Two figures were seen sitting down and eating breakfast inside a small coffee shop. Served with a cup of tea. It was early in the morning, late six going towards seven o'clock. The cafe was already packed with customers at this point.
Even more so than usual because it was pouring heavily outside at this moment; nonetheless, it was a weekday and many had to work to make that bread in order to support their family.
But, among the many people in the store, there were two individuals who didn't stick out, but their true identities could make even the kingdom's current king look insignificant.
The first was a gorgeous greenhead beauty who was a former duchess and a past candidate for the throne of Lugnica, and the second was a scary-eyed young man who was formerly renowned as a hero known across the world as the Lolimancer, a Cult Slayer, and the Dragon Kingdom's child of war. To everyone else, he was a clever strategist who could predict events days in advance, but to himself, he was a miserable man who suffered endlessly only to not receive the happy ending he craved despite all the terrible agony he underwent. Only to be rewarded with a warped personality that is as wicked, if not more diabolical, than the seven witches of sin.
And, at the moment, they were both silent and staring at each other; Crusch had a worried but optimistic expression on her face, while Pleiades had a cold and emotionless, stoic facial expression, although his eyes did reveal immense interest in the person or subject in front of him.
At the moment, the mood is unusual. Crusch, on the other hand, didn't know what to say in a circumstance like this while knowing what she wanted to ask. Pleiades, on the other hand, didn't care about his former emotions, much less Crusch, because he was analyzing millions of different variables to determine whether the present situation was even feasible.
This was his internal thought.
'Is it the Sacrament of the immortal king?'
'Is she a homunculus like Pandora? No way, Pandora is the only immaculate artificial life form in existence since she is a modified host capable of withstanding the vanity witch factor. Even if she is one, she should not be able to live a long life without the support of a witch factor like Pandora, Dona, or even myself. And I can't forget the fact that a normal homunculus' life span is only eight months.'
'Is it possible she's a clone? That would be reasonable if Cor Leonis didn't activate the instant it recognized her as an ally. Furthermore, where would one obtain the DNA sample? That's impossible because Crusch died ten thousand years ago. Without a doubt, she is the same Crusch I knew back then, but the question is how. I cannot comprehend why or how she is still living in this day and age.'
'No, based on what I observe via the authority of Melancholy's second ability, "Deus Animarum," which is the power to analyze a person's mind, body, and soul. And reveal everything about them to me down to a conceptual level; I could perfectly figure out who she is, but I can't find any logic in it.'
'Overall, this power of mine only makes me a better doctor, scientist, and Yin magic practitioner. But just because I can see something doesn't imply I understand all that goes with it. Yes, Crusch in particular is a one-of-a-kind existence, if I must be honest; her body is by all accounts dead, and she resembles a vampire more than anything else. But her soul is genuinely intriguing; similar to Yorna, her soul has been separated from Od's influence; might this be a curse technique comparable to the Bondage of Thorns? I'm not sure what this is; if anything, I need to study her more so that I can develop a credible theory about the issue.'
'Haha... when was the last time I was this enthused about something? Well, I remember when. It was the day I realized I had yet to attain the summit of my art as a Yin mage. It is something I strive for but have given up on since I lack the mana required to climb to the last level, the Deus realm, which would essentially make me a True Magic God in this world, having reached the peak of Yin Magic.'
Pleiades thought to himself, he was a sage after all, a being higher than a witch or a warlock, but he was also an Ancient Yin magician. After all, it was the only element with which he was compatible. He used to despise this since he thought Yin magic was nothing more than a terrible debuff mage. But if he ever encountered his former self, he would use his Yin magic to make that stupid and immature version of himself loop a million times for thinking like that. After all, Yin magic isn't a debuff; it's actually reality-altering magic, and to be honest, if Pleiades used his full power, he could literally destroy the world a thousand times over.
He could, for example, create a black hole, or he could manifest his shadow garden outwards rather than inwards, casting all life into the emptiness of infinite possibilities, floating aimlessly in fractured darkness for all eternity. Unable to die, let alone live, because once inside, you're practically immortal on a conceptual level. Or he could be even harsher and utilize one of his numerous creative spells, such as his "Ultima Finis Mundi" spell, which would transform this planet into a "Dead by Daylight" lobby.
The effect of this spell is straightforward: it is a magic that pulls out the worst in people, a spell that expands the range of his miasma. When activated, it will trap the entire world as we know it in what he refers to as a "Madness bubble." Even the most innocent and heroic of souls can be transformed into the most deranged murderer or vilest r*pist within a short period of time; it all depends on what sin is your dominant attribute.
