...
{3rd Pov}
Subaru climbed onto the ground dragon behind Crusch, settling himself on the saddle as the large creature shifted restlessly beneath them.
The beast snorted, its claws digging into the dirt while it waited for the signal to move.
Crusch was already seated in front of him, holding the reins firmly.
From this position Subaru could clearly see that her figure was slightly smaller than his.
It wasn't something he had ever paid attention to before, but now that he was sitting directly behind her, the difference was obvious.
She turned her head slightly, just enough so that he could hear her without needing to raise her voice.
"Subaru-sama," she said calmly, though there was a hint of concern in her tone, "please hold onto my waist tightly. What we are about to do is extremely risky."
Subaru felt a faint chill run down his spine when he heard that.
The warning alone was enough to make anyone nervous.
But that wasn't the only thing bothering him.
It was the way she addressed him.
"Subaru-sama."
The respect in her voice still felt strange.
Only a few hours ago she had rejected him completely, dismissed his request for help, and treated him like a reckless nuisance who had no place speaking among Royal Candidates.
Now she was addressing him with honorifics and speaking to him carefully as if he were someone important.
It was hard to adjust to that kind of sudden change.
Subaru hesitated for a moment before finally reaching forward and grabbing onto her waist like she had instructed.
His grip wasn't extremely tight at first, mostly because he still felt awkward about the whole situation.
Crusch didn't comment on it.
She simply focused on the battlefield ahead.
As Subaru held on, another thought crept into his mind.
For a brief moment, the way she was acting reminded him of someone.
Rem.
The careful tone.
The concern.
The polite way she addressed him.
It felt oddly familiar.
Subaru frowned slightly.
But then he quickly shook the thought away.
There was no way that comparison made sense.
Rem treated him like that because she admired him.
Because she trusted him.
Because she liked him.
Their relationship had been built through shared struggles and experiences.
Crusch Karsten was completely different.
She had no reason to admire him.
No reason to like him.
If anything, she probably still thought he was reckless and troublesome.
So the only logical explanation was simple.
She needed him.
Right now, he was the bait required to finish the hunt for the White Whale.
Of course she would be polite.
Of course she would treat him carefully.
If the bait died before the trap was set, the entire plan would fall apart.
Subaru exhaled slowly and tightened his grip slightly around her waist.
'Yeah… that's probably it,' he thought to himself.
To him, the answer was obvious.
Crusch wasn't being respectful because she valued him.
She was simply being careful with the bait that would help her complete the legendary achievement of slaying the White Whale.
"Okay!" Subaru replied, finally tightening his grip around her waist from behind.
The moment his arms wrapped around her, Crusch felt his body press against her back.
His frame was slightly larger than hers, and with the way they were seated on the ground dragon, there was no space left between them.
She bit her lower lip for a brief moment.
A small, ridiculous thought crossed her mind.
Maybe she should have worn less armor today.
If she had, she would have been able to feel the warmth of his body more clearly instead of the dull pressure through metal plates and layered fabric.
The thought lingered for half a second longer than it should have.
Then she forcefully pushed it away.
This was not the time.
Not the place.
Not while they were in the middle of a battlefield with the White Whale flying above them.
'Once I make Subaru-sama trust me again,' she told herself firmly, 'once I earn back his faith… and his love…'
Her fingers tightened slightly around the reins.
'Then I will have all of him.'
With that thought settled, she snapped the reins forward.
The ground dragon immediately reacted.
It burst forward with explosive speed, claws digging into the dirt as it accelerated across the battlefield.
The sudden surge caught Subaru completely off guard.
"Whoa—!"
His body nearly slipped backward from the saddle as the ground dragon lunged forward. Instinctively, he grabbed onto Crusch's waist much tighter to keep himself from being thrown off.
The pressure of his arms tightened around her midsection.
Crusch did not comment, in fact she preferred Subaru's scent washing over hers.
Ahem
Meanwhile, further back near the main force of the army, Anastasia had already returned to her position among her mercenaries and soldiers.
Her eyes were fixed on the moving figure in the distance.
Specifically—
On Subaru sitting behind Crusch.
Her face remained calm, neutral and like the professional merchant she was.
Anyone looking at her would think she was simply observing the battlefield and evaluating the plan.
But inside—
She was absolutely seething.
Her fingers twitched slightly at her side.
'That pretentious bitch…'
Her gaze narrowed almost imperceptibly.
'How exactly does she think she deserves to sit that close to my husband?'
In Anastasia's eyes, the sight was infuriating.
Subaru holding onto Crusch.
Their bodies pressed together as the ground dragon raced forward.
It was a completely normal position for riders sharing a mount.
But logic had very little influence on jealousy.
The only thing stopping Anastasia from interfering was the current situation.
Right now, Crusch was necessary.
The plan required her.
More importantly, Subaru's safety still depended on the battle being handled correctly.
If it weren't for that—
Anastasia would have considered very different ways of solving the problem.
Much more direct ones.
For now, however, she simply watched them ride toward the battlefield, her expression perfectly composed while irritation burned quietly beneath the surface.
Anastasia had considered her options carefully before letting the situation unfold like this.
She did not trust Ricardo with Subaru.
Not completely.
Ricardo was loyal, yes, but he was also straightforward to a fault.
If things became chaotic—and they inevitably would during a battle against the White Whale—there was no guarantee he would prioritize Subaru the way she wanted.
Julius was even worse in her eyes.
The knight followed rules and ideals too strictly.
If the situation demanded sacrifice for the greater good, Julius would not hesitate to choose that path.
Anastasia could already imagine him deciding that losing Subaru was an acceptable cost if it meant killing the White Whale.
That was unacceptable to her.
She could not risk leaving Subaru's life in the hands of someone else's judgment.
Crusch, however, was different.
As much as Anastasia disliked admitting it, Crusch Karsten was a woman who honored her words.
If she said she would act as bait alongside Subaru, then she would not abandon him halfway through.
So in the end, Anastasia had allowed it.
