AN: Breaking Away by Balance was a song I recently discovered as you can tell...ENJOY.

ARC Eight: Sins of the Past

Chapter Sixty Three: Breaking Away

Subaru made his way down the elegant hallways to find Priscilla's room.

He wanted to see if speaking with her would hopefully get him out of this predicament. Maybe through softer words he could convince her to let him go home.

He finally made it to the door of her room and knocked twice.

"You may enter."

"Well, pardon the intrusion."

Subaru entered and saw Priscilla sitting on her overly huge bed. It was easily too big for just one person, but it was the bed she slept on. The rest of the room was as expected, overly big and filled stuff one would expect a noble of such high status would have. She even had a painting of a gorgeous mountain view on her wall. She had on a formal dress, one that Subaru saw in a loop while in the capital, though it was one of the more negative encounters they had.

"Well are you just going to goggle at my perfection?"

"Sorry to burst your haughty bubble there, but the only ladies I like to do that to, are not here right now."

"How rude."

She turned her head away from him in a display of annoyance. Subaru sighed seeing this...but he also knew he was supposed to do something important.

"Listen, Priscilla...the thing I came here to apologize."

Subaru did a polite bow, the girl sitting in front of him seemingly surprised by this.

"It wrong of me to yell at you like that, I hope you can forgive me."

"...Nope I'll be bringing Al to get rid of you."

"WHY YOU!"

Subaru looked up only to see Priscilla giggling at his frowning face.

"Have no worries, I will not have you executed for your actions."

"That's better I guess."

Subaru sat on the floor in front of her bed. Priscilla crossed her legs in front of him and stared at him up and down.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Do something."

"Yuwah?"

"Hmph! I have painstakingly made many deals to acquire you. So you should do well and do something to entertain me!"

"Uhhh...Let's see."

Subaru processed everything in his mind...and so he came with the idea of telling Priscilla more about Batman's world.

"So like, this team of his, called the Justice League, has even been to the farthest reaches of space!"

"Space? Don't make fun of me."

"No really, you saw Batman throw Wrath into space, no?"

"That is true; but to think that his world has even been to the farthest reaches of space...interesting tell me more."

Priscilla sat closer to Subaru to on the bed as he continued with a tale of how Batman had to deal with murders that correlated with holidays and the time he had to fight a temporary replacement after he broke his back.

"My my! This world of his is something I truly wish to visit someday!"

"Well, tough luck. Apparently there is no way to go visit it right now-"

Subaru was then whacked on the head by her fan as Priscilla stood up and pointed it at him.

"Fool! The world has been designed to serve me. And as such, once I win the election...I will have the dragon help me find a way to Batman's world."

"I wish you'd use your privilege there for a more just cause."

Subaru sighed at the proud girl in front of her...but decided to try something out in fact.

Subaru got up and put up his hands to show that he meant no harm.

"Listen, I'm just going to try something out here, alright?"

"Will it be...interesting?"

"Ah-Well, it might be."

Priscilla nodded, allowing him to do what he was going to do.

"Fine then...Fanatical Snatch."

Subaru grabbed a large piece of dark aura from Priscilla with his metal hand, and swallowed it.

"Wait...that is something I wanted to know; ever since I had Flugel's memories awaken in me, I felt closer to Al. This though, it's weird...I feel closer to…"

That's when the memories played out in his head and connected with Flugel's own memories. He put two and two together.

"Wait...that's not…"

Seeing Flugel's mother coming out of her house, she saw her hugging someone. That someone looked like her, but was taller and had a more voluptuous shape to her.

He realized it.

"She had a sister?"

He watched as she left the village much earlier than Flugel's own birth, so they never got to meet. She at first struggled out on her own, but eventually she met a wealthy nobleman who took an interest in her. They fell in love and got married, eventually the two moved to their new estate together, in a country called Vollachia.

The two looked out to the sky and had hope for the future.

That was until the battle against Satella.

When Volcanica fired his beam and much of the world was heavily damaged by it...so was their estate. This put them in a terrible financial situation, but they managed to be fine and even had a child.

That was it though, the curse; every generation after that had to struggle to keep the rich lifestyle intact. Getting poorer and poorer with each passing child and their child.

