After much contemplation, and with great reluctance, the duchess finally conceded to Subaru's request, letting out a sigh of resignation as she put her sword away.
"I will... trust your judgment, Natsuki-san," she replied, preparing to mount her personal Ground Dragon.
However, Crusch couldn't shake her concern; could she truly entrust the safety of her men to the White-haired Butler?
"Natsuki-san, are you absolutely certain you can take down the White Whale by yourself?"
Subaru shifted his gaze from the circling whale to meet her eyes, his six eyes glimmering softly, and his smile unwavering.
"Wouldn't even break a sweat."
His tone was definitive, and the determination in his eyes, coupled with the calmness around him, and the confident smile of his, spoke volumes.
Natsuki Subaru was fully convinced he could defeat the Whale alone.
Unlike her, he seemed completely devoid of doubt.
Crusch found herself inclined to trust him, even without her divine protection.
"In that case, may Od Laguna be with you," she said before turning to rejoin her army at the base of the tree.
Thus, Natsuki Subaru stood alone on the battlefield, ready to accomplish what many had previously sought to but lacked the means to achieve.
To slay the White Whale, the Mabeast of The Fog.
"You know, it's quite thoughtful of you to wait for her to leave, which is unusual for a Mabeast, I must say," he remarked.
Subaru began to stretch lightly, gearing up for the incoming showdown. He hummed a tune to himself, seemingly unfazed by the massive whale looming before him. Finally, he stood tall, facing the Whale with his hands in his pockets and a relaxed stance, as if he were not about to engage in battle.
"Alright, ya oversized fish, I'll give you three minutes. Let's see what you've got," he shouted, gesturing for it to come at him.
With that proclamation, the battle started.
The White Whale, having taken ample time to observe and analyze its target, initiated the attack. With a thunderous roar, a section of skin on its head split open, unleashing a vast column of pure white fog.
This force was devastating, tearing the ground apart as it surged directly toward Subaru. Aside from a brief widening of his eyes, he showed no sign of concern.
As the relentless force approached, Subaru remained firmly in place, watching as it drew closer and closer... until it completely enveloped him.
However, just as it did, the force halted, and the fog seemed to retract inward, condensing into a small blue orb that floated serenely on Subaru's fingertip.
"Is that the best you can do? Laaaaame." he yawned, clearly unimpressed.
The whale, visibly annoyed that this human was still standing, unleashed another column of all-consuming fog toward him.
The tiny orb in Subaru's hand expanded and he hurled it at the incoming attack. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the orb devoured the entire assault before vanishing.
"Come on, is blowing air your only trick? I've had fourth-grade curses that are more impressive than that!" he mocked, arms wide open.
The Whale did not appreciate the insult. With a furious roar, it charged at him, scraping the ground and sending debris flying in all directions.
As it closed in, it opened its massive jaws, ready to eat him, but at the last moment, Subaru leaped high into the air, dodging the Whale's attack.
"Sorry, but that won't work—" he began to taunt, only to be interrupted as a pillar of fog shot up from below. Fortunately, he emerged unscathed thanks to his infinity, landing back on the ground.
"Okay, I didn't see that one coming—" he started, but was cut off again as another pillar of fog shot toward him, which he narrowly dodged.
'I guess it's getting annoyed by me,' he thought, grinning as he noticed the Whale's blood-red eyes fixated on him.
Subaru began to run, pushing his cursed energy reinforcement to it's limits as he skillfully evade blast after blast from the whale, which was now directly chasing him.
He had to admit, despite the fact that he was facing a legendary creature known for slaughtering thousands and leveling entire cities, he was genuinely enjoying himself.
This was by far the strongest opponent he had encountered so far, and he was relishing every moment of it.
As Subaru continued to flee, the whale followed closely behind. It soon became clear that he was getting away from it.
Frustrated by not catching him, the whale decided to take a different approach. If its fog attacks couldn't kill this pesky human for whatever reason, then the answer is to go bigger.
As Subaru kept running, he sensed the whale slowing down behind him, but he also felt an immense amount of mana gathering and coalescing right behind him.
When he turned around, his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw.
A massive swirl of wind mana was forming into a concentrated ball, pulsating with raw energy. It was emerging from the open mouth of the White Whale, with thick strands of fog flowing toward the expanding sphere.
Did he forget to mention that In terms of mana reserves, the Whale possessed more than any living creature he had ever met.