Crusch would ride with him.
Crusch would act as bait alongside Natsuki Subaru.
And Anastasia would keep control of the army from the rear, making sure the rest of the plan held together.
Still, that did not mean she liked it.
"What a façade," a voice suddenly spoke beside her.
Anastasia didn't even need to turn her head to know who it was.
Priscilla Barielle.
"You are using my divine self's property as bait," Priscilla continued arrogantly, her tone dripping with disdain.
"You should consider yourself fortunate that he agreed to it."
Anastasia's eyebrow twitched slightly.
'Of course it's this bitch,' she thought irritably.
She slowly turned her head, her expression still calm and composed on the outside.
Inside, however, she was growing increasingly confused.
'I don't understand this at all,' she thought.
Why were these two women suddenly so obsessed with Natsuki Subaru?
Crusch's behavior was strange enough already.
Her sudden respect, her willingness to kneel, even her insistence on riding with Subaru personally—it all felt excessive.
But Priscilla was even harder to understand.
Priscilla Barielle was not the kind of person who chased after anyone.
If someone refused her, she usually lost interest and moved on.
Yet here she was.
Calling Subaru her property.
Protecting him.
Even interfering in the battle earlier just to save him.
It didn't make sense.
'Is this what husband used to call the butterfly effect?' Anastasia wondered.
Subaru had once explained the concept to her during one of their conversations.
A small change in the past could create massive differences later on.
Tiny events spiraling outward until the entire future shifted in unexpected ways.
Maybe that was what was happening now.
Maybe her actions in this timeline had altered things enough to draw these women toward him.
Or…
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
'Or there is something more going on here.'
The thought lingered in the back of her mind.
For now, however, Anastasia pushed those suspicions aside.
This was not the time to overthink it.
The White Whale was still in the sky.
And if they failed to kill it today, none of their personal conflicts would matter anyway.
So Anastasia focused her gaze back on the battlefield.
For the moment—
The Whale came first.
"Ricardo, Julius!" Anastasia called out sharply, her voice cutting through the noise of the battlefield.
"Mimi, Hetaro, and Tivey are exhausted. They will fall back and rest for now. I want them positioned as our final line of defense."
The three cat siblings had been pushing themselves hard ever since the battle began.
Anyone with eyes could see they were reaching their limits.
Their breathing was heavy, their movements slower than before, and their mana reserves were clearly running low.
So when Anastasia ordered them to step back, no one questioned it.
It sounded perfectly reasonable.
Then she continued issuing orders without pause.
"Ricardo, Julius—you two will keep one of the Whale's clones occupied. Follow the plan we discussed earlier."
Both men nodded immediately.
Neither of them hesitated.
"Meanwhile," Anastasia continued, pointing toward the other side of the battlefield, "I will direct the remaining soldiers and mercenaries to assist Sir Wilhelm in keeping the second clone under control."
Her eyes briefly shifted toward the direction where Crusch and Subaru had ridden off.
"And Lady Crusch," she added, "will draw the attention of the real body alongside Natsuki Subaru."
Everything she said sounded clear, logical and strategic.
Anyone listening to her commands would think it was a well-structured plan.
Ricardo and Julius facing one clone together made sense—they were both strong fighters capable of surviving against something like that.
Wilhelm being reinforced by the remaining forces also made sense.
And Crusch acting as bait with Subaru fit perfectly with the strategy they had just agreed upon.
To everyone present, it looked like the natural arrangement of roles in a chaotic battle.
But Anastasia's real intentions were not nearly as straightforward.
She had deliberately assigned the most dangerous position to Ricardo and Julius.
Fighting a single White Whale clone without the support of the cat siblings or additional mercenaries drastically increased the risk.
In fact, she had intentionally withdrawn those forces.
Mimi, Hetaro, and Tivey could have supported Ricardo and Julius easily. Their teamwork alone would have significantly reduced the danger.
But Anastasia had ordered them to stand down.
Officially, it was because they needed rest and would act as reserves.
In reality—
She wanted Ricardo and Julius exposed.
If they were unlucky, they might get crushed by the Whale's massive body.
Or erased entirely by the creature's fog.
And if that happened…
It would simply be another casualty of war.
A tragic loss during a legendary battle.
No one would suspect anything.
Not in the middle of a chaotic fight against the White Whale.
To the outside world, Anastasia Hoshin was just a capable commander directing her forces efficiently.
But behind that calm expression—
She was quietly arranging the battlefield in a way that removed obstacles between her and the man she intended to reclaim.
After returning to the past, there were several people Anastasia had already marked in her mind.
People she would remove without hesitation if the opportunity appeared.
At the very top of that list was Julius.
After him came Emilia.
And lastly, Ricardo.
In her previous life—her timeline—the feelings she once had for them had long disappeared.
Whatever trust or camaraderie had once existed had been completely erased over the years she spent with Subaru.
Because in that life, Subaru had become her husband.
They had lived together.
Fought together.
Built their future together.
When someone spends an entire lifetime beside one person, priorities change.
Bonds change.
The people who once seemed important slowly become nothing more than distant figures from a past that no longer matters.
To Anastasia now, the only person who truly mattered was Natsuki Subaru.
Everyone else had become secondary.
Or worse—potential threats.
She had seen enough of the world to understand how fragile alliances were.
Loyalty lasted only as long as it was convenient.
Once circumstances changed, people would abandon each other without hesitation.
And if something like the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony appeared again—
She already knew exactly how things would unfold.
People would panic.
People would protect themselves first.
And the ones who would turn against her the fastest were those same individuals.
Julius.
Emilia.
Ricardo.
She knew it with certainty.
Maybe they would justify it as necessity.
Maybe they would say they had no choice.
But the result would be the same.
They would betray her.
Anastasia could endure betrayal again.
She had already lived through enough of it.
What she could not endure—
What she absolutely refused to allow—
Was Subaru suffering again.
The memories of what had happened to him were still burned into her mind.
The pain he had gone through.
The torture he had endured.
