☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆
"—This seems like a good place to land."
That satisfied voice, which originated from Natsuki Subaru, rang out amongst the turbulent winds.
It was currently midnight, and he had been flying eastward at the speed of sound for the past hour. As he breezed through the clear night skies at such a speed, realistically, his already frail, human body should've been torn apart. However, Subaru was using his Authority of Sloth, which allowed him to mitigate g-force.
Given the already magical nature of this world, anyone else would probably remain intact. For Subaru, he was a human from earth, so he didn't possess the enhanced, supernatural biology of this world's inhabitants.
He went through a slight mutation upon his arrival— gaining the ability to use magic, however, that was short-lived, and barely enough of a power boost given the monstrous strength of the many foes he faced in the past.
Nonetheless, breaking up the endless plains that surrounded the Lugunican capital, Subaru's vision made out a dense forest below him. He was a bit tired, and his already fatigued state didn't help, so he decided to rest for the night.
He flew down, landing in a small clearing with a large patch of grass.
"Fuck! Felix really did do a number on me!" Subaru yelled, groaning as he felt his feet creak in pain upon touching the ground. He fell over, taking in the softness of the grassy surface.
"I want to sleep so badly…"
For the first time since he left that harsh, cold cell, Subaru finally took in the pleasures of being able to lie down on something that wasn't a hard stony surface. Albeit, the ground wasn't much better, but it was the second closest thing to a bed— at least from the perspective of a tortured prisoner.
He turned on his back, relaxing his muscles as he gazed upon the night sky. For a moment, he lay there in silence, taking in the cold breeze and the natural, wild scent of the wilderness.
This was all broken up by a growl. Subaru opened his eyes in alarm. Looking around, he saw many glowing red eyes— leering at him from the darkness. It didn't take him long to realize what had surrounded him: Mabeasts.
He groaned inwardly. Typhon's pests were truly annoying. The beasts, realizing their prey had noticed them, began honing onto his location. However, instead of running, Subaru held up a finger and—
"—Fuck off."
Numerous gigantic constructs of black, manifested in the form of a "middle finger", ripped from the ground, tearing through dozens upon dozens of beasts. Most were thrown through the air— succumbing to the fall. Others were ripped to shreds as they were thrown into trees— splintering and breaking them. It was a massacre.
All the while, Subaru closed his eyes, taking in the carnage. Several minutes passed as the beasts continued their endless assault against Subaru. After a while, he began becoming frustrated.
"Dammit! Can a guy get a little piece of mind?"
It's not as if Subaru could have his constructs work autonomously— at least, for now. It required mental input on his part, and he couldn't do that while asleep. If he did, he'd be helpless and would get mercilessly torn apart.
It probably wasn't a good idea to rest within the woods, places infamously known for being Mabeast-infested, but he was too tired to find another source of civilization, and Subaru's current get-up, combined with the fact that he was dirt poor, meant he wouldn't be getting any lodging either.
After a while, Subaru groaned and got up— wheezing through the dull pain. He then clapped his hands together and,
"Alright. I need help."
Subaru realized that in his quest for power, he missed a fatal flaw: he lacked any allies. Subaru, who always needed to rely on his companions to break a loop in the past, knew it was the most valuable resource of all.
In order to succeed in gaining some peace of mind, Subaru would need a shoulder to lean on, and he had the most perfect idea.
He floated in the air, closing his eyes as he imagined himself pulling something— trying his best to gather a connection. He remembered his teachings from Puck— notably in relation to Spirit Arts. He had never taken it seriously back then, but now, he needed to call back on that knowledge now more than ever.
He focused, imagining himself calling out to the entire forest— hoping to contact any spirit within the vicinity. His brows furrowed, and his lips formed into a grimace as he tried his hardest to tap into his Spirit Affinity.
Then, Subaru felt something warm.
Opening his eyes, he found himself bathed in a myriad of colors. Dozens upon dozens of micro-spirits circled around him, buzzing around him with the curiosity of a child.
"Oh wow," Subaru breathed, "hello, little ones." He waved awkwardly, and in response, the micro-spirits seemed to glow brighter, as if deeply pleasured. He had never expected his spiritual affinity— above average as it is, to be capable of pulling this many spirits towards him. However, this was a growing mystery alongside his monstrous growth in power.
"I would like to make a contract. One spirit for each element. Can you guys help me with that?"
In response, the micro-spirits buzzed with newfound vigor, some flying close into his face, as if trying to catch his attention. A particular spirit, that of the Yang affinity, glowed the brightest as it nestled on top of his nose.
