"Enemy attack!!" Crusch's sharp cry instantly shattered the heavy air. The members of the subjugation party expertly formed a defensive form
"Enemy attack!!"
Crusch's sharp cry instantly shattered the heavy air. The members of the subjugation party expertly formed a defensive formation, the sound of weapons being drawn from their sheaths rising and falling.
The gradually clearing figure looked ordinary, a slender body wrapped in nondescript white clothes, and beneath the white hair was a featureless face. But it was precisely this bizarre ordinariness that made Natsuki Subaru's eyebrows shoot up.
The Sin Archbishop of Greed...
Natsuki Subaru looked at the white-haired man before him, a hint of gravity in his dark eyes. As expected, the thing I worried about most has still happened. The Sin Archbishop of Greed has come.
"Who are you? Are you with the Witch Cult?" Crusch pointed her sword at the newcomer, her emerald eyes shining with vigilance.
The white-haired man stopped upon hearing her, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"I see, I see. You don't know me."
Then, the white-haired man tilted his head, his voice as flat as if reciting scripture.
"But I know you. After all, the entire Royal Capital... no, the whole country is celebrating what you've done. You are, after all, a candidate for the next monarch. Should I call it the way of the world, or something about titles? Even I, who have no interest in such things, can imagine the absurdly bizarre resolve you must carry. Sigh, it must be so hard..."
"Cut the crap." Crusch's sword tip remained motionless as she stared at him. "Answer my question. If your next words are not an answer, I will act."
"How harsh you speak~" The white-haired man spread his hands, completely ignoring Crusch's warning, and continued to ramble on. "However, this assertiveness does suit a future monarch, although I completely fail to understand why one would voluntarily shoulder such a heavy burden... Ah, but I won't deny your choice, you see? After all, I am different from you arrogant people..."
Natsuki Subaru stood to the side, silently observing the incessantly chattering white-haired man, retorting internally: The Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas. Fickle and nagging, practically a chatterbox. Has this guy not spoken to anyone in a few hundred years?
"—I said there would be no next time." Crusch's icy voice, like a drawn sword, instantly cut off the white-haired man's annoying prattle. The longsword in her hand drew a graceful arc, and her sword technique, a perfect combination of wind magic and her Wind Reading Divine Protection, the Hundred-Man One-Sword Strike, was unleashed in an instant. An invisible wind blade tore through the air, heading straight for Regulus's throat with a sharpness capable of cutting steel.
"Crusch's signature ultimate move..." Natsuki Subaru narrowed his eyes, observing the battle situation without a change in expression. It's known that in the past, when the Mabeast Great Rabbit appeared in the Karsten Duchy's territory, Crusch drove it away before any damage was done to the domain, and this ultimate move, which earned her the name "Valkyrie," was what accomplished it. An invisible slash that could even cut through the White Whale's thick hide. Logically, it should be more than enough to slice this slender man's body in two.
However—
"Hey! To slash at someone when they're right in the middle of speaking so pleasantly, what kind of upbringing did you have?" The white-haired man tilted his head, nonchalantly patting the spot on his chest that had been hit by the slash, an expression of extreme dissatisfaction on his face. Not only was he completely unharmed, but even his clothes were without the slightest tear, as if that wind blade, capable of cutting steel, had never existed.
"What?!" Crusch gasped, a rare flicker of shock in her emerald eyes. She knew the power of her strike all too well; even the White Whale's tough hide couldn't completely withstand it. Yet the seemingly frail white-haired man before her was completely unscathed. Th-this, how is this possible?!
The members of the subjugation party were also frozen in place by this reality-defying outcome.
"Even Lady Crusch's slash is ineffective. What kind of ability is this?" Wilhelm's brow furrowed tightly, his eyes under his silver hair growing even sharper.
"This is impossible, meow... I clearly saw Lady Crusch's slash hit him," Ferris couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"Just as I thought..." Amidst the shock, only Natsuki Subaru's expression remained calm. This outcome was well within his expectations. After all, without first breaking the mechanism of the Sin Archbishop of Greed's Authority, any attack on him is useless. It would be the same even if Reinhard were here. This guy's Authority is like an unsolvable bug.
