Chapter Text
Conscious barely flickering between guilt and confusion, swimming in that sea of dark, White ruptured through the dark void, painting the world in a hollow golden light in one soundless cleave. It ate at the darkness, slithering toward his feet, and swallowed him whole. His hand lost strength, tethered to those little, precious digits that he had grown accustomed to holding. The pull of the golden pulverized his link, and wrenched him in its molten warmth.
Lux Resonuit
Before he could realize what had happened, the familiar rotting stench of copper registered first. Coarse ground scraped his palm and knees, and bright colors strained his retinas. With fingers already tightened around the hilt of his whip, he rose to his feet and assessed the looming urban scenery around him. Yet, the first words that tore from his mouth were—
“Beako…!!!”
Her hand’s warmth, he could still feel. Pupils twitching, he moved through the street, the familiar taste of architecture reminiscent of his hometown bled into a mere backdrop as the whip dragged along the ground. The trail of fresh blood, guts, organs, and varying bone shapes from the femur to the skull, he followed without question. The clanging of blades, and the grunts of both male and female announced to the whole region that a battle was taking place.
And there, he saw a group of combatants fight soldiers in power armor with the tubes that act as the seams circulating a green fluid. A harpoon smashed through the helmet of one of them. A halberd descended upon the tube-seams with terrifying speed as a burst of sickly green splatters on its holder…revitalizing him? A metal bat indented the armor over and over, creating a metal cage from within. A scabbard sliced through the seams and decapitated the opponent. As he approached the battle, the injured soldiers, unlovingly patched together, were still on their feet, pushing back one by one, and encroaching in on their aggressors.
“Health Regeneration, through that green fluid? Neither magic nor spirit arts… The hell are they even fighting for?”
Subaru was not sure which side was right, but no one here was a potential ally, that much he recognized. The appearance of an analog clock in the midst of the battle unfolding caused him to bite the back of his teeth as he stepped forward. Each second wasted was a second he did not get information. With no information, he would not be able to return back. However, it didn’t matter whether he got scraped off to another world or not, he was not going to abandon his loved ones to fate.
But something was off.
“Hold on…” Subaru’s eyes snapped towards the clock, and beneath it extended a human body clad in red business attire. “A clock? A head for a clock?!”
Subaru’s voice turned a few heads in his direction, from both the power armored soldiers and the combatants that could only be described as amateurs compared to the suprarational forces he saw on the frontlines of Lupugana and that bastard Ceci. But an uncertain voice boomed through the battle, and the tides have shifted once more against the power armored soldiers. And shifted again. And again. At that point, the soldiers battered the blonde boy parrying with the halberd with their sharp staves as the many gashes he sustained all over his body drooled viscous crimson. Eyes wide open with terror, and his body losing strength, he persisted.
Yet he wasn’t retreating; that was not the act of someone fighting for their life. That was the act of someone complacent with their life. His jaw stiffened, and his feet were already on the move. Subaru snapped the whip around his arm, and redirected the boy’s limping body over a concrete piece of stone. Naturally, that caused the power armored soldiers to see him as a threat. He backed away while hoisting the wounded boy, their reach with those staves would result in his death quickly.
“You have only one life!! One, you hear me? Don’t go looking like you’ve seen it all and throw it away like that!”
It was an ironic thing. But even the weight of a life was more crushing than the weight of any pain he had suffered. He could not let that repeat again. The other combatants quickly took care of the encroaching soldiers, and allowed Subaru to set the blonde boy somewhere safe. In an eerie twist, the deep gash on his cheek showing teeth patched together seamlessly. Not just that, but his breathing stabilized, and the bleeding stopped completely. His hardened cheeks stilled for a moment before softening, pupils swimming upward, locking onto Subaru’s. A grateful acknowledgement tinged with confusion.
“Huh…”
This was different from the healing magic he was accustomed to. It was less like a gentle balm and moreso a forced reversification…or time reversal? As if nothing ever happened. Like Return by Death.
“Th-thank you for your concern, but…this is routine for us.”
