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Rating:
Not Rated
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceCreator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category:
Gen
Fandoms:
Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)TerrariaCalamity Mod
Characters:
Supreme Calamitas (Calamity Mod)Natsuki SubaruEmilia (Re:Zero)Regulus CorneasYharim (Calamity Mod)The Devourer of Gods (Calamity Mod)Draedon (Calamity Mod)Reinhard van AstreaSignus Envoy of the Devourer (Calamity Mod)Julius Juukulius | Julius EucliusBeatrice (Re:Zero)Anastasia HoshinMeili PortrouteRam (Re:Zero)Pandora (Re:Zero)Storm Weaver (Calamity Mod)Shaula (Re:Zero)Reid AstreaLye BatenkaitosRoy AlphardLouis ArnebBrimstone Elemental (Calamity Mod)Capella Emerada LugnicaProvidence the Profaned Goddess (Calamity Mod)Calamitas (Calamity Mod)Silva (Calamity Mod)
Additional Tags:
Spoilers for Re:Zero arc 5 and furtherMental InstabilityCursesA minor amount of genocideA heaping helping of headcanon and filling in plotholesDoesn't follow canon as it changed as of writing smhYou don't need to know anything about Terraria or Calamity eitherYou'll still be heavily spoiled for Re:zero thoughUnreliable NarratorAngsta crumb of fluff every dozen chapters maybeStarts in Re:zero but we go to Terraria eventuallyCalamitas-CentricPOV MultipleThis fic focuses on the Calamity charactersnot the Terraria ones sorry
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2022-09-11Updated:2026-02-01Words:703,912Chapters:81/?Comments:1,628Kudos:1,284Bookmarks:194Hits:101,100
Re:Supreme
TheGimbler
Chapter 3: Prologue (Part 3)
Chapter Text
When Reinhardt caught that strange woman who had suddenly pushed her body and began walking away, he didn't quite understand what to make of her. She seemed hurt, not only in a physical sense.
"Are you alright? Please reconsider pushing yourself when you're this injured." He gently waited for her to yell at him, not unlike the lady he served. But when he received none, he quickly became worried.
"Lady Cal?"
"I don't want to. Talking is bad. I don't want to speak. What's going to happen to me?" The twin-horned woman muttered incoherently.
When Reinhardt stopped her from falling, he felt something wet on his hands. He slowly removed one and looked at it with a grimace.
It was the deep crimson hue of blood.
It was then that Reinhardt made a decision. "Please forgive me, Subaru, Lady Emilia. This lady's condition has worsened faster than I thought possible, but if I don't get her to Ferris then her li–"
"Don't need to explain Reinhardt, our talks don't take precedence over her life. Go." Subaru motioned for Reinhardt to get going. Emilia nodded as well, undoubtedly having questions of her own.
"Thank you." With that, Reinhardt sped through the city, arriving in Felix's medical tent in seconds.
She was going to be angry with him. He only hoped that she was merciful like his Lady.
Even though she seemed against talking to them, Reinhardt hoped she could answer his questions as well.
He needed to get back to Subaru and Lady Emilia to persuade them not to tell anyone what happened with her. He owed her that much.
When Reinhardt told Ferris to wash her torn-up bloody robes to 'avoid making her angry as she might just stand up and leave', Ferris scoffed and said that that isn't possible in her state. But after a moment of Reinhardt's expression turning into one who's deeply troubled, Ferris may have paled just a bit. Only a bit.
Ferris then decided to give her a piece of his mind. But that drive somewhat lessened when Reinhardt left her on the medical bed, and he could hear the words she was whimpering.
Only mere moments later, he started screaming for every other medic in the tent because he finally beheld what lay beneath her robes.
The only place that he could see her natural skin color was her face, pale as she was. Everywhere else was slathered in blood.
Her ribs were uneven. Her legs shouldn't have been able to support her weight. Her arm looked like a flesh slinky, whatever that was!
Deep cuts littered her body, leaking deep crimson blood that smelled richly of iron. Even Ferris' tongue tasted like blood.
He poured every bit of his healing magic into her and saw minimal improvement. There was so much damage that the effects weren't immediately visible, even with his excellent healing prowess.
Ferris slowly felt himself turn green. How the hell is she still alive?! Reinhardt even said that she was walking in this condition?!
The other medics arrived and quickly realized that their patient was very much on the verge of death. They got to work as fast as possible, wrapping her body tightly.
Ferris bit his lip. Oooh, she'd better survive so he can yell at her later!
