Chapter 51: I Return to the Battlefield! (Ultra-long Chapter!!) (Patreon)

Before the echo of his own words had even faded, the distant Deathwing stopped struggling — he had finally forced Natsuki Subaru, who'd been thrashing wildly inside his own body, back down, reclaiming full control.

"Your hope... is nothing but an illusion."

With that eerie whisper, hundreds of magma tentacles burst up from the ground, forming what looked almost like a sky-blotting jungle of burnt orange. Countless fang-lined maws along the tentacles spewed clouds of purple-black vapor, staining the earth an unnatural blend of black and red.

By now the ground was no longer ordinary earth and stone but living tissue, and with wave after nauseating wave of writhing motion, Faceless Ones slick with corrupted mucus crawled forth from it.

The corruption of flesh spread at an unbelievable rate; before long, Deathwing had turned the entire ravine into a hatchery for breeding his own servants.

Countless Faceless Ones surged toward the ravine's edge like a flash flood. These twisted creatures of flesh no longer bore any resemblance to the feeble things they'd first been — both their bulk and their agility had leapt forward by orders of magnitude. Among them had even emerged a colossal beast with a pair of wings sprouting from its back and two massive pincers.

"Erudax, my faithful servant, it's time to finish the mission you left unfinished — bring destruction to this world!"

The massive Faceless One known as Erudax let out a peal of mad laughter, gladly accepting the command.

"Come, suffer... enter, the Chaos!"

Erudax, the 'Duke of Below,' had once been one of Deathwing's most trusted lieutenants. This massive Kraxis — the most powerful individual among the Faceless Ones — bore unmistakable traits of an earth-elemental construct. Compared to the other Faceless Ones with their squid-like forms, he looked more like a twisted slab of stone that had sprouted flesh.

That wasn't hard to understand, since Erudax was a Kraxis Deathwing had personally shaped within Deepholm. Neltharion's corruption as the Earth-Warder had never stripped him of his authority over the earth, and he could still move freely in and out of Deepholm, the elemental plane of earth.

Deepholm lay at the very depths of Azeroth's earth, once the stronghold of the Black Dragonflight, and the place closest to N'Zoth's prison. It was precisely this geographic proximity that created ideal conditions for N'Zoth to corrupt Neltharion while he still bore the title of Earth-Warder.

Worse still, once Deathwing threw in his lot with the Old Gods, he showed no mercy in bringing their vile curse to this land.

Deepholm suffered severe devastation as cultists of the Twilight's Hammer, devoted to the Old Gods, poured in. The naturally peaceful earth elementals became victims of Deathwing's corruption as well, and this already-rugged land of rifts and sinkholes was transformed into something resembling hell itself.

That was why Erudax, born from the corpses of countless earth elementals, came to bear the title 'Duke of Below.'

Back on Azeroth, Deathwing had once dispatched Erudax to Grim Batol, in the mountains of the Eastern Kingdoms. There, the Dragonmaw clan had once enslaved Alexstrasza, Queen of the red dragonflight, forcing her to lay eggs and enslaving the newborn red dragons that hatched from them.

Though Alexstrasza was eventually rescued, a great many dragon eggs remained behind in the cell where she'd been imprisoned. Erudax was ordered to corrupt these unhatched eggs, turning them into Twilight dragons wielding the power of the Void.

Of course, the monster was eventually slain by Azeroth's adventurers, and his malicious will to poison the world was returned to the Lightless Reaches, where he waited for another chance to serve his master once more.

This time, Erudax would not disappoint his master again.

It was only now that Ciel truly understood the nature of the horror she faced. Just now, she had died more than five thousand times, and still hadn't so much as brushed the edge of this monster's true power.

In truth, if Natsuki Subaru hadn't been fighting with everything he had inside Deathwing's body, she likely wouldn't have died merely five thousand times — it might have been hundreds of thousands.

As Deathwing's understanding of the authority of Lust deepened, he gradually realized that what he had absorbed was a supreme power fundamentally opposed to the world's own source. In nature, he had drawn infinitely close to becoming a young Old God born of this very world.

All that remained between him and becoming a fully-grown Old God was to absorb the remaining Witch Factors and perfect this authority of his.

Ciel, however, had no idea what she was truly up against.

