(A/N: I am uploading chap early this time, however since this is a 7k words chaps, you won't get any more chaps this week)
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{3rd Pov}
Subaru, after activating the Ruler's Authority, teleported straight into the heart of Priestella.
The moment he arrived, he wasted no time and immediately expanded his Aura Sense to scan through the city, searching for the foul stench of Miasma.
He didn't have to wait long before he located multiple sources of it spread throughout the area.
Two of those Miasma signatures stood out in particular.
They were close together, huddled inside what looked like a normal residential house. Narrowing his focus on that location, Subaru quickly realized who the culprits were.
The readings matched perfectly—these were the two Sin Archbishops of Gluttony.
Bracing himself for the disgusting sight of them tormenting innocents, devouring memories, or mindlessly consuming names, he prepared for the worst.
Instead, what he actually saw made his eyebrow twitch uncontrollably.
The twin Gluttonies weren't rampaging, killing, or destroying anyone.
No.
They were simply… sleeping. Both of them were curled up comfortably, dozing off as though the world outside didn't exist.
"…Are you serious?" Subaru muttered to himself, completely thrown off. The same lunatics who had ruined countless lives, robbed people of their very existence, and slaughtered without remorse… were now just peacefully napping like children.
No chaos, no screams, no blood. Just snores.
Suppressing the urge to facepalm, Subaru redirected his senses toward the other Miasma sources scattered across the city.
The next one he found belonged to none other than Regulus Corneas. Subaru expected to catch him lecturing his wives, flaunting his so-called 'rights,' or maybe randomly slaughtering someone out of boredom.
Instead, what he saw was… Regulus hunched over a table, writing in a diary.
"…"
Subaru blinked in disbelief.
Out of all things, this smug narcissist had chosen to sit quietly and scribble in a journal.
But then again, when he thought about it, maybe it actually made sense.
Regulus was cursed with erectile dysfunction, surrounded by a harem of wives he couldn't touch, trapped in a state where his time literally did not move.
He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't take a shit, couldn't enjoy any normal human activity. Of course the bastard would eventually start looking for ways to cope with the unending boredom.
Sometimes he coped with his endless boredom by endlessly yapping about how much he mattered, other times by killing his wives or outright murdering random people without a second thought, and on certain occasions, he would sit down and attempt to write what could only be described as his own twisted version of the Bible.
(Regulus: Dear Diary, my rights were violated again today.)
Subaru rubbed his forehead hard, feeling the veins on his temple pulse. "This is making me way angrier than I thought it would…"
Forcing himself to stay focused, he moved on to the remaining Miasma sources. That's when he came across something he immediately regretted seeing.
The Sin Archbishop of Lust—Capella Emerada Lugnica—was "riding" a beast.
And not in the normal, horseback-riding sense. No, she was straddling it in the exact way a woman would straddle a man.
"My eyes! My eyes!" Subaru shouted in disgust, instantly cutting off his vision link before he could see any more of that nightmare fuel.
He shook his head violently, trying to erase the mental image from his brain.
Trying to distract himself, he turned to the final Miasma source, only to be greeted by yet another bizarre sight.
The last Sin Archbishop he checked on was… cuddling a shrine to Betelgeuse. A Betelgeuse doll, lying on a Betelgeuse pillow, resting in a Betelgeuse-themed bed, under a Betelgeuse-patterned mattress, while kissing what looked suspiciously like a Betelgeuse-shaped candy.
"…What the actual fuck." Subaru stared blankly. "How the hell does she even have Betelgeuse-themed candy in a medieval era world?!"
He nearly screamed in his own mind. 'You've got to be kidding me! These idiots—these are the people who ruined the sleep of countless people?! These are the so-called monstrous Sin Archbishops?!'
It was almost too much to process. Sure, the Archbishops were psychotic, each in their own broken way, but this… this was just ridiculous. It seemed that when they weren't committing atrocities, their insanity twisted into bizarre coping mechanisms for their boredom. Unfortunately, Subaru had just been forced to witness every single one of those coping methods firsthand.
Grinding his teeth, Subaru refocused his anger. 'You know what?! Forget it. Let's start with that Lust bitch first. How dare she scar my eyes with that beastiality bullshit?'
With his decision made, Subaru summoned Gloria outside. These freaks would serve as her first official practice targets. The sooner they were dealt with, the better.
As the two prepared to move, Subaru addressed her directly. "Gloria, listen. The Sin Archbishop of Lust is… doing the deed with a beast. If she tries to attack you, don't kill her right away. Just… play with her for a while."
"Do not worry, Father!" Gloria replied instantly, her tone dripping with arrogance and pride as usual. "This concubine has been itching to test her weapons on these worthless imbeciles!"
Subaru gave a short nod before teleporting with her straight to the mansion Lust had claimed as her hideout.
He walked forward calmly, step by step, until they reached the area where Capella had previously transformed countless victims into grotesque flies.
