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Arc 5 – 26, “Spear of Love”
Arc 5 – 26, “Spear of Love”
Arc 5 – Chapter 26, “Spear of Love”
— The already dire situation had deteriorated drastically, resulting in the worst of awful conditions.
Subaru trembled under Sirius’s mesmerized gaze and her shuddering, glowing breaths.
The madwoman gave no regard to the heat scorching her bandaged face, her attention focused on watching Subaru — no, not just watching, but staring.
Subaru: “Dear… Petelgeuse?”
That was the name of a madman which Subaru had never wanted to hear again. When Sirius Romanee-Conti had been crying out for her lover, Subaru would be lying if he said that this particular theory hadn’t crossed his mind.
Even so, he was reluctant to seriously consider it, as doing so would combine the existence of the lunatic Petelgeuse and the madwoman Sirius.
He didn’t want to think of a union, the worst possible couple, with Romanee-Conti.
Subaru: “A couple where both lovers are Sin Archbishops is ridiculously disastrous… although it can’t be helped that he’d choose a bride like that…”
Really, the Witch Cult didn’t have a single normal member.
The self-righteous Petelgeuse, Sirius who imposed her love without permission, and Regulus who treated love as superficial fate — they were all scum.
Subaru: “Like how your names are bit similar. Do they all end in an ‘S’ sound?”
Subaru buried the rapid churning of his mind under trivial, pointless thoughts.
Right now, Subaru felt as if he’d found something very awry, although he could quite put his finger on what it was. Try as he might, he couldn’t find it.
Sirius: “Please don’t be so silent, Petelgeuse. You’re such a mean-spirited person. See, you’re already, already, already giving me that usual cold attitude… it makes me really anxious!”
Sirius, unaware of the cause of Subaru’s brooding silence, took her own interpretation of it as she kept her hands on her face and her waist twisting back and forth. The nightmarish scene spread as the crowd around Sirius took up her strange, delusional expression of affection.
Regulus: “… Really, I can’t deal with you anymore. Although his trick just now probably that gave you that kind of idea, it’s still really rather tragic. The correct connection of fate should place you together no matter what kind of obstacles are faced. Like with me and my brides. However, a separation by life and death before results can blossom is not only sad, but very unsightly.”
Sirius: “Yes, thank you very much. I’m very sorry. Now, excuse me, but I’m busy. You know, right? Mutual understanding is important. Mutual concessions are also important. You have completed your purpose, so could you leave as soon as possible? After all, I also have my own private affairs.”
Regulus: “Indeed, my purpose of finding my bride has been fulfilled.”
Sirius’s madness had given way to rationality, and Regulus overlooked that implication as he looked at Emilia, still in his arms. Then he turned toward Subaru.
Regulus: “But the one who wants to kill me and my bride, and who has been annoying since the very beginning been, has yet to allow me proper vengeance in and infringement of my rights. I dislike taking a violent initiative, but in this case, it would only be a just revenge. Yes, this is an act of righteousness. Although I could endure this and leave, I would be doing legitimacy a disfavor. That is to say, leaving would be a loss of justice. I shouldn’t set that precedent.”
Subaru: “Don’t give me that superious tone. Obviously, you don’t like me so you want to kill me. Don’t justify that with some garbage doctrine.”
Regulus: “Actually being talked back to is quite a surprise. Being spoken to as if I were mistaken is even more of a surprise. You, are you the type of people who disagrees with their opponents? In that case, the only thing I can say is that you’re small and superficial. I think that this kind of person, who can’t listen to the words of others with sincerity, will one day earn their just deserts, what do you think?”
Subaru: “Do you have the right to say this?”
Regulus’s eyes widened as if incredibly taken aback.
Perhaps he was sincere, convinced that his speech was justified. No, he was absolutely convinced. If not, he couldn’t be a leading subordinate in that abnormal cult.
Logical conversations were only an illusion. Although they spoke the human tongue, they were creatures belonging to an alien ecosystem.
Forgetting that would lead to being swallowed up by their honeyed words.
Regulus: “Sirius. You seem to have excluded him from your sphere of power. What happened?”
Instead of facing the silent Subaru, Regulus directed the conversation to Sirius.
Frowning at his speech, Subaru discovered that the fear which had been gripping his heart had vanished.
The fact that Beatrice was still slightly trembling on his shoulders proved that they hadn’t left the range of the sphere of influence.
In other words, only Subaru had been excluded. And the reason for that was,
Sirius: “Isn’t that obvious? Since I know that he’s that person, if I continue to share my feelings, they might accidentally transmit to him.”
Regulus: “Don’t give me that shy look, it’s really creepy. Having proclaimed your love, love, love, there’s no point in pretending to innocent. I really don’t understand you.”
