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Rating:
Not Rated
Archive Warnings:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsGraphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
Gen
Fandom:
Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)
Characters:
Rey Alaraph (OC)Louis ArnebLye BatenkaitosRoy Alphard
Additional Tags:
POV First PersonDysfunctional FamilyThe Gamer Ability (The Gamer Webcomic)Fluff and AngstThe gluttonies are terrible childrenThe Author Regrets EverythingWhy Did I Write This?This was entirely an excuse to fit as many self-indulgent things into one fic as possibleSpoilers for Re:Zero season 3Lots of struggling to change canonDescent into MadnessNot Canon CompliantThere is more than one playeroc is a fourth gluttony siblingprobably the most 'normal' but compared to the others that's not saying much
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2024-10-28Updated:2026-01-07Words:246,117Chapters:58/?Comments:1,238Kudos:848Bookmarks:113Hits:41,077
A Dog in the Cradle of Od Lagna
TheGimbler
Chapter 10
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A concept that warrants explanation are the skill books. I fiddled with the system a bit to get answers about them, and they're quite beneficial.
Skills, rather than the innate strength of Perks, had levels to them. If I took my 7/150 sword skill, you would see me wielding a sword with all the adept mastery of a toddler with a bamboo stick. Now, if I had a teacher, fought with the Yin Blade consistently, or, at the very least, practiced consistently, I'd see a rise of my sword proficiencies. Lunar Eclipse was a bit of a cheat, but at the most I'd eventually reach Ley's level of blade wielding, which was admittedly amazing. Ley would be unable to eat a person who wielded the blade at a level higher than himself, and both Roy and Louis didn't care about eating spectacular people.
In other words, stolen memory would only go so far.
My strength was gravely lacking, which could be remedied by fighting decent opponents consistently and power leveling through quests and other such things. But the impressive wall that stood before me only seemed more daunting when I considered it.
Shaula's scorpion might was so overwhelming that Louis, borrowing my body, couldn't match her well enough even with the Yin Blade giving its maximum benefits. The whole fight, Shaula hadn't tried to kill me. It might've accidentally happened, owing to her air-headed aloof nature, but she didn't have much bloodlust at all.
Back to the point.
Skill books were rewards offered by the system to automatically level up your skills without having to put in the necessary work. Free level ups in skills, rather than status, so to speak. I have two level 2 skill books, and one level 3. If I were to dump them all into my sword skill proficiency, I'd gain a total of 7 levels in it.
The issue here is that it'd be a total waste. Logic dictates that leveling up at higher and higher levels grows exponentially more difficult. I literally grew a level through watching Ley fight Clay, through mere observation. If I were to practice even a little, I would see enough gains that using the books now would be a total waste.
Taking into context my prior 5 instant level ups I got as a reward for participating in the Act, if I grew 5 levels when I was still at level 4, I would've gained only about 2900EXP. Whereas now I need 4500EXP for just a single level up. My reasoning for skills are the same.
I would like to use the books on Lunar Eclipse, adding another 70% bonus to both mental stats would be the most helpful, but…
[Skill books cannot be used on Authorities!]
…Yeah.
Unfortunate, but that left me waiting to grow my sword skills naturally before cheating them into a higher level, or using them on my magic instead. The same problem arose, of course. If I used Lunar Eclipse and slept, along with Memories of a Second Life, I should be seeing incredible gains in every vein of magic.
My mental fatigue would also grow. And while I would do it when I'm in a safer place, right now I'm in the middle of a tower with people who wouldn't hesitate to kill me if they found out who I was affiliated with. If I truly trusted them, I would.
It was telling why I didn't.
So, for now, I was leaving my skill books alone, waiting to train enough to grow a bit more capable in both before cheating my way through. If I was in deep trouble like fighting Shaula again, I'd have no choice but to use them, but for now it seemed like everything was okay.
I slept in the green room without much trouble, the water spirit within healing me throughout the rest of the night.
When I woke up, I felt considerably better.
[HP: 1,060/1,060]
No bruised ribs, splattered organs, or misplaced blood. I could breathe deeply and not wince when my lungs stung. Number one priority for now was leveling up my VIT as much as possible. Without my Skin of Titanium, a single hit from Shaula would've turned me into a bloody mist.
Speaking of.
[Stat points: 20 → 0]
[VIT: 53 → 73]
[HP: 1,060 → 1,460]
Not the hugest jump, but it definitely needed to be made. First task was hitting 100 VIT and getting that Perk, hopefully making myself more durable in the process, and then training my sword skills.
Self-improvement for the win! That all could happen after the Act concludes, I don't think training while the protagonist was nearby was a smart move. Stretching the lie to include me training with the sword might break it.
"I am not quite the best at this," I sighed, rubbing my face as I stood to my feet and stretched. "I really need to get some down time and get some training in. Sucks that I was stuffed into this Act so soon."
I just needed to take every opportunity to get stronger. Every quest that I could conceivably achieve without gaining too much suspicion. And if need be… I could always loop Natsuki Subaru. The rewards were likely to be quite delectable.
I looked to the side, spotting a certain blue-haired woman in a wheelchair, eyes closed and asleep.
"...Hm."
I decided to leave in search of Shaula and the rest of the group. I double-checked the main quest and noted that Subaru hadn't looped once. Which meant Shaula either killed him or she failed to attack him. Not sure which I'd prefer, honestly.
He seemed like a nice guy, but he was also in favor of executing my family. Not that I blamed him to be fair.
I ventured around the fourth floor, and came across the temporary living quarters of the protagonist, and found no one. They hadn't even started cooking breakfast, which promptly caused my stomach to growl. This was when someone would probably skip breakfast in order to find the missing people, but I was the holder of Gluttony.
You didn't just ignore your stomach. I hopped over to the room with the mabeast corpses, noting how it smelled even worse than the day before, and began to eat.
Unironically, I think the Iron-Stomach Perk I got from rolling gumballs in the beginning was actually going to be far more beneficial than I gave it credit for. Not only were poisons mostly ineffective, but I could eat without having to worry about getting sick.
If only I could turn off my damn nose, because I was retching with every bite I took. Wasting food by vomiting also wouldn't happen, but damn was it tempting at times.
Eventually, I finished up and walked around, crunching on a few bones to clean my teeth and to continue satiating myself. It took a few moments, before I remembered something Shaula had said earlier about the beasts and her calling me.
I closed my eyes, feeling my witchfactor pulsating in my stomach, and poked at it. This was something I didn't quite understand, so I began thinking loudly in its direction.
Shaula? Where are you?
There was a beat of silence.
I didn't get a response at all.
"Okay, I need to ask how to call for stuff," I muttered, slightly miffed.
And I continued looking around for them.
It took several minutes for me to recall the protagonist and his group having gone upstairs, but that was more than just a few hours ago. They wouldn't still be up there, right? Not only would it mean they skipped breakfast for a dumbass puzzle, it meant the puzzle was just that interesting.
Nah, something happened.
I steadily made my way up the stairs, convinced that something happened. Though it couldn't have been bad enough for Subaru not to have looped even once.
I reached the top and rounded the corner, finally laying my eyes on the giant black scorpion that was Shaula, who had her head poking through what looked to be a giant wooden doorway, though not large enough for the titan to walk through.
I heard voices talking past where Shaula was, and I groaned, recognizing it as the scorpion having blocked the doorway for upwards of eight hours.
"What are you doing?" I asked, giving the scorpion the flattest expression I could muster.
You!?
Shaula rapidly pulled her head from the doorway, and I heard tentative hope from those trapped in the room. The scorpion rounded on me and clicked her pincers threateningly.
