...
{Third Person POV}
Meanwhile, after being reunited with Geuse—who seemingly filled the emotional void that had long resided within Emilia's heart—she found herself rejuvenated and renewed with determination. With a newfound strength swelling in her chest, she declared that she would challenge the trials once more.
Geuse, however, gently suggested she take some time to rest and recover before pushing herself again. But Emilia, standing tall with fierce resolve, shook her head.
"This time, I will pass the trials," she said confidently, her voice unwavering. "I won't falter like before. I won't run away. As long as I have you, Father Geuse, and Zero by my side, I know I can do this. I won't lose again." A radiant smile graced her face—both beautiful and defiant, the smile of someone who had finally decided to confront her demons.
Geuse felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude wash over him. The chance to see Emilia again, to stand beside her as something more than just a shadow of his past, felt like a blessing from the heavens. It was an opportunity—perhaps his only one—to redeem himself after a lifetime of mistakes and sins.
"I will come along too," Subaru said suddenly, stepping forward.
"Wait, are you going to attempt the trials as well?" Reina asked curiously, tilting her head.
Subaru shook his head. "Nah. I've got something else I need to do."
Without waiting for further questions, he turned around and summoned all of his spirits into the open. They flickered into view one by one, each radiating a unique energy and presence.
"I want all of you to guard the entrance to the trial grounds," he commanded clearly. "And above all—protect Betty."
"Umu!"
"Okey-dokey!"
"Understood."
"Okay!"
"This concubine shall carry out thy command!" each spirit responded with a distinct flair.
"Hmph! Betty needs no protection from inferior spirits" the great Spirit of Yin pouted.
"I know," Subaru smiled "So protect them for me, okey?" Betty nodded.
Then Subaru turned to Reina, his expression shifting to one of focused concern. "Reina, I need you to scout the surrounding area. I have a strong suspicion that one of the Three Great Beasts might be nearby."
The air turned tense for a brief moment.
Reina's eyes lit up, her fighting spirit ignited by the challenge. "I see… If I run into it, I'll make sure to eliminate it. Finally, I've been given a proper task."
"Rem, Geuse," Subaru said, shifting his attention. "I want the two of you to monitor the village for any unrest. If anything feels even slightly off, I need to know immediately."
Rem gave a respectful bow. "As you command, Master Zero. It will be done."
"I'll take care of everything on the villagers' end," Geuse said reassuringly.
With his orders dispatched and everyone moving into position, Subaru followed after Emilia into the trial chamber. As the trial began and Emilia fell unconscious to confront her past, Subaru felt an unusual force brush against the edge of his consciousness.
'Should I open a Spiritual Tear to the Dream Castle?' he wondered silently. But as the presence strengthened, something inside him shifted. Sensing familiarity, he allowed the force to take hold of him. A small, knowing smile curved his lips as he relaxed and surrendered his resistance. His body went limp, and his mind drifted into the world made by the witch.
...
Inside the Dream Castle
"You're back," Echidna said with her signature mischievous smile, entirely unfazed by their last encounter or the chaos that had ensued.
"It seems you're still as fond of brewing tea as ever," Subaru replied dryly, seating himself without ceremony.
Echidna's smile widened as she handed him a delicate cup. "This time, I've tried something… new. I've used a different bodily fluid of mine to brew this particular blend."
Subaru raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued wondering what the enigmatic witch might have mixed. He glanced at the tea suspiciously, then shot her a flat look.
"Don't tell me it's your snot."
"How rude!" Echidna pouted, folding her arms. "Do you really think a refined lady like me would do something so vulgar?"
Then, like flipping a switch, she brightened again and leaned closer with a teasing glint in her eyes. "It's something far more intimate. Why don't you take a wild guess?"
Subaru slid the teacup aside with a sigh. "I'm really not interested in what sort of bodily essence you've decided to mix into your tea. I came here for another reason—I want to speak with the other Witches."
