Re:Zero - The King of Pride

Subaru stared at Puck, "Puck. Buddy, that really isn't funny."

"Um. I'm not joking, Subaru. I've never heard of any 'Emilia,'" The flying cat said ruefully.

Subaru stretched his hands out and Puck drifted down into them while still streaming mana into Beatrice's unconscious body, "Buddy, I think that barrier thing might have damaged your memory. What do you remember?"

"Well… I remember us spending time at the capitol for a week or so. Then we split up. You were trying to become King or something like that although I admit I wasn't paying too much attention," Puck replied.

Subaru took deep breaths, trying not to panic. God. I don't know if there could even conceivably be a worse time for Puck to develop amnesia.

Subaru spoke slowly, "Puck, what is the last thing that you remember?"

Puck thought about it, "Well, I remember you reading to Betty before we went to bed. I remember talking to you about going back to Arlem. Then I went back into the crystal and the next thing I knew, I couldn't get out."

What the fuck? He remembers… he remembers everything except for Emilia! How does that make the slightest amount of sense?

Maybe I can jog his memory?

Subaru shook his head, "Puck, how did you get to Arlem?"

"In the crystal."

"Sure but how? I wasn't in Arlem or in the Sanctuary until yesterday so who brought you there?"

Puck blinked and pondered that question, "Um. Gee, Subaru, I'm not sure. Did you give my crystal to someone else? That's really not OK, you know," He criticized.

"Did I give someone your crystal?! How could I have done that? We don't have a contract," Subaru pointed out.

"Of course we do!" Puck said.

"What?"

"Come on, Subaru," Puck said sounding both offended and hurt, "We made a contract before you ever met Betty! Remember? We told you how you were 'that person' and we'd been waiting for you for four hundred years?"

Subaru stared at him.

Something is going on here. Losing his memory is one thing but memory loss isn't so specific as to just forget one person. And even if it was, his mind wouldn't be filling in the blanks this way.

"Puck, that's not possible," Subaru said gently. "Remember when I made my contract with Beatrice? She made me promise that I couldn't form pacts with any other spirits."

"Well sure, I remember," Puck agreed, "But you made the contract with me before you even met Betty so that didn't count. Betty can be just as greedy as I am, Subaru, but she'd never try to take you away from me."

Subaru felt the trailer coasting to a stop by the side of the road.

The earth dragons must need a rest. I should go ask Rem and Felt if they've ever heard of a case of amnesia like this. In a perfect world I'd be able to fix this before Emilia woke up but at a bare minimum I should at least have some idea of what I'm going to tell her about this. I have enough bad news to spring on her as it is without needing to tell her that her father has forgotten all about her.

"Puck, stay here for a minute and look after Beako, OK?" Subaru asked, "I'll be right back."

The little cat nodded and floated up off Subaru's hands.

Subaru walked past the sleeping Ram and Garfiel and exited the trailer.

Rem and Felt were sitting on the driver's platform chatting as the earth dragons rested in harness underneath a shady tree.

"Ladies, I think we have a problem," Subaru began.

"The Archbishops?" Rem asked in a terse voice.

"No, not quite thatbad, I guess," Subaru mused, "Thanks for the perspective, Rem. I needed that."

Felt sighed, "After all this, how could we possibly have any more problems?"

"Trouble is the gift that keeps right on giving, Felt," Subaru replied, "The good news is that Puck is back and he's out of his crystal."

"Hey! That's great!" Felt said her face brightening.

"Yeah, the bad news is that he's completely forgotten who Emilia is," Subaru sighed.

Felt and Rem stared at him.

"I know," Subaru shook his head, "After everything she's already been through, Emilia is going to be devastated."

"Subaru," Felt asked awkwardly, "Who's Emilia?"

Subaru glared at her, "Felt, you know that I've had a very long couple of days. I'm not in the mood for that kind of humor."

"Um, I wouldn't mind being let in on the joke either, boss," Felt replied. "Who is she?"

Subaru stared at Felt in mounting horror, "Rem?" He almost pleaded.

The blue haired maid shook her head, "I'm sorry, Subaru. I've never heard of anyone named Emilia."

Subaru clapped his hand against his mouth barely holding back a scream.

Subaru triggered Reason and Judgment and his fear floated away.

Alright, don't panic! You might want to scream but that is not going to help anything right now. This is very strange. Strange is useful. Common issues have a million different explanations but the bizarre barely have any. It's time to start asking questions.

Subaru restarted time.

"Ladies," Subaru said in a surprisingly calm voice, "Could you both join me in back? I think we need to have a very serious conversation."

Rem nodded, "Let us feed the dragons and we'll join you shortly."

"Jeez Captain, why'd you wake me up," Garfiel grumbled rubbing his eyes.

Ram was still asleep but Subaru led the other three to the back of the trailer where Puck waited with Beatrice and Emilia.

Subaru pulled the curtain aside and heard a sharp gasp.

He looked behind him and saw Garfiel staring at Emilia in sheer terror.

"Captain," He whispered, "What the hell is that?!"

Excuse me, 'what' is that? She's a person not a thing! Subaru thought with great offense. He shook off his irritation and fought for calm.

"This is Emilia. She's a long time friend of ours, a candidate for the throne, Puck's partner, and my fiancee," Subaru explained, "Something has rendered you all unable to remember her and we need to figure out what did this."

Everyone stared at him open mouthed.

Something is wrong here. I get that they don't remember Emilia and they probably think that I'm acting crazy right now but they don't just seem weirded out by what I'm saying. They look afraid.

"Subaru," Rem murmured in a tight voice, "Where did she come from?"

"She was born in the Elior forest-" Subaru explained.

"That's not what I mean, Subaru," Rem shook her head, "How did she get here?"

"I brought her here after the fight with Capella," Subaru explained. "I went back to the Tomb to get her and found her passed out from the stress of the trials."

Felt stared at him in horror, "Wait! You took that out of the Witch's Tomb? A silver haired half-elf?!"

"OK, enough with the 'that' already!" Subaru said losing patience, "I know that you guys don't recognize her but she's still our friend… err, she's still my friend…fiancee. Look she is still a person at the very least and she doesn't deserve to be treated like a thing!"

Garfiel, Felt, and Rem all looked at each other uncertainly.

Subaru sighed, "Look, I don't understand what's going on yet either but something has apparently damaged all your memories so the first thing we need to do is go over the past month and figure out what memories we have in common."

The group sat on the floor inside the trailer. Subaru noticed that he was the only one willing to sit near Emilia.

"Felt, do you remember how we met?" Subaru asked.

"Of course I do," Felt replied.

