...
{3rd Pov}
The militia and combined forces moved with surprising discipline as they spread across the area.
Under the coordinated commands of Crusch and Anastasia, the elite units advanced methodically, sweeping through the outskirts of the forest and nearby paths where the Witch Cult was most likely to hide.
Unlike the Witch Cult, who thrived on chaos and sudden ambushes, this time the situation had been completely reversed.
The attackers had become the hunted.
The Witch Cultists, who were used to launching impromptu assaults and catching their enemies off guard, were completely unprepared for a structured and organized counterattack.
There had never really been a reliable way to track them before, so they had grown careless over time, relying too much on surprise and fear.
That carelessness now worked against them.
As soon as the militia began locating them one by one, the fights ended quickly.
A Witch Cultist hiding behind a tree was cut down before he could even react.
Another was dragged out from concealment and killed before he could utter a single word.
Some tried to fight back, but without coordination and without their usual advantage of surprise, they stood no real chance against trained soldiers and mercenaries working together.
One by one, the Witch Cultists were eliminated.
By the time the Witch Cult began to realize something was wrong, it was already too late.
Their numbers had been reduced drastically.
More importantly—
Every single one of the Fingers had been found and killed.
The network that allowed the Sin Archbishop of Sloth to continue existing had been completely dismantled.
When the Sin Archbishop himself finally appeared and looked upon the battlefield, his expression twisted with rage.
"How dare you…!"
His voice trembled with fury as he glared at the militia surrounding him.
"How dare you hinder me?! How dare you interfere with my devotion?! For her! For her—!"
His rant did not get the chance to continue.
Before he could finish his words—
Priscilla moved.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand and cast her magic.
A blazing spell erupted instantly.
Flames engulfed his body completely, consuming him in a single overwhelming burst of heat and light.
The Sin Archbishop screamed as his body burned.
But this time—
There was no escape.
There were no remaining Fingers for him to transfer into.
No vessels left to possess.
And most importantly—
Subaru now had a contract with a Quasi-Spirit.
That alone prevented the Archbishop from attempting to hijack his body as a last resort.
Trapped with nowhere to go, his existence began to collapse.
The spiritual body that sustained him disintegrated under the flames.
Within moments—
It was over.
The fire died down.
And nothing remained.
With that, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth—the most active and one of the most heinous members of the Witch Cult—was finally dead.
For a few moments after the battle ended, no one moved.
The militia, the knights, the mercenaries—everyone just stood there, staring at the spot where the Sin Archbishop had been burned to nothing.
They were… confused.
Even though they had followed the plan.
Even though they had carried out every order given to them.
None of them had expected things to go this smoothly.
They had just wiped out the entire Witch Cult force in the area.
Not only that—
They had killed a Sin Archbishop.
One of the most feared figures in the world.
And they had done it…
Without losing a single man.
That fact alone was almost impossible to believe.
A few soldiers glanced around as if trying to confirm reality.
Others looked at their own hands, still gripping their weapons, wondering if what just happened was real.
Some had minor injuries—cuts, bruises, exhaustion—but nothing serious.
No one had suffered life-threatening wounds.
No one had died.
The scale of that success was beyond anything they had imagined.
Fighting the Witch Cult was supposed to be a nightmare.
Facing a Sin Archbishop was supposed to be a disaster waiting to happen.
And yet—
It had ended so cleanly.
So quickly and so perfectly.
The entire force stood there in stunned silence, unable to process what they had just accomplished.
That silence lasted until—
"We have defeated the Witch Cult!"
Crusch Karsten's voice rang out clearly across the battlefield.
Everyone instinctively turned toward her.
She stood tall, her presence commanding as ever, her expression firm and composed.
"And the Sin Archbishop of Sloth has been slain!" she continued, her voice carrying even further.
Her words cut through the confusion like a blade.
"Today, we have freed this land from one of the greatest threats it has faced!"
That was the moment it clicked.
The realization finally settled in.
They had truly won.
The silence shattered.
Cheers erupted from every direction.
Soldiers raised their weapons into the air, shouting in victory.
Mercenaries laughed loudly, some dropping to their knees in relief while others clapped their comrades on the back.
The tension that had built up since the beginning of the White Whale hunt finally released all at once.
They had survived.
They had won.
And this time—
No one had been left behind.
"I… I still can't believe it. We actually did it."
Ricardo spoke while staring at the battlefield, his voice filled with disbelief.
Even now, he seemed unable to fully process what had just happened.