Honestly, that patient of his! Ferris complained within his head. Lady Cal or whatever her name was. Due to the amount of magic required to finally stabilize her. It meant that Ferris had to recover his magic before being able to assist in healing once more. It wouldn't have surprised him if she had suddenly passed away during her stabilization due to how long it took. But she seemed to possess an extraordinary will to live. That's the only thing that would make her survival plausible.
It was pretty impressive, so much so that Ferris had come to respect her tenacity. Of course, he still wanted to have a few choice words with her. But that can come after she's fully recovered. Or at least to the point that him yelling at her for allowing herself to get to that state. Seriously, how do you get 23 fractures and walk around like it's no big deal?! Not to mention the other stuff! She'd be allowed to be angry without the need of concern about her increased blood pressure.
But, really, he just wanted to yell at her.
The catboy sighed. From what he heard, it wasn't her fault she was hurt. Though it's troublesome to heal someone incredibly injured, Ferris wasn't going to just refuse to heal them.
He just hoped she understood her state and accepted that she needed to heal. After all, there's no way that someone wouldn't understand th–
Felix's thoughts trailed off as he watched the patient in question wake up and check her surroundings. A curious expression adorned her face when she examined her legs and arms like she was looking for something that wasn't there.
She grimaced when she looked at her arm, which was fully encased in body bandages and the heaviest-duty splint the medics could find.
Her expression also changed into something unreadable when she took in what she was wearing, which was the standard medical gown.
–!? She's not!? Felix mentally screamed as Cal scooted over and placed her feet on the ground. He sprinted over with a shout as she stood up with a wobble, "Nyaow!! Stahp!! Nyour still recovering!!"
Felix grabbed the shoulder connected to Cal's better arm and firmly tried to guide her back to the bed. The heavily injured patient gave a slight 'Eep' in surprise before fighting back with startling strength, scratching and pinching Felix's hands to try and get him to let go. She placed a small amount of skin between the top of her pointer finger and her thumb and squeezed.
Felix yelled and let go of his patient, tears springing to his eyes. He's never felt that kind of pain from a pinch before.
Cal spun around to face him, and he could finally start to see what kind of person she was. She held wariness around her body like a coat that she couldn't rid herself of. Her eyes were bleary enough that he was surprised she could even see at all. Yet, at the same time, she was dangerous. Very, very dangerous. Felix knew when Reinhardt was withholding some of the truth when they spoke, and it was apparent that more happened with this woman than he was willing to divulge. But it's okay with Felix, he only does it to protect people, and besides, he'll be able to come up with his own opinion with her when they begin talking.
He reached his hand up to his face, wiped the reminders of his pinching, and complained to the perpetrator. "Why'd nyou hafta do that?! Ferry-chan's only trying to help!"
The horned woman looked at him like he was daft. "You grabbed me from behind, I'm not sorry. Also, stop talking like that."
"Nyahh…" Felix drooped a bit. But he'll talk normally because she asked him. A healer must make their patients comfortable after all. "Fine. But you need to stay in bed, can't you see how injured you are?! I thought Reinhardt walked in with a corpse only to find out you're still breathing and muttering some pretty depressing stuff!" The patient in question cocked an eyebrow. "Don't blame Ferry-chan for worrying about you!"
A hint of recognition entered Cal's eyes as she spoke, "I see, then you must've been the one who healed me, I thank you." She bowed her head the tiniest of fractions. "Then it's fine that you changed my clothes. If it's been someone other than a girl then I would have felt a little uncomfortable."
Felix felt a wry smile creep up on his face, but he didn't miss the expression of confusion that fell upon the usually stoic woman's face.
"Oh, uh, sorry to burst your bubble," Felix felt his lips tremble as he fought his face breaking out into a smile. The shock is probably one of his favorite parts when meeting new people. "But Ferry-chans a boy."
Her jaw dropped a fraction of an inch as her eyes quickly darted around his body. Felix let his grin bloom into something more natural as he waited for her judgment. She seemed to drop all her wariness as she examined him like a newly discovered species; to his surprise, even the bleariness from her eyes faded a bit. She seemed a little… at peace? "Huh…"
But as quick as it came, the shroud over her snuffed it out as she narrowed her eyes. "I hope you didn't do anything unsavory while I was asleep?"
Felix raised his hands, but her eyes didn't even register the movement. His concern grew, "While I admit that, Lady Cal, was it? Is very beautiful, Ferris only has eyes for one lady."
He was truthfully saying that as well. The woman in front of him was someone one would strive to acquire through courtship or less savory means. But Felix also saw her naked while her body fell apart. It's hard to get rid of that image. Besides, it's not like she's better-looking than Crusch-Sama. It's also probably for the best that she thought he was the only one who changed her clothing. Reinhardt had warned him not to anger her.
