Natsuki Subaru stood resolutely at the forefront of the throne room, every gaze fixed upon him, yet silence reigned supreme. The pressure in the air was so thick that no one dared to move, as if they were frozen in place.
Crusch and Anastasia observed Subaru with cautious eyes. While they were mostly unaffected by the oppressive atmosphere, as it wasn't directed at them, their instincts screamed at them to be wary of him.
Priscilla, on the other hand, seemed entirely unfazed by the unfolding drama. A grin spread across her face as she watched the commoner who had piqued her interest approach. 'Come on, entertain me, show me what you will do,'
Felt, much like Priscilla, was also eager for what was to come. She had been in a foul mood, being forced into this selection, the ridiculous dress, and the insults from arrogant nobles. But with Subaru stepping up, perhaps she wouldn't need to intervene after all.
Roswaal was just watching everything with a knowing smirk, everything seemed to be going well…
Emilia noticed the sudden hush in the room, she snapped out of her daze and saw Subaru standing at the front. She could sense his anger directed at everyone, but what truly alarmed her was the fear radiating from the crowd. She witnessed his power first hand, she understood just how formidable he was—powerful enough to…
Her eyes widened in alarm. "Wait, Subaru, don't—!"
Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, the tension vanished, and Subaru's anger seemed to dissipate, replaced by a smile that lit up his face. He surveyed the crowd and the sage council surrounding him.
"You all must be some of the biggest imbeciles I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Disrespecting royal candidates like that… one of them could very well become your ruler someday, you know?" He hurled insults at everyone present.
The nobles, council members, and knights were left gasping, the overwhelming pressure they felt was enough to weaken their knees; some even collapsed from sheer fright.
'Pathetic,' Subaru thought. All he had done was release a bit of his cursed energy, and this was the effect it had on them? Even the knights?
'Those people wouldn't last a minute as Jujutsu sorcerers,'
"Wait, Subaru! Please don't do anything rash!" Emilia called out, trying to get him to back down.
Subaru glanced at her, feeling a little irritated that she didn't want him to defend her… or perhaps she feared he would cause harm.
"Emilia, I won't hurt anyone. What I need to say must be said," he assured her. Despite the pain reflected in her beautiful amethyst eyes, he couldn't back down.
Not when his friend was being disrespected like this.
Roswaal then stepped forward, fixing his gaze on Subaru. "Natsuki Subaru, this is a formal gathering hosted by esteemed members of this kingdom. Disrespecting them can lead to severe consequences, including execution," Roswaal stated, prompting Subaru to turn his attention to him.
"However, I will allow you to leave unharmed if you were to grovel and apologize to everyone."
Subaru glared at Roswaal, his anger now focused on the court mage. 'Me getting executed? Forget that shit! Emilia was just humiliated; why aren't you saying something about that?!'
"Roswaal," he began, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I will not say it again. Will you kneel and apologize?"
"Roswaal, you know me better than most. What do you think I'll choose?
"…Very well then,"
Roswaal began his incantation, his arm pointing at him as a gigantic fireball formed overhead.
"Al Goa!" The fiery orb hurtled toward Subaru.
"No!" Emilia cried out, watching the ball approach. Why wasn't he moving? He was going to get hurt!
Just before it could reach Subaru, the fireball was nullified by a blast of ice, neutralizing it. Subaru turned to see who had saved him.
'Ah, so that was your plan, Roswaal?' Subaru's anger morphed into great annoyance at his ploy. Was he banking for him to intervene just to bring Puck out? Why?
'Whatever, I can think about it later,' he thought, shaking his head.
"Thanks for the assist, Puck." Subaru nodded at the hovering Great Spirit.
"Anytime!" Puck replied cheerfully, but his expression darkened as he glared at the others.
"I've heard what you all said about my daughter, and let me make one thing clear: I. Am. Not. Happy." With each word, the temperature dropped, causing everyone to shiver.
"The disrespect and audacity shown towards my beloved daughter is unforgivable. The only reason I haven't turned you all into ice statues is because of Lia, so keep that in mind." He shot a fierce glare at the crowd.
"T-this is… Your spirit… is The Beast Of The End!" one of the council members finally managed to stammer.
"Oho? So you're aware of me? Good. It seems you're somewhat educated, human." Puck's smile was laced with malice.
