alpha: Hm~?]
[Priscilla: You usually say the name of the Route we’ll watch, but you didn’t this time.]
[Alpha: At least someone noticed... Well, I’ll reveal the name of the Route at the end of the chapter——at the end of the first episode’s screening.]
Correcting herself, she cut herself off mid-sentence in a way that made everyone frown at her odd phrasing.
[Felt: Wait a sec, “first... episode”?]
[Alpha: Uh~ I forgot to mention it. —— This Route is an extremely long one, longer than the others. That’s why we’ll be watching it the way we do with the Arcs, since there are so many. So we’ll be spending quite some time watching it, and I hope you’re ready for everything we’re about to see... Though actually, it doesn’t matter to me whether you’re ready or not—you’ll watch it because I want you to, so you have no choice.]
[Felt: Urgh, don’t you have a shred of kindness in your heart?]
[Alpha: Hm? I disabled the sensation of pain in the Routes and left it only in the main one... Do you want me to enable it so you can experience all the pain from every death you and Subaru suffered in this Route?]
[Felt: N-No. No need, seriously. Sorry.]
Felt grew quite worried—like the others—when she realized they might lose the special treatment that kept them from feeling the pain during the screenings.
All that remained for them was to watch what would be shown, without complaining about what would be presented.
Then the screen lit up as a title appeared...
{The Ordination of Vainglory}
...which unsettled them a bit as the episode began.
Subaru tossed and turned within his bed, groaning as his sleep was still tormented by nightmares.
Twenty seven times, he had died twenty seven times. He had died at the hands of friends, enemies, and monsters.
And many of his deaths were slow and painful.
He was abandoned by a person he was willing to dedicate everything to.
Discarded by those who acted like they would be his friends.
He died, over and over again.
Many people's eyes widened at what they began to see.
They began to wonder what exactly was happening at that moment. Because so far, despite seeing the various loops Subaru had faced, up until this point in Arc 3, he had only died about ten times—in both versions.
Three in the Capital in Arc 1. Four in the Mansion in Arc 2. And another four in Arc 3.
Could this be the divergence that the divergence at this point in the story was about, as in the other Routes?
The Sloth Route was Rem accepting Subaru's hand, while the Revenge Route was Subaru not going to the Mansion in the second loop and then beginning his quest for revenge against Petelguese without dying once more.
Could these twenty-seven more deaths have come from what was supposed to be this Route?
He remembered being frozen, his body turned painfully and sadistically into ice. The freezing winds that tore apart his skin, crept over him like a rot, and shattered him like broken glass.
He remembered being ripped apart and torn to pieces by shadowy hands. The cold fingers digging into his skin, breaking his bones, bending his arms and limbs around in impossible directions.
He remembered being devoured by the White Whale, captured within its maw. He still heard the tearing of his own flesh, the crunch of his bones, his own screams of agony as he was slowly crushed within the gut of the whale. His body’s blood mixed with the thick saliva of the whale as it drowned him.
He remembered the cold steel of Crusch Karsten’s blade as it severed his head from his body. It was swift, cold, merciless, and remorseless. Blood spilled forth from his neck, and he remembered her firm pitiless gaze as he drowned in his own blood.
He remembered the agony of Priscilla Barielle’s sword. Conjured within her hands it was a blade that blazed like the sun, much like she did. The slash that decorated his chest was not that deep, but ceaseless flames erupted forth from that singular wound. He did not know for how long he burned, until the flames consumed his entire body, all the while the Sun Princess watched on contemptuously and cruelly. Every nerve, every muscle, every drop of blood in his body was set ablaze until nothing was left of him.
He remembered the feeling of his neck snapping when Mimi’s own blast knocked him away into a nearby wall. It was instant, quick, and callous. A death that represented his own pathetic insignificance. Maybe he was a bit loud but he certainly felt like he didn’t deserve that death!
He died, over and over again.
He died twenty times, just because he wanted to help people. He wanted to help those that had abandoned him.
But the world decided to teach him a cruel lesson.