"So you remember stealing Emilia's insignia and how we tracked you down at Rom's place?" Subaru continued.

Felt stared at him.

"Felt?" He asked.

"Subaru," She said slowly, "Not that I would ever admit to stealing anything at all, but when we met you gaveme your insignia to hold after I joined your faction. After all, if I'd touched someone else's insignia, wouldn't I have had to join their faction instead of yours?"

"You're not under oath here, Felt. You can skip the lawyer-speak," Subaru grumbled. He rubbed his face, "Puck, do you remember how we met?"

"Sure, Subaru," Puck shrugged in midair. "We met in that alley in the capitol after you tricked those boneheaded muggers into thinking that you cursed them."

"Exactly! Remember how you and Emilia came into the alley chasing after Felt and the insignia?" Subaru urged.

Puck was silent for a moment, "I'm sorry, Subaru, but I've never seen that girl before. I just went into the alley randomly and met you there. I figured out that you were 'that person' and we formed a contract."

What's happening? They remember everything except for Emilia!

Subaru buried his face in his hands, "Oh my God! This is like some horrifying nightmare I can't wake up from!"

"Hey! Calm down, boss," Felt murmured rubbing his shoulder. "Look, I don't know what's going on here yet but we're all with you and we're going to help. Let's just keep talking and we'll figure this out."

Subaru took a deep breath and nodded, "Right. Thanks, Felt, I needed that. OK, Roswaal was Emilia's sponsor. If there's no Emilia then how did I meet Roswaal?"

"The ass-clown came to the Astrea manor the night that you'd been wounded," Felt grumbled, "Reinhard had called him there to consult about the insignia reacting to you."

"But why did Reinhard and I go to his manor then? I went there because I wanted to see Emilia. I stayed there because I wanted to be near Emilia," Subaru replied.

"Lord Roswaal asked you to come and see him when you had recovered," Rem interjected quietly. "He said that he was interested in forming an alliance and supporting your claim to the throne."

"OK, so we went to his manor but why would we have stayed there? I can't imagine that I enjoyed the clown's company all that much," Subaru pointed out.

"To keep Red away from his asshole father," Felt replied.

Subaru shook his head.

This is so weird! Memory damage is one thing but whatever has afflicted everyone didn't just erase Emilia from their memories, it went back over her history and rewrote it so that everything she did has a plausible alternate explanation. What could possibly have the power to do this? One of the Archbishops? Or is this not a memory thing at all? Could Emilia and I have jumped time-lines to some parallel world where Emilia never existed? But when? And, more importantly, how did that happen?

Could my Authority have shifted us to a parallel world? Maybe but why? That isn't something I ever wanted to happen and it doesn't benefit me in any way that I'm aware of. Roswaal implied that my Authority responded to my unconscious desires. Could my Authority be suppressing and rewriting everyone's memories? Maybe but again why would it?

I need to figure this out.

"So, Beatrice and I just got to the Sanctuary two days ago, right?" Subaru asked slowly.

Everyone nodded.

"OK, so how did Puck get there? He was there for a few weeks right?"

"I brought him," Felt explained.

"You?" Subaru asked.

"Yeah, you really didn't want me to going to the meeting in Arlem alone," Felt replied making a face. "You made a huge deal over it. I kept telling you that I could take care of myself but you wouldn't listen and you insisted that I bring someone with me. Puck wasn't thrilled about it but you eventually convinced him to come with me and you gave me his crystal."

"Oh, right," Puck mused, "I remember that now."

Subaru looked at Puck sharply.

This isn't good. Puck didn't remember that earlier. Was that because his memory was fuzzy from being in the crystal for so long or is some force editing people's memories in real time so that they don't look too closely at any of the inconsistencies?

"OK, so I remember Emilia going to the Sanctuary with you, Felt," Subaru said slowly. "You told me that you spent two weeks trying to help her pass the trials. She failed every day and then you would take her home and put her in bed. So, if there was no Emilia, what were you doing in the Sanctuary during those two weeks?"

"I was helping my boy Garf to try to pass the trials," Felt replied pointing at the young man, "But I definitely did not put him to bed!"

Garfiel gave Felt an amused snort.

"Garf can take the trials?" Subaru asked in surprise, "Wait! Your boy?!"

What the fuck! Felt hates Garfiel! She didn't even want him escaping the Sanctuary with us! Now they're buddies? What the hell is going on here?

OK, wait. Let's think about this. Felt probably hated Garfiel because of the way he treated Emilia. God knows that's why I hated him. If there really is no Emilia in this time-line then I guess it makes sense that Felt and Garfiel would become friendlier. They're both rough and tumble scrappers who are way smarter than they act.

"What?" Garfiel grumbled looking offended, "The shrimp and I were trying to take care of business while you were out wandering lost in the countryside like Dillon and Dutch!"

Subaru frowned thoughtfully while his friends looked at him in concern. "So… I remember Emilia passing the trials and freeing the Sanctuary but you guys remember Garf doing it?"

"Nah, it was fucking Otto," Garfiel grumbled folding his arms across his massive chest with a sneer of contempt.

"And who pray tell is Otto?" Subaru sighed.

Everyone stared at him.

"What?!" Subaru asked, "I'm not playing some kind of 'reverse practical joke' on you. I have no idea who Otto is. I've never met an Otto."

"Lucky," Garfiel snorted.

Rem and Felt glanced at each other.

"Otto was a traveling merchant," Felt explained, "He took Rem and me and some of the Arlem villagers in his wagon to escape from Petelguese. He came with us to the Sanctuary."

OK, so was this 'Otto' guy there in the Sanctuary all along and I just never met him or is he something that was introduced by this 'whatever you call it' that's affecting everyone? Either way I need to talk to him.

"And he had the qualifications to take the trials?" Subaru asked.

Weird. Roswaal said that Emilia was the only one who was qualified to do it. I guess he was lying? Hm, maybe not. I feel like Roswaal wouldn't have trapped Emilia in the Sanctuary if he thought there was any chance that someone else could have done the job for her. Maybe he didn't know? Or maybe this is another change to people memories?

"Not at first," Felt replied. "Originally, we all tried to take the trials but none of us were qualified. When that happened, Ryuzu revealed that Garf was qualified to take the trials. The fleabag was not happy with her about that."

"Stupid Grams," Garfiel grumbled.

"Garf had tried to take the trials once before," Felt explained with a faint smirk, "But the big dope wasn't able to pass them and he found that pretty embarrassing. Worse, he thought the trials were painful and terrifying and he really didn't want to have to take them again."

"Shut up, shrimp," Garfiel spat glancing away with a flushed face.

