...
{3rd Pov}
Subaru stood frozen in her arms, but his body was far from stable.
The impact from the White Whale had left him in terrible condition. Several of his bones were still broken, and the internal damage was far worse than what could be seen from the outside.
Blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth at first—just a few dark drops staining his chin.
Then it increased.
He suddenly coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood, his body convulsing from the internal injuries.
Priscilla's expression shifted instantly.
Without panic, but with clear urgency, she adjusted her hold on him from behind.
She carefully tilted his upper body forward, supporting his weight firmly so that he could expel the blood safely.
She made sure his airway remained clear, ensuring that his throat wouldn't become blocked and that blood wouldn't flow back into his lungs.
Subaru continued to spit more blood, his breathing ragged and unstable.
For the first time since arriving, genuine concern crossed Priscilla's face.
She clicked her tongue sharply and raised her free hand.
"Al Luxa!"
A soft, radiant glow immediately enveloped Subaru's body.
The magic did not heal him instantly—this was not a rapid regeneration spell—but it reinforced him.
His organs strengthened temporarily, stabilizing under the effect of the buff. T
he magic reinforced his heart, lungs, and internal structure, increasing his survival chances significantly.
His breathing steadied slightly.
The bleeding did not stop entirely, but it slowed.
His body, though still damaged, no longer felt as though it was on the verge of immediate collapse.
Priscilla tightened her hold slightly, making sure he remained upright, before finally lifting her gaze.
She looked toward Rem.
Rem stood several meters away, completely stunned by everything she had just witnessed—two White Whales killed effortlessly, Subaru saved at the last second, and now the Royal Candidate herself holding him protectively while casting advanced magic.
The battlefield had turned upside down in mere moments.
And neither Subaru nor Rem fully understood what had just changed with her.
"Blue-haired Oni! What are you standing there in a daze for?! Come and heal him!"
Priscilla's sharp voice cut through the tension like a blade.
The command snapped Rem out of her shock instantly.
She blinked once, her mind catching up to reality, and then she rushed forward without hesitation.
Dropping to her knees beside Subaru, she carefully took him from Priscilla's grasp and laid him flat on the ground.
Subaru's body felt frighteningly fragile in her hands.
Rem immediately placed both palms over his chest and began channeling healing magic.
A soft glow surrounded her hands as mana flowed steadily into his body, targeting the internal damage first.
She focused on stabilizing his lungs, repairing the internal bleeding, and easing the trauma around his ribcage.
Priscilla stepped back slightly, watching closely.
Her sharp eyes moved down to Subaru's arm, which had been hanging awkwardly before.
Now that he was laid flat on the ground, the damage was clearly visible.
The limb was bent at an unnatural angle, the bone likely fractured or possibly snapped entirely.
She clicked her tongue in irritation.
She had no healing magic of her own.
At this moment, she understood that repairing his internal organs and preventing fatal complications took priority over setting broken bones.
A misaligned arm could wait.
A punctured lung or damaged heart could not.
Her gaze hardened as she stood guard, eyes scanning the mist-filled surroundings for any further threats.
No one would interrupt this.
Not while he was in this condition.
And certainly not while he was under her protection.
"Damn it, Princess! You were really fast!"
The heavy footsteps of ground dragons thundered across the terrain as Aldebaran finally arrived at the scene.
His voice carried both relief and frustration as he took in the aftermath of the battle.
Earlier, when they had spotted the unnatural mist rising in the distance—and noticed that Subaru's wagon was nowhere in sight—Priscilla had not hesitated for even a second.
She had immediately abandoned her mount.
Instead of continuing on dragonback, she chose to run.
While she normally could not sustain such extreme speed on foot, she had compensated by casting reinforcement magic on herself.
By layering enhancement spells over her body, she temporarily pushed her physical limits beyond what ground dragons could manage.
It had drained mana rapidly, but she had done it without hesitation.
She had run—fast enough to arrive just in time.
Fast enough to save him, and she did all of this just for him.
Now, as Rem focused on healing Subaru, Aldebaran dismounted and approached carefully.
His gaze fell on Subaru's condition, and his expression grew serious.
The black-haired boy looked terrible.
Blood stained his clothes.
His breathing was unstable.
And most visibly, his arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, bent in a way that made Aldebaran instinctively wince.
For a brief moment, an uncomfortable thought passed through his mind.
He had seen injuries like that before.
Too many times.
In different circumstances.