Among them were the notable presences of Crusch and the demi-human aura that clearly belonged to Felix.
Pushing open the massive gates, Subaru froze mid-step at the sight before him.
"…Oh man, this is even worse than I thought."
The scene was horrifying.
Felix lay unconscious on the floor, clutching a bloodied knife in his hand.
Beside him was what used to be Crusch.
Except now, her body was twisted into an unbelievably bloated and disfigured form.
She barely resembled a human anymore, her figure warped into a monstrous caricature of what she once was.
Subaru let out a heavy sigh.
Thankfully, after everything he had been through, he had built up a tolerance for disturbing sights like this.
Thankfully, Subaru had already built up a certain tolerance for grotesque sights like this, but even so, he hadn't expected Crusch to be twisted into such an abomination.
He honestly hadn't kept track of her fate after she was first transformed into a fly—back then, just confirming that she was still breathing had been enough for him.
As far as he was concerned, as long as Crusch was alive, that was all that truly mattered at the time.
'Did Capella change her into a different form every day? Judging from this bloated, half-human state, it seems very likely. And Felix… did he wound her out of disbelief? Or was it pure trauma, his mind unable to accept what his Lady had been turned into?'
Subaru thought grimly.
Gloria, meanwhile, visibly recoiled at the grotesque sight.
The sheer unnaturalness of Crusch's form, combined with the swarming horde of other monstrous abominations in the room, made her grit her teeth in disgust.
Every single one of them turned their eerie, distorted gazes toward Subaru and Gloria, clearly ready to attack the intruders.
It was obvious Capella had ordered them to defend this place. But Subaru's expression didn't waver.
His eyes narrowed, glowing with a bluish-golden hue as he unleashed a wave of psychic energy across the room.
"Kneel." His voice echoed with absolute command.
Instantly, every abomination in the mansion froze and dropped to the floor in submission, prostrating before him without resistance.
Crusch, barely conscious and struggling to keep her mind intact, witnessed this in complete shock. Her hazy thoughts raced. 'Who are these two people? Are they… other Sin Archbishops?'
She had seen others attempt to rescue her before. Brave knights, mercenaries, even desperate civilians had tried storming this mansion.
Yet each of them met the same gruesome end—torn apart, devoured, or cruelly transformed into flies by Capella's sadistic hand.
Felix alone had been spared direct transformation, because Capella delighted in keeping him alive—forcing him to suffer daily insanity, watching the woman he adored turned into something unrecognizable.
Now, for the first time, the abominations weren't attacking. They were kneeling. And that was enough to leave Crusch trembling in disbelief.
However, if any other intruder had dared to enter this place before Subaru arrived, the outcome was always the same—they were instantly devoured by the monstrous abominations.
The attacks were merciless, and the aftermath was nothing short of horrific.
The scenes left behind were so gruesome and revolting that even someone as mentally strong as Crusch had been pushed into deep trauma.
Killing people in battle was one thing, but watching human beings torn apart and consumed like livestock, piece by piece, was an entirely different kind of nightmare.
Capella's Authority was indeed effective in controlling the creatures, but her control was limited in scope.
The obedience she forced onto them came from altering their biology, twisting their very bodies so they responded to her commands instinctively.
It wasn't the same as true mind domination or spiritual control.
Because of that, when Subaru unleashed the power of his Ruler's Authority, it easily overrode her influence.
His ability struck at the mind, far deeper than Capella's crude, flesh-based manipulations could ever reach.
Without wasting time, Subaru immediately used his authority to sift through the corrupted creatures' memories.
By doing so, he was able to understand the extent of their torment and confirm who they originally were.
One by one, he began reversing the transformations, restoring their human forms piece by piece.
At the same time, he carefully locked away their most traumatic memories, sealing away the horrors they had endured so they would not be burdened with endless nightmares once they returned to normal.
Finally, Subaru turned his attention to Crusch herself.
She had remained conscious through everything, watching his actions with wide, disbelieving eyes.
However, her monstrous body left her immobilized, her enormous frame groaning in pain from the countless wounds that covered her distorted flesh.
Blood seeped from her body, and her deep, guttural breaths came out strained.
"You… s-…ave?" she managed to croak out, her once-firm voice now reduced to a hoarse whisper.
Subaru stepped closer and crouched down so she could see him clearly.
His tone was calm but firm as he introduced himself. "I am Zero. You can call me the Witch Hunter. And this here is Gloria, my contracted Great Spirit of Yang. Yes… we are here to rescue you, and everyone else who has suffered in this cursed place."
Before Crusch could respond, Gloria spoke up with her usual arrogant attitude. "Be grateful, mongrels! My father is even lowering himself to waste his precious time saving you pathetic losers."
She puffed her chest out proudly, her words practically dripping with superiority.
This time, however, Subaru didn't just ignore her arrogance.
Without hesitation, he flicked her forehead with a sharp snap of his finger.
