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Chapter Text

"Wow amazing!"

Those were the only words that came out of Subaru's mouth after entering Reinhard's gigantic home. There wasn't a speck of dust on any of the carpets. There was such a lack of degradation, lack of disrepair, that it was hard to believe that anybody could actually be living here.

He couldn't process the depth of detail/symbolism on every tapestry and marker displayed in the front hall. It seriously felt like he was entering a museum instead of a house!

"Thank you, it really isn't anything impressive."

Reinhard sheepishly replied. It wasn't often he brought people over to his home. Unless he was abducting orphans or hosting political events, the only people who ever visited this place were people of other esteemed houses.

"This isn't impressive? Reinhard you are way too humble! If I were you, I would be showing this place off as much as I could."

Reinhard smiled, while he didn't think "showing off" was honorable behavior for someone like him, it felt like Subaru's rowdiness was a gesture of friendship. Who would want to keep up an act around their friends?

"Reinhard! Where is Reinhard? I have no idea what this word means, and I won't be able to finish today's stupid lesson without his help!"

A young girl yelled out as she stormed around the corner into the front hall.

The second she made eye contact with Subaru she froze.

"Look who I found while making rounds today." Reinhard said.

The young girl began tearing up and rushed to kick Subaru in the shin.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!" Subaru exclaimed

"Where were you?! Why would you allow us to think you were dead? Do you realize the heartbreak you inflicted on us and Big Sis!" Felt yelled

"I don't understa…" Subaru started

"Felt-sama"

Reinhard gestured to the young girl and took her aside to have a conversation in private.

"He appears to not have any memory of meeting us."

"What? How can that be? Wasn't he dead? This doesn't make any sense!"

"Felt-sama, I am just as confused as you are, but please understand why I couldn't leave him out on the street."

Reinhard swallowed hard. He knew that what he was doing right now was selfish. He knew that all of this was just his disgusting desire to alleviate the guilt he's felt for condemning a friend. Regardless, he couldn't allow Subaru to be left to his own devices, especially when he had nowhere to go.

"I understand why you brought him here, but what are we supposed to tell him?! That we threw him to the wolves when he was a suspected witch cu.."

"Felt-sama, it was my fault. Please stop blaming yourself for something that I did."

Reinhard felt the need to interject. He was the person who let Felix take Subaru, Felt was not even aware of Subaru's existence at that point. He would not let his lady take responsibility for something his repulsive, ignorant self had caused.

"I don't care what you say! You are my knight and he is my Big Bro, I refuse to have you degrade yourself and remove my responsibility!"

Felt grimaced. She was in Priestella with Reinhard and she had also fought gluttony. As someone aware of their powers, she never should have ignored the claims of someone who claimed they had been forgotten.

"Uh, excuse me? You guys just left me alone out here and I'm not exactly sure what you want me to do!"

Reinhard and Felt returned to the main hall and turned to Subaru.

"Big Bro, this may be hard to hear… but you have lost your memories."

"What!? What are you talking about? Are you people crazy too?"

Subaru paused for a moment. He remembered his interaction with the Appa salesman earlier. Was it really possible?

"Hold on a second, assuming you aren't mistaking me for someone else, how much have I forgotten?"

There was a long silence. Eventually, Reinhard answered:

"It seems you have no memory of our first meeting. If you have forgotten everything after that, it would be around two years."

Subaru was astonished. Reinhard seemed to know his name and what he looked like, same with the Appa guy he met earlier. What has he gotten himself into?

"Wow…Um I'm sorry if I said anything insensitive to you guys earlier, especially you…. Uh Felt right?"

Felt teared up again and gave him a hug.

"Damn it! You figure out you've forgotten two years of your life and the first thing you do is apologize to me? You really are Big Bro…"

Subaru felt weird, but he patted her head. He looked over to Reinhard and decided to get the hardest question out of the way first.

"Well…what have I forgotten?"

Before Reinhard answered anything else, he told Subaru about the day they first met.

"When I met you, it was in a very similar situation to the one you were in today. In fact, you look exactly the same as the day I first met you. I heard a cry coming from an alleyway and I found you being harassed by a few alley dwellers."

'Wow, Déjà vu.' Subaru thought. (He didn't know the half of it XD)

"You asked me to help you with something happening at a loothouse down in the slums but took it back and instead told me to deliver a message to a girl named Emilia."

"Emilia? Who is that?"

Reinhard and Felt winced. They knew how much Subaru cared for Emilia but they had no way to explain something like that to him.

"I had a hunch that you may need some help, so I decided to head over to the loot house to see what was happening for myself. To my surprise, Felt-sama comes up to me and begs for help. I enter the loot house and I find you and Emilia-sama engaged in combat with an assassin known as the Bowel Hunter"

"Wait, wait, wait, an assassin?! Bowel Hunter!? That's terrifying!"

'What? I was fighting assassins and saving damsels? I must've been awesome! Could I do something like that right now?' Subaru began to feel weird. He'd never punched a person in his life! Now he's fighting assassins and befriending knights? They surely must be mistaking him for someone else.

"After you held off the Bowel Hunter, I assisted you and drove her off."

"You are sure this was me?"

Subaru couldn't believe what this guy was telling him. He wanted to be a hero, but he'd never risk his life fighting some demented assassin like the 'Bowel Hunter'. He was weak and cowardly.

"Yes, you were the reason I escaped and got his help Big Bro! Stop interrupting!"

Felt interjected. She seemed to be reliving these events as Reinhard spoke.

"Before running away, she made a sneak attack on Emilia-sama and you defended her. Sadly, you had your stomach sliced open and passed out."

"What! I had my stomach slashed open!?"

Subaru instinctively put his hand on his stomach, he felt sick hearing about such a terrifying event.

"Yes. It was due to my incompetence; I should've finished her off before…"

"Reinhard! Stop with this self-depracation!"

Felt angrily stopped Reinhard before he could finish his thought.

"Anyway Big Bro, Big Sis took you back to her home to heal you and Reinhard took me back to his, you happy?"

"Yes, thanks Felt. Thanks Reinhard. Without you I wouldn't have a place to stay so this really means a lot."

"It's really nothing Subaru."

Reinhard couldn't bring himself to accept gratitude, especially when the one who really benefitted from this was him.

"Do you guys know anything else I've forgotten?"

Reinhard and Felt sat still before answering.

"Yes, but due to our proximity, it wouldn't be right for us to tell you your memories like we were there."

Reinhard didn't want to overload him with stories he couldn't accurately tell. He could tell him about their legendary battle with the Sin Archbishop of Greed but telling him something like that would only be a way for Reinhard to improve Subaru's opinion of him. He shouldn't manipulate Subaru like that. Especially considering he betrayed him right after that battle.

"I know this is probably asking a lot, but may I stay here until I figure out what's going on with my memories?"

"Absolutely."

Reinhard answered before Felt could speak, although her answer would have been the same.

"While you stay here, you should be made aware of the political situation we find ourselves in."

Keeping Subaru here will have significant political ramifications, as will the news that he was still alive. Even though Reinhard had made an oath to protect Subaru, he had an obligation to inform the kingdom of his survival. But for now, who should Reinhard tell?

"The Royal Family died out from a disease several years ago. There are currently 5 contenders for becoming Lugunica's new ruler. Each of these candidates have a knight and a backer. Felt-sama is one of these candidates. Emilia-sama is another."

"Wait, so I helped save the lives of 2 potential rulers of Lugunica?"

'This is insane, it makes sense why they are being so nice to me. Now I am asking to stay with them indefinitely? Talk about audacity. I really need to find a way to get these memories back.' Subaru thought to himself.

"Yes, and as it relates to Felt-sama, I am her knight."

"More like an annoying watchdog!"

Felt took a small jab at Reinhard. Subaru apparently encountered her in the slums, so it makes sense why she is so unruly. Honestly, Subaru is beginning to appreciate her frankness!

"And well, for Emilia….. her knight was you."

Subaru froze. He became a knight for the potential queen of Lugunica? Him? Either he really was granted amazing powers when he came to this world, or whoever they were speaking about was not him. Subaru couldn't even show up to a day of school, where did he get the courage to go and risk his life for others? He wished to someday be that noble, but to live it?

"So then, what do you think we should do Felt-sama?"

"Huh? Why are you asking me!? I'm not Subaru. Just do whatever avoids a political mess."

"Felt-sama, as the future ruler, shouldn't you be equipped to deal with unprepared developments?"

"Big Bro, look at this guy, he's like a nagging mom!"

Felt started smiling. It wasn't often she got to tease Reinhard with other people. If she knew her Big Bro as well as she thought….

"She's got a point Reinhard. Honestly it's crazy that such a powerful knight can dish out such a feeble scolding!"

"That's pretty brash! Might I remind you that you are also a knight Subaru?"

Reinhard and Subaru laughed before returning to the original discussion.

"I recommend we bring Subaru in front of the Sage Council and inform them what we know so far."

Reinhard made a plausible suggestion. The Council of Sages were the intermediaries between the old royal family and the new ruler. As the people currently in control of Lugunica, they would be the most important group to be made aware of Subaru's survival. He contemplated potentially informing the other camps as well, but that would be unwise.

Subaru had lost his memories. At this point, he would not be capable of filling the position he filled before he died. The people of Lugunica depend on Subaru's legacy, even if he was thought to be dead. Revealing his existence now could prompt Witch Cult activity, camp instability (especially Emilia's), and worst of all, might bring the truth of it to light.

Despite the guilt Reinhard felt, he knew what was best for Lugunica. He also didn't want his friend's misfortune to be the reason for the destruction of opposing camps. Something like this shouldn't be used for political gain, even if it was beneficial.

Once Subaru gets his memories back, he will be returned. For now, nobody else needs to deal with the guilt that they are the cause of this situation. Reinhard will fix everything. That's his job as the Sword Saint. That's his job as a knight. This is what he needs to do as a friend.

'I will absolutely and under no circumstances allow any harm to befall you again, Subaru, no matter what it takes'

AUTHOR NOTE

This story is a continuation of the story "Another Chance" on Ao3. Please go check out that story before continuing this one.

(Update, it is on fanfic.net now!!)

Chapter Text

Today was the day.

Reinhard had been looking forward to it, but also dreading it. Bringing Subaru in front of the Council would mean acknowledging the mistakes that created this situation. Subaru had been betrayed, tortured, murdered, and forgotten by his best friends. Once Gluttony had been defeated, an agreement was reached between all the camps and the Sage Council. The truth behind Natsuki Subaru's death could not be made public. As a hero of Lugunica, the people would riot if they heard he had been betrayed by all five royal candidates. Reinhard was painfully aware of his own culpability in Subaru's death, especially due to his Divine Protections. Even though he knew Subaru was telling the truth, he failed to convince the other knights to let him go. He was too weak to stand up for Subaru and ended up compromising over an innocent man's life. Whatever punishment he receives won't compare to the hell he put his friend through, so he will never forgive himself for this mistake.

Reinhard knew that keeping the truth from Subaru was wrong, but he also believed that he had no right to tell this story from his perspective. It had nothing to do with the fact he was enjoying the time alone with his friend. None at all.

[REINHARD POV]

His mansion had been especially quiet since Subaru's death. While it had never been particularly loud, Subaru's betrayal made the silence throughout the manor a solemn reminder of what he had lost. With his sleeping mother in one room, the silent maids in others, and his disheartened candidate in her own, everyone began operating more independently of each other. Reinhard began going on more "patrols" and coming back after dark. He didn't know what he was expecting. Did he expect to run into Subaru like he did the day they first met? What a stupid concept! Why should he ever have another chance to talk to him after abandoning him in Priestella? It would not be wise to dwell on unrealistic fantasies.

He was hearing these same excuses in his head when he heard a cry coming from a nearby alleyway. Such a ridiculous coincidence!

Subaru had been living in the Astrea manor for a week now. Despite Subaru's curiosity around his lost memories, he seemed weirdly hesitant to ask about them. Reinhard didn't refuse to answer his questions, but he never brought up the subject when he didn't have to. Subaru noticed the sadness on Felt and Reinhards' faces when the subject of his memories came up, so he decided to leave the topic alone for the time being.

Ever since Subaru arrived at the mansion, he began receiving formal education for reading and writing alongside Felt. He would never admit it, but it was quite embarrassing to be outclassed by some uncouth 16-year-old! The lessons were also less focused as Reinhard now had another source of teasing whenever he tried lecturing his students.

"Jeez Reinhard, can't you ask for a 'Divine Protection of being a better teacher' or something? I have no idea what these glyphs mean!"

"You should've seen him when he tried to teach me about the Demi-Human War, he started rambling about random battles for hours before he realized he had forgotten about the textbook!"

"Now now, Felt-sama, Subaru, I understand I might not be the best teacher around, but you both need to actually focus on the material. I wouldn't want either of you to leave this mansion unable to read."

In truth, Reinhard didn't mind the teasing. Felt was smiling more than she had in weeks and Subaru clearly viewed him as a friend after all the assistance he had received from him.

That only made this meeting more serious for Reinhard.

Now that Subaru is headed to the Sage Council, what will they tell him? How will that affect their dynamic? Subaru had to learn the truth eventually, but Reinhard began to regret holding out on it when he met Subaru again.

The nearest date that the Council could meet them was a week after Reinhard met Subaru.

While Subaru and Reinhard headed towards the Royal Palace, Subaru decided to break the silence.

"I'm nervous Reinhard. These are the most powerful people in Lugunica and you say I've already met them right? What if I make a fool of myself?"

"Don't worry Subaru, I promise you, there is nothing to worry about. They'll be relieved to see you back."

Reinhard neglected to mention the irony of that comment. Perhaps if Subaru had his memories, he would've said, "Don't worry, you already did!"

"So…..they are going to tell me about what I was doing the last two years?"

Subaru paused for a moment. He knew Reinhard had been avoiding this, but it was important for him to know what he was walking into.

"Yes, they were very eventful, and it was mostly thanks to you."

He turned away from Subaru, not wanting to make eye contact. Reinhard was continuing with these really vague statements. He must really regret not telling Subaru sooner.

"That's a good thing, right? I'm not being called here for something bad…?"

"Absolutely not!" But I am…

Reinhard didn't want Subaru to feel nervous or guilty. He was a hero! He had done more for the people of Lugunica than Reinhard. For someone with no significant power to accomplish the things he did, it was an inspiration to everyone. Even Reinhard.

They both climbed into a carriage and rode across the bridge into the royal palace. Neither could think of anything to say and Subaru had become enamored with the view of the city, so they just sat there in silence.

As they entered the Palace, they slowly walked up to the door leading into the main hall. Compared to Reinhard's estate, this building was like a whole other level of prestigious. If Reinhard's home was a normal museum, this building was the Smithsonian! Every object in this building screamed historical significance.

Reinhard realized Subaru was getting distracted and quickly guided him towards the main door. Knocking before entering, they both enter to find the gazes of 10 different sages fixed onto them. Subaru had heard about the Council of Elders, but looking at them now, it was clear the name wasn't for show. They were broken up into groups of 5 on Subaru's left and right, with the center holding a throne for who he'd assume to be the King of Lugunica.

Subaru also noticed the Royal Guard lined up in front of the sages. They seemed to regard him with a high level of respect, aside from a select few. Reinhard had already informed him that there was a sect of Knights under the Kingdom of Lugunica tasked with the protection of the Royal Family.

Subaru glanced back to the Council. Each of these elders gave a different reaction to Subaru, ranging from sadness to indifference.

"Uh…Hello! My name is Natsuki Subaru and Reinhard brought me here to have a discussion with you guys?"

"Hello, my name is Miklotov McMahon, representative of the Sage Council of Lugunica, and descendent of House McMahon."

One of the higher ranked Sages introduced himself. He seemed confused and happy to see Subaru?

"Nice to meet you Miklotov!...Oops, my bad, Sir Miklotov!"

"Really? Already forgetting how to show respect to an elder?" Another sage piped up.

"Oh, I apologize, it is a bad habit of mine, I don't mean any disrespect!"

Subaru was already forgetting the purpose of this meeting. He was dragged into this by Reinhard, and while he didn't want to leave a bad impression, Subaru knows that his personality doesn't mesh well with people like these geezers.

"Speaking without considering the consequences is contemptuous. I pray that something like your previous 'incident' won't happen again." The sage continued.

"If I may interject, that is actually relevant to why I brought Natsuki Subaru in today. It appears Subaru has no recollection of any event that has taken place in the last two years."

Reinhard quickly stopped Bordeaux before he could continue talking about events Subaru couldn't remember. As it stood, the Council was aware of the truth behind Subaru's death, but they were unaware of the current "Subaru's" existence.

"Wait, what? So not only has he returned from the dead, but he has also forgotten everything related to the royal selection?"

Miklotov was stunned. He had seen Subaru's corpse himself, so he was already shocked to learn of Subaru's revival. But now, to hear that Subaru had no recollection of anything he had done in the last two years, he couldn't think of an explanation.

"Apparently I have already met all of you and it seems the impression I made was less than perfect. How about this? Why don't we start over? My name is Natsuki Su…"

"Ridiculous." Bordeaux stopped him in his tracks.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. The 'hero of Priestella' forgot everything that was done to him? It's too convenient!"

"Hold on Bordeaux, hear him out, he seems willing to talk with us."

Miklotov wanted nothing more than for Subaru to be returned to the people of Lugunica. If he had his memories, he very well could have exposed the coverup surrounding his death. While he didn't want to believe that Natsuki Subaru was that kind of person, he could've shattered the kingdom of Lugunica in retribution for his murder. This seems to be the luckiest series of events possible for the ruling class of Lugunica. They should not waste this opportunity by ostracizing Subaru again.

"How can you be sure he isn't feigning ignorance, so we lower our guard!?"

Bordeaux spoke up again. He didn't survive this long from trusting in the "goodwill of others". Subaru had the potential, and motive, to become the greatest threat to the kingdom of Lugunica. He may have respect for the duties he performed for the kingdom, but he wouldn't overlook what they had done.

"He is not. Not only have I discerned his truthfulness with my Divine Protections, but I have spent the last week watching over him. He really does not remember the last two years."

Reinhard defended Subaru. While he had faith in the decision making of the Council, there was the slight chance his "reemergence" would be deemed a threat. Subaru was telling the truth in Priestella and he folded. He won't let that happen here.

"I believe we should tell him everything and let him decide what he will do next…" Reinhard began

"What!? Are you insane!?" Another sage interjected

"I agree this is the best course of action." A new elder spoke up.

Soon the room delved into chaos, a faction of 5 elders led by Miklotov advocating the truth vs a faction of 5 elders fighting to keep the truth hidden led by Bordeaux.

"Excuse me, but considering it is me you are talking about, how about I get a say in this?"

Subaru felt really out of place here! He really did die here huh? Now these random people are arguing whether or not he gets to know the story of his own life?

"If you refuse, I will tell him myself."

Before Subaru could elaborate further on what he wanted from the Sages, Reinhard silenced the room.

"He deserves to know, and as the rulers of this country, I wanted to inform you of my intentions. This was never up for debate."

Subaru could see a glint in Reinhard's eye. It was the first time he had ever seen Reinhard act like someone befitting the title "Sword Saint".

"Very well, we'll tell him then." Miklotov said

They would mention all his achievements and tell him the truth of how he died. Reinhard planned on questioning them after and ensuring they didn't miss a single detail.

With this, Reinhard headed out of the main hall, leaving Subaru alone with the Council.

"Natsuki Subaru, despite the attitude we showed towards you earlier, all of us are extremely grateful for all the things you've done for this country." Bordeaux began

"You were undoubtedly the greatest hero since the great legends of old. The reason we hesitated on telling you the truth of your death is because you were betrayed."

"Betrayed? What are you talking about? Was it you guys?"

"We were partly responsible, but you need to know the full story to understand why we would do something like that. Would it make sense for us to throw away the kingdom's greatest asset?"

'Man, I already don't like these guys. These people killed me and the first thing they do when they meet me again is accuse me of hiding something? I suppose their reasoning makes sense, but that makes me even angrier! Was I really just an asset to these people?'

"We first met you on the declaration of the royal selection. After some unfortunate exchanges between the candidates, several snubs were directed towards your candidate, Emilia. In response, you attacked the entire ruling class of Lugunica as well as us."

Miklotov decided he would be the one to tell Subaru.

'Well, it makes sense why they don't like me now, that sounds like something I might've done'

"After a large altercation, you and your candidate appeared to have some kind of falling out and you were left at the Karsten Manor. It was then that you made an alliance with the Hoshin and Karsten camps to go on an expedition to slay the White Whale."

"What? What is a 'White Whale'? Is this story missing some parts?"

Subaru was understandably confused. Whales? What does this have to do with Lugunica? He thought Lugunica was basically landlocked.

"Wait, you don't even know what the White Whale is!? It was one of the 3 great Mabeasts that have terrorized the world for over 400 years! The Black Snake, the Great Rabbit, and the White Whale."

Bordeaux was astonished. The hero who slayed 2 of the 3 great calamities didn't even know what a Mabeast was!

"Let me continue. After you helped slay the White Whale, you took a division of soldiers and thwarted the Witch Cult attack on Emilia's domain. In the battle, you killed the Archbishop of Sloth."

"Witch Cult?"

"The Witch Cult is an elusive group that has existed for hundreds of years. Nobody had ever defeated them before, much less an Archbishop. You managed to inflict this defeat without any casualties."

'This is crazy. I've heard of the Witch thanks to Reinhard's reading lessons, but I thought those stories were made up! There is a cult that worships the witch?'

"Then you immediately freed a town of people trapped in the Sanctuary and banished the Great Rabbit."

"WHAT?"

"That was our reaction too…. In one week, two of the great Mabeasts and a Sin Archbishop were killed. It was shocking to behold."

'What bad luck! I run into the Witch Cult, the Great Rabbit, and the White Whale all in the same week? I'll humor these people a little more, hopefully they are almost done with this.'

"A year passed, and all 5 candidates gathered in the city of Priestella to host a conference. At the same time, the Witch Cult held an attack on the city and besieged it. You led the defense of the city and repelled the attack of 5 Sin Archbishops at once."

"Five? Is that serious?"

"In the last 400 years, only one Sin Archbishop had ever been defeated and that was by your hand. This attack should have been the end of everything. You rallied the city to fight with a, now legendary, speech."

'My god, who was this person. This can't have been me. I have no talent for magic. Reinhard showed me his powers. Are they expecting me to believe that a person who couldn't work up the nerve to go to school managed to beat these invincible enemies?'

"You and Reinhard worked together and eliminated the Archbishop of Greed, who was apparently invincible. Somehow you figured out the secret behind his ability and defeated him."

'Wow, me and Reinhard huh? I guess I could see that happening. He's insanely strong.'

"After the battle, everyone regrouped at one of the shelters in the middle of the city. You were caught off guard by the Archbishop of Gluttony, however, and had your name eaten."

"Name..eaten? What does that mean?"

"It meant that nobody had any memory of you or anything you had done."

'What a cruel power! So I lost everything? I must've been defenseless at that point.'

Subaru couldn't fathom the suffering he must've been in. While he hadn't been talking very often with his parents before he left, if his existence was completely forgotten by them, it would've broken him.

"When you returned to your camp, it was discovered that you emit some of the Witches miasma, a characteristic of Witch Cultists. Once this was revealed…"

"I see. So they shunned me? It makes sense, I must have starved to death or…"

"No. You were arrested and tortured. By the time Archbishop of Gluttony was slain, and your name returned, you had died."

There was a long silence. Now Subaru understood. It disgusted him that people were so quick to kill another person, even if they smelled like a cultist, but it wasn't completely beyond the pale. This was a medieval world, right? Execution without a trial happened in his world too, even amongst friends.

"Wait a minute, I've heard of these things called 'Divine Protections' and supposedly people can use them to see if someone is lying. Couldn't someone have vouched for me?"

"Yes, however they still didn't believe you."

"What? They just tortured me even though there was a chance I was innocent?!"

'This is insane. Was everyone just putting up an act around me? If something like this happens again would they just kill me?!'

"Once this mistake was realized, all 5 camps and the Council made an agreement to coverup the circumstances surrounding your death. Should the truth come to light, Lugunica could go up in flames."

"I understand. I can't say I like any of you after hearing this, but I am glad that you all told me the truth."

"Subaru, what are you going to do with this information?"

Miklotov was unsettled. He secretly agreed with Bordeaux on keeping Subaru's betrayal a secret, but after Reinhard's declaration, he knew he needed to endear himself as much as possible, so Subaru didn't feel a grudge against the Council. They did not mention the extent of their betrayal and they told him just enough to avoid alerting Reinhard's divine protections when he questions them after this. This was a gamble, but he trusted Subaru's forgiving nature and prayed this would be enough.

"I don't know."

Everyone paused.

"Am I expected to just go back to being the person I was before I die? All I have is a 5-minute summary of the past 2 years! You really expect me to just 'become a hero' because you told me I was one? Maybe this is foolish, but I trust Reinhard, he's looked after me since I arrived here, so whatever he says, goes."

The Council breathed a sigh of relief. This Subaru was not the same as the Subaru betrayed by Lugunica. While he clearly felt angered and disturbed by the practices of the royal candidates and council, getting revenge seemed like something foreign to him, especially if he hadn't personally experienced this betrayal.

Reinhard was called back into the main hall. He was pale, worried about what Subaru was going to say to him after they left.

"Reinhard, Subaru says whatever he does next is up to you."

Miklotov cut through all the static in Reinhard's mind.

"Huh?"

'There's no way, Subaru wants my advice? Didn't he just hear what a monster I am? I betrayed him and kept the truth hidden. Why would he want to listen to me?'

"Reinhard, listen, I don't know how you feel about it, but you've been a real friend to me since I've arrived. I want to regain my memories, but I think whatever you say is best for now."

Subaru looked at Reinhard with a smile. He had to look away so he wouldn't be seen tearing up. Subaru really was too forgiving. He knows that this doesn't absolve him of everything, but at least now he can go to sleep at night without being plagued with the image of Subaru's corpse.

"Subaru, I don't want to put you anywhere near the situations you faced before you lost your memories. Natsuki Subaru is a hero to so many people, but the current you shouldn't have to shoulder that burden. I will help you regain your memories, and once we succeed, you can announce your return to everyone. How does that sound?"

"That sounds like a great idea!" 'Thank God, I doubt I can handle meeting those people without my memories. It would probably be catastrophic for them too if the story I just heard is true.'

"Come Subaru, let's return to the manor and inform Felt-sama of this agreement before she accidentally reveals you to the other camps."

'I will absolutely and under no circumstances allow any harm to befall you again, Subaru, no matter what it takes'

Author Note

Hello guys, the author here! Just need to clear up a couple misconceptions

This is not a completely original story, nor is it a DIRECT continuation of re:forgotten. There is a story called "Another Chance" on Ao3 that contains the first chapter to this story, so everything I am writing is a follow-up to that chapter

Subaru didn't exactly "Lose" his memories. I am operating under the assumption that Subaru was resummoned by Satella to the exact same place he was originally summoned, but right after his death. (This is why I mention his body looks exactly the same as the day he arrived)

I am not a writer. This is literally the first fanfic I've ever written so it may be coming off as weird and robotic. I was getting fed up at all the stories being started and dropped, so I decided I would just continue stories I liked on my own account. (my name the "continuer")

I have a long-term plan for this story.

I do have plans for Subaru to be reintroduced to the main cast, and much sooner than you think!

Subaru will use RBD. It is going to be pretty crazy, but lets wait until that happens haha

Chapter Text

It had been two months since Subaru arrived at the Astrea Manor. Nothing serious had happened since Reinhard and Subaru returned from their meeting with the Sage Council. Felt agreed to keep Subaru's reemergence a secret while Subaru began to take an interest in the upkeep of the manor. Despite Reinhard's insistence, Subaru eventually got him to agree to letting him work with the mansion staff. He wasn't used to receiving kindness from people without giving them something in return. This way, both Subaru and Reinhard could be happy with their living arrangements.

"Subaru, when we're done with Reinhard's lessons can you finish that story that came from your homeland? The one about Orion and the…"

"Sure, sure! We can talk about the constellations more if that interests you. Do me a favor though and stop cheating off me during our spelling tests!"

Felt cracked a smile.

"Subaru, I'm not cheating. You really think that Reinhard can't catch me staring at another person's paper?"

Subaru laughed at the obvious lie.

"That's ridiculous and you know it! Reinhard is a total pushover and never calls you out on your obvious scheming!"

It's true, Reinhard had an obvious soft spot for his lady Felt and he let her get away with far more than one would expect. With his disposition, anyone unfamiliar with Reinhard would think he was a butler instead of the legendary "Sword Saint".

"That's a lie, that nagging idiot would never let me hear the end of it! 'Felt-sama it is unacceptable for a future ruler to engage in academic dishonesty.' You really can't picture him saying something like that?"

After busting out a perfect 10/10 Reinhard impression, Subaru couldn't help but nod in agreement at the joking statement made by Felt. However…

"That impression is good, but I know a way we can settle this right now. Why don't I call Reinhard over and have you repeat what you told me earlier?"

Felt looked away and nervously laughed.

"I…uh….exercise my right to stay silent."

"Too late!" Reinhard entered into the study room right after Felt finished her conversation with Subaru.

"My lady, if I may compliment you, your impressions are strikingly accurate and comical!"

Reinhard started laughing as he saw Felt getting embarrassed for getting caught red-handed in a web of lies. He knew she had been cheating, and although he would eventually need to call her out on it, he couldn't help but find it funny seeing Subaru's continued annoyance at the phenomenon.

"Damn you and your superhuman hearing.." Felt whispered under her breath.

Of course, Reinhard heard that, and he felt the need to remind her that she was a 'royal selection candidate' and a 'future queen' and blah, blah, blah, she knew the drill.

"So, Reinhard, what brings you in here after your lecture? I thought you would be out on patrol at this time." Subaru said.

"Well, I've received some important information regarding the other camps, and I've come here to plan out our next move."

Reinhard sat down at the table with Subaru and Felt before pulling out a letter addressed to Felt. After cutting open the letter with a letter opener, Felt read the contents and looked up at Reinhard in confusion.

"Reinhard, how the hell did you know what the letter said before I opened it?"

Felt received letters from people every day due to her being one of the royal selection candidates, but this letter in particular was extremely important.

"That's simple, I use my 'Divine Protection of Mail Divination' to view the contents of letters before throwing out junk mail."

"What the hell! Why do you have that power? Can you get any more OP!?" Subaru sighed. Seriously, 'Divine Protection of Salt Reasoning' and now this? If there was a God in this world, he certainly had a sense of humor.

"So, what does the letter say?" Subaru asked Felt.

"The Emilia Camp has requested a conference with the other four camps at the Miload Estate to discuss the results of the expedition to the Sage's Watchtower."

Felt looked a bit annoyed to have to bring up the Watchtower. She knew Reinhard had a bad association with that place as it was where everyone learned the truth of what happened to Subaru. What did they need to 'discuss' which they failed to address on the 2-month ride back to the capital?

"It can't be helped; the contents of that tower are particularly dangerous should they get into the wrong hands. Felt-sama, I believe it would be wise to attend the meeting and see what the Emilia Camp wants to do with that place."

Reinhard spoke up. He clearly did not like talking about the tower either, but he also knew that he had a responsibility to make sure it was protected from Witch Cultists and enemies while they were away. The Sage had not been cooperative during their visit there, but perhaps she was a potential avenue to returning Subaru's memories. It was worth a shot!

"Subaru, for obvious reasons, it would not be wise for you to come with us to this meeting. So, for the week that Felt-sama and I are gone, please work with the staff here to keep up your studies and maintain the manor."

"Got it. I doubt it would be a good idea for me to go to that meeting either. I mean this Watchtower has nothing to do with me anyway, so I'll just wait here until you guys get back."

"Thanks Subaru. It really means a lot to me that you decided to stay with us for as long as you have. Should anything come up, the maids here will be happy to help. If something serious happens and you need to contact me, please use the metia in your room to call me."

"Metia?"

Oh right, he forgot to show Subaru the new metia he had purchased for the manor!

"Subaru, a metia is a communication device that allows people to talk to each other over long distances."

"Ah, I see."

'This is just like a cellphone!'

"So, I can call you if I ever need help?"

"No, sadly, metias are not very common. As of right now, I am only in possession of one. However, there is one in the Miload mansion which you can use to contact me once I arrive."

'Oh, so more like a landline huh? That's a disappointment.'

"I would also leave that as a last resort as someone at the Miload manor might pick it up before I do. Should that happen, all the secrecy until now would mean nothing."

Reinhard did not want to discourage Subaru from asking for help, but he also knew that Subaru wanted to keep a low-profile until he got his memories back. If one of the maids ended up picking up the metia, Reinhard would have a lot of explaining to do.

"I understand! Don't worry about a thing Reinhard. I'll look after the place and make sure its perfect for your return!"

Subaru smiled at Reinhard. While they were gone, he planned on teaching the maids new recipes from his home world. Maybe then he could finally reminisce over the life he left behind a few months ago. He was very happy to have met Reinhard and Felt, but he also wanted to share that happiness with them as well. This was the chance for the perfect surprise!

After Reinhard and Felt departed for Miload manor, Subaru immediately consulted with the head maid of the manor, Lilia. He had gotten to know her pretty well over the duration of his stay at the Astrea manor. She helped teach him to cook, clean, and trim the hedges around the manor. Now that they were alone, he wanted to see if he could replicate some of the dishes from his homeland with the ingredients they had there.

It had been several days since they had left, and Subaru was going out to the market a lot picking up ingredients. Without Reinhard around to wake him up in the morning, Subaru also got into a habit of oversleeping.

"Subaru. Sir? Its past noon. Weren't you planning on heading to the market today to pick up ingredients?"

"Lilia? Oh, sorry about that, can you give me like five more minutes?"

"No! Subaru, the market closes at 3:00 today and you have a long list of supplies you need to get!"

Lilia turned on the light in the room and Subaru jolted awake.

"Man, I forgot how brutal you can be when you have a goal in mind Lilia! Let me really quickly get into my tracksuit…"

"You don't get to be head maid by oversleeping every morning!"

Lilia flashed a smile a Subaru. He looked somewhat disheveled, but he finished putting on his tracksuit and styled his hair.

"Let's head out and grab all this stuff in one go!

Subaru had forgotten how crazy this new world could be. After being picked up by Reinhard, Subaru did not leave the mansion unless he had a specific reason to. Spending nearly two months insulated from the rest of society, he had really been enjoying the days he got to spend perusing the capital. He saw diverse demi-human species conversing with medieval-style dressed humans like it was a normal day for them. He witnessed spirits glowing and magic spells being casted by street performers.

He really was in another world! He was living with the literal reincarnation of the Sword God and a candidate to become the future ruler of Lugunica! What a ridiculous turn of events for his first few months here (even if they technically weren't).

Following a day full of shopping and conversating, Subaru finally ended up at his last stop.

"Hey kid, glad to see you again! Want to buy some appas?"

'Oh hey its this guy again. He seemed crazy the last time I met him. Wait, he calls them 'appas'? Figures. They call potatoes 'tatoes' so it makes sense this would be incorrect too. Oddly enough, they still call 'mayo' mayo here, guess my Mom will always have the last laugh huh.'

"Hello? You ok kid?"

"Sorry, I zoned out for a second. Yeah, I think I would like to buy some appas!"

Subaru was starting to get the hang of this, so long as he doesn't get blindsided, he should be ok talking with this guy.

"Hey, how's that blue-haired girl doing? Is everything ok with you and your buddies?"

'Ah shit. This isn't good. I guess I better play along.'

"Yeah she's doing fine….I'm sorry I have to ask this, but what is your name again?"

The guy blinked a bit, but he didn't seem offended by the question.

"Don't sweat it kid, you are one of my best customers! My name is Kadomon."

"Thanks Kadomon, especially for the discount!"

Kadomon didn't actually give him a discount, but Subaru felt like messing with him after the guy brought up stuff he had no memory of.

"Yeah yeah, just make sure to tell people to come to my shop will ya?"

"I will!"

Subaru cringed a little bit. He wouldn't be able to do that until he got his memory back. Just another promise he had to keep once he figures out what the hell is going on.

While Subaru headed back to the mansion, two familiar faces passed him by in the crowd, none the wiser that he had ever been there.

"Why th'hell are we bein' sent to capital while th' camps are all meetin in the mansion!"

Garfiel stomped the ground next to Otto as they headed to a shop past the marketplace with the small shop owners.

"I don't get it either Garfiel, but it wasn't up to us! Roswaal just decided to send us on some errand to pick up one some new magical gizmo. I swear, its like he thinks we are ground dragons or something!"

Otto looked around the marketplace, trying to find the place Roswaal sent them all the way here to patronize.

"I didn' join Emilia so Roswaal could send us n'recovery missions! I came t'serve the Cap'n!"

Garfiel was upset with the way the Emilia camp had fallen apart since Subaru's death. It never even occurred to Garfiel that his amazing Captain could die, let alone in such a horrible way. When he learned what happened, he committed himself to remaining strong for the rest of the Emilia camp. In the end, he only ended up bottling up his emotions before venting them out to his sister. While he admired Emilia and believed in her cause, he detested Roswaal and he hated taking orders from that clown.

Now he had sent him and Otto away from Emilia during an important meeting between all the camps!? What was he thinking?

"I'm famished. Before we continue looking for this stupid shop, lets pick up a snack!"

Him and Garfiel eyed an Appa stand on the side of the road and walked over.

"Hello, can we get like… four appas please?"

The man paused for a second before pulling out a bag.

"You guys are buddies of Natsuki Subaru right? Did he tell you both to come over here?" He looked satisfied with himself. Looks like that discount he gave him really did pay off!

"Uh, yeah we were friends of Subaru. Did you know him?"

Otto looked down. He felt bad saying he was a "friend" to Subaru, but he didn't want to leave this guy hanging, especially when he didn't know the truth behind Subaru's death.

"Know him? I just talked to him! Didn't he just tell you to come over to my shop?"

Garfiel and Otto looked up in confusion. What was this guy talking about? He just talked to Subaru?

"You jus' talked w'the Cap'n?!"

Garfiel wanted to know everything. If there was even a chance….the slightest hope…he needed to pursue it. Subaru was his Captain and a great man. He failed to be the Shield of the camp and it had followed him ever since. Emilia was distraught and everything that Subaru built was starting to collapse. If Subaru was here, he would find him. Screw Roswaal's stupid request!

"Hello? Lilia I'm back!"

"There you are Subaru, what took you so long?"

Lilia seemed irritated with Subaru's slow shopping. He probably spent all day 'taking in the sights' instead of shopping and now she would have to stay up later because of it.

"Sorry, I lost track of time and I ended up getting lost on my way back. I picked up everything you asked though! With your help, we'll have the perfect surprise for Reinhard and Felt when they return!"

"You mean I'll have the perfect surprise? I suspect that once we go into the kitchen to start testing these recipes, someone is going to sneakily head off to bed."

"Hey, Lilia, don't think that lowly of me will ya? I really do want to give something back to Reinhard and Felt after everything they've done for me."

"I take it back! Maybe you do have some grit? Let's see how long you hold out under the pressure of being a maid."

Lilia began deviously smiling, slightly unnerving Subaru, as they headed to the kitchen to begin testing recipes.

'Damn it, that really was stressful!'

Subaru headed to bed after 5 hours of consecutive cooking with Lilia. She was a demon! It makes sense why she is the head maid, she could cook for the entire manor like it was nothing.

'Of course, I can't let her know that. She already thinks lowly of me as is. I can't give her any more reasons to tease me!'

He began getting into his pajamas and hopped into bed. Reinhard should be arriving at the Miload manor some time tomorrow, meaning he should be able to call him after their meeting is over and potentially clue him in that he has a surprise waiting for them!

Excited and happy, Subaru turned off the light and quickly dozed off.

"Subaru. Sir? Its past noon. Weren't you planning on heading to the market today to pick up ingredients?"

"What? Did I oversleep again? I'm sorry about that Lilia, we were up really late testing recipes so…"

"Huh? Subaru, the market closes at 3:00 today and if you don't get up right now then we won't be able to get everything!"

Lilia flicked on the light, prompting Subaru to jump out of bed.

"What do you mean? I picked up everything we needed yesterday. Aren't we just hammering out the details for the preparation at this point?"

Lilia looked confused. Subaru didn't leave the manor yesterday and when she checked this morning, they were still missing ingredients.

"What are you talking about Subaru? You didn't leave the manor yesterday. We even made plans last night to go to the market today and pick up all the missing supplies."

Subaru froze. This doesn't make sense! Did she forget everything?

"Uhh, hello? Today is Wednesday right? Our plan was to get everything by Tuesday."

"Sir, today is Tuesday. Has your oversleeping finally resulted in you mixing up your days?"

Lilia dismissed this attitude as something becoming of a lazy house guest. He can't even remember simple agreements he made the night before! Well, no matter, he will uphold his side of the bargain whether he wants to or not.

Subaru was eerily quiet.

"Yes, I guess I must have forgotten the date."

Lilia left his room and closed the door behind her.

'What the hell was that. This can't be real right? I know completed all the shopping yesterday. I have to get to the bottom of this.'

AUTHOR NOTE

Alright guys, chapter 3 what do you all think?

Lilia is an original character, but honestly, I just needed a placeholder to pull off the scene at the end of this chapter. The story is starting to develop a lot more and I think that the next chapter will be the impetus for a lot of the later story. If anyone knows the names of a canon maid that works in the Astrea manor, please put it in a review so I can swap out Lilia's name. I want to keep this story contained with canon characters wherever possible.

Chapter Text

Subaru slowly got dressed and left his room. Was he going crazy? Maybe he dreamt himself going out for supplies yesterday? It was so vivid though; he never had a dream like that before. He also remembered it so well…

For now, he will have to operate under the assumption it was a dream. Even if he was wrong, it doesn't change the fact that he needs to go out and pick up supplies for Reinhard and Felt's surprise. He wouldn't let some stupid dream invalidate days of careful planning and coercion!

Once Subaru reached the ground floor of the manor, he ran into Lilia again.

"Even though you didn't wake up in time for breakfast, it would be wrong for me to send you off on errands without giving you something to eat."

Lilia seemed annoyed Subaru couldn't remember the agreement they had made last night. Despite her attitude, she still pulled out some leftovers from the breakfast she made for everyone earlier to give to Subaru. Without thinking, he said:

"Wow, Omelets again huh?"

The staff had a list of recipes that they cycled through every week for each meal. While it wasn't weird to be served Omelets, what was odd was that it lined up exactly with the experience Subaru had the day before. The maid staff had a policy of never repeating a meal two days in a row. Was his dream yesterday prophetic or something?

"You don't get to complain when you wake up four hours after everyone ate! Also, I don't know where you got Omelets yesterday, but you know that we wouldn't serve the same meal two days in a row."

Now this is weird. The staff serve the meals randomly throughout the week depending on the ingredients they were able to get on a given day. While they never repeated a meal, it should've been impossible for Subaru to guess what she made this morning without seeing it first. While Lilia brushed it off as luck, Subaru's mind was racing.

'So far, everything that has happened today lines up perfectly with yesterday. Unless I'm the subject of some elaborate prank, I have somehow jumped back to Tuesday. It is probably too early to begin thinking like that, but I should know for sure once I head out shopping.'

Subaru wanted to head out as close to his original departure time as possible. If all the sights remain the same, he'll have confirmation. If not, he can brush off this weird coincidence and go on with his day.

'Oh god, it's all the same! These street performers usually move to different places each day, but they are all in exactly the same place I saw them yesterday! This is crazy..is this real? Did I actually get a really cool power when I came here!?'

Subaru was jogging through the streets, trying to see if anything had changed from how he remembered in his 'dream', but everything was happening in the same way at the same time! Wait a minute, if this isn't a prank. . .this would make a lot of sense. He didn't have any really strong powers when he arrived here originally right? Does that mean he had been looping all this time?

"Hey kid, glad to see you again! Want to buy some appas?"

'Oh, it's Kadomon! Ok, if he doesn't remember talking to me there is no way this is a prank!'

"Hey Kadomon! This question is going to seem weird, but how many times have you seen me recently?"

He paused for a second, hand to his chin.

"I don't remember seeing you at all today. Hey, that reminds me, you said something weird like that the first time I met you! Why do you keep asking me that?"

Subaru eyes twitched.

"What? I did?"

"Yeah, you did. You having memory problems or something?"

"No! I. . . uhh just like messing with you is all haha!"

Subaru started laughing uncomfortably. This confirms it. Whatever this "looping" phenomenon was, it was something that he had been using for quite some time.

'How many times did I need to loop to become such a well-known hero?! If I can dictate fate whenever I want, I can live the most awesome life possible! Maybe I should redo today and erase this conversation. . .'

"Hey kid, are you gonna buy some appas or am I just supposed to keep standing here like a statue?"

"Oh, yeah, let me get a bag of appas!"

'I'm not sure if I can consciously control this power or if there is some requirement to using it, but when I get back to the mansion I'll try to see if I can restart. Just in case, I should try and recreate my previous interaction so that nothing serious changes.'

"Here ya go kid, a bag of appas!"

"Thanks for the discount, Kadomon!"

Subaru beamed a smile at him while Kadomon stood there confused.

"Discount, what discou. . ."

Subaru took off back to the Astrea manor and cut through a thick crowd of people.

Before Subaru disappeared into the crowd, Kadomon yelled out:

"Whatever, just tell your friends to come shop here, ya hear?!"

Subaru arrived back at the mansion much sooner than he originally intended. He ended up getting lost on his first attempt shopping, but now that he had already found his way back once, he accidentally returned to the mansion an hour before he did last time.

'Lilia's not here. Wasn't she waiting outside last time I got back?'

Subaru began doubting himself. Looping? What was he thinking? Maybe he just had a really weird dream and that's all. Was he so desperate to have some kind of 'power' that he made up this whole fantasy to satisfy his delusion?

"Subaru, you're back. I'm surprised! With how this morning went, I was certain you would get yourself lost and I would be stuck waiting for you. Let's head inside and start testing recipes."

"Haha, yep, you underestimated me!" 'That's right. . . I didn't get lost today. I was so curious about testing this 'power' that I rushed back to the manor without thinking.'

As they headed into the manor, Subaru's mind drifted off somewhere completely different.

'Ok, this could still be the result of some crazy dream. Jumping straight to the conclusion that I could time travel was pretty ridiculous in hindsight. But. . . it does explain the one thing I've been wondering since I arrived here. How did a worthless guy like me end up becoming the greatest hero in Lugunica? And that comment from Kadomon. . . It's implausible. But it isn't impossible. I should at least attempt to activate this power. If it doesn't work, whatever! I'll continue on with my day and pretend this never happened.'

"Hey Lilia, really quickly, I need to use the restroom, please set up the stuff in the kitchen for me ok?"

"As expected, already pushing all the work onto me! Subaru this was your idea, you would do well to remember that. I expect to see you out of there before I finish testing the first recipe."

"Hey, stop with the jabs already! Everyone's gotta use it at some point."

Subaru headed into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Now that he was alone, it was time to begin his own tests. If he really did have the power to loop, he would find the way to activate it. Then he would use it to become the most awesome person in history! He finally wouldn't be a failure!

"Ok, looping power ACTIVATE!"

Subaru said with anticipation. When he opened his eyes. . .! He found himself sitting on the toilet like he was before. Maybe this wasn't the best place to try something like this. If he had successfully returned to his bed, would he have shit himself? Subaru began contemplating other activation conditions.

"Ohhh, I get it. I never specified 'when' I was returning to. It makes sense why it didn't activate."

Subaru now found himself wondering about the point he should return to. While he did not want to redo the entire day, he could probably have improved his conversation with Kadomon. Also, with a return point so close to the present, he wouldn't lose any significant actions he made throughout the day.

'As a test, returning to right before my conversation with Kadomon would be the safest choice. I should be careful with this power, what if I misspoke and returned to before I met Reinhard? That would be devastating and I can't allow that.'

"Ok, looping power, return me to 5 minutes before the conversation with Kadomon I had today!"

As Subaru opened his eyes, he noticed he was still in the bathroom.

"Man, how stupid am I? Looping? Time travel? As if! Time to head back to the kitchen."

Subaru and Lilia spent the same amount of time developing recipes as they had the day before. Everything seemed to have gone well, so Subaru and Lilia decided to head to sleep early. For Subaru, despite thinking his 'power' was bs, he still felt some apprehension before going to bed.

'If I remember how these 'looping' plots work, then usually there is some kind of activation condition. If I really did rewind time and it wasn't all a dream, that means whatever happened during the night was responsible for this situation.'

He and Lilia didn't have much work they needed to do tomorrow. Even if it was only a small chance, he would stay awake tonight. He wanted to put this whole thing to rest. If tomorrow comes, then let it come! He'll put this day behind him like a bad hangover.

'By this time everyone in the manor should be asleep. I can't help myself though, I'm thirsty! I need to get some water.'

Subaru headed down the stairs and began walking through the corridors past each of the maids' rooms. Once he reached the kitchen, he filled up a large cup of water and began to head back to his room. He wasn't looking forward to the scolding he'll receive from Lilia when he wakes up past noon tomorrow, but at least now he can stay awake without having to wander the entire mansion.

*drip*

*drip*

*drip*

'Huh? Why do I hear dripping? The maids leave a sink on or something?'

*splash*

Subaru headed to the source of the sound and ended up stepping in a puddle of some kind. Great. He was wearing his only clean pair of socks and now they were soaked! He opened the door and headed into. . .Lilia's room? This doesn't make sense, what was she doing awake now? The room was dark. He couldn't make out anything except a humanoid figure.

"Lilia, what are you doing awake right now? Pretty hypocritical of you to. . ."

The door caught on something. Subaru looked down at it and couldn't believe what he saw. An unmoving corpse. She had her hand on the doorknob, it looked like she was trying to escape something. As the moonlight illuminated the floor, Subaru realized now what the puddle was. He had been stepping in a pool of blood that trickled under the door.

"Wha.. Lilia are you..?!"

He seized up in fear. As tears filled up his eyes, he was unable to look away from the horrible sight in front of him. Lilia had her throat slashed and was still dripping blood all over the floor. It looked like she was trying to call for help but couldn't make a sound after her vocal chords were cut.

*sigh*

"Well this is unfortunate. If you had gone to sleep, this would've been easier for both of us."

Subaru pried his eyes away from the terrible sight on the ground and refocused on the humanoid figure standing near the window of Lilia's room.

"Don't worry, the other maids have already been dealt with, so crying for help wouldn't have worked anyway."

'What?! Did this thing kill Lilia? Is it going to kill me too? I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die!"

Subaru began shivering before he could get his legs moving. What can he do? Maybe he can get away if he runs! Then he can call Reinhard and everything will be ok. Reinhard would fix this. He'd kill this bastard.

Subaru ran out the door and towards the main hall. The mansion was completely silent except for the sounds of his heavy breathing and occasional sobs.

'Everything will be ok. Everything will be ok. Everything will be fine. Reinhard will fix this. He is undefeatable. Once he gets here, this guy won't stand a chance! This bastard..'

Subaru kept repeating the same sentence in his head. It was a glimmer of hope, the only thing keeping his legs moving. His weak, worthless, self wouldn't be able to stop this guy, but Reinhard could! He made it to the front door and began turning the handle before he felt a shooting pain in his leg.

"What the hell. . .!"

Subaru was mortified to see his left leg had been completely severed. He fell backwards and clutched his missing leg. This couldn't be real right? He had two legs, not one. This bastard couldn't kill him! He was only 18, he wasn't ready to die!

"Ahh, it's a shame, but nothing would have changed. You wouldn't have escaped. I'll do you a favor and make this quick."

"ARGhHHHH, SOMEONE, ANYONE, HELP!"

Subaru couldn't stop sobbing at the sight of his missing leg. He was yelling at the top of his lungs. Maybe he could alert someone and they'd come and deal with this guy. It was wishful thinking, but he didn't want to imagine what would happen if nobody came.

"Hmm, and you were doing so well too. You realize everyone else in the mansion is dead right? Nobody can hear you, please silence your pitiful screams before I have to do it myself."

The figure approached Subaru again. He was defenseless. As much as he wanted to stop his screaming, it was the only thing keeping him from passing out. That, and adrenaline. It kept getting closer and closer. Subaru knew what was coming. This is it.

'Die? Am I dead? Am I still alive!? When will I die? When will I die?'

The figure stabbed Subaru in the back. Subaru pissed himself in fear.

'I' m gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!'

"There, you see? No need to scream if nobody will hear it, understand?"

The light was fading. Subaru felt his heartbeat increase with every passing second. The pain was fading, but so was his consciousness. His eyes were tearing up as he thought about all the people he'd met in this world. Reinhard, Felt, Lilia. . .What about his parents? He will never see them again.

'What a failure.'

Subaru felt his consciousness slipping and saw darkness clouding the corners of his vision.

'Oh, I'm dead.'

"Subaru. Sir? Its past noon. Weren't you planning on heading to the market today to pick up ingredients?"

"ARGHRAAAAAAAH!"

"Subaru? What's wrong? Are you ok?!"

'Huh? What? No. . .'

"S. .S . .Sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Subaru was still shivering from that experience. He never knew how haunting such an event could be. This was something he would never forget.

"Subaru? Your face looks really pale! Perhaps I should go pick up the ingredients today."

"No no, it's fine. I made a promise. I'll go and. . .um"

The room was filled with silence. Lilia knew there was something wrong, but seeing as he was unwilling to discuss it, she decided that she wouldn't press him on it any further. Who knows what Subaru is going through? Perhaps he regained he memories? It wasn't her place as a maid to impose on him.

"Sorry! Lost my train of thought there haha, I'll go grab the ingredients, please leave it to me!"

Subaru managed to recompose himself. He was no longer dying. He had returned. It seems he was unable to choose where, or in this case 'when', he returned to. Subaru's hands shook beneath the covers. He instinctually moved his left leg. Bad choice. Immediately he was pestered with images of his severed leg bleeding out onto the main hall carpets.

'Stop focusing on that. I'm not there anymore. I'll just. . .never think about that again.'

Subaru hopped out of bed and quickly put on his clothes. He took a detour and headed into the bathroom before going down to get breakfast.

'What a terrible activation. So I 'return' by death?! What a cruel ability. Figures I'd receive a power that hinges upon me being useless.'

He turned on the sink and started splashing his face with water. He thought if he didn't think about it that it wouldn't be able to bother him. He was wrong. Before long he was sobbing and clutching his arms to his sides. Lilia died, and so had all the other maids. What did Subaru do? He ran away. Not only did he run away, but he couldn't even reach one person. They all died and nobody would ever know who killed them.

As Subaru turned off the water, the implications of this ability finally hit him.

'Wait, so when I returned the first time. . .I was killed?'

He gagged. He lived out his whole day spewing fantasies of 'isekai' powers and ended up walking right into a slaughter.

Then the second realization dawned on him.

'Before I lost my memories, I was also looping wasn't I? How many times did I have to go through that hell!?'

He didn't want to think about it. If the stories he heard were true, it must've been a lot. Will people expect that of him if he gets his memories back? How horrible must those memories be? He was a coward. He wasn't the type to risk his life for others. As much as he wanted to be like the Subaru everyone remembers him as, if he has to die again, he'll break.

'That's it! I'll just find an excuse to get all the maids to leave the house before tonight and everything will be fine. I doubt they'd believe me if I told them the truth after all."

Subaru left the bathroom and headed down to breakfast. In his mind the plan was foolproof, after one night he could contact Reinhard and then everything would be ok. While he and Lilia discussed their plans for the rest of the day, Subaru was completely unaware of the presence outside the window, watching his every move.

Author Note

The story truly begins! Now that Subaru knows about his ability, he will take a much more proactive role in the story. How will he get out of this one?

Chapter Text

"Hey Lilia, would you mind gathering all of the staff for when I get back from shopping?"

'We have a few hours before the attack if I return early like I did during the last loop. I don't have enough time to go and put in a request to the Royal Knights, so while I'm out shopping, I need to come up with a plausible reason to leave the mansion until we can contact Reinhard.'

Subaru sat down for breakfast and quickly scarfed down his Omelet. He knew there wasn't any time to waste, and that he probably wouldn't be able to talk to all the staff unless he scheduled something for later. If he ordered them to leave, would they listen to him? He knew that he had some standing in the mansion due to Reinhard's repeated praises, but he had never needed to order them around before. If he failed. . .well he didn't want to think about what would happen. Seriously, what terrible luck! Most people only die once in their life, but he had died twice only a couple months into his 'isekai' journey. This wasn't counting the hellscape he probably already endured for the past two years.

"Sure. . .do you mind telling me why?"

Lilia had her curiosity piqued from Subaru's odd request. He only interacted with a select few staff members, what did he need to talk to them all about? Maybe he wanted to let them in on their little 'surprise' for Reinhard and Felt? It made sense, but she also couldn't shake the odd feeling she had been noticing since Subaru woke up. Something seemed off.

"Oh, I just wanted to make an announcement, that's all."

Lilia shrugged it off. He probably just wanted to ask the staff if they wanted to help out with the gift.

"Ok, I'll tell them to gather in the kitchen once they all finish their shifts."

'Ok, that works. Now comes the hard part. I need to figure out an excuse to order them out of the mansion for the night. I'll just have to figure this out while I'm out shopping. Who knows, maybe an excuse will present itself to me?'

Subaru froze up as he turned the doorknob to leave the manor. The last time he tried opening this door, he never finished turning the handle. If he couldn't successfully work out a solution by the time he got back, there was a real chance he could end up dying again. This might be his last chance to run. . .

"Take care Subaru!"

Lilia called out to Subaru as he left the front entrance. It kinda reminded him of his mom. She would tell him that every time he went out, no exceptions. He couldn't just leave these people to die right? Even if they wouldn't say it, they had become friends since he arrived here a couple months ago.

"I will!"

'It's no use thinking about stuff like that right now. If I need to run, I'll do it after I warn them. I owe them that at least.'

Subaru nodded. He would try to get them to leave with him, but if they refused, there would be nothing more he could do. They didn't understand how terrifying it felt to die, and he refused to go through something like that again. Wait. The only way he could truly prepare them for what was coming would be to tell them the truth. The whole truth. If he just left them alone at the mansion because he wanted to 'visit a friend' for the night or something, could he really tell himself that he 'warned' them?

'No matter. They will come with me. I'm not going to waste the small amount of time I have stressing about the ethics of some hypothetical nonreality.'

It had been two hours since he had left the Manor. Still nothing. What "new information" could he get from his trip to market to merit them leaving the mansion for the night?

'Man, this is hard! Maybe I could say I want to treat the entire staff to an expensive night out. I would have to do it on the Astrea's dime though, sorry Reinhard. I'll go with that for now.'

As Subaru kept walking, he was picking up everything on his list even quicker than his last two loops. He was met with a lot of "Are you ok?"s and "You seem nervous."s but he brushed off those comments with some half-baked excuses. This was bad. Were people really able to tell that he was hiding something? If random people could see it, so would the mansion staff. He needed to succeed. He had to convince the staff that everything was fine. That he just wanted to 'give them all a reward'.

"Thanks." Subaru said.

"Don't worry about it sir, have a nice day!" A smiling merchant replied.

He turned away and beelined it for the next shop. He felt bad about leaving that merchant hanging, but the more time he had to talk with the maids, the better. Subaru had already changed most of the day's interactions into cold quick exchanges. If he kept deviating from previous loops, there is the chance he could be taken off guard by something. That wouldn't do.

"Hey kid, glad to see you again! Want to buy some appas?"

'Right on cue.'

"I'll take a bag."

As Kadomon began bagging some Appas, he glanced up at Subaru and started smiling.

"Hey, how's that blue-haired girl doing? Is everything ok with you and your buddies?"

Subaru didn't have time for this.

"Everything's fine. I'm sorry, but I don't have a lot of time to talk right now, I'm kind of in a rush, can we just skip the change?"

Kadomon froze for a second.

"Yeah, that's fine, I guess. Are you really in such a hurry you can't wait 5 seconds for me to hand you your change?"

He knew it was ridiculous. How much of a difference would one second make? Subaru didn't care. So long as that second bought him time to escape, it would be good enough.

"Thanks."

Subaru bolted off. If he ran back to the mansion, he would make it back thirty minutes before he did last loop. That will hopefully give him and the maids the ability to leave before it gets dark.

"Hey wait kid! Tell some of your friends to come shop here whenever you get the chance!"

It was too late. Subaru was out of earshot. Kadomon stood there for a second before turning back to his stand.

"I like him, but why does he always act so weird around me?"

He made it. It was still light out. Subaru sprinted up to the mansion entrance and opened the door.

"Wow didn't expect you back so early! When did you become such a hard worker?"

Lilia saw Subaru entering and immediately began praising his strong work ethic. He must really care about his surprise for Reinhard and Felt. Well, it wouldn't do for the head maid to stand around and make a guest do all the work!

"Would you like to begin testing recipes? I have most of the dishes clean from lunc. . ."

"Have you gathered everyone yet?"

Subaru interrupted Lilia. He was panting and sweating like a dog. Was his announcement really important enough to run all the way back here?

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting you back so soon. They should be finishing up their final sweep right about now."

"Ok, I guess that works, please tell everyone to convene in here when they finish, alright?"

"Sure, I'll go get them now."

'Great. Looks like all that rush only served to make me more nervous. This might not be so bad. I'll have some time to think about how I'll pitch this to them.'

Subaru walked up to a mirror and began practicing his speech. It should be simple enough. 'Hey guys, I want to thank you all for everything you've done for me. How about I take you all out and treat you to a nice dinner and hotel?' Hotel? What the hell is he thinking?! Is he trying to hit on them or something?

He kept rewording his statement and staring at himself in the mirror.

'It can't look like I'm nervous or hiding anything. If I so much as blink in a weird way, they might start asking questions. Alright, smile!. . .I hope this is good enough.'

His smile seemed fake, but he didn't have time anymore. The maids began to shuffle into the kitchen and sit down across from him. The mansion staff was a team of 5 maids, including Lilia, meaning Subaru had 5 potential causes of failure. Once the last maid arrived, Lilia sat down in front of Subaru and asked what this was all about.

"Ah. . .Uh you see. . . I wanted to give something back to you guys after everything you've done for me. As you know, Lilia, I'm planning on giving a gift to Reinhard and Felt when they return. What you didn't know was, I had already prepared a gift for all of you!"

"A gift? What kind of gift?"

Lilia was surprised. She didn't expect Subaru to have a gift for all the people living in the mansion. She would make sure to remember his birthday!

"Well, I'm sorry I had to spring this on you without any advance notice, but I already reserved an overnight suite near the edge of the Capital. My plan was we'd all head over there, have a nice dinner, and potentially go sightseeing the day after."

"Wait what? Why did you wait until now to tell us? Also, do you expect us to leave the manor unattended!?"

Lilia was really confused now. Is he stupid? He knows the staff can't leave the mansion alone, especially when the master is away on business. Did he expect them to pack up and head out with no questions?

"Well, you guys seem to be finished with your final sweep of the mansion and we'd be returning tomorrow morning. If I told you I made arrangements to have someone watch the mansion would you trust me?"

'That's a total lie. If I have to, I'll even tell them Reinhard was in on this little scheme. Whatever it takes to get them to stop asking questions.'

"Really? I'm still a bit hesitant, but a break every once in a while, doesn't sound too bad."

One of the other four maids spoke up. Perfect. If he can get another one on his side, maybe he can peer pressure the rest into agreeing.

"Don't worry. I ran this all by Reinhard before he left, so please, don't worry about the manor!"

This was it. If it didn't work, he would have no more cards left to play. Any attempt to order them to leave the mansion would only be viewed as suspicious and probably be denied.

"I guess it could be fun. . ."

Another one of the maids added.

"Yeah, if it's ok with Reinhard, we might as well enjoy ourselves. It's not often we get an all-expense paid mini vacation."

Yes! The only one left was. . .

"I don't think this is a good idea."

'Lilia. Why. Why does she have to choose now to be so headstrong?'

"Lilia, I get it. As the head maid, you have to be the responsible one of the group. Please understand, Reinhard and Felt have noticed how hard you've been working. They sincerely want to show their appreciation! Would you be so heartless as to deny this gift from them?"

'Please. I don't think I can leave you guys behind. Just stop being suspicious and listen to me!'

"Well. . .when you put it that way. I suppose it would be rude of me to ignore a gift from the masters."

'I did it. . .I saved them! Let's go! I'm awesome!'

"Really?! Awesome, everyone please pack a small bag and let's head out as soon as possible. They are expecting us before it gets dark!"

"Well that's odd. They seem to be packing their bags. Are they really going to leave nobody to watch the mansion? Hmm. I guess I'll have to make my move a bit early."

A rustle could be heard coming from a tree near the mansion. The figure observing them had been keeping a close eye on them the past few days. He wanted to attack when everyone was asleep, but now that it was clear he wouldn't get that opportunity, it seemed he had no choice but to act.

"How unfortunate. I really didn't want to make a huge mess."

"Alright everyone, is everything loaded up in the carriage? Please don't waste any time going back and looking for stuff! The place we are staying will have all the accommodations you would ever need!"

Subaru had loaded up a carriage to be pulled by a couple of ground dragons. They hadn't packed very much as they only planned to stay at this place for one night. Luckily for Subaru, he had seen advertisements for this place while he was lost during his first loop. He never thought he would be visiting them the same day.

"Is everyone ready to leave?"

Lilia emerged from the front door.

"Before we go, I need to have a quick word with you Subaru. In private."

Subaru and Lilia walked back inside the mansion while the other four maids got situated inside the carriage. She closed the door behind them and looked at Subaru with a stern gaze.

"Really? You planned on testing recipes today even though you knew about this 'gift' Reinhard prepared for us? To be frank, I don't believe anything you said to the maids. The only reason I'm going along with this is because you seem to have a good reason for it. However, if at any point during this little 'excursion' I decide I want to return to the mansion, I expect you to turn that cart around and take us back. Understand?"

"Sure. What reason would I have to lie to you guys though?"

She stared at him for a second. Clearly that wasn't the right answer to her question.

'Crap. She saw right through me. She knows me too well. If I play my cards right, I can get them far enough away from the mansion that it'll be impossible for them to make it back in time.'

"Ok, let's head out then Subaru."

Subaru turned the handle again and headed outside.

The sun was starting to go down and it cast an orange hue across the horizon and the sky. As Subaru headed towards the cart, the sunlight made it hard to see anyone inside the carriage.

"Let's head out guys! I hope you're looking forward to. . ."

He stopped in his tracks. When he peeked into the carriage he was met with a horrifying reality. The four maids in the carriage were all missing their heads. They appeared to have been murdered the moment Subaru walked into the mansion with Lilia. It was so fast they didn't even hear a scream.

*drip*

*drip*

*drip*

Ah. There was that horrible sound again. He recognized it very well from his last loop. The frequency and pitch made it so he didn't even need to look to know what he was hearing. The sound of blood dripping from a corpse.

He turned around to see Lilia. . .with a blade through her back and coming out her chest.

"Su. .ba. .r."

Before she could finish, her head went flying. Subaru didn't even have time to speak as he had already begun shaking from fear. It dawned on him; he was going to die again. There was nobody around for a mile and he had no chance against this enemy.

"Lilia! No. .no. .NO! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!"

He wept profusely at the sight of Lilia's corpse. He had done everything right. He convinced them. They were going to leave the mansion and be safe. So what the hell was this sight in front of him? Why had everything fallen apart? Was he destined to be a failure?

"Yeah, I agree. It shouldn't have happened this way either. I was planning on just killing you while everyone was asleep, but you had to go and screw everything up!"

"W. .why! Why me?! Huh you bastard?! The fuck is your problem with me! What did I ever do to you? What about them?!"

Subaru had gone into denial. It makes sense now. This bastard must have been watching them the entire day, waiting for the moment Subaru dropped his guard. How stupid must he have been to think that leaving the mansion would make it all go away!? A world where he could be happy, where he was successful? What a bad joke! Suffering is his lot in life and no power could change that.

"Killing them was left up to me. I figured they'd get in the way so I disposed of them. As for you? Well, its nothing personal, but I've been ordered to kill you."

'Me? Someone ordered this guy to kill me? This should be impossible. Nobody even knows I'm alive, how can somebody order me dead?'

"What?! That. . .that's impossible! How did you know I'm alive?"

"Huh? I don't even know your name."

"What?! I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand. . ."

"Well the ordered specified 'the guest in the Astrea manor' so I suppose it makes sense why you are confused."

"I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand. . ."

"Hey listen, that's starting to get annoying! I get it, it doesn't make sense to you."

Subaru had lost it. What was he supposed to do now? Accept his death? His heart felt like it was seizing up. It was beating so hard he could feel the blood in his eyes. The only comfort he felt was from the conversation with the cloaked figure. He didn't care what the guy had to say, rather, he felt that as long as the figure kept talking to him, he could delay his incoming death.

"I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand. . ."

"I'm getting tired of this. Time to call it a day."

The figure pulled his blade out of Lilia's corpse before walking over to the delirious Subaru.

"I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understa. . .GRHAGHHH"

The blade slashed off Subaru's left ear. A sprinkler of blood began pouring out of his skull.

"AGRAHHAAHAAAA. . ."

"Well, looks like I finally snapped you out of your trance. I almost envy you. You don't have to hear these disgusting wails like I have to."

With his left arm pushed up against his skull, Subaru looked up at the figure again before falling backwards. This is it. No more talking or stalling. He would brutally murdered again and nothing would change.

"G. .ET AWAY!"

He couldn't see anymore, his eyes had filled with tears. All he could think about was escaping the assassin in front of him.

"I'm done with this."

Subaru noticed his field of vision falling downwards. As he tried to pick himself he realized nothing was responding. What was going on? His last view was of his own headless body, toppling backward after being completely slashed through.

'Is that. . .me?'

This was Subaru's final thought. The darkness began to cloud his vision and a familiar sensation began to overtake him. Emptiness personified, the ego being shredded. Death.

AUTHOR NOTE

Man Subaru's got it rough now huh? I can't promise things will get better just yet. Hopefully the writing seems a bit less robotic than in previous chapters. I've noticed a marked improvement in my writing since I released the first chapter.

What is going on with this assassin? Well, you'll just have to wait to find out! I've been trying to release one chapter a day so potentially you'll be figuring it out tomorrow. . . ? I've got basically the whole story laid out for the next like 40 chapters, so until I reach that point, I will try to post as frequently as possible.

Chapter Text

"Subaru. Sir? Its past noon. Weren't you planning on heading to the market today to pick up ingredients?"

". . . ."

"Hey! Subaru? Wake up! If you don't get up now you won't have time to buy everything we need for tonight!"

Lilia headed over to Subaru's bed and forcefully removed his blanket.

"Wha. ."

She found Subaru in what could only be described as a seizure. His body was shaking so aggressively the bed itself looked like it could bust a hole through the floor. He had a tight grip on the sheets, pulling on them so hard that they began to tear. What was going on? Subaru was beginning to look unresponsive.

"Subaru! Hey! Subaru! Get a grip!"

It was no use. No matter what she did, he was still shaking out of control. She needed to do something. In desperation, she quickly grabbed a bucket of water and splashed it across his face. He seemed unfazed. This was bad. He might be dying. If Subaru ended up dying in Reinhard's mansion, he'd never forgive himself!

"Subaru, here, grab my hand. Please let go of the bed!"

Lilia managed to grip Subaru's hand and pull him into a clutch. Hopefully he would tire himself out and come to his senses. This was the only thing left she could do. If she knew healing magic perhaps she would've been able to do more, but for right now, she was useless in situations like this.

"Hrgh,hrr?Ghreahh. ."

'It's a miracle! He's starting to calm down.'

