AN: Things are about to get...interesting.

AN: Song title winner is The Distance by Cake! ENJOY!

ARC Eight: Sins of the Past

Chapter Sixty Six: The Distance

Pandora did an elegant twirl as the ice spears stabbed at the ground around her. Puck playfully shot them at her, even while the witch was slightly frowning.

She was then tackled into a tree by Batman who tried to hold her in place.

"Oh yes, you are quite the interesting one."

"Just shut up and stay down."

She then moved her hands to the back of his head as she smiled at him.

"You hate me now...but what do your memories say?"

Batman quickly let go of Pandora and clutched his own head, he was now having his memories being tampered with, Pandora was attempting to insert herself into his recollection of the past. However…

"N-Not...going...to...let you…."

"This. Is. Not. Possible."

Batman was fighting back and luckily for him, Subaru came up around and hit her away with an Unseen Hand.

She rolled to the ground, but got back up so quickly, it almost seemed like she teleported. The witch sighed disappointingly at the two.

"Progress is always shortened by the most unlikely of forces."

Pandora was torn to pieces by a heavy amount of ice spears. Even as she reappeared unscathed, from the tree lines...Emilia appeared with an ice spear. She narrowed her eyes at the person she had nothing but hatred towards.

The ice spear stabbed through the witch's eye as Emilia gripped it tightly.

"Go to hell, PANDORA!"

Rem saw her chance and summoned her new technique...a body armor made entirely of ice, it was covered in spikes, predominately on her fists.

"Water Spell: Heroes Armor!"

She then tackled the witch, meanwhile breaking the tip of the ice spear and stabbing her in the neck with it.

She twisted her body and punched her directly in the face, crushing it completely.

"I apall such hideous actions."

But sure enough, Pandora was right behind the both of them.

The Blacksnake continued trying to bite down on Grodd as he used trees, boulders and even psionic enhanced punches to get the Ma-beast away from him. He was becoming quite fatigued and he was using up his psychic powers to their limit.

"I can't even control this blasted cretan!"

The serpent roared again, spewing out more of it's noxious fumes. Grodd's eyes glew intensely as he released a psychic wave that sent trees and large swathes of the earth flying. The Blacksnake was launched back but quickly slithered about and charged back at Grodd.

"That's enough you little worm!"

Grodd focused as a horrid aura surrounded him...then a twinkle in the stars appeared.

Garfiel had jumped out of the mansion carrying his twin shields. He looked up into the sky...and what saw him made even a brave soul like him...tremble.

Sarah decapitated Pandora, but she appeared above her and buried her into the ground, with her head sticking out. The pressure of the earth crushed her body.

"Aghhhh!"

"Now, now...please don't try anything foolish-"

She was kicked away by Subaru who then hit her with the sword the ninja had earlier. It slit her throat, but as she covered her throat...she smiled and showed there no longer was any injury.

"Witch of Vainglory...this shit is all your fault!"

"Oh..? Why do you say that? I merely wish to require the half-elf girl to help in my-"

"-You killed her family."

"It was unavoidable."

Subaru clenched the sword tightly and narrowed his eyes at her.

"You lied to Satella."

"...?!"

"You made her take the Witch Genes. You caused her to go crazy, you!"

He aimed his sword at her as he bellowed out the next information.

"You were the cause of the Worst Calamity 400 years ago!"

Everyone that was watching the whole ordeal just held their breath. Batman who was freeing the injured Sarah from the ground could sense everyone's shock at learning that this single person...was solely responsible for the last four hundred years worth of tragedies and conflicts.

Rem and Ram now gritted their teeth at her, Roswaal summoned a vast multitude of fire balls, Frederica slowly formed her paws…

"I may have been the starting point...but hasn't humanity done a fairly good job at causing such strife? Yes. And I am simply one who wishes to bring peace, for peace to exist there must be sacrifices, can there not? And in the end everyone will have that which will be the great equalizer and foundation of this peaceful world."

"And what's that…?"

Pandora smiled as she spread her arms wide as she gave Subaru the most elegant smile anyone of them had seen from her, even her cheeks flushed and eyes twinkled.

"That is for the world to love me. And to become a part of my grand vision of course."

Subaru and Batman trembled. Not out of fear for the woman in front of them...but for disbelief. Neither of them could believe the insane ramblings she spat out. All the strife, the pain, everything…

Satella going mad and destroying half the world...HER FAULT.

The Six Witches losing their lives to horrible ends...HER FAULT.

Rem and Ram's village being torched...HER FAULT.

Batman being summoned to this world...HER FAULT.

Al being summoned to this world...HER FAULT.

Roswaal losing his beloved teacher...HER FAULT.

Beatrice losing Lewes….HER FAULT.

The Demi-human war...HER FAULT.

HER FAULT.

Everyone stared at this sole girl with nothing but contempt…

Just then Garfiel rushed over to them.