“Routine? What do you mean, routine? Your cheeks were one stab away from showing us your whole dental hygiene!” Subaru grasped the boy’s shoulders, fingers twitching as nails curled into the fabric. “What kind of life leads someone to throw away their lives needlessly is what I want to know.”
That only furrowed the boy's brows. “The Manager… He is in charge of our lives. No matter how many times we die, we always come back. So there is no need for you to worry. We can always come back so long as Dante-nim is…” The boy trailed off.
“…Always come back. What, you're acting like that is something reliable. Dying and coming back over and over. What if you die and you never revive?” Subaru cracked his whip against one of the soldiers’ staves and pried it off, making an opening for the boy's allies to strike. “You sound so sure, but your eyes tell me otherwise.”
“…”
“I am gonna be honest here. I am not from this world. I have to go back.”
<Not from this world?>
To the ticking noises harmonizing into a clear voice coming from his left, Subaru eyed the approaching clock-headed man, his hand tightening its grip around the whip. “Yeah. I’m not from this world. I need to know how to return. And how am I understanding what you're saying, man? Is that a clockman cosplay?”
The clockman halted. <You can really hear me? Without the contract?>
“No, that is impossible,” A white haired girl entered the fray, her Zweihänder settling on her shoulder. “For someone other than the sinners to understand what Dante says. I do not get the impression that he is an Identity or a Distortion, but there is something still off about him that Faust cannot wrap her head around. Manager Dante, what do you feel from him?”
<Feel? He is neither an Abnormality or a Distortion as you say, but… It is completely different. I don’t see just one individual either. I can’t put it into words, but it’s similar to the Golden Bough.>
“That would imply that the subject is not a biological entity, but rather as a manifestation of countless possibilities. A living Singularity.”
“Am I gonna get an exposition on these big words? I don't understand what you're saying, lady. And are you sure your allies aren't done getting killed there—Woah.” Subaru deadpanned as the blonde boy dashed into the battlefield headfirst right away at the reminder. “Off he goes… Dante, is it? You're the one reviving them after death, I assume?”
<Y-yeah? How'd you know?>
“Just an intuition and a little guesswork thanks to the guy who just left. You're not exactly subtle with it. And there is some kind of resonance I feel…”
There was a resonance between him and Dante that reminded him of Petelgeuse forcing his spirit into his body and possessing him. Hijacking his nerves like tendrils wrapping around him. With stiffened cheeks, and a low guarded stance, Subaru backed away.
“Are you an Authority holder? There can't be more Witch Factors than…what we've already dealt with. If this turns out to be the case, then I'm sorry, but you are my enemy.”
<W-wait, hold on! This was just pleasant a moment ago! I don’t understand what you mean about Authorities or Witch Factors, but you don’t seem to be a hostile. We can talk, no?>
“Yeah, you sound normal. I am not opposed to talking, but stay away from me while at it.”
Chains. It was similar to the rattling of chains, this resonance. A chain that threatened to burrow into his heart and bind his will to someone else's. Regulus’s Little King transferred his heart to his ‘wives’ and Petelgeuse’s Possession. They were similar. Too similar. And it threatened his link to Beako.
“Oi, clockface! What’s the hold up?!” With the last soldier pummeled, bowels bursting out of the tube-seams, the man with the metal bat stepped forward, tilting his head at the sight of Subaru. “Who’s this obnoxious tosser? Doesn’t look like a street rat to me.”
“Huh?”
“What’re you making that dumb noise for, huh? Looking to be bashed in, too?”
Dante’s posture stiffened at the entry of that man. And it clicked. That was not the behavior of someone who held an Authority or a crazed Sin Archbishop. To think that he would make a mistake like this when he had his fill of encounters with them… It was less relieving than he expected. It only meant that they had no connections to his world. He had no anchor here. Only the faint link that was threatened to be severed the closer he got to Dante.
“I see. You’ve got your own fill, don’t you? You got your own Garfiel to take care of.” A wry laugh escaped Subaru, his furrowed brows unfurled. He still maintained his distance. “My bad. I am just on the cusp of breaking apart. And… is anyone here specialized in interdimensional travel, because that is a very rational question to ask.”
