Maria walked closely beside Subaru, the hem of her dress brushing against the stone-paved roads as they navigated the winding alleyways of the old district. The deeper they went into the city, the quieter it became, as if the buildings themselves were holding their breath. Lanterns swung gently from iron hooks, their flickering flames casting long shadows on cracked brick walls. Eventually, after weaving through several intersections and passing silent homes adorned with faded banners, they arrived at a small, weathered apartment nestled between two larger complexes. Though time had clearly left its mark—faded paint, cracked windowpanes—the place had an odd sense of warmth to it, as if it had once held happiness within its walls.
Subaru's pace quickened as he climbed the stone steps, his breath sharp, each heartbeat thundering louder in his ears. When he reached the top, he paused before the door. His fingers hovered inches away from the doorknob, but a sudden chill raced down his spine, rooting him in place. Something didn't feel right. The stillness. The air. The silence.
And then he saw it.
The door wasn't closed—it was ajar.
Panic gripped his chest. His eyes widened, heart thumping erratically. A thousand horrible possibilities flooded his mind.
"Why is the door open? Was it forced? Is Hikari hurt? Did someone find her?!"
A storm of dread rose inside him, each thought like a dagger to the gut. Clenching his jaw, Subaru staggered back a step, summoned every ounce of strength he had left, and slammed his foot into the door. The wood cracked and the door swung violently inward, colliding with the wall behind it. The echo reverberated down the hallway like a thunderclap.
"HIKARI! WHERE ARE YO—" He choked on the words.
The room beyond was silent. Utterly still. Shadows lingered along the walls, disturbed only by the faint ticking of a clock echoing from deeper within. Then—soft footsteps. Bare feet against wood. The sound was slow, dragging. From the end of a narrow hallway, a figure emerged.
It looked like her.
Disheveled hair. Half-lidded eyes. A pale robe barely clinging to her shoulders. She looked dazed, like she had just woken up. Her gaze landed on Subaru, and for a moment, something like recognition flickered in her eyes.
But Subaru felt his instincts rebel. Something was wrong.
Where was the gentle light, the subtle fear and shyness she always carried in her eyes? These were vacant. Hollow. Even so, he stepped forward, trembling. He needed to believe.
"Subaru onii-chan?"
Just one word. A name. His name. But it struck him like a bolt of lightning. His throat tightened. His vision blurred with tears. His arms reached out, desperate to touch, to confirm, to anchor himself in the hope that it truly was her.
One step closer. Then another. And that's when it hit him—
"YOU IDIOT! THAT'S NOT HER! GET AWAY FROM HER NOW!"
Flugel's voice roared through his mind like an explosion. Subaru flinched—but his legs didn't stop. Even if it was a trick. Even if it was a lie. He wanted to believe. He had to.
He reached for her. And she smiled. Not a smile of warmth or reunion. A grin. Twisted. Distorted. Cruel.
"Oh? Look at this! Isn't this sweet? A touching reunion. A brother's pure, naive love. It's all so beautifully sickening. You two reaching out to one another, tears in your eyes—like some stupid stage play performed for fools!"
Her voice morphed mid-sentence. Sweet to acidic. Amused to disgusted.
"All this sappy love, this pathetic, gut-wrenching hope—it makes me want to vomit! Love like this? It's a disease! And you? You're infected to your bones! You make me SICK!"
Without warning, she shoved him. Her strength was monstrous. Subaru's body lifted off the ground, hurtling backward through the air before smashing into the far wall with a painful crack. He hit the ground in a heap, gasping, the breath knocked from his lungs.
She raised her hand to her face.
With deliberate, deliberate slowness, she dug her nails into her own skin.
Subaru stared, paralyzed, as blood began to drip down her cheeks. With a wet, horrible sound, the skin peeled away—like shedding a mask.
The illusion shattered.
Golden hair spilled out in waves. Her eyes gleamed like venomous jewels. Her voice, when she spoke again, dripped with madness and delight.