In different "resets."
He said nothing, but the sight stirred something unpleasant in him, as if he could almost imagine his own arm snapping over and over again in timelines no one else remembered.
He exhaled slowly, pushing the thought aside.
Right now, the important thing was simple.
Natsuki Subaru was still alive.
"Ah… where's the Whale?"
Aldebaran scanned the surroundings cautiously.
The mist was still thick, heavy and unnatural, clinging to the battlefield and limiting visibility.
The ground was scarred from the previous clash, but strangely, there were no immediate signs of the White Whale's massive body anywhere nearby.
It had vanished again.
"Probably hiding in the air," Priscilla replied with a dismissive snort.
"Waiting for the perfect chance to retaliate."
Her sharp eyes shifted upward toward the fog-covered sky.
Through the layers of drifting mist, she could just barely make out a faint, massive silhouette circling above.
A pale pink halo glowed around it, barely visible but unmistakable.
It was still there, watching them.
"Aldebaran."
Her tone changed instantly—cold, commanding.
He turned toward her at once.
Priscilla's gaze briefly moved back to Subaru.
His breathing was still uneven despite the buff and Rem's healing.
His eyelids fluttered weakly, consciousness hanging by a thread.
He looked as if he could black out at any moment.
For a brief second, concern flickered in her eyes.
Her first instinct had been to order Aldebaran to take Subaru away from the battlefield immediately.
Remove him from danger by creating distance between him and the White Whale.
But she quickly reconsidered.
Subaru was still emitting the Witch's scent.
If the White Whale detected it—and it certainly would—it would follow him relentlessly.
Running would only drag the monster, possibly toward him or into terrain where it would be harder to confront or protect her darling.
No.
Retreating wasn't an option.
The only solution was to eliminate it here.
She straightened, her expression turning sharp again.
"We end it," she said decisively, eyes lifting toward the circling shadow above.
If the White Whale wanted him—
It would have to get through her first.
"Oni! Aldebaran, take care of Subaru! My divine self will deal with that oversized sushi!"
Priscilla declared it without hesitation.
Aldebaran paused for a brief second when he heard her choice of words.
"Oversized sushi" was not exactly terminology he would expect from her.
It sounded oddly specific—familiar in a way that didn't quite fit the present situation.
But now wasn't the time to question it.
He moved immediately toward Subaru's side, positioning himself protectively while Rem continued healing, while secretly running a mental calculation, preparing for his own Authority to be activated just in case.
Above them, the White Whale circled within the mist.
It was no longer acting as it had before.
There was anger in its movements—but also something else.
Wariness.
For the first time in centuries, the creature felt something it had almost forgotten.
Fear, the fear of death.
The orange-haired human standing below had demonstrated power that exceeded its expectations.
She had annihilated its clones effortlessly.
The sheer decisiveness of her attacks had shaken it, forcing its survival instincts to the forefront.
Under normal circumstances, it might have retreated.
The White Whale was not foolish.
It understood danger.
And this human was dangerous.
But then there was Subaru.
The scent.
The overwhelming, maddening Witch's scent that radiated from him.
It triggered something primal within the mabeast.
A hunting instinct so deep and ingrained that it overrode rational thought.
Just looking at him—just smelling him—made its massive body twitch with agitation.
It wanted him.
It needed to devour him.
Even as fear whispered that it should flee, its instincts screamed louder.
And that internal conflict kept it hovering above instead of escaping into the dragon mist.
"Tsk. Vile beast!"
Priscilla spat the words with visible disgust as she stared up at the massive shadow moving within the mist.
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
Her initial plan had been simple—disperse the fog first, then destroy the White Whale in a single decisive strike.
She raised her hand, preparing to cast.
But before she could act, the situation changed.
Two more enormous silhouettes formed within the mist.
White Whale clones.
However, instead of diving toward her position, the two newly formed beasts turned sharply and descended in a different direction.
Priscilla's gaze followed their movement.
Then—
"Fire cannons!"
A strict, commanding, yet unmistakably feminine voice rang out across the battlefield.
At once, a coordinated volley of magical artillery erupted.
Brilliant bursts of mana shot upward in rapid succession.
One after another, the magical cannon blasts struck the diving White Whale clones.
Several direct hits exploded against their massive bodies, forcing them off course and disrupting their attack trajectory.
The clones roared in frustration as they were pushed sideways by the impacts.
At the same time, another spell activated.