“Indeed, it is a rational question. And naturally, only Faust is the one capable of answering it.” Faust stepped up with an arrogant gait as the man with the metal bat receded from the scene as if not wanting to be a part of this. Subaru, however, listened, scrutinizing her every word. “However, Faust will not gloss over identifying you. You are not an individual recorded in the City's database. Yet ever since you appeared, Mephistopheles has not yet transitioned to the next railway section even after we have defeated the K Corp. Staff. And upon closer inspection…” The white haired Echidna-clone paused, puzzled for the first time however brief since Subaru had seen her. “You are an Irregularity that was not meant to be. The actualization of a one-in-a-sextillion chance possibility that Faust has not ruled out, but not accounted for. Mephistopheles has not been tuned to account for your existence, and it is currently mistaking you for a Golden Bough.”
“That makes a ton of sense. Yeah, no. Label me what you want, my question remains. Can I return back to my world or not?”
“Mephistopheles navigates through Mirror Worlds. Since you are a one-in-a-sextillion anomaly, you do not have a Mirror in this universe. A path requires two points. Faust knows the first point: here. But your origin is a void.”
“That's a rather convoluted way of saying you don't know,” Subaru's shoulders relaxed despite the lack of an answer; Faust didn't seem to be another Echidna. “But that makes…some sense? I am not from this universe. And…”
The bloody streets, the corrugated rusty buildings, and the nauseating sensation of falling off, gnawed at Subaru's senses. But it all felt like a stage. Neon blue lights bled into the sky, and the oxidized iron wafted in the air. A faint tremor spread through the ground. The other combatants advanced toward him, standing behind or beside Dante. Amongst them was a girl with long wavy sunset hair whose eyes flit generally to the nearby intersection.
“Manager, I've observed a shift in the cityscape. This isn't how it usually goes, is it? The coordinates are drifting to and fro. It's like the city is being pulled toward a whirlpool.” She said, eyes meeting Subaru next. “I've seen you saving Sinclair, but I can't help but think you got an ulterior motive behind that.”
“I've been transparent enough, but that's a fine assessment I can get behind.” A wry smile curled on Subaru’s lips. “I don't exactly trust you people entirely either.”
“W-what does that mean for us, Faust-ssi?”
“Mephistopheles will begin the ejection protocols on its own once it passes a certain threshold.” Faust's voice blitzed through her words. “The Refraction Railway is expanding to accommodate the possibilities you hold. To answer your question about whether or not you can return, Faust offers a deal.”
“That's like the oldest trick in the book. Let me just say this, but I know the weight of a contract more than anything.”
“Accompany us till Faust understands the phenomenon you incurred, and attunes Mephistopheles to her satisfaction.”
“These are your terms, right? Here are mine. I will not accept a contract that binds me to you forever, and so the clause is that the moment you find a way to return me back home, you'll let me return. The second clause is that the moment you do something sketchy, the deal is void and null. I'll find a way myself. Third, my business is going to be with that Dante guy. The resonance between us has disappeared since I've gathered my bearings.”
The chains were no longer attempting to bind him. When Dante tried to speak, Faust cut in sharply. “Define sketchy. Faust does not deal in ill-defined variables.”
“Sorry but I am not putting it into words. I know words can be twisted to mean something they don't. Been there, done that. I'll call you out when you do something sketchy, and if you can give me a good reason, I'll stay.”
“Then Faust presents another—”
“I don't mean to cut you off, but refer to my third clause.”
<And why me specifically?>
“My name is Subaru. Natsuki Subaru.” Subaru walked up to Dante, and extended a palm as their surroundings transitioned from the urban to the inside of a rumbling train, groaning on the tracks piercing through the glass. “Don't ask questions like that. Frame it like you're the one destined to be in that spot!”
<…Then I guess you're stuck with us. I am Dante, or so they say.>
Dante shook his hand, and the deal was sealed.
“Have some certainty, man.”
“Wait, so you're telling me this stowaway can understand the Manager?” The sunset hair girl didn't hold back her surprise. “And you're not bound by the same contract as us?”
