Chapter Text
Capella crouches down next to Subaru, fingertips brushing against the shredded stump where his leg was a minute ago, and her body hides Crusch from view. Aside from the end of her green hair, spread out on the floor, Subaru can’t see a thing, can’t even try and check her condition. His efforts have been useless.
He grits his teeth. Capella hurt her. Capella hurt her, and he couldn’t do anything.
"Well, I suppose I should just—" Capella tilts her head and blinks, hand still on him, then her eyes widen in recognition. Crusch, somewhere behind her, whines in pain, and something drags across the floor. No, no. Crusch needs to stay away. Stay away— A crazed smile cuts across Capella's face right then, as her words trail into silence, and ice cold tendrils clasp around his heart. Dread makes it past the haze of pain, so sudden that Subaru shudders and his teeth click together.
A soft thud, together with Crusch’s ragged breathing, echoes through the empty room.
Capella pays it no mind.
"Aren't you a funny little lying sack of meat. You know. You know—!" Capella taps him on the cheek. "Don't you die on me now, we're gonna play dollhouse now. Look at me." Her grip shifts to his hair and tightens as her hand changes, her fingers widen, and her grip rougher. " Look at me ."
Subaru lifts his head, vision swaying. At first, he doesn't get it. Capella doesn't turn into Emilia, Rem, or even Crusch. The face next to him is familiar, though the features twisted in a deranged, excited grin make it hard to place. Then it clicks, half a beat later. Long black hair, bangs on one side. High collar black dress. Amber eyes.
That's— him. No. That's Natsumi Schwartz.
"That's right, meatbag. You had all these flowery, pretty words on love, lying right to my face. But you've been dressing yourself up, too, like a doll. Even went as far as to make yourself look like female meat. Because you were not loved enough. Because you were not pretty enough. Didn't you?" His own voice explodes in laughter. "Liar. Liar. Liar.”
Subaru coughs a mouthful of blood. It drips down his chin, hot and sticky.
“Instead of playing pretend, you should have asked Mama for help. Did you think I would not know? Mama has eyes everywhere– I saw you dress up. Your face lit up every time you looked in the mirror. I saw when you and the other meatbags killed my daughter, too. And you love having eyes on your worthless, self-hating, unloved self, don't you? I can read it in every twitch of your body." Capella giggles. "Of course, you cannot be loved like Mama is— all the love in this world is for me to take. But by the time you accept the truth, you'll come to love Mama, and it won't matter. Humans can only love what’s beautiful, no matter what’s inside."
“But I won’t help you for free, not for this,” Capella caresses his face and leans down. Her–his?-- hair spills down, makes up a curtain that blots out everything around them. She's so close that her breaths caress his face in warm puffs of air. So close that her nose brushes against his. His– Capella’s gaze catches with his in a smoldering, intoxicated expression, lips parted. "It’s time you take responsibility for Elsa’s death, little liar– but don't worry, Mama will forgive you. Lay still for me, it's gonna take just a minute."
She raises her wrist over the stump of his leg, and slices across it with a sharp, pointed talon that's grown in the place of fingers on her other hand. Black blood drips down at first, slow, then falls in ribbons thick as tar, and hisses like steam; it fills his nostrils with the scent of rot as it mixes with his blood.
"If you're good and survive, I'll even let the female meat go. Isn't this lovely lady generous? Don't you love her already?"
Subaru convulses and his eyes roll to the back of his head as the pain spreads further with every heartbeat, and his heart pumps infected blood through his bloodstream. It starts with his pelvis. It hurts like acid, like skin and muscle are going to melt off. Then to his torso. His arms and legs. His head. Everything burns, burns, burns. It hurts so bad that his throat squeezes shut and no scream makes it out.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Capella's hands rest on his cheek now, wet with blood. The liquid condenses, then crawls into his eyes, tracing a path up to the rim of his eyes in a mockery of tears.
Subaru's mouth parts in another silent scream, tongue lolling out. Capella giggles, and the pad of a thumb pushes it down, and strokes along the muscle. It tastes like rotten meat smells. It tastes like ashes, like coal. Even when it retreats for a second, with a thread of saliva still joining them, it offers no relief. Thumb and forefinger pinch his tongue again right then. "Hah. Look at your stupid face, meatbag. You like this, don't you?”
A second cut to her wrist, and another stream of blood pours into his open mouth, making him choke. Capella pinches his nose shut to force him to swallow it down– a trickle first, then a mouthful. And another, until it fills his throat.
It stops hurting as Subaru’s limbs twist and reshape. His muscles stretch, and stretch, and stretch. The skin flexes together with them, pulls against the changes like a shirt one size too small, and his breaths come out in short, broken sobs. The blood it’s gonna rewrite him. Like the flies, like the black dragon. The noise that finally makes it out of his mouth is a high-pitched animal whine that doesn’t sound human at all. It changes too, like the rest.
Subaru can't— he needs to die. No. He cannot die this time, not if Crusch has to survive.
He needs, he needs—
The darkness embraces him, warm and familiar. Time loses meaning.
The harsh sting of two slaps to the face forces Subaru to crash back into reality. Ow.
"Foolish half-drowned wretch. Just how long do you think you could detain one such as mineself for your convenience?"
Yeah, no, too soon to process all that. He rolls onto his side and coughs a whole lungful of mud and water onto the stone pavement. Ew. Whatever happened, it sucks. When his tongue runs against his teeth, the sandy residue makes him gag and forces him to cough more. Gross. He groans and tries to raise himself onto his elbows. Harder than it sounds, he can guarantee that, when your arms feel like noodles and you hurt so badly that your whole body throbs. Nostalgic, though. Reminds him of the old times."Wha— what. Who?"
"What a pitiful creature. Has all that water bleached out whatever brains you had?"
Subaru blinks away the tears from his eyes, and familiar, beautiful features come into focus: lips curled down in a haughty moue, arms crossed in front of her breasts, dress the color of fire— yup, it's definitely Priscilla.
"Priscilla—"
Priscilla doesn't share his joy in meeting a familiar face, because her eyes narrow and her fingers dig into his cheeks— damn, those nails really are sharp. She turns his head this way and that, while the intensity of her scrutiny burns as fierce as the sun. "How do you know my name, commoner? Addressing mineself with such outrageous familiarity too— we don't remember extending the permission to one such as yourself."
"W-what? Did you forget me already?"
His voice sounds different, higher, somewhat— Subaru clears his throat. Is it because he inhaled so much water? Priscilla doesn't need any more help with mocking him. He frowns and picks at his sleeve. It's drenched, like the rest of his tracksuit, and his surroundings too. No trace of the nice park that should have been his checkpoint. In fact, he's laying in a puddle of muddy water. Did he get caught up in a storm, or a flood? And that's not all. The jersey hangs much looser on his arm. What the hell.
"Come on. It's Natsuki Subaru, not even you can have forgotten me already. Did I fall into the canal? And you—" He clears his throat again, and glances around. The narrow alley they're in is pretty much in the same condition, overflown with mud and puddles. His hand bats away the wet weight on his back. Weird. He doesn't wear a cloak. "—you fished me out?"