"I'm not your precious little sister. I'm not some innocent girl you came to save. I am the embodiment of Lust, the Archbishop of Sin—Capella Emerada Lugnica!"
The name hung in the air like poison. She spread her arms as if presenting herself on a grand stage, that twisted grin still plastered across her face.
"And you, little hero, just walked right into the lion's den with your heart wide open. Delicious!"
Subaru struggled to steady his breath as he pushed himself up from the rubble-strewn floor. His chest rose and fell in sharp bursts, lungs burning with the effort. Every nerve screamed, every muscle ached, but his eyes—his eyes held no fear. Only purpose.
"Where is Hikari... Lust," he asked, his voice raw and shaking, yet filled with a quiet fury.
Capella tilted her head to the side, her movements serpentine and unnatural. She brought her clawed fingers to her lips and dragged her tongue along one with a sultry sigh.
"Hmm? We took her, obviously! Were you too slow to notice? Or just too stupid? Honestly, it was hilarious watching you scramble. Hahahaha! The look on your face when she disappeared—priceless."
Her laughter echoed through the room like the clinking of broken glass. But then, as if someone had flipped a switch, her entire demeanor shifted. Her smile faded. Her eyes darkened.
"But you... who are you? Pandora-sama never said anything about another survivor from the shrine maiden's bloodline. You're not supposed to exist."
Subaru flicked his eyes toward the corner, where Maria stood frozen in place. Her hands trembled at her sides, and her breath came in silent gasps. Horror and disbelief warred in her eyes.
Subaru's voice dropped to a near-whisper, filled with gentle strength. "Go. You shouldn't have to see what comes next."
Maria hesitated, but only for a moment. Then she turned and bolted, her footsteps echoing like distant thunder.
With his gaze locked back onto Capella, Subaru exhaled slowly. "I am... the Archbishop of Sin. The one who bears the burden of Envy. My name is Natsuki Subaru."
The room seemed to contract, the air thickening as if the very world recognized the weight of those words. Capella's pupils expanded. Her lips curved into a twisted, delighted grin.
"Ohoho~ Envy, is it? What a delightful twist! I just love a man with demons in his closet. Makes everything so much more... delicious. And judging by that fire in your eyes, you're no ordinary sinner. You must be powerful. Come on, then—make me feel it. Can you satisfy me, little Archbishop?"
Subaru didn't rise to the bait. He inhaled, his left hand rising slowly. In a flash of silver light, Etherfang materialized in his grip. The blade pulsed with raw mana, shimmering like moonlight trapped in steel.
"You speak like someone who's spent too long wallowing in Lust. So I'll ask you once more—where is my sister?"
Capella gave a casual shrug, her expression one of mocking indifference. "Regulus has her. Took her to the cathedral not five minutes ago. Says he'll make her his bride or some other garbage. Honestly, men and their fantasies—it's all so boring."
A flare of mana surged through Subaru. His fists clenched, and the dagger in his hand flared brighter. The floor beneath him cracked slightly under the pressure.
"And if I go after him... you're going to try and stop me."
Capella stepped closer, her lips curling into a hungry grin. Her voice dripped with anticipation.
"Exactly~ That's what I was hoping you'd say. I can't let you walk out of here, not yet. First, you have to satisfy me. Fight me. Break me. Make me feel alive. And once I've had my fill... I'll keep you. We'll have such fun, you and I."
Subaru shifted into a combat stance. A visible chill swept through the room, as if the temperature had dropped ten degrees in an instant. The heavy air buzzed with the promise of violence.
"Then let's find out," Subaru murmured, narrowing his eyes, "who's really playing who."
Etherfang blazed to life.
With a silent surge of mana, Subaru unleashed a burst of energy at his feet. The ground shook. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone floor. Etherfang, shattered and reforged with arcane essence, gleamed ominously. Each fracture shimmered with mana, giving the impression that the dagger was alive—breathing, waiting.