A bespectacled man with an insect arm joined. “You learn to accept that the more something is unlikely, the more this city will try to make it happen. Guess it did.”
“T.R.” The woman with the cigarette spat out.
And as everyone tried to catch up with what was happening, the train accelerated to the point that the groaning underneath became mute. Molten red painted the metal on the floor, rapidly heating up.
“The ejection protocol has begun.” Faust warned. “Hold onto anything.”
As everyone grasped onto something, the world outside shattered. Weightlessness took them. Dark. Darkness flooded into everything, and swallowed him whole. His heart thumped against his ribs, as he held onto his whip. Carrying the memories of the ones he loved upon his back, he held onto them.
You had best remember this, you who have decided to carry “heroic reveries” upon your backs, possessing the means to defy predetermined fate.
He held onto the Sun who scorched his hand when he tried to save her.
From here on, you shall bear the wounds of many, share in their pain, sniveling tears in their stead. However, many of those you are to happen across shan’t be virtuous. They shan’t even be upright. ――Nor shall they be perfect.
The words, like an anchor, held him in place. Preventing him from drifting apart. And as sudden as it happened, gravity pulled him in alongside the others. They were in a room colored in red. The man with the metal bat was crushing him with his weight, but they all stood on their feet as if it was routine save for him.
“I may have dislocated an arm, but uh… Are we in one of those torture, dark web red rooms?” Subaru sat up with a wry smile, fixing up his arm with a crunch that made some of them grimace. “I am guessing not.”
“Dunno what a dark web is, but if you keep making dumb jokes, I'll toss you over to a member of the Ring for a dime.”
“At least give me your name, Garfiel. I only know Dante and Faust so far.” Subaru leaned on the wall in the midst of standing up, meeting the man's eyes, noticing the menacing bat with the words ‘REVENGE’ carved on. “Oh.”
“Heathcliff. If you call me whatever the hell that is again, I'll really bash your skull in, mate.”
“Now that's progress!”
“Bollocks… where in the world did this guy sprout from?”
As Heathcliff scratched his head, a short haired woman with a brown skin tone looked at Subaru—No, she looked straight past him, even though she met his eyes. “Executive Manager, I believe this anomaly will end up sabotaging our mission. His arrogance knows no bounds, and he presents an incalculable risk to us if left unchecked.”
“At least look at me when you speak…”
<That would… There is no need for suspicion. We both struck a deal, and I suppose we're gonna make it official,> Dante nodded to Faust, who held her arm.
“As of now, your status here is that of an intruder. Faust will present a bureaucratic form for you to file out as proof of cooperation. As for your third clause, the Manager gets the final say to these terms: First, you'll cooperate with Faust and answer her questions. Second, you'll stay here until I have fine tuned Mephistopheles to adjust for your presence. Third, you'll stay out of the Company’s operations unless out of necessity. Fourth, you have to consent to giving out your data to Limbus Company for research purposes.”
“This is panning out like a Terms of Service kinda deal. I'll answer what I can. And I was going to do that either way. And regarding the data, remember my second clause.” Subaru turned to Dante. “I agree to these terms.”
<Are you sure?>
“Yeah. Not like I have a choice. You guys are my only lead.”
<In that case, I also accept the terms Faust has set.>
“Since you agreed to these terms, you are effectively a Collaborator who is currently unofficial until Faust requests the form from Headquarters.”
“That settles it then. You hear that, Heathcliff? I’m part of the team.”
“Oi, don’t get all chummy with me now.”
With a nasty glare directed at him, Subaru smiled. It was a sensation very familiar, and not unwelcome.
“Subaru-ssi, was it? Thank you for saving me… I am Sinclair.”
“No need to thank me. I simply did what was natural.”
“You say it with so much conviction. Are you sure you haven’t deluded yourself into thinking that? People like you are the first to strip that mask of chivalry away and strike when our backs are turned.”
“I get that a lot. And I guess we’ll see if your words will live up. I am not sure what kind of world this is, but it seems to be one that I will never be able to tolerate.”