Gloria winced, groaning in pain, and her entire expression changed instantly.
The once-proud look vanished, replaced with the embarrassed face of a child being scolded by her parent for misbehavior.
"Repent," Subaru said bluntly, his tone leaving no room for argument. Gloria bit her lip and looked down, sulking quietly, clearly chastised.
Turning his focus back to the situation at hand, Subaru glanced at the unconscious Felix before directing his attention to Crusch once again.
Placing his hand gently on her distorted form, he addressed her with sincerity. "Since you're still awake and able to answer, I'll ask you directly, Crusch. Do you want me to erase your memories of everything that happened here? All of the trauma, all of the pain—you don't have to carry it with you if you don't want to."
Subaru knew Crusch was strong-willed, stronger than most people could ever hope to be.
That was why he gave her the choice.
He wasn't going to decide for her.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Crusch closed her eyes, thinking deeply despite the pain wracking her body. Subaru worked on healing her wounds while she considered her answer.
After nearly a full minute, her lips finally moved.
"N… no." The word was weak, but it carried conviction.
She refused.
Crusch had decided not to run away from her pain.
She hated the memories, yes.
They were ugly, unbearable, and filled with despair.
But to her, they also served as a reminder of her own shortcomings.
If she chose to erase them, she would risk repeating the same mistakes again in the future. Keeping those scars within her was a burden, but it was also a lesson she was determined not to forget.
Subaru nodded slowly, respecting her decision. "Very well," he said quietly. Without pressing further, he began the process of restoring her to her original form.
Her grotesque, bloated body—an abomination weighing hundreds of kilograms—gradually started to shrink and recede.
The sagging flesh, the swollen arms and legs that looked misshapen compared to her massive figure, the bloated stomach, the warped proportions—all of it melted away.
Piece by piece, the monstrous shell disappeared, revealing the woman beneath.
When the process was complete, standing before him was Crusch Karsten in her true, uncorrupted form.
Her elegance and beauty were undeniable.
Her body had returned to perfect balance, with graceful curves in all the right places.
Her face was striking, noble yet feminine, with refined features that gave her a natural air of dignity.
Her lips, soft and pink, looked fuller and healthier than before, while her amber-colored eyes shone with the same sharp determination she had always carried.
The transformation had restored her natural allure—a woman whose beauty could easily cause men to fall for her at first sight.
Yet, despite that beauty, it was her strength, her unshakable will, her martial prowess, and her commanding personality as the Duchess of Karsten that truly defined her.
And perhaps it was because of those qualities that she never lacked admirers, though her masculine traits and noble position had kept most suitors at bay.
Subaru didn't alter her appearance to make her more attractive or to add anything unnecessary.
He simply restored Crusch's body back to its original form—what she had looked like before Capella twisted her into a monster.
At the same time, he ensured her body was not only healthy but also a little stronger than it had ever been.
Physically, her body had become at least four times stronger than before, a reward for surviving the hellish torment she had endured.
'Well… she deserves at least this much after all that suffering,' Subaru thought to himself.
Using his Telekinesis, he pulled over a clean piece of cloth from the nearby furniture and floated it into his hand.
He extended it toward Crusch just as she finally raised her hands and looked over her restored body in disbelief.
"I-I… I'm back to normal…" her voice cracked and stuttered, completely overwhelmed by the sight of her returned form. Her amber eyes widened, and within moments, tears welled up.
They rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably, spilling freely as if the dam of her emotions had finally burst.
Subaru stepped closer and gently draped the cloth around her shoulders, covering her exposed body to give her some dignity.
The instant the fabric touched her, Crusch suddenly reached forward, clutching his hands with desperation.
Then, without hesitation, she pulled herself into his chest, hugging him tightly as though she was afraid he might vanish at any second.
"Thank you… Thank you… Thank you…" she sobbed, repeating the words like a broken record, her trembling voice muffled against him.
Her tears dampened his clothes as she clung to him, unable to let go.
Subaru placed a steady hand on her back and slowly patted her, speaking in a calm, reassuring tone. "Do not worry. You're safe now. From this moment on, no one is going to hurt you."
But just as the atmosphere started to settle, a mocking, venomous voice slithered into the air.
"Huh? No one will hurt her? Who do you two think you are—hero wannabes playing knight in shining armor?"
Crusch's crying froze instantly. Her entire body stiffened, and the blood drained from her face. She knew that voice.
The familiarity of it alone was enough to send chills down her spine.
She shut her eyes tightly and pressed herself deeper into Subaru's chest, as if she could escape the source of the voice by hiding in him.
Subaru's eyes narrowed, and he turned his head back toward the intruder.
His gaze fell on Gloria, who was still pouting, sulking because she had been scolded by him just moments earlier. Clearly, she hadn't gotten over it.
Then the true source of the interruption revealed herself. Capella Emerada Lugnica entered, her presence as disgusting as her words.
