Your not fouces

It was the next day as Subaru was once again Spariihg with Crusch as his Witch's Edge was clashing with her Sword, but to be real his mind was on something else, as then she swings her sword as he was sent back almost hitting a tree in the Roswaal Machine.

Crusch Sheathed her sword back as she looked at him. "Are you ok".

Subaru as he didn't know if she had any idea of path way or anything, so he just lied. "Yeah, just think of a few things".

Crusch walked too him her both making sound's in the snow as she lipted him up. "Are you sure, it is the end of the year and your bumbed out".

Subaru sighed, brushing the snow off his coat as he looked at Crusch. "Yeah, just... a lot on my mind."

Crusch crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "You've been distracted since we started. If your head isn't in the fight, you might as well not be here."

Subaru chuckled dryly. "Harsh, but fair." He exhaled, watching his breath turn to mist in the cold air. "It's just... have you ever felt like you're standing at a crossroads, but every path leads to something you can't fully understand?"

Crusch studied him for a moment, then nodded. "I think everyone faces that at some point. But hesitation on the battlefield is dangerous. You need to be sure of yourself, Subaru."

He looked down at his hands, flexing them as if searching for an answer. His choice of Pathway, the Witch Cult purge, freeing the Witches, Emilia's coronation—it all piled onto him at once. "Yeah... I guess I just need time to figure things out."

Crusch sighed but offered him a small smile. "Then figure it out soon. Because if you keep fighting like that, you won't last long against real opponents."

Subaru grinned despite himself. "Guess that means I need more training, huh?"

Crusch smirked, drawing her sword again. "Glad you understand. Now, again!"

Subaru readied his stance, pushing his worries aside—at least for now.

Meanwhile in the Machine Emilia was watching this through the window, as Elsa came next too him. "Aww jealous".

Emilia blushes as she spoke. "N-no I am not".

Elsa looked at her as she spoke. "No need to lie, because I am also Jealous on what is happening".

Emilia pouted, turning away from Elsa. "I'm not jealous!"

Elsa chuckled, resting her cheek on her hand as she leaned against the window. "Mmm, sure. Watching your dear Subaru train with another woman, getting all close and personal... no reason to be jealous at all."

Emilia's blush deepened, and she crossed her arms. "Subaru is just training! It's not like Crusch has feelings for him."

Elsa smirked. "Maybe not. But that doesn't mean she isn't growing closer to him. And you? You're just watching from the sidelines."

Emilia's ears twitched slightly, and she clenched her fists. "I'm not just watching! Subaru has been really busy lately, and I don't want to distract him..."

Elsa shrugged. "Or maybe you're afraid to get closer."

Emilia opened her mouth to argue but hesitated. Was she? She wanted to be by Subaru's side, but between the royal selection, Subaru's new training, and his ever-growing responsibilities, she felt like there was always something keeping them apart.

Elsa smiled knowingly at Emilia's silence. "You should be more honest with yourself, Princess. If you want him, then show it."

Emilia frowned, staring back at Subaru through the window. As much as she hated to admit it… maybe Elsa had a point.

Meanwhile in the Kitchen, Ram and Rem were cooking for the new year's as Otto walked.

Ram spoke not even looking. "Otto gets out before you accidently make a Tomato role of the cabinet, which then hits a salt shaker, which then hits a potato and then it hits the gash, which then causes the Scissors to fall and hits the gas pipe and then an explanation".

Otto looked as he spoke. "That is not gonna happen".

As moved a Tomatoes that starters too role as of the Cabinet as it then hit a Sault shaker.

Otto's eyes widened in horror as he watched the exact sequence Ram predicted start to unfold.

The tomato rolled off the cabinet. Thud! It bounced against the salt shaker, sending it toppling over. Clink! The salt shaker hit a potato, which started rolling ominously toward the gas stove.

"No, no, no—!" Otto lunged forward, but it was too late.

Thud! The potato hit the gas stove's knob, twisting it slightly. Clatter! A pair of scissors, which had been precariously placed nearby, trembled before falling straight toward the gas pipe.

Otto's face drained of color. "Oh, come on!"

Before disaster could strike, Rem swiftly caught the scissors mid-air with her incredible reflexes, sighing as she set them back in place.

Otto collapsed to his knees. "That... that was terrifying."

Ram smirked, finally turning to face him. "And that is why I told you to leave."

Otto pouted. "How did you even predict that?!"

Ram crossed her arms. "It's called experience."

Rem giggled, covering her mouth. "Otto-san, maybe you should listen to Onee-sama next time."

Otto groaned, deciding that maybe it was best to retreat before he really did cause a disaster.

Meili spoke looking at him, as she and Lucifer brought more vegetables and food. "I am starting too wonder who has worse luck Big Brother Subaru or Big Brother Otto".