"Guys! GUYS! We got a ton of trouble!"

"Garf just what-"

As Ram turned her head she saw it...they all turned to the sky and could not believe what they were seeing. Beatrice saw it and ran over to Subaru, grabbing onto his sleeve.

Deathstroke got a call on his conversing mirror and decided to open it out of habit.

"Hey it's Felt, what the hell-"

"-Can't talk! We've got a ton of issues here!"

On the other side, Crusch and the others were listening in on the conversation.

"The hell's going on?!"

"It's the fucking Blacksnake and Grodd! They're attacking our mansion!"

Anastasia and the others were surprised to hear such a big disaster was occuring.

"Hang on maybe we can-"

"-Nah, wait things just got worse...is that-"

Subaru, Otto, Garfiel and Deathstroke raised their voices at the sky, just from what they were looking at-

"-IS THAT A FUCKING METEOR?!"

From the starlight skies, a humongous meteor summoned by Grodd was shooting right towards them all.

Batman gazed up at the falling meteorite and had to come up with a plan.

"Should I teleport it away? Teleport us away? Or should I-?"

Subaru yelled over at him.

"Batman-san! Pandora is heading towards you!"

Pandora skipped her way to him, so he fired his wrist launcher at her. She was littered in Batarangs, but suddenly was behind him.

"Now you were-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Batman used his armor to fly high up into the air and looked up at the meteor.

Then he glanced at the Blacksnake itself.

Subaru was running over to Pandora, his inner soul feeling darkened the more he looked at Pandora.

"Errr! Invisible Providence!"

His Unseen Hand shot out and phased through her skull and grasped her brain. Pandora froze in place as Subaru karate kicked her away. Beatrice and Puck took advantage and fired their spears of magic at her, ripping her into shreds. Otto picked up a magic stone and tossed at the remains, the resulting explosion left nothing but a giant crater.

"That is not nice at all young man."

Pandora appeared behind Otto. Deathstroke stabbed her in the back and flung her body towards Garfiel who smashed her into paste with his shields, but he soon found her touching his shoulder as if she had just hopped behind him. Her elegeant simple cloth floated around, revealing her naked figure.

Garfiel got angry and kicked behind himself but saw that he kicked Ram instead. Her body rolled to the ground and almost hit a part of the earth that the Blacksnake touched.

"Ram!"

Even Garfiel knew that touching any part of it's body was dangerous, as well as the very ground it touched.

Roswaal swooped down and saved her, then flew high up into the air. Garfiel sighed out of relief but soon found himself buried to the ground by Pandora. He roared at her, as she simply patted his head.

However Slade soon saw that the meteor was still falling...so Deathstroke took the initiative.

"Fuck it, all of you stay put!"

Deathstroke used every last bit of his mana to activate his ultimate move, his Sword Art.

He then looked over at Rem.

"Rem toss me up!"

"Deathstroke-sama! But-"

"No time to argue, just do it!"

She nodded her head as she ran to Deathstroke, he jumped into the air and Rem did as well. She grabbed the bottom of his feet, let out a mighty roar and tossed towards the meteor. His trajectory made it so he would just make it under the meteor.

It was just enough.

He stuck his sword up and let out his own vicious yell as the glowing sword sliced in the meteor, when he made it at the end of the meteor…

It was completely split in half and Deathstroke was covered in flames, his body falling back to the ground.

"Fula!"

"Fula!"

Roswaal and Ram used wind magic to decelerate him and put out the flames covering his body.

His body hit a few trees and branches and his body landed harshly on the dirt. Surprisingly, he was coughing and trying to get up, but was saved by Otto who ran over and got them out of the way, before the Blacksnake crushed him with it's tail. Otto ran with all his might as he struggled to carry the wounded Deathstroke...but looked and saw that though one half of the meteor was veering away from them, the other was still coming.

"Uwaaah! This really sucks!"

"Ugh...it's your bad luck, it's following you here…run towards it and maybe it'll….ugh, go away."

"Quit with the jokes already!"

As everyone could feel the pressure of the incoming meteor and trembled at the heat it was emanating, Batman flew some yards in front of it. He cupped his palms towards it and focused.

"Al Jiwald!"

He fired a gigantic beam of light that shattered the meteor into pieces...now the pieces of it that weren't destroyed were now falling all over the place. One of those pieces completely destroyed the mansion. Pieces of rubble flew high into the air. Beatrice and Puck put up a barrier that saved most of them.

"Oh no! Sarah is outside the barrier, I suppose!"

Beatrice saw that Sarah was attempting to crawl towards them, but a piece of meteor was barreling towards her. She looked up at it and her eyes, went white...she felt that this was the end for her. As it was feet away from her...Batman swooped in and grabbed in the nick of time. He glided up in the air, but Grodd psychically shot another piece of meteor at Batman. Seeing the potential damage Batman held Sarah tightly and took the hit on his back. His body tumbled as he crashed to the ground. Sarah squinted her eyes as she realized she was being protected by the yang spell Al Mabakka.