She sneered, her twisted expression filled with contempt. "You pathetic meat bags! How dare you ruin my fun?! I don't know what trick you used to undo my Authority over these creatures, but I don't care. I'll tear you both apart and turn you into chunks of disgusting meat when I'm finished with you!"
Already irritated from earlier, Gloria's patience snapped.
With a flare of hostility, she summoned her Divine Axe, Rita.
The weapon materialized from her spiritual body, gleaming with its terrifying golden edge.
Without hesitation, she swung it straight toward Capella.
Capella, reacting quickly, transformed both of her arms into massive dragon claws in an attempt to block the strike.
Her confidence lasted less than a second.
The golden axe cleaved through her mutated arms effortlessly.
Both upper limbs were severed cleanly in an instant before the weapon vanished and teleported back into Gloria's waiting hands.
Not a single drop of blood remained on the axe. Instead, it emitted a faint golden shimmer, as if even the concept of "staining" had been erased.
That was the power of Rita. It didn't simply cut through flesh or bone—it burned away the very concepts of what it touched. The result was immediate and merciless.
"Arghhhhhh!" Capella's scream tore through the mansion. It was no ordinary cry of pain; it was a shrill, bone-chilling wail that clawed at the ears of anyone who heard it.
This wasn't like losing an ordinary limb.
Capella could normally shrug off damage that would instantly kill anyone else.
Even if her heart was gouged out or her skull shattered, she wouldn't bat an eye—her regenerative powers made such wounds irrelevant. But this time, it was different.
The Divine Axe Rita was no ordinary weapon.
It had been forged by melting down four legendary blades—the Dragon Sword, the Life Sword, the Spirit Sword, and the Yin Sword—into a single artifact.
The combination of those legendary weapons gave it properties that defied common sense.
When Rita cut through Capella's arms, it didn't just slice away the flesh and bone. It carved straight into the soul itself.
The axe had severed her soul into fragmented pieces, and in the same swing, it annihilated most of those fragments completely.
The only reason she still existed was because the intact portion of her body's Od managed to barely hold her together.
What Capella experienced in that moment was not physical pain—it was soul-level annihilation.
The sensation of her existence itself being ripped apart.
The agony was indescribable.
Capella, who had long since forgotten the meaning of pain, found herself screaming uncontrollably.
Her shrieks grew so loud and violent that they ruptured her own throat, tearing her vocal cords apart as she howled in raw torment.
"Shut up!" Gloria snapped furiously, her voice echoing with authority.
At her command, the Divine Axe Rita, still floating in the air beside her, moved again with terrifying precision.
The golden weapon swung forward and cleaved through Capella's body a second time—this time slicing off both of her legs cleanly below the torso.
Capella's mutilated upper body crashed to the ground with a sickening thud, and the mansion was filled with her bloodcurdling screams.
Crusch, meanwhile, began trembling uncontrollably.
Her entire body shivered as she buried her face deeper into Subaru's chest, clutching his back so tightly it was as if she was trying to fuse herself with him. Her arms wrapped around him in desperation, unwilling to let him go.
To her traumatized mind, the horrifying sound of screaming only meant one thing—Capella was winning again. She didn't dare look.
Subaru sighed quietly and tried to pry her arms away from him by grabbing her waist, but she only hugged him tighter, shaking her head violently as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Let go of me and look at what's actually happening," Subaru told her firmly, his tone leaving no room for misinterpretation.
"NOOO! She's winning again! Yo-You'll lose! You'll all die like the others!" Crusch cried in panic, refusing to open her eyes.
Subaru clicked his tongue in irritation.
This time, he didn't bother to ask nicely.
He used some of his physical strength to separate her arms from his body, then carefully guided her head with his hand.
Using a bit of force, he turned her face toward the ongoing battle.
Her teary eyes resisted, shutting themselves tight.
Subaru's expression hardened, and he invoked his Ruler's Authority. "I said look!" His voice reverberated with commanding weight, and Crusch's eyelids were forced open against her will.
"Ahhh!" she shrieked in fear. But as her eyes adjusted and she truly saw the scene before her, her panic wavered.
Because the truth was the exact opposite of what she feared. Capella was not winning. She was not torturing anyone.
She was not in control. Instead, the once-feared Archbishop of Lust was lying sprawled on the cold floor, her severed limbs twitching uselessly as she screamed in agony.
Blood poured from her nose, ears, and mouth as her twisted expression warped in pain.
'Impossible…' Crusch's mind immediately rejected the sight.
She rubbed her eyes furiously, half-convinced she was hallucinating from stress, but the scene remained unchanged.
The "invincible" Capella was crying, writhing, and flailing helplessly like an insect pinned to the ground.
Meanwhile, Capella herself grit her teeth and desperately tried to regenerate her limbs. She concentrated, pouring everything into restoring her arms and legs.