"Well, I'll be damned—"
Then, in the blink of an eye, it happened.
The ball of pure fog was launched forward with incredible force. Its sheer power and speed surpassed anything the whale had previously unleashed.
If the earlier fog attacks were akin to a toddler swinging a stick, this one was like pressing the big, shining, red button in the oval office.
The blast reached him almost instantly, producing a deafening sound that echoed across the desolate plains, reminiscent of a tornado. The noise was so overwhelming that even the stunned onlookers at Flugel's tree were blown away by its intensity.
Everything in its path was, predictably, utterly decimated. Insects and small animals were instantly destroyed, while trees, plants, and everything else met a similar fate.
Eventually, the attack began to lose its momentum, weakening and dispersing before finally coming to a halt, leaving only a lingering fog in its wake.
For a brief moment, the battlefield fell silent, with the White Whale pausing to survey the aftermath, its crimson eyes scanning through the mist.
A minute or two passed, but it found no trace of its prey. It seemed that this pesky nuisance had finally been eliminated after all—
"Now THAT's what I call an Ultimate attack! That was awesome dude!"
The Whale's gaze snapped toward the sound, searching for its source, but it couldn't locate it.
"Yo, over here!" The voice called out again, prompting the Whale to look up?!
"I'm guessing you've never had anyone look down on you like this, huh?" Subaru remarked, hands in his pockets and a slight slump in his shoulders, a teasing grin on his face.
He was currently floating in the air, much like the White Whale.
Subaru noticed the Whale squinting at him, its eyes trembling with rage as it let out a thunderous roar. However, he ignored it, taking in the devastation around him.
The once vibrant green grass was now a dull brown, with deep grooves and trenches carved into the earth like wounds. Small mounds and heaps of debris dotted the landscape.
'Ooookay, that was way more destructive than I thought,' He was relieved that he had led the Whale away. He didn't want to imagine the damage if it had hit Flugel's tree instead.
Subaru let himself drop to the ground, now seemed like a good time to go on the offensive. If this is the damage the whale could do, then there is no time to waste and let more collateral damage take place.
"Alright, your three minutes are up. Now it's my turn," he said, cracking his knuckles and stretching his legs.
The Whale let out a roar, bracing itself for whatever attack he would do.
Subaru bent down slightly and pulled at the familiar two strings within him. In an instant, a noticeable dark blue aura enveloped his legs.
Cursed Mana.
During his time in the capital, Subaru had been working on controlling it and he had made some minor progress. He could manage a single limp for forty seconds and two limbs for twenty.
Not exactly impressive; his limited mana reserves were to blame for that.
"Ready or not, here I come!" he shouted, and in a flash, he took off.
A cloud of dirt erupted from the ground as he sprinted toward the Whale, moving so quickly that the dust couldn't keep up with him.
He had never felt this fast before.
Not even with Cursed Energy reinforcement pushed to its limits.
The White Whale wasn't an intelligent creature; in fact, it was quite instinctual, driven by three basic needs: eat, sleep, and survive.
But for the first time since its existence, the Whale's survival instinct kicked in. This human posed such a threat that it felt its life was in danger.
The Whale under no circumstances could allow him to get close.
With a roar, it twisted its body mid-air and slammed its powerful tail into the ground. With all its strength, it swiped in a wide arc, sending a massive cloud of dirt into the air and carving a deep gash in the earth.
It was reminiscent of how it had brought that foolish army to it's knees, but this was even more destructive.
"Hah! Do you really think that will work?! Think again!" he shouted, clearly enjoying the challenge, as evidenced by the wide grin on his face.
Subaru remained unfazed by the mountain of dirt and rocks. Why should he be? Didn't that fish realize it couldn't touch him? With all those fog attacks it had launched, did it really think this would work?
'At the end of the day it's a fish. I guess I shouldn't give it too much credit.'
Subaru weaved and ran through the falling avalanche of dirt, avoiding any obstacle in his path, not because they were of any issue to him, but he wanted to test his reflex and agility now that his legs are modified.
And because it was fun.
With a powerful leap, Subaru soared through the cascade of debris, finding himself high in the sky with the whale directly in front of him.
He quickly released the cursed mana from his legs, sensing it was on the verge of spiraling out of control. Instead, he channeled the cursed mana into his arms, enveloping them in a dark blue aura that surged with strength.
He raced toward the whale's head at breakneck speed, reaching it faster than a bullet, leaving the creature unable to react.