But she also saw that Batman was struggling to get back up. As the spell dissipated, she tried pulling him back.

"Incorrect, you mustn't move!"

"I have to! I have an idea of getting rid of all these problems!"

"But…"

Batman lifted himself up and then picked up Sarah using the bridal style, he then made it over to the others…

"Listen everyone, we're going to send all three of our adversaries out of here."

"But how Batman-dono?"

"We need to make them head the same way...and that falls on Subaru."

Subaru thought about it a bit...then realized what he was planning exactly.

"Okay. Let's do this."

Grodd was still trying to block the Blacksnake's advances, but the meteor attempt really drained him. At that moment, Batman flew over them with Subaru in tow...he took a deep breath as he looked ahead.

Batman nodded.

"AL ERMAC!"

A humongous tear in space opened up in front of them and Subaru nodded as the plan was coming along well.

"I CAN RETURN BY-"

Time froze for both men as they could see two shadowy hands emerging from a void…they went through their bodies and softly caressed their still beating hearts.

"Subaru...Just wait...A little more…"

"...?! Satella?"

"Everything will be clear soon...very soon…"

Subaru and Batman's hearts were clutched tightly, making both of them whimper in pain.

Then time moved again and the Blacksnake noticed Subaru's smell it headbutted Grodd and charged forward. Grodd put up a boulder between them, but he was literally being pushed forward towards the tear.

"No! Damn it!"

As Batman and Subaru made it through, so did Grodd and the Blacksnake...Batman did a sharp turn before he tossed Subaru back through the tear. As Subaru flew through the tear, Roswaal was flying towards him and caught the yelping man.

"There weeeee are Subaru-kun!"

Pandora looked up puzzled by what she saw, but noticed too late that Al trapped her in tomb of stone, then Priscilla ran over and kicked it high into the air. While spinning in the air, Garfiel and Frederica jumped up into the air and kicked it away...Rem also got her moment in the air, even with her armor now gone...as she wrapped the tomb in chains and spun it around and around. She roared as she tossed it towards the tear...as Pandora looked over at them. Priscilla fired a yang beam sending it further into the air. She then saw Emilia and Puck summon a giant ice javelin, aiming it towards her.

"Goodbye, Pandora."

She launched it, and as it zipped past her...a hooked edge of it caught Rem's chain and carried Pandora through the tear in space. Batman saw his moment and blasted through it, but the Blacksnake spit out one last glob of blood at Batman...covering most of his armor.

"NGGHHH! AGGHHHHH!"

The acidic slime was eating away at his armor, but he made it past Pandora and barely made it through the tear just as it closed.

With the morning sun peeking up the mountains...Batman was now plummeting back to everyone, Frederica was running to catch him...but Batman knew he didn't want her to touch him, as he was covered in literal poison. He activated his jet boots one last time as he zipped past Frederica. The acid weakened the armor enough to the point, that Batman's horrible crash landing broke apart the Justice Armor. Every time his body hit the ground, they saw pieces of it flying away and could hear the sound of bones snapping.

Finally he came to a stop, and he simply rolled over. Everyone ran to him, even moving past his now melting armor parts.

Frederica made it over first and her eyes wavered intensely as she looked down at him.

His entire body had steam escaping it, pieces of his armor were stabbing his sides, more parts of his body were burnt and purple. Underneath his now destroyed helmet, she could clearly see his eyebrow split open and his face was drenched in blood.

"Batman! BRUCE!"

She hurried over and pulled him out of the small crater he was on top of.

Subaru and Roswaal made it and saw everyone huddled around Batman. When Subaru peeked over them, he saw that every single member who knew healing magic was working to fix him. Frederica was giving him a lap pillow...even if it was making her maid outfit get covered in blood.

"No good…"

Subaru heard Emilia's trembling voice…he saw the panicked look on her and Rem's faces. He could also see Garfiel's angered face and Beatrice struggling.

"What is it? Emilia what's wrong with Batman?"

"Some of the poison made it inside his body...his immune system is fighting back...but even all of us combined can't cure him."

"No...NO!"

Al kicked the ground in frustration.

"Damn it! And too much time had passed by, I can't use my ability to prevent him getting poisoned."

"Shit...it can't end like this…"

Subaru then had an idea.

"Deathstroke, can you contact the camps still?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Call Crusch, tell her we need Ferris to meet us at the capital!"

"NOW DAMN IT!"

Deathstroke relented and opened his conversing mirror, luckily it wasn't broken.

"Crusch Karsten, this is Deathstroke we have an emergency!"

"You're alive! Thank goodness! What happened?!"

"We chased off the Blacksnake and Grodd, but right now we need to help Batman."

"What happened to Batman-san?"

Deathstroke was viewable to them through the conversing mirror…

"He's been infected with some of the Blacksnake's poison."