"Whenever you think about the smart idea of hurting my dear Lia, remember who you will be dealing with, and I will end you without hesitation."
"Puck…" Emilia whispered her father's name, unsure of how to respond.
"Hey Puck, let me take care of this. Alright?" Subaru interjected, giving the spirit a reassuring gesture. Puck studied Subaru for a moment before relenting.
"Fine, I'll leave this to you," and in an instant, the spirit transformed into mana, which was absorbed into her necklace.
"Now then," Subaru scanned the crowd, focusing on the nobles, "Are you going to apologize?"
His question snapped some out of their daze, especially the one who had initiated the attack.
"You dare to speak to me like that? Who do you think you are, demanding an apology from a noble such as myself when you're nothing but a lowly peasant?! I could have you executed right here and now!" he bellowed.
"Knights!" he commanded, gesturing toward them. "Take this disrespectful fool's head!"
The knights exchanged glances, uncertain about their next move. But before they could act, a loud burst of laughter interrupted the tension.
Subaru was laughing heartily, as if he had just heard the most hilarious joke ever told. This only served to infuriate the noble, particularly the one who had called for his execution.
"What's so funny? Are you mocking me?! Do you find my words amusing?!" he shouted.
"Absolutely," Subaru replied, his laughter fading into a sly smile, one that the bowel hunter would have as she was gutting her victim.
"You ordered for my death over disrespect, yet you've committed an even graver sin."
The noble looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"It's quite simple," Subaru explained. "You insulted Emilia by referring to her as a 'Half-devil.' Can't you see the crime you've committed?"
The noble sneered. "I merely told the truth."
Subaru's smile widened. "Oh, you really are a dumbass. The insignia lights up when a potential candidate is found, which it did in Emilia's case. The divine dragon himself selects these candidates as future rulers for this kingdom he guards," he said, enjoying the confused expressions on their faces.
"The divine dragon recognized Emilia as a potential ruler, yet you chose to insult her… What you just did was that you mocked the choice made by the divine dragon himself."
The nobles recoiled, their eyes widening in disbelief as they processed his words.
"By disrespecting a candidate for the throne, you've disrespected the divine judgment of the dragon by extension. I don't have to tell you just how serious of a crime this is."
The nobles fell silent, and Subaru could see the fear etched on the man's face; he had come to realize his error.
Subaru pressed on, "You also claimed that Emilia was the Witch of Envy… But she was sealed away by the three heroes four centuries ago. One of those heroes was the dragon himself…" He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle.
"Are you suggesting that the dragon failed in his duty?"
This was too much for the noble, who had never considered it from this angle. He understood the consequences of disrespecting the dragon; it meant death and the loss of all lands belonging to his noble house, along with a deep stain on the family's honor.
"So, will you apologize or not?" he repeated his question.
The man stammered, unable to form the words. It was a humiliating moment, with all eyes on him—the candidate, the councilmen, the knights—waiting for him to act.
"Of course, I'm not referring to Emilia," he started, surprising everyone, including her. But before he could continue, he pointed to the banner of the Kingdom of Lugunica above the throne, the dragon proudly displayed.
"Get on your knees, roll over the ground like a good puppy and beg for forgiveness. Who knows, the Lugunican church might be lenient with you,"
He turned to the other nobles, "This includes all of you. Don't think that just because I'm focusing on one person means you're all innocent. You've all committed the same crime."
Subaru scanned each of them, challenging anyone to speak up, but they merely shuffled and averted their gazes, just as he had anticipated.
A loud bang echoed as a hand struck the table; one of the councilmen rose, anger and displeasure evident on his aged face—it was the bald-headed one.
"I've had enough of this—"
Just like before, the words caught in his throat, unable to escape as his entire body tensed. But this time felt different.
Subaru faced the man, his expression unchanged, still smiling, but there was something new–His right eye peeking over his sunglasses.
The overwhelming pressure from earlier surged back, and the war veteran councilman began to experience a sensation he hadn't felt in ages: fear.
That piercing azure-blue eye bore down on him, unwavering, gazing deep into his soul, judging him for all his misdeeds and choices.
It was as if he was facing Od Luguna itself.
