Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A voice spoke, drowning out any noise around him.

" Ol Shamak "

And with it, the world plunged into darkness. The warm feeling in his hand, where he had once held her spirit, disappeared.

His feet no longer touched the ground, his voice no longer spoke a word, his eyes no longer saw anything.

At some point, his thoughts also stopped flowing.

Stuck in a suspended state, hours passed, then days, and finally: Something happened.

When the world seemed to plunge into an eternal sleep, full of magic, fantasy, spirits.

The world was a comedy, wasn't it, was it a reality? A memory?

The only thing he knew was that it was about to end, and with it, so would his dreams, his promises, his very life.

And before losing everything that once was, a thought filled with love, resentment, loneliness, love, love, love emerged from his heart:

'I'm sorry'

And then, then, then, then...

....

....

....

"Hey?"

He blinked once, then twice, and as his eyes adjusted to the light emitted by the streetlights, the boy looked from side to side.

"Ah, eh. Is this...?"

For a moment, he felt like his head was being ravaged by a migraine, even disorienting him.

After closing his eyes tightly once again, he opened them, and the pain disappeared.

" Ouchi . What just happened?"

Shaking his head like a freshly wet puppy, the black-haired boy looked around.

In front of him , there was a paved road, where a car with its streetlights on was just passing by.

It was night, that was obvious, however, everything seemed darker.

Turning his head, the boy looked toward a well-lit store, where an employee behind the cash register was yawning lazily.

In what seemed like the longest seconds of his life, the boy finally managed to connect the dots that had kept his mind in a fog.

"Ah, yes , that's true."

Walking towards the entrance of the convenience store, Natsuki Subaru entered without waiting any longer.

"I came to buy supplies for my hideout. I wonder if they have any ramen ."

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

Upon entering, Subaru stopped at a bookshelf where he read a manga that interested him.

As he skimmed through it a bit, Subaru noticed the volume number with surprise.

"Are we on volume 35? We were only on volume 15."

I flip through the pages faster, reading everything in quick succession, reaching the last page .

"Is it really over now? Wow , I guess it was going to be cancelled, otherwise I can't explain why there are so many volumes. The author was really quick to draw everything... Is that how it worked? Well, whatever, the ending still disappointed me."

Snorting and grading his reading, Subaru placed the manga back in its place, and continued his journey.

I walk around the shelves a little without enthusiasm, occasionally looking at the products that caught my attention the most.

"If I keep eating like this, I'll die of a heart attack."

Among several who did, Subaru only chose a bag of potato chips , delicious and harmful to the body.

"My favorites. Ready, now... Where is it...ah, Here it is."

Subaru reached out and took some noodles.

"No. Not Natto ."

After that, he went straight to the counter.

The clerk, who seemed to want to be anywhere but there, looked at Subaru with tired eyes.

"Good night, friend. Is that all?"

"Uh. Ah. Well, I guess?"

As the brown-haired, blue-eyed employee greeted him emotionlessly, Subaru stumbled over his words as he didn't expect to be greeted so casually,

Being a top-notch NEET , his social interactions were limited to his parents. However, that's also been a topic of discussion for Subaru lately .

Not wanting to start an awkward conversation, Subaru just nodded awkwardly.

"Yes, that would be all."

"It's 3.99 yen, buddy... Mmm ?"

The employee tilted his head at Subaru , who only returned the gesture with an awkward smile.

Uncomfortably, Subaru moved his eyes to any side but the clothesline, which was staring at him more and more intently.

'All right, Subaru , this is awkward . I wouldn't feel this way if a pretty girl were staring at me, but a guy doing it is... definitely weird!'

high school student , I would not be exempt from feeling attraction towards women.

Especially if it was someone with whom I could share romantic and special moments.

But being Subaru , a guy who takes advantage of his parents' kindness, and on top of that, someone who stopped going to school a few months ago, that took away his chances of starting a romance.

That thought soured Subaru 's spirits , causing his shoulders to slump.

Wanting to get home, Subaru reached into his pocket for his wallet to pay, however...

"Huh? I forgot my money..."

Now visibly puzzled, Subaru searched all his pockets... No, instead, Subaru focused all his concentration on what he was wearing.

Where he once wore a jacket and sweatpants, he now wore travel-style clothing.

And if that weren't enough, it was full of sand.

"When am I going to change and swim in a sand pool?!"

He considered himself absent-minded and lacking in common sense, but confusing his clothes and falling into the sand? That was something else entirely.

Subaru was panicking, and now even more so because he had no cash to pay for everything he had taken.

Visibly uncomfortable, Subaru chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck.

" Ha ... haha ... ha ... Hey, dude! You see... I think... I forgot my wallet... Can we just pretend none of this happened? Heh..."

Subaru 's conscience , and he promised himself to look in the mirror more than twice in a row before going out again.

Subaru waited for the clerk to say something, but that didn't happen. Looking at him with some pity, Subaru saw that the young man looked pale as he looked Subaru up and down.

Subaru 's age , so it's likely they went to the same school, since that convenience store was nearby.

Which made the whole thing even more embarrassing and Subaru prayed he didn't know about it.

Not knowing what to say, Subaru picked up everything he had left on the counter, took a few small steps back, and put the things back where they were before.

And when he was about to escape through the main entrance, someone opened the door first and he bumped into Subaru , who was leaving in a hurry without paying attention to his surroundings.

"Oh, sorry."

He quickly apologized , but received no response.

"..."

The person I bumped into was short, causing me to crash my forehead right into his stomach .

Looking down, Subaru found a pretty-looking woman. Her hair was short and reached her shoulders, jet black in color.

From his physical characteristics, he seemed to be of the same grade as Subaru .

The girl raised her head, showing her blue eyes as they fixed on Subaru .

That girl had a serious attitude, even seeming oblivious to the situation.

"Move."

Speaking in a somewhat irritated voice, the girl detached herself from Subaru and walked past him , heading towards the staff room.

Looking at her closely, Subaru noticed that she was wearing an employee uniform, so he assumed that the girl worked there.

Now with a new feeling running through his head, Subaru left the store with clumsy steps.

Once the young man with black hair and terrifying eyes left, the girl let out a sigh and turned her eyes towards her coworker, who remained stunned.

"That was outrageous. Completely loud."

"..."

"What's going on? Did that guy try to rob the store or something?"

Thinking about him , the girl noticed that his clothes were somewhat dirty. He also looked out of place in that look.

So it wouldn't surprise you if he tried to steal something.

But his companion didn't seem to care about that, since, after minutes of being lost in his thoughts, he spoke while pointing to where the boy was going.

"Wasn't that the guy who disappeared a year ago?"

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

Walking through the dark streets at a fast pace, Subaru cursed over and over again.

" Ahhh , how embarrassing! Not only did I forget my money, but I also forgot my clothes. Oh, and a cute girl bumped into me!"

Now redder than a tomato, Subaru held his head and ruffled his hair in frustration.

"And the worst part is, I smell like sweat! Also, what the hell is up with these clothes? Did I just come from a cosplay convention ?"

Looking more closely, Subaru rummaged through the things he had on him.

Aside from wearing a suit that he had never bought, seen, or even had in his closet, he also had a couple of other things with him.

Taking stock of what I had, it would be this:

Leather boots adapted for travel, a slightly torn orange scarf, a cape that looked great, leather gloves, and most strikingly, a whip made of a strange material.

"I don't remember buying this, what anime does it belong to?"

Subaru held it for a moment before rolling it up and putting it away. Then, he took out something even stranger than the whip itself: A pitch-black book.

It was a book without anything distinctive, too simplistic to attract attention.

"Why do I have this?"

Curious, Subaru examined the mysterious object further, which was large, heavy, and even more so ; foreign, yet familiar.

"..."

Subaru didn't know why, but something inside him called him, no, demanded him to open the book.

However, he refrained from doing so, keeping it inside one of his pockets.

"I shouldn't be making a fool of myself in public. I'd better get home, or Mom will be worried."

Subaru quickened his pace, sighing wearily. He had left his room for a long time, and he was already exhausted.

Just being able to talk to people other than family again, and being able to hold a conversation, was already an achievement.

So, if you thought about it, it wasn't that bad.

"At least I talked to a girl. A nice girl..."

Thinking about her again, Subaru couldn't help but say out loud a fact that he wouldn't forget for the rest of his life.

"She had big breasts... They hit me ... Maybe I should go out more often."

It was a pleasant feeling, and Subaru enjoyed the moment.

Realizing how inappropriate it was, Subaru scolded himself and resumed his walk.

The night was calm, the stars were in place, and today was a full moon. The streets were the same, but there was something about them I couldn't explain.

They looked different from what he remembered. The houses were freshly painted, and many of them had something about them that Subaru didn't remember.

A little uneasy, Subaru shrugged his shoulders and continued without stopping.

After a few minutes, Subaru arrived home... He also looked different.

A feeling of nostalgia filled him suddenly. He remembered his mother, who had said goodbye to him before leaving without responding.

"I should apologize to Mom..."

It had been a long time since Subaru had a real conversation with her, and it depressed him more than he remembered.

With a renewed air, Subaru decided it was time to change that, so once inside, he would talk to her, and maybe , he could say what bothered him the most.

But it was strange; Subaru didn't understand why he felt this way. It was as if a feeling of melancholy was eating him up from within, forcing him to take a step.

He didn't know why, but if it helped him in any way, then he would take advantage of it.

Subaru searched his pockets, realizing he had no keys.

It didn't surprise him, but that didn't stop him from berating himself for his terrible memory.

Why do you keep forgetting important things?

Is there really something you're forgetting?

No matter how hard he tried, Subaru couldn't find the answer.

Ignoring that, Subaru decided to knock on the door and wait for his mom to open it.

"..."

Once again, I call.

"..."

a trace. Subaru frowned , and knocked a little louder.

Seeing that he wasn't getting any results and seeing that he didn't have his phone with him either, Subaru tried to be more insistent.

"Mom! It's me, Subaru ! Sorry to make a scene , but I forgot my keys. Can you let me in?"

After a few moments, I finally heard what sounded like footsteps coming towards the door.

The click of the lock was heard , the door creaked, and someone came out

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

In this story, as you can guess, Aldebaran won, and fulfilled his purpose: to make Subaru disappear from this world.

Of course, with the result of returning Subaur to his world.

In this story, Subaru will be approached at different stages; such as his days at home, his days at school, among many moments that will unfold throughout his adventure.

And you'll think, " So it's a cute story?" And I'll say, "Well, now that I think about it, yes . It will be very cute, and there will be moments where you'll cry to see Subaru at peace."

But, but, but: Not everything will be happy, and there will be deaths, since, who said that Echidna 's plan ends there?

Subaru 's level of suffering will be equal to or even worse than in the original, after all, Subaru 's parents are now involved .

Arc three will be terrifying.

Well, that was one of the other stories I had in my head and wanted to share. I don't know if I'll write it down, since, as I said, here I'll put those stories that were flying around in my head and I didn't know what to do with them.

You could say this is like a notebook of ideas I have. So, if I write it down, I'll create the story in a new space.

Here it will be just the idea so that I don't forget.

You are free to take the idea and use it for your own, send me the link to read it, (If someone writes it XD).

I will add more stories that I have in mind, since they are things that occur to me from time to time.

There will be everything here, both serious and strange, and although there are not many, there will be a few.

Well, that was one of a few. I'll note the next ones later.

Chapter Text

The world is a mystery.

Full of murmurs and dreamlike dreams that invade the person's mind, this being the sarcophagus that must always be sealed.

There are paths that will lead you to the destiny that awaits you.

But that doesn't mean others don't want to know your secrets.

Therefore, the fate that awaits you may already be revealed and doomed. Therefore, even if it leads you toward the path of divinity, you must persevere.

So, never ever let yourself be discovered.

They must never know about you.

You must never be found.

Because when one of them unravels your mysteries, you'll be the biggest damn fool.

"Very well, sir, that was the answer given by the Tarot cards. Any questions?"

Within a darkness, where the noise outside was eclipsed by the feeling of being in a cult, the woman in front of him leaned toward the cards on the table with a pleased smile.

The world around him was shrouded in mystery that could not be revealed soon, so...

"Yes. And it's a very important one..."

Offering a serious expression, he spoke with the greatest concern he had once his fortune and future were read by the lady and supposed fortune teller.

"This séance is free, right?"

With her hands clasped and her elbows resting on the table, Natsuki Subaru asked in a solemn voice.

The fortune teller smiled behind her veil, which covered the lower part of her face.

"Of course, sir. This fortune-telling was courtesy of the house. Just for our new customers."

"I'm glad to hear that. To be honest, at first I thought this was a scam and that I was brought here to have my organs stolen and left in a dirty alley."

"I'm surprised you can say that with such a serious expression."

Having confirmed that his life was not in danger, Subaru leaned back in his chair and sighed.

It's been a tough day, or rather, a night full of surprises.

Putting aside his worries, Subaru looked back at the cards placed on the table.

I didn't know much about tarot cards. All I'd learned up to that point was that they provided insight into a person's future and destiny.

Subaru knew these letters, since he had seen them in Japan, but he never believed that something like that would be found there.

That aside, Subaru remained skeptical on the matter.

The fortune teller had briefly explained its importance to him as he walked down the street, so, attracted and intrigued to see if it had any bearing on his current situation, Subaru followed her toward the store, which didn't look like a suspicious place at all.

Trying to corroborate his veracity, Subaru asked about his future and destiny, which ended with a chilling explanation that only scared him.

Because that would mean a huge scam.

Still, Subaru couldn't deny the possibility. After all, he'd already faced fate time and time again.

His fight against Roswaal and his Gospel, his constant relationship with Satella , the witch of envy.

And if that weren't enough, his most recent position.

Speaking of which...

"I really appreciate your help, and... if I could abuse it, could you tell me how to get back home?"

With uncertainty and anticipation, Subaru leaned in a little closer, staring directly into the enigmatic woman's eyes. He tried to take advantage of the free promotion he was being given.

A bit low on his part, but Subaru was desperate.

The fortune teller tilted her head as she stacked the cards in her hands.

"That's a very strange question. Don't you remember where you live?"

"Something like that. It's complicated, if you know what I mean..."

Subaru rhythmically tapped his finger on the table, displaying a confident attitude. Of course, it was a bluff.

The fortune teller muttered something to herself that Subaru couldn't hear, but after a few seconds of consideration, she shrugged.

"Sure. I have no problem guessing that."

"If you need a kidney, I can sell mine for information... Wait, really?!"

"I'm curious too. Those features of yours aren't common, you know?"

About to resign himself to losing a part of his body, Subaru stopped speaking when he heard that the fortune teller would give him information completely free of charge.

"Yes. It's not difficult."

Subaru 's perception changed drastically.

If the woman in front of him was able to give him an answer on how to return to Lugunica , then Subaru would set up an altar in her name, and pray every day.

The fortune teller spread the cards on the table. Although Subaru still didn't understand them, he kept his eyes focused on them.

" Ohh . This is very interesting."

"What did you find?!"

"Wow, calm down, sir. It's just that you're a long way from home... Besides, your destination is the strangest I've ever seen. It's not fixed. No... it's constantly changing..."

Frowning , Subaru tried to grasp what the implications of this were.

"They tell me this a lot, but I'd like to know how to get back!"

The woman played with the cards while occasionally glancing at Subaru , who became excited and got fully involved in the matter.

At one point, the fortune teller shuffled the cards over and over again, each time looking more confused.

Darkness loomed over both of them, more over the fortune teller than over Subaru .

And when the fortune teller finally turned the cards over one another intensely, a light dazzled them both.

"You? Are you playing fortune teller again?"

Suddenly, the shop was opened by a woman who looked even more stunning than the divine one in front of Subaru , who raised his head and let out a sigh.

"Is this the revelation you were telling me about?"

Subaru asked , impressed and expectant. Now there were two women who looked like true professionals in their field.

There was hope.

However...

"Uh... No, sir. It's just that my duties as a fortune teller are over. Heh."

The woman shook her head and winked at Subaru , who turned to look at her as his eyes jumped between the fortune teller and the other fortune teller.

"Wait. What's going on?"

"What's happening is that girl isn't a fortune teller. I am."

Two fortune tellers were working at this place?

"Hey?"

Pointing at the fortune teller, no, at the "non" fortune teller, the legitimate fortune teller sighed in exasperation and cleared her throat.

"She's just an animal trainer."

Now with his new identity revealed, what Subaru discovered was shocking.

The woman who predicted his future was nothing more than a fraud.

In short, he was doomed and helpless without receiving an answer that could be of any use to him.

"Wait, wait, wait, was I scammed? And if this is a mugging, I must warn you all that I'm broke beyond compare."

In turn, the "non" fortune teller just shrugged with a shy smile on her face.

