Acknowledgment to Jumbo-Ko and Meani-tam for being my beta readers.
"Subaru-kun... has been acting very off since yesterday's visit."
That's what Rem thought, as she held the reins guiding the carriage on its way.
Currently, she was sitting next to Subaru in the driver's seat. Patrasche, in front of them, pulled the cart.
Just as her hero had ordered, she woke up an hour and a half earlier. Getting ready, having breakfast, and doing all her responsibilities earlier than normal.
All to comply with Subaru's strange attitude.
Was it bothersome? Yes. Without a doubt.
But it wasn't the fact of waking up early. No. Nor was it performing her maid duties. That didn't pose any burden, bother, or dissatisfaction in her daily life.
In fact, she liked doing it. Those little things that made her hero smile and that made her feel flattered... Perhaps she herself should wake up early more often. Besides, that would give her more free time to spend with her hero.
...But returning to the topic, and having made it clear that her job wasn't what bothered her. What she couldn't allow...
Was to continue having no idea what was worrying her hero so much.
Since yesterday, he had seemed really... drained. Strange? Weird?
I mean, he had always been weird. Of course. But this was a type of weirdness that really didn't suit him at all. She didn't like it at all.
Rem wanted to know what was wrong with him, and what she could do to help. She is Subaru's Rem after all. She has been ever since she was saved by him, and perhaps even before that.
The fact that he didn't realize he could trust her to tell her anything and count on her for anything... that did bother Rem a little...
On the other hand, she wouldn't be so selfish as to think he was doing it on purpose.
Subaru was going through something and didn't want to tell her to avoid worrying her, or because he was ashamed, or because it was some kind of secret.
Those are the only options she could think of for why he wouldn't talk to her... and, except for the last one... she thought they were silly reasons not to trust his friend.
Didn't he know that no matter what, she would be there?
Perhaps she should pressure him a little more.
"...Subaru-kun... We should be about two hours away, at most, from finally arriving at the mansion."
They would arrive around noon or a little earlier at this pace. She still didn't understand why there was a need to arrive early. But she wouldn't judge him...
She would just ask.
"Are you excited to see everyone again?"
"...Yes... I suppose so... I'd love... to see them all."
He replies... haltingly, stammering... As if doubting his own words, or if he were nervous about them.
"...Rem has no problem with that, but why did you want to get up earlier to return? Do you miss them a lot?"
"...Yes... That must be it..."
"..."
The answers don't satisfy Rem at all...
She really didn't want to get frustrated, but they were putting her in a very difficult situation right now.
Why was Subaru acting like this?
"...We'll arrive at the mansion before noon... We'll avoid the whale, and arrive before the attack and then... what...?"
The truth was that Subaru was more immersed in his thoughts than anything else.
The previous day he had already been immersed in them in a very... deep way... What should have been a recap of events ended up being a scene of self-loathing (well-deserved according to him), interrupted when Rem arrived.
And the moment she left, that scene continued for several more minutes... He couldn't calm down and sleep completely until he got tired of using his own nails to hurt himself and his own magic to heal himself.
He was in a very... very delicate state...
But his own state wasn't what to worry about. That's the least of it right now. The only thing that mattered was that everyone else was okay.
And for that very reason, they had headed to the mansion as quickly as possible... But once they arrived... what would they do?
I mean, he knows what he wants to achieve: evacuate everyone. But how?
Would he arrive at the mansion and ask everyone to leave? Would they listen?
Furthermore, is it just the mansion? Or should it be the whole village too? If so, can he get them all out?
He had enough money to rent the necessary carriages. But the hard part was convincing them in the first place.
He was a relatively famous person in that small group. Perhaps that "influence" could help somehow.
But still, there was a lot of uncertainty within him.
What if they didn't listen?
What if the whale appeared anyway?
What if the cult attacks earlier?
What if he couldn't save them?
What if he died again?
What if? What if? What if?
"Subaru-kun."
