Satoru let out a short sigh——shoulders rolling back as his sunglasses caught the glint of chandelier light overhead.
His gaze flicked downward first, scanning the royal candidates before, finally, his head tilted slightly and his eyes snapped toward the nobles stood ahead of him.
A subtle shift in pressure filled the air.
Gone was the lazy smirk and the casual slouch. Now, he stood with a stillness that felt like the eye of a hurricane.
"You know," he began, his voice low but carrying to every corner of the vaulted ceiling, "every time one of you opens your mouth, it just makes me more confident that this place needs to be flipped inside out."
A few nobles shifted uncomfortably from his words. Others scowled, their faces reddening with indignation.
"You're all so damn focused on appearance, etiquette, and bloodlines—" he waved a hand dismissively as if brushing away a swarm of gnats, "—that you forgot what it even means to lead. Or to even just serve. You're not rulers; you're just caretakers of a cemetery."
Priscilla Barielle scoffed, her fan snapping shut. She looked at him with a smirk, however.
"Such crude speech certainly befits a jester. Do you intend to lead a kingdom, outsider, or simply tear one down to satisfy your ego?"
Satoru's gaze didn't even twitch. Instead, his smirk sharpened.
"Depends on what's left standing when I'm done cleaning out the rot, ya know. If the foundation is solid, it stays. If it's termites all the way down? Well... I've always liked a clean slate."
Gasps rippled through the room.
Reinhard stayed silent beside him, but those close enough could see the faint, almost imperceptible smile on the Sword Saint's face.
He looked like a man who had finally found someone worth following into the fire.
"And for the record…"
Satoru added, tilting his head with a mock-thoughtful expression.
"I don't need a single one of your votes or your approval. The Dragon already gave it to me, after all."
He held up the royal insignia, letting the amber light pulse rhythmically.
"The shiny rock says I'm legit. Any of you want to argue with the divine lizard?"
Anastasia Hoshin chuckled under her breath, shifting her weight from heel to toe.
"Heh... ballsy. I like 'em. He's got the kind of leverage ya can't buy with money."
Crusch, ever composed, gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"He speaks without fear, but not without thought. There is merit in a voice that refuses to tremble."
Subaru, standing in the crowd below, whispered to himself.
"...Yeah. He's definitely lost it. He's gonna get us all executed before lunch."
Emilia watched Satoru with an unreadable expression. In her purple eyes, a flicker of curiosity had ignited into something more——a dawning respect for a man who stood alone against people that hated him.
"I'm not here to give you sweet little lies to make you all feel good, that's gross. No empty promises. No lip service to tradition. I'm giving you the truth. The ugly, brutal, necessary truth..."
His eyes swept across the chamber, fixing on each Sage in turn.
"This nation is broken. And I will tear it down. Rebuild it from the ashes. Fix what you people never had the guts to look at."
Then, he grinned wider as he tapped the stem of his sunglasses.
"Oh——almost forgot."
The grin grew practically lethal.
"Did I mention I plan on killing a certain flying whale?"
The reaction was instantaneous. The name of the Great Calamity hit the room like a physical blow.
Crusch Karsten's eyes in particular, flew the widest. Several nobles recoiled as if they'd been slapped, their faces turning a ghostly, sickly pale.
The White Whale. A curse that had devoured the history and souls of thousands for four centuries.
"You... you speak of that monster in such a casual manner?"
Crusch stepped forward, her composure finally cracking.
"The Great Witchbeast that has gone unchallenged since the time of the Witch? You claim you will end a nightmare that has lasted four hundred years?"
Satoru rolled his shoulders like he was prepping for a light jog.
"Yup. Big, floaty, screams like a banshee. Real pain to deal with, from what I've heard from Rein, at least."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Think of it as a public service announcement. I'm taking out the trash."
"You can't be serious!"
A noble hissed, his voice trembling with a mix of terror and disbelief.
"Our best knights vanish in its mist! Thousands have died trying to even track it!"
Reinhard's voice cut through the panic, steady and absolute.
"And yet, if anyone in this room could defeat the White Whale... it would be him. My faith in Satoru-sama's strength is absolute."
"See? Told you he's a good hype-man."
Satoru joked, before his expression hardened.
He looked directly at Crusch.
"If you're really a soldier, you know the truth better than most. This kingdom is rotting. Corruption in the courts, kids starving in the alleys, and monsters roaming the borders while you lot argue about who gets to sit on a fancy chair. It's all so stereotypical, right?"