Lilia couldn't believe it worked. She was beginning to believe she'd have to inform Reinhard that Natsuki Subaru had died for the second time. Luckily for her, it didn't have to come to that. He fell unconscious after a few minutes of gripping onto Lilia for dear life. While she was glad Subaru wasn't dead, she was scared half to death during that whole ordeal! What the hell happened? Did Subaru have some kind of medical condition? Was he poisoned? She would be stuck guessing until Subaru woke up.

"Hello?"

'Speak of the devil!'

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Lilia heard Subaru's voice through the wall and immediately climbed the stairs up to his room.

"Subaru? Are you ok?! When I found you earlier you looked like you were having a seizure. I really thought you were dying!"

When she entered his room, she saw Subaru's face tighten.

"Lilia. . .I saw something terrible."

Before she could ask what he was talking about, he started to weep all over the covers.

"Subaru. . .Please. What happened?"

He couldn't take it anymore. This was terrible. Maybe if he just came clean everything would work out somehow. . .

"Lilia, I can't explain how or why, but I've die. . ."

Everything froze. Before he could finish his sentence, Subaru felt a chill running down his spine.

'What the hell?'

A shadow began to envelop everything around them. Before he knew it, he could no longer see Lilia or any of his surroundings. All he could see was the dark hand extending right towards him. Completely powerless to defy the shadow, to his horror, it entered into Subaru's chest and gripped itself around his heart.

"GHRH"

"Subaru?!"

Subaru leaned forward in pain. He had been wondering about this for a while too. Wasn't there enough circumstantial evidence surrounding his crazy feats to potentially believe a story like his? Everyone he knew also seemed to know how weak he was. Why didn't the past Subaru say anything about this ability?

'Now I get it. For some reason I can't tell anyone about this power.'

He wanted to scream. He was completely alone and there was nothing he could do to avoid dying.

'I honestly want to try telling her again, but I can't bring my lips to move. Man, I really am a coward huh? I'm terrified. Compared to dying again, I'd have nothing to lose by trying to tell her again.'

"Subaru, what is happening? This is the second time you almost died today! Please, just tell me so I can get help!"

'Hahahaha, I'm in hell.'

"I'm sorry for scaring you Lilia. I think I just had a nightmare."

"Subaru, what kind of nightmare gives you seizures and heart attacks?! Just tell me the truth. Do you have some kind of disease?"

'I guess you could call it that.'

"No, I just relived a very bad memory. Please give me a minute to myself if that's ok."

". . .Fine. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need help though."

Lilia left Subaru's room. Once she was out of view, Subaru went into his closet and closed it behind him.

'That assassin. He's watching us right now isn't he? I need to get out of here. Now. If I just get away everything should turn out fine. I was apparently his target, so if I'm gone, he'll just have to try again later. He may follow me, but I shouldn't know that an attack is being planned for tonight. Its more plausible to assume he'll wait here for me to return from my shopping trip.'

Subaru calmed himself down. This situation wasn't as hopeless as he made it seem. He still had a chance to escape this nightmare with everyone surviving. All he'd need to do is what he planned on doing last loop. Run away. Then tomorrow he could call Reinhard, he'd come back, and then everything would turn out perfectly. Subaru would kill that bastard for what he did. He never felt such hatred for another person in his entire life.

"Thanks, I'll get back as soon as I can!"

Subaru said his goodbye to Lilia before he headed out on his shopping trip.

It took him nearly twenty minutes to convince her that he was up to the task. Eventually she let him go after he told her how much he wanted to surprise Reinhard. Just as Reinhard had a soft spot for Felt, so too did Lilia have one for Reinhard. He always thought of himself as trash, something Subaru could deeply relate with, and this caused Lilia to try and make him smile as often as possible. Recently, he'd been smiling a lot more because of Subaru. A gift from Subaru would make him genuinely smile, so against her better judgement, she let him leave.

"You'd better! I expect to see you here before dark."

Lilia called after him.

'What am I thinking? Letting him go out after what happened this morning, I'm being pretty selfish.'

'Ok, first things first. I need to make sure I'm not being trailed.'

There was a chance that the assassin decided to follow Subaru on these past three loops. Even if it may be unlikely, Subaru couldn't risk dying to that psycho again.

Subaru headed past a large crowd of people and entered into a small clothing shop on the side of the main street. There happened to be a decent amount of people in there, all demi-human, so even if he had been followed in, the assassin wouldn't dare make a move on him.

"Hey, you new here?"

The shopkeep called out to Subaru and beckoned him to his desk.

"Yeah, I've never been here before. Any recommendations for some cheap clothes to buy? Preferably ones that obscure my face?"

The shopkeep paused for a minute and pointed to the back corner of the shop.

"I see. You probably don't know this, but this shop is usually only met with demi-human customers. Its rare that a full human decides to come in here. As thanks for looking past your biases, I can give you some of those clothes in the back significantly marked off!"

"Wow. Thank you sir! You don't realize how much of a help this is. I don't think I would've been able to go back out on the street looking the way I do right now.

"If you are having serious troubles, I recommend talking to that guy in the back as well, he might be able to help you."

The shopkeep moved his finger to the other side of the shop and stopped on an interesting looking demi-human. He seemed to be a dog of some sort. . ? Subaru headed over in that direction and quickly grabbed a bundle of clothes off the shelf.

'Perfect! These look as plain as they come! If I leave the shop wearing this, I have a pretty good chance to lose anyone tailing me.'

Subaru covered his face with a piece of cloth before heading to talk to the man on the other side of the shop.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but the shopkeep told me to talk to you about something."

"Your name?"

He didn't even glance in Subaru's direction. He was too busy smoking his pipe to notice Subaru's clear anxiety.

"Huh?"

"Your name? I don't do business with anyone unless I know who they are."

"Oh, it's Subaru."

"Subaru? Like the hero?"

He seemed interested now. Whoever this was, he clearly knew something about the old Natsuki Subaru. Other than wanting to keep his existence a secret, Subaru also didn't want to risk dredging up some grudge with this guy.

"Oh, no different guy. Same name though."

'I don't know why the shopkeep recommended I talk with this guy. Maybe he can help me get out of the capital?'

"Really? Ok Su-san. Beat it."

'What? Is this guy just going to turn me away for nothing?'

"You won't h. . ."

"No."

Subaru was angry, but he knew there was nothing else to be done here. If this guy didn't want to help him, fine. The longer he spent in this shop, the more he raised suspicions anyway.

Subaru stormed out of the shop before he could hear another word from the demi-human dog.

"I won't work with liars."

As Subaru continued down the main road, he realized a critical flaw in his plan. He might have shaken all potential pursuers, but he still didn't have a place to stay or any plan on where to go. What was he supposed to do? He was so caught up in his paranoia that he overlooked the most important step.

"Hey kid, glad to see you again! Want to buy some appas?"

'Huh. Wait a minute. . .maybe I can ask him for help?'

"Hi Kadomon! Um. . .this is going to seem weird, but can you hear me out?"

Kadomon looked at him relatively unfazed.

"Isn't everything you say around me kind of weird? Hahaha"

Subaru leaned in and whispered to him.

"I think I was being followed. If I return to my home, I'd be walking into a dangerous situation. Do you know a place I can stay for the night?"

He paused. Subaru had never asked him for anything like this before. He just met him randomly in the capital one day and Subaru kept coming back. Of course, it did wonders for his business when he told everyone the 'hero of Priestella' was a regular customer. But this? Surely Subaru had a ton of other people he'd ask first.

"You were being followed? Couldn't you take something like this to the Royal Knights?"

"No. I couldn't risk it. If I headed in that direction, they probably would've attacked me before I got there."

It seems Subaru was at the end of his rope. While he and Subaru were becoming friends, this was a pretty crazy request to get out of nowhere.

"I can take you in for the night."

There was no other choice. Besides, a chance to save the 'Hero of Priestella' from danger? Now wouldn't this make for a great story to tell his kids! After all the traffic Subaru helped bring to his shop, he couldn't abandon him during his time of need.

"I expect you to come here a lot more often after this is over!"

Kadomon smiled.

"You can count on it."

Subaru felt genuinely relieved. He had a place to stay, a moment to rest, and a plan of action for once he returns tomorrow. Lilia would probably kill him for staying out so late, especially after the promise he made before leaving. He wasn't looking forward to that. It doesn't matter. As long as he can come back tomorrow and see everyone ok, that's enough for him.

Kadomon closed up shop immediately after Subaru's plea. On the off-chance Subaru had some kind of pursuer, it'd be smart to leave before they caught on to his ploy.

"I have a place you can stay, just don't expect five-star service, ok kid?"

"Thank you. Trust me, anything will do. I just need somewhere to stay for the night."

As they headed back, Subaru and Kadomon started discussing the story they'd present to his wife and kid once they reached his house. Subaru was just some really sick kid Kadomon found on the side of the road. Out of the kindness of his heart, Kadomon decided to bring him back to his home and give him a place to sleep.

"Sir, I don't want to make you reconsider your offer, but there is a chance whoever comes after me could end up hurting you guys. Are you sure you're ok with this?"

Kadomon stopped for a moment.

"Subaru, you are a good kid. I'm glad you wanted to warn me before we got back to my home. However, I've already agreed to help you. Bringing up stuff like that will only make me more nervous. I don't think my wife is home yet. If I tell her to go stay somewhere else for the night would that be enough to keep her and my kid safe?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then its settled. I'll tell her when she gets home. The story just changed. Now, whatever you are sick with is really contagious. Understand?"

"Understood."

When Subaru and Kadomon arrived at his house, nobody was home. This was good. Subaru could find somewhere to sleep and Kadomon could catch his family before they entered the house.

'Ok, if I just stay awake, everything should turn out fine. There's no way I got tracked all the way here. Just. . .no chance.'

He didn't like thinking that. Every time he thought he was safe before, he'd been wrong. Would he end up dying again if he fell asleep? That isn't a chance he wanted to take. If he woke up in that mansion again, what would he do? He'd have exhausted every possible option. If he died tonight, there was nothing else he could do. He would just keep dying, and dying, and dying. God, what a hopeless situation.

'There has to be something else I can think about to pass the time. C'mon think! I know that every time I die, I end up returning back to a specified point. I don't know if that point changes. I just know that I will always return there. Apparently, I have already died here before. I can't know why, but I do know that people remember at least one of my deaths. If I had been looping during that time as well, it must not have activated.'

Due to the stress and fatigue Subaru experienced throughout this loop, he was quickly beginning to fall asleep without realizing.

'If there is a way to break the loop, then perhaps waking up in the mansion wouldn't be completely hopeless. I know I shouldn't think that way, but there's really nothing else to. . . . ."

Subaru had fallen asleep.

"Kid! Hey kid! Wake up! It's been long enough. Are you ready to go home yet? My wife is really angry I sprung this whole thing on her without. . ."

'D-did I. . .make it?'

"Hey Kadomon, what day is it?"

Subaru picked himself up and himself blinded by the sun's rays. Wow, what a sight!

"Wednesday, what you need to be somewhere?"

Kadomon looked at Subaru with a raised eyebrow. Yep, he was back to normal. Saying weird stuff whenever it suited him!

"No, it's just. . .I'm glad it's Wednesday."

"And when wouldn't the day after Tuesday be Wednesday?"

Seriously. What was this guy talking about? Subaru owes him big time for this! The entire Iron Fang and Royal Guard better be at his stand tomorrow to pick up bags of appas!

"Man, I must not be making any sense huh? Sorry for the trouble, I'll get out of your hair now."

"Don't sweat it kid, just don't forget to recommend me to your friends ok?"

Subaru didn't notice Kadomon's reply. He was still looking at the sun rise with tears in his eyes. He had never seen a morning so beautiful in his life.

"Thank you. Sooo much."

Subaru began heading back to the manor. Man, was he in for a scolding! Lilia would slap him; the other maids would probably ghost him. He felt bad for all the trouble he put them through yesterday morning. Maybe he really should give them some kind of gift? All the trouble they went through because of his mistakes, they deserve some kind of reward! But, before all that, the first thing he would do is call Reinhard. The assassin could potentially still be watching the manor. There is no way he was going all the way back to that place so he could die again. If Reinhard even caught a whiff of trouble, he'd be back before the night fell. That guy was a freak of nature! Subaru had seen him outrun ground dragons by jogging.

He passed by many familiar sights on his way back to the mansion. Street performers, glowing spirits, small shops, everything seemed alive. Best of all though, was they were all in different places! Some street performers decided to switch up their acts, some shops had moved to better access the day's traffic. To Subaru, it was a breath of fresh air. Three days of seeing the same sights over and over had made him lose his appreciation for the diverse setting he got teleported into.

"Oh, I forgot, while I'm dressed like this, they might not recognize me, I'd better change back into my tracksuit."

"Ah, finally, home sweet home!"

Subaru knocked on the front door and waited for an angry Lilia to come and deck him for lying to her.

Silence.

"No. There's no way."

Subaru opened the front door and entered the manor. Nobody was immediately visible, but this wasn't necessarily grounds for concern. After all, the maids were usually all over the Astrea mansion throughout the day.

'Calm down. They're fine. You were the target.'

Subaru headed to the common room. Reinhard left the metia there in case of emergency, and this was clearly an emergency! He walked up to that door only to find it locked.

'They don't lock the front door, but they lock the door to the common room? No. It can't be. Were they actually. . .?'

Subaru needed that metia. Resorting to force, he kicked the door in. The room was empty.

'I need to call Reinhard.'

Subaru ran over to the drawer with the metia and pulled it out. He flicked it open and waited for someone to answer it at Miload manor.

'This really sucks. Hopefully Reinhard picks up before my cover gets blown.'

With nothing else to do but wait, Subaru began patrolling the mansion looking for the maids. Every room was empty, not a single person to be found. The maids didn't just leave. Subaru knew that. The more rooms he checked, the more the dread began to fill his heart.

'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!'

"Hello. . .who is this?"

Someone picked up the metia!

"Hi, my name is. .uh. . .Jon. Can you please pass the metia to Reinhard? I need to speak with him."

"Sure. Your voice sound reaaally familiar. Before I pass it, can you turn the lens to your face?"

Who is this? She speaks like someone from 100 years ago!

"Please, I don't have much time, can you just pass the metia?"

He was getting desperate. He had checked every room in the house and found no sign of them. Where were they? Did that bastard really just kill them for no reason?!

"Hello? Lilia is that you?"

It's Reinhard!

"Reinhard, it's me. I think an assassin plans to attack the mansion. Please come back. I'm sorry this is so abrupt, but they are watching me as I speak."

"Stay where you are."

The metia hung up. Reinhard sounded deadly serious. He did it. Reinhard was finally alerted. Everything should be ok now, right?

Subaru circled back to the common room. He had checked everywhere in the manor and hadn't found a single person. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but this was starting to look dire.

Oh. The closet. He forgot to check the closet in the common room. Well, he needed to open it just to make sure. If they weren't anywhere in the mansion, they wouldn't be hiding in there.

'Fuck.'

He was wrong.

'Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!'

He was very wrong.

Everything clicked after he opened that closet door.

Why the front door was unlocked and the common room door locked. Why nobody had answered when he called out their names. Why every door in the mansion was open when he patrolled the mansion.

Inside the closet he found the 5 maids, arms around each other, with their throats slit.

The bastard must have chased them around the manor all night. When he finally managed to find them, they tried to lock him out of the common room, but failed. In desperation, they hid in the closet hoping he wouldn't find them.

"Why. WHY! WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY! They didn't have to die! THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING."

Subaru yelled out in anguish. He didn't do anything wrong! He just ran, like he always does. That doesn't make this his fault!

'I knew. I knew there was a chance this might happen.'

He tried to push the thought out of his head. It wasn't his fault, it couldn't be. He's not a murderer!

'The moment nobody answered the front door, you knew didn't you?'

"AAGRHHHHHHHHHH"

'You left that mansion and you didn't say a thing. Like lambs to the slaughter.'

"NO! I TRIED. I FAILED. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO!"

'You left them to die. They didn't have a chance. You're still alive aren't you? I wonder how much harder you tried to make that happen?'

Subaru fell over. This wasn't fair. These people weren't him. Why was he responsible for their lives? Why was he given this terrible power?!

'You could save them.'

"No, I can't. They're dead, They've been dead for hours."

'Hahaha. And when it was you, did that stop you?'

"Damn. DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN. NO, I CANT. I WONT DO IT AGAIN. I WONT!"

'Exactly. Not because you can't. You won't.'

He'd lost it. What was he considering? Was he really going to do it all over again? All that fear and suspense, just to die a needless death?

"I've failed."

He accepted his fate.

"I let these people die. I can't do that. Its not right."

'Man, I'm such a failure. I called Reinhard so he could come home to a mansion full of corpses. I should at least write him a note.'

This was his first time ever attempting something like this.

"I wonder, did you ever do this? Hero of Priestella?"

Subaru began scavenging through the mansion until he found a sharp enough knife to get the job done. Then he began writing his note. "The hero 'Natsuki Subaru' would've done this in a heartbeat. This place could sure use a hero. While he's gone, I'm the best you've got, so until he returns, please forgive my mistakes."

"There! All done. Hopefully this letter makes sense to Reinhard if he ever makes it back here."

He put the knife to his throat.

'I'm scared.'

He pushed it through the first layer of skin.

'I really hope this works.'

He quickly jerks his hand to the right.

'It's too late now. I'm going to die.'

His consciousness pulled backwards and outwards. His soul was ripped from his body. His throat sprayed blood. His forehead slammed against the ground. Natsuki Subaru had died.

Author Note

This will be one of the most depressing chapters in the whole story. I might have gone a little too hard on Subaru here, but I hope you all remember the pattern for Re:Zero. The worst loop is always the one before it gets better! Well actually, duh.. that's why it's the worst loop. Nevermind, just look forward to tomorrow's chapter!

Chapter Text

"Subaru. Sir? Its past noon. Weren't you planning on heading to the market today to pick up ingredients?"

'It worked.'

"Subaru? If you don't get up right now, you won't have time to get everything before the market closes!"

'She's alive. I can save her.'

Subaru flipped off the covers and walked up to Lilia. Before she could react, he hugged her and tearfully tried to speak.

"Wha. . ."

"I'm sorry. So sorry. Please, forgive me."

Lilia was jarred from Subaru's weird reaction. Did he do something? Why is it he just randomly hugged her? Sure they were friends, but he had always expressed this through his weird jokes and jabs. What prompted such a sincere response from him this early in the morning? (For Subaru, anyway. For everyone else, noon isn't the morning.)

"For what? Subaru this isn't like you."

Subaru looked up and released his grip around Lilia. She can't grasp the enormity of the wrongs he'd inflicted on her. How fortunate for Subaru. He left her to die and now he gets to continue living his life without ever needing to face the consequences. He really was a failure.

"I-I can't say. But I swear on my life. I'll never make that mistake again."

Subaru recomposed himself and patted Lilia on the shoulder like he hadn't just broken down in her arms.

'I am unable to tell her what a piece of trash I was. That I abandoned her. My relationship with her will probably always be fake now that I am lying to her like this. . .'

The only comfort Subaru felt was the hope that one day he might face judgement for what he had done. If he saved Lilia, at least then he'd be able to look her in the eye again.

"Subaru? It doesn't seem like you are lying. I'm sorry for waking you up so early, but please head out before everything closes."

Subaru winced. She was apologizing to him? He really needed to fix this. Now she might be thinking she did something wrong. It was Subaru's fault that he had overslept, not hers. There was no way for her to know about the hell he'd witnessed either. Why was he unloading his emotions on her like this?

"Yeah, give me a minute to get ready before I come down for breakfast."

Lilia closed the door and headed downstairs to prepare Subaru's breakfast.

'The assassin is most definitely watching the mansion right now, probably waiting for the right moment to come in and blindside us. He didn't attack me when I left for the market in the last four loops. I have one hope left. If I am right, then potentially I can save everyone.'

"Take care!"

"I will!"

Subaru left the mansion and started off towards the marketplace. At this point he had become very familiar with the most efficient route, so he made it to there and began his shopping with time to spare.

'I don't think the assassin is following me. He seems to think I'll returning to the mansion before sundown. Unless I lost him after entering in the clothing store and he headed back to the mansion, he most likely wasn't tailing me. It still doesn't make sense why he'd do something like that if I was the target, but maybe he had a time limit for when the assassination needed to be carried out?'

Subaru was picking up everything he could foreseeably need while he was out at the marketplace. He wanted time to really piece together what had happened in the previous loops and work out a definitive plan of action. He would not die any more than was necessary.

As he reached the street with the demi-human clothing store, Subaru abruptly turned and entered.

'Ok. This is it.'

"So you need protection from an assassin, is that right? Su-san?"

"Yes, I heard from the shopkeep you might be able to help me, I'll pay whatever you want."

Subaru once again approached the dog-like demihuman in the back of the clothing store. It was a long shot, but potentially this person held the key to a happy ending for him and the mansion. If all he needed to do was pay, he'd fork over everything he had.

"I never thought I'd run into the legendary 'Hero of Priestella' in a clothing store. Rumor had it that you'd been killed in a scuffle with some Witch Cultist!"

He had no choice. Subaru saw what happens when people lie to this guy from his last experience with him. Somehow, he could tell if Subaru was lying. If he pressed for too much information, Subaru had no idea how he would respond.

"Those rumors weren't completely unfounded, I just happened to make it out somehow."

It still felt unreal to talk about himself like he was this 'Legendary Hero', but lying wasn't going to get him anywhere, so vagueness was his best friend right now.

"You believe you are under the watch of an assassin, correct?"

"Yes. I do not know why, but I believe an assassin has been stalking my home waiting for the chance to attack me."

"Are you the target, or is it someone living with you?"

"They are planning on attacking me."

"Ok, so whoever this is also knows that you are alive."

"Uh. . ."

Subaru paused for a moment. The assassin said his orders were to attack the "guest staying at the Astrea manor". The order hadn't outlined his name and whoever the killer was clearly didn't know it. Logically, one would assume that whoever hired this assassin knew that Subaru was alive. If that was the case, there were only a handful of people capable of something like this. However, the vagueness in the order created room for another possibility.

'If the assassin hadn't been told my name before being sent on this attack, it means that whoever sent the assassin could have been targeting a completely different person! There's a problem with this though. Right now, I'm the only guest in the Astrea manor! Could it be that the employer wanted to hide the fact that I was alive too?'

"What's with the hesitation? Shouldn't the answer be obvious?"

"There are only a handful of people who know that I survived that battle with the Sin Archbishop. As a guest in a noble house, he may have just received orders to kill the guest in the Astrea Manor. I don't want to lie to you, but for some reason, I don't think he knows my actual name."

The demi-human paused for a moment before releasing a hearty chuckle.

"What? Kid, you crack me up! You want me to believe this guy was just randomly hired to kill you?"

"Believe whatever you want. I think it's just the employer being cautious, but you never know."

Subaru pulled out a pouch full of holy coins he'd collected from the Astrea manor. He had smuggled several valuable-looking trinkets from the house and pawned them for some quick cash to pay the mercenary.

"Woah there Su-san, stop trying to bribe me into taking your job. You already got me interested with your crackpot theories and crazy story! If you want some protection, you've got yourself a deal."

"Really?! Wow, thank you so much! Um. . ?"

"It's Halibel."

"Thanks Halibel. If it weren't for you, tomorrow I'd be a pile a dead flesh!"

Halibel looked at him like he was crazy. Too morbid? He should probably tone down the odd expressions. The last thing he needs is this guy ditching him in his moment of peril.

"Also, for reasons I can't disclose, I can't have it become public knowledge that I'm alive, understood?"

"Understood. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll protect you to the best of my ability."

On his way back to the mansion, Subaru began thinking about everything that led up this moment.

'Man, I've been murdered in my sleep, stabbed, and beheaded. Not to mention my first, and only, suicide. This really has been an insane day. I went through all of that suffering so I could end up here, right now. If I could've just died in my sleep and been done with it, would I have been happier?'

"Hey kid, glad to see you again! Want to buy some appas?"

'Oh, right. It's Kadomon! I need to thank him for what he did for me last loop. Seriously, I don't want to imagine what would've happened without him.'

"Hi Kadomon! I would love to buy some appas, how about two bags?"

"Woah! Two bags? You feeling extra nice today or something?"

"You could say that."

Kadomon looked down and began bagging Subaru's appas. He looked up, seemingly wanting to ask Subaru something, but Subaru ended up speaking first.

"Thank you. For everything. You might not have known it, but you've helped me more times than I can count."

"Where did this come from? Hey kid, listen, you've done a lot for me and my business, I should be thanking you."

"Please. Just accept this."

Subaru handed Kadomon his bag of holy coins. He knew this wasn't his money to give away, but he'd be sure to pay Reinhard back for everything once he returned from the conference.

'Knowing Reinhard, he'd refuse to take the money back though. . .I'll just have Felt sneak it back when he's not looking.'

"Wait wait wait! This is too much! I can't accept this!"

Subaru turned around and began to run away. Before he was out of view, he turned around and shouted back:

"Keep it! But don't close your shop! I'll make sure to tell all my friends to come and pay you a visit!"

Kadomon stood there speechless. What an insane occurrence. Just like the day he'd met him, Subaru had run off and promised to repay him. Did he think he owed him a debt or something? Kadomon felt tears welling up as he thought about what he could do with that money, for his wife and kid.

"Damn brat, making me tear up like this. ."

Subaru finally reached the mansion. Everything had gone smoothly. He had successfully hired a mercenary and had worked out a strategy to catch the assassin before he could make a move on them. While Subaru returned back from his shopping trip, he'd ordered Halibel to shadow him from a safe distance so he wouldn't be detected.

'I don't want to blow the element of surprise, so the best possible outcome would be to lure out the assassin before he makes a move.'

Subaru knocked on the front door and was met with a surprised Lilia.

"Wow! I wasn't expecting you back this early. You woke up at noon!"

Lilia was shocked that Subaru had made it back before she had time to finish washing the dishes. At this rate, they could end up finishing their gift for Reinhard before they went to sleep!

"Lilia, in roughly ten minutes the rest of the maids will be finished making their rounds right?"

"Yes, I believe so, why?"

Lilia was caught off guard. Why was Subaru asking about the rest of the maid staff? He had interacted with them before, but the only people he talked to regularly were her, Reinhard, and Felt. Did he need to ask them for something?

"I need to talk to all of you as soon as possible. Please, when they are finished, send them into the kitchen."

"Ok, when they are done, I'll go get them."

Subaru moved to take a seat before looking at a clock on the wall.

"Hey Subaru. . .I don't think you had anything to do with this, but a few items disappeared from your room this morning. I have to ask, were you responsible?"

"Actually, that pertains to the announcement I wanted to make. Don't worry about it for now."

Subaru didn't want to lie to Lilia about that, so he decided he would address it when the time was right. He was going to tell them as much of the truth as was possible.

The maids all took seats in the kitchen while Subaru took a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"Ok. What I'm about to tell you is going to seem ridiculous and made-up. Before I say anything, will you promise to hear me out?"

The maids looked confused, but also intrigued at what Subaru was about to say.

"I don't know, I can't really say until I hear it."

One of the maids answered with a disinterested tone. She probably thought Subaru was about to go on one of his rants about his mythological 'homeland' again.

"I will do my best to trust you."

The other four maids looked at Lilia. She had seen Subaru acting weird all day and was trying to put it to the back of her mind. Clearly, whatever he was about to tell her had been bothering him since he woke. She wanted to know. Subaru was her friend and she didn't want him to keep struggling like he had this morning.

"Here goes. So Lilia, you remember how I was acting odd when you woke me up correct?"

"Yes, I was really surprised by how scared you looked when I flipped the cover this morning."

"There was a reason. Last night I was woken up by an intruder in my room. Before I could react, they knocked me out and ran away."

This was the lie. Everything else he was about to say could reasonably make sense, so long as they bought the story he was about to tell them.

"What?! Subaru, why didn't you say anything?"

"I was unconscious all night. Needless to say, I was surprised when I saw you this morning. I honestly felt an immense guilt knowing I had left you and the other maids defenseless last night. I believe that whoever was responsible has been watching the mansion the entire day. And I believe they plan to strike again tonight."

"Wait, WHAT? You think that the mansion will be attacked again? Why didn't you warn us earlier?"

Lilia was outraged. She understood why he acted the way he did when she woke him up, but he didn't tell her or the other maids because of a hunch?

"If we had left the mansion, they would've attacked, and potentially killed, all of us."

"You don't know that! For all you know, they could've killed us all when you left for groceries."

Subaru couldn't deny that. While he wanted to tell them that he knew they would be fine, there should be no way for Subaru to know the attacker's intentions, powers, or likeliness to strike.

"Before I left, I grabbed some trinkets from my room to pawn. I used the money to hire a mercenary to protect us all."

"So you stole from Reinhard to hire a mercenary to stalk the mansion? Subaru, this is honestly insane. It's so idiotic, impossible, and implausible. . .that I believe you."

'What? I was expecting that part to go over the worst! I must look like a raving lunatic to these people, but they still trust me?'

"Thank you. I understand that. . ."

"Don't get me wrong. Even if that whole story is true, you still are an idiot. Keeping us in the dark like that has really put us into a bind. However, if I may say something about you Natsuki Subaru. . ."

"Huh?"

Subaru was on the edge of his seat. Lilia really believed in him. She believed in him enough to try and convince the other maids to join her. He really didn't deserve friends like these.

"Before you lost your memories, you always had a particular talent for being in the right place at the right time. Whatever this 'instinct' of yours was, it clearly worked. All I'm doing is trusting it now."

'What an apt way to put it. An 'instinct'. To the rest of the world, I'm the luckiest man alive huh? I'm starting to think the opposite is the case. Seriously, if some random intruder has managed to inflict this much pain on me, I can't imagine what one of these 'great calamities' or 'Sin Archbishops' must've done.'

"Thank you, Lilia. Everybody, I have a plan to draw out the assassin, but I'm going to need your help."

"Ok everyone, It is time for us to leave! Is everyone packed?"

Subaru helped load the maids' bags into a dragon carriage that was parked in front of the Astrea Manor. He had convinced the maids to go along with his little plan under the condition that, if it failed, he would face consequences from Reinhard and Felt when they returned.

"Oh, Subaru, I think I left something inside the mansion, let me grab it before we leave!"

Lilia began running towards the front door of the mansion.

Subaru didn't even have time to react. A gust of wind blew past Subaru and caught the arm of the attacker before he could slash Lilia.

"Wow Su-san! You weren't kidding! There really was a guy trying to kill you huh?"

Halibel laughed as he began crushing the figure's hand.

"I told you, it was just a feeling! Now please finish this guy off before he decides to attack me!"

Halibel pulled out one of his kunai and stabbed it into the attacker's chest. The strike was so fast and precise that the figure had absolutely no chance of blocking or dodging. While Subaru looked on in awe, Halibel jumped back and his expression changed to one of seriousness.

"What?"

The original figure stabbed by Halibel deteriorated into a falling mass of shadows. As it broke apart, the figure vanished and popped like it was never even there.

"Wait a minute, he was stabbed! You mean to tell me that the attacker was just some weird shadow person!?"

Halibel launched towards Subaru and pushed him to the ground.

"Ah, damn. That was a close attack. I nearly got him!"

The assassin nearly slashed Subaru in half, but Halibel reacted in time and blocked the assassin's blade with his kunai.

"Su-san, who is this guy? Do you have any guess on why he's trying to kill you?"

Subaru was dumbfounded. He saw Halibel kill this guy. Why is there another one jumping out of nowhere to attack him?

"I don't know! His order specified the "guest at the Astrea manor" so he is making me his priority!"

The figure jumped back and turned towards Subaru.

"What? What did you say? You know about my order? This is bad. It seems you figured out what I was up to and brought help."

Subaru felt like laughing. This bastard made him feel helpless and weak and finally the shoe was on the other foot! This guy wouldn't be getting away, not if he could help it.

"And it seems you've brought someone I can't defeat. To think, the 'Admirer' Halibel would be showing up to stop me."

Halibel's ears perked up at the mention of his name. Whoever this was seemed to know of his reputation.

"Ah, so you've heard of me? You from Kararagi, or do you just like my work?"

Halibel then slashed the figure again with his kunai before turning around to grab Subaru and pull him up off the ground.

"Su-san, it appears whatever I've been fighting isn't the real assassin."

Subaru was surprised. Had the assassin been sending in puppets to attack them? These figures talked and walked like people do. Was it reasonable to assume that the assassin was still hiding somewhere?

"Wait, Halibel, how do you know that this guy isn't just respawning from your attacks or something?"

"Simple. I possess an ability that allows me to clone myself. Whenever I attack this guy, my attacks have the same feeling as when I attack one of my clones."

Subaru didn't have time to process this answer as another two shadowy figures emerged and launched themselves towards him at imperceptible speed. Luckily, Halibel's kunai were quicker and ended up dispelling the clones before they could complete their attack.

'Shadow clones? Ninjas? Am I in Naruto right now?!'

Halibel was easily handling the clones without using anything but a couple kunai and kicks. It seemed whoever was targeting Subaru realized he had no chance against Halibel and instead focused all his efforts on finishing off Subaru.

'I need to kill Subaru and get out of here. That guy is too strong. He might recognize me. I need to summon more.'

The assassin summoned thirty clones to attack Subaru, but they simply weren't enough for Halibel's inhuman speed and reflexes. He created a second clone to handle the fifteen that had spawned behind Subaru, while the original Halibel took care of the clones in the front.

"Wow, you finally made me summon one clone. Pretty embarrassing that it took you thirty of your own though."

Halibel was taunting the assassin, hoping he'd respond and come out. Unfortunately, that wouldn't happen. The attacker knew Halibel's strength and was purposefully hiding to make sure he couldn't be stopped. If Halibel decided to go and search for the assassin, he would finish off Subaru with his clones before Halibel had time to return. If Subaru went with Halibel to search, he would kill the maids.

Only one course of action made sense.

"Lilia, tell the rest of the maids to run! While he's focusing on me, he won't be able to attack any of you!"

Subaru could tell that the attacker wanted to cut his losses. Sticking around any longer than he had to meant that Halibel could uncover his location. This meant Subaru was now the sole priority of the assassin's clones.

"No! Subaru, do you really expect us to just leave you after Reinhard entrusted us with your. . ."

"Yes! I do! If you haven't noticed, I've got myself a pretty good defender here. Reinhard also entrusted you guys to me. That means you run when I tell you. Understand?"

Lilia didn't have time to respond as the other maids pulled her away from the mansion and in the direction of the main road.

"Lilia, we have to go get help! If we are quick, there's a chance we can capture this assassin."

A quieter maid spoke up. She was also shocked at this turn of events, but she knew that they wouldn't be any help there. Like Subaru, none of the maids had any real combat experience. If they stayed there, all they would be doing is inconveniencing Halibel by creating more targets.

Lilia was afraid, but Subaru was right. He was locked in a life and death battle with some insanely strong assassin. Reinhard wouldn't be able to stomach losing Subaru again. He couldn't. Especially if he could've prevented it. That meant that if she needed to run away to protect Subaru, she would do it.

"Go! NOW!"

Subaru yelled out. Lilia turned and ran with the other maids. They would find a Royal Knight to bring back. It was the only thing they could do.

The attacker didn't attempt to stop the fleeing maids. He knew that diverting any clones from the constant barrage on Subaru and Halibel gave them an opening to launch an attack on their surroundings.

"Hey Su-san. If these weren't clones before, I'm sure of it now."

Subaru turned back to Halibel.

"What happened?"

Halibel smiled.

"Well, I've been putting curses on each of these clones when I attack them. The problem is, the curses aren't successfully activating or draining mana."

"So? I don't get it. Why does that mean they are clones?"

Halibel slashed through two more clones with his kunai.

"If these were just puppets, they'd be directly linked with their user. That means some curses may actually activate because of the puppet's link to the attacker's od. However. . ."

Halibel slashed three more clones.

"None of my curses have activated. This means the clones aren't directly linked to an od or gate."

Subaru felt disheartened. This meant the only way to stop this onslaught was to find and eradicate the one spawning the clones. But how were they supposed to do that when the attacker kept spawning more and more of them?

"Can't you make more clones and send them to hunt down the assassin?"

Subaru thought of something. Halibel was holding his own with just one clone. If he had more, he would definitely be able to find and track down the assassin.

"Well I could. But the assassin is probably watching the battle. If I do that, he'll just run away. Is that acceptable?"

Nope. This guy had to pay for what he did. (Or would do.) Subaru wouldn't be able to get a good sleep unless this guy was dead or captured.

'Time to think of something else I guess. With the two clones at his disposal, Halibel could probably search a lot of space if he had the time. If he can't make anymore clones without the assassin running. . .'

". . .If you had an opening, could you scan the surroundings for someone hiding somewhere?"

"I can't guarantee I would find them, but I might."

'This is a gamble. If I turn Halibel loose, he could potentially locate and kill the assassin. If he doesn't, I'll end up dismembered. Damn, after all this it's still a gamble?'

"How much time would it take for you to neutralize them if you found them?"

Halibel thought for a moment.

"Around two seconds, four if my clone finds him. At least, judging by the strength of his clones."

"Two seconds?! What the hell Halibel, you're a monster!"

"Su-san, that's quite the thing to say to the guy saving your life."

"Ok, I can buy you about 10 seconds, but that's it!"

Halibel looked back and his face morphed back into a serious expression.

"Kid. Don't die."

'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, why did I agree to this!'

Subaru was sprinting through a wooded area that connected to the front of the Astrea manor. He had only been without Halibel's protection for four seconds and they were dangerously close to cutting him down.

'Calm down, calm down, calm down. Maybe I could try climbing a tree? These things might need a few seconds to follow me. No, no, it would take me longer to do that than the clone. Maybe I could turn around and throw dirt at them? No, they are too quick and whoever is attacking me will still be able to see me, it wouldn't blind them.'

Subaru was running through possibilities in his head, but nothing was coming up. The clones were closing in and it had only been six seconds! He hoped Halibel took his wording seriously, because if this kept up any longer, there would be nothing left of him!

"Found you."

Subaru heard a shout from afar.

'Yes! He found him. No matter what happens, he isn't getting away!'

Subaru prayed that it was the original Halibel and not that clone. If Halibel cut down the assassin in the next second, he would be safe!

Eight seconds. A clone went in for the kill.

Luckily, Subaru knew what was coming. The last time he'd run away, the figure had gone for his legs to incapacitate him. This time, he was prepared. Subaru leaped with all his might and just barely escaped the graze of the assassin's blade.

"ARHGGGGGGGGGGGh"

Subaru heard a yell coming from a distant tree. This was it!

The clones disappeared and Subaru turned around to see an empty front yard.

As Subaru regrouped with Halibel, he found him standing on a tree branch standing next to a wounded masked figure.

"Well Su-san, here's your 'assassin'."

Author's Note

Took a couple days off due to holidays. Will try to keep up daily releases so I can finish up this long narrative I have in my head! My writing still seems sort of robotic, but I am trying to make it a bit more lively. I've never really written fights before, so criticisms on that are requested! Also, I am somewhat unfamiliar with all of Halibel's powers, so if he's actually way stronger than portrayed in this chapter, then let's just say Halibel was dicking around for the whole thing.

Chapter Text

Garfiel and Otto were both excited and nervous as they roamed the main streets of the capital.

"I can't believe m'gonna see th' Cap'n again! What am I s'posed t'say?"

"I don't know! I don't think there's anything we can say to him that will convey the guilt we feel for what we did to him. Natsuki-san has always been too nice. I'm honestly afraid he'll end up forgiving us."

"Fer real? Mine amazin' self has already prepared for th' asskickin we're about t'receive."

Otto and Garfiel had been searching for Subaru since their odd interaction with an appa merchant earlier in the evening.

It came completely out of the blue. Subaru was alive? And he had been right next to them this whole time? Otto and Garfiel had never thought about what they would've wanted to say to Subaru. After he had died, they felt that imagining themselves 'apologizing' to Subaru was just another way of running away from what they'd done. Now that Subaru was alive, they would have to deal with the consequences of all their mistakes.

"He hasn't announced his survival for a reason. This might mean he's been avoiding us. If that's the case. . ."

"You wanna leave 'im without sayin' a word?!"

Garfiel was surprised at Otto's deduction. Even if Subaru had been avoiding them, it didn't excuse what they had done. Both Garfiel and Otto needed to talk to Subaru again, it was the only thing they could do.

"No Garf-san! I agree that we should talk to him, but if he doesn't want us around anymore, then we shouldn't bother him. He has a right to make his own choices."

Otto was torn up inside. Subaru had saved his life and those of his friends. He'd given him a place to live, a well-paying job, protection, and had bought him out of ruin. Otto never had the chance to repay any of that. At least now he had another shot to make things right. Otto wasn't sure which scenario he was more afraid of; being forgiven or being shunned.

"But he's my Cap'n! My amazin' self was s'posed to protect 'im. I failed 'im. Now I'm told t'leave 'im alone?! What about th' Sanctuary?"

"Garf-san. I understand. Believe me, I don't want to leave him either. But we don't have a right to ask anything of him anymore."

Garfiel felt conflicted. Subaru had freed the Sanctuary and promised to protect all the citizens inside; as well as him and his sister. Without Subaru around, what was going to happen to them? These last few months had been especially rough for them. Garfiel hadn't been able to make it any better. Even though Subaru had been betrayed, Garfiel still needed him. Would he be able to leave Subaru alone after all that?

"My amazin' self will take whatever punishment I need t'."

Garfiel would do his best to convince Subaru to return with him. Should Subaru demand he get bitten by 1000 mabeasts, he would do it without hesitation. If Subaru told him to jump under the wheels of a moving dragon carriage, he'd become the world's softest speedbump. Should Subaru tell him to 'get lost' and leave him alone, that's what he'd have to do.

By talking with Subaru, he would at least be able to face some form of judgment for his failures.

"Garf-san, I think we'll have to call it a day. We need to head back to the Miload Manor before Roswaal gets suspicious. We can return with the rest of the Emilia camp to continue the search."

Garfiel responded with a grunt of frustration. They'd been searching for hours, and it had turned up nothing. Otto was probably right that they should leave before Roswaal questioned what they had been doing. Once they told Emilia, Rem, and Beatrice about what they'd heard, they would certainly be back here again.

'I did it. I actually did it. I saved them!'

Subaru felt like crying. He'd never felt so much fear, hopelessness, and rage in his life. His suicide had been a crazy gamble and he doubted he could've handled returning by death again. Now that the person responsible had been captured, he would finally be able to figure out what the hell was going on. Why had he been targeted? Who was this assassin? How did people know he'd survived?

'Honestly, just being free to go back to normal life is enough for me. This never-ending loop of pain has finally been severed. I can finally finish Reinhard's gift and. . .'

"Hey, Su-san? I've got your assassin right here. Don't you want to unmask them or something?"

'Oh, right.'

Halibel had tied up and restrained the assassin before pulling him down from the tree he had been hiding in. The assassin looked considerably different than the clones Subaru had seen in his previous loops. Instead of a black humanoid figure, he saw a masked person with a cloak and hood. Whoever this was; they had HELL to pay.

"Yes, please. Hal-san, take off his mask."

Halibel yanked off the assassin's mask to reveal. . !

"Wait, a demi-human?"

Subaru thought that the assassin was a human. Lugunica had always favored full humans over demi-humans. While Subaru had never been someone to discriminate against others, he had certainly not expected to find a demi-human behind that mask. For someone to hire a demi-human assassin meant that they probably weren't from this area.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this interesting? You look awfully familiar."

Halibel seemed to recognize this guy! He was a tanuki-looking demi-human with hair covering his face and head. Whoever this guy was, he certainly hadn't been a resident of Lugunica.

"Oi, Su-san. This guy was infamous in Kararagi. He orchestrated several slave rebellions before eventually becoming an assassin. Last I heard, he'd been killed by somebody in the iron fang."

'Looks like I'm not the only one who people believe to be dead.'

"Wait, he's from Kararagi? Somebody from Kararagi is trying to kill me?"

"Hold on kid. We don't know that the employer was from Kararagi. He most likely works with some kind of organization. Whoever hired him is probably extremely wealthy; these services don't come cheap."

Subaru's mind was racing. If some extremely powerful people wanted him eliminated, they weren't going to stop trying here. They potentially had advance knowledge of the multi-camp conference, so it would make sense why they chose now to strike.

"Hal-san. Until I'm sure that there are no other attackers, can you stay and watch over us? Once Reinhard returns, I'll pay you whatever you ask."

Halibel took a deep puff from his pipe.

"No need. You're an interesting guy Subaru. Whatever you've got yourself tangled up in, you've piqued my interest. I'm afraid I won't be able to just leave it alone. How about letting me stick around and work for you in my free time?"

'This was unexpected! I certainly don't want to turn down this offer.'

"Really?! I mean, sure, but. . .don't you need to make money? I'd feel guilty having you stick around without paying you anything."

"Nah, no need. I'm actually pretty well off. I just think sticking around you will make things a lot more exciting for me. But, oh my, are you concerned for me Su-san?"

Halibel shot a smirk at Subaru before he broke out into a small fit of laughter.

"As if! You're so strong that I'd be wasting it on you!"

'Having Halibel around would be perfect. I trust Reinhard, but no matter what I do, I seem to attract trouble wherever I go. If Reinhard isn't there for some reason, Halibel could be the key to preventing this hell from occurring again.'

"Subaru!"

The maids had finally returned from their trek into the capital. While they managed to bring a Royal Knight back to the manor, they realized that the battle had already ended. No matter what they would have done, the result would be the same.

"Hey, Lilia! Everyone! It's ok, Hal-san managed to capture the assassin!"

The Royal Knight looked relieved. He clearly wasn't prepared to deal with an attack that the Astreas couldn't handle. Luckily for him, the assassin had already been apprehended and taken into custody.

"Subaru! Are you ok? Did you get scratched up by that guy? He seemed dead set on killing you!"

Lilia was visibly nervous as she assessed Subaru's limbs and head to check for serious injuries. Subaru didn't respond though as he had other matters he needed to address first.

"Hey, you're a Royal Knight right?"

"Correct. I descend from House. . ."

"Ok ok! I get it! Listen, this guy attacked the mansion while Reinhard was away. Instead of taking him into custody now, we plan on holding him here so that Reinhard can interrogate him when he gets back. Can you please keep this attack a secret? It would be very embarrassing for the Astrea family, and the royal candidate Felt, if you reported this to the rest of the Royal Knights."

'If the person who tried to kill me is a part of the Lugunican nobility, the last thing I'm going to do is report the result of this attack. This assassin could end up being silenced or freed. If possible, I want to conduct an interrogation of this guy myself before dispatching him.'

The Royal Knight was overwhelmed with demands from the relatively unknown Subaru. He paused and opened his mouth before closing it and putting his hand to his chin.

"Well, I don't really know who you are or why you are claiming to represent the Astrea family. However, your story does seem to check out. I heard that there was some kind of conference going on between the five camps, so I suppose I can bend the rules just this once."

Subaru exhaled a long sigh. This was good. If he kept a low profile, whoever hired the assassin might end up believing he'd died in the attack. With Halibel conducting a search for the assassin's organization and Reinhard questioning him on his employer, Subaru had a great chance of finding out who was responsible for this.

"Oh, I forgot. Hal-san, what's this dude's name anyway?"

Subaru gestured to the tied-up assassin.

"His name is Reisel I think. . ?"

"Ahh thanks Hal-san!"

Subaru turned to face Reisel and kicked him hard in the stomach.

"I'm only going to ask this once Reisel. If you answer me now, what's coming next will be significantly less painful for you. Who hired you to kill me?"

The demi-human looked up and flashed a broken smile.

"It doesn't *hahgh* matter *gh* whether you torture me or not. The moment I got caught my life was forfeit. Do you really think my organization forgives things like failure?"

Subaru kicked Reisel in the face before spitting on his motionless body. This scum had tortured him and laughed. He'd killed everyone in the mansion for no reason. He'd tried killing Subaru and the maids in the most painful ways possible. For Subaru, this guy was the lowest of the low. No amount of groveling or pity was going to dissuade Subaru from killing this guy.

"Hal-san, can you move this guy into a secluded part of the manor? I'm going to head inside with Lilia to finish up our recipe testing for tomorrow."

Lilia was shocked. What did this guy just say?

"S-Subaru? Isn't this assassin more important than some random recipe? This guy nearly killed all of us! We need to contact Reinhard and. . ."

"Except we can't. Not until tomorrow anyway. We've spent the last three days planning a surprise for Reinhard and Felt. We might as well work on that while we wait for Reinhard to arrive at the Miload Manor."

Subaru cut her off. If he could, he wanted to return to normal life as quickly as possible. The last thing Subaru wanted to do was think about all the pain he'd been feeling for the past few days. Even if they were just pretending, it would be better than spending the entire night talking about that.

"I'm just. . .gonna go then. ."

The Royal Knight had turned around and walked off the second he felt the conversation had deviated from him. He seemed like he wanted to leave the second he arrived.

"Hey! Thank you for coming to help! Please, don't report this to the Royal Guard!"

Subaru called out to him before he was out of earshot.

'I really hope this guy listens.'

Reinhard and Felt had finally arrived at the Miload Manor. It was clear that coming on such short notice had bothered several of the other candidates too. Crusch and Anastasia looked uncomfortable returning to the mansion. This had been their first time here since. . .that incident.

They each felt like they were responsible for what happened and tried to make things right, but ultimately ended up cutting all contact with the Emilia camp. Julius and Felix resigned from their positions and volunteered themselves to face justice. In the end, they were let off easy by the Sage Council and it soured the relationships between their camps. Subaru had always been the glue that held the Emilia camp together. How could they continue talks with Emilia and act like nothing had changed?

"This meeting doesn't interest me in the slightest. A clamor made by commoners shouldn't be allowed to reach the ears of superiors such as myself."

Then there was Priscilla. She'd come to this conference to learn about the expedition to the watchtower and she whether could use it to her advantage. Instead, she walked in on a gloomy, silent gathering of regretful slumdwellers. How pitiful!

"Please, Princess. I understand this wasn't what you were expecting, but we are getting stares from all the other. . ."

"Did I give you permission to speak? I thought that servants weren't supposed to mouth off to their masters! You were the one who begged to come to this conference Al. I will not tolerate insubordination."

Al piped down. It had taken him over a hundred attempts to convince Priscilla to come to this meeting. If he kept trying to calm her down, he might just end up dead again. He really didn't want to make enemies of everyone here though.

"It appears this 'meeting' was nothing more than a farce to mourn the dead servant of that half-wit! These fools would have nothing to mourn if they knew how to exercise restraint."

Al wouldn't say it, but that had also been one of the reasons he wanted to attend this meeting. Subaru had been 'isekai'ed just like him. As a fellow 'otherworlder', Al had always felt a kinship with him. He wanted to know what happened to Subaru. It wouldn't be right for him to let the people responsible for his death get off scot free.

"Princess, we are getting looks from the other candidates."

"The stares of plebeian gutter-rats don't concern me. Nor should they bother you Aldebaran."

"I told you not to call me that. . ."

Reinhard had been listening this entire time with a gloomy expression. Even though Subaru had survived, everything she was saying still applied. Their reckless behavior had caused them to rush to judgment and condemn an innocent man. As the only candidate not present during Subaru's betrayal, perhaps she had a right to criticize them.

"Everyone. The meeting is set to begin now. Please take a seat."

Ram silenced all banter and directed everyone into the back of the manor.

"Hello everyoone. As you all knooww, the Emilia camp, Felt camp, and Anastaaasia camp made an expedition to the Sage's tooower several months ago."

Roswaal greeted everyone as they took their seats at a large round table. It seems that Emilia was still preparing to enter the meeting, so Roswaal was speaking on behalf of the camp.

"The voyage was quiiite eventful. The Archbishop of Gluttony was defeaaated and the path to the Sage's tower cleaaared."

"Get to the point wretched clown. Your voice is a drain on mine ears."

Ram shot a glare at Priscilla before Roswaal put his arm in front of her and continued his statement.

"While we have reversed the effects of the Archbishop of Gluttony, we were unaaable to undo the damage infliiicted by the Archbishop of Luust."

A silence fell over the entire room. Normally, reversing the effects of an Archbishop would be a cause for celebration. However, considering they hadn't received any help from the Sage, the journey to the watchtower had functionally failed. With the revelation of what happened to Subaru, the expedition had become a sore spot for everyone involved.

"Due to the remoooval of sand-time, the spell protecting the tooower, it has become pooossible for the tower to be raided by potential enemiiies."

"Is that what this whole meeting was about? The Sage has protected the tower for centuries. Why can't they continue?"

Crusch interjected. She hadn't been able to accompany the other camps to the tower, so she was understandably confused.

"Befooore the spell was broken, it was impossible to reaaach the tower. The Sage is strong, but the Witch Cult was only kept at bay by the speeell. If they were to stoooorm the tower, we can't be sure the seaaal won't be in jeopardy!"

Roswaal made a good point. The Witch Cult worshipped Satella. Now that it was possible to access the Seal, there would be nothing to stop them from storming the place and trying to unseal the Witch.

"How about we organize another trip to the tower?"

Reinhard jumped in.

'There's a chance the Sage could help Subaru regain his memories. She wasn't willing to talk to us last time we visited, but if we manage to clear the trials, that might change.'

"Ohh? You want to retuuurn to the tower?"

Reinhard realized how odd this suggestion must have looked to the other camps.

"Yes. Our trip was cut short by. . . an unfortunate revelation. If we return and manage to clear the trials, there is a chance we can help the remaining victims of Priestella and find a way to keep the tower safe."

The members of the Emilia camp all turned to look at Reinhard.

"What would you gain from this expedition, I suppose?"

Beatrice was intrigued. She knew Reinhard also felt guilty for what happened to Subaru. Even though it was her fault, people refused to blame her. This was the last thing she expected to hear from him. He wanted to return to that accursed place?

"Closure. We went to the tower to try and find a way to help the people injured in Priestella. After arriving at the tower, we never even had the chance to challenge the trials or talk with the Sage. If we return there, I can rest easy knowing I've done everything I can to help."

Reinhard carefully worded his statement. Crusch had the Divine Protection of Wind Reading just like him. If he slipped up, she might have called him out in front of the other camps. Should that happen, he'd be endangering Subaru and the rest of his camp.

"I think it's a good idea."

Emilia caught everyone by surprise.

"I. . .I don't want to return to that place either. But I can't let my weakness be the reason for other people's suffering."

Emilia had finally entered into the meeting. When Reinhard saw her, he noticed dark bags under her eyes and a downcast expression on her face. She had taken Subaru's death the worst out of everyone. While she attempted to stay strong for the others in her camp, it was clear she hadn't been able to complete her duties as a candidate since Subaru died.

"Those people in Priestella are suffering from an unimaginable affliction. Wallowing around won't do anything to bring them back. I-I can't let it happen again. I can't."

Emilia's voice was cracking.

She was responsible for all the elves in her village being frozen. The whole reason for her participation in the royal selection was to undo this terrible mistake. For her entire life, she had carried that guilt on her back and wallowed in inaction. At least, until a certain someone came along and inspired her to be better. A boy who had saved her life countless times and told her he loved her. A person she wanted to protect and hold close for the rest of her life.

Now, she had committed an even graver sin. In that person's moment of need, she abandoned him. He opened up his heart to her and she had betrayed that trust. She stood by and watched him being tortured and killed, perfectly content with her negligence.

What would he do now? Would he forget about the people he promised to save, or would he step up and fulfill his promise? Emilia knew the answer. So for now, she would stomach the presence of these depressing memories. If it meant helping the people of Priestella, she had an obligation to put her selfish feelings aside.

"It's ok Big Sis. Me and Reinhard can handle that tower. There's no need for you to. . ."

"No! I have to go. It's what he would've done! It's my fault he's not here anymore, so I have to. . .it's my. . .fault. ."

Emilia broke into tears. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to take responsibility for what she'd done. She had no right to cry. How dare she pull this after what she did?

"Emilia-sama. . ."

Reinhard was extremely tempted to tell her the truth. That Subaru had been staying with him and Felt for the last two months. He thought he could handle keeping Subaru a secret, for now, but this scene was tearing him apart inside. Felt clearly felt the same way too. This was becoming too much for them to bear.

"Excuse me. Reinhard-sama? Someone has just contacted us via metia and asked to speak with you."

Rem called into the room with an urgent update.

'Oh no. Did something happen back at the mansion? I need to get ahold of the metia before people start getting suspicious.'

Reinhard excused himself and left the room to go see what the call was about.

"Lilia?"

Reinhard was shocked to see that his staff called him this early into the trip. Did these mean there was some kind of emergency? Reinhard didn't want to risk the safety of Subaru or his staff.

"Reinhard-sama. It is urgent. Are you alone right now or are you with the other camps?"

"I'm alone Lilia, what is it? Did something happen?"

She paused for a moment to formulate the best possible response to his question. She didn't want to scare him. They were safe now. At least, she hoped.

"Reinhard. . .there was an attack on the mansion."

"What?! Wait right there, I'm coming. I'll grab Felt-sama and. . ."

"Please. Let me finish. There was an assassin sent to the mansion to kill Subaru. Luckily, Subaru managed to fend him off and capture him. We are unsure if there are any others, but we are under the protection of a strong mercenary. You don't need to drop everything and. . ."

"The assassin was targeting Subaru!? How can that be? Nobody even knows he's alive! I-I've failed yet again."

Reinhard had never felt such guilt in his life. The only moment that even compared was the death of his grandmother, Theresia. He was the Sword Saint for God's sake! He nearly left his friend to die a second time? What a failure. That vow meant nothing. Even with all the power in the world, he still couldn't keep a simple promise.

"W-where is Subaru now? Can I speak with him?"

He needed to see Subaru. As long as he was ok, Reinhard could keep his cool. He would just return immediately and then this would never happen again. He would. . .would. . .

'You failed. You really are a monster, aren't you?'

*Tch*

"No, I swear I. . .I'll. . !"

"Yo, Reinhard?"

Subaru picked up the metia and saw Reinhard on the brink of tears.

"Reinhard?! Hey, what did Lilia tell you? Please, calm down! Everything is fine, I took care of it. ."

Subaru didn't like what he was seeing. Reinhard was his best friend. Now he was crying over him? Why did so many people have to treat him this way? He wasn't some awesome guy, he was a weakling. Reinhard always put Subaru's interests first and that was beginning to bother him.

"Subaru. It isn't fine. You nearly died. Don't try and make me feel better, this is all my fault. My fault."

"Reinhard. It's finished. Look, I don't even have a scratch on me! The attacker has been dealt with. Once you return, you can interrogate him and we can figure out what caused all this, ok? Don't blame yourself for things out of your control! With that logic, you'd be crying everytime it rains."

'Haha, I should learn to follow my own advice huh?'

"Subaru. I'm heading back now. I'm sorry, but nothing you say will change my mind. I'll grab Felt and we'll be back there before tomorrow morning."

Reinhard felt better after seeing Subaru. At least there hadn't been any bodily harm inflicted on him. What bothered Reinhard was something else. While he didn't see any scratches on him, the look in his eyes had changed. They reminded him of a corpse he'd seen a few months back. It had the same tired look in its eyes.

Author's Note

Finally! This has been wrapped up. I wonder, did any of you manage to guess who the assassin was? If you want to know more about him, check out the side story "Kararagi Girl & Cat's Eye". I couldn't find a full translation of it, so my interpretation of the character and his dialogue was based off of just one page. Hopefully I did him justice. . ? When Reinhard gets back, this guy is in for a real bad time!

I also struggled writing this chapter because of all the simultaneous stuff going on so I hope it isn't too jarring. Criticisms are appreciated, I really don't want to keep repeating myself over and over again.

Finally, character reactions etc. I know I didn't have Anastasia talk in this chapter and that's because I don't think she really has anything to say. She went on the expedition with the other two camps, so she probably wouldn't have to ask what the meeting is about. For Crusch, I know she is supposed to have her memories returned, but I haven't found a good place to insert that detail yet. Finally, for emilia, I hope I wrote her in a way that isn't insufferable to most readers. Most people either make her benevolent or completely incompetent and stupid. I really want to make an accurate portrayal for how Emilia would react to that situation. I think what I have so far isn't too bad. For Beatrice, I am really struggling to write something for her that doesn't boil down to 'it's all my fault aghhhh'. With Reinhard, that makes sense cause he's messed up, and same with Emilia. Beatrice feels like she should be the most broken character of them all and for that reason alone, I almost want to write her in denial of Subaru's death. Like, she would be the one to investigate Subaru's survival because she wouldn't come to terms with what she'd done.

Anyway, long rant over! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the return to normalcy (?)

Chapter Text

"I apologize for the sudden announcement. Felt-sama and I must leave. Something has come up."

Reinhard had abruptly ended the five-camp conference. So far, nothing of note had been addressed. There still weren't any concrete plans on how to deal with the Watchtower, aside from a vague notion of 'returning there'. The trials had been completely ignored. Emilia had only just joined the meeting. It was rather shocking that Reinhard, of all people, was the person leaving early. Without him there, talks about a second expedition became nothing more than a dream.

"What a waste of my time! Commoners who do nothing but babble shouldn't be organizing meetings on a whim."

Priscilla had important matters to attend to as well. Rather than return to Vollachia, she'd been hounded by Al to attend this meeting between the five camps. Absolutely nothing had been accomplished and now, one of the candidates was leaving. It would be a while before Al manages to convince her to do something like this again.

"I hate ta' admit it. But 'Miss Vollachia' has a point. We've just started negotiatin' ya know?"

Anastasia cut in before anyone else could speak. They were right, this meeting had only barely started and now people were leaving? This squabbling was counterproductive, but at least they had a goal in mind for what they wanted to do about the tower. There were no guarantees that a meeting like this would happen again. That only made the current situation even more odd. In fact, Reinhard was the one who pitched the idea for a second trip to the Watchtower. What could be so important that he needed to excuse himself, and Felt, from the conference early?

"Reinhard. . ."

Felt looked surprised at Reinhard's demand, but she knew better than to question him about it in front of the other candidates. Judging by the look in his eyes, there wouldn't be any changing his mind about this.

'Whenever Reinhard acts like this, it is for a good reason. Could this have something to do with Big Bro?'

Felt stood up and turned to face the other candidates.

"Sorry folks! Looks like we'll have to finish this discussion another time! C'mon, let's g. . ."

"Please wait! I-I know you both have something reaaally urgent that you need to do. But. . .please. . .just for a couple minutes. ."

Emilia jumped in front of Reinhard and Felt. She looked nervous and guilt-ridden for burdening them when they clearly were in some sort of emergency. However, she simply couldn't let this meeting amount to nothing.

"The people of Priestella. . .S-suba. . ."

She froze saying his name. It was wrong to guilt-trip them like this, but she didn't know what else to say. This was the only thing she could do.

"T-they were promised that we'd find a way to undo the afflictions caused by the Archbishops. For them, w-we can't just. . ."

Once again, Emilia started tearing up. Who was she to speak on the behalf of others? She'd doomed her entire village and the love of her life. Now she was about to doom those people in Priestella too. The meeting was short-notice and lacked considerations for something like this. If she had planned better, maybe Reinhard wouldn't be in this situation.

"Emilia-sama. . ."

Reinhard looked at her with a strong feeling of guilt. It was wrong what he was doing. It was clear that the last hope she had in herself was staked on this meeting. Now he had to go and ruin everything, like usual.

"Please. . .I-I can't stop thinking about him. This is something he would've done. Something he would've wanted. If I can't even do that. . .how am I supposed to live with myself?"

Emilia could see Reinhard's expression break and a small tear begin to form in his eye. He'd clearly been put in a difficult situation, and she was only making it worse. It was selfish, but this was something that she needed to do.

"Emilia-sama, we will be happy to plan an excursion to the Watchtower again. Just name the time and place, and I'll be there."

Reinhard compromised with her. This was the least he could do. At least now, she had come away from this meeting with something. Besides, he still wanted to find a way to return Subaru's memories. Even if they couldn't find a way to undo the effects of the Archbishop of Lust, if he could return a restored Subaru to Emilia, it would be enough for him.

"I will be joining you both as well."

Emilia and Reinhard looked over in surprise to see Crusch pointing at them.

"I have a debt to that boy, just as you do Emilia. In fact, I believe I owe him much more. It's because of him that my memories have been returned and my curse removed. How did I repay him? I let my. . .f-former knight kill him. I owe him this, if nothing else."

Crusch had been relatively silent since she arrived at the mansion with Wilhelm. It was clear she felt immense guilt taking part in this meeting, especially after what her knight had done. With Emilia's passionate request, she had also received a purpose. Even if it was selfish. There was a way to forgive herself for what she'd done. Not completely, but enough for her to live with herself.

"I assume you'll be needing me again? You all are rather eager to plan expeditions to the tower without a way to get there, arentcha?"

Anastasia also voiced her intentions to come with them to the watchtower. It was clear she wanted to repent too, but she couldn't bring herself to say it outright like Crusch did. So she did the next best thing and made herself useful.

"My, my. It seems these weaklings and the slum-dweller plan on heading back to the Watchtower. Admittedly, such a mythical place piques my interests. How fortunate for you all! You'll be accompanied by mineself on this journey as well!"

Al turned to Priscilla in shock. Suddenly she took an interest in this meeting? This wasn't good. He just wanted to figure out what happened to Subaru, not get roped into a death-trap! In retrospect, he should've seen this coming. What had he just gotten himself into. . . .

"Weeell, looks like we have a plaaan of action Emilia-sama. It appeeaars that all of the candidates want to help out our dear Kniiight!"

Roswaal looked giddy at the prospect uncovering the truth behind the Sage's Watchtower. It had been sometime since he'd felt any type of connection with anyone other than his staff. With Subaru gone, he was beginning to lose hope in finding a happy future at all. What could have reinvigorated him so much?

Priscilla didn't want to get lumped in with the other candidates. She just had a feeling that going to the Watchtower would be amusing, so she corrected Roswaal.

"I couldn't care less about that half-wit's servant. I don't risk my life on behalf of the dead. Correct your statement clown, before I. . ."

"Stop it!"

Beatrice couldn't sit by any longer.

"Stop treating Subaru like a memory, I suppose!"

Everyone froze up at the mention of Subaru's name. Beatrice had been skeptical of this "journey" to the watchtower since it had been introduced. She didn't like what it entailed.

"You plan to go back to that disgusting place? What a terrible idea, in fact!"

Beatrice couldn't accept what had happened to Subaru. That tower was a living reminder of it. If they went to the tower and successfully saved the people of Priestella, what would happen afterwards? People wouldn't talk about him anymore. They wouldn't talk about him. He'd be forgotten. Just like. . .like. .

"H-he can't be dead. Betty's contractor can't be dead. He can't be forgotten. He's too unforgettable, in fact! T-that's what he told me when. . ."

Beatrice realized she'd only destroyed the mood throughout the room. Everyone seemed to be guilt-ridden, but also resolute in the face of her wails. Everyone except the Felt-camp. They seemed to look guiltier than everyone else.

"You all can just leave, I suppose!"

Beatrice stormed off. She headed back to the library, just like she'd done on that fateful day.

'H-he'll come back, I suppose. He said we'd live a happy life together, in fact. He promised me a lifetime of tomorrrows! He has to. . .'

When Subaru returned, she'd be waiting exactly where he could find her.

"Thank you, Emilia-sama. Please, keep well. I know this meeting has been especially hard on you, but I promise, I will do my best to make things right."

Reinhard felt terrible. Subaru was alive and here was Emilia falling apart in front of him. He could easily tell her the truth and have everything fixed up, at least partially. However, Reinhard wanted to respect the wishes of Subaru and the Sage Council. Once his memories returned, everything would truly be ok again. At least, that's what Reinhard hoped.

"No, I apologize. It's clear you didn't want to leave the meeting early. I'm sorry I put you in such an awkward position."

Emilia seemed drained of all her energy. After Beatrice's outburst, she had to take a moment to herself to recompose. Now that she had returned, she realized how unfair the situation must have been for Reinhard and Felt.

"Hey. . .Big Sis. Please, cheer up, ok? We'll be doing everything we can. I promise, everything will get better! I swear it!"

Felt also wanted to reassure Emilia before she left the conference and headed back home. This might be the last chance to see her for a long time. She needed to know that she wasn't alone anymore. That she had people willing to support her, even if they weren't in her camp. At least until Subaru got his memories.

"Felt, please be safe. I hope that everything turns out ok."

Emilia didn't know the cause of their abrupt departure, but she knew it must be serious. Emilia didn't want to lose another one of her close friends. Luckily for her, Reinhard would be there with Felt. However, ever since Subaru's death, she couldn't believe anyone was safe.

"Emilia-sama, when you and the other camps work out a time and date, please send a letter to the Astrea Manor. I will drop whatever we are doing to come and join you."

Reinhard finished up his instructions and loaded Felt, and their luggage, back into the dragon cart.

"So. . .want to tell me what the hell that was all about?!"

Felt was nervous and slightly angry that they were forced to leave Emilia in that state. She really cared for her 'Big Sis' but she'd inadvertently destroyed her entire meeting! It was bad enough that she had to keep Subaru a secret, but now she was making Emilia's guilt even worse?

"Felt-sama. . .the mansion was attacked."

Felt immediately froze.

'Attacked? What the hell?! We've only been gone half a week and someone attacked the mansion?!'

"Wait a minute, ATTACKED? That doesn't make sense, we weren't even there! Why would someone. . ."

"It was an assassin. They were targeting Subaru."

The cart filled with silence. Felt's eyes widened before she began asking her next question.

"R-reinhard. Don't tell me he's. . ."

"He's alive."

Felt breathed a sigh of relief. This was intolerable. She'd nearly gotten him killed a second time! If he was targeted, it must've had something to do with her. How else would they have known Subaru was still alive? And to make matters worse, she left him there alone.

"Big Bro. . ."

Felt stared off into space for a moment.

"What happened during the attack?"

Reinhard paused and thought for a moment. He didn't really know the details either. All he knew was that Subaru hired a mercenary to capture the assassin and it went without a hitch. He didn't say who this person was or how much they knew though.

"Subaru hired a mercenary who captured the attacker. When we get back, I'll be interrogating him and figuring out who is behind this."

Felt was ashamed Subaru had to go to those lengths, but she knows she would've done the same thing in his position. What really bugged her though was that somebody knew Subaru was alive. Somebody who wanted him dead. Who could that be? Did they have a mole in their staff? A corrupt member of the nobility? All of these hypotheticals were only strengthening her ever-increasing hatred for Lugunica.

"Reinhard, whoever is responsible for this is dead. Understood? I don't care who they are, they will pay."

Reinhard only nodded. He was in agreement. Somebody had betrayed them, and more importantly, betrayed Subaru. It nearly happened again. And it was all his fault.

"Subaru. Sir?. . ."

Lilia had opened Subaru's bedroom door and began speaking.

"Huh? Lilia? Wait, no. No, no, no, no, no. . . . !"

'Please. Don't tell me I returned again. Its not possible! I won! I saved them, I can't be back here again I can't!'

"Subaru?! Subaru calm down! I only knocked because I heard you making sounds. Is something wrong?"

Subaru was frozen. This couldn't be real. It couldn't. He had died again? She was saying the same thing she said that morning. It had to be. There's no way this is just a coincidence.

"Lilia, what day is it?"

Lilia looked confused. All she did was come and check up on him and now he's having a breakdown? Well, with what happened a couple days ago, this was understandable.

"I'm not sure, I mean it's still nighttime after all. It might be Friday now. . ?"

Subaru sighed in relief. This was a coincidence. Man, did she give him a scare!

"Subaru, what was going on just now? I heard you making a lot of noise so I thought I should come check on you."