Sirius: “Don’t you think that allowing those inexplicable feelings that can’t be expressed with words to be felt in such a manner is tasteless? Until the end of the end, until the very moment I become one with him, I’ll seal that feeling inside me. I’ve already decided so. Yes, for the sake of Love!”
Regulus: “Because of that dishonesty, your important feelings will never be able to reach him, you know? You, Sirius Romanee-Conti, can only miss him with wholehearted continuous thoughts. Don’t you think that using someone else’s family name is rather disgusting? I suppose that, in a sense, it’s like Petelgeuse’s legacy. Well, he’s already dead, so it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Sirius: “I’m in love with that person!”
Hearing Regulus’s amazed speech, Sirius exploded.
The madwoman grasped at her hair in a frenzy, spittle flying from her mouth as she screamed at Regulus.
Sirius: “After all, whenever I gazed at him, he always met my eyes! When I touched him, he didn’t scold me! When I spoke to him, he gave me his attention! When I inhaled his breath, he never told me off! I was allowed to sleep with him! I could freely borrow his things! He allowed me the honor of burning the half-witch! He gave me my name! He smiled for me! Only for me! Only for me, onlyformeonlyformeonlyforme!”
Her breathing grew wild as she sobbed tears of unrequited love.
She made herself clear.
Sirius’s existence was one of dark, twisted, pure love.
Regulus: “Ah, oops. —Dealing with such strong subjective convictions is tricky.”
Shrugging, Regulus spoke as if seeking agreement from Subaru.
Subaru bit back a “do you have the right to say that” to keep Regulus from lashing out. He needed to temper the balance between the two foolish extremists near him.
Facing the two cultists, Subaru saw no light of hope to break the deadlock. Rather, the situation had worsened due to Sirius’s interference.
Even if Subaru had broken away from the shared fear, there would be no marked improvement in his combat power. Obviously, Beatrice would be his main advantage, but she was trapped in an unfavorable condition, her sharp judgement dulled by terror.
At least, only facing Regulus would help.
Subaru: “…Hey, Sirius.”
Sirius: “Yes, what’s the matter, my dear?”
Sirius candidly responded his call.
Although Subaru astonished at the unexpectedly serious response,
Subaru: “I have a little bit private business with Regulus here, so could you wait patiently for a while? Please.”
Sirius: “Do you want me to wait?”
Making use of Sirius’s misunderstanding could grant Subaru a chance at victory.
Sirius appeared to have assumed Subaru was Petelgeuse due to his Invisible Providence, which resembled the Authority of Sloth’s Unseen Hand. Although this was a dark path, Subaru would have to tread it.
Petelgeuse had been a spirit. If he were still alive, it was entirely possible that he would have possessed Subaru as his next host.
Although, the problem would be that Subaru hadn’t indicated that he’d recognized Sirius up until now, but Sirius, in her present state of mind, hadn’t seemed to notice the issue.
With that in mind, Subaru hoped to break that deadlock. The result,
Sirius: “I’m sorry, I cannot do that. Please let me refuse even if it is very important to you.”
Sirius ruthlessly rejected his plea.
Seeing Subaru’s disappointed gaze, Sirius bowed her head.
Sirius: “Of course, I originally wanted to comply. But the diligent you have surely already decided that while I wait, you’ll slip far away from my extended fingers. I know you. After all, we’ve been together for so long. You’ll try your utmost and overstrain yourself alone to reach your desired results… and…”
In all honesty, Subaru couldn’t help but feel a heartfelt admiration for her love.
Even so, Sirus’s regard of Petelgeuse’s hard working nature was a rather blind perspective. After all, the Witch Cult existed to do nothing but harm.
Sirius: “Finally, finally we were able to meet again. It’s been a year, a whole year, since I’ve been at your side. In this century, this is the longest we’ve been apart! And even after a year of not seeing me… you ask me to leave? I don’t want to. I can’t. In your period of absence of the period I always wanted wanted wanted wanted wanted wanted wanted to become one with you!”
Subaru: “——”
Sirius: “On top of that, you still want me to wait!? And now you have a spirit who I’ve never seen before! Where did you find her!? What exactly is appealing about woman like that!? She’s tiny, her face is arrogant, and she has neither the chest nor the bottom of a woman! Is it because she’s a spirit!? Because you’re a spirit, your woman has to be a spirit too? The time we spent together loses to such a flimsy reason? I’ll burn you.”
The direction of her speech became perverse, and became weird, and a crazed shimmer of unbridled frenzy rose in her gaze again. The crowd also left courting affection for anger, blood streaming red from their eyes and noses.
Sirius: “And, is the reason you need to deal with Regulus the half-witch in his arms? That filthy half witch! That silver haired half witch! Why are you so partial to her!? Stop immediately, shouldn’t you have understood that long ago? That despicable, loathsome, hateful, abhorrent garbage witch…! If you revive her, I’ll burn her before your very eyes!”