Nonetheless, Subaru spent several minutes picking and choosing each spirit for each affinity. Due to his low mana capacity and weak gate, each spirit would not only fulfill his ability to use magic, but also cover every element, strengthening his power diversity. Despite this, it would be wrong to assume that Subaru created these contracts with the sole purpose of gathering more power.
It was something every human being craved: companionship. Sometimes, the greatest power was having each other, and at the moment, Subaru was eager to have someone to talk to.
"—I didn't just do this out of mere convenience," Subaru said, gazing at the six spirits who floated idly in front of him. "This is the start of a deep companionship. I want to treat you all as if you were my family. I want us to know about each other— grow stronger together and cry together. I want us to have each other's backs."
The spirits glowed brightly, deeply captivated by his words.
"The terms of our contract are simple— We must do our utmost in caring and providing for each other. Whether that should be in a fight, or simply providing comfort— we should always tend to each other's mental and physical well-being. Are those terms to your satisfaction?"
With his words, the spirits bobbed up and down, shimmering in delight. Subaru smiled at the cuteness of the display. He then lifted both hands towards the spirits:
"Then let us forge this contract. May it only be broken in death."
There was a bright light, and then, nothing.
☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆
The sun slowly rose over the horizon, painting the world in a soft orange hue. Birds chirped, beginning their early quest for food, and the grass blew under the morning breeze. It was a quiet start to the day.
Within a certain part of the forest was a large clearing, and within that clearing.
"Ah! That was a good night's sleep!"
The ground seemed to twist and turn, opening up like a hatched egg to reveal the person within: Natsuki Subaru. He came out, rubbing and stretching his arms— sorely regretting it as his shoulder twisted in pain.
Small lights— his spirits, floated around him, buzzing ever so brightly. He walked amongst the clearing, breathing the fresh air as he looked into the sky.
"Damn, I kinda feel like a cave troll sleeping like that. Either way, that idea to build a small hole in the ground was great… errr, crap— I haven't named you guys yet… right?"
Subaru was a bit too eager to get his sleep yesterday to the point where he had completely forgotten to name his spirits. It was a severe oversight on his part. That was the most important thing one needed to do upon forming a contract between spirits.
His spirits agreed with his words. A particularly frustrated one, Yang, hit him on the cheek, which mildly stung.
"Alright, Alright! I got this! I've always been great with names. We'll start with Yang, because you feel like you're seconds away from vaporizing me. Subaru put his finger on his chin in thought, before his eyes widened and he pointed towards the micro-spirit of Yang:
"Estelle! How does that sound!? It's derived from Latin, meaning Star!" In response, the Yang spirit buzzed up and down, circling around him. Estelle was clearly pleased by their new name.
Satisfied, Subaru then moved on to the other spirits. It took him up to ten minutes to decide each name, so after all was settled, he had managed to name all of them.
Estelle, for the micro-spirit of Yang.
Seraphina, for the micro-spirit of Fire.
Cordelia, for the micro-spirit of Water.
Vespera, for the micro-spirit of Earth.
Aria, for the micro-spirit of Wind.
Selene, for the micro-spirit of Yin.
With the naming settled, Subaru floated, looking far into the horizon as he began preparing for step two. However, there was something nagging in the recesses of his mind. It was something he couldn't ignore.
He turned back towards his spirits. They looked at him expectantly— confused by his sudden quietness.
"Alright, I'm going to let you guys in on a little secret. I probably should've told you sooner, however. Sorry your contractor didn't consider telling you this beforehand," Subaru said in a tone that was a mixture of sarcastic and resolute. His spirits floated around him— their attention focused sorely on him.
"—I'm not from this world, in fact, there's a lot of weird things about me. I possess Authorities— witch factors, abilities that allow me to play with reality like playdough. Not only that, but I was summoned here… by the Witch of Envy."
With his words, his spirits froze. Subaru closed his eyes, expecting such a shocked reaction. Telling someone you possessed a close relation to the Witch of Envy was enough for anyone to be deeply unsettled.
"I'm… sorry. If you want to break up this contract with me, it's fine. Maybe it's alright that I'm alone. In fact, the only reason I'm here is because I got myself into this mess by being an idiot."
By wandering throughout the city of Priestella alone, making himself easy pickings for the archbishop of gluttony.
By being too stupid to reason with his former friends, sewing discord and distrust amongst them.
By being too weak to stop his endless torment, resigning to death again and again.
Now he had arrived to this new future through a stroke of cosmic luck. He wouldn't ruin his new chances. He would walk forward, becoming stronger than before. He would reach heights that past Natsuki Subaru wasn't capable of reaching.