Subaru was still too exhilarated to focus on what she was saying. It was so close to being a whole 'nother breakdown and freakout. He's glad she didn't have to witness that. Subaru didn't think he had the energy to do another attempt.

"Sorry about that. I've been having nightmares the last couple days. I'm sure you can understand."

Lilia looked like she regretted asking about it. She never intended to make him relive the memories of that haunting day. Truth be told, they had been bothering her as well.

"I see. So that reaction when you saw me. . . ?"

"Oh, that? I was beginning to think the nightmare had become real!"

Subaru spoke without thinking. Once he realized the connotation of what he said, he looked up to find Lilia with an annoyed look on her face.

"Oh, so you don't like it when I come and check on you then?! You need to learn how to treat a lady! I've been called many things, but nightmare? That's gotta be one of the worst of. . ."

'Oops. Well, this is bad. Reinhard, come quick! If you don't make it back soon, I don't think I'll live long enough to see you again!'

Reinhard nearly broke down the doors of the Astrea Manor. He had spent the last two days in a carriage worrying about Subaru and now he was finally home! As a knight, it would be shameful to admit this, but when Felt was asleep, he considered running ahead of the carriage to get back early. Of course, he didn't. However, that didn't stop Reinhard from bribing the coach driver to go faster.

"Subaru? Subaru? Is everything ok?"

Reinhard was certainly not prepared for the sight in front of him.

"SURPRISE!"

Subaru, Lilia, and the other maidstaff were standing in front of them with their arms spread wide.

*GRhh*

Subaru didn't even have time to react. Reinhard had him in a firm hug. It was something he wasn't expecting, but Subaru didn't want to push him off. It felt nice.

He must've given him quite a scare. When Subaru saw his face on the metia, Reinhard was on the edge of tears. Subaru had only seen him cry one other time, so he knew Reinhard was going through some serious turmoil.

'Jeez! What did Lilia tell him? I need to do some damage control before he starts thinking this was all his fault.'

"Reinhard, listen. Everything is fine, I handled. . ."

*Ghhgh*

Both Subaru and Reinhard were tackled to the ground. Subaru looked up to see a teary-eyed Felt.

"Big Bro! What the hell happened?! You nearly died! Stop doing that! Reinhard looked like he was about to keel over from all the stress. . .!"

Subaru didn't know why. He had been able to keep himself from thinking about it for the past couple days. But right here, right now. . .the dam broke. Both Reinhard and Felt had rushed back to the mansion to help him. They were scared, but also angry at themselves for not being there. Everything he had suffered, everything he'd gone through. It was all to make friends like these, wasn't it? People who genuinely cared about him, as much as he did for others. Even though it was wrong. Even though he knew it'd only make their pain worse. Subaru began to cry. Once he started, it wouldn't stop.

"I-I was. . .s-so scared."

He only managed to speak one sentence. His shaking and tears were preventing him from speaking coherently.

"I-I'm sorry."

Reinhard and Felt had been holding him this entire time. Whatever he'd gone through had been traumatic. It was clear he had been trying to remain strong, but it was too much. Even for someone like him. While it did increase their guilt, they also felt glad that he was able to express this pain instead of bottle it up. It would be selfish for them to live in ignorance of what they'd caused. At least here, they could help him get through the trauma.

"No Subaru. I'm sorry. Before you say anything, please listen to me."

Reinhard let go of Subaru and began to speak.

"I know you well Subaru. Even before you lost your memories, you were never one to put your burdens on people. You put yourself through a lot of pain for the sake of others. I know this because. . .Well, I am your f-friend."

Reinhard struggled to say the last part of his sentence. He clearly held reservations about calling himself Subaru's 'friend' after what he'd done.

"I know that you desperately want to tell me and Felt that this wasn't our fault. That you are fine. . ."

Subaru only stared at Reinhard with a teary-eyed expression.

"But, I know you. I can see you have suffered. That maybe you don't want to release it, but that you have to."

Felt looked at Reinhard with a sympathetic gaze.

"I saw you suffering before, but I was too afraid to ask you about it. Too ashamed."

An image of Subaru's corpse flashed through his mind. The same look in its eyes that Subaru had now.

"And my greatest regret, as your friend, is that I was never there for you sooner."

Both Subaru and Lilia were looking at Reinhard with completely open stares. Lilia had seen all the pain Subaru had been in, but had been unable to break him out of his façade. Reinhard had broken through. Reinhard really was amazing. Even without a sword.

"Reinhard. . .I. . .t-thank you. Wow, um I didn't even realize. ."

Subaru stepped back for a moment and leaned against the wall. This was something he'd never expected. Reinhard wanted to be responsible for his pain? He wanted Subaru to cry in front of him? It was clear from the moment Subaru met him that Reinhard was unreasonably self-blaming. It was something Subaru had seen in himself since he was a little kid. He wasn't entirely oblivious to it, but it was his nature. Subaru knew the pain of self-hatred. The last thing he ever wanted to do was inflict it on somebody else. But here he was, being told by the strongest man in the world how strong he was. It was surreal.

"Big Bro, please. If you are in pain, don't hide it from us. I already have Reinhard doing that. You are our friend. It isn't right for you to suffer on our behalf."

Subaru looked up and nodded. He was glad that they saw through his calmness. Even if it was some disgusting ploy for pity, as he made himself believe.

'They truly care about me huh? Man, I can't believe how much I could've hurt them with the act I just tried to pull.'

"I'm sorry to interrupt. But perhaps I can bring up the mood a little bit."

Lilia had been watching the scene unfold for the last couple minutes and teared up a couple times. She wanted to do something to help, and luckily for her, there was something she could do.

"Subaru and I prepared a surprise for Reinhard and Felt-sama. Would either of you be interested in checking it out?"

Subaru perked up at Lilia's request and walked back over to the maid staff. He put on a genuine smile and agreed with Lilia.

"Yeah! Um, Lilia helped me replicate a few dishes from my homeland. I thought that you both might. . .um. . . .want to try one. You guys have done so much for me and I just wanted to thank you and. . ."

"We'd love to!"

Felt replied before Subaru could even finish his sentence. Reinhard had also shown a genuine smile as well. The first one he'd had in days.

"Awesome! Then follow us into the kitchen and I'll show you the dish we have prepared today!"

Subaru and Lilia excitedly walked into the kitchen and presented their dish.

*Mhmm*

"Wow, Subaru, what was this called again?!"

Felt had already eaten two servings of the dish before Subaru had a chance to explain all the ingredients. Of course, that didn't bother him at all. The smile on everyone's faces was enough for him.

"It's called Apple Adzuki Pie! Or I guess Japanese Apple Pie. . . ? Or maybe Kararagian Apple Pie. . . ? For now, it's Subaru's Apple Pie! Patent pending."

Lilia looked up at him slightly confused by his last statement.

"What does 'patent pending' mean? Is that another phrase from your homeland?"

"Yep! I guess you could call it a 'Subaruism' of sorts."

Lilia recoiled at the sound of that word. Yikes, if she isn't careful, she'll be hearing Felt spouting off these phrases in meetings.

"Subaru, this is really good! I've never seen a pie baked like this before. As bite-sized pieces, these could potentially be sold at stands throughout the commercial district."

Reinhard looked surprised at how much flavor the small pieces packed. It never occurred to him to make these dishes smaller or more portable. It makes sense why Subaru was the person behind the new hit product "mayo".

"I suppose. But for right now, how about you keep the recipe exclusive to this house? It could be a great way to surprise guests!"

Reinhard nodded and picked up another piece. As he scarfed it down, he remembered something weird Subaru said before he named his product.

"Subaru, you said this could be referred to as Kararagian Apple Pie? Does this mean your homeland is Kararagi?"

Reinhard was very interested in Subaru's homeland as he hoped to eventually visit every country. If Subaru was from Kararagi, his speaking style would make sense. However, he hadn't been able to find an area of Kararagi that explained all of Subaru's odd customs.

"No, but I suppose you could say it is very similar. In fact. . ."

"Wow, I didn't know you were from Kararagi, Su-san."

Reinhard immediately jumped to his feet and launched himself towards the strange presence. Luckily, Subaru intervened in just a nick of time.

"Reinhard, wait! That's Halibel, the mercenary I hired to take care of the assassin!"

Reinhard halted in his tracks. He hadn't just halted because of Subaru's warning, but also out of shock. Subaru managed to find the 'Admirer' Halibel? The strongest man in Kararagi?! Sure, he was no match for Reinhard, but this guy was no slouch. Reinhard walked over to the window where Halibel was standing and extended his hand.

"You are the legendary 'Admirer' Halibel? It's great to meet you. You saved the lives of my best friend and staff. I owe you an unrepayable debt. Please, come inside."

Halibel looked at Reinhard with a bit of a shocked expression before hopping through the window and shaking his hand.

"And you are the legendary Sword Saint, is that right? Wow, Su-san you were right! This guy's 'nice guy' index really is off the charts!"

Halibel was surprised to see the strongest man in Lugunica so vulnerable and happy. It reminded him of better days, that's for sure.

"Hey, Hal-san, come try some of this. Also, put it to rest! I didn't copy this recipe, I doubt they even have something like this in Kararagi!"

Halibel and Reinhard walked over to the table and Halibel gave a small chuckle.

"Sorry kid. I think I've seen something just like this before."

Subaru wouldn't take this teasing lying down!

"Oi, Hal-san, perhaps your vision's failing? I've heard sight is one of the first things to go in a dog."

Halibel smirked and took a long puff from his pipe.

"Su-san. I don't even need to look, I can tell just from the smell. Surely you haven't forgot how good our noses are?"

"Aww whatever! You know it tastes good!"

Garfiel and Otto had raced back to the Miload Manor. They hadn't given the ground dragons any time to rest, as this was urgent. If they took too long, there were no guarantees that Subaru stayed in the Capital.

Now that they had arrived, they rushed into the Manor and demanded a gathering of all Emilia camp members.

At first, Frederica glanced at them with a hint of an 'eye-roll'. She figured it was probably those two goofing off again somehow. However, it very quickly became clear that whatever they needed to say, it was serious.

After Frederica contacted everyone, including Beatrice, she waited in the common room with Otto and Garfiel.

"Garf, I hope this isn't something stupid. I spent over twenty minutes looking for Beatrice and it took me another twenty to convince her to come out."

"I promise ya' sis. This s'somethin everyone oughta' know."

Garfiel kept a stern expression on his face. He didn't look upset, but he certainly seemed nervous for whatever was coming next.

"And what of Emilia-san? Have you gotten her attention Frederica-san?"

Frederica turned to Otto and smiled.

"Yes, although it was quite difficult to convince her too. She seemed to have a rough time at the camp meeting."

Garfiel looked angered by that news. The last thing he wanted was the other camps bullying Emilia while he was away. The Captain had entrusted him with looking after her. Now Roswaal is sending him and Otto on 'fetch quests' while Emilia is forced to deal with four other competitors? Hopefully this would improve the mood around the manor, even if it was only a rumor.

"Garf, I pray this is good news."

Frederica looked curious about what had caused them to rush back to the manor so quickly. Garfiel was a lot of things, but he wasn't tactless. If Emilia was in pain, she doubts that he'd call her out just to tell her even more bad news.

"Don't worry Frederica-san. It is."

Otto looked at Frederica with a slight smile on his face, however anyone could tell he was masking a slight feeling of guilt.

"Why have you called me out here, I suppose?"

Beatrice looked quite upset to be disturbed by Otto and Garfiel late at night. It was clear to everyone in the mansion that her terrible mood was due to the meeting she'd been in a couple days before.

"Is everything ok? You guys seem reeaally nervous. Please, don't burden yourselves for my sake."

Emilia also seemed confused for the cause of this meeting. She'd been locked up in her room since the incident at the conference and hadn't left for anything. The last thing she wanted was to be ignorant of Garfiel and Otto's suffering. When she heard about this meeting, she was afraid that she'd failed again.

"It's fine, Emilia-san. Please, just wait until everyone arrives."

Otto quickly reassured Emilia that the meeting wasn't about anything bad. Sadly, it seemed she wasn't really sure even after Otto's comment.

'I have to keep strong for everyone else. I have to. I can't do what I did in front of Reinhard. Subaru built this group from the ground up. I'm not going to let them see me cry.'

Emilia began preparing herself for bad news. Was Otto planning on leaving the camp? Was Garfiel unable to continue being the Shield of Emilia? Was Roswaal planning another sneak attack? Emilia's mind was racing with possibilities when the final two maids entered the common room.

"Everyone. Garfiel and I came across some startling information while we were in the Capital."

Everyone looked up at them in anticipation.

"The truth is. . ."

Garfiel interrupted.

"Th' Cap'n is alive."

Authors Note

HOO boy that was eventful. Hopefully I did some of these characters justice and didn't just write off all of the suffering they've gone through. Subaru isn't out of the woods yet, it's not like that pain will just go away. He is just a *little* more comfortable showing it to Reinhard and Felt. For the meeting and the ending, I think I did my best to set up future arcs + accurately write some characters. I've implemented my Beatrice strategy so hopefully it works well. Surprisingly, I think the most awkward part of this chapter is Halibel's reintroduction. I kinda found a natural place to put it, but I do think it was kind of short and nonchalant. For the dynamic between Halibel and Reinhard, I'd love to see some suggestions in the reviews because these two are the first characters that I don't really have a plan for how they interact. Anyway, this was a phat chapter and mine just keep getting longer, so I'm gonna head to sleep and see what you all are saying tomorrow haha

Chapter Text

The room was silent. Other than pure astonishment, each person's face held different proportions of guilt, apprehension, confusion, and joy. Even with all the time people had to prepare, nobody expected to hear a bombshell like that. The initial reaction was what Garfiel and Otto had expected. Clearly, this was something that had been weighing on the minds of every camp member for a while. It had been a taboo to even mention Subaru's name, much less what they had done. It wasn't because they were trying to be selfish either; rather, they didn't feel worthy to pursue any sort of redemption for their mistakes. Talking about Subaru was an affront to his memory. How dare his traitors speak of him in such a way?

And here was Garfiel, not only shouting Subaru's name in front of the camp, but implying that Subaru had risen from the dead! If they didn't know any better, they might've assumed Subaru's spirit was coming back to haunt them.

"Garf-san! What the hell are you thinking?!"

Otto was planning to break the news. But Garfiel had said something reckless. Anyone could see that the atmosphere had shifted, and not in a good way. Sure, Subaru's survival should be good news, but there were a lot of problems with declaring it like it was fact. Not only were they operating off of rumors, but the fact that Subaru was not with them would be the next thought running through the minds of the camp members.

"Subaru-kun. . ."

Before Otto could clarify what Garfiel said, a voice spoke up from the back of the room.

"Nee-sama. . .please don't fall."

Ram caught Rem's shellshocked body.

"Subaru-kun is. . .S-Suba. . ."

Ram and Rem had made their presence known to the rest of the camp. Frederica began to walk towards the two of them as the room looked like it was about to break out into chaos. Petra was overjoyed. Frederica was doing her best to suppress her emotions. Roswaal's eyes widened. Even Clind and Annerose found themselves looking up in confusion.

"I apologize everyone. Garf-san spoke presumptively."

Otto took back control of the room before it was too late. He hadn't been able to look over towards Beatrice and Emilia, but he didn't feel right saying something so polarizing without complete certainty.

"Someone who knew Subaru well has seen him roaming the capital. As of right now, there are only rumors."

Otto quickly corrected Garfiel's mistake and looked around the room to see the damage he'd caused.

"Oi! Otto. I understand I mighta' messed up th' news, but stop treatin' us like w'gonna break or somethin'!"

Garfiel, as usual, wanted to affirm the strength of everyone around him. It was a bad habit he'd picked up from Subaru. Tact? Sensitivity? To those two, they don't exist! Imbeciles! This camp was seriously lucky they had someone like Otto.

"How?"

A soft voice spoke up and cut through all the chatter.

"H-how is that possible Otto? I-. . ."

The voice paused. She didn't want to make a scene. It'd been up to her to hold this camp together. To protect what remained of Subaru's legacy. But. . .

"W-we buried him. We saw his body. How could something like that be possible!?"

She started losing her composure. It was inevitable at this point. Emilia had done her best to hide the suffering she'd been feeling since Subaru's death. Only twice had she let the mask fall off. First, when she regained her memories. The second time, when she begged for Reinhard's help. Was she really going to fail them again? Because of some random street chatter?

The entire camp had been immersed in guilt. But, regardless of their feelings, nobody stopped missing him. Everyone felt the void that Subaru's presence had left. They were embarrassed and disgusted with themselves that they still acted like his friends. They all might've ended up isolating themselves if Emilia wasn't there. Now people were beginning to realize the strain that it had put her under.

"W-Why? Why Otto? Why did it have to turn out like this. . ."

Emilia couldn't hold her tears back anymore. A year ago, she would've been able to talk to Puck and Subaru if she was feeling afraid or inadequate. The fact that they believed in her was what pushed her into becoming a better leader. Something like this wouldn't have been enough to break her. Now, she was forcing her camp to chase rumors and falsehoods because of her mistake. What kind of pitiful leader does that make her?

"E-Emilia-sama. Please understand. I wouldn't call everyone here if I didn't have a real suspicion these rumors could be true. I beg you to hear me out. I believe there is validity that can be found. . ."

"Betty's Subaru c-can't be alive."

Beatrice interrupted Otto.

"I-I don't understand, I suppose. Why hasn't he returned, in fact? I know we were wrong, but Subaru. . .he promised. . . he said he'd stay with Betty! This can't be right, I suppose!"

Everyone was shocked to hear Beatrice's cries. She'd remained in denial of Subaru's death since it happened. This was the last thing Garfiel and Otto expected to hear from her.

"I-I didn't want this, in fact! S-Subaru's contract with me is gone! He never came back for Betty. . ."

Beatrice collapsed onto the floor. She understood how unreasonable and unfair she'd been acting. She was the reason Subaru was detained in the first place! Did she really think promises and 'words' would overcome such a brutal act of betrayal? She wanted to believe that if she waited around long enough, Subaru would return to her. That she could apologize and cry her eyes out and that Subaru would understand. Understand the guilt and pain she'd been feeling for what she'd done. Understand the love she felt for him. That maybe, one day, they could form another contract. That there was still hope for things to go back to the way they were.

"B-but this means. . .there's no hope for Betty, in fact!"

Beatrice dashed out of the room and used her door crossing to prevent anyone from following her.

'Damn it! This is why I tried to tell them instead of Garf-san. This should be good news. They are all too entrenched in their guilt to see that they might've been granted a second chance. A chance to make things right.'

Otto turned back to Emilia and could see that she was beginning to internalize Beatrice's words.

"Emilia-sama. Do you know a man by the name of Kadomon?"

Her eyes immediately swung upwards and met Otto's. She had just been shocked out of the pit of despair she'd put herself into by another bombshell.

"He says he's spoken to both you and Subaru before."

Emilia was in disbelief. Kadomon had seen and spoken to Subaru? She knows that he never forgets a face. He remembered her when Subaru took her up there during their visit to the capital. It had been months since Kadomon had seen her, but he remembered.

'C-could this actually be real?'

"Um, Yes both Subaru and I have talked to him before! He's the appa salesman, right?"

Otto watched her face go from despair to determination in under a second. It appears she was beginning to believe his outrageous news after all.

"Emilia-sama, I'll tell you everything I know."

On the other side of the room, Garfiel was getting chewed out by Frederica and Ram. Ram, who had been holding an unconscious Rem, was repudiating Garfiel for what his thoughtless statement had done to Rem. Frederica, on the other hand, was angry that Garfiel went and ruined Otto's announcement and hurt Emilia.

"Garf. What were you thinking? Look at Emilia and Beatrice! You should've let Otto explain what was happening. Why did you feel the need to shock everyone!"

"Garf, your tactlessness is on the same level as Barasu's! Not only have you wounded my maidenly heart, but you have also traumatized my sister. Please, go die."

Garfiel could read between the lines from both of them. While Ram and Frederica were upset with him, they were clearly feeling relief at the prospect of Subaru's survival. Ram had already started back up her teasing and Frederica was more upset at the problems he had caused Otto.

Petra had been joyously weeping into Annerose's shoulder while this whole ordeal had gone on. She had clearly missed Otto's revised statement about it being a "rumor". Annerose would never outwardly admit she was happy about this news, but she was also smiling at the possibility of Subaru returning. He had made the Manor more lively in the previous year than it'd ever been before. Perhaps she would have to thank him for that.

Finally, Roswaal and Clind sat and watched in silence. Both were clearly deep in contemplation.

"Have you been able to get anything out of that guy yet?"

Subaru sat down for lunch and saw Reinhard entering into the dining hall.

"No, sadly, we've been unable to get information out of him that we didn't know already. It seems Halibel-san was right about him working for an assassin organization. It's looking like a lost cause."

Subaru looked confused at this.

"Wait, why would that mean the interrogation is a lost cause?"

"Because, Su-san, it means that guy never made contact with his employer."

"HAh . . .!"

Halibel appeared behind Subaru with a wide smirk on his face. Subaru had jumped in fear from the shock of Halibel's seemingly instant teleportation.

"These organizations have a habit of compartmentalizing their secrets to prevent leakages."

"That wasn't funny!"

Subaru turned around and growled at Halibel.

"My mistake. . .I thought you saw me Su-san"

"Nope! This is the fourth time you've done that! If you do it again, I'll bribe Reinhard to 'teleport' behind you in the shower."

Halibel laughed a Subaru's toothless threat. After getting to know the guy, Halibel could tell Reinhard was way too nice to do something like that. He respected the guy's strength and all, but seeing a 15-year-old girl order Reinhard around like a dog was enough for him to understand the type of person he really was.

"Halibel-san, have you discovered any leads regarding the assassin's organization?"

"Potentially, but whether or not I can pursue it is something else entirely."

Subaru and Reinhard looked at him for a second before Halibel realized what he said and elaborated.

"Oh, my bad. What I meant to say is a couple things. First, whoever orchestrated this plot is somebody who knows about Subaru's survival. That should narrow down the list of culprits, unless there was a leak of some kind. Second, as of right now, I am under Subaru's employment. This means that any action I take is up to him."

"Wait, Hal-san, what reason would I have to stop you from investigating the assassin?"

"I've learned that this organization operates out of Gusteko. If I want to find out who is responsible, it'll mean leaving you here to go look into it myself. Do you feel safe with me leaving your side?"

Subaru paused for a moment. He could see Reinhard was closely observing his reaction. Truth be told, Subaru didn't want any of his protection to leave. However, he also understood that Reinhard had been dwelling on his mistake since it happened. He was probably feeling inadequate. If he wanted to make any progress, he needed to find out who was responsible. Subaru trusted Reinhard's capabilities, so he was left with one option.

"Sure. Reinhard should be more than enough to watch me. But, Hal-san, please be careful."

Halibel smirked.

"Why, wait a minute Su-san, does this mean you worry about me? It's such a shame I can't return your love, sadly I've committed myself to. . ."

"Oh, you know what, give me back my concern!"

After a long briefing with the entire Emilia Camp (minus Beatrice), Otto had seemingly convinced every member of the veracity of the rumors. At the very least, they were going to investigate these claims fully. Otto and Garfiel were also told about the five-camp meeting by Frederica and Ram. Beatrice's outburst and Emilia's denial suddenly made more sense. It was quite the series of unfortunate revelations.

"Soooo, we are going to send people to the caaapital to search for Suuubaru?"

Roswaal was the first person to suggest a plan of action.

"Th' hell should we listen t'you for?"

Garfiel never trusted Roswaal. He was right to distrust him once he learned of the plot the bastard made against the people in the mansion. With Subaru around, he'd always begrudgingly accepted that man's necessity to the camp. Without Subaru, he didn't want to hear a thing Roswaal had to say. It was clear that the people around Garfiel were feeling similarly, as the amount of looks cast towards Roswaal were increasing with every second of silence.

"Garf, I will not tolerate any disrespect towards Roswaal-sama. I will give you a moment to apologize."

Ram understood why everyone distrusted Roswaal. Even she had her suspicions with what he was planning. However, that didn't give them the right to disrespect him that way. Especially after the earnest efforts he made to support Emilia.

"It's quiteeeee alright Ram. Tell us Garfiel, what do yooooou want to do?"

Garfiel sat for a moment and thought it over. He knew about Subaru's scent from Ryuzu. It might be possible to track Subaru down if they searched for traces of miasma. First, they needed to ascertain Kadomon's claims. If he was lying, then this whole search was for nothing. Even after all of that, they'd need wide coverage. It could easily take weeks if they are unlucky. Worst of all, they'd have no way to know if Subaru was still in the city the entire time they were searching.

"I got n'idea. Doubt you'd like it."

"Well, spit it out Garf."

Ram was still in a bad mood about what he'd said to Roswaal.

"We need t'figure out if Kadomon's tellin' the truth."

Emilia wanted to speak up. The man was grumpy, sure, but he wouldn't lie about something like that. Before she could, Frederica interjected.

"How would we do that Garf?"

"We ask for Crusch-san's help. I'm assuming that's the plan Garf-san?"

Otto had discussed this part of the plan with Garfiel on the trip back from the capital. It would mean informing the other camps about Subaru, but they had no reason to leak what happened to Subaru as they were complicit as well. It might also help to bridge the gap between the camps that formed after Felix's acquittal.

"And whaaaaat would you have us do neeeeexxt, Garfiel?"

Roswaal didn't like the idea of informing the other candidates, but he knew that he would looks suspicious if he tried to push secrecy. He decided to further question Garfiel.

"Th'thing is, Cap'n has a strong coat of witch stink."

By this point, everyone involved with Emilia's camp was aware of this. However, they were confused why Garfiel was bringing this up now. There's no way they'd be able to smell him, even if the whole camp was searching.

"And th' scent attracts Mabeasts."

Most of the people at the table froze up. Otto looked at Garfiel in shock while Roswaal simply smiled.

"Ahhhh, I see. You mean to use heeeeer?"

Subaru and Felt were back to their usual antics. While she was away on business, Reinhard had been doing lessons with just Felt. Needless to say, they were more boring and lackluster than the ones in the mansion. Sure, she was actually learning instead of being distracted by Subaru, but that also meant she had nobody to cheat off of! As someone who prides herself on her impressive abilities of thievery, this was unacceptable! Now that Reinhard knew how much she'd been cheating, he was giving her more homework and more attention. That was the last thing she needed!

Once she got back, she asked Subaru for help with something. Reinhard now had his justification to spend even more time with her! At the very least, she needed to get him back for all the crap he's been pulling. Thus, the inception of 'Operation: Prank Reinhard' began.

'For anyone else, this wouldn't be too difficult. With enough craftiness, I am certain I could prank anyone. But him. . . this will be a different matter entirely.'

Subaru was staring off into space. Reinhard's lectures about Vollachian succession would put the divine dragon to sleep. He decided that a better use of this time would be to think about his prank on Reinhard.

"Hey, Big Bro, you got any ideas?"

Felt whispered over to Subaru when Reinhard's back was turned.

"Yeah, I've got a few. But if I had to guess, that bastard probably has five divine protections to pick up on what we are saying right now."

For just a moment, Subaru swore he saw a smirk appear on Reinhard's face. He wouldn't be taking any chances. His opponent was simply too powerful.

'If anyone could figure a way around those divine protections, it'd be Hal-san. I'll ask him right before he leaves.'

In reality, Subaru needed something to take his mind off of the other things going on. He had been having nightmares for the past few days and was scared that Halibel might not return. He didn't want to tell anyone this of course, but he was really scared that somehow the employer figured out he'd survived. At least now, he had something to focus on until Halibel got back. Subaru knew that pranking Reinhard wouldn't be easy.

"Subaru, can you name all the current divine generals?"

Reinhard hit him with a curveball. It seems he was feeling a bit left out from their conversation and decided to derail Subaru's scheming.

"Uhhhh, Cecil. .us?"

"Wow? You got one! Looks like you can pay attention to me!"

Subaru and Reinhard laughed a little bit before he turned back to the board. He didn't have the heart to tell Reinhard that he had his book open under his desk.

'My best bet is to get a list of all his divine protections and find a way around them.'

He never heard Reinhard's quiet chuckle.

"Hey listen Hal-san, please come back soon. You've really helped us out. After all this business is done, I want to find a way to make it up to you, alright?"

Subaru and the rest of the maid staff stood in front of the manor. The each wanted to thank him for what he did and wish him good luck on his upcoming mission.

"Oi, Su-san, haven't I told you about this? No need to get all sentimental, ok? You've literally known me for a week!"

Subaru looked at him with a smirk. This guy was in no place to talk! He'd accepted Subaru's job for free and is now risking his life to get more information. Who was really attached to who here?

"Hey Halibel, if you wanted to prank Reinhard, how would you do it?"

Subaru diverted the conversation away from that. The last thing he wanted to deal with was more teasing.

"Well Su-san, that was out of left field! I suppose if I was serious. . ."

Halibel paused a moment.

"I wouldn't prank him directly, rather someone he's closely involved with. Maybe light a ton of stuff on fire and laugh about how the true prank was his inability to stop me!"

Subaru looked at him like he was crazy for a moment.

"Dude, what the hell? You know what, nevermind."

Halibel seemed satisfied with his teasing and began walking off.

"Halibel, thank you for protecting us!"

"Halibel, please be careful!"

The maids all began to wish him good luck.

The Astrea staff might not admit it, but they wanted him to stay as a guest for as long as possible. Halibel had saved the lives of everyone in the manor while Reinhard was away. Many of the maid staff found him to be a real funny guy. He'd enter through windows or roofs before he was caught using a door, he smoked from a comically large pipe, and he had the best fashion out of everyone in the mansion. It was a shame to see him go, but the least they could do is thank him for all he'd done.

Crusch was unable to focus on her work. Having just returned from a heavy five-camp conference, it was expected that she might be fatigued from all of the negotiations and travel. However, she had been displaying erratic behavior. Not only had she been seen leaving the manor at night, but she was beginning to drift off in the middle of conversations. It was starting to remind her comrades of her amnesiac days.

To be fair, her personality had changed from the new perspective she gained as an amnesiac. It simply couldn't account for this though. Something was bothering her and nobody knew what. Nobody except Wilhelm and Crusch.

"Crusch-dono, what did it say in that letter?"

Wilhelm had seen the insignia on the letter and he'd seen her reaction to its contents. Whatever Crusch had read, she did not want to talk about.

"Wilhelm, I apologise. I'm not sure if I'd be allowed to speak to you about it."

Crusch could see Wilhelm's stern reaction to the letter. She knew he'd want to know what it said. Sadly, she wasn't at liberty to say.

Before a certain event, Emilia and Cruschs' camps had been in a close relationship with each other. It would've been fair to say that they had the strongest alliance in the Royal Selection. She used her military force to protect Emilia's domain, and Emilia's camp helped her to take down the White Whale. They'd also retrieved her memories and removed the curse she'd received in Priestella. It was tragic that they had ended up enemies, but Crusch took responsibility for her part in it. She never expected to get a letter from Emilia.

Most of all, she hadn't expected to learn Subaru was alive.

The news was joyous, but haunting. She knew what her knight had done. He'd tortured Subaru without just cause or a semblance of a plan. Even after he removed her curse, she'd inflicted cruelty upon him. In a way, her biggest mistake had come back to haunt her. She would do whatever was asked of her, and she'd see it through. However, Crusch still feared something. She feared the inevitable confrontation she'd have with him. The man she'd killed. This would be the first person she couldn't look in the eye. The first time she'd felt true shame. Crusch was made very aware that she'd only been told about Subaru because they needed her Divine Protection. It had nothing to do with their friendship, loyalty, or anything of the sort. Those bridges had burned a long time ago. They simply needed her to check something for them. Perhaps, that revelation is what caused her the most pain.

"I'll be gone for around a week. I plan on going into the Capital. Will you accompany me Wilhelm?

"Of course, Crusch-dono."

Emilia and Otto headed down to the underground passageway beneath Miload Manor. They had debated over and over again whether she could be trusted, but they knew that they were on a limited clock. If there was to be any chance of retrieving Subaru, it would be through her. They cracked open the door and found a young girl playing with several dolls. Each of them resembled different members of the Emilia camp or former acquaintances of hers. At this point, they were desperate. As long as she promised to help, they'd listen to her demands.

"Searching for Onii-san? Sou~nds fuuun."

Authors Note

No excuse for the gap between chapters. Just didn't feel like writing lmao. Finally decided to continue writing chapters though! My name is Continuer123 after all. If I was planning on dropping this fic, I wouldn't do it on the literal biggest cliffhanger you've had thus far. As per usual, comments are appreciated. This is the first fanfic I've ever written and since I haven't written anything in over a month, there might be a dropoff in quality/consistency. Also, I'm considering starting another fic and I'd be interested to see everyone's reaction to the first chapter. Thanks, and look forward to the next chapter!

Chapter Text

'Wow! Kid wasn't kidding! He really did send all his friends here!'

Kadomon had seen a string of rather fortunate events in the past few months. He'd received a lot more traffic since people remembered Subaru's name and accomplishments. Then, for no discernible reason, Subaru gifted him a noble's salary and ran off! He had always liked the kid, but what had he done to deserve that? If he didn't know better, he might've believed it to be hush money, or something obtained through suspicious means. However, Kadomon trusted Subaru and appreciated the gesture.

But this. . .What the hell was going on here?! Was he using up a lifetime's worth of luck this month? How did he end up with two royal candidates + their camps at his shop?

To be fair, he'd already met Emilia once before. But nearly every interaction was facilitated by Subaru.

'I really need to thank him for this. I got a new house, larger customer base, and better connections because of that kid. Who knew that such amazing people really existed?'

"Sir, I apologize for the intrusion. But could we ask you a couple questions? Please don't worry, it isn't anything bad."

Emilia spoke first. She'd met the shop owner before and she didn't want to scare him by forcefully interrogating him. He'd been nice to her ever since she'd helped him find his kid. Emilia just prayed that he was telling the truth.

"Yea, sure! Just make sure to buy something when you're done! Also, maybe tell your friends about this place too!"

Kadomon beamed a smile at Emilia and Crusch. While they didn't seem like they were in the best of moods, he wasn't going to let that bring him down. Life had just been too good lately!

"Umm, well you told Otto and Garfiel that you saw Subaru around here, right?"

Kadomon looked confused. What was going on here? He'd never met that 'Otto' or 'Garfiel' guy before he first spoke to them. He just assumed that the news of Subaru's survival must not have traveled. How come Emilia didn't know about it? Wasn't he Emilia's knight?

"Uh, yeah. The last time I saw him was about a two weeks ago."

Emilia and Crusch were surprised. This guy seemed like he'd been talking to Subaru for a while. Was it possible he was unaware of what happened to him? (At least, of the story released to the public.)

As Emilia glanced at Crusch, she saw her nod her head at Kadomon's statement. The sheer shock made her nearly fall backwards.

'While I wished it was possible. While I hoped with every fiber of my being that he was alive. I never believed that something like that could be real! I-I mean, we buried him! What is going on here?!'

"Wait! Umm, are you reeeally sure it was Subaru? Do you have any doubts about it?"

Kadomon frowned for a moment. That wasn't the answer he was expecting to hear. Was Subaru hiding or something? This wasn't good! After all the things that Subaru had done for him, he couldn't betray him like this during his moment of need!

"Well. . . now that you mention it. I might have mistaken him for someone else."

Emilia's eyes turned downcast. She seemed heartbroken, but accepted the answer. Before she could begin walking away, however. . .

"Sir, please tell the truth."

Crusch made a rather shocking statement.

Emilia turned back around in astonishment. She wasn't angry at the man for lying, but she was lost in a sea of thoughts. None of them good ones.

"Huh? I am telling the truth! After thinking about it for a moment, there are a lot of people who that person reminded me of."

Crusch felt guilty for calling the man out like this. He seemed like a truthful guy. It appears that she and Emilia had made him too afraid to tell the truth. It was fitting. Subaru would probably fear them too. Perhaps he knew the truth behind Subaru's death and he was trying to protect him.

"I apologize for the rude callout. I wish I didn't have this ability, but I am able to discern when people are lying."

Kadomon's face turned fearful. He knew he'd messed up. It was a shame too. Everything was going so well! Him and his family had finally moved into a proper home. His shop had been doing better than ever before. Now he had to go and mess it all up! Lying to a noble, knight, or candidate could get you thrown into jail, or possibly worse. He had just lied to all three!

"I'm sorry about that."

Emilia quickly interjected. The last thing she wanted was to disrupt the poor shopkeeper's livelihood. It seemed he was beginning to suspect that they came here to arrest him.

"Please sir. I know how weird this may seem. B-but none of us have seen Subaru since he. . .d-disappeared. . ."

Emilia felt sick. She was lying through her teeth. He'd never disappeared; he'd been murdered. Tears began forming in her eyes, but luckily for her, Kadomon misunderstood the reason why.

Crusch, on the other hand, felt the wind of untruth emanating from Emilia. It filled her with shame. She knew that she'd been responsible for this, and now Emilia was forced to clean up her mistake. What her knight had done was wrong. She knew it. However, she didn't stop him. She'd believed the lies about Subaru and let Felix torture him. He never had a chance to defend himself.

'I had the gall to chastise this man for lying. Now I am remaining silent? I am such a hypocrite. . . !'

It ate at her.

"Ok. I'll be honest with ya. I've talked with him quite a bit. I'm sure its him."

Out of everyone, the first person to speak wasn't Emilia, but Rem.

"You've talked to Subaru-kun!? Please sir! Please tell me where he is!"

Rem could sense the tension building between Emilia and Crusch. To be honest, she was livid. She knew she wasn't innocent in matters like this. Back when Subaru arrived in the mansion, she'd nearly killed him for being a witch cultist. Every moment she'd been near him required all her self-control. If it wasn't for Emilia and the villagers, Rem honestly wasn't sure what she would've done to him.

However, she never acted on it. Rem held back and put those feelings aside when she needed to. She'd learned what a kind, caring person Subaru was. How could the others betray him like that? He was a hero! How dare they lie about him! It made her sick when she learned the truth. The love of her life, betrayed by everyone. Leaving her all alone. . .

"I'm sorry, I don't know where he is right now."

Crusch confirmed the man's statement before Rem continued her questioning.

"Do you know where he's staying? I beg you. . .please. . . ."

Rem hung her head. She'd lost all hope a long time ago. She'd become cold and curt, stuck angrily serving traitors. There was no hope of justice or forgiveness. All she had left was her sister, who had forgotten her for an entire year. The only person who remembered. . .the only one. . . . . had been erased. He suffered a worse fate than Rem. There was no hope for him.

And now these people were trying to track him down. What a farce! If Subaru really was alive, she'd drop everything to stand by his side. She wouldn't try and manipulate him like these people. All Rem wanted was to help the man who had sacrificed everything for her.

"He never told me."

Kadomon was on guard now. Luckily, Subaru hadn't told him where he was staying, so he didn't need to worry about Crusch's lie detection. But, something was wrong about this situation. Why hadn't Subaru told these people that he was alive? The tension between everyone was noticeable as well. He clearly didn't have the full picture, but he doubted that these two were being truthful with him.

"I-I. . ."

Before Emilia could continue, Kadomon cut them off.

"Listen folks. I'm clearly out of the loop on something. I'm getting the feeling that this is something I don't want to be involved in. If you'd like to purchase something, please say so. If not, please leave. Good luck with your search."

Kadomon abruptly ended the conversation. Subaru had really done a lot for him. He knew that these people were close friends of Subaru, but he wasn't going to risk any more information about him. If Subaru chose to keep it secret, Kadomon would do his best to keep it that way.

"Oi! C'mon, if ya know where th' Cap'n is, tell us!"

Garfiel couldn't keep quiet anymore. This guy really didn't want to help them find Subaru? If he knew the truth, that'd be one thing. However, this guy had no reason to kick them all out of his shop! He knew Emilia and Rem were close friends of Subaru. Why wasn't he helping them?

"Garf, shut it. The last thing we need is you making a scene in front of everyone."

Ram calmed down Garfiel. It was clear she was upset at this news too, but she understood that nothing more would come of this questioning. At this point, it would be up to the Emilia camp to track him down.

"Ooh~ is it my turn now?"

Meili looked up at Emilia.

"I guess so. . ."

She was clearly upset that it had come to this. Subaru seems to want nothing to do with them anymore. Tracking him down was looking like a dumber and dumber plan.

"Oni~san, Oni~san! Where are ~you~?"

*ACHOOO*

"Whoa, Big bro! What was that? You sick or something?"

Subaru turned to Felt with a perplexed look on his face.

"Hmmm. No. . .but supposedly this means someone is talking about me somewhere."

Felt brushed off his superstitions and pointed Subaru back to their diagram.

"Ok, so here's what we know. Reinhard has at least forty divine protections."

Subaru gawked at Felt's casual statement. Weren't divine protections supposed to be exceedingly rare? Subaru knew that Reinhard had multiple divine protections, as he teased him about it whenever he was in class. But more than forty? Felt must have been keeping a list in her head every time she heard about one. Good job Felt!

"Of course he does! Ok so what won't work against him?"

Felt stood still with her hand to her chin. After nearly five minutes of silence she began her answer.

"I know that at least: projectiles, magic, weapons of any kind, sneak attacks, pre-emptive attacks, all proceeding attacks, unknown attacks, night attacks, morning attacks, poison attacks, bioweapons/illnesses, bodies of water, lightning, weather attacks, death itself, animal attacks, curses, any debuffs, literally any element. . ."

"Wait wait! I think you brushed over something pretty crazy!"

Felt stared at him for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.

"Well you asked me what I knew."

Subaru was aggressively writing down all the resistances so he could try to formulate a strategy, but he was beginning to realize how impossible of a task this was.

"Ok, so maybe instead of slapstick, we go for something more unique?"

Felt looked up at Subaru and began thinking about ways they could trick Reinhard.

"Ah. .! Wait. Umm Bro, I forgot to mention a couple of his other powers. . ."

"What? Are you kidding me!? How can one man be so gifted!?"

Subaru took a long exhale before looking back at Felt.

"He has the Divine Protection of Wind Reading, Mind Reading, Empathy, and Mind-Changing."

"What the hell are those?!"

Subaru didn't like how these sounded. From the look of things, Reinhard may actually know about the prank already!

"He can read your emotions and thoughts, hypnotize you, and determine if you are telling the truth or not."

Subaru slumped back into his chair and began simulating scenarios where he could avoid all of Reinhard's Protections.

"Oh! I know! What about something where we don't need to be in person? That way, he can't foresee it, or know that it is coming!"

"Good luck actually hitting him. . ."

Felt was too hung up on the idea of slapstick. Subaru had thought of another brilliant idea!

"Why don't we make a dish for him? Something absolutely disgusting! Then we tell one of the maids to serve it to him and watch his reaction?"

They both leaned back in thought. This seemed plausible, maybe it might actually. . .

"Nope, sorry Bro, I don't think it'll work. He has the divine protection of evaluation, item mastery, and taste king."

Subaru wasn't amused. This was getting out of hand, why the hell did he even have those?!

"Wait, just because he can see the items/evaluate them, it doesn't mean he'll know how they'll taste. Perhaps he will just see the ingredients?"

"Nope. Divine Protection of Taste King makes it so any food he touches becomes delicious."

"ARGH! What the hell?!"

Subaru was defeated. This was truly an unbeatable opponent.

"How about we swap the sugar and salt proportions? It wouldn't affect the taste, but the texture + absorption would still make the dish gross?"

"Sorry. Divine Protection of Salt Reasoning. Wouldn't work."

Subaru was going to find a way damn it! Halibel's idea didn't sound so bad now. . . No! He wouldn't lose hope. He would get that bastard somehow!

"Maybe if we have him put on a blindfold and then. . ."

"Nope. Divine Protection of Sense Preservation."

"If we fill the room up with smoke. . ."

"Nope, Divine Protection of Mist."

"Ok, maybe we just ask him to look away from it then!"

"I don't know, if our dish is bad enough, Divine Protection of Poison Immunity might . . .!"

"Ok, shut up! I give up on the dish! Maybe there is something else we could do."

Subaru and Felt would spend the next two hours brainstorming ideas to no avail.

"Ok. So you understand the rules right? It's reeeeeally important that you don't let them attack people during the search. Have them search for sources of miasma and report back to us."

Meili was getting sick of hearing Onee-san's repeated worries. She wasn't an idiot! She was here to retrieve Oni-san and bring him home. In exchange, she'd be let out of her room and regain her freedom (should she want it). It was quite the generous deal, but something had been bothering Meili. Why did they ask her to search for him now?

Subaru had apparently been missing for months. She'd never been informed of anything that happened since she was locked up. All she knew was that Subaru had vanished. If they were really serious about this, why hold off on asking her?

"Yes Onee~san! If he's here ~I'll find him~."

Meili suppressed her urge to smile. While she was grateful for the opportunity to leave her room, she had no reason to go along with their plans. At this moment, Meili wanted nothing more than to avenge her older sister. Subaru had been responsible for their separation and she'd never forgiven him for it. Elsa had raised her and trained her. She was the only person that Meili truly cared about. It was his fault that she'd been injured so badly in the capital! It was his fault that she'd died at the mansion! And then he had the nerve to keep her locked up at the new estate? During her stay at the mansion, she was powerless to do anything about it. However, now it was a different story. She'd been tasked with hunting down Subaru with Mabeasts! There couldn't have been a more perfect set-up!

'I'll eliminate Oni~san myself. Then I'll report back that I found ~no traces~ of him.'

It wouldn't be a lie either. She'd be leaving no traces of him. Besides, as long as that Crusch lady isn't around, she'd get off scot-free!

"Please, find Subaru-kun. I need to know he's alive. . ."

Rem uttered the last part under her breath. Meili nodded and gave a thumbs up to everyone in both camps. In total, there were eight people aside from Meili. They were Crusch, Wilhelm, Emilia, Rem, Ram, Beatrice, Garfiel, and Otto. Although Beatrice had been forced to come along by Emilia. As long as she could fool them, she'd be getting her revenge with no consequences.

Wilhelm narrowed his eyes at the gesture. He noticed hints of anger beneath Meili's smile, but he neglected to inform the others. He thought he was seeing things. If he had known Meili was a former assassin, perhaps he may have taken it more seriously.

"My pets, go and ~retrieve~ Oni-san, won't you?"

Meili released dozens of Black Winged Rats. According to Emilia and the others, these beasts would be the best ones to blend in. Not only could they fly, but they didn't need to worry about panicked citizens roaming the streets. While Meili thought it would be more fun to release a pack of Guiltylowes, Emilia insisted she only use these.

"I pray for your safety, Subaru-dono."

Wilhelm looked upon the city and remembered the moment he'd shared with Subaru in Priestella. It was a tragedy that Subaru had been forgotten. He'd inspired Wilhelm to try and patch things up with Reinhard. Would he get the chance to speak with him again?

'That was really weird. Maybe I can figure out what is going on.'

Kadomon was still thinking about the conversation he'd had earlier. He might have royally messed up by telling those people that Subaru was alive. Was it ok for him to leave this alone? After everything Subaru did for him, could he really pretend that nothing happened?

He began rummaging through his stuff, looking for a particular item. Kadomon had a hunch about where he could find Subaru, but he needed to be sure. It was a long-shot, but he vaguely remembered seeing an insignia on the bag of coins that Subaru gave him. If he could find that bag, that might give him a clue as to where he was staying. At least then he'd be able to give Subaru a heads-up on the situation.

"Now, where was that. . .?"

"Honey?"

Raksha, his wife, walked in and saw him rummaging through the closet.

"Oh uh, hi dear! I'm looking for something important. Maybe you'll know where it is. . .?"

She looked perplexed. They had just moved into this new home. Apparently a good friend of Kadomon's had set him up with a huge sum of money! Was he already misplacing things? They'd only been living here for a few days. Surely there wasn't enough clutter to lose something.

"I'll try to help. What are you looking for?"

"Do you remember when I brought home that bag full of holy coins?"

Raksha looked surprised. She didn't expect him to be looking for that. They spent most of it on this luxurious new home!

"Uhh, dear, I believe we are storing the remaining funds in the. . ."

"My bad! I'm not looking for the coins. I'm looking for the bag."

She was understandably dazed by this. A bag? What importance could that possibly have? Did he expect another bag of holy coins to show up? Was it a magic item that spawned more and more coins?

"Oh! Umm. . I'm not exactly sure where it is. Last I saw it, Plum was playing around with it. Maybe she knows where it is?"

Kadomon looked annoyed by this. He hadn't given that away! Is everything he owns just a toy?

"Thanks dear. I might need to run an errand really quick. It could take a while, so would you mind looking after Plum until I get back?"

Now Raksha was really bewildered. An errand? This late at night? What did he have to do that was so important? He always made sure to wake up bright and early for work. It was already weird that he was still awake at this hour.

"Sure, but. . . do you mind telling me what this 'errand' is?"

Kadomon looked back at her.

"I'm going to pay a friend a quick visit. I just received some urgent news."

"I've got it!"

Subaru stood up and pointed his finger at the ceiling. He'd finally figured out a method to pranking Reinhard!

"Big Bro, the last ten times you've said that, you were wrong."

Felt was weary. She'd begun to realize how invincible Reinhard really was. At this point, she was going to end up sleeping in their meeting room if Subaru didn't stop talking.

"No, I'm serious this time! How about this? We have Reinhard 'taste test' a dish of ours without looking. But actually we. . ."

"Are we really back on the food thing?!"

"Hear me out! However, instead of food, we put something disgusting there!"

Felt looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Didn't you already suggest this, like 10 times?"

Subaru looked back at her and smiled.

"Yes, I know, whatever he eats becomes delicious. HOWEVER, that will work in our favor!"

Felt perked up at this. Why would his Divine Protections hurt him? That didn't make any sense.

"Think about all the things we could feed him! He would never know we fed him Mabeast dung!"

Felt realized that this plan could actually work. The idea of Reinhard eating an entire bowl of Mayo was beginning to seem plausible. If they called it a soup, then he'd never know!

"Big Bro. . . that's genius! Hurry, hurry, write this down!"

As they clamored for a pen and pencil, they heard a knock on the front door of the manor.

'Someone wants to talk at this hour? I'm just going to pretend I'm asleep."

Subaru decided to ignore it, but the visitor was persistent.

*Knock* *Knock*

"Hey, Big Bro, could you get that?"

Felt looked tired, so Subaru sighed and walked to the door. As he turned the handle, he began feeling nervous. This was a very similar scene. He remembered trying to turn that handle before being murdered. Due to it being night time, whoever was knocking seemed to have something urgent to tell them. But for all he knows. . . someone could've hired another assassin!

'Is it possible!? Did that guard do what I asked? There's a chance. . .'

Subaru felt his heartbeat quicken. He never wanted to feel that pain again. Never. If he opened this door, would he end up back in that loop?

"Hey kid! If you are here, can you please open up? It's important!"

Someone's voice passed through the door.

"Huh?"

"Hmmmmmmm~? It seems new instructions have appeared! Gahahaha! Looks like it is time to make that meat scum learn the ~true~ beauty of a queen!"

A group of hooded figures gathered around the blonde-haired girl. They disappeared as quickly as they arrived. While the Archbishop tried to ignore the disgusting loyalty they exhibited, she found herself angrier at the fact her audience had shrunk. It displeased her to know that the other Archbishops had failed so spectacularly in their efforts to attack the Watchtower and Priestella. The image it creates is one of weakness and incompetence. Such a thing was unacceptable. One's image is everything. Instead of admiration, she might receive hostility, impudence, or worst of all, pity.

"Sacks of meat~ who do nothing but aspire. They can't ~become~ they simply are. Such stagnation makes them nothing more than rotting bags of meat! Now my gospel tells me that I must ~release~ them? Su-ch a task is only possible through me! Fitting that my gospel grants me this mission! The world's love ~shall be mine~! Kahahahaha!"

Authors Note:

Hey everyone! I felt a bit energized after dropping the last chapter so I decided to write another one today. It looks like the original author is continuing the story, so everyone, please go check it out! I'll link it below and put his name. To be honest, I'm really looking forward to seeing the fic being continued! It has my favorite premise I've seen so far and the author's writing style is really good. Also, I get the joy of not knowing what is going to happen each chapter, which is awesome!

Chapter Text

"What are you doing here so late?"

Subaru was so surprised to see Kadomon that it slipped his mind to ask how the guy found out where he was staying. The shop owner seemed to have a serious expression on his face. The longer Subaru looked at him, the more aware Subaru became of the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Oi, kid! I have a few questions I need to ask you. Please let me in and. . ."

"Hey, wait a second! Listen, I'm glad to know that you consider us friends and all, but you should know that this isn't my house, I can't just. . ."

Subaru didn't have a clue why Kadomon was being so persistent. This scenario was odd enough at face value. The only interaction he'd had with Kadomon in the successful loop was when he'd gifted Kadomon all those Holy Coins.

'Speaking of which, I still owe Reinhard big-time!'

"I don't think there's time to goof around kid! I'm not such an idiot that I wouldn't recognize the owners of this house! This probably seems weird, but I need to speak with you right now."

Kadomon simply walked into the Astrea Manor before Subaru could say anything to stop him. It looked like whatever he had to tell them was urgent.

"Hey Big Bro! What is going on? Is Halibel back already?"

Felt called out from their meeting room. It appeared she was still too tired to get up and check what was going on at the front door. Subaru wasn't sure whether he wanted to tell Felt or not.

"Uhh, no, but I'll call you over if it's something important!"

Subaru turned back to Kadomon and took a deep breath. No matter how he looked at it, showing up at someone's home in the middle of the night wasn't something that a normal person would do, especially after just one interaction. This guy's relationship with the 'previous' Subaru must've been more than he initially accounted for. He was beginning to sense that they might be in danger. Subaru began to mentally prepare himself for bad news.

"Kid. . . At first, I just thought that the news of your survival hadn't spread yet."

Subaru gulped. This wasn't good. Did this guy realize what was going on? Initially, Subaru thought the guy would be harmless. He seemed to buy his act in all the other loops. What changed?!

"What do you mean by that?"

Maybe there was still a chance he could talk his way out of this. . .

"I wanna know why you're hiding kid!"

Nope.

'I messed up. I can't believe I made such a big mistake! I never even told anyone about him because I thought it wouldn't be enough to reveal me. What should I do? Come clean? Tell him to leave? Bribe him? Wake up Reinhard? Arghh! Damn it! Can't I get a break? It's only been two weeks!'

"Wait here. I need to go wake up someone."

At the same time of Kadomon's arrival, a dark shroud descended onto the city of Lugunica. Dozens of Black Winged Rats spread out and began to canvas every section of the city. While normally, this would be the cause of mass panic and riots, tonight the people on the streets remained blissfully unaware. The Mabeasts flew high above the ground and only landed in secluded parts of the city, preventing people from noticing the horns on each of their heads. Slum dwellers and street wanderers had become situated with rats and bats getting into their homes. To them, this was just another wave of vermin.

The few who could detect what was happening didn't bring themselves to interfere. It was clear that the Mabeasts weren't acting with the intent to hunt. They seemed to be scavenging the city and searching for something.

Luckily for them, the Mabeasts only had one target: people and locations with strong scents of miasma. It wasn't long until they detected something.

The beasts began homing in on their first target of miasma. As per Meili's secret instructions, they were to kill anyone and anything that smelled like a Witch.

The Rats quickly found themselves inside of a large tower. It was insulated from the rest of the city and only accessible through small gaps in the bricks and bars.

This was the place where the kingdom kept its most dangerous criminals. Assassins, monsters, usurpers, and. . .witch cultists.

It was an unfortunate day to be on guard duty. They had no way to see these invaders until they'd already gotten inside the tower.

Before they knew it, the place was becoming infested with Mabeasts! The guards began preparing for attack, but they noticed that the Rats focused in on three adjacent cells. The cells that imprisoned two Sin Archbishops and. . .formerly held Natsuki Subaru.

The guard staff had been paid to keep quiet about what happened to Subaru after the Battle of Priestella. Even if they couldn't say it out loud, nobody could bear to look at that area of the prison once they realized the truth. Once they learned the wails of pain and despair that they heard every day belonged to an innocent man, it had scarred every person in the prison. Everyone except the two bastards locked up next to him.

As the Black Winged Rats entered into the cells, loud screeching began echoing throughout the thin halls in the tower. The sound of chains rattling had been present ever since the rats entered the building. Now it sounded like the chains were smashing into something soft, like flesh. The grotesque mushy sounds stopped at the same time as the screeches. Whatever entered in there, had died.

The guards haphazardly disposed the rest of the Mabeasts and nervously checked on the condition of the two Archbishops. There was always the chance that these crafty monsters had found a way to escape. It simply wouldn't be safe to leave them unattended.

Someone mustered up their courage and slid the shutter on one of the prison doors.

"Roll call! If you're in there, answer me now!"

The call was answered by a deafening silence.

"A-Answer me!"

"How wonderful! How very wonder-ful! My love has not gone unanswered after all! Don't you realize it? My beloved Petelgeuse has returned! My utmost diligence, my yearning, being rewarded! That's love, is it not? So then, such diligence shall soon free me to rejoin my love, wouldn't you agree?"

The guards exhaled a sigh of relief. She was still in her bindings. For the time being, they had nothing to worry about. The other Archbishop was sealed in some type of yin magic seal, so this meant that they could rest easy.

"I pray this crazy bitch never escapes that cell."

Everyone nodded in agreement, ignoring the incessant ramblings coming from the cell behind them.

Reinhard and Felt sat wide-eyed at Subaru and Kadomon. It never occurred to Reinhard that someone might have recognized Subaru on his first day back in Lugunica. There were only a few people who knew about Subaru's 'revival', and one of them had hired an assassin to try and kill him! As far as he was concerned, the leak had to be from this guy. Other than an unlikely betrayal by servants of the Kingdom or Felt Camp, Kadomon was the only possible explanation. But that didn't explain what was happening now.

"Kid, I didn't know that you were hiding. Several of your former associates began questioning me to trying and track you down. I only realized later what was actually going on."

If this man had been leaking information this whole time, then it might be impossible to narrow down a list of people for the assassination attempt. But even worse. . .

"When did this conversation happen?"

Reinhard was quick to pick up on the uncomfortable feelings coming from Kadomon. His divine protections indicated that the man was steeped in fear from something, but he wasn't sure what.

"Earlier today. There were only two times that I ever spoke about Subaru. Both of them were to the same group of people."

Reinhard's eyes widened. If this conversation happened today, that meant that whoever was trying to track down Subaru was probably searching right now. Additionally, it meant that there was a chance for the assassin's employer to learn what happened in the attempt. Another assassin could end be sent after Subaru. It could also mean jeopardizing Halibel's safety too.

"By any chance, did you get their names? If you know where they might be, I'll send Reinhard after them. It may seem extreme, but. . ."

Subaru wanted to know if he could potentially launch a preemptive strike on the people hunting him. In this situation, it was fair to assume that they had something to do with the assassination attempt and the convenient timing of Reinhard's absence. Whenever the next moment of weakness presented itself, Subaru could end up in another hellish loop. He was already beginning to have trouble keeping up his upbeat personality around everyone. If he had to suffer that fate again, he wasn't sure if there would be anything left of the old him.

"Well, uhh, to be honest kid. I doubt these folks wanna hurt you or anything. I mean, they're your friends aren't they?"

Subaru was hit by a wave of confusion. He quickly realized that Kadomon had never been told about his 'memory loss', so he was speaking to him about people that Subaru knew before he'd died. It was a bit weird, but Subaru didn't want to drop that bombshell while this guy was still giving them information.

Reinhard and Felt seemed pensive and slightly ashamed. It looked like those two already had a suspicion about who Kadomon was referencing. Reinhard's demeanor changed from one of alertness to a cold, calm overseer. He would still fulfill his obligations to Subaru and the Sage Council, but he would need to harden his heart to do it. Felt was snapped out of her sleepy stupor and put into an empty stare. She didn't like hiding Subaru from her Big Sis, but she knew that this was something Subaru wanted.

"Well that certainly narrows down the list! I've got a lot of friends, don't I? Can you be a little more specific?"

Subaru was the only one out of the loop. Why was everyone dropping their guard? Hadn't he been murdered by these 'friends' once before? He still didn't know the specifics of that situation, but after going through death himself, he wasn't eager to find out.

"It was that girl Emilia and her camp along with the candidate Crusch. I wanted to respect your privacy, so I came here to warn you before it was too late. But I can't stop wondering. . .tell me kid, why are you hiding from them?"

Subaru reacted to the name Emilia. He'd heard it many times by this point. Apparently he was her knight and protector. And, very openly, he had been in love with her too. Man, that sounded like the setup to a real Isekai fantasy! What had gone so wrong in his past life? It seemed quite fishy to him that Emilia's camp organized a meeting at the same time of the assassination attempt. His former achievements had allowed Subaru to live a somewhat leisurely life, but now, it was beginning to bite him in the ass.

Reinhard realized Crusch had probably been brought along due to her divine protection. He cursed the fact that they were all made enemies due to one slight mistake. (Revealing Subaru was alive, not his betrayal. That mistake wasn't slight at all!)

"I apologize, but none of us are able to answer that right now."

Reinhard quickly spoke before Subaru answered. It was better if he took charge for now as he was the person with authority in this situation.

"Sir Kadomon, how did you figure out where Subaru was staying?"

Kadomon looked up and pulled out a bag with the Astrea crest proudly displayed on it.

"The kid gave me this a couple weeks back. I didn't remember it until a couple hours ago."

Reinhard and Felt were concerned at this revelation. If the Emilia camp had learned Subaru's location, there's no doubt they'd be on their way right now. The situation really was urgent.

"Did you tell them about that?"

Felt was shaken up. She really cared for her Big Sis, but she wouldn't be able to hand Subaru over to her right now. Felt didn't want to destroy the great relationship they had fostered together though.

"No, I didn't know at the time and even if I did, I would've consulted you first. But that isn't the issue. . ."

Everyone braced themselves for even more bad news.

"I believe they might have some way to track ya kid. I'm not sure how, but they seemed pretty confident that they could find you after they left my stand. I understand this is my fault, so I at least wanted to warn you before they show up out of nowhere. I'm sure you aren't hiding without a good reason."

Reinhard began thinking of ways to track Subaru. He eventually remembered how Subaru had initially been accused of being a member of the witch cult. Subaru had a strong coat of witch miasma coming off of him at all times. If they were trying to track down Subaru, this is how they'd do it.

"Thank you for telling us. Should they come back, it'll be impossible to deny that you've had this conversation with us. Can I ask you to avoid Emilia and Crusch until they leave the Capital?"

Reinhard gave an unreasonable request. It saddened him that he'd caused such a considerate person all this trouble, but there was no way around it. There were simply too many mysteries around Subaru and they couldn't allow his survival to become public information.

"That was my plan. I doubt that I'd keep my composure if they were to interrogate me again."

Kadomon looked away awkwardly.

"I'll give you anything you need. I really apologize that I am inconveniencing you like this."

Kadomon looked surprised.

"Hey, wait a minute! You've given me enough already! Because of you and the kid, I have a thriving business, a new home, and strong connections. I accidentally sell you out and the first thing you do is apologize to me? Goddamnit! You are just like that kid next to you, hopeless!"

Reinhard widened his eyes at this comment. Subaru had apparently done a lot for this man and was plagued by similar feelings of guilt. Did Kadomon really see through him that easily?

"Sir, I insist. Subaru is the one who-. ."

"Hey! Reinhard, please don't give me credit for all of that!"

'Seriously, it was your money! Seeing you like this is going to crush me with guilt!'

Subaru had once again derailed the conversation. It appeared that he had forgotten the urgency of the message that the appa salesman was trying to relay.

"Big Bro, as much as I like watching you and Rein bumble around like embarrassed children, have you forgotten the reason this guy came here in the first place?!"

Felt put an end to the endless cycle fueled by humility. Those two were both amazing people as far as she was concerned. But this wasn't the time to boost each other's morale. There was likely a search party on its way to the manor right now!

"Oh, right! Reinhard, what should I do?"

Reinhard paused in thought for a moment. No matter where Subaru went, they would still be able to track him. The priority was figuring out how the search was being conducted. If they were lucky, Subaru could avoid detection and the pursuers would give up.

"We are rather short on options, but there is somewhere I can send you to hide out for the time being."

Subaru became dejected. He was honestly hoping that Reinhard had some miraculous divine protection to get him out of this situation. It was looking like he'd have to face his past sooner rather than later.

"Fine, I guess that works."

Felt was the most depressed at this news. Subaru had made the Manor a lot more fun since he'd arrived. The dynamics had shifted and life had returned to all the current residents.

"So where are you going to send me?"

"A place in the slums. You'll be staying with someone closely affiliated with our camp, so there is no reason to worry about intelligence leaks."

Subaru looked surprised. He thought Reinhard had already told him about everyone involved in Felt's camp. Were there more people than those who lived in the Astrea Manor?

"Wait a minute! How many people are in Felt's camp that you haven't told me about?!"

Reinhard kept a sheepish smile on his face.

"Well. . .there usually are six more people living here."

Typical. Leaving out crucial information until the end. When all this was over with, Subaru was going to have a long discussion with him.

"Reinhard. . . . .when I get back I'm teasing you to the max!"

As Subaru left the Manor, he was accompanied by Kadomon and Felt. Whoever they were meeting, Felt was very familiar with.

"Big Bro, I know this might not be the best time to say this, but I'm honestly glad that you are going to meet with Old Man Rom."

Subaru was still upset. He was going from a life of leisure to one in the slums. How could he not be saddened?

"I'm glad you can find a silver-lining, but I'm still sad to be leaving the Manor."

Felt could empathize with Subaru here. She had been yanked out of her home without a warning when Reinhard first picked her up. It wasn't something she was able to accept very easily. With the added context of losing his memories and assassination attempts, losing his one source of safety would be a devastating blow.

"Hey Big Bro, it's not like you won't be coming back! I'll bring you back home the moment they are gone, ok?"

Subaru looked slightly cheered up by Felt's upbeat sentiment, but he still couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen.

"You're right. I can't be spending all my time moping after all!"

Kadomon looked over to the two of them with a smile on his face.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better kid. Seriously, I really am sorry for-. ."

"There's no way you could've known. I deliberately hid the truth from you too. This was unavoidable. Don't worry about it, ok?"

"Oh-kay?"

Subaru had gotten so used to speaking in his old language that some of the terminology began to spill over.

"That's just one of Big Bro's 'Subarisms'. You'll get used to them pretty quickly."

Subaru nodded at Felt's comment.

"Huh? Wait a minute, didn't you just say 'ok' too? Why is it weird when I say it!?"

Kadomon laughed for a moment.

"Kid, you've always been weird!"

Felt started nodding with Kadomon, making Subaru shake his fist in the air.

"Where I come from, all of you would be the weird ones!"

"Sorry Big Bro, I'm pretty sure that is the excuse employed by most weird people."

Subaru's arms dropped and he couldn't think of a crafty reply to Felt's objectively true assessment.

"Fine then! I'll accept that judgement. But doesn't that mean I've converted you into a weirdo?"

Felt couldn't deny Subaru's scary admission. The longer she was around Subaru, the more of his odd mannerisms she'd pick up. She'd boxed herself into a corner. It looks like Subaru would get to leave the Manor with a total victory against her.

"Gah! You. . ."

"He's right, kiddo."

Kadomon couldn't help but pile on to Subaru's joking taunt.

"Who are you calling 'kiddo'!?"

Subaru and Kadomon broke out into a hearty laugh as they made their way in the direction of the slums. Each of them unaware of the approaching swarm of Mabeasts homing in on their location.

"They'll be here soon."

Reinhard spoke aloud. He was nervous. Subaru's latent miasma would certainly be detected by Emilia's camp. Once they arrived, depending on their questions, it would be unavoidable to give away information about Subaru.

Reinhard didn't have time to find someone to interrogate in his stead. All of the maids and Felt would be ill-suited to this task. As it stood, the only person with a chance of fooling them was Reinhard. He also had the Divine Protection of Wind Reading, so he knew what would and would not activate its effects. He had been practicing his answers in front of a mirror for the last two hours. Ever since Subaru left.

He needed answers for where Felt was, the miasma emanating from the manor, and most importantly, if he had seen Subaru. Each of these questions were tricky, but he could play around with the answers as long as he was partially telling the truth. The only thing he worried about was a direct question itself.

'Have you seen Subaru?'

'Do you know where Subaru is?'

'Have you heard any news about Subaru?'

He would need to find a way to prevent these questions from being asked. Or at least have a believable reason not to answer. The best he had right now was grief. Perhaps if he showed how uncomfortable the topic made him, they would hesitate to press him on the specifics. Maybe he could start them down a non-sequitur by revealing that there was an attack on the Manor. The problem was, all of these methods would fail under scrutiny. Reinhard didn't have a way to defend against Crusch's Divine Protection. It was the first time he'd felt truly helpless.

"Master Reinhard?"

Lilia interrupted his deep thought process.

"Ah, Lilia-san. I apologize for being so inattentive. Do you need something?"

She stared at him for a moment before she felt a frown come across her face.

"Sir, it's late and I haven't seen Subaru or Master Felt anywhere. Is everything alright?"

Reinhard turned around and donned a believable smile. The last thing he wanted was to drag his staff into the mess. After all, his mistakes had already destroyed his relationships with the other candidates and their knights.

"No need to worry. Everything is fine."

Lilia could tell Reinhard was feeling uneasy, but she couldn't find the right words to try and reassure him.

"I see."

A long silence overtook them until the sound of another maid scuffling caught their attention.

"Master Reinhard! We have several visitors. It is quite late at night, should I turn them away?"

Reinhard dismissed the thought in his head.

'They are persistent. Obstructing them in any way will only make us more suspicious. I apologize in advance, Emilia-sama. It looks like I'm going to have to behave in an unsightly manner.'

"Please, let them in. Tell them I'll be out to see them in a moment."

'This is a gamble. I can't let Subaru be found out. His life, Halibel's, and the members of Felt's camp could all be in the balance. I can't mess up. A promise to a friend is something sacred after all.'

"W-Wait! This can't be! The source of miasma. . ."

Everyone froze. Nobody could believe what was in front of them. How could this be possible?

"Oi! Th' hell are you tryna' pull?!"

Garfiel angrily turned towards Meili. She must have some ulterior motive. Was she going to go back on their deal?

Wilhelm stood still in shock. Out of everyone, he was the most surprised at where they'd ended up. Why here of all places? Could the young girl be mistaken?

"It's coming from the Astea Manor?!"

Author's Note

Hooh boy! Not much went down this chapter, but look forward to a change of scenery! Once again, any comments or criticisms are requested. I have been slow in updating this fic because I just started another one a couple days ago. I'm sure you all understand why this one was a bit shorter than normal.

I really like the premise and I've spent the last few days hammering out the overall story so that I can consistently release chapters for that fic as well. A couple things: For that new fic, since it takes place during arc 5, a lot of the next few chapters are going to be similar to the source material except for a little bit of added mystery and fluff. As it stands, Im honestly afraid people may end up dropping it because it follows the canon so closely, but I digress. (Later in the arc, stuff will change substantially) I have this idea for a scene that I just want to see happen so bad, but I'm not sure how to realistically pull it off. If anyone is curious about that, comment and I'll dm u the scene I'm thinking of and you can give me your thoughts on it.

I hope everyone seemed in character in this chapter and I am really excited for the next bit of action coming up! It's going to be crazy, that's for sure!

Chapter Text

"Do you guys hear all those flapping sounds?"

The group of Felt, Subaru, and Kadomon had left around an hour ago. The populated streets of the Capital were completely empty, with all the vendors closed up or missing. As it stood right now, they were about halfway to wherever it was that they wanted to drop off Subaru.