All she knew was that no matter what, she had to stop this monster and bring Master Subaru back...

Ciel pressed her hands together in a gesture of prayer. Deep within her, the last threads of the spiritual link she still maintained carried one final message into the mad dragon's consciousness, before shattering completely.

"Hold on, Master Subaru — you have to hold on!"

"Don't give up!"

"Little witch, your persistence means nothing!"

The instant the spiritual link shattered, a will steeped in malice struck at Ciel's soul like a venomous serpent, its fangs sinking in mercilessly and pumping poison straight into the girl's mind. The color drained from her cheeks at once, and she staggered, nearly collapsing to her knees again.

"Uhh—! Aaaargh!!"

Just as before, Deathwing's spiritual contamination felt like countless flames igniting in her very marrow, spreading through her body like a wildfire across a plain. The unimaginable pain wrung a cry of anguish from her, yet she still stood firm, staring down the seemingly endless legion of Faceless Ones.

"Ciel."

Priscilla stood ahead of her, not turning back, both hands gripping the hilt of the Sun Sword, her gaze growing heavy.

"I have strength left for one more strike. Do you have any confidence we can win?"

"No, Your Highness."

Ciel shook her head, wiped the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, and stepped forward slowly to stand shoulder to shoulder with Priscilla.

"But at the very least, we have the courage and conviction to stand here."

"Hahahaha, good! Now that — that's what deserves to stand beside the sun as its bright moon!"

Priscilla laughed boldly, with all her usual pride and confidence, tightening her grip on the cracked blade of the Sun Sword, Vollachia, and raising it high overhead.

"Let this Sun Sword's final radiance, and its purification of these vile abominations from the abyss, sing a hymn in honor of your conviction!"

Pure sun-attribute mana gathered along the raised blade, coalescing into a flare like sunlight itself. But it wasn't mana alone — the Sun Princess's own Od, that force born of life itself, blazed within the Sun Sword, transforming into the purest fury of the blazing sun. Its light poured down over this land ravaged by corrupted flesh and raging miasma, radiant beyond measure.

"Turn to ash beneath the sun's radiance!"

Priscilla brought the blade down in a single stroke, and orange-gold flame lit up the entire world.

"H'iwnzaixShuul'wah, PHQUATHI! (Praise the great Destroyer, Deathwing!)"

Facing the blazing sunlight that swept toward him like a tidal wave, Erudax, charging at the front, voiced his fanatical devotion in the Old God tongue, drawing on Nightmare essence to conjure a purple-black barrier that enveloped every Faceless One, holding back the Sun Sword's flames.

Yet this evil power could not withstand the sun's radiance for long. With a series of sharp cracking sounds, fissures spread across the barrier, and streaks of light began leaking through the cracks, searing his corrupted flesh. The light surged forward unstoppably, stripping away Erudax's carapace layer by layer.

First the carapace, then the corruption-steeped flesh beneath it — both evaporated bit by bit under the Sun Sword's burning light, until at last only a lone skeleton remained, and even that was utterly swallowed by the power of light.

Countless Faceless Ones were vaporized one after another like falling dominoes. Wherever the Sun Sword's light reached, not a trace of corruption remained — only scorching, smoking molten rock.

The destruction of servants born from his own flesh sent a violent psychic backlash into Deathwing's true body, causing his movements to falter for an instant — even the breath weapon gathering in his throat was forced back down.

The Sun Sword's flame drove forward unstoppably, carving into the massive maw on Deathwing's chest. Rows of teeth dense enough to raise gooseflesh snapped one by one, and the deep-purple flesh contracted violently in the fire, tearing open a massive wound that ran from chest to belly, revealing the writhing mass of eyes and tentacles within.

"Now, Ciel!"

As the Sun Sword's light faded, another gem on the necklace at Priscilla's throat shattered — of the three-gem necklace meant to ward off fatal wounds, only a single stone now remained. A crushing exhaustion nearly brought her to her knees, but she stubbornly kept herself upright, using the Sun Sword as a support, head held high.

"Yes!"

Ciel immediately began gathering every trace of mana in her body. Since she hadn't undergone Return by Death this time, and had already cast Ol Shamu once, she was on the verge of complete mana exhaustion — which meant it would take her far longer to gather enough power for a spell capable of sealing away a being like Deathwing.