The things done to him while others either watched, failed, or turned away.
She would not watch that happen again.
Not this time.
If removing a few people early ensured that Subaru would never have to face that kind of suffering again, then she had already made her decision.
She would do it.
Without any hesitation.
Without any regret.
Because protecting the man she loved mattered more to her than the lives of those she now viewed as nothing more than dangerous obstacles.
Her beloved husband had suffered enough once.
She would not allow those same filthy people to hurt him ever again.
Julius and Ricardo did not question Anastasia's orders.
Both of them nodded immediately after hearing the command and moved without hesitation.
In the middle of a chaotic battlefield, speed and decisiveness mattered more than endless discussion.
Ricardo quickly mounted his ground dragon again, gripping his weapon tightly as he directed the beast toward the second White Whale clone that was still circling through the mist.
Julius followed closely behind him.
The two of them moved together toward the monster, deliberately drawing its attention away from the rest of the army just as Anastasia had instructed.
Meanwhile, Anastasia wasted no time organizing the rest of the battlefield.
She began issuing new commands to the remaining soldiers and mercenaries who were still capable of fighting.
"Support Sir Wilhelm!" she ordered, pointing toward the first clone that Wilhelm van Astrea was currently engaging almost alone.
Wilhelm had already inflicted several wounds on the massive creature, but even someone of his caliber could not fight a White Whale clone indefinitely without support.
Under Anastasia's direction, the remaining combatants rushed to reinforce him, spreading out carefully to avoid being caught in the creature's attacks while still keeping the pressure on it.
Once those fighters moved out, Anastasia remained behind with the reserve forces.
Several of her mercenaries stayed close to her position.
The three cat siblings—Mimi, Hetaro, and Tivey—were also gathered nearby, catching their breath after being temporarily pulled out of the front line.
Their bodies were clearly exhausted, but they were still alert, ready to jump back into the fight if the situation demanded it.
Further behind them, the battlefield looked completely different.
That area had been turned into a temporary treatment zone.
Felix Argyle was there alongside a group of healers, moving between injured soldiers and mercenaries who had been dragged away from the fighting.
The ground was filled with wounded men groaning in pain while healing magic flickered repeatedly in the air.
Felix had heard the plan earlier.
And he had not liked it at all.
The moment he realized Crusch intended to act as bait alongside Subaru, his reaction had been immediate.
He had started hissing in frustration, openly voicing his disagreement with the idea.
To Felix, the thought of Crusch putting herself in that kind of danger was unacceptable.
But before he could push the argument further—
Priscilla had stepped in.
Her reaction had been far less patient.
She had cut him off immediately and warned him, in very clear terms, to control his attitude.
The threat had been simple.
If he continued to interfere or insult the decision, she would remove his head herself.
Priscilla's tone had made it obvious that she was not joking.
Faced with that warning, Felix had no choice but to back down.
Now he remained behind with the healers, continuing his work while loudly insisting that he trusted his Lady completely.
Even so, the irritation in his voice whenever he mentioned the plan made it clear that he was still far from happy about it.
"Baroness, get ready. We will need your help soon," Anastasia said, glancing toward Priscilla without turning her body fully.
Her tone remained calm and controlled, the voice of a commander coordinating the battlefield.
But her eyes told a different story.
They were fixed on a single point in the distance.
Through the lingering fog and drifting mist, she could still make out the faint outline of the ground dragon moving across the battlefield—Crusch riding in front, Subaru holding onto her from behind.
Anastasia's gaze lingered on that figure for a moment longer than necessary before she forced herself to look away.
Priscilla stood nearby, arms loosely crossed, watching the same direction.
Earlier, when they had discussed the final step of the plan, a small disagreement had occurred.
Technically, the task of bringing down the massive Flugel Tree could have been handled by the army.
They still had several magic cannons positioned behind their lines, and there was enough remaining ammunition to attempt the shot when the moment came.
With proper timing, they could blast the base of the tree and send it crashing down toward the White Whale as it pursued the bait.
It was risky, but possible.
However, Priscilla had immediately rejected that suggestion.
She had insisted that she would be the one to cut down the tree herself.
She did not trust the cannons.
She did not trust the timing of soldiers.
And most importantly, she did not trust anyone else to handle a task that might directly affect Subaru's safety.
Her decision had been final.
After that, there was no point arguing further.
So the responsibility had been handed to her.
Priscilla snorted lightly when she heard Anastasia's reminder.
"You do not need to repeat yourself, merchant," she said arrogantly, barely sparing Anastasia a glance.
"Mine divine self has already committed to protecting Natsuki Subaru."
Her crimson red eyes remained locked on the distant figure moving through the fog.
Even through the haze, she could clearly recognize him.
The way he sat on the ground dragon.
The way he held onto Crusch.
The sight irritated her slightly.
Still—
Her attention remained focused.
Then her eyes shifted upward.
The fog above them stirred.
A massive shadow moved through the sky.
The real body of the White Whale had finally begun its descent.
"It begins," Priscilla muttered.
She stepped forward, her posture straightening as if preparing for battle.
"Aldebaran."
Her knight immediately looked up.
"Stay here," she ordered.
"Remain with the maid and that peasant alongside the healers."
The "maid" was Rem.
The "peasant" was Otto, who had still not fully recovered from the earlier chaos.
Priscilla's gaze remained on the sky.
"I will go fulfill mine divine duty."
At that exact moment, the massive silhouette of the White Whale broke through the fog completely.
Its enormous body tilted downward as it began diving straight toward the direction where Natsuki Subaru and Crusch Karsten were riding.
The real hunt—
Had finally begun.
Aldebaran gave a small nod when Priscilla finished speaking.
"As you say, Princess."
He did not argue.
He never really did.
Once Priscilla had made up her mind, trying to stop her was pointless anyway.
Anyone who had spent enough time around her knew that very well.
After acknowledging the order, Aldebaran shifted his attention away from her and glanced toward Rem.
The blue-haired maid was standing a short distance away, her eyes fixed on the battlefield ahead.
