Chapter Text
It was over.
Priestella was saved at a great cost. Julius’s name had been consumed, civilians had been disfigured by Lust, countless identities were forgotten, and Crusch's affliction was ravaging her body and mind. Peace might have settled in the street, but inside the houses were far more numerous wounds that no one knew how to heal.
In a destroyed room, the royal candidates and their camps were discussing on what they should do over this crisis. But before anyone could know what to do…
POP
Suddenly, every single member of the royal camp found themselves in a strange place, already seated in rows of chairs. The Emilia camp at the top, then Crusch’s at the second row, then Felt at the third row, then Anastasia at the fourth row, and the last row for the Priscilla camp.
“-one we can tell… Huh?” Emilia stopped. She was in the middle of wondering what Anastasia could have meant. But before she could even say anything, she was suddenly transported to this… strange place. A violent wave of dizziness washed over her. She gripped her armrests and clutched her head, trying to stabilize herself.
“What the!”
“Huh?!”
Garfiel and Otto gasped; they were in the middle of something. But just like the camp, they were suddenly transported. The same disorienting dizziness came to them with the sudden transportation.
Frederica and Petra, still in their maid uniform, were also hit by the dizziness. Though Petra was caught in the worst of it.
“AAHH!” She cried out, clutching her head against the overwhelming pain. Frederica, despite her own nausea, embraces Petra in her arms. Hoping that her embrace could somehow lessen her suffering.
“What’s happening?!” Petra asked her, confused and scared.
“I-I don’t know,” Frederica replied, rubbing her head softly.
Besides them was Meili. She was playing with her dolls when she was suddenly transported. The dizziness hit her; she instinctively hugged her doll tighter to her chest.
Ram and Rem were seated close together, but luckily, only one of them experienced dizziness. Ram held her head and grasped her “sister’s” hand for support.
To their credit, Beatrice and Roswaal weren’t bothered by the dizziness. Rather, they immediately grasped the situation and were surprised, wide-eyed at the suddenness of the transportation.
“What… where are we I supposed?” Beatrice asked, as she surveyed the strange place.
“Oohh… What an interesting developmeeeent,” Roswaal mused, for someone to bypass his defense was unheard of. He couldn't feel any of his magic responding to him. As his eyes looked around the strange place, he noticed the battered states of the other members here. 'Did something happened at Priestella?'
As Beatrice noticed the other member's disorientation. She worried about her contractor. But as she turned to check for her contractor, she realized he was nowhere to be seen.
“S-Subaru?” Panics began to set in; she looked inside the depth of herself and found nothing. Her connection with Subaru felt as if it had never existed in the first place.
“No…” She stood up while trembling. “Subaru?!” she shouted to the place, hoping that she was merely mistaken and that Subaru was simply somewhere else in the place. But she received no response.
The dizziness began to fade for Emilia as she noticed the panic that was rising in Beatrice.
“Beatrice? What’s wrong?” Emilia asked her, pushing through the remnant of the dizziness.
“I can’t feel him! Subaru isn’t here!” Beatrice panicked, her breathing heavy.
Emilia gently took Beatrice’s hands in her own. “I-It’s fine, we can find him together. But you have to calm down first.” Emilia was confused and scared, but for the sake of everyone, she had to be the voice of reason and calm everyone.
“Is everyone here?” She asked the other.
“H-Here,” Otto raised his hand as the dizziness faded away.
“Where ‘re we?” Garfiel grunted, raising his head high to look at the strange place with his eyes as the dizziness faded.
“We’re here,” Frederica responded, still hugging a trembling Petra.
“Here,” Ram replied, and then turned her attention to Rem. “...And Rem is here too”
Meilli didn’t say anything; she wasn’t really part of them. She began to loosen her clutch for the dolls and took in her surroundings.
“Heereeee.” Roswaal raised his hand playfully. ‘What kind of game does the world wish to play now? If only he had his Gospel… No, her resurrection shall be done.’ This is only a small hindrance compared to everything he experienced in four centuries.
“Subaru!” Beatrice shouted once again, hoping that her crying voice would finally have an answer from her contractor.
“Beatrice, it’s ok.” Emilia tried to soothe her.
“But he isn’t here! Where is he?” Beatrice's panic is now in full swing. Emilia pulled Beatrice closer, hugging Beatrice.