Yet, to her absolute horror, her newly grown limbs remained limp and lifeless, unresponsive as though they weren't even part of her body anymore.
The reason was brutally simple: her spiritual body's arms and legs had been destroyed. Even if she regrew the flesh endlessly, the spiritual framework was gone.
That meant no matter how much she tried, her regenerated limbs would remain useless, nothing more than dead weight attached to her torso.
Gloria, relishing her advantage, suddenly vanished and reappeared right in front of Capella with a sharp burst of movement.
Capella's eyes widened in panic as the arrogant spirit girl loomed over her. With a casual motion, Gloria gripped the Divine Axe Rita tightly.
Then she swung.
Her movements were so fast they blurred, leaving afterimages in the air. Each strike of the golden axe cracked the very floor beneath them, shockwaves resounding like thunderclaps.
Capella's freshly regenerated limbs were hacked apart into dozens of fragments in a single instant, shredded into nothing but twitching chunks.
And the pain… oh, the pain.
Even though Capella's soul fragments in those limbs no longer existed, Rita's soul-destroying property still made direct contact with her through the medium of her physical body.
Every slash sent waves of agony ripping through the remainder of her soul.
The Archbishop of Lust, who had long since forgotten what it meant to suffer, found herself screaming louder than she thought possible.
"STOP! It hurts! It hurts!" Capella howled desperately, her voice cracking and shrill.
Gloria, however, only grinned with sadistic satisfaction.
Placing her heel firmly on Capella's face, she pressed down cruelly. "Fucking bitch! Do you know why you're suffering like this? Because of you, my father scolded me! He actually reprimanded me—how dare you put me in that position!"
Subaru's eyebrow twitched, his expression falling flat.
For a brief moment, he was at a complete loss for words.
Capella, still writhing beneath Gloria's heel, looked equally dumbfounded. For the first time in her life, she actually felt like a victim.
"I-I don't even know you!" Capella screamed desperately, her voice filled with confusion as well as pain.
"Exactly!" Gloria shouted with a malicious grin. Without further hesitation, she casually kicked Capella with her superhuman strength.
The impact was like a cannon blast.
Capella's body was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing into the wall with such force that the stone cracked and splintered from the impact. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.
The sheer brutality of the casual kick left Crusch speechless.
She rubbed her eyes once more, trying to convince herself she wasn't hallucinating again.
But no, the truth was clear. This wasn't a dream.
The terrifying Archbishop of Lust, the same woman who had ruined her life and tortured countless others, was being brutalized and tossed around like garbage.
Feeling her disbelief, Subaru gently patted Crusch's head.
His voice was steady, his words carrying certainty. "Miss Crusch, there is no need to fear anymore. What you are seeing is the truth. The Sin Archbishops may be dangerous, they may be strong, but the reality is simple—we are stronger."
Crusch lifted her gaze hesitantly toward Subaru.
The confidence in his handsome face, the unwavering glow in his bluish-golden eyes, completely captivated her.
Her chest tightened, her cheeks flushed red, and before she realized it, a soft blush spread all the way up to her ears.
Slowly, she nodded in acknowledgment, no longer doubting the scene before her.
Subaru didn't think too deeply about the subtle change in Crusch's demeanor.
In his mind, it was nothing more than a natural response—an emotional surge brought about by her circumstances.
Gratitude, relief, and dependency all mixed together after he had rescued her from unimaginable torment.
To him, it was normal. Anyone in her situation would cling to the person who had pulled them out of hell.
Even if she did end up developing a fleeting crush on him, Subaru assumed it wouldn't last.
Feelings born from trauma usually burned out within a few months, and he wasn't planning to stay in this world forever anyway.
Once he left, everything would reset, and she would eventually move on.
Because of that belief, he dismissed the matter without giving it further consideration, completely unaware of what was actually brewing inside her.
What Subaru failed to realize was that this wasn't a temporary attachment.
This was the seed of obsession taking root.
If he had known that Crusch might become the fourth yandere added to the list of women dangerously fixated on him, he probably would have taken a very different course of action.
In fact, he might have erased her traumatic memories while transforming her before despite her protests, even if it meant ignoring her will, just to prevent something like this from happening.
But that realization never came.
Meanwhile, Capella was sprawled out on the floor, her mutilated form writhing and twitching.
The once-proud Sin Archbishop of Lust, who had delighted in mocking and tormenting others, was now crawling pitifully across the ground like a worm.
Her expression was twisted in a mixture of agony and desperation.
Her mind raced. She had to do something, anything, to get back some advantage.
An idea suddenly sparked in her head. Using her Authority, she forced new appendages to sprout grotesquely from her back—elongated limbs that looked like a hybrid between wings and arms.
To her astonishment, they actually worked. She managed to push herself off the ground slightly, feeling a surge of hope as she realized she could still fight, still escape.
But that hope lasted barely a second.
