"You would sacrifice everything just to resurrect Echidna? Even the people who trust and follow you can be cast aside?"
Natsuki Subaru's fists clenched tighter in his palms.
It had to be said, that bastard Roswaal had done far too many cruel and heartless things.
Initially, following the guidance of the Book of Wisdom, Roswaal had stood by and done nothing during the tragic extermination of the Oni Clan, yet he had precisely chosen to save Ram and Rem. He then took them in, and would even quietly build memorial tablets for the dead villagers and sweep their graves.
This behavior seemed contradictory, but was in fact a product of extreme selfishness, because Roswaal was a person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Furthermore, in the original story's Sanctuary arc, Roswaal had unhesitatingly killed Ram, who had always loved him deeply, in order to eliminate Garfiel, who was in his way.
Moreover, Roswaal had never feared death. He even exploited Natsuki Subaru's Return by Death ability, entrusting all possibilities entirely to his next self. This inhuman, insane way of thinking was enough to send a chill down the spine of anyone who knew the truth.
Not only that, but for four hundred years, Roswaal had survived since the Witch's era by continuously taking over the bodies of his descendants.
He wielded the Book of Wisdom, which could predict the future, with the sole objective of resurrecting his teacher, the Witch of Greed, Echidna.
To achieve this goal, Roswaal had grown increasingly paranoid and insane over the long years.
If not for the fact that Roswaal was a supporter of Emilia's faction and had recommended her for the royal selection, Subaru would have wanted to kill this bastard long ago, just for the times Roswaal had schemed against him.
"That is precisely it—I suppose~" Roswaal admitted with a candid nod, a fanatical light glinting in his mismatched eyes.
"To reach that one and only future, all sacrifices are worthwhile... a servant's loyalty, the villagers' lives, even my own morality and humanity... All of it is the price that must be paid to achieve the final goal!"
Roswaal was breathing heavily, but he grew more agitated as he spoke, as if proclaiming some twisted truth.
"If one lacks even this resolve, how could one ever touch a true—miracle~?"
"Is that your answer?"
THUD!
"This punch is for Rem!"
THUD!
"This one is for Emilia!"
THUD!
"This punch is for Beatrice!"
THUD! "For Ram!"
THUD! "And... for me!"
THUD! "This one is for everyone you've schemed against!"
Like hitting a worn-out sandbag, Natsuki Subaru's fists landed on Roswaal one after another.
Each punch contained the fury that had been building up for the past two months, yet each one precisely avoided any truly fatal spots.
In fact, Natsuki Subaru was holding back most of his strength.
After all, with a strength attribute dozens of times greater than a normal person's, a full-power strike could probably punch right through the fragile body of a mage like Roswaal on the spot.
But for that very reason, Subaru controlled every ounce of power with precision, ensuring he could inflict extreme pain without immediately taking the other's life.
He specifically targeted areas with dense nerve clusters and the highest sensitivity to pain—the temples, the celiac plexus, the submandibular triangle—so that every bit of pain was magnified to its absolute limit.
"Ugh..."
Roswaal was completely powerless to resist, slumping to the ground like a pile of mud, able only to endure this precise, rage-fueled judgment. His magnificent attire was already in tatters, covered in dirt and blood. The face that always wore a false smile was now swollen and bruised, and his mismatched eyes had lost their focus from the excruciating pain.
Suddenly, a book with a black cover slipped out of Roswaal's tattered robes and fell to the ground.
It was the Book of Wisdom he so cherished.
Roswaal, his face deathly pale and his breathing faint, actually struggled to lift his head. He reached out a trembling hand, a look of terror appearing in his eyes for the first time, as if that book was more important than his own life.
"The Book... of... Wis...dom... is gone..."
It was as if Roswaal's soul and all his support had been instantly ripped away. His outstretched hand fell limply, and his entire body went slack on the ground. He stared blankly at the flames leaping up, devouring the pages of the book. His mismatched eyes held nothing but endless emptiness and confusion as he fell into a completely catatonic state.
"Looks like Roswaal just shut down completely... Ah well, let him be."
Natsuki Subaru didn't spare another glance at the broken Roswaal, an expression of relief unconsciously appearing on his face.
After all, he had waited far too long for this opportunity to give the bastard a proper, thorough beating.
"So satisfying! I finally got to vent all the frustration that's been building for two months!"
Recalling all the grievances of this period, Natsuki Subaru's mood at this moment was indescribably cathartic.
Elsewhere.
Emilia, Beatrice, and Ram quickly ran over.
"Subaru, you did great," Beatrice was the first to rush over, hugging Natsuki Subaru's leg tightly. Her small, upturned face was filled with delight.
"I knew it, I knew Subaru could beat that liar Roswaal to a pulp, in fact. Those last few hits were so satisfying."