Lucifer smirked as he placed the bags of vegetables on the counter. "Oh, that's easy. Subaru has the worst luck, hands down. Otto's just... accident-prone."

Otto shot him an offended look. "Excuse me?! I'll have you know I am a very capable merchant who—"

Thud! A stray onion rolled out of the bag, bounced off the counter, and knocked over a wooden spoon, which then tapped against a precariously balanced jug of water. The jug wobbled dangerously before spilling its contents all over Otto's shoes.

Meili giggled as she pointed at Otto's soaked feet. "Yeah, Big Brother Lucifer's right. Your luck is just bad."

Otto groaned, rubbing his temples. "I swear, this world is out to get me..."

Ram smirked as she handed him a towel. "Just accept it, Otto. You're cursed."

Otto sighed, taking the towel as Rem giggled beside him. Meanwhile, Lucifer simply shook his head, glancing toward the window.

"Speaking of bad luck," Lucifer mused, "Subaru looks distracted today. That's never a good sign."

Rem then spoke looking out the window, as then and everyone eyes wident, as Crusch slipped on the snow as from the point View it looked like they had an accidental kiss, seeing and angel and everything, but what Actually happend as that Subaru got an accident headbutt by Cursce.

It did help she got up in hurry with a red face, Emilia and Elsa also saw this and everyone felt the whole machine had fall a few degree in temperature

Lucifer just spoke as he blineked looking as he laughed, as he smiled his child like smile. "Big brother is in trouble".

Otto gulped, stepping back slightly. "Uh... should we be worried?"

Meili smirked, tilting her head. "Worried? No. Entertained? Definitely."

Meanwhile, Subaru groaned as he rubbed his forehead, his vision still spinning from the impact. "Ugh… Crusch… that was not a kiss, that was a critical hit..."

Crusch, still flustered, quickly turned away, clearing her throat. "I-I apologize, Subaru. That was not my intention."

Inside the mansion, Emilia's aura had turned ice cold, literally. A thin layer of frost began creeping along the window frame as she clenched her fists. Elsa, standing beside her, had an amused yet slightly predatory smirk.

"So," Elsa purred, "should we consider this an act of war, or just a... misunderstanding?"

Ram sipped her tea calmly, watching the chaos unfold. "Either way, Barusu is about to have a very long day."

Lucifer continued to chuckle, absolutely delighted by the incoming disaster. "Yep, Big Brother is in huge trouble."

Later that day, Subaru was in Beatrice Library, as she was going through the book, trying too find anything about the Pathway.

Beatrice looked as she spoke. "What are you doing".

Subaru looked at him as he spoke. "Just looking for something, it is not important"

[Echinda spoke in his mind. "You do release your taking too Beatrice, someone who is part of the Visionary Pathway]

Subaru then spoke in his head. "Will now I knows, what Sequence is she at".

[Echidna chuckled in his mind. "She's at Sequence 5: Dream Walker. Though, to be honest, she hasn't exactly been using it to its full potential."]

Subaru blinked. "Dream Walker? That sounded… fitting, actually." He glanced at Beatrice, who was still flipping through the pages, unaware of his internal conversation.

"Oi, Beako," Subaru said, trying to sound casual. "Hypothetically, if someone were in a Pathway, how would they, you know, advance through it?"

Beatrice narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Hypothetically, you say?" She closed her book and leaned forward. "What exactly are you really looking for, I suppose?"

Subaru hesitated. "Crap, she's sharp."

[Echidna smirked. "Of course she is. She's my little apprentice, after all."]

"Yeah, yeah, proud mentor moment," Subaru muttered mentally before sighing and deciding to just go for it.

"Alright, fine," he admitted. "I found out about the existence of Pathways, and now I'm kind of stuck deciding which one to take."

Beatrice blinked before frowning. "...You're saying you have a choice?"

Subaru nodded.

Beatrice's frown deepened as she crossed her arms. "That's ridiculous, I suppose. Pathways aren't something you just pick like a meal from a menu. They choose you."

Subaru scratched his head. "Well, apparently, I'm the exception."

Beatrice stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "Of course you are, I suppose. You always are."

Subaru chuckled nervously. "That's kind of my thing."

She looked at him seriously. "You're not taking this lightly, are you? Because if you are, you'll regret it, I suppose."

Subaru shook his head. "No, I know this is serious. That's why I'm taking my time to choose."

Beatrice studied him for a moment before nodding. "Good. Because once you take a step into a Pathway, there's no turning back, I suppose."

Subaru exhaled. "Yeah. No pressure at all."

Beatrice then gave him a book. "Your information or some of it is in this Book"

Subaru gave her a thumbs up, as he walked away. "Thanks Beako".

As he walked as then a whole hours passed a religion hit her turk. "Wait how the hell did he learn about the Pathway in the first place".