"I'm very good at guessing, you know?"

"And now I feel robbed! And it was free!"

Subaru's eyes widened and he stood up from his chair in an exaggerated manner, moving away from the table.

He felt exhausted, which only added to his ever-increasing problems.

Tired of everything, Subaru just waved his hand at the woman who supposedly read his chaotic future.

"Whatever it is, thanks for everything. Even though you scammed me masterfully, I can't deny that you helped me understand some things about this place. Thanks, and I hope to see you soon."

Even though he was tricked and deceived with false promises, Subaru was grateful for the time the animal tamer offered him to help him understand the world he found himself in.

It wasn't much, but he couldn't complain.

Not when you don't even know the written language or the social norms by which the world is governed.

Subaru 's gesture , chuckled and nodded.

"You're welcome, stranger. If you really need more reading, you can come find me another time."

"I'd be more than a fool to fall for the same scam twice, but I won't deny that I'm interested in the subject. I might come back just to repay your help."

"Oh, that would make me happy. Besides, your future really interests me..."

With his words flying through the air, Subaru wondered if there was any truth to it.

The truth was, as fanciful as it sounded, Subaru wished it were so.

At least he would have a chance to return home if magic existed in this world.

"Ah, client. If you really want a legitimate fortune-telling, I can do it for you."

Before I could leave the tent where all this was happening, the woman who came in and unmasked the animal trainer spoke eloquently.

The offer was tempting, and perhaps it will help, but Subaru learned from its mistakes.

"Just one very important question..."

"And what would that be, sir?"

"Is it free?"

"Of course not. Our service comes at a cost."

Having been informed about that, Subaru just nodded politely and raised his index finger.

"I am poor."

"See you later, sir."

After brazenly revealing his financial status to the legitimate fortune teller, Subaru was eventually ruthlessly dismissed.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

The sunlight hit Subaru harshly as his eyes narrowed.

Normally, the change from a dark, closed place to an open, light-filled place was a reason for someone to feel their eyes doing the work of getting used to a new environment.

However, the reason Subaru was straining his eyes was to find a certain person.

"Damn, I shouldn't have left her alone. Who knows what could happen in this place. Well, I'm not the best person to complain. When I saw someone could give me an answer, I hid in a dark tent without a second thought."

The streets were not crowded, although there were the occasional person passing by, who looked at Subaru with curious eyes.

Some people gave him an expression that denoted contempt, most likely due to his clothing and facial features.

After all, he was the only one who didn't look like he came straight out of the Victorian era.

Everyone was dressed in elegant clothes, the surroundings had a classic and gothic infrastructure.

n't for the strange language and the fact that at night a moon shone a blood crimson, Subaru would believe he had only traveled to his world's past.

Unexpectedly, this alternate world matched some aspects of his own, such as using gears and technology much more advanced than in Lugunica .

But that was of no help if Subaru was unaware of the changes that contradicted his knowledge.

" Ugh , I haven't felt like this since I arrived in the capital of Lugunica . At least they gave me bread there. Here they just see me as a bum... And they're not wrong."

Shrinking into himself, Subaru began to walk cautiously through the streets, searching from corner to corner for his companion.

Before attempting to use his contract to summon her, Subaru noticed a striking-looking girl in the distance.

Wearing a frilly dress and drill-like pigtails, Subaru opened his eyes wide and quickly approached the figure carrying a bag larger than his body.

"Finally. Beako , I'm coming! Don't get away from-!"

Subaru quickened his pace, weaving through pedestrians and passing them by. He accidentally crashed into a young man walking in the opposite direction.

"Ah."

Narrowly avoiding tripping, Subaru quickly stood up and turned his head to apologize.

The young man he met had a suit that looked elegant, but if Subaru noticed the details of it, he would see that the fabric and embroidery it was made with were of lower quality than what he had seen around here.

Like Beatrice, the young man carried a paper bag with some loaves of bread sticking out of the top.

He was apparently also wearing a top hat, but his collision with Subaru caused him to fall to the ground.

Somewhat embarrassed, Subaru bent down to pick it up and apologize to the young man.

"Ah, sorry, friend. I didn't see you among these people."

"Uh, yeah, don't worry, I couldn't see you either-- Huh?"

Lifting and dusting the top hat, Subaru walked over and returned it to its owner.

When the young man looked up at Subaru to thank him, his eyes snapped open and his expression froze in one of uncertainty.

It was like I had seen a ghost.

'Do I really look like a homeless bum? I guess of the two of us, Beako 's the one who looks like a dashing young lady... Though he doesn't look like someone flush with cash either, so he can't judge me!'

In his thoughts, Subaru assessed the person who had been stunned to see him. In a sense, Subaru was someone who, whether he liked it or not, looked like a street urchin.

It was a shameful thing to do, but Subaru didn't have time to wallow in his sorrow... at least until they found a place to stay.

They had already spent a whole night without a place to sleep, only now they were too preoccupied with their situation to think about that.

Aside from all that, from what he could gather from his brief glance, Subaru noticed that the young man was not someone with a high economic level either.

He actually looked like someone from a low-income background.

Still, it looked even more elegant than Subaru .

There were levels of poverty, after all.

Shaking his head, Subaru turned back to the young man and handed him the hat.

"Sorry if I got your hat dirty, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. See you, buddy."

"Uh, ah... H-hey."

After handing the hat to its owner, Subaru was about to leave when the young man's voice called him.

Puzzled by this, Subaru turned his eyes back to him.

"Hey, buddy. If you're asking me for compensation for your hat, I'm sorry to tell you I'm hopelessly ruined."

That young man seemed to be about two or three years older than Subaru , so he feared that he would demand some payment for his carelessness.

However, the young man shook his head and placed his hat back where it had been.

"No, nothing like that... I just wanted to ask you something."

"Uh, well. I'm also someone who doesn't know these parts, so I'm afraid I can't tell you where such a place is."

“It wasn’t meant to be like that either. But I can see you’re… lost?”

“Heh. Well, a little…”

Subaru from head to toe .

And after a pause, the young man asked with a voice full of intrigue.

“May I know your name?”

A question that surprised Subaru , as he did not expect a stranger to speak to him, and above all, ask his name.

Wanting to quickly end their awkward exchange, Subaru nodded and raised his hand.

“My name is Natsuki.” Subaru . I'm someone lost, penniless, and completely ruined. Nice to meet you, you...! What's your name?

Subaru 's presentation was unusual, causing many passersby to look at it with bewildered expressions.

Subaru didn't care about the curious glances, as his attention was focused on the young man, whose jaw dropped in surprise as he held his breath in uncertainty .

His eyes were wide open and his hand trembled a little.

Subaru , who had his hand raised toward the young man, frowned in confusion.

Before he could ask anything, the young man came out of his stupor and sighed.

“Sorry, I just thought I knew you.”

“Know me, huh? It’s weird that someone sees me as an acquaintance looking so… out of place.”

“Yes, my mistake. Anyway, let me introduce myself; my name is Klein Moretti .”

Subaru 's greeting , Klein reciprocated with the same gesture.

Subaru felt when shaking Klein's hand was a strange one.

He didn't know him, but he felt something connected with the man in front of him.

It was strange and incomprehensible, but I ignore it for the moment.

In the end, Subaru said goodbye to Klein as he walked away.

Disappearing into the distance and reaching the entrance of what appeared to be a bakery, Subaru stopped next to a girl, unaware that Klein was looking at him intensely.

And in his thoughts, a torrent of questions rained down.

' Natsuki Subaru … that name is of Japanese origin… And his appearance is, without a doubt, that of a person from my world… But how is it possible that he speaks the language? Could it be that he was transported with knowledge while I transmigrated? And if so, does it have any relation to me?

After all, Klein had no answers. The only thing he was sure of was that their paths might cross again.

And if so, then Klein will uncover the mysteries that Natsuki Subaru , before he does it first.

Still, Klein felt his heart flutter with a sense of relief.

In the end, he wasn't alone in that new world.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

After saying goodbye to Klein, Subaru found Beatrice, his contracted great spirit.

The girl turned her head towards the person calling her, noticing Subaru , who was running towards her with a smile on his face.

" Subaru !"

“ Beako !”

Beatrice ran towards him, and with a leap, she received Subaru in her arms .

Without hesitation, Subaru happily accepted the warm hug.

“Ah, Beako . You scared me when I didn’t see you outside that tent. Where did you go? Weren’t you hurt? Didn’t any strangers talk to you? And what are you holding? I’ve already told you not to accept candy from strangers. Who knows if he’s a pervert!”

“ Hmph , Betty had to explore when you left her alone, actually. It was completely risky for you to enter a place like that, I suppose.”

“Yeah… Sorry for leaving you out, it’s just that the “fortune teller” didn’t want more than one person coming in. Apparently, that would have interfered with the divination.”

“So, did it work?”

Asking with a stern gesture, Beatrice looked at Subaru , who just shook his head.

“You were right, Beako . It was a scam.”

“ Ghh , Betty warned you, actually!”

Beatrice's anger, although adorable, did not go unnoticed by the people passing by.

If they saw it from a distance, they would think it was a child's tantrum, but Subaru understood that the little girl's fury was totally desperate.

Trying to comfort her, Subaru hugged Beatrice closer, who calmed down and hugged him back even tighter.

“ Subaru … What do we do, I guess?”

“Don't worry, we'll find a way back. Besides, it's not all bad. The so-called fortune teller taught me a little about this place.”

“Wasn’t this your world?”

“Unfortunately, it's not the one I remember. The country isn't where I was born, the time isn't right, and the moon definitely didn't glow eerily blood-red.”

The biggest difference between the world that saw Subaru 's birth and this one was the moon.

That moon they saw the night they appeared in that alley, where Subaru woke up next to Beatrice.

After being betrayed by Al… No, Al debaran .

That night, Subaru was with Beatrice in the watchtower library.

They had gone to help Al obtain the Book of the Dead from Priscilla, who had died in the Great Disaster Incident.

Subaru still couldn't understand it.

Why had Al betrayed them? Was it because he didn't save Priscilla?

Just after hiding his own Book of the Dead, Subaru talked to Al, and when he thought everything was going well, Aldebaran said some words that Subaru didn't understand.

“Beatrice, what do you know about Ol-shamak ?”

Asking with some resentment, Subaru walked with Beatrice in his arms in search of a place to stay.

Beatrice, who was eating a slice of bread she took out of the plastic bag, sighed.

“Betty doesn’t know the spell that man used, I suppose. From what I could see before everything went dark, the spell seems to be derived from Al- Shamak . Though its configuration is different, I suppose.”

At the time, Beatrice had noticed something odd about Al, even managing to react to the unexpected attack.

Unfortunately, she was too slow, and in the end, she and Subaru were caught in that dark spell.

“ Ahhh , damn. Things just went wrong… Ugh , anyway, for now, we should go ahead and find a place to rest. Food will also be an issue. Maybe I should get a job… But I can’t read the language here… Wait, Beako , where did you get that?”

As Subaru thought about his next moves, he noticed Beatrice holding a bag full of bread.

“While you were wasting your time on scams, Betty looked for somewhere to get us food. Fortunately, a bakery owner gave Betty these loaves. Lovely, indeed.”

“Well done, Beako ! Your cuteness will definitely save us from this!”

“ Hmph , Of course Betty’s cuteness would help us-!”

With bread, at least part of the meal had already been covered.

Now they just had to find clues about this new world.

“ Kyaa !”

As Subaru picked up Beatrice and began to celebrate the spirit's incredible help, something happened. Subaru didn't notice a girl walking right past him.

As a result, he tripped over her and pushed her back.

Realizing his mistake, Subaru put Beatrice on the ground and approached the girl who was kneeling.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Don’t pay attention.”

“No, it’s okay. I was distracted too. Uh…”

The girl had taken the hand Subaru offered to help her, but her gaze shifted to a device that had fallen to the ground.

It was a kind of turtle made with gears and screws, giving it mobility.

Unfortunately, the turtle was disassembled into several parts; screws and pieces were scattered on the floor.

Seeing what the girl was looking at with a disheartened expression, Subaru quickly knelt down and began to gather them together.

“Oh, that’s fine, sir, you don’t have to help me, I’m partly to blame too.”

The girl tried to stop Subaru from helping her, as there were many pieces scattered everywhere.

But Subaru refused.

“No, it’s my fault too.”

"But-"

“Besides, we're both partly to blame. So it's only fair that I help you when I didn't get my punishment, right? It's only fair.”

After saying that, Subaru handed a couple of pieces to the girl, and with a kind smile, began to put more pieces together.

Subaru 's explanation .

Both of them started picking up piece by piece for a while without saying anything.

Beatrice joined them shortly after, saying, “My contractor is stupid,” and helped finish quickly.

“138, 139… And 140! We’ve completed Rafael!”

“Thank you very much, sir… Rafael?”

Subaru and Beatrice finished putting the pieces together and handed them to the girl.

After that, Subaru raised his hands and full of positivity, he gave the turtle a name.

Although the girl tilted her head confused by the name.

"Well, I don't know if this little girl has a name, but she seems too well-made for it not to have one. So, Rafael seems like a pretty good name to me."

“Uh, thanks, sir. I actually made this turtle.”

"Then all the more reason it should have a name. Besides, you're really amazing if you made it!"

“R-Really. Well, thank you, sir… Oh, sorry I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Melissa.”

Introducing herself elegantly, the girl, Melissa, bowed slightly and greeted both Subaru and Beatrice.

Subaru just chuckled before making a ridiculous pose.

“Nice to meet you, Melissa. Homeless, broke, and with a little girl to take care of.”

“That’s annoying, I guess!”

Subaru moved gracefully and took Beatrice into his arms, causing the spirit to grumble.

“My name is Natsuki.” Subaru , and this is Beatrice, my lovely little sister. It’s a pleasure!”

Subaru 's ridiculous presentation , Melissa couldn't help but laugh a little.

Realizing his lack of courtesy, he quickly apologized.

“I’m so sorry to laugh at you. Especially given your current situation.”

It was a sincere apology, something Subaru did to cheer Melissa up when he saw her discouraged by his carelessness.

Moving a little closer to her, Subaru stroked her head to calm her down.

“There’s no reason to feel bad. Sure, Beako and I are helpless, but it’s nothing we can’t fix. By the way, you can just call me Subaru . Calling me sir makes me feel old; I’m only 18.”

“Ah.”

“ Mmm ? Oh, sorry about that. My hand moved out of habit.”

A little embarrassed by their strange closeness, Subaru stepped back a little.

Subaru had a habit of petting Beatrice, Rem, Petra, and anyone else who was feeling ill, so he didn't think twice when he did that to a stranger.

However, Melissa just smiled a little with both cheeks red.

“No problem. Thanks for helping me pick up my turtle …Rafael. I appreciate both of you.”

Beatrice raised her chin with that proud attitude that poorly hid her shyness.

“ Hmph , it was nothing at all.”

“Yes, yes.”

Subaru waved his hand as if to dismiss it.

“ Well, I guess we should go. Beako , let’s have some of that bread left in the bag, shall we?”

Beatrice, who had been staring at the floor with a more serious expression than usual, blinked and shook her head.

“ Subaru … the bread is gone, not at all.”

The words fell like a bucket of cold water. Subaru turned his head to where he remembered leaving it. He found only dry earth, not a crumb, not a trace to contradict him.

Apparently, someone had stolen the loaves…

"Hey…?"

The smile she had forced twisted, breaking into a weak sigh.

“Oh, great. Perfect. Everything’s going great.”

He scratched the back of his neck, uncomfortably, as if trying to hide his disappointment. Then, without the strength to maintain his cheerful tone, he lowered his gaze.

“I guess… we’ll add food as another of our problems .”

Beatrice stared at him. Normally, she would have snorted sarcastically, or even scolded Subaru for his carelessness. But this time, she remained silent.

Subaru 's tiredness . Unlike him, Beatrice doesn't need to eat or sleep.

On the contrary, Subaru did not have such benefits…

Melissa, who was listening from a few steps behind, clenched her fists in her skirt. She couldn't remain silent any longer.

“Hey…”

Her voice trembled at first, but she held it with determination.

They both turned to her, surprised.

Melissa blushed deeper, but didn't look away.

“If you don’t mind… you can come with me. To my house. I can offer you some food.”

Subaru looked at her in disbelief, with an arched eyebrow and a half-hearted smile.

“Your house, you say? And aren't you worried that we'll bring trouble with us? Believe me… we're like a magnet for them.”

Melissa firmly denied, although her cheeks remained red.

“I still have problems. But you… don’t seem like one to me.”

Beatrice tilted her head suspiciously, hiding her own surprise behind a proud gesture.

“You shouldn’t trust so quickly, at all.”

But Melissa didn't back down.