They think that you're the sage! So unfair! You're a liar, a fraud, and a misfit little ankle-biter! Only the other ankle-biter can understand what I'm saying and she's so rude to me! Both of you should be cast into the corner!
"Trust me, you're not doing yourself any favors in being taken seriously," I snorted, walking up to Shaula and giving her a cold look. "So… The other girl can understand what you're saying?"
Yep, yep!
"...What have you been talking about, then?" My casual ask was mired in trepidation. If Shaula's dumbass talked about how I wasn't actually the sage, then I was in big trouble.
Oh. We talked about how I'm not actually the sage, but my master is! The little ankle-biter runt annoying runt ankle-biter refuses to talk about that! Annoying!
"Ri~ght…" My brow knitted together, confused. That sounded… wrong. Something was up here. "Excuse me."
I walked past Shaula and poked my head through the doorway, seeing the protagonist and co seated on the floor looking bored. The majority of them perked up with relief upon seeing my face.
"Oh, god, finally!" Subaru threw his hands into the air. "Your stupid scorpion blocked the doorway all night! Where the hell were you!? Couldn't you have given us a warning about the damn thing!?"
Master~~! Shaula bemoaned behind me. You own me, not her~! Stop pretending! You do this all the ti~me!
"Right… well," I looked back at Shaula with a sour expression. Slowly, I turned to Subaru, "She is… peculiar. I hope some of you were able to get some sleep?"
"Hardly," Ram scoffed, flatly glaring at Shaula. "The scorpion was loud. It refused to quiet down, even with the mabeast user's pleas."
Meili's gaze lingered on me. I met her eyes evenly, and I could tell she wanted to talk to me. Alone.
I nodded and sighed, already telling that this was going to be a headache. "Right, well. I am sorry about that. Her troublesome personality couldn't be trained out of her."
Rude! Shaula poked me with her pincer, making me wince unconsciously. I'm still completely fine with giving you the Shaula Special, runt! If anything, I should be training you to understand your betters! Speaking of,
Shaula's breath met my ear as she leaned in.
My master's right there, you know. And since he needs all the keys, wouldn't it be great if I killed you and gave the key to him? Hmmm? Have any more remarks to make? If not, then clear this up right now! Tell master to get over here so I can squeeze him!
Meili's gaze remained staring directly at me, and I could already tell she knew. She knew I wasn't the sage, and now I was forced to talk to her about it so she doesn't tell anyone else. And I couldn't just disagree with Shaula here, since she'd just kill me or beat me up badly enough that I wouldn't be able to move.
My position had suddenly turned extremely precarious with Shaula's refusal to die after being pushed off the tower.
"Subaru," I rubbed my face, gaining his attention. "Shau–Shaulo wants to give you a kiss. Come."
"Wha–?!" Subaru exclaimed.
Wha–?! Shaula shrieked at the same time. My name is NOT Shaulo– Oooo, do you think master will actually give me a kiss?
"Your female pet scorpion…" Julius squinted. "...is named Shaulo."
"I'm bad at names," I defended hastily.
"I see…" Julius closed his eyes, and it felt like he was committing that to memory like it was a really important detail.
"So your stupid pet wanted a kiss from me this entire time?!" Subaru complained, looking at the undeniably excited scorpion. "No way! I am not kissing a mabeast!"
Racist! Shaula complained. I'm filing a complaint to HR about misconduct and sue you into kissing me! If only I still had my human form! Curse that thing for always exploding! Curse you, ankle-biter for pushing me off the tower! Shaula never forgets!
I winced, hearing a snort from Meili, who turned her head away to hide her amused smile.
"I am rea~lly hungry," Emilia said with a small smile. "Could we go and eat breakfast, please?"
"Oh, right, you've been stuck here for a while," I rubbed my face before hearing a haughty voice.
No way, no how! They only get out if master's in my clutches. Them's the rules!
I relayed Shaula's need for Subaru's capture.
"No way!" Subaru made an X with his arms. "I'm not being tangled up with a big scorpion!"
"Barusu," Ram's dark voice made him freeze. "Ram hasn't eaten in many hours because you refuse to let the scorpion grab you."
Subaru gulped loudly.
"Y-yes, Nee-Sama…"
As the group ate, I sat next to Meili, who was humming in thought.
We were in a secluded corner, the group more interested in eating than listening to whatever we were about to discuss.
"You're not really the sage, are you~?" Meili said in mock ponderance. She had already made up her mind about my identity.
"What do you want?" I murmured quietly. "You didn't tell the others, otherwise they'd be more suspicious of me right now."
"What do I wan~t… huh." Meili cocked her head, a frown on her lips. "Honestly, I'm not sure. What you're doing here, I don't really care at all. The sage? Fixing the names of those forgotten? I'm just here to get fresh air and safely bring everyone across the desert. I don't care about anything else~."
"So?" I continued to press, leaning a bit closer. "What do you want from me? "
"Tonight," Meili looked over at me with a steely expression. "The library. There's a book I want to find and read. After tha~t, I'll leave you be. Sound good?"
"You're willing to be alone with me?" I smirked. "You know that'd be a bad idea if I wanted to hurt you, right?"
"I'm bringing the big scorpion weirdo," Meili made her intentions clear, making my smirk vanish. "She's not happy with you~, you know? I don't think there's much problem with pushing someone like tha~t off the tower, so I won't tattle unless you don't help me find the book."
"Right, right," I sighed, scratching the side of my head. "Hey… What's your name? I never asked since I'm pretending here."
"Hmm~?" Meili looked at me oddly. "It's Meili Portroute. Yours? Since Shaula is the big scorpion?"
"Rey." I gave her a smile. "Rey Alaraph. It's a pleasure to meet you personally, Meili Portroute."
"Rey, Rey~," Meili tasted the sound of my name. "Fun name. I don't really talk much to girls my age~. I don't talk much to anyone at all."
"Your–" I paused, remembering that she knew I wasn't actually the sage. "...I guess you're right. The woes of being, what, fourteen?"
"I dunno. Somewhere around that," Meili shrugged, looking up at the ceiling. "I was dumped by my parents when I was youn~g, so I never learned how old I actually am." She looked over my hair and expression. "You too?"
I thought about the Cradle.
"I never had parents either. Only had my sister."
Meili's mood immediately perked up at the word. "Really? You like your sister? My sister raised me, taught me how to speak and dress properly."
"She's–" I paused. "--Uh. A bit much, to be honest. I do love her, though. She gets cranky about the stupidest things and shut herself in her room and I'm trying to pull her out. I'm hoping she sees the light in what I'm doing, but…" There was a pause as I watched Subaru scarf down a bowl of rations, suspended off the ground by Shaula's claw. "...She might still be mad at me if I do that."
"So, what?" Meili tilted her head. "You're still sisters. If I was a bit stronger, I would've forced Elsa to come with me and run away. She wouldn't have died if I wasn't so weak." The girl lamented almost lethargically, not looking super torn up, but there was certainly deeper emotion she just refused to show me.
"...You were too weak to save your sister?" A weight fell onto my shoulders.
"I was never going to be stronger than Elsa~," Meili shook her head. "I should've told her to run beforehand. She would've won if I wasn't there."
"I see," I felt a clench in my stomach, a general unease about our similar predicaments. "That's certainly unfortunate. I'll help you search for her book tonight."
Meili nodded, looking up to see Emilia walking over with two bowls of food. "Thanks. Good luck with your own sister~."
"Mm?" Emilia tilted her head. "The sage has a sister?"
I pointed over her shoulder, "Shaulo."
My name isn't Shaulo!! There was a screech.
Meili put a hand to her mouth and turned away, smiling.
"You're really making me walk up on my own, huh?"
I hope you trip, ankle-biter! No safety Shaula for you!