"Eh!"
He manages to snap out of the dark void of his mind. Only to realize Rem's gaze.
Her gaze full of contained determination, some anger, and, at the same time, harboring some trust.
"...Yes? Rem?"
"...Rem understands that you are surely going through something difficult... She truly understands it, but still... she is not willing to simply watch you suffer alone in silence."
"Huh? W-what are you talking about?"
Subaru realizes his voice... doesn't sound as convincing as he would like.
"Rem is not stupid... She hasn't been for a long time... I can clearly see there is something worrying you, Subaru-kun... She was willing to wait for you to tell her, but seeing that won't happen, I have no choice but to ask you directly."
Having reached the limit of her patience, she finally finishes talking. Leaving Subaru... more surprised than he intended.
"...I don't..."
"Please, don't try to imply that Rem's suspicions are wrong... She would never be wrong about you..."
"...Haha."
Subaru... can't help a slight laugh of... disappointment? No, resignation.
As if there were some bitterness in seeing that Rem sees through him... and as amusement and happiness that she did.
"...Man... You can always see right through me, can't you?"
"Of course. I am Subaru's Rem for a reason after all..."
She smiles, seeing Subaru manages to relax... but still has that look in his eyes.
She wouldn't let this opportunity pass.
"...And so?"
"..."
Subaru takes a few seconds of silence... How was he supposed to tell this?
"I... It's complicated, Rem... it's surreal... and... very hard to believe... I don't even think you'd understand..."
"Don't worry, Subaru-kun. Rem is used to you saying totally incomprehensible things."
"...Déjà vu."
Subaru can't help but think that.
"Well... You've been warned. I'll try to explain it as best I can. But... this... is going to be intense..."
"I'm ready... Rem will believe your words without a doubt..."
She has not the slightest doubt about that.
"...Alright... Do you remember that... it was supposed to be yesterday when I went to Ana-chan's camp?"
"Yes?"
"...Well... Actually... This is the third time that-"
"..."
"..."
...
...
"Huh?... What-... what is this?"
Subaru... finds himself stopped in the carriage... in the air...
No... It's not Subaru...
All of time itself... had stopped...
Darkness... Subaru could see everything around, even though there was only darkness.
It was something that terrified him.
He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think...
It's the same feeling people usually have trapped in a nightmare... Completely vulnerable to danger...
Like long, dark hands... that seem made of the same darkness and approach your heart...
To Subaru's heart...
It approaches gently to his chest... caressing it a little... before piercing through.
And it heads to his heart... Crushing it.
Subaru couldn't move or breathe... and yet he feels as he loses all strength from the intense pain coursing through his body.
"...Ngh!"
And when he can move again... when time and space regain meaning...
He feels terror penetrate every cell of his body.
"Ngh!... Ngh... Ahh!... Ahhh... Ahhh!"
"Subaru-kun?!"
Rem can see how Subaru suddenly started coughing violently and sweating cold.
Clearly worried, she releases only one hand from the carriage reins and places it around Subaru's body, patting him.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"...I'm... fine..."
Although that wasn't a lie... it wasn't the whole truth either.
"...I'm fine...... Physically... But the terror... remains etched in my mind..."
It took several seconds before Subaru could say other words clearly...
...It was enough time for Rem to notice something about him.
"...Subaru-kun... have you...?"
When Subaru recovers a little... it seemed she wanted to say something...
"...Your smell has-"
"Gyaaaa!"
"Eh!"
"Ngh! Pas-Patrasche?!"
But she is interrupted when the two almost fall off the carriage. When it brakes abruptly, almost tipping over.
Patrasche had dug her hooves into the ground with force, stopping the carriage at full speed with a single stomp.
And why that...?
"...They are..."
"...Damn..."
For an enemy... that everyone present has seen at least once in their life.
"DAMNED WITCH CULTISTS!"
Rem's voice alone was enough to start a full-scale battle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The moment Subaru heard the blue-haired girl's voice... all his fears and danger instincts had been completely triggered.
