…
{ 3rd Pov }
He had died around four times to the White Whale. Last time, if not for overdrawing his Aura and Ki, he would have killed it.
Now, he finally understood the price of using them. Ki was life energy—it regenerated over time, but in the end, it was still his vitality.
And though his vitality had increased thousands of times, if he overused it—especially his Aura, it would still kill him.
'This time, I'll kill it in one hit,' he thought, eyes sharp with resolve.
Rem was already gone. The White Whale appeared, roaring as always.
But this time, Subaru didn't make a mistake. He teleported above it and formed a sword of pure Aura in his hand.
However, unlike last time, he didn't try to create a massive sword to cleave the beast in half.
Instead, he focused—funneling both Ki and Mana into the blade, unleashing it all through the Aura sword.
A blue light pierced through the heavens, blasting away the clouds. It was visible from the Capital and even Mathers' mansion.
Even Rem, who was driving away, saw the spectacle in awe.
"Master Zero... is that you?" she whispered in disbelief.
Meanwhile,
"This Ends Now!" Subaru roared, swinging the sword downward.
"Shinsei Kyōjin!" (Divine Annihilation)
The beam shot straight through the White Whale, cleaving it in half.
For a moment, silence fell—before the beast crashed to the ground, its body split cleanly into two. With another strike, Subaru obliterated what remained of its life.
He panted lightly. That strike alone had cost him a quarter of his Ki.
Thankfully, he still had 95% of his mana left.
He landed on the ground with a thud, creating a small crater.
Staring at the corpse of the White Whale before him, awe and a deep sense of accomplishment filled him as he collapsed on his back.
"I-I did it," he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. "Hell yeah!" he shouted in celebration.
"Master, you did it!" a sudden voice called out, making him jump.
"W-Who?" he muttered, manifesting his aura defensively—when five glowing bobs of mana emerged from his body.
"It is us, Master!" the Fire Spirit replied.
"My spirits?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes! Out of nowhere, our abilities increased and we became True Spirits!" said the Water Spirit.
"Hmph! Except Earth, who's got the strength of a newbie spirit, the four of us are nearly Great Spirits—with me being the strongest," the Yang Spirit boasted proudly.
"Yes, that's the case, Master," said the Wind Spirit in a calm tone.
"Damn it... I was the weakest before, and even now I'm the weakest," the Earth Spirit mourned.
The Yang Spirit suddenly rubbed against Subaru's cheek and said, "You lowlifes should all call him Master, but as the strongest, I will call him Father." She rubbed against him more intimately, visibly blushing.!
"W-We want to call him Father too!" the Water Spirit protested.
"Father? Umu! That sounds better," the Fire Spirit nodded enthusiastically.
"I love Father," the Wind Spirit said softly.
"Me too!" added the Earth Spirit.
"Hmph! Mongrels, know your place! Only I deserve to call him Father!" the Yang Spirit snapped. "When this concubine marries our Father, you shall grovel at my feet!"
Subaru suddenly froze.
'What the fuck?!' he thought, as all five Spirits started arguing—spells and elements flying everywhere like an indoor battlefield.
'Wait a minute… If my spirits get stronger too, then does that mean—' His eyes widened in realization. He quickly reached out and grabbed the Life Sword.
"Its aura intensity has increased… at least sixteen times!" he exclaimed, stunned. He then summoned the Yin Sword—its power had clearly amplified as well.
"I must've saved an entire world in my past life as Ayan to earn an ability like this…" he muttered, rubbing his misty eyes.
"As for my Natsuki self? He must've been a bonafide devil."
(A/N: Typical Natsuki Subaru—berating himself as usual XD)
"Al Goa!"
"Al Shiha!"
"Al Fura!"
"Al Dona!"
"Al Jiwald!"
One by one, the Spirits unleashed their most powerful spells, tearing through the area. The shockwaves from the magic collided, and the massive aftermath swept Subaru off his feet like a ragdoll. He flipped through the air before crashing into the muddy ground with a painful thud.
The Spirits froze mid-air, sensing a chilling pressure rising behind them.
They slowly turned—only to see Subaru standing up, soaked and bruised, with an aura so heavy it sent chills through their cores.
"All of you… here. Now," he said quietly, but the calmness in his tone only made it more terrifying.
The Spirits trembled and floated over instantly, their glowing forms dimming as they lined up before him like scolded children.
"Listen carefully," he said, eyes cold. "No more infighting. Got it?"
