"That woman... is dangerous... For the first time in five millennia, I can feel it, yes! My body is trembling with genuine dread and excitement. To think that there is someone out there who can push me beyond my boundaries. What a thrill! It's been much too long since I've felt intimidated by anything; it's a strange sensation. However, that woman could be a problem; I should be prepared in case she does something strange."
Pleiades murmured to himself as he ran at full speed, wanting to get away from where he had been just seconds before. Clearly taking advantage of Valerie's time stop to flee the region in which they were previously.
Of course, at the rate at which he was moving, it was safe to estimate that they were easily several kilometers away from where they were originally. After a few minutes of racing in pause time, Pleiades found himself in an old abandoned building, far enough distant for even the sword saint to follow him down without the aid of magical forces.
"Good, this should be far enough; now let's see if this truly can work."
With those remarks, Pleiades reached inside his hat for something that had always been there. And what he drew was a little rabbit. It was one of the great hares; however, this was one of just two hares expressly developed for a situation like this.
"To think that woman's words actually came to bite at me at such a time."
Pleiades thought to himself, recalling a conversation he had with Echidna exactly nine thousand eight hundred and fifty years ago. When he was still getting used to being a warlock and a sage. He was still green behind the ears at the time, but he was still incredibly aware and knowledgeable.
[Flashback]
[Inside The Citadel of Dreams, Echidna's Mental World]
"I'm curious how we keep finding ourselves in these circumstances. Do you not agree? After all, just thinking about it is a mystery in and of itself?"
A woman with albino white skin, dark yet attractive and intriguing black eyes, and milky white hair spoke to the man lying next to her. Whose hands were behind his back as white sheets enveloped his and her naked bodies.
At the time, the man had dark hair that was curling and velvety to the touch, reaching all the way to his back. This was, of course, Flugel, formally known as Natsuki Subaru, and currently known as Pleiades. But, because he took Satella's position, the witches of iniquity simply refer to him as the Warlock of Envy.
The woman was, of course, Echidna, the witch of greed who was currently occupied with a Rubix cube. Unlike Flugel, she was dressed in a familiar black, white, and orange tracksuit that covered most of her body. It was meaningless to question why they were both in the same bed; what had transpired was obvious.
They didn't seem to be bothered by their mingling; it was almost as if it was second nature to them. Echidna of course smiled as usual. And flugel remains stoic and relied as such.
"Who knows, does it even matter? A man and a woman having sex is as natural as animals following their basic instinct to reproduce." You don't need every response to every question; it's just the way of life. Some mysteries are more beautiful when left unsolved, but I can't say you feel the same way."
Flugel stated, and Echidna agreed to disagree.
"Hmm... maybe you're right, but you also fail to realize that there's no such thing as a wrong answer. Remember that a question can be answered in any shape or form." However, your opinion serves as credence to my belief that no query can genuinely go unanswered even if you didn't answer what was asked. However an answer is still an answer, and that's the beauty behind the concept of Q&A."
Flugel closed his eyes and begged to differ once more, as he claimed.
"Can that even be used as proof? What you said is equivalent to saying tea tastes better with less sugar and more honey." Finally, there is no proof of such ideas because they are simply opinions. How can an opinion be an answer when it doesn't prove anything? In the end, views are only notions that people employ to justify a cause."
However, Echidna's response was as quick as Flugel as she said.
"And what if the cause is the answer to the question?"
"Ugh...
Flugel stumbled a little. He, on the other hand, refuses to be proven wrong.
"Well, that's a possibility, but it's not a sure thing." In any case, why would the question need to be asked in the first place if we know what caused whatever needed to be asked in the initial instance?"
"..."
"Hmm... cat got your tongue dona, you went quiet on me?"
Flugel inquired, but Echidna responded immediately.
"Hmmm... done."
Echidna murmured as she placed the finished Rubix cube on the counter beside her, which already had a mountain of them, already completed.
Echidna, on the other hand, continues to respond by stating.
"Hmmm.... well maybe we can study this bond a little deeper, if you catch my drift." After all, we know the effects it brings us, but not the cause as to why we do it."
The greedy witch whispered this while she pounced on flugel, riding him from above, as her big soft ass rubbed against his groin, her hands swaying and slowly tracing around his chest while looking at him seductively. Flugel, on the other hand, gave her a frigid glare as he grabbed her around her waist, bringing her closer to him, as he rolled her over, reversing positions, allowing him to be on top and force her hands down with his. As he stated this, he lowered his head to face her eye-to-eye.
"I told you before, Echidna, you don't need to study something if you already know what caused it to begin with. To be honest, you definitely lead me on and use your ways with words to soften me up to you. Do you think that going to work on me witch of greed, I might not be as smart as you? However, my observations and insight significantly outweigh yours. So I recognize bullshit when I see it, especially when I'm experiencing it. Tell me, Echidna, what exactly is your game, and why have you been so clingy all these centuries and a half?"
Despite Flugel's attitude being absolutely cold, if not wholly uncaring, Echidna's smile, on the other hand, remained unchanged.