"..!"

"So we need a favor-"

"-Say no more! If it is Ferris you require, we are more than willing to comply."

"Thanks, we'll need to meet at the capital."

"Yes...that land is no longer hospitable due to the Blacksnake's toxins."

Deathstroke and the others still wondered where they would meet though. That is until Priscilla made it over and snatched the mirror from him.

"Listen well, we'll meet at my estate in the capital!"

"Priscilla Bairelle?! What are-"

"If you have time to speak, then you have time to prepare for our arrival!"

Crusch nodded and looked over as her men were preparing to transfer the ninja corpses away.

"All men! Plans have changed! We are to prepare for an arrival for Emilia and Priscilla's camp at the Barielle Estate."

"Huh?"

"They have encountered the Blacksnake and have many injured coming this way...including Batman!"

Many of the mens faces grew serious, a great deal of them were saved by Batman during either the White Whale Subjugation or the battle in Priestella. They owed a debt to him.

"Half of you take these spies corpses to the guilds while the rest of you come with me!"

"Yes sir!"

Crusch relayed what was going on to her other members who were more than willing to help.

"Ferri-chan has nyever worked on the Blacksnyake's poison before...but they helped us before. So Ferri-chan will give it his all!"

"I might be able to make some roots and herbs to help as well Crusch."

Crusch nodded in agreement as she had Wilhelm and some secure the Barielle Estate.

Anastasita heard everything and ordered a group of men led by Mimi to escort them into the capital.

"Hurry! We have to give our own payment to them for helping us again!"

Julius looked out into the morning sky and made a worried expression.

Felt was trembling as she closed the conversing mirror.

"Felt-sama?"

Reinhard reached his hand out, but Felt ran off and down the halls, panting and heaving with a panicked expression. Rom caught her, but she tried to break free.

"Felt calm down!"

"Let go! He needs me right now!"

"Wh-Who?"

She had tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

"Batman...he's hurt and I need to go see him."

"He's coming to the capital?"

"Yeah...and I need to see him."

She then frowned and looked Reinhard and the Three Stooges, pointing at them with a clear determined voice.

"I order you four to make preparations to leave to Priscilla's place right now!"

"B-Batman has always been saving our asses, now it's time we help him!"

"Felt-sama…"

"Now go!"

The four of them bowed and rushed off to get things ready. Rom looked down and sighed as he held the top of her head softly.

"Felt, tell me something."

"What?"

"...Do you like him?"

Felt looked up at him with a conflicted expression...only to ease herself, even as her cheeks flushed.

"Yeah...I like him."

"A lot?"

"...I L..L..you know what I mean…"

Rom held back his utter shock hearing this, and simply looked up at the ceiling.

"Since when?"

"...Well, I liked him when he saved us back at the loot house. But…"

"But?"

"When you were being roughed up by the knights back at the capital, all those years ago…"

She then put on a simple smile.

"I was scared that they were going to kill you, not even Reinhard would help...so I was scared."

"...Then.."

"Yeah! He showed up and saved you! He was willing to put his life and reputation on the line help you, when no one else would. He actually cared about you...about you...about me, like a real hero."

"...Haaaaah, and that's when you fell in love with him, huh?"

Felt flinched when he heard the word, her face turned bright red and she kicked Rom in the shin.

"Ow!"

"S-Stupid Rom! I-I-I-I never said that!"

"But it's as clear as day."

Rom rubbed his shin, while Felt covered her face in embarrassment. Rom could only sigh and smile at her.

"So she's finally at that age huh?"

Reinhard returned to inform her that everything was ready.

Felt wiped away her tears and looked at Reinhard with a serious expression.

"Then we leave at once!"

"Yes!"

They then made their way to the carriages waiting for them.

Patrashce and Verhoe were pulling their respective carriages. Inside one of them, Sarah was sitting across from where Bruce was resting, his head still on Frederica's lap, every once in awhile he would moan and grit his teeth in pain.

"Hush hush now."

Frederica would rub his head, as calm as she could...but it was clear to everyone sitting there that was ready to cry at any moment.

"Why?"

Frederica and the others heard Sarah mumble those words and faced her. She was clenching her uniform as she looked down at Bruce.

"Yes...why did he do that?"

"Pardon?"

"Why...did he save me?"

Even the calm Sarah began to finally make a different expression...a guilt ridden one.

"Yes...I have done nothing to him but mock him and treat him unfairly and yet he got so hurt protecting me. Me of all people. Why would he do such a thing."

Sarah looked as if she was going to begin crying. Then Frederica sighed somberly as she looked at Sarah dead in the eyes.

"Sarah Remendis."

"Yes?"

"Let me tell you something. Bat...no, Bruce has always been like that since I met him. He is much like Subaru-sama in that sense. He puts others needs before his own and doesn't care about what pain it would bring him. He has risked his life to save my life so many times and he will protect anyone...even if they don't like him."