“Oh, is that so? Welcome to the City, Collaborator. I’ll be happy to see where your childish ideals lead. And the name’s Ishmael.” Cutting it short with a sardonic smile, Ishmael turned to her harpoon with a set of eyes—a glint he was all too familiar with—focused unnaturally on the sharp tip. Subaru ended it off the interaction without another word, holding his chin. An inflection of madness. A bloodlust that overwrote every intent. Impatience that fermented the seed of wrath, and the prospects that allowed it to bud without the gentle hand to nip it in the bud.
It wasn’t novel to him as someone who had that same glint in his eyes. Letting his hand fall, Subaru eyed the remaining coworkers.
“That makes five I’ve been introduced to—”
“Hark! Art thou not the one called Subaru?! Mine own eyes bore witness to thy most sparkling and chivalrous display!! Tell me, tell me! Could it be!? Art thou also a Knight of Justice, sworn to smite the wicked alongside me!?”
“Okay, chill there, Don Quixote.”
The moment he said that, the little blonde girl’s eyes widened into shimmering yellow stars. “GASP!! How!? How dost thou know the name of this humble seeker of righteousness?! Could it be…that my tales of valor have already traversed the Great Lake?! That the bards already sing of my steed, Rocinante?!”
“I am not sure about you, little miss, but I have read some of his tales out of curiosity.”
“His?! Am I so renowned that my gender is transcended by my deeds?!”
“…Indeed it may be so. Well actually,” Subaru recalled the names he had heard so far, muttering under his breath. “Dante. Faust. Mephistopheles. Ishmael. Heathcliff. Sinclair… And now Don Quixote. The Divine Comedy. Faust. Moby Dick. Wuthering Heights. Demian. And Don Quixote. This can’t be a coincidence…”
It reframed things slightly, if it is not a coincidence. But coincidences rarely ever hinted at the truth, or rather they were a mirror for the truth. While he hadn’t read the books fully, he familiarized himself with the endings of each respective story.
“Pray tell, Sir Subaru! What doth occupy thy mind?!”
“Ahem! Don’t let your dreams be dreams, Don Quixote! As a fellow dreamer, I’m vouching for you!”
“Oho!! O-HOOOOOO!! A JOYOUS DAY! HEARKEN TO HIS WORDS, ROCINANTE! DIDST THOU HEAR?!” Don Quixote grabbed onto his shoulders with a grip too strong for her stature, shaking him to and fro. “A fellow dreamer! A kindred spirit in this grey and weary world! Thou hast the bearing of an illustrious fixer!”
“Whatever that means, can you let go now? I feel like I might vomit on the spot.”
“Donqui~ Don’t you think you’ve haggled his attention enough?” Wrapping her arms around Don Quixote from behind, the tall woman, two heads taller than Subaru, gave him a smile. “Name’s Rodion. But you can call me Rodya~”
“Grk!! For what reason dost thou intrude upon this most-wondrous and soul-stirring summit, Rodion?! Canst thou not see that two fellow dreamers were in the midst of—”
“Yes, yes, I hear ya. Let the others have their turn~”
“—MMMMPH!! Unhand me, Rodion! This summit is of the utmost importance! We were discussing the very fabric of our aspirations!! Sir Subaru hath vouched for my spirit!!”
“Vouched for her, huh?” Rodion chuckled, not letting go of Don Quixote, winking solicitously. “You’ve got a big heart, kid. Or you’re a very patient one. Either way, you don’t stop the surprises~”
“MMPHH-HHHHMMMM!!!”
“You’re a life savor, Miss Rodion!!” Subaru intertwined his hands in gratitude as Rodion muffled the mouth of the kicking Don Quixote.
“Not sure if patience is the right descriptor here. Kid seems like he could duke it out without rest. Oh, and to make it brief. I’m Gregor.” Gregor singlehandedly lit a smoke, seeming like the most normal person in the room. “You seem more mature than you let on. What’s your story?”
“My story, huh? I’m just a guy with a lot of burdens on his back. I’ve learned to accept that a long time ago. Or a few months ago if you want to be technical.”
“Ah, you didn’t let them stop you. You accepted those burdens. That’s a tall order for someone who looks like they haven't seen twenty yet. Most people in the City spend their whole life running from them.” With a smile, Gregor took a drag out of his cigarette. “Do you mind the smoke?”
