Chapter Text
It is the middle of the White Whale fight.
The battlefield is chaos—wind, blood, mist, and screams blending into one endless storm.
The whale roar echoes across the battlefield, and everyone believes it has called for its “friends”—that two have appeared. None yet realize the truth.
High above the field, the true White Whale floats near the Flugel Tree, silently watching, its body healing slowly as it lets its two clones below bear the burden of battle.
On the ground, those two whales tear through formation, magic, and knight alike.
Crusch army clashes with one of the beasts head-on, while the Iron Fang — Ricardo, Mimi, Hetaro, there troops and william — fight desperately against the other.
Every spell, every arrow, every strike seems small before the monstrous size of their foe.
Near the rear line, Subaru sits half-kneeling on the ground, his body aching and bruised. Felix is beside him, hands glowing faintly blue, healing what he can.
“That’s enough.” Subaru mutters, standing up with a grimace.
Felix looks up sharply. “Nya—Subaru, you’re not even close to—”
But Subaru is already moving, rolling his shoulder and testing his legs. “I can walk. I can run. That’s enough. There’s no time to rest.”
Ignoring Felix protests, he grabs his jacket and turns toward the raging battlefield.
Moments later, Rem comes riding in on Patrasche, her expression determined. Subaru doesn’t hesitate—he climbs onto the Patrasche behind her. Together, they charge toward the front lines, where Crusch leads her army.
Crusch sword flashes, a wind current swirling around it. She unleashes a cutting wave of wind that splits through the mist, striking the whale side with a distant roar. Her technique — One Blow, One Hundred Felled — is beautiful and terrifying, the air itself bending to her will.
Subaru watches in awe as they approach. “Damn, she’s amazing…” he mutters under his breath.
Rem guides Patrasche closer, and soon they are beside Crusch forces, helping drive the monster back with coordinated attacks.
For a brief moment amid the chaos, a soldier stumbles toward them — carrying Ricardo, his fur covered with his own blood, but his eyes still burn with life.
Subaru rushes forward. “Ricardo! Are you alright?!”
Ricardo grins weakly, forcing a rough laugh. “Yeah… I’m fine. That whale hit felt light, y’know? I mean, I ain’t dead yet.”
His tone is casual, but his breath is shallow—half a joke, half relief. Before Subaru can say anything more, the soldier carry Ricardo and march toward the medical camp near the Flugel Tree, where Felix tends the wounded.
“Don’t worry, Ricardo!” Subaru shouts after him, his voice cutting through the mist. “We’ll take care of it from here!”
Ricardo raises one hand weakly in reply before disappearing into the haze.
Subaru frowns. “Light… what did he mean by that?” he whispers. But the battlefield leaves no room for thought — another whale scream shakes the ground, and he snaps back to the moment.
The fight rages on.
Two whales still circle below, pushing the army toward the brink.
And far above, the real one hovers unseen, silently watching its prey struggle beneath it.
The battle drags on, and the will of the army fades fast.
The White Whale Mist of Annihilation spreads across the field, swallowing soldiers whole. Each time the mist touches someone, there name, memory, even the proof they ever existed vanish completely expect there body.
The survivors cannot recall who is missing, only that their numbers keep dropping. And there is nothing they can do about it.
Crusch charges forward with her wind magic, her private army of mages struggle to keep up. Their attacks has scratch the monstrous beast — but, it doesn’t change fate but still push on, because there is no way out.
She wants to call for a retreat, but she knows what it means to face not one, but three whales. There is no escape. Either they fight and die, or they run and still die.
She hates herself for not being able to lead them better — but she refuses to show weakness infront of her people.
Wilhelm dances across the second whale massive form, his blade flashing as he carves lines across its skin. Each cut draws blood but not enough to change the outcome of the battle.
All around them, the mist consumes more soldiers. Crusch glances around and realizes with a chill that barely a third of her original force remains. She cannot remember the names or faces of those who are gone, yet she knows the numbers have fallen.
That quiet knowledge is maddening — but she calm her breath and presses on.
Meanwhile, Subaru rides atop Patrasche, Rem seated in front of him, one hand gripping the reins tightly, the other flung back as she casts bursts of ice magic to hold the beast at bay. The Witch scent makes the whale focus on Subaru like a predator locked on prey.
They pull some distance between them and the beast when Rem notices something.
“Subaru,” she says, eyes narrowing as she guides Patrasche. “this feels strange… my attacks are more effective than before. It wasn’t like this earlier—before.”
Her words hit Subaru like a spark in the dark.
“It felt light”… Ricardo said something about it. He thought to himself.
He looks up at the sky—toward the whale circling above the Flugel Tree. The realization hits him hard.