“I know… and yet , I still want to do it. I still owe you a thank you for helping me.”

Silence fell for a moment. Subaru lowered his head, and when he raised it again, it was with a broken but genuine smile.

“…Maybe we’ll have a stroke of luck today.”

He said, looking at Beatrice with tiredness and tenderness.

Beatrice puffed out her cheeks and looked away, though her fingers clung slightly to the hem of her dress.

“ Hmph … I guess that’s not a bad idea. Even if you don’t admit it, you also want a roof.”

“Heh, I can’t deny it.”

Melissa breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as the sun's rays fell on the three of them, softening the weight of that moment a little.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

Something I always like about stories is the difficulty, and if we put one in this fic , it would be hell.

Instead, Re :Word would enter the nightmare level.

Well, this chapter , as I've told you, is a draft and just an idea.

But believe me when I say that I am excited to write it,

The bad thing is that this story is difficult to write, since there are many elements and rules.

If you already know the story, you'll know that Klein has a sort of shrine where he summons his followers, and Subaru will have a similar one.

And that's what the garden of shadows will serve us for.

Let's get the ideas out first: As you might guess, Subaru and Beatrice were sealed, and Al won.

But the twist is that they were sent to the world of Lord of Mysteries .

It could be said that Subaru will have a very bad time because the moment he dies, all beings will have an eye on him, and Subaru 's goal in this world is to survive and avoid being trapped in it .

Amon will be a nightmare for Subaru , and Adam will become interested in him .

Well here I leave another of the stories that I would like to write someday.

If anyone sees this, please leave your comments about what you thought of this little chapter.

Chapter Text

[CONTAINMENT ALERT]

An alarm sounded with dangerous and meticulous intensity.

The dark walls were illuminated with a deep, intermittent red.

And silence reigned throughout the complex of hallways and rooms that opened further and further into the facility.

From time to time, shouts rose up and proclaimed their presence in the distance.

Unfortunately, the rooms weren't exactly a room.

[CONTAINMENT ALERT]

The only thing that drowned out the silent and terrifying chaos was that incessant alarm.

But sooner or later, that which offered a shred of security to any living soul who heard it would also disappear.

The contingency rooms, which had previously been hermetically sealed, were now open.

And everything they secured, contained, and protected is free and reigning over what should be a safe place.

" Ugh , ugh, ah. Shit... Shit... It hurts."

Keeping his wails low, a young man with jet-black hair and terrifying eyes was hiding under a desk.

Along with his labored and ragged breathing, footsteps were painfully close to him .

"..."

Tap ! Tap ! Tap !​

A man... no, no, no... a humanoid-looking monster walked with hard, sticky steps.

The ground beneath him melted from the tar he released with every step he took.

Along with that, a cruel laugh filled with murderous intent slid across his lipless smile.

Natsuki Subaru , hiding and wounded in his left arm, which was burned when he was held by that evil-looking old man, was the only one who was now alive.

Before hell broke loose, I was standing next to a group of people dressed as prisoners and men dressed as guards.

And Subaru was one of those wearing prisoner's clothes...

But that was a different story than what I was experiencing at the time.

" Hk ..."

Without wanting it or meaning it, a scream escaped from her throat.

He couldn't help it, Subaru was terrified and the darkness surrounding him only contributed to his terror.

What kind of monster was that hunting him?

Whatever it was, Subaru was sure that the old man already knew he was hiding, he just seemed to enjoy Subaru 's fear .

Many of the monsters stalking him knew of his presence, after all, the witch's miasma seems to attract them like wasps to honey.

The old man simply arrived before the rest of the creatures.

"KUH! KUH! HE!"

The old man leaned closer to the desk where Subaru was huddled, and bringing his face, distorted by an unearthly smile and sunken eyes, closer, he pierced the metal surface.

Subaru 's ear .

" Shhh ..."

"...!"

Subaru trembled in place, but even that couldn't make him blink, no, he couldn't close his eyes, or that statue staring back at him from afar would snap his neck in a single instant.

His eyes burned, and he cried from keeping them open the whole time he was hiding, his legs trembled and his blood dripped while his arm rotted away.

Behind him , an old man with the intention of making him suffer without killing him.

And in front of him, a concrete statue waited patiently to kill him instantly.

"Hk ! Hk ! Hk ! "

To die, or to die one way or another, Subaru was doomed.

But at least he had the choice of how he would die.

And knowing his fate, Subaru blinked-- and in an instant, his neck cracked and his head snapped brutally backward.

The crack of his neck was loud, causing his spine to snap and be exposed outside his body.

Still, the killer was clean, doing it so quickly and without delay.

" Ugh "

His breath died in his lungs. He didn't have time to react.

His eyes flew open, and before his consciousness sank into the abyss of death, he saw the old man's face directly.

His head was set in that direction, so it was inevitable

"GAHHH!!!"

Despite being dead, Subaru felt the monster open its mouth so wide that its jaw must have unhinged.

He was dead, he died, and yet he felt his teeth sink into his face and how it began to melt.

Their flesh was consumed by the tar, burning the fat, bones and nerves.

Subaru 's melting face , and used his fingers to bury them in both of his eyes violently and savagely.

That desire to cause as much suffering as possible remained regardless of Subaru 's condition .

He dug into them like butter, twisted his nails, and tore out their eye sockets. He burned them with the same tar substance,

It hurts, but it was too late to realize that.

His thoughts died the moment the old man pulled him into the darkness.

He chose death, and at least it didn't hurt that much.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

Class-C Subject File: Natsuki Subaru .

Key number: ###

Status: Captive and contained.

Description: Natsuki Subaru is a plain-looking 18-year-old young man with jet-black hair, slanted eyes, and average height. His nationality is Japanese, and his blood relationship to the Natsuki family has been confirmed .

It is reported that he was reported missing under strange circumstances a year and six months ago. According to records captured by security cameras at a business, Natsuki Subaru suddenly and without explanation disappeared.

Following that, a statewide search was launched, and his parents also organized campaigns to find clues about his whereabouts.

However, there was no result.

At least, until now.

An unexplained energy alarm assaulted the organization's alarms, and at the same time, there was a containment leak of SCP-035, which was being transferred to the United States facilities.

SCP-035 took control of one of the 5 guards transporting it and, using his body, silently killed the rest.

After that, I escape to a local condominium neighborhood.

The strange thing about the case is the appearance of Natsuki Subaru to the world, being seen once again by the security cameras of the same store where he was reported missing.

His clothing was different from the previous time and he showed signs of fatigue.

In addition, his behavior was unexpected and out of place.

One time he showed up, went into a convenience store, and came out with knives, cans of deodorant, and a pocket lighter.

After that, he walked carefully, avoiding being noticed by curious glances while talking to locals in the area (after being questioned by our agents, the citizens said that the young man warned about a gas leak in the neighborhood).

With that said, I remove all witnesses, protecting their safety.

Once that, the subject known as Natsuki Subaru hid behind some bushes and waited patiently.

It wasn't long before SCP-035 appeared, looking confused by the absence of people.

And in just a moment, Natsuki Subaru surprised SCP-035 by throwing a knife in its direction.

The weapon hit one of his legs, however, the SCP cared little, which rushed towards the direction where Subaru was hiding.

Reacting quickly, Subaru shot out of the bushes and using another knife, pierced the SCP's shoulder, where he plunged it right into its joints in an attempt to immobilize it.

Still, the SCP did not stop, and instead, delivered a devastating blow to the side of Subaru 's body .

The young man fell back a few feet, writhing in pain. In a vulnerable state, the SCP approached him as he pulled the knife out of his leg.

Just as he was about to burst it open, Subaru surprised him with a move the SCP hadn't expected.

Subaru had previously left the store with deodorant and a lighter, so his intention was clear.

Using the lighter as a power source and the deodorant gas as fuel, Subaru improvised what could very well be a flamethrower against the SCP.

The SCP's body was engulfed in powerful flames, but that couldn't stop it from using what little use it could give to the body it parasitized.

Now in a body devastated by fire, SCP-035 intended to end it all, regardless of being captured afterwards, all in order to kill Natsuki. Subaru .

Staggering its dying, charred body towards Subaru , SCP-035 launched itself without a thought.

Which cost him dearly.

As if he knew his intentions in advance, Subaru pulled out a whip that he kept at his waist, and with precise and well-made movements, used the long reach of his weapon to whip him and tie him from his hands to his feet, managing to hold him on the ground.

The strength of SCP-035 should not be underestimated, as it was greater than that of a normal human being, however, the damage to the body it parasitized weakened that strength.

So, wounded, burned, and above all by the strange material with which the whip of the subject Natsuki was made Subaru to restrain it, SCP-035 was contained without risk of parasitizing another body, since it still had the guard's.

After all that, Subaru Natsuki stumbled and fell to the ground, injured by the blow from SCP-035.

Still, he had enough strength to crawl and resist fainting, even with his fractured ribs.

It wasn't long before our special forces arrived, who were surprised by the scene in question.

An unidentified young man single-handedly contained a lethal-class SCP, with no casualties or harm to the lives of others.

It was an unprecedented event, therefore, seeing that the whole matter was an abnormal case, they took Natsuki Subaru was taken into custody and transferred along with SCP-035, where he was taken to the organization's facilities in Japan, where he will be interrogated about his disappearance and how he became aware of SCP-035's attack.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

"And that's how I ended up here, Cassy . Any questions?"

Sitting on the cold floor, Subaru held a piece of paper with a drawing on it while writing on the paper.

Except that drawing, which had a girl illustrated in it , was moving across the white space on the paper.

The girl put on a conflicted expression, and using a pencil that, like her, was also a drawing, she wrote in a blank space.

[It's really amazing that you were able to do that. I admire you!]

" Hehe , not to brag, but that talking mask stood zero chance against me . Sure, I'm not that strong, but I was so mad that he was anywhere near my parents' house. I had no choice but to stop him... Yet I ended up in this seedy place."

Writing about his origin of arrival, Subaru sighed and leaned against the wall while looking around.

Right now, Subaru found himself locked in a facility where he was being interrogated mercilessly.

At first, Subaru had come from an alternate world, or so to speak, he was brought back from that world.

It all started with a guy named Aldebaran , who decided to simply get rid of Subaru .

For his part, Subaru was a victim of circumstance. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to grieve, because at one point, a man with superhuman strength and wearing a comedy mask stormed his neighborhood, killing everything in his path.

And as a consequence, Subaru ended up murdered while walking home.

Confused and saddened by how things turned out, Subaru had no choice but to fight him.

He didn't want to kill him, but after dying once more, Subaru considered that man not to be human.

Still, she did her best to avoid killing him. After all, she was in Japan, and there was no way she would commit an act that would implicate her parents.

Anyway, Subaru managed to defeat him, but things only went downhill.

Some men kidnapped him and he was taken to who knows where, where he was interrogated thoroughly.

Things like his name, his parents, his life in general, they knew.

Apparently, he was being held captive in an organization with the acronym SCP on it.

A lot happened after that: He was interrogated, killed after a containment escape, among other things .

And after a long struggle, where he met various people and entities that surpassed his understanding, Subaru finally had some time to rest.

Just now she was talking to the first friend she made in that place, SCP-085, the drawn woman.

She was an anomaly who, conversely, was unaware of her condition, at least until now.

As Subaru escaped from the many anomalies seeking to kill him, he found his containment room.

Inside, a little girl was crying. Subaru spoke to her, and without much thought, took her with him. It was dangerous to trust anything other than human, but after dealing with the many horrors his own world held, having company wasn't so bad.

After several moments together, Subaru and Cassandra became very good friends.

Although Subaru doubted that a little...

" Cassy ..."

[Yeah?]

"Why are you hugging my drawing?"

[I want to hug you, but since I can't, I'll settle for this]

"How can you say that without any shame?! Besides, you draw very well!"

Subaru squirmed a little while Cassandra smiled happily and squeezed the drawn Subaru tighter .

Cassandra was a very outgoing girl, or drawing, that was before discovering her origin.

After that, their existence was based solely on existing to be tested by agents of the SCP organization.

There was no joy in that, just a dull reminder that she wasn't real.

However, one day she met Subaru , a guy who didn't care about her condition, and above all, someone with whom she talked a lot.

After some time with him , Cassandra felt alive, and although she had the chance to be free in the world when Subaru managed to take her outside, she stayed with him .

Because to her, Subaru was someone worth existing for.

The only bad thing was that I couldn't be with him , after all, they were from two different worlds.

Even so...

[ Subaru , are you still planning to do it?]

With a half-written question, Cassandra communicated her uncertainty to Subaru , who looked at her a little dejected.

"Yes. I can't leave her with these guys. Somehow or another I have to reach her."

Euclid -class anomalies , and... You could end up worse than dead...]

Cassandra 's sadness . Subaru looked at her briefly and sighed somewhat tiredly.

"I know... But I have to do it, I have to bring her back with me."

[But... if you need someone, you already have me...]

"Come on, don't be jealous, you and her would get along just fine. Sure, you'd probably argue all the time, but that just makes it more adorable."

[...But I want you for myself...]

Cassandra was... a bit complicated. Not a bad girl, but someone who spent her life locked away and treated like something dangerous.

Meeting Subaru opened doors for her that she hadn't been able to feel before, and Subaru was aware of that.

Especially after getting the agents to leave them together, in exchange for using Subaru as a C-class subject...

A job that exposed him to the most dangerous SCPs .

But his goal was directed at that.

Why, in the end, among those endless anomalies, was Beatrice, his contracted spirit...

They wouldn't let him see her, only if he did what the man with the collar wanted, then Subaru would have the chance.

Now, hearing his cell door open, Subaru left his companion next to a manga, where she would be free to interact with him and move through the illustrated images , as if it were a city.

But that didn't make her happy, not while Subaru was being led to a hell worse than death.

[Please be careful... And come back with me...]

His blessing was welcomed by Subaru , who stood up and breathed deeply.

The doors in front of him opened, and from them a militarized group was waiting for him.

In the middle of that group, a man with a striking necklace was waiting for him with a smile.

"Are you ready to deal with SCP-087-B, Natsuki? " Subaru ? Because I'm thrilled with the results this time .

The man spoke calmly but sarcastically , his behavior was that of a guy who betrayed his lack of morals.

Subaru , knowing what it meant, clicked his tongue and walked in front of the man with the collar.

"Shut up and take me away, damn doctor, Bright."

Subaru 's anger , Bright smiled mischievously.

"That's the spirit, Subaru !"

After the presentation of what would be his next hell, Subaru turned his head towards Cassandra , who was looking at him with tears in both paper eyes.

She couldn't speak, scream, or even say anything, since she was a drawing on a piece of paper.

However, Subaru could see her crying.

Seeing her there, crying, Subaru smiled and raised his hand.

"I'll be back in no time! Wait for me with a cup of tea!"

And so, another day began in their fight for survival, where no matter what kind of hell awaits him, Subaru will rescue Beatrice and together, they will find a way to return to Emilia, Rem, Ram , Otto, Garfiel , Frederica , and all those who await them beyond the great waterfall.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

It only took me a few minutes to write this, so it might be a little bland, but oh well.

These would be the three plots I most want to write. The only original thing is the first story! The rest are just crossovers (I have no imagination, haha ).

Well, as you might guess, and I'm sure you're already tired of hearing it, Subaru won, ending up on Earth, but he'll have to deal with many of the most dangerous and famous SCPs.

other beings who will see Subaru with murderous eyes.

The plot is simple, but captivating.

Of all of them, I think this would be the shortest fic to make.

Its difficulty is almost at the same level as Lord of Mysteries , since Subaru will face beings such as the Scarlet King (Yes, it will be hard).

The first arc will be difficult for Subaru (as you saw in the first part) since he will suffer very heavy deaths. Have you ever played SCP: Containment? Breach ? Well, that's more or less what the first arc will be like.

Anyway, comment what you thought, and tell me what you would like to see more of: Crossovers, or an original plot like Re :word .

That would be all, after finishing Re: indelible, I plan to do a roulette where I see which story will be the one that I will make into a fic .

There will be more stories, but honestly those would be a little inferior to this one, however, I will still put them here.

Chapter Text

The noise flooded everything.

Screams flew, curses fell, the past was extinguished, and the present stood like an altar to the damned.

In the midst of it all, a macabre figure, mangled, abused, and completely broken, was burning with flames and an innocent smile.

A child trapped in the body of a dying man, an irony about how the human mind seeks a way to protect itself, sending him to a happy world created for its own benefit.

Anyway, that too has been consumed by flames.

In the end, that's all that matters, and in her last vestige of sanity, Natsuki Subaru agreed with that.

The body that once housed a soul in torment was consumed by flames, and when its flesh was turned to charcoal, it was all over.

The archbishop of pride was finally executed.

Beyond this brutal and inhuman act, which everyone applauded and shouted at, people lived a life without problems.