Echidna's cheerful expression faltered slightly, and a tinge of genuine disappointment flickered in her eyes. "You really are the type I hate—people who are too strong-willed… bullies who toy with an innocent witch's fragile heart"
She made a pitiful face, her tone turning melodramatic. "You'd even trample on the only pride I have left in this lonely afterlife?"
"Echidna, the Witch of Greed—who committed countless sins in the pursuit of knowledge, and still regrets many of them even after death," Subaru said, eyes narrowing. Her expression twisted ever so slightly in response to his words.
"You were the one who warned me to be wary of you," Subaru continued. "And while we're at it—was it really the Witch of Envy who killed all of you? Didn't each of you meet your end in different ways?"
Caught red-handed, Echidna pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Her fabrications had been exposed.
"I just don't like her, alright?" she said bluntly.
Subaru ignored and asked, "Other Witches please?"
Echidna gave Subaru a sharp glare—though it was poutier than menacing. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you. Not all of them are as… charming as I am. And remember—do not remove Daphne's restraints, unless you've developed a sudden death wish"
With those ominous words, she vanished, her presence fading like mist under sunlight. In her place appeared a young girl with short green hair, bright red eyes brimming with childlike wonder. A delicate wreath of blue flowers adorned her head, adding to her innocent charm.
"Ohhh! It's you, Baru!" she squealed excitedly.
"You must be the Witch of Pride—Typhon," Subaru said, noting her youthful appearance but not underestimating her nature.
Typhon reached out with her arms, but Subaru stepped back slightly, raising his hand.
"I'm here to speak with Daphne and Minerva," he said politely, trying to avoid her touch.
Typhon slapped the table with a pout. "Baru! That's so rude! You're not even going to hug me?!"
"…."
Subaru didn't budge. "Echidna, stop pretending that only one of you can appear at a time. I want to meet with the Witch of Wrath and the Witch of Gluttony. Now."
He barely finished his sentence when Typhon darted forward, grabbing his hand with unexpected strength.
'Oh FUCK!' Subaru thought in a panic, suddenly filled with dread. He wondered if this was going to shatter his body or make him experience pain as if he was in hell.
But to his surprise, nothing like that happened. Instead, Typhon's crimson eyes sparkled with wonder.
"Ohhh! You're really a good person, Baru!" she squealed with delight. "You don't even feel guilty about anything! That means your heart is pure!"
To her, Subaru was practically the embodiment of virtue—a flawless soul. But Subaru felt anything but flawless.
Before he could respond, a sudden flash of light appeared high above the dreamscape's sky. The air trembled. A booming noise echoed across the landscape, as if a meteorite had collided with the ground. A shockwave blasted outward.
At the center of a small smoking crater stood a strikingly powerful figure—Minerva, the Witch of Wrath.
Her golden hair shone like sunlight, cascading in waves down her back. Her eyes, a brilliant aquamarine, glowed with unwavering resolve. She had an athletic, curvaceous body clad in a form-fitting outfit that radiated intensity.
And then she began.
"First! I strike down all that defy justice and reason in this broken world!"
"Second! Let no one care whether an act is heinous if it is born from a desire to protect!"
"Third! Ugly or beautiful, it doesn't matter! If you exist in this fleeting world, you must face the consequences!"
Subaru stared, one eyebrow twitching slightly. She was so dramatic.
"My fists will restore the world!"
"My fury shall cleanse all wrongs!"
"My wrath—the force of my justice—will be the answer to everything!"
Subaru clapped slowly, an amused grin on his face. "Impressive monologue, Miss Minerva. You definitely know how to make an entrance!"
Suddenly, her attention shifted.
"Hey! Typhon, how could you attack someone like that!" Minerva yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at the green-haired girl.
Then, almost instantly, she was by Subaru's side. She bent over him, frantically grabbing his shoulders and hands to inspect him as if checking for injuries.
"You're not hurt, are you? You're okay, right?! Tell me you're fine!"
Her concern was so genuine and intense that Subaru couldn't help but smile.
"I'm alright, Lady Minerva. Completely unharmed," he replied warmly. "But I do have a question for you—"
He didn't get to finish. Minerva was suddenly thrown back by an unseen force, flipping through the air before landing flat on her back with a loud thud. The impact left a crater of her own, though far less dramatic than her entrance.