"Garf was really mad at Ryuzu for telling everyone that he could take the trials but Ryuzu told him to suck it up. The Arlem villagers had to get out of the Sanctuary before everyone starved to death or fighting broke out. Garf was our only choice so he had to take the trials," Felt concluded.

Subaru wasn't entirely able to suppress the glare he cast at Garfield.

So that's it! Garfiel was treating Emilia like shit because he was jealous! Emilia kept taking the trials which is something that Garf couldn't bring himself to do! He knew that he was scared and he resented it so he took it out on Emilia! Garf, I don't care that you're only fourteen, you are an asshole!

Subaru shook off his irritation. He had bigger problems right now, "OK, so where does this Otto guy fit in?"

"Otto was just kind of hanging out with the residents at first," Felt explained, "He apparently became pretty close to Ryuzu though."

Garfiel growled and ground his fist into his palm.

"Garf uh… didn't really take that too well," Felt said giving Garfiel an amused look, "Anyway, the day you arrived, Ryuzu did… something that made Otto qualified to take the trials."

"She can do that?" He asked in surprise. Why didn't she offer to let me take them then?

"I guess so," Felt shrugged. "But don't ask me how. She was pretty shocked too. She didn't give us many details about what she'd been trying to do but whatever she did to Otto, it wasn't supposed to make him qualified to take the trials. That was just an unexpected side effect, I guess. Anyway, Otto tried to take the trials and he had a mental breakdown."

"Seems like the standard reaction," Subaru sighed.

"Anyway, you and Otto really hit it off and you talked him through it. The next day he managed to pass the trials before the Archbishops came and we got everybody out," Felt finished.

Subaru drummed his fingers against the floor.

OK, so what the hell is going on here? Why would anything want to delete just Emilia from everyone's memories? And why wasn't I affected? That's probably the real key to figuring this out. Either I was deliberately excluded from whatever this is or my Authority protected me.

If I was deliberately excluded, that suggests someone is trying to extort me: "Do what we say and we'll give Emilia her life back." Roswaal maybe? Could this be another way of taking Emilia hostage?

Well, maybe but I don't think that Roswaal has this kind of power. If he could make everyone but me forget something, I can think of much more effective ways for him to use that ability. Besides, if someone wants to blackmail you, they usually make sure that you know who's doing it and what they want you to do to make it stop. Otherwise, they don't gain any leverage. Despite being the most powerful mage in the world, Roswaal seemed to be implying that the greatest magic belongs to the Authorities. So does that mean an Archbishop did it? Or a witch? OK, how and why?

Maybe it was Roy? Or Capella? But again, how and why?

What's the last time I remember anyone interacting with Emilia?

…The fight with Roy. She came out with Felt and I called her by name and no one reacted so whatever happened to her must have happened after that. Or could this be some final punishment of the trials? If you complete the Witch's trials you're cursed to be forgotten by everyone you know because Witches are assholes?

Maybe. Ryuzu might know. No, if she knew that the price for completing the trials would be everyone forgetting about you, I doubt she'd let Garf try to take them… or was she really desperate enough to sacrifice him?

I didn't get the impression that she's that cold blooded. But she might have heard a legend about the trials having that kind of effect and then discounted it. I need to find Ryuzu and pump her for information. I need to track down this Otto guy too.

"Felt, do you remember my confrontation with Roswaal?" Subaru asked.

"Not my fondest memory but yes," Felt admitted.

"What was his plan?"

Felt screwed her face up thoughtfully, "I'm not really sure, boss. He was pretty vague about what he wanted you to do, I mean aside from being his slave and all. He lured everyone into the Sanctuary to trap them and then used the Archbishops to try and force you to sign his slave contract. Otherwise, everyone would have died. Then you spiked his wheel by getting Otto to pass the trials."

Huh. Isn't that odd? There's no Emilia in this time-line to drive the point home. Would Roswaal's plan have really worked? If there had been no Emilia in the line of fire, would I still have signed myself away to save Beatrice, Puck, and Felt? Dying beside them is one thing but… selling myself into eternal slavery? Would I have really gone that far to save them? Roswaal must have thought so but I'm not so sure. I guess I'm really just not all that great a person.

Fuck me.

"Does anyone know why the Archbishops came to the Sanctuary?" Subaru asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Maybe they made a deal with the clown?" Felt guessed, "He said that they were coming to kill everyone but he didn't say why."

"Hm," Subaru mused, "I remember him saying that they were coming to the Sanctuary to try to capture Emilia."

"Wait a fucking minute! Those freaks came to the Sanctuary because of her?!" Garfiel demanded.

Oh shit.

"The girl that you took out of the Witch's tomb?" Rem asked her face darkening, "The Witch Cult came to get her?"

This is going nowhere good!

"Emilia!" Subaru shouted cutting everyone off, "Not the girl from the Witch's Tomb! She's our friend!"

"And are the Archbishops chasing after us right now to get the witch-girl back?" Rem demanded.

"She is not a witch, Rem!" Subaru shouted back. "And the Archbishops have plenty of reason to be chasing us regardless. I've already killed two of them and we have all made Regulus and Capella really mad!"

Everyone was quiet.

Subaru rubbed his forehead, "The Archbishops must have had something to do with what's going on with everyone," He said, "I'm guessing that nothing other than an Authority would have the power to shift everyone's memories around this way."

Felt, Rem, and Garf all looked at each other as Puck drifted down onto Subaru's shoulder to be petted.

Felt sighed, "Hey Subaru, have you ever heard of Occam's razor?" Felt asked quietly.

"I don't think so, what is it?" Subaru replied.

"It's something that Gramps taught me when I was a kid," Felt replied.

"Hey, shrimp, was that last week or the week before that?" Garfiel asked.

"Screw you, fleabag," Felt muttered. "Anyway, the idea is that 'the simplest solution is usually the correct one.'"

"In this world, I assume the simplest answer is always magic," Subaru muttered stroking Puck and trying to gather his thoughts.

"Probably," Felt admitted. She sounded awkward, "I mean, sure, it's possible that some great power has affected all of us and shifted our memories around and convinced a Great Spirit that he made a contract with someone that he didn't."

Subaru nodded petting Puck.

"But," Felt hesitated, "Isn't it also possible that maybe you're the one whose memories have been modified?"

Subaru shook his head, "I think the reason that I wasn't affected is because I have an Authority. That must have protected me from the effects."

"Maybe," Felt admitted, "But we don't know that much about the Authorities or how they work. Isn't it just possible that in addition to giving you great power it also makes you more vulnerable to certain things? Maybe more susceptible to witchcraft?"