[Mana Blade - Active]
[Shadow Blades - Active]
Capella's body tensed in anticipation, but she made no move to dodge. The Authority of Lust cloaked her in a haze of madness. She didn't want to avoid pain—she craved it. To her, this wasn't a duel. It was ecstasy waiting to unfold. The sting of the blade would be her drug.
SLASH!
Subaru moved like a phantom. Etherfang carved through the air with lethal grace, slicing directly through Capella's torso. The impact was brutal. Bone cracked. Flesh parted. Blood sprayed.
Her body was split clean in half, but the moment was fleeting.
Her remains pulsed grotesquely—and then began to reform. Bones knit. Muscle threaded. Skin stretched back into place. It was like watching a nightmare reverse itself.
And then a voice rang sharply in Subaru's ear, distant yet crystal clear:
"I've injected Yin magic into her system. Her regeneration will be limited for a while. Use that time wisely." Flugel. Of course.
Subaru didn't need more prompting. He pressed the assault, blades flashing like silver lightning. Each swing tore into Capella's ever-healing flesh. Chest, arms, neck, back—he struck with ruthless precision. Every impact spilled mana-charged blood across the floor. Every wound seemed to scream.
But still she smiled.
The ichor pooled around his boots, thick and hot, but he didn't slow. He couldn't. His breathing grew ragged, sweat stinging his eyes, but he didn't blink.
He wouldn't stop until she stayed down. Until Hikari was safe.
Until it was over.
Capella's voice rang out with a moan of delight, thick with satisfaction and desire.
"Mmh!! So delicious... You're strong—so strong. The taste of your fear, your power—it's intoxicating. Makes me want to devour you in every way imaginable!"
She took a deliberate step forward, her glowing eyes slowly scanning Subaru from head to toe. Her grin widened unnaturally. With each movement, her body contorted, more grotesque than human. Her hand rose, fingers elongating into talon-like claws. Nails curled and thickened, and in the center of her palm, an unnatural, salivating mouth split open, rows of lion-like fangs glistening with drool.
With a shrill giggle, she lunged forward. Subaru barely had time to shift his stance as her monstrous hand raked across his arm. The beastly maw bit down, shredding fabric and flesh alike. A searing pain followed. Blood gushed from the gash, warm and viscous.
Subaru staggered backward, a hiss escaping his clenched teeth. Darkness surged around him, and the floor beneath his boots trembled slightly.
"SHAMAK! MULTIPLY BY TEN!"
At his command, the room plunged into unnatural twilight. The ceiling groaned under the weight of conjured magic. A spiral of thick, churning black clouds descended, wrapping the battlefield in suffocating shadows. The very air thickened, and the house itself moaned in protest.
[Yin Step - Active]
Subaru's form dissolved into the gloom, becoming one with the shadows. His heartbeat slowed, his breathing quieted. In the shroud of near-complete darkness, he gathered mana, channeling it with focused precision into his weapons.
In one hand, his dagger turned glacial blue. Frost spiderwebbed across the blade's edge, cold steam hissing into the air. In the other, heat blazed. The steel turned a deep orange-red, trembling with barely-contained inferno.
Subaru gritted his teeth, closed his eyes for one heartbeat, then slammed the two daggers together, crossing the forces of fire and frost.
[Overburst – Frigid/Flame Detonation] A deafening blast shattered the heavy silence.
[DING!]
New Ability UnlockedName: Half Heat, Half Cold
Type: Passive Ability
Effect:
-Infuse weapons with fire or frost mana via thermal manipulation.
-Generate extreme heat or cold for devastating hybrid attacks.
-The detonation was colossal.
(A/N: I thought it would be more effective to use variations instead of constantly giving new skills.)
A pillar of elemental fury erupted outward. The dark mist of Shamak evaporated into curling wisps. The building convulsed; walls exploded outward, roof beams splintered like matchsticks. Smoke and rubble filled the air, and a shockwave scattered debris across the entire street.