I was walking ahead of the group up yet another flight of stairs, considerably longer than the rest of the stairs within the tower. Apparently there were three trials in total for the watchtower, and since the group completed the first one when I was fighting with Shaula in the desert, the second appeared.
Apparently Meili already relayed the information of Shaula killing them all if they broke the rules of the tower or left, so they wanted to get this whole trial thing done with.
Anyway, Shaula was carrying everyone that wanted to see the second trial; that being Subaru, Meili, Emilia, Beatrice, Anastasia, and Julius. Ram decided to stay behind and sit with her sister in the green room. She probably won't react super emotionally to the gift I left her, but who knows.
The massive scorpion let everyone ride her up the stairwell except me. Absolutely rude.
Shockingly, even though I went up several stories worth of stairs, I didn't feel fatigued at all. Maybe I was stronger than I realized? Stat doping was sick. If only me doing a thousand pushups resulted in gaining a few STR points.
Character Quest!
Quest: Do 1,000 push ups! (0/1,000)
Reward: 5 STR
Personal reminder: (Insert Text)
I almost tripped at the popup.
"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me." I hissed to myself, quiet enough for no one to hear.
I could've been doing this the entire time? What the fuck was a Character Quest?!
"I should've asked. Should've asked Clay for some tips on how to use the system." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm going to get a migraine."
Eventually, we reached the top of the stairs and were met with the sight of a wide-spanning white room, several pillars holding up the ceiling. In the center of it was a sword, stabbed into the ground.
Subaru and the others hopped off Shaula, and he stretched, "Feels nice that we didn't have to walk up that thing, eh? Thanks, Shaulo!"
My name isn't Shaulo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!
Shaula's whine went unanswered by both me and Meili, left to decay in the void.
"Then that must be the second trial," Julius took notice of the sword in the stone, and looked at me for confirmation. I shrugged, not knowing, but it was pretty clear the sword was the trigger for the whole thing just like the giant stone obelisk of the first trial.
"So what, pull out the sword and be crowned king?" Subaru crossed his arms, weary of the blade like it'd jump out and attack him.
"It does seem that way," Julius palmed his chin, contemplating. "Do you think it'd be something different?"
"Nah," Subaru stretched his back and walked up to the blade, hand clasping the hilt. "Let's get this over with, yeah? If it's anything like the first trial, then it should be easy!"
"If it's dangerous, I'll be sure to protect you!" Emilia gave Subaru a thumbs up, and he sighed.
"Yeah, I appreciate it. I'm hoping it's another star quiz like last time, I can nail those in my sleep!" Subaru flexed with a wry grin, showing off for Emilia.
"Just pull out the sword, Subaru," Beatrice rolled her eyes, though there was a fond smile on her face.
"Alrighty!"
And Subaru drew the sword from the stone.
『Gain his forgiveness, by hand of the fool who reached the Heavenly Sword.』
My own voice spoke inside my head, and chills raced up my spine in an instant, suddenly aware of a second presence aside from those I walked up the stairs with.
I spun, seeing a tall, red-headed man standing a dozen feet away from where Subaru pulled the sword.
『Gain his forgiveness, by hand of the fool who reached the Heavenly Sword.』
His mouth opened and he repeated, his actions robotic.
He wore a red haori and one side of it was loose, revealing the right side of his bare chest. Around his waist was a white sash, tied tightly into his hips. An eyepatch covered his left eye, and his revealed right was blue like the ocean.
His red hair and blue eye made me keenly aware of what family line this man hailed from.
『Gain his forgiveness, by hand of the fool who reached the Heavenly Sword.』
–He was strong. Overwhelmingly so.
I felt sweat trickle down my spine, and my hands jittered slightly, feeling awe and despair from the sheer aura he radiated.
『Gain his forgiveness, by hand of the fool who reached the Heavenly Sword.』
He had a cruel smile, revealing terrifying shark-like teeth.
『Gain his forgiveness, by hand of the fool who reached the Heavenly Sword.』
I didn't want to be here at all. This wasn't something I wanted to participate in any longer. The Heavenly Sword? The absolute peak that swordsmanship would allow, and this man had achieved such a feat?
We were gnats. If we were supposed to fight him, killing Shaula and leaving would be a far easier task. No way. No way. No way was I going to fight him.
『Gain his forgiveness, by– fool… ogh…』
"H-huh?" I took a step back as he began to jitter. His large hands slammed on the sides of his head, overwhelmed by pain.
"Ooghh–?! OOGH?! WAHHH?!!" He roared, and I became acutely aware of Shaula screaming along with him.
NNOOOO! NONONONO! NOT HIM I DON'T WANNA! MASTER! SAVE ME, I DON' WANNA I DON' WANNAAAAA!!
The scorpion quickly turned tail with Subaru in her claws and ran off, making the boy shout and both Emilia and Beatrice run after them down the stairs, shouting for the mabeast to wait.
"Gah!" The man growled, slapping his hand on his head several times. "Fuck! The hell's going on here, HUH!?"
His roar shook the room, and I tensed, heart pounding.
He was unbelievably angry, a scowl etched into his features as he looked around with his single blue eye. His gaze slid across Julius, Anastasia, and Meili, before finally landing on me.
"You! Greasy runt!" He barked, making me flinch. "Better explain what's goin' on 'round here, you. I ain't got no patience for twerps like ya. Best make it quick."
I swallowed nervously.
Notes:
Bahhhh I'm sure Reid will be nice. Also I cannot fucking believe I drew something for this fic fml
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tip: words:100
Actions
Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Comments Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Not Rated
Archive Warnings:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsGraphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
Gen
Fandom:
Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)
Characters:
Rey Alaraph (OC)Louis ArnebLye BatenkaitosRoy Alphard
Additional Tags:
POV First PersonDysfunctional FamilyThe Gamer Ability (The Gamer Webcomic)Fluff and AngstThe gluttonies are terrible childrenThe Author Regrets EverythingWhy Did I Write This?This was entirely an excuse to fit as many self-indulgent things into one fic as possibleSpoilers for Re:Zero season 3Lots of struggling to change canonDescent into MadnessNot Canon CompliantThere is more than one playeroc is a fourth gluttony siblingprobably the most 'normal' but compared to the others that's not saying much
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2024-10-28Updated:2026-01-07Words:246,117Chapters:58/?Comments:1,238Kudos:848Bookmarks:113Hits:41,077
A Dog in the Cradle of Od Lagna
TheGimbler
Chapter 11
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Forgive me," My dry throat cracked as the red-haired man narrowed his eye at me. "I didn't expect you to start shouting. You appeared out of thin air and startled us."
"That so?" He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulder, looking past me and at the others in the room. "Hmmm."
He scanned the area. The white room and few pillars meant something to him, apparently, as a mote of understanding appeared in his gaze.
"Ahh. So that's how it is. Figures," He let out a gruff sigh and turned back to us. "So, who's first?"
"First?" Anastasia squeaked out, eyes wide.
"Not you, lil lady," The man shook his head. He pointed fingers at Julius and me. "The two who might be worth a bigger damn than you, at least when it comes to fightin'."
"Huh?" I made a lame sound, feeling my blood pressure spike with the outstretched finger. "M-me too?"
"There're two runts," He motioned to me and Meili, who was hunching over and making herself look small. "A shorty," He pointed to Anastasia. "And a pretty boy." He barely even glanced at Julius. "You and pretty boy are at least capable of attemptin' to fight. And I'm not gonna bully children and women, you."
"Lady Sage," Julius' voice made me look up at him. "This trial… Are we to defeat this man in order to pass it?"
"That's–" I began but was cut off by a gruff voice.