"Surely not. That foolish commoner unfit even as a jester is the wrong sex, for one. Have you hit your empty head while in the water?"
"What."
Did Subaru hear that right? He looks down at his hands, really looks. His hands look… nothing like usual. His fingers are much thinner, delicate and elegant than he remembers, with polished, small pink nails, for one. He stares, lightheaded. The closest he’s come to this feeling of confusion is in dreams, with that phenomena where your hands are never right, they’re always distorted, ever changing the moment as you move them. But that’s not what happens when he flexes his fingers. His muscles just respond as expected.
Subaru jolts upright. That’s what makes it noticeable— the unfamiliar weight at chest level that makes him freeze still and look down at himself. This is… wrong . Supple breasts took the place of his pectorals. It makes no sense at all— this isn’t him. The loose way his track pants fall against his pelvis is the final nail in the coffin, and it’s then that hysterical laughter bubbles out of his throat. “What.”
"Er, Liliana is lost. Lady Priscilla, is this maiden really—"
Subaru crawls to the canal's edge. The shadows casted by the buildings along the alley make the water's surface almost black. It is about as clear as a car window that hasn’t been cleaned for a whole year, but Subaru sees just enough. A woman with waist-length long black hair stares back where his reflection should be. What the hell.
"I suppose that judging by the look on your face, you weren't born like this. Am I correct to assume that you truly are that empty-headed fool?”
"Of course I am! Can't you tell by my clothes, at least?"
"We would never remember such drab garments, you fool. Perhaps this will be a lesson in priding yourself in keeping a dignified appearance."
Subaru grits his teeth. Okay, no, it's time to focus, not to get swept up by Priscilla's own pace. If this isn't a new loop, that means that what happened with Capella caused his current condition. We're going to play dollhouse , she said. What else– some bullshit about making him accept the truth. But why this, and not something truly gruesome, like the flies. Not that waking up to an eroge trope isn’t terrifying enough, but his body is at least functional. And Subaru doubts Capella is a fan of 21st century hentai. Unease spreads and twists his stomach. He doesn’t see anything that this would accomplish but mock him.
Because you weren't loved enough. Capella's poisonous voice whispers into his mind. Liar, liar, liar.
"Sir, no, Dame Subaru, Liliana is most amazed by this tale. it could make for a wondrous epic full of romance and daring, it only needs a title to catch the attention of the masses— I know! The Cursed Maiden Knight would sweep away countless audiences by novelty alone. And it comes with improved features to match—! Your dark, exotic looks will guarantee the word to spread," Liliana kneels in front of her, hands joined in supplication. “Please let me show you off at the premiere—!”
"Yeah, I’d rather avoid that if you don’t mind." Subaru recoils. Yeah, that… isn’t good. He hopes the song will never make it out in the world. Something about Liliana’s big, shining eyes make guilt spark into his brain though, so instead of a frown he directs a sheepish grimace at her. Liliana tilts her head to the side with a confused expression. Whatever. Subaru forces himself to smile more naturally. “It doesn’t feel great.”
"Song can heal even the most wretched of souls." Liliana recovers but doesn’t catch the hint, so she beams at him.
But he hasn't been alone, back there, with Capella. His blood turns to ice. "You found me alone, right? When you got me out of the canal."
"That we did, sire. Uhm, madam? That we did. Oh, of course I need to include that into the song too, and mention lady Priscilla’s magnanimity, and, and—
Subaru cuts her off. "Crusch was with me when Capella dripped blood on her and me."
Well, dripped it on Crusch. She fed it to him.
If they didn’t find Crusch with him, it could mean she’s still at the broadcast tower, hurt and alone. Capella might have promised to let her go, and seemed to pay very little attention to Crusch, but that— it isn’t that reassuring. Not at all. That bitch could have just forgotten about her and left her to die. And Subaru cannot remember how he left the tower, when the highest floor is far above the water level. He taps two fingers on his thigh.
His unharmed, naked thigh. Wait a minute. His leg was torn off by Capella when she rampaged. Did the transformation fix him, rather than just change him? It makes no sense at all. Where before there was a stump— no, even less than that, it was torn off at the pelvis, but now the skin is intact without a single scar. The difference is that the muscle he worked to build up throughout the years is gone, and the blue-green veins one would expect on a healthy person body are an unnatural black instead. “What the hell?”
"How curious. Blood, you said? Many rituals from northern practitioners involve blood. Perhaps that is why your current appearance changed to this, though we admit the goal of such an action would surely have to be peculiar."
Subaru takes a deep breath. One thing at a time. "What happened to everyone else?"
"No matter how dull of a fool you are, even you should understand by now that one of the great floodgates was opened and water flooded the Priestella. You were caught in it."
That’s no good. No, scratch that, that actually sucks. Subaru needs to find the others— Emilia, Beako, Otto, anyone could be hurt somewhere. And he needs to find Crusch too, make sure she’s okay. Nevermind RBD, what he needs right now is a duplication spell.
Subaru straightens up and stumbles onto his knees again. His legs shake too much to support his weight, but that’s not all. Something is very wrong. Well, something aside from the obvious. His leg healed too, so it got no reason to not respond to his commands, yet it’s so weak he might as well have been sick for a whole month.
He takes a deep breath.
Subaru leans his weight against the wall and drags himself upright again. So far so good, but it takes just three steps for him to collapse again. His palm drags against the bricks. Priscilla and Liliana’s stares burn into his nape, uncomfortable in their familiarity. It makes him too queasy to look back. It was the same back home, with his parents’ friends. The same stupid looks of pity or contempt, because he was not good enough, because he couldn’t live up to his Dad’s accomplishments, because Dad’s son shouldn’t leave his grades stick to the average instead of the top. Subaru squeezes his eyes shut.
He doesn't need this right now.
Subaru tries again. The first few trembling steps are no problem this time, thanks to Mr. Wall’s help, but as soon as takes his palm off it his balance fails again. The third impact with the ground makes him wince. This should be easier with a lower center of gravity. Or so he guesses. Women do have a lower center of gravity, right? Except he cannot walk, so it doesn’t seem to help. Go figure.
The reason clicks after a couple more tries. Of fucking course. Most of the muscle in his body vanished with the transformation, because the world just loves to fuck with him and sure he’d become even more useless. That bitch turned him into the Little Mermaid, didn’t she. That fucking insane, perverted piece of shit cultist—
“Are you injured, after all, sire. Er. Lady?”
“I’m fine.” Subaru snaps, then bites the inside of his cheek. Liliana doesn’t deserve that, she just worries about him. With all the shit that’s happening, of course him turning into a girl wouldn’t register in people’s radar as a problem— some people got turned into flies . “I— I just need to get used to this. Moving around should help. Probably.”
"Just like the tale of The Cursed Pike-Maiden—! Oh, Liliana can take inspiration for the opening lines then, aye,” Liliana is this close to break out in a squeal, and Subaru’s head hurts already. “And people’s attention would surely be caught then."
