A Sage Never Forgets.

[Wolfthunder7]

The silence of Pristella's streets was a deceptive comfort. Subaru grunted, stopping for a moment to catch his breath, cold sweat mingling with the dried blood on his face. He had done it. The battle against Wrath and Greed had left scars, but they had won.

"Just a little further... Beako must be furious that I disappeared." he murmured, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

That was when the air grew cold. A pair of light, uneven footsteps echoed behind him. Before Subaru could activate Invisible Providence, a small, sticky hand touched his shoulder. A high-pitched, manic laugh filled his ears.

"Ah, what a feast! What a delicacy! The main course is finally served!" Ley Batenkaitos's voice was pure mockery. "Thank you for the meal, Natsuki Subaru!"

Subaru felt a violent tug at his soul, as if an invisible thread were being ripped from his guts. He fell to his knees, his vision blurring for a second. When he managed to focus again, the Archbishop of Gluttony was already leaping across the rooftops, laughing as he vanished into the darkness.

"He... he touched me?" Subaru felt his own body with a worried look. "I'm still here. My memories... I still know who I am."

He let out a sigh of pure relief. Surviving an encounter with Gluttony was a miracle. He stood up, brushing off his pants, and ran toward the central plaza where the rescue groups were gathering. He could see Emilia's silver hair and Beatrice's small silhouette.

"Guys!" Subaru shouted, waving as he approached. "I'm back! Sorry for the wait, I had a bit of a problem on the way…"

He stopped abruptly. The group didn't run to meet him. On the contrary, their formation shifted instantly into a combat stance.

"Stop right where you are, cultist!" Beatrice's voice, usually sweet and affectionate, cut through the air like a blade of ice.

Hearing that, Subaru froze. "Beako? What are you talking about? It's me, Subaru!"

The small spirit took a step forward, her eyes fixed on Subaru with a contempt he had never seen before. She clenched her hands, and the mana around her began to vibrate violently.

"Don't you dare use that tone with Betty, I suppose!" she hissed. "The stench emanating from you is unbearable. It is the densest miasma I have ever felt in all my existence. How dare you appear before us with hands stained in blood and the scent of that Witch?"

"Emilia… This isn't funny, please, you must know me." Subaru looked at the half-elf, seeking a safe harbor.

But Emilia had her hand over her chest, her eyes filled with a painful caution; she didn't recognize him either. To her, he was just a stranger covered in shadow.

"Who are you?" Emilia asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Subaru's world began to spin. Ley's "feast" hadn't been his life or his memories, it had been his Name. No one remembered him, just as they hadn't remembered Rem.

"It's me, Natsuki Subaru! Emilia's knight! Beatrice's contractor!" He took a desperate step forward.

A sharp metallic sound interrupted his speech. A sound Subaru knew well: the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Looking toward the source, he understood. Reinhard van Astrea took a step forward, his hand resting on the hilt of the Dragon Sword, Reid. The sword, which never left its scabbard for unworthy opponents, was vibrating. A soft light escaped from the gap in the blade.

"Strange…" Reinhard said, his voice calm and deadly. "Reid has never reacted like this before. It is telling me that you are an opponent that must be faced with everything I have. You aren't just an ordinary cultist, are you?"

"Reinhard, even you?!" The despair in Subaru's voice was palpable. "We just fought together a moment ago! We…"

"Silence!" Ricardo, the captain of the Iron Fang, roared, leaping forward with his massive blade in hand. The beastman's face was distorted by the euphoria of recent victory and hatred for the cult. "It doesn't matter what you say, you can't fool us, you damned cultist! If the Saint's sword is restless, it's because you are evil incarnate!"

Without giving Subaru time to process the terror, Ricardo swung his massive weapon. "Let's see if you talk so much after I take your head off!"

Subaru barely had time to breathe before the heavy steel came his way.

However… he never felt any pain. Instead, he heard a tired sigh.

"What a mess…"

Hearing an unfamiliar voice, Subaru opened his eyes and stared at a figure covered in a dark cloak with a raised hood, who was holding Ricardo's blade with a single hand. The mercenary grunted with effort, trying to push the weapon away, but the hooded person's grip did not waver.

"Okay, I think I'll have to interfere now." the young man commented, raising one of his fingers while holding the sword before quickly lowering it, completely shattering the blade.

