...
{Third Person POV}
"So, how exactly are we supposed to get that cat out of this rock?" Subaru asked, his voice tinged with both annoyance and confusion as he turned to his assembled spirits for suggestions.
"Why don't we just toss an Al Goa at it?" proposed Agni with a smirk, flames flickering across his form.
"Or maybe throw it into a river?" Aqua chimed in nonchalantly, as if the idea were the most logical in the world.
"What if we dissect it apart, piece by piece?" offered Sylphy, her tone disturbingly calm.
"Why don't we just throw more rocks at it?" Gaea added, genuinely pondering her own idea.
Each bizarre suggestion made Subaru's eyebrow twitch harder with frustration, while Emilia, standing nearby, looked absolutely horrified by the sheer absurdity—and violence—of their proposals.
"Fufufu! I have a better idea, Father!" came a haughty voice, drawing everyone's attention to Gloria, the self-proclaimed pride of the spirit family.
"Hmph! Come forth, Great Spirit of Fire, and grovel at this concubine's feet!" she declared dramatically, striking a pompous pose by shining brightly in golden light.
"…"
"…"
An awkward silence swept over the group. Everyone simply stared at her in stunned disbelief, until Beatrice burst out into a fit of laughter, unable to hold it in.
"Have you forgotten that you don't have any feet, I suppose?" Beatrice teased, her voice laced with amusement and mockery.
"Hmph! That's rich, coming from the Glass Cannon!" Gloria shot back, her mana form quivering indignantly.
"What does that mean, I suppose?!" Beatrice snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously at the younger spirit.
Subaru, however, was entirely uninterested in their squabbling. To him, this was nothing more than the usual chaos—one a 400-year-old lonely spirit loli with abandonment issues, and the other a few-months-old Yang Spirit with Gilgamesh disorder. Yin and Yang they might be, but harmony? Not even close.
Fed up, he decided to take action.
"Puck, come out right now, or I swear I'll tell Emilia all about the birds and the bees!" Subaru threatened, his voice carrying a mischievous warning.
A spark of energy shimmered in the air, and the Fire Spirit finally emerged, floating before Subaru with narrowed eyes. "Hey! Don't you dare fill my Lia's innocent mind with that kind of garbage!" Puck barked protectively.
But even as he spoke, he realized he had just made a critical mistake.
"Good. Now that you're out…" Subaru turned toward Emilia, who gave a small nod, already sensing something serious was about to unfold.
"Puck, why didn't you answer me when I called you?" Emilia asked gently, her eyes filled with concern and hurt.
Puck flinched.
"Uh… well, you know how all dads need a bit of alone time now and then, right? Yes, alone time!" he said hastily, inching backward toward his glintstone.
But Subaru moved swiftly, grabbing the spirit mid-air before he could retreat.
"Hey! Let me go!" Puck protested, wriggling in Subaru's grasp.
'Should I tell Emilia about the fact that you sealed her memories?' Subaru's voice echoed inside Puck's mind, speaking through telepathy.
'Telepathy?! Wait—how do you even know about the sealed memories?!' Puck's panic flared, and he froze in place, glaring at Subaru with wide eyes.
'I have my ways,' Subaru responded grimly. 'But more importantly, do you even realize how damaging it's been for her? Her psyche is fracturing—she's emotionally breaking down!'
'Shut up! You don't understand! You don't know what she went through—how she used to wake up crying every single morning! If I hadn't sealed those memories, she would have lived in endless torment!' Puck shouted back within the silence of their minds.
'Perhaps you were right… back then. But now? Now you're the one preventing her growth. She's trapped in a mental cage of your making, and she'll never move forward unless you stop being so overprotective.'
Puck's fury surged, and with a burst of power, he escaped Subaru's hold. Both Emilia and Rem, along with the others, watched in confusion as the tension between Subaru and Puck escalated—without a single word being spoken aloud. Their expressions shifted, jaws clenched, eyes locked in invisible conversation.
Only Beatrice and Reina seemed to understand.
"Telepathy," Beatrice whispered.
"You will have to sever the contract," Subaru said at last, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. The statement sent shockwaves through the group.
"W-What are you saying, Zero?!" Emilia asked, completely bewildered, while the Beast of the End began to growl ominously.
"I will not break my contract with my daughter!" Puck snarled. His fury flared as dozens of sharp, glacial spikes materialized behind him, aimed squarely at Subaru.
Before he could launch them, a fiery aura surged forward.
Agni floated in front of Subaru, his blazing body crackling with rage. "Great Spirit or not, no one attacks my father under my watch."
The other spirits gathered protectively around Subaru, their elemental energies humming ominously as the atmosphere thickened with mana.
"Wait! Stop! Don't fight! What is going on?!" Emilia pleaded, clearly overwhelmed.
Subaru sighed deeply, then finally spoke the truth.
"Puck has sealed your past memories, Emilia… That's why you're failing the trials. You don't even realize what you've lost."
Emilia's expression collapsed. Her mouth opened in disbelief, and then she turned toward Puck.
"You believe him over me, Lia?!" Puck's voice cracked, pain flooding his eyes. The fact that she even considered Subaru's words felt like betrayal.
"P-Puck… Is that true?" she asked, her voice trembling and the cat spirit flinched.
"Of course not! Why would I ever twist our contract like that?" Puck said, trying desperately to deny the accusation.
"My Divine Protection confirms that he is lying," Reina said flatly, her eyes glowing faintly. The color drained from Puck's face.
"Puck… please… just tell me the truth!" Emilia begged.
Puck clenched his teeth, his body visibly trembling. Then, at last, he sighed in defeat.
"I wanted to help you. I only ever wanted to protect you from your pain… to stop the nightmares, the endless tears."
But his confession sliced through Emilia like a blade.
"Liar! Liar! Cheater! You betrayed me! You sealed my real memories from me!" she screamed, sobbing uncontrollably. The words stunned Puck, who stared at Subaru with a look that said: See what you've done.
"Listen, Lia," Puck whispered, floating toward her slowly. "I only ever wanted what was best for you…"
But before he could finish, Emilia slapped him—hard.
"You betrayed me too. Just go away… I don't want to see you anymore!" she cried, turning away from him.
Puck opened his mouth, trying to speak, but then closed it in silence. He vanished into his glintstone without another word.
Emilia broke down completely, her sobs racking her body as she collapsed into Subaru's arms. The group fell into stunned silence, the weight of the moment settling over them like a stormcloud.
Subaru held her tightly, gently resting his chin on her head as she wept.
Meanwhile, Rem watched silently, a bitter thought blooming in her mind: Lady Emilia… may not be fit to become queen.
When the sobs finally quieted, Emilia lay still in Subaru's embrace, drawing comfort from the warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Subaru sighed, his expression somber.
Did I go too far? Should I have handled this more delicately? he wondered. Perhaps I should've taken it slower…but then again there is no time to go slower.
But even in the turmoil, one thought remained clear to him:
'Still… I have one more card left to play.' , he thought.
To be continued…
(A/N: People are saying I give five bonus chaps... I am going to be honest I haven't written anything for the week(For this fic), This is the sixth chap, and I have completed the seventh chap a week ago, that's how I have the chaps to release.
I want to write the chap, but when I have mood, I don't have time, and when I have time I am not in the mood to write. I want to get a time period of another week after releasing the bonus chap, that's why I cannot increase the chap limit.
But yeah, considering we are in top 3, and should remain in top 3 by the end of the week, I will give the promised three bonus chaps, I will try to see if they are longer as well)