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The next day came quickly.
Subaru had a long discussion with his new subordinates. He was getting to know them all very well— something every boss should do so they could better understand their worker's wants and needs. It was something that Capella Emerada Lugunica never considered. The thought of actually physically and mentally providing for those who worked for her never crossed her mind.
To her, they were just pets— mere slaves she could force to do her bidding. When they exhausted their use, she'd throw them away. Some assassins were so stricken with happiness from Subaru's consideration that they broke down into tears.
Some told him about their families and how they wanted to provide for them. Others talked about their dead lovers and how they wanted to properly mourn for them. Others wanted help returning to normalcy— a delicacy out of reach given their strict work regime under Capella.
Subaru decided to put them all on paid leave— using Capella's coffers to compensate. All of them would have a few months to mentally heal and return with a fresh mind. Then, that's when the real work would begin.
The reason he did this was because boosting morale amongst the work place was beneficial, plus, he didn't want to feel like a shitty boss. Subaru also had some thinking to do himself.
Once all was settled, a majority of them took their leave, journeying across the continent and returning upon the date they were required. Of course, some could still choose to drop out, but Subaru had faith that a majority would come back.
After all that was said and done, Subaru finally decided to proceed with his plan of storming the witch's seal and confronting Satella. However, he needed to prepare.
He used the copied Lust Authority— creating a black japanese kendogi with orange linings. It was a fairly simple design— prioritizing practicality over flair.
He then searched for Capella. That was because she would be tagging along with him. He would've had Shion and Lyra tag along instead, but the two said they had a few visits to make, plus Lyra wouldn't talk to him after their last "meeting".
She had screamed and blushed after their accidental encounter within the baths. He had apologized profusely, but even Shion re-manifested and assured him that it was her fault, and while Lyra wouldn't admit it, she knew she was complicit as well.
Right now, Subaru and Capella were the only individuals occupying this large mansion. It was eerily quiet— a feeling Subaru didn't like. He was never really a fan of the decor— gave him the vibes of a haunted mansion. He'd promise himself they'd relocate to a new location within the future.
Nonetheless, he waltzed up to the vacant room she had been using— not even bothering to knock as he opened it.
On the bed lay Capella, curled up into a ball as she looked out into nothingness. Her eyes then switched to him as she suddenly raised her head with an alert expression.
"It's fucking you!" She yelled, anger rising, "What the hell do you want?!"
"Jeez, can you stop with all the cursing and yelling? It's grating on the ears." Subaru didn't bother to answer her question as he stepped into the room. He looked around. This room didn't seem to have been used at all, as there were cobwebs and dust littering the place.
"How could this lovely lady's voice possibly even be close to grating? This is the most beautiful voice you'll ever hear in your life, meatbag!" She said, mustering all of her pride in her rebuke.
"Wow, you're still the same as ever…"
"You get what you get. This is what you wanted, right? Having me all to yourself?"
Her hands then roamed around her body in an attempt to look seductive. Indeed, it worked, however,
"Sorry, you're cute and all, but egotistical maniacs aren't exactly my type," Subaru said matter-of-factly. For a brief second, Capella's expression twisted into something unreadable, before settling into that same expression of surrender she had been wearing earlier. She fell onto her back, staring at the ceiling with vacant eyes.
For a moment, the room was silent until Subaru finally spoke again.
"I need you for something. We're going to the Augria Sand Dunes."
"…For what?" Capella tilted her head, "What would someone like you want to do there?"
There wasn't much of a point in going there. The very air was poisoned with witch miasma, and there were hundreds upon hundreds of Mabeast wandering the lands. Going there was a death trap.
Perhaps Capella should've reconsidered. Subaru was significantly strong— enough to lay waste to every single archbishop. Her head twisted as she looked at Subaru, trying to recall someone like him. Such an individual with enormous power shouldn't have evaded her information networks.
"Oh, it's simple: I'm going to free the witch of envy."