That it didn’t matter if you saved people.
That it didn’t matter if your intentions were noble and pure.
That it didn’t matter how much you begged and pleaded.
He learned that if you were weak, if you were insignificant, that the world would discard you if it had no use for you.
That people were callous, cold, and selfish.
People were lustful in the pursuit of their own desires.
People were gluttonous as they sought to consume all from the world that they could.
People were greedy as they would simply take from those weaker than them.
People were slothful, unwilling to lift a finger even for a righteous cause unless they would personally gain.
People were envious, as they would seek what others had.
People were wrathful, quick to destroy, hurt, and kill others for offense.
People were proud, valuing themselves too much and others too little.
People were vainglorious. They did not really care what sort of people they were, they only cared about their precious noble image.
It was for that reason that Subaru found himself abandoned.
It was for that reason that he found himself killed.
He did not view himself as an exception to these emotions in the slightest.
He wanted to be a hero, he wanted to save people, to mean something, to be valued. But very few people gave him that due. He felt he was owed at least that much.
He felt that Emilia owed him at least that much.
He tried to trust others, but he discovered what people were really like, all that he really amounted to.
He only received rejection, pain, and death.
Over and over again.
Rejection
Pain
Death
Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death, Rejection, Pain, Death,
It always ended in death.
[Petra: N-N—No... no...]
With her hands over her mouth, the young maid’s face showed the same shock as the others in the room. Wide eyes, mouth open—covered by her small hands—while a few tears threatened to fall at that moment.
What exactly was this that they were seeing?!
That Subaru had been killed by Puck was something some already knew to expect.
But the changes began to appear when he started speaking about Petelgeuse’s Invisible Hands.
He hadn’t died to the invisible hands, he hadn’t been devoured by the Whale, but above all... Subaru had never been killed by Crusch’s or Priscilla’s blades! And even less by Mimi’s tiny hands.
[Crusch: S-Subaru-dono...]
[Priscilla: —— what exactly are we watching?]
[Mimi: M-Mini-B-Boss... Mimi didn’t, no...]
The little girl was quickly comforted by her brothers, as well as by Anastasia and Ricardo, who were just as shocked as the other two. Hearing from Subaru himself that he had been killed by those three—especially the little cat-girl—was something utterly startling!
[Daphne: Here, Subarun ended up finding the end from the Fish before the Bunny, tsu~.]
[Minerva: DAMN IT! DON’T MAKE COMMENTS LIKE THAT, DAPHNE!]
[Daphne: Relax, Nerva. I’m not saying it’s a good thing. Just that it’s impressive it happened to him in this world just like it happened in ours, don’t you think, tsu~?]
The Witch of Gluttony pointed out a fact, even if some disliked it.
But it truly was real.
[Ram: What exactly is this timeline, Alpha-sama?]
The Witch of Time remained silent upon hearing the pink-haired oni’s question.
[Beatrice: S-So if we count those twenty-sev—seve—seventy d-d-deaths, Betty’s S-Subaru d-died... N-No...]
[Roswaal: Counting with the seven previous deaths, and if he’s already couuunting the three we all remember so vividly, this version of Subaru-kun died twenty times in the Capital.]
Finishing the Great Spirit’s thought, his words seemed to put everyone more on edge with that perspective.
[Rem: T-That doesn’t make sense. A-After dying those three times, Subaru-kun would try to propose to Rem that they run away together... not keep trying.]
[Priscilla: That would only happen if his will had been completely broken by the Spirit and he gave up entirely—but perhaps that wasn’t the case in this timeline.]
The baroness’s words caught everyone’s attention.
[Julius: What exactly do you mean, Priscilla-sama?]
[Priscilla: I am only deducing, but though it is only that, I believe I am correct. And the Witch will confirm it once I demonstrate my line of reasoning.]
[Alpha: —— Of course, go right ahead. My duty is just to show the screening. Only if you’re wrong, I’ll twist Al’s testicles.]
[Al: WHAT?!]