Then, it came to a point where one certain mother had lost her husband after being abandoned by him. She now had a very young girl and an estate she could barely afford.

She had to get rid of something.

And she did.

….It was her own daughter…

She did her best to comfort her as she was dropped off at an orphanage...

"It'll be alright. Everything will be fine for you. Take care, the world loves you and will take care of you...my sweet little girl...my little Sagitta."

Taken away, the young girl found she had the Divine Protection...of Luck. Paths and events would open up for her that got her ahead in life. She was able to use it to get adopted by a proud noble and moved up in the world.

She never did forget her upbringing at the orphanage, she sent donations there and as always kind to children. She eventually got into a political marriage with Leip Barielle, securing her prestige.

And then, she was chosen as a Royal Candidate, just another thing the world was giving her.

She would never forget her old name...but she would now go by the new name given to her by her adopted family.

It was…

"P-Priscilla.."

"Hm…? And why is it you are making such a repugnant face?"

Subaru stared at the girl he was nervously staring at the girl in front of him, unable to verbally process what he found out. But…

"Y-You're…"

"What? Enchanting? Radiant? Too beautiful for words? Please spit out your compliment so we can just-"

"-Sagitta."

Priscilla dropped her fan and stood up from her bed. Subaru had never seen the look she had on her face before, it was genuine shock.

"What did you say?"

"P-No….You're name is Sagitta."

"How? HOW DID YOU FIGURE THIS OUT?"

Priscilla now slowly walked towards him, he panicked. He remembered how the last time she was upset with him, she kicked him in the jaw. So he tried to de escalate the problem.

"Listen to me, I just...I just guessed is all."

"Don't lie to me! No one in this entire world should know who I am! I have forgone that name! Never even wanted to remember it! So...is this one of your tricks?!"

"What are talking about?!"

"Some trick you acquired?! Like the ones that helped you defeat all those threats in the past? Tell me now! Or I'll have Al torture the information out of you!"

"...I-I do have a skill that let's me see memories. I was actually looking for a secret entrance or something! But that's all! Really!"

"...Liar."

Subaru trembled as he looked at the clearly enraged Priscilla.

He knew he had to tell her more.

"Look, I was curious about you, just as you were with me. And seeing your past...did make me respect you much more."

"...?"

"Which is...why…"

Subaru knew he needed to look friendly to her, but he hoped this wouldn't bite him.

"Which is why I need to warn about that Schult kid. He's a spy, I read his memories earlier."

"...!?"

"You guys picked him up about four years ago right? Well, he was waiting for you at the orphanage, sent there by the Vollachia Empire to investigate you. Especially when it became apparent you were a Royal Candidate."

"That's…"

Priscilla was shaking her head, looking down at the ground.

"Priscilla, listen to me...I just want to-"

Subaru was slapped with enough strength to make him collapse onto the ground. As he tried to pick himself up-

"I never thought you were such a despicable person, Natsuki Subaru."

"...!"

Subaru looked up and saw a displeased Priscilla looking down at him.

"To accuse Schult of such a thing. You disgust me."

The Royal Candidate then kicked Subaru across the jaw, knocking him out.

Subaru woke up dazed in a small room. Both his hands and feet were tied up and he was on the floor. He gazed around only to see tow small shoes next to the door.

"So I see you are awake then?"

Turning his head up, he saw him. The spy, Schult.

"Oh damn."

"Al is supposed to be here to interrogate you, but before he gets here. I wish to speak with you."

Al set down a plate of food and walked over to Subaru, who could only grit his teeth at him.

"How did you find out I was a spy?"

"...A secret technique called, 'None of your fucking business'!"

"...Dreadful."

Schult pulled out very tiny edged needles and began to quickly pierce Subaru in the face with them.

"AGH!"

"Have no worries, they will only leave the most minute of markings. Perfect for interrogation."

"...!"

"Again, how?"

"I have a technique that let's me see memories."

"Interesting, but I also wish to know one thing. For my superiors, of course."

Schult kneeled next to Subaru, his red eyes leering down at him.

"What are you Lugnica camps planning?"

"What?"