"I said, I'm speaking. I am currently speaking, you know?" The white-haired man sighed exaggeratedly, then impatiently pushed his bangs up, his tone filled with complaint. "Interrupting someone while they're speaking, don't you all find that strange?"
Then, while impatiently tapping the ground with the tip of his foot, he continued to ramble, "Although I don't intend to assert my right to speak, when someone is talking, you should listen quietly. Isn't that common sense? Of course, whether you listen or not is your freedom, I won't complain, but isn't that judgment to not let me speak a bit too much? How self-centered can you be?"
Why does this guy talk so much? As expected of the chatterbox Archbishop Regulus... Natsuki Subaru secretly frowned, warily observing Regulus's every move.
Seeing the crowd remain silent, the white-haired man clicked his tongue in even greater displeasure.
"Now you're not talking. What is it you want? Are you listening? Did you hear me? I'm asking a question! When you're asked something, you should answer! Isn't that how it is?"
Pausing for a moment, the white-haired man's tone grew increasingly agitated, the crazed light in his eyes intensifying.
"Ah ah, freedom, I understand. That is your freedom, that is how you use your freedom. Fine, do as you please. However, that also means—"
The white-haired man suddenly leaned forward, a vicious glint in his eyes. "You are scorning my rights, my few pieces of private property, aren't you?"
A bone-chilling cold instantly shot up everyone's spine.
"Watch out!"
Natsuki Subaru's pupils contracted sharply, his body moving faster than his thoughts. The moment the white-haired man's arm had just begun to lift, he had already anticipated the danger, and in an instant, he rushed towards Crusch.
Time seemed to stretch at this moment. Natsuki Subaru could clearly see a hint of surprise flash in the white-haired man's eyes, that raised arm descending with a bizarrely slow speed.
"It's not that he's slowed down..." Natsuki Subaru's mind was exceptionally clear as he thought to himself, "It's that my reaction speed is too fast."
And so, in the nick of time, Natsuki Subaru forcefully wrapped an arm around Crusch's slender waist, pulling her sideways to dodge. The moment the hems of their clothes left their original position—
Swish!
An invisible slash brushed past their fluttering clothes, tearing a bottomless fissure in the solid ground, the resulting debris shooting out like bullets.
"Aaaahhh—"
Screams rose one after another. Several members of the subjugation party behind Crusch, who couldn't dodge in time, were instantly sliced in two, blood and limbs flying everywhere. This slash extended for several hundred meters, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
"Damn bastard!" Natsuki Subaru landed steadily, protecting Crusch, his heart pounding wildly. "Such power from just a casual swing."
"You reacted quite quickly..." The white-haired man tilted his head, his gaze truly focusing on Natsuki Subaru for the first time, a horrifying smile on his lips. "To be able to react the moment I acted... Interesting, so very interesting~"
"Who are you?" Crusch freed herself from Natsuki Subaru's arms, her emerald eyes burning with fury.
"The Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop, in charge of Greed, Regulus Corneas."
Regulus showed a very cordial yet utterly violent, demon-like smile, and stated his name.
"The Witch Cult—Sin Archbishop Regulus?!"
"What?!"
"It's actually a Sin Archbishop!"
A commotion instantly broke out among the subjugation party, fear spreading through the ranks.
Wilhelm's sword was instantly drawn, his silver hair fluttering in the wind. "Everyone, on guard!"
"What?!" Ricardo gripped his giant sword, his rugged face filled with caution. "This guy is that Sin Archbishop."
"Calm! Hold the formation!" Crusch shouted, but her voice also carried a hint of tension.
Indeed, the infamous reputation of the Witch Cult and its Sin Archbishops was known to all in the kingdom. They were known for their extreme methods, often resorting to massacres and sacrifices, causing countless innocent casualties. Just like that mad Sin Archbishop of Sloth, Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti. And this Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus, was even more notorious. According to rumors, Regulus had single-handedly invaded the most fortified city in the southern Vollachian Empire, easily defeating the empire's elite troops. Even the imperial hero known as the "Eight-Armed Battle God," Kurgan, had died tragically at his hands, and the entire prosperous city was ultimately reduced to scorched earth.