"...I…"

"And that's why-"

She then rubbed some sweat off his forehead and smiled at him.

"That's why I love him...because of all the people I have met in my life...I have never met someone who values life more than anyone else, or who would show kindness to anyone like he did with me."

"Yes...that sounds nice."

"And that's why, I want to be by his side till the day I die. I want to see him grow old and live his last years at peace. I want to hold his hand, kiss him and...maybe even have children with him."

Both ladies blushed madly when she said this, Otto whistled to himself quietly as he looked out the window, trying to ignore the conversation.

"Maybe now, you can see why he is so beloved."

Bruce opened his eyes and glanced over at Sarah, he reached out his hand to her. She fumbled a bit, but swallowed her breath. She took his hand, and finally felt the strong almost rock hard palms he had, the calluses he had and got a good look at all the scars he has accumulated. They were definite signs of the arduous past he obviously had. Sarah began to cry. She now felt sickened that she had mocked the man, not understanding of his true quality, and now seeing it, she had come to admire him.

"S-Sarah…"

"...Yes? Batman?"

Bruce glanced up at her and did a quick smirk.

"Don't cry...doesn't suit you…"

"...You think so?"

He nodded and gripped her hand a little more, she then took her other hand and his hand more.

"You are...more cuter...the way you...haaaaa...usually are…"

"...T-Thank you…"

For the first time since they met, for anyone in the camp at least, they saw it. She smiled.

Anastatia's envoy met with them and began escorting them into the capital...once they made it inside. They were shocked.

The usually busy streets were now clear of people and carriages as they could see knights and mercenaries clearing the way for them to move towards their destination.

Looking out their carriage, Subaru and Beatrice smiled happily seeing their reception. Rem and Emilia looked out their window as they could hear citizens wishing them luck. The two of them were now smiling with tears in their eyes.

The two carriages were now making their way across the capital, to save Batman.

Schult was sitting in the now quiet and deserted estate. He was kicking his legs in the air as he was waiting for some Vollachia officials to extract him out of there.

"Well this plan has gone to shit…"

He narrowed his eyes out the window as he muttered the names of those he swore revenge on…

"Natsuki Subaru...Batman…"

He clicked his tongue as he got off Priscilla's bed and made his way to the door, he heard his stomach growl and sighed.

"Maaan, I am really hungry. Guess-"

Just then, Schult felt the very ground beneath him shake violently, he was easily losing balanca..

"The heck is-"

As if time slowed down, Schult turned his head to see the walls and room crumble towards him, and all he could do was flinch his face and say…

"This is bull-"

...before he was completely crushed to death by the Blacksnake, as it slithered through the estate. Destroying it completely.

Grodd was stuck on the Blacksnake's snout, he was too exhausted to move and was using the last psychic energy he had left to protect himself from contact with it's skin. Pandora was standing on the top of the serpents head looking down at Grodd.

"Pan...dora...help me!"

"I would love to, but in the case it was your own meddling that had caused this twist of fates. Even if I returned to that mansion, they have most likely abandoned it by now. Irksome…"

She looked down at him, wacthing as his psychihc aura was flickering as he lost more and more energy.

"Damn you...just get me out...of here!"

"I...will not. I see no further use for you."

Grodd's eyes widened...before his eyes became bloodshot as he roared at Pandora.

"DAMN YOU! FILTHY HUMANS! I WILL KILL YOU ALL! ALL OF YOU! MARK MY WORDS! I WILL RULE YOU ALL!"

"...Hm."

"REVENGE! REVENGE ON ALL OF YOU! I-!"

His aura began quickly dissipating and the Blacksnake sped up it's slithering. Vollachian guards on the wall watched in horror as it was heading straight towards them. They moved out of the way as the Blacksnake rammed through the massive border wall, the impact caused Grodd's aura to shatter.

In slow motion his body quickly touched the Blacksnake's skin. Hideous boils emerged out of Grodd's skin, his muscles enlarged to disgusting proportions, his face swelled only for large boils to pop out with slimey veins protruding out. He was now just a pile of flesh and boils.

Back to regular speed his single remaining eye...Pandora waved cheerfully at Grodd.

"Goodbye Grodd-san."

"PAAANDOOOOOORAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

His flesh and boils erupted leaving only his skeleton behind, then the skeleton hit the skin of the beast and burst into ashes.

His helmet plummeted away to the ground below.

Pandora sighed as she jumped off the Ma-beast and landed badly on the ground...only to be seen walking a few feet ahead as if nothing happened.

"Welp, time to start planning again."

She giggled to herself as she went the opposite direction of the Blacksnake.

The Vollachain guards sounded the alarm and made it over to their conversing mirrors.

"This the border guards! Emergency! Let everyone in the kingdom know! Let the king know!"

His eyes sunk and a shadow casted over his fearful eyes.

"The Blacksnake has invaded Vollachia!"