"And you." Subaru started, emphasizing the last word, "Where do I even start? One would think a member of the sage council would set an example for everyone, someone wise enough to guide this nation through tough times. But what do we have?" He scoffed.
"Some bumbling, senile fool who's lost his way, letting trivial biases and emotions cloud his judgment." He spat, "If you can't do your job right, maybe it's time for you to step down. But if you need more encouraging, then I might have to take matters into my own hands—"
"Subaru!" A melodic voice, like silver bells, called out, snapping him back to reality. He halted, realizing he was halfway toward the trembling old man. He turned to see Reinhard poised to intervene, then looked at her, noticing the disapproval, confusion, and something else in her eyes.
He refused to acknowledge it, because it stung deeply.
"Subaru, you've made your point. Please stop," she urged, her firm tone wavering slightly.
Subaru's smile faded, and he simply stared at her, lips pressed thin. The silence lingered uncomfortably before he finally spoke.
"Alright, I'll take my leave then." He said, turning away and walking out of the throne room.
However, as he approached the doors, he paused and glanced to his right, meeting the eyes of the knights who were watching him.
"You know, knights should embody chivalry and heroism, serving as role models who would defend the common people and everyone around them. However, after witnessing this farce of an event, I can only say that, with a few exceptions, you all are nothing but disgusting hypocrites." He spat those words and walked out of the throne room.
The words lingered in the air as the knights glared at the now-closed golden gates, their anger palpable. It was evident that the remarks made had struck a nerve, hitting right where it was sensitive for them.
Their pride.
Among them, a purple-haired knight fixated on the gates, his eyes slightly narrowed while his expression remained calm—a skill he had honed over time.
Julius will have to take action.
"Ahem," a man cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to the councilman, Miklotov McMahon
"Well, that was certainly… something," he began. "You have quite the intriguing attendant, Emilia-sama." She chose not to respond, just staying silent.
The other candidates felt a wave of relief wash over them. Crusch let out a sigh, grateful that a confrontation hadn't erupted. Anastasia, on the other hand, was eager to move on, viewing the entire situation as a waste of her time. Priscilla nodded in approval, a broad smile on her face, clearly pleased with the unfolding events, much like felt, who was happy those stuck up noble got a verbal lashing that they deserved.
"Now, typically, this would be the point where we conclude our meeting and officially commence the royal selection… but an important development has arisen," he continued, capturing the audience's full attention.
"About a month ago, the Dragon tablet revealed yet another prophecy," he stated. "The message was rather brief and somewhat unclear. It simply read, 'The Sage Has returned.'"
This revelation took everyone by surprise—the knights, the candidates, and the nobles alike, all momentarily stunned.
"Pardon my interruption, Miklotov-sama," Reinhard said, bowing slightly as he spoke. "But what does this mean? Shouldn't Sage Shaula always reside in the Pleiades tower?" he inquired.
Sage Shaula was one of the three heroes who had defeated and sealed the Witch of Envy, and legends claimed she lived in the tower built to contain her, the Pleiades tower in the Auguria sand dunes.
"We don't fully understand the true meaning of the prophecy. Our best assumption is that the Sage has left the tower and may have come to assist us in our time of need," he explained.
"This brings me to the next point; Reinhard Van Astrea," the knight knelt as his name was mentioned.
"You are assigned this mission; your task is to find the Sage and bring her to us, as her arrival could signal a period of turmoil that this kingdom might struggle to face." He outlined the mission.
"As you wish, Milklotov-sama. I will work with utmost diligence to accomplish my mission," he replied with a bow as he rose.
"Now that everything is settled and all candidates have shared their intentions, I hereby announce that the Royal Selection for the forty-second ruler of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica has officially commenced!"
---------------------------------
Subaru scowled as he was escorted through the castle, 'Fucking council of senile bastards. Whatever world I end up I always have those old farts make my life miserable,'
Having just left the throne room, he was in a particularly sour mood due to the recent events. He should have realized that the so-called wise members of the "Sage Council" were no better than the jujutsu elders he had dealt with back home.
He had foolishly hoped they might be different—after all, it was a new world with new rules—but it turned out they were all the same.
As he entered what appeared to be a waiting room, or that's what he thought as he didn't care about its purpose. Ignoring his guide, he flopped down into one of the chairs, dragging a hand over his face in frustration. The day's events had worn him out, but what weighed heavily on his mind was Emilia's expression; the hurt in her beautiful face stung him deeply.