People who enjoyed a life of innocent smiles. They couldn't be blamed, as the circumstances surrounding them being wrapped in a sweet lie were caused by an unscrupulous monster.

But wasn't it unfair? Why were those who condemned an innocent man smiling as if it were a beautiful day?

Either way, it can't end like this, the goal hasn't been achieved yet, she's still sealed and alive.

The circumstances didn't matter, only the outcome.

But even so, things weren't supposed to happen this way, no, they weren't supposed to, there was still a goal, and Natsuki Subaru can't decide that this is over.

That's why "that wise man" will enter the wheel of destiny that has stopped moving due to the stagnant blood and flesh between the grooves, and will give it a push to get it turning again.

[But what a day...]

It was a beautiful day, no doubt it was.

They overcame everything, that's why it was worth celebrating.

But now that he was gone, and this world was getting closer to its end, brought on by everyone's wrong and malicious decisions...

Something had to be done to prevent this tragedy from happening again.

And a wise man knows that history exists so that mistakes are not made again.

That's why...

[A pile of books, a body without a soul, and a person who is aware of everything. I hope you'll forgive me for interfering, Satella, but this can't end like this.]

The world began to fall apart in an unexplained event once the body no longer held any life.

But before everything went back to zero, a voice appeared among those who must prevent this tragedy from happening again.

[I hope you're ready, because you're about to see what a man will endure for love—love that's been desecrated, love that goes unclaimed, love that can't be cared for by those who trampled on him and marked him as waste. Welcome to this theater that will show what's been lost... Enjoy.]

It may be that the intentions are not entirely correct, or that this supposed voice had no role beyond the one it has meddled in.

But something had to be done.

Maybe not everything is better, but at least I was sure that a tragedy of this magnitude would not happen again.

The only thing I hoped was that things would continue as they were.

Even if that course is completely tainted by themselves---

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

"Hmm, I've been looking at the horizon for a while, hoping something interesting would happen, but all I see is a meadow, a sun in the sky, and Garfiel sleeping on the ground below the carriage."

Leaning against the window frame of a carriage, Subaru yawned lazily as he looked out at the scenery.

There wasn't much to see, a few riderless earth dragons running freely and the occasional witchbeast staying away from them.

The presence of the blond demi-human sleeping behind the carriage would most likely scare them away.

However, other than that, the day was just boring.

"I wonder if Patrashe will be lonely without friends of her own kind. Maybe she'll want to go out with them and find a suitor. Ah, but as her master, I'll make sure he's not a lout."

Wandering about the romantic relationships his own earth dragon might have in the future, Subaru assessed those dragons running freely not far from them.

Many looked healthy, but none could hold a candle to Patrashe.

"Well, they don't deserve Patrashe. Bad luck for you guys."

Deciding that none of those dragons could pass the test of the best match for Patrashe, Subaru snorted as he looked a little into the carriage.

At that moment, apart from Otto and Garfiel, Subaru was the only one awake inside the carriage.

Probably because it was so early in the morning, but Emilia and Beatrice, who were sleeping peacefully on the carriage seats, were in a deep sleep.

Instead, Otto remained asleep in the driver's seat. Subaru had gone to check on him at one point, but seeing him asleep, she decided to let him rest.

Still, Subaru couldn't help but mark his face with ink.

The first to sleep is the first to fall for a good joke, after all.

For his part, Garfiel was one of those who preferred to sleep outdoors. Subaru planned to play the same trick on the sleeping boy, but seeing that the Mabeasts were keeping their distance from the carriage made him back down.

He didn't know if his presence would make them come after him.

After all, the day was calm, the air was fresh, and overall, things were going well.

"But I'm bored... I can't go out and do radio calisthenics with those beasts outside, and there's no one to talk to... Although I prefer it this way. I don't know what happens in Priestella, but knowing my luck, it's probably going to be pretty tiring dealing with everything."

Just a day away, there was a place Subaru and his group had to reach.

Priestella, the city of water. With the goal of recovering Emilia's spirit, Puck, they had embarked on a journey where they would be greeted by the person who had summoned them in the first place.

Anastasia, one of the five candidates for the throne. From what Subaru knew, Priestella was a Venice-style city, so he imagined it would be more of a tourist meeting than a proper negotiation.

However, knowing Anastasia, Subaru expected the woman to have other plans.

So he'll keep his guard up... Of course, in the process he planned to enjoy one with Emilia, but those were separate details.

Other than that, the trip was long, but at least there was only one more day to go.

"Well, for now I'll just keep playing dragon-watching and find the perfect mate for Patrashe... Hmm?"

Just as Subaru was about to play a little, watching the land dragons wandering around like horses, he heard what seemed to be a silver voice behind him.

Turning around, Subaru saw Emilia muttering something under her breath.

"Is she dreaming something? Whatever it is, Emilia-tan still looks beautiful in her sleep."

Emilia's figure, who was covered by a blanket, was beautiful and delicate, her large eyelashes and adorable lips made her look like an angel.

Subaru contemplated that sight for a moment, but quickly looked away and closed both eyes tightly.

"Oh, Subaru, that's bad. Be a responsible man and get your impure thoughts out of your mind. One Beako, two Beakos, three... Huh? Does Beako have a dream too?"

After distracting himself from his increasingly moral thoughts, Subaru noticed that Emilia wasn't the only one muttering in her sleep. Beatrice, the great spirit hired by Subaru, was also squirming in place.

However, his expression was not that of someone having a pleasant dream.

Beatrice began to squirm more and more, then she stopped, maintaining that pained expression.

"Is she having a nightmare...? I'd like to wake her up if so, but I'm worried it might scare her more."

Seeing his companion immersed in what seemed like a nightmare, Subaru tried to comfort her by stroking her hair, causing Beatrice's expression to relax.

Still, he seemed to be struggling to avoid waking up.

"This is weird..."

It was extremely strange behavior by Subaru's standards. Beatrice might look like a child no more than 11 years old, but she was a 400-year-old spirit.

And Subaru knew that she rarely had such terrible nightmares.

Before he could find a response to that sudden outburst, Subaru heard a wail, almost like a whisper.

Turning his gaze to Emilia, Subaru saw that she too was beginning to exhibit the same behavior as Beatrice.

Emilia writhed more violently, moving between her sheets and breathing with difficulty.

At that, Subaru quickly moved towards her and placed a hand on Emilia's.

"Emilia, calm down! It's okay, I'm here."

Trying to comfort her, Subaru spoke gently and in a caring tone. Emilia, who still had her eyes closed, regained her breathing and gasped heavily as she held Subaru's hand tightly.

The grip on her hand was hard and painful, Emilia didn't measure her strength, causing her hand to cry out in pain, and making her bones seem like they were about to be compressed.

But Subaru didn't care, instead, he wrapped Emilia's delicate hand with his own.

"Hyy--"

Unexpectedly, Subaru heard the same wail behind him, realizing it was Beatrice.

"Are you both having a nightmare? This is starting to worry me. Ah, but I can't let go..."

Beatrice began to do the same thing as before Subaru intervened; she writhed on the large seat they were using as a bed and began to scream.

Subaru tried to go to her to comfort her, however, Emilia's grip was too strong, unable to break free even if he used all his strength.

With no choice, Subaru grabbed Emilia's shoulder and shook her gently.

"Emilia, I'm sorry to have to wake you like this, but you're having a nightmare, and it seems Beako is too. I need to go to her. Could you let me go?"

Giving her a few more nudges, Subaru saw Emilia's closed eyelids flutter.

And right after, his eyes slowly began to open.

At first, Emilia's gaze was unfocused, observing everything, and at the same time nothing.

Once her eyes met Subaru's, they remained lost in what seemed to be a curtain of fog.

But after staring at them for a few seconds, they paled.

Her pupils contracted and her lips began to tremble, struggling to say something. A moan escaped her throat, but nothing more.

His face looked so scared.

Subaru looked at her, a little uneasy, but understanding. He waited until Emilia was ready to say something.

However, Subaru didn't have enough time to react.

In just an instant, Emilia violently pushed Subaru towards her, and caught him in her arms.

She hugged him, wrapped him around herself, pulled him as close as she could, without detaching him or letting go of him even an inch.

And before I could say anything, Emilia screamed.

"HK! HK! HK! AH! AHH!! AHHHH!!!"

She screamed so loudly that her angelic voice was lost, replaced by a wail Subaru couldn't recognize.

Alarmed by Emilia's terrified scream, Subaru tried to step back to see her and question her about her sudden outburst.

But she couldn't do it, her body was held tighter as Emilia felt Subaru trying to move away.

"Emili! Emilia! What's going on?!"

"AHHHHH..!!!! HK.... AHHHH!!!"

Struggling to understand Emilia's strange behavior, Subaru began to struggle to understand what had happened to her.

But before she could even do so, her waist was encircled by small, but equally strong, arms.

Then, another voice joined Emilia's wailing with much more force.

"HK!! HK!! AHHHHHH!!!"

The small arms remained firmly hugging Subaru's waist, regardless of his size, the force with which he was held was such that it even began to hurt him.

Behind him, who was desperately hugging him as if he were about to disappear at any moment, was Beatrice, who was crying violently and wailing with a face distorted by tears.

Without having a chance to ask anything, Subaru suddenly felt the carriage begin to move.

But something was wrong.

The carriage, which was supposed to be moving forward, began to turn in the opposite direction, and as soon as it did, it accelerated to extreme speed.

"...!"

Even with the divine protection of the dragons, which provided stability inside the carriages, Subaru couldn't avoid falling backward due to the sudden start.

Still, he didn't fall completely, because neither Emilia nor Beatrice let go of him for even a second.

"What the hell?! Otto, is that you?!"

There was no other explanation than that, if the carriage started racing at full speed, Subaru knew it was Otto who took the reins and drove.

His screams were drowned out by those of Emilia and Beatrice, who never stopped wailing, so Subaru had to scream even louder.

"Hey, Otto!! Why did we turn around?! Did something happen?! Because we were supposed to go to Priestella!"

As soon as he said that, Emilia hugged him and screamed even louder, as did Beatrice.

His breath caught in his throat, but without stopping, Subaru stamped his feet on the ground to get attention.

"Answer me, Otto! There's something strange about Emilia and Beatrice! They're both crying and look like they're about to collapse! Please tell me what's going on!"

Turning his head towards the hatch that led to the driver's seat, Subaru shouted for an answer.

But there was none, Subaru only heard the lament of someone coming out of there.

Unable to bear the uncertainty, Subaru used all his strength to walk toward the hatch while being held violently.

However, before saying anything, Otto finally spoke.

"Natsuki-san... Just... don't do anything... I'll tell you later."

"After?! There's no after, tell me now! We were supposed to go to Priestella, but you just turned around and...!"

"I remember Rem..."

"...!"

As soon as he heard that, Subaru's lips twitched, and his voice died in his throat. So sudden and so quick.

Without having time to process what he had just heard, Subaru began to be dragged by Emilia and Beatrice, but before he could move away.

"Otto... You what..."

"Natsuki-san, if you stop asking, I promise I'll tell you... Just... Please... Let me get you out of here..."

"..."

Otto's voice sounded tired, but Subaru knew he was crying too.

"As soon as you stop... We'll talk... Did you hear me, Otto?"

After saying that, Subaru stopped resisting, and was taken to a corner of the carriage, where he was hugged so tightly it hurt.

In turn, before losing himself in his stormy thoughts, Subaru managed to see Garfiel through the window, who was running behind them.

He was crying...

On this peaceful day, where nothing bad was supposed to happen, something happened. Something happened.

But if he was sure of one thing, it was that the days would change after that...

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

And that would be all.

I hope you liked it...

Hahaha, just kidding.

Let's continue with this.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

The carriage did not stop for two days.

No matter what obstacles stood in its way, from mabeasts, inaccessible terrain, bandits, the carriage never stopped moving.

However, Subaru was frightened by how they dealt with all those impediments.

The mabeasts were mercilessly slaughtered by Garfiel, and the bandits met the same fate.

Actually, they were the ones who got the worst of it. Garfiel showed no mercy, while Otto... he crushed them...

Subaru tried to protest, but was stopped by Emilia, who never let go of him, even sleeping while being hugged.

Still, Subaru noticed how Emilia's expression was cold at the murder of the bandits.

And Beatrice had the same reaction.

No one has spoken in these two days.

The carriage rocked gently, but continued on its way. Somewhat tired of the lack of response, Subaru tried to move.

But hands around his entire body stopped him.

"Emilia... Could you let me go? Although I'm glad you're holding me, I'd like to talk to Otto."

"..."

Emilia answered with silence as she squeezed harder.

"It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. You can come with me without letting go... Just let me move. Okay?"

"..."

"Beako, that goes for you too."

Speaking softly to Emilia and Beatrice, who continued their refusal to let him go, Subaru stood up.

Although they didn't let go, Subaru was able to move to the hatch.

"Otto, stop the carriage."

"..."

"Are we going to do this again? I don't know what happened to all of you, and at this point I can't stop you, but Patrashe must be tired. So, please, I'm asking you as a friend; stop the carriage."

There was no response, but Subaru did not give up.

"One day, I only ask for one. After Patrashe rests, we'll continue at dawn, okay?"

On the other side of the hatch, Otto seemed to be thinking about Subaru's proposal.

He didn't seem to agree, but knowing the conditions Patrashe had been kept in tirelessly, he sighed tiredly.

"Okay, Natsuki-san. But just for one day, then we'll continue."

"That's all I ask, thank you..."

After that, the carriage gradually slowed down.

Subaru was glad they finally listened to him. Honestly, he was worried. Neither Patrashe nor Garfiel had rested these past two days, where the only thing that happened was the passing of the hours.

But at least he got a real break.

However, someone did not agree with him.

Emilia clung closer to Subaru's body and rested her head on his chest.

At his waist, Subaru felt Beatrice do the same.

For two days now, the two of them haven't said or done anything but cry and hug him, without leaving his side for a single moment.

At this point, rather than finding it adorable, it was worrying.

"I hope you tell me what's going on once we get to the mansion."

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

Under the night sky, the carriage finally stopped in a meadow.

Once he did, the earth dragon, Patrashe, wearily settled his body and slept soundly.

Subaru wanted to go with her to thank her for her hard work, but Emilia's arms wouldn't let him.

Now, sitting around a campfire, where its flames rose and its wood crackled, the group maintained a silence among themselves.

Subaru, who was sitting with his legs as close together as possible while Beatrice held his torso, wrapping both legs and arms around him like a child hugging her father, and Emilia's neck.

Trying to break the ice, Subaru spoke casually while pointing at the stars.

"It's a beautiful night. Have I told you about the star constellations? Come on, guys, find Subaru!"

"..."

"Come on, at least pretend you're listening to me... Or don't you like me talking?"

"...!"

"...!"

At the last comment said, Subaru seemed to set off alarm bells in Emilia and Beatrice.

Emilia quickly raised her head and looked intensely at Subaru with her big eyes.

"No! I'm interested! I want you to never stop talking! I never want to see you quiet! Please, please, never stop talking!"

"Wow! Emilia-tan, that was so intense! I'm not saying I'm not glad to hear you love me, but even I was surprised. So... are you okay now?"

"...As long as you're with me, by my side, I don't care..."

"...Okay... Beako, how are you?"

"...Never leave my side, I guess...Never let me go..."

Both girls answered in a way that didn't seem usual for them.

What should have been something that warmed Subaru's heart, turned into an awkward silence.

Since that day, Emilia hasn't let go of him and has become a bit of a stranger, not that it was a bad thing, but Subaru has felt Emilia's hand caress him from his chest to below his waist.

Until now he had let it pass as a mere coincidence, but Subaru couldn't understand where this sudden behavior was coming from.

While Beatrice became more reserved, she doesn't look at anyone but him.

I once tried to pick her up, but she refused to look away.

In turn, Subaru noticed this strange behavior in Otto and Garfiel.

He hasn't spoken much with them, but he has seen how they behave.

While Otto continued with a melancholic expression, Garfiel continued walking in a circle, as if he were an animal.

He looked from side to side and growled at any external noise.

"Garfiel, there's nothing over there, and if it was a Mabeast, you'd have seen it by now. Take a break and come with us. You must be tired."

Trying to sound as pleasant as possible, Subaru invited Garfiel to rest by the campfire, however, Garfiel frowned and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but until we get to the mansion, I can't allow my amazing self to become pathetic again..."

"What? Pathetic? No, Garfiel, you're not..."

"I am, Captain, I'm pathetic. But I promise, I'll never let anything happen to you again... I... never again... But if I see a knight again... I'll kill him... I'll kill you all."

After saying that, Garfiel walked away, thumping on the ground.

Subaru tried to stop him, but he had already left with Otto.