As soon as he noticed what had happened, Ricardo leaped back in shock. Everyone was now tense as the young man lowered his arm, hiding it within his cloak.

"Please, don't attack, this doesn't need to…" Suddenly, a flash silenced him, making everyone close their eyes. However, as soon as they opened them again, they saw something impossible.

The stranger was holding the blade of the sword Reid with no visible injuries, looking directly at Reinhard, who seemed shocked. The hooded youth sighed again.

"This shouldn't be violent or so dramatic." the boy commented before, with a flick of his hand, wrenching the sword from Reinhard's grip. He didn't stop there; holding the blade with both hands, he snapped the weapon as if it were fragile glass.

"The sword..." Suddenly, Reinhard received a kick that sent him flying at an alarming speed into a building, which exploded on impact.

"Reinhard!" Julius exclaimed before turning to his new enemy. "Damn you!"

Immediately, Julius, Ricardo, and Wilhelm rushed toward him.

"No, stop!" Subaru cried out in worry, trying to hold them back.

However, as soon as they drew near, the stranger grabbed Julius by the wrist and pulled, using him like a club to knock the other two aside. He then twisted the knight's wrist and slapped him with the same arm, a sound that echoed through the area followed by a crack. With that, Julius fell limp to the ground.

"Minya!" Beatrice exclaimed, firing several mana crystals just as Emilia advanced.

Just as the projectiles were about to hit him, they all vanished. Then, Beatrice simply disappeared in a burst of light sparks. Emilia fell to the ground, knocked unconscious.

All of this happened in less than a minute from Subaru's perspective.

"What... What did you do to Beako and Emilia-tan!?" Subaru asked with wide eyes as the hooded man turned to him.

"I completely nullified all magic in the city's atmosphere; consequently, all the spirits in the city have died." the man explained calmly, approaching Subaru and placing a hand on his shoulder.

In the next moment, they were no longer in Pristella.

---

In the blink of an eye, Subaru found himself no longer in the city of Pristella, but in the ancient, empty lands of the Lifaus Plains. As he lifted his head, he froze. Before him rose the colossal, charred trunk of what had once been the greatest tree in the world.

"Flugel's Tree…" Subaru murmured, his voice failing. "How did we end up here? This is days away from Pristella!"

The hooded man didn't answer immediately. He walked past Subaru with slow steps, ignoring the questions, and walked until he touched the petrified bark of the monument's remains. He seemed to be paying respect to a grave.

"Who are you?!" Subaru shouted, losing both his patience and his sanity. "You hurt my friends, you erased Beako, you kidnapped me!"

The stranger let out a heavy sigh, his back still turned.

"You have many questions; I understand that very well, Natsuki Subaru." His voice echoed, calm and deep. "I know your reputation well. The 'Lolimancer' with his headpats. The 'Knight of the Half-Elf Emilia' who defied the Council of Sages for her… and, of course, the most important of all: the current Sage Candidate."

Subaru took a step back, his heart hammering against his ribs.

"Sage Candidate? What are you talking about? I've never heard that in my life! What kind of joke is this?"

The man remained silent for long seconds. The wind blew through the dead branches of the tree, producing a sound that resembled a lament. Slowly, he turned to face Subaru. His hands reached for his hood and pulled it back, revealing the face that had been hidden in the shadows.

Subaru felt the oxygen leave his lungs.

The youth before him had the same features Subaru saw in the mirror's reflection every morning. The eyes were sharp, the facial structure was identical… but the similarities ended there. The stranger's hair was pure white, like the cleanest snow, and his eyes were not brown, but a deep shade of lilac and amethyst, the exact color of Emilia's eyes. To complete the shock, his ears were slightly pointed, betraying his nature.

"You… you have my face… but…" Subaru stammered, feeling the world spin.

The youth took a step forward, and the miasma Subaru had felt before seemed to bow in reverence to his presence.

"My name is Natsuki Flugel." he said with a solemnity that chilled Subaru's blood, his gaze melancholic and hesitant as he stared. "The Great Sage."

Flugel paused, as if he were disgusted by what he had just said, but he soon looked back at Subaru with a mixture of sadness and duty. "And so that there is no doubt about my lineage or why I saved you… I am the son of Natsuki Subaru and Natsuki Satella, the Witch of Envy."

Subaru fell to his knees. The weight of those words was greater than any attack from an Archbishop. The name "Flugel." the title of "Sage." and the revelation of a future, or past, that he couldn't even process.