“Not really. It is sorta nostalgic, somewhat. And you’re spot on. I am only eighteen years old.”
“Eighteen years old?!” Gregor coughed, nearly dropping his cigarette. “Kid, you talk like a veteran who had to bury three generations of comrades. You shouldn’t have that look on your face when you can’t even properly drink.”
“Bury… Hah…” With his own bare hands, Subaru had buried both Petra and Frederica. With his own two hands. With his own two hands. With his own two hands. With his own two filthy hands—“Now you’re just dredging up unpleasant memories.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“No, no. Don’t worry. They’re alive.” Pounding his chest, Subaru’s lips formed a small proud smile. “I’ve made sure of it. And come on now, Gregory. I didn’t hear the story behind your arm.”
“They’re alive, eh. If you say so, then I guess I’ll believe it. You’re a confusing lad, I must say. But a pleasant one.” Tapping the butt of his cigarette as the ash poured on the floor, Gregor closed his eyes for a moment. Lifting his insect arm, he said, “My arm is the product of an experiment done on soldiers to enhance their efficiency. And I happened to be the icon or hero they fell back on to make propaganda out of. A pretty simple tale.”
“Efficiency… You know, you remind me of my fellow comrades I fought with in Sparka. We can talk it out later if you’d like.”
Subaru extended a hand. With a raised eyebrow, Gregor let out a sigh and shook it. “Sparka? So you have been to war. Seeing that optimistic look in your eye, I bet you we will—”
“War? You believe you have been to war, Newcomer? With those soft hands and cheap fabric? If anything, you’d at best be fodder with some semblance of grace.”
“I didn’t fight. I led. And there is no one who knows that better than I do. And I’ve been transparent about this, but I am not from this world. But you’re spot on, actually. And yet I still live.”
“You led? I didn’t expect a joke coming from a brat who looks like he never held a rifle. Whom did you lead? A pack of strays?”
“They were my pack of strays. Who needs a rifle when you have your comrades shouting alongside you, willing to beat that piece of shit called Fate to a pulp?” He locked his eyes on the soldier opposite to him. “Hierarchy can be broken anytime.”
“Hah! Now you’re just spouting nonsense. Without hierarchy, there is no order. Without order, there is no structural integrity. Without structural integrity, there will always be a power vacuum left behind for the vultures to exploit.”
“I’ve seen that kinda thing in real time, so no doubt there. Wasn’t any of my business though. That stubborn fox of an Emperor handled it in his own way.”
“It appears you may have lost the plot, newcomer—”
“Oh? I thought that was a glove, but your hand seems to be naturally charred black.” Cutting in with a curious voice, an effeminate man grabbed Subaru’s hand—veins pulsing with cursed dragon blood—in awe. “Is it some sort of bioprosthetic commoners use these days? Those went out of fashion a while ago.”
“It’s a gift,” Eyes diluted at the fresh memory of that blood seeping into his wound, the words that attempted to inscribe his mind anew, Subaru yanked his hand away. “From a pest I must rid the world of. But hell, it’s like I am back at Ginunhive.”
“T.P.H.A.S.”
““What do you mean that pest has aesthetic sense?!””
Both Sinclair and Subaru shouted in unison, and by the time they realized they did so, both nodded at each other. And before anything could progress, heavy distinct footsteps echoed outside the room. The chaotic atmosphere froze. Cold sweat ran down his nape. This was either a precursor to a life-ending threat or a tidal shift in hostility. And when the door opened, a red-eyed presence studied the room, and whose gaze landed on Subaru.
“Miss Faust. Explain what it is that you’ve brought here.”
“He is an Irregularity, or rather, a Living Singularity that has effectively forced Mephistopheles to expand due to the plethora of possibilities he holds. There is no record of Natsuki Subaru in the City. There is nothing that suggests that he lived and breathed in this world, or any Mirror World for that matter. To figure out how this phenomenon affects Mephistopheles, Faust plans to have him as a Collaborator for Limbus Company temporarily.”