Capella's body was torn apart. Chunks of flesh, bone shards, and sizzling crimson ooze splattered against the broken walls. For a breathless moment, the world was silent—eerily so.
Subaru emerged slowly from the dispersing gloom, his shoulders rising and falling with each steady breath. His eyes were devoid of emotion, but each step he took was deliberate, cold with purpose.
Amidst the carnage, something twitched.
There, buried in rubble, a small form writhed. It was Capella, or what remained of her—a shrunken, childlike parody of her true self. Around her, the scattered remains began to twitch and slither, reforming. Flesh crept like living things, dragging themselves back toward her, magnetized by unholy will.
Capella shrieked.
"I—I can't control my bodily fluids!! This... this sensation... it's too much! I'm coming apart and reforming too fast—it's overwhelming!!"
Her voice trembled, not only in agony but something else: ecstasy. Her wide eyes locked on Subaru. In them danced a horrifying blend of lust and dread.
Her breath grew ragged. Her cheeks flushed a feverish red. Fingers trembling, she dragged herself upright. A manic light burned in her pupils.
"You... You did this... and now I can't stop... I can't STOP wanting more!"
She took an unsteady step forward.
"I want you," she whispered, her voice laced with demented sweetness. "Take me... hold me in those strong arms... don't ask questions... carry me through these broken halls. Throw me into a shattered bed, and then—"
Her hands slid slowly over her chest, shivering at her own touch. Her voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible over the whistling wind. "And then... break me. Make me feel everything. Let every motion drown me in heat and cold. Shatter me. Melt me. Lose yourself inside me."
Subaru didn't move. His face remained blank, unreadable.
Capella panted, eyes alight with twisted anticipation. The wreckage around them groaned in the wind, framing her silhouette like a deranged painting.
"Won't you hold me?" she asked, tilting her head, voice laced with both mockery and madness. "Or do I need to fall apart even more for you to get excited?"
A cruel giggle followed. She licked her lips, taking another step—closer now.
Subaru didn't flinch.
Inside, a storm raged. Disgust churned in his stomach. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. His jaw tensed. His body trembled—not from fear, but fury. Pure, visceral fury.
He inhaled through his nose, slowly, deliberately. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, harsh—raw with emotion.
"Flugel," he said. "Get this deranged, psychotic Archbishop out of my sight. I'm... I'm genuinely going to vomit."
His words fell like a guillotine.
No hesitation. No mercy. Just disgust sharpened into resolve.
There was a brief pause in the room, a silence heavy enough to drown in. Subaru's expression remained perfectly still, like a statue carved in resolve, but something subtle shifted in the space around him. A current of tension rippled from his body—shoulders slightly raised, muscles taut like the string of a bow drawn just to its breaking point. His breath came shallow. His skin bristled with unease, the hairs on his arms standing on end as if they, too, sensed the twisted weight of what stood before him.
"Please," he muttered, barely louder than a breath, but filled with a fatigue deeper than exhaustion. His voice strained, frayed at the edges, a brittle string stretched too thin. "Just give me a moment. One minute without having to see this abomination. Maybe... maybe then I can quiet the voice in my head. The one that won't stop echoing, scratching at my thoughts like claws on stone."
From behind him, Flugel's voice drifted in like the chill of an unwanted breeze. Cold. Detached. Utterly indifferent.
"I need to conserve my power for Regulus. This fight isn't worth my attention. I'll pass. Besides... between battling Capella or enjoying a long, intoxicating night with Pandora, the choice is obvious."
Subaru's eyes closed. Darkness offered no peace. His mind was a cacophony—half screams, half silence, all chaos. He shook his head, not to reject Flugel's words, but to shake free from the despair trying to settle in his bones.
"I see," he muttered bitterly. "So fate really wants to test me alone. Again. Left to deal with this putrid monster without help. How poetic."