"To many of the kingdoms, Lugnica is slowly becoming a major power. Even people in my own Vollachia have begun to sing and praise the names of people like you, and Batman. I can assure you the higher ups are not happy with it."

"Popularity sure spreads far."

"Not only that, but knowledge that these two men belong to the same camp as a half-devil. It is quite the frightening thing. To think that such a powerful group could easily become a threat to all of us is assured."

"We would never-"

"-And how would we know that?"

Schult narrowed his eyes at Subaru.

"The Crusch camp let Poison Ivy gain asylum even after the chaos she cmmited in Kararagi and The Emilia Camp allowed an assassin like Deathstroke to join, even with his past crimes in Gusteko stacked against him! An the assassin even caused significant disasters in Vollachia in the past and to see him living safely in Lugnica surrounded by other powerful individuals, causes great concern for all of us!"

"...!"

"Now, we can't just sit and wait to see what your end goals are-"

"-Wait. Then that means, you guys are spying on them too?!"

Schult let out a deep breath and stood up, patting away the dirt from his knees.

"Vollachia is spying on Priscilla and Anastasia at the moment. However, our sources say that Kararagi is spying on Emilia and Crusch, while Gusteko spies on Felt. We ALL need to see how dangerous Lugnica is becoming. Whether it's your warriors skills, your future intentions or if you wish to bring more people from another world to fight for you!"

Subaru forced himself up and glared at the fake butler.

"YOU! You knew about that too?!"

"Of course! Never underestimate a spies skills."

Schult began to leave as he looked one last time back at him.

"We have to do this. For the sake of the world's stability."

"Bastard…"

"Now, Al should be here soon. Enjoy yourself."

Schult closed the door behind him...leaving Subaru alone with his surging thoughts.

Emilia and Ram were running down the hallways as ninja's were zipping around chasing them. Ram stopped her momentum and spun her body, landing a fierce punch on one of the ninjas. But soon he bursted into smoke and she saw a piece of log with a piece of paper on it. The actual ninja leaped down from the ceiling only to eat a spinning kick from Ram.

Ram scoffed at the ninja as she ran back to follow Emilia.

Emilia encountered two ninjas ahead of her.

"Water Spell: Ice Dragon."

She soon formed a large serpent made of ice, that shot forward and encased almost all of the ninjas in ice. A ninja made it over and tossed several shurikens at her, Emilia made an ice shield and blocked them, she then jumped into the air and tackled him with the shield into the ceiling, she then summoned several ice javelins around her and fired them down, freezing some of the ninjas.

Emilia leaped down back into the ground and met with Ram.

"Ram! Are you okay?!"

"Yes, Emilia-sama, but we must hurry and see if the others are okay!"

"Right!"

Just as they did, a single ninja jumped down and created numerous copies of himself that all charged at them.

Emilia and Ram raced ahead, and landed blows on a copy that was on the far left.

Emilia's foot slammed on his head, while Ram's gloved fist hit him in the abdomen. His body crashed through a wall and slumped down in defeat.

Ram humphed at the beaten man.

"Simple tricks like these won't work you fools."

"Y-Yeah! You guys are nothing compared to Batman-san. He's really good at this stuff!"

They quickly made their way down the halls, but as they turned the corner.

"NO!"

They saw everyone; their friends, the staff and even Roswaal himself tied up with blades held against their throats. Specifically, Deathstroke had a sword against Roswaal, who had a black eye and blood dripping down his face.

"Both of you, give up quietly or we start killing these fine folks."

"Slade….how could you…?"

Emilia at first was crying out of sadness, but she quickly turned it to anger as she frowned at him.

"I thought we were friends!"

"No Emilia. You were just my employer, nothing more. And right now, I have business with these fellas. Simple practices of an assassin, right?"

Ram had a deathly aura surround her as she glared at him.

"You scum. You would betray us for financial gain?! AFTER EVERYTHING WE WENT THROUGH!?"

"Yes."

"Damn you!"

As Ram stepped closer, Deathstroke pressed the blade harder on Roswaal's neck, causing blood to trickle down, making the sorcerer put on a face of pain. Ram stopped and lowered her aura, making Emilia lower her arms as well.

Two ninjas tackled them down from behind, and tied up their legs and arms. Emilia still had an enraged expression on, but tears were still falling from her face.