Crusch took a slow, deep breath, her eyes locking onto his. Then, she gave the faintest, most respectful nod.
"…Then I hope to see your actions live up to your words, Satoru Gojo. If you kill the Whale, you won't just have the Dragon's favor. You'll have mine, too."
"Oh, I guarantee it~"
Satoru said, his eyes flashing behind the lenses.
Then came the kicker.
He leaned forward, looking at the entire assembly.
"And to make it interesting... to make sure even the most stubborn of you fossils believe me... I'll do it without the overpowered guy that is the redhead next to me."
The hall erupted in a roar of confusion and panic. It was as if he'd just declared he'd fight the world with his hands tied.
"He's insane—!" a noble screamed, pointing a shaking finger. "You're throwing away the Sword Saint?! Without Reinhard, you're just a lunatic in a fancy suit!"
Satoru laughed——a sharp, melodic sound that cut through the noise.
"Yup! Bingo! I'm insane! But you see—insane people change the world. Normal people? They're the ones who keep it broken because they're too scared to try anything else."
He spread his arms, a god-like confidence radiating from his posture.
"No Sword Saint. No Divine Protections. Just me. When I bring that head back and drop it on your doorstep, you'll have no choice but to admit it: I'm the real deal."
Crusch Karsten's eyes narrowed. She wasn't looking at Satoru Gojo anymore; she was attempting to understand her biggest threat.
Her mind, attempted to work through and comprehend the meaning of his declaration as fast as possible.
This boy… no, this outsider. He wields words without a care in the world, yet he holds the leash of the Sword Saint.
Her gaze shifted momentarily to Reinhard, who stood with a terrifyingly serene confidence behind his new master.
The weight of that realization was staggering. In Lugunica, Reinhard van Astrea was not merely a knight; he was a natural disaster in human form, a divine anchor that kept the kingdom from drifting into oblivion.
The nobles in this room are complete fools!
She mused darkly, her jaw tightening.
They see a jester that doesn't comprehend the seriousness of his words. They don't understand that if Reinhard swears loyalty to a boy, that boy—by proxy—becomes the most legitimate threat to the Kingdom's order. Gojo could be a nameless beggar from the Great Waterfall, but with the Sword Saint at his back, his every whim carries impossible weight.
But it was Gojo's final gambit—the rejection of that very protection—that truly chilled her blood.
He casts aside the ultimate sword and shield just to prove a point? That isn't bravery. That is either a delusion of grandeur... or he possesses a level of power that makes the Sword Saint's intervention redundant.
Crusch crossed her arms in disbelief. Her Divine Protection was silent. No lies. No gust of deceit. Just the steady, terrifying breeze of absolute conviction.
He speaks of "tearing down" the nation and everything wrong with it. That isn't something I disagree with in the slightest however——He intends to purge Lugunica of its history to make room for his future.
She felt a rare prickle of unease when it came to Satoru Gojo.
If he truly intends to bring change by fire, I cannot simply be a spectator. A man who can slay the White Whale alone is a man who can rewrite the map of the world. I must decide: is he the savior this rotting kingdom needs, or the monster that will finish it off?
Her scowl deepened, her resolve hardening into steel.
Satoru Gojo. You have my attention. Now, let us see if your strength is as infinite as your arrogance.
Reinhard, standing at the back of the stage, watched with a proud, dawning smile.
So this is your way, Satoru. I am glad to have met you.
Satoru stepped down the stairs, giving a dumbfounded Subaru a quick thumbs-up as he met eyes with him.
Then came the rest of the candidates.
Priscilla Barielle stepped forward, chin tilted high, eyes gleaming with disdain.
"This entire selection is a farce!"
She scoffed.
"It is obvious to any with functioning eyes and ears that I alone am worthy to rule. The world is constructed for my convenience. The rest of you? Simply kneel at my feet and rejoice——serving me shall be the greatest honor of your pathetic lives. To struggle against the sun is merely to invite a burn."
Why'd they act so outraged at me when missy is acting like this? It almost hurts my feelings.
Crusch Karsten followed, composed and resolute, voice unwavering.
"Should I take the throne, my first act will be to break the Dragon's Covenant. For too long, this nation has crawled on its knees, begging for a beast's protection. The Kingdom of Lugunica belongs not to a legend, but to its people. We will stand on our own two feet, or we will not stand at all."