Beatrice froze, her eyes widening as realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.

"Wait a minute…" she muttered, gripping the edge of her chair. "How the hell does Subaru even know about Pathways?"

She quickly turned to the bookcases, pulling out another thick tome as she started flipping through it. Her mind raced.

"Pathways aren't common knowledge! Even among the most powerful individuals in the world, only a handful truly understand them!"

She suddenly recalled how casually Subaru had asked about advancement, as if it were a minor detail. "That means… he didn't just hear about them… he knows a lot more than he should!"

Beatrice clenched her fists. "Where did he learn this from? And more importantly—who told him?!"

Meanwhile, Subaru sat in his room, flipping through the book Beatrice had given him while Echidna giggled in his head.

["Oh dear, looks like little Beatrice is catching on,"] she teased.

Subaru sighed, rubbing his temple. "Yeah, I figured that'd happen eventually… Welp, future me problem."

Back in the Library Beatrice then stop seating down in hee chair as she came too her own wrong but reasonable Conclusion. "Roswaal probably told him".

Beatrice nodded to herself, crossing her arms. "Yes, that makes perfect sense!" she muttered.

"Roswaal is one of the few people who might know about Pathways, and he's always had a habit of keeping secrets. He probably told Subaru something without me noticing!"

She tapped her fingers against the table, her face twisting into a pout. "Hmph! That sneaky clown must've found a way to manipulate Subaru again. I won't let him lead him astray!"

Determined, she stood up from her chair. "I need to have a talk with that fool… and maybe also keep a closer eye on Subaru."

Meanwhile, in his room, Subaru sneezed. "Why do I feel like someone's blaming me for something?" he muttered.

Echidna just giggled in his head. ["Oh, you have no idea."]

[Pandora then spoke his mind. "Enough of that opne the book, and see what is written it"]

Subaru read the title. "Pathway and what are written by.... Flugel". He just spoke as he looked at the book. "It's always him anyway".

"Pathways are the potions that grant ordinary human beings incredible powers. Pathways are named after sequence-0 when known, otherwise sequence-9 if unknown. There are 22 pathways, all pathways start from sequence-9 and end at sequences-0."

Subaru just stopped reading as he spoke. "Just like in Lord Of The Mystery".

Subaru took a deep breath, his fingers tightening around the book. "Of course, it had to be Flugel…" he muttered.

Echidna hummed in amusement. ["Well, considering he's one of the greatest scholars in history, it makes sense he would document the Pathways. But the real question is… did he only record them, or did he experiment with them?"]

Subaru frowned. "If Flugel was involved in Pathways, then that means there's a chance he might have been a Sequence user himself."

Pandora's voice echoed in his mind. ["Perhaps. But enough speculation, keep reading."]

Subaru sighed and turned the page, continuing.

"Each Pathway follows a set progression, known as Sequences. A person must consume a Potion corresponding to their Sequence to advance. However, failure to digest the potion properly will result in loss of sanity or, in the worst case, death."

Subaru's grip on the book tightened. "This is exactly like Lord of the Mysteries… but how?"

He flipped through the book, scanning for any mention of the Fool Pathway. If Pathways truly existed in this world, then he needed to understand them now.

Subaru continue reading. "The know pathway are Visionary, Salvation, Demoness, Monster, Arbiter, Hermit and Dragon". Subaru pause as he tryed too loo for the other. "Ok this is incomplete, there is a total of 22 pathways and LOTM".

Subaru sighed, flipping through the pages. "So Flugel only recorded the ones he knew about… which means there are still fifteen missing."

Echidna chuckled in his mind. ["Well, it's not like you were expecting a complete guide, were you?"]

Subaru rolled his eyes. "Would it kill the universe to give me a full tutorial just once?"

Minerva's voice joined in, amused. ["You should be grateful you even got this much. Most people would spend their entire lives searching for this information."]

Subaru ignored their teasing and kept reading.

"Visionary Pathway: Those who tread this path gain insight beyond human comprehension. At its peak, a Visionary can manipulate destiny itself, rewriting events as they see fit."

Subaru frowned. "That sounds way too similar to the Visionary Pathway in LOTM… Echidna, you're a Visionary, right?*"

["That's right."]

"So how high is your Sequence?"

["That's a secret,~"] Echidna teased.

Subaru groaned and kept reading.

"Salvation Pathway: The one who follows this path embodies redemption and healing. At its highest Sequence, the user can 'purify' all evils, bringing salvation to the world or destruction if they so choose."

"Demoness Pathway: A Pathway of transformation and seduction. Users can alter their forms, influence emotions, and manipulate others with a mere whisper. At its peak, a Demoness transcends mortality, becoming an existence beyond time."