"Hehehe..." Regulus enjoyed the terrified expressions on everyone's faces with delight. "It seems my reputation is even more renowned than I imagined~"
"Did you come because the White Whale was defeated? Are you here for revenge for that Mabeast?" Crusch forced herself to remain calm, slightly lifting her head to question Regulus.
"Rest assured~" Regulus waved his hand, a faint smile suddenly blooming on his face. "My being here is entirely a coincidence. The White Whale is dead, so it's dead. Why would I avenge it? As for me, I am quite content with my current self."
"Conflict and such, I dislike it the most~" Regulus continued in that unsettlingly light tone, gesturing dramatically with his hands. "As long as this ordinary, calm, and peaceful time can continue, that is enough." As he spoke, Regulus clenched his fists and closed his eyes in ecstasy. "Beyond that, I desire nothing."
"This is for the best. My hands are very small; I cannot hold too many desires. Personally, just protecting my private property takes all my effort~" Regulus was completely immersed in his own speech, his dancing and gesturing making him look like an excited child. But everyone knew that this man could, at any moment, swing his hand again and take more lives.
Natsuki Subaru stared intently at Regulus in front of him, thinking to himself: This madman, Regulus, claims to hate conflict, yet he can casually take human lives. As expected, the minds of the Sin Archbishops are not normal.
"Hey, little bro," Ricardo whispered, leaning closer to Natsuki Subaru's ear. "This guy's crazy talk is giving me a headache. Do you have a plan?"
"Let's not act rashly for now. His ability is very tricky..." Natsuki Subaru shook his head slightly. Speaking of which, it's precisely because Regulus's personality is so twisted that he can wield his Authority to such an extent. If it were a normal person, even with the same Witch Factor and Authority, they probably couldn't achieve such a terrifying effect.
"Is your private property the wanton murder of innocents?" Crusch coldly interrupted Regulus's monologue, the tip of her sword pointed directly at him.
"Ah... a misunderstanding." Regulus's expression instantly darkened, but then he put on that horrifying smile again and continued to ramble on. "But it doesn't matter, you'll all understand soon enough. After all, how could a reasonable person like me hurt others without reason? I am merely protecting my most basic rights. You see, my hands are so small, the things I can hold are already few. If I can't even properly protect this little bit of private property, wouldn't that be too pitiful? Although you probably can't understand this feeling..."
"So, what is it that you want?" Crusch, as the commander of the subjugation party, suppressed her anger and asked, her emerald eyes burning with an icy flame.
"I don't want anything~" Regulus spread his hands with a look of innocence, speaking in a very ordinary tone. "You were the ones who attacked me first. I'm a very reasonable person, you see. I didn't even get angry that you interrupted me while I was speaking. Although that was indeed very rude, but..."
"Reasonable?" Ferris couldn't help but interject, the fur on his tail bristling. "You killed so many of our people just now, meow!"
"You started it first," Regulus said with an indifferent look. "I was just acting in self-defense. My hands are so clean, not even a drop of blood on them. Doesn't that prove I'm a very clean person? Though you might think that's not important."
"What do you want?" Crusch questioned again, her voice as cold as ice.
Regulus suddenly held up one finger, a faint smile on his face.
"Very simple. You stand there and take one of my attacks. No defending and no dodging. That way, the dispute between us will be written off. How about it?"
"Are you kidding me!" Ricardo roared loudly, his giant sword slamming into the ground. "If you want to fight, then fight fair and square!"
"Lady Crusch, don't believe his nonsense!" Ferris shouted anxiously, his cat ears pricked up nervously. "This guy is definitely up to something bad, meow!"
"..." Just as Crusch was about to speak—
"Scum of the Witch Cult, your end comes by this old man's hand!" Wilhelm's sharp sword was already drawn, his silver hair shining in the sunlight. The old Sword Demon's figure was as fast as lightning, his blade aimed straight for Regulus's head.
"Sin Archbishop! Die!"
The Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas.
__
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