'Damn it… Emilia, I never meant to hurt you,' he thought, letting out a dejected sigh.
Just then, a familiar voice broke through his thoughts. "Well, I didn't expect to see you here."
Turning, he recognized the voice he hadn't heard in a month. "Well, I'll be damned. I should have known you'd be here, Old Man Rom," he said, glancing at the giant sitting beside him.
Rom smiled back, "Likewise! Seems like fate has brought us together again, huh?" he said, gesturing around.
"Fate? You actually believe in that stuff, Rom?" Subaru asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rom chuckled, "Ha! Fat fucking chance! Only fools who have given up would say such nonsense."
"By fools, I take it you mean the folks in the slums?" Subaru replied.
"Who else would I be talking about?" Rom snorted. "You know, Felt always hated being there… in the slums, I mean."
"Oh really? Well, she didn't seem too thrilled about being a candidate either. What happened after you guys got kidnapped by Reinhard?" Subaru inquired.
"Well, we woke up in a room at the Astrea mansion in the capital. Reinhard made Felt hold a similar insignia to the one she stole, and it glowed. Then he told us that we will be residents in the mansion in the meantime."
Subaru stared blankly at Rom, "Hold on, you're missing something here. He did explain what the insignia was for, right?"
The blank expression on Rom's face said it all.
'Reinhard, buddy. You're a great guy, but can you be completely oblivious,' he thought, amused by his friend's thoughtlessness.
"And how did she find out? I can't believe he would keep it a secret until the royal selection began."
"You have no idea, kid." Rom started, "It took me, her, and the whole mansion staff to corner Reinhard and force him to talk. He eventually caved."
"How did she react? Like I said, she wasn't exactly thrilled," he replied.
"Pretty bad, actually. She wanted to drop the moment she found out."
"But then she changed her mind, why's that?"
"Because I talked her into it." He grinned, "I told her it was a golden opportunity to make a difference in this cursed kingdom of ours. With a little push from Astrea, she finally came around."
He then looked at Subaru, "So, you were in the throne room, right? How did it go?"
"To put it mildly, she declared war on everyone." He said bluntly, and Rom chuckled.
"Yeah, that's the Felt I raised."
"You're surprisingly calm by this. Shouldn't you be worried about her? The nobles, the knights and everyone in between really didn't like what she said."
"Bah, there's no need to worry. The Sword Saint has sworn an oath to be her knight, so she'll be fine."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense. There's no one safer than having the Sword Saint as your knight, huh?" he replied.
His thoughts wandered back to Emilia and how everyone had been mocking and insulting her. If she had a strong knight to protect her, would they have acted that way?
Subaru shook his head; she didn't need a knight, and after what he witnessed, he'd rather jump off a cliff than become one. Those bastards had shown their true colors. Well, there are a few exceptions…
The door swung open, revealing the three knights he recognized: Felix, Julius, and Reinhard.
Felix was the first to speak, his feline mannerisms on full display. "Ferris-chan must admit, that was quite the myove you pulled, Subaru-kun!" he purred.
Subaru simply shrugged. "I just said what needed to be said, that's all."
"If that's how Nyou feel, then Ferris-chan would take nyour word, Nyan!"
"Subaru…" Reinhard began, trailing off as he struggled to find the right words. What Subaru had done was incredibly disrespectful; speaking out against the nobility and the sage council in such a manner was a serious offense.
Yet, Reinhard, with his kind heart, couldn't deny that Subaru's actions had merit, even if he personally disagreed with his method.
Moreover, Subaru was ready to stand up for his lady when she was insulted, while Reinhard remained silent, allowing Felt to bear the brunt of the nobles' anger.
Here was Subaru, a mere butler defending his lady, while he, the Sword Saint, stood by and watched.
But then again, what else was expected from him? He was a monster at heart.
"Reinhard, let me take care of this," Julius's voice broke through Reinhard's self-loathing as he turned his full attention to the butler.
"Natsuki Subaru," Julius called out, catching the attention of Reinhard and Felix, who were curious about what he wanted.
"What is it?" Subaru responded tersely, not feeling up for a chat with a knight.