A concentrated sphere of magic launched high into the sky before detonating into a brilliant burst of light.
The illumination spread outward, cutting through the thick dragon mist and drastically increasing visibility across the battlefield.
The oppressive fog thinned under the magical interference.
Shapes became clearer, figures emerged in the previously hazy fog.
Priscilla, Aldebaran, and Rem turned toward the source of the attack—and what they saw was not a small unit, but an entire combined army.
At the forefront stood Duchess Karsten herself, composed and commanding.
Beside her were seasoned warriors—Wilhelm Van Astrea with sword at the ready, Felix "Blue" Argyle positioned near the rear with healers, and even Julius standing among the formation.
Behind them, Anastasia's mercenaries and soldiers stood in organized ranks, weapons raised and magicians prepared for coordinated strikes.
It was a full-scale mobilized force.
And they had arrived at exactly the right moment.
At the same moment, Priscilla came fully into view of the two other Royal Candidates.
For a brief second, the battlefield seemed to still.
But neither of them focused on her.
Their attention shifted immediately elsewhere.
To Subaru.
He was lying on the ground, blood smeared around his mouth from where he had vomited.
His breathing was uneven, his face pale and strained with pain.
Rem was kneeling beside him, her hands glowing as she desperately continued healing his chest.
But what stood out the most—
Was his arm.
Bent, twisted and horribly misaligned.
Crusch saw it clearly.
And something inside her snapped.
Her blood pressure spiked instantly, a rush of heat flooding her body.
The sight of him injured like that—broken, vulnerable—was enough to ignite something far darker than simple concern.
Her thoughts spiraled rapidly.
How dare she?
How dare she?
How dare she?
DARE?
Dare?
Dare?
DARE hurt my Lord?!
Her grip tightened around her weapon so hard her knuckles turned white.
In her mind, the logic twisted instantly.
The White Whale was dangerous, yes.
The battlefield required leadership.
Her army needed commands.
She didn't care.
She didn't care about formation.
She didn't care about the Whale.
She didn't even care about the political consequences anymore.
All that mattered was him.
The sight of Subaru lying there, bleeding, injured, nearly unconscious—something that in her past life had only ever happened when she had failed him—was intolerable.
Rage consumed her completely.
She didn't want strategy.
She didn't want alliances.
She wanted only one thing.
To make sure Subaru was safe.
And if that required tearing apart everything in front of her—
So be it.
"Anastasia, take over the remaining command. I am going to deal with Priscilla Barielle."
Crusch's voice was steady—but only barely. It was the last fragment of composure she had left before her emotions threatened to overwhelm her entirely.
Anastasia immediately clicked her tongue in irritation.
She didn't like that order at all.
Just like Crusch, she had already assumed the worst of Priscilla Barielle.
Protecting Natsuki Subaru?
That was absurd.
In Anastasia's mind, there were only three possible reasons for Priscilla's presence near him.
To humiliate him.
To kill him.
Or, if fate was being generous, to use him.
That was it.
But then she saw Subaru more clearly.
The blood on his clothes and over the ground, and his broken posture.
And most of all—the twisted arm.
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
'Did she torture him?'
The thought surfaced naturally.
"What do you mean, Crusch-sama, nyah?! The army needs your command! Meowyh doesn't understand!"
Felix's voice cracked with panic and confusion.
He stepped forward instinctively, clearly unsettled by the sudden shift.
Many of Crusch's own soldiers exchanged uncertain looks.
Their formation was solid and the battle had only just begun.
Their commander abandoning direct leadership in the middle of combat made no tactical sense.
After all—
She was the commander.
How could she casually hand over control in the middle of an engagement with the White Whale?
"Yes, this decision came out of nowhere, Lady Crusch," Wilhelm added calmly, though his voice carried concern.
His eyes remained fixed on the White Whale above, filled with deep, personal hatred.
He wanted to charge.
Every instinct in his body urged him to leap forward and strike.
But he restrained himself.
The formation was carefully constructed and the army required coordination.
He was not the only fighter present, and a reckless move could collapse their strategy.
This was not a duel.
It was a war formation.
Crusch forced herself to calm down.
She realized how reckless she must have sounded just moments ago.
Abandoning command in the middle of a large-scale operation would only raise suspicion and damage morale.
She couldn't allow her emotions to dictate her actions, and definitely not her words, even if she wanted to do it, she needed to be smart about it.
In a split second, her mind began moving rapidly, constructing a proper justification.