"Don’t think that’s really fits me." Subaru's voices come out more clipped than he means. He rubs a hand over his face. He needs to chill down. Okay. Now— he glances down at himself, at the unfamiliar sight of breasts and the odd way his thighs squish flat with the position he’s in. No reason to panic. Moving did give him a little bit of improvement, so he just needs to get up again, and try. All the times it takes. Emilia and Beako are waiting for him.
When his gaze moves upwards again, Liliana squints at him from two inches of distance, hand on her chin and stare pointed straight at his chest. Subaru doesn’t yelp, but it’s a close thing.
"Astonishing, aye." Liliana says after a good thirty seconds. "I think they might be even bigger than Lady Pris—"
Subaru covers her mouth with his hand just as Priscilla narrows her eyes at them. Her fan clicks shut with foreboding finality. "Do. Not. Go There."
His intervention is too late to make a difference, because now even Priscilla closes in and inspects his new body with a chilling yet furious glower. Bad, bad news. Nothing good comes from Priscilla’s attention, or at least that’s what Al swore to him, even though he’s the one attached to her. Priscilla’s elegant fingers clutch the front of his jersey in a death grip.
"Mineself thinks you ought to be taught a lesson from your superiors."
"But I didn’t say anything—"
Subaru steps back. Okay, nevermind, Al was right. The canal is behind him, and he faces the wall on the opposite side. In theory this would mean the street on both sides of him should be a workable escape route, but in practice Priscilla blocks his way, because of her death grip on his clothes. And he has the uncanny feeling that Liliana might sell him to her for a single corn chip. So even if he could wrestle free, it's useless. Great.
"Come on, shouldn't we talk about this—?"
It turns out that Priscilla is strong enough to lift him upright and up by an inch or so from the ground, no problem, and that she has no qualms about throwing him back where he found him. Subaru’s eyes widen in alarm.
"Seriously—?! You just fished me out of there."
Their bickering doesn't go unnoticed. An odd, clank-and-scrape kind of sound comes from the end of an alley to their right. As soon as it registers, Priscilla lets him go and lifts the fan to her face, leaving Subaru stumbling on his knees. They must be scraped raw with all the times he’s fallen today. The sound of blade hitting and scraping across the stone pavement gets closer.
An odd, misshapen creature comes out of the alley.
An ax juts out of the creature’s unseeing head. It doesn't have any eyes or a mouth, but Subaru can make out a human nose amidst the smooth mass of flesh. It doesn't take much to imagine who could have created something like this— not after Subaru found the flies at the broadcast tower, and when Capella already showed him what her powers can do to people. So it's not a big stretch to guess that it might extend to create abominations like this.
But if those people transformed by her are abominations, then what does that make Subaru?
Capella croons in his head, we're gonna play dollhouse now .
Subaru bits his knuckles to stop the revulsion from turning into dry heaving. The creature looks wrong in a way he cannot express, beyond its revolting appearance. The sharp inhale as he does that is noisy enough for it to hear, because of course it is, so the blind head of the demi-beast turns in Subaru's direction right there.
Subaru freezes on the spot and holds his breath.
For a few beats everything is still, as the demi-beast noses the surrounding air.
Then it charges.
Right at him, and the odd, clumsy gait due of the ax on its head would be comical in any other situation– except that Subaru isn’t in the condition to move and evade the hit. The scraping across the ground makes him wince, and he prepares to roll away.
This better work.
“You foolish wretch. The creature can still hear you.”
Subaru rolls to the side right at the ax would have cut through her while Priscilla steps aside, fan raised above her head and ready to inflict a blow. The creature stops right on the edge of the canal. Subaru lifts himself on his elbows. Can it smell water? But anyway, okay, he's getting the hang of it. Nothing like a life or death situation to make you get back the control of your body. Subaru crawls closer to the wall and drags himself upright thanks to a window frame.
How to and avoid a second attack from the demi-beast might be another thing altogether, though.
This is how he almost misses the second demi-beast, coming up from the other side.
Priscilla moves a hand to the hilt of her sword, eyes on the second creature.
Of course that's not everything. Other three demi-beasts crawl from the right side, effectively blocking all of their escape routes, and Liliana cringes in fear. Very cool. Subaru can barely move. He takes it back, life and death situations don’t help at all, and someone out there really hates him. Which, yeah, he could have told that even before this, with how things usually go. Still—
"Please don't move, Miss. I might hit you accidentally."
So of course out of all the people they could meet, it's the chivalric idiot who turns up first. Subaru can accept the humiliation when it's Priscilla– mostly because any meeting with her ends with humiliation anyway. Wait. That describes his interactions with Julius too, nevermind. Point is, Julius, seeing him in this condition is ridiculous and should not happen. Which is why to top it off Subaru collapses face-first as soon as he stops holding himself upright against the wall.
"Another commoner undeserving of appreciating my beauty, I see. Please stand aside and watch mineself as I dispatch these wretches."
"I'd rather make sure that you and the other two ladies are both safe, Lady Priscilla."
"How impudent. Your assistance is unnecessary."
The pretentious jerk tilts his head as he walks past Subaru without a real glance in his direction, and honest to god flicks his hair back from his face like he does when he's about to be extra annoying. Subaru cannot believe it. He even angles his word so the sunlight hits it and the metal gleams in the partially shadowed street. That's gotta be on purpose. And that’s worse, because it means Julius is showing off in front of him– Subaru wants a refund on all this isekai bullshit. He can accept the suffering, he really can, if it makes Emilia happy. But he doesn’t need to be mocked on top of it.
"My apologies, but as a knight, in no way I cannot allow a maiden to come to harm."
This is definitely to charm Subaru's hypothetical maidenly heart, because no way in hell that guy thinks those abominations can understand what he says. And he sure hopes it isn't for Liliana. How old is she even, twelve? Priscilla probably doesn't have a heart and thus is excluded by default. Plus, she might also behead him for those words. Thinking about it, maybe Al and Julius should swap ladies.
The ax demi-beast runs up to him and awkwardly tries to crash into Julius head first, but the blade simply runs along his sword, all the force of the blow deflected to the side. In one swift motion, Julius pierces through the beast neck and kicks it back, boot against its head, and the creature falls to the ground with a gurgle, arterial blood bubbling up from the wound. Death is instant— as merciful as it can get
The other three demi-beasts are similarly dispatched.
One makes the dumb mistake of charging against Priscilla. She unsheathes the sword at her side and cuts the creature clean in half with a single blow. The other two hesitate, only to be engulfed by flames and burn to a crisp thanks to one of Julius' spirits. Subaru retches at the smell.
"Miss, are you perhaps injured?" Julius, the absolute perfect knight that he is, approaches her with a hand on his chest and kneels in front of Subaru, which lessens the humiliation of being on all fours. Very slightly. Subaru will never, ever let him live this down. Julius’ hand reaches for his, but then he stills. Blinks at the sleeve of his jersey. Subaru. Will. Never. Ever. Let him forget this. Julius’s eyes flicker down and a flash of recognition flickers in his eyes as soon as he registers the familiar jersey and track pants. Talk about timing— an iguana would have been quicker. "You—"
"I'd say that being injured is the last of my problems right now. You finally worked it out, jerk?"