"Thank goodness, Subaru... it's finally over." Emilia also walked up quickly, her amethyst eyes brimming with relieved contentment. She said softly, "I'm so glad you're okay... But you really had us worried for a moment there, you know?"
Ram stood a little farther away. With a complex expression, she first glanced at the pathetic figure of Roswaal lying on the ground, an indescribable emotion flashing in her wine-red eyes. Then she turned her gaze to Natsuki Subaru and finally gave a slight nod.
"...Subaru, this time, your actions were truly flawless. Ram... expresses her gratitude."
"It's nothing, I just..." Surrounded by the three girls, Natsuki Subaru waved his hand and said.
"In the name of the moon, no wait, in the name of justice, I just taught Roswaal a little lesson and blew off some steam, that's all. After all, that guy caused us a lot of trouble."
It was worth noting that although Roswaal looked exceptionally battered, with the existence of Healing Magic, as long as he wasn't dead, his physical injuries could always be healed.
However, he would probably have to endure the physical pain for a good while longer. This could be considered a small price to pay for everything he had done.
"Things have finally come to a close."
Natsuki Subaru mentally calculated the results of this operation.
Back at the mansion, he had successfully eliminated the major threat of the Bowel Hunter, Elsa, and also resolved Beatrice's four-hundred-year-old emotional baggage, forming a contract with her. Here at the Sanctuary, the all-consuming Great Rabbit had been completely annihilated, and the mastermind, Roswaal, had received the punishment he deserved.
"The process was a bit rocky, but the outcome is good, all things considered."
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru lifted his head and looked out at the pure white snowfields of the Sanctuary.
The sun was setting, and its last rays dyed the snow a warm orange. The snow gently covered the traces and clamor of the earlier battle, reflecting a tranquil and soft light.
The cool air was filled with a sense of peace, as if everything had returned to calm.
The morning sun cast a gentle glow upon the spacious courtyard of the Roswaal Mansion. The air carried a hint of coolness and the fresh scent of grass and trees.
A week had passed peacefully since the Great Rabbit incident at the Sanctuary was completely resolved.
As usual, Natsuki Subaru was on his morning jog in the courtyard.
As he finished his last lap, the familiar system notification sound echoed precisely on time in his mind:
[Notification: Congratulations to the player for completing the Daily Quest. The quest reward has been distributed.]
[Reward Contents:]
[1. Full Status Recovery]
[2. Stat Points +2]
[3. Random Box x1]
"Alright, today's Daily Quest is done too."
Natsuki Subaru muttered out of habit, then with a slight thought, the translucent, azure system panel materialized before his eyes. His gaze swept over the neatly listed progress of today's quest:
[Daily Quest: Quest for Strength.]
[Push-ups: 100/100]
[Sit-ups: 100/100]
[Squats: 100/100]
[Running: 10km/10km]
Behind every item, a 'completed' status was clearly marked.
"Come to think of it, even though my strength has reached this inhuman level, the content and volume of the Daily Quest haven't changed at all."
Natsuki Subaru looked at the system panel and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
"Logically speaking, if a normal person performed the exact same intensity and volume of exercise every day, their body would have long since adapted completely, and the effects would diminish. It would be impossible to keep making visible improvements like this."
"But this System is a System. Every time I complete the quest, the sense of reinforcement from those two Stat Points is very real."
"I suppose this is a manifestation of the absolute power of the System."
Natsuki Subaru thought to himself.
Today, for the level 64 Natsuki Subaru, completing these basic training exercises was easier than a walk in the park for a normal person.
Whether it was 100 standard push-ups or a 10-kilometer run, they placed no stress on his current physique. His heart rate remained stable throughout, and he didn't even break a single drop of sweat. The stamina bar on the system screen barely showed any depletion.
Natsuki Subaru wasn't concerned with how much muscle stimulation the exercises themselves provided; all the improvements clearly came from the rewards distributed upon system settlement.
The feeling was like a max-level character going back to do a starting village quest. The experience points gained might be negligible, but the quest rewards of gems and gold were still handed out without fail.
And for Natsuki Subaru, this was undoubtedly a tremendous boon.
"Even if I stop going to dungeons to kill monsters and level up, as long as I can complete the Daily Quest indefinitely and accumulate Stat Points, my strength can still grow steadily, becoming very powerful."
Natsuki Subaru stroked his chin as a thought of taking it easy popped into his head.
After all, just by spending a little time each day to complete these fixed exercises in the Daily Quest, his strength would tangibly increase, little by little.
A single day's improvement might seem insignificant, but accumulated day after day, week after week, year after year, the effect would be terrifying.
One had to know, there was no one else in this world who could get stronger by a little bit every day, stably, without needing enlightenment or arduous training, like Natsuki Subaru could.
______
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