Witch Cultists...
They were there. In front of the three of them. Wearing the same uniform in the same way he had already seen in one of his past lives.
Without a doubt they were exactly the same as what he had seen.
...That meant...
He was dealing with the murderers of his best friends.
"Rahhhh!"
Unlike Subaru, Rem didn't have to stop and think much about what she should do next.
Since the answer is obvious.
"DIE!"
Attack and ensure the safety of herself and Subaru.
Without hesitation, she takes out her signature weapon: her morning star. The large metal ball full of spikes heads in a perfect line with the intention of taking out all possible enemies.
Some managed to dodge it. And those who couldn't, you could now see the remains of blood and pieces of their skulls flying in the air.
That show of aggressiveness... nothing more was needed to know this was a life-or-death situation.
"..."
The hooded figures, without casting a second glance of any kind at their dead comrade, surround the trio, planning to attack.
"Subaru-kun! Get up! We must fight!"
Rem's attitude was impulsive... but only just enough... As if she was struggling not to lose control of her emotions in that situation.
No matter how much she wanted to release her Oni form completely and attack everything around her... that wasn't the best.
"Ah! Yes!"
Subaru said reflexively as he got up from the ground and positioned himself next to Rem.
"Damn it, another setback! I didn't expect to have to fight before reaching the mansion."
He had mentally prepared himself for a possible confrontation once he reached his destination. It was something he truly didn't wish would happen, but he knew it was a possibility to consider.
But entering combat with just him and Rem against a group of murderers? It wasn't part of his plans.
However... there is no room for doubt in a confrontation.
"Huma!"
"Minya!"
Back to back, one against the other, both observe different targets, with the ice and darkness crystals generating in the air...
"...Can you keep up with my pace, Subaru-kun?"
"...I won't be a burden, Rem."
Both entrust their weak side to the other.
"Rahhhh!" (x2)
And the battle begins.
Patrasche was in the center of the two... In a battle, no matter how much she wanted, she wouldn't be of help.
However... of them all, she was undoubtedly the fastest. Though not agile, if they didn't concentrate on her, she could avoid any collateral damage.
Her goal was simple: see the perfect opportunity to take her master and Rem and escape from the place as quickly as possible.
This battle didn't need to be won... It only needed to be survived... that was a victory in itself.
On Rem's side...
"Die!"
She doesn't hesitate to attack the filthy cultists in front of her in the best way possible, while at the same time not letting any of them cross the mental line she had drawn.
Meaning, that none of the cultists in front of her dared to approach her hero.
Without hesitation, she attacks with three ice crystals at strategic spots so the eight would have to move if they didn't want to take a direct hit.
At the start of the battle, before it began, there were a total of 17 cultists in front of them.
In her first attack, when she launched her morning star, three of them had quickly lost their lives.
Leaving a total of 14 alive.
She was more experienced in combat than her hero. So, in a way that wasn't intended to be planned, she had chosen that side. She had chosen to face seven cultists at the same time.
Her hero would have to face only five of them... It was still an extreme numerical disadvantage. Seven times superior. Without a doubt, they were in a difficult situation...
With even more reason, she had to strive harder to prevent the worst situation from happening.
She jumps, directing her weapon into the air, where the cultists were after having dodged her first ice attack.
She hoped to be able to finish off half of them with that attack... but perhaps she was underestimating these bastards' ability to dodge.
Only one managed to perish in the attack. The rest managed to dodge, in an inelegant but effective way, the attack by a few centimeters.
Leaving seven alive, the cultist on the left was the first to respond to the attack.
Casting a fire spell, without even speaking.
The mere fact of speaking was something he thought was necessary to attack with a higher-level spell.
So, either the cultist was whispering... or he had achieved a spell of superior strength to what Rem could possess.
The point is he had launched a direct fire spell at her body.
