Chapter 17: Chapter 16: One Thing After Another

Beatrice stepped out from the portal she created with a disinterested look, her hand holding the mirror that connected to the Witch Cult's. The trick to locate the mirror is not hard actually, she knows how to do it after a few seconds of poking and inspecting it.

"Hmph, to think Betty will be dealing with people like this..."

She grumbled to herself in an irritated manner. Seriously, she actually doesn't wish to be in here, doesn't want to go to the forest and deal with some lunatic.

But it's not like she has a choice anyway. She knows how crazy Witch Cult is, the moment they set their eyes on something, there is no way to stop them other than kill them. They are lunatics beyond salvation, and if they are indeed targeting their place then it is better to wipe them off as soon as possible so she can return back to the library and read her books.

That's why she is here, in the middle of the forest... Though she won't admit it aloud but she is kind of happy to be out like this, it has been years ever since she saw the World with open eyes like this after all.

'They are coming.'

She senses dozens of mana signatures approaching her position, all of them are average, there is one or two that seem extraordinary but nothing much, she expects no less from a bunch of ingrates like them.

She takes a breath once and then she begins to concentrate, feeling her own mana, and searching for a spell that will be the best to deal with them. Through a hundred and countless spells she found two, two that will be enough to finish these lunatics.

Now all she needs to do is wait for them to get close.

She slipped to one of the trees, using the big figure of the plant to hide her small feature, her eyes staring in the direction where the cultists would come.

75 meters

Nothing visibly changed from the scenery that she currently sees, the forest and everything still quiet.

50 meters

Flocks of birds flew in her direction, indicating something just irked them and caused them to fly.

25 meters

She saw some silhouette from far, the bush around that direction started to shake, and a sound of stepping reached her ears.

...

NOW!

She takes one step forward toward the cultist that rushing in her direction, mana started to hum from her petite figure.

"Ur Shamak."

The incantation comes out of her mouth, and the World knows darkness.

There is no better word to explain it. It was darkness, it was like a mist and smoke but it was not. The way it wriggles and crawls in air makes them different. It is like a flame but it is not, it indeed licks and pollutes the air but it did not change them, it did not do anything to them.

The darkness spread, crawling in space, like a spider spreading their webs, slithering in the ground, trees, and like a snake and engorging everything it touches like a hungry animal.

And the cultists walk directly into them.

Too late they try to stop, try to escape, the darkness swallows them before they can do anything, there is no exception among them.

Those who saw it coming from far stopped, they tried to pull back but the darkness came for them, too fast and they too met a fate that was similar to their colleague.

And the moment the darkness eats them, they feel nothing.

Nothing.

They literally feel nothing.

Their sense of touch is gone, they no longer can feel the ground where they stood. Their sense of smell is gone, they can't smell anything, not even their own breath. Their sense of hearing is gone, the sound of branches of trees that are shaken by the wind is no longer there, they can't even hear their own voice. Their sense of vision is gone, absolute darkness is the only thing that they see, shrouding their very eyes like a thick blanket. Their sense of taste is gone, they can't feel their tongue, it is as if they were born without one, they can't even taste the saliva on their own lips.

Such is the power of Shadow, of the Darkness, of the element that could bend space to their whim with proper mastery.

She can sense the cultists started to cast spells, Yang Magic, they all cast light and try to repel the darkness that cripples them from their senses.

It did not work.

Their spells did come out, making a result, but just when they did the darkness came back and swallowed them as soon as they managed to cast the spells and they felt nothing once more.

And in the darkness, Beatrice placed her palm on the shadowed ground beneath her.

"El Minya."

Mana, energy of Magic, a breath of nature, they all come to life, they all begin to morph, taking a shape into stakes from the darkness, each of them at the size of an adult body, countless their numbers. They are all hovering and floating among the dark, then light radiates from them, flames come to life but their color is purple instead of orange.

Each of them aimed at the defenseless and crippled cultist, the flame that covered them seemed glowing with anticipation.

Beatrice waved her hand once.

And they died.

The stakes rained down like the wrath of Gods, the moment they were a few feet away from their target they all exploded, each of them shattering into smaller stakes, they all sputtering smaller versions of themselves and flying in all directions. They were all ripping and tearing their target apart, bodies lobbed like they were dummy dolls, their blood and scream went unheard and unseen in the darkness as they died one by one.

And the stakes keep raining, showing no mercy to their target.

Only ten seconds and it was over.

The darkness receded, they all sucked, absorbed as if there was a hole in the reality, they all returned to their creator who now stood in the forest...

A destroyed and ruined forest... And scattered around it are the dead bodies of the cultists. Blood and crimson liquid splattered over them, stakes and countless shards of projectiles latched to their corpses.

Beatrice tilted her head, her butterflies pupil observing the dead bodies that surrounded her impassively, then her eyes crinkled in disgust.

Maybe she should use cleaner spells.

Well... It doesn't matter, things already happened, might as well burn all of them now.

"Hmm... There really are a lot of them eh?" Puck commented as he closed his eyes and seemed in deep thought.

"How is it Puck?" Emilia asked her surrogate father.

"They are all hiding, probably inside the cave that they built, few of them guarding the entrance through the forest. I can sense them." Puck answered. "I already pinpoint their location, if we move fast, we can strike them down without alerting the inside, the timing needs to be right though."

Emilia was only silent at that, her eyes briefly wandering to where Puck was pointing, uncertainty filling them.

The cat spirit sensed her feelings through their bond and inwardly sighed. This is why he didn't tell her about the Witch Cult. They are crazy people, lunatics, a bunch of cretins that can't be reasoned with, the only solution when meeting them is to kill them.

And Lia is not comfortable with killing.

Oh sure she can freeze someone from the bottom to top, but they are all actually still alive, Emilia can choose to kill them or not but Puck knows well enough she won't kill them.

His daughter is too kind... And normally if she doesn't want to he won't push her.

But this is the Witch Cult they are dealing with.

"Lia, I know I did not tell you much about the Witch Cult but trust me, if they become extinct tomorrow or in the next hour, everyone, the whole World, they all will celebrate." Puck said with a sigh. "That was how bad the Witch Cult is, if there is something that must be killed it is them, they are the worst of the worse."

Killing them will do the World good, that was what he was trying to imply.

And Lia is not stupid, for all her lack of experience with the World, his daughter is still smart person, quite smart as matter of fact. She covered many topics that needed to be known for Royal Candidate in a short time, and she did all of them marvelously.

So it is not surprising that she caught what he meant... Especially if they manage to escape and reach the village.

She takes one deep breath, her eyes closed, face showing a tight expression.

Then she reopened her eyes, violet orbs met blue's, followed by a nod of determination.

"Let's do this." She declared.

Puck smiled in response. "Sure."

His daughter is strong... She is always so kind and caring to others, but at the same time there is steel in there, there is power in her gentle personality. It was rare for that power to come, Emilia is someone who doesn't like to use it after all.

