Chapter Text
“Darling, I think they’re staring at us...” Subaru said as he walked through the capital’s streets, carrying a certain someone in his arms.
“Why do you care? We aren’t doing anything... wrong or indecent.” Sekhmet was the one being carried in Subaru’s arms, bridal-style.
About two years ago, Subaru had been summoned to this world near a remote village; he hadn’t received any powers, nor had anything unusual happened to him. The only difference was that the Witch of Sloth had been revived near where he was.
“Is this really necessary?” Subaru asked again. He had a well-developed physique for someone who was only eighteen—taller, stronger, and, above all, more mature.
“You wanted to make this trip... didn’t you? There was no way I was going to walk all that distance.” Sekhmet had also undergone transformative changes; she was no longer so pale, her hair was well-groomed, and—thanks to Od Laguna—she now had a pleasant scent.
The Witch of Sloth also moved for at least thirty minutes a day—a daily record—time she usually spent attending to her personal hygiene.
“It’s just that when people see me carrying you and find out we recently got married, they tend to jump to conclusions about why you aren’t walking,” Subaru said as he kept walking, averting his gaze in embarrassment. “Which is a huge exaggeration. I don’t have *that* much stamina.”
“You do.”
“Darling?” Subaru asked, before his attention was drawn to a commotion breaking out in the crowd behind them.
Apparently, the disturbance was heading their way—and fast. Before Subaru could react, a blonde thief with red eyes, running at full speed, bumped right into him. Subaru and Sekhmet were knocked to the ground, but they felt no pain, as the Witch of Sloth had used her hands to cushion the fall. The thief had also fallen, but she wasn't lucky enough to have her landing softened.
Due to the collision, Subaru’s cell phone slipped from his pocket and landed on the ground near an insignia the thief had also dropped. She quickly tried to get up to escape, and in a burst of speed, snatched up both the phone and the insignia.
Subaru didn't notice this immediately; he was more annoyed with the thief for causing him to knock his wife to the ground. As they stood up and resumed their previous stance, a certain silver-haired elf approached them.
"I’m sorry to bother you, but did you see someone running very fast in this direction?" she asked. The crowd had already backed away slightly due to her appearance—and also because, just moments earlier, the elf had attacked the thief with ice magic, causing damage to the area.
Subaru scratched the back of his neck as he stood up. "I sensed that person before I even saw her, but I think she went that way." He pointed in the direction he had seen the thief go. Only then did Subaru start patting his pockets and realize his cell phone was missing.
"Honey, I think my cell phone got stolen by that thief," Subaru said, sounding somewhat alarmed.
"That is quite troublesome... You spent a lot of magic just to keep that... thing running," Sekhmet remarked. She could have stopped the thief with her invisible hands at any moment, but she had seen no reason to do so at the time.
"Honey, I don't think you realize just how bad the situation really is." Subaru was sweating for some reason. Sekhmet tried to understand the reason for the situation. Of course, Subaru’s phone was priceless and irreplaceable, but they only used it to take photos. That was the reason they had brought it along on the trip.
“Honey, my phone still has those photos...” Subaru said nervously after a while.
The Witch’s eyes widened when she finally realized the problem. A silence followed, until a certain elf broke it.
“Did that thief steal something important from you two as well?” she asked innocently.
Subaru and Sekhmet finally realized she was still there. “Yes, she stole something very precious of mine. Do you intend to go after her?” Subaru asked. “If it’s not a problem, could we join you?”
The half-elf blinked in surprise before answering. “Of course, that wouldn’t be a problem.” At that moment, Puck emerged from his crystal to take a look at the two people who had decided—without judgment—to help his daughter.
The Great Fire Spirit’s eyes widened as he recognized Sekhmet. The cat froze, his ears flattening against his head as he tried to make himself smaller. He clutched his chest with his paws, trying to stave off a heart attack brought on by sheer fear and nervousness. Puck knew that was physically impossible for a spirit, but he didn't care at the moment.
Subaru drew only one conclusion as he watched the cat clutch the spot where his heart should be. “Is this cat falling in love with my wife?!” He turned to Emilia. “Control your spirit! I control mine.”
The silver-haired elf shot a warning look at her father. “Puck! She’s already married; that’s not cool at all.”