Knights? Since when does Garfiel hate knights? Now that Subaru thought about it, it wasn't just Garfiel, he'd seen Emilia mutter similar things.

Things about knights, and they weren't nice...

"It's not happening..."

Things just keep going wrong around him.

I had wanted to ask about Rem, but everyone just answered evasively, or that they remember her, but nothing more.

Not knowing what to do, Subaru just continued staring at the flames that slowly consumed the wood.

However, a problem arose.

"...Emilia... Beako... Could you let me go for just a moment?"

"No."

"No."

"What a cute answer! No, but seriously, I really need to be let go."

Twisting in Emilia and Beatrice's arms, Subaru tried to peel them off as he began to stand up.

But his grip did not loosen.

"Girls, I really want you to let me go..."

"B-But why don't you want me to hug you, Subaru?"

Emilia, bringing her face closer to Subaru's, asked with a sad and desperate voice.

She was so close that if either of them leaned in a little closer, their lips would crash.

Subaru could even feel Emilia's breath on his face.

But I didn't have time to enjoy that closeness, especially because...

"I want to go to the bathroom..."

That was the reason why she demanded his release. At that, Emilia showed an expression Subaru had never seen on the half-elf before.

It was one of bewilderment, then despair, longing, and finally a gaze fixed on him so intensely that it burned.

"I'll go with you..."

"...! No, no, no! Wait a moment... No! Emilia, these are matters where you can't accompany me!"

"...Why not?"

It was a good question from Emilia, but Subaru knew the answer was even better.

"Because I'm a man!"

In short, a man's virility could not be so easily exposed to the woman he loved.

Therefore, Subaru would strongly deny any excuse Emilia made.

"That's why I have to go. I'll be back, so don't worry. Now, let me go."

"..."

"Hey. I'm waiting...Beako, that goes for you too. Let me go."

Persisting to a ridiculous point, Subaru shook and tried to move, but neither of them let go.

"Seriously, girls, if you don't let me go, I'll really get mad..."

"..."

"I won't talk to you for two days if you don't."

"...!"

As soon as he said that threat to the air, Beatrice was startled and quickly let go of Subaru and bent down on her haunches.

"No! Please don't leave Betty... Hk!"

Subaru was surprised by Beatrice's reaction. The truth was that her threat wasn't serious, and it hurt him to see his partner in that state, but Subaru knew that everything had to stop at some point.

"I don't want to do this, Beako. But I really need to go to the bathroom... Emilia, please."

The only one missing to let go was the silver-haired girl, who looked at him with piercing eyes.

"Emilia..."

His lips parted slightly, and in a voice tinged with...

"If it's you, I wouldn't mind seeing you..."

"..."

"Can I accompany you?"

A chill ran down Subaru's spine. Emilia's comment was... completely strange.

Not knowing what to say, Subaru just shook his head.

Seeing this, Emilia reluctantly let go.

Now free, Subaru ran as far away as possible and hid behind some trees.

However, now that he was far away, Subaru could feel that Emilia's gaze didn't leave him even a little.

That night, Subaru couldn't sleep.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

The next day arrived later than early.

Once they rested, Otto kept his promise, and they all left for the mansion.

A couple of days passed after that. Every night was the same: Subaru, hugged from all sides, the carriage moving forward without stopping, and just like that, in those stifling conditions, they arrived at Roswaal's lands.

In the distance, Subaru could see in greater detail how the trees made their way toward the mansion.

"Once we arrive, you'll tell me everything, understood?"

Speaking to the figures clinging to him desperately, Subaru looked at them with a hopeful expression.

They both nodded, but didn't leave his side.

"Well, I just hope they actually do. We'll talk about why they're still so... Cloying?"

I still hadn't figured out the cause of Emilia and Beatrice's strangely sweet behavior, and I hadn't made any progress with Otto or Garfiel.

Subaru just hoped that once they arrived, they would talk honestly.

The trees around them opened the way, and in the distance, a mansion rose majestically.

They crossed the entrance through the grounds, beginning an unexpected return.

However, just as Subaru looked towards the entrance, he couldn't help but widen his eyes.

His jaw loosened as his breath caught in his throat.

The day his friends woke up agitated shocked him, the fact that they remembered a forgotten person made Subaru react with disbelief.

Deep inside, he still felt like he was dreaming.

Not only because of the surreal nature of the situation he found himself in, but because it was unprecedented.

But just now, his eyes bulged and a feeling of disbelief and skepticism filled his mind.

And that was it, because in front of the main entrance of the residence, was a blue-haired girl in a Maid outfit.

Unable to contain it, a name escaped his lips.

"Rem...?"

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

A maid was outside a mansion, where she was supposed to be asleep, unable to wake up.

But there she was, standing, in her Maid outfit, which shone in all its splendor in the rays of the morning sun.

Not stopping there, the girl started walking directly towards the carriage.

Once he saw that, Subaru didn't think twice.

"Otto, stop the carriage!"

Subaru screamed as soon as he came out of his stupor. It took him a long time to do so, but he abruptly stood up and shook himself.

Emilia let go of him in surprise, but as soon as she saw what Subaru was staring at intensely, she quickly approached him to take it back.

However, Subaru was faster. As soon as Otto slowed down, he jumped out the window and crash-landed on the ground.

He rolled a few feet as the ground clung to his body. Overall, he didn't mind the sharp pull in his muscles, nor did he mind the pain from the fall.

In the distance, he could hear Emilia and Beatrice's screams. Deciding it was far more important to attend to what was in front of him, Subaru ignored them and stood up in one swift motion.

His training with Clind was something that helped him make a safe landing, so there was no problem with it.

Now standing, Subaru marched towards that girl, that girl... to Rem...

I didn't understand why, or when, or if it was all a farce, at that moment, the only thing that mattered was that Rem was awake.

"Reeem!"

Without stopping, Subaru managed to give more shape to the blurry figure he found in the distance, and finally saw it in all its splendor.

Maybe it was the tears overflowing from her eyes, or perhaps it was the lack of judgment at a moment like this, but as soon as Rem was in front of him, Subaru didn't notice how she walked straight towards him with much more intensity.

And just as she reached him, she surrounded him with her delicate arms charged with superhuman strength, then, without stopping there, she began to run while holding Subaru and carrying him.

"...!"

The impact wasn't exactly soft, Rem suddenly collided with him.

Not understanding why his field of vision changed so suddenly, Subaru raised his head from Rem's chest as much as he could to look at the girl.

And what he saw surprised him more than he already was.

Rem, her horn emerging with a dangerous gleam, was crying her eyes out as she muttered under her breath.

"R-Rem! What's w-?!"

"Subaru-kun, Subaru-kun!"

He repeated her name like a mantra.

Before she could ask anything, Subaru came back to himself, and raising his arms while holding Rem by the shoulders, he spoke with urgency in his voice.

"Rem, listen to me! I'm so happy to see you, but I really don't know what's going on! I need you to pull yourself together!"

However, Rem ignored him. Her face wasn't that of the girl who had once offered him calm and strength; no, her expression was that of a desperate, horrified, and frightened woman.

But above all, angry...

The trees around them were moving at high speed, and the mansion was getting further and further away.

"Rem...! Please stop! I... You're hurting me!"

"HK!!

As soon as she said that, Rem's run stopped abruptly and she carefully lowered Subaru.

Standing on his own, Subaru exhaled raggedly. He looked around, then, his still-tearful eyes turned to Rem, who looked devastated as she stared at Subaru.

"S-Sorry! Sorry, I just...! Subaru-kun, I...!"

"Rem, calm down, I'm not angry. Just surprised, you know? It's just... everything is so confusing that I can't even sort my own thoughts."

If he could put his thoughts into words, it would be bewilderment. It hadn't even been five days since the rest of his friends revealed they remembered Rem, and on top of that, there was the strange behavior.

The events that followed were no clearer. Emilia just hugged him without saying anything, Beatrice didn't even say a word.

As for Garfiel and Otto, they were at least more considerate.

But putting his thoughts aside, Subaru looked more closely at Rem, the girl whose state was the most alert of all.

At first glance, Rem looked exactly the same as she had a year ago. Neither her hair nor anything else physically changed.

Of course, he wouldn't do that while inside Sleeping Beauty's dream. Still, looking at her just as Subaru had last seen her.

"..."

Probably the most noticeable change would be her dark circles, she looked tired, exhausted, scared.

'She must be really scared to wake up not knowing anything... And here I am, acting like nothing happened...'

It was no wonder Rem acted rashly, she must not have been at her best.

However, Subaru's mind was now in turmoil. He couldn't distinguish between what he was thinking, observing, and believing.

But there was Rem, looking at him with those blue eyes, full of affection and love...

Subaru took a deep breath, then walked with slow but heavy steps.

And surrounding Rem's body with his arms, Subaru hugged her.

"I really missed you... Rem..."

"Subaru-kun..."

"I really wanted you to be with me... I'm sorry I didn't save you..."

"Subaru-kun..."

Rem responded by hugging him back. She wrapped her thin but firm arms around him, holding him close until there was not a single space between their bodies. Subaru could feel her breath, warm and trembling, against his neck.

At first it was a slight shudder, barely perceptible… but soon the tremor ran through Rem's entire body.

"Subaru-kun... let's go far away. As far away from here as possible..."

The soft voice, almost a whisper, brushed his ear. Subaru blinked, puzzled.

"...Hey?"

Instinctively, he pulled back slightly. He didn't want to, but he needed to see Rem's face.

"Rem… what did you just say?"

He smiled weakly, as if trying to convince himself he'd heard wrong. But Rem's eyes, fixed on him, left no room for doubt. They were affectionate, yes… but there was something else. Something deep, ardent, that Subaru didn't know how to interpret.

"Remember, Subaru? That time… when you wanted to give up everything."

Subaru fell silent. Her words hit him with the same force as a painful memory.

"You were tired, defeated… No one trusted you. You wanted to run away, to disappear, to escape all that pain."

The images came flooding back to her: the looks of disdain, the weight of failure, the times she broke down without anyone seeing.

"Then... Rem saw you. Rem saw you as a hero, the one who smiles even when his world falls apart, the one who gets up even when everyone lets him down. That hero that Rem loves with all his heart."

Subaru's chest tightened. The words were similar to that confession that had once saved him… but the twist came with an icy edge.

"But Rem was wrong."

Subaru opened his mouth, but couldn't reply.

"They don't deserve that hero, Subaru. None of them."

Rem's eyes shone, but not with tenderness. They were firm, as if holding a long-held resolve.

"They don't deserve your tears, or your sacrifice. They don't deserve you carrying their pain... That... bitch doesn't deserve your love..."

Rem brought her forehead close to Subaru's, whispering in a broken yet unbreakable voice.

"Forget them... Forget her... Leave them behind. Stay with me. You don't need to save anyone else... you don't need to smile for anyone else. I'll give you all of me, all that I am, all that I have. My body, my first time, Rem will give it all to you... Just stay."

Subaru breathed heavily, as if the air suddenly felt too heavy.

"Subaru-kun… let's go far away. Just the two of us. No one will follow us… No one will stop us…"

Silence swallowed Rem's last words.

Subaru looked at her, not knowing if he was standing in front of the same Rem who had once lifted him up... or if in front of him was someone different, someone who wanted to tear him away from the world he knew.

And in the midst of that embrace, in which Rem clung with all her being, Subaru felt the edge of a dark choice approaching.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

I'm sure you already know, but everything I write here is a rough draft. Simply put, it's just the undeveloped idea, not the final result.

Well, this was the after-theatre, a bit disappointing, even for me, but lately I feel like my writing isn't improving.

Maybe I've already bored you, but I'll say it again: I'm not good at writing or developing lol.

So, I'll leave it at that, from Subaru's perspective only. If I feel like it, I might make a sequel.

Well, from now on I'll take longer to release a chapter, since I'd like to improve my writing.

I will explain this topic in the episode of Re: indelible.

Well that's all, folks.

Chapter Text

Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary guy, or at least, that's what I try to be.

Let me explain. I'm someone whose past defines me in two words: ungrateful and cowardly. It's not the best description a person could have, but that's how things were for a part of my life.

As a teenager and early adult, I, Natsuki Subaru, became a hopeless hikkikomori. I didn't leave the house or go to school.

My parents tried to convince me to do it, but I refused to listen to them, despite that, they never turned their backs on me,

But anyway, I didn't change, not even when they supported me even if I didn't go to classes.

You could say that my lifestyle was that of a lazy person, and of course it was, however, I still maintained an exercise routine that kept me in a healthy and strong condition.

I had to be prepared to protect my home from any threat.

Getting back to the topic, I'm an ordinary guy, athletic looking, with jet-black hair and eyes that make me look like a criminal.

But above all, a young man who, at 24 years old, was about to propose.

A hikikomori with a wife?

It sounds silly, but my life took me down that path. As you know, I was a hikikomori at 17, but the thing is, one day I went to a convenience store, and then I came back when I was 18.

You might think I'm crazy, but I remember what that day was like. I'd gone out like every night to get supplies so I could lock myself in my room. Mom said something to me that I ignored, and I went to the same place as always.

I bought what my body needed, left the store... and then showed up with clothes I don't remember buying, no money, a couple of scars, and a whip that looked awesome.

The fact that I had only been out for 10 minutes and then returned home a year later broke my parents' hearts.

I didn't know what to say once I saw them. For me, it had only been a few minutes; for them, it had been a year and a few months since they'd seen me.

I still dream about it, how my mother collapsed on the porch and hugged me while she cried her eyes out.

That my father left work early that night just to see me. Never, in my 17 years, or 18 at that time, had I ever seen my father cry or show any weakness.

That day, I also cried and regretted everything.

They told me how I was reported missing, and I even appeared on the news. That would have made me happy at any other time, but back then it just made me sick.

According to the news, I disappeared on a Wednesday night. Security cameras showed me leaving the store, and then I just vanished.

Yes, I disappeared in just the blink of an eye. There was nothing special, much less anything magical.

I just vanished from the world...

Once I reappeared again, I was taken to the authorities where they interrogated me, asking me where I had been.

Answering everything honestly, of course I told them I had no idea.

I may seem like a distracted and clumsy guy, but even I wouldn't forget a whole year of my life.

Surprisingly, they believed me. They gave me a medical exam and, based on my scars and physical makeup, they diagnosed me with trauma-related amnesia.

After that, my parents took me home, and there, I had to tell them how I felt.

I thought they would yell at me, blame me for being absent from their lives, and hate me.

I really thought it was like that, but... They just hugged me...

I didn't know what to believe, no, but if my parents had the strength to keep looking for me without giving up for a whole year, then I should do it too.

My father, whom I admire with all my heart, scolded me for my self-destructive thinking.

He talked me into it and convinced me to go to school. It was hard, I won't lie; I wanted to give up halfway through.

But seeing that my parents continued to support me made me ignore the looks of my classmates, who only thought I had left because I was rebellious.

Is leaving home for a year considered an act of rebellion? Well, I'm a first-class criminal!

Anyway, I kept going to class. It was embarrassing to be the only older one, but I swallowed my pride and didn't miss a single day.

Of course, I didn't have any friends... still, it wasn't so bad being ignored. It was even convenient; I wouldn't have to explain why I'd disappeared without a word.

After all that, I graduated with a decent GPA, went to a good university, and my father got me a position at his job.

And so, I became just another ordinary office worker.

I wasn't doing badly; I was doing what was needed, and my dad was proud. My mother spoke to me almost every day after I moved into a small apartment, and she visited me every weekend.

Things were monotonous on life's schedule, but one day, that changed.

I met what could very well be a fallen angel on earth.

She was a lovely looking girl, shoulder length hair, a gentle look, and most importantly, the kindest and most caring person I have ever met.

He always treated me well and greeted me every day. He even invited me to social events.

At first, I thought it was just because... well, he's someone with a difficult background. But I was wrong.

Not only was he always looking out for me, he made me a bento every day, and since I was his advisor, he asked me about anything.

Even if I was wrong myself, she found it adorable.

I don't know what I did after that, since I keep everything in my heart as priceless memories that I couldn't enjoy during my student days, but from that day on I fell in love.

I still remember how she asked me out... Yes, she made the first move... and the second... it's embarrassing, but she was the one who initiated everything.

But not this time. I, Natsuki Subaru, will be the one proposing to her...

How exciting! I can't sleep, I make a lot of mistakes at work, and my boss scolds me every minute! And yet I can't help but get excited like a child!

Sure, I'm 24, so I should act like an adult... But it's great to have a girlfriend!

Without a doubt, I can say that I am in the best stage of my life.

And now, after having gone to my parents' house with my girlfriend by my side, I was walking next to her through my old neighborhood.

It was nighttime, with stars adorning the night sky and the moon hanging at its highest point.