For a brief moment, the two, who resembled yin and yang, were silent yet hostile. They were like two opposing sides of the same coin. Both were astute, crafty, and frightening; two of them were very manipulative, twisting events to their advantage to achieve their goals. Flugel, who had seen everything, and Echidna, who wanted to know everything.
"Pftt... My..My... Natsuki, you have truly grown; it seems like only yesterday that you denied my hand and called me an unfathomable monster beyond all human comprehension." And yet, here you are in front of my eyes, pushing me down, and holding my hands so tightly, not by flesh but by spirit; agh! how time flies when you're having fun."
Echidna said as she grinned with mischief, while Pleiades responded as such.
"Fufuf... you're quite the talker, but changing the topic won't solve anything." I saw right through your ruse, woman. And you should know better than anyone else that I despise games that aren't enjoyable."
Pleiades remarked, staring Echidna in the eyes. Echidna, on the other hand, began to slackly giggle to herself as she caught Pleiades off guard and wrapped both of her legs around his waist to draw him closer to her. Simultaneously, she manages to free her hands from his tight grip and pull the bed covers upward. Making Pleiades lose his center of balance and fall into the greedy witch's arms.
Following that, Echida rolls him over, seizing control of the fight. Genuinely astounded Pleiades, who hadn't anticipated her clever strategy. But before he could say anything, Echidna straddled him and immediately shoved her tongue into his mouth, preventing him from saying anything else. As she lay on his bare chest, her hand gripped both his cheeks, palming them softly and passionately and kissing him in a rather affectionate manner.
Pleiades is stunned for a few seconds as his eyes expand.
On the other hand, Echidna began to speak.
"Honestly, you're an idiot... heheh... to think I'd say this, but it had to be said." Do you want to know what I'm up to, Flugel? Okay, I'll tell you my game, you see, instead of taking advantage of you, perhaps I genuinely want your companionship. And, since you and I are so similar in so many ways, isn't this what you call excellent chemistry?"
Echidna inquired of Flugel while she awaited his response.
And he responded in kind.
"Love... companionship, pftt... don't make me laugh, woman; you expect me to believe that the witch of greed is learning about human emotions?" Hahaha!? Agh. How adorable, You are not deceiving anyone. You, Echidna, are a monster, just like the other witches and myself. It is not in our nature to resist the will of our infractions governed by our sins. We are ultimately bound by our own corruption. You, who have committed countless atrocities in the name of making the world a better place, and I, who have sacrificed the lives of many in order for the world to continue to exist. There is no way back for either of us; we are the worst of the worst. And the fact that you're dragging me along like this doesn't stand right with me; I am not a tool for your curiosity. I know you, Echidna; you seek something, but let me break it to you: what you seek, I cannot provide; I cannot fulfill your greed, just as you cannot satisfy my other sins. In the end, we just cancel each other out, and neither side gets what they want.
Flugels' statements were direct and to the point. And Echidna laughs, just as he does at her.
"Fufuf... Oh my, it appears that little old me scares you, ha? Well, I can see why; after all, as you mentioned, I am a witch, and a pretty evil magic user at that. You should keep an eye on me since I simply want something. One day, I could just get what I want and you wouldn't even notice. But, knowing your cautious disposition, you most likely have a countermeasure for everything, isn't that right Bruce?"
Echidna responded playfully, comparing Flugel to Bruce Wayne. Surprisingly, Flugel was unable to refute it. After all, he did have preparation time on his side. Even if he is powerful, there are some things beyond his control. And he despised the idea; as a result, he discreetly performs things to act as a deterrent on any occasion. It may not appear so, but Pleides was certain that he could contain all the witches of sin by himself for a very long time if they ever posed a threat to him, and even stop the sword saint's line. That was how far ahead he had planned, even though he knew the witches didn't intend to hurt him and that it was exceedingly unlikely that the sword saint would go rogue one day.
He did all of this because he was frightened of another horrible ending. Then again, what did he have to lose anyway? He had already lost everything—Emilia and Satella, his mom and dad, and all his closest friends. In any case, Echidna continued to talk as she said.
"Your silence only strengthens my case." And, as you mentioned, you know me well, but I also know you well. Flugel, you will never change; you are a monster. Because you can only be a monster. Don't forget you once destroyed the world in order to make a new one; don't forget you live among the witches, knowing full well that you're only studying us like mice in a maze in order to find a method to kill or contain when we grow too difficult to manage. And, just so you know, I'm also aware of your little secret. My authority, The Memories of the World, a book I dislike using, informed me you were attempting to reconstruct Beatrice with something that may as well end the world as a whole. Flugel, tell me if I'm a monster who merely wants to be with someone intellectual like myself. What are you doing exploiting the corridor of memories in such a way? And, assuming you achieve this goal and reach the summit of it all, what do you propose to do with its power once you have it? Tell me, Flugel, what your ultimate game is. I told you everything I knew since you'd discover that I knew your little secret sooner or later... The absolute truth. Even fervently. So, how will you answer to my inquiry? I'm looking for a response. After all, this response will only serve to satisfy my curiosity."