"Calm yourself, girl," came a tired, sultry voice. "Your enthusiasm is so overwhelming, it's almost like you're trying to propose to him."
Subaru turned his head.
Floating there with minimal effort, as if gravity itself barely concerned her, was a woman of graceful lethargy—Sekhmet, the Witch of Sloth.
Her long, tangled magenta hair fell down her back like an overgrown vine, and her eyes were the same deep shade. She had an alluring figure draped in a seductive, yet sleepy, outfit that emphasized her curvaceous form. Her whole demeanor radiated slothful elegance.
"Oh, you must be the Witch of Sloth," Subaru observed. Sekhmet gave a slow nod, appreciating not having to introduce herself.
"Seriously! All of you had to show up, didn't you?!" Echidna's voice cried out, returning to the dreamscape in an agitated state. Her teeth clenched as she turned and saw two more arrivals standing beside her—Carmilla and Daphne.
The Castle of Dreams suddenly felt a lot more crowded.
Subaru sighed, exasperated. "While I appreciate the warm welcome, I really only wanted to speak with the Witch of Wrath and the Witch of Gluttony."
Sekhmet gave a faint smirk as she floated closer. "We didn't come just to greet you, boy. We came to verify something… to confirm if you are truly her beloved."
A cold shiver ran down Subaru's spine.
"…What do you mean by that?" he asked cautiously.
Daphne, restrained in her grotesque and monstrous sarcophagus-like contraption, crept closer. Her eyes gleamed behind her blindfold, and her voice was disturbingly gleeful.
"Unknown power… forbidden knowledge… and a soul… so strange… with dual colors. Mmm, smells absolutely delicious," she said, licking her lips with visible drool slipping from the corner of her mouth.
Subaru instinctively stepped back. "You're really starting to remind me of a certain Bowel Hunter, you know," he muttered, eye twitching.
"Ohhh… is that fear I smell? Mmm, delectable," Daphne crooned, as if his fear was a delicacy.
Sekhmet floated lazily above them. "The fact that you're alive—and untouched by her wrath—suggests she's planning something… something dangerous."
Subaru finally faced them seriously. "What exactly are you implying?"
Echidna stepped forward, expression grave. "What she means is… you're not the man we thought you were. You aren't the Witch of Envy's supposed lover. And the more I think about it, the more obvious it becomes… there are inconsistencies. Flaws in the memories of this world."
She pointed at Subaru, her lips curling into a knowing grin.
"You are an anomaly, Natsuki Subaru. A person who should not exist. A glitch."
Minerva, having finally gotten back to her feet, shouted indignantly, "Hey! Do you all really think she'd mistake her own lover?! That's ridiculous!"
"I-I-is t-that so…? B-but… we a-all k-know h-his soul… i-it o-only has one color," Carmilla whispered, blushing furiously as she covered her face with her sleeves, too shy to look directly at Subaru.
At that moment, everything clicked into place for Subaru.
Subaru's eyes widened with realization.
They had discovered the truth: he wasn't just Natsuki Subaru. He was also Ayan Ghosh. And the world itself wasn't recognizing him properly—it only registered what Subaru did, not who he was.
'Damn it! Don't tell me the Witch of Envy is going to flip out over this…' Subaru thought, his heart racing.
To be continued…
(A/N: Here is a bonus chap, since we are in top 10, we won't be falling in top 20 in two days, so I can give the first bonus chap. Now try to take it to top 3 for the next two bonus chaps, or you will get only one bonus chap. If we are in top 1, I will give three more bonus chaps.
Also, I will be honest I think I did mess up writing this fic fast paced, I didn't flesh out details as much I should have, however the situation with this fic is different. First, I don't have that much time. Gone were the days where I could upload a 2k to 3k word chap everyday, secondly if I drag a fic too long, I get bored... so this is what happened with fic.
I cannot do much about this, time is something that I don't have and i am not willing to take time out of my schedule, I am already sleep deprived with constant migraines.)