"Son… of me and… Satella?" Subaru managed to choke out, his mind collapsing.

"I know, Father, it's a lot to process right now, but all you need to know is that I'm fixing this mess." Flugel explained, kneeling in front of Subaru with a calm gaze.

"Fixing it...?" Subaru laughed, a dry, lifeless laugh. "You say you're fixing this mess now? Where were you, Flugel?"

He stood up, staggering, pointing a trembling finger at the youth's chest.

"Where were you when I was torn apart by Wolgarms? When I was frozen into dust by Puck? Where were you when I saw Rem erased from existence or when I was eaten alive by a horde of rabbits?!" Subaru's scream echoed across the desolate plains. "If you are my son... if you have all this power to break Reinhard's sword like a twig... why now?! Why did you leave me to suffer alone all this time?"

Flugel did not flinch. Despite his father's rage, he remained kneeling for a second before slowly standing up, brushing the dust off his cloak. His face remained a mask of disturbing calm.

"Because I am the strongest. If I fought all your battles, you would never evolve." Flugel replied, and the coldness in those words made Subaru shudder. "But what happened today in Pristella was not in the plans. Having your name eaten by Gluttony... that is an error that should not occur. It is a variable that should not exist. If the world forgets who you are, the future results are catastrophic for everyone, here and on Earth."

Subaru grabbed the collar of Flugel's cloak, pulling him close.

"Earth?! You mean…" Subaru began, but Flugel only stared at him.

"Grandpa and Grandma would be in danger. I won't allow anything to happen to them either, don't worry." Flugel promised.

Subaru grunted and let go before looking at the horizon. "And Satella? What happened to her? History says you sealed her."

"My mother…" Flugel hesitated for the first time, a shadow of pain crossing his lilac eyes. "She is where she has always been, waiting for you. But to get there, you need to be Natsuki Subaru. And right now, you are weak."

Flugel looked at his father with a more serious expression. "Don't waste your breath on questions whose answers you couldn't bear right now. We are going to fix this in the next timeline. I'm going to take you back to the moment before Ley Batenkaitos touched you."

"Next timeline?" Subaru took a step back, indignant. "You talk as if it's easy!"

"I know it isn't easy to die, Father." Flugel grumbled, with a melancholic look full of guilt. "But we need to do this."

"...What do you mean?" Subaru asked, his eyes wide as he realized his son also knew about Return by Death, or worse, knew exactly how it worked.

"All of your loops… I've followed every single one. I am always watching you, Father, without interfering. I wish I could explain everything to you, why I can't interfere directly as I want to, but… I can't, because you are still too weak to handle the problems this knowledge would bring you." Flugel explained with a sigh, clenching his fists before looking at his father. "But what I can say is that you are the only one who can take the position of Sage besides me. You are more capable than you imagine. Grow, evolve, improve. What is at stake is much more than this Royal Selection, and at some point in the future, we will need the original Sage back."

"Strength is a curse above all else, Father. You understand that better than anyone. I wish I could explain more, but even knowing this much about me and what I've told you is dangerous…"

The two fell into silence before Flugel suddenly hugged Subaru. He was shocked at first, but soon hugged the youth back, noticing how he seemed to tremble and sob quietly.

"You… you're suffering a lot, aren't you?" Subaru asked in a lower tone. Flugel remained silent for a moment before pulling away.

"...For over four hundred years." Flugel sighed, noticing Subaru's eyes widen. "Father, I just want you to know that I love you and… that it's not your fault. None of it was your fault, I promise you. And I promise it will be quick."

"What do you mean by…" Suddenly, Flugel touched Subaru's forehead, making his eyes grow heavy. The man fell forward, caught by the youth.

"...I hope you can forgive me for what I am about to do, Father." Flugel whispered before laying Subaru on the ground.

He stared at Subaru for a few seconds before kneeling beside him and touching his chest. Suddenly, Subaru exploded, scattering blood and organs around, completely drenching Flugel in blood. The youth had his eyes closed before opening them, filled with tears, looking at his trembling hands.

Clenching his fists, Flugel lifted his head and screamed. At the same time, the sound of shattering glass and ringing bells echoed through the air.

---

"Just a little further... Beako must be furious that I disappeared." Subaru murmured, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

Behind him, a shadow moved. Ley Batenkaitos, the Archbishop of Gluttony, leaped from a rooftop with his claws extended, drool dripping down his childlike chin.

