...
{3rd Person POV}
Rem guided them toward the Sanctuary's trial grounds. Standing before the ancient structure, they all took a moment to observe its worn, moss-covered exterior, the creeping vines giving it an eerie but sacred air.
"If a pure human or demi-human enters, the result will be the same as what happened to Lord Roswaal," Rem explained solemnly, still convinced her master was suffering from grievous injuries.
"My Liege, I shall enter and assess the situation for potential dangers," Reina offered, stepping forward with resolve.
"Reina, there's no need," Subaru interrupted, raising a hand to stop her. "If you go in and somehow break the mechanism of Sanctuary, it could result in the destruction of the entire Sanctuary. It's too risky."
Her confident smile faltered for the first time in her life. Never before had she been told not to do something because she was too powerful. The realization hit her unexpectedly.
She was suffering... from success.
"I-I understand," she said quietly.
Subaru turned toward his companions and summoned his contracted spirits.
"You all wait outside. I'll go in alone. If I don't come out right away, don't panic—it just means I've been deemed eligible to undergo the trial," he explained, reassuring each one of them with a calm tone.
"Very well, Father. This concubine shall wait patiently for your safe return," Gloria responded with a respectful bow.
"Umu."
"Okay!"
"Yup!"
"Understood."
With a nod, Subaru entered the Sanctuary. The interior was dim and quiet, and he soon found Emilia unconscious, lying on the cold stone floor with a terrified expression etched on her face. As he hurried toward her, something tugged at his consciousness.
He could have resisted.
But he didn't.
He allowed it to pull him away, his body going limp as he collapsed beside her.
...
Natsuki Subaru opened his eyes to find himself in a place resembling the Windows XP desktop background—a rolling green field under a flawless blue sky.
Ahem.
In reality, he was now within the realm that housed the souls of the deceased Witches—though why it looked like Microsoft's default wallpaper was anyone's guess.
"Greetings, Natsuki Subaru," came a voice, serene and melodic.
He turned to see a stunning woman with flowing white hair and jet-black eyes. Her porcelain skin was unblemished, and the elegant jade-and-black hairpin in her hair only added to her captivating charm.
In a word: hot. In two words: freaking hot.
But instead of awe, Subaru's expression was laced with irritation.
"Normally, I'd ask where I am, but instead—what the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded sharply.
"Huh?" Echidna blinked, visibly confused. This was not how she had expected their first meeting to go.
"You left that poor girl alone for 400 years waiting for a guy who doesn't even exist," he said, voice heavy with anger.
Understanding dawned on her face. "Ah… you're referring to Beatrice and the contract."
Subaru sat in the chair across from her with purpose. "Exactly."
The Witch of Greed gave a slight smirk. "It was a fascinating experiment, really. I wanted to see if she would act on her own will. To be honest, she was… a disappointment."
Subaru narrowed his eyes but said nothing as she quickly shifted the subject.
"Anyway, that's a matter for another time. For now, why not have some tea?" She gestured to the cup on the table before him.
He knew exactly what it was—her bodily fluid. But drinking it was necessary to adapt to her miasma. The last thing he wanted was to go insane out of hygienic pride.
Without hesitation, he downed the cup in one gulp.
"Oh! You drank it without a second thought!" she exclaimed with amused surprise. "You didn't even question if something might be mixed in."
"If you're foolish enough to poison me, the Sword Saint waiting outside will give your graveyard a nice makeover," he replied flatly.
Her eyebrow twitched as the mental image of a furious Sword Saint annihilating her entire graveyard crossed her mind.
"Well… lucky for me, it wasn't poisoned," she said, then smirked, "Though it was my saliva."
"So, an indirect kiss then?"
She laughed, genuinely entertained. "You're quite the amusing one. Is that where your mind goes? Have you fallen for me already?"
"You are undeniably beautiful," Subaru said honestly, "but I've seen someone even more beautiful."