"I'm not hearing anything. How good are your ears, Felt?"

Subaru looked over to Felt and saw a puzzled look on her face. She had lived in the slums for most of her life, so she would expect to hear some noise at night from rowdy street folks. But she had never heard anything like this before. It was like a low-pitched hum that followed them wherever they went, similar to how one would feel when their ears were ringing. Whatever this was, it certainly wasn't something Felt could identify.

"Hey! My senses are way better than yours Big Bro!"

Kadomon stopped for a moment and cupped his hand around his ear. He hadn't noticed the sound at first, but it was loud enough for him to pick up on it if he really focused on it. This could be a sign that things were turning bad.

"I'll have you know, before I was living with Rein, I worked as a thief! And I was a damn good one!"

"I know already Felt! I swear it's like you have to remind me every da-. ."

Subaru noticed that Kadomon had stopped walking with them.

'Huh, what is going on with him?'

"Hey Kadomon, what's up? Is Felt onto something?"

Felt started grumbling under her breath, but Subaru silenced her with a headpat. He was more focused on the look that Kadomon was giving the two of them ever since he'd been made aware of the sound. It looked like he was trying to piece something together.

"Oi, kiddo! You've never heard a sound like this before, right?"

Felt regretfully moved Subaru's hand off her head and turned around to face Kadomon.

"I told you not to call me 'Kiddo'!"

At this rate, they wouldn't get anywhere.

"Hey, Felt, humor him for a moment. Please?"

Subaru was beginning to feel the atmosphere shift, so he wasn't going to ignore the nervousness coming from Kadomon. It had been bothering him to see the streets so vacant at this time of night. After all, every large population hub had some sort of night life, didn't it? Why was the city so barren?

"To be frank, I'm not sure what the sound is. It kind of sounds like flapping. . .I just know that it's been getting louder ever since we left! You happy?"

Kadomon reacted badly to Felt's news. The sound had been getting louder? Flapping? What could this mean? Subaru wondered to himself.

'Could the Emilia Camp be responsible for this?'

Before Subaru could continue his thought, a loud screeching erupts from the sky above them.

"Kid, Kiddo! We need to hurry! I have a bad feeling about those noises! We need to get to the Loothouse as soon as possible!"

Kadomon grabs Subaru and Felt's hands, sprinting in the direction of the slums at a breakneck pace. To Felt, this wasn't too uncomfortable due to her divine protection, but to Subaru, it was a weird sensation. He was barely able to avoid being dragged once Felt started running alongside Kadomon.

"Oi! Oi! Oi! Wait a second! I'm going to fall over! Try to keep pace with me at lea-. . ."

"No time! I can hear something coming from behind us! It's getting louder!"

They rounded a corner and were greeted with a larger main road, the one where Kadomon usually set up shop. It was completely empty, with all the windows shut.

"Damn! What the hell is happening?!"

Subaru didn't have time to turn and look at what was chasing them before he was faced with a slightly wider open road. The end of it was completely blacked out.

"What is that!?"

From a distance, it looked like a black cloud was hovering at the opposite end of the street, cutting off their escape.

"Damn it! Our escape's been cut off! This is some kind of premeditated attack!"

Kadomon turned his attention to the buildings dotting the sides of the street. At this rate, they would be encircled and caught by whatever was chasing them unless they found another method of escape.

"Felt, you are pretty nimble right?"

Felt turned around at Subaru, seemingly grasping at what he was trying to tell her.

"Go! Get Reinhard! I'm sure you can maneuver yourself out of this!"

"Absolutely not! I'm not leaving you both here to die!"

Felt gripped Subaru's hand tighter before he could manage to shake her off. The last thing Subaru wanted to see was Felt dying in front of him.

"FELT! If you don't get help, we are all going to die!"

They were running out of options. At this rate, they wouldn't make it to the slums without being caught by whatever was making the sound. Kadomon charged into one of the doors of the locked buildings. Breaking and entering could get him thrown in jail, but considering he was saving the lives of a royal selection candidate and hero of the kingdom, he figured it could be forgiven.

"Kid! Get in there! They seem to be focused on you!"

Kadomon threw Subaru into the building and shut the door out front. He would stand guard against any attacks on the building until help arrived.

"Big Br-. . .!"

"Kiddo! Get help! He'll be fine, I promise!"

Felt grimaced to herself. Leaving behind Subaru. . .even after she swore to protect him with her life. It didn't matter if the situation demanded it, she couldn't shake the feeling that Kadomon was just telling her what she wanted to hear.

"W-What if I get back here and. . ."

"No time! I can tell you with certainty that if you don't leave now, we are all finished!"

She didn't waste any more time. Felt quickly climbed up to the roof of one of the buildings and bolted off to get Reinhard. Tears were flowing, but there was nothing she would be able to do against the enemies chasing them.

"Oi! Kadomon! Talk to me! What the hell is chasing us?!"

The room Subaru got thrown into was pitch black. He couldn't see a thing. Subaru was glad that Felt escaped, but now all his worry was directed at Kadomon.

"Kid! Looks like a swarm of-. . .!"

A deadly amount of force slammed into Kadomon before any more words could exit his mouth. Subaru heard his yelp of pain and tried to exit the building, but it looked like Kadomon had expected something like this to happen. He had pre-emptively barricaded the door to prevent any form of attack from getting through.

"Hey! Kadomon! Answer me!"

Subaru was beginning to hyperventilate. This was just like the moment before he was killed by that assassin. The pure helplessness and terror was making his legs wobble like noodles.

"Kadomon? KADOMON! Please! Tell me what's going on!"

Subaru heard some quiet chirps and screeches from outside the door. All it did was confirm his suspicions. Kadomon had died. Whatever had been chasing them had just killed him.

"D-Damnit! N-No, No, NO! Kadomon. . ."

Subaru's thoughts drifted to all of the past loops he'd shared with him. A man with a wife and children that he loved and provided for. A man who risked his own life to offer him shelter during the assassination attempt. The friend who had just given up his life on Subaru's behalf.

Subaru's eyes clouded with tears as he let out a scream of agony. The pure pain in his voice should've woken up everyone on that street, but alas, nobody wanted anything to do with him. Subaru was all alone.

"H-How can this be. . . y-you were supposed to live a happy life! You just got a new home! Y-You. . .!"

Subaru was turning delirious. Every moment that he doubted the sincerity of Kadomon's words replayed in his mind. All the times he tried to dismiss Kadomon when he went out of his way to warn him about what was coming.

'I-If I had just listened to him when he first showed up, none of this would've happened. Instead, I wasted time interrogating him. . . trying to see what he knew. I really am the worst of the worst.'

As sad as it was, Subaru couldn't bring himself to die again. He'd resolved himself to avoid using that ability ever again. The fear of what it could turn him into made Subaru look down in shame.

"I-I'm sorry. . .my friend."

Subaru's troubles hadn't ended.

While Subaru didn't know the identity of the things chasing him, Kadomon's last words indicated a swarm of some type. What Subaru didn't know, was that some of these creatures had infiltrated the buildings all over the capital, waiting for the chance to strike. They posed as regular vermin, rats and bats, and were overlooked by most of the townspeople as normal pests.

A screeching sound echoed through the dark barricaded room. It filled Subaru with incomprehensible fear. He wasn't alone in there, it appeared.

"AH! W-What is that?"

Out of the darkness, he saw three pairs of red eyes peering into his soul.

"T-These things. . .!"

Behind him were three Black Winged Rats, all larger than his torso. He would most likely lose in a battle with them. Perhaps he could take out one, but the other two would be attacking him while he tried. There was also the risk of them picking him up and dropping him. While a normal animal wouldn't be inclined to act that way, there was a fair amount of evidence to suggest these creatures were abnormal. It was very likely that these creatures were being controlled, considering they actively pursued and cut off their previous escape route. If that was the case, Subaru didn't have a chance of winning this fight.

"G-Get away from me!"

Subaru yelled out to the three monsters inside of the dark room. They didn't seem deterred by his yells.

"Anyone! P-Please help me!"

Nobody responded. All he heard was an ominous silence. Even the pursuing creatures quieted themselves.

"Why can't I. . .!"

Subaru was aggressively throwing his body against the front door, desperate to break through Kadomon's barricade to the outside. While he should've been aware that there were even more of those creatures outside, his fear blocked out all forms of rational thought. He just didn't want to be trapped in there anymore. He wanted to find someone, anyone, who could help him.

"No, No, No, no, no, nononononono. . ."

Subaru was unsuccessful in breaking out of his prison. As Subaru delved into a manic episode, the Winged Rats descended on him with a violent fervor.

"AGHRHH!"

Despite his attempts to knock them away, one latched itself into right arm and began tearing through flesh and muscle. The sight would've made Subaru faint if he hadn't been so full of adrenaline.

"GET OFF M-. . ."

Subaru's mouth opened, this is where the second Mabeast saw its opportunity. Biting onto his tongue and ripping it out in one move. The size of these creatures was deceptive. Similar to the Great Rabbit, just one of them would be enough to tear through a limb or piece of flesh.

"HAHGHHHH!"

In a rage, Subaru gripped the third beast before it bit him and slammed it into the wall. That wasn't enough to kill it, but he was determined to eradicate the monsters that had put him into so much pain.

"IEEEEE!"

His tongue was gone, so he couldn't speak. But even if he couldn't verbally condemn the monster to death, he could punish it himself. Subaru slammed the head of the third beast repeatedly into the wall until it was nothing but a pile of bloody flesh.

'That's one.'

Subaru's mind was so focused on survival that he'd put himself into a trance-like state. His goal was simply to eliminate the threat at all costs.

Sadly, he was too late. By the time he'd finished killing his first Mabeast, the one stuck to his right arm had fully severed it off. The other remaining mabeast had started tearing into his throat. His bleeding was profuse. Before Subaru could rip the second Mabeast away from his throat, the creature that attacked his arm changed targets. It flew straight up at him and sunk its teeth into his left eye.

'So this is it, huh?'

Subaru had nothing to say by this point. He'd begun to accept his death as simply an inevitability by this point. What scared him wasn't death, but what happens after.

'I could end up back in that bed. . .needing to redo everything! Fighting off the assassin, risking my life! My god, I never even considered that.'

Those were Subaru's final thoughts as his mind began to drift towards a familiar dark void.

The last sound he registered was a crunching noise. The noise of teeth breaking through his skull and entering his brain.

"Do you guys hear all those flapping sounds?"

"ACKH!"

Subaru fell to his knees. The shock and confusion evident on his face.

"Big Bro!"

"Kid?"

They both rushed over to help pick him up, but they were greeted with a weird reaction.

"Ha. . .haaah. . . ."

Subaru was weeping profusely, seemingly in denial about something.

"Hey, Big Bro! Are you alright?!"

Felt walked over to him and lifted his face up to look at him directly. His pupils were shrunk and his lips trembling, reminiscent of someone in overwhelming fear. Felt wasn't sure what had caused this abrupt reaction from him, but she began to think it might've had something to do with the sound.

"H-Hey, Big Bro, p-please stop making that face! Whatever's scaring you, we'll deal with it! Ok?"

Subaru slowly nodded and tried standing up.

"Kid, what happened?!"

Subaru opened his mouth, pondering what he wanted to say to them, but closed it before speaking. He already knew the consequences of something foolish like that. He would simply get punished even like he did when he returned to the mansion.

'S-So I didn't return to the mansion. . . ?'

Kadomon put Subaru's arm over his shoulder and lifted him up. As desperate as things looked, they still needed to get Subaru to the Loothouse before they were discovered. It was the least he could do after putting him in this situation.

"Kid, pull yourself together! I'm not sure what happened, but if we don't continue, you'll most certainly get caught!"

'I can't believe it updated. . . and so close to this danger too. . .'

Subaru turned to Kadomon and shook his head.

"No. N-Nobody's trying to 'catch' me. They want to ki-. . ."

A similar feeling. The coldness that comes with everything being frozen by time. Subaru had messed up. Somehow, he'd triggered the taboo without thinking. As expected, a large shadow manifested in front of him, with a black hand extending outwards. Subaru tried to move, but he was held in place by this power. He was nothing but a witness to his own body.

The hand entered his chest and squeezed his heart.

"GHRRH!"

Subaru fell over again, his arm rolling off of Kadomon's back. He tried to right himself, but the next thing he heard was the sound of violent screeching.

*SCREEEEE*

'I don't understand. I thought I had a couple more minutes until they attacked?! Why now?!'

The sound boosted his adrenaline once again, giving Subaru the focus needed to stand up.

"Kadomon, Felt, RUN!"

They looked at him with bewildered faces, but they obeyed his command and followed after him.

'Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn! I don't think I'm going to get away. . . I need to at least figure out what is going on. I'm not sure who these things are targeting, so if I have us split up, then I should know for sure. But. . . if they are targeting me, I'll be helpless. . .'

Subaru was running through the possibilities in his head while the swarm of Winged Rats began to dive-bomb towards the fleeing trio of people.

'Not to mention, if they are targeting someone else, they'll be as good as dead!'

Subaru didn't want to entertain the idea of sacrificing someone else on his behalf. But at this point, he didn't have any clue what was attacking them.

'I don't understand why I returned to that moment and I can't guarantee I'll return there again. But, if I'm going to die, I might as well gain some information.'

"Everyone! Split off! I'm not sure who they are targeting, but if they let you go, please find help!"

Subaru gave a very impulsive order to Felt and Kadomon, which they both hesitatingly followed. Subaru broke left, Felt to the right, and Kadomon turned back the way they came. It was clear he was willing to give up his life if they were after him.

"Kadomon!"

Felt turned around and saw his reckless choice. It really annoyed (but also secretly uplifted) her that others were so quick to lay down their lives for her. Subaru, Reinhard, and now this person that she'd only known for a couple hours.

"Go! I'm the least likely target, so its only natural I take the largest risk!"

Kadomon was right. Luckily for him, the Winged Rats had already changed targets off him. Felt could see the massive black cloud moving in the direction of Subaru.

"Big bro! Watch out!"

Subaru was too far away to hear them. He was desperately looking for any means of escape. From a glance, Subaru could see about two dozen Mabeasts chasing him, which they wouldn't be able to handle by themselves.

"Anyone!? Is there anyone who can help?!"

Subaru was running through the empty streets with no idea on where he was going. He knew it was a matter of time until he ran into a dead end, but he did his best to put that thought into the back of his mind. The goal was to find someone who could help him deal with the swarm. If he could just find a crowd of people, they'd be enough to deal with this! Even if it meant hiding amongst innocent people, Subaru would do it to avoid dying in that horrific way again.

He rounded a corner and that was it.

A dead end.

'What an apt name. I doubt that whoever thought of that name expected it to be used for this. At least I can find something to laugh at in this torment!'

He steeled himself for the inevitable pain that was about to rip through him.

But it never came. . .

Instead, he turned around to find the shadow of a giant figure looming over him.

"Never thought I'd see you again boy!"

"Tch!"

Meili seemed annoyed about something, but most, if not everyone, were distracted by the extravagance of the Astrea Manor. They hadn't expected to find miasma in here of all places! Even Wilhelm couldn't stifle the surprised expression on his face when he had learned the news.

"I apologize for the wait. Master Reinhard will come out to speak with you shortly."

Lilia bowed her head at the crowd of guests seated in the Main Hall of the Astrea household. Normally, she was very warmhearted and indulgent with visitors to the Manor, but today was the exception. She could see the stress Reinhard was under, along with the lack of courtesy shown by the guests for showing up at this hour. She didn't like it.

'Lady Felt and Subaru are missing and these people show up out of nowhere?! Something is fishy about them.'

"I can't believe the Mabeasts led us here. . ."

Ram was the first to break the silence. She thought that Subaru was laying low to avoid detection. But this, hiding in plain sight. . . When she thought about it, this was exactly the kind of absurdity that she'd expect from him.

"I don't know. It doesn't feel right to barge into Reinhard's home like this, even if we reeeeally want to."

Emilia was feeling betrayed. She didn't want to accuse Reinhard of hiding Subaru from her, but the evidence was pointing to it being the case. Now that she was in his home, she was beginning to get cold feet. Reinhard had been a large supporter of Emilia's after Subaru's death. He'd been there to cheer them up and give them hope. He even offered to go on another expedition to the Sage's Watchtower to see Subaru's wish fulfilled. If he really was harboring Subaru, what right did she have to criticize him?

'T-This isn't right. If Subaru is avoiding us, then this. . . but I need to apologize. . . but he doesn't want to see us.'

Emilia's mind was bouncing back and forth.

"S'not our problem. Th' Cap'n is here."

Garfiel tried his best to reassure Emilia, but it was clear his words were only making things worse.

"Ah, it appears I have some guests."

Before anyone could react, Reinhard had already entered into the Main Hall with several of his maid staff. It all seemed to be going ok until he saw Wilhelm.

"H-Honorable grandfather, it is nice to see you."

A silence overtook them. Wilhelm's eyes softened, but he didn't know what to say, so he instead nodded his head, trying his best to signal some form of respect.

"What is the reason for your visit?"

Reinhard gave his practiced smile to the Emilia and Crusch Camp. He was selling the act quite well.

"Please! Let me speak!"

Rem spoke before anyone else could say anything. Emilia couldn't bring herself to stop her. After all, Rem was the only person who hadn't been involved in Subaru's betrayal.

"Have you or Felt-sama seen Subaru-kun?"

Reinhard was lucky. The phrasing of this question would allow for a clean misdirect if he worded himself carefully. Truly, he was beloved by the world!

"I assure you, Felt-sama would inform me if she saw Subaru."

He spoke nothing but the truth, but was able to imply his and his lady's ignorance. Divine Protections were not easy to fool. However, Reinhard knew that he hadn't triggered Crusch's ability due to his own. He would've been able to feel the wind of untruth blowing off him if he had lied.

Crusch looked to Rem and simply nodded her head, which brought down the blue-haired maid's mood significantly.

"You don't seem surprised about Subaru."

Otto went and said something concerning.

"Why would I be?"

Reinhard had prepared for situation too. Shrewd types like Otto would be able to see the weird phrasing of his answers.

"We've heard reports that Subaru has been spotted roaming the Capital."

This would be another deciding moment.

"Excuse me?"

Reinhard didn't play dumb, but his answer could be interpreted as surprise. After all, Subaru was confirmed dead. His body was six feet under! If Reinhard focused on the guilt (which he still felt) from that situation, there was a chance they'd drop this line of questioning.

"What we mean to say is-. . ."

"Otto. Please don't be so blunt."

Emilia came to Reinhard's rescue. He was clearly uncomfortable talking about all the events that had led to Subaru's betrayal. It was something he'd never be able to forgive himself for. The look in his eyes wasn't fake.

"I-I apologize Emilia-sama. This topic is still a bit rough for me. . ."

"Umm, Reinhard. I know this might sound accusatory, but please understand that we aren't here to interrogate you! I-It's just. . .if there's any possibility of seeing Subaru again. . .i-if there's any way to make things right. . . we have to see it through."

Emilia had done her best to placate Reinhard's worries, but it ultimately only served to make Reinhard even more guilty. While nobody could discern the reason, to Reinhard, keeping them away from Subaru was cruel.

'It was pure chance that I ever got to apologize to Subaru for my sins. What right do I have to deny them their penance?'

"R-Reinhard?!"

Reinhard was too deep in thought to realize that his reaction had been unnatural. The silence only served to reignite suspicions held by Otto and Garfiel.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry about that. Please, if there is any way I can help, just ask."

Emilia nodded and bridged into her main question.

"Reinhard. . .umm. . . when we tried to locate Subaru, we searched for traces of his. . .m-miasma. . ."

This was a sore topic. After all, his miasma was responsible for them making the biggest mistake of their lives.

"W-Well we found that your home has a lot of latent miasma."

Emilia was afraid to ask him the question.

"If Subaru isn't here, why is there all this miasma?"

He had made it past the worst of it. Luckily for Reinhard, he had the perfect excuse for something like this.

"To tell you the truth, there are multiple possible reasons for the Witch's Scent being present here. The only one I can speak about is one of my Divine Protections."

Everyone seemed surprised to hear that Reinhard was the source of the Miasma.

"Y-Your Divine Protection?"

"Yes, it is a byproduct of my Divine Protection of Magic Manipulation."

Meili's attention was grabbed and directed at Reinhard. While the Emilia Camp was familiar with this Divine Protection, they never expected Reinhard to possess such an ability.

"Hey! Knightly oni~san, what was the ~name ~ of that divine protection?!"

"Ah, yes. The Divine Protection of Magic Manipulation. I imagine you know a thing about that?"

Meili didn't expect Reinhard to know about her Divine Protection. She felt like she had been completely outwitted!

"Huh ~? Oni ~san, how did you know?"

"Oh, I apologize. It was through my Divine Protection of Judgement."

The idea that the man who attacked her older sister in the capital had her divine protection infuriated Meili, but there was nothing she could do about it. She made a mental note to avoid this guy in the future.

"O-Oh, I see! Meili has that ability too and she has a slight scent too!"

Emilia was feeling embarrassed for ever doubting Reinhard's veracity. They'd inconvenienced him in the middle of the night and threw accusations at him. It truly was an shameful misunderstanding.

"I-I'm sorry Reinhard, we'll let you get back to sleep!"

Emilia turned around and began marching towards the exit. She was feeling discouraged about the whole thing.

"Rem can't accept this!"

Rem broke out into tears. She'd believed that they would finally see Subaru again. She'd allowed herself to hope that he was still alive. To have that hope shattered wouldn't do. It may have been willful, but the rumors couldn't be wrong! They couldn't. . .

"Everyone, I apologize if I have crushed your spirits. . . please, stay the night. I wouldn't send you all away at this hour."

Reinhard put an arm on Rem's shoulder and gestured to the remaining scavengers to remain there. It was bad enough that he had lied to them. This would be his small act of penance.

Otto and Crusch didn't seem to buy his act, but at the very least, he could keep Subaru safe.

'They will see him again. Once we get all this sorted out, they'll see him. . .'

He repeated this promise in his head. It was the only way he could justify his actions. This hope.

'Subaru, I hope you are ok.'

"I can't believe you're alive!"

The giant old man wrapped his arms around Subaru and lifted him into a big hug.

"H-Huh? Oh, uhh, it's nice to see you!"

Subaru was still in a daze. After all, he'd just been cornered by nearly two dozen flying hellspawn. What happened?

"I saw all those beasts chasin' ya, but one swing of my club scared them off!"

The giant let out a hearty laugh and a wide smile. He looked like he'd been given the news of a lifetime.

"To think. . . you were alive! Boy, I wish you would've told me earlier!"

Subaru was about to ask the guy's name, but before he could, he was tackled by a gust of wind in the shape of a young girl.

"Big Bro! I-I thought that I-I'd never see you again! Stop all that heroic stuff! I-I'm serious. . ."

Felt appeared to be crying into his shoulder, which made Subaru feel a bit ashamed, but there was no avoiding it. He would much rather die before Felt than after.

"Felt-chan?!"

Felt turned around and a large smile formed on her face.

"Old man Rom!"

She roped him into their hug and pulled Subaru up off the ground. It was still a surreal moment for the giant, as he processed his reunion with the boy who saved him that fateful day.

Felt's face turned from joy to anger before Subaru could register what happened.

"Old man Rom, how could you leave us!?"

Subaru was surprised to hear this news. Rom had lived at the Astrea Manor? Why did he leave?

"Felt-chan, I told you I would still watch over you! I just. . . couldn't go along with that. Understand?"

Kadomon rounded the corner and saw the three of them staring at each other with blank stares.

"I-I know. . .but I missed you!"

Felt kicked Rom in the shin, but due to his size, the kick ended up doing more damage to Felt than him.

"Ow!"

"Haha! I guess this kiddo can command respect from everyone!"

Kadomon thought about the amount of influence held by the random young girl. She had the loyalty of the Sword Saint, Lugunica's greatest hero, and one of the last remaining giants. What an odd cast of characters!

"Hey, but first things first! Subaru, how did you survive?"

Rom looked over to Subaru with an expectant gaze in his eyes.

"Uhh w-well I-. . ."

"No use asking him. He's got no memories."

Kadomon and Rom's jaws dropped.

Author's Note

How'd you like the chapter? This death was by far the worst one he's been through yet. There will definitely be long felt ramifications. As for now, Subaru is just relieved to be able to escape from that situation. He's also gained a valuable piece of info: his checkpoints update. This attack will definitely have a role to play when Subaru does eventually reunite with the Emilia camp. I won't spoil how far away that is, but I'd keep on your toes the next few chapters. As always, criticisms and comments are appreciated. I struggle a lot with action scenes and I'm going to need to get a lot better at them by the time I get to the later parts of my other fic. I hope the characters weren't OOC and I hope that the chapter was a worthwhile payoff to most of the buildup!

I'll probably write my next chapter for this fic before I continue The Secret. This will allow both stories to be at interesting parts when I am regularly updating them. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Text

"Emilia, can we speak in private about something?"

Crusch had been waiting for an opportunity to speak with Emilia ever since they'd arrived at the Astrea Manor. Of course, Reinhard being Reinhard, he offered up his home as a place for all of them to stay for the night. To Emilia, despite his continuing hesitance to answer questions, this signaled a genuine and authentic interaction with them.

Crusch wasn't fooled by this act, however. As much as she respected and trusted Reinhard, she could tell when someone is talking around her divine protection. It's not like she never tried to find ways to fool it herself. Add in the peculiar absence of Felt and the rest of the maid staff, and it starts looking like their whole arrival was planned.

'The merchant working with Emilia seems to think so too. . .'

It only acted as an unfortunate coincidence that Wilhelm had come along with her. The last thing that old man needed was another reason to doubt his relationship with his family. With this in mind, Crusch wanted to voice her concerns to Emilia in private.

"Oh, w-what do you want to speak about?"

Emilia hadn't done a good job at masking her depressed state. She'd thought that the wide-scale search would turn up at least one viable lead, but instead, all she'd done was affirm how terrible a leader she was.

"Emilia. . . this may come across more blunt than I intend, but I believe Reinhard is lying to us."

Emilias eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly calmed down her emotions and clasped her hands together.

"Crusch, do you understand how serious that claim is? Why didn't you say anything during our interrogation?"

Crusch paused for a moment and quickly scanned their surroundings for potential eavesdroppers.

"My Divine Protection didn't go off. . ."

Emilia opened her mouth to speak, clearly confused at what Crusch was trying to say, but Crusch raised her hand to signal she wasn't done speaking.

"But he didn't answer a single one of our questions."

Emilia didn't understand. Even a hint of dishonesty should be detectable with Crusch's divine protection. Reinhard had answered their questions before, and clearly he felt guilty for everything that had been done to Subaru, so he didn't want to answer more of them.

"He did answer them! If S-Subaru is. . .alive, he isn't here!"

Crusch shook her head and tried to shush Emilia's voice down. If they drew attention to themselves, her plan to uncover Reinhard's secret would be ruined.

"Emilia, surely you noticed how much he qualified all of his statements? There wasn't a single definitive statement from him about anything! It was all 'maybe', 'possibly', or 'as far as he was aware'. Doesn't that strike you as weird?"

Emilia was still hesitant to go along with Crusch's line of reasoning. Reinhard was one of the few people who didn't condemn Subaru during the incident in Priestella. He was someone who was slow to judgement and a loyal friend. Sentencing Reinhard off an 'intuition' would only be a repeat of Subaru.

"Crusch, stop with this! It doesn't matter if Reinhard's answers were weird, he wouldn't lie to us!"

Crusch could see the gears turning in Emilia's head. She knew she wasn't dumb. This had clearly been something she'd noticed when they had arrived at the manor.

"What's more, we haven't made any contact with any of the maidstaff or Felt Camp. Instead, we have Reinhard waiting on us hand and foot! It's almost like he doesn't want us to. . ."

"Crusch, Reinhard has no reason to lie. I don't want to pursue this any further. You've already shown how 'effective' you can be at finding the truth."

Emilia was disgusted. Clearly, they hadn't learned their lesson after their first avoidable tragedy.

But even more so, she was disgusted with herself. Because, despite berating Crusch for her supposed 'wrathfulness', Emilia couldn't get herself to believe that Reinhard was on her side. Her reasons for distrusting Reinhard were well founded. So why did she feel the need to silence Crusch?

Perhaps Emilia was simply taking out her pent-up rage onto her. All the suffering she had undergone alone had isolated her from the remaining perpetrators of this crime. She had spent so long reflecting on her role in Subaru's death that she'd neglected to confront her feelings about the others. The pain of losing him again was not something she was prepared to face. At a glance, it's obvious why she said that. Now was simply her perfect chance to hurt Crusch in the same way that Crusch had hurt her.

'B-But. . .'

But such a view was solipsistic. She knew that Subaru wouldn't have ended up in their care if she hadn't sent him there. If she hadn't labeled him an Archbishop. But after months of blaming herself, she had grown numb to it. The only way she could rekindle her passion to get justice for Subaru was to begin attacking the others. With no leads and no way of knowing if the Subaru was alive, Emilia felt more hopeless than she had ever felt before.

"F-Forgive me Emilia, but I. . I can't live with myself if I don't see this through."

Crusch turned away from Emilia, clearly hurt by her last statement. It hadn't been something she had been directly involved with, but regardless, her knight was her responsibility. As much as she cared for Emilia's forgiveness, there was one person she wanted to apologize to even more. Crusch knew her desire was selfish, but receiving justice from Subaru took priority over Emilia's feelings. Still though, her words had cut deep. . .

"Crusch. . . I'm sorry, that was uncalled f-. . ."

"No Emilia, you are right. I-I don't deserve to speak after what I've done."

Crusch simply left Emilia's room without saying a word. Crusch had known their friendship was gone the moment their memories returned. Emilia had simply confirmed what she had known to be true for the last several months. After what she'd done, she didn't deserve friendship from anyone, most of all Emilia.

Emilia simply remained frozen in place. The hurt was clearly visible on Crusch's face from her previous comment. She had definitely overstepped her bounds. Wasn't she just as responsible for what happened? Where did she get off being so judgmental towards Crusch?

"Oh, Emilia-sama! My apologies, I sensed a large amount of negative emotions coming from your room and I wanted to check up on you."

While Emilia had stood in pensive thought reflecting on her cruel jab at Crusch, Reinhard had rushed over to get a read on the situation himself.

'It's only natural, right? He probably ran into Crusch somewhere in the hallway. . .'

But the seed of doubt had already been planted inside Emilia's mind.

"U-Um. . .Reinhard?"

Reinhard tried his best to hide any feelings of nervousness or guilt from showing on his face, but Emilia could see the split second change that happened in his mind.

"Y-Yes Emilia-sama?"

"I know this may seem odd. . . but we haven't seen any of your staff since we arrived here. Does your mansion not have a maidstaff?"

Reinhard's expression remained the same, but the inner turmoil was threatening to spill out with his answer.

"U-Uh w-we do have one, b-but I wanted to assure your quality of stay myself!"

He hadn't been prepared for Emilia to catch onto these small details. He had hoped to let her down nicely and without the need for a full-on interrogation of his staff. However, this was starting to look unavoidable at this point. At worst, he may even be forced to send them away from the manor early. But that would only raise their suspicions of him more.

"Reinhard. . . please. . ."

The pause filled the room with a heavy air.

"T-tell me that I can trust you. . .?"

Reinhard swallowed hard and took an even longer pause before answering her question. What he was about to do would go against his knightly code. Not to mention the values he was instilled by his parents. But it was the only thing he could do to protect his lady and staff.

". . .o-of cour-. ."

"Felt-chan isn't here, is she?"

Reinhard was stopped in his tracks. Emilia stared at him expectantly, but he knew that anything he said wouldn't be enough.

Reinhard silently turned around, closing the door behind him.

"I-I can't believe it! This is. . .surreal. . ."

Subaru had heard the story multiple times from different sources, but this is the first time he'd ever been faced with concrete evidence of what happened to him.

"Didn't believe me did'ya? I really thought ya di-. ."

"Old man Rom! Please give Big Bro a moment to himself!"

They had only been staying at Rom's loothouse for a couple days, but Rom was still making comments about how shocked he was that Subaru had survived. Adding in the fact that Subaru had no memory of the past 2 years, these interactions only seemed to hammer home exactly what he had been trying to ignore. Natsuki Subaru had already lived and died once in this world (as far as everyone except him was aware).

At his core, Subaru wanted to make peace with this fact, but he was unsure how to go about it. When Rom told him that he'd regularly visit his grave, Subaru, perhaps out of morbid curiosity, had asked him to take everyone there.

He had obscured himself with some concealing robes (not magic, but good enough to ease his concerns of recognition) and traveled to visit his grave alongside Felt and Rom. Sadly, Kadomon had to leave him after they had dropped him off with Rom, but he had promised to come over and periodically check up on them until the search for Subaru ended. Of course, he wouldn't be able to operate his stand during this time on the off-chance Emilia came back to see him, but they managed to work out an agreement. Kadomon would pick up food, clothes, and any other necessary items to give to Subaru while he stayed with old man Rom and in return, he'd be paid a respectful sum by the Felt Camp for his assistance. This way, everyone could walk away happy. Not to mention, it would allow Kadomon to finally figure out what the hell happened to his favorite customer!

For Subaru, this meant that he wouldn't be able to leave his new home very much. Aside from his interactions with Rom, Felt, and occasionally Kadomon, he'd be trapped inside all day with nothing to do but think.

'At least at the Astrea Manor I had a lot of space and people to talk to.'

"Oi! What's wrong with ya boy? Ya gonna keep staring off into the distance?"

Rom rudely interrupted Subaru's reminiscing before he had the chance to think himself into a more depressed state.

"Look at that! That's your grave isn't it? I saw them put your body underground! So how are ya standing here!?"

Rom gestured towards Subaru's capstone in confusion. Subaru didn't have an explanation he could give him. For all he knew, this grave could be anyone's.

"Rom, are you sure this is my grave? I don't see a name on this thing."

"Of course they didn't put your name on there! Did'ya really think they'd let people visit your grave and see your body?! It covered with lacerations and burns. Ya looked like you'd been mutil-. . ."

Felt punched him in the leg to signal him to stop speaking. Subaru noticed this and decided to change the subject.

"The dirt here looks undisturbed. So could this mean my body is still six feet under?"

Rom hadn't considered this possibility, but upon a quick examination of Subaru, it made sense.

"I hadn't seen ya very much since our first meeting, but you do look younger than ya did in the casket."

Subaru put his hand to his chin. The idea of there being two "Natsuki Subaru"s was not something he'd ever entertained. As far as he was concerned, the world didn't even need one, much less two.

"Ow! Felt, what the hell was that for?!"

"Nothing. The look on your face just now annoyed me!"

Subaru rubbed his arm and turned back towards his grave. He slowly walked up and put his hand to the capstone.

"Big Bro! Ya find anything?"

"No, noth-. ."

Subaru's hand gravitated towards his chest.

'Wait. . .what is this?!'

"GAHHGH?"

Before he knew it, Subaru fell to his knees, gripping his shirt and panting like a tired dog.

"Subaru? What just happened?!"

Rom rushed over and put his arm onto Subaru's shoulder, propping him up and leaning him against the capstone.

"Big Bro?!"

Felt used her divine protection to speed over and put her arms around Subaru's side. In the confusion, she'd trampled over some flowers left by his grave an unknown amount of time ago.

"W-What. . .*hahhh*. . .was that?" *hahh*

Subaru had absolutely no idea what just entered his body, but it felt vile. Almost like several other people had just slithered their way into his soul.

'People? No. . . whatever that was, I can still feel it in there.'

"Bro, why the hell does weird stuff like this keep happening to you?!"

"Believe me, I would gladly pass this weird affiliation to someone else if I could! Seriously, being Isekai'd must've fried some of the synapses in my brain!"

Felt and Rom just looked at him like he was an alien. Such was the price of using a 'Subaruism' in front of people with no experiences of the modern world.

"Ah! Forget that, let's just head back before we end up doing something really crazy like digging up my grave."

Once again, Felt and Rom looked at him like he was some sort of madman. They probably never considered actually digging up Subaru's grave when they came to visit today, but just to be on the safe side, he picked himself up and started marching out of the cemetery before they had a chance to object.

"Wait a minute Bro! You're gonna explain what the hell just happened to y-. . ."

"Boy, what's gotten into ya? Tell us what the heck ju-. . ."

"Sorry! Can't hear you both! Better hurry up and follow me before I leave you both behind!"

'That was really weird, but there's no way I'll be able to explain what just happened to me. I'm not even sure myself. All I do know is that staying around there isn't good for my health!'

"Reinhard, we apologise for imposing on you so much, but we'll need somewhere to stay for the next couple of weeks until transports start back up."

Otto was still feeling nervous about indirectly threatening the Sword Saint, but luckily, he was aware of Reinhard's overly passive and submissive personality. As long as he framed the situation as one of necessity, Reinhard would be forced to accept whatever demands they make of him.

Of course, he knew that he was resorting to scummy tactics. But in the last couple of days, it had been made abundantly clear that Reinhard was hiding something from all of them. It was particularly surprising to him when Emilia herself had asked him for help in coercing the truth out of Reinhard. Even she had become privy to the odd situation in the Astrea Manor.

Thus, with some quick assistance from the rest of the Emilia Camp, a plan was hatched.

The Crusch Camp had been left out of these schemes. Wilhelm had been too ashamed to speak to his grandson since the moment he returned to his home and Crusch hadn't spoken to Emilia since their conversation two nights ago.

The scheme was simple. If they couldn't get Reinhard to spill the beans, they could at least wait him out. The longer they remained in the Manor, the more likely Reinhard makes a mistake. Not to mention the nonexistent maidstaff and occupants. The entire Felt Camp, aside from Reinhard, had vanished by the time they had all arrived in the Capital. If Reinhard proved too difficult to question, they could always corner one of them once they returned home.

"Y-You are unable to secure transportation back to the Miload Estate?"

Reinhard was surprised, but still anticipated that something like this might happen. He lamented the idea of hiding his staff and camp away for an indefinite period of time, but if he didn't comply, he'd be dooming Subaru. Everyone aside from Felt could be reasonably absent during this time.

"Our apologies Reinhard, but all transports to outside the Capital have been temporarily stopped."

Otto was aware of Reinhard's divine protection. Emilia had told him about it when they crafted their scheme. Luckily, he wasn't lying about the stoppage of all transportation outside the capital. What he neglected to mention was that it was his fault.

He had used his connections with the local merchant scene to temporarily stop all movement in and out of the capital. This wasn't an easy feat, mind you. It required a massive bribe from Roswaal and some of the nobles backing Emilia. However, Subaru, even if only viewed as an asset, was easily worth this level of sacrifice.

"I-I see. Feel free stay as long as necessary."

His words might have indicated agreement.

'And not a second longer.'

But the expression on his face signaled his real feelings.

Otto thanked Reinhard and headed back to tell the others the good news. He wasn't an idiot. He had functionally just declared war on Reinhard. This wouldn't be an easy task by any means, but for Subaru, he was prepared to go to war with the entire world.

'Game on Reinhard.'

"This is seriously too close for comfort!"

By the third night, it had become clear to both Felt and Rom that the previous 'Bat raid' would be happening every evening. At first, they'd been unprepared, but luckily, old man Rom was able to hold off the Mabeasts himself until they dispersed into the sky. But now, despite their dwindling numbers, they had come back for more.

"These things have been after me every night! Can't they just give up already?! Aside from that assassin, I've never seen such determination to kill someone before! Did I diss their favorite anime or something?"

Subaru, barricaded into the Loothouse with Felt, proclaimed his despair for everyone to hear. He had a good relationship with Rom before he lost his memories, but no matter how you looked at it, being forced to leave a mansion to go live with an unknown brute in the slums was a clear downgrade. Now he had to add on the stress of potentially being murdered while he slept by literal hellspawn bats!

"I'd tell them that I don't taste good, but from experience, I know that won't stop them. They'd just tear out my tongue before I could even voice my concerns."

Felt stared at him incredulously before calming herself down and turning to face Rom. The stress of constantly being under attack wasn't something a person could hide. Anyone, even Subaru, would express their fears in situations like that. Over the past three days, Subaru had been describing morbid scenarios more than he'd ever done before. This was probably his way of coping with the stress.

'But still. . .when he says it, his tone makes me think it actually happened to him. . .'

"Oi! They dispersed!"

Rom called out to the two barricaded kids in the loothouse. It looked like, just like the previous two nights, he'd successfully driven the Mabeasts away.

"A-Are you sure?! I really don't want to wake up to one of those things munching on my brain!"

Subaru had already been having nightmares of his previous experience with those monsters. The last thing he wanted was to wake up from one of those dreams and immediately have it become real.

"Why ya gotta be so morbid, boy? I'm sure they're all gone! Ya can sleep soundly here!"

Subaru breathed a sigh of relief and put his arm around Felt.

"Hey. . .Big Bro, I've noticed something about you recently. . ."

Subaru perked up and pulled his arm away from Felt. The relief he felt from seeing those beasts driven off had caused him to be a little too handsy.

"U-Uh. . .W-what is it Felt?"

She stared at him for a moment, seemingly afraid to voice whatever it was she was thinking about him.

"You look scared."

Subaru tilted his head, confused at what Felt was trying to get at with her statement.

"Of course I'm scared! I was just nearly dismembered by a pack of flying monsters!"

Felt frowned at his characterization. This was part of what she'd detected from him recently.

"When we were staying at the manor. . .you never said stuff like that."

Subaru's smile started to drop, but he quickly forced it back up so that Felt wouldn't have to see the pitiful face he was about to make.

"Felt, I'll admit I'm feeling a little bit under the weather, but you really don't have to worry about me!"

She didn't seem to be fazed by Subaru's halfhearted affirmation.

"Your eyes. You have dark shadows beneath your eyes."

Subaru was thrown off by this straightforward declaration by Felt. He hadn't been getting as much sleep as he used to, but there was no way he'd be able to explain to her the reason why.

"My eyes? Felt, while I agree my eyes may be different, they are a staple of the Natsuki household! I can't control if my eyes are creepy!"

He smirked at Felt with a cheeky grin. This was something he was used to dealing with when he was a child. While he would agree with people that his eyes were somewhat creepy, he wouldn't let such an attack go unanswered. After all, they were his mother's eyes too!

"N-No! Your eyes have always been creepy Big Bro! It's just that recently they've been. . ."

"Been what?"

Felt was sick of this back and forth. Clearly Subaru had no intentions of answering her seriously.

"You know what, just forget it. If you want to play dumb then I'm not going to try and force an answer out of you!"

Subaru silently sighed a sigh of relief. He really did care for Felt and Reinhard and he could tell this whole ordeal had been just as hard on them as it had been for him. If he could help relieve some of their burden by keeping quiet, he would do just that.

Rom opened the front door of the loothouse and rested his large club on his shoulder.

"Felt-chan, I'm really glad that ya wanna stay with Subaru and I, but shouldn't ya go and inform Reinhard about what's been happening since you arrived?"

"Old man Rom, I'm not sure if Big Sis and the others are still there. If I walk over there now, I could jeopardize everything we've worked for!"

Rom scratched his head with his free hand and slowly placed his club back on the wall.

"To tell ya the truth Felt-chan, it's getting more and more difficult for me to fight serious battles! Even if their numbers are decreasing, I can't guarantee Subaru's safety if I have to fight every night. Please, can ya go and tell Reinhard of our situation?"

Felt didn't seem to like the idea of leaving Subaru all alone, but with Rom's grim assessment, it was looking like the only plausible course of action.

"I'll leave tomorrow morning. But I'll be back to check on Big Bro the next day!"

As the sun began to rise, a lone man came upon an unmarked grave in a secluded cemetery.

For most people, this would be a place of remembrance and honoring their fallen loved ones. They would come here out of compassion. It would allow someone to reflect on the most precious moments shared between themselves and another person before their story ended. For this man, this place was the opposite.

He came here out of duty, not love. He certainly hadn't shown any of those feelings towards the man buried here. Instead of remembering the happy times between them, he could only think about the worst. They were all his fault.

"I-I. . ."

The man saw the flowers that he'd placed here had been trampled.

Perhaps others may have felt some form of righteous fury. It was certainly an affront to the dead person receiving those gifts. But this man, couldn't bring himself to feel anything. If he was a good enough man to judge someone over a small mistake like this, maybe he could've felt anger.

Instead, he only reminded himself of how much he had fallen. At one point in his life, he was a virtuous person. He was a paragon of justice and respected knight of the kingdom.

Now he was nothing more than a mercenary. The low-level scum he'd detested in his youth. A man who chooses not to pledge his sword to righteous causes, but to the whims of powerful and rich degenerates with fantasies of power.

But it was all he could do. That was the only way for a man like him to survive.

"I-I. .suppose any flowers I left here could be considered a mocking gesture, wouldn't you agree?"

As the words left his mouth, he hoped to hear one of the snide one-liners that typically found themselves in their conversations. He hoped to hear anything except that dreadful silence.

Too bad for him. The silence was his fault. He'd created it.

"T-The very least I can do is plant more. . ."

He looked around the general area, only to find it devoid of any form of life, much less something vibrant like flowers. It was quite the fitting aesthetic for a cemetery.

"Say, Subaru. . . Do you like flowers?"

The wind picked up and quietly whistled into his ears.

That was enough of an answer for him.

He picked up his tattered cloak and summoned one of his contracted spirits to appear next to him. Even though he hadn't said anything, his intentions were clear. The man needed another presence to brighten up this dark and dreary place. He couldn't stomach being alone here anymore.

As the man silently walked off, he decided he would buy new flowers to plant here the next time he visited. He wasn't sure which type yet, but the color orange seemed like an apt choice.

The wind howled at his departure.

Julius Juukulius could only grit his teeth as he felt tears start streaming down his cheeks.

Authors Note

Hey guys! Once again, its been a long while since I updated a fic! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and didn't forget what was going on in the story since it took me so long to update. Please, as always, tell me if you think any characters are OOC or could be improved upon in future dialogue. I'm especially desperate to have each character address Subaru by a different name (like Tappei does) so it is clear who is talking at any given point. If there is a name people use in canon, I'm preferential towards that, but its especially difficult to scan the entire web novel for interactions between obscure characters to find these sorts of details. EX: I think Emilia refers to Felt as 'Felt-chan' but I'm not sure? I do think this chapter was a bit bland in its writing, but I also think that I've improved as a writer since I started this fic so I hope you all enjoyed this! To people who are annoyed with how long its taking for everyone to reunite, I don't want to spoil, but I'm taking things at my own pace. It will happen! I promise! The next chapter is going to be wild, so I hope everyone who has been keeping track of plot threads can sort of anticipate what is going to happen. I will say that, in like chapter 5, someone made an insane prediction for a scene I had already planned out and I wanted to tell them right away that they guessed right. Sadly, they commented as a guest, so I couldn't. But its coming up soon! I'll work on this fic again soon, but The Secret has been receiving a lot of attention and I feel the urge to update that fic like a hundred times a day, so that will be my next (maybe 2) updates.

I am glad that everyone is finally coming to terms with the fact that this Subaru (technically) isn't their original Subaru. He's just a resummoned Arc 1 Subaru. The consequences of their actions haven't simply just 'erased' themselves, and this will be something everyone will have to face eventually.

I didn't really have any interactions with Rem, Ram, Meili, or Wilhelm in this chapter, but don't worry, they'll come into play in the next few chapters.

Finally, with Felt deciding to return to the Astrea Manor, that might seem like sort of an asspull, but to be honest, it feels like something that someone would do in that situation. I mean, there's no way Felt can just remain missing for weeks on end and not have that get noticed by everyone else.

Also, for all the people missing from the Felt Camp throughout this fic, I don't want to spoil everything that is going on with them, so all I'm going to say is one word: Vollachia.

It's kind of a blessing in disguise I've been so slow to write these chapters because Tappei has been dropping bombshells every chapter in Arc 7 so far. Will Vollachia come up later in this story. . .? No spoilers!

Thanks, and until next chapter!

Chapter Text

"Crap! What are they still doin' there?!"

The blonde-haired thief, carried by a sharp gust of wind, approached the Astrea Manor at ungodly speeds. When she caught sight of a familiar ground dragon, she impulsively jumped into the densely populated tree tops on the edge of the property.

"I should at least be outta' sight here. . ."

This wasn't part of the plan.

Reinhard was supposed to direct them away from there! He, no doubt, had the capability to do so.

If Felt had to guess what caused this, her money would be on Reinhard's submissive personality. Her knight had always been a people-pleaser, even when it was inconvenient for him. No doubt he'd offered them accommodations after their search turned up empty.

But even so. . .

'It's been three days! Rein, ya absolute fool. . !'

Them staying this long meant they still suspected something was up. Reinhard's kindness had become a tool for them to investigate even further.

This made her job infinitely harder. How was she supposed to get in there and tell Reinhard about the Mabeast attacks when he was surrounded by all those eavesdroppers?

The moment they saw her, she'd get dragged in for questioning, where she'd no doubt, give away Subaru's condition. Maybe if she tried wielding her authority as a candidate. . ?

No, if she refused to cooperate, it would only make them look more suspicious.

"Rein, you just had to be nice, didn't you?"

Felt sighed and put her hand to her forehead.

'C'mon! You're a thief! Stealth is your trade!'

She prepared herself to breach the building, but also made a mental note to chew Reinhard out after all this was over. No patrols for the next month!

"Are you sure this is a good idea? The last time we went out on our own, we got attacked by a swarm of monster bats!"

Subaru wasn't a big fan of roaming the Capital without a good reason, especially now that people were searching for him. However, the current circumstances have put them in quite the bind.

"I don't wanna hear you complaining kid! You guys are the reason I've had to stay at an Inn the last three days!"

Kadomon, in the midst of some new undisclosed information, told Subaru to come along with him on his daily shopping trip instead of remaining cooped up inside the Loothouse with Rom. The recent shutdown of the Capital was making him antsy, and Felt's trip to the Astrea Manor was taking longer than they planned. There was no way to know if their location had been compromised. In this case, it would be smarter to move Subaru out of the slums until the heat died down.

"Nobody ever said you had to agree to this! I'd honestly prefer it if you just went back to your family. . ."

'Seriously, I've already uprooted your life enough.'

"It's not like I had a choice in the first place! With the lengths they've gone to track you down, there's no way they'd let a loose end like me get away."

Shutting the whole city down, interrogating him without his knowledge, and potentially(?) sending swarms of Mabeasts after them all, these weren't the actions of people looking to negotiate. These were the behaviors of people willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goal. The fruit vendor was skeptical they'd let him go should he run into them again.

"Y-You think so? Reinhard told me they weren't bad people. . ."

Kadomon remembered the day Emilia escorted his lost daughter back to his stand, which made him feel conflicted. His experiences with them recently might not exactly be cordial, but he felt there was context he was missing there.

"Don't jump to conclusions kid! I didn't mean it like that! It's just, when I met them a few days ago, they seemed. . . desperate more than anything."

Subaru was confused by this, as from his perspective it seemed like they'd always been one step ahead of him.

"What about those monster bats? Do you think they might've been responsible?"

Kadomon took a moment to think while slowly rolling back his shoulders.

"They seemed concerned for your safety above all else. I'm not sure if they were responsible for all those Mabeast attacks, so I wouldn't condemn them for that just yet."

Subaru was surprised to hear that his pursuers cared about his safety at all, considering he believed they'd already killed him once before. But that only begged the question. . .

'If they weren't the ones responsible for that attack, who was?'

The positive news about his pursuers didn't do much to assuage Subaru's worries, as it only confirmed he'd somehow made another enemy in the short time he's lived here. Was this world really out to get him?

'At least the last 'me' didn't have to deal with crippling imposter syndrome on top of all that. . .'

Ah, yes. And then there was the worst thought of all. The realization he'd been trying his best to suppress since that day with the Sage Council.

This Natsuki Subaru was not the same Natsuki Subaru they knew.

To them, he might as well be someone who'd stolen that 'Subaru's' life and assumed his position like nothing happened.

It was obvious in the way Felt, Reinhard, Rom, and Kadomon spoke to him. As much as they wanted to deny it. . .

They were talking to the old him.

Clearly, they didn't resent the current 'him' for his predicament. No, they were always much too kind to him. It was more like they never fully accepted that his memories were gone. They'd reminisce about past battles, make jokes he couldn't understand (but laughed at regardless).

At first, he'd only noticed it in passing. But soon, it became all he could focus on.

The Subaru they praised, the Subaru they laughed with, the Subaru they wished to see again, it was not him.

This was why he NEEDED those memories back. This was why he couldn't let himself be found by his old friends. . .

So what was he doing, wandering on the most populated street in the Capital!?

"Kadomon, how long is this going to take?"

"Hey! Didn't I tell you not to use our names out in public? These cloaks aren't enchanted ya' know!"

"Sorry! Mr. Appa Guy, how long is this going to take?"

Kadomon resisted the urge to knock Subaru upside the head and pointed to a nearby merchant stall.

"That's our first stop."

"Are you kidding me?! The line loops half the road!"

Normally this wouldn't be too difficult, but because transportation in and out of the city had been abruptly shut down, the strain on local merchants meant that Kadomon sometimes stood in lines for hours before he could complete his shopping.

"Blame your friends for this mess. Nothing has been allowed in or out of this city the past three days."

He had no doubt this was ordered by Subaru's pursuers, and that didn't bode well for either of them.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you had to deal with this every day."

"Did you seriously forget gifting me a house? Don't apologize when I'm being paid handsomely for my efforts!"

This man's behavior was quite coy, but it didn't completely address Subaru's concerns.

"That's not what I meant. . ! I-It's just, I ripped you away from your family and for what?"

Kadomon wouldn't be able to return home to his family, this was clearly his fault.

At the very least, Reinhard had agreed to send a letter to his family so they wouldn't be surprised by his disappearance. However, he had no guarantees that his family would be left alone. They were definitely impacted by the transportation embargo too. How could Subaru live with himself if they got caught up in this mess too?

"You must think this whole world revolves around you, don't ya', kid? That's the only reason I can think to apologize for things you have no control over! I swear, you're just as bad as Reinhard!"

Subaru scoffed. He might be a pushover, but he's nowhere near Reinhard's level! That guy thanked Subaru for stealing from him!

"I suppose some things never change with you kid. . ."

And there it is. Exactly the sentiment he wanted to avoid. A cold reminder of the person that caused all this trouble. The person he'd have to become once more should he want to fix everything.

He suddenly didn't want to talk anymore.

". . ."

Subaru decided to let the silence kill this conversation.

If that was a sign for how the rest of this discussion will go, it's best they don't talk. Subaru didn't want to risk saying something incendiary by mistake.

The line was long, and they would be here a while.

". . .-psst! Reinhard! Oi! Reinhard!"

Felt whispered through his bedroom window, trying to catch his attention before he walked off to some other room in the mansion. If he was any other person, this plan wouldn't have worked. But since he's Reinhard Van Astrea, his army of divine protections gave him super sensory abilities he's built different.

"H-Huh? Felt-sama!?"

It took him a moment to make the connection in his mind between the person outside his window and the lady he was supposed to serve.

Felt had slipped back into some of her old habits she'd picked up from her time living in the slums, which included leaving her hair messy and wearing her signature red scarf.

Normally, Reinhard would've been quick to suggest she change out of her thief clothes as well as brush her hair, but the present time crunch and Felt's inevitable tantrum made him quash the idea. The glint in her eyes indicated that she wasn't here for to tell him good news.

"Let me in already! Before I have t-. ."

"Felt-sama, please lower your voice. Our guests might overhear you, not to mention its unbecoming."

As she crawled through the window, the girl growled with unreserved frustration at Reinhard's typical antics. She'd long become used to them by this point, but without someone like Subaru or the missing maidstaff around to help deflect him, it was really beginning to grate on her.

"You idiot! Look at the mess you've stuck us into! You're letting them stay here? What the hell were you thinking?"

Reinhard's eyes stayed glued to the floor. She was absolutely right. This time, his inability to put his foot down had gotten them into a lot of trouble. Not to mention how much he's inconvenienced the rest of the Capital by lying to Emilia and Crusch.

"I sincerely apologize for my lack of judgment, Felt-sama. It was never my intention to host them when they first arrived, but their dejected faces weakened my resolve."

Felt stifled the urge to land a flying kick on her well-mannered knight and ran a hand through her hair, anxiously tapping her foot as she thought of any way to salvage the situation between her and her big sis.

"Rein, I don't have time to spend questioning you about anything they may or may not have found out. Something, or someone, has been sending Mabeasts out to attack us night after night! If we don't do something about it now, there's a chance Subaru will. . ."

"W-Wait, did you say Mabeasts?"

Immediately, Reinhard's mind made the connection with the blue-haired girl accompanying Emilia. She'd been acting odd since their first conversation, turning around to avoid walking next to him in the hallways, glaring at him from across the room for seemingly no reason. The hostility she displayed towards him wasn't typical for someone her age. Perhaps, her Divine Protection was used for. . . less than savory means.

With those clues, it should be obvious. She must be the one behind the attacks.

But wait a minute. . .

Emilia's camp had recruited her to help them find Subaru, not to hurt him! Why did they trust this girl to track down Subaru in the first place?

"Y-Yes? Why? Do you know something?"

"T-That can't be! T-They told me she was just. . ."

His blood ran cold.

Had he been harboring killers? Not just any killers, no. . . Reinhard had long come to terms with his own culpability in the deaths of others. He'd been responsible for the deaths of a long list of people. His grandmother, the royal family, and most recently, Subaru himself. However, this was simply unforgivable.

Were all of them deceiving him? Did they simply want to find and finish off Subaru themselves?

But how could it be possible? His Divine Protections hadn't indicated any attempts at deception. All of them really wanted to find and apologize to Subaru.

What was going on?

"Oi! Reinhard, I hear footsteps! Quickly, find somewhere I can hide!"

Those words snapped Reinhard out of his stupor, quickly opening up his dress closet and gesturing Felt to move inside.

"Jeez, how can one person afford such lavish clothing. . . Makes me sick!"

Reinhard shushed the loudmouthed blonde, closing the closet door behind her as he heard a knock coming from his bedroom door.

"U-Um. . . Excuse me! Reinhard? Are you there?"

The voice was undoubtedly Emilia's. Felt didn't like the idea of eavesdropping on her Big Sis's private conversations, but she was left with no options to escape. She would be stuck in here for the foreseeable future.

"Emilia-sama?! Yes, I'll be right there!"

Felt could hear the change in his inflection, visibly embarrassed that her knight was so bad at lying.

A door creaked open, and several pairs of footsteps made their way into Reinhard's room.

'It looks like they are back at this again. . .'

Reinhard thought to himself.

His mornings the past few days have consisted of an early wake up, a few minutes of solitude where he could tidy himself up, and then an immediate interrogation by members of the Emilia Camp.

For some reason, Crusch hadn't been talking with them for the past couple days, which made his life much easier. But, Reinhard was still having troubles keeping his composure.

Otto's thinly veiled threat implied that the complete stoppage of movement was their doing, and that they were prepared to continue it indefinitely until they found what they were looking for. Knowing that, Reinhard's life became a living hell.

How many people were starving, scrounging, and stealing because of the conditions he'd imposed on the Capital?

And how many had he forsaken to their fate by holing up in his mansion trying to stall out Emilia and Crusch's search?

'I can't focus on that right now. First things first, I must figure out that blue-haired girl's plan. There's no way I can accuse her, as I'd basically be confessing the truth about Subaru's survival. . . this could prove difficult.'

"R-Reinhard, can you please tell us where Felt-chan is?"

Emilia was trying to put on a tough front, but it ultimately came off as super forced. She seemed genuinely desperate to leave the poor guy alone, but the suspicious behavior Reinhard was exhibiting was too difficult for her to ignore.

"I am not at the liberty to disclose such information. I-I'm sorry, Emilia-sama."

He reiterated his answer he'd been giving the last couple days. It was short, concise, and if Crusch happened to be listening, it would be true.

The real problem came from the questions following that one.

"W-What about your maidstaff? I thought you had a team who people working under you. . ."

Reinhard couldn't exactly say that Lilia just disappeared for no reason. She'd been the one to greet them when they arrived at the mansion.

The truth regarding her disappearance was too ridiculous to explain. She, along with the rest of the maidstaff, voluntarily moved to the below-ground floor of the Manor. This is where they'd kept the utterly defeated assassin, which Reinhard obviously couldn't let them find. So, he sealed off the indoor entrance, directing the maidstaff to only enter and exit through the tunnels extending outward beneath the mansion.

This had been good enough to fool them thus far, but the longer they stayed here, the more likely they find out about it.

"I apologize Emilia-sama. Has my hospitality been lackluster?"

A pitiful deflection, but Emilia knew she wouldn't get anywhere with this. Just as she was about to give up, the other person who came in with Emilia spoke up.

"What're ya' doin'? Why don'tcha stop stallin' our search n' help us find th' Cap'n!?"

Garfiel was less subtle with his intentions. The Sword Saint had obviously been giving them the runaround and Garfiel was tired of it.

"I-I'm not sure what you me-. . ."

"No playin' stupid! S'obvious ya' just wanna' see us gone!"

Garfiel knocked picked up a book lying on Reinhard's desk and chucked it dangerously close to Felt's hiding spot.

"Please, I ask you don't needlessl-. . ."

"Needless? S'what you're doin' ain't just needless bullshit either!? Th' hell with playin' nice! How's about 'nother duel? If I win, ya' tell us th' truth!"

"And what about when I win?"

Reinhard squinted his eyes with curiosity. He could easily use that duel as the pretext to get them to leave his home, or at the very least, figure out what is going on with the blue-haired girl.

"Th' hell ya' say!? 'When'? S'not gonna' go like it did last time!"

Garfiel feet dug into the floor, nearly cracking the tiles beneath him with the overwhelming force being put into them.

"Would you all call off the stoppage if I asked?"

Emilia looked startled that Reinhard so plainly saw through their plans, as she didn't expect him to call them out directly.

"W-What are you talking about, Reinhard?"

"Very well. If you wish to feign ignorance I suppose it's fine. Perhaps my Divine Protections are faltering. To answer your question Garfiel, I have been upfront with you since you arrived. However, there is something I would like to ask of you, so I suppose a duel might not be the worst idea."

Reinhard plainly stated his intentions, hoping to gauge their reactions with some of his Divine Protections and try to get some answers about the Mabeast attacks targeting Subaru.

Felt stifled a chuckle, as this was the first time she'd seen Reinhard exhibit some degree of snarkiness to someone other than her. Serves them right for forcing them back to the slums!

"What is this about a duel?"

There was Otto's voice.

This might be a problem, after all, he was very shrewd.

"S'none f'ya concern Brotto, leave it t'me!"

Otto didn't like the sound of that! Reinhard most certainly wasn't an opponent he could beat!

"What are the stakes?"

The merchant completely ignored the loudmouthed tiger and asked Emilia and Reinhard what each side would be putting up for the duel. He didn't want to sacrifice anything too important to their strategy in some meaningless competition of strength.

"If I lose, I've been told to be 'forthcoming' with you, even though I feel I've been quite honest with everyone since you've arrived. Should I win. . . I wish to question one of the people you've brought to this mansion regarding a certain matter."

Otto raised his eyebrow, but Emilia's smile seemed to placate a lot of the doubts he had about Reinhard's intentions.

He had obviously told her what their plan would be and she was smart enough to avoid giving up leverage for questioning Reinhard.

"Who do you wish to speak to? And what about?"

Reinhard donned a cocky grin and put his hand behind his head.

"Well, I suppose if you'd really like to know, then you should do your best to win!"

The merchant grumbled out something from under his breath, most likely along the lines of 'easy for you to say' and stuck out his hand to shake on the agreement.

"I look forward to our match!"

As the sun reached its highest point in the sky, two fighters stood in the middle of the courtyard, each entirely focused on the position of the person in front of them. While most people's attention was directed at the duel, another two figures remained out of sight, observing the spectacle where nobody else could see them.

Both Wilhelm and Cruch could see them from second floor, watching the match with solemn expressions.

"Once I drop my hand. . !"

They heard Otto's loud voice echo through the window. Both of them looked away. There was no need to continue watching as they knew what the result would be.

"Crusch-dono, may I ask what's troubling you?"

"I'd imagine it would be the same thing that's been bothering you, Wilhelm."

The old man's pensive expression told Crusch everything she needed to know. She didn't need her Divine Protection to process such obvious feelings of guilt.

"Pardon me if this seems ill-mannered, but what has shaken your resolve?"

Crusch's eyes widened at Wilhelm's focused question. She hadn't told him about what happened between her and Emilia, but he'd still seen through her so easily. Such was the wisdom that often comes with age.

"A-Am I that obvious?"

"Not at all Crusch-dono. Imposing my sentiments onto others has always been a bad habit of mine. I may have been confusing my own feelings with yours."

Normally, Wilhelm abstained from presumptive behavior surrounding others. However, the current situation being what it was, it would've been impossible to maintain an unbiased judgment. Both Crusch and Wilhelm felt more than tangentially responsible for Subaru's death. They'd each played a role in condemning him and preventing justice from being achieved.

Crusch, with her Divine Protection, had every chance to verify Subaru's innocence during the short time he'd been incarcerated. Not to mention her own knight's actions, which she should've prevented. Wilhelm had known more about this than she did, but he too, did nothing to stop it.

Felix, for his part, had offered himself up completely when the truth had come out. He would've gladly accepted the death penalty, had it been decided by everyone involved. The healer didn't seem to want to keep on living knowing he'd hurt the man that saved his lady from the Dragon's blood.

It was only because Crusch cared for Felix so immensely, that she pushed to have his punishment reduced to a simple demotion of rank.

This move had only further alienated the other camps, aside from Anastasia who did something similar.

Crusch wanted justice to be served, but she couldn't help but feel execution would only worsen the tragedy. At his core, Crusch knew he was a good person. He'd been there for her during her lowest moments and dedicated his life to helping others with healing magic.

She'd tried to justify it in her head many times. Everyone else who'd condemned Subaru was equally guilty, weren't they? They were the ones who told Felix that Subaru was a Witch Cultist in the first place! Yes, what he'd done was wrong, but many of them stood by and proudly let it happen! Now, when the truth was revealed, what gave all of them the right to throw all the blame on him?

And the worst part of it all was. . . Felix accepted it.

All the hatred, the blame, the disgust. All of it was directed at him and Julius.

They demanded he die in disgrace on behalf of all their mistakes, and he would've done it too.

It took a long time for Crusch to fully understand the feelings of the other camp members and to see the immensity of the mistake she'd made.

Felix didn't speak with her anymore, as he didn't want his association with her to damage her reputation even further. It was because she knew him so well, that she realized she'd likely put him into an even deeper despair.

Felix would often tell her that he'd spend the rest of his life at her side, even die for her, if need be. That was his life's purpose. It was what made him happy. Perhaps that's why she should've just let him face the music. He was a self-hating kid when she'd met him. It'd taken him a long time to find anything he liked about himself. By denying him the chance to accept responsibility for his actions, she'd only managed to strip away the last bit of assurance he had in himself.

For him to willingly shut himself away, he must have truly hardened his resolve.

". . .Crusch-dono."

The tears flowed freely once more.

Even with her memories returned, the unshakeable Crusch was unable to keep her composure.

"W-What should I have done? Wilhelm, I-I. . ."

Wilhelm did his best to hold her up, but as for her desperate plea, even he wasn't sure how to answer. That may have been a situation where there simply was no "right thing" to do.

"I-I've destroyed it all, simply because I wanted to return everything to how it once was! T-They hate me now! I denied them their closure because I thought I could fix things. . ."

The old man realized immediately what she was talking about.

It had torn him apart in a similar way.

He'd also grown to care deeply for the young healer over the time he'd spent serving Crusch.

The two people he was most grateful to in this world were Crusch and Subaru. They'd offered him a place to belong after he'd destroyed the remnants of his previous life. They even helped him achieve his long-awaited vengeance on the monster that killed his wife. Felix had saved his life multiple times during this journey, which he was also extremely thankful for.

It was only now that he understood. Wilhelm had been powerless to protect any of them.

All three had been completely abandoned, betrayed, and spit on by the one's they loved most.

He'd let his shortsightedness take over and lost everything once again.

"C-Crusch-dono. . ."

How fitting for him to only realize the truth as he stood in the home he'd once destroyed.

"T-There may still be a chance to make things right! After losing so much, don't abandon the hope things can get better! Crusch-dono, I beg you, don't lose your resolve! If you did, I'm afraid both of us would be doomed. . ."

Wilhelm's rousing speech fulfilled its purpose.

She needed to be reminded why they undertook this search in the first place.

There was still hope.

They couldn't let doubts cloud their mind when they were so close to a resolution!

"Well, I suppose it's my victory."

Reinhard stood behind an unconscious, fully transformed, Garfiel.

The spectators were in shock, including the people who'd already expected Reinhard to win.

The fight had been pretty short to say the least.

In the previous duel they had, Reinhard had only agreed at Subaru's request. Due to the lack of serious stakes, as well as the stated purpose of the duel by Subaru, Reinhard decided to adopt a series of handicaps to ensure the duel ended in a productive way. This was why Reinhard barely attacked and also stood in one place the entire time. It was supposed to show Garfiel how much room for improvement he still had as a fighter.

This time, Reinhard wasn't messing around.

While Garfiel had grown considerably stronger since his last fight with Reinhard, there simply was no way for him to overcome the strength difference through simple training.

Even when fully transformed, he'd been immediately speed-blitzed and knocked unconscious by Reinhard in a single hit.

Most of the observers were surprised at how one-sided this fight was. Yes, they knew of Garfiel's previous loss to Reinhard. However, Garfiel didn't fully transform in that fight and was also much weaker.

The full strength of the Sword Saint was certainly no joke!

"Can't say I didn't expect this outcome, but you could've at least made it look like a close fight!"

Otto was annoyed at Reinhard's nonchalant attitude after embarrassing his buddy Garfiel, but he also noted how serious Reinhard seemed to be about winning in the first place.

In a battle where he, supposedly, had nothing to lose, Reinhard certainly wasn't taking any chances.

This only reinforced his theory that Reinhard was hiding something from all of them. Why else would he be so afraid of 'telling them the truth' surrounding their investigation?

'I definitely used more power in that strike than I would've liked to. . .'

Reinhard was internally shocked that he was forced to use that much power on a single person in the first place. Garfiel most certainly had gotten stronger! He felt happy for the kid, but to maintain appearances, it was best to act like it'd been an easy victory.

After all, the consistently humble Sword Saint taking a duel seriously would most likely raise some eyebrows.

"I'll be collecting my prize now."

"E-Eh? Reinhard, we still don't know who you wish to speak with. . ?"

Emilia's question drew the attention of the remaining bystanders: Rem, Ram, Otto, and Meili.

"Do you have anything you wish to speak with me about!? I can smell Subaru's scent here, so please, I'll tell you anything, just he-. ."

"Rem, please let Reinhard explain."

Rem was cut off by Ram, who could already tell that Reinhard wasn't interested in playing nice with them. It infuriated the blue-haired maid, as she felt Ram had no right obstructing her in this investigation. She was also culpable in what happened to Subaru.

It's important to note, Rem could never bring herself to hate Ram. She still loved her sister with all her heart. However, even Ram had moments where she failed to act like the perfect big sister Rem had seen all her life.

"I would just like a word with miss. . . Meili-san, was it?"

This surprised everyone! What business did he have with her? She'd been mostly quiet since they'd arrived here and hadn't been particularly helpful with their search. Why would Reinhard wish to speak with her alone?

"Hmm~? Why does the knightly oni~san want to speak to me?"

"It'll only be a moment. All I ask is your cooperation."

". .s-stop her. . ."