A golden blur flashed through the air, and before she could even process what had happened, the newly sprouted appendages were severed instantly.
The Divine Axe Rita cut through them effortlessly, its holy edge burning not just her flesh but the very concept of those limbs.
Another painful portion of her Od was destroyed in the process, and the backlash made her entire body convulse violently.
"GYAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Capella's scream ripped out of her throat, louder and more desperate than before.
The sensation of her soul being shredded yet again sent her rolling on the ground, clutching at the stumps where her new limbs had been.
Her face twisted into something almost unrecognizable, contorted with pure suffering.
"Stooop! Stop it already!" she shrieked, her voice breaking into pitiful sobs.
Gloria huffed impatiently, her axe floating back into position, ready to finish the job.
She raised her hand slightly, prepared to give Rita the command to cut again, when Subaru suddenly teleported right in front of her.
Gloria froze, blinking in surprise as he extended a hand and signaled for her to stop. His sharp gaze made it clear that she was to hold back.
Then Subaru turned his attention toward Capella.
The Archbishop's eyes widened when she saw him standing there, looming over her broken and pathetic form.
In an instant, her twisted mind scrambled for survival. Abandoning all pride, she dropped her face to the floor and crawled toward him, dragging her ruined body across the bloodstained ground.
When she reached his shoes, she bent down and pressed her lips against them desperately, kissing them again and again.
"S-Spare me!" she pleaded frantically, her voice trembling with hysteria. "Please, I'll do anything you want! I-I'm willing to be your slave—your sex slave, your pet, whatever you want! I can transform into anyone you desire! You can beat me, humiliate me, use me however you like! I'll drink your piss, I'll eat shit, I'll crawl at your feet like a dog—anything! I'll obey every disgusting command you give me, just spare my life!"
Her mind had already broken completely under the weight of pain and fear.
She had come to a horrifying realization—the power she once prided herself on, the Authority she had believed made her untouchable, was utterly meaningless before Subaru.
He was something beyond her comprehension, a wall she couldn't overcome. And that understanding shattered her arrogance, leaving behind nothing but desperation.
Subaru, however, remained unmoved. He looked down at her with a calm, cold expression, completely unfazed by her degrading words and humiliating offers.
To him, she wasn't even worth the disgust.
"You know," he said casually, turning away as if her begging wasn't worth his time, "you're even more pathetic than the one I killed before."
His words cut deeper than any blade, and Capella's eyes widened with terror. Subaru's back faced her now, his voice steady and decisive as he gave the order: "Gloria. Kill her."
Capella's body shook violently, her face drained of color. Her eyes went wide with fear as she realized he truly intended to end her.
"N-No! Please, don't kill me!" she screamed, her voice breaking into sheer hysteria.
"I'll swear myself to you! I'll become your eternal slave! I'll make a contract, I'll bind myself to you forever—just let me live! Please, I'll serve you for eternity!"
But Subaru didn't so much as glance back at her. He ignored her pathetic begging completely, as though her existence was nothing more than background noise.
Gloria, on the other hand, grinned wickedly. She relished the command, her earlier frustration vanishing in an instant.
"Heh. With pleasure."
Without hesitation, she lifted her hand, and the Divine Axe Rita spun in the air before her, gleaming ominously.
With a sharp motion, Gloria threw the weapon forward.
The golden axe flew straight toward Capella.
The golden axe cut through Capella's skull without the slightest resistance, cleaving her head into two neat halves.
The weapon lodged deep inside, glowing faintly as if savoring its work.
The moment her head split apart, her existence unraveled.
Her soul was obliterated instantly.
The Witch Factor of Lust, which she had carried with such arrogance and pride, seeped out of her collapsing body like smoke leaking from a shattered vessel.
It didn't scatter or fade into the air. Instead, it rushed straight into Subaru's body, almost as if it had always belonged there.
The foreign Witch Factor was instantly devoured and absorbed by Subaru's own Witch Factor of Lust.
Subaru paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful.
He could feel the strange weight settle inside him, the merging of two powers that should not have coexisted.
The Witch Factor he already carried and the one that had belonged to Capella were not copies of each other in the conventional sense.
They both hailed from different timelines, each one being an original in its own right. Even if someone called them "duplicates," the comparison would only be relative.
There was no such thing as a true or false Witch Factor—they were simply what they were, each carrying their own authority and origin.
Subaru decided to leave the matter for later.
He would test and analyze what changes might occur in him once things settled. Now wasn't the time.
Gloria, meanwhile, exhaled sharply and rested her weapon back at her side.
Her lips curled into a dissatisfied pout as she muttered, "How boring. I thought this one would at least give me some fun." Her eyes drifted toward Capella's ruined corpse, clearly unimpressed by how quickly the so-called Archbishop of Lust had been taken down.
In truth, Gloria had expected more of a challenge. But as her eyes flicked to the Divine Axe Rita floating beside her, the answer was obvious.