[Priscilla: Feel free with such trivialities.]
[Al: HUH?!]
The one-armed knight looked uneasy behind his helmet, glancing back and forth between his princess and the Witch of Time.
[Priscilla: Well... The commoner had given up completely after being killed by the half-demon’s Spirit for the third time, realizing nothing he did would bring about the expected result. He ended up accepting that no matter how much he acted, he couldn’t achieve anything, and the best he could do in that moment was to offer his hand to the maid and flee.]
[Ram: Except...?]
[Priscilla: Except at that junction, he most likely chose to ignore that thought. He chose instead to try other ways to earn our trust, desperate to prove his own worth, and also to save the lives of those around him. He tried once again to seek our aid, as he had in the third loop. But this time, with his desperation mounting along with the number of deaths, at certain points he must have lost control, and our versions saw him as disgusting and attempted to eliminate him—like Karsten when he “threatened” her with a spoon. Which only drove him further into desperation, to the point where he was no longer capable of acting properly, or at least acceptably enough to hold a reasonable discussion with any of us. —— I should be correct in my deduction, shouldn’t I, Witch?]
[Alpha: Phiiiu~! Damn. Sometimes it feels like you’ve got the script in your hand. —— Basically, almost. You only missed one part of your theory. It wasn’t about proving his worth anymore, it was simply that he was truly desperate not to see anyone he cared for die again. —— But yes. For the rest, you’ve correctly guessed what happened.]
With the Witch confirming part of Priscilla’s words, some couldn’t help but sigh in surprise.
The Subaru of this timeline had not given up.
So desperate to find a way to save Arlam Village, the Mansion’s people, and Emilia, he had pushed aside his own thoughts to keep trying to overcome the difficulty before him. But since he hadn’t spoken with Rem, he hadn’t begun to think clearly nor could he vent his frustrations, which resulted in the deaths caused by the women. Mimi felt less amazing and, for the first time in a long while, felt disgusted at having done something so terrible to someone in such deep despair; and while Schult admired his lady, even he couldn’t help but cast her a doubtful look, afraid that something like that could happen and that she might really kill him—something noticed by the baroness, who couldn’t help but accept that for a child—even one so loyal to her—it was impossible not to think such a thing after all they had seen.
Otto even suspected that in some way he might have been connected to the Whale’s kill. Up until that point, he had shoved and abandoned him to die to it once, hadn’t he? What would have stopped him from being the cause of Subaru’s death by that beast’s fangs, just as he had been in the Sanctuary with the Great Rabbit’s fangs?
Was Otto’s fate to bring about Subaru Natsuki’s conflict and death at the hands of the Great Beasts?
[Emilia: S-Subaru... please... forgive me...]
The half-elf grieved deeply, realizing how much of it had been her fault.
Others also shared that sorrow, alongside great frustration.
How many times would Subaru have to die before somehow achieving victory?
One of the most guilt-ridden, even if neither his lady nor Subaru himself blamed him, was Reinhard. Once again, it showed just how far he was from being able to do anything to help his friend—who was constantly sacrificing himself to protect others—while Reinhard was always too far away to do anything meaningful. The strongest in the world, too far away to protect those who could not protect themselves.
And so, they too wondered: to what fate was this Route leading?
The memories of his deaths, of freezing, of burning, of being cut, of being devoured. They all played again and again within his mind.
He began to claw at his own arms, trembling in his bed, his own nails digging into his flesh.
Desperate for release, for relief.
The cat, the whale, those swords they…
“I see, I apologize. I should not have left you.” A voice spoke, gentle and warm like a summer morning. A soft hand touched his own, calming him, quelling the nightmares that plagued his soul. Bringing his heart back to serenity, back to stasis.
Opening his eyes he saw a familiar figure, one he had grown to know earlier that day.
“Pandora… right?” Subaru questioned.
