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Darkness closed in on all sides, consuming her. She couldn't particularly feel anything, but she felt something warp— no, her entire being was slowly fading away. Not to be recycled— no, an existence like her didn't deserve that. It was pure death, complete non-existence.
That was what awaited Capella Emerada Lugunica. She attempted to flail about, but she couldn't feel her limbs. She tried to activate her Authority, but it had abandoned her, eagerly closing in on its newest master.
All she could do was try to swim upward in this dark, pitch-black expanse that threatened to swallow her whole.
"—!"
She screamed, but no sound exited her mouth, something not even she possessed anymore.
"No, no, no! I can't die like this! I still have to kill that insignificant piece of meat! How dare he!?"
She raged at the injustice of it all. How could she have been defeated so easily? She should've trusted her gut instinct— making a quick departure after Lye and Roy's sudden death, but no, her Pride got in the way, and now here she was— her soul facing oblivion, her corpse becoming one with the dirt.
Her mind was clouding with dark thoughts. She imagined her subordinates grinning at her— malevolent smiles as they cheered on her death— desecrating her corpse in every way possible. She hated all of them.
She wanted to scream in rage and fear. She didn't want to die. Capella did not want to die.
With the last recesses of her very soul fading, she screamed inwardly as death itself coiled around her, but then,
There was a bright light. It tore through the darkness like a blazing sun, overcoming her and the void like a large wave. She didn't even get to react as she was swept away into unconsciousness.
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Subaru watched with interest as the puddle in front of him shifted beneath his outstretched palm. His Authority had flickered to life with his intent— heeding his command and changing the world to suit his desires.
The puddle of blood levitated, every single drop forming into one dense ball of red. cells formed and duplicated, forming flesh and bones as his authority rebuilt Capella from the ground up. Everything— her very life force was reconstructed.
By the time he was done, he had effectively revived Capella from complete annihilation. She was in her original form— her fair skin completely unblemished by what had taken place mere moments ago. Her face, which was usually twisted in a sadistic grin, was now calm— befitting of her natural beauty.
The resurrection of Capella Emerada Lugunica had been completed.
Subaru turned his head around, gazing at the assembly of assassins who had watched the entirety of the battle. Throughout, not one person moved a single step from their original positions. That's because they were utterly frozen in fear at the rapid turn of events.
Not only did they watch as Subaru casually killed Lye, The Archbishop of Gluttony, but they watched as their mother was toyed around with, right before being dealt a quick death. Then, some were on the verge of fainting as he resurrected Capella, even when she had been nothing more than a red stain on the ground.
It was made extremely clear that this man was powerful. He was someone that couldn't be trifled with.
"M-Mother?"
That uncertain voice came from one person. It was undoubtedly Lyra. That had been what Capella called her. The elven assassin lumbered forward with a cautious look. She wanted to inspect Capella's unconscious form, but she stopped and looked at Subaru.
"If you want to know if she's still dangerous, the answer is no. Her authority already left her body by the time I killed her. She's no stronger than an ordinary person now."
It didn't take long for a witch factor to search for another host after the death of its wielder. In Subaru's case, his authorities seemed to have a much higher affinity with himself— seeing him as their one true master.
Capella had been utterly stripped of the ability that took away another's autonomy. Her rule had ended.
"…" Lyra stared at him with quivering lips as she stood there in silence. Subaru was a bit confused by her lack of response, However,
"Heh… Ha… Hahahahahahahaha!!!"
A laugh, clearly hysterical, escaped from her mouth. Her lips twisted into a wide-open smile, and tears formed and ran down her cheeks as she stared vacantly at the sky. Her laughter was a mixture of joy, sadness, and utter relief. It didn't take long for many other assassins to follow.
"We're free!"
"It's over… it's finally over!?"
Some ripped off the sigils branding them as Capella's— burning their clothing and breaking their weapons in celebration. Some held each other, finally relishing in sensations they weren't allowed to experience for years. The courtyard was filled with laughter, sobs, and tears.
These people had been stolen from their homes— their special abilities hoarded by Capella. They were forced to serve as nothing more than killing machines. Some had been forced to kill innocents— families. Their last bits of hope had been drained through years of service, but now, it had returned.
Each of them could finally look towards a new day with excitement. They finally had the will to forge their own path. Indeed, the right to choose was a precious gift that many in life had taken for granted. They would never do so ever again.
