Chapter Text
Emilia tried to struggle in his grasp, but her strength meant nothing against Regulus's authority. Every movement was useless, every attempt to break free only serving to remind her how powerless she was in this situation. His amethyst eyes reflected fury and determination, but also something else: a hint of doubt.
The man inside Regulus noticed it and it made him uncomfortable.
"I'll tell you one more time," he said, his voice firm, but without the arrogance the real Regulus would have displayed. "If you want me to let her go, listen to me. I don't want to kill her, but if you force me to..." He left the threat hanging in the air. He couldn't say it. He didn't have the stomach to speak naturally about taking someone's life.
Subaru took a step forward, but Reinhard reached out to stop him. The Sword Saint didn't take his eyes off Regulus, his blue gaze sharp as a blade.
"Very well." Please release Lady Emilia. We will listen to your demands.
The man inside Regulus felt a pang of relief, but he couldn't let his guard down. He knew Reinhard wasn't someone to be trifled with, and Subaru... well, Subaru was Subaru. The boy's anger-filled gaze spoke volumes: he didn't trust him, and wouldn't even if he offered him peace on a silver platter.
He gritted his teeth, still keeping his grip on Emilia, although less tightly.
Think. Think.
He looked at Subaru, who was still glaring at him, and then at Emilia, who was strangely silent. Reinhard, on the other hand, waited silently. There was no anger on his face, only a terrifying patience, as if he were prepared for any eventuality.
The Japanese man swallowed.
"I want to leave Priestella," he said finally, his voice dry. "That's all. Let me go."
The silence was heavy. Subaru was the first to break it with a bitter laugh.
"Is that a joke?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" he said, bringing his hand closer to Emilia's neck.
Regulus's authority granted him the ability to stop the time of any object or being he touched. This meant that, the instant he activated his power, his own body was suspended in time, making him virtually immune to any form of harm. Thus, by remaining trapped in that temporal moment, Regulus remained safe and protected from any attack or threat that might arise around him. Because of this, it was said that nothing could harm him, as he was beyond the reach of time and its effects.
However, the negative aspect of that authority was that its wielder, by repeatedly stopping his own heart to activate its power, would end up greatly weakening it. This wear and tear could become so severe that, eventually, he would no longer be able to exercise his authority in the same way.
For that reason, the original Regulus proved quite cunning in using wives as a tool. By sharing his heart with each of them, his emotional connection was distributed, making it feel as if he were currently deprived of a heart of his own. As a result, his authority became unlimited as long as his heart was not beating in his chest.
At the same time, Regulus could sense their proximity, which unnerved him. He had ordered them to stay away, even to leave Priestella if necessary, but the feeling of their proximity troubled him deeply.
Even though they feared Regulus, they disobeyed an order he, the Japanese Regulus, had given.
If Subaru ever discovered his weakness and Emilia decided to freeze his wives, Regulus knew his fate would be sealed; he would have no other options and would be completely lost.
Cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck. Shit. The situation was more unstable than he wanted to admit. He knew he couldn't continue dragging it out without a clear plan, but every second that passed was a step closer to disaster.
"Listen to me, Natsuki Subaru," he said, his tone intended to sound authoritative, though a hint of pleading could be heard in his words. "I only wish to leave this place. I'm not looking to provoke unnecessary fights; I simply want to leave Priestella, along with my wives. There are other archbishops your friend Reinhard can easily defeat, so..."
Subaru narrowed his eyes, his jaw clenched so tightly it felt like he was grinding his teeth.
"Don't talk to me about that! I won't grant any respite to the one who kidnapped Emilia. In fact, you're afraid of Reinhard, that's why you're acting this way! You're desperate because you know you're going to lose!"
That was a lie. Reinhard was incredibly powerful, undoubtedly the strongest in the world. However, Regulus felt untouchable, so his real concern wasn't Reinhard, but Subaru, an enemy who hailed from Japan, just like him.
He knew what would happen; he'd read the light novel and knew the entire journey Subaru had taken because of the ability Satella gave him. Given his persistence, killing him wasn't an option.
Even so the idea of killing someone wasn't something he would like to do.
But then, what choice did he have? He couldn't just drop Emilia and hope they'd let him go. Not with Subaru in front of him. Not with Reinhard staring at him as if he'd already determined the best way to finish him off in a single move.
The weight of his situation was crushing him. If it weren't for the Authority keeping him safe, he'd surely be trembling.
"It's not despair," he tried to maintain a firm tone, even though his own insecurity was getting to him. "It's common sense." I can't fight Reinhard, I know that better than anyone. But you can't eliminate me that easily either. I only ask for a clear path.
Reinhard bowed his head slightly.
"If Lady Emilia's life weren't at risk, I'd finish you off right now. But since it seems reasonable, I'm willing to listen... if you let her go first."