But ever since Aaron came into her life... She started to use that power more often.

She became braver, thinking bigger, learning faster, and seeing wider. All of them are close to invisible, the progress itself is slow, but it was there, and it keeps growing.

Puck doesn't know whether it is a bad or good thing for Lia. He knew despite how she looks that his daughter is still young, very young, she is only mature in the body – literally – but her mentality is...

'On one hand, this is actually good, this growth, Lia turned into someone who can stand on her own, she won't be taken advantage of by others so easily. But on another hand, this growth is... Strange.' There is something that is amiss, perhaps it is related to how she always looks at Aaron with a look of admiration and respect, it wasn't love, Puck is not in denial or what, he would recognize it if she was in love or having a crush on him but...

"Ready Puck?"

"Anytime."

He can think about that later, right now he has trash to dispose of.

And if Lia falls in love with that guy... Puck is really going to have a chat with him... With thousands of icicles pointed at him of course.

"I see one of them." Emilia whispered. "Puck, where the other?"

"... Around fifteen meters away from him, there." He pointed to the location.

Emilia made a calculation in her mind and found the distance is quite far, if she strikes fast and clean then... "Puck..."

"I know, leave it to me."

Spirits in a sense can be said as a weapon for their contractor, a staff to help some magician cast their spell, but unlike items, spirits are alive, they are sentient, self-aware, and can use their own power without needing the contractor.

Right now Emilia uses him as a conductor, calling upon his power and using them.

The silver haired girl extended one of her palms, then she concentrated, creating a pack of ice, she molds them, shapes them, where it is only a lump now it slowly changes into some kind of spear. A long and very sharp spear.

The half elf peered over from where she was hiding, her eyes searching for her target. "Where are they?" She whispered.

"Behind that bush." Puck answered while pointing his paw. "Just throw it at them and when it hits, I will do the rest."

And Emilia did it without hesitation.

The spear of ice went through the bush and there were sounds of flesh being pierced, indicating the attack just hit its target, and in an instant Puck worked his magic.

The spear bloomed like a flower, literally.

Judging by the sound of something wet just splattered everywhere... Emilia knows that the cultist's dead body is not clean, very, very far from it as matter of fact.

A very unpleasant sensation grew in her stomach the moment she caught sight of a crimson pool that seeped out from the bush. It was a messy death for him and she did not like it, she never liked to hurt people but...

"Lia, the other is coming here."

But right now is not the time...

Emilia steeling herself, she silently prays for the dead cultist and prepares another spear of ice, this time she makes more just in case the target dodges the first one.

"Now!"

At Puck's signal Emilia launches all the spears in the direction where the cultist would come, all of them soar under her command. She avoids hitting any trees to not make any sounds and only strikes bushes at least.

"Done." Puck said. "We got them."

Emilia nodded, she did not see the target actually thanks to the bush and the forest, but Puck did. He can sense the cultist's mana easily and can tell if they got them or not. She feels glad for that, she doesn't want to see the body after all.

"The rest of them are in the cave, all of them gather in there, heh, this will be easy."

And it did, it really did.

That was what Emilia thought as she stared at the iceberg that stood tall towering over her, the iceberg that used to be the cave where the Witch Cult built their base.

They all were inside the cave, what they did in there is something that she doesn't know and it doesn't matter.

They were inside the cave, in one place. In a place where they only could go in and out using one path, and said the place was actually limited and not that big.

To respond, she and Puck create a pillar of ice that fits with the cave entrance size and shove it to them, and after that, she freezes them all, along with the entire cave.

Simple as that.

In reality, it wasn't that simple, most water and fire mages will be crying in blood if they see the result of Puck's attack and have it labeled as simple.

Seriously, he doesn't know just how complicated and absurd a thing he just did.

A proof and testimony of just how powerful Puck is despite his cute and unthreatening appearance in his current form.

"We're done here." Puck stated. "I must say it really goes pretty well." He chuckled as he rested on top of her head. "Aaron really knows how to pick targets for us."

"Yeah." Emilia nodded. "Yeah, he did." She smiled a little, as expected from him, Aaron knew who she was going to face and he certainly knew the best decision.

And speaking about Aaron.

"I have to call him."

She pulls out the conversing mirror, one that connected to Aaron's, she flicks it open, giving a droplet of her mana to the metia and letting it do its job.

And the magical device did its job, the mirror that reflected her face soon blinking a few times while letting out a voice that was not unlike cellphone when making a call.

After a few seconds, the blond's face appeared.

"Emi." He greeted her. "I take it you're done then?"

His voice is calm and stony, but there is a clear concern and worry in his eyes, she even can sense uneasiness creeping in his tone.

"It is done." She nodded. "No one escapes."

Multiple emotions crossed his face, she caught a few of them that were clear. From uncertainty, skepticism, and finally relief.

"Good, that is good." He said with a nod. "How about you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, nothing I can't handle."

"Of course, of course." He nodded again, he did that too fast in her opinion. "You're fine, I expect no less from you, you are a reliable person after all but..." He then shakes his head and there is a pink hue adorning his face.

Emilia found it cute, very cute for some reason.

"It's okay, I understand, but I'm fine, you do not need to worry." She reassured him, her smiling face turned to concern. "Moreover how about you? You're going to face the Archbishop by yourself."

It will be dangerous, Archbishop – according to Puck, which means the truth – is far more dangerous than dozens of cultists, and he is going to face him alone, which is clearly not very reassuring despite knowing Aaron is very strong.

"I will live, trust me, I have a plan, you can go back to the village if you want."

"No, I will come to your place." She replied firmly. "I'm not going to let you face someone that dangerous alone."

He frowned, obviously disliking her answer, well too bad for him she won't be stopped! She will go to his place and help him.

"... Very well, I won't stop you, but know that I'm going to strike right now since I'm sure it will be suspicious if he gets no contact from his outside group, and it will make him frantic and lashing out at anyone." He explained.

It was her turn to frown, she doesn't like it he is going alone like that but at the same time knows his reason is solid.

"By the time you arrive, things are probably already done." He continued. "But if it is not then I want you to not jump on the fight immediately." He added the last word when she opened her mouth to protest. "Observe our battle, I don't want you to jump without knowing our enemy's strength and the situation, after you get proper hold then you come in, understand?"

Well... She can deal with that, it wasn't unreasonable after all. "Fine."

"Good, then I will go now."

"Be careful Aaron."

"You know me Emi, I won't do something stupid, at least not if it is not necessary." He chuckled. "See you later."

"See you later."

The communication cut off and the mirror reflected herself once more. The half elf stared at her own face for a moment before she closed it and bit her bottom lip.

She shouldn't be worried, Aaron can handle himself, he is strong, Puck has acknowledged it, and coming from him it clearly means something but...

"Let's go Puck." She said as she started to walk. "We have to help Aaron." How she wishes Beatrice is here with her, she can teleport her close to Aaron but the librarian was busy with Rem, they are currently exterminating another base after all.