Through the lingering fog, the figures of Subaru and Crusch were barely visible now, little more than moving shadows in the distance.
Even so, Rem continued staring in that direction.
Her expression was tense and worried.
Her hands were clenched slightly, and although she tried to remain calm, it was obvious she was uneasy about letting Subaru go into danger like that.
Aldebaran noticed.
"Don't worry, Miss," he said casually, trying to sound reassuring.
"He'll be alright."
Rem didn't respond immediately.
Her gaze didn't leave the distant shapes.
Aldebaran continued anyway.
"Two of the strongest women on this battlefield are protecting him right now."
As he said that, his mind drifted back to the earlier clash between Priscilla and Crusch Karsten.
The memory was still fresh.
The speed.
The power.
The sheer force of their attacks.
He scratched the back of his helmet thoughtfully.
If he was being honest with himself, that fight had surprised him.
He had never seen Priscilla that powerful before.
Not in any of his loops.
Not even once.
Which, now that he thought about it, made a strange kind of sense.
Most of the timelines where things went badly near Priscilla usually ended the same way.
With him dying.
Usually by her hands.
If he crossed some line.
If he interfered too much.
If he stepped over a boundary she didn't tolerate.
And when that happened, he never resisted.
He never fought back.
He simply accepted the punishment.
Because of that, he had never truly tested her strength.
Never pushed her into a real fight.
Which meant—
He had never actually seen what she was capable of when she went all out.
Now he had.
And it was… impressive.
More than impressive, actually.
He quietly wondered how many other things about her he had misunderstood.
Another thought crept into his mind.
Something Priscilla had said earlier about returning into the past.
If her words were to be taken literally, then somehow she had looped back in time as well like he does through sort of some authority.
That was… concerning.
Aldebaran had spent enough time dealing with strange abilities to know that situations like this rarely stayed simple.
'Yeah… I'm definitely going to ask her about that later,' he thought to himself.
His eyes followed her figure as she moved away from their position.
Priscilla was already running toward the distant silhouette of the massive Flugel Tree.
The enormous shadow loomed through the fog like a giant pillar reaching toward the sky.
And Priscilla—
Without hesitation—
Was heading straight for it.
...
"I can— gasp—"
Subaru's words cut off halfway through.
His breathing suddenly became uneven, like the air had been knocked out of his lungs.
His body stiffened slightly on the ground dragon as he instinctively tried to force the words out, only to feel something press down on him again.
The Witch's scent around him thickened.
Anyone sensitive enough would have noticed it immediately.
The faint but unmistakable presence of the Witch of Envy clung to him stronger than before, almost like an invisible shadow tightening around his body.
Subaru himself knew exactly why.
He had tried to speak about it.
About the one thing he was never allowed to explain.
Return by Death.
The moment he attempted to say anything about it—the same thing happened every time.
Time froze.
The world went silent.
And she came.
The Witch of Envy would wrap herself around him, clinging to him as if reminding him who truly controlled that secret.
The suffocating presence, the cold grip around his heart, the silent warning that he was not allowed to reveal the truth.
Then, just as suddenly as it began—
It ended.
Time resumed.
The pressure vanished.
And Subaru was left gasping like someone who had nearly drowned.
To everyone else, nothing unusual had happened.
All they heard was him starting a sentence and then stopping abruptly.
"I can—"
That was it.
Those would always be the only words anyone else ever heard.
Subaru lowered his head slightly, still catching his breath as the ground dragon continued moving.
Crusch, however, did not question him.
She did not ask why he suddenly stopped speaking.
She did not ask why the Witch's scent had grown stronger around him.
She did not even glance back.
In her past life—her previous loop—she had long since stopped questioning things like that.
Back then, Subaru had become the person she trusted the most.
He was her Lord.
Her Liege.
Her husband.
The man she had chosen to follow without hesitation.
Over the years she had spent by his side, she had seen enough strange things to know that Subaru carried secrets.
Things he could not explain.
Things that did not make sense.
But she had never demanded answers.
She simply trusted him.
If Subaru did something, then there was a reason for it.
That was enough for her.
And even now—
Even though time had been rewound.
Even though her life with him had been erased.
Even though this Subaru no longer remembered her, no longer knew the future he had once created, no longer carried the same reputation he had earned in that previous timeline—
Her faith in him had not changed.
Maybe this version of him was still the Subaru who struggled.
Maybe he had not yet become the legendary figure people once admired and feared.
But none of that mattered to her.
To Crusch Karsten, the man behind her was still the same person she had once given her entire loyalty to.
So she did not question him.
She simply trusted him.
"It is coming, Subaru-sama. Get ready."
Crusch's voice remained calm, but the urgency behind it was clear.
Subaru didn't need further explanation.
A moment later he heard it.
A deep, bone-chilling cry echoed across the battlefield, a monstrous sound that made the air itself seem to vibrate.
It wasn't just loud—it was heavy, like a roar that carried weight and pressure with it.
The White Whale.
Subaru's heart skipped a beat.
He twisted his body slightly and looked back over his shoulder.
What he saw made his stomach drop.
The enormous body of the White Whale was descending through the fog, its massive form cutting through the air as it pursued them directly.
Even from this distance, its size was overwhelming.
Its shadow stretched across the ground like a moving storm cloud, its huge maw opening and closing as it let out another monstrous cry.
And it was coming straight for them.
Crusch reacted instantly.
She snapped the reins hard.
The ground dragon responded with a sharp screech as it burst forward with even greater speed, its powerful legs kicking up dirt as it raced across the battlefield.
Subaru had been leaning back while looking at the Whale, and the sudden acceleration nearly threw him off balance.
"Whoa—!"
His grip slipped for a moment.
Crusch immediately noticed.
Without hesitation, she released one hand from the reins and reached back, grabbing Subaru firmly by his back to steady him.
At the same time she kept control of the ground dragon with her other hand, guiding the beast while maintaining its speed.
Subaru quickly recovered.