Subaru felt a chill down his spine. "That sounds exactly like Carmilla…"

Carmilla's voice softly echoed in his mind. ["Y-you flatter me too much, love…"]

He shook his head and continued. "Monster Pathway, Arbiter Pathway, Hermit Pathway, Dragon Pathway…"

Each description matched the Pathways from LOTM, but there were still so many missing.

"Alright… I need to find the rest." Subaru muttered, closing the book.

Subaru then found a blank page, as he looked at it, as then he Wonder something. "This is blank, wait".

He then uses Both Yin and Yang as then more word's came on the word's.

"This is my Pathway, the Pathway of that Fool".

Subaru's eyes widened as the hidden text revealed itself.

"This is my Pathway, the Pathway of the Fool."

His breath hitched. "The Fool Pathway?"

Pandora's voice echoed in his mind, intrigued. ["Well, isn't that interesting? A hidden record of a Pathway that even Flugel didn't list."]

Subaru read on, his heart pounding.

"The Fool Pathway is the Pathway of paradox, of infinite possibilities and contradictions. Those who walk this path embody chaos and order, wisdom and ignorance, control and surrender."

"A true Fool is not bound by fate, nor by reason. They walk the line between all things, becoming an existence beyond understanding."

Subaru clenched his fist. This… this is just like Klein's Pathway in LOTM.

He continued reading.

"To walk the Fool's Pathway is to accept uncertainty. To embrace both triumph and failure, to wield the power of deception and truth. Only those who understand their own ignorance can claim the ultimate wisdom."

Subaru exhaled slowly. "This sounds dangerous…"

Minerva scoffed in his mind. ["Oh, come on, everything you do is dangerous. What's new?"]

Echidna's tone was calculating. ["The Fool Pathway… if it truly follows the same logic as Lord of the Mysteries, then its abilities should be extremely versatile. But that also means…"]

Subaru completed her thought. "It's a Pathway that requires extreme caution. One mistake, and I could lose myself completely."

He stared at the book, deep in thought.

He had three choices:

The Fool Pathway, an unknown road filled with chaos and potential.

The Salvation Pathway, the path of redemption and purification, wielded by Minerva.

The Death Pathway, which he hadn't even explored yet.

Subaru took a deep breath. "I need more time… I can't just pick without understanding everything."

Pandora chuckled. ["Oh, but dear Subaru… time is something you never have enough of."]

[Sekhmet then spoke in his head. "So quick question if you get more options to pick will you pick them"]

Subaru then spoke in his head. "Even if I did I am never picking the Demoness Pathway, I like to stay as a boy".

[Carmilla's voice quivered slightly. "Y-you don't w-want to b-be like me, l-love?"]

Subaru shuddered. "No offense, Carmilla, but I don't think I'd handle the changes well. I like myself as I am, thanks."

[Sekhmet yawned. "Fair, fair. But what if you get a Pathway that's even crazier than the Fool? Would you pick that?"]

Subaru hesitated. "Depends. If it's something that helps me protect the people I care about, then maybe. But I'm not going to gamble on something that could turn me into a complete monster."

[Echidna chuckled. "How responsible of you. But considering you already have Witch Factors and the Authority of Sloth, you're already on the edge of becoming something… 'inhuman.'"]

Subaru sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But that's why I have to be careful. This isn't some web novel where I can just experiment recklessly. One wrong step, and I might not even be myself anymore."

[Minerva huffed. "Tch, at least you're thinking properly for once."]

Subaru ignored the jab and looked back at the book. If Flugel knew about the Fool Pathway, then that meant someone in this world had access to it before. Did Flugel take this Pathway? Or was he just documenting it?

A troubling thought crossed his mind. If there was a Fool in this world before him… where were they now?

Subaru closed the book as he spoke. "I will be making the option for Fool and Salvation for now, then see which one I will drink".

[Pandora then spoke. "What about the Pathway of Death"]

Subaru spoke in his mind. "I rather not have Reinhard tracking me down, and kill me, even if I have return by death".

[Echidna smirked. "Oh? So you are considering becoming the Fool. How fitting."]

Subaru sighed. "More like I need to weigh my options. Fool seems unpredictable, but Salvation sounds… heavy. I don't even know what it truly entails."

[Minerva scoffed. "Salvation isn't something you 'take lightly.' If you choose it, you better be prepared to bear the weight of others' pain."]

Subaru rubbed his temples. "And Fool probably means walking the tightrope between brilliance and madness. Neither sounds particularly safe."

[Pandora chuckled. "Ah, but isn't it exciting? A single choice that shapes your destiny~"]

Subaru ignored her and muttered, "I'll start making the preparations for both. But I won't rush into it."

He glanced at the book again, his mind racing. He needed to gather ingredients, study the potions, and most importantly… figure out what kind of person he wanted to become.

To be continued

Hope people like this Ch and give me power stones and enjoy