"I see; that's good." Her eyes blurred again as if she fell into her own little world. Felix finally realized where he'd seen such a thing before. It's a symptom prevalent in those returning from brutal war. It's them trying to forget it, to ignore it, or to drown it out. Which means that she's been through some tough stuff…
"Ah, Ferris almost forgot!" He shouted a little louder than usual to get her attention. "Your robes have been cleaned and are under your bed, what's left of them, anyhow. Reinhardt seemed very keen on keeping you updated so that you'd, uh, not be angry?"
He tapped the bed to try and show her where her robes were; the gem was still in the center of them. But unsurprisingly, Felix found that this woman was strange. She didn't ask if it was still there, nor did she try and check for herself. She either simply didn't care, or… she had severe problems. She was still in a daze, staring off into nothing, not caring about the priceless gem in her robes.
"Regardless!" He spoke abruptly once more, and she again snapped to attention. "You are now one of Ferris' patients!" He jabbed a finger to her face and saw that she noticed it. "Therefore, you are not to leave before Ferris gives the okay!"
Felix saw the first bit of genuine disdain build up in her eyes. The other patients in the room watched with weary eyes. "Too bad, I'm giving myself the okay, I'm leaving. Thank you for healing me, I'll be fine on my own now."
She made to walk past him, but Felix wasn't having any of it. This woman had taken the entire medical team and all of his magic just to stabilize! She may heal startlingly fast, maybe even suspiciously, but she was still incredibly wounded. "23 fractures," He started; Cal froze and quickly looked at him with a startled face.
"56 lacerations, 8 ripped muscles, 9 torn tendons, 87 cracks, one arm missing all of its skin and every bone broken at least seven times," She winced and looked away; this was perhaps the first sign of shame that she'd shown. "Bleeding in the skull, bleeding in the eyes, every non-vital organ ruptured, need I go on?"
But he went on regardless. It was cathartic to finally speak what was on his mind to the troublesome one that had decided to let her body fall into that state. "And you think that after Ferry-chan works her magic and a single day's rest is enough for you to be walking?" He waited for her pride to spark up or for her to do anything. But she just kept her head bowed. Ferris nodded; seems there was a chance of saving this poor foolish girl's temper. "Thought so. So you're going to lay in that bed, Ferry will ask you a few questions and put you back to sleep, and we'll continue until you're fully healed up! How does that sound?"
Cal slowly moved towards the bed and sat down, but instead of lying down, she opened her mouth. "Fine. I'll answer your questions but I'm not going back to sleep, I'll be leaving here tomorrow no matter what you try to do."
Never mind, there's no saving her. "Did you not just hear wha–" Felix cut himself off as the temperature of the room physically dropped. Cal's eyes peered directly into his, and he felt a shiver travel down his back. Her eyes were no longer bleary. Instead, they pierced through him as if he was nothing more than a number that Cal could delete easier than a flick of the fingers. Gone was the sympathetic woman that needed mental and physical help; she was no longer gazing off into space. She was back on whatever battlefield she came from, and he was slowly becoming the enemy she undoubtedly destroyed. Despite this, he was still alive. It was just a warning. One that he could easily discern.
Felix swallowed his saliva and felt sweat trail his brow. "...Fine, have it your way, but you're going back to sleep, this is non-negotiable." Cal snorted as if to say yeah, right, and Felix shook his head. Reinhardt was right; she really does have some anger problems. Not even going into the business that is her personality.
She lowered her body back onto her bed, and Felix felt the telltale sign of mana traveling into her magic gate. Still, surprisingly, it didn't last very long for someone trying to regain her magic as fast as possible. Perhaps she didn't know? Or was she waiting for her body to recover before her magic? Most likely the latter, and the better choice of the two.
She looked over at him, and he bet she didn't see him as more than a blurry figure. "Let's get this out of the way. Hurry up and ask your questions."
"Rightio!" Felix cheered, happy that she was finally more receptive to talking, even if it was to get him off her back. He dropped the smile and asked the first question, "What are you?"
The woman narrowed her eyes and suddenly looked more menacing, "...what do you mean?"
Felix smiled again, even if to cover up the hesitation in continuing to speak to her. "Well, you have the attributes of both the Elves and the Oni, are you perhaps a half of both?"
The woman in the bed relaxed a large degree and turned back to the ceiling with a quiet "Ah." Felix's eyes widened imperceptibly. Did she think he was asking her something else?
"My mother was an elf, I'm not sure what my father was, an Oni is an apt description if I were to give him one."