"Traitor...you waited until Batman-san and Subaru were out of the mansion to do this?"

"Something like that. With Rem and the others gone too, this made things that much easier. Nice..."

Emilia and Ram were forcefully picked up as Deathstroke motioned to the other ninjas, they dragged away the other hostages. Petra's screams hurt Emilia and Ram the most. Otto could be seen glaring at Deathstroke as they dragged him away.

As Emilia passed by Deathstroke, she could clearly see a glimmer in his eye as he looked down at her.

The hostages were dragged away into the darkness…

Deathstroke pulled out a small knife and looked down the hall where they were taken away. Behind him the moon illuminated his viasge, making it seem as if his eye was glowing red.

"Time to go to work."

Subaru was tossing and turning on the ground, enraged at the fact he was unable to break free. He then realized he could use that rage for something else.

"Invisible Providence."

His Unseen Hand came out and ripped off his holdings. He twisted around his wrists and ankles to check if he was fine to escape. Once he found himself okay, he reached the doorknob and turned it. Once out of the room, he looked around and found himself alone in the hallways. But once he closed the door, and quietly tip toed down the hall, he peeked around the corner...and saw Al, looking straight at him.

"Oh Shit."

Subaru tried to run back, but Al raced forward. As the knight turned the corner he stomped his foot on the ground.

"El Dona!"

A earth spike shot out of the ground and was aiming at Subaru. Luckily, he slid on the ground and let the spike fly past him, bursting out of the window.

Subaru got up and saw Al now over him with his trademark sword. Subaru rolled on the ground and quickly got a hold of vase on top of a counter. He tossed it Al, but he simply sliced it away-

"Invisible Providence!"

The Unseen Hand slammed on Al's helmet causing him to fall on the ground. Subaru took advantage and grabbed the hair on the back of his helmet and slammed him down again. Al kicked Subaru away from him, but Subaru got up at the same time Al did.

The two men's eyes reflected each other.

Subaru figured he needed to defeat Al to escape.

Al could not let this man get away.

Al summoned a stone beneath his feet and kicked it at Subaru. Subaru used his metal hand to block it, but Al was now under him, aiming to slice away at Subaru's abdomen.

"E.M.M.!"

Subaru was hit by the sword and sent flying, but Al noticed that Subaru rolled with the momentum and got back up. However, Subaru was heaving and gripped his chest.

"Ugh, hate to use that ability without Beako. That shit really does stop my heart."

"Flugel! Just come quietly, this doesn't need to end badly for neither of us!"

"For the last time, I AM NOT FLUGEL!"

"Oh? And these weird tricks you are pulling off, what does that prove?!"

"You're putting pieces together that don't mix!"

"Yes they do…"

Al charged again, attempting to slice off Subaru's head, but Subaru used E.M.M. again and he spun in the air from the impact. Subaru roared as he used another Unseen Hand to uppercut Al. Subaru breathed heavily again as he hit the ground. Al took advantage and tried to impale him while he was on the ground, but Subaru back flipped out of there.

Al then dashed ahead and successfully sliced open Subaru's chest.

"Huggggh!"

"...Don't be scared, you can just jump into another body right-"

"-FUCK YOU! REVENGE COUNTER!"

The same injury appeared on Al, making him clutch his open wound and stumble back. He was then hit by a powerful blow by Invisible Providence.

But as Al flew back...Subaru saw it all suddenly stop.

"Huh?"

Al then floated back, as the blood that flew out of him...suddenly was going back inside of him and so was his.

"This is…"

He kept watching as everything, was going back...time was rewinding.

After that, Al took up his position from when they were simply staring at each other.

"Al...So that's your ability?! To rewind moments in time?!"

Al's eyes faltered and his body slightly trembled, but he never lost grip of his sword.

"You could see it? YOU COULD SEE IT?!"

"Yeah! I heard it's an Authority of Pride right?"

"...Then, you have an Authority too?"

Subaru lowered his arms, but shifted himself down...ready for something to happen.

"Yes...I also have the Authority of Pride."

"...Then."

Al aimed his sword at him and yelled.

"You are the one they've been looking for! The Sin Archbishop of Pride!"