But Deathwing would never grant her the time she needed to prepare.

"Die, you wretched woman!"

A blast of purple-black breath erupted from Deathwing's mouth, streaking straight toward Ciel and Priscilla. Neither of them had any strength left to stop it. Was this really how it would all end?

Then a tall figure in a white knight's uniform, with short crimson hair, came leaping off the crumbling cliffside debris. Like a shooting star, he dropped into the very center of this hellish battlefield, drew the Dragon Sword from his waist, and drove it deep into the ground, blocking the lethal blow.

Reinhard van Astrea.

"My apologies, Lady Ciel, Lady Priscilla. I'm late."

Reinhard drew the Dragon Sword back out of the ground. His sapphire-clear eyes swept across the devastated ravine before settling on the distant, unrecognizable form of the Old God dragon — a mass of writhing eyes and tentacles.

His pupils narrowed slightly.

His instincts were right. Only an abomination this horrific and unnamable could make every blessing granted to him scream in alarm all at once, warning him that something capable of bringing utter ruin to the world had arrived.

And yet, deep within the core of that massive, terrifying monster, he sensed a familiar presence — the soul of the boy in black.

The blade suddenly blazed with a brilliance unlike any he had seen before!

The Dragon Sword had recognized the enemy before it.

This was a Dragon of Finality transcending all creation — an enemy worthy of a glorious battle!

"My friend..."

Reinhard murmured under his breath, his voice heavy with a deep sigh and unshakable resolve. He sheathed the sword, then pressed his palm to the hilt once more, readying himself to draw it.

"I've come to fulfill my vow."

Cha-shing—! The blade was drawn!

An indescribable rainbow of light tore through the night! It was sword-aura distilled to its purest form, carrying the blessing and favor bestowed by the world itself — a blade of light that split heaven and earth, cleaving the entire ravine in two.

Boooooom—!

The hundreds of magma tentacles lunging madly at Ciel and Priscilla were vaporized without a trace within a thousandth of a second of touching that blade of light!

Deathwing let out an earth-shaking roar of fury! Sensing an immense threat, dozens of his mutated eyes swiveled at once, locking onto the white-clad knight.

As far as he was concerned, even this white-clad knight, favored as he was by the world, couldn't deal him a fatal blow. But the real problem was this: if he got tangled up with him for too long, that troublesome human soul inside him would seize back control of the body again!

No! After finally getting an opportunity like this, how could he let it all fall apart now?!

"You... you damned insects!"

Dozens of massive magma tentacles surged out from the gaping wound in his chest, magma bursting forth alongside a torrent of corrupted Void energy, blasting straight toward Reinhard!

Reinhard's expression didn't change. He swung the Dragon Sword, and the wind of the blade whipped up a vast tide of mana, meeting Deathwing's terrifying assault head-on. The violent shockwave tore up layer after layer of rock from the ravine floor, and the pillar of light that shot into the sky was visible even to Roswaal, far away in the Mathers domain.

"So even the Sword Saint has been drawn out... Things really are growing more unpredictable by the moment. Let's see — what does the Gospel have to say about it this time?"

Roswaal shook his head with a wry smile, his expression tinged with self-mockery as he looked at the Gospel that no longer showed him anything at all. His gaze swept unsurprised over pages that bore not a single mark.

"Wonderful. Nothing again."

As ever, this book could no longer see through the flow of the future.

All fate, every plan — all of it had lost its meaning entirely by now.

Without Echidna's guidance, how was he supposed to carry forward the scheme he'd been laying out for four hundred years?

Roswaal took a deep breath, glanced over at Ram, who stood nearby supporting her younger sister Rem, then looked down at the Gospel in his hands and simply dropped it to the ground.

Useless, worthless book!

It was hard to believe he'd foolishly spent four hundred years laying out plans according to this book's guidance, only to have every last arrangement shattered by that boy from another world — making him look like a genuine, laughable clown.

It was time to serve a stronger power instead!

Yes — this had to be Teacher Echidna's will. That power, and following its guidance, was the only correct path!

Had Roswaal entertained such a thought before, he would have been certain he'd lost his mind. But now, having witnessed the sheer might of that world-ending dragon, he actually found himself relieved that he'd never once tried testing that young man with hostility from the very start.