Still... Despite her worry, she can't help but feel something warm growing inside her when heard he says he expects no less from her.

It tends to happen a lot lately, something strange clearly going on with her but she has checked on herself and she did not find anything unusual.

Maybe she should contact some healer?

The image of Aaron's face with a pink hue in his cheeks while avoiding her gaze flashed across her mind.

Nah.

From where he was hovering, Puck narrowed his blue eyes at his daughter.

He clenched his fingers, curling them into a fist, he felt the metallic gauntlet that covered his limb let out a small groan from the pressure of his strength.

He closes his eyes, straightening his back, he takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly through his mouth. After that, he snapped his eyes back to open, determination and grim preparation shone through there.

'It is time.'

He takes a step forward and starts to walk boldly, passing through the bush. Beatrice has teleported each of them close to their target. However he is an exception, he asked to be teleported quite far, since he practically radiates mana like sunlight then it will be wise to not get close to them, Petelgeuse if he recalls is possessing some kind of sensory ability, limited it is but it is still dangerous.

So far, everything went good, very good, the Witch Cult has been cut down before they even can make a move. Beatrice has cleaned the patrolling group, after that she and Rem go to another one while Emilia deals with one of the largest.

Seriously, using a cave? That was a good one but in the face of Puck? That was plain stupid and can be taken advantage of. Just shove an ice pillar big enough there, let Puck do his job, and they will all be dead.

He can see the cave already after a minute of walking, his hand twitched, Excalibur ready to be drawn anytime, he just needs to swing his hand and the sword will come to him.

However, much to his surprise, there was someone waiting for him at the entrance of the cave.

Petelgeuse.

He tensed, does the man notice his fingers gone? No, he did not. If he recalls Petelgeuse becomes suspicious of Subaru because his mirror that was supposedly only possessed by his subordinate activated so...

He was convinced when he saw Petelgeuse having his usual manic grin instead of looking confused or troubled.

'Why is he here? Damn!' He was hoping that the Archbishop stayed inside the cave so he could blow the cave down using Strike Air and bury all of them, thus ending it fast but...

"Welcome back! My brother! Welcome back!" The madman greeted while spreading his arms open and approaching him.

"Sloth." Aaron replied in a dull voice and nodded in acknowledgment. "I see you are waiting for me."

"Of course I know you are coming from far away! The scent of mana and power you radiate simply enough to alert me!" Petelgeuse replied with a big grin before he threw back his head and let out a squeal. "Ahhh this is another proof of Love! Of Love! Our Love to our beloved Mistress!"

'And we shall see how that love saves you when I cut your head.' Aaron thought with annoyance, seriously how in the name of hell Subaru was dealing with him after seeing Petelgeuse destroy everything he loved in one loop? Even if the Archbishop right now has done nothing to him – not yet at least – he still annoys the hell out of him

"How about the merchant?" He asked. "Surely there might be a problem if the village decides to resupply and they catch something suspicious."

"You don't need to worry about that." Petelgeuse grinned at him. "I already ensure the village won't get their supply for the next few days, enough until the day of the ordeal comes!"

Aaron nodded, he had his suspicion that there was a spy on the merchant that was responsible for the item supply, just like in canon and this proved him right.

"Who's the person in charge? I need something for my own plan."

Petelgeuse tilted his head at ninety degrees and stared at him, his grinning face gone and turned to poker. It made Aaron tense for a moment but his worry was gone when the madman grin returned.

"Ketty, you just need to find a man named Ketty. I can contact him if you want. What do you need by the way?"

"A particular item to build a shrine for our Goddess."

"Ohhh! A shrine! A shrine!" Petelgeuse let out a gasp. "You! You! You're very diligent! Diligent!" The green haired man grasped his own head and let out a howl. "How could such a thing never cross my mind! A shrine! A shrine for our Goddess! How slothful! How slothful! I should be punished! Punished! Punisheeed!"

Then the man began to walk to the nearest rock and began slamming his head, repeatedly, and he did not do that softly but very hard, crimson liquid burst out from his forehead each time he smacked his head there.

Aaron's stoic face broke into a pleasant smile, unlike Subaru, he has no intention to stop the man, let him kill himself, it will make his job easier.

He watched the man 'punishing' himself for a full minute, right now the blood from his head was already enough to create a small pool beneath him – how he was still conscious is unknown even to him.

'Must be a regenerative power, he probably has some kind of it.' As much as he wishes to see the man kill himself he has some questions to be asked. "Where is our sacrifice for the Goddess? The one that shall be used to test the Demon." He asked.

That made Petelgeuse pause from hitting his head – again – and he turned to him, his face covered in blood and a few of his teeth missing.

"They're inside, resting." Petelgeuse commented. "Why?"

"I want to see them. Bring them here."

"Of course." Petelgeuse chuckled. Then he stares at the cave, and something comes out from his back. Dark purple, like a miasma or poison, taking shapes of hands, they sprout out from his back and reached for the cave. "What do you want to do with them?"

Aaron briefly stares at the hand that is supposedly invisible for a moment before answering. "I need to check them."

That was a lie, he truly doesn't know what he should do with them. However, the idea of killing children... No matter what it left bitter and marked in his heart, he didn't want to kill them. He knew it was risky and dangerous but he can't... He just can't...

Doing it is far harder than saying it... He can't kill them...

He will secure them for now and have Puck check on them.

He saw the invisible hands bring out the children one by one, they remain unchanged, and their outfits and state remain just like yesterday.

"There." Petelgeuse said as he dropped the children in front of him. "What would you do to them? I'm curious, curious, curiouuus."

He stared at the children with an impassive face. Observing them, he can see they are still breathing judging by their chests that sink and raise slightly.

"Move them there." He pointed in a certain direction, one that was particularly safe and quite away from them.

Petelgeuse narrowed his eyes but did not make any comment and decided to comply. He carried the children and dropped them away from them.

"Nooow mind telling me what you going to do?" The madman asked.

Aaron nodded as he briefly glanced at him. "Yes." Then he raises two hands, he tilts his body to the cave direction and calls upon Excalibur.

"Hm?"

"This is what I'm going to do."

Then the wind began to roar. Loud sounds coming from his hands, like a sleeping dragon awakened, a titan unchained from their prison in Tartarus. No longer was it wind that he held, but a cyclone, a hurricane, a disaster took a shape.

It soars forward, blowing everything away, even Petelgeuse was taken back and blasted a few feet away from his place as the hurricane ascended to the sky like a phoenix rising from the ash and screeching in the air.

"Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King!"

The powerful sixty-foot hurricane swirled down from his hands, blaring and roaring with every second of its existence. Everything that moved was drowned by the sound of the howling wind as the nature force blasted forward to the entrance of the cave that was gaping.

BAAAAANG!