Was Rem able to dodge it? Of course. This was nowhere near the first time she had been near a dangerous spell. Dodging it was a way for her not to get a scratch.
But that would involve the possibility that someone else... that her Subaru would be caught within the attack.
Even if that was an attack with only a 1% chance of happening, it was a possibility that Rem could never allow.
She raises her hand, straight at the overwhelming flames approaching her.
"Al Huma!"
She shouted at the same time the fire attack reached her arm.
Her left hand generated an ice crystal at the same time as the embers surrounded her arm.
The magic of opposite temperatures mixes with each other. Creating a clash of temperatures with a slight explosion.
"...Nkhh...!"
Rem's quick intervention meant that an attack, which could well have made her fall immediately in battle, only caused several burns along her arm.
"...How weak of me."
And yet, it was a result she wasn't pleased with.
Having her entire left arm covered in burns... It was a very suboptimal result considering the situation they were in.
But there's no time to think.
Forcing her body to move, she lunges at the cultist who just spent his mana on his attack.
It was just an instinct, but Rem thought the cultist's plan was to incapacitate her with a single powerful attack.
And yes... what a mistake he made.
"Hahh!"
Jumping and gaining momentum from a tree, with enough force that the mark of her shoe sole was imprinted on it, the girl jumps with elegance, and at the same time, with unrestrained aggressiveness.
Reaching the hooded figure, and snapping his head 180° in an instant before he could react...
Another one down... six left... the same number that was still at her back, and who she was counting on her hero to defend her.
...
She would make sure... that neither her hero nor she would die this day.
"Minya!"
Subaru's situation was... equally delicate.
He had to deal with two fewer enemies than Rem. But it was still a 1 vs 6 fight... Not the best situation for him.
Even less so if we take into account that this was the second time... technically the third time he had entered real combat against someone since arriving in this world.
At least within what he remembers.
"...I hope the training with Beako-sensei has borne fruit."
Subaru trusted his physique, at least in his world he would be slightly above average.
In this world, it would be nothing, but that would be easily compensated if he applied the rest of the knowledge he had learned.
If he wanted to have a chance of winning... he had to give it his all by applying everything he knows.
First. His favorite spell, or at least one of them.
"...I might not be so confident. But I can't allow the girl at my back to have even more problems because of me... Minya!"
He declared to the air, encouraging himself as he launched more than one crystallized spell at the enemies in front of him.
Nothing to exaggerate. Just eight crystals to start.
Subaru's gate was... decent. He could trust it in a short fight even if it was with several enemies.
But still, he would always be dealing with enemies who had a whole lifetime to perfect the same thing as him.
A long fight, or a battle of attrition?... Without a doubt, it was a situation where he had no advantage.
The fewer spells he failed, the better for him.
And for that very reason... he uses another of his favorite spells.
"Shamak!"
The instant he finished the sound on his lips, a dark, thick fog begins to surround him.
He made sure it only affected the enemies in front of him and didn't reach the territory where Rem was.
Perhaps the fog could even help her fight, but Subaru wasn't sure if he could count on himself to ensure she wasn't put in danger by his own spell.
Not including her might not be the most efficient or the best option, but without a doubt it was the safest.
On the other hand... Shamak is not an offensive attack, and can barely be called defensive.
Unless you are especially terrified of it, or it is used by someone very powerful, you'll just end up in an area surrounded by darkness, hindering your sight, hearing, and senses of perceiving your surroundings.
Besides that, it had no extra consequences... Many would consider it an inferior, weak, and almost useless spell in combat.
"People in this world really should reconsider their point of view on several things!"
Subaru thought, while heading straight, but evasively, at the enemies in front of him.
Using his last card that he trusted. The most useful... and the one that cost him the most to use.
"Mana Flow."
It couldn't even be considered as magic or an advanced-level technique. But it was the basics in a battle.
And that basic was what would give him victory.
"Argh!"
Using the darkness crystals, he forces the enemies to jump. Due to the Shamak, they can't know the best place to land.