The point is that Pleiades had numerous options, and the only reason the world exists is because it was the only game board he had to play with. But then and again, the other witches could do the same; they are ten thousand years wiser than they were when Subaru was still Subaru.
The last time Omega encountered him in a battle, she was capable of summoning an actual fucking star to the entire world within the illusionary realm they created for a friendly spar; of course, he won, seeing that his authority can tank even the likes of a star immense heat. And she even declared that when she is 100% serious, she can compress all her mana to the maximum, and once she self-destructs, It was enough to recreate the raw firepower comparable to a hypernova; however, she can only do it once because it is a suicidal move.
Pleiades didn't know how powerful Echidna had become, but with a body that housed five other witches, including herself, he wouldn't be surprised if Omega, the vessel's name, was on par with him in terms of destructive power. Omega's magical output was, of course, far more than his, given that Omega has six separate Od's. This translates to six distinct power sources that have been collecting mana for the past ten thousand years.
Although he had one thing, Echidna didn't, even with her six Ods. And that was an overwhelming level of defense that went beyond the superficial to the point that not even the likes of Pandora, and he would even dare say the current sword saint and even Regulus if he were still alive, could even dream of bypassing.
Overall, Pleiades was an immovable object that no unstoppable force could push or pull, but that didn't imply he was able to confront an unstoppable force; Pandora was a prime illustration of this. She was just created differently, just as he was constructed differently. None of them can die, and Miasma doesn't work on Pandora. If anything, Pandora rather enjoys his Miasma; something about it feels nostalgic or close to home.
But such was the scenario, and just as Pleiades was about to delve more into other topics, he decided to cut it short for the time being. These ideas lasted little longer than 0.000001 seconds in his mind; that was how quickly he processed information on a regular basis when he was thinking intently. In real-time, not even a single second, let alone a fraction of a fraction of a second, passes. He knew he couldn't stay in the comfort of the slow world in front of him.
As a result, his attention returned to Crusch, who was staring at him, and she finally began to talk as she said.
"Umm Natsuki...
Pleiades interrupted her before she could continue her statement, saying:
"Pleiades is my new name, so please refer to me as such, as I have long abandoned the name Natsuki Subaru." After all, that man died many millennia ago. As such, Pleiades, the wondering, inquisitive wiseman, is the man in front of you right now."
Crusch was taken aback by his sudden powerful Gestalt, given that based on the few recollections she had of the youngster she had known, he was fairly meek and weak. While the person in front of him was frightening and powerful, if not an entirely separate existence altogether.
But that didn't matter; what mattered was the here and now, as well as the fact that she finally found someone who had all the answers she sought.
"Well, ah hahah... Well, Mr. Pleiades, I'll get right to the point... you see I...
Pleiades yawned with laziness before Crusch could even voice her point, feeling like the conversation was a waste of time because he already knew what she was going to say. His authority had already made it plain to him what Crusch was going through, so he responded with.
"Certainly, Ms. Karsten." I know what you're going to ask me, you lost your memory... and now you've come to me in the hope that I might shed some light on your true identity, right... along with some other minor details?"
Crush's eyes widened in disbelief as she stated these remarks to Pleiades words.
"H-H...Howwww did you know what I was going to ask you?"
Pleiades' eyes widened wide as he looked at Crusch and inquired.
"Hmmm... do you really wish to know the answers to that is that the root of your desire?"
"I----I... I...
"Agh. I see you can't decide what you want, even though I'm going out of my way to make the obvious more obvious. Well, it doesn't matter because it's plain to me what you want, so let's get rid of all the unnecessary distractions."
Pleiades said as he snapped his finger, welcoming Crusch inside his Shadow Garden, and what happened next could only be described as madness.
As if someone had struck the basic concept of the universe with a hammer, darkness began to spread in all directions. Shedding the skin of reasoning from the world around her, as well as the man accountable for the dramatic change in the universe before her.
As a result of this, darkness began to leak and reach all corners of the world, as strange purple shards began to appear in the aftermath of the crash, spreading in every direction possible, each fragment containing an alternate universe.
The man in front of her had a stoic expression on his face as he looked squarely at Crusch, the very presence of him in this place that appears to be the opposite of normalcy itself causes Crusch to sense a level of primal fear that can only be described as eldritch in nature.
He then began to speak, making her even more afraid of him.
Each word piled a mountain of anxiety on her psyche.