Roswaal was a consummate pragmatist. So long as he could achieve his goal, he cared nothing for how convoluted the path might be, nor what means he had to use to get there.

As the light faded, the very temperature of the air plummeted from the sudden drain of mana — the price of unleashing the Astrea Sword Strike through the Dragon Sword. Though Reinhard himself had no aptitude as a sorcerer, the blessing granted to him by the world let him draw mana directly from the atmosphere to end the battle in a single stroke.

Along the arc the Dragon Sword traced downward, its razor-sharp aura split everything before it clean in two, carving a bottomless chasm through the entire ravine and annihilating everything it touched — as if this single blow had knocked the whole world out of alignment.

And after that destruction, the world was reborn once more — mana returned to it, life stirred again — while every trace of the enemy was erased completely.

Or so it should have been.

Instead, from between the two halves of Deathwing's split, malformed flesh, countless writhing tentacles shot out rapidly, knitting the divided body back together. Even a faint, cruelly mocking smile crept across his twisted, deformed maw.

"Is that your strongest blow, hero from another world?"

I cannot kill this monster.

Reinhard watched the nauseating scene in silence, quietly admitting the thought to himself.

The very existence of this monster was almost a mockery of life itself — no matter how grievous the wound, that revolting flesh seemed capable of regenerating without end.

Even with the Phoenix's Blessing granting him limitless rebirths and ensuring he could never truly be defeated, this monster could simply ignore his existence entirely and destroy everything he held dear.

This calamity was without question a hundred, no, ten thousand times worse than the Witch of Envy from four hundred years ago!

"So that's it... this is why you told me to stop you at any cost..."

Reinhard's gaze sharpened as he watched Deathwing's massive body lean forward. The bottomless, monstrous maw in its chest split open again, like an abyss of flesh ready to devour everything, purple Void energy gathering within it.

He glanced behind him. Ciel's face had gone paler than before, apparently from the mana drained by the "Dragon Sword" Reid's last strike. To make sure she could finish chanting her spell without interruption, he knew he could no longer wield the Dragon Sword's power so recklessly.

Now was the time for close combat.

"My friend, whatever happens, don't ever give up so easily," Reinhard vowed silently, charging straight into that terrifying purple light.

"We'll see this through to the end!"

"So don't you dare give up on yourself for our sake!"

In a burst of swift footwork, Reinhard leaped into the air, raising the Dragon Sword Reid high. Pure light wound around the blade, like a sun descending into the purple darkness.

Gripping the sword with both hands, he cleaved through the gathering Void energy, ignoring the way that terrible power corroded his flesh. The blade sank into the deep purple flesh, shattering the hardened bone spurs, driving straight into the depths of that massive maw, and shattering the unreleased power completely!

"RRRAAAAAGH—!"

Deathwing let out a roar of rage unlike any before, its massive body thrashing wildly. The tentacles extending from its spine lashed out in every direction, shaking the entire land with violent tremors.

Even Deathwing, having unlocked the authority of the Old God, found itself forcibly suppressed and pinned at the center of the battlefield by Reinhard's near-miraculous sword light in this direct clash of physical force and magic!

"Wake up!" Reinhard shouted. "My friend!"

Deep within his own consciousness, Natsuki Subaru witnessed Reinhard's final cry just before he was swallowed by that purple light. He reached up to a hat brim that no longer existed atop his head and made the gesture of tipping it in salute.

"Good buddy, thanks for the assist..."

"Now, it's my turn to step up!"

As Reinhard's body perished, the Phoenix's Blessing activated at once, restoring him to his feet on open ground not far away. The "Dragon Sword" Reid, however, was no longer in his hand — that heirloom of the Astrea family now stood embedded deep in Deathwing's chest like an exorcist's spike.

At the same moment, an eerie whisper slithered out of the darkness and struck straight into Reinhard's mind.

"The kingdom you protect, everything you hold dear — it will all become our flesh and blood eventually... With every second you swing that sword, the soul called Natsuki Subaru wails within..."

Even without a weapon, Reinhard showed not a trace of fear. He simply picked up a long shard of stone at his feet and made it his weapon.

"I'm not fond of listening to lies."

He swung the stone shard, punching straight through a tentacle lashing toward him.

"Besides, I can hear Lord Subaru's voice too. He sounds full of energy right now."