"The main course! Let's eat, eat, ea…" Ley's scream was cut short by a boot that slammed onto the back of his neck, driving his head into the ground.

Subaru stopped for a second, looking over his shoulder, but seeing nothing.

"Strange… I thought I heard something." he murmured before shrugging and continuing to run toward his friends and the other camps.

"Subaru!" Emilia waved, her face lit up by a pure smile of concern.

"You took your time, I suppose!" Beatrice crossed her arms, but her eyes shimmered with relief as she ran to grab the sleeve of his jacket.

Subaru laughed, ruffling Beatrice's hair. "My bad, everyone! I got lost in a dead-end street, but I'm all in one piece!"

---

From the top of a partially destroyed tower, Flugel watched the scene, his hood drawn low over his face. He kept his foot firmly planted on the back of Ley, who struggled desperately to break free, yet could not so much as budge his captor's leg.

Flugel gazed down at his father, laughing and talking with Emilia, Beatrice, and everyone else present, his expression heavy with melancholy. He wanted nothing more than to go down there and embrace his father, to help him in a more direct way; but for the sake of the future his father and mother deserved, he had to maintain his distance.

Regardless, the sight of Subaru's happiness gave him the strength he needed to press on.

"Good luck, Father." Flugel whispered. Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed Ley by the hair and pulled him away, vanishing from Pristella entirely in the blink of an eye.

---

A small girl, wearing only a simple white garment with skin as pale as snow, hair of the same color, and celestial blue eyes, was calmly drinking a cup of tea, listening to Roy and Capella's report about the failure in Priestella.

"This is a disappointment… now I only need to know if Lye fulfilled his objective of eating the name of…"

Before she could continue, the aforementioned Archbishop of Gluttony was hurled against the table in front of her, shattering it into tiny pieces. The other two cult members' eyes widened as they spun around, while the girl's eyes also went wide in shock.

"This overwhelming presence, this Authority… it can only be him…" Slowly, the girl turned, looking tense as she stared at Flugel, who stood there watching her.

"Flugel, it has been a long time."

"Pandora." Flugel greeted her as he approached.

Pandora remained motionless, staring directly at Flugel, trying to anticipate his next move. But unlike her, Roy Alphard and Capella Emerada Lugnica leaped to the sides, taking up attack stances.

"What the hell is this?!" Capella hissed, her body already beginning to undergo grotesque mutations as claws sprouted from her fingers. "Who is this piece of meat who dares to interrupt the Great Capella-sama and toss Lye around like a sack of potatoes? I'll turn you into an unrecognizable mass of flesh, you worm!"

"Someone with the same name as the Sage… Sage meat…" Roy licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with insane hunger. "It sounds like a legendary dish! Let us eat, let us savor it!"

Flugel didn't even spare a glance for them. However, from the shadow of his hood, one of his lilac eyes glowed as he stared at Pandora, completely ignoring the two Archbishops.

"I didn't come here to talk about the past, Pandora." Flugel said, his voice cold and serious. "I came to impose a rule."

"A rule...?" she repeated, her voice faltering slightly. "Are you going to tell me and my cult how to act now?"

"I couldn't care less about your cult or what you do. If you want to destroy the entire capital of Lugnica or all four kingdoms, it does not interest me. But as of today, Natsuki Subaru's name is off Gluttony's menu." Flugel declared, taking a step forward. Suddenly, Capella, Roy, and Pandora herself froze. They felt an alien pressure around them as cracks began to appear in the floor, walls, and ceiling, all while the Sage's eyes burned within the shadows of his hood.

"If any of your dogs touch his existence, his memory, or his name again... we will have problems."

"You..." Capella stammered, her face flushing red with rage as she glared at Flugel. "YOU INSOLENT BRAT!"

Capella roared, unable to contain her wounded pride. She lunged forward, transforming her arm into a blade of black, scaly flesh. "I'll teach you not to give orders to someone as cute as me!"

Despite his fear, Roy followed her lead, moving to accompany his companion.

"STOP!" Pandora's scream cut through the air, not with her usual sweetness, but with a sharp, desperate panic. It forced the two Archbishops to halt their attack before they could even get near the Witch of Vanity.

