Chapter Text
In a world of villains, the most merciful madman is a hero.
Subaru Natsuki, like any otaku, hoped his favorite stories weren't just fiction. The idea of experiencing something similar, living in a fantasy world where no one could stand up to him, full of clichés like having a harem of young girls at his feet, the average isekai—living something like that would be a dream come true for any of them.
But, once again, all of that is just fiction...right? That's what this 17-year-old Japanese boy thought until one ordinary night. He had left his room to buy supplies, having locked himself in it for a year already. His mother said goodbye, but he didn't even answer; instead, he left quickly, eager to buy everything he needed and return. Upon seeing a convenience store, he went in without a second thought, grabbed a bag of chips and a cup of instant ramen, paid the clerk, and headed out, his face still weary and pensive. Leaving home had given him time to reflect on his life. What should he do with it? He couldn't spend his whole life being supported by his parents; they didn't deserve him. But he also didn't feel ready to go back to school... the bad memories still haunted him.
Then, as if he had received a divine sign to change his destiny, a bright light blinded him a few seconds after leaving the store, forcing the young man to shield his eyes with his hand. It was all very strange, as it made no sense for such a blinding light to appear out of nowhere. It must have been some prankster or a car bothering him... but even so, it all seemed very odd. When he opened his eyes again, feeling the blinding light disappear, he found himself in a landscape completely different from the Japanese street he had been on, and it was daytime where before it had been night.
It was a street with medieval characteristics, especially in the buildings, and although it was daytime, there was no one in the streets, but it didn't seem abandoned either, as everything looked well-maintained enough to deduce that it was still home to many people.
Subaru Natsuki needed a couple of minutes to process what had just happened; he had magically appeared in another place. None of this made sense if one tried to use logic, so his otaku instincts took over.
"Could this be the generic isekai where the characters in the stories are sent on missions?!" the young man exclaimed, looking around with a bit of hope that this theory might be true. But he still couldn't be entirely sure. He had to look around for some people in this place, searching for oddities like animal features, pointed ears, or hair and eye colors impossible to achieve naturally.
"You, identify yourself!" A stern voice pulled him from his thoughts. It was a group of people dressed in white uniforms with swords at their waists, which made the young otaku smile, since those medieval swords fit the typical isekai world.
"Surely you'll recognize me as the chosen one to save this world," Subaru whispered with a smile, but these thoughts vanished when one of them grabbed his arm, making him drop the bag he'd bought at the convenience store, and immobilized him, causing him considerable pain in the process.
"Are you deaf?!" "Identify yourself! Only people with special permission can walk the streets at this time of day!" the man shouted, tightening the martial arts hold he had on Subaru, who began to scream in pain, bewildered by this violent treatment.
"Captain, look at those strange clothes and that hair color. He seems to be a foreigner," said another of those present, pointing out the oddities in the young man's appearance, who tried to explain himself between small groans of pain.
"A little more respect, please. I am a chosen one sent from another world," Subaru tried to command respect, still believing he was some kind of isekai protagonist, and even attempted to "release" his powers, which were surely the most powerful in that world, but it didn't work, and his words only left the group of people who had immobilized him with more questions. "A foreigner, and a demented one at that, it's obvious you don't have the special permit, and on top of that, you entered this city even though immigration to Lugunica is prohibited," said the man who had him immobilized, while another added,
"Do you think we should interrogate him? He might be an undercover member of the Witch's Cult," suggested another of them, and Subaru didn't like that at all, as it sounded like they wouldn't be very kind to him, but luckily or unluckily, the leader, who was the one who had put him in the martial hold, shook his head.
"Do you really want to bother the Sword Saint? I remind you that he killed the last person who wasted his time, the best thing is simply to impose the same sentence as any other foreigner: slavery. We're going to take him to an iron mine," the group leader declared. Subaru became agitated at this and tried to break free, but several of those present grabbed his arms with unexpected force. However, Subaru Natsuki was not willing to surrender to this unjust situation, in which he had appeared in this place and, on top of that, it was supposedly his fault when he had nothing to do with his sudden appearance.
That's why he began to struggle. His attempt to break free was so intense that he ended up headbutting the leader, who was behind him, in the nose. The leader stumbled back angrily, clutching the injured area, but he still couldn't escape, as the rest immobilized him and beat him severely, leaving him on the ground again. This time, they kicked him so violently that they broke parts of his body, leaving him without resistance.