Everyone was gathered at the main hallway of Priscilla Estate, waiting for news about Bruce. Subaru was with Emilia, Rem and Beatrice, sitting outside the door where Pamela and Ferris were looking over him.

Subaru and the others were more than happy to see Pamela back, with Rem actually hugging her. This made it clear that she had come to forgiven her for their first encounter.

Garfiel and Otto were resting their backs on the wall, while the fanged boy was tapping his foot impatiently. Otto himself was trying to occupy himself by reading a book.

Petra was asleep on Frederica's lap, while Sarah was staring out the window. Roswaal was sitting in a guest chair while Ram stood by him, she would occasionally peek her eyes down the hall to see if anything happeend.

Felt was with them sitting on the floor facing the door. Julius and several others were looking out the window waiting for anything to occur.

Then the doorknob turned.

Everyone got to their feet as the door opened. Ferris and Pamela came out looking at the clearly crowded hall. Pamela rubbed her hands together and took a deep breath.

"Good news and bad news."

"Ah!"

Petra held on tightly to Frederica and Deathstroke narrowed his eye.

"Good news...is Batman is completely cured."

Everyone applauded in the halls with Garfiel even tossing Otto up in the air. Subaru and most of the Emilia Camp members bowed to them in thanks.

However Pamela and Ferris both stuck their fingers out.

"There is bad new too remember?"

"...!"

"The bad news is…"

Ferris and Pamela put their fingers down as they looked behind them, at Bruce who was heavily bandaged and sleeping on his bed.

"First, though he was cured of the disease in his body...it has left his body badly scarred. Even me and Ferris can't do anything about it."

"Well...as long as he's fine that's-"

"-Secondly…"

Ferris took the reins.

"Batman's gate was pretty damaged today. There is nyo telling how long it will take to fix it...so he nyeeds to refrain from magic use for the nyext couple of monyths. Ferri-chan's orders."

"Okay, we'll tell him…"

Ferris and Pamela smiled back at them though.

"Other than that-"

"-Batman just nyeeds rest."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they now had their friend fine. However, Sarah took a peek inside the room.

Subaru was walking around the halls after speaking pleasantries with Reinhard and Wilhelm. He then saw Al and Priscilla in the main lobby.

"Hey you two."

"Well if it isn't Natsuki Subaru."

The waved at each other, until it became awkwardly quiet between them.

"Listen…"

"Hm?"

A-About what happened yesterday...about kidnapping you and forcing you to entertain me...I'm sorry."

Priscilla tilted her head down, she then noticed Al wasn't doing anything, so she wacked him in the back of the head, making him bow.

"AL is sorry as well."

"R-Right I can see that."

Subaru gave a wry smile and motioned his hand to Priscilla.

"Don't worry about anything...about your past, I'll keep a secret."

"...Natsuki...Subaru…"

"A secret between friends."

She nodded with a proud smile, she then shook hands with him.

"But don't get the wrong idea."

"Huh?"

"Just because we may be friends...does not mean I will not defeat you! I shall win this election and be the victor of this country! Once that happens, the world will rejoice at my splendor."

"Goddd, you can be a handful Priscilla. But it does make you fun to be with sometimes."

Priscilla laughed at his comment and made her way to speak with the other candidates.

Al stayed behind with Subaru.

"So, um...how do I put this…"

"Don't sweat it, just be glad that we all survived."

Al looked down a bit, unsure of himself.

"But now I lost my gospel...I don't know what to do."

"...Why not stay with Priscilla? After all...she is your fourth cousin."

"...WHAT?!"

Subaru laughed at his reaction.

"Well spiritually speaking I mean, she's from Flugel's bloodline."

"Ohhhhh,I see…"

"Either way man, choose your path now."

Subaru patted him on his arm and made his way down the hall.

Al looked at Priscilla, who turned her head and seemed to order him over. He could only smile as he ran over to her.

"Guess that settles that...for now."

Bruce would wake up two hours later.

Bruce was looking out the window as Frederica entered the room.

"Bruce, how are you."

"Good, all things considering."

She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, she held his hand, but lowered her smile a bit when she saw his hand was purple and burnt, a clear side effect from surviving the Blacksnake.

"My love…"

"It's alright, I don't like showing off my own skin anyways."

"M-Maybe with me you can…"

Bruce was slightly taken aback from her comment. She leaned over and gave him a passionate kiss, he held the back of her head as they made out. They let go of their kiss, only for Bruce to look away from her abit.

"What's wrong?"

"The thing is...in the mansion my Insider Suit was there...now it's probably been destroyed...so I no longer have any armors left."

"Oh...Sorry to hear that, but at least we're still alive."

"Sure, but I also lost the engagement ring I was going to give you."

"Well, materail things are always….wait...HUH?"

Frederica's cheeks tunred pink as she glanced back at him with bewildered look on her face,this made him smile.