A very deafening sound was born the moment the hurricane crashed against the stone structure. They were there for a moment, clashing and trying to hold themselves against the invisible force that was crashing against them, trying to hold their ground against the rampaging wind.

They fail.

Not even five seconds, less than that, the stone of the cave gave in, the power of the hurricane overwhelming their structure and they gave up, they crumbled before the might of the Noble Phantasm like paper soaked beneath a waterfall.

And burying every single cultist that resides inside it.

Aaron can't help but smirk at the sight, twice he has used Strike Air and the power it shows still has yet to bore him.

He turned to Petelgeuse and felt his smirk widen at the sight of the man gaping and shaking while staring at the destroyed cave with very wide and disbelieving eyes.

"That's... That's... You... You..."

The man slowly tilts his head to Aaron, teeth trembling and pupils dilating, he seems lost for words and doesn't know what to say.

Electrical energy burst out from Aaron's back and he turned to a flash of light for a moment, Excalibur drew and he wasted no time rushing at Petelgeuse with a speed that matched a sound.

But Petelgeuse saw it coming. Insane and deranged he is, but he is not stupid.

The moment he feels Aaron's energy explode he calls upon his hands, dozens of them come from his back and launch at Aaron with a rushing speed.

However he was too late, Aaron was fast, too fast, he was already halfway to him and his hands were not fast enough to touch him, there was no avoiding his attack.

But deflecting it is not impossible.

Instead of attacking Aaron, the hands curled around him in a protective manner, dozens of them immediately covering him, making an invisible sphere that would easily block even middle-tier spells.

But it is not enough.

Excalibur easily cuts through hands that protect the archbishop, despite them all being thick and powerful enough to crush man into a pulp but they all go down like branches meeting chainsaw in the face of the Holy Sword.

Fortunately for the insane man, the thickness of his hands is enough to give momentary respite for him, allowing him to move when he realizes his Authority is incapable of protecting him. The attack, instead of slicing Petelgeuse into two, the attack went aside and cleaved down his left arm, tearing it apart completely from his body.

This did not stop Aaron, the moment his sword missed its target he swung it once again, however it seems the small delay gave enough time for Petelgeuse to jump back and avoid him, while at the same time the invisible hands lunged forward with clear intention to crush him.

This forced Aaron to stop and not chase the archbishop, clicking his tongue in distaste, he jumped back just in time to avoid countless invisible hands that were pummeling the ground and turning it into a clean two meters size crater.

"You... You can see my Authority?" Petelgeuse croaked out, he appeared to be not bothered by his missing limb but troubled at what just occurred. "Impossible! Impossible, impossible, impossible, IMPOSSIBLE!" He was all but freaked out. "How could this be?! My Authority! My Symbol of Love! How could it be seen?!" He yelled in a raged voice. "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? You betray me brother!"

"I'm never on your side." Aaron replied dully. "Satella did not like you, she did not love you, she wanted you to die." Which pretty much is the truth, Satella will be more than happy to kill Petelgeuse as long as it means keeping him alive

"Lie! Lie! Lie! LIE!" Petelgeuse screamed.

Dozens of hands lunged at Aaron in an instant, all of them soaring forward with inhumane speed. The blond merely moved from where he stood, using faster speed, he made a zig-zag pattern in his way as the hands rained down and destroyed everything they smashed into.

Five about to reach him, Aaron quickly swings Excalibur and gives a push with his mana, sending waves of mana that instantly shreds the Authority. The blond wasted no time moving again as another wave of hands rained down upon him.

He pivoted in his run, spinning on the ground, he delivered a clean downward strike and easily sent out a burst of mana that cut the hands that approached him, destroying them. Then he rushed forward, charging at the archbishop

"This should not be happening! This is not mentioned in my gospel! This does not exist in my guide of destiny!" Petelgeuse rants crazily while staring at his own trembling hands. "Pride! Pride! I will destroy you! I will prove my love to the Witch!"

Almost a hundred dark shadows that took the shape of mockery of hands sprung forward, all of them rushing forward to the armored blond, from above, left, right, below, and between them, there was no gap, all of them covered by countless limbs that were ready to tear him apart.

Each of these hands is more than capable of crushing bone into a pulp, capable of turning boulders into a dirt in the ground. If they manage to hold him, then the answer will be obvious to everyone.

Instant Death.

But Aaron appeared to be unfazed, his face was calm and his eyes showed nothing but sharpness.

Then he channels mana to his arms, flooding them with power and he swings Excalibur.

And all of those hands were destroyed.

It was very clear that despite having Servant's body, Aaron is still very far to be considered one, because he can't control his strength, his body, he needs to be very careful unless he wishes to snap items with his bare hands due to his inhumane strength.

His reflex and body movement is so abysmal, it is almost like a man stuffed into a giant body and needs to be careful, one wrong move and he can trip and hurt himself when in training.

He can't control his strength, he is not professional enough to be able to maneuver his strike, that was clear, he may have had training in kendo but that was obviously far from enough.

So how can he compensate for that?

Simple, use more strength.

When his strikes were too much and it tripped his balance, he forcefully returned it by using Mana Burst. The strike that is supposed to be too wide in an instant can be fixed back using Mana Burst, and if the 'fix' is too much, then he uses another Mana Burst to balance it.

It was a fighting style that took advantage of his large amount of Mana, it was actually a very wasteful and bad style of fighting.

But it allows him to be able to stand on the same level as Servant, a powerful being that is a fragment of the Heroic Spirit.

And with Instinct that inherited from Arthur Pendragon, Aaron Wilson can be considered as a protege of the King of Knight himself.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Twenty swings, twenty strikes, all of them flashed to existence in less than two seconds, all of the attacks were delivered clean and accurate, destroying dozens of Unseen Hand that were about to reach him.

It was a feat that was inhumane, capable only to be accomplished by something that has reached the peak of Humanity, surpassing a mortal feat. And that was exactly what he did.

He is not a Human after all.

"Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! How could this be?!" Petelgeuse screamed in frantic as every hand that he launched was destroyed. "I thought I was loved! By the witch! The witch! The witch! The witch!"

More hands started to grow from around him, and unlike before, these mockeries of hands became bigger, larger, each of them possessing palm the size of adult men.

In response to that, Aaron held high Excalibur.

And the Invisible Wind roared once again.

"Priiiiiidee! I will kill you! Kill you! Kill you! I will prove my love to the Witch! Proof my LOOOVE!"

"That would be meaningless." Aaron said calmly. "Why? Because Satella never loved you. If there's someone she loves it would be me, after all." His face broke into a smirk. "Unlike you, she has grabbed my heart, literally. And for your information, I'm not Archbishop of Pride." He tilted his head in an insulting manner. "I am Aaron Pendragon, inheritor of the Spirit King of Knight and Friend of the Half Elf, Emilia."

The Archbishop of Sloth visibly stiffened when hearing the declaration, then his shoulders began to shake, his mouth starting to froth as he glared at the pseudo Servant.

"YOUUUUUU!"