"Damn you!" Do you know what happens in Lugunica to a slave who assaults royal knights? Immediate execution! I could kill you with my sword... But a piece of trash like you doesn't deserve that honor!—the leader of the group of knights shouted as he kicked him so hard it made him vomit.
What followed was a lynching filled with violence and cruelty, making sure Subaru survived as long as possible until, after a whole hour of beating, they grew tired and decided to kill him once and for all, all while the poor teenager writhed in pain and cried. His illusions of being the protagonist of a story had vanished; instead, all that appeared in his mind were negative emotions, fear, and pain. He didn't want to die, but he also had no way to avoid his fate. Thus, finally, the young traveler from another world died from the beating.
But...not everything could be so easy to explain, because Subaru's consciousness didn't disappear. It remained for a couple of seconds, and then, after a few moments, his senses reactivated. "Huh?" Subaru's eyes snapped open as he realized he was on the same street where he'd been killed by those guys, but he was alone again, as if it had never happened.
"A prediction? It felt so real," Subaru wondered as tears streamed down his face. Even though the pain was gone, the memories were still there, and it felt awful to know he'd supposedly died so easily, like a piece of shit. That's why his whole body tensed with fear when he heard that damned knight's voice again.
"You! Identify yourself!" the man yelled, standing with his patrol group, but Subaru didn't waste any time and took off running.
"Damn it, move it!" the leader of the knight platoon shouted, and they all gave chase. "Help, someone, please!" Subaru shouted, believing that someone would help him, that someone would open their door to lend him a hand. Nothing like that ever happened, and although he wasn't in bad physical shape, he couldn't compare to the agility of the knights, who didn't wear the heavy armor they usually wore in the stories he read. They captured him in a matter of minutes, immobilizing his body with the same force as the first time.
And just like before, they began to talk about his strange clothes and hair color, which was abnormal by the kingdom's standards, claiming that he might be a foreigner and that, if they didn't want to risk angering someone nicknamed "The Sword Saint," it would be best if they took him themselves and sent him to an iron mine as a new slave.
The young man couldn't help but wonder who this person they feared so much was, though he didn't want to find out either. He remembered mentioning earlier that this guy had killed someone because they had wasted his time, and he didn't want to push his luck. Right now, he had no way to escape on his own; if he tried, he would only end up getting beaten to death by these knights again.
Thus, the group of knights split up. It seemed some would continue with the patrol, and only two of them would take the new slave to the iron mine. Subaru once again considered trying to struggle and escape now that there were only two of them, but the fear of dying gripped him once more, the fear of being lynched.
"Perhaps I can find a way to escape once I'm in that mine," Subaru thought as he saw that, instead of a horse, the means of transport was a pair of large reptiles resembling dinosaurs.
"Get in!" Obviously, the damned leader was one of the two who had taken him to the iron mine, locking him in a cage connected to the cart, a kind of temporary prison for transporting criminals and slaves, all while the two gentlemen positioned themselves at the front and took the reins, thus beginning to move quite quickly, hesitating to continue.
At least the journey gave Subaru time to calmly reflect on his situation. He was in a different world, that much was certain; the presence of knights and fantastical creatures proved it. But it was very different from what he expected. All he seemed to be experiencing were strange visions... though they were quite realistic. He could still remember how those knights had lynched him to death.
Besides being in a world where he was going to be enslaved, he would never see his parents again, whom he hadn't even said goodbye to before leaving for the shop. Tears escaped his eyes once more. This was all too much to process properly. Luckily, it was a peaceful journey where, at least, he could vent his feelings. The knights didn't even comment on it, either out of a modicum of respect for his situation or because they simply didn't care to hear his cries. After a couple of hours' journey, during which Subaru saw very different landscapes—just a short while ago he'd been in a meadow full of crops and families tilling the land, now he was in a completely rocky area. A large cave stretched across the entire area, where many people extracted iron, the mineral so vital for manufacturing so many objects in people's lives.
"Get out," the knight ordered as he opened the door. There was a group of guards ready to subdue him should he try to escape, but the young man with black hair knew this. He would have tried to blind them with his cell phone, but they had placed some kind of strange device on his hands, similar to those used by the police in his world, but much more rudimentary.