Reinhard and Felix were different from the others; they hadn't joined in the ridicule from the other knights. Reinhard, having faced insults aimed at his lady, appreciated their support.
On the other hand, Julius served Lady Anastasia, who had openly insulted Emilia, making Subaru distasteful around him, especially since he was a knight.
"I get that you might not be in an agreeable mood, but that attitude doesn't really suit you," Julius said, prompting a frown from Subaru.
"Just spit it out already, what do you want?" he sighed.
"I can see you're not in the mood to talk… Very well, I won't take much of your time. I need you to come with me,"
Reinhard and Felix exchanged knowing looks; they could already sense where this was heading.
"To where?"
"You'll find out,"
"No, my mom always said not to go with strangers, especially if you don't know where they're taking you. So unless you tell me where we're heading, I ain't budging," he replied with a smirk.
Julius gave him a flat look, "…To the garrison. I think a lesson or two is in order."
---------------------------------
They made their way to the knight's garrison connected to the castle, which was roughly a ten-minute walk from his location.
Once inside, he was guided to a specific area. It was a spacious circular space with a sandy floor, and above him were rows upon rows of seats filled with spectators.
In essence, he found himself in a small-scale Roman coliseum.
And the audience consisted entirely of knights.
"I guess that's what he meant by teaching me a lesson or two," Subaru remarked, observing the knights glaring down at him. On the opposite side, Julius had removed the ceremonial adornments from his knight uniform and was lightly swinging a wooden sword.
"Julius, you should rethink this; it's not like you," a certain sword saint urged, trying to dissuade him.
"He disrespected and ridiculed the nobles at the conference, nearly harmed one of the sage councilmen, and insulted our chivalry. It needs to be done," he replied, keeping his gaze fixed on Subaru, who was stretching.
"I'll admit he may have crossed the line in several ways, but I believe this isn't the right way to resolve it," he pleaded with Julius to reconsider, but it was in vain.
"Reinhard, you might as well be talking to a brick wall; that guy won't listen to you," he said after finishing his stretches.
"Subaru, I think this issue should be resolved differently. I strongly disagree with what's about to happen," he said, moving closer to Subaru.
Subaru shook his head at Reinhard, "No, Reinhard. This is the perfect way to handle it; if he believes what I said was wrong, then I'll just beat it into him."
"But Subaru! Julius is a skilled knight and a fighter; you could get hurt…" he trailed off, and Subaru turned to him in surprise.
He then smiled gently, "Reinhard, you're such a nice guy, you know that?" he said, causing Reinhard to blink in confusion.
"But you're worrying about the wrong person," he added, removing his suit coat and handing it to Reinhard. Silently, he stepped forward.
Julius lifted his sword high for everyone to see, declaring, "I hereby impose the death penalty on this insubordinate man who has tarnished the honor of the knight and the kingdom!" His proclamation was met with loud cheers and shouts from the surrounding knights.
"Normally, such disrespect would lead to a death sentence, but since you are Emilia-sama's attendant, we will settle this with wooden swords instead," he continued.
"Knight Felix Argyle will be the referee for this duel. Any objections?" he asked.
"None from me," came the reply as he accepted the sword from a grinning Felix, who seemed eager for what's about to happen, that cheeky cat.
"Nyow that everyone has their weapons, take your positions so Ferris-chan can begin the countdown," he instructed, and both compiled.
Julius stood sideways, his left arm tucked behind his back while his sword pointed forward.
Subaru casually stood with a hand in his pocket, seemingly unfazed by the impending duel, which drew boos and jeers from the crowd.
"On the cwount of three, the duel will start, alright? One… Two… Three—"
"Hold on just a moment," Subaru interrupted, catching Felix off guard.
"I've heard that you have the 'Blue' because of your water magic skills. How good are you at healing?" he asked, drawing curious glances from those around.
"Well, mew is the best! As long as you're not dead, Ferris can heal you right back to full health!" he boasted.
Subaru smirked at this revelation, thinking, 'This is going to be good.' "Great, you can start counting now."
Felix nodded and raised his arm, "One… Two… Three!" He brought it down, signaling the start of the duel.
Julius began to circle Subaru, mirroring his movements. "Julius, tell me the truth. Do you believe what you are doing is the right thing?" he asked.