Deep in the darkness, Natsuki Subaru truly was shouting.

"Damn right I am!"

In that same instant, the massive maw on Deathwing's chest split open once more, yet its enormous, misshapen body could no longer move an inch. It was as if invisible chains had bound it fast, every muscle twitching as though locked in a struggle against itself.

"Foolish... do you want to get us both killed?!"

"Who do you think you're fooling? You think I don't know that even if we die, it'll just be a countdown before we're back—"

Natsuki Subaru said this without a shred of concern. Just then, a crushing grip on his heart delivered exactly the suffocating, near-death sensation he'd been counting on, plunging both his own consciousness and Deathwing's into confusion together.

At that moment, Ciel's spell formation finally finished its preparation. "Ol Shamu"—

A black, orb-shaped sphere condensed between her palms, projecting outward to envelop Deathwing's entire body. Unable to move, Deathwing roared in fury, yet it could do nothing to stop the massive black curtain from wrapping around it completely.

Then the orb contracted violently.

Deathwing let out a scream of agony unlike anything before, straining with everything it had against Natsuki Subaru inside it, forced to watch helplessly as the seal from outside tightened inch by inch, crushing its flesh, tentacles, eyes, and all the corrupting authority it wielded, back down into the depths of its twisted body.

"I won't... let you..."

"Sorry, but you will!"

Natsuki Subaru's voice erupted from the very depths of Deathwing's consciousness.

"This is my body, buddy. Crawl back to whatever hole you came from and stay there!"

Then Deathwing's warped body made one last struggle before every motion stopped dead, like a puppet with its strings cut.

As the black orb shrank smaller and smaller, the corrupted, malevolent aura finally vanished entirely, leaving it hanging like a great, pitch-black cocoon, floating silently above the ravine.

Only then did Ciel finally allow her exhaustion-wracked body to sink down, caught and supported by Priscilla, whose own face had gone equally pale.

"Your Highness... did I... do well enough?"

Priscilla, in a rare display of concern, held her devoted attendant close and murmured softly in comfort:

"Don't talk anymore, Ciel."

"Some things can wait for him to come back and judge for himself..."

With that, she looked up at the pitch-black cocoon hanging in the air. Fine cracks began spreading across its surface, and streaks of molten light, radiating searing heat, seeped out from within.

But this time, there was no trace of that violent, savage aura.

With an earth-shaking dragon's roar, the black cocoon shattered completely. A massive dragon clad in obsidian scales spread its wings and descended to the ground amid gushing molten lava, every one of those terrible cracks now gone from its body — as if it had returned to being Neltharion, the Earth-Warder, before the Old God's corruption ever touched him.

Then the great black dragon's body rapidly shrank, reverting back to Natsuki Subaru's familiar form — still in that same tattered coat, with the hat having somehow found its way back onto his head from who knows where.

"Yo, buddy, I'm back!"

Natsuki Subaru tugged down the brim of his hat and walked toward Reinhard, Dragon Sword in hand.

"I owe you a huge one for this. This sword... well, it should still barely work. Guess my dragon form's just too thick-skinned — probably scared the poor little guy half to death."

As he spoke, he reached out and stroked the blade, still warm with Deathwing's residual molten fire, as if soothing a traumatized victim, before finally handing the Dragon Sword back to Reinhard.

"It's fine," Reinhard said with a smile. "Reid is a strong weapon. It'll pull through."

"Let's hope so, because I could've sworn just now that this sword's got some kind of PTSD. It's pretty jumpy right now — better watch out, next time it might not dare cry out no matter who it faces."

"...Huh?" Reinhard blanked for a moment. Looking at the crack-covered blade of the Dragon Sword and Subaru's dead-serious expression, even he found himself worrying a little.

If the Dragon Sword refused to leave its sheath even against a worthy opponent from now on, that would be quite the problem.

Could a blade once so proud really turn into a cowardly one from here on?

"My friend..."

Reinhard sheathed the sword with a complicated look on his face. Before he could get a word out, Subaru slung an arm familiarly around his neck and clapped him on the shoulder.

"No worries!" Subaru said with a cheeky grin. "To make up for it, I promise I'll help you clear up some troubles. Just wait and see."

