Chapter 40: The Real Bad Woman (Patreon)

As the dust and smoke slowly cleared, there was no response from Elsa's direction — instead, a small, delicate figure staggered out of the shadows.

The neat blue bob and the slightly disheveled black-and-white maid uniform unmistakably belonged to Rem, who had left only a short while before.

She was pressing a hand to her shoulder, her face full of fear and helplessness, tear tracks still fresh at the corners of her eyes.

"Subaru-kun..."

Her voice trembling, she called out to him, stumbling forward step by step toward Natsuki Subaru, as if she'd found her only lifeline.

"Rem was attacked on the way back... I barely managed to get away. Subaru-kun, please, help me — my sister, she..."

She stretched out a pale hand, moving as if to throw herself into Natsuki Subaru's arms.

But Natsuki Subaru didn't so much as shift his footing.

He simply stood with his hands in his pockets, head tilted slightly, watching this "Rem" perform in front of him with the detached gaze of someone watching a show.

"Subaru-kun?"

"Rem's" motion stopped three steps short of him, her face arranging itself into a perfectly timed look of confusion and hurt.

"Not bad acting. Tears on command, and even the tremor in your voice — you really nailed the details."

Natsuki Subaru's mouth curled into a cold, mocking smile.

"I don't know what you actually are, but in front of an old master of the craft like me, you're still way too green."

Come on — disguising himself as someone else to pull a prank was his own signature move, the one he'd used on Blade before. Trying to fool him with his own trick was laughable — she just didn't have the chops for it!

Still, credit where it was due — this particular disguise really had iterated on the old playbook and carved out a whole new track in the industry. Whichever top-tier player had "empowered" her with this, she'd reproduced even the physical details with uncanny precision.

But no matter how perfect the physical imitation, some things simply couldn't be learned.

At his words, "Rem's" pupils contracted slightly, though she kept up the pitiful act, saying:

"What is Subaru-kun talking about? Rem doesn't understand... Rem really hurts..."

"Cut the act. It's making me sick just listening to you."

Natsuki Subaru sighed, rubbing his temples in exasperation.

"First, I still have confidence in Roswaal's strength. No matter how worried she was about her sister, the real Rem would always go to her master first, not run all this way back to find me.

He took a step forward, staring down the "Rem" before him.

"Second, when Rem looks at me, there's sometimes a bit of shyness in her eyes, but they're always clear. You, though — no matter how well you try to hide it, I can see it plain as day: your eyes are dripping with disgusting greed, like you're thinking 'this body must taste delicious.'"

"And that stench of yours — like a sewer — I could smell it three miles off. It's making me want to throw up."

Natsuki Subaru's gaze swept over her once, finally settling on her chest, his tone turning oddly delicate.

"And finally, the most important point — as a gentleman with rigorous observational skills, I have to point out that the size you've conjured here is one or two sizes smaller than the real Rem's."

"Don't tell me you've got some congenital defect you just can't overcome?"

This was, in truth, pure nonsense on Natsuki Subaru's part. In reality, the fake Rem's body had no flaws whatsoever — every detail had been replicated with flawless, one-to-one precision.

But clearly, while the remark carried little real substance, its insult value landed dead center, instantly freezing the hurt, delicate expression on "Rem's" face.

The once innocent, adorable face began to twist grotesquely, her mouth stretching into an exaggerated, venomous grin as a sharp, grating cackle tore out of her.

"Hahahaha! What a tasteless piece of meat scrap! Even at a time like this, you're fixated on something so pointless!"

As the shrill laughter rang out, her body began to squirm and swell like melting candle wax.

The blue hair rapidly changed color, and the once-generous curves shrank away, until at last she'd become a scantily dressed, blonde girl radiating brazen arrogance.

"Still, seeing through my disguise at a glance — you, meat scrap... you're a lot more interesting than the trash who only ever look at faces!"

She fixed Natsuki Subaru with a pair of violet-red eyes, tongue flicking lightly across her red lips, her face twisted into a gleeful, mischievous grin. A sharp fang peeked out from her lips, lending her an oddly cute look.

"Just as I thought — the scent of a 'dragon.' No wonder that Elsa girl had such a hard time fighting you. How interesting — you, meat scrap, really are the thing I've been looking for!"

Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru was at a loss for words, wondering why every single person in this other world seemed fixated on him. He shrugged helplessly, then his expression darkened.

"Finished with the nonsense? Tell me — what did you do to our Rem?"

"Heh heh heh... how unfortunate. Your precious little Rem isn't in this world anymore. Hahaha!"

Capella doubled over with laughter, shaking like a flower in the wind, her sharp nails nearly poking Natsuki Subaru's nose.

"When I turned her into a disgusting fly and crushed her, that little maid pining after you believed, right up to the very last moment, that you'd come save her."

She'd assumed this man would be like every other meat scrap — that learning someone precious to him had been turned into such a repulsive form and snuffed out in so degrading a way would flood his heart with rage and despair.

Then he'd scream his loved one's name hysterically, throw caution to the wind and charge at her for revenge, only to be crushed beneath her overwhelming strength. That ugly, broken look — she never got tired of seeing it, no matter how many times.

But this time, Capella was disappointed.

Natsuki Subaru didn't fall into despair as she'd hoped. He didn't even show a trace of sorrow — he simply stood there, fingers pressing his hat brim down slightly, shadowing his eyes.

Yet the void psionic power in his eyes, once a vivid emerald green, had already taken on a tint of violent, dark red.

"...Turned into a fly. Crushed?"

Natsuki Subaru slowly raised his head. His eyes now held no distinction between white and iris — only twin blazes of red fire, molten and roaring.

"Lady, your imagination has shrunk just as badly as your figure."

Natsuki Subaru's voice was quiet, even carrying a trace of his usual playful teasing, but the terrifying pressure behind it gave even the ever-arrogant Capella a flicker of danger.

"You should be grateful you're lying. If something had actually happened to Rem, you wouldn't even have the chance to stand here trading nonsense with me right now."

He took a step forward — just one — and the hard stone floor of the corridor instantly split into countless spiderweb cracks. Searing flame spilled up through the fissures, scorching the surrounding air until it warped and shimmered.

"But to use my friend's safety to provoke me..."

Natsuki Subaru slowly raised his right hand. The Bent Light War Blade on his bracer let out a piercing hum, dark-red flames of destruction weaving together with emerald void psionic power until the blade turned an eerie, deep purple.

"Give me your name. I promise... you're going to die horribly today!"

"Make me die horribly? Are you sure about that? Do you even know who I am?"

At that, the blonde girl simply planted her hands on her hips and laughed to herself, eyes flashing playfully, not taking the threat seriously in the slightest.

"Then let me graciously enlighten you—"

"Witch Cult! Sin Archbishop! In charge of Lust! Capella Emerada Lugnica, at your service!"