Subaru scratched his head, "I mean, maybe, but why? What's the point in convincing me that someone existed when they didn't?"

"Well, I'd ask you the same question, boss," Felt said gently, "Why would anyone want to delete a girl from history? What's the angle? How does this benefit anybody?"

Subaru shrugged, "I'm struggling to answer that question too."

"Yeah, but," Felt continued, "On the other hand, if we assume that someone wanted you to believe that the girl was your friend and lover when she wasn't, I can think of lots of motivations for that one."

"Like what?" Subaru snorted.

"Well, protection for one," Felt said looking away from Subaru, "Maybe they needed the girl to have a protector while she recovered her strength because she would be vulnerable when she came out of the tomb."

Subaru looked up at Felt and frowned.

"You know, boss, Gramps told me lots of old stories about witches using magic to make men fall in love with them. They would make the men believe that they had always been the witch's lover. It's a neat strategy; great way of turning enemies into powerful allies and securing guards willing to die for you," Felt continued, sounding as if she was doing nothing more than thinking out loud.

Oh God, no…

She can't be thinking…

"Subaru, you said you brought that girl out of the Witch's Tomb, right?" Felt coaxed, "A silver haired half-elf? According to the legends, Satella the Witch of Envy was a silver haired half-elf."

Puck yawned, "I thought Satella was sealed away in the Auriga Sand Dunes."

"Hey, I don't know," Felt admitted, "I'm just saying that Subaru has brought a girl who looks exactly like the Witch of Envy out of a Witch's Tomb."

Subaru stared at Felt in shock.

"Subaru," Felt continued gently, "What if the witch is the one who's twisting your memories? Corrupting your thoughts?"

"No!" Subaru said firmly. "That is not what's happening! Emilia is not a witch and there is nothing wrong with my memories."

Felt clasped her hands together, "But come on, boss, how would you know?" She mused studying her hands, "I mean, if some magic had twisted my memories, how would I know that it had happened? Everything would seem completely normal to me. I'd think that all the folks who told me that my memories had been modified were crazy or trying to deceive me. So how do you know that your memories are intact?"

Subaru was breathing rapidly.

What do I say here?! I mean she's right. Well, she's right but she's wrong! I know Emilia! I know these memories are real! There isn't a doubt in my mind but how do I convince her of that? She trusts her own memories as much as I do! The only problem is that her memories are wrong!

"Captain, this witch must have been imprisoned in the Sanctuary for centuries!" Garfiel said.

"What do you mean?" Felt asked.

"The fucking Sin Archbishops came to the Sanctuary to find her!" Garfiel exclaimed baring his teeth. "Grams always claimed that the barrier around the Sanctuary was there to protect us form outsiders. But I always thought that was stupid. The barrier doesn't actually keep anything out. But it's awesome at keeping things in! We lower the barrier and bang! A witch appears in the tomb and we carry her out! What if the Sanctuary wasn't supposed to keep people safe but to keep the Witch trapped inside! The barrier made the Spirits weak while they were in there, maybe it also renders witches comatose as long as the barrier is up!"

Oh fuck. Garf, why did you choose this exact moment to start thinking for what must be the first time in your life?!

"I don't know, Garf," Felt said dubiously, "It's called a Sanctuary not a prison. That's not usually the kind of place where you lock someone up."

"Besides the barrier doesn't affect Authority possessors," Subaru pointed out, "It didn't effect me, Roy or Capella."

"Yeah, but Satella is a half blood!" Garfiel snarled, "Maybe that was enough to trap her inside the barrier! Maybe as long as the barrier was up she stayed in hibernation! Hell, there wasn't much else to do in the Sanctuary. Maybe Satella has been trapped in there for centuries!"

Oh my God. Satella… Do they really think…

"Subaru," Rem said calmly before Subaru could respond, "We can't fight the Sin Archbishops again. We're simply too exhausted to handle any more combat. Sister and Lady Beatrice are still unconscious. If the Sin Archbishops are chasing us to find the witch-girl then we should leave her here."

"No way!" Subaru shouted.

"Fuck that shit, Rem!" Garfiel retorted, "I'm not letting Satella roam around as she pleases. She almost destroyed the world last time! We should kill her while she's still weak!"

"Absolutely not!" Subaru said rising to his feet.

Garfiel stood up as well, snarling and with his fists clenched.

Subaru let Puck float away so that his hands would be free.

The two men stared each other down.

"You've seen me fight, Garfiel," Subaru warned, "You know what I'm capable of. Don't force me to prove that to you."

"Whose fucking side are you on, Captain?" Garfiel demanded with a snap of his jaws.

"You know, Garfiel, you really should think this through," Puck mused, floating next to Subaru, "Frankly, I have no idea what's going on here. I don't know that girl and I have only the vaguest idea of who you are but anyone who tries to hurt my Subaru is going to be very very sorry."

Subaru gaped up at the flying cat.

What the fuck is going on here? 'My Subaru?' Is this some twisted dream?!

"Hey! Everybody calm the fuck down!" Felt ordered.

Everyone stared at the small girl, "Look. We're not going to do anything right now," Felt said firmly, "We need to think carefully about our next move. We also need to wait until Ram and Beatrice wake up before we decide anything. The earth dragons have had their rest, let's just keep moving. No matter why they're after us, the Archbishops definitely want us dead. Even if they got whatever they wanted, the Archbishops would still kill us, so let's stay the hell away from them."

Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"A sensible plan, Miss Felt," Rem said calmly. She turned and walked out to the driver's platform without looking back.

Garfiel gave a low growl at Subaru but then his face changed. Garfiel actually looked hurt. His expression shifted him from looking like a ferocious fighter to a sad and lonely kid, "What's wrong with you, Captain?" He whispered walking away.

As Garfiel passed Ram's couch he picked up the unconscious girl and gave Subaru a look of reproach.

Subaru had no idea how to respond.

Garfiel turned away and carried Ram out to the driver's platform with Rem.

Felt sighed and rubbed her forehead, "Look, boss, I'm with you on this. I am going to help you figure out what the hell's going on here."

"I know what's going on here, Felt," Subaru said earnestly, "Something has removed Emilia from all of your memories."

"OK," Felt said awkwardly, "Sure. That's… a theory."

Felt shook her head and sighed, "Look, Subaru, we got bigger problems to deal with right now. Let's just all focus on getting the hell out of here and away from the Archbishops. We can figure out what to do with the… girl later."

"You don't believe me," Subaru said. It was not a question.