Sitting on his bed was a platinum haired young woman, girl? He couldn’t quite place her. She was about as tall as Anastasia, though her features made her seem almost divine in nature rather than a mortal being. Meanwhile her blue eyes seemed to radiate a near perfect serenity. She wore a simple piece of white fabric with blue string lace, and a blue ribbon upon her head.
If they thought the people's expressions of surprise couldn't get any worse, they'd be wrong.
For at that moment, everyone's expressions were a mixture of astonishment and surprise beyond anything imaginable. Because despite having heard that voice and seen its face only a few times, at least most of the room, everyone perfectly recognized the figure that was presenting itself at that moment.
A figure that made Emilia's expression freeze and Wilhelm grit his teeth.
[Emilia: P-Pandora...]
Before them, as before Subaru, stood the figure of the Witch of Vainglory and leader of the Witch Cult.
Many also reacted with shock, surprise, and some, anger.
But among them were the Witches, who, surprised, began exchanging knowing glances upon seeing the Witch with Subaru. Something none of them expected, even if not all that surprising—given the history they knew. [Rem: What is this damn thing doing with Subaru-Kun?!]
The blue-haired Oni indignantly expressed what everyone was wondering at that moment.
What was the Witch doing with Subaru?
Had she kidnapped him? If so, was she part of the divergence from this unknown route?
She softly took his hands as she nodded her head. “That is correct my beloved. I have finished the preparations, but you must make your choice soon.”
“My… choice?” Subaru slowly sat himself up, “Ri..right.” He hung his head low.
“You’ll help me, you’ll save them?” He asked.
She nodded her head. “I truly believe that you do not need my help to do so. That you are strong enough to rise above this trial the world has placed before you.”
Subaru scoffed and shook his head. “What good can I do? All I can do is get myself killed.”
She shook her head, placing another hand upon his and holding them up. “If the world has led you to believe that, has led you into that pit of despair, then it shall fall to me to teach you otherwise.”
Subaru blinked a few times, and reflected upon their prior conversation.
He had already learned that she was the effective leader of the Witch Cult though her role, as she explained, was above it.
She explained how Betelgeuse’s actions were his own, that as an Archbishop he had the right to direct the cult as he saw fit. That she had no part in his actions beyond observation.
He wanted to hate her, understanding that she was apparently the ‘true enemy’ in this world but…
She had also saved him, given him a chance where practically everyone else abandoned him.
And while Rem had not, he still has complicated emotions given her prior actions towards him in a past that no longer existed.
She was given a choice by him.
She would save him, save all those he wished to save.
But in turn he must become hers, serve as an archbishop in the Witch Cult. If he did this, she would dedicate everything to him.
It was a simple choice, his life, for her full support and everything she could offer.
He felt that the axis of not only his life, but of the lives of everyone he knew in this world, would hinge upon that choice.
He needed time to think, so she left him alone while she made the preparations.
[Emilia: N-No...]
It seemed that what was being shown on that screen was increasingly crushing the silver-haired girl's heart.
[Otto: Is she trying to recruit him?]
The merchant, like many others, were focused as they tried to comprehend the path being shown. First, Subaru dying seventeen more times in Arc 3; second, Pandora had taken him and was offering to end the attacks and save Arlam along with Emilia if he would become a member of the Cult.
Begging the question: Why?
And what he had realized, like almost everyone else, was something else...
[Anastasia: She... knows?]
Does Pandora know about Return by Death? Could the Witch of Vainglory know about Return by Death?
Laying in his bed, he considered everything, his path since arriving in this world that led him to this point.
How he had already managed to lose everything he sought to work for, how he had been abandoned because of one mistake.
Because he simply wanted to stick up for the girl he loved.
But she would not stand by him.
She would not love him.
He began to understand that now.
In a quick leap, Emilia rose from her seat, shaking her hands with clenched fists and a look of sadness on her face.
[Emilia: No, Subaru! I love you! Please...!]
But it was useless, they knew. Shouting from a movie theater wouldn't change the events on screen.
Sinking into such thoughts he drifted back into his slumber, until awoken by Pandora again, just now.
“If you are ready, we should be on our way.” She extended out her hand to him.