I wandered off into my thoughts for a moment. It was a full moon, just like that day. No matter how much time passes, I don't think I'll ever forget that night, the moment I disappeared from the world.

Before I could think of anything else, I felt my hand being grabbed. When I looked over at the person who did it, there she was, staring at me with her big blue eyes.

"What are you thinking about, Subaru? About how the boss will scold you again tomorrow morning?"

She, Yui Tanaka, looked at me with an adorable smile. Seeing her so close to me still made my heart race.

I guess she knows it too, because she always takes me by surprise, even at work.

"Oh, no. I know tomorrow will be great. I handed in the accounting sheets impeccably, filed the requested documents, and most of all, bought donuts for the boss and our colleagues!"

"Oh, by the way, I did my part in all that too, you know? I deserve a pretty good reward. I wonder what my cute delinquent boyfriend will give me?"

Yui leaned a little closer to me, mocking my status. Or perhaps because of my terrifying eyes.

"If being a criminal means having a scary face, then I'm guilty on all counts."

It's not that I looked like a thug or anything, it's just that my eyes didn't look the kindest.

Generally, they don't bother me, they were an inheritance from my mother, so I appreciate them very much.

Of course, Yui knows that, but she hasn't stopped bothering me about it since one of our coworkers freaked out when she saw me in the office late at night.

I remember how I had to show my ID so he would believe I was a humble worker.

"Hehe, yeah. I'm not gonna lie, I laughed a lot when they called to tell me to pick you up from the police station."

A soft and sweet laugh escaped her lips, with the stars around us, I could only appreciate the view.

She was so pretty, she could easily become a model if she wanted to.

Taking a few more small steps forward, continue our conversation

"I don't find it very funny. I hadn't slept that day, my coffee spilled on my shirt, and I had to spend the night next to a guy who was trying to recruit me into some weird cult."

I put on a bitter tone of voice. I don't blame our classmate; I couldn't have looked worse that day, but I really had to explain to my parents why I was being guarded by the police.

"Well, I got really angry too. I still can't believe Chiwa did that. But what goes well, goes well."

Yui followed me and said that with some annoyance, but it was quickly replaced with a mischievous smile as she leaned further into me.

"Besides, I got to pick you up and take you to my house. Didn't you enjoy our movie night?"

"It's unimaginable that I didn't. I'd be an idiot not to see my angel in such casual clothes. But did they have to be a horror movie?!"

"But you look so cute when you close your eyes and cuddle up to me. You look like a baby."

"Ahhh, my manhood is sinking further and further..."

Yui has always been an adventurous girl and fearless of anything, in fact, of the two of us, she is always the dominant one in our relationship.

Our coworkers make fun of me for this. They call Yui the woman with the pants on.

And things only got worse once Yui discovered my weakness for scary movies.

'I'm not going to try to act brave again... Or well, I'll keep doing it until Yui sees me as a man. I am a man...'

"Hey, Subaru, do you want to stop by for some ramen and fries to watch your anime today?"

'A man with childlike tastes who watches anime with his girlfriend...'

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

Part 2.

We walked a few blocks until we reached a store, where we entered and separated to choose what we were going to eat.

Yui headed towards the refrigerators, most likely buying strawberry ice cream.

For my part, I headed over to the not-so-healthy food aisle, where a row of bags of corn chips in different flavors were waiting for me to choose.

"Mmm, no, not Natto... Yui liked them spicy."

I grabbed about three bags: one for me, one for Yui, and the last one for me too. Yui will scold me, but she'll forgive me if I buy her a popsicle.

After eating the snacks that we will eat while watching the anime we both like, I got up and walked towards Yui.

When I saw her, I couldn't help but laugh at what I saw; Yui was standing on her tiptoes, stretching her hand as far as she could to reach a tub of ice cream that was on the top of the shelf.

She wasn't very tall, actually, she was a bit short, but that didn't make her any less cute when she hugged me.

'She looks so adorable trying to reach the top... What if I scare her? Hehe, no, she'd give me double the price.'

I loved joking with Yui, but if I did I ran the risk of being the victim of a joke from her.

Unlike me, Yui was clever at that, but I always got caught. Now that the prank is out of the question, all that's left to do is the next step.

"Hyaa!"

"Let's go up"

I sneaked up on Yui, and without her seeing me coming, I grabbed her by the sides and lifted her up.

Yui was small and light, so it wasn't complicated. She let out a cute squeal as she stared at me with both eyes open.

"Ayaya- You scared me, and it tickles me that you grab me there."

She squirmed a little as she reached for the ice cream tub, once she did I had a little fun with her.

"So, princess, where do you want your knight to take you?"

"Mmm, there are plenty of places I'd like to be carried. For now, toward the counter, please."

"This humble gentleman will carry out your orders, Let's go!"

Surprisingly, Yui played along and allowed me to carry her to the counter.

The only ones in the store were Yui, me, and the counter clerk, so there was no need to worry about people staring at us.

The employee looked at us a little surprised by the way we arrived, however, he didn't seem to care enough.

Even though I heard him mutter 'Lucky...' under his breath.

'Cheer up, my friend. Spring comes to us all! And you're absolutely right, I'm lucky.'

I rejoiced in my thoughts. I can't believe I'm on the other side of being envied for having a partner.

Anyway, I took Yui downstairs and paid for what we bought. After that, we left the store and sat on the sidewalk.

"You bought two popsicles? I'm surprised coming from you."

"You bought two bags of chips. Instead, I thought of the two of us. Here."

Unlike me, Yui was careful with what she ate, and always scolded me when I overindulged.

This time she was the one who overspent. I'm not judging her; her figure is great, and I don't mind following her eating routine.

But it seems that one of those palettes was for me, he gave it to me and I gladly received it.

Now, sitting on a sidewalk and looking at the stars that illuminated us, Yui and I enjoyed our time.

Honestly, there's nothing I'd change about my life. I started out as a carbon copy of my father, stumbled trying to be someone worthy of that, but ended up with a girl who only adds flavor to my life.

At that moment, I took Yui's hand, and she returned the gesture with a smile while eating her popsicle.

She looked cute as she tried to keep the popsicle from melting and dripping on her outfit.

I truly love her. I still think about the day I met her. I wasn't unhappy, but I can't say I was happy either.

I didn't have any friends, I didn't leave the house much either, but since she arrived, I guess I don't care about the difficulties I face.

I will overcome them all.

My eyes drifted to her lips, and an urge to kiss her came over me. Yui seemed to feel the same way, as she stopped licking the lollipop and smiled at me.

Her lips were stained with the colorful food coloring from the lollipop. I should help her clean it up...

Holding hands, I leaned towards her, and just as our lips were about to touch each other,

"Ugh"

"...? Subaru, are you okay?"

A sudden dizziness hit without warning. My eyes blurred from my surroundings, and a chill ran down my spine.

But from one second to the next, it disappeared.

"Yes, I am. I guess not sleeping to do my job is already taking its toll on me."

"Mmm, I'm worried about you keeping taking extra shifts. You're not short on money, but if you really need it, I can lend you some."

"No way! A gentleman would never ask his princess to buy him gifts. It's fine, it's just for a collection of figurines I'm interested in."

I tried to justify why I was taking more hours than I should at work, but Yui didn't seem too convinced by my excuse, but she let it go with a pout. How cute.

Fortunately, she didn't insist on it further; she seemed more concerned about my current condition than my work schedule.

...The truth is that I took on overtime to earn some money and be able to buy what I have saved in my bag.

I had no problems with my salary, although it wasn't much, I wasn't doing badly, and my expenses were fair.

But I wanted to buy something quality for Yui, especially if it was an engagement ring.

It's a surprise for later, but I plan to propose to her in two months.

The plan was ready. I told Dad about my intentions, and he immediately supported me. He found me a nice place to propose, the same one where Dad proposed to Mom.

I took a look, and it was perfect. For now, I just have to hide the fact that I keep a 14-karat rose gold sterling silver Pandora ring with a scarlet diamond center in my pocket...

Have I exaggerated? I don't think so.

It was expensive, but nothing that wasn't worth it. Only the best for her.

Yui looked at me for a bit, but soon relaxed her expression and smiled at me.

"I believe you, I just ask that you don't overload yourself with work. Of all of us, you know I can give you anything you ask for."

"Yes, but I only love you."

My words came out without intervention, having the delicious effect of making Yui blush...

And at that moment, I blinked.

Hmm? How strange, a light began to project through my closed eyelids...

It was supposed to be night, and it was also supposed to be just Yui and me on the sidewalk.

'Why is there so much noise then?'

"..."

It took me a long time to open my eyes, which was strange. Once I opened them, the bright light dazzled me.

My eyes began to adjust to the new change in surroundings, and as they did, I couldn't help but choke on my own breath...

"What the devil...?"

In front of me, there was no empty, dark road, and behind me there was no store where I had just left with Yui.

No... in front of me, there were people walking along without a care in the world. A cart passing by was driven by a dog-like humanoid.

The sidewalk where I was sitting no longer existed, but now I was sitting in the middle of the street.

People walking by me looked at me with curious and somewhat worried eyes, most likely because they saw a guy sitting with a popsicle in his hand without any explanation.

"Wait... Where am I?"

My words came out with an expectant breath.

I don't know where the hell I am, and more importantly, why were there beings who clearly aren't human? I just saw a woman moving the cat ears on her head!

"This is bad, very bad. I'm clearly not dreaming. I can feel the sun hitting my skin, everyone's looking at me like I'm crazy, and most of all... my popsicle has already melted..."

If this was a dream, it must be a very real one, but he was sure that wasn't the case.

'Shit. How the hell did I end up here? I was supposed to just get off work, go to my parents' house, and then... then, Yui and I were sitting on the sidewalk...'

Yui, Yui! Yui was with me when I traveled here, so that means...

"Subaru..."

My alarmist thoughts were interrupted by a confused sounding voice.

I turned my head slowly, and there she was. Yui was with me, holding my hand...

So... this wasn't a dream, I could feel the trembling in her, I could see her with a confused and somewhat scared expression...

"It just can't be..."

Before me was a city of old, with no vehicles, only carts. There were people, but there were also beastmen.

A different time, different people...

What it means

"Shall we travel to a parallel world?"

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

Part 3.

"This can't be true, right?

I exhaled helplessly. After sitting there for a while, stunned, we finally snapped out of our trance, and Yui and I walked aimlessly.

There were many people around us, many of them looking at us with a confused expression, but we decided to ignore them and get out of the public eye.

As we did so, I felt my hand being held tightly and with palpable nervousness.

"Yui, are you okay?"

I asked her with a hint of concern in my voice. Seeing her cowering and clinging to me made my heart sink.

Yui seemed hesitant, but nodded and smiled at me, trying to look calm.

"Yeah. I just don't know, it all seems so surreal to me."

"Tell me about it. As a young man, I had a dream of being transported to a different world."

"Wow, were you that cute as a teenager? Hehe..."

A small laugh escaped her trembling lips. Even if she doesn't tell me, I know her well enough to know she's hiding her fear.

Yui has always been like this, she stays calm in situations where she shouldn't be able to stay calm.

I admired her for that, but I wouldn't mind if she decided to cry a little.

For my part, this hasn't sunk in. What I told Yui wasn't a lie; I had previously longed to go to another world to escape the pressure weighing on me.

But this? I didn't want this. Hell, I wished this was just a dream and I could wake up in my bed.

My life was finally sorted, but now I'm here, trapped in what could very well be a fantasy world. Any teenager's dream, but not mine.

As soon as I figure out a way out of here, we'll leave without a second thought,

'All right, Subar. You're a die-hard anime, manga, and novel fan. You've read hundreds of these kinds of stories. You're practically a veteran. The first thing I should do is check if the language is the same. However, if it isn't, they'll think of us as foreigners.'

The situation was this: We're complete strangers. I don't know the situation here, but at least we can continue walking and remain unnoticed for a while.

It's not the best option, but it gives me time to think.

My fear was that if the language was different from ours, we might be called out and we would be discovered and perhaps interrogated without even knowing what they were saying.

I don't know if there's a law that condemns foreigners, but we won't take the risk.

"Subaru, Subaru. Look."

Snapping out of my thoughts, Yui touched my cheek repeatedly and pointed with her chin toward a fruit stand.

In it, there was a girl a few years younger than us, with green hair and blue eyes. The typical appearance of an otherworldly fantasy.

"Don't you think she's cute? I think you've been considering what we should do, and I agree. Should we go over and ask about the price of the fruit?"

"You read my mind. We'll talk first and ask the price. If we understand her, we'll apologize for not having any money. And if she doesn't speak our language, we'll quietly walk away. Very good plan!"

"Hehe, I was just going along with your lead. Watching a lot of anime with you gave me some experience."

Yui suggested exactly what I was thinking and chose a girl who didn't look scary, or at least wasn't hostile at first glance.

I congratulated her on her good observation, to which she responded with a thumbs up and a confident smile.

I'm glad to see you in better spirits. At least now we have a plan,

We approached the fruit stand cautiously, but not too far. The girl working there saw us and smiled politely.

"Welcome, sir and miss. Are you looking to buy something you'd like?"

The girl greeted us kindly, showing and pointing at her humble shop.

From what I could see, what they were selling were apples that looked very good quality. Looking at them more closely, I couldn't help but want one.

It's a shame we don't have any money in this world.

But that wasn't important right now. Yui and I looked at each other and nodded in unison as we discovered what we were looking for: This world speaks our language.

More confident than before, I smiled at the girl serving us and pretended to look at the apples with interest.

"Well, the apples look fresh and of excellent quality."

"Ah, yes! My dad and I make sure our products are fresh and delicious. You can choose whichever you like... Mmm, by the way, sir, these here are Appas."

The girl gave us a friendly and enthusiastic presentation, her attitude was contagious so I couldn't help but be on the same wavelength.

However, her smile faltered as soon as the fruit that was clearly apples called them... Apples!

Yui poked me in the side, and I nearly slashed. That was our cue to act as planned.

"Oh, I'm sorry about my partner's childish behavior. It's just that he calls them Apples. Doesn't that sound cute?"

"Actually, it does sound nice."

"I know, right? But anyway, we appreciate you showing us the Appas in such excellent quality. We're just a little worried about the price."

When doubts had begun to circulate in the girl's mind, Yui and I switched roles, now she would be in charge of moving the conversation in a direction opposite to the one I had.

Hopefully, we'd be able to distract the girl and start a new topic that matters to us: The currency of this world and how it works.

Speaking casually and with a lively expression, Yui asked about the price of the Appas and made a gesture with her fingers indicating whether the value was a lot or a little.

Seeing this, the lime-haired girl put a finger to her lip and seemed to think about it.

You don't want to scam us, do you?

As my thoughts wandered toward a possible scam, through my peripheral vision, I could see something that caught my attention.

I hadn't noticed because I was busy dealing with being transported to another world, but in the middle of the main street, there was a carved stone statue.

The sculpted figure was a strange man. Being on the other side, I couldn't see his front, but I could see his back, and what I saw left me confused.

The sculpture had a jacket on it, plus it was striking a pose that made my eyes scrunch up.

'It looks like my own pose. Great, in another world and I should sue for copyright.'

In short, that was the pose I used to do a lot in my teens. Nowadays, I don't do it as much as I used to, mainly because it's embarrassing.

The only ones who have seen me do it are my parents and Yui, the rest will have to manage to see it.

My curiosity was satisfied and I returned my attention to the pleasant conversation that Yui and the girl were having.

They both seemed to get along, and it also seemed like they were talking about me when Yui pointed at me and the girl started laughing.

After laughing a little, Yui calmed her voice and looked at the sign hanging on the fruit stand.

Now that I think about it, they look like characters. I guess language doesn't go hand in hand with grammar, so they're different, huh?

"So, you're telling me the Appa is worth three copper coins, right? Let's say we have them, but if the Appa is worth more, how many copper coins do we need?"

"Well, then they wouldn't be copper coins anymore, but silver, Yui-chan, but that's only if we exaggerate."

"Oh, then we should give it some thought. You see, my cute partner over there and I are visiting, so we don't have a lot of coins with us. So I'm sorry if we wasted your time, Plum-chan."

Apologizing with a bow, Yui named the girl we were speaking to. Apparently, her name was Plum.

Strange, but I'm not one to judge. Aside from that, did Yui gain his trust so quickly?

Of course, I left the way clear for it to be that way, but I'm still surprised by its versatility.

In any case, what I heard is very valuable. Apparently, this world is governed by coins of copper, silver, and quite possibly gold, if we follow that logic. I'm not sure there's a more valuable currency than those, but I'm satisfied with knowing the basics.

From what I understand, one Appa is worth three copper coins, which is very cheap if I put it in perspective.

Assuming that, it is easy to understand its monetary value.