A man laid flat on the ground, bleeding profusely from his neck and chest.

He hoped someone else would hear him and step in to save them all from the horrific monster responsible, but to his shock, everyone else was laying on the ground just like him. Their wounds were even in the exact same place!

The man didn't even have time to contemplate how such an event was possible, as he bled out seconds after he finished speaking those words.

"I see!"

The last living being in the tower laughed maniacally as it looked out upon the cityscape in front of her.

"I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I seeeeeee!"

The bandages on her face were blown around violently by a strong gust of wind, most likely because of her elevation.

"I understand! I realize! I acknowledge! I comprehend! I recognize! I grasp! I conceive! I fathom! I perceive! I know! I appreciate! I discern! I behold!"

Mad ramblings spewed from its mouth. Each accompanied by a loud clank of swinging chains.

"S-So this is love? Ah, I'm so~ embarrassed!"

To be rescued, and by that person. . . how could she not blush like the innocent maiden she was in her heart!

"My heart is trem~bling! Shouldn't these sentiments be answered? Such feelings deserve to be rewarded! My darling Petelgeuse has freed me, so I must spread this warmth to all those with darkness in their hearts!"

She shook in anticipation of their inevitable reunion.

Author's Note:

Hoooh boy it's been a long time since I updated! Sorry to everyone who has been waiting for new chapters of this, I wanted to get The Secret to a point where I felt I could take a breather for a while, as I want it to be exciting when I eventually return to writing chapters for that fic! I'm probably going to write 4-5 more chapters for this fic before I swap back to the Secret to continue updating it, unless I see a lot of demand for it to return early! You will probably see those chapters come out more frequently, so don't worry about the Secret being neglected for more than like a month or two. There is also a couple one-shots I've already written, so you might end up seeing a couple of those get dropped at some point during the next month as well! I think I wrote the characters pretty well this chapter, but as always, I'm interested in seeing your criticisms and adjusting them in a way that makes them satisfying to read.

It's kinda nice that I will get some practice writing lines for Sirius before I end up returning to the Secret, because I think I'll be a whiz at writing good lines for her when I'm done!

As it relates to this story, stuff is really going to pick up next chapter, so look forward to it!

I did also wait a little bit longer to return to this fic cause the original author updated their story, so I didn't want to be a jerk and drop a chapter out of nowhere right after they came back! Please go check out that fic if you haven't already!

I can't really think of a community poll for this chapter, so I'll do the same thing I did a while back. Suggest any scene you might want to see included in this fic and depending on how many people reply, I'll add it into the fic! Fluff is preferred, and ideally fluff that doesn't change the plot by too much!

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Chapter Text

'Goddamn it Rein! This wasn't what we agreed on!'

Felt had been trapped in his dress closet for over five hours by this point. She was starting to get anxious at being kept out of the loop for so long, especially considering the time constraints she was operating under. If she didn't find a solution to the 'Mabeast' problem before nightfall, odds are, Subaru would end up in danger! Reinhard had to be aware of this, right?

It looked like he knew something about the culprit behind the attacks, so at least there was something for her to hope for. The problem was, he never got the time to tell her!

He'd instead left her all alone with no means of escape!

Felt was reaching her breaking point and she was close to just making a run for it. The odds of someone catching her were already pretty slim and Reinhard's duel would act as a suitable diversion.

*SLAM*

As she started to creak the closet door open, Reinhard's bedroom door abruptly slammed open.

She swore she nearly had a heart attack! Felt silently cursed Reinhard again, her only comfort imagining the ridiculous punishment she would levy onto him for forcing her to do this.

Two pairs of footsteps made their way into Reinhard's room, but there were no words exchanged between them. It was a bit odd, all things considered.

"Please, take a seat somewhere."

Felt immediately recognized Reinhard's voice and breathed a sigh of relief. He obviously won the duel, but more importantly, she finally had a chance to get out of this stupid closet!

"It's fine~, I'll just stand!"

'W-Who is that? I've never heard her voice before. . .'

An unknown person chirped up a snarky reply. Judging by the sound of their voice, Felt guessed that the speaker was a girl around her age. Why did her Big Sis bring along this chick to search for Subaru?

"Very well. I suppose I'll just start with some clarifying questions."

Reinhard's voice was lacking its normal. . . cheeriness. It was hard to describe, but it reminded Felt of the first couple months after Subaru's execution. It was almost like the red-haired knight couldn't be bothered to make an effort anymore.

"Sure, ask away~."

"Before you answer, I would also like you to be aware that my Divine Protections can pick up any dishonesty in your replies. I would like to avoid a situation where you're lying to me."

"E-Eh!? So you also have the green-haired onee~san's Divine Protection too? How unfair~!"

Felt wasn't a fan of the tactic Reinhard was employing, as he'd now given her advance warning of his absolutely broken abilities. If she was smart, it was possible for her to talk around them. What was Reinhard thinking!?

"How did you come into contact with the Emilia Camp?"

"On a job~."

There was a slight pause, but it was short enough to where it could be dismissed as her collecting her thoughts. If she was trying to qualify her statements, it would become obvious very soon.

"And what kind of job was this?"

"Hmm~. . . I've been told not to disclose it to strangers, so if you want to know you should ask the half-elf onee~san's friends."

Reinhard was obviously suspicious about this, but he felt he'd get an answer if he tried a different line of questioning.

"I've detected some animosity directed at me from the moment you arrived through these doors. I would go so far as to call it killing intent. May I ask what it is that I've done to upset you?"

He made sure to emphasize the words 'killing intent' to show Meili he'd seen through her little act. It was obvious he knew what her previous occupation was, even before he brought her in for questioning, but he simply wanted to see if she'd confess it or not.

Felt was now on the edge of her seat.

"Am I not allowed to dislike you without a reason~?"

"I believe I've already told you that my Divine Protection detects dishonesty. Please refrain from lying to me any further."

Meili was slightly surprised Reinhard saw through her deception, but she hadn't slipped up too badly yet, so she wasn't worried about Reinhard's threats. He was obviously lying to everyone here too, so the worst-case scenario could be avoided with a little bit of blackmail. She already knew for a fact that Reinhard had been harboring Subaru here the night they began the search.

"You hurt someone ~dear~ to me, that's why."

"Would you tell me who that person is?"

"The black-haired oni~san, of course!"

Meili smiled at Reinhard's pained expression, as he looked like he'd been completely overtaken with guilt by her nonchalant call-out. However, this had an unintended side effect.

"I told you not to lie to me. I won't ask again."

Reinhard could feel the intense vortex of wind emanating from the young assassin's statement. This signaled an animosity towards Subaru even more potent than what was directed at him. And she absolutely wanted to kill him, there was no doubt in Reinhard's mind about that. His suspicions about her involvement with the Mabeast attacks became even stronger.

"You wounded my precious older sister."

The playful intonation in Meili's voice was now noticeably absent. Her bloodlust flared up even more, but she was powerless to act on those feelings.

"If I did so without good reason, then I'm deeply sorry. I'll try and finish this up soon."

Felt was listening intently to everything the two of them were saying, trying her best to piece together the situation with the few context clues she had. Reinhard seemed uncharacteristically cold towards the unknown girl he was interrogating. This was definitely weird, as Reinhard didn't even act this way towards Emilia or Crusch.

"This is my final question. Why have you decided to keep Subaru's survival a secret?"

With the mention of Subaru's name, Reinhard sounded like he'd snapped at the young girl.

". . .h-huh?"

Meili's mouth hung open. That was supposed to be her bargaining chip, the information she'd reveal to Reinhard in order to blackmail him!

For Reinhard to outright confirm Subaru's survival to her, it meant only one possibility. He'd somehow figured out her plan.

How did Reinhard know? It shouldn't be possible for him to trace the attacks back to her, Subaru was gone! She'd also deliberately avoided any and all interactions with him up this point! Subaru had no contact with Reinhard either, as far as she was aware! Maybe if they were communicating via metia. . . but that brought up its own problems.

"W-What?"

"No need to feign ignorance, I know you've been sending out your Mabeasts to hunt Subaru. I simply would like to kn-. . ."

The closet door was nearly kicked off its hinges. The blonde-haired thief pulled out her spare dagger, slamming Meili into the nearby wall, knife to her throat.

"You bitc*! So you're the one. . !? You're the person who tried to kill Big Bro? Well, I guess I'll just dispose of you now!"

Before she could slash the blade through Meili's throat, Reinhard intercepted Felt and quickly separated the two girls. Had his intervention been even a second later, Meili would be lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood.

The knife still broke skin, but luckily for her, it was only a superficial wound.

"I'll make sure you regret letting me live~! I'll have my pets dissemble you one piece at a time!"

This wasn't good. Reinhard obviously wouldn't let the young girl carry out her threat, but those were the least of his worries.

The commotion was sure to attract the rest of the people in the mansion. His hearing had already picked up a scramble of hurried footsteps rapidly closing in on their location.

His hand had been forced, leaving Reinhard only one option.

"Sorry you two!"

A cloaked man wandered the streets of the Capital, seemingly directionless, while he longingly stared at the vibrant citizens that passed him by.

Any person observing the man would say that they looked like they were one foot in the grave. Their cloak was tattered, movements jumbled, and whispers nonsensical. He looked like he was simply searching for a comfortable place to lay down and die, and this wasn't completely incorrect.

Since most people didn't have a high spiritual affinity, they lacked the ability to see the six multicolored spirits hovering above the man's head. His words to them looked like the ramblings of a crazy man.

The only things keeping him going were his commitment to his brother's safety and the recent promise he'd made to himself.

Julius Juukulius would stand vigil for his late companion.

No matter how much time passes, he wasn't allowed to forget. There were no words, no quests, no heartfelt apologies that would bring him back. Remembering. . . This was the only thing he could do for him.

Just as he'd remembered Julius when the world forgot his existence.

Just as he'd believed in him, even when Julius wasn't deserving of his trust.

He MUST remember. If at least, to carry on his memory. . .

Julius knew he wasn't worthy of these feelings or this responsibility. For all intents and purposes, he should've been laying in a grave right next to him.

But circumstances wouldn't allow for it.

The tombstone had been left unmarked, a cheap ploy to prevent his despicable acts from being discovered. If he'd had any extended family who hadn't betrayed him, they would never know what happened. His grave would be left alone for all eternity.

This thought made Julius want to puke. It revolted him to such a degree, that he'd considered burying himself a grave right beside his and disappearing into the earth. At least then, he would suffer the same fate he'd so callously cast onto others.

His spirits talked him out of it.

They reminded him of all the people he'd be leaving behind. His brother, who'd looked up to him even now (although he still didn't know the truth). Ricardo, who'd stuck his neck out to get him employed as a mercenary after he'd been demoted. Anastasia, who'd so earnestly pleaded with the Council to spare his life.

To forsake the remaining people who still cared for him guaranteed his soul would rot in the afterlife. If there even was one.

Julius hoped there was. Maybe he'd finally face justice there.

While he remained on this plane of existence, the only pittance he could offer was his daily visits to the cemetery.

He wasn't the best company, but at least someone remembered.

The former knight finally made it to the merchant district, quickly snapping out of his depressive episode, and instead searching for a store carrying the specific item he needed.

"Flowers. . . o-orange flowers. . ."

Julius reminded his six companions what it was they were searching for and they scattered, looking for a shop they could direct him towards.

The recent stoppage had really backed up the commercial areas of the capital, and that included the merchant district. Lines looped the entire road, some people waiting all day only to find out the store closed before they could buy anything. It was truly pitiful to witness.

Julius eventually found what he was looking for, and luckily, the line wasn't too bad.

It would still be around a thirty-minute wait, but since everyone else was more focused on buying food and other essential goods, there wasn't much competition surrounding cosmetic products.

While he waited, his spirits drifted next to him, observing the crowds of people passing them by on the street.

One of them was a cloaked guy, accompanied by another, slightly taller, cloaked guy. They could sense he had some pretty crazy spiritual affinity, but Julius recalled them as he didn't want them to go harass the guy.

"I-I hope he doesn't mind waiting a little longer today. . ."

Julius knew that he would be arriving slightly later to the cemetery than usual.

He truly was scum.

The two unconscious girls were fully laid out on Reinhard's bed as Rem and Emilia came bursting in.

"W-What is this!? R-Reinhard, why is Meili-chan unconscious?"

Emilia had a million questions running through her head at once, but the most pressing one surrounded the yelling she'd heard earlier. Felt's sudden appearance was certainly good fortune for them, but seeing the wound on Meili's throat made Emilia worried that something serious might have happened.

"Emilia-sama, I can explain. Please give me a moment to check their physical condition."

Reinhard, in his panic, had resorted to his go-to plan for situations like this.

"Reinhard? What happened to them?"

Rem extended her hand to start using healing magic on Meili's throat wound, but Reinhard didn't answer her question. He was still preoccupied with the physical wellbeing of Felt and Meili, considering the aggressive action he'd just taken.

'Perhaps I went a little overboard. . .'

His mana drain was super effective on them, but in his rush, he may have drained a little too much. It would be a couple hours before either of them woke up.

He prayed that it would give him enough time to find a way out of this mess.

"I knocked both of them out before they could continue hurting each other. Don't worry, neither of them are seriously wounded."

By this point, Otto and Garfiel had arrived and both were as dumbfounded as Emilia.

"Th' hell's goin' on!?"

Reinhard took a deep breath and prepared to lie through his teeth. Even if Crusch overheard him, by the time Felt woke up, they had no chance of getting out of this. He needed to completely erase their suspicions before that happened.

"N-Now that you all have arrived, I suppose I must tell you the truth."

Otto raised an eyebrow at this, as it was awfully convenient for him to say something like this when Crusch wasn't present, but he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"W-Wait. . . so that means. . . is S-Subaru-kun. . !?"

Rem practically grabbed Reinhard by the collar, desperate for any chance at seeing the young man again. All Reinhard needed to do was confirm it.

"Please, wait. I didn't mea-. . ."

"Reinhard. . . Does this mean you were lying?"

Emilia looked at Reinhard with a betrayed expression, which only made his guilt flare up even further. What he was doing was wrong and he knew it, but it was what Subaru wanted!

"Emilia-sama, please accept my apologies. I haven't exactly been truthful with you."

She felt tears in her eyes, but this time it was a different feeling. The pain, the guilt, the regret. There was a chance, however slim, that it might go away.

"A-Apology accepted, but from now on please be honest!"

Reinhard swallowed the lump in his throat, as the literal next words to exit his mouth would all be lies. His only consolation was the fact that they'd been lying to him too, but it was obvious that both sides were aware of this.

"I'm sorry to quash your hopes, but the situation regarding Subaru has not changed. Rather, my odd actions were in response to that young girl over there."

Reinhard pointed at Meili's unconscious form, trying his best to avoid the shattered visages of the four Emilia Camp members stood in front of him. He didn't need to look at them to know he'd once again trampled their hopes of a possible reunion.

"What do you mean?"

Emilia didn't understand why Reinhard would lie to them just because they brought along an unknown girl.

"Emilia-sama, when she entered the mansion, I could sense her projecting killing intent. I wasn't sure why, so to be safe, I moved Felt-sama and the rest of the maidstaff to a secure location. I didn't wish to levy any accusations against her without evidence."

What a convenient lie. If he got ahead of the rumors, discrediting Meili before she had a chance to expose his secret, there was a decent chance that Emilia believed him. She most certainly had reasons to doubt Meili's claims.

"I'm sad to say, my predictions were correct."

Reinhard gestured to the two unconscious girls, implying that Meili was responsible for the commotion they'd heard earlier.

"Why did you want to speak with her alone?"

Otto was still a little bit confused. Felt just appeared out of nowhere and Meili tried assassinating her? He knew about Meili's past, but her couldn't think of any reason for her to target Felt. This was because he'd never been told of the initial incident with the Bowel Hunter.

"Her target was still unknown to me. If I questioned her myself, she was more likely to try and make a move."

"I-I don't understand. . If you'd said something earlier, we would've helped you!"

Emilia wasn't even sure of her own words. It was plainly visible to everyone how much Reinhard had been suffering and her first instinct had been to jump towards accusations. She never even considered that it'd been her own fault. That perhaps, the cold-blooded killer they'd brought with them, had nefarious intentions.

"E-Emilia-sama, I didn't wish to accuse someone you trust. . ."

Emilia felt guilt creeping into her once more. She'd forced her friend to accept a potential murderer into his home. Did they really let their desperation overwhelm them to this degree? Everything they've done since they arrived here had been completely unethical.

And what was it all for?

If Subaru was still alive, he most certainly didn't want to see them.

They were simply being selfish. Their desire to apologize, to be forgiven for their sins, had become their justification to make even more mistakes.

None of them changed.

Not a single one of them.

This was exactly why she didn't want to believe Subaru had survived. It only served to lessen her culpability. To give her the excuse to act like the person she'd long since evolved out of.

"I-I. . ."

The half-elf stumbled forward, now supporting herself against the wall. By this point she was speechless. How low they'd fallen. . .

"Emilia-sama? What's wrong!?"

Rem momentarily stopped her healing magic, rushing over to assess the well-being of her employer. Neither of them noticed Beatrice, Crusch, and Wilhelm's presence outside the doorway.

"Call it off. . ."

The blue-haired maid's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't have just heard those words, right? Emilia was mumbling, so she must've been trying to say someth-. . .

"Call if all off!"

At this, virtually everyone except for Reinhard had to take a step back. Even though Reinhard knew what she was talking about, he still had to act like he was clueless.

"Princess, what'r ya' suggestin'?!"

Emilia couldn't keep lying to them anymore. It was wrong. What they were doing here was wrong. This wasn't a way to 'honor' Subaru, it was just their desperate attempts to dispel their guilt. How many more people would they be willing to hurt if it meant seeing him again? She didn't want to find out.

"The blockage, the hostility, the lies. . ! This needs to stop!"

Otto heard what she was saying, but he didn't want to say anymore while Reinhard was in the room. Then all of it would be for naught.

"I-I understand your concerns, I feel similarly, but what about the rest o-. ."

"No! You clearly don't!"

Emilia was shaking with rage, however most of it was directed at herself for even agreeing to this plan in the first place.

"Do none of you realize the magnitude of what we've just done? The sheer number of people whose lives we've disrupted? Everything we've done here is an affront to the life Subaru led!"

Everyone stood still in guilty acknowledgement. They'd seen the bread lines. They knew the part they'd played in this debacle and hadn't paid any mind to it.

"Don't talk about Subaru like he's dead!"

The person who broke the silence was none other than Rem. How dare she try to extinguish the last bit of hope they had left? The only thing that kept Rem going was the hope she could reunite with the man who'd sacrificed everything on her behalf. And now, telling her to give up? One of his murderers? She was lucky Rem didn't have her Morningstar with her, because the demon was unsure if she would've been able to stop herself from flying into a rage.

"He is! And we should've accepted the truth! I'm know. . . I'm just as guilty as all of you, but I-I-. . . I won't continue this path any longer!"

"Ya' wanna' give up!? 'fter all we've done?"

Reinhard watched the scene playing out in front of him with no joy in his heart. Yes, it may have been what he wanted, but it was quite the horrible thing to desire. His actions had now led them to despair. He'd completely trampled all over their will, sending them back to the feelingless void they'd been trapped in for so long, somehow making things even worse.

"Don't you understand!? I-If Subaru is still alive, what would he see when he looks at us? Would he see people who'd made an effort to change themselves? To try and right their wrongs? Or would he only see monsters?"

Emilia didn't dare expand on her last sentence. Just imagining it was enough to make her heart sink through the floor. Subaru really hated them now. . . didn't he? So much that he never wanted to see them again. They didn't deserve the peace that came with an apology.

"Isn't that all the more reason to seek him out? To directly voice our contrition for what we've done?"

Otto was still holding out hope that he could change Emilia's mind. At the very least, he wanted her to realize the position she'd put everyone else into. Emilia wasn't the only person complicit in Subaru's execution. It wasn't right for her to make this decision on everyone's behalf! She was taking away their only chance of reconciliation!

"It's as I said, your effort was pointless, I-I suppose. He wishes never to see us again, i-in fact. . ."

Beatrice spoke her first words since they'd began their trip here.

Even with Emilia begging her to come along, she'd seen the writing on the wall. The spirit wasn't happy about being right this time.

"B-Betty's. . . no, Natsuki Subaru is dead!"

Crusch balled her fist, as she realized Emilia's resolve to find Subaru had been completely eroded. And just when she'd finally steeled herself to go the full distance. . .

"You may be right Emilia-dono, I will grant you that. However, as selfish as it might sound, I need to see this through."

Wilhelm put his hand on Crusch's shoulder, signaling his support for her determination.

Emilia clenched her teeth together as she panned her view across everyone watching this pitiful scene. Even her own camp members didn't seem to agree with her outburst.

"Fine then. All of you, do as you will, but I refuse to continue deluding myself. I hope you realize Subaru would be disgusted with our actions. . ."

Crusch was not deterred, as she already knew what a monster she'd become. This was her only chance at atonement.

"V-Very well. Reinhard, when Felt wakes up, please give us a moment to speak."

Crusch could swear she saw drops of sweat forming on Reinhard's face.

"This is insane! We've been waiting in lines all day, and we're still only halfway done with our shopping!?"

Subaru felt his upper body arch forwards as the stress from standing upright for so many hours finally began to take its toll.

"Stop bein' such a baby! I swear, you're actin' just like my daughter, kid!"

As Subaru started to prepare an insult to shoot back at Kadomon, the two of them rounded a corner only to find the street even more populated than the main road they'd been sticking to all day. There was only one shop here, but it was safe to say that business was going well.

"You've gotta' be kidding me. . !"

This was the line to end all lines. It snaked so much that Subaru could barely make out where the line ended and where it began. Even Kadomon let out a slight groan at the thought of waiting the rest of the day here.

"Wow, this has to be a new record! I wish my shop got patronized this well. . !"

"Oh, I forgot! You merchants measure suffering with dollar signs. . ."

Subaru grumbled out to nobody in particular.

"Eh!? Got somethin' to say, kid? I'm nothing like those other merchants! I don't take advantage of my customers!"

Subaru stayed silent and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. He probably shouldn't have said 'you merchants', but it was too late to take it back and not look like an idiot. Luckily for him, Kadomon already knew Subaru was an idiot, so he didn't come out of the exchange looking any worse.

Kadomon guided Subaru to the back of the overwhelming mass of people and they both took their spot at the back of the line.

"U-Uh. . . Any idea why there are so many people at this place?"

Subaru couldn't stand awkward silences, and the idea of this one continuing for the entire time they stood in line made Subaru consider the merits of a strategic RBD. He quickly discounted it though, as all it would do is make him have to stand in all those lines again. The horror. . .

"There's only a couple butcher shops in this city, so this place was bound to be packed."

'Oh, that makes sense. If my knowledge of Medieval societies is accurate, meat wasn't something people got to eat every day. I suppose I've been pretty spoiled from my time living with Reinhard. . .'

"The hell're ya' talkin' about kid? 'Me-dee-val'? Are ya' sure ya' didn't just get bonked on the head when ya' lost your memories?"

"I said that out loud!? I really gotta' break that habit. . !"

He might accidentally trigger the RBD taboo if he isn't careful. Having his heart randomly get squeezed would make him look like a lunatic to those passing him by. That wouldn't be fun!

"Kid, sometimes ya' really worry me. . ."

An indistinct sound of voices washed over the crowd outside the butcher shop.

"Hmm. . ?"

Subaru tilted his head. The people in the line all began to talk amongst themselves, wondering what the source of those sounds could be. They almost sounded like yelling, but it was too far away for them to make out.

But, as the sounds got closer, everyone's feeling of unrest only grew stronger. . .

"Huh? Don't tell me people are rioting! It's only been a couple days!"

Kadomon had seen this city go through much worse and come out unscathed. Civil unrest after a few days of food shortages wasn't what he'd been expecting. Normally mob violence had specific targets, but with the death of the Royal Family, who were the people supposed to get mad at?

*BOOM*

"W-What was that?!"

The entire line turned to face the place they heard the explosion. It had come from the street that Subaru and Kadomon had just exited. They could see the flames creeping across the roofs of these buildings and onto the streets of the Capital.

*Clap* *Clap*

"A~h! Such a sight~! It sa~tiates the soul, doesn't it? Right? It does, yes it does, very much, yes, undoubtedly~! O~ne of you smells impeccably gourmet ~tsu! Won't you please introduce yourself to us~? Right now~! Immediately ~tsu?"

The voice came from a young boy dressed in rags, inexplicably standing upon the roof of the butcher shop.

Nobody was sure how to react to this boy, but with one look at his eyes, they knew this thing was feral. He looked like he was already devouring them all in his mind.

". . .h-help us. . !"

*BOOM*

Another crowd of people rushed past them onto the main street, only to be almost immediately incinerated by a strong blast of fire magic (although it might be more canonically accurate to say Ice Magic).

At the shocked gasps of Subaru and the rest of the crowd, the young child stopped clapping.

"Wasteful~! So very wasteful~! We are offered such a meal, a banquet, a bounty, a feast~! Must start devouring before it spoils ~tsu! May we take a bite of ~you~ first? Thanks, condolences, your welcome ~tsu!"

The flames had officially blocked off their exit, leaving this large group of people with nowhere to run.

"Oops~! Forgot to intro~duce ourselves~! Bad, very bad, gospel said s~o, can't forget~! We are the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishops of Gluttony, Roy Alphard!"

Author's Note:

Ooooh man, I wanna drop the next chapter for this like right now! I'm still working on it, but guys its about to get crazy. Just think about all the people present during this scene, then hopefully you'll get an idea of where I'm going with this. On a separate note, someone literally predicted the next chapter (not saying who) and I literally wanted to tell them they were right for so long, but I never got the opportunity! This story is about to pick up like crazy, and yes, the Witch Cult is attacking the entire city :).

A poll for next chapter, which will be pretty substantial.

How many loops will it take Subaru to get out of this mess?

A. 5?

B. 10?

C. 20?

Just know, the less loops you pick, the more brutal they will be ;). This is how one learns to write like tappei, lol. I won't cover every loop in horrifying detail, but just know, this will not be a fun experience for our boy!

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Chapter Text

Crippling fear.

The frozen crowd of people were struck with such paranoia from the young boy's words that most of them had unconsciously begun to shake. The overwhelming terror of their situation made the children cry hysterically. Not that anyone could blame them, many of the adults also wished to weep from these horrific circumstances.

"W-Wait a minute. . . Sin Archbishop?"

Only Subaru, who was still uncovering the attacker's identity through a patchwork of context clues and vague descriptions from the Sage Council and Reinhard, remained undeterred by Gluttony's taunts. Kadomon's knees trembled with anxiety, as he realized he might never see his family again. In the midst of this vicious attack, there was a high likelihood that they'd ended up being killed by the Witch Cult.

"K-Kid, I know ya' lost your memories. . .but please. . . tell me you've gotta' plan to deal with this."

Kadomon chose his words carefully, as he hadn't completely assessed his odds of survival to be zero. With Subaru here, there was always a chance. Always.

The situation in Priestella had been quite dire, same with the attack by the Archbishop of Sloth. Somehow, he'd figured a way out of it.

"I-I. . ."

Subaru was speechless. He'd never expected to run into one of these monsters, much less the one that originally defeated him. How could they expect him to just 'deal with it'? He didn't have any memory of doing this is in the first place! If his theories about how he achieved those victories were right, how many deaths had it taken him to pull them off?

"Kid, before ya' lost your memories, you were the only person to ever defeat the Witch Cult in battle. Whatever your intuition is telling ya', I need to hear it!"

Kadomon's increased urgency only made Subaru even more desperate to dispel the notions Kadomon had about Subaru's strategic mind. This was exactly the type of situation he wanted to avoid. The current Natsuki Subaru was nothing but a failure shut-in, living off Reinhard's dime. There was no way he could compare to the ridiculous feats of will orchestrated by his previous self.

". . .H-Huh? T-That guy's defeated the Witch Cult. . !?"

Several bystanders overheard Kadomon's plea. One could only imagine how this would turn out.

". . S-Sir, please help us. . !"

". . I'll do anything! You don't even have to protect me! P-Please just save my child. . !"

The crowd all turned inwards to face Subaru, still bewildered from the immediate change in scenery and demeanor. Only a couple minutes ago, they'd all been strangers to one another, destined to pass each other in the street without exchanging a single word. Now, Natsuki Subaru had been entrusted with their lives.

What a difference setting can play.

The only problem was, they entrusted their lives to 'Natsuki Subaru', the Hero of Priestella and Slayer of Sloth.

Subaru was neither of those things.

". . . ."

Subaru wanted to find the right words to answer their earnest prayers, but he was terrified of coming up short. Would it be wrong for him to tell them the truth? To doom them to their fate by stripping them of their will to fight? Or should he accept responsibility for their lives, despite knowing he'd likely be leading them to their deaths?

It was a lose-lose. And Subaru hated Kadomon for putting him in that position. However, he couldn't even blame the guy, considering how much was at stake. If it had been the other way around and Subaru's family was put in danger, he would've done the exact same thing.

"Ignoring~? Are we being ignored~? This means the feast has begun, right!? We've been told it's ~impolite~ to speak with food in our mouth, so we'll just start swallowing, ok~? We'll start with the gour~met people first ~tsu!"

At that, the young boy lept off the roof and made a beeline for Subaru. His lightning speed was so incomprehensible, that even in Subaru's adrenaline filled state, he could only barely follow the boy's afterimage.

". . -hk!"

"S-Subaru!"

Subaru was hit head-on by the Archbishop's attack. Although, to call it an attack would be lacking. He moreso 'dashed' in his general direction, likely hoping Subaru would dodge. This didn't happen, confusing him immensely. His enjoyment from eating didn't just come from the amount of people he was able to eat, but also his ability to play with his food before he finished them off. Normally, his judgement regarding his food was spot-on.

"Hm~? You. You smell gourmet~! How can you be so weak?"

Gluttony paused before striking Subaru's collapsed form with another blow, as he angrily gnashed his jagged teeth together, feeling cheated out of an interesting meal.

". . .g-ghahh. . ."

Subaru moaned on the ground as the pain began to distribute throughout the rest of his body. The crowd, watching the scene in abject horror, was too scared to move. If they took the chance to run, no doubt Gluttony would be able to catch them with the speed he just displayed. Not to mention the fact that they were completely entrapped by the flames engulfing the street's exits on both sides.

Their only chance was for Subaru to defeat the monster in combat, but that single blow shattered their hopes.

"Green man, repeat that name~? We didn't clearly hear you say it, so do so now. Immediately ~tsu!"

Kadomon, being directly spoken to by a Sin Archbishop, froze completely. His entire life began flashing before his eyes and the only things keeping him grounded were thoughts of his wife and daughter.

". . . ."

Somehow, he remained silent. He didn't comply with the creature's demands. It was a testament to the stubbornness one could display with thoughts of their loved ones fresh in their minds. Even the rest of the crowd looked upon the scene with some awe.

"Very well~, we'll eat you first. We'll bite~, bite~, and bite~ you into small pieces!"

". . .Subaru. That's what he said. . ."

Before Gluttony could make his move, Subaru spoke up. Answering that evil thing's question was the only way to absolutely spare Kadomon's life. Subaru was well aware of what it was like to watch him die, and even if their hopes were misplaced, he couldn't simply neglect their feelings by playing dead. It simply wasn't in his nature.

"Subaru~!? Very tasty! Name was very, very, very, very, very, very tasty! We'd like it again, but we're not sure if it works~!"

"Damned monster. . ."

Subaru groaned out a weak curse and propped himself up using all his willpower. He, at the very least, knew he had something to bargain with now. Perhaps there might be a way for everyone to make it out of this place happy.

"Rude~! Nii-sama was the one who ate you up last time, so you must be gourmet~! I think it's time for us to take a bite ~tsu!"

As Subaru felt the blood begin rushing to his head, he felt his desperation to survive overwhelm all other senses in his body. It was as if time slowed down. He became keenly aware of his surroundings, and of his inevitable fate if he didn't take some sort of action immediately. Searching, searching, searching for an answer. . . Anywhere that he could find one.

Soon enough, he found it.

It almost beckoned to him.

Something in his core spoke, but not in any words Subaru could understand. For some reason though, he knew exactly what the words meant.

'Use me. Use my power.'

That was what it said to him.

As time continued on at the speed of everyone else's perception, Roy Alphard continued racing towards Subaru at inhuman speeds, his hand outstretched to make contact with Subaru's body.

Interestingly, when he was around an inch away from Subaru, something happened.

"V-Very well. . .!"

When Subaru yelled out those words, almost simultaneously, Roy was knocked backwards with a violent amount of force. The Archbishop had no way to dodge this attack, as it was completely invisible. If he'd had more space, the disruption in air currents would've given him enough wherewithal to dodge the attack before it could make contact. However, his forward momentum carried him too quickly, nearly doubling the total force of the attack as it made contact with his skull.

". . .W-What?!"

There he was. Subaru had landed an attack on the Archbishop of Gluttony. The crowd, who at this point had been sure of his demise, was now watching the scene with growing keenness.

"All of you! Run away! Hide yourselves, or something! He won't stop once he gets me! He'll come for all of you next!"

Subaru used this moment of respite to warn the bystanders of the inevitable outcome of this fight. They all needed to run away. Now. If Subaru was lucky, he could hold him off long enough for these people to escape and potentially work out a deal with him to spare his life. It was a sound plan, as it looked like Subaru had something that Roy wanted.

"Kid! Y-Your eyes. . !"

Kadomon ran up next to Subaru, scouting places for the two of them to run away from the incapacitated Archbishop.

"H-Huh. . ?"

As Subaru's hand brushed against his cheek, his vision was met with a streak of blood. Not only was it all over his hands, but it had begun to seep into his eye, blurring his right-side field of view. The usage of Invisible Providence, which was what Subaru felt it was called for some reason, had forced a tsunami of blood into his head. One of his eardrums had burst (although Subaru wasn't sure if that was caused by the initial explosion or by his attack) and his eyes bled rivers of blood. The headache this caused him was no joke either. It felt like his brain was. . . trembling.

"We need to get out of here, kid! It's amazing what ya' just did, but we n-. . ."

"Delicious~! Delectable~! Tasty~! Scrumptious~! Ahhh, this is what gourmet tastes like ~tsu!"

Before Kadomon could finish his sentence, the Archbishop was back up and on his feet. He wasn't unaffected by the attack, as his face was bloodied and body covered in small scratches. Compared to Subaru though, he seemed perfectly healthy. The attack had done more damage to Subaru than Roy!

"W-Wait, wait, wait!"

Roy looked puzzled as Subaru excitedly waved his hands at him.

"Y-You said you wanted something from me, right? A 'name' or whatever?"

Roy nodded quickly and let his jaw hang loosely from his head. Just the thought of eating this person's name again was making him salivate in anticipation.

"Ok! H-How about, in exchange for sparing all of us, I just g-. . ."

Subaru didn't even get to finish his sentence.

At the speed of sound, something whooshed by Subaru's ear.

He at first thought nothing of it, but when he noticed the speed at which his surroundings retreated away from himself, Subaru realized something was horribly wrong.

'I-I've felt this before.'

It'd all taken place in under half a second, but soon Subaru realized why this feeling was so familiar.

Kadomon's expression molded itself full of disgust and horror.

"Disappointing~! A meal without taste isn't a meal ~tsu!"

Gluttony had suddenly appeared behind Subaru, clutching something relatively large in his hands.

'T-That's me. . .'

Subaru's last image was that of his headless body hitting the ground.

"Stop bein' such a baby! I swear, you're actin' just like my daughter, kid!"

". . -hk!"

At the end of Kadomon's provocative statement, Subaru's hands bolted up towards his neck, where he quickly felt around to make sure that everything was still attached.

It had been so quick, Subaru hadn't even registered he'd Returned By Death, as he had been desperately trying to move his arms during the last moments of the previous loop too.

Given the couple seconds of time he had to adjust, Subaru quickly understood what had happened.

"K-Kadomon. . ."

"What, kid?"

"Where are we headed to next?"

Subaru did his best to ask the question calmly, but his voice shook with an unidentifiable emotion. The answer to this question would dictate how much time he had left to act and prevent the bastard's attack. Or at least to avoid getting caught up in it in the first place.

"Hmm? Weren't ya' paying attention? I just said we're headed to the butcher, didn't I?"

He felt his words catch in his throat. This checkpoint was simply too evil.

The situation with the flying Mabeasts had been bad, but the only reason they got attracted towards him was because he accidentally increased his scent. He'd also been quite lucky to get out of that scenario with only a single loop due to Old Man Rom's intervention. This time, he wouldn't be so fortunate.

Even if he compared this checkpoint to the previous one, he still had much less time to act. Five minutes at most. What could he do to prevent it? Where could they hide where they wouldn't be found?

"Kadomon. We need to leave. Now."

Subaru gritted his teeth, hating himself for taking an easy out when confronted with the first signs of trouble. However, unlike the previous Subaru, he most certainly didn't want to die. Even if it meant condemning others to their fate.

He still had nightmares from all the crap he'd dealt with from the assassination attempt and Mabeast attack. Every time he died; he felt a little piece of him slip away. Subaru didn't want to find out what would happen to him if he stuck around. Nothing good, that's for sure.

"H-Huh? What's wrong kid? Ya' think someone here knows who we are?"

"N-No. I can't explain why, but something really bad is about to happen. We need to find somewhere to hide."

Kadomon's face lit up in alarm. For some reason, it looked like the appa salesman was believing him with absolutely no questions asked.

". . .ya' think we should?"

Subaru nodded his head in confirmation, slowly turning his head to see if there were any potential cultists trying to blend into the crowd.

"Alright, fine!"

"No questions? None at all?"

Kadomon shrugged his shoulders and went along with Subaru's words.

"What reason is there for ya' to lie? Besides, the look on your face is too serious for ya' to be joking."

Subaru was quite fortunate that Kadomon was so adept at the skill of reading people's body language. It was something he'd learned over his years of being a salesman and convincing people to buy his products. Such was the life of a merchant in a bustling city like the Capital of Lugunica. Talking to strangers day in and day out will do that to a person.

"We should stick to the main road, maybe try and find an entrance to the sewers. . ."

Kadomon silently observed Subaru, simply following his lead and letting him direct the two of them to the nearest hiding place.

"T-This should work. . ."

Subaru pointed out a manhole cover close to the sidewalk, which Kadomon looked at with a repulsed expression.

"We really gotta' go down there. . ?"

"Trust me. Besides, the slits here will give us a small view of what's happening on the main road, so we'll know when its safe to come out."

Not to mention it gave them the best chance of escape. They always had the option of fleeing underground if the Cult was actively targeting them. It was a sound idea, even if it was a bit crude. Without more time to prepare, this was the best he could do.

"That bag of money wasn't worth this crap. . ."

*BOOM*

"W-What the. . .!?"

The two of them peered out onto the main street of the Capital, and the scene playing out in front of them was a total bloodbath.

Crowds were running rampant left and right while fodder cultists were launching magic attacks at them and taking out tons of civilians. The rage Subaru felt was only continuing to build, but he forced himself to remain still.

"K-Keep your head down Kadomon! We really don't want to be seen!"

Kadomon balled his fists in frustration, but calmed himself down enough to avoid detection.

". . .h-help us. . !"

". . Anybody. . !"

The screams echoed through the streets of the market district. Some of them were voices that Subaru recognized from his loop at the Butcher's. He couldn't stop the tears from leaking out of his eyes.

". . .Momma. . ?"

And then, the voice of someone pierced through all the noise. It was someone Kadomon knew very well.

". . .Momma? W-Where did you go!?"

"Plum!"

Kadomon yelled out the name of his daughter, which only made Subaru feel even more conflicted. That first loop. . . did he hear her cries for help then too?

The proud father that he was, the appa salesman couldn't sit there and leave his daughter to fend off those violent cultists on her own. He immediately moved to exit the sewer, hoping to reach her before a cultist inevitably targeted her for an attack.

Subaru made no effort to stop him.

"Hmm~! We followed the smell of ~someone~ we thought smelled gourmet~! But now they've disappeared ~tsu?"

Before Kadomon could finish lifting the manhole covering, the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony appeared in front of the young girl.

"N-No!"

Subaru screamed when he heard that voice and rushed to help Kadomon retrieve his daughter before it was too late.

"We'll settle for ~you~ as an appetizer~!"

They wouldn't make it. Gluttony was simply too fast.

It was all Subaru's fault. He'd told Kadomon to come down there. He'd doomed the young girl to her fate. Now he'd have to live with this girl's death on his conscience for the rest of his life. Either that, or. . .

*Whoosh*

Gluttony's attack was redirected from its original course, sending the Archbishop flying into the side of a building that he easily smashed through. From the look of it, someone had stepped in to intervene. And whoever this guy was, he was certainly skilled with a sword.

Looking closer at this guy, Subaru noticed he was dressed in frayed clothes with almost no visible possessions besides the aforementioned sword, bouquet of flowers, and six multicolored orbs clinging to his side. Orange flower petals were blown from the stem because of the shockwaves created by Gluttony's attack, where they got picked up and carried away by the wind.

"It's you. . . I never thought I'd get an opportunity to fight you again. You scum."

"H-Huh? What's goin' on!?"

Felt awoke to find herself sitting in the middle of a couch inside the Astrea Manor's lounge. She couldn't exactly recall the scenario which led to her losing consciousness, but she immediately suspected Reinhard had something to do with it.

"Felt, are you feeling alright?"

The voice she heard was one she'd become quite familiar with over her time participating in the Royal Selection. Felt turned around and was greeted by the unbroken gazes of half the Emilia Camp, Crusch, and Wilhelm.

"U-Uh, yeah I'm fine. Where's Reinhard?"

"I've requested an audience with you one-on-one, so he's currently waiting outside with Emilia-dono and Beatrice-sama."

Felt raised an eyebrow at this, as she knew all too well what this was about. No doubt, she'd been brought here for interrogation. That was why Crusch was the person taking the lead. She was here to detect any lies Felt might try to spin. Felt had never been particularly good at telling lies to begin with, as she was always the type of person who would be brutally honest with her friends. There was no chance of her making it through this unscathed. What an unfortunate turn of events!

She could see Emilia, Beatrice, and Reinhard standing outside because the door was open. None of them seemed willing to make eye contact with her though.

"W-Wait a minute. . ! Where's that blue-haired girl?!"

Almost all at once, the events leading up to her knock-out flooded back into her brain. That girl. . . she'd tried to kill Subaru. Not only that, but she knew he'd been staying there as well!

"I'm right here~."

The blue-haired girl, now tied up, glared at Felt from a chair on the other side of the room.

"Pfft-! Look at you! How pathetic can you get!"

Felt snarkily started laughing at Meili's embarrassing predicament. Even her own teammates, the Emilia Camp, had signed off on tying her up until further notice. This girl was acting so tough earlier too!

"Hmm, I'd watch what I said if I were you~."

Meili smiled at Felt, which somewhat unnerved the blonde-haired thief.

"There's a lotta' ~things~ I can say!"

Felt saw this coming from a mile away.

"Yea, well there's a lotta' things I can say about you too!"

She crossed her arms and looked away from the cocky blue-haired girl. If Meili wanted to go there, she was free to try it. It would mean telling the others about her plan to kill Subaru, which would destroy her reputation even more.

"Felt, I know this is sudden, but I ask you submit yourself to a couple questions."

"And why should I do that? You guys are the one's who brought a murderer into my home!"

This wouldn't work, but it was at least worth a try. If Crusch could be made to feel some form of guilt, then this whole thing could be avoided.

"That is true, and I deeply apologize. However, I insist you at least indulge me for a moment."

Otto and Garfiel looked upon the scene with complicated thoughts. By being here, they were deliberately ignoring orders from their leader and friends. No doubt Subaru wouldn't approve of this either. It was purely selfishly motivated. But the curiosity, the pain, it compelled them to want to see things through to the very end.

Ram looked at it all with indifference. She'd wanted to help find Subaru, but she never explicitly endorsed the methods they used to pursue him, nor did she think they deserved his forgiveness in the first place. She might not have objected, but her hands were washed of this behavior.

Rem was the only person who still felt a modicum of righteousness in continuing to pursue Subaru. This was most likely because she hadn't played a role in his initial betrayal, and thus, had nothing to apologize for. These feelings continued to cloud her judgment evermore.

"F-Fine. . ."

With Felt's despondent reply, Crusch took a seat on the opposite side of the couch, straightening her back and turning to face Felt and Meili. This way, she could monitor the both of them whilst the questioning went on.

"I believe it would be best if I cut to the chase."

Wilhelm felt himself tense up as the words left Crusch's mouth, but he knew it had nothing to do with her words. It was something completely different, but he couldn't identify what.

"Have you seen Natsuki Subaru?"

Everyone's breathing hitched, including Felt's, as this wording left no room for deception. This was it. The house of cards would come tumbling down, right here, right now.

Felt sighed in defeat.

". . . .Ye-"

"Betty smells something weird, in fact."

Only Crusch knew the word that Felt was about to say, but to have it be interrupted by something inane like that simply wouldn't do. Now she would have to repeat the question, giving Felt more time to formulate an answer.

"I thought you all agreed you wouldn't interfere."

Crusch said this with a frustrated voice, but when she looked back at the three of them, the look on their faces was anything but bland.

"I-It smells like Subaru, I suppose! And it's getting stronger!"

*SMASH*

The window overlooking the front courtyard was smashed into thousands of tiny pieces, flying all over the room and peppering the room with glass shards. The thing responsible for such destruction. . ?

"Kahahaha~! My beautiful appearance will strike your lower minds speechless! You filthy meatbags collectively rotting create a disgusting stench! Gathering moldy, rotten slabs of meat is sure to attract swarms of flys!"

Meili's demeanor completely changed, uncontrollably trembling at the sight of the terrible monster she thought she'd escaped.

With one look at the object held by the winged-creature, they understood what she meant when she said she was "gathering slabs of meat".

"Failure, failure, failure~! Your petulant monkey brains have besmirched my reputation, I will not allow it~! All of you rotting meatbags will be purged. Kahahahaha~!"

Reisel's corpse was firmly stuck between the jaws of a giant dragon. As she spoke, she continually tore it up further and further with her teeth until it was no longer recognizable.

"Does my lavishing appearance satisfy you~? Don't you gaze at me with those looks of disgust! Go die~! All of you dirty degenerates go die! Go to hell!"

The Dragon smiled with a devilish glint in its eyes.

"The Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Lust, Capella Emerada Lugunica!"

Author's Note:

What did you guys think of Gluttony? Whenever I write a Sin Archbishop, I always have to go over a ton of their lines because they are literally the most batshit insane characters you could ever read. Half the time, I feel like I write their dialogue too sane! I think I portrayed Gluttony good enough, but I'm honestly still uncertain how to approach development with his character. It would be a mega-waste to kill him off, especially since this fic is a spinoff of a spinoff of re:forgotten! I want to have him come back as a recurring villain or maybe even the final boss of this fic, but I don't know how realistic that is. With like 3-4 of the right characters there, he literally gets wiped before getting to do any real damage (and that's not including Reinhard), so should I reconsider? Also, who should get to kill Gluttony, Subaru or Julius? There's a compelling argument for both, but I kind of lean towards Julius as he was the person Gluttony truly made a fool out of. Opinions on that in the comments?

This chapter was a little bit rushed, but can you blame me? Look at all the stuff that went down in this chapter! I've been re-reading arc 5 in preparation for continuing The Secret, and I feel like a lot of it is cross-applicable here! My god, the character interactions next chapter are gonna be literal fire. We got Subaru, Julius, and Gluttony in a scene, and we have Meili, Reinhard, Felt, and Capella in the other! And don't forget the reveal that was about to happen before Crusch got interrupted! I have some crazy plans for where I'm gonna take this story!

Ohhh man, I love the idea of this chapter! Subaru's first impression of Julius is going to be that he's a badass knight who deserves praise and respect, which is pretty ironic.

If someone can give me a detailed breakdown of gluttony's powers so that when he gets serious I can write him accurately, that'll be really helpful. There's still a lot of times where Gluttony seems like a character who just pulls sh** out of a hat and then throws it at his opponent with no rhyme or reason. I want to figure out his abilities so I don't under or oversell him in the story.

For the last poll, I decided to go with B (just cause the distribution of answers was all over the place, so I picked a decent middle ground)

For this week's poll, my question is:

How does Gluttony decide to torment Julius?

A. He morphs his face into Subaru's (cause, even though he doesn't have his name anymore, he still remembers how to do it)

B. He tortures Subaru right in front of him, variety of methods, but it is supposed to be done in a way that evokes similarities between his actions and Julius's

C. He throws Subaru in front of one of his attacks! Literally just to spite Julius cause Gluttony is a piece of garbage. In all honesty, because RBD, Julius wouldn't even remember it

Yeah, it's rough being Julius right now haha. I'm gonna do probably 3-4 more chapters of this before I go back to the Secret, but MAYBE, if you guys really want to see it, I'll drop one chapter of the Secret to tide u guys over :). My hands are tired from typing so much in a day, so I'm going to drop it here.

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Next chapter should be out soon, but idk I said that last chapter and it took me a bit longer than I expected! Hopefully I don't get bogged down by school and get it out as in the next few days!

Chapter Text

"S-So cool. . ."

He looked upon the purple-haired man with awe.

The ease with which he parried Gluttony's strike was something that continued to amaze the young Subaru. He'd been on the receiving end of that monster's assault, and he'd been incapacitated in a single blow! The Archbishop arguably wasn't even trying whilst 'attacking' him, but there was no doubt he'd been serious with his ambush on Plum. The superhuman movements from the mysterious gentleman gave Subaru some hope of defeating the ragged child.

"Oi! Plum! Don't just stand there! C'mere!"

Kadomon had finally made it out of his hiding spot, rushing out into the corpse-covered street with renewed urgency. If he was quick enough, he might be able to bring her back to where he and Subaru were hiding. If Roy saw them as they fled, there was no doubt he'd be pursued. That would spell doom for all three of them, so acting quickly was paramount.

". . .P-Papa!"

Plum's tearful sobs changed from hopeless wails to cries of joy, finally being reunited with her father. She ran over to Kadomon, jumping into his arms and hugging him with the strength of a bear cub clinging to its mother.

"Ah~! We remember you! How's the mer~cenary life taste~? We've been told it's qu~ite bland ~tsu!"

Sadly, Gluttony wasn't taken out by the stranger's attack. The fearsome form of a child emerged from the upturned dust cloud created by the unknown man's attack. The intonation of his words indicated he'd felt no fear from the power of this cloaked man. He instead spoke words of glee, either as an earnest greeting or perhaps as a deliberate taunt.

"Your tongue. . ."

When those indecipherable words left the man's mouth, Subaru saw the six multicolored orbs light up and begin charging an attack of unfathomable power.

"Our tongue~? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, our sense of taste is quite~ quite~ quite~ refined! It's not often we get to enjoy a meal a second time~! What luck! Fortune! Blessings! Boons! Karma! It's fated ~tsu!"

"I think I'll begin dismembering you with your tongue."

Any normal human listening to the threats of that monstrous child would've felt some modicum of fear. Hell, even Reinhard would find the mannerisms of this incomprehensible being unsettling. Only this man could answer such a disturbing statement with an even freakier one of his own.

"Still angry~? Always angry~? Perpetually angry~? Forever angry~? It's rare to find those who want a bite of us ~tsu!"

The man called on the white orb, named 'In', and him and the orb began to glow. Both of them were enveloped in an outline of a white light, and the swordsman bent his knees with his sword extended outwards.

"Mercenary Julius Juukulius."

He declared his name and station, as was proper procedure before one entered into a duel. Considering the opponent, however, this tactic most certainly had its drawbacks.

"Ah~! We like it! We like it! Befitting of 'the Finest of Knights'! Very good! Just like before! We like it! You haven't forgotten your etiquette ~tsu!"

The monster, Roy Alphard, seemed like he was almost offended by Julius's flippant disregarding of his authority. Declaring his name like that right in front of him was quite the arrogant act. No doubt the young child was preparing a follow-up taunt regarding Julius's situation as a discharged knight.

However. . .

"G-Guh. . ?"

Julius, who'd just finished casting enhancement magic upon himself, had disappeared from his initial position and reappeared suddenly right behind the Archbishop's laughing form. As the child released a weak pained cry, Subaru swore he saw something in the purple-haired knight's hand.

"I see. This is it. The organ that's inflicted so much damage. An appendage as disgusting as it is slippery. No longer will it be free to blaspheme the lives of others."

The cold, collected, almost calm, tone of the man's voice echoed in Subaru's mind. Upon closer examination, Subaru saw the completely severed tongue of the, previously cocky, Gluttony dangling in Julius's fist. The attack was so brief, Subaru would've thought it teleportation if not for the residual wind currents emanating from the path of Julius's movements.

However, Gluttony most certainly should've been able to dodge it. From what Subaru saw, the young child had displayed speeds far surpassing those of Julius. Why had this attack made it through?

"Oh? Are you unable to speak? I see. Perhaps you thought I'd give consideration for you to speak your own name? In that respect, I will admit I was deceiving you."

Subaru widened his eyes in realization, as he now understood why Julius's sudden slash had been so effective. Reinhard had explained this to him during his education with Felt, but it was customary for two opponents to speak their names to one another before they engaged in battle. This practice was not only a show of respect, but also a way of ensuring each fighter's culpability in the death of their opponent. Knowing the names of the people you've struck down is important practice for a warrior, as there could be those who come seeking revenge.

In this battle, Julius had deliberately baited the Archbishop into dropping his guard so he could reply to his courtesy. Assuming Julius to have a speck of honor left within him to even pursue such a course of action, Roy Alphard felt inclined to answer with an introduction of his own. Such a ruthless tactic was. . .

"G-Gkrah. . ."

The young boy tried speaking without his tongue, but the sounds that came out resembled those of a gurgling shower drain. His mouth overflowing with blood, the attempts to add meaning to his sounds only creating bubbles in the sprinkler of viscera spewing out of his face.

"Very interesting. I'm surprised you fell for that."

Julius's words held no trace of joy or elation, he spoke such horrifying lines with a calculating, detached demeanor. Having experienced the torture of having his tongue ripped out himself, witnessing such an act performed onto another person made Subaru cringe with recalled pain. It was almost enough to make Subaru feel some form of pity for the child. Almost.

"Disappear."

Julius's sword glowed with the colors of all six of his spirits, infusing the oddly-shaped piece of metal with a blinding brightness. There was no doubt in Subaru's mind that, should this attack connect, it would mean the end for that child.

" . .O-AR. .E-IPSE!"

The boy spoke those words without a tongue, leaving their true meaning impossible to decipher. But as the last syllable exited his bleeding mouth. . .

"G-Guh!? Y-You. . !"

Julius's sword slowed. His hesitation should've been barely noticeable as the momentum in his strike hadn't been completely erased. Perhaps only a second was added between the moment of contact connecting the sword and Gluttony's throat.

However, this had been enough.

*BOOM*

A cloud of dust had completely overtaken the street where Julius and Gluttony were having their duel. Subaru's vision being so obstructed, he could no longer see more than two feet in front of him.

The black-haired amnesiac wished for nothing more than the purple-haired man's victory, but there were still some issues which plagued him even more severely.

'K-Kadomon. . .'

In the blast, Kadomon and Plum had been completely obscured by the soot kicked up from the surrounding buildings. As it stood right now, they likely had no sense of direction regarding Subaru's location or where to escape.

Subaru had quickly acknowledged that he would be unable to assist the purple-haired gentleman in his battle against the Archbishop, as he completely lacked all forms of combat ability in comparison to the two of them. However, he couldn't just sit around doing nothing.

Both Plum and Kadomon were likely targets for Gluttony to use whilst trying to manipulate Julius.

He could, at the very least, help the two of them get out of danger.

"H-How bothersome. . ."

Subaru lifted up the manhole covering he'd used to sneak his way into the sewers, gradually observing his surroundings to see if it was safe for him to exit.

"K-Kadomon? You there? If you can hear me, please follow the sound of my voice!"

Subaru bravely called out the cloud of dirt surrounding him from all sides, praying that the enemy hiding within it didn't follow up on it first.

"K-Kid? W-Where are ya'? M-My little girl got blown out of my hands!"

From his left, Subaru heard Kadomon's voice pipe up over the ominous sounds of silence, from which he could hear absolute despair piercing through the Appa man's heart. Somehow, him and his daughter ended up separated once again. And when they'd been so close to safety too. . .

*WHOOSH*

Without warning, the cloud of dust was parted with an extremely powerful gust of wind, its origin point undoubtedly being Subaru's right.

"Snake of the Twin Sword, ~tsu! Lots of power? Right~? Isn't that right~? You agree~? You must agree! It's indisputable~! Proven~! Absolute~! How wonderful~!"

Between the bisected clouds of dust, stood the impossible image of an opponent who simply should not be alive. Aside from dried blood on its hands and mouth, they appeared to have suffered no damage whatsoever. Even the wound they sustained from having their tongue ripped out had completely vanished! But that wasn't what stuck out at his initial glance. . .

"W-Wha. . ."

"It's you~? It's you~? It's you~!? It's you! It's you! It's you! It's you! How delightful~! Must eat! Taste~! Devour~! To be blessed with two repeat meals~? Such a thing must be divine providence ~tsu!"

The ravenous child looked at Subaru with nothing but obsession in his gaze; wearing the same face Subaru greeted in the mirror each morning. If it wasn't for the disturbing way in which he spoke, Subaru wouldn't have guessed that the person in front of him was a separate entity at all. Somehow, he'd morphed himself into the spitting image of Subaru's likeness.

"H-How!? Y-Your tongue. . ."

Roy tilted his head with a wide smile on his face. It seemed the question made him very happy, as it gave him a chance to explain his bothersome abilities.

"Call it Solar Eclipse~! Let's us transform! We hate it~! Lose control~! But it allows us to regenerate~!"

The devious smile he let out did absolutely nothing to assuage Subaru's worries. Instead, his fear regarding this opponent had only compounded since the beginning of this loop. He really should've just remained hidden. . . but the situation with Kadomon didn't allow for it.

"Let us taste you again~!"

The Archbishop lunged at Subaru with an outstretched hand and wide open mouth, clearly intending to make good on his previous threat.

"Did you forget about me?"

Julius emerged from the remaining clouds of dust, battered and bloodied by the attack that just got unleashed by Roy, and made one last-ditch effort at striking down the approaching monster, only to get easily batted away with a single attack.

"Let your guard down~! Should've struck our neck~!"

Julius's body smashed into a building on the side of the road. It wasn't exactly his fault that he ended up like this, but the circumstances regarding his first attack had thrown him off immensely. He hadn't expected his duel with Gluttony to end with a single opportune strike at the child's vitals. After all, this monster had been strong enough to defeat both Julius and Ricardo when they'd fought him back in Priestella. Not to mention the fact that, as far as he was aware, Julius thought he'd seen everything Gluttony was capable of. He'd expected this to be a long, drawn-out battle where endurance would be the difference-maker.

That was why, when the opportunity presented itself for a premature end, Julius took it without thinking.

But. . .his eagerness had also left him open to surprise attacks.

As his most powerful sword slash, Al Clarista, had been poised to eviscerate the Archbishop down to its bones, the face that greeted him was not that of the Archbishop of Gluttony, Roy Alphard. Instead, it was the face that encompassed all of his regrets. The only face that could've slowed his wrath for even one moment.

His own 'victory' had led him into falling into the same trap Gluttony did. Letting his guard down before his victory was assured. Perhaps, also, his fighting spirit had been lacking.

Julius, no longer a knight, had nothing left to fight for. No use left for his pitiful existence. If his time had come, then so be it. This would act as his long-overdue execution. How fitting for it to be at the hands of one who resembles him.

"J-Julius-san!"

Subaru yelled out to the previously unknown man. Could it be that. . ?

"You~? Why are you still alive? We are curious! Interested~! Inquisitive~! Wondering~! Desperate~!"

Gluttony looked upon Subaru's shaking form and he trembled with anticipation for Subaru's answer. For all three of them to gather here, once again, there must've been some sort of fated reunion planned for the three of them. One that even defied death!

"I-I have nothing to say to you! You monster!"

Subaru did his best to draw away Gluttony's attention from the incapacitated Julius, thinking of scenarios in his mind where the knight survived that gruesome attack and could be used to fend off Roy.

Alas, as the dust finally cleared. . .

The only two people left on the road were Subaru and Roy.

Julius had most likely been killed by the vicious strike from Gluttony, whilst Kadomon and Plum were either hiding somewhere else, or disposed of by wandering cultists.

He was all alone now.

"Let him die? You won't let him die~? Noble~! Righteous~! Indignant~! Virtuous~! Upstanding~! Honorable~! Brave~! We love, love, love, love, love, lo~ve Natsuki Subaru ~tsu!"

Subaru steeled himself for Gluttony's incoming attack, wracking his brain for anything he could use to deflect him away long enough for him to flee.

Somehow, if he could make it to Reinhard's, he knew everything would work out. He knew it. That was all that needed to happen!

"I-Invisible Providence!"

Natsuki Subaru shouted those words loud enough he swore he felt his vocal cords tear. He hoped his scream would be loud enough to push him through the inevitable pain that followed.

"Hm~? Invisible~? Ni~san telling us something invisible~!"

The unfortunate name he gave to his authority made it trifling for the Archbishop to dodge it. But what he didn't expect was the surprise attack that hit him from behind.

"Run! Get outta' here kid! F-Find the Sword Saint n' bring him here!"

Kadomon, who Subaru assumed had fled the scene, nobly launched himself at the unprepared Gluttony, tackling him with the full strength of his body.

"Surprise~! We are so very sur~prised you came back! What a magnificent feast laid out in front of us! We might soon shed tears of joy ~tsu!"

Completely unfazed by the attack, Gluttony smiled at the man atop his crushed body, laughing at the man's selfless sacrifice with no regard for Kadomon's bravery. To try such a thing with his paltry power was the definition of foolishness.

"K-Kadomon. . !"

Subaru screamed out his name and ran a few steps closer to the horrific scene unfolding before him, but Kadomon's glare stopped Subaru in his tracks.

He'd made this decision fully understanding he would die. Charging in now only meant his death would be completely in vain.

"L-Look after my family, will ya'?"

Death flag after death flag. But this plea nearly crushed Subaru's heart.

". . .D-Damn it! Don't go telling me stuff like that! Survive and watch over them yourself!"

Subaru's words contrasted with his actions, as when he turned around to begin running away, tears streamed down his face with no end in sight.

Fading. Fading. Fading.

The state of Julius's consciousness was fading.

While he couldn't put a finger on what damage his body had sustained, he could tell his life was running out. It seeped out of him through countless wounds covering his entire body.

Julius Juukulius was about to die.

He'd accepted it.

There was no other path for him to walk. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to continue living in the first place.

As sounds began to fade out from his mind, touch began to lose its feel, sight began to darken, Julius heard something.

". . -ulius-sa-. . !"

His mind recognized it as someone calling it to him. Someone desperately trying to force him back up to fight. It was sad that he'd have to deny this voice it's salvation.

". . .-ove, love, love, love, love, lo~ve Natsuki Suba-. . ."

Then he heard a name.

A name he'd refused to speak for the rest of his life. One that he promised he'd never see disrespected ever again.

Rage. Pure, seething rage ran through his heart.

And just like that, life found him.

". . .k-khuhh."

Julius groaned out a deep feeling of loss. The peace he'd been granted having just been interrupted by such an unpleasant feeling.

"K-Kua. . ."

Julius barely managed to throw out the name of his Quasi Spirit Kua, who he relied on for rudimentary healing magic. There was no chance of it being able to heal the wounds Julius sustained as a result of Gluttony's surprise attack, but it could at least let him move his body for a little bit longer.

'I will eliminate that voice. . !'

The voice that continued to mock Natsuki Subaru needed to be destroyed. So utterly that it could never speak another syllable from its disgusting maw again. To defame his appearance, his voice, his legacy. . . such a thing must not be allowed to exist.

One last attack.

That was all he had left in him.

However, Julius didn't find himself lamenting his circumstances. No, he found this situation to be a fitting end for someone like himself. His continued existence was also an affront to the hero that was Natsuki Subaru. At least now, by his hand, he would bring this tragic story to a close. The two of them facing judgement for the crimes that they committed.

His spirits swirled around him rapidly, almost like they were begging Julius not to get up. Feeling his intentions through their contract, they knew if they let this happen, it would be the end for him.

Julius simply paid them no mind.

He'd long since stopped living for himself. His existence had been dedicated to the remembrance of Natsuki Subaru.

"G-Grant me this, my beloveds. . ."

As he whispered his, then final words, to his lifelong partnered spirits, Julius dashed out at the disgusting imposter wearing Subaru's skin.

The rage causing his blood to pump so fast, Julius swore he heard his rapidly slowing heartbeat in his ears.

"I won't allow you to exist any longer!"

Julius ran through the monster with his sword. The strike eloquently piercing his chest and exiting through his back. No doubt, this wound was fatal.

". . . . ."

Blood leaked from its mouth, its eyes locked with his with an expression of shock. Their eyes close enough to reflect off each other and see one another's face within.

"H-Hahahaha~! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

The voice which was unmistakably Natsuki Subaru's rang out in a chorus of laughter. Maybe the real Subaru found some comedy in witnessing this scene from the afterlife. Seeing how pitiful both of them were, and how pathetically their lives would end.

Almost like it was mocking Julius from afar.

N-No. . . wait.

That's exactly what was happening.

The form in front of Julius spoke no words, but he still heard the voice of Natsuki Subaru piercing through the ominously silent streets.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~! This must be what Ni~san meant by Gourmet~!"

His eyes shook.

His arms shook.

His legs shook.

Julius could no longer stare at the face inches in front of him, as he'd felt every extremity in his body tremble in what felt like abject terror.

'N-No way. . . i-it can't. . !'

Gluttony tossed off the body of Kadomon, who's name and memories he'd just consumed, and broke out into another fit of laughter. The irony of the scene in front of him making him hold back from finishing Julius, as the entertainment factor briefly overwhelmed his desire to consume.

"I-It's not. . !"

Julius felt himself beginning to hyperventilate, as the horrible reality of what he'd just done sunk in.

Julius Juukulius had killed Natsuki Subaru.

"A-Ah?"

Those words, filled with indescribably complex emotions, trickled out of Julius's mouth.

They would be his last.

Julius Juukulius died in utter despair.

"Stop bein' such a baby! I swear, you're actin' just like my daughter, kid!"

". . ?"

The world reassumed its shape. Natsuki Subaru put a hand to his chest to try and affirm the overwhelming burning sensation he'd just felt emanating from there.

Instead, he felt nothing.

"O-Oi!? Kid? What's happenin'!?"

Subaru fell to one knee, panting out long, ragged breaths. His eyes darted to his left and his right, and nearly just as quickly, he realized that the place he stood was almost exactly where he'd been when he been struck down by Gluttony.

This all but confirmed to him that he'd just Returned By Death.

'Or would it be more accurate to say that the other man slayed me. . .?'

The last moments of that loop flickered into his mind, and he couldn't help but feel he was missing something surrounding the context of that man's attack.

Within his eyes, he'd witnessed unending hatred transform into a horrified revelation.

It was as if the man wished to scream out his regret for all the world to hear.

"U-Ughh. . . I don't think I'll ever get used to that. . ."

Kadomon eyed Subaru suspiciously, whilst taking a step away from him to try and distance himself from the man making a scene to all the passersby.

"K-Kid! I'm pretty sure ya' just promised me ya' wouldn't draw unnecessary attention. . !"

The salesman grit his teeth in frustration, having been reminded of the flamboyant actions repeatedly undertaken by the previous Natsuki Subaru.

"H-Hey, can you be quiet for a second? I need a moment to think."

The audacity this kid had to ask HIM for a moment of peace was lost on neither of them. However, Kadomon granted this request, as he saw the unusually serious expression appear on his face.

'No matter how you look at it, there simply isn't time for me to find Reinhard on my own. If I run away, there's a good chance I'll get intercepted by that bastard Gluttony or killed by wandering cultists. I could send Kadomon, but. . . I can't send him away from his daughter while all this is going on! My only option left is to find that guy and warn him before the attack starts.'

Subaru, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to himself, faced a fork in the road breaking off in two directions. One road, the one branching off the main road and leading to the Butcher, laid to his left. The other, a continuation of the main road, continued straight for an unknown distance. It contained an uncountable number of paths dividing off from it where this man could be dwelling. Finally, there was the chance they'd already passed him already and they simply needed to retrace their steps.

It was really rotten luck. He only had five minutes to track this guy down and explain the situation. And that assumed he would even be willing to help in the first place!

"D-Damn it. . . I don't have a choice!"

Subaru first took the route towards the butcher.

It was the biggest risk, so he wanted to get it out of the way first. If that man was here, they would probably end up trapped here by the fires started by the fodder cultists. He would be unable to send someone to retrieve Reinhard, and they'd be all on their own.

"W-Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?"

Subaru repeated this under his breath, scanning the crowd for signs of purple hair or glowing orbs, but he found nothing.

*BOOM*

"Y-You've gotta' be kidding me. . . !"

*Clap* *Clap*

Subaru's next target was further down the main road.

He didn't even waste time answering Kadomon's questions this time, instead breaking into a sprint and running further down the main road, turning his attention to every pedestrian in his view, hoping to find the one person who could save him. He was running out of time.

The terror he felt hadn't lessened since the first time he'd returned by death, but his body moved as if it was autopilot. His mind was so completely focused on finding the spirit knight that no other thoughts existed in his head.

To put it another way. . . he didn't have time to be scared.

"N-No. . . he's not here. . !"

*BOOM*

Subaru's body shivered, as he'd just been incinerated in the initial explosion of the Cultist's attack.

The feeling of skin on his body was his signal that he'd successfully returned from death. The air suddenly felt very prickly. . .

He didn't have time to think about those things.

Subaru abruptly turned around, sprinting back the direction in which he came, praying for someone, anyone, who could help him.

This time, Kadomon kept pace with him.

"W-What the hell are ya' doing?!"

"P-Please help me. . ! I need to find someone with purple hair!"

Subaru sputtered these words out, only now realizing that having a second person searching would make the process more efficient.

He rounded the corner, staring manically at each of the people who dared make eye contact with him. Only one of them didn't flinch beneath his gaze.

"Ooh~! Someone smells ni~ce!"

As the voice traveled into his ear, Subaru only had a split second to react to the blinding speed of Gluttony's attack.

By heading backwards, they'd inadvertently run into the Archbishop before he could begin his assault.

"W-Wah. . ?"

Subaru received Gluttony's shoulder-check and went flying off into a random person's shop.

"Hm~? Are you actually really weak~?"

His blood pooled high enough to obscure his vision. The light faded from the corners of his eyes.

And. . .

Once again, Natsuki Subaru lost his life.

Death. Death. Death. Death.

Such was the fate that awaited Natsuki Subaru.

The day that had begun as a simple outing to pick up groceries had suddenly turned into an inescapable labyrinth of death.

Oddly enough, that was the exact scenario resulting in him being isekai'd in the first place. The irony wasn't lost on Subaru, but he would have to laugh about it later. When he escaped from this absolutely terrible, horrible, accursed place.

". . .A-Anyone?!"

Subaru had died over five times, making absolutely no progress towards a survivable future. Knowing that he'd died in vain was beginning to weigh heavily on him, and he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to bear this burden.

The crowd walked by like they didn't even hear his pleas.

He basically didn't exist to them.

". . . . P-Please! JULIUS!"

No longer able to take it, Subaru screamed out the man's name with nothing but desperation in his voice. Even if he drew the attention of the entire world. Even if his identity was revealed. So long as he could break out of this hell, he would cast all his preparations aside.