The second those words left his tongue, Capella briefly froze before she shot up from the bed, looking at Subaru like one would at a mad man. Her lips fidgeted as she balled her first— her knuckles going white.
"S-Say that again? This lovely lady didn't just hear—"
"Come on? Those ears gotta work. I resurrected you to your prime. I'm going to release the witch of envy," Subaru repeated simply.
"That's… are you fucking crazy!? Do you have a death wish? The Witch is mad! If you release her, you doom the entire fucking world!"
Capella frantically explained to him— trying her best to stop Subaru from not only releasing the Witch of Envy, but also dragging her into his mess. Subaru only shook his head as he smiled.
"Don't you remember the contract? In exchange for my undying loyalty and body, you'll protect me— keep me alive!" She yelled with widened eyes.
"No?" Subaru wagged his finger, "The clause was that in exchange for your body, I wouldn't kill you. If you died from natural causes or other means, then you're just dead. However, I still have authority over your soul, so I could infinitely resurrect you."
Capella felt like she was going to scream. How could she forget the one-sidedness of the contract? Every loophole was in his favor. Subaru could send her marching there herself, knowing she would die, and the contract would still hold itself up, knowing Subaru didn't technically kill her with his own hands.
"Y-You fucking monster," she said weakly, almost on the verge of tears. Subaru had to roll his eyes at the hypocrisy.
"Look who's talking? Plus, I said I'd make you regret every single evil action you'd ever done and make you repent. If it takes all of eternity, then so be it."
Subaru already had a warped sense of time— further fueled by his newfound immortality, alongside his numerous authorities. He'd live to the end of this timeline, and if it was destroyed, so what? He'd hop into a new one, repeating the process over and over. It would only end when he wanted it to end.
Capella's hands dug into her face as she slowly started to comprehend the eternity that awaited her as Subaru's permanent servant.
While she despaired, Subaru looked behind him, before speaking.
"Anyways, we should head out now. The anticipation is killing me."
"…"
Capella nodded weakly as she stood up and slowly made her way towards him. Subaru only shrugged his shoulders. She'd get over it eventually. Even she would realize that her new life wasn't as bad as it sounded sooner or later. Like all humans, she would adapt.
Subaru activated his Authority of Sloth, and in a blink, they were gone.
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There was a place known as the Pleiades Watchtower— a high above structure that existed deep within the Augria Sand Dunes. It was considered the central base of the Great Sage— a sagely being who brought many prosperous inventions and ideas to the world hundreds of years ago.
It was also located near the witch's seal, a place where the witch of envy— the dreaded calamity bringer rested. While some feared that she might one day break out, others had put their faith in the heroes of lore— trusting that the Witch of Envy would forever remain trapped in her eternal prison.
However, the Witch of Envy was still a powerful individual. She secreted a corruptive miasma extending across the Augria Sand Dunes— making the place nearly inhabitable and treacherous to journey across.
There were many stories of those who tried at reaching the Pleiades Watchtower, just to mysteriously disappear. Some theorized that they died and were buried under the sand. Grim tales were spread, and after many years, no one even dared to try to explore the Augria Sand Dunes.
"—Alright! We've arrived."
High up in the air, Subaru delighted as he looked downward. The large patches of grass shifted into blotches of grainy beige— and trees and lush forests were replaced by craggy cliffs and endless dunes stretching as far as the eye could see.
He wasn't flying alone. In a one arm hold was Capella, crossing her arms with a huff as she looked down with disinterest.
They didn't bother taking temporary residence at the nearby town. Instead, he had quickly made his way along the direction leading towards the Pleiades Watchtower.
He had flown by with a sonic boom, greatly shocking the residents. The town was a fairly secluded one compared to others in Lugunica, so they weren't used to him ripping through the air at such high speeds— well no one quite would. Flight was an ability that very few possessed in this world.