Staring at it, at her pure and radiant form for but a moment, he then took her hand.
With that touch, he felt it, peace, serenity, and above all relief.
Relief, which had become the most precious emotion to him in this world.
She led him by the hand, out of that white room and into the dark corridors of whatever complex they were in.
“Where are we?” Subaru asked.
“Underground, one of the bases of the Witch Cult. This one is near the capital, only an hour or two away.” she explained.
Her smile was soft and ethereal, her body delicate yet perfect. She seems almost like an inhuman goddess, a being not of this world.
“So, have you had the time required to think?” Her voice was like a melody of silver bells that might ensnare his mind and pull him into an eternal realm where only she existed.
But she was not a goddess.
And he was not under her spell.
He still had enough of his bearings, even at the edge of his sanity, to be wary of the woman before him.
To him, despite her otherworldly air, some part of her still seemed human.
Some part of his mind refused to be utterly dominated by her being.
So his expression, while that of a smile, contained that reluctance, hinted at that barrier still existing despite their prior physical intimacy.
She stared at him, curiously for a moment. That everpresent smile of hers widened slightly, becoming a bit less perfect, but far more human, and far more beautiful to the young man.
"I see, I should be grateful, that you still treat me as you do." Her voice retained its soft and ethereal tone.
"I still don't get why? Why did you save me when..." Subaru hung his head, shaking it lightly. He was still confused by all this. The pain and fury of the prior ‘weeks’ were reduced to echoes, but they remained etched into his heart.
"...I am the leader of the very cult that is the architect of your misery?"
"..." He nodded his head.
"Why did you save the half-elf? Answer that question and you shall understand my own position on you.
"!!!" His eyes widened a bit.
She continued to stare at him, her eyes gazing into his.
"Because... she saved me..." Subaru's voice was unsteady, unsure, uncertain.
"And then she abandoned you. But I suppose our situations are similar then. You may not understand why, I see that now, but you saved me as well." She spoke plainly, her tone direct and honest. She truly believed that she was saved by Subaru Natsuki.
Subaru didn't understand, couldn't understand how this girl knew him, why she adored him.
"I don't..."
"You don't have to, not now. If you cannot recall then I cannot expect it to hold sway over your heart, but the truth and feeling within my heart remain." She then grabbed his hand, they were soft and delicate.
Leading him out of the hallways, they entered a new chamber, a church.
It was draped in darkness, barely illuminated, but Subaru could make out rows of pews, leading up to a ceremonial altar that seemed to depict the visage of the Witch of Envy, the crimson eye symbol of the Witch Cult, the moon, and the stars.
Occult statues and symbols decorated the wood and stone walls, but their meaning was lost upon Subaru.
Despite being underground, a soft light radiated from behind the glass back wall, dimly illuminating the ceremonial altar.
[Anastasia: Julius. I know we're all in a very... intense situation... But try not to miss any details of what we're witnessing.]
[Julius: I understand, Lady Anastasia. I've already thought about it.]
As if one step ahead of his lady, the Knight of Knights already had a notebook ready to jot down as much information as possible about what he was visualizing, thinking of using any knowledge that might give them a better advantage against the Witch Cult.
This thought seemed to be shared by others who were also trying to maintain rational thinking amidst so much happening: Ram, Otto, Crusch, Wilhelm, and, of course, Reinhard, who were visualizing everything and recording it in their minds. While they still had to deal with the weight of the feelings that gripped their hearts and flooded their minds, they still needed to think about facing the Witch Cult. While some of the members seemed to recognize this place...
[Echidna: So, you took him to this place...]
[Sekhmet: It seems Yawn that Yawn we're seeing something Yawn that's going to go Yawn very wrong...]
The two then proceeded towards the altar, their footsteps soft and purposeful.
"The Witch Cult exists for several purposes. For myself, it is a tool to be called upon when I require or desire it. It also exists to fulfill several tasks from centuries ago... though some of that is irrelevant now. For those who are at its apex, the Archbishops, it exists to facilitate their desires, so long as they obey the Gospel when required. Just as it is a tool for myself, it is a tool for those at its apex to use as well."