Dozens of giant hands of shadow surge toward the Saber, the sheer of their speed was enough to make the ground and earth crack when they passed through them.

Aaron raised Excalibur and glared at them.

"Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King!"

Gale of wind roared, twisting, howling. A force of nature in the shape of a tornado sprung forward to meet the dark hands that threatened their wielder.

One is a dozen hands that are capable of shredding buildings apart, destroying a hill like a sack of paper, crushing a giant beast into a pulp of gore with ease.

The other is a wind, not just a wind, but a tornado, a hurricane, a Noble Phantasm, a crystallized mystery, powerful armaments made using the imagination of humans as their core, they are the embodiment of the ultimate mysteries of a hero that symbolizes one's existence through historical facts and anecdotes.

And it is not just a simple Noble Phantasm, but one with the purpose to destroy an army.

The result is obvious.

The invisible hands shredded, destroyed, tore apart by the multiple layers of wind that compressed into super-high pressure air. The gale of wind blaring and the archbishop of Sloth did not manage to react fast enough as they slammed into him in full force.

"AARON PENDRAGOOOOON!"

His scream of anger and pain is drowned by howls of wind that swallow him wholly and forcefully pull him, dragging the madman to the ruin of the cave and slamming him with force enough to produce a sick sound of 'splat' and plastering the earth with his organs and blood.

There is no need to check whether he survived or not from that. Aaron already knows the answer, Petelgeuse's body was hit by a tornado, a fucking tornado, literally, at point blank, and said that tornado carry the man and smashed into the cave that ruined and said the ruin now already blasted away as well.

It was safe to describe that the scenery in front of him is like a place that had just gone through an apocalypse.

Then suddenly he feel it, something slammed at him with a force, enough to make him visibly take a step back, something invisible and-

'This is...'

You are reading story Re: Zero as a Servant (Life in Another World) at novel35.com

He feel it, he can feel it, something blanketing him, shrouding him, invading his very sense, his body, trying into-

'A possession! Petelgeuse! That damn madman!' He coughed and fell to his knee, the feeling... It was sickening, it was like inhaling too much air and his lungs were forced to take them all. His senses began to go wild, started to go crazy, it was almost like fire was set into his whole body.

What the hell?! Subaru never went things like this! It was never shown that possession will be painful like this!

Unknown to Aaron it because his body resists possession, his Magic Resistance to be precise, the magic core inside him clearly did not take well that someone trying to invade their body and Magic Core in essence always resists foreign substances that invade the body of their owner.

"Re... Re..." Aaron gasped and choked, he could feel the possession start to take effect. "Return by Dea-"

Then he felt it... Among that sick, twisted and disgusting feeling that invades his body, he feels it. A familiar cold sensation starts to grip his heart.

And for a moment he sees dark... He feel his World tilt, flipped and his dark vision turned to blur then-

"I LoVe YoU"

'Oh... Fuck.'

Suddenly everything became clear, his vision turned to one and he found himself staring at... Shadow, a dark flame, there is no feature from the being in front of him, only darkness and a pair of violet orbs that glow ominously at him.

He felt his breath hitch in his throat as he felt his hand, correction, hands, he felt hands start to roam around his figure. His back, his legs, his stomach, every single part of his body, caressing them tenderly.

He tried to speak, tried to make a word, but nothing came out, it was as if his mouth stopped working in front of the shadow that was looming over him.

Then the shadow tilted her 'head' and she leaned forward.

Aaron felt something cold, cold like a pack of ice, pressed to his lips. It wasn't hard, it was soft, tender even, almost like lips but the coldness it has... Make it anything but pleasant.

Then the ice parted from his lips, and the shadow stared at him, seeming very happy, very joyful, the pair of violets that were glowing filled with so much affection.

"I LoVe YoU"

Then the World shifted once again, and Aaron found himself staring at... Petelgeuse in the ground.

Or at least what remains of him.

He felt a bile rise to his throat when seeing the state of the archbishop. He had seen a dead body, seen grotesque things – not directly of course, more like through the movie and internet – but Petelgeuse's condition…

Well, his body, it was as if some kind of giant hammer just dropped at him, crushed him, then had him thrown into some kind of blender. He was a pulp, a mess of blood and organs. The only thing that makes him recognizable that he was Petelgeuse is a few strands of green hair and a few fingers that are left intact

'Well… fuck, that did this..?'

It was clear that this is the result of his attack, the result of the Noble Phantasm that hit the madman at point blank, but it did not end there, this also the result when the man crashed into the remnant of the cave with sickening 'splat', it almost like a doll that thrown into a brick wall and breaks apart.

The archbishop let out a gurgle, Gods, how he was still able to speak is beyond Aaron's mind, it was a miracle he was still able to live in his current state, he literally had his body crushed, his face not even exist anymore, only a mess of flesh.

"I... think, I am going to be sick." He croaked while holding hand to his mouth. He stares at the pile of flesh – it is more fitting to call Petelgeuse that now – and his gaze holds some regret. Petelgeuse is a jerk, yes, but he has gone through so much. Granted he is insane and a man who is responsible for countless deaths but…

He deserves a clean death at least.

There is no more gurgle, no more twitch from the broken body below him, he clearly dead by now, he doesn't have any body to go back

He turned away, and he still can't erase the feeling of guilt and terror inside him. He knew that he would kill, that he would take a life, he knew he should be prepared and ready for it but...

A sound in the bush not far from him instantly made him alert, in quick he was already taking a stance, Excalibur ready. Did Petelgeuse survive?! Is there a finger that still survives? That was absurd, Emilia and Rem already report to him that they have eliminated all cultists! So how in the name of Root...

His worry and concern were washed away when the bush split and revealed a certain silver haired half elf instead of Unseen Hand or Petelgeuse's finger.

"Emi..." Aaron let out the breath he held, relieved that his worries were unfounded.

"Aaron, are you okay?" Emilia asked as she took a few steps forward. "Are you-"

"Stop!" Aaron barked immediately, making the girl stop in her tracks. "Don't come closer!" He warned.

"Wha?" Emilia gaped for a moment. "Aaron what are you-"

"Stay there!" Aaron insisted, eyes sharp. "You don't want to see what's behind me." Petelgeuse's dead body was not a good sight and he didn't think Emilia should see it, it was going to traumatize her. "Puck-dono, can you clean what's behind me? Freeze it and make it shatter, do whatever necessary."

Puck appears on top of Emilia, the cat spirit's blue eyes narrowed before he floats higher to see what is behind him. And he visibly flinched at the gruesome sight. "Yikes, that was bad, I had seen many dead bodies but..."

"Let's just say I went overboard." Aaron said with a grimace.

"Overboard?" Puck replied in a flabbergasted voice. "Aaron, look around you!" He said, gesturing to their surroundings. "This place looks like it just got rampaged by some kind force of nature!" He yelled at him. "And do not try to lie to me, young man! I saw a hurricane from this direction and sensed a large amount of energy, twice!"