"If you're trying to find a way out of this duel, I recommend you—"
"No, that's not my intention. I want to understand your motivations behind this," he insisted. "I'm genuinely curious. Is it because of my earlier comments? Or is it your pride that's been hurt by what I said?"
Julius tightened his grip on his sword. "You've committed an unforgivable offense, and as the Finest of Knights, I must respond accordingly."
"Even if my words were the harsh truth?" he retorted. "My lady was insulted by everyone here, including the knights. You saw that with your own eyes."
He continued, "You're Anastasia's Knight, right? If she were in that position, what would you have done? Would you have stayed quiet and accepted it like the good knight you are? Or would you have defended her?"
He then stared right into Julius's eyes "So tell me, O' 'Finest of Knights', what was I supposed to do at that moment, hmm? Stay silent? simply let it go because of their status? Or make a stand and defend my lady against the slander?"
Julius fell silent, unsure of how he would respond.
No, that's not true. He knew exactly what he would do if faced with that scenario, which would be—
"Ah, I see. You would have defended her just like I did, yet you want to punish me for standing up against the unfairness. What a hypocrite," Subaru remarked, his tone lacking disgust but instead carrying a dangerous smile.
"But then again, your lady is a greedy bitch, so it's no surprise she would attract—"
"I won't put up with your disrespect any longer," Julius interrupted, a rare anger creeping into his voice as he broke the stalemate and lunged forward, sword raised to strike him–
He was sent flying, his body tumbling through the air and kicking up sand before finally coming to a halt.
The crowd gasped, but their reactions were drowned out by a ringing in his right ear. In fact, he could barely feel anything on that side at all.
He blinked to regain his focus, wondering what had just happened. As he touched the right side of his face, he winced at the pain and noticed it was starting to swell.
His vision cleared, and he looked ahead. There stood his opponent, lowering his leg with a broad grin as he adjusted his sunglasses.
How the hell did that butler almost take him down in one blow?
"See? The moment I insulted her, you jumped into action, just like I did. But somehow, I'm the one in the wrong, not you. What a hypocrite," Subaru scoffed, clearly repulsed by the man.
"Well, Mister 'Finest of Knights', you'd better brace yourself," he said, his expression changing into a smile as he glared at him over the sunglasses, making him shiver as he met those eyes.
Eyes that promised pain.
"I'm about to give you the beating of a lifetime." He snapped the wooden hilt in his hand, breaking his sword.
Julius got to his feet, wiped the blood from his lips, and prepared himself. This time, he approached his opponent with more caution.
Subaru was riling him up, and he had fallen for it—hook, line, and sinker.
He slashed at Subaru, who dodged effortlessly. He swung again, but Subaru evaded once more. Then, with a powerful swing, he aimed low, but Subaru jumped out of the way.
"Too slow! You'll have to do better than that!" Subaru taunted, charging at him. Julius anticipated his move and attacked, but Subaru raised his arms in an X shape to block, he felt the sword impact his forearm yet there was no reaction from him, which surprised Julius.
Subaru raised his arms high, gaining the upper hand over Julius as he lifted his sword arm, causing him to lose his balance. Julius panicked and swung a punch at Subaru, but Subaru effortlessly leaned to the side to avoid it.
In response, Subaru struck back, delivering a solid punch to Julius's face, followed by another hit to his stomach, and finishing with a powerful uppercut to his jaw.
Julius felt himself becoming disoriented and overwhelmed by the sheer force of his blows. In a desperate attempt to regain control, he swung his sword at Subaru, aiming for a strike to the skull with the hilt. However, Subaru was quick, his arm shooting out to catch Julius's wrist and hold it firmly in place.
With a sudden tug, Subaru pulled Julius's surprised face toward him, causing Julius's nose to break upon impact. The pain shot through him as he felt his sword arm twist painfully, forcing a grunt from his lips as the bones ground together. The agony was intense, and he dropped the sword, which clattered to the ground.
Before he could recover, Subaru unleashed a flurry of weak yet impactful strikes—punches and slaps that left Julius feeling more disoriented, like a ragdoll unable to defend himself. Subaru's hand then plunged painfully into his stomach, causing him to spit blood and gasp for air through his broken jaw, his teeth shattered.
Seizing Julius's arm, Subaru turned and placed it on his shoulder, pulling down with force and slamming Julius onto the ground. A scream escaped Julius as his back hit the hard surface painfully.