What was a scene filled with beaming smiles was slowly undercut by the elephant in the room. While they knew now that Capella never possessed her former power, the fact remained that she was still alive.
Just what was Subaru intending to do with her?
"I know you are all confused, but trust me: Capella will never terrorize anyone ever again. Now, she'll serve a new purpose," Subaru said with assurance.
Some were looking on with worry and intrigue— wondering what this new purpose was.
"Forgive me," one male assassin cut in, "But I think it'll be better for all of us if she stayed dead."
"Yeah! Kill the bitch!"
"She doesn't deserve to live after all that she's done!"
Soon, the air of complaints intensified into a chorus. While not angered at Subaru himself, they were unsatisfied with his decision to keep Capella alive. He was their savior, yes, but they couldn't quite comprehend why he wanted a monster like Capella alive. They just couldn't accept it.
Subaru finally raised his hand, stiffening their voices as they all gazed at him.
"I understand that Capella has done a lot of horrific acts, that's why I've decided to let her live— so she can pay for all her crimes," he said.
The reason Subaru spared Capella was not only due to the fact that she was the most sane of the archbishops, but she also possessed leadership skills and cunning that would make her a good asset. Ever since he left that prison, he had been putting together a plan of what he'd do after he confronted Satella, and it was solidifying into a new motive that he'd pursue.
Some assassins seemed to calm down after his explanation. A few didn't particularly agree, but Subaru was not only their savior, but he was their superior in strength. It's not as if they could truly go against him, and they didn't want to— not when they finally had the freedom to pursue their own life without the fear of death hanging over them.
Subaru looked down at Capella, just in time for her eyes to flutter open. She jutted upward into a sitting position, gasping as she looked around with crazed eyes.
"Where… where…" She mumbled with an exasperated tone. She looked around at all of them in surprise, before her eyes settled on the man standing in front of her. Her face immediately twisted in rage.
"Y-You—!"
"Sup, Capella-chan? How did dying feel?"
"I'll kill you!"
Capella didn't bother to say anything more. With the reflexes befitting a powerful archbishop, she lunged forward, her hand shifting into a lion's as she swiped in an attempt to rip his face off— not.
Her hand slapped against his face, bouncing off. Immediate pain— a sensation she hadn't felt in hundreds of years surged across her hand, causing her to pull back as she screamed. Hitting Subaru felt like hitting a brick wall.
"F-Fuck! My Authority!" She hissed in confusion. She tried to will it— drawing upon its power, but no matter what she did, nothing came of it.
"There's no use. It's already mine. You're just a regular human now."
Subaru shrugged, watching her squirm all over the ground. Her vulnerability drew hushed gasps from the surrounding crowd full of her former subordinates. Despite her pain, no one lifted a finger to help her. They lacked any sort of empathy whatsoever for Capella.
"W-what did you do, meatbag?" She croaked, looking at him as she refused to believe what he said.
"Isn't it simple? An Authority moves on to the next user after their death, doesn't it? I killed you, and naturally, it chose me as its next wielder," he stated matter-of-factly. Subaru didn't bother to talk nicely with her.
"That's not… that's not…"
Capella tried her best to maintain her composure, but her newfound sense of vulnerability— weakness, was too much to bear. Her face went red with anger, and tears threatened to fall. Seeing this, some assassins started laughing and sneering at her.
"Aw… is she gonna cry?"
"Capella crying? Now this is a treat to remember!"
"Looking at her now, she's so pathetic. No one could possibly love her now."
"I can't believe we were ever afraid of her."
Again and again, their words pierced her— completely assaulting her pride. She grit her teeth, wanting it all to end. She looked at Subaru, wondering what was his plan now that he had seemingly revived her.
"You despicable meat scrap… What the hell do you want?!"
"Your cooperation. I've decided that you'll live the rest of your days regretting and repenting for everything you've done."
"Fuck you! I'll never serve a freak like you!"
"Welp, it was worth a shot." Subaru sighed, raising his hand as foreign energy distorted the air. It was then that Capella instantly regretted her words.
"No! Please!" She instantly threw herself at his feet, burying her head into the ground as she screamed and begged for her life. that suffocating feeling as her very life was stripped away— she didn't want to feel that ever again. Capella Emerada Lugunica did not want to die.