He nodded along, she had already explained all this but there was one thing, one obvious critical thing that the boy named Subaru Natsuki could not ignore.
"Why kill..."
"People are cruel, ugly, sickening, and disgusting, savage things. Most are slaves to their desire, their primal instincts, letting their lives twist and pollute themselves. You have already seen it, those who pretend to be better, who vaingloriously place themselves above others. Humanity is a wicked, corrupt, and ugly thing." She said, an almost bored and sorrowful tone sneaking into her melodic voice.
He stared back at her, blinking a few times. “That's…”
"Do you disagree?" she asked curiously.
"I..." He remembered his deaths, at the hands of those who he thought would help him, those he thought were friends. He remembered Puck’s ice, Crusch’s blade, and Priscilla’s fire.
He remembered the knights and nobles from the royal capital, how they mocked him and looked down upon him.
He remembered every indignity that he had suffered since arriving in this world, how he had to claw and fight his way even for the simplest scraps of happiness.
Happiness that the girl before him now offered.
"No... I don't. I can’t… I..."
"Can only live for what you desire, just as all others do." She gently gripped his face. "That is all I ask of you, if you devote yourself to me. You do not need to fight for others, everyone only fights for themselves, only struggles for their own sake so please. I ask you, simply do as you wish."
"Then..."
She smiled. "I gave you some time to consider what you wished for, what you wished to do. Time is running short though. Already the Valkyrie's army is set to collide with the White Whale, and Archbishop Romanne-Conti closes in on that village and the half elf. You know that in both cases they will be annihilated, that the half-elf, the oni maids, and the village will die. You can choose to keep facing it alone, or you may utilize me if you are willing to pay the cost.”
He paused, considering if he truly cared about the outcome still. Emilia and Crusch had both forsaken him, but he still didn’t want Emilia to die. but... He didn't want his efforts, his cycles of pain and death, over and over again, to be for nothing.
He at least wanted to save the village.
He at least wanted to save Rem.
And despite it all, he didn’t want Emilia to die.
He felt that if he did this much, that if he could accomplish this, then he could do what he pleased after it was all said and done with.
He understood he was broken, after all this pain and death that he suffered, he could not longer bring himself to care about the rest.
Everyone else had abandoned him.
The world had proven itself to be a cruel and disgusting place that was cruel and disgusting towards him.
So, maybe she was right.
Maybe he should simply do as he wanted.
Maybe he did deserve better.
He stared into the eyes of the Witch of Vainglory.
The one who not only saved him, but offered him everything.
She was willing to give him everything, she was willing to truly believe in him without judgement, without requiring his death.
He recalled Emilia giving him the false name of Satella.
He recalled Rem torturing him within the forest.
It was only her, only Pandora, trusted him from the start.
Maybe she led the witch cult.
Maybe she was responsible for unspeakable and horrific tragedies.
But it was Pandora, The Witch of Vainglory, who cared about the well being of Natsuki Subaru unconditionally.
He sighed and then nodded his head. "Please, call it off."
She smiled. "So you have decided then. That your own desires shall stand at the summit of the Witch Cult?"
He stood before the altar and the Witch, and bowed his head. "You said those at the Witch Cult's apex are free to pursue their own desires right?" he asked
She nodded her head. "That is the privilege, the authority, of an Archbishop. That is the promise I make to them when I deliver to them their gospels, though it does not mean that one may not be subject to the desire of another stronger force. That is the law that we live by."
“Its all about strength then, isn’t it?” Subaru remarked with grim resignation. “The strong, they are the ones that make the rules. Weaklings like me can only scrape by, get trashed around, and die.”
Pandora nodded her head. “It is the ugly truth of the world we live in. The Witch Cult embraces and reflects that truth. It brings out the true sinful nature of humanity that lays within us all. It is the promise of a world where such truths may not lay in the shadows. That the vainglorious false light that humankind currently lives by, may die.”