"Oi. I'm standin' right here, you. Asking the twerp whether or not you can beat me to pass is too loose. Point is," He grinned, showing off his shark-like teeth. " You're gonna try and fail miserably, you. "
Julius' eyes narrowed at his provocation, and I could tell he was considering the duel, even when it should've been obvious he'd lose.
"I am not a challenger for the trial," I decided to speak up, garnering the attention of both. "Due to… some circumstances," I coughed into my hand. "Some more challengers were taken down to the fourth floor. They should be here shortly."
"Challenger?" The man blinked. "Who cares about that? You're standin' in the range of my sword, you. What does a challenge have to do with that?"
"Are you saying… you don't recognize her?" Julius asked slowly, confusion on his face.
I felt the world still.
"Cah! Recognition's got nothin' to do with it, you. I recognize yer annoyin' tone as that like my follower, does that mean you're my follower? Ya ain't. Cause ya ain't, I recognize you as a follower. Maybe for the woman there?" His gaze lingered on Anastasia for a moment. "Cah, whatever." He rolled his eye and yawned, looking bored. "Nothin' excitin' here. I hope there's a pretty woman in the next batch of challengers, you. Otherwise I might die of boredom."
"Boredom, you say?" Julius' hand snaked to the sword on his hip and he drew it with a cold shing of metal. The man's gaze immediately locked onto the steel in his grasp, a hint of interest in his eye. Julius pointed the sword at the man, "Will you keep your word, even when I press forward?"
"That remains to be seen, you," The man snorted, though his lax posture was gone. "Try to make me move even a single step. If ya can, maybe you'll have more bark than your bite, you."
"I shall make you admit that, then," Julius fell into an attacking posture. "I have no wish to fight an unarmed opponent. But even so, I must defend my lady's pride."
"Pride? Is that because I asked for a pretty woman in the next batch," The man rolled his eye again, a snicker on his lips. "Just admit you have a different taste in women, you. No need to pretend it's fer anythin' else."
"From the first moment, I shall strike at full power."
"Feel free. I ain't been unarmed for even a moment."
It felt like I was ignored. Or, rather, Julius was the man's first target. It'd be a good opportunity to gauge the abilities of the one who reached the Heavenly Sword, along with Julius' martial capabilities.
I tried to ignore the craving in my gut for the red-haired swordsman. He smelled tantalizing.
"The Finest Knight of the Imperial Order of the Knights of Lugunica, Julius Euculius."
"Just a simple stick swinger, I am. No name worth giving."
Stick swinger, Stick swinger… That title sounded familiar.
Julius shot forward, swinging his blade for the man's chest. In the moment before he was slashed, the weapon stopped with a loud clang.
There, in the middle of the red-haired man's hand, was a pair of wooden chopsticks having seized the blade of Julius' sword, stopping it where it lay.
It was said he used a pair of chopsticks wherever he went. Chopsticks were a tool popularized by Alec Hoshin, used for eating. The Stick Swinger, Reid Astrea, as he would come to be known as, used them in all manner of fighting and eating as he roamed the known world.
Reid Astrea. One of the Three Heroes who defeated and sealed away the Witch of Envy. The original Sword Saint, and the only man recorded to have reached the absolute pinnacle of swordsmanship, the Heavenly Sword.
My eyes remained glued onto Reid's lightning quick movements, instantly preventing Julius from moving with mere sticks. Julius moved with quick fluidity, slashing and stabbing in quick succession, but Reid never took a single step.
An attack at the head, the ankles, the midsection, each wrist, his sternum, each pouring in at speeds I could barely see, Reid struck instantly along every part of Julius, sending him flying back with a cry of pain.
It was beautiful.
[Your talent is attempting to burgeon!]
I wanted to see more. I needed to experience it. I wanted to feel it along my own body. I wanted to let him mar my body with a thousand bruises if I could simply taste a hint of that unstoppable power. I wanted to feel the momentum of my swings painfully stop because of a few sticks getting in the way.
Reid slowly turned, eye wide as he looked at me. He sensed something. No, he recognized something in me. Even as I shook with adrenaline and the ache of wanting to cross blades, he faced me with a keen interest, "You… You have the potential to reach the Heavenly Sword, don't ya? You have a high limit with the sword, and I see ya want to reach the pinnacle you're capable of. Yer body might not be fully developed, runt, but the skills it's capable of…"
He trailed off, his smile growing a bit wider. "Yer not even payin' attention anymore. Fine. Come, brat. I'll show ya what it means to wield the Heavenly Sword."
I didn't even register the Yin Blade in my hand as I swung it at him.
[In a brightly lit area!]
[+25% DEX!]
[-5% to all opponents stats!]
[DEX: 272 -> 340]
"Mmm?" Reid's eye lingered on the sword in my hand for a moment as his stick came up and stopped my attack in its entirety. "That's a good blade, runt. Though, it's a crutch for you right now."
I could feel it deepening as I swung the sword again and again, Reid casually blocking and redirecting my strikes to the side. My talent with the sword was beginning to feel more like a part of me than just a system's number growing larger. I wasn't pressuring him at all, and I could tell he could kill me with a single powerful swipe of his chopsticks. Even with my perk, he could beat me to death. The Yin Blade cried for its user, unable to use it to the extent capable of even pressuring her opponent. This wasn't a battle. It didn't even reach the minimum requirement.
[Your talent is attempting to burgeon!]
And yet, I persisted, swinging my sword over and over, Reid falling into a singular rhythm of evasion and easy deflection. He parried my sword with mere twigs, despite it being one of the strongest swords in the world.
It wasn't enough! I wanted to cut him! I wanted to feel his sword against mine, not just some twigs blocking me with ease. This wasn't the Heavenly Sword, so show it to me!
I slashed at his neck, and he caught my wrist in his large palm, twisting my arm and flipping me around. I choked, feeling no actual pain from him breaking my stance. I landed on my back with a grunt, and I opened my eyes, awaiting a follow-up attack.
It never came.
Standing above me, Reid appraised the Yin Blade by holding it aloft in his hand. All spit in my mouth instantly dried up, seeing the Sword Saint hold one of the Ten Swords of Power.
"Ahhh~, was wonderin' why it felt familiar," Reid hummed, looking the sword up and down. After a moment, he grinned and looked down at me. "First thing ya gotta know when seeking the Heavenly Sword, runt, is that you're strong because yer you, not because you wield a good sword."
He raised the Yin Blade, and I felt its ecstasy by being wielded by such a man.
Reid's arm bulged with muscle, and he said, "Now, watch close. There ain't gonna be a second time."
[You have invoked your Authority (Lunar Eclipse 24/???)!]
[Your mind swirls.]
[+240% WIS, INT (WIS: 112 → 380.8. INT: 182 → 618.8.]
His predatory gaze lingered on us for a moment longer, recognizing that we were ready to sear the image into our brain.
"Good goin'," The scimitar in his hand glowed with white light as he looked up without a hint of concentration on his face.
And, with a single swing befitting that of a man who put in no extra effort into his movement, the sword came down.
[You have witnessed the pinnacle of swordsmanship! +5 LCK!]
[Your talent has burgeoned!]
[Sword Skill: 7/150 → 37/150]
[You have realized the depths of your talent.]
I'm not sure how to explain it, to be honest.
What I saw was the apotheosis of the sword. The very concept of severance applied to the edge of a blade. Reid swung it at nothing, so perhaps I was mistaken about its entirety, but it was so beautiful. Nothing was capable of resisting such a slash, except perhaps an attack to match it. It wasn't all encompassing, but everything it touched would be bisected without question.
Even when I felt a searing agony in my brain from using Lunar Eclipse to hold the majesty of such an attack within my soul, I was so happy. Ah, this might be bad. I like swords now. There was no explaining it as anything else, I desperately wanted to have that strength, both to protect my family but also to wield it for myself.