“To speak with such uncertainty is unlike you.”
“Faust has postulated that an Irregularity like him would appear through a one-in-a-sextillion chance. It is inevitable on Faust’s part that she does not know what it could be. It is her duty to document this unprecedented deviation from the norm.” That familiar greed for knowledge laid bare, Faust’s fingers dug into her arm, expression unchanged, faint excitement laced into her every word. “Faust is certain that there will be significant change with the presence of this Irregularity. Outside of the Company or not.”
“…Is that how you chose to rationalize it?”
“To see a soul that casts no shadow in the Mirror…” A young man with bags under his eyes spoke from the corner. “It is like finding a star that shines without fuel. Even if it is a one-in-a-sextillion error, a researcher cannot turn a blind eye to the truth. Comprehending the incomprehensible has always been a delicate joy reserved solely for those who strive for knowledge. This is not a failing on her part, but also ours.”
“Mephistopheles has already integrated his possibility-density.” Faust turned to a door that apparently held the answer. “Unlike the Golden Bough, if he is removed, then the engine will likely experience a causal collapse. And Faust will not allow any interference to her inquiries.”
It became increasingly apparent that Faust was planning to use him to attain some sort of goal. His suspicions were proven correct.
“What in the hell did I agree to? Make sure that ‘temporarily’ is something you actually stick by. Because I am not going to stand here and let you dictate what my role here is. Not to mention… You really just said that this engine or whatever hinges on me being here. You revealed that, now?” Subaru reached for his whip, looking past the red-eyed man for an exit. “Actually, I only agreed to deal with Dante. You’re the one who either makes or breaks this whole deal. And it won’t be pleasant both ways, just so you know.”
The red-eyed man’s lips curled upwards in a faint smile. “You have a sharp tongue for someone so fragile, Irregularity.”
“You’re insane, lad!” Heathcliff blurted out.
“S-s-s-s-standing up to the esteemed Red Gaze…! Dost thou hast a death wish, Subaruuuuuu?!!”
“T.N.H.B.”
“So our brand new idealist is as insane as his ramblings are.”
“S-Subaru-ssi…”
<Everyone, just calm down for a moment… I… Let’s think it through for a moment.>
However, Dante’s voice was drowned out amidst the commotion brewing up.
“To correct the Irregularity’s assumption, not precisely. What Faust meant by Causal Collapse is simply the colossal gap of missing potentialities that will be left behind were the subject to be absent.”
“Bullshit. You’re leveraging that knowledge to make it seem like I have nothing to offer, Echidna-lite. I have knowledge you do not possess. It isn’t my presence here that matters.” Subaru eyed Faust. “So, it is up to Dante as the third clause you agreed to states. We’ll have a revision of terms. You seemed to have forgotten the second clause already.”
“...Faust’s postulations were correct. The Irregularity possesses a high degree of resistance to psychological coercion.”
In spite of Subaru’s counter, Faust did not seem the least bit shaken. He beheld eyes that saw every point of friction as data to analyze, to dismantle, to record. Intrusively studying every heartbeat, every pore secreting sweat, every palpitation.
“We’re never getting along… You can’t even muster the decency to call me by my name.” Subaru gave a smile to Faust, which inadvertently made some people in the room tilt their head, and walked over to Dante. “Don’t be hemming and hawing, Dante. Like I said, both options are not pleasant. Whether I cooperate here or not, from what I gathered, doesn’t matter. I can just leave and find a way to return myself given that this…Mirror technology exists.”
<…>
“And both options benefit me regardless of what you choose. If a technology exists, it means it can be replicated. And I’ve been dumb enough to fall for every single trick of the book to know that. I’m not smart. Never have been. I’m not strong. Never have been. I won’t pretend that I am. But even a fool recognizes the trick once it is repeated twice. And you’re not dealing with a headless chicken. Been there, done that.”
<Subaru…>
“…”
<I have decided… That we will be revising the deal. Until then, we will settle down. I hereby confirm today’s close of business for the Sinners.>
Most of the ‘Sinners’ had their jaws drop at Dante’s words. Specifically Ishmael. “Manager… So you did have a spine after all.”