With his head dipped down in resignation, Subaru was prepared for rejection, however,
"Ah, Ah? What is it? If you keep buzzing in my face like that… wuh— hey!"
His spirits, having internally considered his words, began floating into his face, the warmth of the mana tickling his cheek. Subaru held his hands up as he tried to defend himself against the onslaught of affection.
While micro-spirits couldn't speak, they were obviously approving of the situation, deciding to trust in his word and care for him no matter what. After all, they were willing to abide by the contract that was put into place.
"Ah, I understand. Then me getting all emotional like an idiot was for nothing? You guys are alright with me?"
His spirits floated up and down. After realizing that their trust in him was secured, Subaru beamed, looking towards the horizon with newfound vigor.
"Alright, I have a plan. I'm going to free Satella from her prison and defeat the Witch of Envy for good. However, before that, I need to do something else."
The Witch Factors. Each bore the names of the seven deadly sins. Subaru would claim them all, boosting his already exponential growth in power. After that, he would save Satella, and they'd have a long chat.
Subaru gazed at the future with absolute certainty.
☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆
It didn't take that long to locate Gluttony's location.
Subaru possessed a new ability alongside Return by Death: Sage Sovereignty, and his newest ability, Vita Mortis. Alongside that, he also possessed new abilities for Sloth: Null Construct, and Mandate of Heaven. Greed and Wrath were also abilities he had gained, although their powers remained a mystery.
Nonetheless, the most important ability that aided him in his task was Sage Sovereignty— which allowed him the ability to gaze upon the infinite multiverse— past, present, and future. The only drawback came with the limitation that he could only see things through his perspective— unless he focused on a certain person or object. Thus, every timeline he experienced was from his perspective.
However, this couldn't technically be said to be a weakness. The multiverse was infinite— and this world had clear boundaries— dead ends. Given the multiverse, Subaru has technically walked every road— taken every action.
Alongside that, there were countless timelines where he found Gluttony.
"—Look alive, girls. It seems like we've shown up at a bad time."
Looking down, Subaru gazed down at what appeared to be a large village, currently in the midst of chaos. Fire burned, stretching across every road. Smoke wafted in the air, darkening the sky.
He could see dozens of civilians running about— doing their best to escape the growing fire.
"Alright, Cordelia, you stop the fire. Aria, get rid of all the smoke. Vespera, scout some buildings and protect civilians from falling debris."
With each issued order, a deep tingle welled up inside him. Three micro-spirits manifested, already making their way towards the village to follow his orders. Micro-spirits were the weakest form a spirit could take, which meant their mana capacity was low. However, compared to your average person, their magical power was leagues above, alongside their natural talent.
They were naturally in tune with their element, which meant they possessed a finer control that not even years of magical study could reach.
Cordelia manifested a large hose of water, channeling it into a "sprinkler" mode as she sprayed down several buildings at once. Vespera scouted the insides, forming a pillar of rock to support a collapsing building, just enough for a woman and her daughter to escape. Aria manifested a large gust of wind, blowing away large swaths of smoke that threatened to overwhelm dozens of pairs of lungs.
There was still much work to do, however, Subaru sent them to do such a task because he needed to focus on what was more important: tracking down gluttony.
He floated down towards the village, just half a block away from what appeared to be a three-story house— no doubt, the village chief's residence. Just before the residency was a large gate, now torn open. What was more—
"Agghh!"
A scream rang out. Right within the courtyard was a man wearing silver armor from head to toe. His form was defensive, his sword out in front of him as he defended against the attacks from his pursuer.
"—Oh my, oh my! You have such fight in you! We'll make sure to gobble you up nice and well~! Harmonious drinking, gluttony, tsu~!"
That pursuer was none other than Roy Alphard, Sun Archbishop of Gluttony— representing Bizarre eating.
Unlike his brother, who only went after high value "meals", Roy preferred to eat whoever was available. In fact, he had been the reason behind both Julius and his name getting eaten— erased from this world.
He was the reason Subaru was imprisoned.
He was the reason Subaru had experienced much anguish and suffering.
He was the reason Subaru had lost his friends.
His other micro-spirits, Estelle, Selene, and Seraphina, manifested around him, preparing to assist him in what was going to be an inevitable bloodbath.
Roy twisted in the air, briskly avoiding each swing of the knight's sword. He continued fighting, his face etched in anguish and declining determination. His boots were soaked in the blood of his comrades, and their corpses, their faces etched in a silent scream, continually broke him apart from the inside.
With rage and sorrow, the knight charged forward, hoping to deliver one last single blow, however—
"Gyah!" Roy, using one of his finger claws, tore through the man's shoulder blade, most notably, his rotator cuff, causing him to drop his sword and tumble forward onto the ground.