The weapon wasn't normal. It wasn't fair.
It was a monstrosity of craftsmanship—an overpowered weapon that annihilated anything it touched. With a small smirk, Gloria admitted inwardly that it wasn't entirely Capella's fault for dying so pathetically.
After all, if the Divine Axe Rita hadn't displayed such overwhelming might, even after being forged through the sacrifice of four legendary weapons—including Reid, the strongest sword of another world—it wouldn't have deserved to exist at all.
The fact that it could casually erase a Sin Archbishop's soul was nothing less than proof of its worth.
Crusch, on the other hand, stood frozen. Her emerald eyes locked on Capella's corpse, unblinking, as her thoughts struggled to catch up with reality.
The woman who had tormented her beyond measure, the monster who had twisted her body into an abomination, who had defeated her and her comrades as if they were worthless insects—that woman had just died.
And not in some glorious final battle, but in the most humiliating and pathetic way possible, cut down like trash and left to rot.
Crusch found herself trembling.
Her brain screamed at her to believe, but her heart resisted the truth of the scene before her.
After a few silent minutes, she forced her legs to move, step by step, until she stood before the remains of her tormentor.
Then, without hesitation, she raised her hand.
A sharp gust of wind erupted as she cast a spell, striking Capella's already ruined body. The corpse shook violently, pieces scattering across the floor.
But Crusch didn't stop.
She fired another spell.
Then another.
And another.
Again and again, she bombarded the remains until nothing recognizable was left.
Flesh was shredded, bones splintered, blood turned into a disgusting paste.
By the time she finally stopped, the Archbishop's corpse was reduced to nothing more than gore spread across the floor.
Only then did she feel a fragile sense of calm.
Breathing heavily, Crusch turned around.
Her eyes immediately sought out her saviors, and more specifically, her gaze landed on Subaru.
Her body moved on instinct. She walked directly up to him, her steps heavy yet filled with determination.
Then, without hesitation, she lowered herself to one knee before him.
"I ask for your forgiveness," she said, her voice steady but carrying a faint tremor. "Forgiveness for showing you such an unsightly display just now. I… I also wish to express my deepest gratitude. You killed that abomination when I could not. You saved us when we were powerless." She lifted her eyes to look directly at Subaru, her face filled with sincerity.
"I—I also realize mere words are not enough to repay such a debt. So, I would like to pledge myself to you, Lord Zero. If you would allow it, I—"
"STOP."
Subaru's voice cut her off immediately, sharp and commanding. Crusch froze mid-sentence, her body stiff as her eyes widened in nervousness.
"I didn't save you because I wanted to make you my servant or anything like that," Subaru said flatly.
"I don't want a pledge. I don't want loyalty. I don't even want gold coins. None of that matters to me." He paused, his expression firm as his voice dropped lower, almost carrying weight behind each word. "The only thing I want is this…"
Crusch leaned in slightly, anxious yet curious.
"If you ever meet a red-haired woman with blue eyes, and her name is Reina," Subaru continued, his tone serious, "then receive her as your guest. Treat her well. And tell her this: Zero was here, and he will return for her in the future. That is all I ask of you."
Crusch blinked in surprise, her mind struggling to comprehend the request.
Of all the things she had expected—wealth, power, obedience, even control over her domain—this was the last thing she would have imagined. And yet, she didn't dare question it.
He had saved her life, shattered the nightmare that had consumed her, and destroyed the monster that had humiliated her. If this was his request, then she would honor it without hesitation.
"I-If that is your request, then I will definitely do it," she said firmly, nodding with conviction.
Subaru gave her a small nod in return. "Very well. Then we'll take our leave. Both of us still have business to finish. There are other Sin Archbishops to deal with."
If anyone else had said those words, Crusch would have laughed bitterly.
To speak so casually about killing all of the Sin Archbishops, especially after enduring such despair and horror at the hands of just one, would normally seem insane.
If someone had told her this only a day ago, she would have mocked them without a second thought.
But Subaru and Gloria weren't just "anyone."
They were the people who had saved her, saved everyone in that place, and annihilated the Sin Archbishop who had toyed with them as if they were nothing more than insects.
The Archbishop had broken their bodies and spirits with casual cruelty, yet in front of Subaru and Gloria, that same Archbishop was reduced to the role of prey—no, not even that.
She was nothing more than a toy, a pitiful animal meant to be slaughtered without mercy.
The contrast was staggering.
Crusch couldn't help but reflect on the irony. For her and the others, they had been nothing but toys, helpless in the Archbishop's hands.
And yet when Subaru and Gloria entered the scene, the Archbishop herself became the toy, utterly powerless and torn apart without even the dignity of resistance.
The sheer difference in power left Crusch stunned.
She had always believed Reinhardt, the Sword Saint, stood at the absolute pinnacle of strength.
But after witnessing this, she realized even Reinhardt could not compare to Subaru and Gloria.