Subaru, who was standing nearby, nodded slowly.
He felt the same way.
"Yeah…," Subaru said, still looking around at the aftermath.
"This is honestly absurd. The way everything ended… it was way too easy."
He frowned slightly, clearly unsettled.
"In my head, something like this should have been way harder. You all just… wiped them out."
Before anyone else could respond, Julius spoke.
"It is not simply about ease," he said, his gaze shifting toward Subaru.
There was a complicated look in his eyes—part respect, part confusion.
"What truly matters is how effortlessly it was achieved," Julius continued.
"A Sin Archbishop has been slain. That is not something to take lightly."
He paused briefly before adding,
"Even if victory was expected, the manner in which it was obtained is… abnormal."
Wilhelm, who had been standing silently until now, spoke next.
"The last time a Sin Archbishop was killed was many years ago," he said, his tone calm but heavy with memory.
"And even then, it required the intervention of the Divine Dragon itself to deal with the aftermath."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled the past.
"Countless lives were lost during that battle. It was not a clean victory."
The contrast between that event and what had just happened here was stark.
This time—
There was no divine intervention, no massive casualties and no prolonged struggle.
Just a swift, overwhelming victory.
Felix suddenly broke the serious atmosphere.
"Meowyh~ Of course that's the case!" he said cheerfully, his expression full of pride.
His tail swayed enthusiastically behind him as he puffed out his chest.
"The Divine Dragon is nothing compared to Crusch-sama!"
He looked toward Crusch with sparkling admiration.
"With Crusch-sama leading us, something like this is only natural!"
His words were filled with absolute confidence, almost to the point of exaggeration.
Even so, a few soldiers nearby nodded in agreement.
After everything they had just witnessed, it was hard not to feel that way.
Crusch Karsten, after all, had led them to two impossible victories back to back.
First the White Whale.
And now—
The Witch Cult, along with a Sin Archbishop.
"It's not just that," Aldebaran said, folding his arms as he looked over the battlefield.
"The real reason we won like this is because the forces of all three camps actually coordinated properly for once."
He tilted his head slightly, his tone casual but his point sharp.
"And let's not forget that idiot," he added, referring to the Sin Archbishop.
"He spent more time ranting than actually fighting. Guy practically talked himself into dying."
A few people nearby couldn't help but agree with that.
Petelgeuse's obsession and endless rambling had indeed worked against him.
Instead of acting decisively, he had wasted time, giving them the perfect opportunity to strike.
Ricardo nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, that's true," he said.
"It really was the combined effort of all three camps."
He scratched his cheek slightly, still looking a bit surprised.
"But honestly, what caught me off guard the most was the plan itself," Ricardo continued.
"It was way too detailed."
His gaze shifted toward Anastasia.
"I've never heard Lil' Missy talk about the Witch Cult or the Sin Archbishops like that before. Not with that level of detail."
He paused for a moment before adding,
"Usually it was just rumors… things everyone already knew."
His words caused a subtle shift in the atmosphere.
A few of the knights and mercenaries exchanged glances.
Now that he mentioned it, they had noticed the same thing.
The strategies used today had been extremely specific.
Almost as if Anastasia—and even Crusch—already knew exactly what they were dealing with.
Aside from Aldebaran, who remained silent as if he already had his own thoughts on the matter, several others showed faintly doubtful expressions.
Julius, however, did not hesitate to respond.
"I have always believed in my Lady," he said confidently, stepping forward slightly.
"There is a reason she is worthy of being served."
A faint, composed smile appeared on his face.
"I had no doubt that under her leadership, we would achieve victory."
His words were filled with unwavering trust.
Felix quickly chimed in as well.
"And like Meowyh said before, Crusch-sama is amazing!" he added enthusiastically, his tail swaying again with pride.
"Everything went perfectly because of her!"
Wilhelm, who had been quietly listening, gave a small nod of agreement.
There was no need for him to say anything more.
The results spoke for themselves.
Between the coordination of the three camps, the precise planning, and the overwhelming execution…
They had achieved something that should have been nearly impossible.
Subaru remained silent while the others continued talking.
His eyes were lowered slightly, his thoughts drifting far away from the conversation around him.
Memories began surfacing.
Painful ones.
He remembered the suffering he had gone through in the previous loops.
The fear and the confusion he felt during the Witch Cult's attacks.
The countless times he had died without understanding what was happening.
He remembered how powerless he had felt every single time.
No matter what he tried, things kept going wrong.