“Then it is settled. Dante, it is your responsibility to see what to do with this stowaway. And swiftly. Anything that impedes the contract will be taken care of.”
The Red Gaze, or so he was called, promptly left, each footstep alleviating the tension in the room.
<I’ll make sure of it… >
“Sure you will.”
<Both options. When I thought about it, I had actually considered leaving right there and then with you. But I still have a responsibility to fulfill, even though I’m horrible at it.>
Leaning his back against the wall, Subaru allowed himself to slide down. “It’s a heavy thing to shoulder. But you learn to crave the weight of it. Can’t live without it, really.”
<You can’t?>
“Yeah, I can’t. After all, giving up does not suit me. And I’ve been praised by the Sun. And there are so many smiles I need to preserve back home.”
<Does it not crush you? The weight of all that?>
“It does.”
<You mentioned the Sun, but you’re not actually referring to the sun, are you?>
“...However, many of those you are to happen across shan’t be virtuous. They shan’t even be upright. Nor shall they be perfect.”
<Huh?>
“It keeps rewinding in my head. I’ll never forget that radiance for as long as I live.” Cranking his head up, looking at Dante. “That burden is not something you’re meant to carry alone. And whatever the label ‘Sinners’ means, and that label… Sinner #10. Your name is Dante. I assume that Red Eyes is your Vergil?”
<You mean Vergilius?>
“Vergil. The poet who guided Dante through the nine circles of Hell and Purgatorio.” Subaru said, recalling the fruits of his brief research into the book. “If he’s the guide, and you’re the pilgrim, then this…Mephistopheles is the ferry.”
<I still don’t understand the reference…>
“You don’t have to. In the story, the pilgrim survives. And that means you make it to the end, Dante. No matter how deep the pit goes.”
<No matter how deep the pit goes… That is a rather optimistic way to go about it, but… I believe it. No matter how deep I go, there is always an out.> Dante’s hands stopped shaking, and slid his back on the wall next to Subaru. <I’ve made it this far, but I still can’t parse my will. I don’t even have my memories.>
“No memories, huh.” Subaru let out a laugh. “So you’re an amnesiac? Could’ve told me earlier. Why do so many of you guys share the same experiences I have?”
<You lost your memories too?>
“I sure did.”
<How did it feel? To have no memories, that is?>
“I was crushed by the expectations placed on me, and blamed myself for being able to solve everything. My friends didn’t know the damage they were actually doing to me by reinforcing that a ‘Subaru’ I wasn’t familiar with was more competent, more capable, more reliable, than I was. Ironic, isn’t it?”
<Not at all. But I see… Everyone carries their own weight, has their own traumas, and their way of thinking that influences the way they act… My role… I think I understand it a little better now. Thanks to you.>
“That’s misplaced gratitude if you ask me.”
“Misplaced gratitude? You act like you didn’t give Manager Bud over here a therapy session.” Gregor offered a cigarette to Subaru as he squatted down with a slight smirk. “I don’t quite hate where this is going. And you’re a really crazy kid.”
“Tell me about it. My heartrate dropped when he looked at Vergilius like he was about to rush past him.” Rodion let out a heavy sigh, still holding Don Quixote at bay but her body relaxed significantly. “Don’t do that. You’re not getting yourself killed just yet, but you’ll probably kill one of us just from the shock.”
<You seriously shouldn’t do that. Not when your status is still that of a stowaway.>
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll take this warning to heart.” Taking the offered cigarette, Subaru placed it in his pocket. Purely for nostalgia reasons. “I don’t smoke, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
“Something tells me you’re just saying that, bud. You’re the type to feed on the chaos.”
“Don’t prod!”
“A-Ahem! Rodion, unhand me this instant! Subaru hast demonstrated his unparalleled will before an esteemed Color!”
“A Color? Is that some sort of—”
“Do not fuel the flames—”
“THOU DOST NOT KNOWEST OF THE ESTEEMED COLOR?!”
—Escaping Rodion’s headlock, Don Quixote proceeded to lecture Subaru about Color fixers for the remainder of the day.