As soon as he got out, he was completely ridiculed. They forcibly removed all his clothes and robbed him of all his belongings, replacing them with a couple of pieces of old cloth that served as a shirt and shorts, but which looked like they would be torn to shreds at any moment. "What a strange mess," one of the knights said, looking at his phone, while another tried to analyze what kind of fabric the clothes he was wearing were made of.
"I've never seen fabric like this, and this strange object... Did the Sword Saint really order it to be brought to the iron mine? It could be a source of information about the power of other nations," a guard said, causing some discomfort among the two knights who had brought it, since they hadn't consulted him for fear of being killed for "wasting his time."
"Don't ask so many questions! What concerns you is that you have yet another piece of trash to deal with!" the leader of the knights shouted as they both retreated back to the cart, leaving as quickly as possible to avoid further questions, and taking all of Subaru's belongings with them.
One of the guards sighed heavily at this, then looked at the new slave they had to put to work. "Welcome to your new home, surely the place where you will live and die, but first we're going to take you to the boss. He needs to assess you to assign you the best task here. Just don't disrespect him." The man seemed reasonable to a certain extent; at least he didn't intend to hit him as soon as they met. The rest simply didn't speak to him.
They descended further and further, seeing various people working hard. Their dirty bodies and exhaustion were more than evident. What was curious was that most of them possessed inhuman features. Subaru knew them as a very cliché in isekai: characters with animalistic features.
In one corner there was a small cabin, and he was taken there, where he was supposed to meet the boss of this iron mine.
The interior was interesting; it seemed to be a kind of office filled with various maps and papers with the amount of iron collected in recent days... although Subaru couldn't know that, because even though they could communicate verbally, he wasn't able to understand the writing system. The person responsible, curiously, was also a person with animal features, especially cat ears and a tail. He seemed to be about the same age as Subaru, and his clothes were strange, as they appeared to be a variation of the knight's attire worn by the men who sent him here, but with symbols on the shoulders and chest. A small ribbon in his hair made him look a bit more feminine, but that was all. In fact, he had deep dark circles under his eyes.
"Boss, we've brought a new slave. It seems he's a foreigner they found in the capital," said one of the men who had brought him here. There were about a dozen of them, but only three went inside; the rest stayed behind to prevent escapes.
The cat-boy's reaction took Subaru by surprise, as he proceeded to strike his head against the table, which was piled high with papers and maps, scattering several on the floor.
"By Od! I hope you forgive this wayward soul! Od, have mercy on my soul, and aid my new slave in his work!" the cat-boy began shouting as he repeatedly banged his head against the table, a scene that disturbed Subaru. However, the guards remained indifferent, which meant that either they didn't care, or these actions had become commonplace.
After a few more seconds, the young man instantly healed his wounds with magic and approached Subaru, smiling slightly, though it seemed more of a bitter grimace than a genuine smile. "Hello, from now on you'll be working here. I hope you don't curse my soul too much for being in charge here. You can call me Felix," the young man introduced himself. Subaru sighed, trying to calm himself and gain the favor of the mine's leader, as perhaps that would give him a better chance of escaping.
"A pleasure, I'm Subaru Natsuki. I hope we don't get along badly, even though this situation is so complicated," said the foreigner from another world, trying to make a good impression on Felix, who simply reacted even more erratically, kneeling down and hitting his head again, this time against the floor.
"And on top of that, he seems like a good person! Why do I have to be here?! Od, please, don't take my soul for my actions!" Felix began to lament again, and Subaru, both worried and wanting to escape, and to do so he had to win the favor of the one in charge, knelt slightly and offered his hand as he spoke, although doing so was really difficult with his hands still tied, but he tried anyway. "Don't complain. From your words, I can understand that you're just following orders and doing your job to continue living comfortably," Subaru said, forcing a smile. He imagined that being forced to work enslaving people must be horrible, and it seemed Felix wasn't enjoying his assigned task.