"Oh, I guess you changed your mind then," Subaru acknowledged with a chipper tone. Capella looked up at him, grumbling as she mumbled something incoherent.
"Alright then. What's next is simple. You'll forfeit everything: your life, your ambitions, your soul— your very existence— all of it will belong to me. You'll serve me and do whatever I say, and if the mere idea of betraying me runs through your mind, your very existence will burn away, with no chance of reincarnation. Understood?"
Capella looked up at him, her eyes widening as she didn't expect such a one-sided deal. She didn't gain anything out of it except for the assurance that her heart would continue beating for another day, but even then, Subaru could decide to kill and discard her whenever he wanted.
She would have to live the rest of her days completely subservient to someone she thought as her enemy. That was a fact that filled her with immense dread. Now, she knew what it felt like to be one of her children.
Taking away another's autonomy— forcing them to be subservient to her— to love her. Had her ideology truly been that monstrous? It was something she would think long and hard about.
Steeling her resolve, Capella answered:
"F-fine…"
"Alright!" Subaru said as he clapped his hands. Not a moment after, a bright, glowing piece of parchment manifested, words of ink already written on it. It didn't take the knowledge of a skilled magic user to realize that it was undoubtedly a soul-binding contract— an application of it born out of Subaru's Authority of Wrath.
The words on it gave a detailed description of each of the two party's proposals. For her continued existence, she'd give her unyielding loyalty to Subaru. In return, Subaru would allow her to live. If he broke the contract, it would be forfeited and her soul would return to her, but if Capella broke the contract, she'd have her entire existence erased, and it wouldn't be quick. It would be long and painful.
Subaru could simply claim ownership of her soul without the assistance of the contract, but he wanted to make sure his Authority would go through with Capella's death should she betray him in secret.
Nonetheless, all it needed was Capella's mana signature.
"…"
She raised her hand begrudgingly as her finger hovered over the contract. Releasing a bit of her mana, it flowed forth into the parchment, causing the scroll to glow and roll in on itself— sealing it. The contract had been complete: Capella was now his.
As proof, two small orange five-pointed stars manifested within her pupils— a subtle reminder of her new allegiance.
Her heart thrummed, realizing that she'd live another day, but then beads of sweat formed on her temple as she realized that she had truly sold her life away— left at the whims of what was her new tormentor. She looked up at him, and Subaru didn't need to use his power to wonder what she was thinking.
"You don't need to look so scared. I'm not a sadist or anything. Your new arrangements shouldn't be too harsh."
He'd work her to the bone, but he had no intention of torturing her or mistreating her. It just wasn't his style to inflict unnecessary torment on others. He'd be a hypocrite otherwise. Subaru then pointed at her, a grin forming on his face.
"For the rest of your life, you'll live doing nothing but good deeds!"
Capella blinked, then a second later, an unrestrained cackle— a mixture of genuine bafflement, dread, and hilarity escaped her mouth as she realized what she had gotten herself into.
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Things went relatively smoothly afterward. With the defeat of the final archbishop, not only did Subaru retrieve all witch factors, but he had taken down the very leaders that had kept the Witch Cult afloat. It would take many months, but slowly, it would dismantle itself from within. There would no longer be a future for the Witch Cult, and he'd make sure of it.
Subaru quickly expressed his plans after that. He wanted to form a new organization that would help him improve this world. That's why he asked the numerous assassins if they wanted to join him.
While many had decided to rejoin society, a few dozen of them decided to stay. The ones who stayed simply had nothing to return to, and even if they did, they wouldn't know how to live a regular life anymore. Joining someone who would not only pay them but treat them well was a logical decision on their part.
All of Capella's victims, individuals who had been shifted into grotesque monstrosities of flesh, had been reverted to their original forms. None of them wanted to stay— not wanting to even look at her after what she did.
As for Capella herself, she was thrusted into the position of a mere servant. She would help him as he founded his new organization that would help improve the world. It would take many months for it to launch and gain some financial stability, but he was confident in his abilities to do so.
Nonetheless, he had finally decided to rest before continuing on his journey. Since Subaru was now technically Capella's superior, he was basically given ownership of her mansion alongside everything she ever owned.
He fixed himself up with the copied Authority of Lust, shifting his appearance to match what he looked like before his imprisonment. Being able to walk without creaking bones and sore muscles was a former pleasure he had embraced once more.