They all bobbed in sync, their lights flickering nervously like kids nodding in class.
Then his face broke into a smile. That alone was enough to make them relax again—even Yang Spirit, who had been clutching her metaphorical pride.
'Father is so scary when he's angry…' she thought, puffing slightly.
"Also," Subaru added, raising a brow, "you're not allowed to call me Father anymore."
Their lights dimmed immediately.
"W-Why? Did we do something wrong?" the Water Spirit asked in a small voice, clearly disheartened.
"If… if this concubine has offended you, please forgive me for my transgressions…" Yang Spirit murmured, trying to sound dignified despite being visibly shaken.
"Umu! You created us in a way! So please let us call you father," the Fire Spirit said, her voice full of sincerity.
The other Spirits nodded eagerly, seeing their gloomy expressions. Subaru sighed, realizing he couldn't win.
"Fine, you can all call me father," he said, and the Spirits erupted with joy, their lights shining brightly as they cheered.
"Now, calling you Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Yang is stupid," Subaru said, catching them off guard. "So I'll give you all new names."
"Names?!" the Earth Spirit exclaimed, his tone excited.
"Fufu, father, name this daughter! I shall bring you glory!" Yang Spirit chimed in, almost proudly.
"I want a good name as well," the Wind Spirit added, sounding hopeful.
Subaru chuckled lightly and nodded. "Let's start with the Fire Spirit," he said, eyeing the excited little spirit. The others clicked their non-existent tongues in mild dissatisfaction.
"Your name shall be Agni; it means God of Fire," he said, and the Fire Spirit jumped in joy, her light flaring with excitement.
"Then comes Water," Subaru continued, and the Water Spirit trembled with anticipation.
"Your name shall be Aqua; it means water or God of Water," he announced, and the Water Spirit danced in joy, the ripples of her form glowing brighter.
"Next is Wind. Your name shall be Sylphy, it means Spirit of Wind or Wind itself," Subaru said, and the Wind Spirit smirked, clearly pleased.
"Now I choose Earth," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Your name shall be Gaea; it means Mother Earth," he added, and Earth Spirit puffed her chest, pride glowing in her light.
"Hmph! I may be last! But my name shall be the most glorious!" Yang Spirit declared, her tone dripping with pride.
"Yes, last is Yang," Subaru agreed with a smile. "I shall name you Gloria, for you may bring immortal glory to me."
With their new names, the spirits felt a sense of satisfaction, their lights glowing brighter than ever before.
"Father, what should we do now? You have defeated the White Whale?" Agni's voice had a mixture of admiration and awe. Subaru was still catching his breath from the battle, his heart pounding in his chest.
He glanced down at his hands, now trembling slightly from the exertion.
He felt the weight of victory, but it was still too early to feel relief. His mind was racing, thinking of what came next. There was no time to bask in glory when the Witch Cultists were still out there, waiting to destroy everything.
"We must move quickly," he muttered to himself, barely audible. "There's no rest for the wicked."
"First, let's catch up to Rem and then deal with the Witch Cultists," Subaru replied, his expression serious. His focus shifted, now that the most immediate threat was gone.
The spirits, with newfound power, felt the connection between them and Subaru deepen.
"This concubine loves being inside her father," Gloria's voice rang out, and Subaru nearly stumbled, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"Phrasing!" Subaru muttered, his frustration clear.
As Gloria's teasing only made Subaru more flustered. "Fufu, Father, why are you so flustered?" she asked innocently, her voice dripping with playful mischief. Subaru sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck in exasperation.
"If you don't stop calling me that, I'll start to think you're serious," he said with a half-joking tone, though a part of him felt uneasy.
Despite his growing fondness for the spirits, he wasn't used to such casual, affectionate banter. Maybe that was a side effect of being thrust into this strange world, but it felt... comforting.
In a twisted way, it helped him feel less alone.
The spirits giggled, their laughter echoing in Subaru's mind, but he quickly shook off the awkwardness.
He sighed and steeled himself. The battles ahead were far from over, and there was still much to do.
With a determined expression, Subaru took his stance and began to run, the ground beneath his feet trembling with each powerful step.
*Booooomm*
___
To be continued…
(A/N: Had to delete several paragraphs that Proofreader-kun added, since that changed the personality of Main Character as whole, sorry Penof_Amon, you overcooked this chap.
Still after trimming, it is looking fine. If there are any problems do tell me
ALSO GIVE ME THE POWERSTONES! LET'S TRY TO GET IN TOP 5!)