Felt looked pained, "Boss, look, I know how smart you are. You've always been able to see things that I couldn't but this…" She hesitated then threw her head back in exasperation, "Come on, Subaru! You're telling me that this girl, who looks just like the witch and whom I've never met before in my life, is our dear friend. You're telling me that everyone except for you has had their memories modified by some unknown power for some unknown reason. This is a lot that you're asking me to buy and you don't have any proof of any it!"

Subaru couldn't respond.

Felt looked sad and walked out to the driver's platform casting Subaru one last worried look.

She exited the trailer and left Subaru alone with Emilia and the spirits.

Subaru fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

"Hey, Subaru, are you alright?" Puck asked drifting down to him.

"No, Puck," Subaru whispered, "I'm not sure that I've ever been less alright in my life. The world has forgotten all about Emilia and even our friends are ready to turn on her. I don't know what to do."

Subaru felt a soft paw touching his face and looked up.

"Look, Subaru," Puck said, "I have no idea what's going on here but I know that we'll figure it out. Betty and I are with you. Remember, you're not just our partner, you're our family. We're on your side, no matter what."

Subaru started to cry and cuddled the little cat against his face.

"It's alright, Subaru," The cat said patting his cheek. "You'll straighten this out. You always do."

Subaru hugged the cat tightly.

"Wow. I can't wait for Betty to wake up," Puck mused, "I wonder what she'll think of all this."

Subaru actually chuckled at that thought.

Subaru noticed that Puck was looking at the sleeping half-elf.

"Anything coming back to you, Puck?" Subaru asked hopefully.

"Not really, Subaru. Sorry," He said, "I mean, she does seem kind of familiar but I can't place her."

Subaru sighed.

"So tell me, Subaru," Puck continued, "Do I have any kind of relationship with this 'Emilia' person?"

Subaru smiled sadly, "You've been her partner for about seven years, ever since you met in the Elior forest. You call her 'Lia' and you think of yourself as her father. When you and I first met, you threatened to kill me because I was having lewd thoughts about your precious daughter."

Puck gaped up at him, "Wow, Subaru. That's… that's seriously a lot to take in. I mean, I know that you're not lying to me but I'm not sure that I believe all that. Sorry."

"It's OK, buddy," Subaru whispered cradling the cat, "I know that it's a lot to absorb."

"'Lia,' huh? I like that name. But you're the only person I've ever formed a contract with, Subaru. You're 'that person,' not the girl," Puck said.

"I'll accept that for now, Puck," Subaru acknowledged, "Because God knows the only people who could love you as much as Emilia are Beatrice and me."

Some time later, Beatrice stirred.

"Beako," Subaru whispered picking up the tiny spirit, "Are you alright?"

Beatrice rubbed her eyes, "Betty is very tired, in fact. This barrier is most unpleasant."

"No more barrier, Beako," Subaru said cradling the little spirit close against his chest, "We got out."

"Well, that's good, I suppose," Beatrice murmured, "So why is Betty so tired?"

"Apparently when the barrier broke it drained everyone's mana," Subaru grumbled, "Because everything has to be unbelievably difficult when we're involved."

"You were in a real bad way, Betty," Puck commented drifting down into Beatrice's arms, "Your mana was almost empty!"

"That explains why Betty is so tired, I suppose," Beatrice sighed, cuddling Puck with a contented smiled.

"Yeah," Puck yawned, "It took most of my mana to stabilize you so I'm feeling pretty drained myself. It might be a few weeks before we're back to normal."

"Beako," Subaru hesitated, "Do you remember Emilia?"

"Who is Emilia, I suppose?" Beatrice asked absently.

Subaru sighed.

"Sorry, Subaru," Puck said.

Subaru nodded.

Beatrice gave Subaru a puzzled look, "Who is 'Emilia,' in fact?"

Subaru sighed and pointed at the sleeping elf behind him.

"Hm," Beatrice said curiously, "Where did the elf come from?"

Oh my God, this is terrible!

"She's my fiancee, Beako," Subaru sighed. "But nobody seems to remember her."

Beatrice gaped at him, "Subaru is getting married? Why didn't he tell Betty, in fact?!"

Subaru sighed and shook his head, "Beako, you've met Emilia many times. You've lived with her at the manor and while we were in the capitol. She slept in our bed. But something has happened and now nobody remembers who she is. Beako, do you know any kind of magic that could shift people's memories around like that?"

Beatrice stared at him open-mouthed.

Subaru chuckled sadly, "I'm not making this up, Beako. Emilia was precious to all of us in different ways. But now, nobody remembers who she is. Everything that she did is now being ascribed to someone else. Can you think of anything that could do that?"

Beatrice frowned, "Magic can erase memories I suppose but Betty has never heard of any magic that could remove an individual from existing memories and then cover it up."

"Yeah, it's not just that people don't remember Emilia, they're attributing things that she did to me and other people," Subaru added.

Beatrice shook her head, "Magic can not do this, I suppose. This is reality warping. Only an Authority grants such power."

"And that means that the Archbishops are involved," Subaru grumbled, "I don't suppose you know which one?"

Beatrice shook her head.

"Well, that's not much help," Subaru sighed. He thought it over frowning, "Betty, so Roswaal says that I have an Authority. Do you have any idea how they work?"

Betty cocked her head.

"I mean," Subaru tried to put his thoughts into words, "If an Authority did this to Emilia, is there anyway that I could use my Authority to undo it?"

"Wait a second! Subaru, when did you get an Authority?!" Puck gasped.

Beatrice shook her head, "Betty doesn't know much about how Authorities work, I suppose. Betty just knows that they are vastly more powerful than any other form of magic and follow far fewer rules."

Subaru leaned back against Emilia's couch with Beatrice in his arms and Puck in hers, "Everything always comes back to the Authorities for good or for bad," He muttered.

"Authorities are unique to the user. No two Authorities manifest in quite the same way, I suppose," Beatrice replied, "Although some manifestations have general features in common. The power of an Authority is the power to ignore the laws of physics and magic in some way. Which Authority did Roswaal say that you had?"

"Pride," He answered.

Beatrice deflated slightly, "Betty had hoped that it might have been Greed, I suppose," She whispered.

"Why? What difference would that make?" Subaru asked.

Beatrice just shook her head.

"That seems kind of weird, Subaru," Puck mused, "I mean, you've got your flaws; mostly dealing with being really weird and occasionally kind of dumb but I don't think arrogance is one of your core traits."

"Gee. Thanks, Puck," Subaru grumbled, "Alright. So as unhappy as it may be to discover that I am a witch, maybe it will let me reverse whatever is going on here. We just need to figure out how. Roswaal said that my Authority would grow more powerful over time. He said that I'd develop an affinity for it and learn to control it but I don't know what that means."