Regulus swallowed; the situation was so bad, a confrontation was inevitable.
"I can't do that."
"Then we have nothing further to discuss."
It was Subaru who said it, with unusual coldness. He clenched his fists, then looked at Emilia. The girl said nothing, but her eyes spoke volumes. He knew she didn't need him to save her, that she had learned to be strong on her own, but still... seeing him in that position infuriated her.
"Wait! You, Reinhard, throw your sword as far away as you can, and I'll free Emilia. It's a fair trade, right?"
Reinhard looked at him with mild surprise, but his expression remained implacable. The Sword Saint wasn't easy to talk to, but there was something about Regulus's request that made him hesitate. The way the words were thrown, so desperate yet calculated, revealed more about the man behind the mask of authority than any direct threat could achieve.
Subaru eyed Regulus suspiciously, clearly annoyed by the offer. The treatment was strange, but what disconcerted him most was the bravery with which Regulus spoke. He was clearly cornered, but he didn't seem to be losing control.
After a few seconds, Reinhard sighed with frustration and, without hesitation, took out the Dragon Sword to throw it like a spear, crossing the roof of the chapel and moving away to a great distance.
Regulus, seeing the sword Reinhard threw, felt a wave of uncertainty. The deal had been a last-ditch attempt to escape the situation, and the only hope he had left was that by freeing Emilia, tensions might ease a little. However, the way Reinhard had acted, without hesitation, had taken his breath away.
"Is that all you need?" Regulus said with a nervous laugh, as he slowly released Emilia from his grasp. He didn't let go of her immediately, as if he was still waiting for some kind of reaction or movement from the others.
Emilia, sensing the change, didn't hesitate for a second. She took the opportunity to quickly step away, but her gaze remained fixed on Regulus, not out of fear, but a mixture of disdain and pity. She knew she was standing before a man who was not even a shadow of what he pretended to be. A man cornered by his own fears, unable to face his destiny without his power over others.
Emilia stopped dead in her tracks for a moment, concentrating, then swiftly formed an ice mace in the palm of her hand. With a nimble twist of her body, she lashed out, delivering a blow straight toward Regulus's face. However, the impact didn't affect him at all, as expected.
Reinhard didn't need a sword to fight; in that instant, he quickly dashed toward Regulus and executed a powerful swing, delivering a direct kick to his forehead. The impact was so strong that Regulus's body was thrown back, sinking into the altar with overwhelming force.
"Lady Emilia, allow me to take care of him! I'll take care of the archbishop," Reinhard exclaimed determinedly before launching himself at Regulus, who had barely gotten to his feet. With a crushing blow to the jaw, Reinhard struck Regulus with such force that he propelled him through the air, crashing through the chapel ceiling in the process.
Subaru watched in surprise as Regulus flew away; he knew Reinhard was strong, but that strong? However, that mattered little, as he quickly approached Emilia, happy to see her again.
"He didn't do anything to you? Or say anything strange? He seems like the kind who tries to lick a random girl's cheeks. Well, in fact, I really thought he'd lick your face or something. Besides, that wedding dress is very pretty. Who helped you change? It wasn't Regulus, was it?" Grrr, I'll never forgive that jerk. But the dress choice is really good. You're cute no matter what you wear. You really are my angel.
"Calm down, Subaru. I don't understand a word you're saying."
Subaru stood still for a moment, looking at Emilia with a strained smile. He knew she was trying to ease the tension with words that didn't make much sense, but he couldn't help it. Every time he saw her, the fear for her safety, her life, disappeared for a second, replaced by the need to see her smile.
Emilia crossed her arms, looking at Subaru with a mixture of exasperation and tenderness, as if she was used to those kinds of absurd comments.
"If you keep talking like that, I won't be able to think clearly," she said, her tone slightly softer as she moved closer to him.
Subaru, who couldn't help but show his joy at seeing her safe, let out a sigh of relief and a nervous laugh.
"I just wanted to make sure he didn't do anything weird to you," he said with a mischievous smile. "You know what some of those guys are like, right?"
Emilia, although a little irritated by his overzealous enthusiasm, couldn't help but smile at his behavior. She knew that, despite the situation, Subaru had always been someone who cared deeply for her.
"Thank you, Subaru," she said finally, her eyes shining with gratitude, "for being here. For saving me. Although... I still have many questions."
Before Subaru could satisfy his curiosity, Emilia noticed his injury. His right leg was wrapped tightly in bandages with a faint amount of blood still oozing from it.
Emilia's concern completely overrode Subaru's attempt to steer the conversation.
"Oh no! Subaru, you're hurt! Is your leg okay?!"
"It's okay, it's okay," Subaru said, stamping his foot. "I know it looks bad, but surprisingly, it doesn't bother me too much. The bandages just make it look a little dramatic, that's all."