The faces of Reina and Satella flickered in his mind.
Echidna pouted but composed herself. "Anyway, let's get to the real reason you're here."
"You mean granting me permission to undertake the trial?" Subaru asked.
"Yes, but I'm offering more—something far greedier," she said with a gleam in her eyes.
"I am the Witch of Greed, Echidna, bearer of all the world's knowledge. So tell me—what knowledge do you desire?" she proclaimed grandly, rising from her seat with open arms.
The peaceful setting shattered like glass. The lush field vanished, replaced by a cosmic void as stars and galaxies swirled around them.
Dark silhouettes of other witches began to emerge, each one shrouded in mystery.
"Perhaps you seek knowledge of Minerva, the Witch of Wrath, whose healing touch brought more ruin than salvation?"
"Or maybe Carmilla, the Witch of Lust, whose beauty toppled empires?"
"Typhon, the Witch of Pride, whose childish sense of justice left devastation in her wake?"
"Or Daphne, the Witch of Gluttony, creator of the Great Beasts to end hunger, only to birth more suffering?"
"Maybe Sekhmet, the Witch of Sloth, who pushed away the divine dragon beyond the Great Waterfall just to nap in peace?"
"Or even… myself, Echidna, who in her endless pursuit of wisdom committed sins she still regrets in death."
Finally, a thick smog engulfed the space. A dark figure loomed beyond, veiled and mysterious.
"Or perhaps… Satella, the Witch of Envy, who destroyed half the world and killed the other witches—all for the sake of love," Echidna whispered.
The scenery snapped back to its original verdant form.
Subaru gave a slow, deliberate clap. "Wow. That was dramatic. All we were missing was popcorn."
Her expression twitched. This was not the reaction she had expected.
"Anyway, there is something I want to ask," he said, arms folded.
"Yes! Tell me! Ask me anything!" she cried with enthusiasm, practically bouncing in her seat. Finally, a chance to show off her infinite knowledge. She was already planning how to impress him, ready to name the steep price of forbidden truths.
"Who would win in a fight—Anos or Rimuru?"
She blinked.
"…Pardon?"
"You heard me. Who's stronger, Anos Voldigoad or Rimuru Tempest? They're fictional characters from my world," he said calmly, crossing one leg over the other.
(A/N: Boiiii what kind of question is that(Ofc rimuru wins))
She stared at him, mouth opening and closing in confusion. "…W-what kind of question…?"
Silence lingered for a moment before she sighed.
"Ask me anything else… except that," she finally relented.
Subaru rose from his chair and began walking away.
"Where are you going?!" she asked, clearly distressed.
"You've shown me just how capable you are, so I am leaving," he said, not looking back.
"Ask me anything! Anything else! I'll show you my worth!" she begged.
"How I am going to answer such a difficult question?! Ask me anything else and see how impressed you will be!" she pouted.
"Sorry but I know everything else I need to, as for what I need to know you cannot tell me" he said with a face full of regret.
She clenched her fists and said with a very nice smile "J-Just ask me something else"
"Fine," he said, pausing. "Tell me the law of universal gravitation."
She stiffened. "I… I know the laws of motion."
"Of course. Because I taught them to Betty. I understand how your Authority works now," he said.
"Fine! You win! But just so you know—you can't leave here without my—" Her words caught in her throat as she watched Subaru tear open a rift in her domain using nothing but his psychic energy and aura.
"Call me when Satella's here," he said before disappearing through the breach.
For the first time, the Witch of Greed was left alone to question her own choices.
"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I absolutely hate you!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face like a heartbroken child.
But he was already gone.
"AGHHHHHH!!!!"
To be continued...
(A/N: Okay, it is a new week, I give give you one bonus chap if we get in top 20, two bonus chap if we get in top 10, or three bonus chap if we are in top 3 by the end of the week.
That's a promise.
Also, I have uploaded an auxiliary chap showing all the progress of our boi, so yeah, sure to see that!)