Felix pulled out his journal and a writing utensil and began writing.
Lady Cal:
Half-elf, Half-oni(Seemed a bit unsure)
He felt compelled to write down his thoughts, but that'll come after.
"Next, where did you learn to fly?" Something that he couldn't believe even after Reinhardt said that she could. Flying just on magic alone was indeed possible. The Margrave, Roswaal L. Mathers, could. But he's said to be the most incredible magic caster alive. If she could as well, it certainly confirms that she's incredibly dangerous and a valuable tool of war. Not that Felix would want to induct her back into conflict (If she's ever left), but he certainly doesn't want to give her up to other countries like Vollachia that would absolutely use her as a weapon.
However, he didn't expect her to look over at him in confusion and like he'd lost his mind. Like flying wasn't even some kind of achievement. He cocked an eyebrow.
She looked back to the ceiling and answered, "My parents taught me."
He wrote some more in his journal and turned back to her, "Who are your parents?" Which wasn't much of a thing he needed to know; he was just curious.
"Originally, they were alive. Now, however, they are not."
It was obviously a non-answer, but Felix got the warning clear enough. Don't ask anything of her parents, and perhaps even her past. He shrugged and moved on.
"This is the final and most important question, are you okay?"
The question he always asked every patient seemed to cause her to forget everything as she had to pick it apart like there was a problem. "What?"
She seemed genuinely lost. Like she'd never had anyone even consider her wellbeing. A telltale sign that she was used merely as a weapon of war or some other conflict.
"You were saying some pretty heavy stuff while you were unconscious. Like 'I don't deserve to be happy.' While crying? Even if you don't like me, I would like you to know that as your healer I'm here for you. You can let me know about your worries." He extended an olive branch to her. He wanted her to know that he was there for her. Her problems may indeed cause her to stumble, and even if she didn't let him be the person to put her weight against, there are always others.
But it had the opposite effect. She seemed more withdrawn, more defensive. Even with her shocked expression, she still didn't let go of that wariness at all. She didn't trust him.
"I'll– I'll keep that in mind…" She spoke in a weak and cracked voice.
He looked at her in pity. He was no closer to helping her or getting her help than he was at the beginning. "Alright," he spoke, defeated. "Time to sleep."
He reached down, touched her good arm, and injected her with his mana. Her confusion quickly turned to shock and then to rage. But then horror. She was a magic caster, so she likely always had her magic with her. Felix's can cause magic users to lose control of their mana, either speeding it up or slowing it down, rendering it uncontrollable. He didn't want to hurt her, so he slowed hers down to put her to sleep.
"Oghh… yu're gon ma regrit thahh…" She threatened while looking like an elder in the hospice. She quickly fell asleep under his magic, and he was grateful that his magic worked on her. He wasn't sure when she was dangerous and had tricks up her sleeve.
He pulled open his journal one more and wrote down his thoughts.
Lady Cal,
Half-elf, Half-oni(Seemed a bit unsure)
Acted like the ability to fly was no big deal. Perhaps a sign of her proficiency with magic?
Doesn't like talking about parents, treat familial matters with care and all other issues to do with her past.
Personal thoughts: She's likely a weapon of war from one of the neighboring countries, or perhaps even the witch's cult. She's either escaped or simply unable to return due to her injuries. When I asked if she was okay, she seemed to not understand the question, as if she considers her well-being to not be of import. She shows signs of staring off into space and not being considerate of her surroundings. But when I accidentally angered her, her eyes were clear, and I was able to get a glimpse of how utterly dangerous she is. She is not to be messed with and should always be treated diplomatically unless she considers us her enemies. Her combat potential is up there with Margrave Mathers, perhaps greater. She should be convinced to join Lugunica as either a knight or even just a simple citizen. Depriving a country of a weapon such as her would be considered a great victory in my opinion. Even greater if she was to join the Crusch camp in the royal selection. She seemed grateful that I healed her, but at the same time, this act garnered no trust. She is always weary, and I fear I may have caused any chance of her joining Lugunica to become nulled because I forced her back asleep with my magic. Was this a mistake?
The healer sighed and turned back to the sleeping woman. He would try his hardest to help her, but if she showed signs that she may become an enemy in the future, it may be best to just put her out of her misery.
She may even accept it with open arms.
It was Reinhardt who first found the bodies.
It was quite simply not what he was expecting. He was looking for the Sin Archbishop of Greed, who may still be loose in the city, which is why the city's population hadn't left their shelters. Even with Regulus unable to use his authority's full potential, he was still incredibly dangerous.