Which was just what he needed.
"Hah!"
Launching a kick with all his strength, he directs his right leg to the body of the cultist who had chosen the worst place to land after dodging the previous attack.
Managing to impact the front part of his forehead.
Seconds later, the body flies a few meters before falling to the ground.
Unlike the Oni, the attack didn't have enough force to fracture his skull or have traces of bone and blood splattering everywhere.
It was just enough to end a life... or at least incapacitate him.
That was enough in a battle.
"...Ngh... Even that hurt me."
Subaru decides to take space, retreating again to the center of his Shamak, to his safe zone.
And it was true... he felt a very slight swelling above his ankle.
"...Ngh... I can fight... but they clearly have the advantage."
Mana Flow could be called a 'technique' where you made all the mana produced in your gate go to every cell in your body.
Improving various aspects like your strength, reflexes, and speed.
It was something that, combatant or not, every conscious being should learn. So it can be considered the basics in a battle.
But Subaru had only had a month to remember everything he could do in a fight.
Making all the mana circulate throughout his body at the same time? He had to concentrate a lot to do that. And if he even managed it, having to continuously circulate his magic to attack, defend, move, and cast spells...
It was beyond his limits.
Luckily, he had never stopped practicing with it. And with Felix's help, he was able to remember his healing magic.
Magic that, just by using it, already served as mana training.
So now, he could, with relative ease, let mana flow to one... two limbs at the same time effectively.
Meaning. Although he couldn't use his arms and legs to attack simultaneously, he could alternate them easily, adding the spells to his list of attacks.
It was still very basic, but it was better than nothing.
"...As long as I keep my distance... I should be... Ngh!"
However, he didn't expect one of the cultists to get so close to his location so quickly. Already preparing a direct attack on his arm.
Was it pure luck? Instinct? Did the Shamak not work on him?
The reason didn't matter in a situation like this... Subaru had to think fast.
"Is he going to attack me with a blow to the stomach?... Damn it, I won't be able to dodge it..."
Deciding to stop sending mana to his legs, he concentrates his flow into his hands, blocking the abdomen.
"Ngh!"
He manages to block it effectively... but it's still painful.
His arms went numb... if they stayed like that from just blocking one attack... he knew that staying on the defensive wouldn't end well.
Argh!
Just as his attack stops, the cultist, who seemed focused only on physical attacks, prepares to continue attacking.
Subaru doesn't give him time to react. Unlike Rem, he couldn't afford to get injured without drastically lowering his performance.
As he jumps, concentrating mana into his legs again, narrowly dodging a sweep, he shouts again.
"Minya!"
And in less than a second... five crystals pierce the hooded figure's body, quickly shredding it.
Mages are physically weak by nature.
That's why, in turn, physical fighters are the ones who get the most confident when fighting one.
So, who really has the disadvantage?
"...Good... One less."
Magical attacks, unlike physical ones, aren't blockable. At least not without receiving heavy damage.
And from such a short distance, at the same time it was impossible to dodge.
...It was a good strategy, risky, but effective.
"...I just took another life."
Subaru thought as he looked at the corpse at his feet...
...He never thought he'd have to kill someone in his life...
He deserved it. He knew he deserved it. He knew he wasn't doing anything wrong.
But perhaps he still hadn't completely gotten used to this whole new world...
The good thing is that in a fight, you don't have much time to think or despise yourself. Not if you don't want to die, at least.
"Ngh..."
"...Are you okay, Rem?"
After what felt like long and intense minutes of combat, both approach each other. Their backs resting against the other's back.
"...I finished off two of them... I took one hit, but I'm not injured... How do you feel?"
"I incapacitated five. The last ones are the strongest... my left arm is burned, but I can continue..."
"FIVE?!... ngh... I can see you're clearly better than this... it's a bit pathetic that I depend on you..."
"It's not pathetic at all to depend on a friend... Besides, it's incredible that you managed to hold out without receiving any injuries..."