"This Kingdom of Lugnica used to just have you — now it's got me too. With two top-tier talents like us looking after one country, what problem could possibly go unsolved? Relax, buddy. This kingdom's many troubles won't stay troubles much longer."

"Well, I truly can't thank you enough for that."

Reinhard smiled back, helpless. Honestly, he had a feeling that this guy's way of solving problems might not be the kind of solving he had in mind.

Still, he could grasp something of the deeper meaning behind Subaru's words. He, Reinhard, had managed to stop the man's rampage once, but he couldn't count on doing so every single time. A kingdom as beset by troubles and leaderless as Lugnica stood no real chance against a calamity of that magnitude.

He was a hero, and could only ever be one hero. Facing down a calamity like that would take more than a single hero.

Only by uniting, by gathering every ounce of strength together, could they hope for a sliver of a chance before the end came.

Just like Ciel and Priscilla today.

He cast a look of deep respect toward the two women. If they hadn't fought Deathwing with everything they had until he arrived, the entire kingdom might have suffered a catastrophe beyond imagining.

Still, he was willing to place his trust in the Council of Wise Men once more, hoping that this gathering of the kingdom's finest minds would reach a wise and correct decision as swiftly as possible given the circumstances.

Lugnica, as things stood, truly couldn't afford to keep sliding endlessly toward disaster.

"Also, there's something else I want to tell you."

Subaru said.

"I've made up my mind. I'm entering Lugnica's Royal Selection too."

"Oh? My friend, have you already decided to pledge yourself to some Royal Selection candidate, to become her knight?"

As he spoke, Reinhard's gaze flicked toward Priscilla not far away — he'd already guessed roughly what was coming.

But Subaru was Subaru, after all — every time he opened his mouth, it hit like a thunderclap.

"No, what gave you that idea?" Subaru frowned as though looking at an idiot, shaking his head. "Who told you I was going to be someone's knight? I'm running for king!"

"Running... for king?!"

Reinhard felt his entire worldview take another world-shattering blow.

"But the problem is... you're not a Dragon's Maiden, so this..."

"Calm down, buddy." Subaru patted his shoulder. "You said before that as long as someone can make that badge shine, they qualify to join the Royal Selection, right?"

Reinhard nodded wordlessly.

"And I made that badge shine brighter than anyone else, right?"

Reinhard nodded again, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"So why can't I enter the Royal Selection?" Subaru posed the fatal question.

Reinhard had meant to say that, according to the prophecy given by the Dragon Stone, there were only ever five Royal Selection candidates — the "Dragon's Maiden." But on second thought, nothing had ever actually said the throne could only be contested by a "Dragon's Maiden."

Long ago, back when the Lugnican royal family still lived, the "Dragon's Maiden" already existed — but back then, her role had simply been that of an intermediary between the royal family and the Divine Dragon, Volcanica.

In fact, aside from the Dragon Stone's prophecy, not a single law in the Kingdom of Lugnica actually stated that the throne could only go to one of the five chosen Dragon's Maidens — let alone that the monarch had to be a woman. Otherwise, wouldn't that make every past king of Lugnica's previous generations illegitimate?

That obviously couldn't be — if word of that got out, never mind Reinhard, the entire Council of Wise Men would collectively lose it.

Just like the famous line from Lugnica's renowned play, Tea Party: "Whoever changes the ancestors' rule shall lose their heads." These days it wouldn't cost anyone their head, but trouble would certainly follow.

Besides, given Subaru's outright contempt for "prophecies" as a concept, Reinhard decided it was best not to bring the matter up at all.

"Besides..." Subaru smirked with obvious mischief. "Aren't you guys a pro-dragon kingdom? As the Black Dragon King, I'd say I'm already the most 'dragon' thing this country's got. Who could possibly out-dragon me?"

"See? If I don't take the throne, who else is going to?"

"Oh? So my attendant has decided to strike out on his own like this, has he?"

Priscilla drew a folding fan from the deep cleft of her cleavage and strolled leisurely forward, supported by Ciel.

Reinhard, finally seizing his chance to escape, tactfully put considerable distance between himself and the scene. Under Subaru's despairing gaze, he smiled, stepped back, and turned away — thoroughly and completely avoiding any suspicion of involvement.

Look at that emotional intelligence — who ever said the Sword Saint had no people skills? Subaru felt compelled to strongly condemn whoever had started spreading that vicious rumor.