So when he found a deep gouge in the ground that stretched the entire span of the city, he quickly rushed to the origin point.
There were numerous corpses and limbs splayed out before him. Blood lathered the few sides of the tent that were still standing, and the fabric lay across a significant portion of the dead. Reinhardt walked silently over and pulled it over the rest as much as he could. He didn't have time to do more; he had to find the Archbishop before he did more damage. He couldn't stop to pay any more respect to the dead, even though he knew it was his fault for not finding the witch cultist faster.
However, something that drew his eyes wasn't the bodies, but where there weren't any at all.
In only one section of the medical tent was there not one bit of blood or gore. It's also where the gouges originated. Reinhardt remembered that this tent was packed, all beds were supposed to be occupied. No blood, no gore, and a missing person; that's the only clue that the knight had.
Reinhardt blinked as something appeared. Something only he could see. One of his divine protections had created a trail from the bed, it wisped and flickered in the air, eventually flying out through the entrance.
It was unexpected, this divine protection only works if someone is running from him specifically. He's only seen it in direct combat or when his lady flees from him.
Nevertheless, it was indeed divine, as Reinhardt was very much glad for it. He ran after it.
He felt no wind resistance, and his extreme speed had led him towards the city's outer edge, his brow furrowed as he smelt something he'd never smelt before. It entered his nostrils alongside the smoky scent of ash.
He stopped in an instant once he saw the source of both.
Reinhardt had never seen anything like this, there were traces of magic in the air but it was nothing he'd ever felt before.
An entire building was missing like it was never there. The source of the ash was probably just that, something caught the building on fire, but there were no more traces of fire in the city. He had personally made sure of that.
Whatever had turned this building to ash, or rather who had done so, was so incredibly fast that Reinhardt hadn't detected it.
However, what Reinhardt had never seen before wasn't this, but that his divine protection ended there. He was stupefied. Never before had he seen his divine protections work like they're supposed to but then stop working midway through.
The light that his divine protection creates abruptly ends in between the space where there was formerly a building and another building with a missing wall.
Reinhardt is at least grateful that it had shown him the general direction of where they had gone, and he began to comb the streets–
–He dodged to the left.
He skidded across the ground and looked where he was just standing, a gouge mirroring that of the medical tent stretching from in front and behind him for the length of the city and beyond.
"Ah, there you are, finally. It took long enough for you to appear, I am patient, but it really grates on my nerves when I'm punished for things that aren't within my control." A voice easily recognizable as the foe he had been searching for appeared from the street.
Reinhardt narrowed his eyes as Regulus casually stood there as if he hadn't slaughtered countless wounded. He pulled out the sword strapped to his hip, scabbard and all.
"Hm? Are you angry? That's my right to be with you, you know. You killed my possessions, you killed my wives. If anything, you should be on your hands and knees apologizing as I kill you permanently. Speaking of which, why didn't you die earlier? It's quite rude to make someone think that they killed you but then return to life like nothing happened. But know this, I'm going to be the one to kill you. Then, I'll kill the other wife-murderer. Then the whore, then everyone in this city! I am the universes agent of consequence, and there'll–"
Reinhardt struck him with his sword, attempting to knock him up into the sky and out of the city. But, instead, his eyes widened imperceptibly, and Regulus just looked down at him and sighed.
"Here I am, trying to talk. Trying to enlighten you about your actions having consequences." He gritted his teeth and gnashed them. "BUT NO! YOU WANT TO STEP UPON MY RIGHT TO SPEAK! AGAIN AND AGAIN, YOU TRAMPLE UPON MY POSSESSIONS! STANDING IN MY WAY LIKE YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT OTHERS! GET OUT OF MY WAY AND JUST KEEL OVER AND DIE ALREADY!!"
Regulus swept his arm out in a wide arc, and in an instant, everything that was in line with his arm split. It was at such an unimaginable speed that even Reinhardt would have trouble dodging it, but he didn't need to avoid on reaction.
Reinhardt ducked under the attack, stepped forward, and struck Regulus with his sword. The tip of the scabbard didn't push him back, let alone pierce his chest.
Regulus kicked the ground and knocked up a shower of dust which instantly became imbued with his authority. It scattered everywhere, turning every building in front of him into chunks.
In an instant, Reinhardt was behind him and slashed his back. Regulus grunted; the force pushed him forward a single step. He swung his body gracelessly again, but it didn't matter where he attacked; Reinhardt was already gone.
"Tch! You miserable wretch! Just accept that you'll die and die already!" Regulus spun around and yelled at the knight, who simply narrowed his eyes.