"Our plan," she began in a firm, controlled tone, "is to bait the real body of the White Whale toward the Flugel's Tree. Once it positions itself beneath it, we will detonate the prepared charges and crush the Whale under the falling trunk."
Her voice was steady again.
This was not a spontaneous fabrication.
She had already discussed this strategy in advance with her soldiers and commanders.
Earlier, when she mobilized her forces, she had claimed to possess crucial intelligence regarding the White Whale.
She had openly explained its abilities—its capacity to create clones, its extreme magical defense, and the difficulty of distinguishing the original body from its duplicates.
She had also outlined what she believed to be the most effective method to kill it.
Lure it towards them, restrict its mobility and then crush it decisively.
Because of that preparation, her words now carried weight instead of sounding like panic.
Felix blinked, clearly reassured by the clarity in her explanation.
Wilhelm's eyes sharpened with renewed focus, his respect subtly deepening.
The strategy was bold, calculated, and well thought out. It was the kind of plan expected from a competent military leader.
Around them, the soldiers straightened.
Hearing a clear objective restored their confidence.
Instead of confusion, determination spread through the ranks.
Crusch had not abandoned command.
She had simply adjusted focus or so at least they thought to be the case.
And in doing so, she not only removed suspicion from Felix and Wilhelm's minds—
She strengthened their admiration for her strategic capability.
The morale of the army rose instantly.
But beneath that composed exterior, her true objective remained unchanged.
Subaru.
Earlier, on the way here,Crusch Karsten had discussed the White Whale in detail with Anastasia Hoshin as well.
Unlike Crusch, Anastasia had no proper excuse to suddenly expose the Whale's abilities.
The knowledge she possessed came entirely from her memories of the future—from a timeline that no longer existed.
There was no logical reason she should know about the Whale's ability to create clones, its immense magical resistance, or the most effective strategy to eliminate it.
So she had prepared a justification in advance.
Her plan had been simple: tag along with the army and reveal the Whale's abilities gradually during the battle itself.
If she exposed its powers as they became visible, everyone would simply assume it was the deduction of a brilliant merchant queen analyzing the battlefield in real time.
That had been her excuse to Julius and the others to join this battle.
She had claimed that although she was not a frontline combatant, her presence was necessary.
Knowledge was power, she had said.
She would observe, analyze, and discern the White Whale's abilities as the fight unfolded.
It was a convincing explanation.
By framing herself as a strategist rather than a liability, she strengthened her position among her own camp and avoided suspicion regarding her sudden behavioral shifts.
She had believed she was being careful.
Which was why she had been genuinely surprised when Crusch demonstrated prior knowledge of the Whale's abilities as well.
Crusch already knew about the clones.
She already knew about its magical defenses.
She even had a prepared plan to crush it under the Flugel's Tree.
That had not been part of Anastasia's expectations.
It made her suspicious.
Very suspicious.
'Could it be… that Crusch had returned in time as well?'
The thought lingered.
Meanwhile, Felix casually explained to Julius and some nearby soldiers that Lady Crusch had recently been affected by one of the White Whale's abilities.
According to him, it had nearly distorted her memories, but in the process it had given her insight into the creature's abilities and weaknesses.
It sounded like a convenient explanation.
And perhaps it was.
But to Anastasia, it only deepened her suspicions.
Still, she restrained herself.
Even in her original timeline, not every detail about the White Whale had been completely unknown before its death.
Some information had been pieced together during battles fought over the four centuries.
Some had been guessed correctly by capable strategists.
It was possible—though unlikely—that this was simply Crusch being exceptional by using those bits of information.
For now, Anastasia decided to hold her suspicion.
There would be time to test it later.
Right now, more than anything else, it was important for Anastasia to get her husband—Natsuki Subaru—back to her side, safe and alive.
Everything else could wait.
Crusch, meanwhile, had already explained the entire battle plan.
The formation was in place.
The objective had been made clear.
All that remained was to issue commands and guide the operation until the mission was complete.
But her mind was not calm.
It kept drifting back to Subaru—lying on the ground, bleeding, his arm twisted unnaturally.
She needed a reason.
Still a solid reason to leave and somehow connect to her previous plan, so people only see brilliance.
Something that would justify her stepping away from direct command without looking irrational.
Her thoughts moved quickly.
Then suddenly—
"I know!"
Her voice rose sharply, capturing everyone's attention.