"Frederica...I was going to wait a couple months to ask for this...but when I was passed out from the poison, I thought I was going to die...and I thought of only one thing."

"...Huh?"

"I thought, 'I want to see Frederica one more time', you know?"

Frederica had tears falling out of her eyes, she did her best to stop them but Bruce lightly grabbed her hands and looked her in the eyes.

"Frederica, just as I saved you...you saved me. In my darkest moment, you were the light. The kind of light at the end of a dark cave. A little boy, lost there for so many years...finally found it. I found you."

"Bruce…"

Bruce smiled at the girl sitting in front of him.

"Say, Frederica Baumann, do you want to get married?"

Frederica stared at him with a frozen expression.

"I don't have a ring anymore...but when I get better, I'll get you a really nice-"

He was then surprised by a strong hug from Frederica, she bawled and cried but was smiling.

"Yes. Yes! I will! I will…."

"Thank you."

The newly engaged couple hugged each other for quite some time.

Bruce was now by himself reading the report he was going to send in to the Council. He decided to work an angle that Grodd caused the spies to attack them and that their respective kingdoms did not have any knowledge of the surveillance. That way, in his mind, they could prevent a world war from sparking and result in absolute devastation for Lugnica.

He made the other candidates pledge to keep it a secret, for the stability of the country.

While adamant about it, everyone agreed and made an oath to stick with the story.

Bruce looked a nearby mirror.

"Well damn."

His entire left arm was now purple and burnt, it spread all the way to trapezius and it went down to oblique. He sighed at his quite unfortunate circumstance. Even most of his back was the same.

Then he heard a knock on the door and told them to come in.

"Oh, Sarah."

"Yes, I am coming in."

"How can I help you?"

Sarah walked a few steps, before stopping a few feet away from him and taking a knee to be bow.

"Sarah?"

"Yes, I humbly apologize. It was my negligence that led to your injuries so please, ask of me anything and I shall do so!"

Bruce could see her trying to hold back her emotions, so he reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, she peeked up at him.

"Sarah, I don't need any apology. You did your best out there, and I would say I am more than impressed with what you did out there."

"But-"

"-You are an exceptional fighter and you take your job very seriously...I like people who do that."

Sarah's cheeks flushed hearing this, so she decided to stand up and ask Bruce a question.

"Yes, Batman-dono...would you let me...um,..."

"Hm?"

"Yes, Would you let me stay by your side and accept my code of arms and my name into your life?"

She looked eager for his answer, Bruce didn't undertsnad what she was aksing...but assumed it was for her to be his bodyguard. At the moment, Bruce was indeed to be out of comission for at least a week, so he took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Alright, I accept Sarah."

Sarah's eyes widened and she smiled at him, before she rushed over and gave him a big hug, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Yes! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Uh, you're welcome?"

Sarah then looked him in the eyes...and made a rather seductive face.

"Yes...thank you."

"What are y-...mmhf."

Sarah was now kissing Bruce.

She moved her legs around and was mounted on his lap. She let go of their kiss as she breathed again.

"Yes, my first kiss was truly lovely."

"WHAT THE HECK ARE-"

They both heard something shatter in the doorway. They both truned to see Frederica, she had dropped a tray with tea and snacks...her eyes had a red glimmer to them, even though her face seemed calm.

"F-Frederica...listen to me-"

"-Yes, sorry you had to see that."

"Sarah, that's not helping!"

Frederica cracked her knuckles.

"Would you care to explain what exactly are you doing to my fiance?"

"F-Fiance?!"

Sarah pouted at Bruce with a tear on the side of her eye.

"Yes, But you just proposed to me!"

The room went silent as Frederica tilted her head...not knowing that everyone was outside the room and heard the entire thing.

"Eh?"

.

.

.

.

"EHHHHHHHHH?!"

Frederica stormed into the room as she pointed at Sarah.

"What in the world do you mean by that?!"

"Yes, Simple really, I used the pledge of Remendis marriage rights on him...and he accepted."

Bruce's serious face suddenly had his brows raised.

"T-That was a marriage proposal?! I-I thought it was like some knightly oath?"

"Incorrect! That was my familial proposal!"

Subaru was in the hallway as he asked Reinhard about it.

"It is true, some families are known to use these pledges as proposals...I believe my grandfather told me his father was proposed the same way."

"Woooow...um, can Batman refuse now?"

"Unfortunately, he accepted...refusing now would bring her dishonor for her family creed, and it would make him look bad. It would carry the stigma of breaking a soul bound contract."

"Oh shiiiiit."

Sarah was now off of Bruce as she and Frederica were now arguing about one simple thing.

"I am the first wife, we've known each other longer than you!"

"Incorrect! His pledge takes more precedent! So that would me make me his first wife!"

"Ha! He hasn't even given you ring yet!"

"Yes...But neither have you."

Sarah put on smug face, infuriating the maid more.

"He was going to! It was the Blacksnake's fault!"