“Subaru Natsuki and Sekhmet Natsuki, right?” Emilia asked, just to confirm, after they had introduced themselves. “Could you explain a bit more about your marriage? I’m sorry if this seems intrusive, but I’m curious about it.”
“Well, where do I start?” Subaru looked up at the sky, trying to recall. “As you can see, my wife has trouble walking. It’s due to a curse.” Subaru would have gestured, but both his hands were occupied with the most precious thing in his life.
“He found me like this in the middle... of the forest, and he couldn't just do nothing.” Sekhmet finished; Subaru loved it when she spoke. “He’s a troublesome sort who just... can’t help but lend a hand to others.”
“If not for that, we never would have met. You love that about me.” Subaru replied, gazing at her lovingly; he blushed when he felt an invisible, hand-shaped force caressing his cheek.
Emilia watched the scene with a mix of confusion, curiosity, and growing astonishment; it seemed as though the two of them had forgotten she even existed the moment they heard each other's voices.
Puck, floating nearby, shook his head. “Lia, there’s no snapping them out of the trance they’ve put themselves in.” The cat couldn't look away as he watched Subaru and the Witch of Sloth—a being capable of rivaling the Divine Dragon—engage in a bout of sweet talk and flirting.
Emilia actually found the sight quite cute. “It’s as if the air around them is turning pink.”
After waiting for the two to settle down, Subaru spoke again. “We’re traveling the world to enjoy ourselves before we finally settle down in one place.”
“Subaru convinced me to give it a try; he... convinced me to try a lot of things.” Sekhmet continued, “He showed me that there are kinds of... effort that are worth it.”
“And you convinced me to make the most of what I already have. We’re pretty lazy, aren’t we?” Subaru made what seemed to be an inside joke; only his wife appeared to understand it, offering a small smile in response.
Emilia learned a little about love that day. Love seemed to be something that made people better for one another—something that brought happiness to both parties. “You mentioned having a spirit earlier; are you a spirit arts user too?”
Subaru held out his hand, palm facing upward, upon hearing the question. After a moment, a small blue spirit appeared in his palm. “He took a while to come out; for some reason, he’s nervous.” Puck was the one to blame for that.
“A water spirit,” Emilia said. “I imagine you formed a contract with him for the sake of healing magic.”
Sekhmet rolled her eyes, and Subaru chuckled. “You see, my wife can barely move all day, and she still needs to bathe.”
“Oh...” Emilia let slip.
“I used to hire other women to help her with that and other things she couldn't manage on her own,” Subaru continued. “But that wouldn't be feasible during the journey—which is what this little guy is for. His name is Taygeta.”
“Subaru, you know... I was perfectly fine with the idea of you handling that part, right?” Sekhmet said suddenly. “We’re married; you... saw my body on our honeymoon anyway.”
“Honey, no. Just... no.”
After that, the group resumed walking, intent on finding the thief and recovering their stolen belongings.
It was Reinhard’s day off, but naturally, that didn’t stop him from continuing to fulfill his duty and save people. Dusk was approaching when he felt a familiar—and not particularly comforting—sensation. Od Laguna had bestowed yet another Divine Protection upon him.
Reinhard instinctively reached for his sword. His eyes widened as he realized the function of this new Divine Protection. Why has Od Laguna given me the “Witch-Locating Divine Protection”?
The group of four made their way through the slums, walking until they reached the house where the alleged thief was staying. It was nearly dusk when Emilia tried to open the door; Subaru’s hands were full, naturally.
“It’s locked,” she said. Normally, Rom would open the door if someone on the other side had business with him, but that proved unnecessary.
Suddenly, the door was flung wide open, smashed apart by an invisible force. Sekhmet yawned before speaking. “Sorted.” She was short on patience—most likely due to the photos still saved on Subaru’s phone.
Puck nearly fainted. He couldn't see the hands of her Authority due to his diminished power, but any lingering doubt that the Sekhmet standing there wasn't the Witch of Sloth was crushed right along with the door.
Emilia didn't question it, though she was curious about the magic. Subaru was used to this sort of thing by now.
“Shit!” Felt, however, wasn't used to it; she went from lounging against the table to a combat stance, jumping in alarm when the door was smashed in. “She followed me all the way here?!”