Subaru clasped his hands together, then with all his strength, he slammed both fists onto the whale's rock-like skin.
The impact was instantaneous; a deafening shockwave rippled through the air, accompanied by a loud crack and the most piercing screech the whale had ever emitted.
The force of the blow was so immense that the whale's head snapped downward, propelling it toward the ground with tremendous force.
A thunderous crash echoed, sending debris flying and creating a massive cloud of dust around them, forming a large crater beneath.
"Holy shit!" Subaru exclaimed, his face a mask of disbelief. This was far beyond his expectations. If he had done all of this with the reversal, it wouldn't have surprised him, but to achieve it with just his fists?
How powerful is cursed mana, really?
"No point in looking a gift horse in the mouth," he muttered before striking the same spot repeatedly, again and again and again and again.
With each punch, the whale sank deeper; with every blow to its skull, its pained shrieks grew louder, and the skin twisted under the relentless impact.
Eventually, he had to cut off the flow of cursed mana to his arms to prevent it from surging uncontrollably. He knelt down, panting.
Not from fatigue—oh no, he wasn't even winded.
But from the sensation of power draining from his body, leaving him feeling sluggish and heavy, as if he were suddenly burdened by weights he hadn't realized he was carrying.
If that was the outcome when he only enhanced his limbs, what could happen when he applies it to his entire body?
Subaru pondered this for a moment, only to realize that the whale had been completely still for quite a while.
"Is it dead?" He observed that the whale was bleeding profusely, its skull caved in, and blood was seeping from its eyes.
As soon as he voiced his thoughts, the creature began to move, as if it had heard him. It immediately shot up into the sky, pulling Subaru along for the ride as he clung on for dear life.
"I guess not!"
A grin spread across his face; it seemed like more excitement was on the menu.
---------------------------------
Crusch Karsten, known as the Valkyrie, was famous for her ability to hold up against the Great Rabbit and her composed demeanor in high-pressure situations. Yet, at that moment, she could only stare in awe, much like a child in a candy store.
What she was witnessing felt surreal. Her eyes registered the scene, her nerves transmitted the image to her brain, which processed it, but her soul remained in disbelief.
"...Am I dreaming?" she found herself asking. It had to be a dream; surely, she would wake up soon.
"As unbelievable as it seems, what we are witnessing is indeed real, Crusch-sama," replied the elderly man laying on a medical mat nearby.
Wilhelm was also captivated by the battle unfolding before him. Despite the astonishing nature of the events, he knew they were real.
He had come to recognize the seemingly ordinary butler as a formidable warrior, recognizing his sharp instincts and the way he observed everything around him, even while appearing to be focused on the fight.
But this?
He never anticipated the butler's strength would reach such heights.
Since Crusch's safe return, Wilhelm had been watching the battle closely, especially after she mentioned that Subaru had claimed he would defeat the creature "Without breaking a sweat."
And lived up to his claims; no matter what the Whale unleashed, nothing seemed to harm him or even come close.
Even the massive blast fired from the Whale's mouth, which had taken everyone by surprise, didn't even faze him.
And to witness him engage in direct combat, landing punches on the creature, was the icing on the cake for the remarkable feats accomplished by the butler.
From where he was laying, he could see the butler battling the Whale in mid-air, with flashes of red and the creature's howls of pain echoing even from a distance.
Wilhelm felt an overwhelming desire to leap into the battle, to drive his sword deep into the Whale and unleash the pain and vengeance he had carried for over ten years.
However, he was unable to do so. He had sustained severe injuries during the joint attack with the wolf-man. Blood was flowing from his wounds, several bones were fractured, and his shoulder was dislocated, all due to the Whale's sudden plunge.
Frustration filled him. After all the time spent tracking the creature and the effort he had put in, it felt unjust to be sidelined because of his own carelessness.
He would have pushed through the pain and joined the fight if it weren't for the healer tending to his injuries.
"Ferris-chan can confirm, you are not dreaming at all," Felix said, his hands glowing softly blue as he worked to heal the aging warrior.
Among all the soldiers present, Wilhelm bore the most severe injuries, and given his age, he required immediate medical attention.
Out of the corner of his eye, Felix noticed Crusch looking down, her face a mask of complex emotions, none of which seemed positive judging by her grimace.
A low hiss escaped his throat; Crusch was a proud and noble warrior, and such a conflicted expression should not be on her face!
Yet, as much as he wished to assign blame, there was no one to fault—not even Subaru.