Reinhard glanced back over his shoulder, and Subaru could clearly read in his eyes a knowing, "I understand" sort of smile — as if offering his blessing in advance.

Come on, buddy! You're the Sword Saint! Don't leave me to face this woman all alone, will you?

Even as Subaru silently screamed inside, Priscilla had already come to stand right before him, the pale expanse of her chest swaying in a dizzying, soft wave that left him at a complete loss for where to look.

Priscilla's clothes had been mostly burned away by the release of her Yang Sword — both her proud, towering, snow-white curves and her flawless, delicate skin lay exposed in broad swaths.

Scorch marks lingered at the edges where the Yang Sword's flames had burned through, yet far from diminishing her beauty in the slightest, they seemed instead to add medal-like markings to an otherwise flawless statue.

Yet she herself seemed utterly unconcerned, stepping closer and closer to meet Subaru's gaze.

Truth be told, his awkwardness wasn't only from that kind of embarrassment. Subaru's sharp eyes had already noticed that the ornate triple-gem necklace around Priscilla's neck had shattered down to its very last stone.

Though he had no idea what that specifically meant, it was clear this woman had paid an enormous price to help him.

It left Subaru weighed down with guilt.

"What kind of man lets his eyes dart around like that? And a man like you dares to speak such wild talk of becoming king?"

Priscilla let out a light laugh.

"No matter. Go ahead and do as you please!"

Before Subaru could explain himself, Priscilla snapped her fan shut and gave his nose a light tap.

"After all, for someone like me, indulging in a bit of nonsense with someone else once in a while makes for a novel experience."

With that, under Subaru's startled gaze, Priscilla rose onto her toes once more and pressed her lips lightly against his. The contact broke apart just as swiftly, leaving him utterly unable to process what had just happened.

"Consider it also a small reward for wresting yourself back from that monster. As I told you, you will forever carry the sun's brand upon you. Feel honored, and be grateful for my blessing!"

Subaru's face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He wanted to fire back something cool to save face — something like, "I could take a dozen rewards like that every single day" — but his mouth felt like a rusted door hinge, producing nothing but a few meaningless syllables.

Just then, a pair of cool hands slipped gently around his arm from behind.

"Mm. Her Highness has already made her choice."

Ciel's voice came from behind him, weak but carrying an indescribable steadiness.

Subaru turned to see Ciel's pale face full of a quiet smile, her jet-black eyes like a still pool of water, reflecting his own flustered image.

"As you said, the choice rests in one's own hands."

Ciel tightened her grip on his arm, letting her weight rest gently against his shoulder, her tone carrying a hint of coquettish affection alongside a seriousness that brooked no refusal.

This was quite unlike her usual self.

"If this is truly your will, then please pursue it without any hesitation. We will always be your strongest support."

On one side stood the dazzling, brilliant sun.

On the other, the gentle, tender moon.

And he was caught squarely in between, like the poor slice of ham stuffed inside a sandwich.

For some reason, Subaru couldn't shake the feeling that beneath this seemingly harmonious back-and-forth between mistress and attendant, there was just the faintest edge of rivalry.

Priscilla turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting Ciel's silently in midair for a fleeting moment.

In that instant, it felt as though some invisible spark had crackled through the air.

"Ciel, just how long do you intend to keep holding onto him?"

Priscilla spoke first, her tone flat.

"That depends on when Your Highness is willing to leave."

Ciel replied with a smile, her tone deferential yet utterly unyielding.

Subaru swallowed hard, sensing this situation was anything but simple.

This wasn't looking good at all...

There was no doubt about it — Subaru was facing the greatest crisis of his life.

Alright, think about what Zeratul would do in a situation like this... no, wait! The Dark Prelate's experience simply didn't apply to a scenario like this. Right now, all he could rely on was his own courage and wits.

"Alright... Miss Priscilla."

Subaru took a deep breath and looked at the triple-gem necklace on Priscilla's neck.

"Is your injury really all right? I feel like you might actually be in worse shape than Miss Ciel."

Priscilla had been waiting for him to keep rambling something beside the point. Hearing this instead, she paused, if only slightly.

Subaru looked at her, his expression turning serious.