Subaru nodded along, something about what she said felt right, it felt correct it felt real.
She promised him true honesty, true devotion, and true strength.
She promised him salvation.
I really was an idiot, for thinking that someone pathetic like me could be a hero.
He stared back at the witch.
But at least… at least someone believes in me, someone believed in me from the start. I was not alone.
He smiled and then got on a single knee.
"Then... I... Subaru Natsuki, pledge myself..."
Pandora’s smile remained plain upon her face, unchanging, pleasant, serene.
"Not to the Witch Cult, or to the Witch of Envy, or to some Gospel, but to you, Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory. The girl who saved me."
Her eyes went slightly wide at that statement,
It was bold.
It was direct.
It was honest.
It was pure.
A statement born from true affection, not adoration.
Born from his want and his need.
Born from the deepest and pure longing of his soul for salvation.
Her smile widened, becoming more real, more genuine.
“Truly you are wonderful, Subaru Natsuki.”
She let out a breath. "In that case, I shall name you as an Archbishop, as an archbishop reflecting my own sin. Thus shall be the terms of our contract, you shall devote yourself to me as my archbishop and serve within the Witch Cult to fulfill my desires, and I shall take you and you shall become mine. In exchange, I shall grant you salvation, and salvation for those you wish to protect, I promise to devote myself to fulfilling your desires, to lend you my power and all that you will require to find joy in your life and value within yourself, I shall become yours as you become mine." She extended her hand for him to kiss.
“These are the terms I offer to you. Do you accept?”
He stared at her, processed the weight of her words, of all that she promised, and all that it would cost.
And he found it an acceptable trade.
“I do. I devote myself to you, Pandora, Witch of Vainglory. I’ll be your Archbishop, and you’ll be my Witch.” He kissed her hand, and then took it.
As his lips graced her hand, a surge of feelings swelled within him.
Peace, warmth, affection, and love.
All these feelings bloomed within him, for the Witch who saved him, for the Witch who promised to devote all that she was to him, if he did so in turn.
It was as simple as that, for Subaru Natsuki to fall in love again.
Within the deepest pit of pain and despair, it was the light of Pandora that saved him.
"Now, I bid you to arise, Subaru Natsuki, Archbishop of Vainglory. I pray that we have a pleasant journey together into the future." Pandora’s smile was bright, cheerful almost.
Subaru looked upon her face, and was entranced by the emotion she showed.
As if all the dreams she had in life had now become reality.
As if she too had been saved.
When he saw her face, when he looked into her eyes, he felt like he was the only think that mattered to her.
Subaru rose to his feet, and locked eyes with the diminutive witch. Serenity, bliss, love, affection, joy, and stasis pervaded within his heart.
For the first time since he arrived in this world, he was at peace.
When the screen turned off, everyone who had been watching until that moment could only stare wide-eyed, some with their mouths open, but almost all, if not all, stunned by everything they had just witnessed on the screen since the moment it was turned on earlier that day.
[Alpha: And with that, I can reveal to you that we will be following along from today...]
Like an excited announcer, the Weather Witch leaped up, floating in front of the screen, while with a snap of her fingers, she added a name to the screen.
[Alpha: The... VAINGLORY ROUTE!!!]
And what appeared on the screen was the name...
[—{VAINGLORY IF}—]
—————
Our dear Zero_Haven has given me permission to post the first chapter.
The posting days for this story will be: Friday. One at a time, posted at times like this.
I didn't lengthen the prologue by adding those cliché reflections from them about having seen the other Arcs, as it would be redundant, as I'll be presenting some of their reflections throughout the story. What this version of the Cast has seen so far is:
-The Main Route (Arcs 1 to 8).
-Pride Route.
-Wrath Route.
-Sloth Route.
-Greed Route.
-Gluttony Route.
-Void Route (the route of what it would have been like if Subaru hadn't been summoned).
Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. And yes, we will have some chapters where the Witch Cult Theater will appear.