"—Subaru?"
"The one and only." Subaru balls up her first and points at himself with his thumb. Almost puffs out his chest before the stretch of the jersey reminds him not to.
Julius' staring makes him uncomfortable, a little bit. His eyes flicker between his new features while his lips part in astonishment. Come on, it’s not that weird, is it? It’s still him. His gaze lingers on Subaru's eyes, on his hair, even on his mouth. Instinctively, Subaru covers it with a hand. That's— odd. Even as a woman, he shouldn't look that different, should he?
At least Julius doesn't look at her boobs. He'd kill him for that, even if Julius saved his life from the demi-beasts. Actually, if he catches anyone at all looking he's gonna make them suffer the torments of hell, even if he needs to use Return by Death to do it.
"How—?"
"Oh, sire— sir Knight." Liliana interjects with an excess volume of a few dozen decibels. "It's such a wonderful tale, so much that it will make Liliana even more famous when she composes a song about it. Everyone will love it—! Sir Subaru encountered the Lust Archbishop and was cursed into changing form to a delicate, beautiful maiden, and, and— oh, I need an appropriate finale to this. Uhm. The magnanimous Lady Priscilla saved him from a death in the water."
Subaru gapes. "Delicate— Delicate? Me?"
Julius frowns, uncertain. His eyes flicker to Subaru’s face and away once again, before he coughs and seems to shake himself out of the shock. But he’s definitely unsettled, since even the obvious bait isn’t enough for him to bite and give out a catty remark. "I cannot claim to understand why would she do this, but I'm relieved you otherwise seem well. I was concerned when I couldn't find you alongside Lady Crusch."
Yeah, because finding yourself in a completely different body is very cool, Julius.
His hand hovers above Subaru's shoulder, as if he's uncertain he should try to touch him. "What about you, Lady Priscilla, Miss Liliana?"
I'll make you accept it. Subaru shivers.
"Liliana is just fine, thanks to Lady Priscilla's wondrous and generous protection—"
"As I already stated, commoner, I have no need of help to take care of such trivial matters."
"I am relieved. Forgive my presumption, Lady Priscilla." Julius holds out his hand for Subaru to take, hoists him upright, then unclasps his cloak. He coughs into his fist and holds it out to Subaru while his eyes focus far off in the distance and onto the muddy water running through the canal.
Subaru blinks and stares at the cloak.
"Subaru. It might be best if you put this on. Your clothes are soaking wet."
"Uh," Says Subaru, but he accepts the cloak, dumbfounded. It’s not a cold day, but the cloak is actually a nice barrier against the wind blowing out of Priestella's alleys. Not that Julius will ever know that. "Okay. Wait. You were there? I don't remember much of what happened."
"I went after you as the floodgate opened— when the black dragon carried you and Lady Crusch away– though I didn't know it was you at the time. I'm glad you made it back safely."
"Wait, Crusch is safe? What about everyone else?"
"She’s safe, and everyone who went to take back the city hall made it out alive. Now that I found you, I can say that confidently."
Of course this is where Subaru stumbles yet again on nothing, because every reprieve must be short-lived for him, and so Julius catches him. Because he didn’t just have to get turned into a girl, no, but in some stupid damsel in distress too, and end up with his arm locked around his waist. Out of all people– Subaru’s cheek is mushed against his chest, and he knows it right there, without even looking. Julius' stupid face is making his trademark stupid smug expression.
Liliana’s eyes grow so big they bulge out of her head. Her enthusiasm for the development makes Subaru gag. “Aye, this is perfect. I can’t wait to—“
"If you put something like that in a song about me I'm gonna be the one to curse you into becoming a frog." Subaru shoves himself away from Julius. "Or a cicada."
Liliana's mouth clicks shut and she gives a wounded expression. "But sir. No, Dame Subaru—! Wouldn't you love to be immortalized in a song of bravery against the Witch Cult, with a tiny bit of romance sprinkled in for flavor. It will make you famous in all of Lugnica—“
"Liliana, if you don't drop it right this instant, I swear to, to Od Laguna—”
"As fascinating as your discussion is, I suggest we focus on getting to the town hall instead. Lady Priscilla, your bodyguard must also be worried for you—"
Priscilla snorts. "As if that jester could dictate my comings and goings—“
"—so I think you should also consider joining us for the trip back."
"So that's where everyone is?" Subaru makes for getting up but trips instead. "Do they need help? But I cannot go there— I need to get Emilia. Julius, Emilia," His legs give out again. Subaru growls in frustration as Julius catches him by the wrist and the elbow, and thus avoids his complete collapse to the ground. “That bastard took Emilia.”
"Be careful."
It pains to say it, but Julius' hands have always been bigger than his. Right now, though, the difference is even worse. Julius' fingers could wrap around his wrist end to end almost twice over, making it look even daintier and more delicate than it probably is. The universe really loves to try and make Subaru angry. And the black of his veins making itself seen through the thin skin of his wrist looks gross, too, enough that Subaru feels ill looking at it. But it’s an easy solution! He just needs to pretend nothing’s wrong with it.
"Let me go—!" Subaru snarls. He doesn't need help to stay on his feet, of all things. It should be funny. He knows it should be funny. Like a dumb shoujo manga plot, or a gag from an anime episode, but Subaru cannot find it in himself to laugh. The only thing this shit situation calls out in him is the bile that rises in his throat.
Julius doesn't relent. "Subaru, are you sure you're unhurt?"
"I'm really not hurt. I swear. It's—" Subaru grits his teeth and gestures down at his body. That's explanation enough, isn't it. Not everyone can take unforeseen situations like it’s nothing special and be up and running in no time, especially when it's a full body switch trope. "This stupid body."
Julius releases his wrist, but keeps the other hand closed around his elbow as support. Jeez, he isn't that clumsy. He’s learned his lesson. Slow and no sudden movements.
"I apologize. That was uncouth of me."
Subaru grins, but doesn’t look him in the eyes. "Pretty sure you've done far worse than grab my wrist."
Julius frowns and looks down. "I... It's not quite the same situation."
"Yeah, because we don't have a big audience right now, so shut it."
Julius shakes his head and sighs. "In any case, I must insist. We need to rejoin with the others. Can you walk at all?"
“If I can get used to this, yeah, but I can't— no, don't you fucking dare—!"
Julius dares, of course he dares, and lifts him in a bridal carry. Subaru is struck mute by the sudden change in orientation, from vertical to horizontal, and by the sheer nerve of this jerk. Not only has he been bamboozled into swaddling himself up in Julius' coat like a toddler, but now this?
"Really? Can't you at least, give me a piggyback ride instead of doing this?"
Julius looks at him with an arched eyebrow. "Certainly not."
"Oh." Liliana's whole face lights up. "Ohhh."
"I hate you with every fiber of my being."
Liliana or Julius? Subaru thinks he would toss either of them in the canal. Happily, and with a lot of prejudice.