The crowd stirred. Murmurs of approval from the younger knights clashed with the horrified gasps of the traditionalist nobles.
Then came Anastasia Hoshin, with her fox scarf and businesslike smirk.
"I'm a greedy lil' gal, no point hiding that."
She winked at a particularly wealthy looking noble.
"Commerce, power, wealth——I've conquered the markets of Kararagi. But a nation is just a bigger business, isn't it? It's only natural I aim for the biggest prize on the map next. I'll buy your loyalty with prosperity, and I'll buy your future with growth~"
Satoru's gaze shifted subtly as Anastasia stepped back. His eyes briefly locked with Subaru, still lingering near the back——an anxious, clenched presence.
Hope he doesn't try anything too rash… Nobles are already side-eyeing Emilia hard enough as is…
Then, Emilia stepped forward. She took a soft, grounding breath, her hand trembling almost imperceptibly before she pressed it to her chest.
"I have only one wish…"
She said, her voice gentle but cutting through the noise like a clear bell.
Gojo simply closed his eyes.
"To build a nation where all people—no matter their race, blood, or birth—stand equal. Where a person's appearance isn't a death sentence."
She bowed with a grace that felt painfully out of place in such a cynical room. Roswaal chimed in from behind her, his voice a sing-song mockery of the gravity of the situation.
"I must confess, I feeeel quite out of place amidst all these knightly types, mm? But my support for the lady is... absolute~"
As they turned to step down, a sneer cut through the chamber. It was that same bloated noble, his face contorted with a mixture of fear and hate.
"This entire spectacle is a disgrace! First, a man from 'Beyond the Waterfall' claims a seat——and now, a damn half-elf?! Have the Sages lost their minds?!"
Bordeaux, the grizzled elder of the council, slammed his fist onto the stone table.
"It is madness! Margrave Roswaal, you bring a half-devil into this sacred hall and call it a candidate? It is an insult to the blood of the kings and every tradition that has kept us alive!"
Roswaal's painted smile didn't budge.
"Now now… let's mind our manners, shall we? After all, nobody likes being called a devil, especially when they've said nothing to deserve it. It's quite... unbecoming of a statesman~"
Satoru's eyes darted toward Subaru. The boy's face was turning a dangerous shade of red, his teeth bared.
Stay down, Subaru. Don't play into their hands.
But the noble, emboldened by Bordeaux's outburst, crossed the point of no return.
"She looks just like the Witch of Envy! Do you expect us to ignore the silver hair? The pointed ears? Allowing her to even breathe the same air as us is a sin! She is a disgusting creature that should have been left in the frost!"
People here really are idiots, huh… loud and proud but they fear a girl because of story that happened hundreds of years ago.
Gojo could only let out a sigh of pity.
"——ENOUGH!!"
Subaru's voice thundered, raw and jagged with a fury he couldn't contain. He pushed through the crowd, stumbling into the open space.
"Subaru... please!"
Emilia whispered, her eyes wide with panic.
"It's okay—don't make things worse..."
"——No!"
Subaru shook his head, his fists so tight his knuckles were white.
"I won't shut up! You people… You're all so full of it! Sitting there on your high chairs, judging someone you don't even know! You hide behind 'tradition' because you're too cowardly to look her in the eye! Apologize. Apologize to Emilia——now!"
"Subaru!!"
Emilia cried out, but the dam had burst.
She turned back to the council, her voice regaining its steel despite the chaos.
"My name is Emilia. I am a silver-haired half-elf, contracted to the Great Spirit of Fire, Puck. I understand I resemble the Witch. I understand your fear. But I will not let your prejudice dictate my fate——or the fate of those who have no voice in this kingdom."
A long, heavy pause followed. Miklotov, ever the calm center of the storm, finally spoke. His eyes drifted to the gasping, shaking boy in the suit.
"And the ah… boy who shouted… what is his position in these proceedings?"
Subaru straightened his back. He looked small in that massive hall, but his spirit was screaming. He raised one hand, index finger pointed defiantly toward the ceiling.
"I'm Emilia's knight! Her one and only! And if you want to get to her, you've gotta go through me!"
Satoru frowned, exhaling a quiet, weary breath.
He did it. He went and did the most 'Subaru' thing possible.
"A knight, is he?"
Miklotov raised a silver brow, his gaze shifting to the row of Imperial Knights.
Then——A figure stepped forward from among the knights, his uniform just as sharp as Reinhard's, purple hair glinting beneath the sunlight. Golden eyes locked onto Subaru with quiet intensity.