"I see," Reinhardt crouched into a lower stance. "You no longer have the 5 seconds of invulnerability. It's permanent once more, who wedded you? Or, rather, who did you wed?"
"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!!" Regulus screamed and attacked once more, to no effect. "You must liken me to a fool! I won't make that same mistake again, I won't tell you! Wife-murderers! All of you! I won't let you murder her!"
Reinhardt dashed to the side and ducked a second attack, turning into a blur whilst he did.
"You think that I'll tell you! And that I'll allow you to continue murdering wives; my wives! You attacked me while I was wedding someone! How dare you claim to be a knight!" Regulus swept up more dust, turning it into invisible specks of infinite strength and destruction. He felt a stabbing sensation in his back and flew forward tens of feet. Landing on his front in the remains of one of the houses he destroyed by merely kicking up dust.
A shadow appeared before him, sword raised over his head. He pushed his right hand into the ground away from him, and he launched away at impossible speeds.
But the shadow never disappeared, having followed him the whole way. Finally, the sword came down and crashed onto his head. The force flipped his body in place hundreds of times, his head smashing into the ground, and chunks of rock flew everywhere, creating large holes in the background.
"Forgive me," A voice spoke to him while he rose from the ground. "I've been unfair to you."
Regulus looked over at the monster in human clothing. Then, he gritted his teeth and struck out once more, cleaving space itself.
Reinhardt had already dodged the attack before Regulus sent it. "Things have happened whilst I was unable to find you. There is no time to indulge you in your talks."
"Huh?!" Regulus' face contorted in hatred. "Indulgence? Talks?! I AM CONTENT!" He spat, but Reinhardt dodged his breath. "I have never NOT been! To be so would be GREED!" Every single word would have killed, yet the Sword Saint was seemingly intangible. "I am unfit to be the seat of Greed in the Witch's Cult! It makes no sense for it to be assigned to me!!" Reinhardt kicked the man in the back, but he spun around and attacked again. "All I want is to accept what's mine by right! AND TO PROTECT WHAT'S MINE!!"
Reinhardt took a few hundred steps around the man every second. But Regulus could keep up the attacks, seeing where the Sword Saint was and blindly attacking in that direction.
But despite Reinhardt's absolute advantage over the man, he could not deal any decisive blow to him. He was stuck without the ability to end the fight or change the battlefield. The damage would slowly but surely extend to the rest of the city, and he couldn't do anything about it.
It was troublesome to admit, but this was an opponent he couldn't fight as the Sword Saint; he could only fight him as Reinhardt Van Astrea.
While the fight continued at a complete standstill, a wraith watched from afar.
It was obvious that something was wrong when the explosions started happening in the dead-quiet city.
It was doubly apparent when Felix ran screaming and crying to the group that everyone in the medical tent he personally oversaw was in bloody chunks.
And although there was lots of panic, when Felix was finally able to spit out the details between choked sobs, it became blindly obvious what had happened.
Regulus had made an appearance at last. In the worst way possible.
Reinhardt was missing, and the explosions he was so familiar with continuously occurred on the city's edge. So it wasn't difficult to figure out who was fighting the Sin Archbishop. However, it was troubling that the fight lasted more than 5 seconds.
Something had changed, and Subaru needed to be there to ensure that nothing happened that he needed to reverse.
"Subaru!" A silver-haired half-elf called out to him. "I just checked, but his wives are still all frozen, same as before!"
She fell into place beside him. Subaru felt only the slightest twinge at seeing her catch up to him so quickly, even after she stopped to check the frozen wives in the church. She was so great.
She had a blue crystal on her neck, which glowed with ethereal power, containing one of the four great spirits. Something that she was finally able to acquire after an entire year.
Regardless, with his trusty whip in hand, Subaru was sprinting toward the corner of the city, which was visibly disappearing. It was terrifying, but it was also what he needed to do. Regulus needed to be put down, and Reinhardt was the only one who could do that, even if he needed a little help doing so.
He reached the edge of the destruction and spotted the unmistakable red and white blur that was Reinhardt fighting a very plain-looking man who shouted and flung dust everywhere.
"Reinhardt!" Subaru shouted. Gaining the attention of both fighters. Regulus snapped to attention, and his eyes widened when he recognized Subaru. "YOU!! HOW DARE YO–"
Reinhardt's sword cut him off, which sent him flying backward, crashing into several heaps of destroyed buildings.
"Subaru," The Sword Saint stopped next to him. "Lady Emilia."
"What's the deal, Reinhardt? Did Regulus get his invincibility back?" Subaru peered into the kicked-up dust and hoped the Witch Cultist wouldn't come back out.