"I have realized something," she continued, her tone authoritative.
"The White Whale is clearly attracted to Natsuki Subaru. That makes him the perfect bait. If we use him correctly, we can lure the real body—the third one—into the precise position near the Flugel's Tree."
The soldiers around her exchanged glances.
It was bold and Risky.
But strategically sound.
She pressed on before anyone could interrupt.
"However," she added, pointing toward the distant figure, "as you can see, Priscilla Barielle is currently mistreating him. She is interfering with the operation—and may even kill him in her arrogance."
Her jaw tightened.
"I will handle this personally."
Her words carried weight, urgency, and just enough tactical reasoning to sound justified.
To anyone listening, it appeared logical.
Subaru was valuable bait.
Priscilla's interference was disrupting strategy.
The commander stepping in to secure a critical asset made sense.
But beneath that justification—
Her true motive was far simpler.
No one was allowed to harm him.
Not Priscilla.
Not the Whale.
Not anyone.
And she would make sure of that herself.
Her words shocked everyone present.
For a brief moment, doubt flickered across the faces of her subordinates.
Using a man as bait—especially someone already injured—was not a light decision. Some soldiers hesitated internally, wondering whether this was truly necessary.
But that hesitation did not last long.
It was replaced by loyalty.
And by trust.
After all, what Crusch Karsten had said so far had been correct.
Every major detail she had revealed about the White Whale had already been verified during the battle.
They had witnessed the clones with their own eyes.
Three massive Whales now floated in the sky, circling uncertainly, as if even they were confused about which target to prioritize.
That alone proved her earlier deductions had been accurate.
She had predicted the cloning ability.
She had anticipated the magical resilience.
She had prepared a plan involving the Flugel's Tree.
There was no logical reason to doubt her now.
If she claimed that Natsuki Subaru's scent attracted the White Whale, then it must be true.
After all, the creature's agitation around him had been obvious.
Trust in her authority solidified once more.
Meanwhile, Anastasia quietly clicked her tongue in irritation.
'Has she really returned in time as well?' she wondered.
The suspicion grew stronger.
If Crusch had future knowledge, that would explain everything—her preparedness, her confidence, her immediate mobilization.
But then another thought followed.
'If she had returned in time, why did she form an alliance with me?'
With complete future knowledge, Crusch could have hunted the White Whale alone.
She could have adjusted her strategy perfectly and claimed all the glory herself.
Unless…
It was coincidence.
Or she lacked complete knowledge.
Or she needed manpower for a reason Anastasia hadn't yet understood.
Still, one detail bothered her the most.
Crusch had realized that Subaru attracted the White Whale.
And instead of protecting him—
She had suggested using him as bait.
That alone made Anastasia's anger flare.
'Husband is not a tool,' she thought coldly.
But she restrained herself.
Now was not the time to argue openly.
Challenging Crusch's authority mid-operation would only create chaos and weaken their chances against the White Whale.
Instead, Anastasia made her own decision silently.
First, keep the White Whale busy.
Then, when Crusch and Priscilla inevitably clashed over Subaru—
She would step in.
And take him.
In Anastasia's eyes, it was a perfect plan.
Once the White Whale was dealt with—or even if it wasn't—she could simply shift the narrative.
If things went wrong, she would pin the blame on Crusch Karsten.
After all, abandoning command in the middle of a coordinated military operation to confront another Royal Candidate over what could easily be framed as a personal grudge was not something the public would look kindly upon.
Right or wrong would not matter.
Public perception rarely cared about the full truth.
What people would see was simple: Crusch left her post, disrupted the chain of command, and failed to eliminate the White Whale.
That alone would be enough to damage her reputation.
And if necessary, Anastasia would make sure that version of events spread properly.
While she was still calculating the potential outcomes, one of the White Whale's clones suddenly shifted direction.
It dove straight toward their formation.
Crusch noticed immediately.
"Everyone, spread out in formation!" she commanded sharply.
"Magicians, attack! Sir Wilhelm, take the lead in the physical assault!"
Her orders were clear and immediate.
The soldiers responded without hesitation.
The formation dispersed efficiently, avoiding a clustered impact zone.
Magicians raised their staves and began chanting in unison, launching concentrated bursts of magic toward the descending clone.
Explosions of mana collided with the White Whale's massive body, striking it repeatedly and forcing it off its direct path.
Ricardo wasted no time either. He mounted the ground dragon that Anastasia had been riding and maneuvered it into position, ready to provide support and mobility for frontline fighters.