Click to reveal image (spoiler)
He leaned forward again and grabbed the reins beside her, helping her snap them forward to push the ground dragon even faster.
The beast screeched again and accelerated further.
Subaru risked another glance behind them.
The massive figure of the White Whale was still closing in.
"It's following us! It's following us!" Subaru shouted, his voice carrying both excitement and fear at the same time.
"The plan is working!"
The monster had completely locked onto them.
Exactly as intended.
Crusch did not look back.
Her focus remained entirely ahead.
"We are about to pass the Flugel Tree," she said sharply.
"Stay ready."
The massive silhouette of the legendary tree soon emerged from the fog in front of them.
Its trunk was enormous—far larger than any normal tree, towering into the sky like a giant pillar.
The ground dragon raced directly toward it.
Subaru tightened his grip instinctively.
"We're going past it!" he yelled as the distance closed rapidly.
Crusch didn't slow down.
At the last moment, the ground dragon dashed past the massive trunk of the Flugel Tree, racing straight through the open path beyond it.
Behind them—
The White Whale continued its pursuit.
"Die, you oversized sushi!"
Priscilla's grin widened as she raised her arm.
In her hand, the Yang Sword manifested once more, the blazing weapon forming out of golden light.
The air around the blade shimmered with heat and power as the magic gathered into its shape.
Without hesitation—
She swung.
The strike was clean and terrifyingly powerful.
The glowing blade cut straight into the trunk of the massive Flugel Tree. T
he tree was enormous—its trunk dozens of meters thick, a giant pillar of ancient wood that had stood for centuries.
But the Yang Sword sliced through it.
The impact rang out across the battlefield like a thunderclap.
The blade carved deep into the trunk, splitting through layer after layer of wood in a single devastating swing.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then a loud cracking sound echoed through the air.
The trunk split.
The gigantic tree began to tilt.
And then—
It snapped.
The massive body of the Flugel Tree started collapsing forward, its enormous weight pulling it down toward the ground below.
Toward the White Whale.
Crusch saw it happening immediately.
She snapped the reins again, forcing the ground dragon to veer sharply away from the falling tree.
The creature screeched as it changed direction, its claws digging into the earth as it sprinted sideways, trying to create as much distance as possible.
Subaru held on tightly.
Behind them, the gigantic tree continued falling.
The White Whale was still diving forward in pursuit when the trunk finally came down.
The impact was catastrophic.
The enormous mass of the Flugel Tree slammed directly onto the Whale's body with crushing force.
A deafening crash exploded across the battlefield.
The ground shook violently.
The weight of the massive tree flattened the creature's torso against the ground, pinning it beneath the colossal trunk.
The White Whale let out a horrible screech as its body was crushed.
At that exact moment—
The two clones fighting elsewhere suddenly vanished.
They dissolved instantly, disappearing into mist as if they had never existed.
At the same time, the thick dragon mist that had been covering the battlefield began to recede.
It pulled back rapidly, fading away from the plain as the White Whale's power weakened.
Within seconds, the fog that had covered the entire battlefield for hours cleared away.
The entire field became visible again.
Soldiers, mercenaries, and knights all turned their heads toward the center of the plain.
And what they saw stunned them.
The legendary White Whale—one of the three Great Mabeasts feared across the world—was lying pinned to the ground beneath the enormous fallen tree.
Its massive body twitched weakly, crushed and broken.
Wilhelm van Astrea, who had been gasping for breath after holding one of the clones back for so long, saw his chance.
Without hesitation, he charged.
His body moved with purpose despite his exhaustion as he ran straight toward the fallen monster.
Within moments, he reached the Whale's enormous head.
He stopped directly in front of its eye.
The creature's pupils dilated as it looked at him.
Its massive eye reflected the figure of the old swordsman standing before it.
Wilhelm slowly raised his sword.
His voice came out low and cold, filled with years of buried hatred.
"This is for Theresia."
Then he struck.
The blade plunged forward, piercing straight through the White Whale's eye.
The sword sank deep into the creature's skull.
A violent gush of blood erupted from the wound as the monster's body convulsed violently one last time.
The White Whale's cry died in its throat.
And just like that—
Wilhelm's revenge, carried for decades, was finally complete.
Meanwhile, Subaru and Crusch had brought the ground dragon to a stop a short distance away from the fallen monster.
The creature beneath the massive trunk of the Flugel Tree no longer moved.
The enormous body of the White Whale lay crushed into the earth, its blood slowly spreading across the ground.
Even from where they stood, the size of the corpse was still intimidating.
For a few seconds, the battlefield remained quiet.
Everyone was staring.
Some soldiers were breathing heavily, others were leaning on their weapons, trying to process what had just happened.
Then Crusch slowly rose in her saddle.
She pulled her sword free and raised it high above her head.
"The White Whale has been slain!" she declared loudly, her voice carrying across the entire battlefield.
"With the combined efforts of everyone present here today!"
Her words echoed across the plain.
For a moment there was silence.
Then the reaction came.
Cheers erupted everywhere.
Mercenaries shouted loudly as they raised their weapons into the air.
Soldiers banged their shields and swords together, some laughing in relief while others simply collapsed onto their knees from exhaustion.
The tension that had been crushing them for hours finally broke.
They had done it.
The White Whale—the legendary Great Mabeast that had terrorized the world for centuries—was finally dead.
But the victory had not come without a cost.
Across the battlefield, the signs of the fight were everywhere.
Bodies of soldiers and mercenaries lay scattered across the ground.
Some had been crushed by the Whale's attacks, others had died fighting its clones.
Several injured men were still being dragged back toward the healers, groaning in pain as magic was used to keep them alive.
The losses were heavy.
More than a hundred men had died during the battle.
Some of them had not even left behind bodies.
Those unfortunate enough to be swallowed by the White Whale's fog had simply vanished.
Their names had been erased, their memories wiped away from the world as if they had never existed.
It was one of the cruelest aspects of the White Whale.
Families would wait for soldiers who would never return.