"Yes, may Od have mercy on your soul, may he bless you with his divine grace, for you don't seem worthy of being here," Felix said suddenly, getting up without taking Subaru's hand and tending to the self-inflicted wound. Then he began to analyze the young man's body, especially his physical capabilities at first glance. It was a truly uncomfortable experience, but compared to when they forced him to undress so they could take his clothes, this wasn't so bad. "Alright, you're in mediocre physical shape, but I've seen much worse. You'll be in charge of mining and extracting metals in the surface area near the mine exit. Od will accompany you," Felix said. Subaru wasn't sure if this job was a good thing, but at least he wouldn't have to venture too deep into the mine. He also considered the cat-boy's apparent obsession with a kind of god called "Od," something he would have to learn if he wanted to earn his approval and perhaps, in the future, earn his freedom. And for that, he would also have to work.
He sighed heavily, aware of how difficult his situation was, but he wasn't going to give up. He had to keep going; it was what his parents would have wanted.
So, he was taken to join the other slaves, and after removing the bonds from his hands, he was given a pickaxe that had seen better days. It was almost completely rusted and could break at any moment if too much pressure or force was applied. After this, he was introduced to the group he would be working with, other slaves who shared the same duty as him, and then his feet were chained to the others, like the prisoners they truly were.
Subaru looked at his "comrades," there were about 10 of them, most very similar to him, physically fit enough to work, but not so fit as to be truly remarkable, although they all looked clearly tired and weakened, obviously from the relentless work. A curious detail was that most of them possessed animalistic features.
"Hello, I'm Subaru Natsuki. I know these aren't the best circumstances, but I hope we get along," the young man introduced himself to the others, who looked at each other in silence and left him without a response, as they began walking towards the mine to continue their work. They obviously didn't seem very keen on engaging in conversation. He never worked; he was always studying until he dropped out a year ago, during which time he did nothing. That's why this first day of work almost broke him in every sense of the word. Having to force his body to move even when he was tired, and even receiving a few lashes from the guards when they saw him leaving his post. They only allowed one hour of rest and food every 15 hours of work, then two hours of sleep, and the cycle repeated.
Subaru lived two whole days as a slave was hard, too hard, but he never stopped giving his best. The other slaves had lost all hope, only doing the bare minimum to survive without being punished, but Subaru was determined to be free someday. He wasn't going to give up, which is why he stood out more than the rest.
Even so, he wasn't exempt from accidents and misfortunes, as he ended up dying once again. He tried to defend another slave who was being punished with a whip and accidentally struck the guard. The penalty for that is death, at least it was a quicker one, although it made him begin to suspect, and almost confirm, that these weren't premonitions, but rather that he had a strange ability to return in time every time he died. And even if it weren't for that, he would have died in the city where he appeared, he couldn't help but feel it as a kind of curse, or at least a power with a huge handicap, because mentally he remembers everything; the pain disappears, but the sensations don't.
So, on the third day, during his lunch and rest break, the guards released the chains that bound his feet to the rest of his body. "The boss requests your presence," said the guard, without further explanation, and placed the chains on his hands as they began to lead him to the same cabin as last time. Subaru didn't know exactly what to expect, but he was going to do his best to make a good impression on Felix. After all, he had been pushing himself; parts of his body were starting to suffer from the strain, but he wanted to stand out from the others. The hope that this would lead him to freedom still drove him.
Once inside, Subaru observed Felix, who was kneeling, praying towards the wall. It was only for a couple of seconds, because then he stood up and smiled at the sight of Subaru.
"Guards, withdraw. I want to speak with Subaru alone." That order seemed to take them by surprise, causing the cat-boy to continue speaking. "Don't worry, do you really think a knight like myself would fall before a weakened slave whose body is begging for mercy?" Felix spoke, causing the guards, not wanting to be accused of disobeying a superior, to simply nod and leave, leaving the traveler from another world alone with him.
"Finally, we're alone. I wanted to find a suitable moment for this, but the excuse that you were tired was only going to work after a couple of days, at least. I hope you'll forgive me, partner." Felix spoke with a wide grin, so friendly and even using the word "partner"—it was truly disconcerting. After that, Felix approached and used his healing magic, mending the muscular aches he had suffered from working hard in the mine. "Thank you?" Subaru tried to sound more grateful, because he truly was, but he didn't understand what Felix was trying to achieve by suddenly being so friendly, what he meant by "comrade."