The scale was entirely different—something beyond what she had imagined possible.
Before she could say anything, Gloria suddenly began to glow.
Her body dissolved into particles of pure mana, reverting to her spirit form. In the blink of an eye, she shrank into a small orb of light and merged back into Subaru's body.
Subaru himself gave no parting words.
He simply vanished, teleporting away without hesitation, leaving nothing but silence behind.
The moment he disappeared, Crusch bit her lips hard.
Her chest tightened with a sudden emptiness.
The sense of security, warmth, and strange comfort she had felt in his presence vanished instantly, replaced by cold air and silence.
Even though she was still burdened by her trauma, she clenched her fists and steeled herself.
She could not crumble here. She had to stand.
Taking a deep breath, Crusch forced herself to move.
She walked back into the room where she had been held captive for so long.
Her eyes swept over the unconscious figures lying across the floor—her comrades, victims just like her. Then her gaze stopped at Felix.
"Felix…" Crusch thought, her heart heavy and conflicted.
Capella had made her witness sides of Felix that she had never seen before. Sides she had never even believed existed in him.
What she had seen had not only disappointed her—it had left her disgusted. The demi-human she had trusted and relied on had collapsed in despair far too easily.
And worse, in his desperation, he had turned his frustration and hopelessness against her. He had stabbed her grotesque, mutated body again and again, venting his own fear and helplessness by lashing out at her.
Crusch could not forget that.
Still, despite everything, she could not completely abandon him.
Their bond, their relationship, and their long history together prevented her from cutting him off entirely.
She decided then that she would help him, that she would still support him—but deep down, she knew things could never return to how they once were.
The trust between them was fractured. The closeness they had shared was broken. From now on, their relationship would never be the same.
Her body shivered slightly as the memories resurfaced.
She had been traumatized by what Felix had done, by how insane and unstable his actions had been in those moments of despair.
Even now, she couldn't erase the image of him breaking down, of him stabbing her repeatedly with wild eyes, as if punishing her for his own helplessness. The thought alone made her stomach twist in discomfort.
Shaking her head, she forced the thoughts aside for now. Dwelling on it endlessly would do her no good.
"First things first… I need to find proper clothes," Crusch muttered in her mind as she glanced down at herself. The ragged piece of cloth draped around her body barely qualified as clothing—it was little more than a dirty strip of fabric pretending to be a robe.
Every moment in it reminded her of the humiliation she had endured.
Clenching her fists, she resolved to change, both literally and figuratively.
To be continued...
(A/N: I am hurt man, I created an RL craft server and no one joined. I have liked 700 guys in discord. Out of which like five guys regularly talk, out of which 20 guys actually react to announcements.
Now you ask me why I banned you in Patreon, I made an announcement the same day I did. But people just ignore it, and don't solve the issue until it is too late. Just you know, if you are that 2.5 dollar guy who was banned. Patreon Engineers failed to solve the problem, if you want to see the proof, join the discord I will give the pics of the Emails I received.
If you had reacted in time no such problem would have occurred.
Now you guys aren't joining Patreon and demanding me chaps everyday. Latest chaps are average on 4k words and go upto 9k words. Do you expect me to upload chaps everyday?
And when I wasted my holidays to play Rl craft no one joined. I created a server, added Rl craft in it, then got my cpu in turbo and now I was even planning to upgrade my Ram.
The Server was free to join btw, for last three to five days I had to ask people to join so my hard work doesn't goes to waste. The problems I faced getting this server running is insane.
And the emotional torture my mother and sister gave me, because I took my 'Own' mobile to set up the server alongside my laptop is astounding.
My father is obviously has hired a scammer builder who has eaten dozens of hundreds of bucks by now, and when I say to fire him or take a legal action 'I am the stupid guy'.
My mother's phone is broken, and the only phone other than my father's available is mine. If my sister doesn't gets my phone or I take both laptop and phone for any work They yell at me.
I said I will get them a new phone, but my father is refusing to use 'My own money' , to get them a new phone, and he has delayed buying them buying a 100 dollars phone for three months by now, when he has put more than thousand dollars in that scammer's stomach.
I keep saying to my mother what is stopping on buying the phone on her 'own', I will pay the money. But she doesn't listens to me, and keeps arguing with my father who again keeps arguing with me.
You guys suck, my family sucks, and my situation sucks.
Oof I am at my breaking point, I thought I would playing Rl craft during my holiday with bois. But now! The only people I have are like my sister who is a noob that I got frustrated playing with her than anything.
My other friends are either girls who have zero gaming experience, boys owning a Java Minecraft and detest bedrock for some reason, or don't even know what is Minecraft.
IF YOU IGNORED MY RANTING, THEN CONGRATULATIONS! YOU JUST SAVED YOURSELF FROM GETTING YELLED AT IT, AND MADE ME ANGRIER, NO CHAPS FOR YOU FOR TWO WEEKS!)