People he loved kept on dying over and over again, each time brutually.
And he was always left behind, unable to fix anything.
His fists slowly clenched.
And then he looked at the present.
At the result in front of him.
The three Royal Candidates.
The armies, their coordination and the overwhelming victory they had just achieved.
When he had begged them for help earlier, they had suddenly agreed.
Just like that.
Even though not long ago, they had rejected him, dismissed him, and treated him like he was nothing.
Like he was trash.
And yet—
Now he had seen what they were truly capable of.
Their strength and their leadership.
Their ability to command and coordinate entire armies.
Even as rivals, they had worked together flawlessly.
It wasn't just cooperation.
It was something deeper.
Their movements, their decisions—it almost felt like they understood each other perfectly.
As if they could predict how the others would act.
Even their knights had been surprised by how well everything came together.
And Subaru…
He had simply watched it happen.
His grip tightened further.
His thoughts drifted again.
Back to the Royal Capital.
Back to that moment.
The moment he had lost control.
He remembered standing there, shouting, declaring himself as Emilia's knight.
He had acted boldly and arrogantly.
As if he truly belonged there.
As if he had earned that position.
But when it actually mattered—
When real danger appeared—
He had been useless.
Completely helpless.
Just like always.
Subaru lowered his head slightly.
'I haven't changed at all…'
That thought hit him harder than anything else.
He had believed that coming to this world had changed him.
That he had grown.
That his efforts had started to mean something.
After all, he had once helped save Arlam Village from the mabeasts.
He had fought.
He had struggled.
And Rem…
Rem had praised him over and over again.
She had told him he was amazing.
That he was someone worth believing in.
At some point, he had started to believe it.
He had started to see himself as something more.
As someone important.
As someone capable.
As a… hero.
Subaru's expression tightened.
Now, standing here, looking at what real strength and capability looked like—
That belief felt ridiculous.
Embarrassing.
Like a joke.
Because in the end—
He was still the same.
The same useless Subaru.
The same guy who couldn't do anything on his own.
The same waste of space.
'I'm still that same useless trash…? Emilia's "knight"…?'
Subaru sneered at himself internally, his thoughts growing harsher with every passing second.
'I'm not even worthy of being called a butler,' he continued bitterly.
'It's already too much that someone like me even received Rem's affection.'
His fists tightened at his sides.
'I'm just a useless piece of trash.'
His gaze slowly shifted toward the knights standing nearby—Julius, Wilhelm, and the others who had just taken part in the battle.
'If not for them… if not for the other Royal Candidates and their knights… I would have just kept dying again and again.'
The thought settled heavily in his chest.
And in that moment, something inside him seemed to collapse.
For the first time, he truly compared himself to them.
Not in arrogance and nor in defiance.
But honestly.
And what he saw…
Was the gap.
The overwhelming difference between them.
They had just solved something as massive as the Witch Cult threat and the Sin Archbishop's presence almost effortlessly.
To them, it had been a well-executed operation.
To Subaru, it felt like something completely out of reach.
'What was I even thinking back then…?'
He recalled his behavior in the Royal Capital again.
How he had stood there, raising his voice.
How he had claimed to be Emilia's knight.
How he had tried to stand on equal ground with people like them.
Now, looking back at it, it felt absurd.
Embarrassing and absolutely reckless of him.
He clenched his jaw slightly.
Even now, he still disliked their attitudes.
Their arrogance.
The way they carried themselves with absolute confidence.
But at the same time—
If they truly were this capable…
If they could achieve things like this so easily…
Then did he even have the right to argue against them?
Did he even have the standing to challenge them?
That question lingered in his mind.
Unanswered and heavy in his mind.
Of course—
What Subaru failed to realize in his self-doubt…
Was the truth.
The only reason this entire operation had gone so smoothly…
Was because of him.
The coordination between the three Royal Candidates.
The precise strategies.
The knowledge of the enemy.
All of it—
Had originated from Subaru.
In their respective timelines, Subaru had already fought against the Sin Archbishops multiple times.
He had struggled.
Failed.
Died.
Again and again.
And through those countless attempts, he had built the strategies that eventually led to victory.
Every piece of information they used today…
Every decision they made…
Every advantage they held…
Was built on Subaru's past sacrifices.
On his suffering.
On his deaths.
Even if he did not remember any of it now—
The results of those efforts were standing right in front of him.
That was exactly why their plan had worked so perfectly.
It wasn't luck nor coincidence.