Reid dropped the Yin Blade onto my chest as I heaved with breath, Lunar Eclipse no longer providing me with its benefits as I undid it as soon as I realized how much my head hurt.
"Ya understand it now?" He snorted, stepping back and tilting his head. "Yer dream of reaching the Heavenly Sword ain't gonna happen with that lackin' attitude. You might have the necessary talent fer it, but ya're just standing at the base of the path, you."
Reid Astrea(NPC) has gained favor with Rey Alaraph(Player).
"You– are amazing," I grinned, grasping the handle of the Yin Blade and hopping to my feet. The off-key movements, the awkward footing, the strange feeling of the sword in my hand, I felt it all naturally correct itself. I no longer stood as a posture that'd impact my reactions, nor would I lose concentration on my line-proficiency, cutting through whatever I wished. I took a breath, running my thumb along the hilt of the scimitar. "You're amazing. Genuinely. To you, it may be a regular sword swing, but to me… that was the path forward."
"Hmph," Reid crossed his arms. "I can see ya got something out of it. If I see another sloppy swing out of ya, I'm not gonna go easy, greasy runt."
"Don't tempt me~!" I laughed. "I desperately wish to, in all honesty. The more we fight, the further I can step along the path of swordsmanship."
"Bah, come back when ya're older, you," Reid waved me off, relaxing and cocking a brow. "I might've been interested in continuin' if ya had some tits and ass on ya. But fer now," He made a shooing motion. "Get."
"Then I'll take my leave," The Yin Sword agreed with my assessment, happy with the burst of progress I received from witnessing the peak of swordsmanship. I dropped the sword into my shadow, a deep gratitude welling within my chest, "Thank you, Reid. I appreciate it, truly."
"Grow up a bit and I might be more interested in ya, greasy runt," Reid made no mention of his name. "Until then, I'm not interested in babysittin' ya."
The deepest recesses of my talent had bloomed. From now on, I could only grow stronger with the sword through practice and conflict. I wouldn't have it any other way, truth be told. I would need to grow nearly unparalleled in combat to fight against those who would seek to do harm to me and my family.
I stepped past Julius, Anastasia, and Meili. Julius' eyes were wide with shock, though his sword hand only grew more tense. Anastasia looked at me with a hint of fear, but I ignored it. Meili met my stare with her own surprise, then she gave a minute shrug.
"I'll go make sure Shaulo didn't hurt Subaru and the others," I told them, and there was a beat of silence.
"Lady Anastasia," Julius spoke aloud, eyes never leaving Reid. His steadily bruising body hadn't fallen to Reid's onslaught earlier, which was impressive. He even wanted to keep pressing the conflict. I wasn't quite on his level yet.
"Please go with them. My battle hasn't finished."
"Julius…" Anastasia whispered weakly. "You can't beat him. Let's retreat for now, okay? You saw the light, didn't you? Even you would be…"
"Don't worry 'bout it," Reid snorted, waving her off. "That ain't somethin' I use on nobodies like him. You all can leave."
"...Very well," Julius sighed in defeat, etching what happened into his heart. He sheathed his sword and gave a bow to Reid, who sat on the floor. "I shall return to finish our duel, Reid Astrea."
"'Kay." Reid responded with a yawn.
And they followed behind me down the stairs in defeat. The only one who had something to show for it was me.
Enlightenment.
Memories of a Second Life replayed the Heavenly Sword in my mind over and over in perfect detail. I'd already stripped all the value I could get from it. The sheer perfection from that master stroke corrected so many of my mistakes, even as I hardly even approached it in scope.
But that wasn't something I could focus on for long.
I could hear sobbing and sounds of distress from the floor beneath us, and I reflexively quickened my pace. Julius was right behind me, Anastasia and Meili tried to keep up with our extreme pace, but were ultimately left behind on the stairs.
We landed on the floor, concerned and weary of something having gone wrong.
There, I saw Shaula standing off to the side and chittering nervously, looking into the green room.
Ah.
That.
I took a deep breath and sighed, "Oh. I see."
"What's the issue?" Julius turned to me, worry in his gaze.
"There's no issue. They're just so happy they're crying."
"Happy?" Julius echoed.
"If you truly care, you should go see," I shook my head, turning away and leaning against the wall. "It has nothing to do with me."
Julius nodded and rushed forward, moving past Shaula and poking his head through the green room door. His shocked words were muffled by the greenery, but I didn't put any effort into listening.
Anastasia and Meili finally reached the bottom of the stairs, heaving for air. The royal candidate herself barely spared me a glance as she rushed over next to Julius, concern on her face.
Meili was the only one who truly stopped next to me.
"What'd you do?" Somehow, she already knew I was the direct cause of everyone's joy and relief.
"Give a gift for what I'll eventually take," I didn't really give her a straight answer, but Meili was smart enough not to pry.
"Is it anything I should worry abou~t?" The girl asked casually. I could tell she was nervous about what I truly meant, and wanted to know if she would be safe.
"Maybe. Don't get in my way, and I won't get in yours," I looked over at her with a weak smile. "We need to go to that library, otherwise…"
"You won't be able to help?" Meili guessed. "You did something that'll make them think you're not the sage~, didn't you?"
"I have no real excuse," I turned and waved for Meili to follow me. "I'll give it one more day if I'm lucky. By that point, there'll be unavoidable conflict."
"You're not even going to try and explain?" Meili tilted her head, steadily following after me.
"For someone like me, there's no explaining anything. All I can do is follow through on the promises I made and then wing it." I rubbed the side of my face. "The smartest move would've been not doing anything and letting them wallow in their squalor."
"But you're too nice~?"
"If I was heartless, I wouldn't still be here."
Meili did a small whistle, and I heard the heavy thumps of a giant scorpion following behind.
Master told me to leave him alone. He didn't even understand when I told him that bastard Reid was upstairs!
"Go be clingy if you're annoyed by being without him," I looked over my shoulder with a scowl.
I can't go in the green room. I'll break through the walls like the kool-aid woman if I did that! Silly ankle-biter!
I sighed.
"I thought the sage said that there was no cure."
The tone was flat and carefully still. Julius could only do so much to keep his inner conflict from exploding.
"Betty heard that, too." Beatrice muttered, a truly troubled expression on her face.
Before them, Subaru was crying and holding the hand of a startled blue-haired woman. Ram was seated next to her protectively, clutching onto her hand. Emilia was weeping in the doorway, rubbing her eyes again and again.
Beatrice slowly looked at the corner of the room, a puddle of vomit laid almost imperceptible to those who were so happy.
"The only one capable of waking someone like her… is Gluttony, right, I suppose?" She whispered to herself, brow knitted together in thought. "You said that. Betty heard you say that, in fact. Gluttony…"
She met her before, but the changed colors and normal words she used confused her. The sage looked so similar to... She clenched her hand tight, eyes widening in a startling realization.
"Ah."
Notes:
had what might be the worst hangover of my entire life the other night. Might've had mild alcohol poisoning to be honest
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Rating:
Not Rated
Archive Warnings:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsGraphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
Gen
Fandom:
Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)
Characters:
Rey Alaraph (OC)Louis ArnebLye BatenkaitosRoy Alphard
Additional Tags:
POV First PersonDysfunctional FamilyThe Gamer Ability (The Gamer Webcomic)Fluff and AngstThe gluttonies are terrible childrenThe Author Regrets EverythingWhy Did I Write This?This was entirely an excuse to fit as many self-indulgent things into one fic as possibleSpoilers for Re:Zero season 3Lots of struggling to change canonDescent into MadnessNot Canon CompliantThere is more than one playeroc is a fourth gluttony siblingprobably the most 'normal' but compared to the others that's not saying much
Language:
English
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Published:2024-10-28Updated:2026-01-07Words:246,117Chapters:58/?Comments:1,238Kudos:848Bookmarks:113Hits:41,077
A Dog in the Cradle of Od Lagna
TheGimbler
Chapter 12: We're one, like another
Chapter Text
Meili and I rummaged through the library as Shaula poked her head in through the door, unable to walk in without damaging it.