"Unfortunately," Reinhardt nodded grimly. "He's gained a single wife from what I've deduced, but he's learned not to tell who it is."
"Dammit! Does that mean we're going to have to scour the entire city with minor spirits or something?" Subaru cursed again when Regulus stepped out of the dust with rage adorning his very being.
"Maybe not, I was following a trail of someone who triggered one of my divine protections. It led to this area before abruptly ending. Whoever the trail was following should still be nearby," Reinhardt explained and dashed forward to meet Regulus, who screamed something about murder.
"...He wants us to find the person his divine protection marked, right?" Emilia spoke up as he watched as Reinhardt continuously dodged and struck Regulus.
"Seems that way, Emilia-Tan," Subaru nodded as Reinhardt caught the Sin Archbishop unawares and knocked him away into a corner filled with fallen buildings, quickly following in pursuit. "C'mon, let's sic the spirits on them and hope it's his wife."
"Saying 'sic' isn't very nice, Subaru." Emilia chastised him with a frown.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just a little stressed that we're going to have to run around blindly if this theory of Reinhardt's doesn't work out."
Emilia looked away from the boy and back to the chaotic fight. A building was hit with such a powerful strike that it ripped off its foundations and crashed into another building. "Me too."
It's a strange thing. To feel fear.
She hadn't felt it in such a long time that she thought she might be broken. And in a way, maybe she was.
That pulse-pounding sensation, being unable to move her legs, her vision blurry. Was it the fear of death? Or the fear that she couldn't accomplish that which even she didn't know?
The ground shook beneath her feet as she witnessed a building fly into another, both being ripped clean off their foundations. She shrunk back into where she was hiding.
She was sat down between two separate buildings, sitting on the cold slate stone. Her good hand rested on her face with her knees against her chest.
The shock of everything around her exploding into bits and things crashing, and shouting had caused a strange pulsing sensation behind her eyes. It wasn't too dissimilar to how she felt when angry, but she didn't like it.
All the sounds reminded her of what she had done so many times before. Perhaps this is all happening because she had never heard these sounds when she wasn't angry?
Or maybe she was just weak. A killer was afraid of her own death. She chuckled mirthlessly. That encounter in the sky must've hit her harder than she thought.
How much easier would this be if she felt anger or hate? Her voice whispered. How much more comfortable would she be if she allowed herself to fall into that place again?
She knew that becoming angry would be a foolish decision. She had limited magic, a damaged body, no allies, dangerous people around her, and a vulnerable mental state. Even one of these things could spell disaster. All of them could mean death.
She knew it was out of character for her. Her life was more important than mindless rage, no matter how enticing. So she did the unthinkable; she hid away.
Her emotional state was haywire. Perhaps that was the only reason why she didn't berate herself. If the Tyrant knew what she was doing… Well, it doesn't matter. She no longer cares anything about what he thinks.
So she sat there and listened to the battle that raged on. Yet, despite everything, she was the calmest she's been since she fell into this world; more accurately, she was the most at peace. She knew exactly what happened in a battle and on the battlefield. She didn't need to struggle to understand what people were saying and didn't need to consider consequences for words rather than actions. It was all… normal for her.
Her head was so clear that she could see the particles in the air, revealed by the sun. The smell of dust. She could even feel the cold stone beneath her and say it was uncomfortable. The cracks in the rock of the wall in front of her and the wall she was up against.
The voice of an admittedly annoying man that should definitely shut up.
And if she listened very closely, she could faintly pick up the sound of wate–
She listened back for the previous item. The sounds of the battle had died down, letting Calamitas listen.
"–won't let them die, will you? You've destroyed my possessions, so it's only fair to die for each and every one, no? If you were a decent person, like I originally thought you were, you'd apologize and die quietly and obediently. But no, you're the worst type of person to exist. Continuously going against others, murdering wives, and committing foul acts against my person! I can't understand that line of thought at all! Since you refuse to make right your actions, you should feel the same pain that I do. I will scour this city and kill one hundred for every wife that you've killed."
Calamitas strained her ears to catch every word. What the man was threatening didn't matter to her, but how he justified it was plain stupid.
"It won't be me killing them. It'll be your actions, your feelings, your refusal to die that kills them. Their screams will only exist for you to hear, because it's as simple as you killing them. With my hand, you'll cut them apart. With my body, you'll stomp them into bloody pulps. These will be the consequences of your actions."