They continued their trek. After about an hour, the Pleiades Watchtower finally came into view. Subaru looked on in awe. It was truly an architectural marvel. It used building techniques that weren't adapted by this world. That was probably why it was so high without toppling over due to its weight.
It extended high above the skyline— the top floor hidden above the clouds. Subaru lowered his flight until he was several meters above the sand— kicking it up under the turbulent wind he was conjuring.
As they continued, Subaru started to realize something was amiss. They had continued their flight for the past 10 minutes, however, they didn't seem to be getting any closer.
It didn't take much for him to finally figure out what was wrong.
There seemed to be an invisible barrier extending for miles. That barrier was activated— passively utilizing a spatial technique that made the Watchtower seem farther away than it truly was. Subaru's brows furrowed.
He activated his Authority of Sloth. Within seconds, he cut an arc with his hand. Reality itself seemed to distort in front of him as there was the sound of glass breaking. The mirage seemed to weaken, and once all was said and done, the true location of the watchtower was revealed.
It was still many miles away, however, it didn't seem to shrink and size as they approached. Its form steadily grew larger, before it was so close they had to look up at it to get a full view.
And that's when another strange thing happened.
"—!"
Both of their instincts flared— numerous near death experiences having sharpened their minds to perceive the incoming threat. From atop one of the Pleiades Watchtower balconies, there was a small glint of light.
A second later, that glint of light shot forward in the form of a ray, going downward and shooting straight towards them.
"What the hell!?" Capella yelled in confusion, clutching to him as beads of sweat dribbled from her forehead.
Subaru was already moving— changing his course and making a sharp turn to avoid the attack. The arc of light seemed to twist, however, its trajectory was too wide, so it crashed into the sand, causing a huge explosion.
It didn't stop there. There were many more arcs of light that shot towards them— a hail of white that threatened to consume them.
Subaru grumbled, weaving through all of them with the help of Sage Sovereignty. He wasn't grappled with the fear of death whatsoever. He was simply too powerful to die. For Capella, however,
"Who could that possibly be? And how dare they try to grace this lovely lady's features?!" She yelled angrily. Despite this, she knew that her appearance being desecrated was the least of her concerns. After all, she could still die. She knew Subaru could revive her, but that suffocating feeling of death was something she never wanted to feel ever again.
As they weaved, the sand started to shift underneath them. Moments after, numerous sand worms— dozens in number, revealed themselves from the sand— honing onto them. They seemed to sense the chaos, using this as a chance to sate their bloodlust by going after what was a rare fleshy snack.
Subaru could easily avoid this by teleporting straight to the perpetrator, however, he wanted to prepare Capella for what she would be doing for now on. He grinned as he looked at Capella. She returned his look with measured confusion.
"Hey Cappy, what do you say you take care of these monsters for me?"
She stared at him in brief horror, wondering if he planned to use her as bait, but it all diminished when she felt something shift inside her. Subaru activated his Authority of Lust, targeting her specifically. It was then that she underwent a transformation.
Her outfit shifted into that of a form-fitting black leotard with orange linings. Elbow length gloves appeared, long with knee length stockings. That was barely the most significant effect the authority had on her.
Information and knowledge was beamed inside her brain— her intelligence and prowess heightening as she fully took on the archetypal peak of the role assigned to her.
For a second, Capella's expression was that of utter shock, before her face twisted to sport a mad grin.
With strength unbefitting of herself, she shot forward like a bullet, straight towards a particular sand worm that loomed above them. Wings— black and large enough to cover her fully sprouted behind her back— sending her forward with so much speed she broke the sound barrier several times over.
Capella held out her hand, the flesh shifting as it grew in size and musculature— long black claws gleaming in the light. With a feverish grin, she swiped forward. The mere air pressure of her attack was enough to bisect the sand worm in one attack— its body cut into four even halves.
"Kyahahahahah!!!"
Capella's laugh was shrill as she felt a newfound power course through her veins. It was unlike anything she ever felt before— a feeling not even her old Authority of Lust provided her.