Every step they took, every order they gave, and every movement they coordinated had a clear purpose behind it.
The strategies they used were not something they came up with on the spot—they were built from experience, from knowledge that had already been tested and refined.
And above all else—
Their goal was not just to defeat the Witch Cult.
It was to impress Subaru.
Each of the three Royal Candidates had their own reasons, but their actions aligned in one crucial aspect.
They wanted to show him their strength, their reliability, and their ability to protect him.
At the same time, they wanted to eliminate the Sin Archbishop as quickly as possible.
No unnecessary risks.
No drawn-out battles.
No dramatic exchanges or meaningless speeches.
That was why the Witch Cultists had been eliminated so efficiently.
They were found—and killed.
Without hesitation.
Without waiting for them to rant.
Without giving them the chance to turn the situation into a prolonged and chaotic fight.
It was the complete opposite of what usually happened when dealing with the Witch Cult.
And in the end—
It wasn't just a battle.
It was a silent competition.
A war, not for territory or power…
But for one person.
Natsuki Subaru.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of all of this, Subaru stood there lost in his own thoughts.
His mind was still spiraling in self-doubt, his expression clouded as he continued to berate himself internally.
He hadn't even noticed someone approaching him.
Crusch Karsten.
She walked up from behind him quietly, her gaze fixed on him with a hint of concern.
When she got close enough, she spoke.
"Subaru-sama… are you alright?"
Her voice was calm, but there was a clear trace of worry hidden within it.
"You seem… a little off."
Subaru flinched slightly when he heard Crusch's voice behind him.
He turned around quickly, his eyes meeting hers.
For a brief moment, something complicated passed through his mind—hesitation, guilt, and a strange sense of pressure all mixed together.
Then, without warning—
He bent forward into a full ninety-degree bow.
The sudden movement caught everyone off guard.
"Crusch-sama," Subaru said, his voice steady but filled with sincerity, "I am truly grateful to you and the other Royal Candidates for helping us deal with the threat of the Witch Cult."
He kept his head lowered.
"I cannot properly express how thankful I am for what you've done."
To Subaru, this was all he could offer.
He had no power.
No status.
Nothing of real value to give in return.
So the only thing he could do…
Was show his gratitude.
"I-I also sincerely apologize for my earlier rud—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
A hand had gently landed on his shoulder.
Subaru froze slightly and looked up.
Crusch was standing right in front of him, her hand resting on him, her expression calm but firm.
"Subaru-sama," she said softly, a small smile appearing on her face, "there is no need for you to apologize to me."
Her tone carried quiet assurance.
"Rather," she continued, "there is something else I would like from you."
Her words immediately drew attention.
Everyone nearby turned their eyes toward her, curious about what she was about to ask.
Felix blinked in confusion.
Julius narrowed his gaze slightly.
Even Ricardo looked interested.
But before Crusch could continue—
"Natsuki Subaru."
Another voice cut in sharply.
Anastasia Hoshin stepped forward without hesitation.
She moved directly between Crusch and Subaru, inserting herself into the space between them.
In doing so, she casually pushed Crusch's hand away from Subaru's shoulder.
The gesture was subtle—
But deliberate.
"Subaru," Anastasia said, her tone calm but assertive, "I have already fulfilled my promise."
Crusch's expression shifted slightly.
A faint displeasure flickered across her face as her hand was moved aside.
The interruption was clear.
Anastasia had no intention of letting her continue unchallenged.
"As I said earlier, I will provide you with one hundred Royal Gold Coins."
Anastasia spoke with a small, composed smile, her tone light but firm.
"However," she added, "for that, you will need to return to the Royal Capital with me."
Her words were clear, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
Subaru blinked in surprise.
When she had first made that promise, he had not fully believed it.
At the time, he had assumed it was just something said in the heat of the moment—perhaps a way to motivate him or secure his cooperation during the battle.
Even now, a part of him still doubted it.
After all…
One hundred Royal Gold Coins was not a small amount.
It wasn't even a "large" amount.
It was absurd.
With that kind of money, a person could practically buy an entire village.
It was the kind of wealth that most people would never see in their entire lifetime.
And yet, Anastasia was offering it to him so casually.
Subaru's expression grew more conflicted.
Until now, he had been convinced that his role in everything had been minimal.
If anything, he felt like the one who had needed help the most.
Not the one providing it.
He thought back to the events again.
During the White Whale hunt, he had acted as bait.
But even then, he had been under the protection of Crusch Karsten the entire time.