"Forgive the interruption."
The man said, his voice smooth and carrying the weight of undisputed status.
"But there is something that must be addressed before we proceed any further."
He paused, his eyes narrowing.
"What exactly are you proclaiming when you declare yourself Emilia-sama's knight?"
Subaru tilted his head, his face a mask of defensive confusion.
"Yeah, I said it. What about it? Is there an echo in here, or do you just have trouble hearing?"
The man—Julius Juukulius—shook his head slightly, a flicker of pity crossing his handsome features.
"You've made that claim here, of all places. Before the very order of the Imperial Knights, in the presence of the Council of Sages, without reserve and without a shred of dignity."
With a sudden, sharp sweep of his arm—
The synchronized stomp of polished boots echoed through the chamber. Each knight moved in perfect unison.
Satoru whistled softly under his breath.
"Nice. That coordination——do you guys rehearse this stuff or what?"
"Of course we do."
Julius replied.
"Now——tell me. Do you have the resolve to match that performance?"
Subaru's eyes widened. He leaned back slightly, instinctively recoiling. But then——
"I... I'll make Emilia the next ruler!"
Julius's gaze sharpened like the edge of a blade.
"You believe you have the will and the strength to facilitate the rise of a monarch?"
Subaru took a breath, deep and shaky.
"Strength? No, not yet. I've only just started training... I'm still weak. I know that better than anyone!"
He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"But I don't lack willpower. Not even a little. One way or another, Emilia will become ruler——and I'll be the one to make it happen!"
Julius exhaled a long, tired breath. His voice, though calm, was now edged with a quiet, dangerous disappointment.
"A bold claim... but laced with the stench of self-doubt. You cling to your weakness as if it were a shield. Tell me, have you earned the right to stand here? Have you bled for that title? Have you sworn any sort of an oath, just as we have?"
Subaru's fists trembled.
"I-I don't care about your rules! I'll still do it! I don't need a piece of paper to tell me I'm her knight!"
Julius stepped forward, his tone shifting from offense to genuine bewilderment.
"Why? Why do you insist on standing here, defying the very foundations of the Imperial Knights? What could possibly drive you to such heights of arrogance?"
Subaru's head lowered——then snapped up.
"Because... she's special! Because nobody else will stand up for her! Because she's the only one who helped me when I had nothing!"
Julius blinked, visibly caught off guard. For a fleeting second, the Finest Knight lost his composure. The raw, messy honesty of Subaru's answer was something his refined world didn't know how to categorize.
A pause hung in the air——quiet, heavy, and suffocating.
"I understand. And I accept that reason as a motive for a servant. But I still cannot acknowledge you as a knight. In fact, I find the notion offensive."
Subaru's face contorted into a snarl.
"What… what do you mean!? I just told you I'd give my life for her!"
"Anyone who wears that expression——"
Julius gestured subtly toward Emilia, whose face was pale, her eyes downcast in a mixture of pity and profound embarrassment.
"——On the face of the one they wish to stand beside… is no knight. You aren't protecting her, Subaru Natsuki. You are indulging yourself."
Subaru didn't turn to look at Emilia. He couldn't. The shame was already a physical weight in his chest.
"Is… is being a knight really such a big deal!?"
He screamed, his voice echoing mockingly.
"What, you think you're better than me just because you were born into some fancy house? Stop acting like a big shot just because your dad handed you a silver spoon and a sword!"
Julius sighed, his eyes turning cold.
"Subaru Natsuki… that is a truly pathetic look for you. You insult not just us, but the very woman you claim to serve."
"That's enough…"
Emilia's soft voice cut through the air.
She stepped forward, placing a hand on Subaru's back. It wasn't a supportive touch; it was a firm, guiding pressure, pulling him away from the light.
"I apologize deeply to the Council and the Knightly Order for wasting the court's time with this… disruption."
Without another word, she began to walk toward the exit, her hand on Subaru's shoulder forcing him to move. Subaru's face was a storm of conflicting emotions——unspent rage, stinging shame, and a dawning, horrific realization.
As they neared the massive mahogany doors, Miklotov, the head Sage, finally broke the silence.
"Emilia-sama… if nothing else, your attendant has shown us something important today."
Emilia stopped, her eyes flickering over her shoulder, silver hair catching the light.
"He has shown us that you are not a monster to be feared…"
Miklotov said, his voice surprisingly gentle.