"You know, at first I had no idea who you were, and in fact, I still don't know exactly, but it's obvious that, with a scent like that—and now I smell it stronger than ever—you're filled with Satella's love, her affection. I could sense a little of it when we met, but I was never fully aware of it. Are you pride? Or has the envy we've both longed for finally arrived?" Subaru understood absolutely nothing of those words. Felix seemed to be speaking as if he already had information, as if he knew things he actually had no idea about. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have no idea what you're talking about." Subaru decided to be honest; lying could have truly dire consequences if his goal was to win Felix's favor. Felix tilted his head at this, as if he'd misheard.
"What do you mean? But you're giving off her essence right now, the scent of the witch we all adore. No... Have I messed up again? Have I failed again?! I'm useless! How sad, how awful!" Felix lamented, ready to smash his head against the nearest wall. The strangest thing was that no guards appeared. How common were these outbursts from Felix?
"Felix, even though I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm sure everything will be alright. I don't think lamenting and banging your head is a good idea," Subaru commented, trying to calm Felix, who stopped abruptly and stared at him again.
"Tell me!" "Who are you?! Why do you have her love?! Why would someone who doesn't even know what I'm talking about love her when there are people who would kill for it?!" He spoke, and suddenly, an aura emanated from him. Something unexpected happened: his body was pulled to the floor by a superior gravitational force, as if the force of gravity around him had changed. This ended up breaking the bones in his legs, forcing him to fall to the ground with a cry of pain.
"What would she say Petelgeuse, what if he discovered that the person who has so much of his love doesn't even know what I'm talking about?! We've all suffered far more than you, you're not worthy of his love! - Felix screamed as the gravitational force around him continued to increase, ending with him lying on the floor and his bones beginning to break even more. Subaru could only scream and cry in pain.
-And I thought you were one of us, that you were a chosen one, and that thanks to this I could leave behind this damned role of slave trader infiltrated in this stupid kingdom. How happy the others would be to discover a new comrade after Pride's death, but you're just a fraud who tarnishes Satella's name, who has been bathed in his supposed love when you don't even know what I'm talking about - Felix commented, tears falling from his eyes as his power seemed to increase.
"I, Felix Argyle, newly appointed Archbishop of Melancholy of the Witch's Cult, will hunt down the imposters!" These were the last words Subaru heard before he was crushed to death.
Just like all the times Subaru had died, his consciousness took him back in time, specifically to the beginning of the day, when they had just started working. The young man couldn't help but clutch his body as a few tears escaped his eyes. His coworkers didn't even care and continued with their work.
"Why?" Subaru lamented, not knowing what he had done wrong this time. His sobs were interrupted when the pain returned, but this time it was a guard, who struck his back with a whip to force him to continue working. "You cry in your free time, now it's work, you filthy foreigner!" he shouted aggressively, but Subaru didn't feel capable of it, as he was still thinking about everything, about how just a few days ago he had been at home with his parents and now he was a slave with a horrible curse. The lashes grew stronger, the weapon tearing the skin off his back, leaving his flesh exposed; he bled, it hurt terribly.
Suared by his emotions, Subaru turned and tried to strike the guard, but his body was exhausted from so much work and so little rest in the previous days. The man easily dodged him and, with extreme ease, threw him to the ground. As punishment for trying to harm a guard, Subaru died again, a sword severing his throat from the rest of his body.
And, once again, he reappeared at the same spot as that morning, but now he was a little calmer, at least calm enough to continue working and not receive any lashes as punishment for "slacking off." But inside he was shattered, the trauma seeping into his mind, his body trembling with fear. Even if he returned from the dead, he didn't want to keep dying.
"I must... find a way out of here," he whispered, his face lifeless, pondering what he should do. He had no one in this world. He was tired and desperate after being crushed to death by Felix. He had to find a way to survive his conversation.
He desperately tried to recall her words as he lost control of himself. The only thing that came to mind was the mention of the witch's cult and that she gave off a scent of Satella. Pain and despair clouded his understanding of her words most of the time.
Even so, he tried to cling to the hope of ceasing to be a slave, of gaining freedom, of finding someone who wouldn't try to kill him, or at least someone who would be kind and gentle with him, without ulterior motives. Thus, the brief respite arrived once more, during which he was summoned to meet with Felix. The chains on his feet were released, and new ones were placed on his hands. Everything unfolded just as before, with the cat-boy requesting to speak alone and achieving his goal.