"You said the one you were looking for is Elsa Granhiert, right?" I asked her, sorting through several rows. The script was unlike anything from Earth, but I could still read it. I remembered several lifetimes of study, and I was already fluent in writing. If I didn't have this Authority, I'd probably be stumbling around and unable to recognize the words on any signs.
"Mhm~," Meili hummed in confirmation. "Best make it quick, though~. Wouldn't want Onii-chan to come up the stairs when they learn you aren't who you said you are. Anyway~," Meili stole a peek at me. "Who are you, really? I'll learn eventually, so tell me now?"
"I'm a Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, tsu."
I watched Meili freeze, her face instantly pale. She swallowed nervously and turned away, "Ah. No wonder."
"No need to be scared," I offered, returning to reading through the spines of each book I came across. "I'm not going to eat you. Hurting you… Well, I'm sure Subaru would stop that from happening."
"You know a lot, don't you?" Meili blinked slowly, then turned her face back to me, careful. "Do you also… know Mama?"
Mama. Mother will be upset with us if we take too long.
You vicious little meatbags!
Let mama take good care of you, hmmm?
"I do," I nodded, feeling a grimace appear. "I don't like her. She's not nice to my brother. Most archbishops should die, even I agree to that."
"Is it possible for someone to kill her?" Meili whispered quietly, desperation in her eyes.
Ah, she was scared of Capella. That was fair.
"Unfortunately," I shook my head. "I think it'd be impossible for you. I don't know much about the depths of her immortality, but you'd have a better chance sealing her away than killing her. Only someone like Reid would be able to kill her, as far as I know."
"Mmm…" Meili frowned. "Okay. Then I'll keep hiding and hope Onii-Chan kills her."
"He's got a good track record with that kind of thing," I snorted, a smile appearing on my face. "It might only grow here in a bit. Adding a Sin Archbishop of Gluttony to those he's slain would be another impressive statistic. Unfortunately, that makes him my enemy."
"Do you really have to be?"
My hand paused, lingering on the spine of a book titled, 'Elsa Granhiert.'
"I can't help what I was born as."
My tone was quiet.
[You have not met the requirements for 'The Sin's repentance.']
"I can't help… what I can or cannot do."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. You should stay in the library. If you don't hear anything for a bit, then it's probably safe to come down."
I turned to Shaula, who was looking at me with bug-like eyes.
"Sorry, Shaula. Pushing you off the tower like that was a mistake."
Yep! I have no idea why you're talking about this now, though!
"Help out Meili, would you?" I patted the scorpion's claw, and she just blankly stared at me.
…Are you leaving?
"Perhaps this version of me," I felt a sardonic laugh leave me. It sounded more like a tired sigh than anything uplifting. "We'll see. It's possible I'll be dead when you come back to the fourth floor."
Oh. Shaula's voice was uncharacteristically solemn. Oh well. Good luck, ankle-biter!
And it immediately reverted to her jovial self.
That got me to genuinely laugh, "Pfft! Okay, Shaula. You're funny sometimes."
What's this? The ankle-biter has finally picked up on the majesty of Shaula's whimsy? It's about time! Now, go tell master to stop squirming when I'm holding him!
"I will."
I waved at Meili, who had a book in her hands, and turned away to the stairs.
The girl watched me descend down the stairs with a strange wavering in her eyes, before she shut them completely and returned to the library. She plopped onto the ground and opened Elsa's book of the dead.
"What do I care," Meili muttered to herself, gripping tightly onto the book.
In the next moment, she glanced upon the pages.
Originally, I was just a regular person. Everything I did was dictated by fate, the circumstances of my birth and the limited opportunities afforded to me. I lived an average life, made friends, did things that truly meant something to me, then lost it all on a whim gone wrong.
If I'd done something different, this opportunity would never have been afforded to me, either. In the end, a whim brought forth more unavoidable circumstances. This time, it was bolded letters telling me I couldn't do whatever it was that might've struck my fancy earlier.
I did another whim, and was stuck as a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult. Now, I couldn't make friends. Now, no matter what I did, I'd be loathed by every person who recognized me for who I was. A title that'd never leave me, gained on a whim that I should regret.
I have never been more limited.
If I wasn't a Sin Archbishop.
If I wasn't Gluttony.
If I wasn't the sister of my sister.
If I wasn't the sister of my brothers.
If I wasn't demi-human.
If I wasn't the type to care.
If I wasn't Rey Alaraph.
"---Should things have turned out differently?"
Standing in my way was a mean-eyed young man, his raven-black hair lingering in the air, as though tense from the brewing confrontation. His stance was uncertain, but there was a hard look in his eye.
He jutted his chin up, speaking in a careful tone.
"I'd have hoped so. But, just to make sure…"
He nervously ran his hand through his hair, though the harsh light in his eyes didn't abate.
"Who are you?"
"That's a difficult question."
My admittance was met with surprise, though he couldn't understand my thoughts. None of them would ever be able to understand.
I am Rey Alaraph, the one who holds this body and commands the memories of thousands of people within. I am a Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, sister to Louis Arneb, Roy Alphard, and Ley Batenkaitos. I am me, and we are us.
But I am also the person I was before all this. The one who lived a somewhat free life to do as she pleased. The one I unceremoniously ended at the start of my adult endeavors, and now I was back in the body of a child through some kind of irony.
"But you don't care about any of that," I rubbed my face, feeling a weak smile appear on my lips. "You care about one thing. You cannot care about anything else. Nothing else matters to you."
My words had limited effect on him, since he simply didn't understand.
Subaru tilted his head, a troubled look on his face.
"I can't understand what you don't tell me. I can't begin to care, if…"
"You don't want to," I shook my head. "You refuse to care. If I were to explain myself, you wouldn't lend an ear. You wouldn't want to empathize with someone like me, who everyone hates."
"...Then you admit it?"
Subaru had an ounce of pain on his face that was quickly wiped away.
"For clarity's sake, accuse me of whatever you wish, and I shall speak truthfully. If you are correct, I have no choice but to admit it."
If he asked me who I truly was, I had no choice but to say Rey Alaraph. Louis taught me the name mattered more than the flesh. The memories only followed a will that had a name, and if I were to lie and say that wasn't me, or that my name was truly something else, then there's no telling how destabilized my mind would become.
I played with my blonde hair, running a hand through it with a wistful expression before peering over at Subaru.
"Ask."
Subaru frowned, and his fists clenched. He tilted his head up, and asked,
"Why did you help me?"
"Mm?"
"You didn't have to wake Rem up. She… doesn't remember anything," His gaze softened with pain. "She didn't even know her own name. But she's awake now, after so long. You said it yourself that only Gluttony could wake her up."
"I did," I tilted my head. "And you assume that I had a hand in her consciousness?"
"You were the only one alone with her when we were in the library, trapped by– Shaulo?" Subaru groaned, rolling his eyes. "I can't believe we were so stupid. That was the name you came up with?"
"I did say I wasn't good with names," I smiled.
He nodded, "You did, didn't you? Can't say I'm the best either. The only things I can come up with are the names of the stars. And I didn't come up with those ."
"You're stalling, you know."
"...If I ask, then it'll be confirmed that you're my enemy."
"Most certainly."
"...I don't want you to be my enemy."