Aaron looked back behind him and he grimaced again.

That was pretty much true actually, the place, the area surrounding him, they all pretty much ruined.

Part of the forest was gone, trees rooted out and the land itself was deformed so badly, no doubt it was from the Strike Air moment ago. The cave... Or what was left of it, now it looks more like a pile of rocks, the major parts got blasted away, no doubt the second Strike Air destroying whatever the remnant of it.

Then there's damage from Petelgeuse's Unseen Hand as well, it's nothing much but it still can be counted, each time those hands jammed to the ground it makes a crater with a size of two or three feet, enough to make the place around them look like minefields that just blowing up.

"Well... It could be worse actually." He said in a slight sheepish voice, and it did, he could be forced to unleash Excalibur and... Well, the landscape around here is clearly going to change. "Anyway, let's talk about that later, Puck-dono if you mind..." He gestured to the dead body behind him and out from Emilia's view.

Puck waved his hand once and ice grew from where Petelgeuse's dead body lay, the ice slowly encasing it, freezing the mess of gore from top to bottom, and when it was finally done, he waved his paw again and the ice shattered.

"There." Puck said in a dismissive manner. "Seriously Aaron, you made a mess."

The blond only chuckled as he started to walk and approach the duo, only for him to tumble in his step and-

'Eh?'

He felt the World begin to spin for a moment, his legs stepped into nothing but air, and his vision began to fill with various colors.

"Aaron!"

He felt something touch him, holding him, he tilted his head, blurry it was but he still managed to piece Emilia's face together.

"E...Emi... I..." He tried to speak but he found his voice so hard to come out.

"Aaron! Aaron! What happened?! Hang on!"

There was panic and fear in her voice, her face that was not clear in his vision confronted to worry expression

"I... Don't feel so..."

"Aaron! Aaron! Aaron! Wake up! No! Aaron!"

He tried to speak, to finish his words, but he couldn't, his strength leaving him, he felt his consciousness erode away, and pain started to spread to his mind.

The last thing he sees before darkness claims him is Emilia's crying face.

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know! One moment he was fine and then."

Pain.

He feels nothing but pain... His whole body was in pain.

But it was his head that got the worst.

"His Gate is going crazy! It keeps activating, at this rate he is going to burn himself."

"Shut them down! Puck! Please! I..."

"I can't Lia! This... This is beyond even me! The Gate even rejects my influence. His Gate is unique, it doesn't allow itself to be touched by anyone else. You might want to contact that cat demihuman to heal him Lia."

Burn... Burn... Burn... Fire was in his blood, in his veins, in his arteries.

It hurt, it hurt, it hurt, he felt like melting, he felt like put inside a boiling pot.

"Sshh! Aaron-sama, it's okay, sshh. Rem is here Aaron-sama, Rem won't leave Aaron-sama alone, everything will be okay. Aaron-sama will be okay. Rem believes that, Aaron-sama is strong after all."

Cold...

The burn is still there but now there is a cold sensation washing over him, it calms the fire that is raging inside him, it starts slow but it keeps moving, and it keeps spreading.

"Hmmm, this is a problematic result indeed. To think it would affect you this greatly. Worry not, Aaron Pendragon, you will be fine now that I am here. You will not die, your life will not be threatened anymore."

And he slowly started to feel better.

"Until we meet again, o Holy Sword Wielder, your Trial has just begun."

It has been two days ever since he collapsed after fighting against the archbishop.

There's nothing changed in that short amount of time, as usual, she always comes to visit him after she is done talking with the lesser spirits in the morning, just like when they spend their time together in the morning before he collapses.

And just like always, she sits and silently watches him.

...

She didn't know what actually happened to him. She has checked him, trying to cure him, even Puck and Beatrice already do a full body check on him.

And neither she nor them can find anything wrong with him.

... No, that was a lie... They knew exactly what happened to him but... There is nothing they can do to fix them.

There's something... Foreign... Something that... Unnatural according to Beatrice and Puck. Something that is not normal has tried to invade his body, trying to glued themselves inside him.

And his Gate worked to oppose that foreign substance immediately.

And by 'oppose' she means violently thrashing around like a child flailing wildly when caught by a kidnapper.

Aaron's Gate is unique, that was what Beatrice and Puck said. Perhaps it is because it has to do with his heritage, with him being a descendant of Dragon and so he has an uncommon Gate.

His Gate apparently did not like it when something tried to invade his host body and thus it lashed out violently, it started to activate in extreme measure, trying to burn out the substance that was glued to it.

And because of that, it also burns Aaron from inside, literally. His body temperature was 40° C yesterday and it kept rising, had she not cooled them down and sat straight on his side with help of Rem, there would be permanent damage to his brain right now.

It could kill him.

And the thought of losing Aaron... It makes her heart filled with unbearable pain for some reason. She doesn't want to lose him, no, she doesn't want him to be taken away from her.

He... He is strong and... And he is always there for her, supporting him... She is still not strong enough, she needs his support and…

No...

She shook her head firmly. She can't think of such things. Aaron certainly doesn't want her to be too hard on herself, she knows he will scold him if he sees her moping like this.

In the end there's nothing much they could do. She wants to contact outsiders, contact Crusch Karsten who has Blue, the greatest healer in Lugnica and ask her to help him.

But she can't...

Roswaal was not there and the man right now as matter of fact is having a private business that is related to the kingdom's problem regarding Vollachia's treaty, he has said that he will leave for a week at the longest due to that.

And they had no method to contact him.

And without Roswaal, she can't make a move or ask permission that easily, he is her supporter after all, the only one who can make her contact outside the World, making a move without his approval or asking for his permission... It can be considered a bad one.

The political backlash she would get from that could be problematic, not to mention if she asks Crusch Karsten there is a chance the woman will flat out refuse her. She still remembers how the head of the Karsten house declared that she would cut any ties with the Dragon if she became a King, and Aaron is a descendant of Dragon.

It could do more damage to her side than helping.

"Aaron..." She started with an unsure voice as she grasped his hand. "I don't know if you can hear me but... Everything is fine, it went as you planned. There is no more Witch Cult and the villagers have already gone back to their home." She smiled as she remembered what happened yesterday, how the villagers decided to return to their home. "They held a small celebration there and it was fun, the children laughing and we introduced ice cream to them, they all love it you know."

Love it was understanding in Emilia's opinion, the children particularly seemed to want to devour ice cream without stopping, the same thing can be said to a few adults. It was clear that they really like the sweet treat so much.

Just remembering the children and the villager smiling faces is enough to lighten her mood for a moment

For a moment.

"I wish you would wake up now..."

Those seven words uttered in a soft and sad voice, they came out unconsciously from her mouth.

The half elf's violet eyes filled with genuine sadness as she stares at her friend who is now resting in bed peacefully, and as she expects, there was no response from him.

But she continued nonetheless.