"A 'Witch' would not be defended by such a clumsy, human display of devotion. And that alone speaks volumes."
Emilia's expression didn't brighten.
"Thank you. But…"
She looked down at Subaru, her voice devoid of its usual warmth.
"He's not my attendant. He's just someone I know."
The door shut with a final echo, leaving silence in its wake.
Satoru let out a long breath, rubbing the back of his neck.
Damn... second-hand embarrassment hitting like a truck. I feel bad for the guy——but yeah, this is something he's gotta learn the hard way. Don't be a moron.
———————————————
Subaru sat in a small, sparsely furnished room, his expression blank——empty, drained. The echoes of the throne room still rang in his ears, each one a phantom sting to his pride.
Across from him stood Reinhard van Astrea and Felix Argyle, quietly observing the wreckage of a boy who had tried to play at being a hero.
"The Royal Selection has… finally begun, Subaru."
Reinhard's voice was calm, but it held the weight of a firm tectonic shift. He looked at Subaru not with anger, but with the pained clarity of someone who knew exactly how high the walls of the world were built.
"Subaru-kyun, you are Emilia-sama's knight, ain't nya? So, let's do our best~!"
Felix chimed, his playful tone acting like a serrated blade against the heavy atmosphere. He leaned in, his cat ears twitching.
"Though, a knight usually knows when to keep his claws retracted, nyo?"
Before Subaru could snap back, the heavy oak door groaned open.
"Forgive me for interrupting."
Julius Juukulius entered. He was the picture of knightly perfection, his purple hair catching the dim light. His eyes flickered with a brief, microscopic spark of concern as they landed on Subaru's slumped form, but it was quickly masked by a cool, aristocratic layer of duty.
"W-What're you doing here?!"
Subaru blurted, scrambling to his feet, his heart hammering with a mix of rage and defiance
Julius let out a long, weary sigh.
"I sincerely wish you wouldn't wear such an unpleasant expression. I never expected a warm welcome, but if you keep this attitude—this petulant, unearned anger—it will be the death of you."
Subaru clenched his fist, the heat rising in his chest.
"Then what?! You gonna lecture me too?!"
"I only suggest you proceed with caution. Words are not the only things with edges in this palace."
Julius's voice was steady, carrying the chilling weight of a formal warning.
"Now… you asked why I'm here? I came to see you, of course. To see if the boy who shouted at the Sages was a man of substance or merely a loud noise."
He glanced out the window toward the training grounds, lost in thought.
"There's something important we need to discuss. A lesson that cannot be taught with words. Come with me."
———————————————
The scene shifted.
Subaru stood alone in the center of a vast colosseum-like arena. Rows of knights lined the balconies above, their gazes sharp and watchful.
His suit was off, replaced by simple training gear. He was stretching, preparing.
Opposite him stood Julius, with Reinhard just behind, holding out a wooden sword.
"Julius... you really shouldn't do this..."
Reinhard murmured, concern evident.
Julius's gaze hardened as he took the wooden blade in his hand.
"He insulted the knights directly. It is only just that he faces punishment."
He exhaled deeply, stepping forward deliberately, ignoring any protests Reinhard might have offered.
Raising the wooden sword high overhead, he declared loudly:
"I hereby administer the death penalty to this insubordinate man who has sullied our knighthood's honor. Under normal circumstances, such insolence would be met with death by the sword. But... considering you are Emilia-sama's attendant, we will fight with wooden blades."
Subaru's eyes flickered down to the wooden sword in his hand.
His grip tightened around the hilt, then, a flash of Gojo's training crossed his mind.
"If you're weak, Subaru, don't try to play their game. Play yours."
With a swift motion, he tossed the sword aside. It clattered uselessly on the stone. He raised his fists, his stance wide and grounded.
"Sorry. I refuse. I fight better with my fists."
Julius's brows furrowed.
"You truly are a foolish man..."
He shifted his stance, one hand slipping behind his back in perfect form, the other angling his blade forward.
"Fine, then. Let us begin."
"Yeah... alright."
Subaru's teeth grit.
"——I won't hold back!"
Subaru took a long, deep breath. His focus sharpened into a needle point. He didn't have mana, but he had the stink of the Witch and the spark Gojo had fanned into a flame.
But he didn't charge. Not yet.
Instead, Subaru took a long, deep breath—gathering everything. His focus sharpened, and the cursed energy that lay dormant within him surged to the surface.
It erupted.