"Natsuki Subaru," My voice rang out to him, and he flinched. "Your choices are thus: Ask, or don't ask. If you ask, you will receive an answer. If you don't, then you'll never know until you eventually do, and by that point you'll have wished you had."
"You know what they say," Subaru said weakly. "Ignorance is cool. Or whatever."
I sniffed the air, and was met with the pulse-pounding adrenaline of several people nearby. They were all lying in wait around the corner, using Subaru as bait for his conversation with me. I smelt Emilia, Julius, Beatrice… Even if it were one on one, I'd have trouble.
I wouldn't escape this without pain.
"In the end, it's about knowing your limitations." I admitted. "The things I did led to this moment because I'm reckless and don't consider consequences."
"There shouldn't be consequences for helping me with that," Subaru breathed out, uncertain about what to do. "Why did Beako have to figure this out because you helped me? Why couldn't we all just accept it as a fluke, or an act of divine providence?"
"These are the circumstances, Subaru," I shook my head. "Ask."
"--I…"
"Natsuki Subaru."
"---Tell me," Subaru swallowed, and I felt the air stiffen with anticipation.
"Are you a Sin Archbishop of Gluttony?"
I breathed slowly, feeling the weight of my deceit rest upon my shoulders.
"We are a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing Gluttony, Rey Alaraph, tsu."
And several things happened at once.
Subaru's eyes glazed and he coughed weakly, stumbling backward.
I felt the telltale sign of magic flooding the area, and the temperature plummeted.
And all I could look at were the pop-ups that appeared before me.
Plot Quest!
At last the truth is laid bare.
The truth has come out. There is no turning back from your decision.
Quest: Defeat your opponents.
Rewards: +10 to any 3 main stats of your choosing.
Failure: Be captured and lose your freedom.
This quest cannot be declined!
Cause Natsuki Subaru to loop! (26/5)
Reward: 7,500EXP
Cause Natsuki Subaru to loop! (26/10)
Reward: 10,000EXP, 1 skill book(LVL1)
Cause Natsuki Subaru to loop! (26/25)
Reward: 15,000EXP
Cause Natsuki Subaru to loop! (26/50)
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You are level 50.
100 Stat points allocatable!
Congratulations! For hitting level 50, you have–
But I had no time to read through all of it.
A stream of icicles launched at me, sharp and pointy, and I jumped to the side to evade it.
They cascaded into the stairs behind me and exploded, and I landed. I looked up to see harsh expressions on Julius', Emilia's, and Beatrice's faces, each standing protectively in front of Subaru.
"Emilia-Tan! Julius, Beatrice!" Subaru had a look of pain on his face as he held his hands. "Don't damage the tower!"
"Okay!" Emilia gave a no-nonsense nod, not taking her gaze off me for a moment.
We stood still, facing each other, and I drew the Yin Blade with a solemn breath.
[Stat points: 100 → 0]
[DEX: 282 → 357]
[VIT: 78 → 103]
[In a dark area!
[+80% DEX!]
[-20% to opponents stats!]
[DEX: 357 → 642.6]
Milestone hit!
Congratulations! For reaching 100 in Vit, you have the choice between the following two perks!
Hearty Constitution:
Some creatures can just take so much damage, can't they? Stabbed in the stomach, lacerated with countless wounds, even their head can get smashed in, and they just keep on fighting! Selecting this perk doubles VIT's effect on HP. [HP per VIT is increased from 20 → 40. Applies retroactively.]
I skimmed the first as fast as possible, immediately choosing Hearty Constitution since it was a flat buff that improved survivability.
Hearty Constitution selected.
[HP: 2,060/2,060 → 4,120/4,120]
It felt like my blood suddenly thickened and my heart beat so much more powerfully in my chest.
"--Right?" Emilia suddenly paused, looking at me with a frown. "Hello? Are you listening?"
"Sorry," I shook my head, cracking my back and feeling my tendons stretch. "I wasn't. Were you saying something?"
"Please, just give up. We don't have to–"
I immediately tuned her out. I couldn't simply surrender when the failure punishment was the sacrifice of my freedom. Though it does feel nice they'd consider capturing me instead of killing me on the spot.
Skill book(lvl3), 2 skill book(lvl2)s, 1 skill book(lvl1) consumed!
[Sword skill: 37/150 → 45/150]
As Emilia continued imploring me to stand down and give myself up, I didn't stop growing stronger right before their eyes, even if they couldn't tell.
"Lady Emilia," Julius spoke aloud, capturing Emilia's attention. His gaze lingered on me with cold determination. "She isn't listening to you. Your words are wasted."
"Eh?" Emilia looked back at me. "...You're not even going to think about it?"
"Between the choice of accepting my place as a sinner, or being captured and subjected to torture," I shrugged, giving her a knowing look. "You should know your place. Offer your mercy to those that deserve it."
"But…" Emilia looked very troubled. "You helped us."
"She is also a Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, Lady Emilia," Julius stated, sword already in his palm and pointed at me. "Who knows why she did it? No matter how she explains, I doubt we'd understand."
"He's right," I bent low, my sword gripped easily in my hand. "I have no intention of explaining myself, either. If I asked you to step aside, would you?"
"She can't be allowed through," Subaru spoke from behind them, a knowing look in his eye that explained the certainty behind those words. "She'll kill me."
At that, their expressions all hardened.
"I see," Julius muttered. "Then I shall prevent that outcome."
He rushed at me, sword in an overhead swing, and I quickly deflected it to the side. Like water, his sword flowed into the next strike. I hastily blocked and was sent into the wall without even a grunt. He was on me in an instant, stabbing toward my chest.
"Julius! That won't work, she can take attacks like it's nothing!" Subaru's warning range out, and Julius' eyes widened as his sword jabbed my chest, but didn't sink into my flesh.
"El Shamac," I said quietly.
–500MP!
[MP: 1,300/1,870]
A plume of black smoke exploded from my gate, and Julius was hastily swallowed by it. The small hallway we stood in was instantly filled with smoke that severed the connection between soul and body. I launched a fist into Julius' gut, sending him flying back into the wall as I turned to the side to–
Several jagged shards of purple glass shot toward my body, and I quickly dodged backward. They sliced through several strands of my hair and I bent down to the floor while still standing straight. They landed all around me, embedding themselves in the stone.
Shamac's plume dispersed with a wave of her hand, and Beatrice was looking at me.
"If you think you can defeat Betty in a matter of Yin application, you're very naive," The spirit frowned, several more shards of Yin magic floating above her.
"If you think you can defeat a genius when you're a mere spirit, you're just a fool," I hissed, feeling angry that she'd dare assume that I was a novice in Yin magic when I studied it for years.
–?!
I paused, abruptly. A strange feeling overtook me, and I felt the Yin Blade's steady drain on my mana.
I had no time to think. This wasn't a fight that would happen in an instant, our strengths were too similar and I could fight for a long period of time.
"Tch!" I clicked my teeth. "Lunar Eclipse."
[You have invoked your Authority (Lunar Eclipse 24/???)!]
[Your mind swirls.]
[+240% WIS, INT (WIS: 117 → 397.8. INT: 187 → 635.8.)]
With our increased awareness, we realized the truth of our actions.
In order to force Natsuki Subaru to loop 2,500 times, we wouldn't be able to hold back on his comrades, either. To guarantee he reset, we should've killed Julius when he was stunned instead of attempting to go for Subaru himself.
"Ah, well," Our tongue slid over our canines. "We won't make that mistake again, tsu."
Beatrice released another volley, and we ran through, diving and flipping over each shard like it was a snowball and not something that intended on reaping our life. The Yin Blade gleefully accepted our powered swing towards Beatrice, who gasped and tried to jump backward.
A sword of ice interposed, and Emilia was standing protectively before Beatrice, preventing me from getting to her.