Now we just have to figure out how much each one would be worth, but for now, we've learned enough.

Gently tapping Yui on the back, I gave her the signal to discreetly leave.

Understanding my message, he nodded and winked at me.

"Thank you so much for your time, Plum-chan. I promise to come back and buy you lots of Appas when I have the money."

"Oh, no problem. I really enjoyed your company, even though I don't talk to the gentleman much."

"Did you finally remember me? I felt a little lonely when you took over my girlfriend's attention and I was left out. But I forgive you because you have a very good Appa position."

"Hehe, none of that, sir, I also enjoyed your company, especially since you reminded me of someone."

That struck me as odd. Me reminding him of someone in this world? Trying to sound funny, I placed my hand on my chin and nodded thoughtfully.

"I guess he must have been very handsome. There's no other explanation."

"Not at all, he had a terrifying look, just like yours!"

"My reputation precedes me even here! I pity that person. Our genes must be a magnet for bad rumors."

If even my delinquent look is striking in this new world, I wouldn't be surprised if it reminds someone of me; after all, an expression like mine shouldn't be so common here.

If I put it in perspective, Yui is the one who looks more like a magical girl, so she would have no problem going unnoticed.

Me, on the other hand, well, I'm average-looking, and the only thing that stands out are my eyes. As a mental note, I should keep that in mind.

Before I could say anything else, I noticed Plum look down and put on a somewhat conflicted expression.

"Well, he's not here anymore. He disappeared after the dragon incident."

When I heard that, I immediately knew I'd stepped on a dangerous landmine. I didn't know the man in question was probably dead.

I don't know the history of this world either, so I won't be able to answer you about that event.

However, do not falter.

"I'm sorry to hear that. If you knew him, he must have been special to you."

I tried to sound sympathetic, but Plum gently shook her head.

"Not really. But my father did. He told me that when I was a child, he and the candidate for the throne, Emilia-sama, helped him make the business prosper. He also said that the first time he met him was when I got lost, and that Emilia-sama helped him find me."

Having said that with a smile, the girl touched a flower arrangement that adorned her head.

I didn't know what to answer, I didn't want to get too involved in a topic I know nothing about, but I couldn't help but take a coin out of my pocket.

"Do you want to see a magic trick?"

I suggested it without thinking. Yui glared at me briefly, but let me continue, even urging me to do so.

I guess like me, she also noticed Plum's sad expression.

Plum looked at me with questioning eyes, and shifted her gaze to the coin I pulled out.

"A magic trick? He'll use a spell."

"Unfortunately, I don't have any of that. This, Plum-chan, is a simple and not at all magical trick. But that doesn't make it any less special."

I moved the coin between my fingers, catching Plum's attention, who began to look at it more enthusiastically.

I don't have any special tricks, but it won't hurt to try to improve the atmosphere.

It would be a bad taste in my mouth if we left Plum in that mood while we were getting something from her, and I'm sure Yui would too.

She sat next to us, watching with a smile as I began to move my hands energetically.

"You see, this trick only works with this coin."

"Is that a coin?"

"Of course! And not just any coin, it's a one-of-a-kind, caramel-edged one. So keep an eye on it."

I said that with a touch of mysticism, something that completely caught Plum's attention, who was now focused on my hands.

I smiled in amusement, waved my hands in the air, and then,

"And now, where is it!"

The coin that was hidden in my hands had magically disappeared...

Of course, that wasn't the case, but Plum didn't have to know that. She watched in fascination once the coin was nowhere to be seen.

She shook her head from side to side like a little girl.

"How did he do that?"

"Jojojo, interested in knowing the magician's secrets?"

Plum nodded vigorously. How adorable. However, I chuckled like an evil being.

"That's too bad! Because I'll take my secrets to the grave!"

"Ah, that's not fair! You just made the coin disappear without saying anything!"

His face turned as red as the Appas they were selling, while I was amused by his reactions.

Well, the trick must go on.

"But you needn't fear, miss. Because the magician always hides his best cards, right here!"

Quickly and with a dramatic movement, I brought my hand behind Plum's ear, and unexpectedly, I took out the same coin that disappeared before her eyes.

"Oh, the coin! How did you do it and when did you put it there?"

"As I said, a good magician never reveals his tricks. However..."

With the coin in my hand, I began to move it between my fingers, skillfully passing it through the grooves.

Reaching down to my index finger and thumb, I held it up in front of Plum.

And with a smile from ear to ear, I handed the coin to the girl who saw me as a crazy guy.

"This magician never leaves good spectators unrewarded."

Plum looked surprised for a moment, then looking between the coin in my fingers and me, she asked in a shy voice.

"Are you giving me the coin?"

"Mmm, giving away would be a bit much, right? Then don't think of it that way. Consider it a nice exchange for explaining to us the value of your apples."

I instantly understood Plum's personality, she was an energetic but humble girl.

He took the time to explain the value of his products to us, even though he knew we wouldn't buy anything.

I knew that even if I said it was a gift, I wouldn't accept it, so this isn't a gift I should feel sorry for receiving.

She seemed to understand, because she glanced at Yui, who was watching our show with a smile.

Yui nodded politely and gave a thumbs-up as she said, 'It's very special. You can take it.'

After that and confirming that neither of us had any problems, Plum reached out her hand timidly but excitedly.

"Can I really have something so special?"

He asked with some doubt, to which I responded by winking at him.

"So the coin is where it belongs. After all, you're special too. Isn't it common sense to leave something special for a special person?"

"I..."

Before I let her doubts accumulate, I placed my hand on her head and stroked it gently. It was a thoughtless thing for my father to do, but Plum looked sad.

Even if she's not a child, she's not an adult either, so she had every right to express her melancholy.

"I don't know how you met that person, or what happened after that. But don't let it bother you. After all, what saddens you the most is what happened to the girl named Emilia, right?"

"..."

I was absolutely right. From the moment I heard that guy's story, I knew Plum wasn't sad about his fate, since, as she said, she didn't know him.

However, Emilia did. Assuming the two of them were very close, it was no surprise that the girl he was talking about was sad, or worse.

And from what I saw and noticed, that pretty flower adorning her lime-colored hair must have been a gift from Emilia, since she seemed to appreciate it every time she mentioned it.

Still, I'm not one to say things will get better, but,

"I'm the hopeless, penniless, completely broke guy who met you. And because of that, I know you'll do your best to continue, because you're that special, Plum."

"...!"

My words reached Plum, and from what I can see, her heart too. That was fine; someone selling at a fruit stand with that kind of energy must be special.

Once I said that, Plum took the coin in her hands, appreciating it as something that will also become the same as her.

"Thank you very much... If you have time, come by. I'll give you a discount."

"Hehe, a fair price. Alright, see you later, Plum-chan!"

"It was nice talking to you, Plum-chan, I promise to come back and buy you lots of Appas."

Yui and I said our goodbyes as we walked away. Honestly, our interaction with the first person in this world was pleasant.

Plum was a sweet girl, doing her best to make a place for herself in this world, and I guess we should too.

I don't know how, but somehow we'll make it.

Whether it's money, food, or whatever dangers this world throws at us, no matter what, we'll make it through.

It may take many weeks, months, or even years, but I swear, I promise. No matter what, I'm going to return home to Yui, and nothing can stop me.

Even if I die, I'm going to save her.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

I'd said I'd stop writing to improve my writing, but I realized the best practice is consistent. So... here's a new idea!

In this one, we'll see a Subaru who, as you might guess, returned to his world and did everything Tappei said would happen if he had never traveled.

This Subaru is at his best both physically and mentally, he is smarter and more cunning, he knows when to talk and when not to, and above all, he is in love, but not with Emilia, and said girl traveled to the world of Re:zero with him!

You'll see Rem and Emilia's reaction, and if you think they'll give up on Subaru, you're wrong, because they're both depressed.

And in case you're wondering... yes... Emilia is queen, however, there's a problem, and this Subaru must do everything possible to prevent a war between the nation of Gusteko and Lugunica from breaking out.

Also, there will be an arc similar to Arc 6, where Subaru will return to his younger body and with Natsuki Subaru's memory. (It will be a nightmare for him.)

This story will be a little more focused on politics, but it will also be difficult, since Subaru will die many times.

Anyway, there are more ideas about this fic, and I also proposed it to Thinkmind, but it will take a long time to adapt it, so I got ahead of myself XD.

I really enjoyed writing this one-shot, right after writing the previous one, so I needed my dose of happiness.

I wanted to try a different way of telling the story, so it will be in first person.

But anyway, that's all for today, I hope you enjoyed it and let me know if my writing improves or worsens.

Chapter Text

As you can see, this is not a chapter.

When I started writing here, I only did it so that I didn't forget certain ideas that were hanging in my head, since, well, I was interested in writing them but I wasn't sure about it.

So I decided to put them here to remember them later, and if anyone wanted to use them, they could do it.

But seeing that some of these stories have been liked by some, (and I as a reader would also like more) I wondered if they would like the following:

-Write a long chapter dedicated to one of these stories, which will not be the complete fiction, but a chapter dedicated to this.

Basically it would be a long chapter that would be a little bit like the king of pride, which would span arc one in a single chapter.

And the reason for this, well... I'll just start with one fiche at a time and that'll happen as soon as I finish Re: indelible, until then, I wouldn't do another haha.

But hey, I'm just asking if you're interested.

So far I have 5. Choose which one you want me to write the first chapter first:

1.- Re: Word: - if this covers the entire arc 1.

2.- RE: Mysteries - Lord of Zero - Do not cover arc 1 because this thing will be very complicated so that a single arc can cover everything, in addition, it is the one that would take the longest to come out.

3.- RE: SCP - ZERO - Also full arc one.

4.- The echo of the stage - After the infernal theaters - This one here is complicated, and I think the most awkward to read haha.

5.- RE:ZERO - Starting over once again with a new life - Equally, an entire arc in a chapter. I liked writing this one hahaha.

Now with the five options, all you have to do is ask them if they want that chapter to be published here, or if they want me to set it aside.

In my opinion; I would recommend that it be here, as it would not be the complete fiche.

But I leave it to you.

I don't know how many people are going to vote, many or few, but if you want to see one of these stories with an extra long chapter, let me know.

That's it, thank you for your attention. If you'll excuse me, I'll go to sleep. Chao.

Chapter Text

A day like any other, Natsuki Subaru enjoyed his free time with his great spirit, Beatrice. The two of them sat together, eating cream-filled pastries, reading books inside Subaru 's room , which he shared with his spirit.

The two were reading a book separately, while Beatrice, sitting on Subaru 's lap , read about the cakes.

While Subaru , sitting on his bedroom floor with Beatrice on his lap, tried to understand what he was reading.

"This book is complicated..."

Frowning as if to comprehend the words written on the sheet, Subaru picked it up, turned it upside down, turned it over, and yet.

"I don't understand anything!"

There was no result.

The book in question was called "Butterfly," a simple title for a book whose cover was simply text. A stellar combination in Subaru 's opinion .

Most of Subaru 's dissatisfaction with the book was that, although he could read it, many concepts and words written in it were not understandable if he applied them to his already limited vocabulary.

Still, he didn't give up, especially since that book was a gift from Beatrice.

A few months have passed since Subaru and Beatrice had formalized their contract, and rooted in that, their relationship climbed from a stone to a mountain.

In short, they were inseparable. That's why they both agreed to give each other a gift as a token of their inseparable relationship.

While Subaru had handwritten a recipe book for his spirit's world's pastries, Beatrice gave her contractor a gift that, in Subaru 's words , was something very valuable.

" Beako , I'm so grateful you gave me something so precious that it would surely fetch a lot if sold. But it's so hard to read! What kind of grammar is this?"

Subaru 's confusion , Beatrice put down her reading and looked in his direction.

"I guess it's pretty outrageous of you to say that, actually. Also, never sell it!"

"Of course I never would. Ever since my sweet, adorable, amazing spirit gave it to me, it's become my favorite book. Though I'll never know what it says ."

Subaru 's completely flattering comment caused Beatrice to blush and hide behind her book with a loud " I guess !"

Despite having formed her contract just a few months ago, Beatrice was very attentive to details of this type.

Subaru 's comments, presence, and most of all, his praise for her.

Of course, he wouldn't admit it. However, Subaru knew that was the case, so he always made sure to praise Beatrice every minute of his life.

Subaru returned the book in his hands and strained his eyes to find some meaning.

Squinting as if it would help, Subaru tried his best to make sense of it, but,

"I'm not going to lie to look cool. Beako , I'm illiterate. This book is complicated!"

The main reason the book was indecipherable was that there were words I didn't know.

An example would be the word " cortesu ", followed by others that conjugated a verb in a slang that did not exist in Subaru 's short vocabulary .

Concepts, vocabulary, and sentences that, when used together, seemed to lead nowhere.

"I guess it really is a complicated book."

"You suppose? Even though I understand some words, the rest is simply nonexistent. Reading this one paragraph that I could understand, it says; "The fluttering of the molecule , intruded upon the star, giving to the present, a past, and to the past a future." And that's all I could read!"

I waved the book in frustration and dropped it on the bed to free my hands. After freeing myself from it , Subaru grabbed Beatrice by her sides and lifted her up.

Now, with Beatrice in the sky, Subaru threw her up and caught her like a child.

" Hyaa , I guess! Why are you treating Betty like that?!"

"You gave me such an amazing book and I can't even understand it! It's frustrating!"

"I guess that's no excuse! Mother was the one who gave Betty the book, and it's from 400 years ago... Come on, Betty!"

Once Subaru decided it was time to leave Beatrice, he fell onto the bed and sighed tiredly.

It had been a tiring day. Being Emilia's knight, working as a butler in the mansion, and annoying Beatrice as his hobby.

But other than that, life has been very good with Subaru these past few months, so much so that it seems suspicious.

'With my bad luck, I shouldn't be surprised if something bad happens. But as long as it doesn't, I'll enjoy my days!'

Lying down and being hugged by Beatrice, who once touched the bed is asleep Instantly , Subaru dozed for a while as his thoughts wandered.

'That book was very complicated... even so, I'll try my best to understand it. It was a gift from Beako , after all!'

' Ugh , my head is spinning. I feel exhausted and my legs aren't even responding anymore.'

'I guess it's normal, but I feel really tired... Hmm ? How strange, I can't open my eyes.'

'Well, whatever it is, I guess I'll sleep now.'

'...'

'...'

'...I can't sleep... What the hell, I can't even move! Even though my head feels clear, my body feels like it's been hit by a wrecking ball.'

'Lucky me, I'm so tired I can't even sleep. Oh, right? I'll just count until I fall asleep.'

'...'

'...'

'I've already counted to a thousand, and I can't even get to sleep... Hah , reading that book was more tiring than I thought. Thinking about it, at least I could understand some of the words, especially that sentence.'

'As I was saying? Oh, right; "The butterfly's fluttering wings, intruding upon the star, giving the present a past, and the past a future." It sounds like it makes no sense at all, but I find the present and past part a little odd...'

'Now that I'm like this, I realized I didn't turn off the light; it 's seeping through my eyelids. I guess I should get up and turn it off...'

'...Come on, get up.'

'...'

'My body won't obey me! Gosh, I can't feel my arms or legs, all I feel is my head!'

'Wait, something 's happening.'

His thoughts flowed like a river through his lucid mind . Despite being tired, for some reason Subaru couldn't understand, he remained awake and unable to open his eyes.

The phenomenon he was experiencing was similar to those stories he had heard in his world.

Sleep paralysis. A condition where sufferers become trapped in their own bodies, unable to move.

Of course, it wasn't a serious case; this condition is only temporary and uncomplicated, and it only occurred in specific situations , specifically when they fell asleep. But experiencing it firsthand was something different than I had imagined.

Trying to get out of that state, Subaru moved his toes a little, then continued slowly and felt them.

'I did it!'

After a couple of attempts, Subaru felt his fingers moving, after that, he tried it with the fingers of his hands.

'A little more, a little more...'

And finally, his efforts paid off. His fingers began to move freely.

Now that he had a longer reach, Subaru continued with his feet, followed by his legs, and ending with his arms.

Feeling his mobility returning, albeit somewhat clumsily, Subaru tried to get out of bed.

However...

"Hey..."

Once Subaru opened his eyes, he saw that he was no longer in his room, nor anywhere else he knew.

"..."

He wasn't accompanied by Beatrice either; in fact, he was completely alone in that dark and strange place.

In front of him, there was nothing but a curtain of darkness. Looking back, it was the same result.

Confused, Subaru raised his head and sat up , but something was wrong.

His body, which he previously couldn't feel, was shorter than Subaru remembered, his arms didn't reach where he wanted them to, and his legs felt... smaller?

"Hey... WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BODY?!!"

Taking a closer look, Subaru noticed his shrunken hands, the same being the case for the rest of his body.