Even with the tense atmosphere, and being surrounded by a total of eight living cultists... Subaru and Rem felt at ease with someone guarding their mutual rear.
"..."
The cultists haven't shown any kind of reaction.
Not to their dead comrades.
Not a sound of pain when attacked.
Not effort when attacking.
Not their voice to communicate and attack...
At least not audibly.
"...They look like puppets being controlled by someone else."
Subaru thought jokingly, as he prepared to go on the offensive...
"..."
"Huh?!" (x2)
But the next instant... they disappear...
The cultists disappear as if they had teleported...
"...Did... they leave?"
Thinking that was too optimistic. And Subaru knew it...
...But... it had some logic at the same time.
They had managed to defeat half the enemy being just two people...
The idea of a strategic retreat... was not such a far-fetched plan, and it was possible that's what happened...
Wouldn't this... be the moment to recover energy and...?
"Subaru-kun!"
However, no matter how many tricks they used to go unnoticed, they would never manage to get past the Oni's strong sense of smell.
And when Subaru looks up... he sees a cultist with a large fire attack dangerously approaching his body.
"Gyaaaaa!"
"Ahghj!"
And the only reason that attack didn't hit him full-on is because of an earth dragon's body that lunges at him. Biting his wrist and throwing him far away.
Even when the next instant, it is she who receives strong embers burning her tough skin.
"Pastra-Khn!"
Perhaps, seeing how her beloved earth dragon was hurt so severely, he completely dropped his guard... Letting a cultist approach from behind... and give him a strong blow to the back of the neck.
"Knh..."
"Subaru-kun!"
Rem, sensing the danger by instinct, tries to run towards her hero.
But with one less ally, the cultists can simplify their position much more... making a sweep that separated the girl from her target by a total of seven cultists between them.
"...Shit... I dropped my guard..."
Subaru could feel how little by little, the little consciousness he had left was slipping from his grasp.
He was going to faint... and knowing he could do nothing to prevent it... was the worst.
"...Am I going to... die?"
At least, that was the most likely in his situation... another failed life?...
...He wanted to fight until the end... He didn't want to fail Rem no matter how lost he was.
"...Sha... mack..."
This time, he says it with a trembling and low voice... but with all the intensity and mana he can concentrate.
This time, it already didn't matter to hold back... before losing consciousness, he releases all the amount of fog he can, trying to surround all the cultists with his last strength.
"...Perhaps with this... at least you can escape."
Even if it's uselessly... he wished his friends wouldn't fall this day...
They were his last thoughts before falling asleep inside his own fog.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"..."
Seconds... minutes... perhaps hours later...
Without truly knowing... a black-haired boy wakes up... barely, from what seemed to have been a long, heavy sleep.
He hasn't even opened his eyes... he is so tired and heavy... the mere act of opening his eyes is something that takes him a lot of effort.
...
He tries to do it anyway... Gathering a bit of strength, he opens his eyes.
"I see. I see... How interesting."
"Ngh!"
And the first thing he sees is a face very close to his, feeling a... unpleasant breath.
It was a face... slightly deformed. Pale-colored with short green hair...
A face quite... maniacal for his taste.
"...That scent you radiate... I see-see-see... Could you be... Pride?"
"...Huh?"
Speaking in a whisper, so low that he only hears it due to the closeness between them, the green-haired man murmurs with hidden madness...
"...Pride?"
Subaru still didn't understand his situation... he couldn't remember everything that had happened to him. At least not immediately.
...He was with Rem... they were heading to Roswaal's mansion... to avoid the attack from...
...and... suddenly they were attacked by-
"...That doesn't work as an answer... Well! I haven't introduced myself yet. Isn't that right-right-right?"
Stammering, in an even more annoying tone, he takes a few steps back erratically.
...Some hooded beings appear behind him... dozens of them...
...As Subaru sees the uniform they are all wearing... a slight click occurs in his mind...