A raging aura of black and blue energy spiraled around him, coiling skyward like a living flame. It crackled violently, humming with raw, unstable power before dissipating as if absorbed into his muscles.
Julius's eyes narrowed, his golden gaze catching the flicker of that strange, unfamiliar energy. Magic in a way, perhaps—but not like any he's felt before. He remained silent, poised, observing.
Then——
Subaru's foot struck the ground with such force that the stone webbed into cracks. He lunged at a blistering, inhuman speed, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
His fist, cloaked in the dark shade of cursed energy, screamed through the air and aimed straight for Julius's jaw.
Julius casually stepped aside.
Subaru's punch tore through empty air, the sheer pressure of the missed strike whipping through Julius's violet hair.
Subaru's eyes went wide. He was overextended.
Julius's counter was a blur of motion. The wooden blade thrust forward, meeting Subaru's chest——but instead of piercing, it skidded off an invisible, elastic friction.
A barrier is it?
Julius thought, his eyes widening.
No... he's reinforcing his very skin, but it feels different to the Flow Method——it's strange.
Subaru twisted his hips, driving a desperate hook toward Julius's ribs. But the difference wasn't just power—it was refinement.
But it still wasn't enough.
"Hoh——"
Julius exhaled lightly, sidestepping once more.
It wasn't just experience. It wasn't just training.
It was everything. Subaru lacked everything, in comparison to this knight.
The butt of Julius's wooden sword slammed down onto the top of Subaru's fist, driving it into the dirt. The impact crushed Subaru's momentum, sending a spray of dust into the air.
Julius moved like a phantom, slipping through the dust cloud.
The wooden blade slammed against Subaru's ribs with the force of a falling tree. A sickening crunch echoed through the colosseum. Subaru's cursed energy flared——then fractured under the precision of the strike like a waning pane of glass.
He rolled, tumbled, and skated across the arena like a ragdoll, his body finally slamming into the far wall with a heavy crash.
Silence fell. Julius didn't gloat. He didn't smile. He stepped forward slowly, the tip of his wooden sword trailing in the dust.
"You are lacking in every way," he said evenly. "Skill. Experience. Power. Speed. But most of all… Resolve. You think your 'feelings' are a substitute for the weight of a life spent in service?"
He pointed the sword at Subaru's throat.
"Now get up. This has only just begun. I will break that arrogance out of you, or I will break your bones trying."
——————————————
A knight burst into the throne room, his armor clanking with frantic, uneven strides as he skidded to a halt before the Council.
"R-Report! The Imperial Knight Julius Juukulius and the candidate's attendant, Natsuki Subaru, are engaged in a mock battle in the arena!"
The air in the room, already thin from the political tension, seemed to vanish entirely.
Emilia's eyes widened, her face draining of color.
"W-What?! Why would Julius-san… how did that happen?"
Her hand flew to her mouth, her voice trembling.
"I—I have to stop them!"
Anastasia Hoshin lazily raised a hand.
"Hoooold your horses, sweetheart. I just wanna know one thing: who issued the challenge?"
The knight swallowed hard.
"It was Sir Julius who proposed the 'Penalty of the Sword,' though Natsuki Subaru accepted it without hesitation."
Anastasia waved a hand dismissively, a small, predatory smirk playing on her lips.
"Then I'm against stopping it. A man who says 'yes' to a fight is a man who knows the price of admission. Interrupting a duel is like canceling a contract mid-signature——bad for business."
Subaru… that fool… accepting something like that like that just because his pride took a bruising… against that purple-haired guy, too.
Satoru's gaze shifted toward Anastasia, his blue eyes icy behind his shades.
"Your knight and my friend are currently breaking each other's ribs out there. Aren't you the least bit worried? Or do you only care about things with a price tag?"
Anastasia finally looked at him, her smirk widening.
"Worried? About what——Julius going a little overboard? If we have to pay a healer premium to patch that boy up, that's just overhead. Julius is the 'Finest Knight' for a reason; he won't kill him. He'll just... re-educate him."
Crusch Karsten spoke next.
"Regarding the duel… I too oppose interfering. To a knight, a battle begun must be seen through to its end. To stop it now would be to rob both men of their honor——and for Natsuki Subaru, it would mean he never learns the weight of the title he claimed."
Satoru sighed, dragging a hand through his hair in disbelief.
"Tch. What a moron… he's got zero sense of scale. He thinks 'willpower' can bridge a gap that takes decades of blood to close. My dearest student's first display is going to be getting his ass handed to him, crap."