"Incorrect, I still see this as making my proposal more important."

"No it doesn't!"

"Yes! It does!"

Batman weakly raised his hand as he squinted his eyes.

"Do I have a say in this?"

The two ladies turned their head to show their glowing red eyes.

"You stay out of this."

Bruce lowered his hand in utter defeat.

"Alright."

Suddenly Felt rushed past them and hugged Bruce.

"Hey both of you knock it off and leave him alone already!"

The two ladies shook as they saw this Royal Candidate...being so close with Bruce.

"And just what are you doing?!"

"Yes, that's our fiance you're freely touching!"

Felt looked up at Bruce...then her face turned tomato red, steam was practically escaping her head. She let go of him and rushed over to the enter the argument.

"GOSH! Did you see what you made me do?!"

"Felt-sama, we didn't do a thing! You just went and hugged Bruce on your own!"

"Whatever!"

Bruce put on an exasperated expression as the three ladies continued arguing, meanwhile everyone was outside the door laughing at the comedic exchange. Subaru slipped past them and stood next to Bruce.

"Congratulations Bruce! You now have a harem!"

"Ohhhhh god."

Bruce buried his face into hands, as he shook his head.

"Now you can know the struggles, my friend."

"I didn't expect something so outrageous to ever happen to me…"

Bruce sighed, but smiled as he saw Felt, Sarah and Frederica still arguing. Garfiel and Otto were cheering for Frederica's win. Emilia and Rem looked at them with a seemingly understanding smile. Petra was asking Beatrice some questions, that seemed to make the spirit blush. Puck was floating next to Roswaal and Ram, they all were smiling, though Ram seemed to be blushing. Reinhard put a hand on his face, while Al comforted him with a hand on his shoulder, while Julius looked on in confusion. Priscilla, Crusch and Ferris were laughing at the whole ordeal.

Wilhelm sighed. And Mimi was just tilting her head.

"It's going to be a fun next six months."

"Right, the Selection ends in six months."

The two men looked out the window as they stared up at the clouds as they slowly moved through the sky.

"Can't wait to see what comes next."

"Yeah."

Subaru and Batman had saved the day yet again, saving both their own friends and Lugnica from threats outside of their control. Fate was defeated and these fine folks would now just wait for the end of their biggest battles...The Royal Selections and who gets to be Bruce's first wife.

Still wasn't an easy road.

It was now nighttime, the Blacksnake slithered past a small town, killing everyone that got too close to it. The Blacksnake slithered up a mountain...in the distance it could see the ends of the earth. The shoreline was just up ahead and in the horizon the Great Waterfall. Several Vollachian knights were on Ground Dragons as they followed some ways away watching it start to turn.

"Damn, even it's not stupid enough to just fall off the waterfall."

"Whatever the case, we just need to watch it and warn the next town."

"Good thing we were able to push it away from the capital."

"Yeah-"

Getting back on their Ground Dragons...the knight narrowed his eyes under his helmet.

"-But how many lives did we lose in the process?"

"...Yeah."

"Now, let's-"

All of sudden, something bursted out of the waters at the edge of the fall and was making it's way to land. The Blacksnake turned its body around and roared at the oncoming being. From the water emerged a figure that was easily close to a hundred feet tall, just as big as the Blacksnake.

"A-A giant?!"

The Ma-Beast charged as the figure stepped onto dry land. It's figure hidden by the darkness of the night...the only thing clear was it had two large orbs of light for eyes.

The Blacksnake wrapped around the giant figure. It roared victoriously...only for even it to notice nothing was happening to the figure.

Then everyone heard it growl.

"Filthy insect."

A huge shockwave shot out of the figure disintegrating the very flesh off the Blacksnake, leaving nothing but it's smoldering skeleton behind. The skeleton collapsed onto the ground, while the giant figure walked over it. The two knights quickly made their escape but looked back behind them. The figure kept walking...and talking.

"I have amassed enough dark matter energy...now is the time to begin implementing my plans."

The figure spread it's arms wide. It's glowing yellow eyes gazed at the vast world in front of him.

"Though it will take me six months, I am prepared. Prepared to bring ruin to this world and bring salvation to the entirety of time and space."

The moonlight was now reaching him, slowly revealing his figure the fleeing knights.

"Through this worlds destruction I will bring rejuvenation to the proper order of things! So says I…!"

The moonlight finally revealed his true visage...his appearance. Dark blue, silver and golden armor...and his unnatural eyes that were like lights inside of endless voids…

He was here…

"For existing outside of my knowledge this universe will suffer greatly...So says I…!"

The Embodiment of Fear…

"SO

.

.

SAYS

.

.

THE

.

.

ANTI-MONITOR!"

"The goal of all life is death" - Sigmund Freud

Anti-Monitor was now ready. In six months, he would bring ruination and chaos to an entire world.

AN: Next chapter will focus on the Anti-Monitor himself...SEE YA THEN!