Despite his dislike for the butler, Felix couldn't hold onto that resentment, especially since Subaru had saved his lady from certain death, granting her a second chance at life.
He had also rescued countless soldiers, including the mercenaries and Wilhelm himself.
Now, Subaru was facing the Whale alone and was actually gaining the upper hand. They might miss out on the prestige and rewards that defeating the Whale would bring, but in his eyes, as long as his lady survived, it was all worth it.
To the side, the sound of hooves caught their attention; a carriage drawn by dragons approached, piloted by a blue-haired woman dressed in a maid outfit.
Crusch, already on high alert, quickly unsheathed her sword and took a defensive stance, weary of the newcomer.
"Halt! Identify yourself!" Crusch ordered in a commanding tone, drawing the gaze of the maid and prompting a few soldiers, mostly unscathed, to follow her lead and ready their weapons against the intruder.
The carriage came to a stop, and the maid gracefully dismounted, facing the assembled troops.
"Forgive my interruption, Crusch-sama. I am Rem, a maid in the service of Roswaal L Mathers and the caretaker of Natsuki Subaru-kun," she introduced herself with a respectful bow.
Upon hearing Subaru's name, Crusch relaxed her stance and sheathed her sword, her soldiers doing the same.
"So, you're with Natsuki-san? What brings you here at such a time?" she inquired.
"Rem and Subaru-kun were on their way home when we stumbled upon your army battling the Whale. Subaru-kun decided to join in to help you, so she chose to come here and wait for him," she replied smoothly.
"I see..." Crusch said, noting that the maid's account aligned with Subaru's. "In that case, you are welcome to accompany us. We are also waiting for him to finish."
"Thank you for your kindness, Crusch-sama," Rem said with another bow.
She then guided the dragon to the side and joined the onlookers, captivated by the legendary battle unfolding before them.
Noticing the rapt attention of everyone around, Rem smiled softly.
'Everyone is watching you, Subaru-kun. Show them just how incredible Rem's hero is!' she thought, her eyes shining with faith.
---------------------------------
The clash between the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer and the White Whale continued fiercely, with both fighters exchanging relentless strikes that left devastation in their wake.
While Subaru remained completely unscathed, the same couldn't be said for the Whale. It was covered in deep bruises, broken bones, and severe wounds, with its right eye crushed like a grape and bleeding profusely.
Floating in front of the whale, Subaru flashed a cocky grin and taunted, "Come onnnn, is that the best you've got? Ogre, midget and skinny can put up a better fight than you!"
The whale let out another furious roar and charged at Subaru like a frenzied beast, driven solely by the instinct to sink its teeth into him.
However, its charge was slow and clumsy, betraying its weakened state. The immense mana it had accumulated over centuries was nearly depleted, and the spell keeping it airborne was flickering.
As always, Subaru baited the whale, floating just within reach before teleporting away at the last moment.
He had never pushed his teleportation abilities to this extent before, and likely wouldn't again. In fact, it had drained a good chunk his Cursed Energy reserves.
Regrettably, his mana was nearly exhausted, which was unfortunate since he had hoped to use Cursed Mana more against it.
Raising his hand, a small red orb flickered into existence. "Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."
The whale noticed the approaching sphere of destruction but was powerless to stop it as it struck once more. This time, however, the target was not its gills or eyes, but something else entirely.
Its horn.
The roar was so deafening not even his Infinity could protect his poor eardrums.
"OKAY, I did not know this was a sensitive spot!" he yelled at himself, using reverse cursed energy to soothe his aching ears.
Despite all the noise this Mabeast made, it was quite remarkable that its vocal cords remained intact.
but at the mention of its vocal cords, an idea struck him.
'Hmmm, when I eventually kill this thing, which part should I keep as a trophy?' Subaru pondered, resting his chin on his hand as if he weren't facing a legendary Mabeast.
While he was thinking, the White Whale glared at the audacious human. In its four centuries of existence, it had never felt such intense hatred toward anyone.
Enough is enough; this has to end now.
As Subaru contemplated whether to take home the eye or the horn as a trophy, he sensed a surge of mana once more.
"This again? You know that didn't work..." he trailed off, his eyes widening in shock.
The Whale had already expended most of its mana in their battle, so attempting the same attack again should have been out of the question, as it would leave itself vulnerable to attacks, even from that pitiful army.
But what Subaru witnessed was something he had only heard about before, never seen until now.