He turned back to the knight, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low register.
"Why are we only hearing about this now? The arena isn't exactly next door."
The knight flinched under Gojo's gaze.
"B-Because, well... it's been rather quick. And, frankly, it is incredibly one-sided. We thought it would be over before we even reached the stairs."
Emilia didn't wait for another word. She hiked up her gown and sprinted from the room.
Satoru just sighed, resting his palms onto the back of his head and following.
Well… I might as well see if the dude can at least land one punch. Even a near miss would be impressive against that guy.
———————————————
Julius's wooden blade slammed into Subaru again, cracking against his bruised shoulder with brutal force.
Subaru's stance faltered. His legs buckled——but didn't break. Bloodied and wheezing, he clenched his fists and twisted into a sudden, desperate left hook aimed straight at Julius's face.
The knight ducked low, his back bending fluidly as Subaru's fist soared overhead, the displaced air ruffling his lavender hair.
He's still standing? His technique is non-existent, and yet his body is surprisingly durable… almost as if he's being reinforced by sheer stubbornness.
"…Very well."
Julius muttered, his voice dropping an octave.
"If you refuse to listen to reason, I shall speak to your body instead."
Julius's body flickered—his speed ramping up as he tapped into the mana of the atmosphere. To Subaru's battered eyes, he became little more than a shimmering blur.
Subaru's world flipped. A single, surgical kick to the shin sent him spiraling. Then, before he even hit the ground——
Julius stepped forward, swinging his wooden blade like a heavy bat, crashing it into Subaru's ribs mid-air. The impact sounded like a hammer hitting a side of beef. Subaru's body launched several meters across the arena, rolling and smashing into the dirt in a cloud of dust.
"Guhhh… uufff…"
Why? Why, why why?!
Subaru groaned internally, clawing at the dry earth.
Why after everything I've through… is it some guy with a stick that makes me feel so small?
"Just surrender before I kill you."
Julius's voice echoed through the colosseum, devoid of malice but heavy with finality.
"Admit you've reached your limit. I underestimated your spirit slightly, I admit——but this is the extent of your strength. To continue is no longer a duel… it is a tragedy."
Those words cut deeper than the wooden blade ever could.
Subaru's fingers dug into the sand. Slowly, shakily, he pulled himself upright. His ribs screamed, and blood trickled down his chin in a steady stream.
He wiped it away with his wrist, leaving a jagged red smear across his cheek before pointing angrily.
"Screw you, bastard! Like you said… this has only just begun!"
From the arena entrance, the royal candidates filed into the stands——Emilia at the front, her face pale and her hands clenching the railing. And behind her…
Satoru Gojo.
Subaru's eyes twitched.
Gojo-sensei… is watching me get my ass handed to me… Alright then. If I can't win with his training, I'll win with the one thing only I have. The one thing that makes me 'special' in this hellhole.
He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. His pupils dulled, his body swaying slightly as he reached within——deeper than he had ever dared.
I figured it out. The Witch's Miasma… the 'stink' everyone talks about. It's dense. It's heavy. It's similar to cursed energy. So I thought——what if I could use it the same way? Not as a curse, but as a fuel?
At first, he hadn't understood how to touch it. It was like trying to grab smoke with a sieve. But now, with the adrenaline of the beating and the humiliation of the throne room burning in his veins.
A new aura erupted from him—dense, oppressive, and violently cold. It wrapped around his battered frame like a storm unable to be restrained. No longer the flickering black and blue of standard cursed energy——this was a deep purple, and it radiated something far more sinister.
From the viewing stands, Gojo's posture changed instantly. He stopped leaning against the wall, his expression sharpening into something surprised.
What the hell is that? His cursed energy amount has increased… The output is spiking, and the nature of the energy… it's not coming from his emotions anymore. It's coming from that unidentifiable thing in his soul.
Subaru's eyes snapped open. They were glowing faintly, a savage, unhinged grin tugging at the corners of his lips.
"I… can return by——gkHHK!"
As the taboo triggered, the hand of the Witch seemed to squeeze his heart, but instead of crushing it, the pressure forced more of that dark energy out. It flared violently, rising like a tidal wave.
What is this now?!
Gojo thought, a genuine, wild smile creeping onto his face as he leant forward against the barrier with interest.
Insane! Hah, totally insane! How has he found a method to increase his cursed energy pool?
