Chapter 379: I Want to Stay with the Witches
It had to be said that Flugel truly lived up to being Natsuki Subaru from four hundred years later—his helpless rage was exactly the same as Subaru's.
No, Flugel did have some ability. At the very least, he wasn't completely useless. But he remained arrogantly self-righteous, never considering others, viewing problems only from the narrow perspective of what he understood.
Though his heart was kind—he questioned and challenged the witches for the sake of innocent people—he didn't grasp the full picture.
For instance, the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne, spoke up weakly at this moment:
"...What about the White Whale, the Great Rabbit, and the Black Serpent? Those children should be able to satisfy people's hunger, right?"
"Are you fucking saying those monstrous demon beasts can satisfy people's hunger?!"
Flugel, provoked by Daphne's naively absurd words, lashed out in fury.
"Yes. Large creatures are easier to fill stomachs with, aren't they? The White Whale is so massive—if that child is killed and its meat eaten, it could feed many people, couldn't it?"
"As for the Great Rabbit, they reproduce on their own. I put a lot of effort into giving them that ability. As long as that child exists, their numbers will grow even if left alone. That way, people wouldn't have to worry about food at all, right? If they're hungry, they can just eat the Great Rabbit."
With utterly simple words, Daphne explained the true purpose behind creating these two great demon beasts.
But hearing her, Flugel felt a chill in his heart.
"What about the Black Serpent, then? The one that brings plague wherever it goes, leaving the land dead? Why did you create it?"
As if clinging to a final shred of hope, Flugel pressed Daphne for an answer.
"That child is useful too. The White Whale and the Great Rabbit can only provide meat, but eating just meat isn't right. People need vegetables too. The plague that child leaves behind—the one that kills the land—later gives rise to vibrant life. If crops are planted there afterward, they'll yield abundant vegetables."
"...How strange. Why are you asking such questions? Ah, I know—you must have never starved before. That's why you don't understand the pain of hunger, the preciousness of food. In that case, I should make you realize that hunger is humanity's greatest enemy!"
With words both kind and naive, the Witch of Gluttony Daphne recounted her sins. Then, the blindfold covering the eyes of this witch, bound within a coffin, suddenly slipped away.
Flugel saw the Witch of Gluttony's eyes—dazzling, beautiful, yet as deep as a whirlpool. And from those eyes emanated an eerie, unsettling aura.
"Uwaaaaaaaah——————!"
Flugel suddenly felt an emptiness in his stomach, his entire body devoid of strength as he collapsed to the ground. Overwhelming sensations of exhaustion and hunger swept through him. His eyes were bloodshot, drool dripping from the corners of his mouth. Everything in the world before him seemed like delicious food—he wanted to devour it all, to fill the black hole of insatiable hunger gnawing at him.
"I can't take it anymore… I'm hungry, so hungry, I'm starving!!"
Flugel suddenly grabbed his own right hand. To Shaula's horror, the witches' and Roy's calm indifference, and Reid's stunned disbelief, the sage abruptly bit down on his own fingers. A nauseating chewing sound followed—he was actually eating his own hand.
"Delicious, delicious… so delicious… but not enough, not enough! A single arm can't possibly fill me up!"
The crunch of bones, the tearing of flesh like splitting leather—sinew, fat, blood, nerves, ligaments, everything was devoured by Flugel. His right hand quickly became a mangled mess, his mouth smeared with blood and gore.
"Master! Master!"
Shaula cried out in anguish. Furious, she began channeling her mana, the glow of yang-attribute magic gathering in her hands as she prepared to hurl it at the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne.
But before Shaula could act, the Witch of Sloth, Typhon, sighed. From behind her, 'Unseen Hands'—visible only to the witches and Roy—reached out and swatted the girl away with a gentle slap.
Neither Shaula nor Reid even understood what had happened.
"Stop it!! Daphne, don't let such a tragic, bloody scene unfold before my eyes!"
The Witch of Wrath, Minerva, roared in fury once more.
"Understood."
Daphne clearly knew Minerva well. Weakly murmuring from within her coffin restraints, the Witch of Gluttony replaced the eyepatch over her eyes. With the Authority of Gluttony no longer in control, Flugel finally stopped eating himself.
"Gahhh, I can't stand you people! Why must you hurt each other like this?!"
Minerva clenched her fists, then, while Flugel was still dazed, charged at him like an enraged gorilla and unleashed another flurry of punches on his face.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!"
As countless fists pummeled Flugel's face, his devoured hand regenerated.
Only after seeing Flugel restored did the Witch of Wrath finally stop beating him.
Lying on the ground for a long moment, bruised and battered, Flugel finally regained his senses. He immediately rolled over and began gagging, trying to vomit up the arm he had just eaten.
"Ugh… ugh…"
Flugel retched violently until nothing more would come up, then staggered unsteadily to his feet.
At last, he understood what it truly meant to face a Witch.
"I… I think I'll be leaving now."
Flugel said with a trembling voice, his tone laced with sobs. He knew he was no match for so many witches and had made the most sensible choice. He feared that if he stayed any longer in this castle of witches, he would soon be toyed to death by this group of witches.
"Reid, what will you do?"
Flugel turned his gaze to the Sword Saint.
Reid Astrea hesitated for a moment before speaking, "...I'll leave as well. I came here to witness the Witches, and now that I've seen them—seen their Authorities—there's no reason for me to stay any longer."
Hearing Reid's answer, Flugel let out a sigh of relief before turning to Roy and asking, "...Will you come with us, Roy?"
Before Roy could respond, the Witch of Greed, Echidna, who sat across from him, suddenly reached out and grasped his hand.
Echidna's hand was cold and delicate, her snow-white skin soft yet resilient. The Witch of Greed's eyes brimmed with anxiety as she shook her head repeatedly at Roy, as if terrified that he, too, might leave.
After a moment of contemplation, Roy finally answered slowly, "...I'm sorry, but I don't plan to leave. Satella is the Witch of Envy—she belongs in this castle. And I can't bear the thought of leaving her here alone. I'll stay with her."
The Witch of Greed relaxed, her panicked expression melting back into a smile. This time, when she glanced at Satella, she suddenly found the woman much more agreeable.
Though Roy had used Satella as an excuse to stay, Echidna didn't mind. She wasn't the type to feel jealous over such trivial matters. Besides, Echidna was someone who valued results over process—if Roy remained here, what better outcome could there be?