Friends would feel that someone was missing, yet they would never remember who that person was.
But the army had prepared for this.
There was a workaround they used to deal with the fog's ability.
Before the battle began, the troops had been organized carefully so that their numbers were even and properly counted.
By comparing the numbers afterward—and by examining the bodies that still remained on the battlefield—they could at least estimate how many men had been lost.
It was an imperfect method.
But it was the only way to keep track of those erased by the fog.
Even so, despite the casualties and exhaustion—
The atmosphere across the battlefield was still filled with relief.
Because for the first time in centuries—
The White Whale was truly dead.
"Meowyh knew it! You did it, Crusch-sama!"
Felix's voice rang out loudly as he rushed forward from the healer's area.
He ran straight across the battlefield toward the ground dragon where Crusch and Subaru were still seated.
Unlike many of the other soldiers who were celebrating wildly or collapsing from exhaustion, Felix had only one priority.
Crusch.
The moment he reached them, his eyes immediately scanned her figure from head to toe, checking for injuries.
His expression quickly turned into one of admiration.
"You were amazing, Crusch-sama!" he continued excitedly.
"Meowyh knew you would defeat that monster!"
However, as he spoke, his eyes finally shifted slightly.
That was when he noticed Subaru.
Specifically—
Subaru sitting directly behind Crusch.
And more importantly, the way Subaru's arms were still wrapped tightly around her waist from riding the ground dragon.
Felix's face instantly turned sour.
His ears twitched in irritation.
He already had a terrible impression of Subaru from the events at the Royal Selection.
To him, Subaru was reckless, loud, and completely unworthy of the attention he sometimes received.
And from Felix's perspective, nothing that happened today had changed that opinion.
In his mind, this victory had nothing to do with Subaru.
Using Subaru as bait had been Crusch's plan.
Crusch herself had taken the risk of riding into danger.
Crusch had fought Priscilla earlier and still continued with the strategy.
Subaru had merely been there.
A tool.
Someone lucky enough to be involved when the plan succeeded.
So as far as Felix was concerned, there was absolutely no reason to give Subaru any credit for the slaying of the White Whale.
"Subaru-nyah," Felix said, his tone noticeably less friendly now as he looked at him.
"Can you step down for a moment?"
He gestured impatiently.
"And let go of Crusch-sama's waist while you're at it. I need to check her injuries."
His expression became more serious as he added, "I heard she was heavily injured earlier while fighting Lady Priscilla."
Subaru blinked once.
Then immediately released his grip.
In fact, he didn't even show any sign of irritation.
After everything he had experienced across countless loops—the pain, the deaths, the failures—things like pride or recognition barely mattered to him anymore.
Right now, there was only one thing on his mind.
The village and Emilia.
(A/N: Bro is a dedicated simp, say F for him)
As long as the White Whale was dead and the villagers could be saved, he didn't care whether anyone acknowledged his role in the battle or not.
However, to Crusch Karsten, Felix's tone was completely unacceptable.
No one else present understood why.
To the others, Felix was simply worried about his Lady and acting the way a loyal attendant normally would.
Subaru was just another person on the battlefield—someone who had been used as bait for the plan.
But for Crusch, the situation looked very different.
In her mind, Subaru was not just some reckless servant or expendable pawn.
He was her Lord.
In her previous life—her previous loop—she had lived more than fifty years by his side.
During that time she had come to see herself as his right hand, his most loyal subordinate, and eventually his wife.
That was the life she had known for decades.
That was the role she had accepted without hesitation.
Even though that entire timeline had now been undone… even though this Subaru standing here no longer remembered any of it… her feelings had not disappeared.
To Crusch, Subaru's worth had never lessened.
Not even a little.
If anything, a small part of her was actually happy.
Happy that she had been given another chance.
Another lifetime.
Another opportunity to stand beside him again.
He might not remember her.
He might not yet be the legendary figure he had eventually become.
But that didn't matter.
She could simply help him reach that point again.
She could walk beside him just like she had before.
And if fate decided to repeat itself again and again—if her life kept looping every time she died—she realized she didn't even mind that possibility.
Because that would mean she could remain by Subaru's side…
Forever.
"Nyah~ let me check you, Crusch-sama," Felix said as he stepped closer, reaching out his hand toward her.
The moment his hand came close—
Crusch instantly jerked it away.
The sudden movement caught Felix completely off guard.
His hand stopped in midair.
"Eh…?"
For a brief moment, confusion appeared on his face.
Crusch quickly composed herself.
She straightened her posture slightly, forcing her expression back into its usual calm and composed appearance.
"Felix," she said politely.
However, the faint tension in her voice betrayed that something was bothering her.
"Why don't you examine Subaru-sama first?"
Felix blinked.
The request surprised him.
Crusch kept her tone steady, doing her best to hide the disgust and revulsion she felt inside.
Returning to the past had not erased certain instincts she had developed over the years.
After gluttony ate her memories and she was betrayed and casted aside, she had developed a strong discomfort with being touched by anyone else.
Even now, those feelings remained.
The only person she had ever truly allowed close to her like that was Subaru.
And because of that, Felix's attempt to examine her so casually made her skin crawl.
So she kept her voice polite, calm and respectful but she still made the decision.
"Subaru-sama should be checked first," she repeated gently.
And she made sure to put emphasis on that title.
Felix stared at Crusch for a moment, clearly confused by what had just happened.
At first, he thought he had simply misheard her.
But then the realization slowly sank in.
His eyes widened slightly.
She had just called Subaru "Subaru-sama."
Not "Subaru."
Not "that boy."
But "Subaru-sama."
That was not a title Crusch used lightly.
Felix had served her long enough to know that very well.
She only used that level of respect for people she either deeply respected or considered far above herself in status.
And Subaru…
Subaru was neither of those things in the eyes of the world.
Felix opened his mouth slightly, clearly wanting to ask something.
Questions immediately formed in his mind.
Why was she speaking to him like that?
What had changed?
But in the end, he held himself back.