Julius sensed the shift——his stance tensing for the first time in the duel. The air had changed. The atmosphere itself became darker, as if a cloud had passed over the sun.
Reinhard's gaze darkened, a rare shadow crossing his face as his brows furrowed in genuine concern.
"The Witch's miasma… it always clung to Subaru. This feels… unsettling."
Gojo didn't answer. He couldn't take his eyes off the arena.
Then suddenly——
"SHAMAK!!"
A surge of absolute darkness erupted from his feet, spiraling upward like a tidal wave of ink. In a heartbeat, the center of the arena vanished beneath a blanket of pitch black that swallowed the light of the magilith lamps.
Gasps echoed from the stands as the nobles and knights were blinded.
Inside the darkness, Subaru lunged forward——racing through the void.
His bloodied fists clenched tight, the purple energy crackling between his knuckles.
Come on… just one hit. I don't care if I break every bone in my hand. Just one hit to knock that smug look off his face!
———————————————
Julius narrowed his eyes. The darkness of the Yin Spell was absolute to the naked eye, but to the Finest Knight the world was never truly empty. He could feel the desperate, jagged pulse of Subaru's spirit thrashing through the void.
He didn't even bother retreating.
Instead, he raised his scorched wooden sword, sliding it backward over his shoulder with a grace that felt almost funereal.
"Out of respect for your efforts…"
Julius muttered, his voice a low, solemn vibration that seemed to calm the shadows themselves,
"Accept this gift. I shall answer your 'special' move with my own!"
He stomped his lead foot down——a concentrated wave of mana scattered the darkness in an instant, the black smoke shredded as if by a gale. It revealed Subaru barely a meter away, his fist extended, his face a distorted mask of agony and unyielding resolve.
The air around Julius suddenly shimmered.
Six tiny, flickering spirits—the Lesser-Spirits of fire, water, wind, earth, light, and shadow—materialized around his blade.
Flecks of multicolored light danced across the length of the wood, which began to glow with an ethereal, radiant hue. It was a brilliant, blinding white—tinged with the shifting colors of a shattered rainbow.
"——Al Clauseria."
He thrust forward——not at Subaru's chest to pierce him, but at the very space between them, where the purple miasma was thickest.
From the tip of the blade, a spiraling beam of spiritual light erupted. This was not a physical strike meant to rend flesh; it was a calibrated discharge of pure, balanced mana designed to judge the soul and stabilize the chaotic.
The beam slammed into Subaru's chest, washing over him in a tidal burst of rainbow-colored brilliance.
The purple aura wasn't just suppressed, but completely ripped away. The spiritual light acted like a solvent, cleansing the jagged malice in a blinding cascade of energy.
The sudden backlash of the purification flung Subaru across the arena like he was a feather.
He sailed through the air, the rainbow light still clinging to his clothes for a split second before he smashed into the far stone wall with enough force to send a spiderweb of cracks through it.
A cloud of dust rose. As it settled, Subaru's unconscious form crumpled to the ground, his arms sprawled wide and his breathing shallow.
Silence followed——heavy, ringing, and absolute.
Julius looked down at his hand. The wooden training sword had been unable to withstand the output of the spirits; it had disintegrated, leaving nothing but a scorched, smoking hilt. He let the remains clatter to the floor.
Julius took a long, steadying breath, his golden eyes losing their battle-heat. He turned toward the viewing stands, his gaze briefly meeting Satoru Gojo's.
"The duel is concluded…"
Julius announced, his voice echoing through the colosseum.
"——The penalty has been paid."
——————————————
Felix dropped down beside Subaru in an instant, aura flaring as his healing magic began to pulse.
Reinhard landed moments later, stepping up beside Julius, his expression tight.
"That was too much."
His voice was low.
"You could've beaten him without calling on your spirits..."
Julius didn't meet his gaze at first. He simply sheathed the broken hilt at his side.
"I could have. But… I misjudged him."
He looked back at Subaru's unconscious body.
"He's a fool, yes, there is no doubt about that——but one with resolve. I can't ignore that. So, I returned his sincerity with a bit of effort of my own."
——————————————
Up in the stands, Satoru Gojo sat perched, arms folded, eyes focused on the fallen boy.
He exhaled through his nose——not a sigh of disappointment, but an odd little smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"He's got a lot of explaining to do when he wakes up."
He tilted his head.
"Because I definitely didn't teach him that. Heheh~ not bad, Natsuki Subaru!"