"Really? You always grin and bear it, so I'm a little worried..."
"I appreciate the concern, but I wouldn't lie in a situation like this. More importantly... now, we must focus on Regulus," he said, adopting a more serious tone as he watched Regulus fall to the ground with a thud.
Regulus got up from the ground with no apparent injuries; however, his expression reflected frustration at being forced to face Reinhard.
"Even Reinhard's blows didn't do anything to him."
There weren't a single scratch, not even on his clothes; it was as if he had never been brutally beaten by Reinhard.
"Subaru."
"I know."
Subaru nodded when Reinhard called out to him. The two of them grew more serious as they kept their gaze on Regulus.
"Honestly, I don't want to fight. I'm being generous to you, so don't think I'm afraid of you. I just want to avoid unnecessary confrontations," Regulus said, striving for a calmer tone.
Emilia and Subaru exchanged a glance. They both knew Regulus's words weren't sincere, but at least there was a small chance of avoiding further conflict. However, the situation was far more complex than either could have anticipated. Regulus, though seemingly invulnerable, was clearly cornered by his own circumstances, and that made him even more unpredictable.
However, there was something about him that reminded her of a person, as if she'd had the impression she'd seen Regulus somewhere else. Emilia put her finger to her lips, as if deep in thought and reflection.
"Regulus... have I seen you somewhere before?"
Regulus quickly looked away; he knew what she meant. He'd read Emilia's past in Arc 4, when she was a child and Mother Fortune was killed 100 years ago. The original Regulus would say no, since it had been so long, but the Japanese man inside Regulus knew they'd already met.
"No, I don't know you. You must be confusing me with someone else."
Emilia frowned, still staring intently at Regulus. Something about his answer puzzled her, as if there was more to his words than he let on. The familiarity she felt as she looked at him couldn't be accidental. But he didn't have time to explore that feeling now. Regulus was too close to despair, and his survival instinct made him even more dangerous.
"Um, but your face looks familiar. I seem to have seen you somewhere before..."
"No, and besides, you should know that what you just said infringes on my rights. Therefore, you must allow me to leave so..."
"Blah, blah, blah! Shut up already! You're just a coward!"
Subaru mercilessly whipped his whip, striking Regulus across the face and interrupting what he wanted to say. Regulus's head twisted from the force of the blow, but as he slowly turned his face, the blow had left no mark.
Subaru's defiant attitude seemed to be a desperate attempt to maintain control. The force of the whip had been significant, but like everything else, Regulus seemed completely immune to the impact. His face remained untouched, even after the provocation.
Regulus, though his pride was hurt, didn't let his fury get the better of him. He was used to humiliation and frustration. This was just another part of his torment, something life seemed to impose on him over and over again. Somehow, he felt as if he were trapped in an endless cycle of disdain.
Somehow, this situation reminded him of his days as an employee, spending endless hours in front of a computer. There were times when, with such dedication, he would even stay up for days on end, sacrificing his sleep to meet the demands of work.
That experience had become a daily torture, a series of agonizing moments that kept him in a constant state of stress. Furthermore, he clearly remembered the look on his boss's face, that expression on his face that terrified him, a mixture of disapproval and contempt.
Every time she humiliated him or criticized his performance, it was with a simple comment, a hurtful phrase that echoed in his mind: it's your job. That seemingly harmless phrase was a painful echo of the dissatisfaction he felt with his own situation and the expectations imposed on him.
But now they looked at him with contempt; Reinhard, Subaru, and Emilia looked at him that way, belittling the archbishops for the inhumane things they had done. However, he wasn't an archbishop; he was just a person from Japan who had been exploited for labor. He wasn't Regulus, and he wanted them to look at him with the contempt he hates so much, but not at him.
Regulus's thoughts grew more confused, a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. In his mind, images of his life in Japan merged with that situation. He remembered the exhaustion he felt at the computer, the long hours that reduced him to a machine, and the look on his boss's face, that contempt that tormented him. Now, he saw Reinhard, Subaru, and Emilia all looking at him the same way, and a deep ache settled in his chest.
The feeling of being a mere pawn in someone else's game consumed him. Those who now faced him saw him not as a human being, but as a monster, a villain, an enemy to be defeated no matter the consequences. But what they didn't know was that, behind that mask, behind that seemingly immune power, Regulus, or the one within him, was nothing more than a broken man, a man consumed by his own despair.
"They'll never understand," he thought. "They'll never know what it's like to be a tool, a mere cog in a machine that doesn't belong to you. They don't understand what it's like to be exploited, crushed by the expectations of others." But even as he thought that, a part of him knew he couldn't allow himself to feel that way. Despair wasn't an excuse. Despair wouldn't justify him to them.
With a titanic effort, Regulus suppressed those thoughts. He couldn't allow weakness to rule him. He couldn't give in to them. He couldn't allow his fragility to decide his fate.