...And he is filled with equal parts of anger...
"...I am one of the archbishops of the Witch Cult. Leading the sin of Sloth. Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti... DESU!"
...And terror.
He, the archbishop, turned, or rather, snapped his head 90° to the right. Seeming as if his neck had broken just for his introduction.
Seconds later. Desperate and manic laughter came from the cave.
All coming from the man... from the sin of Sloth, who has his hands over his eyes. And with a creepy laugh that showed his red teeth covered in his own blood.
It wasn't clear what was causing him amusement... but Subaru knew one thing...
He wasn't dealing with someone who had any kind of sanity.
"...I have to... I have to-"
While trying to calm his anxiety, he tries to move. But he can't even stand up, due to the chains that bind his wrists to the rough rocky floor.
...If they were just normal handcuffs, Subaru could break them without any problem...
...But that didn't seem to be the case... He could feel how the mana in his gate... was stagnating, being unable to leave his body in any form.
Either Subaru had a very weak gate... or the chains were holding back any type of mana and, therefore, any way out.
...
He could only watch helplessly at the figure full of madness in front of him.
"So that's how it is! That must be it! Ahhhhh! Thank you for this beautiful gift! Ahh! It makes my heart jump! It makes my mind tremble! My mind trembles! Trembles! Trembles! Trembles!"
And every second he looked at him. Every second he looked at the figure within him. He worried more and more and his nervousness only increased. Seeing someone become so...
"..."
One of the hooded figures approaches respectfully and formally to Sloth's side.
Bringing their head to be right next to Petelgeuse's right ear.
"..."
Does he whisper something? Because of the hood and the fact that you can't understand anything more than a slight noise.
"Ahhh... Ahhh, AU AU AU AU AU AU AU AU AU AU AU AU"
But at that moment, Petelgeuse's expression changes radically with each "Au" that came out of his pale, dry, and bloody lips.
"I see, I see, I see! So that's how it was then! That simple! Ahhhh! How easy! What a life! Yes! I can feel it! I am so full of life!"
With each sentence he made, by instinct, he applied pressure to his left hand, with force.
Saying he was breaking his fingers was downplaying the facts too much. Each finger was completely destroyed with force. You could hear the bones breaking inside his skin. And then the fingers hanging from his hand in a rather disgusting way.
Subaru, who until now had remained silent, trying to maintain his sanity and calm, couldn't help but shudder with each broken finger the archbishop inflicted on himself.
"And how did he get here? How did he manage to find you? Find us?! Was it an accident? Was it fate? Ahh! It was the trial! A trial from her, isn't that true?! Isn't it true?!"
But no trace of pain or dissatisfaction was reflected on his face. On the contrary, a manic smile was shown. As if he was enjoying it. As if he was in the best euphoria of his life.
"...Carriage. Girl. Boy. Dragon... I see, I see!"
He exclaimed, moving erratically all over the rocky hall, with unpredictable and clumsy movements. And somehow, elegantly with madness.
"He was brought by an earth dragon! By earth! Ahhh! Dragons are diligent! They do their job without complaining! They obey their masters without question! They are diligent! Diligent, diligent, diligent! Ahhh!"
While screaming at the sky, upwards, the hooded figure whispers to him again.
"I see, I see... A boy with a higher status than you. You didn't know whether to kill him or not. So you started a battle to take him away before thinking more... Ahhh, yes! That's sloth! Definitely sloth! Sloth! Sloth!! Sloth!!! Sloth!"
"..."
Subaru... Could do nothing in his situation...
While he was chained, unable to free himself or attack in his state... Talking didn't seem like a good idea either...
Even if he tried, he didn't think he could get anywhere with someone as insane as the boy in front of him.
And besides... he was speaking in a way that was, yes, unpleasant, repugnant, and definitely not at all pleasant to see... But he was giving out information that... Subaru needed to know...
He would store every drop of important information he could get right now.