"Finally, we're alone. I wanted to find a suitable moment for this, but the excuse that you're tired was only going to work after a couple of days, at least. I hope you'll forgive me, partner." Once again, this dialogue was accompanied by a slight smile as he addressed him in that way, as if he were a friend, which also eased his own muscle fatigue.
"You know, at first I had no idea who you were, and in fact, I still don't know exactly, but it's obvious that, with a scent like that—and now I smell it stronger than ever—you're filled with her love, with Satella's affection. I could sense a little of it when we first met, but I was never fully aware of it. Are you pride?" Or has the envy we've been longing for finally arrived? - Here comes the moment to change the answer. She couldn't tell the truth, since Felix reacted very badly when she told him she knew absolutely nothing about what he was saying, but lying completely could also have consequences if the cat boy continued asking questions. She had to give half-truths.
"It's possible that I am. I know I give off the scent to the witch's hand, proof of her love, but I have no official title, for I was captured and enslaved shortly after she, in all her beauty, decided to bless me with her infinite love." It was a response that wasn't really a lie, all combined with theatricality, and it seemed to have a different reaction from Felix, who slammed his fist against the wall, frowning.
"Those heartless bastards! Enslaving someone blessed by the love we so long for, her love! You didn't deserve that!" he shouted, rapidly banging his head against the wall, then instantly healing his wounds. "So you were blessed with so much of her love recently! This might be the sign I've been waiting for to take the next step, the sign Pandora, my lady, was surely referring to!" Felix exclaimed euphorically. Subaru raised an eyebrow when he heard a new name come out of his mouth, someone who seemed to be his superior, and a sigh of relief escaped him as well, for it seemed he had managed to remain on good terms with Felix... even though he had been internally screaming and trembling the whole time; he had to use all his willpower to try to sound natural.
"What a joy! I can finally put an end to this farce of Lugunica's filthy slave-ownership, thank you very much," Felix said between laughs and sobs of happiness that were truly uncomfortable for Subaru to witness. He was incapable of feeling anything else, for the memories of how Felix had crushed him to death were still fresh in his mind. "Pay attention tonight, Subaru. I'll end all this and take you where everyone else can witness the love you have for our mistress and lady. Until then, you may leave," Felix said with a wide, unsettling grin. His eyes clearly revealed the deep well of madness he had fallen into long ago, but this was a thousand times better than the last time they spoke, so he nodded with a forced smile.
"I eagerly await this, partner," he risked, using that word, which made Felix's smile seem to widen. After this, the young man left and was intercepted by the guards, who quickly took him to their work area to continue their duties.
In his thoughts, Subaru couldn't help but wonder what on earth Felix planned to do that night. He had taken a certain presence as a supposed divine sign or something like that, something he had apparently been waiting for for quite some time. Thus, the sun began to set after a few more hours, the routine seemed unchanged... until Felix himself emerged from the small house where he always stayed once night had fallen, illuminated only by oil lamps and torches placed in various locations, surprising both the guards and the slaves.
Although the guards had to remain silent to avoid trouble, they truly detested their leader, for he was clearly a demented and delusional man. However, the main law established by the council of wise men was that rank was paramount, and if anyone disobeyed or did anything that could harm their superior, the punishment was almost always death. This was why everyone endured his shouting and extreme behavior. "The day I've been waiting for since I appeared in this wretched place has finally arrived!" Felix shouted with a truly disturbing smile. His eyes, illuminated by the night sky like a predator about to kill its prey, were indeed striking. An aura that Subaru recognized expanded around Felix's body and the entire area within a few meters. Many were startled by this, and that startle transformed into terror as he approached a group of guards and proceeded to crush them to death with his increased gravity.
Subaru swallowed hard as he watched the rest of the slaves tremble with fear, dreading being next.
The other guards blinked in confusion at this, and as soon as they could process what had happened, most screamed in horror, almost all trying to flee in panic. But Felix was much faster than he appeared, beginning a massacre of everyone present. Only the second-in-command survived, hiding among the slaves, who were also terrified. "All of you, kneel before the power granted to me by the love of the only ones who didn't abandon me, the only ones who treated me well, the witch's cult!" the cat-boy exclaimed jubilantly, laughing maniacally, causing everyone to shudder and some even to wet themselves at the mention of the sect that worships Satella.