"You fought well, tsu~! However, it is time for gluttonous gourging~!"
Roy, combing through the countless memories of the men he slayed, reached forward with the intent of stealing his name and memories— alongside purging his life from this world alongside the others.
However,
"—!"
A large black construct, in the shape of a baseball bat, manifested next to him, and before he could even react, it swung, sending him flying into the air and crashing straight through the house.
The man on the ground, who was paralyzed in fear, looked towards the source with tears strolling down his eyes.
It was a boy, frail and gaunt. In fact, he looked more like a corpse then someone alive. He wore what appeared to be a prisoner's outfit that was ragged and torn, and his voluminous white hair cascaded down to his waist in matted locks. However, none of that held a candle to his sharp, evil eyes that were now boring right into him.
"P-Please, just kill me and get it over with!" The man, having succumbed to despair, begged for a quick death. He wanted to do nothing more than meet up with his comrades in the afterlife. It was much better than being the toy of some monster.
"Oh please, I'm not here to kill you. I get my appearence is creepy, but I'm too broke to afford a cut and a nice change of clothes right now," the boy, Natsuki Subaru, said casually, as if he were simply describing the weather.
The man's jaw was hung open. He didn't know how to reply, but perhaps he didn't need to.
"Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my! Now that is a familiar face, tsu~!"
A voice echoed from amidst the debris. There was the sound of approaching footsteps. Subaru turned his head forward, his eyes now bearing the hint of venom as he watched Roy Alphard appear from the large hole he created.
"—Roy Alphard," Subaru spoke.
"Oh my, you haven't forgotten about us— yet we haven't forgotten about you, tsu~! Our precious hero has finally arrived!" Roy twisted and turned, mimicking a certain individual that caused Subaru to grit his teeth in contempt.
Subaru looked closer. Roy's arm was bent in an unnatural way— being the biggest victim of the blow. However, given how potent and strong his constructs are, he should've been reduced to mince meat. To his astonishment, Roy twisted his body at the last second, distributing a significant portion of the force.
It was a feat only a highly skilled warrior was capable enough to achieve.
"You little shit. Do you have any idea what I went through because of you— no, scratch that. Someone as utterly demented as you wouldn't understand." Subaru was about to go into a rant, however, he cut himself off. There was no point in arguing with someone— no, a "thing", that wasn't capable of remorse whatsoever.
Like the Witches, Archbishops possessed unchanging beliefs that, no matter what, would not change. They were utterly devoted mentally to their philosophies. They would stop at nothing to continue living their sinful lifestyles.
Roy was no different. He would keep gorging to his heart's content. He would keep ruining lives. Subaru decided that he'd put a stop to that. Roy would die a painful death today.
"How was imprisonment, tsu~? Your friends turning their backs on you must have been horrible, horrible, horrible!" Roy asked mockingly, grinning with a full row of predatory teeth.
"Perhaps, but I'm through with that. I'm a changed man. You'll die here, Roy Alphard."
Seeing as there wasn't much to discuss further, the two lunged at each other. Subaru used Sage Sovereignty in conjunction with Null Construct— easily evading every attack even with his weakened limbs.
Roy continued his assault, sending numerous spells of varying element towards him, however, Subaru briskly defended against them by forming several barriers.
"My, my, you've grown stronger, tsu~! What could've possibly happened to you in that cell for you to come out like this? We need to, need to, need to know~! We will feed on you, Natsuki Subaru! Harmonious, euphoric, gorging, gluttony-tsu~!"
Subaru contemplated mid-dodge. His monstrous growth was nothing to scoff at. He'd grew from one of the weakest inhabitants of this world to one of its strongest. It was a bit unsettling how powerful his Authorities had gotten. Nonetheless,
He dodged the clawed hand of Roy, retaliating by sending a swing with his now gauntlet-incased arm. Roy met his gauntlet with his feet, using it as a foothold to reposition himself several meters away.
The Archbishop then sent several fireballs, however, his micro-spirits, notably Estelle and Serene, blocked it with their own attacks— a beam of light and a shard of frozen time intermingling into one deadly blow.
Their dance continued for several minutes— one unable to gain a significant advantage upon the other. Roy continued using his Authority to its greatest extent— shifting into numerous forms and using the fighting styles of his many victims.
Subaru, deciding that this fight was over, manifested a large gun construct designed off of a sci-fi weapon he saw in a game. The barrel swirled with energy— beginning to shoot out a blast that would blow away this entire courtyard alongside Roy.