"I... Have some problems and..." She bit her lips and her grip on his hand tightened "And I know you will want me to handle it on my own but I... I... ...I lost."

She was trapped.

She wants to help Aaron, and she would, normally she would abandon any premise or notion of subtlety and ask for help immediately, no price is greater than her friend's life after all, her only friend.

But he stopped her. The lesson that he taught, the advice he gave. All of them make her more aware of her position now, and make her recognize things that could happen if she acts fully based on her emotion.

If she goes to Crusch Karsten and demands her Knight to heal Aaron, the backlash upon her status as Royal Candidate will be big. Not just to Crusch herself but to the public as well, the half demon ruined their Demigod, the half demon killed their beloved Dragon's descendant.

And the one that would be injured from such backlash wouldn't solely be her, everyone under Roswaal's care would as well.

Bad won't be enough to describe how it will end.

But on the other hand... It was him who hurt... She has only known him for two months and more, but she already felt very close to him, feeling that he had been there for her life for years, for a very long time. She has learned so much from him and...

And last night was a close one... His fever was really bad last night... She alone wasn't enough, if there is no Rem in there then.

What... What should she do...

"Aaron... I..."

The first thing he felt was something dripping to his hand, something wet and warm, it did not wash over his palm, no, it was more like... His hand was used as a towel to wipe something wet.

The second is pain... Pain all over his body... He felt like he had just gone through gruesome training and now all his muscles were aching.

The third is hot, like really hot. He felt like his body was just set on fire from inside, though it wasn't that painful, it was more like just being in a sauna instead of feverish.

"Gh..."

He let out a sound that was so dry, it was as if he was just spending his time in the desert for days without any water.

"Aaron?"

Familiar voice called his name and he slowly opened his eyes, his pupils dilated slightly as they tried to adjust to the light that suddenly invaded them.

"... Emi?" He rasped out, eyes dazed and unfocused as he stared at the half elf who... "Why... Are you crying?"

Emilia stared at him, her eyes glued to his weakened figure for a few seconds, trying to make sure that it wasn't a dream, and when they did, she all but launched herself to him.

"Aaron!" She called as she embraced the young man who was in bed "You're awake! You're awake! You finally..." She trailed into choked sobs as she pulled the man tighter to her, basking in his presence fully.

"Emi? Emi? What's..." He let out a gasp as he felt the hug become tighter, Gods he was just awake now but... Ohhh the pain! Ohh the pain! His chest! "Air!" He croaked, he needs them now! "E-Emi I... I can't..." He raises his hand, wincing in pain at that but he forces himself nonetheless, this is a matter of life and death after all! If he did not get her out of his chest right now... "Air!"

As if realizing what she did, the half elf retracted from Aaron as if he was on fire, a squeak came out of her mouth in reflex. "Sorry!" She apologized profusely. "Aaron, I didn't mean to-"

He can't respond with a word since he is too busy taking air so he settles only to nod for now. It takes a moment for him to finally get back his breath. "It's fine, I'm just surprised, that's all." He murmured as he slowly rose into a sitting position.

Emilia felt her face turn red. She feels so embarrassed to just hug him like that, and not just that but she nearly knocks him out once again!

Then the door suddenly slammed open, and from there a certain blue haired oni came in.

"Emilia-sama, Rem hears your voice from the corridor and..." Rem trailed as she noticed that Aaron finally woke up. The blond's green eyes snapped at her and they met with her blue's. They stare at each other for a few seconds before she feels her vision become blurry, she feels something wet emerge from there and- "Aaron-sama!" She shouted as she lunged at him.

"Not this again!"

That was what Aaron said before he felt his World tilt as the oni slammed at him and knocked the air from his lung.

It takes a few minutes for Emilia to separate Rem from him, not to mention the girl unconsciously went to "oni mode" and glued herself to Aaron like he was going to disappear at any moment.

"Rem apologizes for what she did."

"Me too, sorry Aaron, I didn't mean to knock you like that."

Aaron stared at them, at the duo that bowed their heads, no more like glaring, and his target was what they call boobs in their chest. While they are not the biggest he has ever seen, those balloons are what was responsible for knocking him out a moment ago.

Damn women and their breasts, if you want to offer it, give it nicely, no need to crush him with it!

...

Okay, he obviously still is not right in the head if he thinks like that. Not like he dislikes it though, he means, who doesn't like pretty and hot girls?

"First, can I have some water?" He asked them.

"Here." Rem offered the glass that was set on a nearby table.

"Thank you Rem." He said as he drank the fresh water and missed the way Rem preening. "Now... Tell me everything I miss."

Two days... Straight for two days and having my so-called Gate try to fry me from within due to foreign substances that are trying to invade my body. And the Witch Cult that is trying to attack us is pretty much dead and gone, they no longer exist, they truly are gone and seem won't come to bother the village.

Rem, Emilia, Ram and Beatrice that patrolled constantly in the last two days can attest to that.

The villager has already gone back – which is a good thing – and this far there is no sign that any cultists or something that dangerous lurking around the village, there was also a small celebration yesterday held by them.

And I miss it... Damn.

Still... I don't like this situation.

What the hell foreign substance is trying to invade my body to the point it makes my Magic Core lash out violently like that?

Was it Petelgeuse's spirit? Was he still alive and trying to possess me? I still remember everything became hazy and blurry after I talked with Puck so...

And if it was him why is there no sign of him now? Why did he not try to attack the villager? Why does no one spot him? Surely with Rem and Ram's nose they can easily track him down. Was he killed by my Magic Resistance?

So many things that went unanswered... I don't like it...

Then something crossed my mind, something that I was about to forget and panic started to rise from my stomach.

"Children." I said, making both of them alert. "There was a group of children in the place where I fought the archbishop! They-"

"They're safe." Emilia instantly reassures me, voice calm and soothing. "We brought them to the village and had them treated, they're safe Aaron."

I feel my heart freeze for a moment, terror started to gnaw on my stomach. Emilia got close to them?! They... They were supposed to be her 'examinator'! They... How could...

Calm down Aaron, calm down...

I take a deep breath, burying the terror and panic inside me. Emilia is here, it means those children did nothing to them, they did not react or explode when they got near her.

"The village..." I muttered. "They were in the village?"

"Yes." Emilia nodded, still smiling. "They are in a village but..." Her smile disappeared and turned to a frown. "There is something strange with them... They... They did not wake up. I already tried to heal them but they are still unconscious."

I feel myself frowning as well. That was clearly not normal, if they are only unconscious Emilia should be able to heal them.

"What about Beatrice?"

"She can't find anything strange with them, no." Emilia shook her head. "There is something strange indeed within them but Beatrice can't remove it, she is still confused about it and still searching about it in her library."

I see... If Beatrice is the one that looks into it then... I can expect the result tomorrow, she is that good after all

... Wait, I passed out for two days. If I did the calculation right then... Tomorrow or later night will be the time that Hakugei...