During the battle against the Sin Archbishop of Sloth…
He had done nothing.
Nothing at all.
He hadn't fought.
He hadn't contributed.
He had simply stood there while others handled everything.
Compared to the soldiers who risked their lives, the knights who fought on the front lines, and the Royal Candidates who led the operation—
Subaru felt insignificant.
His hands tightened slightly.
"This…" he hesitated, struggling to find the right words.
'I don't deserve this.'
The thought echoed strongly in his mind.
'It was everyone else who fought.'
'Everyone else who bled for this victory.'
'Me? I didn't do anything.'
'I was just… useless. Like always.'
Subaru lifted his head and looked directly at Anastasia.
"Forgive me," he said honestly, his voice steady despite the conflict inside him.
"But I don't think I deserve that kind of money."
Anastasia's expression froze for a brief moment.
It was subtle, but noticeable.
She clearly hadn't expected that response from Subaru.
Before she could even form a reply—
Another voice cut in.
"What do you mean, Natsuki Subaru?"
Priscilla's haughty tone rang out sharply, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
She stepped forward slightly, her chin raised, her crimson red eyes fixed on Subaru as if she could not comprehend what he had just said.
"You deserve that money more than anyone here, I would say," she continued without hesitation.
Her voice carried absolute confidence.
"If not for you, it would have been impossible to slay the White Whale."
A few people nearby stiffened slightly at her bold claim.
"And if not for you," she added, her gaze unwavering, "my divine self would not have decided to kill the Sin Archbishop of Sloth so efficiently."
Her words were firm and decisive.
"It would have cost them dozens of men, at the very least, to bring down that monstrosity in a prolonged battle."
The battlefield fell silent for a moment.
Everyone present was stunned.
Ricardo blinked.
Julius frowned slightly.
Felix's ears twitched in confusion.
Even Wilhelm narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
And Subaru—
Subaru was the most shocked of all.
"I… I don't understand," he said, his voice uncertain.
His thoughts were thrown into complete disarray.
"Why is everyone being so nice to me all of a sudden?"
The words slipped out before he could stop himself.
The moment he realized what he had just said out loud—
He froze.
"…Ah."
An awkward silence followed.
Subaru's expression stiffened as he realized he had spoken too bluntly in front of everyone.
But while the others were still processing his question—
The reactions of the three Royal Candidates changed immediately.
Crusch.
Anastasia.
Priscilla.
All three of them understood something that the others did not.
They knew Subaru.
Not just the Subaru standing in front of them right now—
But the Subaru from their own timelines.
Their husband.
And if there was one thing they had all dealt with in the early days of their respective timelines…
It was this.
His self-loathing.
His inferiority complex.
The way he constantly undervalued himself.
And worst of all—
His tendency to harm himself, both mentally and physically.
They had seen it before.
They had lived through it.
They knew exactly how dangerous it was.
It had taken Subaru a long time to grow past those feelings.
A long time to heal.
And the last thing any of them wanted…
Was for him to fall back into that same pit again.
"Subaru-sama… you may not realize it," Crusch said gently.
She stepped closer and, without hesitation, took his hand into hers.
A soft smile formed on her face—one that was completely different from the composed, commanding expression she usually wore on the battlefield.
"But you are braver than you think."
Her voice carried only warmth.
Not authority or her usual commanding tone.
For a moment, Subaru froze.
His mind went blank.
Then—
His face turned red.
"Eh—?"
His heart suddenly started beating faster.
doki… doki…
Crusch's smile, combined with the way she held his hand so naturally, hit him completely off guard.
He had never seen her like this before, and the gap between her usual demeanor and this gentle expression only made the impact stronger.
He didn't know how to react.
He didn't even know what to say.
Around them, the reactions were even more dramatic.
Felix's mouth dropped open so wide that it looked like it could fit an entire apple inside.
"Wha—?!"
He stared at Crusch in complete disbelief.
Other soldiers and mercenaries were no better.
Some rubbed their eyes, as if trying to confirm what they had just seen.
Others exchanged confused glances.
'Did… did Lady Crusch just…?'
The woman known for her strong, almost masculine presence—
The Duchess who commanded armies without hesitation—
Was now standing there, smiling gently while holding a boy's hand.
It didn't match their image of her at all.
Meanwhile, Anastasia stood slightly to the side, watching the scene unfold.
And inside—
She was seething.
'Is this bitch seriously trying to win him over like this?', she thought, her expression remaining perfectly neutral on the outside.