“It’s ok, we’ll find him. But we have to figure out where we are first, alright?” Emilia smiled as the tears from Beatrice’s face faded away.
“A-Alright, I suppose.”
“AAAHHH!” Crusch screamed in pain, the dizziness only making her condition worse. She thrashed in her plush seat, the pain overwhelming.
Ferris and Wilhelm were seated on either side of her. Despite the dizziness, they immediately respond to her. Disregarding their own condition.
“Crusch-sama!” Ferris shouted in panic, dizziness blurring his vision for a moment until he could look at the one he vowed his life to. She’s in pain, and in even worse pain than before.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to use his healing magic… but it didn't come. He didn’t feel anything at all.
He tried again, and again, and again. Crusch screamed, her pain also tormenting him.
“Nononononono” Ferris sobbed; his composure was in shambles. He couldn’t do anything. What’s the point of his existence if he couldn’t help the only one who showed him how to live? He hugged her in an attempt to somehow ease her pain.
Wilhelm could do naught, seeing both of them suffering, broke him. But he could do nothing. He watched where his sword should have been and found nothing. He looked around the strange place and saw a large white surface in front of them.
“...Where are we…”
Felt disorientation could definitely be up there as one of the worst things she ever experienced. Her small frame was clutching the armrest to support herself.
Reinhard, for the first time… felt dizzy. Not that he never felt pain, but this was different. He clutched his head; this is the first time this has happened to him. He called to Od Lagna and found nobody answering. He tried to use his Divine Protections and found nothing. This is the first time such a sensation came to him, and it wasn’t a pleasant one.
Rom, to his credit, wasn’t as concerned about the dizziness in his head. Sure, it was there. But it’s nothing compared to the well-being of the girl beside him.
"Sshh!"
Once both of them heard Felt, they immediately turned their head towards her.
“Felt-sama!”
“Felt!”
Both of them immediately tried to support her in their own way. Reinhard braced her frame while Rom soothed her with his massive hand.
Once the dizziness faded, she looked around her and was surprised to find Rom was there with her.
“Old man!” She shouted, hugging his massive frame.
“Why are you in Priestella? Don't tell me you miss me.” She grinned.
“Bah! I have better things to do. And I didn’t come here, looks like someone forced all of us here”
She raised her eyebrow at that and looked around her. Emilia’s and Crusch’s camp was in panic. Big bro was nowhere to be seen, and Crusch is in a lot of pain. She realized all of them were in a strange place with a large white surface adorning the wall in front of them.
“W-Where are we, Reinhard?”
“I-I don’t know.” Reinhard doesn’t know what to do, and that thought scared him a little.
Anastasia's rising smile disappeared immediately. She was prepared to reveal to everyone the solution to their affliction, but a sudden dizziness overwhelmed her frame. Her body desperately tried to stabilize itself.
Julius, for his part, tried to help her by immediately reaching out to hold her in her seat. Despite being forgotten, despite his own dizziness, he still has a duty to uphold.
Nearby, Ricardo and the twins were seated closely. Ricardo was nauseous but immediately swallowed that feeling deep inside as he heard the triplets suffering.
“Aw!”
“Ah!”
“Sh!”
The triplets whimpered, clutching their head. It was as if they were just dragged out of a flood. Ricardo didn’t hesitate; he gathered the three of them into his left arm to calm them down.
As the dizziness began to fade, Anastasia and Julius were the first to assess the situation.
“Thank you, Julius”
“You're welcome, my lady.” He bows. Even if she doesn't remember her, his devotion is enough proof for his knighthood.
Both of them looked around and found that all of the camps were here. Most alarmingly, Crusch seems to be in great pain, and Subaru was nowhere to be seen as Emilia’s camp panics.
“Are you alright?” Anastasia asked Julius, glancing back at him.
“I am unharmed. However, it seems as if I have lost my connection to my spirits.”
He looked towards where his weapon should be and found it to be absent. “... And it seems my weapon has been taken too. May I ask how you are doing?” Julius asked in return. He is grateful that his lady was most gracious to him. Even if she had forgotten, she never lost the side that made him vow his life to her.
“I’ll manage.” Anastasia turned her attention to Ricardo and the triplets. “Are the four of you alright?”
