…
{3rd Pov}
"So, you intend to go after his wives now, I suppose?" Beatrice asked, her small hand still gently intertwined with Subaru's.
"Yes… I'm sorry, Betty. But it seems I've got a mountain of things to deal with. Starting with saving Regulus's wives," he replied as they walked through the hallway—toward the secured room where the barely-alive remnants of Regulus Corneas were sealed.
"Though… I'll need Reina's help with something," Subaru added, lifting a hand and taking a stance.
"With this Sacred Treasure—I summon the Sword Saint! Reina!"
Beatrice blinked. Her brows twitched as she watched her contractor dramatically strike a pose like he was on stage.
"…Shameless fool," she muttered, but there was the faintest smile on her lips.
A golden flash lit the room—and within a blink, the fabled Sword Saint appeared.
"Zero! I'm here!" Reina's voice rang sharp and clear. She looked ready for battle—but her gaze quickly dropped to where Subaru's hand held Beatrice's.
A pause.
Her eyes narrowed. A tick of jealousy flared within.
"…Isn't that the Great Spirit of Yin?" she asked flatly, pointing at their joined hands.
"Yes. And she's not just my contracted spirit…" Subaru said proudly, puffing his chest. "She's my Imouto too!"
Reina blinked, then gave Subaru a long, unreadable look.
"Betty is the best Great Spirit, in fact!" she declared with the poise of a queen, chin raised, eyes closed.
Reina's lips twitched. She looked away, struggling not to smile. "Ah… I see," she said, voice low, like someone grappling with a fundamental reality shift.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she briefly questioned if a union between Spirit and man had ever truly worked.
…Nope. Can't imagine it.
(A/N: Meanwhile, Geuse and Fortuna are rolling in their spirit graves.)
Then her eyes drifted to the grotesque remains of Regulus—still alive, barely.
"And who's this?" she asked, her tone shifting to cold professionalism, finger pointed at the twitching pile of flesh like it offended her soul.
Subaru sighed and quickly recounted everything—from the battle against the White Whale to the hellish confrontation with the Sin Archbishops, and finally, his contract with Beatrice.
Reina listened in silence, her expression unreadable, until the story ended. Normally, she'd shine with admiration.
But not now.
Instead, she walked forward and suddenly wrapped him in a tight hug, her voice trembling.
"Why didn't you call for me…?" she whispered. "You could have died."
Her voice cracked, the frustration and worry bleeding through. "Am I that worthless? Do you not trust me…?"
But the questions weren't for Subaru.
They were for herself.
He gently patted her back and said, "I made a promise, Reina… that I would become someone worthy of being your Lord, didn't I? Now you can proudly be my Knight. After all, I'm the one who slayed the White Whale and the Sin Archbishops of Sloth and Greed."
"Y-You did it for me?" The realization hit her. Yes, he could have called her—could have relied on her—not that she would've minded. But knowing he chose to risk his life for her…
She felt warm inside. An intense desire to make him hers welled up within her.
She hugged him tightly. "I understand. It would be too selfish of me to say anything more. But… I want to become your Knight."
She broke the hug and looked into his eyes. "I, Reina Van Astrea, want to become your devoted Knight—the sword that slays your enemies. So please… let me be your sword."
She knelt before him, and Subaru was stunned.
'Today's been wild… First, I slay two Archbishops, then make a contract with Betty… and now this?' he thought.
"Um, don't we need some official ceremony or something? You know, for swearing fealty or whatever?" he asked awkwardly. He wasn't exactly well-versed in this kind of thing.
"No, only official Knighthood requires a ceremony. So I pledge my loyalty to you—do you accept it?" she asked, eyes locked on his.
"I accept," he replied. I mean, what else was he supposed to say?
In just the past two days, more had happened to him than in his entire life.
She smiled and bowed her head. "Hereby, I, Reina Van Astrea, dedicate my sword and life to my one and only Lord."
"Good. Now that you're my Knight, I can finally tell you my name—it's Natsuki Subaru," he said.
"Natsuki Subaru…" she repeated softly. The name engraved itself on her heart—it was the name of the Lord she had sworn to serve.
"Reina," he said, gently placing his hands on her shoulders and helping her stand, "I promise I'll become a Lord you can be proud of."
There's no need for that, she wanted to say. All she really needed was an excuse to stay by his side, to protect him… and maybe, just maybe, make him hers one day.
That was how selfish her heart truly was.
{ T/n: Question, who loves Subaru more? Reina or Envy.}
"Now, Reina, I have a quest for you," he said.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"I want you to return to the Capital and deliver the news of the White Whale's demise, as well as the deaths of the Sin Archbishops of Greed and Sloth, to the Council. Tell them that I handled it—and that the Emilia camp is taking credit," he said.