When he opened his eyes, the exhaustion remained—but beneath it, something burned. A flicker of heat. Purpose. Unshakable defiance.
He gave a small, decisive nod. "I'm sorry. But I'm not interested in you."
Capella's face twisted. Her lips puckered into a deep pout, as if Subaru's rejection had pierced something fragile. She stood there, unmoving, her eyes wide with disbelief. For a fleeting moment, she looked like a child denied affection—lost, wounded. But the moment shattered.
Her voice cracked into a tremble. "Why? Why not me? Don't you see what I can be? I can be anything. Anyone. Every desire you've buried, every fantasy you've hidden even from yourself—I can wear them all. I can wrap myself in your secrets like silk. Doesn't that excite you? Doesn't that make your heart race?"
She stepped closer, her expression imploring now, her voice a gentle whisper begging to be heard.
"Just look. Really look. Who I am doesn't matter. Not here. Not now. What matters is how I make you feel. That's what you crave, isn't it? You don't want a person—you want a feeling. And the colder you act... the more it thrills me."
Subaru didn't respond. He didn't need to. His silence spoke volumes.
Capella's tone darkened. Gone was the pleading. What replaced it was envy veiled in cruelty.
"It's her, isn't it? The one you're always thinking about. Silver hair. Smaller than you. Breasts that practically overflow in your arms..."
She leaned in, her voice turning sharp.
"But that's not what gets to you, is it? No. It's her skin. That flawless, porcelain skin—cold like snow, but with that subtle, hidden warmth beneath. The kind of skin that your fingers remember long after they leave. Skin that doesn't mark when you touch it, but marks you forever. Perfect, but fragile. Vulnerable. Stronger than it looks. That contradiction... that's what you want. That's what makes you weak."
In a fluid, grotesque shimmer, she transformed.
Her form changed entirely. Silver hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her amethyst eyes glowed with familiar light. Her skin shone with Emilia's ethereal glow. Her voice—when she spoke again—was a perfect copy.
"Subaru," she said, her tone light, uncertain, hopeful.
He stared at her for a moment. The resemblance was uncanny—too perfect. Too rehearsed.
"Impressive," he said finally, voice low. "You really can become anyone."
Capella's face lit up like a child on their birthday. She clapped her hands together, eyes wide with twisted joy.
"Yes! Look at me! I'm her. Soft like her. Sweet like her. Don't I stir something in you? Doesn't your heart ache? Doesn't your body long for me the way it does for her?"
She twirled in place, letting her copied silver hair fall over one shoulder as she licked her lips slowly.
"I nailed every detail. Her voice, her smile, the light in her eyes. Even the way she says your name when she's worried. Tell me—did it move? Did you feel something? Your body's already betraying you, Subaru. Why pretend otherwise?"
She stepped forward again, brushing invisible dust from her shoulder with theatrical elegance.
"You can't hurt me now. Not like this. If you attack, you're not just cutting into me—you're cutting into her. Into your precious Emilia. That untouched, unreachable purity. That warmth you chase like a moth to a flame. How ironic, isn't it? Lust is what stops you."
She tilted her head, her smile widening. But this time, there was a crack in it. A fracture. A weakness.
Subaru didn't flinch. Didn't move. His face was calm. Tired. But there was steel beneath it.
He exhaled through his nose. Slowly. Deliberately. Then he lifted his blade. His voice was soft, but unwavering.
"You're wrong. The real Emilia... she's more than just her beauty. More than softness. She's kindness without condition. Strength hidden behind vulnerability. You can mimic her voice, her shape, even her scent... but you'll never touch what she truly is."
He raised the dagger higher, its crystalline edge gleaming. "And no illusion can change that."
[Overburst - Crystallize Mode: Active]
The Yin magic within Subaru's dagger pulsed like a trembling heartbeat, restrained too long and finally unleashed with intent. As he released the spell, it surged forward like a living shadow—serpentine and deliberate. It coiled around Capella's form like a noose woven from dusk, then spread, stretching into gossamer strands of darkness that webbed across her limbs, chest, and face. Her body froze mid-motion, eyes stretched wide in a sudden realization that came too late. The net of magic thickened, hardened, and crystallized—forming a cocoon of obsidian sheen, trapping her inside.