"I have to go." I said as I sprung from my bed, only to wince and hissing in pain when I felt my muscles give in.

"Aaron!" Emilia was on her feet, followed by Rem, and she was instantly on my side, helping me. "Don't move so suddenly! What is wrong?" She asked.

"I..."

I was about to yell at her but I found my throat was frozen for a second. What should I say to her? Hakugei is lurking around the Flugel's tree and it has to die?

...

Yeah, try to tell her that in my condition, I sure as hell she's going to freeze me in bed just so I can rest.

...

I could make a better lie, saying that the archbishop mentioned Hakugei but... I doubt I can do much in my condition now.

No offense, but I'm really at my best now, even moving a bit already causes me to flinch in pain. If I fight Hakugei in this condition, there is a big chance I would be killed.

...

...

...

...

Damn it...

"Nothing." I rested back on my bed and closed my eyes. "Nothing, it is not important... Just a wild thought, I am being paranoid." I admitted as I smiled at them

Obviously, she did not buy it, and neither did Rem judging by their faces.

"Aaron." Emilia started, her voice becoming serious. "Are you hiding something bad for your health?"

"Wha? No, there is nothing-"

"Don't try to lie!" Emilia yelled at me, cutting my words, her face showed she clearly was not in the mood. "Aaron! You! Do you even care about your own health?! If there's something you hide about it then tell us!"

"Emi, I'm fine, it was only-"

"YOU ALMOST DIE!"

I fell silent and clamped my mouth shut after that.

Emilia's breath was ragged, her body trembling, her facial expression showed nothing but anger, her eyes though... I can see it... I can see the raw emotion behind them... I can see tears that threatened to come out from there.

"You almost die..." She repeated, her voice dry and raspy. "Aaron... You almost died last night and... And if you did then..."

Her words trailed into a choked sob, her face tilted down, her shoulders began to tremble, one hand raised to cover her mouth.

I... I...

"Emi..." I called, my hand raised unconsciously and found her face. I make her look at me while wiping her tears. "Hey, hey it's okay... It's okay, I'm here now right? I'm here..."

I almost died.

"Aaron... I... I..."

I pull her into a hug, stopping her from saying anything further. Despite my heart also pounding like crazy and I feel a sick sensation growing in my chest, I hug her and try to remain strong.

I almost died.

"It's okay, everything will be okay."

The words of comfort that came out from my mouth sounded so smooth, so soothing, it was so genuine.

Too bad I actually don't like that.

I almost died.

But it seems enough for Emilia, I can feel her hesitation, but it's only for a moment before she returns my hug with her own.

I almost died... And despite knowing that I might Return from Death due to Satella's curse and gift... I still can't help but be afraid of it.

It wasn't right... I shouldn't be afraid of it but...

I am truly afraid to die... And I was close to death last night, burned by my own Magic Core, by myself, now that was clearly something I don't wish to happen, that was a big no, no.

I keep hugging her until she stops shaking, I don't know why I did that, perhaps I also seek comfort from her so I can erase the fear that gnawing in my stomach. And as I release her, I can see her eyes slightly red, no doubt from the tears, her beautiful face was set into a mixture of sadness and relief.

"I'm here now right? It will be okay, trust me." I reassured her, giving her a warm smile.

Emilia did nothing but stare at me for a moment and then. "Aaron... I..."

Her hand rose and touched my cheek, this made me blink and I found myself stare at her violet eyes. I can see so many raw emotions in there, so many to the point I can't decipher them.

"I.. I..."

"... Yes?" I asked in an uncertain voice, I can feel her breath now washing over my face.

Is it just me or... Is she getting too close?

"I..."

"Ehem!"

We broke from our staring contest when Rem coughed aloud, cutting our moment, the blue eyes of the maid were dull, flat, she seemed unamused by what she just saw.

"Sorry for interrupting Emilia-sama, but wouldn't it be better if we provide Aaron-sama with food? He must be pretty hungry right now."

As if on cue my stomach decided to make itself known and let out a growl.

I flushed visibly and cleared my throat. "Right. I was out for two days, so of course, I will be hungry."

"Certainly so." Rem seems amused by my reaction. "Rem shall prepare a feast for Aaron-sama to celebrate your health!" She declared in a happy voice.

"Thank you Rem! You're the best!"

And I mean it, Gods, I will give anything to have her as my personal cook after I return back to my World in the future. Seriously, I'm really going to miss her food when I return!

Rem let out a big smile, preening at my praise. "Then Rem shall prepare the food now!" She said in a jovial tone before walking toward the door.

I only can grin as I watch the oni leave, hell yeah! Food! I'm really starving!

It was then I noticed Emilia staring at me, she practically gave me a stink eye, her beautiful face scrunched to an ugly frown.

"What?" I asked "Emi, why you-"

"You stink, go to the bath." She said flatly.

"... What? Emi-"

"No, don't you "Emi" me! Go to the bath and clean yourself now!" She yelled while pointing to the bathroom direction.

I stared at her. I stared, stared, stared, aaaand stared. My mind is trying to comprehend just what the hell is happening and why she got mad at me like this.

Slow I maybe, but I am certainly not stupid enough to argue with her.

"Yes ma'am." I sighed as I slowly removed myself from the bed. Seriously, women and their complicated minds. Well, I was in bed for two days, so it means I have enough trash inside me to throw away...

As I make my way to the bath, I can hear Emilia mumbling "Idiot Aaron" and "Stupid Aaron" under her breath but I decide to ignore them.

...

So this is it? Is it done?

Petelgeuse is dead, that was obvious, the Witch Cult repelled, I won.

That's it?

...

It was... So easy... I mean... It made sense for it to be easy. Just like when Subaru faced Petelgeuse for the second time. When he knew the archbishop's weakness, he wasted no time exploiting them all and gain total victory in the end.

Just like me who knows about everything ever since the beginning.

... So I shouldn't be surprised... Right?

It really should be this easy but...

What... Is this an uneasy feeling? This is too easy... This is...

I shook my head as I felt warm water wash over me. It was too easy and that made sense, that was what should be happening but...

...

I... Feels like I am forgetting something important..

...

And I was right... Things are clearly too easy and I should expect more, there is no way everything will be this smooth, I shouldn't be that naïve in the first place.

It started when I was awakened in the middle of the night by Rem. I was sleeping and the oni shook me like there's no tomorrow.

"Aaron-sama! Aaron-sama! Wake up! We have an emergency situation!"

For a moment my World was a blur, a mixture of dreamland and real one, I clearly still not fully awake.

And Rem obviously knew this as she started to pinch my cheeks and make me yelp in pain.

"Aaron-sama! Be serious! This is really important!" She sounds so frustrated by this point.

"Alright! Alright! I'm awake!" I said while shaking my head. "What is it, Rem? What's the emergency."

Rem stares at me in the eyes, her face shows nothing but a grim expression, and her own eyes show slight dread.

"The Capital is under attack."

...

...

...

What?

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