Subaru: “You’re… so increasingly incomprehensible, you…”
The madwoman gave a bloodthirsty shriek, revealing her animosity toward both Emilia and the Witch of Envy.
Wasn’t the goal of the Witch Cult the Witch of Envy’s resurrection? Subaru couldn’t understand Sirius’s utter loathing for her, then.
Rather, Sirius had absolutely no resonance with the Petelgeuse she longed for.
Although he’d originally thought that they couldn’t have been companions, they turned out to be nothing but enemies.
Subaru: “——”
The impasse between the three resurfaced. Regulus planned to kill Subaru and Sirius.
Sirius would defend against Regulus and the nonexistent Petelgeuse within Subaru.
Subaru wanted to rescue Emilia from Regulus and to free Tina from Sirius, and, if possible, kill the two archbishops.
Obviously. However, the situation Subaru was in was far too harsh.
Searching for such a solution that Subaru didn’t have the ability to attain, his forehead began to bead with sweat.
Return by Death, followed by Sirius’s appearance and Regulus’s debut. After that, a melee battle between and with the archbishops. This loop had been the longest yet.
During that period of time, although he’d retrieved useful intelligence, nothing but awful things had happened.
Subaru: “… Beako.”
Beatrice: “You can try either one, in fact.”
From his back came the timid voice of Subaru’s support.
Subaru, who held authority over what would happen next, made his decision. And at that time.
Regulus: “—Oh.”
Sirius: “—hk”
Simultaneously, both Regulus and Sirius both, changed their attitude.
They each put their hands into their coats, and, from their, retrieved their books.
Subaru: “That is…”
A familiar book with a heavy black binding.
At this proximity, there was no way that Subaru could have been mistaken. That was what the Witch Cult obeyed above all else, the Gospel.
Regulus & Sirius: “——”
Ignoring Subaru, who’d raised his guard again, the two archbishops opened their gospels and surveyed its writ.
Then, although the their timing had been identical, their expressions gave stark contrast to each other.
Regulus: “I assume the content is the same for both of us, is that true, Sirius?”
Sirius: “Shut up, Regulus. Why… why now? When finally, finally I found him again…”
Regulus wore a light smile, and Sirius, who gritted her teeth and spoke in a voice full of remorse. Even if the predator and the madwoman held opposing feelings, their wills were unified.
The two looked to Subaru.
Regulus: “Although I’m sorry, it’s time now. My free time with you has ended. You should thank the Gospel… well, that’s not right. That doesn’t make sense. After all, what’s the use in being thankful to paper? So, rather, you should be grateful to me, who follows the Gospel faithfully.”
Subaru: “Thank you for your faith… but what was that about time? What are you talking about!?”
Regulus: “It’s just as you heard. We were given free time before we need to do what must be done. I took that meaningful time to retrieve my bride.”
Sirius: “I feel incomplete… In front of that person, I shouldn’t be subjected to such treatment. It’s too cruel. I’m being washed away by sadness, don’t you know?
Regulus spoke with composure, while Sirius forcibly expressed her sorrow. The crowd collapsed, and Beatrice bit back her tears.
However, Subaru and Regulus both remained completely unaffected.
Regulus: “Sorry, but your small, superficial love doesn’t touch my complete self at all. At most, it makes me feel a little dirty.”
In a contemptuous voice, Regulus, with Emilia still in his arms, turned his back to Subaru.
Really, he looked as if he were just planning to let them go. If Regulus left by himself, that was fine. But,
Subaru: “Stop, you bastard! Don’t just run off! Let her go! Otherwise, I’ll…”
Regulus: “I considered that.”
Subaru: “——!?”
Regulus stopped and only turned his head to smile.
Under that smile, Subaru felt as though a blade brushed his spine, and he swallowed, his entire body stiff.
It was impossible to prevent Regulus’s next move.
Regulus: “I think that if my bride finds one of her attendants gone, she’ll be lonely, and if I don’t invite enough people, she’ll be rather fickle. — So I won’t kill you.”
Regulus tapped the ground gently with his toes.
Although it was a gesture of comfort, as if adjusting his shoes, his foot dug neatly into the stone slab as if it were a shovel driving into soft ground.
The wreckage of the slate flew toward Subaru.
Bullets of soil seemed to defy gravity. Some of them brushed the outside of Subaru’s right foot
— and, in the next moment, Subaru’s foot vanished.
Subaru: “—Eh?”
A beast’s claw had torn clear through his foot. On his right foot, the white of bone, pink of flesh, and yellow of marrow were cleanly exposed in a twisted cross section. His veins had all be severed, blossoming with blood.
Before he could comprehend what had just happened, the pain struck.
Subaru: “—hk!? Gah, ahk! aaaaAAHH!?”