"Don't try to fool me with that 'of course I'm fine' look on your face. If I had to guess, that necklace of yours has something to do with your lifespan or fate, doesn't it?"

"Don't misunderstand, Natsuki Subaru." Priscilla fell silent for a moment, then lifted her chin.

"This was for the sake of all the ordinary people of this world. As the sun, it's only fitting that I offer my radiance to fight against such vile abominations. If you'd rather understand it as one of your rewards, then so be it..."

Subaru nodded without a word. He knew that saying anything sympathetic right now would only come across as tone-deaf.

For a proud woman like Priscilla, simply acknowledging everything she'd done without complaint or regret — that alone was respecting her choice, and the greatest thanks he could offer.

"You truly are a shining solar disc," Subaru said admiringly.

"Flattering me like that won't get you anywhere, you know?"

Priscilla smiled and unfurled her fan, waving it leisurely in front of herself.

"You'd do better to think about how you're going to beat me in the Royal Selection instead. Even if I back you, I won't be holding back one bit."

"Hey, hey... can't you say something nice for once, woman? Didn't you say you'd goof around with me?"

"That's right, but I never said I'd definitely support you becoming king."

Subaru clutched his chest, staggering half a step back in mock agony.

"So cold-blooded. Just a moment ago you called me a candidate for your husband, and now you're already turning on me?"

"Lord Subaru..." Ciel spoke up in gentle warning. "Forgive my bluntness, but Her Highness has had seven previous husbands, all of whom, without exception, met with fatal accidents."

"As a result, Her Highness's reputation among Lugnica's upper society is... less than ideal. She bears the infamous name of the 'Bloodstained Bride.'"

"Ciel." Priscilla shot her attendant a cold glare. "There's no need to say more than necessary."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Ciel immediately bowed her head in deference, but Subaru clearly caught the trace of a sly, scheming smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"So I'm number eight?"

Subaru arched an eyebrow.

Eight — that number had a nice ring to it. Destruction, the Hunt, Erudition, Harmony, Nihility, Preservation, Abundance, Remembrance... exactly eight Paths.

Too bad he didn't believe in any of them — he followed Finality. When it came to the Path of Finality, their guy was the real deal! Though honestly, he wasn't even sure whether he still counted as a Path Walker at this point.

"What, are you scared?"

Priscilla hid the lower half of her face behind her fan, leaving only a pair of smiling, golden-red eyes visible.

"I think your 'husband-killer curse' doesn't seem to work on me. If anything, you're the one who should be careful — you nearly got yourself wrecked by me today."

Subaru gave the last remaining gem on her necklace a pointed look, then tentatively raised his hand, letting his fingertip brush lightly against the necklace.

Unexpectedly, Priscilla didn't pull away.

"Try relying on others more."

"Heh. If there's one thing I never expected, it's hearing that line come out of your mouth."

Priscilla let out a soft laugh, folding her fan closed and tucking it back into the bottomless white cleft of her chest.

"If anything, if you truly mean to take the throne, you'd better break that bad habit of shouldering everything all by yourself."

Subaru frowned slightly.

Priscilla looked at him, the amusement in her eyes fading somewhat.

"A king is not some ascetic who suffers on everyone else's behalf. What a king must do is lead forward those who are willing to follow him."

"Stop thinking you're the only one who can solve problems, and stop treating everyone else as some weakling who needs your protection."

She lifted her chin, her tone as haughty as ever.

"If you can't even trust in the strength of your own companions, that's the truest form of arrogance."

Subaru didn't answer right away. His gaze shifted to Ciel, still holding his arm, and something stirred within him. He bent his arm to draw her a little closer.

"Eh... Subaru-kun?" A faint blush rose on Ciel's pale face.

"You heard what your princess said. That goes for you too."

"What?"

"Don't play dumb. You know exactly what you've been doing. Don't shoulder it all alone from now on, and if you're about to break, don't force yourself to keep going."

Ciel went still for a moment.

Subaru ruffled her hair.

"Stop thinking you always have to be perfect. I know — you've already done more than enough."

Ciel's lips parted slightly.

She seemed about to say something, but the words caught in her throat for a long moment. In the end, she only nodded softly.

"...Okay."

[Author's Note: Erudax, the boss of Cataclysm's Grim Batol, was originally just a red dragonkin — and later even got upgraded to his own unique model.]