And just as Felix was about to do something else, a female voice made itself known. In the blink of an eye, two figures had appeared before Felix. "What is the meaning of this, Felix?!" The voice sounded truly angry.
Subaru looked at the two; one was a short young woman with platinum hair and blue eyes, skin as white as snow, she was truly beautiful... though now she certainly looked angry. Beside her stood a rather unremarkable-looking fellow, with white hair and an elegant suit that accentuated his golden eyes.
"My lady, my leader, Pandora! What do you mean? I received the signal you ordered me to wait for and I carried out the operation," Felix explained with a confused look. Pandora stamped her feet, glaring at the cat-boy.
"What are you talking about?! I didn't give any signal! That signal was supposed to arrive when Capella appeared in disguise, on the very same day that someone important in the Lugunica hierarchy was supposed to arrive, so we could strike a decisive blow, not carry out stupid, indiscriminate massacres," Pandora said, still angry, sighing heavily. Her companion spoke up too.
"Now then, have you really wasted our precious time on your nonsense?" Are you unaware of our rights as other members of the witch's cult? Because if you plan to do anything like this to us again, I'll personally stop you! I could be peacefully grooming my wives, and Pandora would have been better off investing her valuable time instead of dealing with you—the man spoke, truly proving himself to be a talkative fellow, causing Felix to fall to the ground, defeated. Felix then glared at the group of slaves, specifically at Subaru, with hatred.
"You! You made me think you were the signal! I'm going to kill you! You've made me look useless! I'm sure your love is fake, everything is fake! Damn you, Natsuki Subaru!" Felix screamed, his authority seemingly increasing due to the surge of emotion engulfing him, tears streaming down his face. Without waiting for anyone, the rest of the slaves pushed him aside to save their own skins, even though they were chained at the feet. Even the second-in-command grabbed the keys and freed him as quickly as possible to avoid dying as well.
As soon as Pandora saw the young man, her fury was replaced by shock, not really because of his appearance, but because now that she had him closer and her emotions had calmed down a bit, she was able to grasp his essence, his presence that she would never be able to forget even if she wanted to. Her face turned melancholic and tears escaped her eyes. "Flugel..."
Subaru felt pain as gravity increased again around him, but that feeling stopped when the two mysterious figures appeared out of nowhere in front of the boy from another world.
"Let's see! This is all your fault, you bastard! You waste our time and then try to ignore us and kill an innocent person. That's a violation of my rights, Pandora's rights, and yours. Aren't you ashamed?" And you call yourself archbishop? Have you forgotten the rule against killing innocents? You're scum, ignoring the rules we've all so carefully established together! You'll be very lucky if Pandora decides to forgive you after this disrespect for our rights— Pandora's companion continued his rather lengthy monologue as Pandora turned to look at Subaru.
The young man felt his eyes well up with tears; these two people had saved him. He had finally received help from someone in all these days. Pandora's gaze upon him was one of absolute affection, radiating a genuine appreciation that Subaru didn't understand, as they had just met.
"Thank you so much," Subaru whispered, still panting in pain. Pandora sighed and then smiled reassuringly at him.
"It's alright, now rest," Pandora replied in a trembling voice, and for a few seconds nothing happened, until her companion turned away. "Pandora, you are so great, the best and most important member of the Witch's Cult. We will all always bow before you, for you respect our rights and give us freedom in this shitty world!" she said, smiling, before turning to continue reprimanding Felix.
Those words seemed to have an effect on her, who smiled and seemed to radiate an aura around her. "You're alright, you don't have those wounds anymore, but you're tired. You need to sleep to fully recover." Pandora's words seemed to have an effect on him, who appeared to recover, but also felt his eyes closing, though this time he slept with a sliver of hope restored.
"You never knew the Witch's Cult was here. You thought it was the work of the Vollachians, fueled by the enmity between nations," Pandora said to the slaves and the only surviving guard, and it seemed to have an immediate effect on their minds. After this, and after promising to punish Felix severely, they disappeared with Subaru in tow.
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Fragments of Pandora's story.
Fragment 2. She's a different kind of witch, born to be one; vanity is her law and right of existence...
Fragment 10. That's how Pandora lost everything that characterized her, her vanity, her reason for existing, she lost it all, now she was nothing more than a young woman who desperately needed the appreciation of others for her powers to activate...-