"I've heard that Authorities become more powerful as the wielder succumbs to their own flaws, Subaru," Puck replied.

"So basically if I want to unlock the full power of the Authority of Pride and bend it to my will, I just need to become more arrogant," Subaru rubbed his forehead with a rueful chuckle.

"Betty thinks that the very idea of a mortal gaining control of an Authority is already arrogant, in fact," She said.

Garfiel, Felt, and the twins had left Subaru and the spirits entirely alone. Subaru didn't like to think about what they might be saying out front.

In any event, he had several hours to carefully consider what he was going to say to Emilia.

Unfortunately, he hadn't come to any brilliant conclusions when she finally stirred and her eyes fluttered open.

"Subaru," She whispered.

"Emilia," He answered quickly taking her hand.

Her gaze moved to over his shoulder where he knew that Beatrice and Puck were sitting.

"Puck!" She gasped and her smile was like the sun coming up. She reached out to him her arms wide.

Subaru knew without turning around that Puck wasn't moving or even smiling at her. He was looking at Emilia with doubt.

Emilia's face flickered, "Daddy?" She whispered, "What's wrong?"

"Emilia," Subaru said taking a deep breath, "Just… Just look at me for a minute, OK?"

Emilia turned her attention back toward Subaru, her brow creased with worry.

"Listen, um, I have a lot to tell you and none of it is going to be easy to hear," Subaru said sadly, "So I need you to be very brave right now and to remember that we are in this together and, no matter how bad things get, we will find a way to fix them."

Emilia stared at Subaru, seemingly willing herself not to look at anything else. She swallowed hard, "Alright."

"The first thing I need to tell you is that we've discovered that the Kingdom seems to have run out of dragon blood. They don't have any more to give us for the forest," Subaru said squeezing her hand gently.

Emilia gasped. She stared at Subaru her face contorting in horror.

"Deep breath, Emilia," Subaru instructed, "We don't have a plan for healing the forest right now but that doesn't mean that we're going to give up. I have very good reason to believe that there is another way to save the forest so I want you to try to stay calm right now. I… I actually have something worse that I need to tell you."

"Worse?" Emilia asked in shock.

Oh my God. How do you even break bad news like this to someone? Telling her that she was dying of cancer and had days to live would be easier than this!

"Emilia, I think that you've been placed under some kind of strange curse," Subaru said gently.

"A curse? Like what?"

He took a deep breath, "I'm afraid that… everyone's memories of you have been damaged. Nobody except me… remembers who you are."

Emilia's jaw dropped. She stared at Subaru as if waiting for him to say 'just kidding.' Subaru could only sit there and squeeze her hand.

Finally, Emilia looked at Puck who was resting in Beatrice's arms looking uncertain.

"Daddy?" She asked plaintively.

"Um," Puck muttered, "Hello, Emilia. It's very nice to meet you."

Emilia's mouth worked but no sound came out.

"Puck," Subaru coaxed as Emilia held onto his hand like a lifeline, "This is the daughter I was telling you about: Emilia. You've had a contract with her for about seven years now."

Puck drifted out of Beatrice's arms and perched on Subaru's shoulder.

"Um, I don't know about that, Subaru. I know that you're not lying to me but I never had a contract with anyone except you. Beatrice and I were waiting for you for four hundred years. There wasn't anyone else before we met," Puck told him awkwardly.

Emilia's face crumbled and she began to cry.

Subaru pulled her into a tight hug and she buried her face in his chest.

"I know, Mili," Subaru whispered to her, "I know how hard this is but we're going to fix it. I promise. We're going to break this curse and everything is going to go back to the way it was."

"Subaru! This is like a nightmare!" Emilia sobbed.

"Yeah, it is," Subaru agreed as Emilia wept, "Listen, Emilia, I know that I'm a poor substitute for Puck but I'm still here for you. We are a team and this nightmare has trapped both of us and we are going to get out of it together."

Emilia slowly stopped sobbing. "Yes. Yes, we will," She said firmly, "As long as you and I are together, we can do anything."

"That's my Mili!" Subaru cheered.

Emilia took a few deep breaths and seemed to steady herself. She picked her head off of Subaru's chest, "Hello, Puck," Emilia said, fighting to put a smile on a face that was still wet with tears, "I'm Emilia and it is very nice… to meet you. And you as well, Beatrice."

The spirits looked at Emilia curiously.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere but I can't place it…," Puck grumbled sounding annoyed.

"Betty does not remember you but if Betty's Subaru likes you then Betty will accept you as well," Beatrice added.

Emilia almost laughed, "Thank you, Beatrice. I appreciate that."

"OK, guys," Subaru said, "We have a number one priority right now: to undo whatever happened to Emilia."

"Undoing something that we can't even define is a complicated task, I suppose," Beatrice replied.

"No argument," Subaru said, "But we know that normal magic couldn't have done this so it had to be an Authority, right? Could it be anything else?"

Beatrice thought about it then shook her head, "Assuming that this 'Emilia' did not simply bewitch you to believe that she is your friend when in fact she is not-"

"Hey!" Subaru objected.

"Then no. To cause people to not only forget a person but to associate their actions as being done by another so seamlessly goes beyond magic, I suppose. This is reality warping and only Authorities give their wielders such power to deform the laws of nature and magic. This also explains why you may have been unaffected: your Authority may have protected you from the other Authority's power," Beatrice finished.

"Yeah. Hey, Subaru, can we go back to that for a second?" Puck asked plaintively, "Since when did you acquire an Authority? And why didn't you ever tell us?"

"I'd like an answer to that question too, Subaru," Emilia agreed.

Subaru sighed, "OK, so the full story is that I never told you I had an Authority because I didn't even realize it meant anything. Until Roswaal brought it up I just thought an Authority was some kind of fancy title. You know, something to group abilities like Indomitable and…," He trailed off.

"And what?" Emilia asked.

Reason and Judgment…

Subaru hesitated and shrugged, "You know, just my magic," He finished lamely, "Anyway I got my Authority a few minutes after I came to this world, although it took me a while to figure out how to use its abilities. Roswaal claimed that it has way more power than I've tapped into so far. Maybe even enough to un-warp Emilia's memories or to restore the Elior forest."

"Um, so, Subaru, is fixing that forest something that we're trying to do now?" Puck asked in a confused voice.

Emilia and Subaru exchanged a weary look and both sighed.

"Yeah, buddy," Subaru replied, "Emilia was born in the Elior forest and the whole reason that I even joined the royal selection in the first place was to help Emilia acquire the dragon's blood so that we could heal the forest," He finished sadly.