'My Subaru… my husband…'
Her nails dug slightly into her palm.
'How pathetic.'
Her thoughts grew sharper.
'A woman like her should just stay half-dead on bed instead of trying something like this.'
She wanted to step forward.
To push Crusch away.
To pull Subaru into her arms and say the same words—no, even better ones.
To comfort him properly.
To remind him of who he really was.
But she didn't move.
She couldn't.
Unlike Crusch and Priscilla, Anastasia did not possess overwhelming personal strength.
She could not act impulsively in front of everyone without consequences.
Her power came from something else, from the Hoshin Company, her political relationships and the mercenary group under her.
And because of that, she had to be careful.
If her behavior changed too suddenly, if she acted out of character in front of her own people, it would raise questions among them.
Her subordinates might start wondering what was wrong.
They might question her.
Or worse—
They might think she was an impostor.
And in this world, that possibility was not something that could be dismissed lightly.
So Anastasia held herself back.
She kept her calm expression.
And swallowed her frustration.
"Indeed!" Priscilla declared confidently, her grin widening as she stepped forward without hesitation.
"My divine self knows just how brave you truly are—far better than any of these peasants here."
Her words cut cleanly through the atmosphere, completely shattering the quiet, intimate moment that had formed between Subaru and Crusch.
The shift was instant.
The air grew tense again.
Only Crusch truly understood how much that interruption irritated her.
Her fingers twitched slightly.
For a brief moment, she genuinely felt the urge to smash that arrogant Baroness's head into the ground for ruining such a rare moment she had managed to share with her Lord.
But she restrained herself.
Barely.
Meanwhile, Rem stood a short distance away, silently observing everything.
Her eyes moved between Subaru, Crusch, and Priscilla.
There was something different in her gaze now.
Caution and wariness.
Her instincts—no, her wife instincts—were quietly ringing alarms in her mind.
Both of these women were threats.
Serious threats.
As for Anastasia…
Rem's eyes briefly shifted toward her before dismissing her almost immediately upon seeing her flat chest.
Among the three, Anastasia had remained the least physically close to Subaru so far.
Compared to the other two, she had not made any direct moves yet, and because of that, Rem subconsciously placed her lower on the list of immediate dangers.
At least for now.
Without wasting another second, Rem stepped forward.
She moved decisively.
Before anyone could react, she reached out and firmly grabbed Subaru's hand, pulling it away from Crusch's grasp.
The sudden action caught everyone off guard.
Then, without hesitation, she pulled Subaru slightly closer to herself.
"Lady Crusch, Lady Priscilla, and Lady Anastasia," Rem spoke politely, though her tone carried a firm edge beneath it.
"Why don't you all come to the Mathers mansion?"
She didn't wait before continuing.
"Subaru-kun is still suffering from a weakened gate. He needs proper rest."
Her words were polite.
Her tone was respectful.
But the meaning behind them was obvious.
To anyone listening, it sounded like a well-mannered suggestion.
But in reality—
She was telling them to back off.
The surrounding knights and soldiers were stunned.
Some of them stiffened immediately.
'Did she just…?'
She had essentially dismissed three Royal Candidates in one sentence.
Even if it was wrapped in politeness, the intent was clear.
Several knights instinctively reached for their weapons, their expressions tightening as they prepared to respond to what they perceived as disrespect.
Before things could escalate—
"Is that so?"
Anastasia's voice cut in smoothly.
She stepped forward slightly, her tone calm but carrying a subtle weight that made others pause.
Priscilla let out a small, amused laugh.
"I suppose it is about time I meet that useless half-elf," she said casually, her grin returning.
"And take my compensation from her," Crusch added without hesitation, her voice firm.
The moment those words reached him—
Subaru's face went pale.
His body stiffened.
To him, it sounded like they were about to go straight to Emilia and—
Confront her, then insult and humiliate her.
"W-Wait—"
The thought alone made his chest tighten.
But just as quickly—
He froze.
'…Do I even have the right?'
The thought struck him harder than anything else.
'Do I even deserve to call her Emilia-tan anymore?'
After everything that had happened…
After the way he had acted…
After the way she had distanced herself from him…
'Do I even deserve to stand in front of her again?'
His gaze dropped slightly.
Uncertainty filled his expression.
Unaware—
That another unexpected encounter was waiting for him ahead.
A certain pink-haired surprise.
To be continued...
(A/N: Where is it?! Where are my Powerstonesss?!!!!)