Subaru does not know where to put his hands. He's not going to wrap his arm around Julius' neck like they're on a badly designed romance book cover, and even putting them on his shoulders feels... weird. Placing them on his chest is out of the question, too, since, well, it's even weirder. He resolves to cross his arm in front of his -her?- breasts. Julius’ hair falls onto his eyes. This asshole should learn what a haircut is— oh, right.
"Wait."
Julius stops on the second step. "Is something the matter?"
"You have a sword."
"Yes?"
Subaru thinks this much caution for a simple observation is unwarranted. He wouldn't do anything bad with Julius' sword. He pauses. Phrasing. This isn't gonna turn into an eroge game, right? He sure hopes not. Subaru doesn't want anything to do with that particular sword. Zilch. Nothing at all.
"Don't be like that, man. I just need you to cut my hair."
"Pardon?" Julius blinks at him.
"Cut. My. Hair. It's too long."
"Dame Subaru— please don’t do that." Liliana makes an exaggerated sad face at him, because she never learns to shut up. “It’s so gorgeous and so distinctive. Perfect for my song, aye.”
In any case, Subaru's hair dangles halfway to the ground right now, as Subaru is held in the bridal carry, an annoying weight he’s not used to feeling. But it's also leaking water all over Julius' nice white uniform, which makes it a win and one little positive note in all this stupid mess. Serves him right, hah.
"I am not going to use my family's sword to cut your hair." Julius’ mouth flattens in an affronted line, and for a couple of seconds he even looks like he might drop Subaru to the ground without a warning. Chill. It’s just a question. "As I said, we need to go back to the city hall, so you should be able to fix your hair there. Garfield was running himself ragged because of your absence."
"When did we take back the city hall?" Subaru covers his mouth with a hand. They didn’t have enough forces to cover everything, not that he remembers. "With the flooding of the city?"
"That is correct. When the flood of water crashed into the building, the witch cultist abandoned it. However, we lost the Muse Company, and Mr. Kiritaka Muse and some of his men stayed behind. We don't know their fate, currently. And—" Julius frowns and falls silent.
Subaru frowns. "Tell me everything."
"The cultists added other four demands in addition to the surrendering of the Witch's Bones. A book called the Book of Wisdom, the artificial spirit—" Julius’ eyes flicker down to meet Subaru’s, golden, unreadable, and distant. "—the restitution of the curse doll, and the silver-haired maiden's wedding."
"It looks to mineself like the half-elf is within the Witch Cult sights. How troublesome."
Restitution of the curse doll— We're gonna play dollhouse now . Subaru cannot push the memory back. It washes over him and envelops him with Capella’s phantom touch— the brush of her hair on his face, the warmth of her breath, and it makes him lightheaded and cold all of a sudden, even when the sun shines on his body. He’s shaking, he realizes after Julius gives his arm a gentle squeeze. Hah, that’s so ridiculous. Subaru’s a real idiot.
“Emilia— I can’t let them take her, and with so little time…” Subaru bites the inside of his cheek. That, and if the curse doll restitution means what he thinks it means, his very presence at the town hall could put everyone in danger. After all, if the cultists left the building with the flood, it probably isn’t their fighting strength they were afraid of. “Let me down.”
Julius' grip on him tightens instead. The corners of his eyes crinkle as he frowns down at him, too. "I'm sorry, but I cannot let you go off alone while you tremble like a fawn. At least try to settle down before you attempt to walk."
Subaru bristles. "So, what, you're gonna carry me kicking and screaming to the town hall? With the demi-beasts around? I can get farther by sneaking around alone, you know."
Julius grits his teeth so hard Subaru hears it."Please try to understand. The Archbishop of Greed isn't something you can take on your own. We need to reconvene at the town hall and wait for Reinhard—"
"He isn’t there?"
Julius shakes his head. "He wasn't when I left. We haven't seen him since he went out to escort Lady Felt this morning."
"I'll find him first. Before going after Regulus."
"Is there any way I can have you reconsider? I cannot go with you. Greed isn’t the only Archbishop we need to face, and I should take you back there. Lady Anastasia ordered to make sure that you're safe."
"You know me. Can't leave it well enough alone."
"You're not thinking clearly, and even she wouldn't forgive me if right after I found you, I let you alone out here to die." It’s subtle, but Julius is frustrated enough to raise his voice. Good. It means it won’t be long before he gives up on him and goes his own way, instead of trying to turn Subaru’s life into a stupid romance parody.
"Julius, either you come with me, or you leave me alone, because I’m not giving up."
Julius’ arms go rigid under him, and no answer comes. Subaru presses on.
"After we finish off Greed, we can turn around and deal with Lust directly. The others aren't idiots, they can hold the others off. Besides, their demands will buy us some time if we go right away."
Julius sounds defeated. "Nevermind my lady, if you get yourself killed, I won’t be able to forgive myself."
"So, you coming or not?"
"If you two jesters finished with your quibbling, we have business to attend to. You can accompany us, or go your own way. Liliana, follow me."
Priscilla grows bored with their conversation and uses her fan to signal the end of it, then nods toward the end of the street. "The shelter we want to check is that way."
"Aye, yes, ma'am."
"Schult awaits me in one of these shelters and I won't let your useless fretting detain me any longer." Priscilla steps away and gestures to Liliana to follow her, without a single other word as goodbye.
He and Julius look at each other, then trail after her. Not that Priscilla is in danger, probably, but... Well, it’s true what Al says about her sense of danger not working, due to her insane luck.
"Is that why you're worrying Al to death?" Subaru asks after a few seconds of silence.
"How impudent. Do you want a taste of my sword as well? That useless fool has no reason to worry about such absurd things. If he does, it's on his own head."
"Still, you could be a bit more considerate of the guy, he's doing his best." Subaru squirms as Julius hoists him more securely against his chest.
"We shall act as we see fit, commoner."
"Subaru, kindly stop moving around. You're—" Julius' mouth clicks shut and he frowns. Subaru can almost see the blue screen behind his eyes and a white uppercase warning flash inside by. Finally the bastard’s whole shtick crumbles with his hypocrisy.
"Were you gonna say that I'm heavy? That a lady is heavy?"
Hah. Gottem. Subaru grins right in his face.
Julius narrows his eyes at him, then smiles. It's the very picture of innocence, all goodwill and perfect white teeth, thus not an expression Subaru would trust in a million years. The guy manages to look ready to star on a magazine cover even after battle, of course, because only Subaru should be cursed with ugly looks, out of all the knights. "Certainly not. In truth, you're so light that I'm worried about you flying out of my arms, so please be still.”
Bastard. Subaru scowls and looks away.
Liliana looks back at them, starry eyed. "Lilian is so happy— I got to accompany the amazing Lady Priscilla on her quest, and then look upon the Finest Knight in Lugnica, and I may even get to work him into a song I had great inspiration for, and, and—"
“Please don’t do that. This guy got enough of an ego as it is.” Subaru reaches up and pinches Julius’ cheek. At least the moron cannot fight back unless he drops him to the ground, with his arms occupied like this, and the chances he’d do that are low, otherwise Subaru would already be in the canal a dozen times over. Julius’ face, actually, twisted in an expression that matches what someone who gets shoved a lemon in his mouth must feel like. Okay, actually, maybe, he can come to an agreement with Liliana if she makes something that embarrasses the hell out of Julius.