". . . . . ."

Silence was all that greeted him.

This was the last hope that remained, and it had come up short. The fear he'd felt during the assassin's attack on the Manor resurged from the depths of his heart. The fear that he'd entered into a truly inescapable loop of death.

If this was true, his only comfort would be the truth of his previous self's permanent death. With enough time, he could surely recreate it!

'It's bad to think like that, but I have nothing left. . . I d-don't want to keep coming back!'

Subaru tried his best to keep these thoughts at bay, but as he sobbed into his hands, he had no choice but to accept true despair. There would be nobody that came to save him this time. This was his fate.

". . . .S-Subaru. . ."

Then he heard his name.

Someone spoke out his name with a tenderness and reservedness he could've never predicted.

This voice wasn't Kadomon's. It was. . .

A man dressed in ragged clothes, unkempt knightly attire, and a brown cloak to conceal his countless weapons. His hair was purple, waving softly with the wind currents that passed through them. The six multicolored quasi-spirits circled around the man's head with lightning speed, almost like they were shocked to see him.

And his expression. . .

The look on his face reflected a myriad of emotions. The guilt and pain combined with shock made the young man's, normally handsome, face get wrinkled into an appearance that would scare small children. Of all his feelings, the most evident one Subaru could pick up on was fear. Although of what, the black-haired amnesiac wasn't sure.

None of those things bothered him at all anyway. To Subaru, this man represented the hope he'd nearly just cast aside.

". . .J-Julius!"

Julius Juukulius would be his salvation.

Author's Note:

Hoohhh boy that was annoying to write! Julius finally knows about Subaru's resummoning! The same four characters can only do so much, ya know? How'd you guys like this chapter? I think it turned out pretty good. Savage Julius was a treat to watch, but unfortunately, Gluttony is the king of playing dirty! That switcheroo that happened between the real Subaru and the transformed Gluttony was honestly a great plotpoint imo, and it was a nice plot twist that I wanted to see happen LONG in advance. Was it shocking? How about Subaru's opinion of Julius?

I apologize for the super short loops at the end, but I only really planned out the first two loops and I wanted to set the length of the death montage up to you guys! A lot of you voted to keep it conservative with 5 deaths, so that's exactly what I did!

Gluttony's lines did feel like they got a bit repetitive, so if you guys have any critiques of that I'm willing to hear them!

Fight scenes aren't exactly my forte, but I will have to get better at them whilst we head into the follow-up chapters. In this chapter, I probably should've reiterated at the start that Subaru and Julius's existence's were hidden from each other due to the dust cloud and Subaru hiding in the sewer. Julius only realized what happened after he stabbed Subaru! What terrible luck! I think Julius might've had it worse than Subaru this chapter. . .

Next Chapter:

Kadomon, Subaru, and Julius face off against Gluttony! This time, for keeps! + (potentially) a glimpse at what's happening over at the Manor!

I wonder where the other Archbishop went. . .? ;)

Poll:

How should Subaru react to Julius's inevitable breakdown?

A. Chill. At least, as chill as he can be after dying several times.

B. Overcorrecting. Basically worshipping Julius for coming to help him after everyone else on the road ignored his cries for help

C. Confused. Immediately informing Julius that he has no memories of him from before that day.

Finally,

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Next chapter should be out soon, but it depends greatly on how much work I've got ahead of me this week.

Chapter Text

"Thank goodness! Julius, I'm so happy to see you I think I'm about to cry!"

". . . ."

To Subaru's surprise, tears budded in the other man's eyes. He must've thought Subaru had been dead too, huh? Subaru couldn't blame him for feeling that way, but that only made him feel more guilty at the inevitable reveal he'd lost his memories.

On the other hand, the astonishment Julius felt had only been overshadowed by a momentary feeling of terror. The main fear being that the person who spoke to him wasn't real. He'd hallucinated Subaru so often in his dreams, Julius wasn't sure if he'd abruptly been knocked out. After all, that scenario was infinitely more possible than the other idea bouncing around in his head.

Subaru was dead. Buried. Forgotten. That was fact.

". . . ."

"O-Oi! Julius, you there!?"

Subaru poked Julius's chest, his own gesture indicating an urgency strong enough to make his voice shake. The contact was so quickly broken, Julius hadn't had the time to acknowledge the feeling emanating from the point he'd been jabbed. Luckily, his six quasi-spirits weren't so oblivious.

The six multi-colored orbs began rapidly spinning around the two of them, circling around the two frozen men. It was like they were overjoyed, cheering spectators at a major league game. They caught the eyes of both Subaru and Julius, who was quickly snapped out of his delusion.

'T-They're here. . . How are m-my spirits in my dream? They never appear when. . . !'

Julius's eyes widened into saucer plates, his legs shaking so much he didn't think he'd be able to stand himself up anymore. The only possible explanation left was something that defied all logic, but. . . if it was true.

If it was true. . .

"Y-You. . . Y-You're real? Aren't you!?"

Julius leapt forward, one hand on each of his shoulders, shaking him with an almost crazed expression on his face. The visage he'd seen in his head so many times, the figure he'd reached out to in so many of his nightmares only to phase through like a ghost. . . he felt contact his hands.

His shoulders were smaller than Julius remembered, and his voice sounded slightly higher pitched, but Julius brushed this off as him simply misremembering him.

"Y-Yes?! U-Uh! Julius-san! It's really important you listen what I have to say. . !"

Subaru started to feel a little bit uncomfortable with the man's unpredictable behavior, but once again, nearly all of this could be explained by the fact that, by all accounts, he should be dead. Perhaps the two of them were really close friends before his death. . .

Oh crap. He's being really insensitive here.

". . .-hk!"

Julius heard Subaru begin to swap to a serious tone, and he immediately knew what was about to come next. There was nothing else to talk about, was there? The fact that Julius was a monster. . . that he would be facing punishment for what he'd done.

He felt joy for the first time in a long time at the prospect of Subaru punishing him properly for his cruelty. Even if redemption was forever out of reach, closure might be achievable.

Then why?

Why was he also feeling such petrifying fear?

What was he so afraid of?

Julius could only think of one thing, but it was so far out of the realm of possibility, he didn't believe it possible.

"L-Listen. . . I don't have a lot of time to explain right now, but the Archbishop of Gluttony is about to attack this street, I need your help to. . !"

His mouth was agape. Truthfully, Julius hadn't even heard what Subaru had said. He was too deep in his thoughts to translate Subaru's words into understandable messages. But the tone, the jubilant smile with which he said those words. . .

Where was the vitriol? The condemnation? The punishment that he so absolutely deserved?

His fears were becoming reality. For some reason, Subaru might have. . . and he wanted to wretch at this thought. . . forgiven him.

"S-Sor-. . ."

His words were catching in his throat.

"S-S-. . .S-SORRY! SO SORRY! I-I'm. . !"

Before he knew it, he'd fallen to his knees, head level with Subaru's ankles. He screamed out his sorrow to all that would listen. Julius's words were barely legible from all the intermittent sobs, but Subaru somehow managed to make them out.

"I-I beg you! I'm not worthy to ask anything of you. . .! B-But if you could find it in your heart to forgive Emilia-sama, Anastasia-sama, Crusch-sama. . ! I-It was all my fault! Punish me! Judge me! Condemn me! I-I was. . !"

Subaru was not expecting to get this sort of reaction from Julius, as he thought whatever their past relationship was had already been established. He was surprised to hear Emilia's name come up again, making a mental note to ask this guy about her when he got the chance. Right now, however, was not the time for this. . .

"J-Julius, please, g-get up! I-I'm sorry, but we don't have time for this right now! The Archbishop of Gluttony is about to attack!"

Subaru made sure to whisper this in the, still weeping, Julius's ear. He didn't want to cause pandemonium amongst the streetgoers and start the attack early.

It looked like Julius actually heard him this time, as the shaking man suddenly stilled.

"W-What?"

He whispered this question in disbelief. The Archbishop of Gluttony? Subaru?

Was this all some kind of bad dream?

". . . ."

"J-Julius! I need your help! Please! I-If you don't think you can beat him, just know I'll be helping too! I believe in you! Ok?!"

Subaru was desperate. He'd seen this man fight before and he was certainly graceful with a sword. Why was he groveling at Subaru's feet? This guy was leagues above him in every way! He couldn't let this continue, as they'd no doubt draw attention to themselves when everything started going down.

They had 4 minutes left.

"A-Archbishop of Gluttony? I-I don't understand. . . he should be locked up!"

Julius finally revealed something that Subaru wasn't aware of. He knew that Julius had some sort of history with the Archbishop of Gluttony, which he'd overheard while the two of them fought in a previous loop. Subaru also had some history with this person too, if what the Sage Council had told him was true. Maybe they were both victims of his power?

"I-I can't tell you how I know this, but he's broken out. Please help me! Friends help each other out, don't they?"

Subaru decided to gamble a little here, inserting that 'friend' statement to gauge Julius's reaction and maybe get his help. In truth, Julius had no reason to help Subaru and risk his own life against that monster, but seeing how he'd valiantly jumped in the save Plum, Subaru believed the man had a noble character.

"W-Wha. .t?"

It was only with Julius's despair filled expression that Subaru realized he gambled incorrectly. Maybe they weren't friends. . .

'Damn, he seems like a good guy too. I guess I must've been a jerk to him when I first arrived here. . .'

"OI! Kid, the hell are ya' going!? What do ya' think this is?"

To break the lengthening awkward silence between the two men, the voice of a fuming Appa Salesman pierced the crowd. The cloaked up Kadomon was angrily storming up to Subaru, wanting an explanation for his completely erratic behavior. Didn't they both just agree that now was absolutely the worst time to be drawing attention to themselves? Pulling stunts like this was the perfect way to get the two of them caught!

"E-Eh?! O-Oh Kad-. . ."

"Names?! Did ya' already forget we aren't supposed to use our real names!?"

Julius looked up at the hooded figure speaking those words, suddenly piecing together how Subaru had managed to avoid detection for so long. For some reason, his survival was being kept secret.

"I-I apologize for my buddy's rude behavior, so if ya' don't mind, we'll be going no-. . ."

"H-Hold on a sec! I-It's really important you let me. . .!"

"No! You've already caused enough trouble for today!"

Kadomon grabbed Subaru's arm and started trying to drag him away, whilst Subaru aggressively resisted, imploring Kadomon to hear him out. Subaru had been counting the seconds in his head since he'd started this loop, and they were now down to three minutes. If they didn't turn around right now, they'd both be doomed.

"Wait!"

Julius yelled out to the man fleeing the scene, causing the both of them to turn around.

"I-If you don't mind, Subaru and I w-were. . ."

Julius spoke these words out carelessly, but Kadomon immediately realized how serious their situation had just become.

Subaru had only been gone a moment, odds are, he never had the chance to properly introduce himself to this man. The boy was stupid, but he wasn't THAT stupid. This meant that. . .

"H-How do ya' know his name. . ?"

Julius explained what little he could, trying to keep the details vague out of a sense of embarrassment and not wanting to retread over the actions he'd committed. He'd only ended up telling them he used to work as a knight for one of the Royal Candidates, and as a result, knew Subaru before he'd originally passed away.

Kadomon's brow furrowed, as this meant that they'd basically blown their entire cover by pure happenstance.

And after all the trouble his family had been put through too. . .

"Listen sir. This kid's got no memories of anything regarding the royal selection, so if ya' could do the both of us a favor and just. . ."

Kadomon's words trailed off, as the impact his words had on the stationary knight were visible to anyone in earshot. Julius's almost hopeful expression had morphed into several different faces, each containing a feeling more potent than the last.

". . W-Wh. . at?"

This couldn't be. His crimes. Everything he'd done. Everyone he'd touched. All the people he'd inspired. . . It was all gone. . ?

"A-Are you sure it's true!? I heard Subaru call my name. . ."

Julius looked at Subaru, now almost hopeful that the black-haired knight would give them both the answer he was looking for. Instead, the young man shrugged his shoulder and turned away from him, almost ashamed of his own existence.

'E-Emilia-sama. . . Beatrice-sama. . . he's forgotten it all!?'

He knew it was his fault. This had to be.

How was he supposed to fix this?

He needed to find a way. He HAD to.

"S-Sorry to interrupt! B-But we don't have much time! In two minutes, we'll be attacked!"

Subaru yelled this out, causing some bystanders to look on in suspicion, and whisper amongst themselves. Subaru had pushed back his shame and embarrassment to lay out the ever-approaching doom that awaited them, and this time he wasn't about to let himself get interrupted. They only had one chance of making it out of here, and that took priority over everything else.

"W-What do ya' mean kid?"

"I'm saying that the Witch's Cult is about to ambush us all and kill us! That's why we need your help, Julius-san!"

Kadomon's eyes widened and he, once again, realized the gravity of the situation they were in. Mere minutes ago, they were strolling through town, preparing to pick up groceries and return to the Loothouse. And now, their cover was blown + the Witch's Cult was poised to attack. Great. This just goes to show how quickly things can go to shit.

"You said the Archbishop of Gluttony? I believe there was another Archbishop locked up alongside them. If they've broken out, it's likely the other one has too. . ."

Julius whispered these words, but still struggled to believe them, as it meant their situation was even more bleak than they'd originally thought. Subaru didn't know that there were any other Archbishops in the Capital, so this news only made him even more dejected.

"Kadomon. . . I didn't say anything earlier because I didn't want to alarm you, but I think your wife and daughter are out here too. Use the little time we have to go find them and hide somewhere, ok?"

Kadomon took this news like any protective father, suppressing the urge to scream out their names and instead asking Subaru one more question.

"I wouldn't wanna waste time asking ya' how ya' know all this, but I need to know. . . Will ya' be alright?"

His eyes reflected what seemed to be a seriousness that Subaru rarely saw from the fruit merchant. The man had always had an unreasonable amount of faith in Subaru's judgments, no matter what loop Subaru found himself in. It was clear that Kadomon felt grateful for Subaru freeing him up to go protect his family, however that question was something he couldn't leave unanswered. If Subaru believed he could win, then Kadomon wouldn't be stuck worrying about him once he left.

"Hmm? You care about me that much do you? That makes my heart flutter you know!"

Subaru said this with a teasing grin on his face, which had its intended effect.

"Kid, ya' can be really annoying when ya' want to!"

Kadomon frowned and looked away, too embarrassed to hold eye contact with him anymore. Subaru got a little chuckle out of this, but quickly regained his composure and slapped Kadomon's back.

"Hurry! There isn't much time left!"

Kadomon gritted his teeth and slowly turned away from the frozen Julius and uplifted Subaru. Worrying scenarios raced through his head and before he ran off Kadomon stopped himself, balled his fists, and called out to Subaru one last time.

"Promise me. . ! Y-Ya' won't die. . . ok kid?"

"Sorry about him, that guy's like the dictionary definition of a Tsundere. . ."

Subaru casually said this indecipherable word towards Julius, a trademark oddity of his that carried over from his time on Earth. Subaru being weird was just about as natural as water flowing through a river, so Julius wasn't flustered by it. However, it did catch him off guard that Subaru was so quick to talk to him like they did in the old days.

". . . I suppose so."

The black-haired kid turned around and saw the dejected face of his buddy Julius staring straight at the ground. Subaru frowned and scratched the back of his head.

"No need to be so down! I may not have my memories of you from before, but we are still friends, ok?"

Subaru said these words hoping to cheer Julius up, but they only made him even more pensive. What was going on with this guy? Julius clearly wanted to help him! What was so wrong with the two of them becoming friends?

"Thank you, S-Subaru. I'll do my best."

Julius's thoughts were in a scattered state. He was still flustered upon learning Subaru no longer possessed his memories. This feeling was only compounded when Subaru decided to misunderstand his guilt for shyness. He didn't deserve to think of himself as Subaru's friend, nor absolve himself of what he'd done. So why then? Why did the universe taunt him like this?

Would it be more cruel to turn away Subaru's offer of friendship, or to accept it?

By all rights, if he accepted, their entire relationship would be built on a falsehood. If he didn't, he would be denying Subaru a relationship he seemed to want.

What should he do?

". . .He'll be coming soon, we need to think of a strategy."

Subaru tapped Julius on the shoulder, indicating that the two of them should move themselves to an area where there are less people. If they fought Gluttony here, there'd be countless innocents caught up in the collateral damage.

"Can you give me a quick overview of your abilities? It'll help me to figure out a plan. Also, since you've fought Gluttony before, let's trade information. . ."

Subaru put his hand up before Julius could ask him how he got his information, instead waiting expectantly for Julius to layout their enemy's capabilities and the best mode of attack.

"W-Well, I'll start with my own abilities as I have no doubts about those. Do you see these six spirits hovering around us?"

Julius called all of them to the palm of his hand, where they arranged themselves into a circle and becoming visible to any person regardless of their affinity. This piqued Subaru's interest, as he'd never seen any spirits before.

"O-Oh! Those are spirits? I thought they'd be more like ghosts!"

Subaru laughed at the stupid expectations he'd had for this world, but Julius didn't seem to find what he said very funny.

'Ah, right. . . maybe I should avoid talking about ghosts when people still think I'm dead.'

The spirits communicated something to Julius, which Subaru heard as unparsed noises. It sounded like several people were trying to talk over each other at the same time, ending with nobody understanding what the other was trying to say.

"I-I forgot, you have an unusually high spirit affinity. It seems my buds are looking forward to working with you again."

Julius reminisced to the excursion they had against Sloth, feeling almost prideful at the carnage the two of them managed to pull off when they worked together. It was where they'd first acknowledged one another as friends.

He shook his head quickly, reminding himself that he'd long since burned that bridge.

"Spirit affinity? That sounds awesome! So you're saying I can be just like you?!"

"If you wish it, I'll make it reality."

Subaru was already really beginning to like this guy, but this sealed it! This Knight was willing to train him? He'd expected his request to be brushed off as a joke, but Julius's reply indicated he was serious.

"I-I. . . !"

Suddenly, images of Reinhard and Felt flashed into his head. He'd promised the two of them they'd stick together until he got his memories back. . . was it right for him to make a decision like this so lightly?

"D-Don't worry about giving me an answer right now, I apologize for getting us off track. You wanted to hear my abilities, right?"

Subaru nodded his head, a little bit annoyed that the conversation had moved back to the topic he very much wanted to forget.

"Each of my buds correspond to an elemental attribute, wielding those types of magic with high proficiency. Ia wields fire magic, Kua controls water magic, Alo uses wind magic, Ake summons earth magic, In commands Yang magic, and Nes utilizes Yin magic."

At each of their names, Julius pointed to the spirit he was referring to, causing Subaru to nod his head with understanding. That was, until the last two.

"Yin and Yang elements? What kind of magic is that?"

Julius looked dumbfounded and decided to take a moment to think about his answer to that question. There was no doubt in his mind that Subaru knew how to use magic during their duel.

"Shadow and Light spells. I believe you have a Yin Element affinity, as I've seen you use shadow magic before."

Subaru was surprised to hear he had any other powers aside from his Return By Death, but he didn't have the time to ask Julius for details. Right now, the clock was ticking and they still needed to find a way to take out Gluttony.

"Ok, so what applications do those elements have?"

"Fire magic and wind magic are self-explanatory, I'd hope. Water magic can be used for healing. Earth magic can create barriers. Yang magic can boost strength and speed. Shadow magic can be used to distract and weaken targets."

Most of his excitement got extinguished, as Subaru realized Shadow magic was mostly debuffs. Regardless, being able to use any magic at all was something he should be grateful for, as it certainly saved his life at some point.

"Lastly, aside from being able to wield these powers in conjunction, I'm able to using a high class magic called Nect, which temporarily allows me to share senses with an ally."

As he took stock of these abilities, Subaru nodded his head with renewed understanding. If Julius had this many unique powers, they might have a chance of catching the monstrous foe off guard. All they'd need to do is feign weakness long enough to land a killing blow.

"Maybe if we combo those attacks to create a smokescreen we can. . !"

"Sorry to say this Subaru, but Gluttony already knows most of my abilities."

Subaru tilted his head, both shocked and disappointed by Julius's frank assessment of their situation. Subaru had completely overlooked the fact that the two of them already fought once. No doubt, he'd witnessed these attacks firsthand.

"That also brings us to the troublesome abilities that Gluttony has."

Julius spoke out the Archbishop's name with nothing but contempt in his voice, his purple hair getting brushed to the side with a sigh.

"He can eat the names and memories of others, which means he can find out all our secrets before we even begin fighting should he target the right person. This was why I was unsuccessful at fending him off during our previous bout."

Gluttony had eaten his name, Subaru's, and his brother's memories. This stacked the odds overwhelmingly in his favor as they fought. He dodged everything Julius threw at him, predicting every attack before he could even use it.

To Subaru however, this information was even more scary than he first realized.

"W-Wait a minute, I just remembered something. I also think he's able to use his victim's abilities by transforming into them. I have it on good authority that this heals him too. . ."

Julius's face sagged, as this meant that even a successful ambush likely wouldn't be enough to deal with this monster. Their options were certainly dwindling by this point, and with another Archbishop wandering the Capital, their situation might already be completely hopeless. Julius could work up the nerve to fight if it was simply his own life on the line. He'd been in peril several times since he started working as a mercenary. However, he was now responsible for the lives of everyone in this area, including Subaru.

Dying wasn't an option.

"Do you need all six spirits to use your strongest attacks?"

Subaru broke the silence with this question, staring intently at Julius with a look of determination in his eyes.

It was just like during the battle with Sloth.

"Yes, but he's seen them both. I doubt I'd be able to hit him with it without some kind of surprise attack."

For the first time, he saw Subaru with an evil grin on his face. No doubt, this was accentuated by the nasty eyes Subaru always wore, but Julius couldn't help but feel reassured. This was Subaru's way of projecting strength to others.

"I've got a plan."

"Plum! Oi! PLUM! Where are ya?!"

Kadomon ran breathlessly through the crowds of people in the street, praying to every deity he could think of to deliver his daughter to him, safe and unharmed. He had less than a minute left before the Witch Cult launched their attack, if Subaru was to be believed. And instead of doing his duty, he flaked to go help his wife and child. It's not like anyone would judge him for it. In fact, most people would do what he did if they were in his shoes.

Despite all this, however, Kadomon felt ashamed.

"PLUM!"

He'd abandoned his duty the moment when he was needed most. Now he wouldn't even be successful in rescuing his family.

What a sick joke. . . .

"P-Papa?!"

It was then that Kadomon heard the voice he'd desired most. There was no doubt, that was his daughter alright! She was somewhere in the crowd of people in front of him, so all he'd need to do is shove his way through and hide her away somewhere. Then he could return to help Subaru and Julius. . .

'W-Wait! What about Raksha. . .'

Plum had a habit of wandering away from her parents when she was left unattended, but Kadomon was certain his wife would be out here searching for Plum as well. So that begged the question, where was she?

"Plum! There ya' are! C'mere!"

Kadomon found the crying girl hiding in the middle of the crowd, seemingly lost and too afraid to ask for help. The girl couldn't be more happy to be reunited with her father, but she was also angry at him for suddenly disappearing a few days ago.

"P-Papa! Where were you? M-Mama was so scared. . !"

He picked her up and sat her on his shoulder, groaning as he realized how much of a scolding he was in for when he eventually did return home. He would be sleeping in the guest room for a month!

"Listen, I need ya' to go find a place to hide. Some very bad people are about to attack this place, so remain hidden until I come get ya', alright?"

Plum nodded her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, supporting herself into a seated position. Her next question was the same as what Kadomon was about to ask her.

"Where's your mother?"

*BOOM*

The sound of an explosion rocked the two of them forward and into the people in front of them. This support was just enough to keep Kadomon from falling over, however, he knew that this meant he'd run out of time.

"A~h! Delicious, regal, satiating, gorging, delectable, gourmet~! This~! This is gourmet cuisine, right ni~san?!"

A voice rang out from behind the father-daughter duo, and they both used the dispersing crowd as a distraction to hide in a small alley. They would definitely be found if that monster decided to take its time, but there was always the chance they got distracted by something else.

"Hm? Where did all of you go~? Where? Where? Wh~ere? Where~? We are soo very hungry, very very very very very very very very very ve~ry hungry!"

Plum shook in Kadomon's hands, but he covered her mouth and silenced her breathing. He'd likely go after the first person he saw, so as long as they kept their cool, they had a decent probability of escape.

". . -hk!"

A woman's voice creaked out a fearful sound. Some unfortunate soul had just rounded the corner and earned the ire of the ragged child roaming the street. The guards had all been killed in the initial explosion, so the chances of anyone stepping in were low. Kadomon knew this and prepared himself for the horrible scene he was about to witness. The woman's voice, however, struck him in a way he didn't expect.

"Miss~? Yes, that is you, isn't it? We are ec~static to meet you! Happy, overjoyed, jubilant, joyous, thrilled, pleased, delighted! Offerings should always be accepted, yes~? Isn't that right? That's right! That's correct~! It's correct because its right! It's right because it's correct~!"

The woman screamed at the monstrous figure, which caused the ragged child to begin uncontrollably laughing. It was possible he did this simply because he was a sadist, but his laugher came off more deranged than anything else. Almost like he wasn't even present in this moment to begin with, or like he was remembering something completely different. The only person who seemed to be affected by that woman's scream was Kadomon.

He knew the owner of that voice.

"R-Raksha. . !"

Kadomon, still holding his daughter in his arms, was now torn between his love for his daughter and his love for his wife. If he went to help Raksha, Plum might end up wandering out there and into danger. Not to mention the fact that she'd undoubtedly be discovered the moment he exited their hiding spot. However, if he protected Plum, Raksha would. . .

". . -hk!"

He weighed the options in his head, trying his utmost to figure out an optimum solution that allowed him to rescue both his wife and daughter, but he was unable to think of anything. All he was left with was the impossible decision between saving Plum or Raksha. If only he'd hidden somewhere else, if only he'd left a couple seconds earlier. . .

"Thanks for the meal~!"

Gluttony whipped out two of his blades and prepared to go eviscerate Raksha.

Kadomon realized he'd run out of time, and now the decision had been made for him. The only thing he could do was charge out there and pray he made it in time.

"Foolish of you to turn your back to me, you scum."

Another man's voice pierced the air, and instead of being greeted with the corpse of his defenseless wife Raksha, Kadomon looked out and saw Gluttony felled to the ground, a sword slash having pierced directly across his back. That voice belonged to the man Subaru met only a few moments ago, Julius Juukulius. Kadomon could see Raksha still frozen with fear, but with the added time and a new formidable fighter, there was a chance for him to grab her and hide her away with Plum.

"Oi! Raksha! Snap out of it!"

Kadomon grabbed the woman's shoulders and shook her a moment, before pointing to the place where he and Plum were hiding.

"We need to leave right not! C'mon, follow me and. . ."

"K-Kadomon. . ?"

He hadn't exactly told her what he'd been doing the past few days and Raksha was beginning to think about filing a missing person's report for him. For him to emerge right now, in her moment of need, seemed almost too convenient.

"H-Honey! Go and watch the kid, will ya'? We'll deal with this guy, alright?"

Raksha could only stare at her newfound husband in astonishment, as his side profile appeared to her like someone superhuman. The strength to block such an attack, to fight such a monstrous opponent. . . she was captivated by it.

An unknown voice shouted a something to Kadomon, but Raksha was too busy running to where Plum was to pick up on what it was saying.

"You~? It's you~? Yes, it's you~? That's right, it's you~! We remember! It's Ni~san! We love ni~san! The 'Knightliest Knight' who's not a Knight~!"

Julius struck at him with his sword, but it was easily parried by Gluttony's daggers. In terms of speed, this was basically no contest.

Without the element of surprise, the only chance Julius had to land an attack was boosting his stats with Yang magic. However, for some reason, he'd decided to keep his spirits obscured from view. Gluttony didn't seem to notice this, instead focusing on landing a kick into Julius's open flank. It connected into his side, launching him in the direction of a nearby building with frightening force.

However, before he could made contact. . .

"Dona!"

A rounded wall of Earth protruded from the ground, catching and enveloping Julius's body, which redirected most of the energy into a roll instead of a direct collision. No doubt, the damage received from this attack had been severely mitigated.

"Hmm~? What's this? Someone else wants a bite of us~? What a fun day this is ~tsu!"

The voice that cast that magic was none other than Kadomon's, who'd somehow cast a magic spell capable of slowing Julius's speed despite his unnaturally slow reaction time.

"Oi! Appa bro, take this!"

Another familiar voice spoke up over the carnage, which was soon accompanied by the tossing of a sword that had been picked off the corpse of one of the royal guards. That man was Natsuki Subaru, slayer of Sloth and Greed, and subjugator of the White Whale and Great Rabbit. Gluttony could recognize this voice immediately and did his best to hold back a sickeningly wide smile. In this place he'd come across three interesting opponents, two of which he'd eaten before.

"Hey kid! What's with the stupid nickname!?"

Subaru heard Kadomon's offended remark, and groaned as he realized he'd hadn't had the time to explain the plan to him at all.

"He eats people's names and memories, remember? If he doesn't know your name, that makes you immune to his ability!"

Kadomon paused for a moment, and soon felt a smile across his face. He'd at least have some use in this fight then! Even if things did go south.

"We are the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop's of Gluttony, Roy Alphard! We've introduced ourselves to you now, right~? It's proper for one's opponent to do the same, correct~? That's fairness~! That's decency~! That's civility~! That's integrity~! Is it not? Gluttonous drinking ~tsu! Gluttony tsu~!

Roy jokingly taunted the two of them with the Knightly custom which had undoubtedly been responsible for the losses of countless fighters, and tried baiting Kadomon into giving his name out with some good old fashioned guilt tripping. Needless to say, that didn't work.

"O-Oh! Close call kid! By the way, how was I able to cast that spell just now?"

Kadomon looked over to Subaru, who wanted to know what the plan was that he'd concocted for defeating Gluttony, but Subaru didn't have time to answer, as Gluttony had already begun to charge at them, arms outstretched.

"Can't eat you again~! We are sad! Despondent! Despairing! Discouraged! We'll just eat them instead, alright~?"

Gluttony was unable to eat either Subaru or Julius's name again, and odds are, their memories were likely impossible to eat too. This meant Gluttony had no indirect ways to find out Kadomon's name except going after the woman he'd seen pass by moments earlier in the street. He'd been too preoccupied with Julius to hear the name she'd uttered out, but he was certain she'd said it.

"Rent-El Goa!"

A large ball of fire manifested itself at the palm of Subaru's hand and launched itself at the incoming attacker at mach speeds. The further it traveled away from his hand, the larger the attack grew. Not only was this due to the nature of the attack, but also due to the air being funneled into the flames accompanying its fast launch.

". . -tch!"

Gluttony quickly maneuvered his way out of the path of destruction, only barely managing to dodge the fireball by slamming the ground with one of his fists to launch him high up into the sky. It was undoubtedly one of the move's he'd stolen from a previous forgotten fighter, but Subaru didn't get to hear him speak the name of this ability.

"That was one of Julius's spirits. I had him send one off to track you down before the attack started."

Subaru's plan was deceptively simple.

Nearly all of Gluttony's displayed attacks had required him to close the distance with his foes. This was true in every single loop that Subaru had encountered him and it was also true from Julius's past experience with him. This meant, as long as they were able to divide his attention, he'd be forced to focus his attacks onto one of them at a time. Julius, with his six spirits, would only lose two of his close combat abilities by splitting his spirits up among several other people. Assuming he still had his Yang spirit to boost his abilities and his Water spirit to heal damage, he could act as their brawler and continually keep Roy at bay while the two of them launched long distance attacks.

It was ingenious, and the luck of their situation hadn't ended there.

With Subaru and Julius's unique circumstances, neither of them were at risk of having their memories eaten. So long as they kept Kadomon's name a secret, Gluttony's most dangerous ability couldn't be activated. The plan was as optimized as they could've made it, given the time constraints they were under.

"I see, ya' haven't lost your craftiness, have ya' kid?"

Subaru grinned at Kadomon's praise, but he realized he was raising a flag and immediately decided to put a pin in that sort of behavior until after the battle had ended.

The facts were, even with this strategy, they were at a slight disadvantage.

Gluttony's durability and unknown moveset left them at risk of being countered at any point in the fight. His endurance would probably last longer than theirs as well, which meant they were on a time limit. Should they falter for even a moment, Gluttony could take the upper hand and eat one of Kadomon's family, which would spell doom for them all. He could also pull out some weird attack from someone who'd been forgotten by this world and kill all three of them with ease. Finally, he had intel on literally everything Julius was capable of and had previously beaten him in a 2 vs. 1. This 'cheap shot' strategy wouldn't work forever. They'd need to finish him off quickly.

Oh, and this wouldn't be an easy task either, as he possessed ungodly healing capabilities.

'Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. . .'

"Julius! Now!"

Out of nowhere, Julius boosted his speed with In's Yang Magic, and blitzed the falling Roy with a sword strike. He wouldn't be able to dodge this attack as he was still falling through the air and unable see it coming because it was behind him.

". . -!"

The strike was set to pierce straight through Roy's head, which would mean instant death for the Archbishop of Gluttony. He would not be given the chance to regenerate from those wounds by transforming into another person.

"Palm of the Fist King~!"

Gluttony shouted out the name of this ability, but Julius was still well out of range for being hit by this attack. However, Subaru realized his true intentions immediately after, as he saw the ragged child's fist change directions and make contact with his own stomach.

". . -hk!"

Roy was launched into the side of one of the buildings lining the streets of the Capital, crashing through a ceiling and wall with a loud boom. What he'd just done was a testament to his battle experience, or perhaps the experience he'd stolen from others. Rather than accept the lethal blow from Julius's sword, Roy had used one of his own attacks against himself to launch his body out of the way of the attack. This wouldn't come without cost, though.

"W-What happened!? Is he dead!?"

Kadomon shook the sword he'd just been tossed, seemingly relieved, but also a little disappointed he didn't get to use the sword himself considering he'd just been handed one.

"Stop raising flags! I doubt he'd knowingly inflict a fatal on himself!"

Subaru wagged his finger at Kadomon, disappointed in him for his unknowingly triggering a cliché that had become all too common in battle shounens, but also because he'd hoped Kadomon would've blocked his path of escape using Ake's Earth Magic.

"Hey, Appa bro! Please tell your wife and kid to flee to the Astrea Manor and get Reinhard! I really don't want to leave this fight up to chance!"

Kadomon growled a little at Subaru's silly nickname for him, but eventually relented and turned towards the alley that contained his cowering wife and child, yelling for the two of them to come out. He had a message he needed to give them.

"There ya' are!"

As the two of them emerged from their spot, they peeked the corner and saw a cloud of dust surrounding the place where Gluttony had been launched off to, which gave them the confidence to round the corner and step out into the street.

"K-Kado-. . ."

"Don't say my name! That bastard's got the power to erase people from existence with just a name!"

Raksha looked down in embarrassment, but soon regathered herself and put a hand to her chest, taking a deep breath.

"W-What can we do to help?"

Kadomon smiled for a moment, but the gravity of the situation didn't allow for him to waste time complimenting his wife's beauty. He needed to act now, before Gluttony had the chance to recover.

"Run. Both of ya', run to the Astrea Manor and get Reinhard. Tell him Natsuki Subaru is in danger, and that we're under attack by an Archbishop of the Witch's Cult!"

He spoke the title of 'Archbishop' with a shaking voice, almost like he still couldn't believe he was fighting one of those monsters in the first place. Many of them had the reputation of being literally unkillable, which certainly didn't bode well for them.

"A-Alright. When this is all over though, we'll be having a chat about you disappearing with absolutely no warning. . ."

Somehow, despite the horror of this situation, Raksha had managed to make Kadomon even more scared than the monstrous Sin Archbishop sitting in front of them. Served him right for acting without any regard for his family the last couple weeks, but still. . . he didn't look forward to it.

"Now get going! He's only going to be out for a couple more seconds!"

"S-Stay alive. . . I beg you!"

The mother-daughter duo ran off into the distance.

"Amazing~! Superb~! Magnificent~! Splendid~! Marvelous~! Wonderful~! Glorious~! We commend your teamwork, it has been quite some time since we feared for our life! We are very very very very very upset we can't make you into worthy offerings ~tsu!"

As the dust cleared, the battered and bloody Roy staggered out of the cloud of debris, still smiling like he'd found his favorite prey he'd every encountered. The hunger he felt had become insatiable to the point he'd started to consider attempting to eat either Subaru or Julius a second time. Maybe if he was lucky, their memories would still be possible targets!

"You're a psycho! How the hell can you smile after being hit like that. . !?"

Subaru yelled this out to the still grinning Roy, but when his eyes settled onto Subaru's, he lost his nerve and couldn't force any more words out of his mouth.

"Ah~! We are happy, yes? That is why we smile! Such worthy meals don't often present themselves to us without prompting, get it? Our Gluttony almost feels satisfied, tsu!"

He leapt down from the second floor of the building, gripping his chest where the self-inflicted wound had been struck. Blood leaked out of a small hole in his body and his mouth had been dripping blood too. The damage he'd inflicted onto himself had been severe.

"You won't get away this time!"

Julius appeared behind the ragged child's body and, with his sword raised over his head, brought it down into a vertical slash through the young child's body.

Both Subaru and Kadomon, anticipating him trying to dodge the attack, launched simultaneous spells from both their Earth and Fire spirits, encompassing both Roy's left and right escape paths. He would be unable to dodge this attack, and this would mean the end of him.

At least. . . that's what should've happened.

"You think we'll fall for that same trick twice~? Very naïve ~tsu!"

When the words left his mouth, a similar phrase exited Gluttony's maw, one which only Subaru could recognize.

"Solar Eclipse!"

Both the flames and earth reached their intended destinations, leaving Roy only with the option of meeting Julius's attack head-on.

He chose this bath explicitly, and the form he took had been enough to shake the conviction of Julius Juukulius's strike.

"Hmm, ve-y ea-y -o -ead!"

Julius's sword had been caught between the teeth of a man who perfectly resembled that of Natsuki Subaru. This went from his clothes, his eyes, and even to his voice. He was virtually indistinguishable from the man standing 100 feet behind him, who could only stare upon the scene in shock.

"Bad move~!"

With Julius's sword strike having been weakened, Gluttony's original strength had been enough for him to catch it in his maw. And judging by the trembling pupils of the man before him, he'd made the right decision on who to turn into from when he'd received his sword strike.

"Palm of the Fist King!"

The now fully healed Gluttony launched a devastating attack onto Julius, who was in no position to dodge or brace himself for the impact of his barrage of fists. He'd been sent flying before either Subaru or Kadomon could realize what had happened, and when they tried to cast a spell, Julius's body had been slammed through the wall of a shop and into a dust cloud of its own.

"Very smart~! If Ni~san didn't hesitate, we would've died~! Scary~! Scary~! Scary~!"

Subaru screamed out to Julius, hoping he'd been able to tank the attack with enough strength to get up and continue fighting, but the silence he'd been greeted with was deafening. Right now, Kua was probably healing Julius's wounds, so they needed to switch directives to stall tactics until he could get back in the fight.

"Kadomon! I need you to cast a high level Earth spell!"

Kadomon glanced over at Subaru, and he could see that he had some sort of plan in mind, so he relented and prepared to cast.

"Just so ya' know, I think this spirit's running low on mana, so this might be its last spell. . ."

Subaru didn't feel good with this news, but he understood that Ake wasn't used to working with people other than Julius and that Kadomon hadn't wielded spirits before either. This was most likely a result of that lack of experience.

If it weren't for Ia's continuing persistence to work with him, Subaru would be in a similar position too.

"El Dona!"

A dome of earth rose up out of the ground and circled around the still stationary Archbishop, enveloping it in a nearly-foot thick wall. Before it finished closing, Subaru rapidly cast two spells of his own targeting two different areas.

"El Goa! Ul Goa!"

The first fireball made its way into the dome, just barely impacting before it got sealed off, and exploding on the inside of the stone prison. The second spell, which was cast at a higher level, overlaid flames on the shell and surroundings of the dome. This way, if he somehow escaped, he would still be stuck in a forest of flames before he could make his way over to them.

". . .-hk!"

The sound indicated to Subaru that their plan had been a success. Roy was certainly fast, but by restricting his movement, they didn't need to worry about him as much, as they knew that Gluttony only had short distance attacks.

'W-Wait a minute. . . that wasn't. . .'

Subaru realized all too late that the sound wasn't coming from Gluttony. No, it had come from Kadomon!

"Too slow~! We don't plan on dying here, yes!"

In one fell swoop, Roy had escaped their prison and sped past Subaru's incoming fireball before he'd even registered it. No, actually, it's more likely he'd already disappeared before the Earth spell had been cast. But how?

It was almost like he'd teleported.

"No! K-Kado-. . . -hk!"

Subaru cut himself off at the last second, realizing he'd almost carelessly said his name and doomed them both. Kadomon's body had been launched backwards several feet and he'd crumpled to the ground in an unconscious mess.

"Hmm~? Think you're helping him~? It's too late, you already shouted his name a few moments ago, right~?"

Subaru's eyes widened, as he realized that he'd indeed called out to Kadomon when launching their initial attack, and he felt fearful at the implications this mistake would have on their fight. What should he do? What could he do?

Gluttony approached his unconscious body with a slow foreboding pace, licking both his hands as he prepared to enjoy snacking on both Kadomon's names and memories, leaving him a husk of his former self. Subaru couldn't allow this to happen, but he'd exhausted pretty much all his options aside from attacking recklessly and using up the rest of the spirit's mana.

But luckily for him, a moment of revelation shone through. . .

"I-Invisible Providence!"

Subaru shouted out these accursed words with a surprising amount of energy. The invisible hand couldn't be dodged and was very difficult to detect. At the distance between him and Roy, there wouldn't be enough of a disturbance in the air for him to sense its presence.

". . -gh!"

Gluttony was launched backwards, having taken a serious blow to his head and rolled backwards across the cobblestone road. The top right part of his skull had been completely bashed by whatever attack Subaru had just used.

". . .-hk!"

Subaru's nose, eyes, and mouth all began to leak blood. A headache of unbearable proportions had immediately caused Subaru to fall to his knees in pain. He couldn't speak, much less think. All he could hear was the sound of his own blood pumping behind his ears.

"S-Subaru!"

Julius had finally recovered, but now Kadomon had been put out of commission, and Subaru wasn't doing much better.

He would have to act now if they wanted any chance of victory.

But, those hopes were about to be shattered. . .

"There you are! I finally found you~! My dear Petelgeuse!"

A woman, covered head to toe in bandages, had been watching the battle take place for an unknown amount of time. Her smile was wicked, and her voice relayed a mania that made her seem almost androgenous.

"Oh! How rude! I can get really shy, you know? Please forgive me for not introducing myself! I'm the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Wrath! Sirius Romanee-Conti!"

Author's Note

Wow! That chapter was super long! Sorry bout the month long hiatus, but that just sorta is how I do things, so yeah nothing else to really say about that. I think these next few chapters are going to be extra long because I REALLY want to get to the point where I'll be satisfied jumping back to The Secret. I'm really close! I just need to get a bit further along! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, as it definitely has been a pain to write all the action scenes here, but honestly, I'm glad I'm getting more practice with this kind of thing. I'm not exactly sure when the next chapter will come out, but I hope I can get it out in the next two weeks or so. Cast Reacts Ch 3 is pretty far along and I'm pretty sure Arc 7 is getting pretty close to finishing! Let's go! I've been waiting for this for a while now!

My poll for the next chapter will be basically who's POV you want more.

The next chapter will swap between both Astrea Manor POV and Subaru/Julius POV. Which do you wanna see more? That will be the one I lead with (but don't worry, you'll be seeing a lot of both!)

Vote A for Astrea Manor and B for Subaru/Julius.

Also, there will be a great payoff at the end of next chapter, so for everyone who's been sticking around waiting, don't worry, you'll finally receive what you want!

I also wrote a fic for the Reactionist Fic Contest, so that'll be out whenever everything is done, look forward to that!

Finally,

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Chapter Text

"Kahahahahaha~! Stunned to silence by my beautiful body? Very well, I will per-. . ."

There was a bright light. Analogous to the casting of magic and the glint of a sword. Before Capella's words could exit her mouth, the cocky Archbishop's form had been completely overtaken by an overwhelming barrage of attacks. The components of this onslaught would be impossible to distinguish to the average bystander, but at least one person was able to make out the nature of this strike.

Fire magic, earth, a unique sword art, and an imperceptible slash all collided with the snout of the unwelcome dragon.

*BOOM*

". . .-kh!"

As Emilia, Crusch, Garfiel, and Wilhelm all sent simultaneous attacks at the black dragon, an explosion of epic proportions tore through the side of the Astrea manor, sending shrapnel and dust everywhere. Before the smokescreen cleared, the ramifications of their rash choices suddenly flashed into their minds. Anyone unfortunate enough to fail to react to the explosion would have been seriously injured, at least if it weren't for. . .

"Felt-sama! Meili-san! Are you both alright?"

"Y-Yeah! Get off of me. . !"

". . . ."

Reinhard looked down at both Meili and Felt, who he'd rapidly shielded in a protective huddle. The speed at which he'd moved was nigh unfathomable, something that didn't go unnoticed by the other fighters in the room.

"F-Felt-chan. . ! A-Are you. . !?"

"Don't worry about it Big Sis. . ."

Emilia dashed over to the huddled trio of Reinhard, Felt, and Meili, terrified that one of them got caught up in the barrage. Very quickly though, Felt waved her off with a tired expression. Even if she had been hit during that attack, she wouldn't have blamed Emilia for it, as she could tell that hadn't been her intention.

"W-What were all of you thinking!? T-That was really dangerous. . !"

Emilia addressed the other three attackers with a hint of frustration in her voice. Before launching her ambush, Emilia had constructed an ice wall that would shield the noncombatants from any damage as a result of her attack. However, it had only been built to withstand her own magic, not the force of that combined strike. She'd even deliberately held some power back as a failsafe in case the projectiles got deflected.

Why hadn't any of them given any thought to the others?

"E-Emilia-sama. . ! I sincerely apologize. . ."

Immediately after her scolding, Wilhelm took a knee and bowed his head in contrition. Facing someone who belonged to the Witch Cult, the same people who tortured his liege and stole Subaru's name, brought out a side to him he'd rarely let show. He thought he'd reigned in those impulsive behaviors a long time ago, but apparently, he still had more to learn.

"M'sorry s'well Princess, I-I shouldn't v'done that. . !"

Garfiel grit his teeth together, unable to meet Emilia's quivering eyes. Perhaps losing that duel had made him more upset than he'd originally thought. . . It was common sense to hold back when in the presence of civilians. However he'd thrown it all out the window. . !

"D-Don't apologize to me. . ! I'm not the one who got hurt!"

Emilia turned to Reinhard and bowed her head, her voice shaking with remorse. Having brought all three of them to this place, as well as forcing Reinhard to accept them, Emilia had full responsibility for any damage they might cause.

"Reinhard, I sincerely apologize for putting you and Felt-chan in danger. . . on behalf of myself, Wilhelm-san, Crusch, and my kn-. . ."

The half-elf froze up suddenly, realizing what she'd nearly said. One of her free hands covered up her open mouth, leaving Emilia wide-eyed and trembling. It couldn't be. It simply wasn't possible.

'H-How could I. . ? W-What is wrong with me. . .!?'

Calling Garfiel her knight? He'd explicitly asked never to be called by that title again. How unfair that was to Garfiel. It wasn't like she'd made this mistake before either. Since Gluttony's death, Emilia had always been able to refrain from slipping back into her old habits. Why now. . ? Had she become so desperate that she'd forced Garfiel to act like him?

"Emilia-sama. . . it's alright. The circumstances demanded action, if not by you, then certainly by me."

A hand rested on Emilia's shoulder, steadying her trembling breaths and letting everyone release the tension in their shoulders. If Reinhard wanted to, he could've taken this to the Sage Council as an attempted attack on one of the Royal Candidates. Though obviously, he would never do that.

In fact, all he could think about was his own shortcomings. His indecisiveness drove the others to act in his place.

"I'm glad everyone is safe."

Reinhard's smile was like poison to everyone in the Emilia Camp, especially those who'd been plotting to interrogate him behind the scenes. His sincere worry for them all made difficult for any of them to reply in kind.

Wilhelm and Crusch were the worst off, afraid to risk taking their eyes off the floor and possibly making eye contact with Reinhard.

"N-No. .! NO! S-She's not. . ! Mama's not. . !"

Out of nowhere, Meili screamed out in genuine terror. Her hands were over her ears, while her eyes dashed rapidly from left to right. None of them knew. None of them knew the extent of the danger they'd found themselves in!

Above all else, 'Mama' was cunning. Her insane schemes ran deeper than any person could foreseeably predict. There's no way she flew all the way here just to get eliminated.

"Wait, did you say 'Mama'!? What the hell are you talking about?"

Felt scowled at Meili, still resentful towards her for sending the Mabeasts out to hunt Subaru. There was no way that weird-looking dragon was her mother! What did she say her name was again. . ? Capella? The voice definitely sounded familiar. . .

"She's saying it won't be that easy. I, too, doubt that attack was enough. . ."

Crusch spoke this out to nobody in particular, recalling the previous encounter between them with less than pleased emotions. The first time she'd encountered this monster, she'd been defeated effortlessly.

"Crusch-sama. You've fought the Archbishop of Lust before, correct?"

Otto, from the little pieces of information he could dredge up about the battle of Priestella, had remembered Crusch's ill-fated duel with Capella. If anyone knew the capabilities of the Sin Archbishop of Lust, it was Crusch.

"Yes. Although, that's not her true form, I wouldn't forget that voice."

Crusch shuddered, clasping her hand into a fist and looking at the newly created hole in the wall. Their opponent was more sadistic than any Archbishop they'd faced previously, and she was also someone who possessed a keen intellect. No doubt, Crusch would've died a long time ago if it hadn't been for. . .

"True form? What do you mean?"

Ram was surprised to hear that the monster that just assailed them was not the Archbishop's real body. Concerns that it might not have been finished off caused her to go and take Rem's hand. She could feel through her synesthesia that Rem's fury was reaching a boiling point.

"That scum has the ability to transform herself and others into anything she desires. It allows her to heal from almost any attack as well as mask her presence."

From the corner of her eye, Crusch noticed Meili flinch at her description of Capella's abilities. A few moments ago, had not only Meili called the beast 'Mama', but she'd also been privy to the fact Lust survived the attack. Something definitely wasn't right here, had Meili been trying to set them up?

"W-Wait a second! Don't tell me. . . was this bi*** the one we heard over the radio!?"

Felt unsheathed her dagger and clenched the handle with an iron grip. If this was the same person from Priestella, then she was the person responsible for orchestrating the entire attack on the city. That was where it had all gone wrong for them. . .

"Yes. She was the one who cursed me and. . . S-Subaru."

The moment Crusch uttered that name, the blue-haired maid that sat quietly watching this scene could no longer be contained.

"Did you just say. . .Subaru-kun? S-She cursed Subaru-kun. . !?"

Rem had grabbed onto Crusch's shoulders, looking into her eyes with a manic desire. Their friendship from before Gluttony's attack had weathered the aftermath of Subaru's death, but Rem couldn't say she felt completely at ease around her anymore. Regardless, the hostility wasn't directed at Crusch. Instead, all that hatred had created a neurotic drive to hunt and kill the monster that created these circumstances.

"H-He got cursed saving me. I would've died if it not for him. . ."

Crusch bit her trembling lip, still trying to keep herself from looking Rem in the eyes. This entire situation had been so shameful she could not bear to look at any of them anymore. Rem didn't seem to notice though.

"Damned Archbishop! I'll kill her! I'LL FU**** KILL HER!"

She let go of Crusch's arms, starting to march towards the eviscerated wall with killing intent oozing off her. Her Morningstar wouldn't be enough to do the job in a single blow, but since Rem had no intentions of ending her that quickly anyway, it worked out fine.

"W-Wait. . ."

While this was going on, Felt had a starting realization. The person that had been in Capella's maw was undoubtedly Reisel. The only way she could've found gotten him was if she'd known where he was kept. And that meant. . .

"R-Rein. . ."

Once Felt saw Reinhard's unmoving form, she knew Reinhard understood what happened as well. He must've recognized the situation from the beginning, but kept it hidden such that he wouldn't arouse suspicion. The losses were much more than those in this room.

"Felt-sama, get behind me."

*WHOOSH* *WHOOSH*

Exactly on cue, the sound of large wings flapping drowned out all the sounds running through the room. Gusts of wind could be felt brushing past each person, almost as if they stood amidst a typhoon.

"Scum~! Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting! How dare you lay your hands on me~? You damned slabs of meat~! My beautiful body will never be tainted by rotting meatsacks like you! Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!"

The dragon reappeared, seemingly undamaged from the tandem attack that'd been made on her. In her eyes was something akin to unbridled fury, and her large mouth had smoke leaking out of it.

*CHING*

The sound of chains rattled through the air, as the head of a Morningstar blasted in the direction of the frowning dragon. Any normal person would've been reduced to a red mist if it made contact with them, but to a creature like Capella, the attack was child's play.

". . .-hk!"

Rem tried to pull back her Morningstar, but was met with tough resistance. In her anger, Rem had been driven temporarily blind with rage, and that meant she never actually got to see if the mace made contact.

"Weakling~! Don't mock me with mediocrity! I'll render you to a pile of flesh, you scum~! Petulant, rotting, calcified, decaying, moldy, decomposing, putrefied bags of meat!"

The Morningstar had been caught between the dragon's upper and lower fangs, leaving Rem unable to retrieve her weapon. The Archbishop was being struck with a multitude of ideas for how she planned to punish this insubordinate maid once she dragged her out of the building. However, fate intervened.

"Reinhard, catch!"

An ice sword flew through the air and gracefully landed in the hands of Reinhard. His Dragon Sword hadn't deemed his opponent powerful enough for its usage, leaving Reinhard stuck. Without a sword, he wasn't sure he could entirely eliminate the presence of the Archbishop beyond the point she could regenerate. A stalemate would be bad, as it'd likely mean more collateral damage.

"Oh~?"

As Reinhard readied himself to bring down his sword and release an attack of his own, the dragon's killing intent rapidly disappeared. It stared at him with an evil smirk that would've made the stars tremble.

"Before I eliminate you, tell me. . . what did you do with the others?"

For a moment, everyone looked at him, stunned he hadn't killed the Archbishop right there and then. However, for Felt and Reinhard, this question was something both of them had been afraid to ask.

"Others~? Ah, you are asking about those other women? You have me right in front of you, but all you can think about are those corpses? Disgusting. Their slutty bodies don't compare to my own. Tell me, which of them did you desire~?"

Capella's body started shrinking down into a mass of black sludge before reforming itself into the shape of a person. It's facial features slowly began to hollow out, with its body and clothes regaining their colors. Soon, the Archbishop no longer looked anything like the monster that tore through his home. Instead, she was the spitting image of a certain maid.

"L-Lilia. . !?"

"So, that was her name then? Did you leer at her like you're doing to me now? How perverted~! You damn degenerate meatbag!"

As she spoke this sentence, Capella's body morphed through each of the maidstaff's profiles, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination for the shocked spectators. The Sin Archbishop of Lust was truly a demon.

"A-AHGH. . !"

Meili, still hiding behind Reinhard, couldn't withstand the overriding fear that consumed her in this moment. Her only hope in life was that Capella had believed her to be dead since her battle at the Manor. Now that she knew Meili was alive, she'd never stop hunting her.

"Now you stare at me with those repulsive eyes? How dare you look upon me with disgust!? This beautiful lady has done you the favor of letting you gaze upon mine body, and you squander it like petulant snobs! You are the ones who repel others, you revolting slabs of meat~! Your imperfect, rigid, unchanging forms sicken me!"

Having driven herself into an ego-fueled rage, Capella shook with fury at her unwelcome reception. The scowls she received, the pitying words, the hate-filled spells of fire and ice. These lower lifeforms had the gall to look down on someone completely and totally superior to them? They all had to die.

"Be silent, monster! You've just talked yourself into a grave. There will be no escape for you this time. . !"

Crusch swung her sword vertically downwards, sending a slash whisking through the air poised to make contact with the cackling demon. The sword stroke lacerated the lustful woman's body into two pieces starting at her head.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh~? I thought I remembered you. I'm surprised you managed to survive my blessing. Someone as pathetically weak and ugly as you should've died, so this is a surprise!"

Capella body started to reform along the torn vertical slant that bisected her torso. The blood vessels and muscle sinews grew out from the open wounds, linking together with a pungent mulchy squelch, before new skin grew over it as if there'd never been damage there to begin with. The fair skin and kind exterior playing mask to the repugnant and inhuman insides perfectly encapsulated the vile creature that was Lust.

". . -tch! You call that a blessing? A freak like you can't be allowed to escape."

"How ungrateful. After that young man threw himself in front of me to beg for your life, you squander my goodwill fighting a battle you'll never win. Tell me, what became of that boy~?

The Sin Archbishop of Lust derisively smiled at the shocked Duchess. She'd obviously figured out the truth about what happened to Subaru, and she wasn't above using it to her advantage. Crusch rallied her arm back up, preparing another strike, but Capella's morphing body stopped her in her tracks. Both Reinhard and Crusch stared at Capella's true form with confusion.

"I wonder, what is it restraining you from striking me? Are you captivated by my pleasing curves? Wicked debauchers~!"

The young woman in front of them bore a striking resemblance to Felt, which the ruby-eyed thief acknowledged with a grimace. The rumors about Capella belonging to the Royal Family were more believable than not by this point.

"I would like nothing more than to swing this sword and eradicate you down to the last speck, but before I do, I'll give you a chance. Surrender now."

Reinhard felt conflicted swinging his sword at someone who belonged to the Royal Family, even if they absolutely deserved it. He'd already caused that family enough harm already by leaving them all to die four years ago. But admittedly, the crimes she'd admitted to were steep. He doubt he could ever forgive this monster if she'd actually killed Lilia and the other maids.

"Kahahahaha! Why don't you get on your knees and beg like a dog? It's obvious you're holding back for reasons other than simple chivalry, I can sense your killing intent from here~!"

She'd hit the nail right on the head. Reinhard's teeth gritted together, but he never followed through on his threat. Something was preventing him from dealing her the finishing blow. Something nobody else was aware of yet.

"Oi! Str'ke r'down! S'nothin stoppin' ya!"

Garfiel lobbed a piece of rubble at Capella, who tanked the impact with one of her wings. All this really achieved was obscuring her view of the room for a split second.

"You b****. . ! I'll teach you to talk down to us!"

Felt activated her Divine Protection and rapidly appeared behind Capella, cleaving through her throat with her dagger and leaving a gnarly gash. The problem was, the smile on Lust's face never disappeared.

"Hah~? You think you compare to me? You filthy whore. Slut, floozy, harlot, swinger. . . !"

For some reason, seeing Felt's face brought the Archbishop overwhelming hatred for any and everything she stood for. For the woman who'd grown so accustomed to stealing the appearance of others, having her own likeness 'impersonated' by someone else was the ultimate affront.

"I won't let you!"

Capella brought a hand up to restrain the speedy Felt and deal a killing blow, but her hand froze into a block of ice. No, wait, actually, her entire body below her neck had frozen solid.

Emilia had cast widespread ice magic (I know its technically fire magic) trapping the Archbishop in a single spot.

*CHING*

Simultaneously, Ram moved in and swiped up Felt whilst a Morningstar shattered through the statue of ice that was Capella. Rem saw her opportunity and she was going to take it regardless of the consequences.

"That's better. However, while there's still some of you left, I won't be satisfied. . . !"

Rem had aimed for the neck of the statue, and she ended up completely severing Capella's head from her torso. The head flopped to the floor and bounced like a football, the Archbishop laughing incredulously all the while.

"Rem!"

Ram looked at her sister with disappointment at what she was becoming. If that attack had been even a second earlier, Felt would've been struck by the Morningstar too. Only due to their synesthesia was Ram able to predict the incoming attack and save Felt. Her sister's recklessness nearly amounted to cold-blooded murder!

"Nee-sama, don't stop me. It has to die. . ! It has to DIE!"

"I see~. So you resent me do you? Is it for what I did to your race?"

Capella could smell oni blood a mile away, much like those who could detect her. She'd always found them to be a revolting and unattractive species. It was why she'd deliberately targeted their villages, even without prompting from the gospel.

"Don't you play dumb, Archbishop! I know you cursed him. . !"

The chains jingled as Rem's grip on her flail tightened to knuckle whitening capacity. What she'd done to Subaru was unforgivable. . !

"Him~? Ah. . . I understand now! You love that black-haired boy? Kahahahaha! And here I thought my gospel would lead me straight to him. . !"

The idea of Subaru loving Rem over a perfectly evolved being such as herself was the ultimate joke to Capella. She laughed so loudly that her grating voice forced several onlookers to put their hands over their ears. Only one person caught the slip-up she'd made at the end of her triumphant laugh.

"What did you say!? Natsuki-san. . .is dead."

Otto himself was uncertain of the details, but there was no way he was going to clue in Capella on Subaru's potential survival. It seemed though, that Capella had been certain she'd find him here using her Gospel.

"Is that what you actually believe~? Don't tell me you want to go finish the job. . ! Kahahahahahaah!"

The crowd looked at her in a stunned silence. Reinhard and Felt glared whilst desperately thinking up plans to dispatch her before she could reveal any more information.

"Then again, shutting down capital's transportation was a nice touch~! My assistants are likely having a much easier time destroying this city, so I suppose you all deserve this wonderful lady's thanks! I'll be sure to add him to my pet collection. . ! KAHAHAHAAHAHA!"

Capella smiled viciously at all of them, seeing the realization sink in that she'd simply been a decoy for the real attack the entire time. It was natural for simpletons like them to fall prey to the schemes of someone as intelligent as her.

"DI-. ."

They all moved to finish her off, but outside the manor a signal was given.

*BOOOM*

"D-Dam-. . ! They'v-. . . magi-. . . !"

Sounds of an unknown person's voice rang out in the young man's mind. Fuzzy, unparseable sounds vibrated through his brain as the feeling in his limbs slowly began returning.

". . .rf!' Are you alright. . !?"

His body weight shifted from the ground to something moving. The ringing in his ears was still so loud that he thought he'd pass out. Someone was carrying him, that was likely the situation. However, he had little to no recollection of how he'd ended up in this situation to begin with.

"Snap out of it!"

A voice briefly overtook the overwhelming tinnitus, which he greatly appreciated. After all, who wouldn't want to wake from a tumultuous situation greeted by the voice of the person they loved? Ah, wait, that's right. . .

". . .Ram, th' hell's happenin?"

The last thing Garfiel remembered was the Archbishop of Lust's head being blown off her torso. Her creepy smile and ugly laugh was the only indication of a possible sneak attack on them, but they'd vastly underestimated her capabilities due to the presence of Reinhard.

"Garf, it would do you well to heed my advice and stop asking unnecessary questions. If you are healthy enough to speak, then heal yourself."

Ram's grip on his shoulder lessened considerably and Garfiel's feet once again made contact with the ground. In a few moments, his body would restore itself enough for him to continue fighting.

". . .-kh! S'what's goin' on!? Wasn't th' bit**''s head knocked off? 'nd where are we?"

The demihuman grit his teeth, still not comprehending the gap in memory between Capella's defeat and their current predicament. Their victory had practically been assured! His surroundings had become so different that Garfiel even wondered if they'd gotten teleported.

"Foolish. I'd expect better from you Garf, considering you were the first person to react."

Despite the cold contents of her words, Ram's delivery was much softer than her usual speaking tone. It almost sounded like she was praising him, but once again, Garfiel was left scratching his head.

"What 're ya' sayin'? My amazin' self doesn't remember. . ?"

Ram let out a huff, looking like she didn't want to be the one to tell him what was happening. However, considering Garfiel's presence might be instrumental in any plans to fight, she relented.

"There were cultists lined up outside the manor. The Archbishop must've planned ahead, as right after we cornered her, they simultaneously cast magic to blow up the manor."

Garfiel's eyes widened as the landscape around him began to make more sense. Not only were they surrounded by significant piles of wreckage, but the sky had become overcast with clouds. These were trademark signs that large amounts of mana had been sucked out of the environment.

"W-Wait, s'th' princess alright!? What 'bout Rem? Or Ott-. . ."

"They're fine. Everyone from our camp is alright."

The building weight in Garfiel's stomach felt like it'd been gracefully lifted off. He still had some worries regarding those from the Crusch and Felt Camps, but considering their proximity to the explosion, they likely had an easier time reacting.

"Kahahaha! All of you foolish cretins are powerless to stop us! Prostrate yourselves before me and grovel for your pathetic lives~!"

Both Ram and Garfiel caught a glimpse of a familiar black dragon making circles above them. As they moved past one of the larger piles of debris, they each became privy to the battlefield that the setting had devolved into.

". . . !"

Dozens of witch cultists dotted the treeline, using the cover to launch sneak attacks on the surrounded group of Emilia and Crusch's camps. Wilhelm and Rem had broken off from this group and launched what could only be called 'berserker' charges at the enemy, letting themselves get overtaken by their bloodlust.

*Swish*

Wilhelm's blade danced through the exposed witch cultists with a wild fervor. His battle cry should've given away his location, but the immense speed at which he moved left little time for the cultists to escape.

*Crash*

Rem's morningstar brutalized the skulls of those with whom it made contact. Her horn glowed pink and her eyes had the unrestrained killing intent one would see in a charging mabeast. There was no distinguishing between friend and foe anymore.

"B-Both of you. . ! Stop that reckless behavior and get back here!"

Emilia had been left with the responsibility of shielding the remaining participants from magic attacks along with Reinhard. Spell after spell made contact with Emilia's ice barriers, destroying them almost as quickly as she made them. It was beyond idiotic for them to split up and charge off when the enemy had them surrounded like this. Both of them would likely be killed if this kept up. . !

"Oi! Rem, th' hell r'ya thinkin'!?"

A barrage of Witch Cultist daggers flew towards the blue-haired demon, angled directly in her blind spot. Garfiel's keen instincts allowed him to erect a barrier of earth behind Rem through his divine protection. However, he'd been cutting it close. . .

"Ah, it seems I must tend to my sister. Garf, are you able to stand?"

"F'course! Even f'I couldn't, s'no way t'act in front f'ya. . !"

Ram smiled a little at Garfiel's familiar tenacity and took his arm off her shoulder. The plan right now would be to have Garfiel charge into Emilia's makeshift shelter and help reinforce it, while Ram went to retrieve Rem and Wilhelm. Having already taken his beast form earlier when he shielded most of the Emilia Camp from the initial explosion, Garfiel was getting low on mana. The environment certainly wasn't helping either.

'My amazin' self needs t'finish this soon. R'else th' Capital will be left t'burn. . !'

With his Divine Protection of Earth Spirits, Garfiel was able to make his way towards Emilia's protective wall relatively unharmed. Aside from a couple singed hairs and a renewed ringing sound in his ears, he made it there without incident.

"Garfiel. . ! T-Thank goodness, we thought you might've. . !"

Emilia had tears in the corner of her eyes as she walked up and hugged the bloodied Garfiel with enough strength to crush a Guiltylowe.

". . .g-gah! Princess! Too strong. . !"

Sensing her mistake, Emilia backed off and let out a relieved sigh. Now that Garfiel and Ram had shown up, everyone's safety had been confirmed. Their situation was still dire, as exiting Emilia's protective encasing would result in them getting assailed by multiple deadly attacks from all directions. However, with Garfiel here, the possibility for a real counterattack was feasible.

"Everyone! Please listen to what I'm about to say. . !"

Emilia was beginning to lay out their plan of escape, but while everyone listened to her ideas, Garfiel suddenly felt an irrational spike of anger towards a person in the back. A certain red-haired man who likely could've ended this encounter several times over, but instead, sat idly while all of them risked their lives.

Naturally, he marched right up to him and grabbed him by his collar.

"Th' fuck s'all this, huh? Ya' must've had a hundred chances t'stop this disaster! Why aren't ya' out there getting' vengeance for th' Cap'n!?"

His irises shook and he could hear a tremble in his voice. Reinhard wasn't someone who could be taken out by something as weak as a fodder cultist, or even a Sin Archbishop. Hell, even after months of nonstop training and using his full power, Reinhard had defeated him with one blow. It was a mockery of all of them to have that strength and not use it. . !

"I-I. . well. . .Beatrice-sama. . ."

Reinhard seemed to feel irritated at Garfiel's taunts, but still stammered out only a couple of words before going silent.

"Why don't ya' shut the hell up!? Weren't you one of the ones who almost killed us earlier?"

Felt stepped in between Garfiel and Reinhard, feeling indignant at Garfiel's ruthless demeanor. He'd attacked indiscriminately and nearly killed her and Meili! Who was he to act all self-righteous when he'd barged into their home and forced this mess onto them?

"F-Felt-sama, it's a fair question, please let him-. . ."

"Rein."

Felt's crimson eyes bored into him with a calm fury. This was markedly different from her usual outbursts characterized by her childish behavior and habits from her uncouth upbringing. It was an unbroachable, steeled, authoritative rage. It evoked the traits of an archetypal ruler, characterized by tenacity, level-headedness, and confidence. So long had it been since he'd been faced with those imperceptible traits of royalty. . . he'd almost forgotten who he'd been serving.

Naturally, Reinhard fell silent.

"My knight isn't some tool to use to solve all of your problems. After all you've done, he still had the courtesy to house ya snakes despite all the horrible accusations ya' made towards him! And this is how you treat him? If any of ya' had faith in him, ya would've believed him when he told ya' Big Bro was inno-. ."

Garfiel's hands let go of Reinhard's collar, staring at Felt for a moment in shock. That expression would be short-lived, as he immediately squinted his eyes together trying to hold back tears. She'd correctly identified the root of his anger and had torn him to shreds with a single sentence.

"Felt-sama! I-I understand how you feel. . but that's crossing a line! I could've been more stubborn. . . I-I could've. . !"

Reinhard looked over and saw the rest of the Emilia and Crusch camp standing there silently. Otto had a hand over his face, trying to keep anyone from looking at him as he kept his jaw clenched. Crusch bit her lip and tried pretending she hadn't heard Felt's comment, but failed miserably.

Beatrice simply closed her eyes, her shaky, uncontrolled breathing being the only sound Reinhard could hear over the explosions going on in the background.

And finally Emilia. . .

". . .-hk!"

The half-elf, her back turned, was still continuously constructing barriers to cancel out the Witch Cultist's attacks. Her shoulders shook, her eyes dripped tears into a wet spot in the dirt, but she didn't say a word.

"All of you. . . don't think I don't know what ya think of us. . !"

Felt took no joy in what she was doing, but she knew it was something that had to be done. Otto, Garfiel, Crusch, Wilhelm, Rem, Ram, Beatrice, Meili, and even her big sis to some extent. . . they weren't ready to fess up to their mistakes. Somewhere in the back of their minds, they still had hope things would just 'go back' to the way they were before.

That was why Subaru couldn't be allowed to see them.

That was why they wanted Subaru to get his memories back.

For something like that. . . to just be forgotten? It was wrong.

To act like it'd never happened? It was wrong.

Even if this was absolutely not the time to pull something like this, Felt decided it couldn't be put off any longer.

"The first instinct ya had when you thought Subaru returned was to revert right back to the behavior that got ya here to begin with. . ! It's infuriating! You don't trust me or Rein, ya never did. . ! Resorting to taking my knight hostage, . . locking down the Capital, . . infesting the city with Mabeasts. . !? Who the hell are you people!? I never thought you capable of sinking this low. . !"

Felt could feel her fist balling up and her breath running ragged. Not a soul dared interrupt her, even as the ongoing barrage of fireballs grew more intense.