“Fine on all fronts, boss!” Ricardo saluted with his stump arm as he loosened his hugs on the triplets.
“Uh… I’m fine,” Hetaro replied.
“Me too,” Continued Tivey.
“Mimi is all fine now!” Mimi replied last. Despite the strange situation, she never lost her cheerfulness.
“I’m glad. Do any of you have any weapons?”
They checked and found themselves to be defenseless.
“N-No, it’s gone…” Hetaro replied with terror. This is definitely not good; they’re in a strange place with no weapon. Is this the Witch Cult’s scheme?
“Don’t worry, we can beat anyone with our own fist!” Mimi cheered them, a little comfort against the unknown.
Anastasia's eyes tightened; she looked in front of her and saw a large white surface adorning the walls.
“Where are we?” Tivey asked.
“I don’t rightly know, but this isn’t good,” Replied Anastasia. Whoever transports them here, it couldn't be for a good reason.
Priscilla was disoriented, but only for a moment. She immediately burned that feeling down. Someone of her stature could not possibly be thwarted by a simple nausea.
Her knight, Aldebaran, not so much.
“Damn it…” He groaned and clutched his helmet; his dizziness wasn’t as bad as the other, but it was there.
Priscilla immediately hit his helmet in the back with her fan, disorienting him even more. But he swallowed that feeling down immediately when he realized his lady was there with him.
“Princess!” He shouted to her.
“Tch, what are you doing? Is simple bout dizziness too much for you?” Priscilla sneered.
“Nah, Princess, just a hiccup. Thanks for hitting my head, really helps me see things clearly”
“Hmph.” She settled comfortably in her seat.
Al looked around the room and saw that the other camps were here. The panic in Emilia’s and Crusch’s camps was palpable. It seems only Anastasia’s, Felt’s, and their own camps were taking it gracefully. Too gracefully in the case of his lady’s camp.
He looked in front of him and saw a large white surface adorning the walls. He quickly looked behind, searching for a projector. It was there. He finally clicks all the pieces together.
“No way…”
“Hm? What is it?” Priscilla asked, demanding an answer.
“It’s nothing, Princess, but I think something interesting might happen.”
“Oh?” Her eyebrow rose in amusement. “Interesting?” She snapped her fan open, hiding her smile. “Then perhaps I shall show whoever placed me here a plate of mercy”
And suddenly, the place lost all light.
“What’s happening?” Petra cried out, terrified of the sudden darkness.
“I-It’s fine,” Frederica tried to comfort her.
Meili clutched her dolls tighter, finding the darkness suffocating.
All across the place, everyone is ready to defend themselves. But before anyone could make a move, the massive wall in front of them began to flicker to light.
“What is it doing?” Ask Anastasia, squinting her eyes.
The screen comes alive, illuminating the room with its light as it revealed a set of words.
Greetings
Do not panic
You are here for a reason
Beatrice immediately angrily shouted at the screen. “WHERE IS HE!? WHERE IS SUBARU? WHERE DID YOU TAKE HIM!”
Ferris immediately rose to his feet, tears falling down his face. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY LADY?! YOU TORTURED HER!”
Felt jumped up as well. “And why the hell did you take us away, huh?!?! We were trying to solve everything before we got dragged here, you bastard!”
“She’s right, and for what? To give us a headache?” Anastasia added, scoffing at the screen.
“If you do not show us the reason for this insolence, then you had best pray that you won’t feel my divine wrath,” Priscilla threatened, shutting her fan and pointing it to the screen.
this is pertains to Priestella
Your solution is to go to Pleiades Watchtower
In hope of finding the Sage, Shaula.
“Is that what you are referring to?” Emilia asked Anastasia below her.
Anastasia sighed. “Cat’s out the bag. Yes, the Watchtower is our solution. It holds the answers to all of our problems.”
“Tch, why didn't you say so already? All that stalling just for that text on the wall to answer it for us,” Felt grumbled.
“So what? Are you going to show us how to enter the watchtower?” Priscilla scoffed at that; there’s no need for them to be freely handed the solution to everything as long as they have her divine self.
No, I am sure all of you will pass the trial even if the road is arduous
The problem is the nature of the man you called Natsuki Subaru
And the nature of the one who loved him
I will show you a story, regarding their nature.