"Oh! So that's why we were doing all of this!" Puck replied, "Huh. I always figured that you were just trying to become King because you were a really nice guy who wanted to make things better for everyone."

Subaru snorted, "Yeah, glad I could correct that misconception."

"Subaru is a wonderful person who is always trying to help others, even me. Puck was not incorrect," Emilia interjected, giving Subaru an annoyed look.

"See? Like I said," Puck agreed with Emilia.

"If Betty could get this conversation back on track," Beatrice said in a tone of annoyance, "Betty remembers Capella telling us that the blood was all gone right before Betty collapsed. She claimed to have drunk it all if Betty remembers correctly."

"She drank the blood?" Emilia asked in astonishment.

"You didn't meet Capella, Emilia. Believe me, drinking blood is something I'd assume is not terribly unusual for her," Subaru grumbled.

"Then the blood is all gone," Emilia whispered.

"If we believe her," Beatrice sniffed, "Do we believe her, in fact, Subaru?"

"It makes sense," Subaru sighed, "After all, if the kingdom still had the blood, why wouldn't they have used it to heal the King and his family?"

"Good point," Puck noted.

"But," Emilia began, "Can't we just ask for more blood once we reform the pact with the dragon?"

"According to Capella," Subaru replied, "The powerful blood we need to lift the curse isn't just any dragon blood: it needs to come from a dragon's last heartbeat. Then again I'm not sure that if I'm as willing to believe her about that-"

"Betty can confirm it, I suppose" Beatrice grumbled, "The strongest blood, the curse breaking blood, must come from a dragon's death."

"OK, so how did the kingdom get any in the first place? The dragon was still alive, I thought," Subaru asked.

"Likely from killing another dragon, I suppose" Beatrice shrugged.

Subaru sighed, "OK, well. Fixing everyone's memories of Emilia is our first priority right now but can anyone think of other approaches to break the curse on the forest? Maybe a talisman or a spell or something? I really don't want to have to go dragon hunting."

"Subaru!" Emilia protested, "We can't kill a sentient being just because we need their blood!"

"Emilia, I very much doubt that we could kill a dragon period, no matter what our motivations were. So can anyone think of another way to break the curse on the forest without relying on dragon blood?" Subaru asked.

Beatrice and Puck shared a long glance and then shook their heads, "Sorry, Subaru," Puck replied, "But I don't think that anything but the Dragon blood would work on a curse of that magnitude."

"OK," Subaru shook his head, "So maybe dragon hunting is in our future. Is there any way that an Authority could break the curse?"

"Authorities warp reality. There is no reason in principle an Authority couldn't do this, but the wielder of an Authority generally has no say in the form their Authority takes, I suppose" Beatrice replied.

"Um, care to explain that a little bit more, Beako?" Subaru asked.

Beatrice frowned thoughtfully, "Reinhard van Astrea has great power, in fact. Reinhard would be powerful enough to heal any wound in an ally. Reinhard can not heals wounds, however. This is not the form his power takes."

"Got it," Subaru sighed, "So my Authority so far has taken a form that has nothing to do with breaking curses. That might be the end of the story but Roswaal implied that over time I would be able to control my Authority."

Beatrice stared at Subaru frowning, "Few ever develop the power and rapport to command their Authority consciously, I suppose. The Witch of Envy was said to have come close," Beatrice mused, her gaze flickering toward Emilia, "Betty has also heard stories about a powerful witch of the ancient world who completely mastered her relatively weak Authority and could reshape reality to her liking at will."

"That sounds like a nice power!" Subaru said, "You know anything else about this witch?"

Beatrice shook her head, "Not even her name, I suppose. She was considered a secret among secrets even when Betty's mother was alive. There is very little information about her."

Subaru frowned, "Well, let's keep our eyes open for any more information then. If this witch was able to do all that, then there must be a way for me to do it too. That might be our only chance to save Emilia and the Forest."

"Subaru," Emilia whispered, looking worried. "Are you sure about this?"

"About what?"

"About using your Authority," Emilia said. "This is witchcraft! It's dangerous. It could do bad things to you."

"I've been using it since I got here without much trouble," Subaru shrugged.

I think that's not technically a lie.

"The half-elf makes a valid point, I suppose," Beatrice said folding her arms, "Many people who acquire such black magic are mastered by their Authority rather than the converse. They are devoured by the power and it twists their minds."

"OK, that sounds bad, how do we avoid that?" Subaru asked.

The spirits looked at each other, "Honestly? I have no idea, Subaru," Puck replied, "There isn't all that much information on the topic of Authorities."

"Not even in your library?" Subaru asked Beatrice.

Beatrice glanced away looking embarrassed, "Betty's library is not complete, I suppose" She murmured under her breath.

"Come again?"

Betty bit her lip, "Mother left Betty only some of her precious tomes, in fact. Her personal reflections on the greater mysteries of magic were secured elsewhere."

"Where's that?"

Betty snorted, her face glowing red, "Betty doesn't know, I suppose!"

Subaru very carefully hid a smile, "Well, we'll just have to find them then! Those books might be the key to solving all of our problems. Besides, I'd feel bad if your mother's books didn't wind up in your library, Beako."

Beatrice frowned at Subaru thoughtfully, "Yes," She said after a moment, "Mother's legacy belongs in Betty's library, in fact" She agreed.

"OK," Subaru said clapping his hands together, "So the plan is to figure out a way to use my Authority to restore Emilia's memories and heal the forest. This is a dark magic that is incredibly dangerous and as likely to destroy me as it is to help us. We need to learn how to use it and we have a few angles to follow in that regard: We have the books on magic, although nobody has any idea where they might be located, and we have the legend of a witch of terrifying power whose name we don't even know. Does that about sum it up?"

Emilia stared at Subaru, "Subaru, is all this funny to you?!"

"Funny? No. I'm actually trying to reassure everybody by acting confident right now," Subaru clarified, "It's just kind of hard to act confident when we're dealing with all this. I thought when we escaped the Sanctuary that we could take it easy for a while. Now the world is throwing all this shit at us!"

Emilia sighed, "Nobody even remembers what I did, do they? I fought so hard to complete the trials and save the villagers and now nobody even knows who I am."

"I do," Subaru said seriously, "You're still a hero to me, Mili!"

Emilia smiled sadly, "Thank you, Subaru. Maybe that should be enough but…" She looked at the two spirits who still regarded her skeptically.

"We're going to fix it!" He promised taking her hand, "We're going to bring everyone's memories back and Puck is going to drive us both crazy for several days with how guilty he feels for having ever forgotten you!"

"Hey! Subaru, leave me out of this pep talk!" Puck complained.

Emilia laughed.