A deep, vibrating hum filled the air. The very atmosphere seemed to resist the spell's presence, recoiling like it had been cursed. The magic finished its work with a final shiver, locking Capella within a suspended prison of dark crystal. Inside, her diminutive form twitched feebly, eyes darting in manic confusion. She was immobilized, silenced, but not unconscious. Her expression screamed protest, her mind still caught in a fight she had already lost.
"Flugel... that was you, wasn't it?" Subaru's voice cracked slightly, a blend of drained wonder and smoldering fury. Each word was measured, anchored by fatigue that ran bone-deep.
A chuckle drifted through the ruined air. "Naturally. A temporary seal, but enough for now. Hide her in the shadows. I'll make sure she stays buried."
Subaru's hands trembled as he lifted the crystal. Whether it was the weight of power, his fraying nerves, or the exhaustion that clawed at him, even he didn't know. Slowly, with reverence and bitterness alike, he lowered the prison into a yawning portal of shadow. Capella's furious eyes glared out, undaunted even in captivity—until the darkness swallowed her whole.
A sigh escaped his chest, heavy and raw. It was not relief. It was the exhale of a man who had survived, but barely.
"Regulus. Where is he now?"
Flugel didn't answer immediately. He stood upon a jagged stretch of rooftop, the shattered frame of the building painting his silhouette against a ruined sky. Moonlight filtered through drifting dust, falling on him like a celestial shroud. When he finally spoke, the wind seemed to hush.
"He's past Banan's outer walls. Far. He moves quickly. Too quickly."
Subaru leaned heavily against a crumbled wall, blood and grime smearing beneath his hands. His shoulders sagged. The shadows in his eyes deepened. "So... I lost her again."
A silence answered. Then Flugel's voice pierced it—soft, but unwavering.
"No, you didn't. Don't confuse hard with impossible. I said it's difficult. Not hopeless. It still can be done."
Subaru's eyes rose. Dim, tired—but somewhere inside them, a flicker reignited. Not fire, but ember. Not power, but will.
"Then... what do I do now?" Flugel stepped down from the rooftop, dust trailing in his wake. He locked eyes with Subaru, his expression devoid of doubt.
"You've copied a Yang affinity. That alone makes you rare. Build on it. You've used Yin Step, but twist it. Fuse it. Yang won't make you faster than light—but it might let you blink toward it. You're closer than you think."
Subaru shut his eyes. His breathing slowed. Inside, he reached for that turbulent current of mana—the second pulse beneath his heartbeat. Yang answered. Golden light shimmered faintly across his limbs, blooming like the first breath of dawn. Wounds tightened. Nerves steadied.
Power surged in subtle waves. Not brute force, but guided potential. He focused it, drew it deeper into his core.
"A word of advice," Flugel muttered with a dry smirk. "Think back to the theory of photonic transfer. Matter accelerating under extreme energy begins to mimic the behavior of light. Use that. Become the bridge between physical and radiant."
Fragments of memory stirred in Subaru's mind—doodles on a whiteboard, hushed classroom murmurs, the scribbled page of a physics textbook. The knowledge flickered back, fragile but real.
He concentrated—and summoned the magic.
[ERROR!!]
Subaru slumped. "Still nothing..."
Flugel groaned audibly, pressing both hands to his temples like trying to crush a headache.
"Incredible. I mean that in the worst way. Even if you had a Luck stat, I swear it'd be negative. Watching you struggle is like sandpaper on the soul. It hurts, Subaru. It hurts."
He paced the shattered floor, boots crunching over debris.
"Every step with you is guesswork. One second I think, 'This time he's got it!'—then boom, you're face-down in another crater. I swear, sometimes I think the universe made you just to test my patience. You're a cosmic endurance trial in human form."