Subaru twisted Julius's arm and pressed down, a loud crack echoing as it twisted unnaturally, sending another scream reverberating through the stunned audience.
Crouching down, Subaru looked at Julius's bruised face with a smirk. "You'd better hope that knight training you went through was worth it, Julius. The real fight is about to begin."
Julius could only tremble in fear as he met Subaru's smiling gaze.
---------------------------------
"Reporting! Reporting!" A loud noise of heavy clanking filled the air as a knight in armor hurried into the throne room.
"Knight Julius juukulius and Natsuki Subaru are fighting a mock duel with wooden swords at the training arena!" he announced.
Emilia's eyes widened in disbelief, her heart racing at the news.
"What?! No! I need to stop Subaru before he—"
"I just have one question," Anastasia interjected, fixing her gaze on the messenger.
"Which on' of 'em started the duel?" she inquired.
"Uh, it was Knight Julius-sama who issued the challenge, and Natsuki Subaru accepted, which led to the duel," he replied.
"In that case, let them keep fighting," she said, waving him off.
"But your knight and my friend are fighting! Aren't you worried?" Emilia pressed.
"Worried? About what? That Julius might go too far an' hurt him? Not that he don' deserve it, mind you. Your friend shows no respect whatsoever," she replied dismissively.
"N-no, it's just…" Emilia struggled to articulate her thoughts. She wasn't worried about Subaru; she knew he was strong. But her concern was for…
Fortunately, Felt jumped in, smirking at the merchant. "She's not worried about him, ya moron."
Anastasia raised an eyebrow, feeling both puzzled and offended. "Excuse me?"
"It's your knight she's worried about, not big bro," Felt explained, enjoying the bewildered expression on Anastasia's face.
Regaining her composure, Anastasia scoffed. "Why would the half-elf be worried about my knight? He's 'er friend, right? She should get her priorities straight."
Felt chuckled at her naivety. "Wow, you really don't get it, do you? Your knight doesn't even know who he's up against."
She turned to Emilia, "Come on, big sis! Let's see how big bro is doing!" With strength that fifteen year old shouldn't have, she pulled the anxious half-elf along, as if she was a doll.
Felt was more than eager to witness a spoiled noble knight getting his ass handed to him.
Priscilla reluctantly acknowledged, "As much as I hate to say it, the insufferable brat is correct. Your fool of a knight is completely unaware of what he's gotten himself into." She held her fan in front of her face, catching both Anastasia and the quiet Crusch off guard.
"Al, let's go. I want to see what's become of She-Fox's knight." she declared, tucking the fan into her… Breasts, and sauntering off with her knight, a smile gracing her lips.
Anastasia and Crusch were left alone in the throne hall, which only added to the merchant's confusion and frustration. What did they mean by worrying about her knight? He was strong! She had seen his power firsthand! What could an arrogant butler possibly do?
"We should go see the duel for ourselves, Anastasia-san," Crusch suggested, prompting her to turn his way.
Anastasia bit her lip before breaking into a smile again. "You're right; I wouldn't mind seeing that boy get what he deserves," she replied, striding away.
Crusch watched her leave. She didn't say it outright, but she didn't truly believe that would be the outcome. The display she had witnessed, while disrespectful and lacked any mannerisms, clearly indicated that he was no ordinary butler.
With that, all the candidates departed, leaving the bewildered council and nobles behind as if they had never been discussing its rules at all.
---------------------------------
"Tell me, Julius. What did I say that was so wrong, hmm?" he demanded, glaring down at a defeated Julius.
"You're all just a bunch of bullies, pretending to be something greater when you're really just scum," he spat, striking Julius across the face.
"Disgusting."
He lashed out again.
"Hypocrites."
Another blow followed.
"Liars."
And again.
"How dare you call yourselves knights? What a joke. You all are just some spoiled brats with nothing to offer. A bunch of kids playing dress-up with daddy's money," He kicked him this time.
Julius lay broken, his arms twisted at unnatural angles, ribs cracked, each breath a painful struggle, littered with bruises and swellings and some teeth clattered next to him. His once pristine outfit was now stained with blood and dirt.
Subaru had been attacking Julius with the worst insult one could do to someone like him.
By Beating him up with his own sword.