Rom had been fiddling with the phone, trying to figure out how it worked, when his door was suddenly kicked in. After the initial shock and bracing for a fight, the phone was snatched from his hand by another invisible force.
The device flew into Sekhmet’s hand, and she let out a yawn of relief.
Subaru took a few steps into the house. “No one saw the photos saved on my phone, right?”
“No.” Felt would have denied it regardless of whether they’d seen them or not, but in this case, they really hadn't seen a thing.
“Thank goodness.” Subaru sighed with relief. “I didn’t want to have to convince my wife not to kill you all. The most I could do is persuade her to toss you into Gusteko.”
Subaru spoke so lightly that the others took it as a joke. Only Rom and Puck knew it likely wasn't; the giant had too much combat experience not to take such a statement seriously. Puck began to tremble—and not because of the ice magic he wielded.
Amidst this, Sekhmet glanced at Rom and let out an annoyed sigh. “Of course it had to be a giant.”
The giant in question lowered his guard slightly. “I can see why you might dislike others of your own kind.”
Suddenly, the beer mug the giant had used earlier—sitting right there on the table—shattered, seemingly by the wind alone. Sekhmet shot a barely perceptible glance his way, yet it was filled with pure hatred. Rom broke into a cold sweat.
While Sekhmet threatened to wipe out the remnants of her own race, Emilia stepped forward and turned to Felt. “Give back what you stole; it’s very important to me.”
The thief glanced around before sighing. “Honestly, my client was supposed to show up by now, but I guess she’s going to let me shoulder all the blame and responsibility on my own.”
At that moment, a blade glinted in the background. The Bowel Hunter had crept up and hurled her blade at Emilia’s back, a sadistic smile playing on her lips.
The sound of flesh being torn should have echoed through the air, but that wasn't what happened. The blade Elsa threw embedded itself in seemingly empty air; the next instant, she felt herself being hurled out the window and landing in the middle of the street.
An invisible force seized Elsa by the nape of the neck and lifted her head slightly. The Bowel Hunter tried to resist or fight back, but it was futile against whatever this was. Her head was scraped against the walls of the houses and then slammed into the pavement, only to be lifted up again—starting the cycle all over.
Elsa’s skull was smashed against the street so many times that a crater the size of her head formed. Afterward, the Bowel Hunter’s body was crushed into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and tossed into a nearby trash bin.
Two minutes later, Reinhard arrived at the scene; seeing a large pool of blood on the street, he entered the house prepared to battle a witch. "I hope I haven't arrived too late."
Emilia recognized him, but Subaru only noticed his uniform. "A Royal Knight? You’re a bit late if you were aiming to solve the theft case."
Reinhard looked at the stranger; in the man's arms was a witch who gazed back at him apathetically. Worst of all, the Sword Saint realized that both of them were worthy of wielding the sword Reid.
Reinhard’s mental Divine Protections had to work overtime just to keep him from breaking into a nervous sweat.
“Well, I’m going to try to slip out of here while I still have time.” Felt said as she grabbed the insignia and tossed it to Emilia. That action caused Reinhard to notice the insignia glowing in Emilia’s hand for a split second.
Oh, great. There are two royal candidates standing alongside a Witch and a man just as dangerous as she is. Reinhard thought; this time, he had truly broken out in a cold sweat.
Sekhmet turned to Subaru. “I think we’re done here.” Her husband nodded, and they left the area.
The others didn't stop or even notice them. Felt tried to escape, and Reinhard was held back as the thief struggled fiercely.
“Well, on our first day in the capital, we explored the slums,” Subaru assessed. “It wasn't quite what I expected, but I guess it’ll do.”
“It was actually kind of fun... though dealing with that assassin bothered me.”
“What assassin?” Subaru asked before looking outside the house and seeing a pool of blood; he just let out a weary sigh at the sight. “Why does this always happen?”
It was common for Mabeasts to attack them because of the miasma Sekhmet emitted, but assassins were a different story.
Subaru held out his hand, and Taygeta appeared. “Emilia made a good point; I might need to use you for healing magic a bit later.”
“That’s a good... idea,” Sekhmet said. “I can handle anyone... who shows up, but healing wounds isn't something... I can do.”