The entrance of the shelter becomes closer and closer.
"Lady Priscilla, I hate to be presumptuous—" Julius starts.
Priscilla narrows her eyes at him.
"—but I'd be much obliged if you or Miss Liliana could relay our whereabouts to the others, when you reconvene at the town hall."
"You truly are presumptuous, to make such a request to us. Certainly, such a task would be much more appropriate for the songstress alone, here, and she would be a fool to not report your words to your—" Priscilla lips curve in distaste. "— employer ."
Subaru is so close that he can see the muscles of Julius' jaw clench at the not too veiled jab. He gets the feeling the insult is meant to be much more biting than it sounds to him. "Then, Miss Liliana, I hope you can inform Lady Anastasia that we are going to join with sir Reinhard."
"I—I'd be happy to be of service in such a calamitous and unfortunate occasion, sire, of course I would, aye. Liliana shall do her best to report back your words."
"You have my gratitude." Julius cannot bow, because he insists on carrying Subaru like he's been crippled instead of transformed, so he settles for dipping his head. And no, it doesn’t matter if he has a point. His hair ends up tickling Subaru's collarbone, so he scowls and pushes his head back up.
"Don't do that—"
Priscilla stills in front of the entrance, Liliana at her side, and looks at them with an arched eyebrow. Subaru blinks back at her when she doesn't say anything.
"Well? Get out of my sight. We are sick of such a ridiculous display."
Sir Finest Jerk doesn't deign to let Subaru walk on his own two feet even after much noise, because he is the sort of bastard that reads too many chivalric tales... chivalric poems? Subaru glowers up at him from his position in his arms. Julius doesn't even show the least sign of exhaustion. He might as well have a toddler in his arms for how much Subaru's weight seems to affect him.
It makes their search of Reinhard pointlessly long, if anyone asks his opinion, but of course Julius doesn't because he is oh so much better than him, and so of course is the way he slinks close to the alleys walls and waits for the demi-beasts to pass them by before proceeding.
"You know that if you let me go you could just skewer them, right?" Subaru studies the nails of his free hand. They're unnaturally pink and shiny. He isn't sure why he's stuck on this detail though. It should disappear in the face of being turned into a woman level of weirdness that he's only ever seen in doujins. He has boobs for fuck's sake. But they just don’t see like his hands, even when he catches a tiny glimpse from the corner of his eyes.
"My apologies, but I don't think you should be trusted with your own wellbeing right now. As I said, you're not thinking clearly. It'd be remiss of me to let you run off who knows where."
"How generous of you. What am I, a toddler?"
To be honest, Subaru talks mostly to keep awake. Julius leaks body heat like an electric heater, and that, together with the even cadence of his steps, lulls him to sleep. Whatever Capella did to turn him into.. this… exhausted all of his energy. Subaru is pretty sure that the bastard is aware of it. He caught him looking down at him and radiating smugness a couple of times, when he almost dozed off and only his head falling against Julius' shoulder jolted him back awake. He won't be caught dead doing that a third time.
"An apt comparison indeed. I had to listen to your juvenile barbs all the way here."
"Listen, if you didn't want—"
Julius raises a finger to his lips, eyes scanning their surroundings.
"What, do you hear—"
He lets Subaru slip from his hold but keeps a hand around his elbow, and presses the other against his mouth to silence him. Subaru huffs, but he's distracted by the sound coming from the waterway close to them. It sounds like someone -or something- glides across the water. Like someone swims with the smallest splashes of water as possible, to keep silent and be unnoticed.
Subaru bites Julius' hand and almost croons in victory when he starts away like he's just been burned. His angry stare promises vengeance, but who cares. He takes the chance to duck away and wobble as silently as possible to the canal edge. Julius mutters something under his breath, probably a few uncomplimentary and mean words that would make Subaru cry if he cared to listen. Guess what though? Subaru doesn't care to listen. He doesn't care even one tiny bit, so Julius can shove it.
His shoulder is grabbed with more force than necessary as Julius pulls him back and leans forward to look down instead. Julius' eyebrows raise.
"Sir Julius?" A voice whispers from below. Subaru recognizes it— Otto? He peeks over the edge too, and yes, Otto floats along the waterway with an exhausted, wide-eyed look on his face. Footsteps reach Subaru’s ears from around the corner of an alley. "You need to hide. Hurry—"
Julius grabs him by the waist and lowers him down near the water, so that Subaru can stand on the narrow stone ledge of the canal, then follows. The two of them move toward the bridge four feet ahead, with slow, careful steps to make as little noise as possible.
Julius drags Subaru flush against him to fit inside the shadows beneath the bridge, as the steps stop right above them. It really fucking sucks. Julius’ body heat leeches into him even more while they stand torso to torso and leg against leg, and being wrapped up in his coat doesn't help either. More than that, it makes all this bullshit look more and more like a very bad doujin. Subaru hates it. So. Much. He hates Julius. He hates Otto too, for suggesting to hide right then and there. Otto is still in the water, looking up at where the enemy would be with a narrow stare. Subaru hopes he gets hypothermia.
The steps resume, then fade away, far too slowly for Subaru’s liking. They still wait a couple of minutes before moving from the hiding spot.
"That was close." Otto hoists himself out of the water with a hand from Julius, drenched. "Thank you, sir Julius, Miss—"
Oh, come on. Subaru scowls. Okay, this time he cannot even count on his tracksuit to be recognized, since the cloak hides it, but really, he isn't that different from before. At least in general vibe. If you squint sideways. Point is, at least his closest friends should notice that something isn't quite right, even if they can't place it right away. Julius recognized him. Well, recognized the tracksuit. Whatever.
"What happened?"
"I had a run in with an Archbishop– I thought it was just a kid making mischief, but the guards..." Otto balls his hands into fists with a frown. "He killed them. I could escape only because of Mr. Kiritaka's men. Why are you here, sir Julius?"
Julius arches an eyebrow at him. Yeah, he's the one who should explain, shouldn't he. "I dragged Julius here."
Otto looks at him, confused. "Have we met each other before? I could swear you look like—" His words trail off.
“Guess you could say that,” Subaru is officially disappointed in Otto. The guy can notice his ugly sanpaku eyes and his black hair, see a resemblance, and yet not make the connection. Otto is supposed to be the smart one in the Emilia camp. Beside him, Julius coughs to hide a laugh, the bastard. Subaru will make him pay, one way or another. “That we met each other before.”
Otto tilts his head at him. He looks very, very tired, and very, very done, so Subaru has pity on him. "It's me. You know, Natsuki Subaru."
Otto looks at his face, then at his hair and very blatantly avoids looking elsewhere. From his face, Subaru can tell he’s more ready to believe that ground dragons can fly than the person in front of him is Subaru. So much for friendship built on reciprocal trust. "You... don't look like you did the last time we saw each other."