"You...You know the Witch's Cult?!"

"Yeah, during my time in Vollachia...I encountered two of them in the entirety of my life. Regulus, who I really had no positive feeling towards and Louis, honestly he's the most level headed of the group. He even gave me-"

"-Al...you have a gospel don't you?"

The two were silent as they waited for an answer.

"Yes, I do."

"Bastard...get rid of it now!"

"NO! It's been there for me this whole time! I need it so-"

"-Let me guess...it's telling you a way to go home?!"

"Yup, and I'm tired of all this fucking bullshit! Fighting, licking boots and losing my arm! And having to go through all this crap because of you!"

"...I didn't do anything."

Something in what Subaru said made Al go into a silent rage, and he dashed towards Subaru, ready to fight.

But the wall behind them exploded, causing both men to fly back. As they slowly dragged themselves up...they heard a voice. One very familiar to Subaru.

"Well, and here I thought I would have this place all to myself. But what a strange situation this is…"

A figure slowly emerged from the cloud of debris, his eyes glowing as he did.

"Oh no."

"HAHAHA! Isn't this a surprise I was planning on one day meeting you again...and ripping out your spine as you screamed in regret for ruining my plans."

"G…"

The being Subaru met nearly one year ago...and lost his eye in the process.

"GRODD."

"We meet again, Natsuki Subaru."

Grodd looked over at them all, his golden colored armor shining as usual.

Grodd let out a roar as he fired a psionic beam from his forehead, the two men dodged it, but the wall down the hall, collapsed.

Al fired an earth spike, but Grodd summoned his own earth shield, saving him from injury. Subaru hit Grodd from behind with an Unseen Hand, but Grodd raced over and slammed Subaru away and into a wall. Grodd then raced over to Al, who was preparing to see what-

"UGH!"

"Ha! Feel the pain of your punishment for fighting me!"

Al's mind was being invaded by Grodd, Al tried his best to fight back against the mind attack...but saw that he was stabbing himself with his own blade. Over and over again. Grodd then punched him away.

Grodd quickly made his way to Subaru and grabbed him by his shoulder, slowly breaking him.

"AGHHHH!"

"Now then, let's see what secrets you have…"

Grodd bit down on Subaru head, the sheer force made a cracking sound. Subaru muttered to himself and peed himself from the sheer pain.

Grodd bit down more, the pain surged throughout Subaru's body, making him puke down on Grodd. This just made him angrier, and he bit on Subaru's neck as punishment, blood shot of his vicious wound as Grodd continued eating Subaru's brains.

The last thing Subaru heard was the hideous slurping sound from Grodd.

"Is something the matter?"

Subaru stared wide eyed at Schult who was preparing to leave his room. He felt his heart race, and out crept an emotion Subaru would always keep locked away, only if he needed to use it.

RAGE.

"You...GOT ME KILLED!"

Subaru summoned his Unseen Hand and it grabbed Schult by the neck and pulled him over to him. Once he was in arms reach, he used his actual arms to choke him as well. The boy's mouth leaked out saliva and mucus.

"You fucker! You got me killed! I died! Because of you!"

"HK! ACK!"

"Fucking spy, just-"

In but a moment, Subaru regained his sanity, only to hear a dreadful snapping sound. His arms and Unseen Hand let go...only for Schult's body to fall to the ground.

He was dead. Subaru killed him.

"Oh no…"

Al ran back into the room hearing the commotion from earlier. The sight before him, made the knight clench his fist.

"Asshole...WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"...I screwed up."

Al quickly pulled out his sword and sliced off Subaru's head clean off. The last thing his eyes saw, was Priscilla looking down at the sight….and was crying.

"Is something the matter?"

Subaru's eyes widened as he looked at Schult. His mouth quivered, but straightened again as he swalllowed his breath.

"Yes. Everything is okay."

Schult did a polite bow and left the room, as Subaru stared out the window.

"I...I have to survive. But…"

Seeing the memories of Al and Priscilla flash through his mind once again…

"I'm saving everyone too!"

Breaking away from the deaths he was inflicted, Natsuki Subaru was once again determined to battle against the forces stacked against him and his friends...no matter what the cost.