In the midst of silence, we battled each other.
She launched an icicle at our face and we ducked underneath, only to be met with a kick to our chin. Emilia gasped when her toes cracked under the weight of her own kick. No, it was ice.
"Trying to kick our head off, tsu?!" We cackled as Emilia formed an ice spear and jabbed it at us. "So much for trying to talk it out, right!? Talking doesn't matter, it's action! If it's action, then we have none of that! No action, no ability, no capability, you see!"
We jumped back and Emilia threw the spear at our chest with enough force to stab into the thick hide of a mabeast. The Yin Blade slashed forward, easily cleaving the ice in half in the midst of the air. It parted before us and cracked against the wall behind.
We brought the Yin Blade up to our discerning eyes and licked along its edge. "It'll take more than that to make us sweat, you know. We were scared you would be a great threat, but maybe you're not?"
"That's because Betty hasn't done this!" Beatrice shouted from behind Emilia. "Vita, I suppose!"
"Ghhk!" We were instantly assailed by powerful gravity, nearly forced to my knees from the strain.
We were pinned in place, our great dexterity no longer lending us the advantage in such a tight space. Julius was already rushing up behind us, his brow furrowed.
We swung the Yin Blade, and a wave of darkness rushed out at the knight, making his eyes widen.
-100MP!
He blocked the attack with his sword, stalling his momentum as Emilia was swinging a pair of gauntlets at us. Our awkward position caused us to flinch as she struck us in the head.
-50HP!
It was a dull pain, but hardly anything worrisome.
That was, until she swung her fists on our head in a flurry of powerful blows.
-50HP!
-130HP!
-320HP!
"Ghhk!"
[Adrenaline Surge activated! +70% to STR for a few seconds! (360 → 612)]
With an angry roar, we swung our fist at Emilia's shocked face. Her blows hurt, but they didn't impede us much at all.
Her gauntlets quickly blocked our attack as she crossed her arms to protect herself, and our fist slammed into them. They crumbled in her hands and ice exploded everywhere, but Emilia herself was only flung back a dozen or so feet with a cry.
We hissed, not getting the satisfaction of crushing her nose into her skull.
"You little–!" We drew the Yin Blade back and swung it at Beatrice's head, who stood a good dozen feet away. "--That trick is getting annoying, tsu!"
"Then it'd be working, wouldn't it?" Julius' voice slithered into our ears, and he appeared behind us.
Changing the direction of our sword prior to seeing Reid's mastery would've been impossible, and we already shifted it to line up with Julius' attack. Our blades met with a clang, the shriek of metal on Yin Blade grated on the ears.
No matter. Vita took a lot of mana to keep up at the strength she was using it. Beatrice would soon run out of mana and become useless for the rest of the fight. If we played for time then there'd be no issue at all.
Julius stabbed toward our breast, but the Yin Blade interposed with another scream. His sword glanced off and he swung it toward our neck. We grabbed our blade with both hands and slammed it into his.
There was a crack, and half of his sword fell off the blade, clanging against the ground. He looked at it in dismay.
With such an opening, we slashed the Yin Blade across his chest and opened a cut across his sternum.
-150MP!
[You have struck a crippling blow!]
[-100 to opponents INT/WIS stats!]
[Adrenaline Surge has deactivated. (STR: 612 → 360)]
"Excellent timing, tsu," We grinned as Julius fell back with a gasp and we heard a yell.
"Julius!"
We turned to smile at Subaru, awaiting his reset with bated breath so we could continue on this journey to 2,500.
Instead, we were met with the sight of Emilia with her eyes closed and her hands pointed at us. Beatrice stood behind her, sweating and holding her head as she concentrated on the spell holding us in place.
"Do it!" Subaru yelled, eyes hard and unyielding.
"You tricked us!" We snarled as Emilia opened her eyes and the heavy coalescence of mana became realized.
"Al Huma!" Emilia shouted, and the entire hallway was filled with ice, an impossibly large and powerful glacier flying towards us at incredible speeds.
Without hesitation, we lifted the Yin Blade and focused our mana onto it.
[Flow method(1/100) activated! +1% to all physical stats!]
Our blade could sever even the space between reality if it had enough mana. There was no way a piece of ice wouldn't falter before that same power.
The shadows dripping off the Yin Blade turned into a torrent, and the ice was upon us. We brought down the sword–
And our hand was caught by the wrist. "Huh?"
We looked up in confusion to see Julius' bleeding face looking down at us with loathing. "We're being frozen together."
"You stupid fucking–!?" We screamed as the massive attack reached us.
-2,835HP!
We were hit by something with the weight and speed of a train, and we felt our rib cage explode within our chest. The sheer inertia concentrated onto such a point would've sent us back through the stairs we came down, but the ice melted around us and froze both us and Julius together.
Blood seeped down our face and into our hair and clothing, but we were still very much conscious. The pain radiating up and down our torso was nigh-unbearable, and we desperately wanted it to stop.
More than that, we wanted to kill Julius for stopping us from cutting through that ice! We felt like we were so close to taking another step forward on the path of swordsmanship!
Still, we were immortalized together in solid ice.
Emilia's gaze was wide and distorted through the massive layer of frozen water, but I could see the shock she had from our angry eyes.
"Is… is that enough?" Emilia turned and asked Subaru.
"I'd hoped so, but…" Subaru looked at us with a troubled expression. "I don't think that was enough."
" No, it wasn't, tsu, " We whispered from behind him, and he shouted in surprise.
The Leaper, Dorkell, had the technique to literally teleport short distances, even through solid objects. The only way to trap us would be to knock us unconscious.
We stood there, blood dripping from our mouth and breath raspy.
He spun around, and Emilia immediately held twin swords made from ice, looking determined to protect Subaru.
After about two seconds of no action, Subaru lamely took a few steps back and Emilia blinked awkwardly as I coughed. Blood fell to the floor, and I held a hand to my chest.
"That–" We coughed again. "--really fuckin' hurt."
[(WIS: 397.8 →117 . INT: 635.8 →187.)]
My brain felt like it was mush, and I could barely think. "You–" I pointed at the frozen man in the ice, looking far better than I did because he used me as a fucking cushion for the impact. "--are a right cunt."
"Surrender, Rey," Subaru demanded. His hard eyes remained defiant, even as I pulled up the Yin Blade in a stance. "Rey. Give up. This won't turn out how you want."
"What I want…" I felt a bubble of blood burst in my mouth as I breathed out. A rattling sound echoed from my chest as my bones clacked together. "...Is to be free."
Subaru shook his head, "That won't happen, and you know–"
"--I know."
My voice was weak.
"I… always knew that'd never happen. I– I want to protect the shittiest people in this forsaken world. To do that, I fight people like you, who only want to help others."
Something threatened to drip from my eyes.
"But I am a sinner, because I didn't find anything wrong with that." The Yin blade in my hands stopped shaking. "I am a sinner, because I can't help but feel grateful to them, who would give me gifts that cost the lives of others. Isn't that so, so gross?"
A pitifully small laugh emanated from my lips.
"Because of that, I'd sacrifice even you, Natsuki Subaru."
Subaru's eyes held no trace of pity.
"I don't understand you."
His admittance felt like a punch to the gut, and I coughed another few drops of blood onto the floor.
"Yeah." I nodded, my gaze on the floor. "...yeah."
"We are a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing Gluttony, Rey Alaraph," We gave a small bow.
I only received complete silence as a response.
"In order to gain power," I raised my head in a glare. "I must defeat you."
This was a swan song to my completed past. In order to preserve my own future, I would loop Natsuki Subaru thousands of times to gain that strength.
That was why I deserve the title of Sin Archbishop.
I'm the same kind of sinner.
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