"Really. I hadn't noticed."
Otto grits his teeth. “If this is a joke—“
"I wish it was a joke. This happened when I met the Lust Archbishop at the broadcast tower."
"I still find it really difficult to believe it."
They don’t have time for this. Subaru sinks a hand in his hair– and flinches when his fingers meet thick, long hair, so unlike his usual short hair. "You and the asshole over here both share the same impulse to rearrange my face, how's that for proof?"
Julius sighs. "It's Subaru, Mr. Suwen."
"Fine, I’ll accept that for now," Otto rubs a hand over his face, but his eyes look anything other than friendly between the fingers. “But I’m watching you. If you aren’t who you say you are, I’ll know.”
"We should keep moving. I would like to find Reinhard and return as soon as possible."
"Yeah, we don't have much time." Subaru agrees. The less time spent giving out explanations, the better.
"I think I can guide you to the area Sir Reinhard should be in, but—" Otto closes his mouth and looks up.
Footsteps close in to their location again, and someone clicks their tongue above them, out of view on the bridge. All three of them freeze and hold their breath, listening.
"Mama will be angry if I can't find a single rat, tsu~" The voice above them mutters while feet drag against the cobblestones. Something hits stone— like a pebble kicked against the bridge rail. "The other rats weren't enough eating, either— I want to eat more, more, more, more, more, more—"
Otto pales. He mouths archbishop at him and Julius, and brings a finger to his lips.
Julius tightens his hold on Subaru to the point it's hard to breath, so Subaru has to grab his wrist to lessen it and winces— the muscle tenses and relaxes under his touch. Huddled so close beneath the bridge, Julius' breath brushes against his ear, and it’s distracting enough that Subaru has to squeeze his eyes shut to focus. Can’t the guy just let go for a minute? Julius’ heartbeat thumps steady at his back, too, so close Subaru it might beat in his own chest instead.
The minutes go by.
Above them, Subaru hears the sound of someone inhaling deeply and repeatedly, as if sniffing the air. He frowns, taps at Julius' arm questioningly. Maybe it’s best to move from this spot as soon as they’re out of sight again. More so if it’s an Archbishop. He feels Julius shake his head behind him.
"Come, come, come out, because we won't move, we'll never move, we would not move tsu~ unless we catch you and eat, eat, eat, eat you, wherever you're hiding."
A huff from Julius pushes a lock of hair into his face, and Subaru realizes it even before he makes a move. Sir Finest Moron is gonna do something stupid, like leaving their hiding spot to go face the Archbishop taunting them. Subaru grips his forearm with both hands and scowls at the stones on the opposite side of the canal.
Julius pries his finger away with ease, and Subaru’s attempt to catch Otto's gaze and have him stop the idiot is useless, since Otto is looking up as if he could see at the Archbishop through the wall above them. Subaru grits his teeth as Julius grabs him by the shoulders and pushes him, gently but inexorably, towards Otto.
Otto startles when Subaru's body gets pushed into his and flails like he's about to fall onto his butt. It’s just him, you idiot. Subaru rolls his eyes and grabs him by the front of his shirt to keep him upright, while his other hand shoots out to grab the back of Julius' shirt.
Idiot . He mouths at him. Stay put. I'll murder you .
Of course Julius just wrenches out of his grasp and jumps out of view. Subaru swears under his breath. That moron is gonna get himself killed just to try and look heroic, or worse. He steps ahead to follow, except Otto’s -the traitor- restrains him by grabbing him by the waist. So Subaru does the most logical things he can think of and elbows him in the side.
Otto wheezes and stumbles back. Sorry, buddy.
Julius already faces the Archbishops when Subaru reaches him.
"I knew, knew, knew, knew, knew it." The voice croons, gleeful and high-pitched. "We could smell that you were hiding around here, tsu~ We are happy, so happy, really happy that you look like you could make for more interesting eating than those useless rats. Very very very different eating. Bizarre eating—!"
"I'm afraid I shall have to disappoint you." Julius' voice resonates across the empty space, lower and emotionless. "I have no intention of being eaten by you, or by anyone else."
Subaru still cannot see them, and the wall he needs to hoist himself up from is too high in his condition— all of his improvement with pull ups erased, just like that. There aren't any staircases he can walk up from, either. But no. There must be a way to stop that idiot from taking on an Archbishop alone. Subaru just needs to find it, then he can borrow a wooden sword and beat some common sense in Sir Jerk's head with it. Hopefully the guy's guilt from making everyone worry will be enough to make him stay put, because Subaru doesn't want a repeat of the Royal Selection ceremony.
"Everyone always, always says such useless things, brother, tsu~ Simple swordplay cannot do, won't do, would not, will never do against me or my siblings—"
Subaru still cannot see what's going on. He bites his knuckles in frustration and looks around again. This cannot be what all of his hard work amounted to. Even with reduced strength, he gotta try.
"Ia—!"
Before he can move, the warm glow of flames lights up the opposite side of the canal. Warm air blows in his and Otto’s direction right after, but it doesn't seem to be effective by the mocking laughter that follows. That guy—
Subaru grits his teeth and jumps. It takes two tries before his fingers can close around the edge of the sidewalk, and pulling himself up takes another three tries, but in the end Subaru rolls onto his side and to higher ground with a pained grunt. Otto yelps behind him, but he just ignores him and lifts himself on his elbows.
Julius grabs him by the elbow right away, drags him behind himself, and snarls. "Why didn't you take the chance to run—"
"You idiot, no way I'd leave you behind, or let someone sacrifice himself like that. Who do you take me for? Moron. Asshole. I’m gonna kill you myself if you try that again.”
Roy Alphard's face splits into a smile. He tilts his head to the side and looks straight at Subaru. "We know who you are now, tsu, Natsuki Subaru. Mama told us about you. She said we can eat your memories, but not your name. Unfair, unfair, unfair, unfair, unfair to hear such a thing, when we are so hungry. But we won’t fail Mama, we’d never fail Mama, we would not fail her."
Mama . Capella called herself Mama, back at the broadcast tower. Subaru blood turns cold. Julius isn’t weak, but he probably doesn’t have enough skills to defeat an Archbishop alone. " Let's make a run for it together instead."
Roy Alphard stomps a foot on the ground and growls. "No, no, no, no, that's so rude, Brother, to just leave, leave, leave and give us nothing to eat, tsu, nothing to fill our stomach, nothing to chew on after we came all the way here. Brother, don’t leave us."
“Since you aren’t in the condition to fight, let alone an Archbishop, it’s only natural that the role would fall onto me instead. Please don’t think about me and leave the area.” Julius doesn’t take his eyes off Roy.
"Jeez, thanks. You must think I'm scum to just stand aside while a— friend makes dumbass decisions." Subaru pushes Julius’ arm aside to line up next to him.
Julius' expression softens. "Well, I suppose we'll have to find a different solution then."
“Just don’t get eaten, you asshole. I’m not gonna drag your body back.”
“Likewise.”