After that, he decided to take a nice warm bath in Capella's personal bathroom.
"Ah, that hits the spot," Subaru said with content. He was submerged neck deep in the warm bath. He had been in here for a little over ten minutes— embracing the peace and quiet of privacy.
He never had much time to relax like this. Everyday he was tortured, and the silent hours before that were spent recovering physically and emotionally for the next wave of torture. For the first time in a while, Subaru could relax without fearing what brutal methods his captors would think of next.
As he cleaned himself, his senses suddenly went alert as a clicking sound reached his ears. He turned his head back as the door to the bathroom opened, revealing a dainty figure.
Her form was that of a young woman with fair skin and flowing green hair wrapped into a ponytail. What stuck out the most to him, however, was the pair of slender elven ears poking from each side of her head. She was undoubtedly an elf.
She was bare— covered by a towel that didn't conceal much of anything as she entered and closed the door behind her.
"Uhm…" She looked around, before her eyes locked onto him. She seemed to stand there for a second, before gathering her composure and walking straight towards him.
Subaru, briefly frozen by her sudden entrance, finally regained himself as he opened his mouth:
"Excuse me? I think you've got the wrong room."
He was a bit confused. He was sure he asked for privacy, and he knew there were other bathrooms to bathe in, so her appearance didn't make sense.
"Allow me to lend my apologies, Subaru-sama, but I think I'm right where I need to be." She bowed her head, but she didn't stop walking towards him. Subaru had to turn his head as she removed her towel. A moment later, he heard the familiar rippling of water as another body entered alongside him.
Subaru slowly turned his head, redness highlighting his cheeks as he stared at the woman who had engaged in such a bold display.
"Can I uhhh… help you?"
"—Lyra told me a lot about you. I've got to say, you look a lot different from how she described you."
"Eh?" Subaru blinked, "Lyra? That woman from earlier? Are you two related?"
The both of them possessed the same elven traits, so he put two-and-two together and went with the assumption that the both were related by blood. This was doused, however, by the woman's shaking of her head.
"It isn't exactly like that. It's similar, but more complicated. I'm sorry, but allow me to introduce myself: I'm Shion, one of Mother's former children."
She emphasized on the "former". Saying such a thing felt foreign, yet relieving to her. Subaru slowly nodded in understanding.
"I'm Natsuki Subaru. I guess I should be sorry for defeating your mother?" He said sarcastically.
"Not at all! We were mere slaves subservient to her will. Despite the title we gave her, our relationship was nothing close to that of a familial bond," she finished, disgust gracing her features.
"Hmm, I should've thought about it more thoroughly then. I'm not triggering any trauma by letting her walk around am I?"
While not enough to totally dismiss his prior decision of keeping her alive, Subaru wanted what was best for his new subordinates, so if any of them felt uncomfortable, he'd do his utmost to remedy it. So far, none of them seemed outwardly uncomfortable with Capella walking around. They had totally dismissed her as a threat—seeing her as nothing more than an "asset" that was precious to their new master.
For Capella herself, her former pride and arrogance was gradually broken between the hateful, scornful stares of her former children. In secret, she had holed herself away into one of the vacant rooms—crying her heart out.
For now, Subaru simply left her to her own devices. Fresh defeat was still raw in her mind. He wanted her to fully comprehend her new vulnerability before he truly put her to good use. Who knows? Perhaps Capella would actually grow and change as a person.
"Not at all," Shion then giggled lightly, "I'll say. It's actually a bit humorous."
From the looks of it, Shion seemed to be a polite woman, however, not even she could resist the hilarity that came with the punishment of her former tormentor.
A majority of the assassins weren't particularly bad people, but their sense of morality had been eroded after years of killing many people— notably innocent. Some had taken sadistic pleasure in openly insulting Capella in his absence.
Even if Subaru found out, he wouldn't tell them to stop. They had all the right to abhor her. If Capella suffered mentally from that, then maybe she shouldn't have enslaved dozens of people and forced them to worship her.
"Anyways, about Lyra. How's she doing? Haven't seen her for the past several hours."
"Oh, about that. I'm actually an individual you'll call a Dream Arts user."
Shion placed her hand to her chest as she suddenly adopted a more serious expression. Subaru took in her words as he slowly blinked in confusion.