He had been reduced to a crumpled figure, huddled like a child.
Yet, despite everything, he remained defiant; the fire in his swollen eyes showed he wouldn't give in, a spirit Subaru recognized.
"Wow, I have to hand it to you, you're one tenacious bastard," he remarked. "Is it your knightly pride keeping you going?" he asked.
Julius didn't reply, not that he could. Subaru sighed, knowing that was the case.
"Well, here's a reality check: whatever you think you have, pride sure as hell ain't one of them," he explained.
He knelt beside him, "Look at you, reduced to this mess by a fucking butler! Of all things! There's no pride in that! You're pathetic! A disgrace!" he shouted at him.
"E…Eve…n so… I… Wo…n…t Su…r…en…der," he gurgled, his voice barely audible.
"Really…" Subaru chuckled, realizing that wouldn't be enough to break him.
Leaning in closer, he asked, "Tell me, Julius, have you ever thought about why I haven't used magic yet?"
Seeing that he got his full attention, he pressed on. "Because you're weak. A man like you will never achieve anything, especially not becoming a knight," he whispered back.
"That strength you boast about, along with your chivalry, pride, and honor, means nothing to me. To me, you're just an ant, and people like me crush ants like you without a second thought. You're so arrogant hat you believed you could defeat me with just a wooden sword, but look where that got you to now."
"So don't get it twisted; you are not a true knight, and you will never be one."
With that harsh judgment, Julius's defiance was snuffed out, his body going limp as his once fiery eyes dulled and closed.
The last embers of defiance in Julius Juukulius, the Finest of Knights, have been extinguished.
"Well, he's down for the count. I guess I won," he remarked, finally surveying his surroundings.
The knights, who had been silent since Julius took that first hit, were now staring at Subaru with expressions of surprise, disbelief, shock, and fear.
Felix and Reinhard stood in stunned silence, taking in the battered state of their friend. Felix, a medic, could tell just by looking how serious Julius's condition was, while Reinhard felt a deep sadness that his friends had to resort to fighting
The atmosphere was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard until it was shattered by the sound of hurried footsteps.
Emilia and Felt arrived on the scene. Emilia gasped at the sight of Julius, covering her mouth in shock.
Felt, on the other hand, wore a wide grin, reveling in the moment unlike Emilia.
Then more footsteps approached, belonging to Crusch, Anastasia, Priscilla and Al who lagged behind them.
"See, what did I tell you? There's no way Julius would..." Her words faltered as she saw her knight, one of the strongest who had sworn an oath of loyalty to her, lying broken on the ground.
Shock coursed through her, leaving her with many questions to ask; how did this happen? Who is that butler? and how he could defeat one of the best knights in such a brutal manner?
She heard the sound of laughter, she turned and saw felt pointing at her, her expression was full of mockery.
"Hahaha! I guess big sis will have to pay for your knights treatment," she chuckled right in her face.
Priscilla joined in, saying, "That commoner is worth more than your knight, she-fox. He's earned my respect."
She turned to the side, "Tell me, Al. What's the first thing that comes to that empty head of yours when you see this?" she asked her jester.
"I'd say the word you're looking for is 'Pathetic,' princess. Pal really did a number on him," he replied. Priscilla then turned her mocking grin toward the merchant as Al spoke.
Anastasia's face flushed with humiliation and anger from her political rivals, and she stormed off. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
Crusch remained silent, equally taken aback, but it was to be expected, right? The man who boldly defended his lady in front of the entire conference was no ordinary man, she knew that. The messenger had indicated it was a one-sided duel, so she should have seen this result coming, but the scale of it still caught her off guard.
"Subaru…" Emilia's voice trailed off again; she had so many questions, but the words just wouldn't come out.
"Emilia." Subaru couldn't meet her eyes; concern, shock, and hurt were clear on her face, but there was that one emotion he had recognized before and was forced to acknowledge now.
It was fear.
the same fear that the spectators had from him.
"I'll be at the inn, alright?" he said, walking beside her without making eye contact. What hurt him the most was how she flinched slightly as he got closer.
After the eventful "duel", one thing became clear to everyone.
With the support of a court mage, a Great spirit, and a butler strong enough to take down one of the kingdom's strongest knights, the Emilia camp was not to be trifled with.