Subaru had assigned her the Archetype "Shapeshifter", an ability that allowed the assigned to fully or partially take on the appearance of anyone or anything. What made it perfect was that the user could even take on the appearance of inanimate objects, making it the ultimate covert ability. If used at full power, the user could completely mimic the abilities of others, short of Authorities and Divine Protections.
It even came with a highly potent healing factor. Capella had been exceedingly buffed— trading complexity in form for the superior growth in power. While she couldn't transform others, she was pretty much using a superior version of her authority.
She shot forward through the desert faster than the eye could perceive, cleanly bisecting mabeast after mabeast as she cackled like a madwoman. Fresh blood tainted her skin— the smell driving her insane with glee. This power— it was extremely addictive, and she could use it to its ultimate extent.
While Capella rampaged across the dunes, killing anything that moved, Subaru slowly shook his head.
"I'll probably regret that, but I can take it back whenever I want if she gets in a bit over her head."
At first, Subaru hesitated on giving her power. He wanted her to feel vulnerable like her victims, however, it wouldn't do him good in the future if she remained weak. She would become a burden, and he would always need to protect her since she'd be at risk of death.
This was a long-term decision on his part. If Capella abused her power, she knew the fate that awaited her. She had to be smart enough to know that.
Nonetheless, Subaru then turned his head towards the Pleiades Watchtower. He dodged another ray of light, before focusing his sights on the balcony. He activated his Authority of Sloth as he instantly teleported.
"Eh! Wuhh!"
The minute he did, he appeared just inches away from the face of what appeared to be a brown-haired woman. She quickly fell back in surprise, her spell dissipating as she hit the floor behind her.
She seemed to mumble something incoherent. She then looked at him, ready to cast a spell before her face twitched. For a moment, the two of them looked at each other with silence before her face twisted into a grin.
"Master!"
"Eh??"
Subaru barely had time to react as the woman lunged at him, burying his head in her cleavage as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, snuggling him tightly. If it weren't for his authorities, he'd have been crushed under her harsh grip.
"Argh! Get off, get off!"
He tried to push her off, but she wouldn't let go. Her hold was simply monstrous. Deciding that enough was enough, he teleported to a different spot, watching as the woman fell flat on her butt.
"Ouch! Master, you're so mean!" She whined, rubbing her behind as tears welled in her eyes.
"Next time, don't go jumping on people so suddenly! And what's with you calling me master? I don't remember meeting you whatsoever!"
He had teleported directly into the tower in order to confront the strange individual who had been honing attacks at them. He didn't expect to come into contact with a half-naked woman.
"Eh?" The woman tilted her head, "Don't tell me master bumped his head and lost his memories again? You're always unlucky."
"Well, I can't disagree with that, but I still doubt I'm related to such a person!"
How she emphasized "again" gave off the impression that this "Master" was a rather unlucky person who sustained many injuries and misfortune throughout his years. Subaru had his fair share of misfortune as well, but it was rarely due to his incompetence.
"How can you not! You smell just like my Master! Master is master!"
"Smell?" Subaru contemplated deeply. If his thoughts were true, she was probably thinking of the witch's scent, an intense odor that had been plaguing him ever since he had been transported to this world. However, Subaru didn't know much about its specifics beyond the fact that Rem considered it a gag-worthy scent.
"Only someone like Master could smell so badly. It's a trait only my Master can possess," the woman finished with a strangely loving smile. It was a sharp contrast to her words— which pretty much stated that Subaru stinked. He twitched his eyebrows— already mentally exhausted from having talked to this woman.
"That's… a weird way of flattery. Anyways, why the hell were you attacking me anyway?"
"Ah, so Master really did forget. You see, Master put me in charge of protecting the Pleiades Watchtower from anyone who came close. Anyone who did would get shot down by my hellsnipe!"
"Eh? I really did? No wonder no one managed to ever reach this place. Her attacks are insane," Subaru murmured to himself. Her magic spells were akin to missiles— blowing large craters wherever they landed.