Julius shifts his weight and lifts the point of his sword from the ground. It’s a subtle motion, but it’s enough— he’s going for an attack. Subaru tenses. Even with mobility reduced, the best thing he can do is play decoy as Julius goes on the offensive. At least they know that Alphard won’t try to kill him until he consumes his memories, and if his suspicion is right— well, it might be that he will avoid killing Subaru altogether. Julius better get on with the program, too, or this isn’t gonna work.
“No more talking, tsu~ You resent us, don’t you? People who resent us taste the best— and we’ll eat all your memories soon."
“Resent? You can bet I resent you, you piece of shit,” Subaru steps forward and points a finger at him in an exaggerated motion. Come on, Julius, take the hint. “What you bastards did to Rem—”
Julius’ eyes flicker at him. Subaru could swear a ghost of a smile upturns his mouth before he dashes forward, thrusts his blade towards Alphard’s shoulder, but misses. Well, one distraction wasted. A few hairs fall to the ground while Alphard ducks beneath the blade, crouches and springs backwards. Next up—
“How underhanded, how malicious, how unchivalric, how unworthy of Brother. We’re disappointed, yes, hurt to see Brother do something so duplicitous—”
Alphard widens his stance and sends a kick straight at Julius’ face, misses it by half an inch as Julius steps back, not a single motion wasted. Subaru holds his breath. He hates to admit it, but Julius’ training does show in the grace of his movements. Not that he’d ever tell him that, bastard got enough self esteem without his contribution. Without a pause, Roy’s palm shoots straight up for Julius’ solar plexus. A sidestep, and this too is useless, but the kick that follows is for Subaru himself— no time to keep gawking. Subaru throws himself on the ground and ducks away.
“Ia, Alo— now!”
A magic gale raises and the hair framing Subaru’s face flutters with the wind. The air becomes so warm it stings his skin just like the heat from a bonfire would. A stream of fire shoots towards Roy Alphard. This too, doesn’t work, though it brings a squeal out of him as he shakes his hand frantically. “Ow ow ow, are you crazy? That’s excessive— we just want to eat and eat and eat. We are starving, always, always starving, tsu~ Why won’t you let us eat?”
“Fuck off. You’re not eating anyone today.”
Julius swings his blade and cuts clean across Alphard’s nose. Blood drips down and lands on his sleeve.
“You’ll pay for that.” Roy stomps his feet on the ground in anger, then slams his open palm downwards. The force of the hit makes the cobblestone explode into debris, and a stone flies right at Subaru’s head. It doesn’t even fully register until Julius grabs him by the jersey and pulls him out of its trajectory. Subaru pales. That saved his head from becoming a splatter of red and gray on the ground.
“Subaru—!”
“Oops.” Roy draws his eyebrows together. “Mama would have been angry if that happened and stuck.”
“Alo. Ake.” At the call, a new gust of wind rises from nothing and shoves Alphard toward the wall, where the earth spirit magic creates a spire out of the stones. Alphard twists his body to the side, avoids it, and uses the surface as a springboard to launch a counterattack. In a blink of an eye, he’s onto Julius, and his left hand almost brushes against his hair. No— no. Subaru gotta do something. Without thinking, his hand closes around a piece of debris and he throws it at the Archbishop. It hits his shoulder and prompts him to look away.
Julius deflects him and backs away, then raises a hand. The six spirits gather in a circle in front of him, lighting up his features with the rainbow colors of a prism. Julius lifts his sword and thrusts it in the center of it. A ray of light shoots toward Roy.
“ Leaper .” Alphard disappears from view.
“That was horrible, awful, horrendous cheating. Unworthy of our savior.” Alphard’s voice is too close. Too close. He appears barely a foot away from Subaru, left hand reaching for him. Subaru is still on the ground. Shit, shit. He gotta move—
“Alo, stop him.”
The next gust of wind sends Alphard flying away, until he regains his balance only a second later, by slamming his hands on the ground in a handstand and jumping back to his feet.
“We think you should learn to share, tsu~ your attitude won’t do, wouldn’t do, will never do, we don’t like it at all.” Two knives slide from his sleeves into his hands.
Subaru inhales sharply. “Julius, you moron, get the fuck away from him, right now–!”
The barrage of attacks is a blur. Julius deflects hit after hit, blade gleaming in the sunlight. His grip shakes. If he wasn’t fucking useless— Subaru punches the ground with a snarl. He needs to distract that son of a bitch somewhat, but he lost his weapons, and Beako isn’t there with him. Stupid, stupid, useless, why can’t he do something for once—
Julius grits his teeth, then his eyes widen as he loses his balance. Roy’s right arm pushes his sword to the side, while the left hand closes around his shoulder.
“Finally, finally, finally we can eat— Julius Juukulius.”
Alphard grins, straight into Julius’ face, then licks the hand that just touched Julius. A second later, he kicks him in the ribs and Julius crashes into the pavement. Ah. Subaru failed, didn’t he.
“Soon it’s your turn, Natsuki Subaru, after we finish eating Brother. Mama wouldn’t be happy if we forgot about you, no, Mama would become really really really angry, and we must not anger Mama. You’ll learn that too, tsu~”
Roy reaches with his right hand. Subaru’s heart skips a beat, and his body moves without his conscious effort. He slams into him shoulder-first, but it’s not even enough for Roy’s balance to waver. Instead, the hand that reached for Julius closes around his throat. Subaru coughs. Now, if that idiot just moves away while the attention is all on him instead. Before it’s too late, before he becomes like Rem–
“That’s not nice, no, no, no, not at all, tsu~ But if you insist, would insist, will insist, really insist so much, we’ll eat your memories now and have Brother’s for seconds.” He lets go.
Roy Alphard brings his right hand to his mouth and licks it.
As soon as he does that, he blinks. His eyes lose the crazed glint and turn inward, turn unfocused and dull, then he stumbles on his own feet without taking a step. Subaru scrambles to kneel next to Julius and grab him by the shoulders. They need to go. If they don’t move, Subaru cannot expect another distraction to pull Julius out of range. Julius winces. “Come on, get up—“
With an animal whine, the Archbishop of Gluttony, representing Bizarre Eating, bashes his head against the stone pavement, again and again, then shakes it, furious and desperate, like a dog.
“What the hell—“
“Get a move on, you two—!” There, of a sudden, Otto fists one hand in Julius’ collar, and lifts Subaru by the back of the cloak. They fall back. For the second time in one day, the world spins on its axis as Julius picks Subaru off his feet and hoists him over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.
“Hey—! Are your ribs even okay enough to do this, you idiot?”
Julius ignores him. Yet his hands, when they wrap around his calves, keep to a light, gentle touch.
Subaru hates this.
Subaru pushes the thought aside and looks back. Roy Alphard’s form is now slumped on the floor in a fetal position as he pants and moans in pain. It doesn’t seem he can come after them anytime soon.
“Hey. Otto, it’s really important.” He nods towards Julius. Subaru needs to be sure. He needs to know if Julius was affected by Gluttony’s authority, like Rem was. “Do you remember who this guy is?”