Subaru glanced at his wife. “Want to keep exploring the capital tomorrow, starting with the upscale districts?” Sekhmet agreed, and the two began walking back to the inn where they were staying.
In the meantime, Elsa regenerated and emerged naked from the trash can into which she had been thrown. That day, the world was introduced to the Witch of Sloth. With the existence of a Witch revealed, the Archbishops' Gospels would begin to drive them to pursue the calamity.
Sekhmet just wanted to rest with her husband, but she would have to fight hard to achieve that.
Two years ago, at the edge of the Lugnica border, near a river leading to the Great Waterfall:
The Witch of Sloth opened her eyes for the first time in a long while; disoriented, she realized she was in a lush green forest, and the sound of a flowing river could be heard.
“Back in... the wild... again,” she said, recalling how she had fallen into the Great Waterfall—yet, for some reason, she wasn't dead. “The last time... I was in a place like this... it wasn't very... pleasant.”
“Water Magic!” someone shouted in the distance, but she paid it no mind.
Sekhmet had no desire to hunt for survival again; frankly, she didn't have the energy for it. Ever since Typhon had drowned, she had lost the will to do anything. Making an effort—even for her own sake, as she always had before—felt hollow.
“Nothing!? Earth Magic! Wind Magic!” The shouting continued, but the Witch kept ignoring it.
The Witch of Sloth had been cared for by others before—sometimes well, sometimes poorly. Sekhmet had ended up killing them all; those who treated her kindly met an instant, painless end—and she even buried their bodies—while those who treated her badly suffered a slow, agonizing death.
“Do I have to transform first?!” The person who had been shouting grew even more agitated.
Sekhmet covered her ears with her hands. “Could you... stop... making so much... noise...? I’m trying... to sleep.”
The only person who heard her speak was a boy—the very same one who had been shouting. He looked over and finally noticed the Witch. “I know this is an Isekai world, but why is there a woman out here in the woods looking so disheveled?”
“I don’t... know; maybe for the... same reason... as you.” Sekhmet didn't want to put in the mental effort to come up with a plausible explanation.
“Did you just show up out of nowhere too?” the boy asked, rolling his eyes wryly.
Sekhmet frowned. “Yes.” That shouldn't have worked, but she wasn't going to dwell on it.
Her answer made the boy’s eyes widen. “So there’s zero chance you’re responsible for me ending up here, right?” he asked, already half-knowing the answer. Sekhmet nodded, and the boy kept talking. “So, what do I do now?”
The Witch of Sloth decided to turn over and go back to sleep; the boy could figure out what to do on his own.
“Aren't you going to get up?” For some reason, he couldn't just leave Sekhmet alone.
“I’m... not... really a fan of... moving.” The Witch of Sloth spoke; she held that title for a reason.
“So you want me to leave you here all alone?” he asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. He didn't think she could make it out of that forest by herself.
“I’d... really appreciate it... if you... could.” Sekhmet rarely wanted anything as badly as she wanted peace in that moment; unfortunately, reality is often disappointing.
“What?! No way am I leaving you here in the middle of the woods! Are you getting up or not?” The boy seemed quite determined.
“No.”
“Fine then! Just know that you forced me to do this.” The boy stepped closer and lifted Sekhmet up, carrying her in his arms—bridal style.
“I... didn't... like... that.” Being touched like that was strange for her.
“If it bothers you that much, you can get down and walk on your own,” he offered.
“...”
“I figured that would be the answer. I’ll let you go once we reach a safe, decent spot,” he assured her. “By the way, my name is Natsuki Subaru.”
“Sekhmet, the... Witch... of Sloth.” Her expression barely changed throughout the conversation; Sekhmet had always been somewhat apathetic when it came to facial expressions.
“It suits you—whether that’s a compliment or not is up to you to decide,” Subaru said before attempting to take a step, only to stop suddenly. “Which way should I go?”
“There’s a... river nearby... isn’t there? Just follow... it downstream until... you find a... village or something... like that,” Sekhmet said.
“You’re sharper than you look.” Subaru gazed at her with delighted eyes. “Lead the way, Sekhmet-san!”
The Witch of Sloth had killed those people in the past because they had expectations of her; it was something that would never let the Witch rest in peace. If Subaru harbored expectations of her, he would likely end up dead.