Nonetheless, Subaru was eager to use Sage Sovereignty to truly see if this woman's claims were true or not, but for some odd reason, he felt like he'd see something he didn't want to see— at least for now.
It was a weird sensation. What if he looked back and the person he saw looked exactly like him? It caused him weird existential dread to know that he had been here before but hadn't remembered it whatsoever. His past even tied into the big mystery surrounding his witch factors and Satella, who he would be freeing soon.
It was truly the most terrifying aspect of Sage Sovereignty. He had nigh-omniscience. The only thing keeping him from acquiring any knowledge he wanted was his own free will.
Subaru shook his head, putting aside the feeling of his thumping heart as he looked back at the woman.
"Anyways, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Natsuki Subaru, and you are?"
"Shaula!" She lunged forward as she wrapped her hands around him. This time, Subaru was way too exasperated to try pulling her off.
"It's so good to finally see you again, Master!"
"Wait, how long have you been here anyways? From what I've heard from others, this tower was built hundreds of years ago."
"Hmmm, Shaula forgot, but it's been a long time. I've had to stave off boredom and hunger. I've been eating mabeast meat forever! It's so disgusting!"
Subaru widened his eyes at that. Mabeast meat was extremely poisonous. Anyone eating it would have their entire stomach collapse from the sheer amount of toxicity emanating from the flesh.
He shook his head. Her strange resistance to a mabeast's toxicity was another trait to her weirdness that Subaru noted.
He looked past the balcony and down below. What he gazed upon was a complete bloodbath. Dozens upon dozens of Mabeast corpses were strewn about the Augria Sand Dunes, forming a pool of blood as large as a lake. Standing in the middle of it was Capella— drenched in blood and guts as she wore a crazed look on her face.
Guess she got a little too excited.
Subaru rolled his eyes. Capella had taken her new powers with mirth— utterly entranced by the fluidity and power that wasn't provided by her Authority of Lust.
After a bit, she soon snapped out of it. She grew a pair of large black wings, before shooting into the air and heading straight towards them. She landed feet first on the balcony.
"Wow, you completely killed everything,." Subaru said with a voice of mock-surprise.
"Quiet you meat— whatever! This lovely lady was just doing what you ordered her to do," She growled, crossing her arms and turning her head away.
"Eh, well you did good. I didn't expect you to completely kill everything near the tower though."
He felt no remorse for the Mabeasts. They were carnivorous monsters that relied on instinct and instinct alone. While Capella wasn't at fault for killing them, he was a bit disproving of her gleeful feelings while doing so.
"This lovely lady was just getting comfortable." She flicked away a strand of hair with a scoff. While she wouldn't admit it, she felt extremely grateful for gaining back a semblance of her original power. She just couldn't bear it— having to stick to one form— eternally weak and vulnerable.
"Maybe you've gotten a bit too comfortable." Subaru activated his authority, and Capella gasped in shock as the Archetype was immediately ripped off of her— transforming her back.
"Wait! Please, no!" She said in horror as she threw herself at his feet, trying her best to grasp the dying embers of the power that was mercilessly stripped away from her.
"Gain a bit more restraint and I'll give it back." Subaru didn't say more as he walked away— Shaula still clinging to his form. Throughout the entire conversation, she didn't acknowledge Capella whatsoever. It was as if the girl didn't exist.
Well, it's not as if Subaru cared, but it was still unnatural behavior nonetheless.
Soon enough, they entered the watchtower. Shaula was quick to give them a tour of the various floors, along with the rules for all who entered. Trials were created to test the physical and mental skill of those who had managed to enter the tower, and if they passed, they were granted administrative access to the tower. Shaula explained that they technically weren't allowed to leave until they completed every trial.
It was a bit ominous, but even if Subaru faced any threat, he was sure he'd be capable of dispatching it on his own fairly easily.
And thus, they began their ascendence of the numerous floors.
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