"Pandora-sama?" Roy asked, confused. "Why did you stop us? He's just an arrogant boy!"

"Retreat. Now!" Pandora ordered, stepping between her Archbishops and Flugel, her hands visibly trembling. "You don't understand... if you started this fight, even if Lye and I were by your side with everything we have, we wouldn't even be able to scratch him. We would only die."

A heavy silence followed as the Archbishops processed her words. Capella, for the first time in her life, felt a survival instinct that overrode her arrogance. She looked at Flugel, and this time, he looked back at her.

In that moment, it felt as though her heart simply stopped. An indescribable dread took hold of her body, paralyzing her completely.

Flugel then turned his gaze back to Pandora. "That was all. Keep your dogs on a leash and try not to cause a mess; I will not allow your vanity to ruin his story."

He turned, beginning to walk away.

"I will warn them, Flugel. But know this: one day, I will kill you." Pandora declared, causing Flugel to stop and turn to face her.

However, unlike his previous seriousness, his eyes now held a different set of emotions: pity. Flugel showed pity for Pandora, mixed with disappointment as he looked at the Witch of Vanity, which only worsened the way she felt while staring at him.

"No, you won't." Flugel commented frankly, as if speaking of something mundane, before turning again and walking away. "You are weak."

And in the blink of an eye, Flugel vanished.

---

The sound of the door closing behind him brought a sense of relief that no Authority or magic could ever provide. Flugel let out a long sigh, undoing the clasp of his traveling cloak and letting the fabric slide off his shoulders before placing it on the rack.

Beneath the facade of the Sage and his obvious half-elf heritage, all that remained was a young man. He was wearing a casual black hoodie, dark trousers, and matching sneakers, outfits almost identical to his father's.

"I'm back." Flugel announced, his voice losing the icy edge he had used against Pandora.

He walked through the house, the wooden floorboards creaking in a welcoming way. In the living room, two familiar faces lit up at the sight of him. Kenichi and Naoko Natsuki were waiting for him.

"Flugel!" Naoko exclaimed, her hands to her chest as she exhaled the breath she seemed to have been holding for hours. "How is he? Is Subaru okay?"

Flugel forced a gentle smile for his grandmother. "Yes, I helped him. Dad is safe now, and the path ahead of him is clear once more."

Naoko wiped away a stray tear and smiled, regaining her usual energy. "Thank God... I'll finish up dinner for us, dear. You must be exhausted from traveling between realities."

She retreated to the kitchen, leaving Flugel and Kenichi alone. The Natsuki patriarch gestured to the spot on the sofa beside him. Flugel sat down, feeling the softness of the upholstery, but his shoulders remained tense. Kenichi watched him in silence for a moment, his experienced eyes reading the pain hidden behind his grandson's amethyst gaze.

"You look more burdened than usual today, kid." Kenichi said, his voice deep and comforting. "Is everything really alright?"

Flugel lowered his head, staring at his own hands. "I hate it, Grandpa. I hate having to stay so close to him and not being able to interfere when, in truth, I just want to help him the way a son should. It hurts to see everything he goes through, knowing my interference has a limit, even when I could solve all his problems for him."

Kenichi placed a firm hand on Flugel's shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "I know. It's hard to watch. I know you don't tell us everything that happened to Subaru for our safety and his, but none of you are alone. We're always looking out for each other and, as you said before, all of us Natsukis will end up together, right? Your grandmother, me, your mother, Subaru, you… even that noisy little girlfriend of yours you told us about."

Flugel let out a short laugh, the image of Shaula flashing through his mind. He nodded, feeling a warmth in his chest.

At that moment, he raised his right hand, palm up. A dense, glowing purple mist emanated from his fingers, swirling into a sphere above his hand as a crack opened within the fog.

Inside the crack, an image came to life, like a photograph captured by time itself. In it, Subaru was smiling from ear to ear, being embraced by a radiant Satella, Emilia, and Rem. Around them, the family was vast: Kenichi and Naoko were there, along with Beatrice who finally seemed at peace. Several children were running around, and in one corner of the image, Flugel himself appeared, laughing openly as Shaula squeezed him in a crushing, possessive hug.

Flugel closed his hand into a fist, and the image dissipated into particles of purple light. He looked at Kenichi with watery eyes, but with a spark of determination that would have made Subaru himself proud.

"Yes…" he whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he looked toward the future he so desperately craved. "For the future."