However, Roy, foreseeing this, saw this as a good opening as he dodged the aim of the holster, jumping onto it and reaching out for Subaru. He would devour his memories and—
"Ghk!!!"
Roy grimaced as he felt a dozen stabbing pains litter across his body.
"I'm done playing around."
A bead of sweat rolled down Roy's forehead as he heard that cold voice. He turned, meeting the eyes of the beast. Natsuki Subaru glared at him. Unlike his face before, which bore the vigilance of anyone mid-combat, was now utterly disgusted and hollow— as if he were staring down a bug.
Roy looked down, realizing that what had hurt him wasn't immediately visible. Subaru snapped his fingers, and the source of his impalement was made clear. What manifested were dozens of spikes of black poking from the ground— stabbing into him and keeping him hoisted into the air.
"I only decided to entertain you for this long because I wanted to. Let me tell you something: you're only alive because I allowed you to."
A creeping feeling crawled up Roy's spine. He breathed between sharp pain, taking in the approaching scent of death— of complete oblivion.
"No, no, no! Please spare us, tsu~! We'll restore your name! Everyone will remember you again, tsu-!" Roy, realizing he was now the prey, began pathetically bartering for his life.
Subaru just looked at him uncaringly. He used Sage Sovereignty, combing through his past before stopping at something that interested him.
Ah, so Roy and Lye are also Capella's "children". So Roy was sent here to complete a task.
That was a baffling piece of information he had managed to recieve. He thought Archbishops were usually on the same level in the heirarchy, but he was wrong. Nonetheless, It didn't matter anymore. Subaru managed to kill two birds with one stone. Not only will he be able to kill gluttony, but also figure out Capella's hideout and kill her too.
If he acted now, he'd be able to free Satella by tomorrow.
He then looked at Roy.
"I've already figured out what I needed."
"Wait, wait! You don't want your memories back, tsu~?"
With his question, Subaru bowed his head in deep contemplation. While there was nothing more he wanted then to clear his name, he also didn't want to talk to his friends anytime soon. He needed a good amount of time to clear his head and think about what they've done to him. Now, he ran the risk of erasing his former name from this world permanently by killing Roy and Lye, but he didn't care. Not now, not anymore.
"—Nope. Actually, I think I'll be fine."
Before Roy could reply, a fist construct manifested, completely caving Roy's head in. His body went limp, falling to the ground as the jagged spikes dematerialized.
✦
Then, that unsettling sensation pounded deep within him. Subaru bent forward, clutching his chest as he felt something grow. Unlike last time, the feeling of having his soul ripped open and crawled into wasn't present. No, it felt like his Authorities were growing— deeply rooting themselves further.
After a moment, Subaru raised his head, a smile forming as he clenched his fist.
"Time Manipulation… and my Authority of Greed finally manifested."
His Return by Death, which not only gave him dominion over Life and Death, now gave him dominion over the very concept that allowed him to try again and again. However, while it was a nice addition, what caught his attention more was his Authority of Greed.
In all its simplicity, it was an ability that manifested in the form of power copying. Any ability, skill, or power he witnessed was capable of being mimicked— netting a copied variant that was five times more powerful than its original. It was a completely broken ability expected of greed, and it didn't seem to have any limit on what Subaru considered a "power".
What was more, he could also edit and distribute these abilities to others. It provided fascinating utility.
He knew that it would be an immensely important aspect of his skillset for the foreseeable future.
Moments later, the spirits he sent to complete his task: Cordelia, Aria, and Vespera, made their way back, floating around him with glee.
"You did good, girls. Thanks to you, you saved the lives of many people."
Subaru held out his hand, letting his spirits brush against his fingers. It's not that they considered saving human lives something to be proud of, but they considered the praise of their master to be the greatest gift of all.
Estelle and Serene manifested, buzzing in his face. Subaru frowned a bit. These two are going to be a handful for sure.
When all that was settled, he walked up to the guard who was now currently on his knees next to one of his fallen comrades, slowly closing the man's eyelids.
"—I didn't know him much, yet he showed me the ropes. He was even willing to help pay for my dinner when I was running low on money," the man said, trying his best to contain emotions that threatened to overflow.
The pain and despair the man felt was infectious, stabbing deep into Subaru's heart. That was because Subaru had once been in his same place. He knew what it was like to be weak— to watch as your companions were slaughtered and you were unable to raise a single finger of resistance.
He had gone through it dozens of times. He would never forget it.
Subaru looked at the corpse, as well as all the others littering the courtyard. For a second, he was deep in contemplation, before he finally shrugged.
"Alright. I can't help my true nature."
Subaru clapped his hands together as he reached a decision. Perhaps he could perform one miracle.
☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