Meanwhile, Wilhelm Van Astrea stepped forward.
His sword remained sheathed for only a second longer.
Then—
With deliberate movement, he unsheathed it.
Wrath burned in his eyes.
"We finally meet… bastard!" he shouted, his voice carrying both fury and long-buried grief.
Without waiting for further instruction, Wilhelm launched himself toward the White Whale's clone, becoming the spearhead of the physical assault.
The battle had officially begun in earnest.
Priscilla observed the unfolding battle without visible concern.
One White Whale clone was already engaged with the combined army.
The second clone appeared ready to dive toward them as well.
Meanwhile, the main body hovered at a distance, its massive form partially concealed within the mist—but its attention was clearly fixed in one direction.
Subaru.
Even from above, the creature's focus was unmistakable.
Rem continued healing Subaru's arm, carefully realigning the broken bone and channeling magic to stabilize the damage.
The glow around her hands flickered steadily as she worked with intense concentration.
Priscilla glanced once more toward the battlefield.
Magic flared.
Soldiers shouted.
Wilhelm clashed with the Whale's clone.
Anastasia's forces coordinated their artillery.
The chaos of war was fully underway.
And yet—
"This matter concerns us no longer," Priscilla stated flatly.
"Oni, finish healing Natsuki Subaru. We shall take our leave."
Her tone carried complete disinterest.
Whether the two camps succeeded in killing the White Whale or failed miserably meant nothing to her.
The outcome of this battle no longer aligned with her priorities.
If they managed to defeat it, then so be it.
If they failed—
She would eliminate it herself at a later time.
After all, she had no intention of continuing the Royal Selection in this timeline.
That ambition belonged to a version of her that had not yet lived decades beside Subaru.
Political victory meant nothing compared to what she had already experienced.
More importantly, she had realized something crucial.
Her current body was not the same as the one she had in her previous timeline.
Though her memories remained intact, her physical capabilities had regressed.
The muscle memory, refined combat instincts, and perfected magic control she had developed over years were no longer fully accessible.
Even her enhanced techniques required refinement.
She would need months to remaster what her body had forgotten.
And when that time came—
When her physical prowess and magical mastery returned to their former level—
The White Whale would not survive even a single encounter.
For now, her priority was singular.
Subaru.
Once he was healed enough to move, they would leave this battlefield behind.
Crusch heard Priscilla's words even from a distance.
Thanks to her wind magic subtly enhancing her hearing, the statement did not escape her.
"This matter concerns us no longer… finish healing him and we shall take our leave."
Her teeth clenched immediately.
So that was her intention?
To take Subaru and simply walk away?
"Lady Anastasia, take command!" Crusch shouted without hesitation.
"Soldiers, follow the plan I have already set in motion! Maintain formation and execute as instructed! I will reclaim Natsuki Subaru in the meantime!"
There was no room for debate in her tone.
Before anyone could object, she spurred her ground dragon forward.
The beast roared and lunged ahead, charging directly toward Priscilla Barielle's position.
The distance closed rapidly.
Priscilla raised a single brow as she noticed the approaching Duchess.
"She doesn't seem friendly, Princess," Aldebaran commented dryly, watching the ground dragon thunder toward them.
Priscilla did not appear particularly concerned.
Crusch pulled hard on the reins, forcing her mount to skid to a halt just a short distance away from them.
Dust scattered as the ground dragon stamped the earth, muscles tense.
Her eyes locked onto Priscilla.
"I ask of you," Crusch said sharply, her voice controlled but filled with suppressed fury,
"immediately let go of Natsuki Subaru and hand him over to me."
There was no politeness in her demand.
No courtesy.
Just authority—and possession.
Priscilla frowned as she looked down at Crusch from where she stood.
Even though she was on foot and Crusch remained mounted on her ground dragon, the air of superiority around Priscilla did not waver in the slightest.
"Natsuki Subaru is my divine self's property," she said coldly.
"What gives you the right to use him as bait? Run off, pathetic vermin, before I slice off your vile head—and that tongue of yours along with it."
Her words were delivered with complete certainty, as if she were stating an obvious fact.
Crusch's anger flared instantly.
She barely registered the insult directed at her. Instead, one word echoed in her mind.
Property.
Property?!
To Crusch, it sounded as if Priscilla regarded Subaru as nothing more than a possession—a toy to use and discard at will.