"I'd really began to believe all of you were our friends. . . that perhaps the nobility here wasn't all bad. . !"

Crusch seemed to be the most impacted by this offhand remark, as a choked cry escaped her open mouth. She knew she'd regret what she was about to say, but she also knew Felt didn't understand the guilt that came with her position. Any chance to feel whole again was something she would pursue with all her ability.

"What about you then. . !? How about you tell them all what you've been hiding!"

Felt paused for a moment, stunned at the question Crusch just lobbed at them. Both Reinhard and Felt had no way of working around this question.

"You think I owe you people anything?"

She stared at Crusch and they both continually matched the intensity of the others gaze. While Crusch had been deeply struck by Felt's aspersions, the fact that Felt had INDEED been harboring Subaru this entire time made it all feel two-faced.

What gave her the right to act this way? She was involved in what happened too. She'd clearly managed to smooth things over in the time since Subaru's return, why deny them all the closure they so desperately needed?

"W-Why you. . !"

Crusch grit her teeth and bit her lip even harder.

The two people (Subaru and Felix) who'd saved her from that damned curse were both beyond her reach.

Felix was gone. He'd disappeared, offered himself up for execution, and was now living in a state worse than death. Ever since that day, she'd lost everything. Fourier was gone, Felix was gone, Subaru was gone, her retainers were gone. . .

Felt knew nothing of the weight she carried. The guilt. The isolation.

There were even moments where she'd contemplated ending it all.

To deny them all an apology was beyond the limits of arrogance. It was cruel.

"Ah~? Hiding from us? I'd expect nothing less from such stagnant rotting bags of flesh~! Take every opportunity you can to leer at my beautiful form before I get sick of toying with you and find more interesting toys~!"

At this declaration, the dragon's mouth spewed black flames in a circle that encompassed the entire Astrea property, creating a perimeter that was nigh unbreakable. Similar to what she'd done in Priestella, these flames were enchanted in such a way that they could never naturally burn out. (Gee I wonder where Tappei got that inspiration from?)

This new development was dire enough that it forced the demoralized fighters out of their funk and back into the battle. If the Archbishop was telling the truth, then this entire attack had merely been a diversion to remove the Capital's defenders from the city. They couldn't afford to let her run off and wreak havoc on the rest of the Capital.

"I-I apologize Beatrice-sama, but our options are dwindling."

Reinhard looked over at Beatrice, asking her for approval for what he was about to do next. The little girl clutched onto Emilia's hand, clearly feeling upset with herself for even doing so at all.

"I thank you."

In that instant, Reinhard became a blur of light.

The battle that followed was incomprehensible to those on the ground.

The already mana-sapped environment had all of its remaining power centralized into one man, who zipped up into the sky like he, himself, was a dragon. Almost instantaneously, Reinhard's sword swipe burst the flying dragon into a red mist, splattering all over him and sending a rain of blood onto those below.

Luckily, the dangers of this blood was something everyone was well-aware of, so Emilia created a roof to shield them from any accidental contact.

". . .-tch! I should've used more power to vaporize the blood! How careless. . !"

Reinhard's ice sword melted away from the sheer power of its wielder, with his attention immediately shifting towards everyone on the ground.

As it stood, Wilhelm was still going strong, standing on a pile of nine Cultist corpses and with no real signs of stopping. Rem, on the other hand, had passed out from sheer exhaustion and was being carried by Ram. All of them were exposed to the incoming cursed blood, but the real problem should've been the remaining cultists. If they had remained focused, Reinhard's scuffle would've been the perfect chance to catch all of them by surprise.

Luckily, the cultists had also been shocked by Reinhard's immaculate attack and momentarily stopped firing. If he was going to take out the rest of the cultists it would be now or never. . !

"Grandfather! Rem-san, Ram-san, find cover. . !"

He could only pray that they heard his warning in time, but Reinhard couldn't waste this perfect opportunity trying to find the others. He needed to eliminate the threat quickly before all the mana in the environment was exhausted and Beatrice got put in danger.

"Where do you think you're going~? This lovely lady isn't finished with you yet. . !"

Out of nowhere, Reinhard senses a large presence approaching behind him and he moves quickly to dodge. A mere moment after his well-timed escape, two rows of massive teeth crunched the air where he'd been standing. It's not like it would've done much damage to him though. . .

"You regenerated from that? You are quite durable. . ."

Admittedly, he hadn't been going all out. However, when using that much power in a sword strike, its typically very hard for him to gauge its effectiveness on his opponent. If his attack is too strong, there's a real risk of it resulting in a worse outcome than simply defeating his enemy. Especially when the attack is likely to cause collateral damage.

"So you're holding back because of that spirit girl~? Contemptable. My followers are torching the Capital as we speak, I suppose your primitive mind couldn't grasp that?"

There was only enough ambient mana for him to do one attack, but Reinhard would ideally want a weapon to ensure he channels enough power to completely destroy her. Any more than that, and Beatrice would likely be in serious trouble. She'd read them like a book.

"Nothing~? Disappointing, disappointing, disappointing, disappointing~! Perhaps I should change back into one of those slutty maids. . . would that get your attention?"

Capella was goading him for a reaction, but all Reinhard could do was stare at her blankly. He'd understood the situation the moment he'd seen Reisel's corpse in her teeth, and while he wanted nothing more than to avenge their deaths, if he squandered this chance, she'd likely escape.

"Uncooked meat spoils and rots with a putrid smell, but cooking at least allows us to preserve the flesh's appearance. Wouldn't you agree~?"

With a sinister smile, Lust's black flames made their target the shelter holding Felt and the others. Reinhard moved swiftly to intercept this attack, brushing the cinders from his clothes like dirt.

"Your fight is with me, monster. It would be foolish of you to remove the only reasons I'm holding back."

The Archbishop raised an eyebrow and started cackling with a wicked grin. She'd finally gotten a response out of him. Now that she knew who to impersonate, the reactions she could elicit made her shudder with excitement. Wouldn't the world's strongest man make a wonderful pet?

The two readied themselves for another bout, Reinhard's weapon being his fists, and Capella's being her claws/dragonfire. Without the Dragon Sword, which sadly couldn't be drawn here, this fight looked to be a permanent stalemate.

Before either of them could make a move, they were both frozen in their tracks.

A shout rang out across the battlefield, its voice reaching the ears of each and every combatant.

Two newcomers had arrived: a woman with purple hair and her daughter. They looked to be in terrible shape, covered in dirt, disheveled clothes, and minor injuries littering their bodies.

The young girl sucked in her breath, and let out a desperate cry:

"PLEASE HELP! PAPA SENT ME HERE! HIM AND SUBARU ARE IN GRAVE DANGER!"

Uttering words that under no circumstance should've ever been spoken.

Author's Note:

Wow, its been a while! This chapter was for some reason really hard to write. . . I think it might've just been all the characters having to contribute to a single fight and me having to find a way to balance this so it doesn't feel forced. I hope you all really liked the chapter, we are REALLY close to the big cliffhanger, and kind of the official *start* to this story. I can't wait! My break is this week, so expect some more updates from me in my other two ongoing fics: The Secret, and Cast Reacts to Arc 7! I think the quality may have dropped off a little bit at the end of this chapter, but give me a break I haven't really written an update for this fic since November XD!

So, the poll for this chapter. This one is actually pretty impactful.

Are the maids dead?

Yes?

No?

I want this fic to be authentic, so when I started it, I really wish I knew more about the characters of the Felt camp and wrote it accurately. However, they will all be making their appearances later in the fic and will rejoin with the Felt Camp, so don't worry! However, sometimes hard decisions have to be made. . . or in this case 'maid'. I think having Capella kill the maids here gives the story a lot more weight, cause characters can ACTUALLY die. But I do want to hear your opinions on it, I do have some side plots I've kept around in case they remain alive, so they won't be cast away. That's why I'm leaving the decision to you!

Finally

Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Chapter Text

Those words lit a fire in her heart.

Everyone else seemed to be frozen solid, petrified. The shock, the confusion, the fear that penetrated their hearts. . . it left them completely dazed as to how to interpret what they'd just heard. Even the cultists briefly halted their barrage of spells to stare in the direction of the little girl that dared to intrude on their battle.

". . . . !"

But not her.

For Emilia, only one thought emerged from the haze clouding her mind. Not: 'He's alive!'. Not: 'What did she say?' No, only one thing rang in her head.

Subaru is in danger.

And nothing else mattered.

". . .haa-h~!"

Thinking quickly, Emilia scooped up Beatrice in her arms and launched out of their temporary shelter with a speed that could rival Reinhard's. She understood Beatrice's presence here would only serve as a hindrance to Reinhard's strength, so this would kill two birds with one stone. It was almost too convenient. The cultists outside were completely distracted by the little girl, along with Rem and Wilhelm's ambush. Capella was totally walled off by Reinhard.

It was like fate itself was screaming to her where she needed to be.

". . .B-Big sis?!"

Felt stood at the empty air Emilia had just occupied, dumbfounded. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but it was definitely unpleasant. In a single sentence, everything they'd worked for had been undone. Everyone knew now. Her big brother's life was in danger. . . and now she was getting thrown to the wolves by her big sister? Why? How could this happen?

"W-Wait! Where do ya think you're g-. . !?"

"Calm down, Felt-sama!"

As she prepared to activate her Divine Protection and speed after Emilia, Reinhard called out to Felt, gesturing to her to remain still. He didn't want to risk Felt's safety having her follow them, as the risk of emerging from the barricade was simply too great for Felt to handle.

". . .-tch!"

In a flash, both Crusch and Otto blocked off the exit to the shelter, preventing Felt from taking reckless action. Reinhard nodded at the two of them, thanking them for looking out for Felt in his absence.

"Ya heard that girl, didn't ya?! Big bro needs our help! Get outta' the way!"

But neither of them moved. If anything, the determination in their eyes only seemed more unbreakable at Felt's desperate plea. The blond-haired girl was prepared to start attacking them if they continued refusing to comply. . !

"Felt-sama!"

Once more, his voice pierced the monotonous clashing of swords and magic. This was what Reinhard wanted. In fact, this was what he'd planned. Using his array of Divine Protections, he projected a message to everyone on the battlefield asking them to keep Felt shielded. As much as Reinhard wanted to help, and believe me, he wanted to even more than Felt, Reinhard understood that was likely part of the enemy's calculations.

What would happen if he ran off to go and save Subaru?

In his mind, he'd already run through all the possible outcomes and none of them were acceptable. Assuming he left his position now to go and help Subaru, the remaining candidates (including Felt) would be sitting ducks for Lust and her crew. Even if he was lucky enough to have the Archbishop follow him, bringing such a dangerous opponent into a populated area would only increase casualties and decrease the odds of saving Subaru.

The only option left was to send someone else to go and help.

Amongst their group, Emilia was easily the strongest person present. And removing Beatrice from the battlefield also meant removing the last barrier to his strength.

Objectively, it was the smartest move.

But even so, his heart ached.

'Why. . . Why am I never there when you need me, Subaru?'

Memories flashed through his mind, each recurrently more disturbing than the last.

He remembered the day he first met Subaru, how he'd been too slow to stop Elsa from slashing Subaru's stomach open.

He remembered the moment Julius and Subaru took their fighting stances in that accursed duel, how he'd left the training grounds early, unable to watch the beatdown he could've prevented.

He remembered the moment Subaru was labeled an Archbishop and taken in for questioning, how Subaru had looked at him with a smile, hopeful that his testimony would be enough to acquit him.

He remembered the look in his eyes as he stood for execution, how he'd sat there knowing they were killing an innocent man.

He remembered learning of that attack on the mansion, his home, and how he'd been powerless to protect Subaru even when he'd been given another chance.

Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, as he knew this would likely be the end of the time him and Subaru spent together. With the truth revealed, his honor as a knight would be tarnished and Subaru's past life would finally catch up to him. He wouldn't be living with them anymore, and neither would the maidstaff.

The last couple months had been some of the best of his life.

But, now he was finally forced to acknowledge the painful reality. Subaru was no longer his responsibility. His friend had been entrusted to someone else.

And it was up to them to bring closure to all the terrible events that lead them to this point.

'Please. . . Emilia-sama. Save him.'

"I'm the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Wrath! Sirius Romanee-Conti!"

". . . ."

The three remaining fighters stood still, stunned speechless by Sirius's sudden surfacing. No longer was this a fight that they had any chance of winning. Their morale had been pushed so low, none of them could even muster the resolve to launch an attack. With no intervention, each of them might as well stand there and wait for death.

"Ah. I understand."

". . . ."

The bandaged woman initially looked confused by their lack of spirit, but soon she'd come up with her own insane rationalization that explained their behaviour.

"I see! You are all shy, right~? I get it very much. Yes. As you can see, I'm quite shy myself, so I really don't want to impose on others or make them feel uncomfortable. I shall make it quick, so please don't make such faces, agreed? Even a fair maiden like me will cower at your gazes."

". . . ."

The bandaged woman shook from left to right, embarrassed at the undivided attention she was getting from Kadomon, Julius, and Subaru. Right now, she seemed to be interpreting their looks as some kind of ogling. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hide herself from them, but still leaving the most problematic parts of her body in plain sight.

"Ah~! Love is here, I can feel it!"

Subaru finally opened his mouth, but paused as he lacked the courage to throw the insult hanging on his tongue. He already had a pretty morbid sense of humor about these sorts of things, especially with the knowledge he'd likely be forced into this situation again.

". . .The whole 'mummy' aesthetic really doesn't suit you. It's clear as day that you enjoy when people look at you."

Instead of going with his original retort, Subaru decided to try and reason with Sirius. He figured it was at least worth a shot considering she hadn't tried to kill them all yet. Maybe he could bluff the Archbishop using Gluttony's life as a bargaining chip?

"Hm? Could it be!? Ah~! Ahahaha! Aaaah! It's you~! I'm very sorry for the wait. I knew you'd come for me. You noticed my patience, and came back. . ! I've found you, found you, found you, found you, found y-. . ."

Sirius kept repeating herself over and over again, which made Subaru feel supremely disturbed. It appears he was a magnet to these freaks! At least it sounded like his previous iteration had some rapport with them.

'Freaky. . ! She's definitely not right in the head. However, she does seem to know who I am. . . if I just play dumb, maybe she'll leave us alone?'

"U-Uh, yes. Sirius, I-I've been waiting for a long time! It was very rude to make us wait up for you. . . ! While we were waiting, the grungy child to your right attacked us. I'd appreciate it if you dealt with him for us!"

Subaru could see the body of Gluttony beginning to pull itself back together. Using his Solar Eclipse, Roy's shattered skull quickly reformed until it was almost good as new. If he could perhaps turn Sirius against Roy, they might be able to escape in the ensuing chaos.

". . .-gh! We hate it~! It hurts, it hurts it, it hurts! Pain, red! It hurts! It hurts because it hurts~! We don't like it, never liked it. Eating shouldn't hurt!"

Roy Alphard moaned as he rolled on the ground.

Sirius eyed the, still prone, Gluttony and looked like she was considering Subaru's proposal. Her chains swung and for some reason, he could tell she was smiling wildly despite the bandages covering her face.

"Darling, unfortunately, I simply won't be able to comply. I know this is important to you, but I must refuse. You understand, don't you dear? Surely while I fulfill your wish, you'll disappear from my grasp once again. Just like the last time when you asked for my love, and before that, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again. . ! Ah~! Finally reuniting after all this time, it would be painful for me to part from you. Cruel~! I don't want to! I've waited, waited, waited, waited, waited, waited, waited, patiently for you. Such diligence must be rewarded! Dearest husband, won't you become one with me?"

". . . ."

The Archbishop of Wrath swayed side to side, anticipating Subaru's answer with bated breath. Her manic eyes stayed trained onto his, unblinking and unmoving. It was really unsettling, as anything alluding to a rejection would probably prompt a lethal outburst. Of course, regardless of what he said, she'd find a way to interpret his response in a way that agreed with her.

'S-She's completely insane. . .'

Subaru might have been out of the loop on everything his past self had done, but he knew himself well enough to recognize he'd never get married to someone like her. From the way she was speaking, he'd tried manipulating her before and it hadn't worked.

". . .Oh, I apologize. Troubling you for an answer so quickly must've made it hard for you to find the right words, I'm sorry. After you went out of your way to reject that spirit and filthy half-elf, there's no doubt that you belong to me. I suppose it is quite pointless for me to ask you to speak those words when you've already shown your feelings to me so clearly. Proving your love through action is the picture of diligence~! Ah~! I feel so loved. . . !"

". . . ."

Julius watched the scene with growing trepidation, using the distraction to lean onto his sword and try to prop himself up. He was currently the only person on the battlefield who knew of Wrath's authority, so even if they could land an attack on her, their victory could be compromised at any time.

". . . I-I'm sorry, but who are you referring to. . ?"

Subaru could tell by the immediate glare that formed in Sirius's eyes that this had been the wrong line of questioning. However, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. Replacing it was a wicked smile and a loud grated laugh.

"Ah~! Ahahahah! Darling, I thought I told you to be careful around Gluttony. . ! It appears you don't remember me at all. Don't worry, I won't let you get away this time~!"

She took a step forward, which made Subaru take a step back. The time for words had ended, he needed some kind of plan and he needed it now. Kadomon was still unconscious, so he couldn't be depended on for an attack. Whether or not Julius was prepared to strike was also something he was unsure of. His Invisible Providence had been abused far too many times for him to use it now.

That left. . .

"Ia! Now, while she's distracted. . !"

The fire spirit Julius had attached to him, which had slowly drifted away from Subaru and into Sirius's blind spot, was his last line of defense. In an instant, this battle would be decided.

"Al Goa!"

Subaru had laid all his cards on the table. Using the highest level of fire magic, this would be Ia's last spell, so he needed to make it count. Julius had told him that he had an unusually high spirit affinity, but he didn't understand what that meant until now. It seemed that Ia had picked up on his plan without him having to say a single word!

All he could do now way pray. . .

". . .What? A spirit~!? Spirit? Spirit! Spirit!?"

The gigantic mass of flames sped towards Sirius at blinding speeds, a shockwave coming off of it strong enough to push Subaru to the ground. The Archbishop's smile disappeared, but they made no effort to dodge it.

'W-Why aren't they moving. . ?'

"S-SUBARU. . ! Cancel the attack! Her authority allows her t-. .!"

Julius tried warning Subaru with his last bit of energy, but it was too late.

*BOOOM*

In an instant, the entire street was engulfed in flames,

The two girls flew through the air at a blinding speed. All they had to go on was the direction the little girl was pointing, however it was more than enough information to figure out where Subaru was.

That girl was undoubtedly Kadomon's daughter, Emilia could tell at a glance. Right on the path from where those two arrived was his Appa stand.

". . .W-What will we say when we see him, I suppose?"

Beatrice shook in Emilia's arms, the two of them suddenly feeling their nerves catch. Until now, all they'd thought about was finding him again. But they'd never considered what they would actually say to him if they did encounter him. . .

Would any apology be enough to bridge the gap between them? Hadn't he been deliberately avoiding them because he didn't want to see them again?

What justification could they possibly give him for everything that's happened?

Were they even worthy to see him again. . ?

'C-Can I look him in the eye and honestly tell him we've changed. . ?'

Felt's words echoed in her mind, and she felt her resolve shake. After all the lecturing she did to everyone in her camp and Crusch's, telling them to leave Subaru alone and respect his wishes. . .

Here she was, charging off before everyone else to go and find Subaru. The more she reflected, the more it felt like the 'danger' was her convenient excuse to go back on everything she'd said before. Even if it was a damn good reason, it didn't change how she felt in her heart.

". . .Betty is scared."

Beatrice looked at Emilia, hopeful that perhaps she'd figured out the right words to convey the guilt they'd felt all this time. Praying that maybe, she'd find a way to fix everything and return it all to how it once was.

A quiet rumble could be heard far off in the direction of Kadomon's stand.

". . .I-I. .don't know."

Emilia and Beatrice fell silent, worried sick about the scene that would greet them when they arrived.

"A-Aghh. . !"

Almost instantly, it felt like the right side of Subaru's face had been pressed against a blacksmith forge. His hands immediately found themselves covering his face as he rolled on the ground screaming.

"A-Ah~! So this is love. . ?"

". . .g-ghk?!"

Another voice rang out, similarly afflicted with the intense pain plaguing Subaru's face. Their screams weren't as loud, but they contained just as much suffering as Subaru's. This person was perhaps the only one to realize how close their recent brush with death had been. . .

". . .-grck! K-Kua. . ! Subaru. . ! Hurry and hea-. . .hk!"

Through their contract, he made it clear to Kua who he wanted it to prioritize with its healing abilities.

Even as Julius felt pain eclipsing his capabilities for rational thought, hearing Subaru's screams was something he simply couldn't stomach. That ear-splitting torment was exactly the scream he'd elicited from Subaru so many times before. Julius had heard it so many times, it'd become his own white noise. Soon after, it became the shrieks that followed him in his nightmares.

He never wanted to be familiar with that sound ever again.

". . .A-AUHG-G-AH. . !"

The spirit quickly made its way over to Subaru and began applying healing magic with the bulk of its remaining mana. It was a temporary fix, but at the very least with this, if they both sought healers after this battle, they could still make a full recovery. All Julius had to do now was not black out.

". . .h-haa~h. . ."

Which was easier said than done.

He'd expended the last of his energy to intercept and try to redirect Subaru's attack away from Sirius. However, he'd been unsuccessful in fully preventing the attack from contacting its target. The fireball still grazed the bandaged woman's face, transmitting considerable damage to him and Subaru. Oh, and also. . .

". . .-grk! We just finished healing~! Ack! We hate, detest, loathe, despise, abhor, execrate, your Authority! Maybe we'll ~eat~ you next!"

Gluttony, who'd just finished healing himself from Subaru's previous attack, was invoking his Authority once more to heal his injuries. Truth be told, he'd always hated using Solar Eclipse, as it temporarily handed his body over to the consciousness that he was mimicking. He really hated having to work with this crazed loon, but he was powerless to defy Mama's orders.

"Ah~! Those feelings, yes, I believe that is how you truly feel. This is quite troublesome. May I ask what makes you feel so unloved that you would be driven to hatred? What I desire is forming a true understanding with others, and that can only be achieved through a mutually shared love. Sharing the same feelings as others is the quickest way for one to realize they are loved. This is what it means to reach maturity. Ah. I suppose a child like yourself may be ill-suited to understanding mature things like love. . . I'm sorry."

Running her mouth as usual, Sirius's rant went over the head of everyone there. However, her apology appeared to be enough to quell Gluttony's fury, as he'd already stopped his own incessant ranting and was simply stood still, drool leaking from his mouth.

'I-I need to do something. . !'

Subaru's thoughts were running wild, most of them illegible, even to himself. The only thing that he could make out amongst the gibberish was that he needed to act, and soon. Their situation was now beyond 'hopeless', it was damn near inescapable. However, he also hadn't committed himself to simply dying and trying again.

He didn't want to return to that labyrinth. Dying over and over again to search for Julius. . . rescuing Kadomon's wife and daughter and sending them off to get help. . .

What were the odds things would go this well on his next attempt?

Why should he treat any of his lives as throwaways when the pain he collects from those loops never disappears?

Any normal person would be feeling rage, or at least disappointment at the current situation. He knew that he certainly would if he wasn't still clutching his face in agony.

For some reason, however, Subaru didn't feel that way. He couldn't place his finger on why until he caught a glimpse of Julius, propped up against a merchant stand and heaving slow breaths.

Julius was looking straight at him, worried for him. He wasn't screaming or crying, and judging from the hand he had covering his face, he'd been hit with a similar attack.

'T-The pain is. . ?'

In his fervor, he hadn't noticed, but the pain had been slowly decreasing. A blue glow illuminated the edge of his vision, and a cooling effect gradually spread across his face. This was water magic!

'J-Julius. . ! Why would he heal me before himself? Doesn't he realize I'm useless in this fight?'

Subaru slowly removed his hand from his cheek, gesturing to Kua to go and heal Julius. However, it outright refused to move until it finished fully healing his injury.

"K-Kua. . ? Thank you, but I don't need anymore healing. . !"

The spirit moved up and down, which made Julius smile and tear up. Subaru didn't know what the two were discussing, but he had a feeling Julius was about to try something reckless, and it made his heart heavy. This lone knight, who he'd only known for less than an hour, was really willing to go this far for him?

"S-Suba-hck. . ! P-Please run away, I'll hold them off!"

For the first time in a long time, Julius felt like himself. Not a mercenary fighting off enemies for coin, or a warrior fighting to prove his own strength. Here he would emerge once more as a Knight, fighting to protect those who can't protect themselves.

"J-Julius. . ! What are you saying? I-I can't just. . !"

"As long as you remain here, I will dedicate everything to ensuring your safety."

The subtext was not lost on Subaru. If he wanted Julius to fight at 100%, to heal his own injuries, and to potentially survive this battle, he would need to run away. Just the idea repulsed Subaru, leaving an honorable man like Julius to die all alone. However, it was also something Julius wanted.

". . .D-Damn it. . ! Julius, don't you dare die! You've still got to teach me the Spirit Arts. . !"

As Subaru took a step back and prepared to run away, he immediately began to eye Kadomon's unconscious form and started crafting plans to remove him from the battlefield as well. Luckily, it seemed like Wrath's Authority hadn't affected him, so he didn't require immediate healing.

"I apologize, but I can't allow it. Please understand my willfulness, Darling. I've already waited so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so long, so I simply can't wait any longer. A-Ah~! It's quite difficult to work up the courage and speak my feelings aloud. Please give me a moment. . .Yes, alright. Darling, I am madly in love with you! Oh, I'm blushing."

A fireball streaked right past Subaru, preventing him from moving any further away whilst also cutting off his escape. She was restating things Subaru had already heard from her, but it appeared like she had selective memory regarding these sorts of things.

". . .-kh!"

Julius struggled to suppress the anger building inside him. He was so close to getting Subaru away from this place and finally achieving peace with himself. Now, he was on the verge of losing consciousness and he couldn't even be granted a tranquil death.

The color in his surroundings slowly drained, a greyish hue overtaking his sight, before it was rapidly devoured by darkness.

". . . !"

Subaru watched Julius's unmoving form fall flat onto the ground, Kua finally moving away from Subaru's face and rushing over to help Julius.

"May I ask you something?"

All he could do now was buy time. Sirius seemed quite willing to engage in conversation before, so maybe he could get her rambling long enough to think of a plan to get out of this mess? Julius had put everything on the line to keep him alive, so it wouldn't be right to act as if this was 'just another loop'. He owed it to Kadomon and Julius to try.

"Yes, honey?"

"Why are we attacking this place?"

Subaru was careful to use the word 'we' and not 'you', as he hoped playing into her delusion of them being allies would be enough to get an answer from her.

". . .Hmm, it isn't like you to stray from our Gospel. Surely you knew we would be meeting here? Ah~! Or has the day come where you've chosen me over that disgusting half-witch?"

". . .O-Of course I have! We shouldn't ruin this little 'tryst' of ours by bringing in work matters!"

Subaru eeked out a smile and lifted both his arms, trying to look as friendly as possible.

". . . ."

Sirius's questioning stare made Subaru's teeth chatter behind his sealed lips. She must've latched onto to something he's said, as she looked like she was digesting his proposition with some level of seriousness.

"I suppose you're right. You've always been the picture of diligence, thoughtlessly trampling my love and leaving me behind. Have you finally come to understand the depth of my love? Ah~! My heart trembles!"

He breathed a sigh of relief, as Sirius's attention fully shifted away from the bodies of Julius and Kadomon and back onto him. While he shuddered at the thought, if he played into Sirius's unhealthy obsession, the others might be able to escape.

"H-Honey, may I see your Gospel?"

Sirius shuddered as Subaru walked closer and closer to her.

"Ah, not so fast! My maidenly heart isn't prepared. . !"

Once again, Sirius wrapped her arms around herself to try and hide the more modest parts of herself from Subaru's gaze. In one of her hands, a little black book caught his attention.

"I see, so that little book is giving you orders. . ."

Subaru muttered to himself, a hand to his chin. Gluttony had been staring at the two of them salivating, not making a move, but at the mention of the Gospel, his eyes flickered.

"I'm elated you've finally accepted my feelings, yes, I've loved you for so long. Wow, there really is love here."

Sirius wept to herself, her bandages sagging off her face and chains jingling loudly. Her ramblings were still incoherent, and the sound of the Archbishop's moans were disturbing enough to make Gluttony look away.

"Y-Yes, there is. I was looking at my Gospel earlier and it told me we'd be meeting again! How about we ditch this place and find somewhere with a better mood?"

He held down the vomit rising in his throat from even considering such a proposition, much less suggesting it himself. However, he was willing to go low if it meant he wouldn't have to die again.

"Ah~! Ah~?! Ahah? I've so dreamed, dreamed, dreamed, dreamed, dreamed, of the day where you and I would elope! Oh my, I think I've reached it! True love~! True understanding~! This is what I imagined. . !"

'Yes, it looks like she fell for it. . !'

Subaru breathed a sigh of relief, putting both his hands into his pockets. Originally, he'd believed there was no chance of negotiating with these people, but at least now, he'd finally been able to find something to barter with.

"It's rude to ignore, you know~? We dislike that more than anything else, it's rude, rude, rude, rude, rude, rude! Gluttonous drinking, ~tsu! Gluttony~tsu!"

Oh.

That's right, things would never be that convenient.

". . .D-Don't think I forgot about you! You're invited too!"

"How flattering~! We're sad, sorrowful, downcast, desolate, depressed to turn down your offer. With such high-class cuisine in front of us, it's difficult for us to hold back. You understand, right oni~san?"

Roy lifted up both his arms, pulling each of his two daggers across his tongue to stem the torrent of saliva leaking from his mouth. It was a disgusting show of durability for him to be moving around so casually after receiving all those blows from them.

He took a couple steps in Subaru's direction and readied himself for an attack.

"I-I get it. . !"

Subaru's half-hearted agreement didn't slow Gluttony down at all. He still marched over to Subaru with little to no reservations about attacking him.

". . .W-Wait!"

Nothing would stop him from getting his revenge on Subaru. He'd already lost two prime meals because of Subaru's interference, and sadly, he was unable to eat the names of people he'd already devoured. This meant he'd be going for the kill.

"Y-You can't attack me! It's against the Gospel's orders!"

". . . ."

In his panic, Subaru carelessly spoke words of which he held no understanding. All he wanted was to give Gluttony pause, but in his hastiness, he'd once again caught the attention of Sirius.

"Lies. Liar. We refuse to believe it~! It's never restricted us during eating, ~tsu!"

Both Sirius and Gluttony both simultaneously reached into their pockets and pulled out their Gospels. While Gluttony ripped through the pages of his with a crazed delirium, Sirius stared at the contents with an unblinking focus.

The Gospel had updated, conveniently enough for Subaru.

"INVISIBLE PROVIDENCE!"

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Subaru called upon that evil power one last time, sending it straight towards the distracted Gluttony with the goal of crushing his heart. He wasn't sure why he knew it would work, but he was certain he could make it phase through his target.

'I guess life does mimic art. . .'

It would be embarrassing to admit that he got this idea from the force silencing him whenever he spoke about RBD, but its not like anyone could call him out on it anyway.

"Nice try, ~tsu!"

Once again, Gluttony vanished into thin air. The feat was not simply super speed, as Subaru had seen Gluttony's movements while he fought with Julius. Whenever he used his high speed, there would at least be a disturbance in the air indicating the direction he moved in.

What Subaru was witnessing now was something akin to teleportation.

"W-Wha-. . !"

The thought had no time to register.

An unimaginable amount of force ripped through his body, launching him several meters into the air and into the direction of Sirius. By the time he could even understand what was happening, he was already plummeting to the ground with terrifying speed.

"I'm sorry, but I really must interject."

". . .-hk!"

Subaru's face, less than a foot from the ground, stared at the floor with a dumbstruck expression. Right as he'd been about to slam into the cobblestone walkway, Sirius had grabbed onto his cloak and yanked him up with a single hand!

"Interference~? We've already claimed this meal!"

Now that his body was no longer moving, the recoil from the Unseen Hand coupled with the blunt force of Gluttony's attack simultaneously caught up with Subaru. Much like Julius, his consciousness was fading fast.

"Yes, and I do apologize for interrupting you. I'm really not the best with these types of situations, so you'll have to forgive me if I inconvenience you. You see, I've already exchanged vows of love with this man, so separating us again is something I will not allow. I wish you luck in your own search for love."

Sirius tossed Subaru to the side, his unconscious body landing right on top of Julius's. Ignoring the irony of throwing Subaru's body away whilst declaring themselves to be inseparable, Sirius's strength appeared formidable.

"No, we won't share~! They're ours~! All of them! All three~! We've already prepared the dishes, ~tsu!"

Roy chewed on one of his daggers, eying the bodies of Subaru and Julius with barely concealed excitement. He'd just thought of a new method to try and eat both of their names, he absolutely could not lose a single one of them after all the effort he put into preparing them.

"Oh my. Could it be you've never experienced love? This is serious, how tragic. . . Thank you, it appears I've been insensitive."

In an instant, her demeanor completely shifted from a hostile enemy to a gaudy schoolgirl. Whether or not she was looking down on Gluttony was something unknown to either of them, as the two of them had worldviews entirely incongruent with one another.

"Yes~? No~? We don't care, it doesn't matter, we want it, we earned it, we need it, it's correct~! It's right because it's right, because it's right, because its right, because its right, because their ours~! Gluttonous drinking, ~tsu! Gluttony~tsu!"

"Yes, I am aware. The Knight and the Green-haired man. It is right that those two are shared with you, that is the only way love can exist. However, you must belong to them in the same manner, as that is the nature of shared understanding. You may take them, but please reflect on the fact you are loved."

Sirius finished her nonsensical rant with a nod and a blush. She looked at the unconscious body of Subaru and smiled with cackling laughter. Fate had rewarded her diligent efforts with the return of the love she'd sought so dearly, so naturally sharing this elation with others was the right thing to do.

"We'll take them all then~? Good, we'll take them then. It's perfectly fine for us to take them, so we'll take them? We shall eat them all then, ~tsu!"

Gluttony quickly moved over to the pile of Subaru and Julius, picking up each of them with one of his arms. Next, he would head over to Kadomon's body and begin the feast. Then he would continue on his search to find more gourmet dishes.

That was his plan.

However, as soon as he picked up Subaru, the quietly staring Sirius squinted her eyes.

"He's mine."

Gluttony continued walking over towards Kadomon.

"He's mine! He's Mine! HE's MINE! HE'S MINE! HE'S MINE!. . . ."

The screeching Archbishop lobbed a fireball at Gluttony even larger than Subaru's. After so carefully explaining to the petulant street brat the intricacies of love, he'd thrown away those feelings like they were simple complaints. No longer did she care if she was separated from her husband. She would simply find him again, love is a compelling force after all.

So she would scorch them all.

". . .-tch!"

In an instant, he reacted by dropping the two bodies and looking for methods of escape. However, none presented to him offered any chance of fleeing. Therefore, he resorted to the only choice he had left.

"MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! . . ."

Gluttony vanished, the two bodies he was holding having been left behind. Reappearing on the roof of one of the buildings dotting the road, he keeled over and vomited from the stress the technique put on his body. Using it consecutively was not something Roy had been accustomed to.

"AH, AH, AAAH! DIE!"

The fireball grew to eclipse even the sky above their heads, leaving Gluttony prone to even further damage. The emergent inferno was strong enough to torch the entire road, and should it make contact, all three of them had no chance of survival.

". . . . ."

". . . . ."

*CLINK*

Out of the ground, layers and layers of ice sprouted up like trees, forming a thick wall of ice between the flames and all the noncombatants in the street. It was so fast, the flames were pushed through the sky like simple air currents.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE. . !"

Still lost in her fury, Sirius could only watch in amazement as the flames imbued with the power to burn dragons were stopped in their tracks.

Even as the attack dissipated, the ice wall emerged from the smoky plumes looking completely undamaged.

*FWOOSH*

All of the ice walls sank back into the ground, and the Earth shook beneath Sirius's feet. The temperature felt like it'd dropped over thirty degrees in the last ten seconds.

"W-What? I don't understand."

As the bandaged woman muttered in astonishment, the culprit behind the magnificent magical attack was revealed.

". . .You."

Sirius felt her rage reignite immediately, as she witnessed the body of darling, her dear husband, being held in the arms of another woman.

And not just any woman.

He was in the arms of one very angry half-elf.

Author's Note

Phew! This chapter was a pain to write too! I swear it never gets easier writing for these Archbishops! They are literally crazy, and writing crazy requires you to BE crazy. I hope you enjoyed the moments spread across this chapter, as I feel like this is kind of what the entire fic has been building towards! Get ready for an epic rematch between Emilia and Sirius next chapter! And. . .who knows, maybe someone else will make an appearance next chapter too :)

Results of the poll from last chapter?

Ok, I'll be honest and say I was a little bit misleading with the last poll. I was kind of always planning on having the maids survive (just transformed by Lust's authority), I just wanted to see if you guys thought it was a copout. Glad most of you seem to feel the same way as me! One of the commenters totally predicted this though, so props to you.

This week's poll: Which POV would you like to see more of next chapter?

A. The Manor Battlefield

B. The Gluttony/Wrath Battle

I know this might seem like an obvious pick, but I would also like to point out we haven't really seen any of the characters reactions to Subaru's survival on the Manor battlefield, so there's a lot of room for interesting stuff to happen over there too.

Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Chapter Text

She was petrified.

Not just upset or scared. She was legitimately trembling at the knees.

In Emilia's arms laid the unresponsive, unmoving, body of a young man. The air was still hot from the previous attack being dispersed in the air, so she had no way of gauging if the boy's body temperature was dropping.

"A-A. . a?"

She let out a small squeak, feeling her heart catch in her throat. The thought that what laid in her hands could be. . . a corpse? Emilia didn't even want to entertain it. However, the scene before her eyes was impossible to deny.

"You damned filthy whore! He's mine! Disgusting, adulterous, slutty women like you should be burned at the stake! You make a mockery of love with that fetishized, ugly body designed only to seduce men! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Ah~! I'll burn EVERYTHING. . !"

Despite the fuming, deranged, madwoman currently spewing curses and death threats at her like she was the greatest evil in this world, Emilia's attention had been squarely captured by the young man clutched up against her. Her head drifted next to his chest, and she put her ear up against him whilst silently muttering every prayer she could think of.

*. . .-hum. . .Thu-. . .*

'I-Is it. . ?'

There was something! There was something! There it was! She heard something! She heard it! It wasn't silent. . . ! A heartbeat! She'd heard a heartbeat!

"I-It is. . !"

Emilia gasped, suddenly struck with a burst of energy that made her barely able to restrain herself. What she'd hoped for so desperately had come true. . . It really was him. She was not able to keep some tears from leaking out of her eyes as a vibrant smile slowly grew on her face.

He's alive.

Somehow.

They'd been granted another chance.

Maybe things would never go back to the way they'd always been, maybe he'd refuse to even look at her, maybe he'd even try and take his revenge against all of them for what they did. But that didn't matter, because right now she was just so happy he was alive.

Slowly, she pulled his body closer into contact with hers, wrapping him in a deep hug. Emilia couldn't keep herself from expressing the joy she was feeling, so she buried her face into his shoulder and wept. All the tears she'd been holding in since he'd died. The emotions she'd squashed deep within herself to remain strong for the rest of the camp were now on full display.

"H-Huaaagh. . ! Subaru! Y-You're. . . Y-You're *hik* alive! Alive! Alive. . !"

He was still unconscious, and their situation was still precarious, but Emilia momentarily lost all her awareness and gave into the feeling. He couldn't hear her right now, which was still disheartening. . . but what she wanted to choke out next was something that needed to be said, regardless of whether or not Subaru was awake. Just as the stream of apologies were about to flow from her lips, the sound of yin magic caught Emilia's attention.

"K-Kah. . !? H-How could you leave Betty all alone like that, I suppose? The Cult w-. . ."

The drill-haired spirit fell silent, as the flight magic she'd used to arrive here gently placed her onto the cobblestone road. In Emilia's arms was something, or rather someone, beyond comprehension.

". . .i-is that. . ?"

The other person that accompanied Emilia had finally made it to the battle. In the rush, Emilia had been forced to momentarily leave Beatrice behind so as to ensure her quick arrival. Now, however, the great spirit could see the scene playing out in its full glory.

"Yes. H-He's alive. . !"

Emilia wanted to share the joy in her heart with Beatrice, but unlike her, Beatrice's butterfly iris's trembled in trepidation. By all accounts, the fact Subaru was alive was great news. . . but what did that mean for them? The pain she'd felt since Subaru's death had eclipsed the suffering of those 400 years many times over. She wasn't sure her heart could take the words she knew she deserved to receive.

"Now you too? Ah~! You degenerate, lustful creatures, take your hands off my husband! Our pure love cannot be compared to your perverted whorish prostitution! You've come to take him away from me? Haven't you! Haven't you? Haven't you!?"

Not one to be ignored, Sirius launched a wanton attack towards Emilia and Subaru, but she quickly reacted, swooping up Beatrice into her grip and launching herself away. In the midst of the attack, she was able to kick Julius's unconscious body out of the line of fire, however, she couldn't recognize him after how much his look had changed.

"A-Ah, B-Betty is. . . !"

As Emilia flew through the air, Beatrice's tiny body was crushed into Subaru's, her cheek smushing up against his. Until now, Beatrice had largely detached herself from the idea of seeing her contractor again, so having their reunion be so. . . abrupt, made Beatrice flushed with embarrassment.

"Let's wait? Please wait? You should wait? Do wait? We ask you to wait. We were still eating, ~tsu!"

Instantly, Emilia could sense a new presence behind her, and she responded by sending a devastating kick to the person who dared sneak up on them. However, her foot ended up grazing stale air by the time she realized they were gone.

"W-What? That was odd, I know there was someone behind me. . ."

"Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishops of Gluttony, Roy Alphard!"

The word 'Gluttony' being muttered in any proximity to Subaru was enough to evoke glares from both Emilia and Beatrice, both of whom were torn between their intense hatred for the raggedly-dressed child and their desire to protect Subaru rather than fight.

"My husband! GIVE HIM BACK! HE'S MINE! Ah~! I'll burn you all to cinders!"

Both Emilia and Gluttony were once more forced to evade Sirius's attack, forcing them both back into the alleyway from which they started. It was becoming obvious that they weren't going to make any headway at this rate, and Emilia wasn't sure she could handle the two of them at once.

"How unfortunate I should have to meet you again, Sirius. I shall be taking Subaru with me, so take this opportunity to run away. I do not plan to spare any of you that try and stop me."

Unable to resist taunting the Witch Cultist that caused them so much trouble back in Priestella, Emilia hugged Subaru even closer to her, achieving the intended affect and making Sirius even more overwhelmed by her belligerent ramblings.

"You. How dare you speak as if you know the extent of our love? Ah~! All you understand is manipulating men with that sinful body, you putrid slag! I'll scorch that pretty skin of yours black~!"

As Emilia prepared to dodge the oncoming attack, she caught a glimpse of the unconscious form of a certain Appa Salesman who laid right behind her. Suddenly, she realized how foolish that behavior of hers had been, as there was no longer enough time to bring up an ice wall and block the attack.

"Vita, I suppose."

The fireball's direction immediately switched by 90 degrees, contacting with the ground like it had been forced down with gravity magic. Oh, actually, it HAD been forced down with gravity magic.

"T-Take more care with Betty and S-s. . . I-I suppose. . ."

Beatrice was annoyed at Emilia's bravado putting them all in even more danger, but as she began chastising her, the utterance of Subaru's name still completely eluded her and she ended up muttering out the last part of her statement with a shameful sound.

"I would if I could. . . However, I doubt our escape will be easy! H-aah~!"

"How careless of you, ~ts-. . .ah!"

As Gluttony appeared once more behind the trio, Emilia predicted his attack and landed a devastating kick to his face, sending the child Archbishop flying through the brick walls lining the road. With everything that had been entrusted to her at this moment, it was safe to say Emilia was flush with latent energy.

There were very few fighters who could survive the onslaught of two Archbishops working together; much less whilst carrying and defending two others. Any other combatant would acknowledge the situation was dire and likely lose their fighting spirit. . . but weirdly enough, she felt more free now than she'd ever felt before.

"Hold on tight Beako. . !"

"D-Don't call Betty th-. .kya!"

Emilia wrapped Subaru's dangling arms around Beatrice, only briefly taking a moment to take in the overwhelming cuteness resulting from that choice. Beatrice's face was red like an appa, and she reluctantly fell into the hug to hide her face from the grinning Emilia. It would be easier for her to maneuver around with Subaru's limbs locked around them both instead of dangling in the air. That's why she did it. . . there was no ulterior motive. None.

None at all.

"Ah~! AH~! AH Aah~! Ra~ah~! AAHH~!"

Safe to say, Sirius was not a fan of this scene. The words to describe her rage no longer existed in human language, and so she refused any attempt at actual communication. With each scream, she launched another flaming attack at them, which Emilia parried using ice walls and creative applications of her magic.

"This is troublesome. . . containing her without directly attacking is a tall order. Not to mention, her emotions are beginning to affect me. . ."

Before, Emilia had been relatively immune to Wrath's emotional transmission effect largely due to her focus on Subaru and the overwhelming feelings of joy eclipsing any outside interference. Now that her focus was off Subaru, even though Emilia was aware of Sirius's ability, she could still feel it pulling her mood to an angrier and angrier place.

"The best course of action is retreat, in fact! Minya!"

Beatrice cast a Minya spell at Sirius, but the bandaged woman swung her chains out in front of her, shattering the crystals before they could make contact. Roy was still down for the count, but Beatrice couldn't discount a scenario where he got the drop on them.

"B-But we can't leave all behind those other people. . ! They were fighting and doing their best. . !"

Emilia could tell the identity of one of them (Kadomon's hair was a dead giveaway), but the other person who'd collapsed beneath Subaru had also taken considerable damage. If this was one of the capital's knights, Emilia was prepared to gift him a handsome sum for fighting such a hopeless battle and protecting Subaru.

"We have to think of something, I suppose. This is unsustainable, in fact. . !"

Beatrice saw another fireball coming at them and cast Murak onto them all before all of them leapt into the air once more. Any situation where Emilia had to put Subaru down was out of the question, Emilia was certain once she did that those two Archbishops would do everything in their power to snatch him up. The longer she stayed here, the more Sirius's authority would affect her judgement. . . if she got angry enough, she might even put Subaru's life at risk while they fought. However, fleeing also was not an option, as the remaining fighters would be hunted down and eliminated.

It really was tricky. . .

"I have an idea. Beako, when we land, I'll need you to make a distraction!"

"Gya~ ! Betty warned you, in fact! No calling Betty by that name!"

The indignation rolled off Emilia like Beatrice's protest had never even been spoken. She would be sure to pinch that hussy's cheeks later for acting so derisively towards a distinguished spirit like her! But now. . .

"Can you do it? I know this is a lot of responsibility for a young girl like you. . ! H-aah~!"

Emilia blocked another fireball with her magic, calling out to Beatrice with concern laced in her voice.

"Don't measure me by those pitiful standards. I'm much older than you, in fact! Of course Betty can do it!"

Beatrice shuffled around in the sandwiched position she was in, trying to keep Subaru from flying off whilst simultaneously keeping a hand free to cast magic. During their previous encounter with Sirius, Subaru had speculated Shamak to be a potential counter for Sirius's 'Nect'-like authority, but it turned out to be largely ineffective. If Beatrice had gone into this fight without that information, she was certain that would've been her go-to plan of countering Sirius's ability.

However, with that inkling of knowledge in the back of her head, she still figured it could be useful as a diversion. Beatrice just prayed Emilia could make it work, as her mana wasn't infinite.

"AAAH~! AAAGHGH~! MINE~! GIVE HIM BACK~!"

As Emilia scaled down the sides of the alley, Sirius's bloodshot eyes met her determined purple-blue eyes, each of them reflecting off each other's killing intent and doubling it back at one another.

"You want him so bad? Fine, take him!"

Emilia tapped Beatrice's foot with her own, signaling to her that the time was now. If they had a moment in private, Beatrice would really need to lecture this girl about what constitutes 'proper preparation', as it had been less than 5 seconds between her agreeing to this plan and her receiving the signal.

"El Shamak!"

The Capital rang with screams of fleeing citizens and the cracks of flames sporadically burning down buildings throughout the city. There were bottlenecks being formed left and right, with people being trapped within the narrow roads of the shopping district and funneled directly into enemy fire. It was total chaos.

Needless to say, he had his work cut out for him. Even with his magnificent abilities, having to take all those detours to go and rescue unfortunate folks wandering the streets slowed him down considerably on his route to track everyone down.

Deciding he needed to take another pause to scout his surroundings, he paused on the roof of a building and scanned the horizon for any signs of life. With the large blaze that embroiled large parts of the Capital, just the resulting gusts of wind that fueled the firestorm were comparable to the windspeeds one might see in a hurricane.

Amidst the tempest, he stood unbothered.

*slash* *slash*

Two witch cultists who'd spotted him on the ground fell to their knees, their bodies sinking into the floor. Before they'd even had a chance to attack, they'd been mercilessly cut down.

"Wow! It appears my eyes didn't deceive me. . .He really is a magnet for trouble!

"Where? Where did you take him~!? AH! WHERE~!?"

Having vanished from her sight, Emilia along with Beatrice and Subaru, were nowhere to be seen. The shamak spell had been easy enough for her to dispel. With just one swing of her chains and some of her flame magic, the black cloud dispersed into the stagnant air.

*Clink*

Behind her, the sound of a sword whizzed dangerously close to Sirius's ear. Luckily for the Archbishop, she still had just enough time to move out of the way for this surprise attack.

"G-GAH~! H-Ha-h. . ?"

In front of her stood. . .

"M-My dear. . ? Ah, there you are~! Don't worry, my love for you will never wave-. . ."

The smoke fully cleared, and the shape she'd made out suddenly became much more descript. The thing in front of her was not her dearest husband's vessel, it was instead a crude mockery! A statue made out of ice, with a face perfectly resembling that of Natsuki Subaru. In its hand was a sword crafted from the ice that made up his body.

"You. You are not him. Where is he~? Tell me! TELL ME NOW."

As she finished speaking, a fireball engulfed the ice statue, rendering it into a cloud of water vapor that contained enough heat to scorch wood. Her frightful magic wasn't something to be toyed with so easily.

". . . ."

Looking to her left and right, Sirius could not see anyone new coming to attack her. The alleyway had become eerily silent, leaving her no choice but to return to the main road and go finish off the other two combatants. Perhaps that would be enough to draw out the assailant.

However as she entered onto the primary street. . .

*Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink*. . . .

An entire army birthed itself before her very eyes. All of these soldiers bore a striking resemblance to Subaru, each commanding a different type of weapon. Spears, swords, bows, axes, even simple balled fists.

"None of you. None of you. None of you. None of you. None of you. None of you are HIM~!"

She screamed as she lobbed attack after attack at the ice soldiers, but nearly every one of her attacks was blocked by a corresponding ice wall. This back and forth was getting quite annoying.

"I'll burn them! Yes, I'll burn each and every one of them! AH! The men you left here, I'll boil them into bubbling flesh and red vapor~!

Sirius decided to ignore the pesky clones for now and instead focus all her energy on killing the other two men. Both Julius and Kadomon were piled up on top of one another behind the wall of Subaru soldiers. All she needed to do was cleave a path through them, and she would have no problems eviscerating the remaining attackers.

*Fwoosh* *Fwoosh*

Sirius cut down two of them, while another lobbed a spear at her. Before it could make contact, she shattered the projectile with her chains and launched a fireball at the last two that blocked her path.

"AH~! Primitive, pestilent, provocative, portraits of my husband will not deter me, you half-witch slut~!"

One of the Subarus with axes gets shredded through by Sirius's chains, leaving only an un-armed statue to fend off the bloodthirsty Archbishop.

However, in the moment before that Subaru was forced to throw itself at Wrath, a familiar voice broke the silence.

"That's enough! Subaru isn't your husband, s-so stop saying that!"

Right behind her, on a roof overlooking the entire battle, Emilia revealed her location to the enemy. The words Sirius had spoken seemed to rile her up as intended, but they had the added benefit of revealing the location of Subaru and Beatrice (who still sat in her arms).

"I will hear nothing of it from you, whore. Return him now, and I'll let these two go."

Her palm was outstretched, aiming at the unconscious bodies of Julius and Kadomon. The threat was obvious, which only made Beatrice even more annoyed that Emilia responded to the Archbishop's taunts in the first place. However, considering the way the battle was going, this outcome would've come to pass regardless of whether or not they showed their location, forcing them to intervene.

"Never! Besides, what kind of spouse would attack the face of the one they love so easily?"

Emilia was filled with indignant rage, having to watch the beautiful images she crafted of Subaru getting smashed into rubble.

"Slaggish half-witch, I suppose all that matters to you is one's face when it comes to affection? What a vapid understanding of true love~! My husband is my husband regardless of the vessel he inhabits, you damned cyprian!"

Several large ice crystals were launched at Sirius, which she narrowly avoided with a well-timed dodge.

"I care for him much more than you! He's not some vessel for you to abuse! Ha-aah~!"

Flame and ice collide once more in the air, leaving clumps of ice strewn all across the cobblestone road. It was then that Emilia deliberately shoved Subaru's head further into her chest to get Sirius even angrier.

"Careful, I suppose! Her authority is influencing you more than you realize, in fact!"

Beatrice screamed this out to Emilia, who by this point, was ready to go down in the street and settle this dispute with Sirius once and for all. Each of them were only feeding into each other's rage, which increased the odds of one of them getting injured. Should that come to pass, there would be no hope of victory. Subaru would be taken, and the both of them would die.

"If I remember correctly, did you not do the same thing to my dear husband once his name was eaten? It was quite easy for you to attack him then, wasn't it~? AH~! How flimsy was that love of yours~!"

Fury flared up in Emilia's chest, which only made her push Subaru even deeper into their embrace. Making Sirius mad right now had become just as important as protecting Subaru. No, it might be even moreso. . !

"We don't like it. We dislike it. We detest it. We despise it. We really despise it. We hate it. We loathe it. Stop interfering with our eating, ~tsu!"

A large piece of a nearby building was momentarily lifted up into the air. Beneath it, stood Gluttony, who had finally recovered from the midst of the previous attack. His head was still bleeding and he looked to be in considerable pain, but he was back in the fight once again.

"Which first? Who should we eat first? So many juicy targets, not one can be missed! Not one~! Gluttonous drinking ~tsu! Gluttony ~tsu!"

The large chunk of rubble was hurled up at Emilia, Beatrice, and Subaru, who were currently preoccupied with Sirius's attacks. No doubt, Gluttony was planning on attacking Wrath alongside the remaining fighters, but it appeared he saw this as the best opportunity for an ambush.

"Beako, i-it'd be great if you could handle that!"

Emilia sent another large huma crystal crashing into Sirius's location. At her request, Beatrice scoffed and looked at the oncoming boulder with a hint of trepidation in her eyes.

"Tell Betty your plan earlier, I suppose! It's cutting it real close, in fact!"

The rock approached rapidly, getting closer and closer to their position as Beatrice racked her brain for a plan to deal with it. Currently, she'd already used a decent proportion of her mana just by flying here and by casting vita and minya. As it stood, she lacked sufficient power to cast Al Shamak, but even if she could cast that spell, it would be a waste to use it on a boulder. She would instead try and target both archbishops and seal them away.

This left only one option.

"Murak, in fact!"

The weight of all the bodies in Emilia's arms lightened considerably. Along with that, the stress on her body decreased enough for her to employ some evasive maneuvers before the rubble could make contact.

"What did you say Beak-. .?"

"JUMP!"

She leapt into the air as the stone collided with their original rooftop position, creating a momentary smokescreen from all the dust it kicked up.

"So I can't attack one of them, and the other can recover instantly from all my attacks. . ?"

Emilia grit her teeth, as she began to seriously contemplate just taking Subaru away from this chaos and returning with reinforcements. The idea was foolish, as by the time they made it back, those other two fighters would most certainly be dead. However, risking Subaru's safety by continuing to engage with these freaks was making it all the more tempting to run away. . .

"G-Get down, in fact!"

The half-elf immediately yielded to Beatrice's warning, as a sharp gust of air slashed through the smokescreen above her head. It would've completely finished her off had Beatrice not detected the attack as it left the wielder.

Luckily for the two of them, the smoke beneath the attack remained undisturbed, allowing Emilia to once again hide from the enemies' sight.

". . .-k-kh!"

The jagged edge of his weapon slashed through witch cultist after witch cultist, leaving the black-robed men strewn all across the brick roads in the Capital. Only a few managed to detect his presence at all, and he was barely trying to hide it.

"Man, this really is quite the mess! I haven't had to use this many techniques in a long time. . ! I better get a raise for all my hard work!"

Throughout the city, he'd probably killed over 100 cultists, although the number was likely a lot higher by the point. From an outsider's perspective, he seemed to be in several places at once, however the reason behind this illusion was actually even more ridiculous.

"Well ain't that a sight!"

In front of him was the Royal Castle of Lugunica, currently being sieged by the lion's share of the remaining cultists. With battalions of knights having been wiped out at the entrance, it was surprising that fodder cultists could've been capable of such a feat.

The only person left there was a green-haired man with a set of heavy armor. He looked to be holding off the entire legion of Witch Cultists all on his own, despite being slightly injured and likely all out of mana.

'This'll make for a great laugh!'

In an instant, nearly all the remaining cultists were completely cut down by the secret spectator to their battle. Naturally, the green-haired knight watched this spectacle with shock and awe.

"Well then…"

His figure suddenly became translucent, as if light itself was still trying to cope with the fact that this person had long since disappeared.

"How are you?"

". . . !"

The hair on the man's back stood up on end, as the presence appeared behind him so fast that he could barely track the figure's movements. With little hesitation, he swung his sword to meet the threat. . !

*CLANK*

"Hey, that's not very nice. You should be greeting your savior with a smile, right?"

His strike was stopped by a simple flick of the wrist. The man was certain his broadsword was durable enough to cut through marble like butter, yet the assailant had managed to stop it like it was nothing.

"A-A pipe. . ? Wait, are you not an enemy?"

Seeing his sword blocked with such an unorthodox tool, the knight couldn't help but feel some shame at how easily he'd been made a fool. He relaxed the grip on his weapon and pulled the sword back to a guarded position.

"That's what I wanted to tell you, but it looks like my surprise failed."

The unknown person slipped the pipe back into one of their pockets, let out a sigh, and raised their hands in defeat.

"T-That was some amazing speed. . . !"

The green-haired knight sheathed his sword once he saw that the assailant's intentions were not hostile. To think that he would face two different opponents to outclass his speed. . . and in the same day, no less!

"It wasn't that amazing if you were still able to follow me. . ! Next time I'll be sure to give it my all."

They both chuckled at that statement, but for different reasons. The interloper couldn't help but be embarrassed that he'd assessed this man's strength low enough to try a trick like sneaking up on him, and the green-haired man was still trying to process the fact that this person hadn't even given it their all.

"What's your name?"

He asked the green-haired knight his name out of respect, at which point the armored fellow quickly obliged him.

"Marcos Gildark, Knight Commander and Captain of the Royal Guards."

Marcos bowed his head slightly as he gave his introduction, implicitly thanking the man for intervening when he did.

"Nice to meet you, Marcos Gildark, Knight Commander and Captain of the Royal Guards."

At the teasing statement made by the unknown person, Marcos was stuck wondering what it was this guy was smoking from his pipe. This wasn't the time for jokes, people were being slaughtered left and right!

"You can just call me Marcos. . ! I also ask you refrain from those practical jokes of yours until this situation is resolved!"

Marcos quickly regained his stature as a Royal Knight, gradually checking the status of each of his fallen battalion members to begin treating each of them with healing magic. There were a few he couldn't recognize, but the outfit told him everything he needed to know.

"Hey, hey, I'm just trying to add a bit of levity to this gloomy place. . !"

". . . ."

Trailing behind Marcos and he went over and checked the pulse of each of his men, the prankster tried to make small talk with the uptight knight, but failed miserably.

"Well Marcos-san, I daresay, if you managed to catch a glimpse of my movement, these grunts shouldn't have posed much of a problem for you. How did you end up in that precarious situation anyway?"

He posed an interesting question, at which Marcos grew silent. Asking a Knight to divulge a defeat was like asking a parent to give up their child. It was the secession of a sacred vow they'd made to protect one another.

". . .I-I suppose I've got no choice. If anyone could bring down that monster, it'd be you."

At this, the unknown person's eyes glinted with a renewed interest. He hadn't come here to hunt down monsters, but if his intuition was correct, wherever this opponent was would also be the location of the person he was searching for.

"It was a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, goes by the title 'Gluttony'. Before he launched the full-scale invasion of the City, he attacked us while we were off guard. I managed to fend him off. . . b-but not before he killed several of my men. He likely ran off towards the merchant district."

Marcos gripped the hilt of his sheathed sword, upset with himself for letting the Archbishop escape his grasp. It might not have been an easy fight, but the commander was confident if Gluttony hadn't retreated, they could've beaten him.

"Tell me what you know about him."

The figure pulled out a blade from his pocket, wrapping a couple of his hairs around it.

"Well, this isn't the first time we've come across this particular scumbag. Aside from demonstrating considerable speed and regeneration, I haven't borne witness to some of his more infamous abilities. If I recall, most of our data comes from Subaru's run-ins with him."

The captain paused for a second, having just remembered that Natsuki Subaru was, in fact, alive. He was there when Reinhard had brought him before the Sage Council and deliberated his fate. He would have to be careful not to disclose too much. . .

"You don't say? Well that's quite convenient for me."

"Why's that?"

Marcos didn't expect that answer from this guy, much less the smirk on his face.

"He just happens to be my boss, is all."

His cloak drifted out behind him as the person's face was briefly allowed to be exposed to Marcos.

"W-Wait a minute. . ! Are you. . !?"

The person disappeared before Marcos had uttered a single word.

"T-This is intolerable, I suppose!"

Beatrice shout-whispered this to Emilia, who sat with Beatrice and Subaru inside one of the abandoned buildings that dotted the side of the road. Initially, one would think their situation wasn't quite so dire, but with the context of what was happening outside, it was impossible to hide.

"We'll be the ones to eat him, alright? Right? Yes~? That's why we've spent all the time preparing, so we get to eat ~tsu!"

"GAH! AH~! AH! COME OUT NOW!"

The two archbishops were currently pummeling the ever-living shi* out of one another, whilst simultaneously leveling ever foreseeable hiding place with flames and debris. With Gluttony's reemergence, they at least had some reassurance that Sirius couldn't use them as hostages, as the Archbishop of Gluttony wouldn't allow them to be killed before eating their names/memories.

However, that was only a short-lived comfort, as Wrath's authority to transmit damage meant that Gluttony's reckless mode of attack would like end up killing them all!

". . .-tch! If we could just grab those two and escape, we could leave and let these two finish each other off."

Emilia clicked her tongue, watching the madness outside with labored breath. She absolutely would not allow either of them to take Subaru, and she was prepared to die here if that was what it took to keep him safe. However, it would be an affront to everything she knew about Subaru to leave the two people who'd been fighting alongside him to just meet their fate.

"Betty thinks we should take this chance to move Subaru away from here and return to grab the others, in fact."

It was a good plan, but it assumed that they would be able to leave their hiding spot without getting noticed. Emilia wasn't confident that they could do so. Using a spell like Shamak would only draw both of their attention to the fact they were escaping, which would be a death sentence for the remaining fighters.

"Is there any chance we could snatch the two of them with a well-timed diversion?"

She pointed to the unconscious pile of men on the corner of the street, to which Beatrice bit her cheek and tapped her foot.

"Can you outrun them carrying all four of us, I suppose? It's more likely one of them will become unfastened in the ensuing chaos, in fact."

The half-elf felt torn. She knew what Subaru would do here, it wasn't even a question. However, she also knew the realistic consequences of her choices. It was like she was being forced to choose between the Subaru in her arms and the Subaru in her mind.

"W-We can't risk Subaru's safety. . ! Please, listen to Betty!"

The spirit looked ashamed with herself for saying that sentence out loud, but if it was up to bearing the guilt of two random people's deaths vs the guilt of killing Subaru and second time, she knew what she wanted to do.

"I-I'm sorry Beako. . . but I know what he would want me to do."

The drill-loli felt her objection catch in her throat, before she buried her face into the unconscious Subaru's shoulder and wept.

"I promise, we'll all survive! We have to!"

Scooping her arms around Subaru and Beatrice once again, Emilia bent her knees and prepared to launch out the window at the fastest speed possible. This was a gamble, a big one.

*CRASH*

The three of them shattered through the building, their course making a bee-line to the unconscious Julius and Kadomon. From the look of both the Archbishops, it appeared neither of them were close enough to intercept them in their escape.

"H-Hurry. . !"

Emilia threw Julius over her shoulder, while Beatrice gripped onto Kadomon's arms.

"Murak!"

Casting one last spell, Beatrice lightened everyone's weight as they got loaded up onto the already overloaded Emilia. With this decrease in load, Emilia once again pushed herself off the ground and shot away from the scene at lightning speed.

As they cleared the edge of the main road, it appeared like their hopes of escape had finally been realized.

"Where is it that you think you are, tsu~?"

In that instant, Gluttony appeared behind the five of them, sending them all flying right back into the ground. His teleportation had allowed him to cut them off in the decisive moment.

Their gamble had failed, and Gluttony was now taking his time to decide which of them to eat first, ultimately deciding on Subaru.

"Ah~! There you are! DIE!"

Not caring to spare a single one of them, Sirius launched an attack meant to kill every single person present. Once again, Gluttony was briefly unable to telelport as he watched the oncoming flame prepare to destroy them all.

*SWOOSH*

The attack was sent careening off course with a simple wave of the hand. This person had just suddenly appeared, dressed in kimono, and wielding a comically oversized pipe.

". . .-hk!"

Gluttony was no longer above them either, instead all they could see was a massive crater in the ground where he'd been standing.

"I think its about time I got a raise. . . Isn't that right, Su-san?"

The wolf-human turned around with a smirk on his face, having once again proven himself the strongest man in the Kingdom.

Author's Note

Halibel in the HOUSE! Let's go, I know it been a while since I dropped a chapter, but real life stuff + botting has made it difficult for me to keep as frequent a schedule. I do have some large projects in the works which I hope you all will enjoy, but those will not have my name on it so yea. . . To be honest, I'm getting like really sick of writing fight sequences, but thankfully, the next chapter is where I'm gonna drop the BIG cliffhanger, so I hope all of you are prepared! This was only the first stage of this story, so I'm excited to see how you guys will react to the next chapter!

I can't think of a poll for this one, so how about this:

Which story do you want to see a new chapter for most?

A. The Secret

B. Cast Reacts To Arc 7 Shenanigans

C. Another Chance (after the next chapter I'm going to drop)

I know a lot of you have been waiting for updates, so I'd feel better knowing which stories you guys are the most excited for. As it stands for botting, what I'm planning on doing is continuing to upload new chapters of Another Chance on Ao3 (cause my fic already got botted and there's no way the staff will fix it for some reason), while The Secret, Cast Reacts Arc 7, and all future stories will be set so only Ao3 accounts can view them. Don't worry, they'll be crossposted to for you to read! I just don't want to deal with this botting stuff ruining any of the other fics I've made.

Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Chapter Text

"You mutt! Disgusting, petulant, mongrel. . ! How dare you? How dare you? How dare you!? How dare you! HOW DARE YOU. . !"

Sirius's chains swung with such power that the very ground beneath her was sheared when the two made contact. How could all this be happening? Just moments ago, her predetermined destiny had rewarded her patience by reuniting her with her husband. And now. . .

"Well that's not very nice, is it? We've only just met. . ."

*WHOOSH*

Another fireball was quickly conjured out of nothing and launched mercilessly at the disinterested wolfman. To everyone's shock, he took a long toke from his large pipe and made no effort to dodge.

*WHOOSH*

In her fury, as the first spell made contact, Sirius conjured another before the smoke had even cleared and sent it flying at Halibel. She planned to rend him to something even less than smithereens.

*BOOM*

A loud explosion rang out as the air filled with smoke from the overwhelming barrage of magic. Small bits of cobblestone rained down from the sky, making tiny clatters resembling a light hail. It was beyond impossible for anyone to survive such an onslaught.

". . . . ."

". . . . ."

As the dust cloud began to dispel, a ridiculous sight greeted the rampaging Archbishop.

"I rarely get to show off to clients, y'know? Could ya' send over a couple more?"

Halibel looked back at the stunned reactions from Emilia and Beatrice and let out a short chuckle. Unfortunately, Subaru wasn't awake for him to tease, but he supposed that this would be alright for now. With the way chaos sprung up around Subaru, Halibel wouldn't have to wait too long for another chance™.

"M-Mister. . ! Thank you for helping us, but please don't take our opponent too lightly! She is reeeally dangerous!"

Emilia managed to stand herself back up, picking up the unconscious body of Subaru and the still petrified Beatrice. She was still perfectly capable of fighting, but with this stranger's appearance, she was beginning to contemplate just fleeing with Subaru and returning with help. So long as she could contact Reinhard and the rest of the camp, this battle could be classified as a victory.

"No need to thank me, I'm under Su-san's employ, so I suppose I should be thanking you two for safeguarding him until now."

At first, Emilia didn't seem to understand what Halibel was talking about, but she quickly realized that he was referring to Subaru.

"Ah~! You, don't you dare take him! I'll kill them all! All of them~! I'll kill them ALL!"

Upon seeing her attack dispelled once more by another person who dared intrude her reunion with Subaru, Sirius went ballistic. All semblance of strategy was thrown out the window as the Archbishop of Wrath launched attack after attack at the unfazed Shinobi.

*WHOOSH*

*WHOOSH*

*WHOOSH*

*WHOOSH*

"Hey, hey, I only said a couple. . . ? This fur keeps me warm enough and the smoke is only going to work in my advantage y'know. . ."

Halibel complained about the large plumes of smoke erupting from the flaming buildings on the side of the alley, but right after he finished talking, he put his mouth to his pipe and took another deep toke. It was just plain irresponsible to give a shinobi a smokescreen!

". . .We detest~! We despise~! We abhor~! You, you, you. . . whose name we don't know. . !"

The Archbishop of Gluttony, Roy Alphard, teleported right behind the back of the frozen Werewolf. This man who's name they did not know. . . he was truly dangerous. They could sense that. However, that also made him a feast potentially beyond anything they'd ever tasted.

He must devour their memories.

". . .fhuuuu. . ."

Halibel turned his head to meet the threat, blowing out the cloud of smoke straight into Roy's eyes.

". . .g-ghk?"

The urge to close his eyes, to blink, was overwhelming. The smoke stung. It stung so bad, it made his eyes water, it made him want to cry. Roy knew there would be dire consequences for closing his eyes and he fought to keep them open with all his might. Even so. . .

". . . . ?"

With his eyes only barely open, Halibel disappeared. His outline became one with the smoke clouds, almost as if the man had never even been there to begin with. The Archbishop was astonished such a thing could be possible. This was not some form of instant movement, as when Roy employed that technique a small vacuum of air was left behind. It was more like he'd faded away.

"C'mon, don't cry kid. Even if you had blinked, the result's the same."

A hand was suddenly on Roy's shoulder, but the feeling was so brief that Roy was left contemplating if it was merely a brush of wind.

". . .Where? Where~? Where~!? Where. . .!?"

At this point, even the briefest shifts in the air was setting Roy's hairs on end.