Crusch Karsten was not someone who acted without reason.
If she was doing something this unusual, then there had to be a purpose behind it.
Felix decided to trust her judgment.
So instead of questioning it, he turned toward Subaru.
"As Crusch-sama has ordered," Felix said, his tone returning to its usual playful manner, "let me check on you again!"
Subaru blinked in surprise.
He had not expected that.
In fact, the entire situation still felt strange to him.
Even after the White Whale had been defeated, Crusch was still speaking to him with the same level of respect as before.
He had assumed that once the hunt was over, things would return to normal.
At the very least, he expected her attitude to return to neutral.
But that hadn't happened.
If anything, she seemed even more careful in how she addressed him.
Subaru didn't understand it.
Still, he didn't argue.
He stepped down from the ground dragon as Felix approached him.
"Hold still," Felix said as he placed his hand near Subaru's shoulder.
A soft glow appeared around Felix's palm as he began using healing magic.
The warm light spread across Subaru's injured shoulder and down his arm, gradually easing the pain and stabilizing the damage he had suffered earlier.
Subaru let out a quiet breath as the tension in his body slowly relaxed.
While Felix focused on the treatment, another figure approached them from the battlefield.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the ground.
Wilhelm van Astrea.
The old swordsman walked toward them slowly, his sword still stained with the blood of the White Whale.
His breathing was steady now, though the exhaustion from the battle was clearly visible on his face.
He stopped a short distance away, his gaze moving between Subaru and Crusch as he approached the group.
"Lady Crusch."
Wilhelm stepped forward and then, without hesitation, dropped down onto one knee in front of her.
The movement was deliberate and respectful.
"I offer you my gratitude," he said, lowering his head slightly.
"You have fulfilled the promise you once made to me. Because of you, I have finally achieved my revenge."
His voice remained steady, but the weight behind his words was unmistakable.
"For decades I carried this burden. Today, that debt has been repaid."
He lifted his head slightly before continuing.
"From this day onward, I will devote my remaining years to serving you. Allow me to become your sword and your servant, so that I may repay this kindness."
Around them, a few nearby soldiers and mercenaries watched the scene with admiration.
For Wilhelm van Astrea, a legendary swordsman who had once served the royal family itself, to kneel like this was no small matter.
But Crusch frowned slightly.
Not because Wilhelm's words offended her.
In fact, his loyalty and gratitude were exactly what she had expected after the White Whale was slain.
The problem was something else entirely.
Wilhelm had said nothing about Subaru.
Not even a mention.
For a brief moment, Crusch's mind quickly ran through the events that had just happened.
Then the realization struck her.
Of course.
The past had changed.
In her previous life, Subaru had been the one who led the entire operation.
He had gathered the alliance, devised the strategies, coordinated the forces, and ultimately guided everyone to victory against the White Whale.
But this time—
She had taken the lead.
She had mobilized the army.
She had proposed the plan.
She had ridden as bait alongside Subaru.
From the outside perspective of everyone present, it looked as if Subaru had done almost nothing.
At best, he had simply accompanied her.
At worst, he had been nothing more than a piece of bait in her strategy.
To them, the success of the hunt belonged entirely to Crusch Karsten.
Crusch's hands slowly clenched into fists.
She could not allow that misunderstanding to continue.
Not when Subaru had risked his life just the same.
Not when she knew the truth of what he was capable of.
She straightened her posture slightly before speaking.
"Sir Wilhelm," she said firmly.
The old swordsman looked up at her.
"I am not the only one who made this hunt possible," Crusch continued.
"A large portion of our success today was due to the contributions of Subaru-sama."
The name left her lips naturally.
Without hesitation.
Without even realizing how unusual it sounded.
Wilhelm blinked.
"Subaru… sama?"
The respectful title immediately caught his attention.
He was clearly taken aback.
Just yesterday, Crusch herself had been the one who expelled Subaru from her camp after his reckless outburst.
At the time, she had made it clear that his behavior was unacceptable.
Yet now—
She was addressing him with one of the highest honorifics.
And not just that.
She was openly crediting him for the success of the White Whale hunt.
Wilhelm slowly turned his gaze toward Subaru.
The confusion in his eyes was obvious.
After all, in the eyes of most people present, Subaru was still nothing more than a servant belonging to another Royal Candidate.
Meanwhile, Crusch Karsten was a Duchess.
And a Royal Candidate herself.
The difference in their social standing was enormous.
Which made the way she was speaking about him now even more surprising.
However, at this moment Wilhelm's mind was not focused on politics or social hierarchy.
His heart was still filled with a strange mixture of relief, gratitude, and lingering melancholy.
The White Whale had finally been slain.
The monster that had taken away his beloved wife had been brought down after so many years of hunting and waiting.
The decades of frustration, the endless searching, and the burden of that loss had finally reached an end.
Because of that, Wilhelm did not dwell too much on the unusual tone Crusch had used.
Instead, he turned toward Subaru.
Without hesitation, he gave him a respectful bow as well.
"Subaru-dono," Wilhelm said calmly, "I extend my gratitude to you as well for your contribution to this hunt."
Subaru was clearly not expecting that.
He blinked in surprise before his face turned slightly red from embarrassment.
"Ah—no, no," Subaru said quickly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"I didn't really do much. This victory happened because everyone worked together. It was everyone's effort that brought down the White Whale."
To him, that was the honest truth.
The soldiers had fought.
The mercenaries had risked their lives.
Wilhelm had delivered the finishing blow.
And the Royal Candidates had commanded the battle.
Compared to that, Subaru felt like he had only done a small part.
Before Wilhelm could respond, another voice suddenly cut into the conversation.
"Be proud of yourself, Subaru."
Everyone turned their heads slightly.
Priscilla Barielle had approached.
Her posture was as confident as ever, her expression calm and slightly arrogant as she looked toward Subaru.
"If not for you," she continued, her tone carrying its usual superiority, "these rabble would have faced nothing but defeat."
Behind her, several others had also arrived.