‘The one loved him? Emilia?’ Otto questioned in his mind. ‘What does she and Subaru have to do with this?’
“Then why did you take Subaru away?! Shouldn’t he know this too?!” Beatrice angrily shouted. “And what's this about the story? We don't need fairy tales, I suppose!”
“Ugh, couldn’t you just tell us? We don't need a bedtime story.” Felt scoffed at the mention of the story.
He could not
I will give you the knowledge of their nature
But I fear that Natsuki Subaru could not handle his own nature
“Bullshit! My captain can handle everything,” Garfiel shouted. All of this is rubbish, he swears once he finds the one who did this to them, they'll regret it.
“His nature, huh?” Al listened carefully to that. Will his power be revealed here?
I offer you my apology
As a gesture of goodwill
I will grant your loved ones back to vitality
Before anyone could ask what it meant, Crusch's condition began to rapidly improve. Her agonizing condition disappeared as the dragon’s blood flowing through her veins slowly faded away.
Everyone was in a collective gasp and awe. As she opened her eyes, she looked towards Ferris. And for the first time since the battle against the White Whale, she did not see the knight she had been reintroduced to after her memory was wiped clean. She sees her true knight, her childhood friend.
“Ferris?”
“Crusch-sama!” Ferris cried, he hugged her and broke down into heavy sobs. Finally, finally, she is cured of her affliction. She no longer has to suffer while he watches helplessly.
To Emilia’s camp. They witness their own miracle. They saw Rem, the one Subaru claimed was Ram’s sister, awaken from her slumber.
“Uh…” She opened her heavy eyes, still tired from her long coma.
Memories returned to the camp of the Blue oni maid. She opened her eyes slowly, groaning as if she had just woken up from a long nap. Before Rem could even register her surroundings, Ram threw her arms around Rem, catching Rem off guard as Ram heavily sobbed into her sister’s shoulder.
“I’M SORRY! I’M SO SORRY! I SHOULDN’T HAVE FORGOTTEN YOU! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE! ”
Ram cried out to her, her hugs so tight it threatened to squeeze the breath out of her lungs. Rem, despite still being disoriented, offered her sister comfort as she gently stroked her pink hair. As she held her, Rem’s mind began to wander to other places. Where was Subaru? Where was her Hero?
She looked around the room. She found herself in a rather strange place, one where members of all the royal camps were sitting in a row, facing a strange, glowing walls displaying a series of texts... Wait, what? Where even was she? This wasn’t the mansion.
“How touchiiiing” Roswaal said, amused.
And finally. The final miracle can be found in Anastasia’s camp. Their memory of Julius, the Finest of Knights, returns. The camp members flock to Julius in a group hug.
“Mimi’s sorry, Julius. Mimi should have been there to fight with you!”
“It’s alright, I’m only glad that it’s temporary,” Julius replied, tearful as he returned the embrace.
“You done well, Julius; I’m lucky to have you as my Knight.”
Julius smiled at that.
A roar of laughter can be heard, and it came from Ricardo.
“My arm! It’s coming back to me!”
Just as the definitely not Wolf-Human shouted, his bandages that were covering his severed stump slowly dissolved, falling into the ground as a fresh new arm regrew. He flexed his claw, laughing with joy at the miracle. The triplets gasp in awe before finally shouting in joy.
I hope this shows you my goodwill
I do not wish harm upon you
The disorientation was simply the consequence of the transportation
“Where are we, sis?” Rem asked her sister as she looked up at the glowing wall.
“No idea, this strange man just transported all of us here suddenly. Irritating, but… he’s the one who cured you”
“Really?” Rem turned toward the screen. “Thank you so much.”
“Yes.” Crusch rose to her feet and offered a respectful bow. “Thank you for curing me of this affliction”
“Me too!” Ricardo waved with his newly regenerated hand. “Ya alright with me!”
Julius stepped forward and offered an elegant bow befitting of The Finest of Knights. “Thank you for returning everyone’s memory”
Now that is done
We will begin the viewing
But a word of warning
Whatever horrors you may find in these dark spaces, have heart and see them through.
There are no premature endings. There are no wrong decisions.
There are only fresh perspectives and new beginnings.
This is a love story.