"My Liege… do you plan to serve that woman?" she asked, somewhat dissatisfied. In her eyes, Lord Subaru was far above some half-elf who couldn't even stand firm on her own.
"No. I consider Emilia an ally. I'll fully support her claim to the throne, and in return, she'll provide her resources to aid me," he explained calmly.
Reina let out a soft breath of relief.
If that woman dared to treat her Lord like a servant, she wouldn't have hesitated to send her head rolling.
'Still, she's gotten into the role pretty fast, huh?' Subaru mused, glancing at her—unaware of the murderous thoughts flashing behind her serene expression.
"Very well, My Liege. I shall deliver the news to the Council of Wise Men and return to your side to carry out my duties," she said, bowing slightly.
He nodded. Having her around ensures everyone's safety.
Even if things went south with Roswaal, he wouldn't need to fear him.
He knew that, with his Aura, Psychic abilities, and Spiritual prowess—especially now with the empowerment from the two Swords of Power—he surpassed Roswaal.
But Roswaal was the type who might snap once cornered.
And you should never underestimate crazy people.
Thus, Reina departed, teleporting back to the Capital to deliver the news.
Meanwhile, Subaru unrolled the world map and discussed the location Gluttony had revealed—the hidden place where Regulus' wives were being held captive.
"It's southwest of here… even farther than the Royal Capital, in fact," Beatrice said, tracing a route on the map.
He nodded.
'If I run at full speed, I can get there in a few minutes', he thought.
It wasn't an exaggeration—he had calculated it. His current speed clocked in at nearly eight kilometers per second, something he confirmed using his psychic abilities.
By all logic, such speed should require insane levels of force and energy—but somehow, he could do it naturally, like he had developed a special affinity or ability tied to speed itself.
Another mystery to ponder later, he noted mentally.
"Hey, Betty, you know I can act as a Spirit Anchor, right?" he said, glancing at her.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "You want to see if Betty can Anchor to you, I suppose?" she asked, her voice bubbling with excitement.
Subaru instinctively took a step back. The sheer sparkle in her eyes gave him goosebumps.
The analogy of someone being inside him felt a bit too violating—not to mention the cursed memory of those pregnant Subaru fanfics from his past life. He visibly shuddered.
"Very well, let's check it out, I suppose!" Beatrice said cheerfully, placing her hand on his chest before vanishing in an instant.
"Betty?" he called, glancing around.
"I'm here… inside of you. And I must say, it's wonderful," her voice echoed warmly within him.
"W-Wonderful? In what way?" he asked, sweating nervously. Goddamn those fanfic writers. They've ruined Re:Zero for me.
"It's your soul," she explained, matter-of-factly. "It has two distinct colors. One is orange—warm and vibrant—and the other is transparent with a faint golden tint."
She sounded like she was describing a lovely grove in a forest rather than his soul.
"I personally prefer the white one more," she added casually.
"Right… Anyway, time to bag up what's left of Regulus," he said, slipping the corpse into a bag. He coated it with his Aura just to make sure it wouldn't disintegrate or fly off mid-run.
"Alright, I'll start heading for the destination. Please guide me, Betty."
"Do not worry! Betty is the best guide, I suppose!" she replied proudly, her tone haughty and smug.
Subaru stepped outside and began running at a moderate speed, waiting until he was a fair distance from the village and the mansion before picking up the pace.
"Very well, turn to the left... A little more, and perfect!" Beatrice instructed, her voice clear in his mind.
Subaru nodded, coating his body in Aura to avoid repeating his previous mistake. He bent his knees slightly, preparing himself for the jump.
With a powerful thrust, the ground cracked beneath him as he shot into the sky, soaring several hundred meters high. He scanned the horizon, then adjusted his trajectory before landing with a heavy thud that sent dust flying in all directions.
He took off, his body becoming a blur, legs moving in a frantic, almost unnatural rhythm.
His figure tore through the landscape like a force of nature, leaving sonic booms in his wake, each step reverberating with immense force.
Thankfully, his thinking speed was 1000 times faster than the average person's, allowing him to process the world around him in slow motion. He weaved through obstacles effortlessly, taking detours with ease as if the world itself had slowed down just for him.
His speed peaked, and the ground beneath him began to scorch from the sheer intensity of his momentum. He pushed forward, faster than a comet, feeling the wind whip against his face as he neared his destination.
"We're here," he said, his voice steady, despite the incredible pace. "Now, all we need to do is find the castle."
No matter what awaited him in that castle, he was ready…
…
To be continued…
(A/N: Mommy! I am number 1!
I thank all of you!
Lets keep up with the momentum, give me your powerstones and we remain as the King this week!)