Rem followed not far behind, her eyes immediately moving toward Subaru as if confirming that he was still unharmed.
Aldebaran walked a few steps behind Priscilla as usual, while several soldiers and mercenaries slowly gathered around the group after the battle.
Subaru blinked again when he saw her.
"Lady Priscilla…" he muttered quietly.
His feelings toward her were complicated.
Just yesterday, the situation between them had been completely different.
When Subaru had desperately begged her for help—when he had even been willing to lower himself enough to offer to lick her feet just to save the village—Priscilla had looked at him with disgust.
She had called him a pig.
A filthy, pathetic pig.
And she had rejected him without hesitation.
Then suddenly, today—
She had appeared out of nowhere.
She had saved his life from the White Whale.
And she had even declared that she would protect him.
Subaru could not understand it at all.
His mind was filled with confusion.
Why had all three Royal Candidates suddenly changed their attitudes toward him?
Crusch was speaking to him with respect.
Anastasia had offered help.
And Priscilla—of all people—was openly defending him.
None of it made sense to him.
To Subaru, it felt as if the entire situation had turned upside down overnight.
"Duchess, Baroness—congratulations on the hunt."
Anastasia Hoshin's voice cut into the gathering as she approached them with her usual calm composure.
The merchant candidate walked forward with steady steps, brushing a bit of dust from her sleeve as if the chaotic battlefield around them was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
"It seems the achievement of slaying the White Whale will be shared between our camps," she continued casually.
Her tone was polite, but there was a clear calculation behind her words.
After all, the hunt had been a joint effort between the forces of Crusch Karsten and Anastasia Hoshin.
Even if the finishing blow had been delivered by Wilhelm, both sides had committed their soldiers and mercenaries to the battle.
Claiming the achievement equally was the most reasonable political outcome.
As she spoke, Anastasia's eyes slowly shifted.
They settled on Subaru.
For a brief moment, the expression on her face softened in a way that only someone paying close attention could notice.
"Subaru," she said, addressing him directly.
"As promised earlier, I will reward you properly. Later, I will have one hundred Royal Gold Coins delivered to you."
That alone was an enormous sum.
For most commoners, that amount of money could change their lives entirely.
But Anastasia did not stop there.
"And more importantly," she continued, "all of my remaining mercenaries who are still capable of fighting will head toward Arlam Village. They will assist in protecting the villagers from the Witch Cult."
Subaru blinked in surprise when he heard that.
Before he could respond, another voice spoke.
"Subaru-sama, I will accompany you as well."
Crusch stepped forward slightly as she said that.
Her tone was calm, but there was a clear firmness behind her words.
"I will dispatch my soldiers to assist in the defense of the village."
While she spoke, her gaze briefly shifted toward Anastasia.
It was not subtle.
The glare she gave the merchant candidate carried a clear competitive edge.
Anastasia noticed it immediately.
Then another voice joined in.
"Hmph."
Priscilla crossed her arms as she looked toward Subaru.
"My divine self will naturally accompany Subaru to his village," she declared with complete confidence.
"After all, it is my duty to ensure that he remains unharmed."
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"As for the lives of others," she added dismissively, "that is hardly my concern."
The moment those words left her mouth, a strange silence fell over the nearby soldiers and subordinates.
They all stared at their respective leaders.
Ricardo, Julius, Felix, the mercenaries, and several knights looked between the three Royal Candidates with stunned expressions.
What they were witnessing was completely unexpected.
All three of their leaders were openly offering help to the same man.
They were praising him.
Promising rewards.
Even offering military assistance.
And all of it was directed toward a single individual.
Natsuki Subaru.
Slowly, their gazes shifted toward him.
Subaru stood there awkwardly, still looking confused by the sudden attention.
The subordinates could not help but wonder.
Did this man possess something they had not realized before?
Was there something special about him?
Because otherwise—
Why would three Royal Candidates treat him with this much respect and generosity?
What none of them knew…
Was that this was only the beginning.
The beginning of a strange and chaotic conflict.
Not a war for power.
Not a war for the throne.
But a silent war for the heart of a broken man.
A war where a Duchess, a Merchant Queen, and the Sun Princess would compete for the same thing.
His love.
His trust.
And his affection.
To be continued...
(A/N: Okay my Niggas and Wiggas, it is time to give me powerstones. I will be uploading this fanfic every day for this week as long as we get powerstones. After the end of this, we shall get back to the normal updates of 2-3 days of other fanfics.
Also, there will be an Separate Small Fanfic for the Re: Zero: The Great Sage, named as 'Re: Zero: The False Sage', it should be uploaded at the end of current ongoing Arc 'I want to be one with you forever'. This arc will probably clear all your Great Sage fanfic related doubts, likewise my all other great sage fanfics exist only because of the Re: Zero: The Great Sage.
That's in literal sense, no joke. Also this fanfic won't be very huge. I have just finished chapter 1 of this fanfic which is part 20, for example this is part 10(Fighting White Whale). This fanfic will be have 5-7 chapters at best, in comparison Great Sage is at chapter 15.5 currently in latest arcs released publically and should be at chapter 16 soon.
This is not the fanfic where things are dragged, there are some pivotal points. How long it will be upto you. For example chap 15 of Great Sage the 'Sin Archbishop of Pride is the Final Boss', Arc is longest with 60k+ words in raw drafts, or maybe it was 100k words?
Anyway, the fanfic that should be as long as this will be Pride if alternative, Sloth if Continuation. Re: Zero Exposed in 4k will be a sequel to one of these fanfics. While Fake Sage will be a prequel to the events of Re: Zero: The Great Sage.
Anyway, Fake Sage will be opposite of The Great Sage, and no he is not a villain. Whether our Zero, Subaru or Ayan are Main Characters, that won't matter. Only the plot of Fake Sage will matter!
The only fanfic that will be long running and can be taken to 500 or 1000 chaps will be only Great Sage! Thank you!
PS: Don't forget the Powerstones my wiggas and niggas.)