The Whale was channeling energy from its very essence, its Od, to fuel the spell it was casting.
This was a dangerous tactic, as the Od represented the soul, identity, and existence itself. Using it could lead to losing oneself and ultimately to death.
"Wow, so you're going all out. I know you are a Mabeast, but I respect your determination," he said. "If you're going to use your strongest attack, then I'll use mine as well."
The mana sphere, energized by the Now power from the Od, became even more potent than before. The swirling mist transformed into a radiant ball of pure white light.
Next to Subaru, two droplets appeared—one blue and the other red. "You might be an animal, but you have the privilege of being the very first to witness it first hand, so I will even explain it to you."
"You take the amplified and the reversal—"
The white mana sphere grew larger as the whale infused it with a significant amount of soul energy.
The droplets began to spiral around each other, their colors shimmering under the moonlight like stars in the night sky. "Then you smash these two different expressions—"
The sphere reached its maximum size, vibrating intensely as if it were eager to be released at any moment.
The droplets fully merged, their colors blending into a small purple droplet. "Of infinity to create and push out an imaginary mass."
At the peak of the standoff, it felt as though the world had paused. All sound faded, colors blurred, and onlookers were forgotten, as if the universe was entirely focused on these two otherworldly forces.
"Imaginary Technique: Purple"
With that declaration, both attacks were unleashed. The white fog ball flew forward with the roar of a hurricane, in a collision course with the incoming purple blast. They drew closer until—
The white sphere of soul energy and mana vanished as if it had never existed. The purple blast continued on its path, unaffected, as if it had not been intercepted.
The White Whale, the Mabeast of the Fog, could only watch helplessly as the impending doom approached.
In its final moments, the whale experienced an emotion it had never known throughout its existence.
Fear.
And then everything went dark.
---------------------------------
"Ehh?! What's that pink light?! Mimi can't see a thing!" Mimi put6 a hand in front of her face to shield her eyes.
"That's purple, Mimi, not pink!"
"Same thin', Hetaro!" she blew him a raspberry
"Okay, okay, calm down, you two!" A large hand came down on both kittens, quieting them.
Ricardo, the big wolf demi-human, sighed at Mimi's antics, something he had grown accustomed to and even found endearing.
With bandages wrapped around his chest and head, his weapon laid beside him, Ricardo sat on the ground with his vice-captains close by.
They, along with the rest of the Iron Fang and Crusch's army, were now spectators to the ongoing battle between the butler and the White Whale.
Initially, Ricardo had a negative view of him due to his actions against Julius. However, it seemed he needed to reassess that opinion.
Not only did the butler appear to be just a young kid, contrary to the image he had, but he also learned later that he had saved Crusch's life and was now fighting the whale to protect theirs, as the blue-haired maid had mentioned.
He had been watching from the very beginning to the end, and he could only think of one word: Impressive.
That kid was incredibly impressive.
"Oh, oh, the pink light is fading now!"
"Mimi, for the last time, that's purple! Not pink!"
Hetaro received a bonk on the head in response.
As the light completely vanished, he finally saw the aftermath.
Ricardo's eyes widened in disbelief.
Hetaro was equally stunned, while Mimi bounced with excitement.
The White Whale, the fearsome Mabeast of the fog that had terrorized the world for centuries, was now reduced to just its tail, the rest of its body seemingly vanished
The carcass crashed to the ground with a thunderous sound, and the sky rained its blood down onto the earth.
A figure descended slowly in front of it, calmly observing the now-deceased Mabeast.
No one spoke...
"HE KILLED IT! HE KILLED TH' WHALE!" Mimi shouted to everyone.
And then the floodgates opened.
The suspenseful atmosphere turned electric as soldiers and mercenaries alike erupted in cheers and shouts of joy. Their excitement was palpable as they celebrated the long-awaited defeat of The White Whale.
Ricardo burst into a hearty laughter, beyond thrilled to see that over-sized fish finally dead.
Mimi ran around in pure excitement.
Hetaro joined the celebrations, uncaring of Mimi's antics.
Crusch and Felix both breathed out in relief, sharing relieved looks.
Wilhelm clenched his fists tightly but eventually relaxed them with a resigned sigh.
Rem wore the brightest smile as she saw everyone celebrating her hero's triumph.
From that night onward, thanks to Subaru's valiant effort, the Great Mabeast that had terrorized the world for centuries was finally vanquished for good.