He wasn't going to allow himself to be killed; he was very clear that he didn't wish to share the same fate as Regulus. He wasn't Regulus, and his only desire was to survive. He didn't want to experience pain, nor return to the life he hated so much.
Resolutely, he raised his hand, and by his authority, a powerful gust of wind moved at supersonic speeds, shattering one of the chapel walls in an instant.
It was the first time he'd launched an attack, but he felt powerful; it was a power that felt gratifying, authority pleasurable.
The gust of wind Regulus had unleashed crumbled the chapel wall with unexpected violence, a tangible reminder of the strength he possessed. The sound of destruction echoed in the air, and the structure trembled, but it wasn't enough to break his stance. His eyes shone with a mixture of suppressed anger and despair, his face impassive at the devastation he had wrought.
Emilia took a step back, surprised by the sudden burst of power. Subaru tensed, his body instinctively preparing to react to any move Regulus made. Reinhard, who had watched everything silently, showed no sign of fear. Instead, his gaze remained steady, serious, waiting for what would come next.
Regulus, still holding his hand raised. Inside, anxiety and disdain mingled. Despite his confident demeanor, something in his gaze reflected a deep weariness, as if he were exhausted from the fight, from expectations, from life itself. He couldn't allow his own fragility to dominate him, couldn't give in to the weight of his memories, but at the same time, he couldn't ignore the desolation that enveloped him.
"Subaru, make sure you protect Lady Emilia!" Reinhard said, casting a sidelong glance at the two before positioning himself to launch his attack at Regulus.
In the blink of an eye, Reinhard's kick sent Regulus tumbling backward with incredible force. Regulus let out a "gah!" as he skidded across the ground, failing to break his fall, before crashing directly into the mound of rubble he had made.
The mound collapsed as he passed through it and emerged on the other side.
"Very well, I will face him as we planned." You dedicate yourself to discovering his invincibility, Subaru.
Reinhard slowly lowered his long leg as Subaru nodded.
"Wait, Reinhard! It may not be of much use, but here!"
Emilia stopped Reinhard as he casually prepared to engage the enemy. She handed him another ice sword she had crafted with her magic.
"Thank you very much."
Reinhard took the sword and bowed politely. Facing forward again, he leaped out of the chapel after Regulus. He disappeared in the blink of an eye. A split second later, the wind it raised ruffled their hair.
The silence that followed Reinhard's departure was overwhelming. The roar of the fight and the collapse of the wall still echoed in the ears of Emilia and Subaru, who stared into the empty space. The violence of the battle was palpable in the air, but the urgency of the situation robbed them of any impulse to relax.
Subaru looked at Emilia with a mixture of concern and determination.
"Emilia, are you okay?" he asked, quickly approaching.
She nodded, but her eyes remained fixed on the spot where Reinhard had disappeared. She knew Reinhard was one of the most powerful knights, but still, something about the way Regulus had unleashed that power made her feel uneasy.
"That gust of wind..." Emilia muttered, as if speaking more to herself than to Subaru.
Subaru frowned, trying to grasp what she was trying to say.
"I don't understand how someone like him can have so much power. And the worst part is, it seems to have no limits. It's... dangerous."
Emilia nodded slowly, without taking her eyes off the destroyed space, where the debris still moved in the wind.
"Yes, he has immense strength. And he doesn't seem to care about the damage he causes." "But, Subaru, do you remember what Regulus said?" she asked, her voice slightly lower.
"About what you asked him before?"
"Yes, about whether I knew him. Something about his gaze... isn't foreign to me, but I can't put my finger on what it is exactly. It's as if..." Emilia sighed deeply, as if this was all too confusing. "It was as if he didn't want to fight, as if he was desperate to avoid something."
Subaru remained thoughtful, his gaze fixed on Emilia as she tried to unravel what she had felt when she faced Regulus. Something about his behavior, the way he had reacted to the provocation, didn't fit the image of a typical villain. And that sense of familiarity Emilia felt, however vague, seemed to be related to something much deeper.
"Yes... now that you mention it, I also noticed something odd." It was as if...— Subaru began, but broke off as he saw how Emilia remained silent, biting her lip, as if struggling to remember something important.
Finally, she spoke with renewed determination, her voice a little lower but filled with concern.
"I don't know what exactly, but something in his gaze told me he wasn't here for fun. And it wasn't just his power. It's as if he were trapped by something, as if he were afraid of what was going to happen, even of what he himself might do."
Subaru stared at the spot where Reinhard and Regulus, an archbishop, had disappeared. Fear? It was hard to believe.
Still, they couldn't dwell on it for too long; Subaru knew they must find the weakness in his apparent invulnerability.
But for a moment it crossed his mind that Regulus was a different monster.