'How dare she treat my Lord as her property?'
'She isn't even worthy of the dust beneath his feet!'
The thought burned through her mind, rage tightening her grip on the reins.
Behind them, the battle continued.
The combined army was holding its ground successfully.
The two White Whale clones were being pressured from multiple angles.
Magic barrages struck their massive forms repeatedly, and Wilhelm's relentless assault kept one clone occupied.
So far, there had been no casualties.
Morale was at its peak.
Even with one of their leaders temporarily absent from direct command, the soldiers remained disciplined.
Crusch's forces fully trusted the strategy she had outlined earlier.
They believed in her plan without hesitation.
And above them, in the sky—
The third silhouette lingered.
The real body.
Hovering just out of reach, beyond the range of most attacks.
Seeing that unreachable figure circling in the mist only reinforced their belief.
They had no doubts anymore.
To bring the true White Whale down, they would need something to lure it closer.
They would need bait.
But for Crusch, the argument was no longer strategic.
It had become personal.
Meanwhile, a short distance away from the confrontation, Anastasia Hoshin leaned slightly toward Ricardo and Julius.
"Ricardo. Julius," she said quietly, keeping her voice low enough that only the two of them could hear, "you two follow me. We're going to snatch Natsuki Subaru while they're busy fighting each other."
Her eyes briefly flicked toward Crusch and Priscilla, who were clearly seconds away from escalating their argument into something violent a smirk forming on her face as she saw her chance to snatch Natsuki Subaru.
"It'll be easier to use him as bait while the Duchess keeps that Baroness occupied," she added calmly.
Ricardo blinked in surprise, but after a moment, he nodded.
Julius did the same.
After witnessing Crusch's accurate deductions about the White Whale's abilities, both of them had grown confident in the Duchess's claims.
If Crusch said Subaru attracted the White Whale, then it was likely true.
And if Anastasia believed they could use that fact strategically, then to them, it simply sounded like another clever tactical adjustment.
From their perspective, this was exactly the kind of opportunistic decision Anastasia Hoshin would make.
What they did not know—
Was that her intentions were far from strategic.
"Julius," Anastasia continued smoothly, "you act as our guard. Ricardo and I will secure him."
Julius straightened immediately.
"As you command, Anastasia-sama."
To him, it felt like trust.
She was relying on his strength.
Assigning him a protective role in a high-risk maneuver.
It reinforced his belief that she valued his abilities and loyalty.
In reality, Anastasia's thoughts were far colder.
She intended to use him as a shield.
If conflict broke out between the Royal Candidates, Julius would be the first line of defense.
If something went wrong—if a stray strike or magical backlash killed him—it could easily be written off as a battlefield accident.
A tragic casualty in the chaos of war.
And with Julius out of the way, one of the few lingering variables from her previous life would be erased.
Once Subaru was secured, she would withdraw immediately.
Leave Crusch and Priscilla to deal with each other.
Let fate decide which of them survived.
Her priority was singular.
Claim Subaru.
And disappear before anyone could stop her.
At this moment, none of the three women were truly focused on the White Whale anymore.
Each of them was scheming.
Each of them was calculating.
And none of their calculations revolved around the battlefield, the army formations, or the success of the hunt.
In their own minds, the true objective was the same.
To possess Natsuki Subaru.
To reclaim their husband.
Their darling.
Their Lord.
The White Whale had become secondary.
The political consequences were secondary.
Even the alliance between the camps was secondary.
Everything had narrowed down to a single person lying on the ground between them.
Subaru, meanwhile, was still being healed.
Rem continued channeling magic into his body, carefully stabilizing his injuries and repairing the worst of the internal damage.
His broken arm was being aligned slowly, the bone knitting back together under her focused control.
His breathing, though still strained, had become steadier compared to before.
He had no idea that three Royal Candidates were preparing to fight over him.
He was barely conscious.
And then there was Otto.
Dozens of meters away, half-unconscious, bruised, and thoroughly disoriented, he lay sprawled across the grass.
He had been thrown earlier when the wagon was destroyed, and though he was alive, he remained blissfully unaware of the escalating tension nearby.
In a strange way, he had been spared.
Spared from the madness that was about to unfold.
Because while armies clashed and the White Whale roared above, something far more chaotic was brewing on the ground—
A battle not for glory.
Not for politics.
But for Natsuki Subaru himself.
To be continued...
(A/N: Anastasia is really hot, fr, fr!)