"Face it, flugel, you might not notice it right now." But, in reality, we are all you have. The witches are the only remaining entities who have some understanding of you. I'm not sure what you're planning, but I'd like to be a part of it. So tell me what are you doing, what are you trying to accomplish, are you trying to become a God or a Devil, or maybe something that transcends even those ideas?"
[Flashback Ends]
Subaru examines the large hare in his hand. However, it was not harmed by the sword saint's time stop, similar to himself.
What was the cause of this? It was simple: Pleiades called these Mabeasts his offspring. Because they literally were. After all, he utilized his own flesh and blood, as well as a small amount of Daphne miasma, to construct the three great mabeasts in his image. As a result, this little guy was far more hazardous than the original great hare, which had plagued humanity many years ago. This rabbit, on the other hand, was a part of a project named Project Janus.
This child was not just a man-eating monster, but also a gateway that ignores distance, which means that inside its mouth is a spatial door that connects to all of its siblings in the garden. And, believe it or not, the basis of these rabbits' desire to open a spatial fissure was their own pain. You see Pleiades came to understand that miasma and bad emotions can be harnessed as a source of power. Of course, no one knows this, but the energy he discovered after years of researching the various effects of miasma. Of course, it was an energy he termed "Miseria Energy," which is essentially the opposite of mana.
In layman's words, simply removing mana from the universe as a whole will not deter Pleiades from employing magic. In some ways, Echidna was correct about him; he was always prepared, for for everything, but enough to be considered a man without any weakness to advantage of, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. As a result, the sword saint's ability to remove magic from the word was only a temporary solution. As long as there was pain, he could use magic even if the concept of mana vanished, and his children, especially the great hare, were suffering at every second, so it was a cute and dangerous battery pack that was rechargeable.
His body didn't exist inside the concept of flowing time thanks to Little King ability which was Regulus's power. Which Pleiades himself trained to activate if any time-based abilities were imposed on him. And with Lust's authority acting to negate the heart-stopping consequences of it. Pleiades was not influenced by time base power since his body was outside the conventional methods of flowing time.
The same may be said of the great hare generated from his body; in layman's terms, the great hare, like the other two great Mabeasts, is influenced by greed and lust, making them virtually unkillable. And could perform stuff like him and regulus, which is basically one-shotting an object by stopping its time. In summary, you can't freeze time for Pleiades since he already exists in a motionless universe.
Pleides then looked at one of his children and stated, "While touching the smally horny rabbit on the head,"
"Order:004, I, the administrator, would like to request a backup connection to the Nexus Tree; Pass Code: 342.758.002.02.674.903.1777... Reason: The Sword Saint triggered anti-magic scenario/Chrono base interference."
Pleiades' words caused the rabbit's eyes to glow blue, and its horn to glow as well. Moments later, the rabbit began to speak, and the voice of a female could be heard on the other side.
[Request accepted: The emergency passcode has been recognize]
[Notice: a LVL: Σ+ Phenomenon has been triggered; however, information on the cause is limited; should Nexus-3 investigate this anomaly in order to devise future countermeasures?]
"Yes, if possible, proceed with conceptual analysis; however, the being responsible for this is the sword saint." As such, analysis of such an entity should be done with "Procedure Clotho" in mind."
[The following command has been notified: A suitable familar to carry out Procedure Clotho without fail will now be mobolized.]
With that, the rabbit opened its mouth so wide that it resembled a cave opening, and beyond that entrance was nothing but darkness. But out of the darkness sprang something that only Pleiades himself can see. It was a black cat, but not just any black cat, but one fashioned from the same invincible esoteric force field as invincible providence. For want of a better phrase, this was a spirit, or more accurately, a being comprised entirely of miasma. Pleiades, on the other hand, refers to this little black cat as an artificial archbishop.
The cat didn't say anything, nor did it look at its maker; it just wanted to get the job done. And to the best of its ability, analyze the time-stop world for as long as it lasts; while also following the sword saint so it can analyze the woman with Procedure Clotho in mind.
Pleiades, on the other hand, looks at the invincible cat that nonchalantly phases through the walls of the abandoned building despite the fact that it can't be touched, yet it can interact with whatever it wants.
"That woman is dangerous, but given that she is closer to the world than anyone else." She can assist me in perfecting Crusch, like a blueprint of sorts after I review the data I will receive. Because this is something even I can't do; I can't halt time for that long; it's as if the sword saint is the second coming of Satella Herself. I can feel it, the age of peace in my life is coming to an end. In any case, if I ever have to face the sword saint, I shall use all of her shortcomings to my advantage in order to win."
That was Pleiades' final words. As he picks up Crusch, who is still affected by time stop as he carries her in a princess carry and walks into the dark mouth portal where the enigmatic black cat emerges. And when he gets to the other side, which is a back door to his shadow garden in case he runs into an issue where he can't enter due to a lack of mana, he always makes sure to have one rabbit in the real world and one in the metaphysical world. As a result, the rabbit's mouth began to close as it returned to its usual size, and it began to hide further in the abandoned building, as this location was to serve as a station for Pleiades.