What a pretentious loser. Calamitas snorted. There's very little justification for killing so many people when you're doing it because you hate someone else. It'd be like if she were to kill the Tyrant's people because she hated him and couldn't kill him. If she were unable to, she'd make him as miserable as possible. There's no point in getting people involved when they have no stake.
"Very well."
Calamitas froze when she heard the calm voice of Reinhardt. She listened as he walked closer to the other man.
"For each of your wives, was it? If that is the way to atone, then so be it."
Was he letting himself be killed? What the hell was wrong with him? If he dies, then it's the end of everything! His wishes, joys, hard work, skills, and connections will all disappear like they never existed. All that'll remain is memory!
"Ah, well. Even a wife-murderer has some semblance of shame."
In the next moment, Calamitas heard a short whistle and the sound of wet meat splatting on the ground.
She felt her skull tap the back of the building she was sitting against. She was in utter shock. That man, Reinhardt, just died. To think it'd be so easy to kill a man as powerful as him. Just threatening the people is enough for him to throw his life away? The madman was easy even for Calamitas to see through. He wasn't just going to stop at Reinhardt. He'll kill everyone in the city just because he feels like it and because no one can stop him. Not anymore.
The pulse behind her eyes strengthened for a moment before fading entirely. It's better to get going now that there was nothing containing that man and the destruction of the fight has ended.
The witch planted her feet on the ground and stood up, halting when she heard the voice of someone who should be dead.
"That's one."
Calamitas gaped at who she heard talking. Didn't he just die? Is he able to resurrect himself? Her face tensed as she realized the other guy must've known this when he said he needed repayment for each wife killed.
She heard a cracking sound followed by a wet thud.
A few seconds later, "That's two."
Calamitas slowly slid down the wall, not daring to make herself known.
A crashing sound.
A few seconds later, "That's three."
A gut-wrenching fleshy explosion.
"That's four."
…
"That's five."
…
"That's eight."
…
"That's fifteen."
…
"That's thirty-two."
…
"That's forty-eight."
Calamitas listened as another squelching rupture of flesh occurred. She heard his body hit the ground with a splat. Listened for a few moments for his movement. Then, heard as he spoke once again.
"That's forty-nine."
The Witch of Calamity felt almost childish for caring about not dying. Reinhardt just accepted death like it wasn't anything to scoff at. Complete dismissal of anything related to it.
How strong must one be to be able to throw their life away?
He was the complete antithesis of her. She, who was utterly unable to come to terms with the deaths of her family, resurrected them in damnable foolish regretful forms. He was befitting the title of knight. And, at the same time, she was befitting the title of witch.
Those titles indeed showed the difference between them in every regard.
He earned his title; in the same vein, she earned hers.
Something glowed in her face, and she winced as her eyes acclimated to the sudden change of light. She peered at the fuzzy glowing ball of blue light and felt its magical signature. It looked similar to a fairy but without wings. It wasn't just a simple magic spell, either. It felt like a living creature.
The ball of light flickered a few times as if it was– as if it was trying to communicate with something.
Calamitas jumped up and snatched the flashing ball of light as fast as her broken body would allow. It physically struggled against her grip as the witch started to channel her magic into her hand, intending to utterly destroy the creature.
"W-wait! Stop! We were just trying to locate someone in the– Huh?" Calamitas recognized the voice as the one who put her into her current state and a little girl who shouldn't be paid any mind.
The half-elf skidded through the opening into the alley that the Witch of Calamity was in. On her heels was her black-haired knight.
Both of them stopped running when they were met with the sight of a hooded figure with shadows covering their face— with one hand in a tight grasp, holding a minor spirit. The other arm was covered in bandages and heavily splinted. It would be very suspicious if they didn't see someone wear these same clothes only a few days ago, along with the twin ashen horns poking out from the hood.
"Cal?" Subaru asked, putting himself in front of Emilia. "Is that you?"
Calamitas didn't move for a moment. Then, struggling to decide what course of action she wanted, she asked a few questions first.
"Before anything, might I ask what this is?" She shook her hand which held the ball of light. "It obviously led you both to me, but I've never seen anything like it."
"Huh? The spirit?" Emilia cocked her head to the side. "Have you never seen one before?"
"A spirit, huh. Personally, I have not. To think it's a small ball of light." She was silent for a moment. "Is it yours?"
"Y-yes, it's one of my contracted minor spirits, could you please release it?"
The witch shrugged and let go of the spirit. Although it held no tactical advantage for her, it may end up causing them to become less cordial, which would be bad if negotiations broke down.
Anyway, "Next question, what do you want?"
The two shared a look. Then, looking back at Calamitas, Subaru opened his mouth, "Are you married?"
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"What."
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