"Dream Arts user?" He questioned.
"Your confusion isn't surprising. Dream Arts is a magical technique that has been lost to time. Only a few people know about it, but even then, that number is slowly dwindling."
Subaru nodded in understanding. He had heard how many magic techniques were outright forbidden after the Witch Calamity. Some races— sporting unique abilities— were hunted down and killed. This continued after the demi-human war, which managed to intensify racial tensions even more.
There were a lot of unique magical abilities that would never see the light of day— at least until racial equality was achieved. It was probably a lot more complicated than that, however. As long as fear existed, so would oppression.
Their conversation continued. Apparently, Shion was similar to Echidna in the sense that she could access and manipulate a realm similar to the castle of dreams. She could put people to sleep— using their Od as a conduit to shift through their memories.
Lyra was a phantom, an astral entity created using another technique lost to time. She had been Shion's companion for many years, and like her, she was also forcibly indoctrinated into Capella's organization.
Seen as a valuable resource due to her technique, the both of them served rigorously under Capella— making full use of their technique to follow her bidding. There were a lot of things they've done that they've regretted, but now, they've prepared themselves to move past that— forging a new path for themselves.
Nonetheless, now that all was said and done:
"Sorry if I were to pry, but your sudden appearance is elusive. There are a lot of things about you that confuse me, Subaru-sama."
Leaning forward, Shion gazed intently at him, as if trying to uncover what was inside. In response, Subaru scratched his head.
"Yeah, I guess I have been leaving everyone in the dark. Must be strange for a random person to come out of nowhere before killing several archbishops."
Subaru's strength was monstrous. Some assassins even contemplated if he were as strong as the Sword Saint himself. He had killed three archbishops— individuals who had caused needless suffering with the aid of their broken authorities. He laid waste to them all, and with tremendous ease.
But what was his goal? That's what everyone wanted to ask, but never had the courage to do so.
"The truth is: what I'm amounting towards isn't anything special. I guess I'm just like everyone else. I want to live a good life surrounded by my friends and family, and if I have to fight and suffer for it, I'll happily do so."
Subaru said this with an air of casualness. There really wasn't anything much to it. Killing the archbishops and assimilating their authorities was just a single step in his goal to acquire that peace. Freeing Satella was next, and after that, he could finally start living life his way— one without suffering.
He had gone through countless loops of being tormented by his former friends. Subaru was just tired— he really was. He didn't want to use Return by Death anymore unless he really needed to.
"That's…" Shion was about to finish, but stopped herself as she looked away in contemplation. Afterwards, she looked back at him while smiling lightly.
"You truly are an interesting person, Subaru-sama."
"Eh? What do you mean by that? No— scratch that. I haven't told you this before, but you don't have to refer to me that way. Sounds a bit too professional."
"Oh?" Shion's voice then took a sharp turn into the seductive as she leaned closer. Subaru felt two soft mounds press against his chest as she appeared before him— straddling him while wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Then I wouldn't mind getting a bit more personal with you, Subaru."
He nearly short circuited. A girl outwardly showing affection to him wasn't something he could fully comprehend. He had flirted a lot, but it was on his own terms. In this case, he had been completely caught off guard.
"Uhmmm…"
"—Don't worry, this is my first time as well. Shall we get started?"
One of Shion's hands lowered into the water, inching closer to the space between his legs as she prepared to impale herself onto him. Subaru was still momentarily frozen, contemplating the use of his Authority of Lust to assign himself "Stud". However, before that:
"Augh," Shion gripped her head, panic surging, "no, no! Lyra, not now!"
Subaru went alert as Shion gripped her head in discomfort. His eyes widened even more when her features started drastically changing. Green hair turned into a dark purple— billowing down to her waist. Her body, specifically in the chest area, began swelling outward. Subaru watched as another individual manifested in her place.
It was Lyra. She sported an irritated look as she slowly came to her senses.
"Now what are you doing out— eh?"
Lyra then realized many strange things. She felt awfully warm against her skin, particularly in her lower area. What was more, she couldn't feel her clothing, she gazed downward, meeting the eyes of Natsuki Subaru.
She saw the curve of her breasts— meeting the air and pointed straight his way. To add, she felt something thick and long press against her abdomen, and that's when everything clicked.
"EEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!"
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