"OK, guys," Subaru said leading Rem, Felt, and Garfiel into the trailer while the earth dragons rested. Ram had been brought inside and placed back on the couch, still unconscious. "I want you all to meet Emilia."

Emilia sat there looking apprehensive.

Felt, who had become a dear friend to Emilia during their time in the Sanctuary, now looked at her without recognition. Felt stared at Emilia's hair and ears and bit her lip. Felt's gaze kept flickering back to Subaru as if asking if he was really sure about this.

Rem, who had always been kind and polite to Emilia, if not friendly, had a face as hard as iron. Her arms were tightly folded across her chest. Emilia saw that Rem had brought her mace with her for this introduction.

Garfiel scowled at Emilia but not much had changed there. His gaze was doubtful when it strayed to Subaru.

Emilia glanced at the spirits who sat on the couch across from her looking equally unconvinced. Especially Puck.

Emilia took a deep breath, "It's wonderful to see you all again," She said standing up and giving them all a small curtsy, "My name is Emilia. Just Emilia."

Rem glowered at her. Felt and Garfiel glanced at Subaru uncertainly.

"Hey, Subaru," Felt muttered, "You're… sure that you know this girl?"

"OK," Subaru began, "I know that this situation is really weird for all concerned but it is the truth. Something has erased Emilia from everyone's memories. We need to figure out a way to undo this."

Felt and Garfiel looked at each other helplessly for a long moment.

Finally, Felt shook her head, "OK, boss, this is all," Felt hesitated and sighed, "Really kind of hard to believe, but I'm on your team. If you say that… 'Emilia' is our friend then I'm on board. What do we do about this?"

Garfiel looked unconvinced. He squinted at Emilia and growled, "Are you the one the Witch Cult destroyed my home to rescue?"

Emilia was absolutely stunned by this question but she shook it off, "Garf, whatever the Witch Cult wanted with me, I very much doubt that they intended to do me any favors," She said firmly.

Garfiel looked startled, "Wait! You know my name?"

Emilia took a deep breath, "Of course I do, Garf. We just spent two weeks together. Every day I'd come out of the tomb in tears after failing the trials, you'd say something about me being weak and pathetic, and Felt would threaten you."

Garfiel blinked and scratched his head, looking uncertain.

"Um…, well it's nice to meet you…, Emilia," Felt mumbled.

"It's good to see you again too, Felt," Emilia smiled.

Rem glowered at Emilia suspiciously.

"OK," Subaru continued, "So the spirits and I have been talking and it looks like the only possible explanation is that the Archbishops used their Authorities to modify everyone's memories for some unexplained reason."

"Hang on, what makes you think they did it, Captain?" Garfiel asked.

Subaru shrugged, "Because according to Beako, normal magic couldn't do it. And if it was done by an Authority then that explains why I might be immune to the effects."

"You reek of witchcraft," Rem interjected with a scowl at Emilia.

Emilia's eyes widened.

Subaru cocked his head at Rem, "Really? You never said that before."

Rem gave Subaru an annoyed look.

Subaru spread his hands defensively, "Rem, I'm just saying that you've had plenty of encounters with Emilia and you never commented on her smelling like a witch until now. I doubt you would have kept it a secret. You tried to kill me a few hours after we met because I smelled like the witch."

"Whoah!" Garfiel said in shock, "Seriously, Rem?" He asked.

Rem glared at Subaru.

"We've more or less worked it out, Garf" Subaru twitted, "Anyway, maybe that the new aroma has something to do with Emilia passing the trials?" He asked Rem.

Rem folded her arms and thought about it, "Master Otto did smell very foul after he emerged from the tomb," She admitted.

"Alright, so let's assume that answers that question for now. We have enough other problems to deal with," Subaru replied.

"So, what's the plan, boss?" Felt asked looking at Emilia dubiously, "Now that we've got ourselves a witch, what are we going to do with her?"

"OK, first of all, let's cool it on the witch talk?" Subaru sighed, "Beyond that, our plan is pretty much the same as before: The Witch Cult is after us and they're really pissed off so personally, I do not want to see them again right now."

Felt blanched, "Bad news, boss!" She shouted pointing out the trailer's back door.

A group of six men in purple hooded robes were running inhumanly fast up the road.

"OK, Puck, Beako look after the Ram, Felt, and Emilia. Garf and Rem, we'll deal with these losers," Subaru instructed.

"Alright!" Garfiel cheered.

"Try not to let any of them get away or they might bring back reinforcements!" Subaru yelled as he leapt out of the trailer and onto the gravel road.

Garfiel charged out with a wild whoop and a feral grin on his face. He took a position to Subaru's right. Rem stood on Subaru's left with a stern look as she shook out her chain mace.

The cultists were armed with long knives. As they charged, Subaru deliberately stepped forward to invite them to focus their attacks on him.

The six all sprang at Subaru stabbing at his torso but Subaru triggered Indomitable and their knives glanced off. The cultists seemed baffled and uncertain of what to do next. Subaru took advantage of this to deliver a punch that shattered a cultist's head in a geyser of blood. His triangular hood turned red and collapsed inward like a rotten tomato.

Subaru choked back a retch as he turned to help Garfiel and Rem.

Garfiel effortlessly grabbed two cultists by the throat and smashed their heads together, shattering their skulls like dropped pumpkins.

Rem swung her mace at a cultist's chest crushing it and then spun around driving her mace into another cultist's face with a crunch.

The last cultist tried to turn and run but Rem's mace clipped his ankle, sending the cultist crashing down onto the ground. Before he could even move, Garfiel grabbed the cultist's head and slammed it face first into the road with terrific force.

He lay still.

"Huh," Garfiel snorted, "You know, Captain, after dealing with Roy, my magnificent self was expecting to have more fun with the Cult than that."

"You may still get your wish, Garf, if the Archbishops find us!" Subaru replied. "Everyone get back inside!" Subaru said already running back to the trailer followed by Rem.

Garfiel looked confused and he had to hurry to catch up.

"Rem, have the earth dragons had a long enough rest?" Subaru asked.

"No, but we had better get moving anyway," Rem answered tersely. She ran back to the driver's platform followed by Felt.

"Hey, Captain, do you really think the Archbishops are that close?" Garfiel asked.

"I don't know but I do know what will happen when that group of cultists doesn't report in so we better get the hell out of here," Subaru explained.

Garfiel made a face. "Sounds good to me, Captain," Garfiel replied racing out to the driver's platform.

Subaru paused to look at Emilia and the spirits, "Are you guys OK?"

They nodded but Emilia looked worried.

"OK, wait here. I'll be right back," Subaru said heading out onto the driver's platform.