"The only requirement to have a dialogue is for both of us to exist, hence the reason I remove everything from the picture."
"Ugh...
"All we need is our words."
"Let me affirm your desires properly, the greed, the curiosity, the drive to know the unknown, the desire to take back what was forgotten I want to hear it all, to experience it all."
Crusch sat completely stunned, unable to move a single muscle in her body, and yet, despite her clear and evident shock and discomfort at the unfamiliar surroundings, Pleiades did not pause for a single second, as if to say that his right to speak will not be violated.
"Now, what would you like to ask me?"
"Uhhh... ghaa!!...
"Is it about the world's affairs that you suddenly awaken to?" It's about the memories you've lost, and it's about your strange body, which is perfectly, if not nearly flawlessly, immortal and dependent on the blood of the living."
"Or perhaps it's something more personal from your past, before your unfortunate unlife." For example, information about the five candidates, each of whom was qualified to be King of Lugnica during your reign as the Goddess of War Crusch Karsten the Lionheart."
"EEEEHeee!!!
"Mhm.... each candidate was unique in their own right each having aspects of sins heavily related to their personality."
"Would you like to learn more about the Baroness Priscillia Barielle, the sun princess formerly known as Prisca?" Representing the idea of vanity, who was born with incredible fortune. But, in an ironic twist of fate, she had to fake her own death in order to flee her own motherland owing to unfortunate circumstances that would cost her everything."
Pleiades stated as a silhouette of a woman with a fan to her face, showing only her pridful but beautiful red eyes, started to materialized behind him, only for him to continue speaking.
"Or perhaps you'd like to learn more about the Hoshin Wanabee, the richest merchant at the time." Her name was Anastasia Hoshin, and many thought she was a pretty girl, but few knew that the richest woman was once a motherless, fatherless kid who grew up as an orphan in the criminal territories of Kararagi, and even in the brutal slums of Banan. As a result, she grew up to be a very greedy lady."
From there, the silhouette of an elegant lady in a long dress and fur scarf with gleaming blue eyes appeared.
"How about her polar opposite, the last survivor of the previous royal family bloodline, who all succumbed to a plague set in motion by the former, and now deceased, archbishop of lust?" Amalia Felt Lugnica, born a princess but raised as a slum rat by a giant who had led his people in the demihuman war 10,050 years ago."
The small image of a little girl with short hair emerged from there.
"Or perhaps you want something more tragic but equally heroic than the rest, the epic story of the Witch of Glaciation." Emilia was a half-elf born of the witch bloodline, which the world despised at the time because her ancestor Satella the witch of envy destroyed half of the world 10,400 years ago after she went insane owing to not being compatible with the sloth witch factor. And if that wasn't awful enough, Emilia was reviled by everyone due to her startling resemblance to the witch of Envy."
With such words, a silhouette image of a large cat towering menacingly in the background with an elf standing on its head and snowflake silhouettes falling on the ground could be seen.
"But what's a good trip down memory lane without the introductions of the show's star?" Yes, I know you want to know about the Duchess of the Dragon Kingdom, the Goddess of War herself, and the lioness who took on the moniker of lionheart in memory of her dearly beloved Fourier, who perished at the hands of the witch cult's wicked games. The woman who represents pride better than anyone else, Crusch Karsten, who solely decided that Lugnica should cut links with the heavenly dragon because the kingdom had grown too reliant on the 400-year-old pact, but you poor thing Pandora got you good haha."
Crusch's silhouette came behind Pleiades, holding her sword like a warrior goddess, her golden eyes shining with a lion's pride. However, the more she learns, the more anxious she becomes. Knowledge was power, but now that she is standing before Pleiades, she can't help but be terrified of the entity who had information dating back ten and a half millennia, combined with the power he boasted like it was just another day of the week.
For a brief moment, his austere face broke into a cruel smile, as if expecting something in return, and his eyes seemed to peer into the deepest recesses of her soul. She wanted to flee, hide, and scream because she could feel her own fear and anxiety building. But then the black space vanished, knocking her out of the shadow garden and returning her to the cafe they were previously at, her hands and legs still quivering from the experience of witnessing a small glimpse of the past.
Pleiades, on the other hand, gazed at the quivering Crusch as he took a sip of the coffee in front of him and said.
"Oh my, you look shaken. Is it possible that I went a little too far? Well, that's the nature of one of my sort; it's fairly annoying, to be honest, but whatever. I've asked the question, "Do you still want to know the unknown?"