I touch her face, feeling it more rejuvenated and much less old than it should be.

Feeling that, Subaru reacted belatedly with a gasp and quickly scanned his entire body from top to bottom.

"I-It can't be."

His fears had been confirmed. Subaru , who would have turned 18 in a few months... He regressed a few years.

In short: I stop being a young adult, and become a teenager.

"But why?! What's more, where am I?!"

His fatigue disappeared the instant he realized his situation. Spinning around like a dog chasing its tail, Subaru raised his head and looked straight ahead.

There was nothing, as expected, a darkness rose as far as his sight could reach.

However, before he could think of anything else, a dazzling brightness arrived the instant Subaru focused his eyes on the bright spots.

"Hey..."

A cluster of glittering dust unfolded before his wide-open eyes.

Stardust settled beneath her bare feet and, as if by magic, the ground seemed to become a small, dark lake with no shore.

"Ok, I don't know anymore to think... Am I in a dream...? Ouch . Well no, I'm not dreaming..."

The things that happened around him began to be inexplicable, until they became fantastical.

Feeling like he was in a dream, Subaru used his small hands on his face, and pulling on his soft cheek, he pinched it hard.

Unfortunately, the pain came, and so his suspicions were thrown into the trash.

" Ouch , ouch , ouch ! I get it, I'm not in a dream! Guh ... So... what now ? "

Subaru squealed in exasperation and sank to his haunches. Resigned, he looked up at the star cluster spread out across the watery ground.

Things got out of hand, or at least, they couldn't get out of it.

Having nothing else to say or do, Subaru looked at the stardust.

"Well, I know I'm in an awkward situation, but I can't deny that it looks amazing."

It was so dark around him that his only source of illumination was that magical glow beneath him.

Marveling at this, Subaru reached out and played with the lake with his finger.

" Wow , that feels weird, and cold. Oh, I can reflect too. Cool."

Once he ran his finger across the liquid surface, the powder spread out as it swirled elsewhere, giving him room to look at his reflection.

Looking at herself in more detail, Subaru saw that the age she was rejuvenated to had been a couple of years.

Specifically speaking, he had the appearance of a 14-year-old teenager. Not too old, not too young, just the perfect middle ground for a rebellious attitude.

Perhaps that's why his curiosity was piqued and he began to play outrageously.

"Wow! They look like stars reflected in the sea! The sensation is incredible. It's like bioluminescence. And I'm all alone, enjoying this like a little kid!"

Realizing his childish attitude, Subaru stopped playing. With the palm of his hand, he stirred the water, muddying it in frustration.

" Ahh ... I'm not awake, my body has become a teenager, and my only company is this lake with glitter dust... Hell, at least I'd feel less bad if Beako was with me... Huh? What's that?"

As his thoughts turned against him, his eyes wandered over his surrounding area in search of a way out.

However, he hadn't noticed that the stardust floating on the lake had rearranged itself after he had stirred the water.

Seeing that the glow of this one grew more intense, Subaru fixed his gaze on it .

After doing so, those bright dots placed from corner to corner formed one line after another and successively, the rest did the same.

That image, which was slowly becoming something known only to someone like Subaru , made his jaw drop in surprise.

Because what were once randomly scattered bright dots were now figures that formed what Subaru knew as...

" Constellations ! They are constellations of stars!"

Clearly like water, those constellations that aligned above the lake gave birth to a new slot that Subaru could interact with.

After seeing the star spectacle, Subaru stared in awe as each constellation shone brightly.

What he saw was simply fantastic, but there was something that didn't fit.

"These constellations are not my world... but from here?"

The stars that formed figures were unknown to Subaru . Being an ardent lover of constellations, not knowing their names or shapes caught his attention.

But what provoked the most reaction in him was that these constellations existed in the world where Subaru currently lived .

He had seen them as a hobby during his free time, although he tried to draw them at some point, Subaru prioritized his work as a butler and his recent contract with Beatrice.

Understanding that, I look more closely at the cluster.

In total, 13 constellations were formed.

First of all, the first one he saw had a strange shape, if Subaru had to give it a kinship and relate it to something he could identify it with, then it would be a very grotesque one.

"It looks like an intestine. Hmm , I don't think that's right."

Tilting his head curiously, Subaru raised an eyebrow.

Without even thinking about it, the constellation before his eyes brightened even more. Not only that, the rest of them did the same.

Each of them placed a name as a highlighted title .

Strange as it may seem, the space immersed in darkness showed a certain adaptability to their wishes, since the language in which they were written was Japanese.

If I wanted to really badly, could I summon an exit door?

"..."

It didn't work.

Anyway, for now you will decipher the meaning of all this mess.

So, reading the title that was given to the constellations,

"Darkness, Greed, Butterfly, Wind, Arrogance, Righteousness, Innocence, Horn, Responsibility, Cat, Wild, Tiger, Beast, Deer, Sword, Scorpion... Uh, oh, they're names... Too specific?"

In order, Subaru named them one by one as he evaluated the figure above them.

The names were at least... curious, but they represented well the figure they illustrated.

Looking at them closely, Subaru didn't think much about what that meant to him , but as if something was calling him, he stretched out his arm.

"..."

The constellation of darkness, the one that was shaped like an intestine.

There was no particular intention beyond mere curiosity, only that, as if it were a cry for help, Subaru couldn't help but touch the stars.

And in doing so, the glow that emanated dazzled his entire world, replacing the darkness with white light.

His vision faded, his senses turned cold, and in the end, all that remained was a lonely feeling.

And in an instant...

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

"Hey?"

When Subaru opened his eyes, all he saw in his field of vision was a whiteness that made its way from all sides.

Along with that, a deadly cold ran through every inch of his rejuvenated body.

" Ahhh , I'm freezing! Now where am I supposed to be? It's too cold!"

Trembling with his arms wrapped around himself, Subaru stood up from the ground which, as expected in such a climate, was covered in snow.

"Great, there's snow, there's light, and most of all, I'm not stuck in that strange place anymore!"

Trying to find the positive in the negative of his precarious situation, Subaru chattered his teeth and began walking.

Subaru 's clothing consisted of a light set: his jacket and sweatpants, something that would prove tremendously useful for warming his body.

Unfortunately, and in addition to his shrinking, his clothes were not the most suitable for someone his size, so he rolled them up as much as he could and continued on his way.

Wherever he was, Subaru tried to gather clues to his location by looking at the scenery.

"Snow, more snow. Oh, snow in the shape of a snowman."

There was no success in his recognition.

He stayed like that for the next ten minutes, walking, with the snowstorm beating on his body.

After a few more minutes, Subaru 's eyes managed to see what appeared to be a dilapidated cabin a few meters away.

"F-Finally... I-It doesn't matter if it's abandoned, a-anything is better than this hellish cold."

Saying this with his lips blue from the low temperature, Subaru quickened his pace until he was outside the shelter that would serve to protect him until the storm passed.

Although his head was still full of questions about his condition, the purpose of that place, and above all, those constellations that did nothing but captivate him, Subaru decided that all of that would happen once he found the time to think.

Standing in front of the cabin door, Subaru raised his trembling arm and knocked a few times, hoping there was someone inside.

However, there was no response.

"Great. All that's left is to go in, sleep, and if all goes well, wake up from this confusing dream."

Using the handle, Subaru opened the door with difficulty enough to see through the gap.

Although his body was freezing, Subaru had the experience and training required to know that it was not entirely correct to enter an unknown place without first knowing what was inside .

Peeking out his eye, he took a look at what was there, and what Subaru saw made his heart freeze instantly.

"But what--?"

Inside that cabin, there was a man about two meters tall. He looked dirty and worn. The only image I could see was his back.

But in front of him , a naked girl was being watched by the presumptuous man while she trembled.

"..."

Subaru didn't know what to do. Even though he wanted to make sense of what his eyes were seeing, he didn't want his assumptions to lead him to do something that might be wrong.

Still, deep down, Subaru wanted to be wrong.

But the black-haired girl trembling before the man made that fantasy not the right one.

If the decision was between watching and doing nothing, then Subaru would take the latter option.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

A dry noise was heard , but the man ignored it, focusing his attention only on the black-haired girl.

His eyes were filled with stasis while his hands trembled with unbridled emotion.

In just one step, he closed the distance between him and the girl, who looked at him with a mixture of fear and an inexplicable feeling.

Saliva dripped vulgarly from her lips, and her lips formed a disgusting smile. Before he could get close enough to touch her...

"...!! "

A loud bang echoed throughout the cabin. Turning his eyes away from the young woman, the man frowned and gritted his teeth.

"Who the hell is out there?!"

In anger, the man shouted and turned his body towards the source of the commotion , turning his back on the girl.

Looking at the reason why he stopped his filthy act, the burly man saw that the door leading outside was open.

The door was slamming against the storm that was violently pouring through it.

Clicking his tongue, the shoulder groaned in annoyance and moved away from the girl to close the door.

"Wait there. We'll continue in a moment."

Leaving behind those words bathed in what could well be contained lust, the man approached the entrance, and as soon as he did, the breeze emanating from the storm invaded the cabin.

The icy cold was enough to kill anyone who was unprotected, but since that wasn't the case for him , he didn't care.

On the contrary, it was convenient, especially with what I had planned to do.

A smile spread across his wrinkled face, imagining what he would do to the girl behind him .

When he was about to close the door, the man lowered his head when he noticed some marks on the floor.

"That?"

There were footprints that could have been footsteps. And before I even thought about what that meant.

"...!"

He felt small hands pressed against his back. And then.

Someone behind him pushed him hard, causing the man to be thrown out of the cabin and fall face first into the snow.

And a second after he was dragged out, the door slammed shut.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! HEY, YOU, GIRL! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"

Angrily, the man shook off the snow that covered him from head to toe and abruptly threw himself against the door.

Ramming into her repeatedly, the man pounded his fists on the wood and frantically jiggled the handle.

"The storm is strong, and you'll die if you stay out there too long! So go!"

"HEY! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU ?! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR, KID!"

"No, I won't!"

From the other side of the door, a voice came out, but it wasn't the girl's, but a boy's.

From one end, the man pulled in a desperate attempt to open it and enter to kill whoever was inside with what belonged to him.

On the other side, a young man was pushing and shouting loudly while maintaining his position without giving in.

A fight to see who could open it or keep it closed developed .

In a fight of endurance, the man had the advantage thanks to his large body, however, the icy cold that seeped into his bones slowed him down.

His arms shook, his eyes blurred and lost clarity while his lungs struggled to breathe.

His muscles were contracting, and if he continued under that storm that was mercilessly besieging him, he would inevitably die.

"SHIT!! DAMN IT!! GIVE ME BACK WHAT BELONGS TO ME!!"

At one point, even his legs began to buckle under the extreme weather.

The snow piled up and if he stayed still any longer, he would no longer have the strength to find shelter.

With no other option, the man banged and kicked the door in a rage.

"IT'S NOT OVER!! I'LL FIND YOU AND KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! DID YOU HEAR ME?! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!"

After cursing at the boy who stood between him and the black-haired girl, the man turned away from the door and walked away from the cabin.

With the icy storm, there wasn't much chance of finding shelter, but he took the risk and left , disappearing deeper into the woods.

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

" Ugh . Ah... Is he... gone?"

Subaru panted heavily. He stood still for a few more moments before making sure the man was really gone.

" Ugh , I feel weaker. No, actually, my body is weaker than before..."

Falling back against the door, sliding until his butt touched the floor, Subaru sighed in relief.

Despite having trained his body for emergency situations, Subaru lost any progress he had made due to his infantilization.

It was frustrating, but it is what it is.

"The downsides of being a teenager, I guess. I'm even weaker than when I came into this world. Great, now that it's all over like this, I should... Ah, right, the girl"

Startled by forgetting the reason why he confronted that unpleasant man, Subaru raised his head and searched for the girl who was in danger.

But before he could do so, out of the corner of his eye, Subaru saw a sharp gleam very close to him.

" Whoa !"

And in an instant, he moved his head enough for the sharp bottle to shatter against his side.

"What the-- ?!"

Having dodged the impact, Subaru tried to regain his stance, but unexpectedly, another attack fell upon him .

The bottle used against Subaru split in half due to the previous impact, leaving large, sharp spikes dangerously directed towards his abdomen.

Reacting almost reflexively, Subaru raised his hands and stopped the impending attack.

"Wait, wait!"

Grabbing his attacker by the wrists before he could do anything else, Subaru looked up.

And, opening his eyes wide, he opened his mouth to say something, but his words fell empty once he saw who his attacker was.

"It just can't be..."

Even if years passed, Subaru would never forget her. He would never forget what he felt when he saw her, nor when her blades cut into his abdomen, letting his intestines spill out helplessly.

How she mocked him as he bled miserably.

His cold eyes, his melodious and hateful voice, his fascination with blood and death.

In front of him , who was trying to kill him in the same way he had done a year ago.

A girl with hair as dark as night, piercing and cold eyes.

The intestine hunter.

"Elsa Granhiert ..."

Subaru 's words . She ignored him and continued with her task.

No expression, just pure intention. However.

"Don't think I'll let you do that!"

Now with an adrenaline rush, Subaru kicked Elsa's abdomen, causing her to step back and fall inevitably.

Even if she was the intestine hunter, she was just a child at that time, while he was at most one or two years older.

Subaru snatched the pointed bottle that previously contained alcohol, and on guard, he waited for the next attack.

"Come on!"

Elsa, lying on the ground, slowly stood up and looked at Subaru , who had a fierce expression on his face.

"..."

The girl saw him a little, but did not express any feelings.

Seeing Elsa's lack of movement, Subaru sharpened his eyes, scanning her for any killing intent.

He had no weapons, so there was a chance to counterattack, nor did he see his super strength, or his incredible regeneration.

It was most likely that he didn't have it yet , or maybe Yes , but Subaru was far from wanting to find out.

But, now with his eyes scanning her body, Subaru realized that...

"Wait! Why don't you have any clothes?!"

The girl was completely naked.

Her hair fell freely over her body while her posture was rigid.

Despite not having anything covering her body, Elsa didn't seem to pay attention to it.

Visibly uncomfortable, Subaru remembered the reason why he brought that man out, and felt disgusted.

It wasn't hard to imagine his intentions, but Subaru didn't know what to do now that the threat had changed hands.

Would you have intervened if you had known who the girl was?

The truth was yes . As much as he hated Elsa, Subaru wouldn't stoop so low as to allow such a despicable act to happen before his eyes.

However, I didn't know what to do next.

First things first: Assess the threat.

"Hey. Are you dangerous?"

"..."

"No comment, eh? The Elsa I knew talked a lot."

"..."

"...Well, this is awkward . Come on, say something. I don't like being the only one talking nonstop. Besides, whoever sees this will give me the evil eye."

"..."

"Really, nothing? At least show some emotion... You know what? Don't do anything. Just stand there, and..."

Without receiving any response or reaction from Elsa, Subaru slowly approached the girl. Then, when she was within reach, he took off his rolled-up jacket and carefully wrapped it around Elsa's body.

"There! I don't know what your intentions are with me, but I feel uncomfortable if you walk around naked while trying to kill me."

"..."

Her jacket, which was too big for her due to her condition, was used as a replacement for Elsa's clothes.

Subaru didn't know if his clothes were among the things scattered everywhere, but assuming what the previous owner's intentions were, he had no hope of finding anything.

With no choice, Subaru gave his precious jacket to the girl who had previously murdered him in cold blood.

Subaru 's mind .

As he said, he hated her, but now that he saw her as a defenseless girl... Correction: A girl who tried to kill him, but defenseless in a sense, he couldn't blame her entirely.

I couldn't imagine what she felt in that situation, so for the moment, I would try to understand it.

"Well, since I see you're not trying to kill me, I'll introduce myself. My name is Natsuki." Subaru ..."

"..."

"This will be complicated... Brr , I'm cold."

△ ▼ △ ▼ △ ▼ △

Believe it or not, I had a similar idea to Re: Childhood friend … again . Only this one will be like an older brother. I have plots to develop for each constellation Subaru will have to navigate.

In this fic , Subaru rejuvenated to the age of 12 since, due to certain conditions, he will have to live even years with the constellation he chose .

The difficulty level would be difficult, as the ending would be somewhat bittersweet. But only for season 1. There would be two seasons.

The first would be of Subaru as a child helping, and the second would return us to the present.

As you can guess, the book was about Echidna and there was something special about it.

We will see many plots, and by doing this, I realize that if I develop this fic it would be long xd .

Anyway, that would be all. By the way, the fic that won was 4 or 5, since I didn't know what to choose when they said "4 or 5," haha .

But if I have a good day tomorrow, I might do something that will make us all happy...

Well, I hope you liked the idea. See you.