Subaru wiped blood from his brow, his lips curving into a wry smirk. A shred of humor pierced through his exhaustion.
"Still here, though. Still moving forward. Doesn't that count for something?"
Flugel sighed, long and slow.
"It means you're either too stubborn to die or too dumb to stop. But sure. Let's call it resilience. Now focus, dammit. We've only got one shot. Don't waste it."
And in that crumbling ruin, between the breath of gods and monsters, Subaru stood again—eyes glowing faintly—not with certainty, but with purpose.
[DING!!]
New Skill Acquired!
Name: Yang Travel
Type: Active Skill
Effect:
-Envelops the user in high-intensity Yang magic, enabling bursts of near-instantaneous movement.
-Prioritizes speed over control; maneuverability is significantly reduced.
-Causes considerable strain on the user's muscles and mana circuits when overused.
Subaru allowed himself a small, knowing smile. "Heh... I always suspected there was a soft side under all that pomp. You're like a bitter candy—hard shell, sweet center."
Flugel's left eyebrow twitched. A vein bulged on his forehead as he glared at Subaru like a kettle ready to boil over. "You! You baited me into that, didn't you?! You knew exactly what strings to pull! Again! You manipulative, insufferable little—"
His voice surged into a furious crescendo. "So all that 'I'm weak, help me,' act was just for show?! Just another one of your ploys? Do you enjoy watching me unravel?! Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you're a tactician of divine caliber or just the single greatest headache this universe has ever spawned!"
Subaru snorted, unable to hold back a chuckle. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and avoided Flugel's gaze, wearing an expression halfway between apology and mischief. His smile widened ever so slightly—he had expected this exact reaction and accepted it with amused guilt.
Flugel groaned and dragged his hands down his face, then through his hair. "One day, Subaru... one day I swear I'm going to turn you into a crater. But first—we finish this ridiculous war. Then I come back for you. I mean it. I'll burn that smirk off your face myself."
Subaru gave a nonchalant shrug, but there was meaning in the gesture—an emotional undercurrent hidden beneath its lightness. "Maybe... maybe I just believed in you. Maybe even in the depths of all that shadow, I saw a flicker of something worth trusting. I figured... if anyone would reach out, it'd be you."
Flugel's scowl twitched as if trying not to soften.
[Yang Travel - Active]
A shrill tone rang out in Subaru's ears as his body became enveloped in a radiant burst of light. Sparks danced across his limbs like fireflies igniting a storm. A pillar of luminous, white-hot energy exploded around him—crackling, roaring with uncontained power. The ground beneath him cracked like eggshells, massive fault lines splitting outward from his feet.
Then— He vanished.
With a sonic boom that shattered the sound barrier, Subaru surged forward like a divine spear launched from the heavens. The surrounding air warped in his wake, forming a conical vacuum that howled behind him. Dust, debris, and raw energy trailed like a comet's tail.
The wind slammed into him like a hammer. His skin stung, seared by friction. His clothes flapped violently, some threads burning away entirely. Every heartbeat echoed like a war drum in his ears, drowned beneath the relentless howling of velocity.
Yang mana coursed through him—not gently, but violently. It didn't ask his permission. It demanded obedience. His muscles screamed. His bones felt as though they were fracturing beneath the stress. But his mind was steel.
Faster. Faster. I need to be faster...
The command repeated like a mantra. Faster than the pain. Faster than doubt. Faster than the enemy that waited at the end of the path.
His joints burned, crackling with every flex and motion. His chest heaved with short, ragged breaths, lungs fighting to keep up with his own momentum. Each second felt like a sprint through a collapsing battlefield, yet he refused to slow down.
Because there was no room to.
No margin for hesitation.
No path backward.
There never had been.
And so, Subaru flew—unstoppable, unwavering, surrounded by light not because he was righteous, but because he had no choice but to burn.