The world became pure white, as if his head were being punctuated by countless sharp needles.
A scream lodged in his throat, Subaru was unable to support his own weight as he tumbled to the ground. His outstretched fingers desperately held his right leg. The wound was so large that the palm of his right hand couldn’t cover it.
Beatrice: “Subaru! ? Subaru! Subaru, wait, I suppose! Right now!”
Beatrice fell to the ground with the discovery of the Subaru’s severe injury, and panicked as she began a chant of healing magic. Regulus nodded in satisfaction at the scene.
Regulus: “This is adequate retaliation for your reckless behavior up until just now, so I’ll let it go. Although I did consider the possibility of you doing it again, I think I still want to look forward to your future. This pain is sure to stop you if you considering hurting another person again. Don’t thank me. Just save someone else next time.”
Subaru: “aaaAA—hk! Kah, gah, can’t, kuu, gah!”
Pain, agony, suffering, hurthurthurthurthurthurthurthurt—!
A haze of agony. Molars being ground to dust from gnashing. A flashing world. The absence of an up and down. Was he sleeping? Or was he alive? Or maybe he was dead?
Confusion. Cluelessness. Noideanoideanoidea. Even so, there was something he needed to know.
Subaru: “E-Emili…a! Wa, gah—hk, t—hk”
Beatrice: “Subaru, you can’t afford to mess around! If you have to vomit, turn to the side. If you don’t, your throat will…”
Enduring pain and madness, Subaru moved his head. His heart beat like an alarm bell, and he began to choke up what felt like his organs.
The petite Beatrice, while desperately supporting Subaru’s body, did her best to cast healing magic. However, someone was laughing at her.
Beatrice: “You can’t be serious, in fact.”
Sirius: “I’m sorry. However, this obviously isn’t a joke. Isn’t that obvious?”
Behind Beatrice, in abhorrent whispers, Sirius replied in a dark tone.
Around Sirius, a crowd of people rolled as they screamed in pain.
All of them, with their hands on their right leg wound, desperately sought salvation. Like Subaru, their right feet had been torn off by a beast.
Sirius: “My beloved Petelgeuse would say that feeling pain is living, and that those feelings allows Love to be exercised. I know what better than anyone. However, I believe there is a better way of representing that form of Love until then. Thank you. That representation would be becoming one. After all, Love is a prayer for becoming one! Seeing the same sights, feeling the same emotions, living the same life, ending with the same death, that is Love!”
Opening her hands, her hands hit each other in a burst of clapping.
Sirius gave harsh puffs of air as she fixed her intense, envious gaze on Beatrice.
Sirius: “No matter who, everyone should experience the same feelings as him. However, only you and that dirty half-witch will be denied that experience. Who would grant you such an honor?”
Beatrice: “There’s no other woman out there who would be driven as mad with jealousy as you. But it doesn’t matter, since Betty has long been Subaru’s closest confidante. Betty is Subaru’s.”
Beatrice refused to flinch under Sirius’s cruel words.
Madwoman and spirit glared at each other, until Sirius turned away, breaking the interaction.
Sirius: “Now, I can only entrust him to you. After all, I have to prioritize the Gospel’s instructions. Yes, there is no other way. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You know I want nothing but to return to you as soon as possible.”
At this moment, Sirius still acted mad in love with Subaru. The madwoman left the bloodstained square.
Quite unexpectedly, Beatrice did not give chase. She understood that refusing to allow her to escape would merely result in more sacrifices.
Beatrice: “—Subaru.”
With fluttering eyes, yellow bubbles burst from Subaru’s mouth.
Beatrice pressed her palm against his wound, attempting to stop the flow of blood. The wound was too deadly, any slip in concentration would lead to Subaru’s death.
For Beatrice, saving Subaru was, naturally, her greatest priority. Although, there was another priority Beatrice had to follow.
Subaru: “If you don’t treat the other injured people…”
However, the number of wounded people rolling around the square was over thirty.
They had all suffered the same injury as Subaru, and in a cruel twist, the healing being performed on Subaru hadn’t reached them. She would need to heal every injury individually.
That was the burden Beatrice needed to take up. But, even if she exhausted her store of mana, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Beatrice: “—Subaru, compared to…”
Desperately trying to heal Subaru’s injury, determined to keep a strong facade, Beatrice spoke with a hoarse voice.
A stream of tears flowed down her white cheeks. Beatrice: “I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”
Beatrice voiced a string of constant apologies.
Even though she knew her voice could not reach Subaru, rendered unconscious by pain. Even if she knew that she could solve nothing.
Beatrice: “I’m sorry, Emilia.”
Sirius had created so many victims and left the plaza. Regulus had taken Emilia with his overwhelming power.
— The two Sin Archbishops strode into the city of Pristella.