“The ones we’re fighting… they aren’t real.” He mutters, eyes wide. “Those two down here—they’re clones! The real one’s up there, healing while we waste our strength on its copies!”
Without hesitation, he shouts, “Rem! Take me to Crusch right now — I have a plan!”
Rem nods once and turns Patrasche sharply, racing across the battlefield.
When they reach Crusch, Subaru barely stops to catch his breath. “Crusch-san, the whales down here are fake! The real one’s in the sky—Ricardo mentioned something like that and now thanks to Rem, I am sure of it. I should have realized it earlier. I’m sorry for missing it, but if we kill the true one, the clones vanish!”
Crusch expression hardened, her eyes sharp with thought. “You sound certain. And… it makes sense. There’s no need to apologize, Subaru. Nobody could have predicted this. But thanks to you, we finally have a lead.”
Wilhelm arrives beside them, his coat soaked in blood. “I agree with Subaru-dono,” he said, voice calm. “The whale I fought was weaker, softer than before. Its skin had less resistance. The true monster must be above.”
Subaru nodded quickly. “So it’s sharing its power with the clones… splitting its strength.”
Crusch folds her arms. “Then our target is the one above the Flugel Tree.”
Subaru frown. “But how do we reach it?”
Wilhelm looks up, then at the tree. “I can run along its trunk and leap onto the monster body… but alone, I might not make any difference.”
Crusch shook her head. “Exactly. You’d reach it in time. But We need something more.”
Subaru clenching his fists, mind racing. Then it hit him—the memory of Rem earlier ice attack that had reached the whale. He turns to her, grabbing her shoulders with sudden energy.
“Rem, can you use your ice magic again, but stronger this time? Big enough to send it flying toward the whale?”
Rem blinks, startled, a faint blush coloring her face. “Rem can… but Subaru, why? Do you have a plan?”
He grinned. “Oh yeah. I’ve got an idea.”
Turning back, he calls out to the others with fierce confidence. “Crusch-san Wilhelm-san—I have a plan! It’s risky, but it can work!”
Crusch sighed, folding her arms. “Right now, risk is all we have. Let’s hear it, Subaru-san.”
He nodded. “As Wilhelm-san said, he can reach the whale — but it’ll see him coming. So instead, I’ll draw its attention. I’ll be the bait.”
Crusch raise a brow. Wilhelm and Rem both stared. “How do you plan to do that?” Crusch asks.
Subaru drop to one knee, pointing dramatically towards Rem. “With my ace card — Rem!”
She tilt her head in confusion, but Subaru tone suddenly shifted, low and serious. “Rem, I need you to make an enormous ice crystal—one that can carry me straight toward the whale.”
Rem eyes widen. “Subaru, that’s dangerous! I’ll be drained after using that much mana—I won’t be able to protect you.” Her voice trembles, eyes glistening.
He lean closer, cupping her cheeks gently. “Rem… trust me. Trust the man you love. Trust your hero.”
Rem froze, staring into his eyes. Her lips parted, but no words came. Finally, she loser her head and whisper. “Okay, Subaru. I’ll trust you. But promise me—you’ll come back safe.”
He smiles and links his pinky with hers. “Pinky promise.”
Wilhelm watchs them silently, the ghost of a memory flickering in his heart—his wife smile, his own promise from long ago.
Crusch steps forward, her tone sharp but warm. “The whale seems to have a particular interest in you, Subaru. I have no doubt it will chase you.”
She drew her sword, her cape fluttering. “But you’re not going alone. I’ll go with you.”
Her declaration stuns everyone.
Wilhelm spoke first, bowing low. “Crusch-sama, please reconsider. It’s too dangerous for you.”
Crusch gaze didn’t waver. “My people are vanishing before my eyes, and I can do nothing. I refuse to stand by while others fight and die. I will not let my soldiers face death alone.”
Wilhelm lowers his head. “Forgive me, Crusch-sama. I spoke out of turn. You are someone I’m meant to protect, not to put at risk.”
Crusch shook her head firmly. “My command is final. I will not change my mind.”
She turns to Subaru and Rem, her voice softening. “And I’ll have to make sure Subaru keeps his promise to come back safely to the rem-san who believes in him.”
Wilhelm smiles faintly, pride glinting in his eyes. “As you wish, Crusch-sama. I will protect you and Subaru-dono with my life.”
Subaru stared at both of them, stunned. “Crusch-san, Wilhelm-san—you don’t actually—”
Rem gently tugged on his sleeve. He stops, meeting her eyes, and smiles. Then he turns back towards them, bowing his head deeply.
“Thank you, Crusch-san. Thank you, Wilhelm-san.”
He straightened, fire burning in his eyes, and raise his voice with all the will he could muster.
“Then let’s kill that damn whale!”