". . . . . . ."

A kunai came flying out of the smoke directly towards Roy's head. It was so fast, ridiculously fast. Despite the fact he was facing the attack, he was unable to completely dodge it.

". . .-gaaah~!"

The kunai embedded itself right into his hanging tongue, pinning it to his shoulder.

"I could've cursed ya' just then, right? Then it'd just be over for you. Try and dodge a couple more attacks at least."

The scene was dire for the Archbishop. His visibility had been cut down to only a few feet in all directions, the smoke only growing stronger by the minute. Now his enemy was completely shrouded and making a fool of him.

His only option was to teleport up onto the roof of one of the buildings overlooking the alley to improve his visibility, but even then, retreat was weighing heavily on such a decision.

". . . . ."

Light from the blue skies above pierced into Roy's eyes. He had escaped the cloud, but there was no visibility on the street below. Never before had Roy Alphard retreated in the midst of battle.

". . . . ."

He quickly scanned his right and his left, confirming that he was completely alone. There was no way to know everything that demi-human was capable of, short of eating their memories, but it was safe to say he'd briefly escaped Halibel's attacks. This comforting notion allowed him to gather his bearings and prepare to reenter the fight.

". . . . ."

"I've got to admit, it's pretty impressive how you move like that."

Roy's body, propelled by instinct, whipped around and sent a devastating kick towards the smiling werewolf standing behind him. If his tongue hadn't been pinned to his shoulder, it's certain he would have screamed.

This time, to his fortune, the kick connected, sending an inhuman amount of force rippling through Halibel's body. By any normal standard, this would've spelled the end for an opponent before they knew what hit them.

However, this person could not be measured by any normal standards. . . .

*POOF*

The spot where Halibel had been standing was stale air, a bundle of hair falling beside him the only marker that he'd been there at all.

"Clone~?!"

Roy was only just realizing that he hadn't been fighting with the real enemy since this started. Halibel was likely still in the same spot where he'd been when Roy had made his initial attack.

"No see, now I've got your attention diverted. . .The attack was actually from everywhere else."

". . . . !"

Despite having just surveyed his surroundings, somehow, when he turned back around, fifteen kunai from all different directions were mere centimeters from his head. It was inconceivable. Just one of his clones was capable of this. . ? This person was a monster of monsters.

"!"

By the skin of his teeth, his second teleport made it in time.

He fell forwards, onto his knees, breathing raggedly. The damage was beginning to accumulate from all the fighting he'd done earlier. First Subaru and Julius, then that half-elf and Sirius. Even with his ability to heal himself, there was a limit, and he was close.

"Impressive! Hey, you know you're the first person to escape that? Well, aside from me anyway."

Roy froze, only confused ramblings running through his brain. This was the first time he'd ever been so thoroughly thwarted by an opponent. The death of his brother Lye began running through his mind as the fate awaiting him seemed no different. Was this what he'd been feeling in his final moments?

"Run~? We run~? We should run~? Yes, we should run?"

"AH~! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"

Sirius and Halibel remained in their standoff, fireballs randomly emerging from the smoke and converging on him, Emilia, Beatrice, and the unconscious hostages. It was the pinnacle of strength that stood between them and that monster.

"Real limited vocabulary she's got. . ."

Halibel sighed as he sent more and more of her attacks careening away from them with a casual smirk. It was a bit presumptuous of him to step into the battleground not knowing anything, but considering the odd nature of his employer, Halibel decided to make an exception.

"U-Um! Sir, thank you for saving us. . !"

Emilia, out of obligation, felt she needed to thank this person one more time. His intervention had staved off certain death, but he had also placed himself in serious danger by making enemies of the Witch Cult.

"Ah, such heartfelt words shouldn't be directed towards me. Just recommend my services to all your friends and we'll call it even."

Beatrice and Emilia were both trying to ascertain the demi-human's association with Subaru, but were having trouble working up the nerve to ask him. If this man was aware of their history with Subaru, there was a non-zero chance they could be considered enemies as well. They fit all the criteria after all.

However, it was still something that needed to be broached.

"M-May I ask what your relationship with Subaru is?"

Emilia asked with hitched breath.

"Oh, Su-san? He's my employer. Real penchant for trouble!"

As he says this, he looks away from the oncoming attacks and gives a hearty laugh. For a moment, both Beatrice and Emilia feel their voices catch in their throat, as the onslaught of fire spells was not stopping.

"S-Shouldn't you be facing the fight, I suppose!?"

Halibel started to chuckle a little.

"This isn't a joke, in fact! W-We could all. . . !"

He picked up his giant pipe and swung it downwards, cutting through the plume of smoke and dissipating the remaining spells Sirius had cast. He did this, not looking away from Beatrice or Emilia for a single second.

"Yeah, that's exactly the face Su-san makes when I pop up behind him while he's in the shower."

Both of them look at him wide-eyed, not sure if they should be shocked at what he just said or what he just did. However, the moment passed before either of them could say anything.

"Don't get me wrong, that woman is dangerous. I just wanted to show off a little, is all."

He turned back to look at the still-enraged Sirius with a stone-cold expression on his face. The speed at which he shifted from joking quips to killing intent sending chills down Emilia and Beatrice's spine.

"The kid who just attacked my double is trouble too, but he's got too many openings. Just my clones should be enough to handle him."

His analysis, as usual, was spot on. Considering he'd left himself open to be cursed with the very first assault he made on Halibel, it was safe for him to delegate Roy to his doppelgangers. This woman, on the other hand, reeked of foul play. It wouldn't be as simple as killing her to remove her as an obstacle.

"That woman is Sirius Romanee-Conti, Sin Archbishop of Wrath. Her authority allows her to transmit feelings and emotions to others, I suppose. That's not the worst of it, I'm afraid. She can also transmit damage to everyone within her radius. A truly loathsome ability, in fact."

Halibel clicked his tongue at the news, now understanding why the wounds on Sirius were shared between Subaru, Kadomon, and Julius. Most of his moves were geared towards killing. This would prove troublesome indeed.

"S-She's also obsessed with Subaru for some reason. . ! We can't let her get anywhere near him or else she'll take him and run away!"

Emilia said this, unconsciously hugging him tighter, as she gestured to Sirius with residual contempt in her eyes.

"It makes sense now, Su-san's always been a magnet for crazy. Then again, I wouldn't hang around him if he was boring either. . ."

For a second, Halibel seemed self-aware of what he'd just said, indirectly calling himself crazy, but his face betrayed none of those thoughts to the two girls watching him.

"We can take him with us, I suppose. He's in danger the longer he remains here, in fact. . . !"

". . . ."

Halibel scratched his neck, trying to think of a way to say what he was thinking in the least rude way possible. Eventually though, he lamented and simply told them straight.

"I wouldn't be a responsible bodyguard if I just handed my friend off to people I didn't know, would I? Besides, if we use that woman as a metric, it's more likely than not that you two are crazy as well."

The two of them felt frustration for the briefest moment, but once again, they couldn't find the words inside them to deny Halibel's offhand remark. What type of person would go to such lengths as to shut down an entire city so they could hunt down someone who ostensibly wanted nothing to do with them? Hadn't this entire situation been of their own making? Subaru's death, the harsh overcorrection, and now Sirius's escape had all directly resulted from their own actions.

"C-Crazy. . .I-I guess you're right. I'm sorry we haven't been mindful of your position. . ."

Emilia loosened her grip on Subaru and laid him down next to Halibel. She could feel her hands quivering, the weight of Subaru's body having left her arms with nothing.

"Hey, hey, no need to be so down about it. Su-san wouldn't want to make a pretty girl cry, now would he? Just let me handle this situation and you can all work this out when he wakes up."

The half-elf looked at her former knight's unconscious form and tried to figure out what to do in this situation. She'd initially been grateful just to survive as long as she did, and that was still true. However, a new feeling of emptiness was weighing on her shoulders.

'Even now, after everything I've done. . . all the mistakes I've made. . . Somehow, it's led to this again. Like it always was before. I've been completely, and utterly, ineffectual.'

Her efforts had not been enough. The collateral damage in this city, the escape of their prisoner, and now even her own life. . . ! How was it, that even whilst unconscious, Subaru was still responsible for cleaning up her messes? This was where she'd hoped to take a stand, to finally begin to pay back some of the trust that had so willing been given to her by her camp, her friends, and the person to whom she owed the unimaginable.

'H-How can I face him like this. . ? I've chased him down, set Mabeasts on him, and jeopardized the lives of everyone in this city. There's no way to look at him and honestly say I've changed. . !'

Many of these decisions had not been merely her own, but the despairing half-elf did not care to make excuses for herself anymore. She should've told Otto to shut down the trade embargo the moment she was made aware of it. She should've left Reinhard and Felt alone when they told her Subaru was not there. She should have listened to Beatrice when she said Subaru would never want to speak with them again. Instead, she'd fled from her responsibilities.

"C-Calm yourself, in fact. . ! That troublesome person is transmitting all those emotions to me, I suppose!"

Beatrice looked at Emilia and tried to shake some sense into her. That same agonizing feeling was sinking deep into her heart as well, which Beatrice had chalked up to Sirius's authority. In reality, this had nothing to do with Wrath. Beatrice's own feelings had been stirred up wildly at Halibel's astute observation too, however she lacked the ability to differentiate between those feelings and the ones she felt whilst under Sirius's influence.

"You two wanna' be useful? I'd appreciate it if ya' took all those other injured people and moved them somewhere safe. Don't worry, I'll let my slavedriver boss know ya' worked overtime."

". . . . ."

Halibel shot the two of them a smile and patted Beatrice on the head with his hand. The gesture was not lost on either Beatrice or Emilia, who realized that this person was someone who understood Subaru quite well. After all, this was exactly how Subaru had dealt with them in similar situations in the past.

'T-This is. . ! I've been so caught up in everything we've been doing wrong that I never even stopped to ask. . .'

Emilia stood up, abruptly taking Beatrice's hand and making eye contact with the chuckling wolfman.

'What would Subaru do?'

Subaru would never lay around moping in a time like this. He would find some opportunity to help, if even in the smallest way. That was all that mattered. So what if they'd done some terrible things? So what if they were responsible for this fight? They would each answer for their actions in due time, but that was only possible if they won this fight right here and now.

The certainty of victory that Halibel's presence had brought them was the only thing that afforded them the luxury of such gloomy thoughts, but that was merely a mirage. There was no such thing as certainty, especially in a chaotic life and death struggle between two warriors. Perhaps there would still be casualties? Maybe there are people here who only they could help? Both of them were quite adept at healing magic after all.

'He wouldn't settle for anything less than his best effort. . . !'

Emilia looked to Beatrice, gave a quick nod in the direction of where she wanted to move the injured bodies, and looked back at Halibel. His back was now turned and he was fully facing his enemy. There was nothing else that he needed to tell them, their role had become clear.

"Beako, please cast Murak on these two and we'll move them behind some cover."

Beatrice looked at Emilia, surprised to hear her using that nickname for her once again, but still ultimately complying with her instructions. They both picked up the respective bodies of Kadomon and Julius and slowly dragged them over to a wall of ice that was left over from Emilia's initial clash with Sirius.

"Now then. . . I think it's time to test the waters, wouldn't you agree?"

Halibel had a wily grin forming as he rapidly evacuated his original position and closed in on Sirius. For a brief moment, Subaru was to be left unguarded, but this was on purpose.

"Ah~? You, you mangy mutt, have finally decided to leave us be? Truly, the werewolf is the antithesis of the love I aspire to~! For you, whose perennial nature is that of the betrayer, you seek to destroy our love as you did Iris. How pitiful~!"

She began to make her way towards Subaru, despite Halibel's trajectory clearing marking her the object of an imminent attack. It was when he reached less than a foot in front of her, that Halibel's body disappeared rapidly.

"My love~! Ah~! How joyous, how sweet this feeling is. . ! Despite all the tribulations, you returned to me once more~! I cannot bear to be separated a moment longer!"

Sirius leapt forward, her chains swinging rapidly next to her as she quickly approached the spot upon which her 'husband' lay unconscious. Perhaps by mere coincidence, one of her chains blocked a kunai that had been thrown from her blindspot.

"Hmm~?"

She momentarily twisted her head and found one of Halibel's kunai on the ground.

"Impressive, you called my bluff. Although, from the sound of it, you might have just gotten lucky."

Immediately, Sirius propelled herself upwards and looked down to see where Halibel had just appeared. Unlike Gluttony, who had a semblance of a tactical mind, Sirius was not concerned with the significant advantage in speed and intelligence her opponent possessed. All she cared about was getting to Subaru's body before anyone could stop her.

"Normally you'd be dead right now, I did curse you about five times with my first attack. However, it appears the effects of those are distributed too. Thank goodness, I didn't use my better moves."

As quickly as he said those words, several more kunai emerged from the smoke and were struck down by Sirius's chains. It was typically a bad idea to outline one's weaknesses to an enemy, but Halibel hoped he could get a reaction out of her that he could use to better understand her ability.

"Curse? Ah, I see~! Yes that is befitting the wolfman. You, whose existence is loveless, curse this world with your survival."

"Now now, you don't want to hurt my feelings do you? Then again, I suppose it would be just as pitiful to go out without dealing me any damage, so I guess you're right on the mark."

Instantly, Sirius put a hand to her chest and let out an exasperated breath. Her body had become so difficult to move all of a sudden. . . It was like gravity itself had become ten times stronger. She initially mistook this for an ability, but. . .

"I see you're feeling it now. I am as well, so don't go calling this unfair, ya' know."

Halibel appeared out of his camouflage right beside her, the werewolf also panting hard as he began walking towards her at a steady pace.

"W-What di. . d. . . .y. . .?"

Every syllable that came out of Sirius's mouth was slurred. Just the movement of her mouth was so tiring that she'd been unable to finish the taunt she'd prepared for him.

"I can't directly injure you, but I can at least restrict your movement for the time being. This curse will gradually sap you of your mana until you pass out."

Halibel's breathing became more steady, but he was still laboring immensely to avoid showing any signs of fatigue to his enemy. This would at least erode their will to continue fighting for the time being.

"All those spells you cast put you at a deficit. Even with a large mana reserve like yours, everyone reaches their limit eventually. I think I'll continue to play around with you until the guards arrive."

The werewolf smiled, pulling out a couple more kunai, before deciding how he wanted to resume. Every bit of damage he inflicted on Sirius would be reflected to him, that bit was certain. However, he was more than willing to sustain some small injuries if it'd help pass the time.

"A. . .a. . .h ~ha. . . . Y-You, truly are. . . cursed~! Y-. .*hahgh*. You . . . shall. . . .remain loveless forever. . ."

For the briefest of moments, Halibel's eyebrow twitched.

"You may be right, but I've never been too interested in things like that anyway. People make great entertainment, so my life really isn't bad."

He showed a toothy smile and lazily threw one of his knives directly at her, deliberately holding back his power to make the knife take longer to hit.

". . .!"

Sirius just barely dodged it, her body beginning to slump downwards as the curse continued sapping her of mana.

"See what I mean? Truly, this is what it's all about, isn't it? You of all people should understand, after all, witch cultists end innocent lives for entertainment constantly. I just happen to have my fun hunting monsters."

Sirius's eyes retained their manic gaze, just as they had towards every other person she had killed. It was unregistering, bloodshot, and just ominous. However, to a man like Halibel, those eyes were the only thing that could make him smile.

It was because they held true intent to kill.

"This next one has a cool side effect, I'm excited to see how you'll react."

Halibel halfheartedly chucked another kunai at Sirius, expecting her to finally succumb to his initial curse and be struck by his kunai.

*SWING*

Instead, with her last burst of energy, she managed to block the kunai with a chain. It was sent flying into the sky far beyond the cloud that still encircled the two of them. She'd needed to use all her remaining mana to muster up the strength in her swing to block the attack, and she fell over unconscious right after completing it.

"Well, looks like I win. . ."

Halibel said this to no one as he looked around at the empty scenery. The sight begrudged the werewolf, who moments ago, had an adoring audience to all his amazing feats.

"All that's left to do now is take you to some of the surviving guards before I pass out myself."

*SWISH*

A sheen of metal from high in the sky caught Halibel's view. It was the kunai that Sirius had launched up just moments before she'd fainted. He was not too worried about it at this point, nor was he worried about Roy, as they'd likely been caught up in the aftermath of Sirius's authority as well.

However, when he saw the path that his kunai was falling, his eyes widened.

*THWACK*

In the end, the kunai found it's mark in the unguarded body of Natsuki Subaru.

"I Love You."

The voice spoke tenderly to him.

'W-What. . ? Where am I?'

It was dark, a realm of nothing but shadows and his mind. There was nothing here, not even a body for him to comprehend the nothingness which surrounded him.

". . .I Love you, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You. . . ."

The words whispered themselves into his ear over and over and over again. They were spoken with such softness, but something about it felt wrong. He couldn't shake the feeling that these words were an omen of disaster.

'This. . .isn't good. . . .'

The pull of sleep beckoned to him with increasing intensity. There was little he could do to resist this overwhelming force that threatened to drag his consciousness into slumber besides think. He had no body with which to delineate himself from the void upon which he existed.

"Disgusting and shameful, nothing more than the result of self… CONCEIT. Yes, Believer in Love, how very sinful, how dirty you are! Just so so so so worthy of… DISDAIN! Slothful. You are truly… slothful!"

A voice screamed out to him with petulant vigor.

"What were they even thinking, that a guy like this would kick the satisfied me to the curb? Shouldn't it have been obvious from the beginning if you knew your place? Who are you to stand in my way, a nuisance! A hindrance! I am the most satisfied man in the world, one who worries about nothing and only wishes to pursue his simple joys and live a fulfilling life, undisturbed and free of greed, and yet you would interfere with that? To now thoughtlessly encroach on my space; from any logical approach, this would indicate a clear infringement of my rights. . . !"

Another voice, laced with spite, directed it's ire towards him.

". . .?"

Suddenly he could feel hands and a face. . . ! He had hands and a face! Perhaps. . .perhaps he could add more features?

"I Love you, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You. . . ."

She continued her whispers with increased fervor, renewed excitement for him as he came ever closer to joining her in this place. By this point, any remnants of his own thoughts were gone from his mind.

'Next time. . .' he thinks to himself. . .

As feeling started to return to him, the weightless existence he'd just experienced had been replaced by a hard, cold surface. His back was the first part of his body to signal his brain of his new surroundings.

". . .ughh. ."

Subaru's consciousness began to re-emerge, but it was immediately overpowered by a pounding headache. It was like all the blood in his body decided to rush to his brain. If there was any food left in his body for him to throw up, he'd undoubtedly keel over from the overpowering nausea that accompanied that pain.

"H-Huh? What's going on? Wasn't I just caught up in those shadows?"

The grassy plain that surrounded him was a vibrant green, aside from the occasional bright red and orange flowers. This was most certainly not the capital. He ran through all the places he'd seen throughout his journey in this world, but none of them matched the odd scenery that filled his eyes.

In fact, the place he found himself in now was unlike any place he'd seen in Lugunica.

"All of my injuries are still here. . . so I suppose I can rule out being Isekai'd again. . ?"

He wasn't even sure if he'd been sent back to his old world, or maybe even a new one. For all he knew, he could've been transported to somewhere on Earth! Not that he wanted to entertain this thought in the slightest. . .

Above all, he hoped that he remained in the world with all his comrades.

"Comrades. . . Oh! I forgot!"

The calm breeze turned to a silent chill. The grass stopped swaying and the falling leaves froze in place.

At first, Subaru could only feel panicked. There were so many people he'd put in danger; Kadomon and Julius being the first he could think of. It was no stretch to say that all of them had been on the brink of death just moments ago.

"I-I don't think this is the afterlife. . ."

He leaned forward onto his knees and stood himself up. Both his legs were still super wobbly, so for now the best he could do was walk slowly.

'I-I really hope Kadomon and Julius are alright. . . I could never look their families in the eye if I was the one who got them killed. . .'

Subaru put a hand on his chest, feeling his heartrate skyrocket in accordance with his raised anxiety. Just the prospect of either of them dying was something he didn't want to entertain. It was something that simply could not be allowed after all they'd been through.

"Hello. . ?"

He called out to the open field, nervously turning his head to face the tree line. He expected at least one person to be there with him, but right now it appeared he was all alone.

"I-Is anyone there. . !?"

As he hobbled towards the trees, Subaru's breathing grew faster and faster. By all accounts he should be relieved that he's alone after the hell he'd just experienced. However, the cost of that calm silence was an eeriness beyond anything he'd ever felt before.

"P-Please. . ! Someone. . !"

His steps grew quicker, and soon enough, he broke into a slow run. All the while, his thoughts raced about everything he'd experienced up to now. His tumultuous first week at the Astrea estate, the cat and mouse battle between him and that assassin, the bonds he built with Old man Rom, the battle he'd just fought with his newfound friends. . .

'T-They couldn't be. . ! Those were real, I-I'm not just imagining things!'

Subaru huffed the air like it was that of an alien planet. He'd begun questioning his memories, his very existence. . . What just happened to him. . !

That was when. . .

". . .T-Thank God!"

In front of his eyes, in a crushed patch of grass, lay the unconscious, breathing bodies of Julius Juukulius and Kadomon. They were both strewn about on the grass, sleeping without a care in the world. Each were both gravely injured, as was Subaru, but they were alive.

And perhaps even more importantly, REAL!

"Haaaaaa. . ."

Subaru leaned backward onto a tree, letting it support his weight as he let out a deep sigh of relief. The worst had been averted. His two compatriots had survived and they'd escaped danger. At least he wouldn't be trapped in this nightmare scenario all alone. . .

". . . ?"

He then turned his head over to another patch of grass right beside theirs. Over there he found something he would never have expected in his wildest dreams.

"W-Who are these two. . . ?"

The body of a beautiful silver haired half-elf and her great spirit, peacefully sound asleep.

Authors Note:

This is it, the big cliffhanger. I've finally done it! I've reached this point! I know you've been waiting for an update for like over seven months, but I really am so excited to write the next chapter as its got some of the most exciting ideas I've had for this fic that I've literally had to wait several years to get to write! All of you, in the comments, feel free to vent about how slow I am to update, I get that its annoying, as I also read fics so I know what it's like to have to sit and wait forever. A side note, I'm also kind of sick of writing fight scenes for now, so this fic is gonna chill out for the time being. Lots of crazy developments in my own life are going on as well, mostly good, but they have kind of kept me from writing. I will never stop though! For this chapter's poll, I want to skip an A, B, or C and I want you to give what you think all the character's back in the capital's reactions will be to this crazy event. Yes, before you ask, they are all in Vollachia. I promise not to let it be boring!

Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we've actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that I've begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they're interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Chapter Text

"Oh man, what should I do. . .?"

Subaru muttered to himself, his hand lightly scratching his scalp in what could only be described as a nervous twitch. He'd briefly considered carrying over the unconscious bodies of Julius and Kadomon and simply sitting beside them until they woke up, but leaving these two unknown people alone didn't sit right with Subaru.

In fact, something instinctual told him it would be best to watch over them, as they likely were responsible for what happened. He had no proof to back up this assumption, but there were hardly any leads left for him to follow. Julius was down for the count the last time Subaru saw him and Kadomon wasn't doing much better. It was likely these two girls were the only ones who could tell him where they were.

"I wonder if Reinhard's alright?"

Subaru posed this question to himself, trying to distract himself and steady his breathing. The capital had been in ruins last he could remember. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that destruction could've reached the Manor.

"N-No, what am I thinking? Reinhard is fine! Felt too!"

He smacked both cheeks with his hands and let out a long sigh. He realized too late that thinking about the Manor would only result in more stress. It would be better if he found some way to focus on his current predicament rather than worry about things he had no control over.

Before Subaru could realize it, his attention had drifted back to the two unconscious girls laying in front of him. Up until now, he hadn't taken particular notice of their appearance, but for some reason, he couldn't look away.

'Just who are these two. . . ?'

One of them was dressed in white and purple, regal colors no doubt. The other was in a frilly dress, decorated by vibrant reds and yellows. The two of them looked almost ethereal in the middle of this field, at least compared to the dingy cloaks that Subaru, Julius, and Kadomon were wearing. Maybe he should try waking them up?

Subaru studied their appearances a little longer, his eyes widening as he saw one of the girl's ears had pointed ends.

'A-An Elf. . !?'

He was immediately enraptured with the prospect of meeting one of these mythical peoples. If Subaru could see himself through another's eyes, he'd no doubt think the long stare he was giving them was creepy. However, it was mostly a result of culture shock and less so impure intentions.

"U-Uh. . . C-Can either of you hear me. . ?!"

Subaru spoke aloud, trying to avoid yelling but remaining loud enough to jostle them awake.

". . . ."

"Looks like that didn't work. . ."

Subaru felt slightly dejected, and mildly concerned, with the fact that nobody else had woken up yet. If shouting wasn't enough to wake them up, should he be worried for their safety?

'I-I haven't checked their vitals yet.'

Once again, Subaru felt a twinge of fear in his chest. Had he been too quick to ascertain everyone was alright? It was a bit presumptuous to assume that because he woke up that everyone else would too.

"I-I should at least check if they are alive."

Turning away, Subaru slowly extended his hand until it made contact with the elf's neck. He didn't want to risk causing a scene if one of them woke up, so he looked away to grant himself some kind of modesty.

Subaru soon found his answer, as the faint feeling of a pulse against his hand caused him to let out a sigh of relief.

"Then we really are safe now. . !"

While he pondered different ways to deal with this situation, a worrying possibility loomed in his mind. One that he hadn't considered yet, but nonetheless was something that could be possible.

'C-Could these two actually be enemies. . ?'

The woman in bandages did appear to have some kind of elf ears beneath her disguise. He briefly poked the elf's forehead, and for the first time, saw a brief squint of her closed eyes.

"Don't tell me I jinxed it. . !"

Subaru jumped back, his hand slightly shaking and his breathing ragged again. He immediately got up to go check on Kadomon and Julius, nerves fried at the prospect of fighting Sirius again.

". . .S-Subaru. . ."

The elf muttered softly in her sleep, which went unheard as Subaru tended to the injuries of Kadomon and Julius.

It had been several hours since Subaru woke up, with the sun beginning to set.

All that could be heard was a soft wind current accompanied by the slightest rustling of surrounding trees. It was a relaxing atmosphere, perhaps a reward granted to them for all the stressful loops they'd experienced a short time earlier. It was a long enough rest that Julius's spirits had re-emerged from their sleep and began to swirl around their unconscious contractor. However, they quickly changed their target to Subaru, approaching him eagerly.

"H-Hey now, don't heal me! Heal Julius!"

Subaru swatted at the multicolored orbs, but was ultimately unable to prevent them from casting their healing magic onto him.

"I-I'm not your contractor right. . .?! Go heal him quickly!"

He gestured over to Julius again, but the orbs moved left to right. Even though they couldn't speak, it was clear to Subaru what they were trying to say.

"H-Hey, I don't care if its what Julius ordered. . ! He needs it way more than me!"

All of his spirits seemed to react indignantly to his command. It was definitely some kind of back sass they were directing towards Subaru, however he gave them a stern glare and continued to point at Julius.

"Go on. . ! I know you all want to make sure he's ok!"

Five of Julius's spirits began to heed Subaru's order, but Kua remained still. It was as if it was pouting at him, which caused Subaru to choke down a laugh.

". . .kgh. . ."

A voice moaned out behind Subaru.

"E-EEK. . -!"

In an instant, Subaru leapt behind the nearest tree and held his breath. No doubt, that voice had belonged to one of the two girls who'd accompanied them to this odd forest. If they were potential enemies, the last thing he wanted to do was get stuck in a 2 versus 1.

He peeked around the tree and surveyed the situation from afar.

It looked like it was the elf girl was waking up, the other girl seeming like she was gaining lucidity a bit slower.

". . .kgh. . ."

Emilia groaned quietly as she felt the cold ground on her back. She, for a brief moment, had no conception of what was going on around her. The only thing she was aware of was the buzzing headache and the pitched tinnitus in her ears.

After a couple seconds waiting for her internal senses to register, her primary senses followed in rapid succession. The pain inside her body faded, giving way to a more clear sense of touch and smell. It felt like she was laying on a bed of grass, and she could smell the fragrant scents of flowers in a meadow.

The next stimuli she noticed was a bright light, enough to radiate even through her closed eyes. It was from this, Emilia surmised she must be staring up into the sky.

She wasted no time in lifting her hand to shield her face as she started to open her eyes. It was meant to briefly keep her eyes from being blasted with sunlight, but when she opened her eyes, the sky was nowhere near as bright as she was expecting. It looked like a significant amount of time had passed since she was last awake, likely nearing sunset.

". . .A-Ah."

It was only then that Emilia's recollection of what had just happened finally clicked in her brain. What she'd seen just moments before this 'sleep' of hers was. . .

"W-Where am I. . .!?"

She shot up off the ground, looking rapidly across the strange scenery that surrounded her in a growing panic. She was in a forest. Only seconds ago, she was with Beatrice and. . . !

"N-No. . .N-No this can't. . !"

Emilia started to feel herself hyperventilate, a hand on her chest and her pupils shrunken into pinpricks. The last time she'd experienced this was when she was awoken by Puck. In her fury, had she unleashed another blizzard upon Lugunica? Was this all that remained of the capital? How many years could have passed?

"I-It can't. . . !"

Her chest heaved as tears built in her eyes. If what she believed happened was the truth, it would mean she'd killed everyone.

'Felt, Crusch, Garfiel, Otto, Wilhelm, Meili, Ram, Rem, Reinhard, Beatrice. . .S-'

She was on the verge of a breakdown, but the last name she didn't dare even think. Emilia couldn't, she was too afraid to. She'd just held him in her arms! Felt his pulse! If she'd lost control of her powers again, that would mean that, once again, she was responsible for. . . !

". .hk-. .!"

Right before things escalated out of Emilia's hands, in the corner of her eye, she spotted Beatrice. The relief she felt at that moment caused her to briefly fall backwards onto the ground.

'I-I didn't. . . ! T-Thank the Od!'

She let out a trembling breath and steadied herself once more. If this wasn't a result of her own actions, there must be something she didn't remember yet.

"W-What happened? This can't be the capital. . ."

Emilia spoke this to no one in particular, her shaking voice doing little to hide her feelings of uncertainty.

'Think. . ! What happened right before I fell asleep. . .'

She went over and scooped up Beatrice in her arms, the motion itself bringing her comfort in its familiar feeling.

The image of what she'd last seen was triggered immediately by her grasp of Beatrice's unconscious form. Her body remembered the feeling of carrying the two of them around during their fight with Sirius, and that in turn, triggered her direct memories. Before they'd been teleported, something had struck Subaru's body. . . ! Then, a wall of shadows came bursting forward, enveloping everything in darkness!

". . .W-Wait. . ! Subaru! I-I need to find Subaru. . !"

Behind the tree where Subaru was hiding, his voice caught in his throat, and he felt the hairs on his head stand on end. This girl knew his name already? Perhaps this really was Sirius! Even if this voice was more pleasant on the ears, he couldn't take any chances!

"S-Subaru. . !"

Emilia's eyes bolted all over the place, finding two others lying beside them. However, she immediately understood that they were not Subaru. Her heart began to race again, and she called out loud enough for the whole forest to hear.

"H-Hello. . !? Is anyone there?"

She yelled this out, hoping that anyone would break through the eerie silence she'd been experiencing since her awakening. Beatrice was still down for the count, but Emilia quickly realized that calling upon the local spirits might help her ascertain her new location.

"A-Ah, wait those are. . ."

Emilia suddenly caught view of the six spirits huddling around Julius's unmoving body. Almost immediately the spirits reacted and dispersed away before Emilia had a chance to speak to them. From the short glance she had of those spirits, she knew they were beyond the lesser spirits she normally communicated with back in Elior. They were likely contracted with someone.

"Perhaps these two. . ?"

The half-elf began to walk towards the two remaining unconscious bodies, their faces still obscured by their cloaks.

'S-She discovered Julius and Kadomon. . .!? What should I do!?'

Subaru once again felt his body weighing him down. He absolutely did not want to risk getting into another battle in his current state, but he also couldn't just allow her to attack Julius and Kadomon!

Emilia took another step, then another.

His time to intervene was getting shorter by the second!

'W-What should I do?! Maybe I could launch a sneak attack?'

Worst comes to worst, he could use Invisible Providence to briefly distract her and run to get their bodies. It wouldn't be impossible for him to get away with how dense this forest was. He soon found himself vetoing this idea though.

'N-No, without knowing her intentions, I might be attacking someone completely innocent.'

He shook his head, uncertain again as to what should do.

'B-But she knows who I am. . ! I've never met her before and the whole world thinks I'm dead. . ! How could she know my name!? Or that I'm even alive. . !?'

This person was a total enigma! If he stepped out from the tree line, he'd be completely at their mercy. It wasn't an exciting prospect at all! It'd be a different story if Julius was awake, but right now, he was absolutely certain he would lose to this person.

". . . !"

Emilia started to reach down to remove Kadomon's hood.

'D-Damn it. . ! I've got no choice. . .'

As Subaru ran out from behind his cover, the resultant cracking of leaves and rustling of branches was enough to briefly divert her attention away from Kadomon's body.

". . .O-Oh! P-Please wait a moment. . !"

He felt his hands trembling, even as he clasped them together underneath his cloak. Almost immediately, when their eyes made contact, he saw her irises waver and her mouth open slightly.

"P-Please, don't attack us. . !"

As that voice once again passed through her ears, the calm breeze of the forest came to an immediate halt. Well, perhaps it did not. Maybe her mind had merely been redirected in that moment so thoroughly away from her surroundings that she didn't care to hear the gusts of wind anymore.

The sight that blessed her eyes was one she wouldn't have dared to dream of only a month ago. It was a sight she'd imagined countless times in her dreams, although it was often meant as a curse. Truly, not being able to lay eyes on him again was a curse to Emilia.

In that respect, to accurately depict the feelings in Emilia's heart, it'd be less accurate to use emotional terminology. No, with her eyes just now, a very real curse had been lifted.

". . . . ."

"P-Please, don't attack us. . !"

The words that Subaru spoke ran a shiver down Emilia's spine.

"A-Attack. . . ? H-How c-could I-I. . . ?"

Emilia tried to speak, but suddenly she broke eye contact with Subaru and stared at the ground. She could not bring herself to look him in the eye now. It only made sense for him to think this way. After all, that was exactly what she'd done to him before he died. Wasn't she the one who apprehended him in Priestella? She'd been one of the first to levy accusations against him when their memories were stolen! Despite his pleas. . .

The weight of her guilt reigned so heavy on her now, she really wanted to lay down and disappear. She dared to pursue him, to trap him, and look him in the eye after everything she'd done to him? He must really want her to die.

"I-I. . ."

Emilia tried to speak but her voice broke and she found herself nauseous with regret. This whole journey was one of self-serving wish fulfillment. It was all so she could get here. So she could say 'I'm sorry!' and continue to live with herself. Subaru didn't need their apologies at all. He was doing just fine. All she was to him was a reminder of everything terrible in this world.

"I-I'm. . .*hik* . . .sorry. . ."

She barely managed to squeak it out before the tears and her lack of breath prevented any further words from escaping her lips.

"W-What. . ? I wasn't expecting that reaction. . ."

Subaru saw the half-elf fall to her knees, shoulders hunched forward in a ball. The girl looked like she was genuinely having a panic attack at the sight of him!

"I-I. . . !"

She sputtered out another sound, but quickly reverted back to quiet sobs and haggard breaths. Emilia wanted nothing more than to run away from Subaru's gaze, but her body was unmoving.

". . . ."

Subaru could only look on in astonishment as he realized his assessment had been completely off the mark. This poor girl looked like she was absolutely terrified of him! Almost immediately, he began to walk over in hopes of clearing up this misunderstanding.

". . .-hk!"

Emilia flinched as Subaru put his hand on her shoulder, which made him briefly recoil away, but he quickly found himself putting his hand there again.

"P-Please don't cry! I'm sorry if I scared you!"

". . . !"

It appears his words finally had an effect. Emilia's sobs, if only for a moment, ceased, and gave way to a shocked expression. Why should he care how she felt? It was beyond unreasonable for him to comfort her in this situation.

"My father always said that a beautiful girl crying all alone is a sign of a broken world."

Subaru's pats on her back and light reassurances made Emilia finally lift her eyes off the ground and establish eye contact again. If only for a moment, her fear had been eclipsed by something else, something she couldn't understand.

". . .b-beautiful. . .?"

That word. There was nothing about what she'd done that was 'beautiful'. In fact, the very idea of it being directed at her now was reprehensible. However. . . for him of all people to be the one to say it. . .

"Well of course. . .Even I'm not so blind as to deny that. . !"

And for the first time since that horrible day, Emilia saw an expression she never thought she'd see again. The edges of Subaru's mouth curved upwards, his eyes softened, and a smile as radiant as the sunset behind him beamed its way into her view.

". . . !"

With that, the floodgates broke.

"Subaru. . !"

Emilia leapt at Subaru, arms outstretched and her sobs momentarily overtaken by joyous cries. Before Subaru could even realize what was happening, he found himself locked in an embrace tight enough he almost considered it an attack!

"Subaru. .*hik* . ! Subaru. . . ! Subaru. . . ! Subaru. . .*hik*. ! Subaru. . . ! Huaghhhhh. . . . . . . ."

She repeated his name over and over, between the sobs rubbing her face into his chest with her ears grazing his neck. The whole time this was happening, Subaru's own hands were outstretched in front of him, merely hanging in the air. He was too surprised to react, and he didn't feel comfortable enough to return the hug with this woman he didn't even know.

"T-There, there. . ."

He awkwardly patted Emilia's shoulder, but this only seemed to energize her hug even more.

"I'm s-sorry. . ! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm Sorry. . ! Please. . . *hik*. . . I-I'm sorry! It was all my fault. . !"

Subaru's eyes widened, still uncertain as to what this woman was talking about. He wanted to ask her about how they got here, so he assumed she was referring to that.

"I-It's fine, p-please calm down. . ! We'll figure things out from here, a-alright?"

He said this offhandedly, as they clearly would need to work together if they wanted to figure out where they all were. However, it was soon apparent that his words had a much stronger impact on the half-elf than he'd intended. . .

". . .*hik*. . . F-Fine? ! N-Nothing's fine about this. . ! Huaghhhhh. . . . !"

She tightened her grip on him even more and he felt his arms beginning to lose circulation.

"W-Well, I'm not going to argue with you. . !"

"S-Subaru. . . I-I'm so sorry! I-I. . . !"

Emilia wasn't sure what she was about to say next, but the feelings in her heart were spilling out at an alarming rate. The logical part of her knew that the only thing she had the right to say to him was 'I'm sorry'. But the rest of her had something else, something she'd wanted to say to him even before that tragic day.

"I-I love you. . !"

". . .-hk?!"

It was with this declaration, she finally pulled herself off him and looked at him face to face.

". . . . ."

The anticipation Emilia felt was palpable. She felt disgusted that she uttered those words to someone she'd wronged so horribly, but even so, if she didn't tell him now, she felt she would regret it for the rest of her life.

". . . . ."

Subaru stared at her in shock, his own eyes wavering at the prospect of such a beautiful girl confessing her love to him in such an unexpected way. He brought a hand to his cheek, scratching with his finger and looking away from Emilia's expectant gaze.

"W-Well, we're moving a little fast aren't we. . . ?"

At this utterance, Emilia bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut, having interpreted his answer as a sarcastic mocking of her proposal. It was to be expected after all, she couldn't be upset with him for not loving her anymore.

"How about we start with introductions? My name is Natsuki Subaru! Not only am I clueless, I'm also broke beyond compare! Nice to meet you!"

". . . . . ."

With this, Emilia's shrunk back, her mouth agape and her eyes glossed over with a bewildered look.

"Emilia-tan. . ! Did I ever tell you the story of Ozymandias?"

It was a random discussion, nothing particularly of note. Emilia had just finished her studies for the day, and Subaru, with his impeccable timing, had burst into her study to relieve her.

"Hmm, 'Ozzee' – 'mandee' – 'uss'. . . ? No, I've never heard that one I think. . . ?"

Emilia put a finger to her chin and thought pensively at Subaru's question. While she did this, Subaru made a hand gesture of a camera and pantomimed a 'click' sound effect, pretending to stash the photo in his pocket.

"Ah! EMT – Emilia-tan Major Detective. . !"

The half-elf saw this and looked confused, but quickly smiled and wrote it off as another 'Subarism', as was expected of her knight. She might have to ask Beatrice about it later. . .

"Well, I'm a bit busy with some paperwork. . .perhaps it would be best if you came back later. . ."

Emilia looked down at her desk, embarrassed to have to turn Subaru away, but facing a backlog of work that came from indulging Subaru the day before.

"E-Emilia-tan, Emilia-tan. . ! I promise I'll be quick. . . !"

Subaru put both his hands together and bowed deeply, making Emilia turn red with abashment as she begged him to raise his head. If she had the chance to hear another one of his stories, Emilia figured she should cherish the opportunity.

"A-Ah, ah, yes! Please tell your tale expressly!"

Subaru looked at Emilia for a second, his mouth opening and closing before he coughed into his hand.

"I'm not sure people say any part of that sentence anymore. . ."

Emilia puffed her cheeks out and looked away, but slightly smiling.

"W-Well anyways! Ozymandias! To give some background, this takes place several thousand years ago. . ."

Subaru starts off his story with a line that sounded quite ridiculous to Emilia, but delivered in a way so casual that she can't help but believe it.

"It's based off an old Egyptian ruler, who we called a 'Pharaoh', but who we called at the time, Ozymandias. He designed many large structures that outlasted his empire by thousands of years. Some of which even survive to today!"

Emilia nods her head, but seems to be getting slightly less interested in his story.

"W-Wait, stay with me. . ! A famous poet from a few hundred years ago came across these structures and used them to write a famous poem, one which I still remember pretty well!"

Subaru smirks, proud of himself for somehow remembering this lore from his Literature classes. It was certainly not something he'd thought would've been important when he was learning it, but as a steward of his 'old world's' culture, it was especially valuable now.

"Ah, so you wanted to tell me this poem. . ?"

"Yes, I felt it might have some extra value to you, who shall become Queen someday!"

Emilia blushed at Subaru's bold declaration, hiding behind a paper stack that she held up in front of her face.

"So, if I remember correctly, the poem goes like this. . ."

Subaru stretched out his arm, preparing to deliver each line with as much gravitas and showmanship as he could muster.

"I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said—"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read, Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed; And on the pedestal, these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. . . !"

Right as he reached that line, Subaru froze up.

"S-Subaru. . ? A-Are you alright?"

Emilia could see he looked quite ashamed, as Subaru leaned back, coughed into his fist and turned around.

"H-How does it go again. . ? I know the general gist of the line, but if I say it wrong, I'll look totally lame in front of Emilia-tan. . ."

Subaru muttered to himself, scratching the back of his head as he said the line internally a hundred different ways until he could get it right.

"W-While you think of the line, how about you tell me the moral of the story?"

Emilia tried to cheer up Subaru, in the hopes that distracting him might make the line come to him more naturally. He grumbled a bit, but eventually decided to turn back around and delve into the moral of the story.

"Ah, ok. . .The moral of the story! So basically, Ozymandias was a ruler who believed his empire to be above the passage of time. He put engravings to flaunt his wealth and power so that future generations would know and fear him. However, after several thousand years, there's nothing left of him besides those small notes. It's meant to be a warning to all those who wield power of the fragility of life and the dominion of time over all empires. Those who are prideful and arrogant enough to believe themselves above time will find themselves destroyed and forgotten like Ozymandias!"

Subaru nodded to himself, but then thought about it for a moment and realized that was actually quite a dark lesson to teach Emilia.

"N-Not that you would need that lesson, of course. . !"

He laughed uncomfortably, as Emilia reflected on his story, entranced in the narrative he'd spun.

"A-Ah! That's it. . .!"

Subaru contacted his fist with the palm of his other hand.

"D-Did you remember the next line, Subaru. . . !?"

This time, Emilia looked really engaged with what Subaru was about to say.

"Yep! It goes like. . . ."

"How about we start with introductions?"

Subaru extended his hand out to Emilia, who looked at it, trepidation filling her heart.

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Author's Note

Emilia's become her own Ozymandias, how tragic!

Man it's been awhile. Please forgive me for the slow updates, at this point, all I can think about is how I want to continue this story. I don't normally have a lot of free time to write nowadays, which sucks, but is also good for me too. . .? All of you, in the comments, feel free to vent about how slow I am to update, I get that its annoying, as I also read fics so I know what it's like to have to sit and wait forever. This chapter has been built up throughout the entire fic, and I can only hope I delivered for you guys. I think it turned out really well. I still have so many more amazing scenes I want to write, but this has been a chapter I've been wondering how to tackle for a long time, and I think I finally got it to a point where I want to share it with you all.

As for the poll on this chapter, I want to ask you guys which fic you want updates for the most? I have WIPs for all three, so its really a question of which I switch my attention to.

A. Another Chance

B. The Secret

C. Cast Reacts to Arc 7 Shenanigans (This will be a huge undertaking XD)

Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!

Chapter Text

". . . ."

"It's a bit awkward if you just stare at me. . ."

Subaru, growing more and more perturbed with the long silence, scratched the back of his head and laughed uncomfortably, making sure to break off eye contact to try and quell the growing blush on his face.

". . . ."

"N-Not that I mind. . ! You've got rather beautiful eyes, a solid 10/10. . !"

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was feeling like he fumbled this interaction. Clearly this person knew who he was and harbored some deal of affection for him. She had just declared her love for him after all! It didn't take a genius to recognize the turmoil this girl must be going through, but he still felt like he needed to be candid with her about his circumstances.

". . . ."

". . .Y-You don't remember me. . . ?"

Emilia finally broke her silence, barely audible to Subaru, but clearly overwhelmed by a litany of emotions. Her shock was communicated with an almost empty nihilism, almost like she wanted to laugh at herself for believing things could've turned out so conveniently for them. All of their shared experiences, all of those wonderful dates, the amazing ideas and stories, the noble deeds, all of Subaru's love for them. . .gone. No, even his fury, the justice which Emilia so desperately wished to face, was no longer present. This was a complete and total robbery of all she held dear, of her dear Subaru's essence.

"I-I'm sorry. . .I can tell it means a great deal to you, but I really can't remember a thing."

Subaru cut off another awkward laugh, turning away from her and donning a somber look. He could tell that his response wasn't what she wanted to hear, but given the circumstances they now shared, they would need to get to know each other again rather quickly. Right now, they were currently stuck in the middle of nowhere, clueless as to why or how they ended up there.

". . .Right."

Emilia looked down, her eyes still wide with a mix of disbelief and dissociation. The real reason was unknown to Subaru, but his running explanation for this reaction was that this woman realized how awkward her previous actions appeared. Truthfully, he couldn't say he hated the experience, as he much preferred this state of confusion to the state of dread he felt upon waking up.

". . . ."

". . . ."

'If it were me, I'd be dying inside if I gave a confession and got a reaction like that. It's probably for the best I don't remind her. . .'

The new awkward silence began to weigh even more heavily on Subaru's waning spirit. He couldn't deny that he felt some level of guilt for this situation, even if he knew he wasn't at fault.

"W-Well, like I said, if you knew me before, I'm sure we were both good friends at the very least. . !"

Subaru tried his best to act like the previous interaction didn't happen, thoughtlessly speaking some words that only made his newfound friend flinch even harder.

"Say, do you know who that other girl is?"

Subaru pointed over to the unconscious form of Beatrice, the gesture enough to make Emilia choke back tears. This situation was much worse than she could have anticipated.

". . .T-That's Beatrice, she's a great spirit."

Emilia had picked her up in her arms and moved her a little closer, but quickly lost track of Beatrice after her unexpected encounter with Subaru. She was still uncertain as to whether or not it would be appropriate to mention his previous relationship with her, so to be safe, she kept the details at a minimum.

"Ah, a spirit. . ? I thought spirits were little glowy orbs that floated in the air. . . You wouldn't happen to be a spirit yourself, would you?"

Subaru asked this, half-jokingly, but with a hint of seriousness underlying his question. This was his first time ever seeing a spirit that took the form of a human. In fact, he'd never even heard of such a thing being possible.

"No, I-I'm. . ."

Emilia paused, a small grimace forming on her face.

". . .a half-elf."

She braced herself for a scathing reaction, which would only be strengthened by the context of what she'd done to him before. Honestly, he was the one person with whom she'd fully earned a poor reputation.

"I-I see. . .I didn't want to assume, but the cute ears made it pretty obvious!"

". . . !"

Subaru spoke without restraint, saying words that at any other time would've made her heart flutter out of her chest. Somehow, this reaction only made the ache she felt even more unbearable. . .

". . .Subaru, I-I'm sorry if I've been acting odd. I-I. . ."

Emilia could see in his eyes, the happy, light-hearted, and innocent expression that had completely vanished from the corpse they'd buried so long ago. She wasn't sure what she should say to him now.

"It's alright, this whole situation is honestly really confusing. . .Just a few moments ago I was certain I was going to die, but suddenly I woke up here!"

Subaru quickly realized that his efforts weren't yielding the results he'd wanted, and brought the conversation back to what happened a few moments before. He was hoping there might be some clues to their current predicament that they could glean from everyone once they woke up.

". . .mghh. . ."

The other cloaked man beside Kadomon began to sound a small groan, immediately snatching the attention of Subaru and Emilia. The two almost immediately broke out of their trance, Subaru rushing to the man's side with a worried look on his face.

"I got this one, please try and wake up the spiri-. . . Beatrice, right?"

Subaru cut himself off, attempting to appear professional with proper usage of Beatrice's name. He'd seen many spirit users refer to the spirits by unique names, and so he did not wish to besmirch the name of the spirit which belonged to this girl.

". . . ."

Subaru called Beatrice by her given name, not by the nickname which he'd so lovingly granted her. It was a disorienting response that Emilia had not expected, despite it being something he could have never anticipated.

"P-Please don't worry. . . ! She'll wake up in a few seconds."

Emilia knew that Beatrice was very low on mana, which was likely contributing to her prolonged period of unconsciousness. Their contract was still in play, so all Emilia needed to do was grasp her hand and feed her some mana to wake her up.

"That's good! I could tell you're super worried about her. Is she your contracted spirit?"

". . .-hk!"

He smiled at her, a gesture almost like poison in the heart of the still recovering half-elf.

God, how messed up had things become? Beatrice had waited over four hundred years for someone worthy enough to become her contractor, and now here he was, forcibly separated from her and unwittingly asking Emilia if they shared a contract. Perhaps this wouldn't have been such a brutal revelation to someone unaccustomed to working with spirits, but Emilia's former contract with Puck had made the sanctity of such occurrences overwhelmingly powerful.

"S-Subaru, she's actually y-. . ."

". . !"

The drill-haired spirit jerked up off the ground, some heavy breaths escaping her chest as she took in the foreign environment she now resided in. There was still a recurring blur across her vision, so the only face that Beatrice could immediately make out was the one staring directly down at her. Emilia was saying something to someone, but it looked like she stopped at the realization of Beatrice's awakening.

"W-What *haghh* happened, I suppose?"

Beatrice could feel Emilia's hand pull her up off the ground and rest her back on her feet. The empty plains they were sitting in were entirely unfamiliar to her, and for some reason, she couldn't recall how they had ended up here. It was all too fuzzy. . .

"Follow me. I need to speak to you in private. . ."

"E-Eh. . ? Why!?"

There was no time for the spirit to spot Subaru before Emilia took Beatrice by the hand and marched off a few dozen meters to have a word with her in private. She could see that Subaru was slightly confused by her immediate reaction, but ultimately didn't feel the need to intervene, possibly due to a fear of overstepping.

'This shouldn't be his responsibility to clear up. . . !'

Emilia was no stranger to Subaru's position. She could still remember how she felt when she was regaining her memories of Mother Fortuna and Geuse. Not to mention what happened when they all regained their memories of Subaru. The feeling of having memories missing, a part of yourself that you know existed but can't perceive, can be extremely stressful. If it hadn't been for Subaru helping her back in the Sanctuary, she might've even gone insane.

Now here he was, chock in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by people he's never met, with unknown motives and clearly ridiculous expectations of him. Before any more misunderstandings could happen, she would tell Beatrice what was going on with Subaru.

"Kya! Y-Your grip on Betty's hand is too tight. . . !"

". . ."

"W-What's going on, I suppose? Where are w-. . ."

"Please Beako, be quiet for a moment. I don't want to alarm you, but it's reeeeeally important that you don't wander off before you hear what I have to say. . ."

Emilia deliberately stepped in front Beatrice's view of Subaru, putting her hands onto each of the spirit's shoulders with a concerned frown. The great spirit could only cover one of her eyes with her hand as she tried to recall the series of events that precluded this weird situation they found themselves in.

"Ah. . ! Weren't we just fighting someone, in fact!? What exactly happened I wonder. . ."

The half-elf could see Beatrice rapidly putting the pieces together, which meant her time to intervene was getting more and more limited. Urgently, she took a glance back at Subaru, who was now conversing with some unknown person in a hood. Their discussion appeared to be cordial, nothing for her to be concerned about.

'G-Good, it's not just us out here. . .'

Emilia could only thank the Od that there were people here whom Subaru already knew and trusted. She honestly worried how she might act if she was left unchecked given the circumstances. After all, even though she knew he had no memories, her affections nearly burst out of her chest when he said that stuff about half-elves being 'cute'.

It had taken every ounce of willpower she had to keep herself steady in the face of that onslaught.

"Beatrice, Subaru is awak-. . ."

"S-Subaru. .!?"

Emilia kept her grip firmly locked on the spirit's shoulders, but the task was difficult. Beatrice was using her whole body to try and turn, likely searching for him with her limited visibility.

"Where is he. .!? Please, t-take Betty to him immediately. . ."

Beatrice had tears welling in her eyes, her voice shaking with fear evident in her body language. She was anticipating a rather brutal dressing down, or even more likely, being completely disowned.

"Y-Yes, he's awake. . !"

Emilia once again looked over her shoulder, accidentally informing Beatrice exactly where he was. This signal only made Beatrice struggle even more against Emilia's firm grasp.

"Let's both face him now, I suppose. . ."

The half-elf could see Beatrice's features trembling as she spoke such an assertive course of action. This was obviously no small reunion she was expecting to walk into, it looked almost like she was headed to war.

"N-No, no! That's what I wanted to speak to you about. . . Before you say anything, please listen to what I'm about to tell you. . !"

Emilia just barely snapped Beatrice out of her stupor with a rough shaking of her body back and forth. This caused Beatrice to finally take a moment to pause and look Emilia in her eyes. The spirit was very confused with the expression that greeted her.

"Y-You. . ? Don't tell me you already spoke to him. . ?"

Beatrice felt her heart in her throat as she saw Emilia's face contort into a pained wince. Clearly, she was aware of something that Beatrice was not. All the small spirit could think was that it indeed was over.

Subaru decried them all the lowest form of scum, refusing to associate with any of them so long as they all shall live.

Just the idea of such a thing made Beatrice want to squeeze into a ball and cry uncontrollably. However, compared to the anguish of having lost him, this was a punishment Beatrice was more than willing to accept. So long as a world that included him existed, she would be happy.

At least. . . that was what she told herself.

Now that she stood here, at the precipice of the fantasy she'd only dared dream of for all these months. . .she wasn't sure if she was ready to accept the judgment that must be coming her way.

". . .H-He hates us, I suppose? H-Hates. . .*hik* Betty? I-I see. . ."

Beatrice whispered this with a light sob, as Emilia could only embrace her in a light hug.

"N-No! That's not the case at all! I-It's. . ."

Emilia tried to correct the record, but what she wasn't sure if what she was about to tell Beatrice was even worse than the 'truth'. It was a situation so ridiculous that it bordered on insanity. Somehow, the Subaru in front of her had no memory of them all. Of any of their battles, their jokes, or their tribulations. . .

Not even memories of what they'd done to him.

"E-Even so. . .I have no right to run away from him. Betty's contractor deserves that much. . ."

Beatrice, not hearing what Emilia had said, was now certain of herself that it must be the truth. Subaru must despise her the most out of them all. In a weird way, there was some peace that came with absolute despair.

Up to this point, Beatrice had believed she'd been in total despair many a time. However, the small bits of hope that dangled in front of her often served to alleviate and to exacerbate her feelings in ways she could not predict. Now she finally understood that despair and resignation were two sides of the same coin.

There was truly nothing she could do now, and she wasn't sure if that thought comforted her.

"Hold it. . ! Beatrice, it's not what you're thinking. . !"

With a whispered shout, Emilia yanked Beatrice back once more into her arms and away from the view of the talking trio behind them. They were just out of earshot, but it wouldn't do for them to shout these private details to total strangers.

"E-Eh? W-What. . .? Are you saying he's. . .?"

Emilia could swear she almost saw as light itself reentered the little spirit's eyes. It broke her heart to have to crush this hope.

"H-He can't remember us. Any of us. . !"

". . . !?"

Beatrice squinted, a dazed, lost temperament across her features. It was simply unimaginable that such a thing was possible. Then again, it was already ridiculous that someone dead and buried could return to the world of the living. She'd thought she'd prepared herself for all the different ways this interaction would go wrong, but the world had once again thrown her for a loop.

". . .I-It's all gone?"

Beatrice could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate, she didn't want him to forget. . . ! Everything they'd been through together, every promise he'd made, how she'd. . .

"Yes, for now. I-I'm sorry if this is abrupt, I just wish to avoid a situation where we demand from him something that. . ."

'That he can't give.'

Emilia cut herself off, put her hand to her mouth a suppressed a cry of her own.

". . . ."

Emilia took another glance back at Subaru, talking jubilantly with a cloaked man along with another person she swore she'd spoken with recently. Her heart was light as she saw the smile on his face directed at his new friends.

'Remembering us, indulging us, accommodating us. . . it will just bring you more pain, won't it?'

She couldn't deny that her impact on his life up to this point had largely been negative. She'd been the one who forced him out of his new home with Reinhard. She'd been the one to lay out the perfect circumstances for the Witch Cult's attack. She was the one responsible for them being teleported into this strange new place.

Pain, pain, and more pain. And now they were about to levy on him an entirely new type of pain. One with which she was uniquely familiar.

It was because she knew what it was like to have expectations put on her. . .to be someone she wasn't.

'He's already got new friends, a new family. . . a new life.'

And the worst part of it all, was he looked happier than he'd ever been with them. Those bags under his eyes. . .they were much smaller than she'd ever seen them.

"W-What should we do, I wonder. . ?"

Emilia looked back at Beatrice and could see that same thought process running through the spirit's head. She could see an almost unbreakable gloom in her butterfly-like irises.

"W-We'll. . ."

The half-elf wanted to vomit.

". . .remain forgotten."

Beatrice could feel an almost primal anger building in her chest, looking for any possible reason or way to refute Emilia's ridiculous suggestion. Her? His great spirit? Just. . .leaving him?

". . . ."

. . .but when she really thought about it, what benefit was there for him to take her back? Subaru's kindhearted nature meant that he might extend his hand to her once again, and Beatrice didn't trust her greedy self not to take it. She was too much like her mother in that regard.

Wasn't this exactly what she'd wanted?

'But it's not what he would've wanted.'

The thought pierced through her heart like a Kukri blade.

"Please Beako. . .let's remain cordial with him. B-But don't try and make him remember. . ."

Emilia's stomach was twisting itself into knots. Every instinct in her was screaming to make the most of this second chance they were receiving. However, the core logic behind that was wrong, manipulative even.

This wasn't a second chance for them.

It was a second chance for Subaru.

If they approached him now with that previous line of thinking, then it was all the proof required to show they were just as shallow and cruel as they had been before. It wasn't right for them to abduct him, demand he fill the shoes of a person he'd never been, and leech all the happiness for themselves.

"T-Too cruel. . *hik*. . !"

Beatrice reached a hand out, her arm full extended in the direction Subaru was talking. Before too long, she pulled it back and clasped it with her other hand.

"This is too cruel a fate for Betty. . ."

Emilia turned back to look at Subaru, her own desires to embrace the poor knight being suppressed with ever greater urgency.

". . .T-This is the fate we chose."

She had to look away from Subaru, or else she would start crying again. Emilia wished so badly to see that smile directed at her. . .

". . . ."

Beatrice couldn't disagree with that assessment through any grounded logic, but every part of her detested it nonetheless. That conclusion, that it was all over. . .How could she accept it? What should she do now? What could she do now?

Mother was gone. Subaru was forever out of reach.

His words on that fateful day repeated themselves in her head once more. The day when he'd told her to choose him. . .

'For someone like you who will live forever, your time with me might feel like just a moment. So. . . I'll engrave it all into your soul! The moments you spend with me, and the fact that Natsuki Subaru was a guy so memorable that even after an eternity, he'll never fade to sepia!'

Truly, those words at the time he spoke them had felt like the greatest blessing she'd ever been granted.

Now. . . it was emblematic of the greatest curse ever placed upon a spirit's heart.

"I-I. . .*hik*. . . B-Betty never thought our time would end so soon. . ! M-Much less like that. . !"

Beatrice leaned forward, putting her face into her hands and letting out a sob. Emilia put a hand around the crying spirit and let out a quiet cry of her own.

It was only then when she noticed the hooded man begin to remove his disguise, lifting his sword high up into the air near Subaru's head.

". . .-!"

The air around her might have just frozen into solid ice if she stared at the scene for another second.

In that moment, it was safe to say everything changed.

While all that was happening between Emilia and Beatrice, an entirely separate development was occurring with the remaining crew.

". . .mghh. . ."

Subaru heard a quiet grunt, turning his attention back to the person he was seated next to.

"Subaru. . . ?"

The hooded man beside Kadomon let his eyes flutter open, along with a short groan followed by the utterance of Subaru's name. Subaru, who was directly above him, forced out a long sigh accompanied by a smile.

"Thank goodness you're alright Julius. . . ! Tell your spirits to prioritize their contractor next time, I really thought you were about to die back there. . ."

Subaru extended his forearm for Julius to latch onto and stand up, which he obliged after a brief pause. He looked a mess, as the burns he'd sustained from the previous battle had not yet fully been healed. Regardless, Kua was already beginning to cast healing onto the remainder of his superficial injuries.

"That would've been a fitting end for someone like me, please don't worry yourself on my account."

Julius gave a pained smile, to which Subaru gave a light pat on the back and breathed a heavy sigh.

"Hey, don't joke about that sort of thing, I'm sure you've got people who care about you."

". . . ."

Subaru said this, but looking at the man's attire, he realized he might've been a little presumptuous to say something like that out of the blue. Clearly Julius felt the same, as his expression looked noticeably more downcast than before.

". . .W-Well at the very least, Kadomon and I certainly do! You did just save our lives after all. . . !"

"Truly, I am undeserving."

". . ?"

Subaru caught himself again, as he realized pushing on this issue would only strain Julius's already weakened resolve. He really didn't know where he would be at this point if it hadn't been for Julius's help, and to see him beat himself up over it really made Subaru feel guilty for reasons he couldn't understand. Just what had this man gone though to think like that?

". . .Oi!"

Both Subaru and Julius turned to look at a familiar voice, finding their green-haired friend sat up with a hand to his forehead. He was trying to take in their surroundings, but understandably, was lost as to where exactly they were.

"Ah, you're doing all right as well!"

Subaru strolled over to Kadomon, putting a hand on his shoulder and quickly examining him for injuries.

"What do you mean 'as well'? Kid, I ought to crack one right across the back of your head. . ."

The merchant rubbed his forehead and tried to soothe the dull ache he felt all throughout his upper body. Despite his memories being unclear, it felt like he'd just been through a catastrophic carriage crash. Adding in his newfound sensitivity to light, it was likely he'd suffered from a concussion along with whatever odd scrapes and localized burns he found on his limbs.

"Where are we anyway? I ain't got a clue what happened after ya' ran off."

Kadomon looked up at Subaru, squinting his eyes to try and avoid any lingering sunlight from piercing his gaze.

"I-I'm not sure. . . Julius, do you remember what happened?"

Subaru did the same thing he did for Julius, extending his forearm for Kadomon to use as a crutch to right himself. Unlike Julius, Kadomon just waved it off with a grumble, putting his hands on his knees and standing up himself.

"I apologize, but I am uncertain. This place does seem familiar, but I haven't a clue as to how we arrived here."

Julius looked away, his pained smile shifting into a saddened frown. It was still a Herculean task to look Subaru in the eye after everything that he'd done.

"That's still reassuring. . ! If you recognize this place then I guess that means we aren't in 'enemy territory' right? With you here with us, I'm sure we'll be fine."

The former knight could only open his mouth halfway, then close it without saying his thoughts. If his intuition was right, this place could only be called enemy territory. Just the thought alone made him shudder.

flick*

"Oi. . ! What was that for?"

". . .Kid, don't make this poor guy do everything. How 'bout we get a lay of the land before we start crafting convenient facts for ourselves?"

Kadomon scolded Subaru, flicking him on the side of the head, much to the aforementioned "kid's" dismay.

"I-I assure you, it's quite alright. . ! Please don't get upset with Subaru, it's my fault this happened. . ."

Julius, in the face of their playful banter, still felt honor bound to intervene on Subaru's behalf. It was the absolute least he could do to ensure that the two of them remained safe, in fact such trust was too generous to be afforded to a sinner like him.

"Don't go claimin' everything's your fault now either. . . ! Didn't ya' just say ya' had no clue as to how we arrived here?"

Kadomon let out a long sigh, seeing Julius's expression lit up with confusion. The appa merchant could read these hopeless types like a book, having already played 'parent' to both Subaru and Reinhard the past few weeks. Although, even compared to those two, this guy was on a whole different level of hopelessness. . !

"We were the ones who troubled ya', and it's ultimately because of ya' we got off as lightly as we did. As a merchant, I can't overlook such an obvious debt, nor can I ask ya' to trouble yourself anymore on our accounts."

The merchant focused on the burns on Julius's face as a guilt-ridden frown formed on his own. This man who they barely knew had just risked life and limb for them and asked for nothing in return. It wouldn't be right to selfishly take and take his goodwill until there was nothing left!

"B-But still. . !"

Julius tried to think of something he could say to repudiate Kadomon's frank assessment of the situation. There was so much context he was missing. . !

"While it pains me to admit it, he does have a point. . ."

Subaru interjected, rubbing the spot where Kadomon had struck him whilst maintaining a solid glare at the merchant for causing the embarrassing situation. It was perhaps a bit arrogant to assume that Julius would stick around with them after everything they had just put him through.

"I-I'm sorry. I've been taking your kindness for granted. Even if I was desperate, it doesn't excuse dragging innocent bystanders into this. Especially if it means manipulating one of former self's friends. . ."

Subaru ad-libbed this part, as he was uncertain as to the exact relationship he shared with Julius prior to losing his memories. It was a safe bet that they were on friendly terms, as this man was a royal knight like he apparently had been.

". . .-hk!"

"H-Hey. . !? What's wrong?"

With Subaru's last utterance, Julius could no longer abide the cruel irony of the scene playing out in front of him. He immediately fell to one knee, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he felt nausea build in the pit of his stomach. The shame was literally making him sick.

Circumstances had not allotted for him to relay the full details of his sins during their previous encounter, but now he was certain he could not go one second longer under this torture.

He would tell it all. Everything.

He would get Subaru to hate him, as he should've from the moment their eyes met once again.

Then, with his own blade, he would request Subaru strike him down. This was the only justice that could rectify the absolute travesty of a misunderstanding that had just occurred.

"Subaru. . ."

For the first time since that horrible day, Julius managed to say his name without so much as a stutter.

"W-What's up with you. . ? Are those burns still hurting. . ? I-I'll get Kua to heal you faster, ok?"

Julius stood back up, his hand now grasping the hilt of his sword. The sword that cut the head off a man now staring directly into his eyes with nothing but concern for his wellbeing.

"P-Please don't. I'd like the scars to remain as evidence of my sins."

Subaru looked even more concerned at this sentiment, worriedly calling the names of Julius's other spirits to try and snap him out of this odd behavior.

"Your sins? Julius, listen, you did nothing wrong! How many times do we both have to tell you. .!?"

He gripped Julius's shoulder tightly, still quietly begging Julius's spirit buds to forego their contractor's orders and heal him anyway. They wavered in the air, turning back and forth at the behest of both Subaru and Julius's strong spiritual affinities. They, of course, would normally honor Julius's request. But individually, they all agreed with Subaru. They didn't wish to see him marked and tortured for something he clearly felt so repentant for.

". . . ."

". . .Julius?"

With the awkward silence growing even longer, Julius slowly removed his hood and let his purple hair begin to blow around wildly through the wind. The burn on one half of his face did little to hide the handsome features remaining on his unmarred half.

". . .Subaru, there's something I must confess to you. Before I do, please take this sword, I am not worthy to hold it in your presence."

Julius slowly drew his sword out from his sheathe and fully extended it up into the air for Subaru to see. The gleam of its edge was tempered by an almost rusty coloring stained into the steel. Studying it closer, one would see the pattern of this reddish hue aligning closely with a splatter of some kind that ingrained itself into the weapon.

"W-Woah. . ! That's a beautiful sword. . ."

His attention had been briefly diverted from Julius's face because of the elaborate gesture, and now Subaru couldn't stop himself from uttering his unconscious observation of the weapon above his head.

"Subaru. . .I-I am the man wh-. . !"

CLINK*

". . !"

". . !"

". . !"

The weapon was blasted out of Julius's hand, sent flying dozens of meters away into the empty field. Subaru didn't have a lot of time to register what caused it, but if he had to guess, it was some kind of ice crystal. . ?

"Y-You. . ! Just what the hell do you think you're doing!?"

The three of them whipped their heads to the direction of a familiar voice, only to find the culprit to be someone with whom they all only shared unfortunate experiences.

"Julius. . !"

Emilia glared at the poor knight, her irises trembling and tears overflowing.

Author's Note:

6 months or more since I've updated huh? Man, I really need to get a move on with this before the Re:zero Anime catches up to the WN lol. Rather unfortunate misunderstanding with Julius holding his sword right over Subaru's head, it's almost like I've manufactured this for maximum drama hahahaha. Either way, I'm actually really excited to set up some of the new dynamics for this group next chapter, as I think it's a rather ironic inversion of the Arc 7 we get in the WN. I hope none of these characters felt super OOC, then again this is a re:forgor so it's kind of already in that direction. I really got into a groove this chapter, but it wasn't super long either. I do want to know how many of you guys have read Arc 7 up to this point, because I'm actually going to try and turn that arc on its head. I think I have the potential to set up an absolutely fire character arc for just about every character here, and this includes some missing characters you might be waiting to see. . .

Also full Wrath gang can canonically show up in this! Subaru is gonna die. . . a lot! God, this has so much potential!

I want to get back to updating in more reasonable timeframes, I dropped an update for my other fic at the start of this month, so I figured we were long overdue for this fic as well. Let me know what you think of how this chapter went and if you guys are excited to see the other group's POV. Let me tell ya, things are about to COOK!

Also, thank you Arc 9 for answering a crazy question that will definitely be relevant to this fic later, I'm actually so hyped with the mainline story right now guys!

Arbitrary poll time!

Ok, so this chapter took me WAY too long to release. I have an idea of how the next few chapters will go, but I'm interested if you guys want to swap back to the group in the Lugunican capital after I release the next chapter, or if you want me to hold off and cover this storyline first.

A. Go back to Lugunican Capital right after next chapter

B. Stay with this group for a while longer

Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

https://discord.gg/tgMtCvdasb

I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we’ve actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I’ve begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they’re interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!