"...You tried to attack him on purpose, just so the beast would lunge and create an opening... Ahhh! How intelligent! How diligent! How beautiful! Yes! This is a trial of love. You have proven all your love to her! Love, love, love, love! Ahhh! My brain trembles!!!"
While screaming manically, he also gave a pat on the hooded figure's head. As if he was thanking his efforts.
At the same time, the rest of the hooded figures kneel before the green-haired man. As if they were performing some kind of ritual.
A meaningless ritual that could only be understood by them and exclusively by them.
"..."
Before the same hooded figure got up and kept whispering.
"The rest stayed and are still fighting. Holding back the girl with a non-functional arm and the dying beast waiting for instructions......Waiting for instructions?"
That last whisper... sounds much more terrifying than all the screams Subaru has heard so far.
"...So many followers gathered... So many believers of love... and the best they can do is... wait for instructions?.....Tell me... are you... Sloth?"
"...Ngh!"
Subaru couldn't help but let out a slight noise, seeing how Petelgeuse's attitude changes radically again. This time, with unrestrained and concentrated anger at the same cultist he just thanked.
"Unacceptable! Ahhh! Is that all you can do?! What you are capable of?! Is this how you repay all the love we have received from our beloved Gospel?! From her?! That is sloth, sloth, sloth, sloth, sloth!!!!"
Each word was just an extra blow.
And yet, you couldn't hear any sound of pain or resistance.
All the cultists watch attentively as their companion is reduced to nothing more than a pile of crushed mass, protruding organs, and broken bones.
Subaru had to try very hard not to vomit on himself at such a disturbing scene.
"Ahhh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!!
The sloth of my fingers is mine! Totally mine! Ahh, please forgive the indolence in this flesh, full of love for you! I live only to work diligently, giving body and soul for the Gospel! For the ideals! Forgive me for wasting time in idleness!"
Crying from both eyes in a very terrifying way, pulling his lips by the sheer force of the tendons of his fingers that forced him to bleed, Petelgeuse ignores the mess of blood, organs, and more beneath him. Going on to apologize to whoever 'she' is, while still proclaiming his devotion, love, and... madness.
"...No matter how many followers are necessary... Keep them entertained longer until the time comes to perform our final trial. After that you can bring me her head if she's still alive."
"..."
With a voice that, for a second, seemed normal... he gives his order, which worries Subaru about the consequences of them.
In response, the figures seemingly melt into the darkness of the room and disappear.
"..."
As they departed, Petelgeuse was left with an absent gaze, breathing heavily.
And on his knees for a while, before turning to him.
"So now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now... shall we talk? Believer of love?"
Leaving the two alone... Subaru prepared for one of the worst moments of his life.
"...Tell me... Why don't you appear in the gospel?"
"...Gospel?"
The truth is that the idea of responding to anything he said... was something Subaru wanted to avoid. He didn't want it to happen.
But knowing the situation he's in... he knows he doesn't have many options really.
"Yes! Yes!! The gospel! The gift she gave us! The love she gave you!"
He hides his hand behind one of the pockets of his hood... to then show a book.
It was a book, with a black cover and that seemed a bit worn. With hundreds of pages... The size of a dictionary.
If he were a normal person, Subaru would think he was simply carrying his favorite book... but that would be very anticlimactic in this situation.
"All archbishops should have one. If you are 'Pride', you should possess one..."
"...I... No... I have nothing to do with the witch... I don't have any Gospel."
Trying to sound confident. Trying not to lose control due to his fears and anxieties... he responds, with slight firmness.
"...Huh?"
To such a response... Petelgeuse takes a step back.
"...No. That can't be possible. It doesn't make sense, sense, sense, sense, sense...
...It's clear that she loves you. You can't say otherwise with all that thick love that surrounds you..."
Murmuring to himself, but still with a voice loud enough, Subaru managed to hear that murmur.
"...Thick love that surrounds me?... Is he referring to the witch's scent?"
And he couldn't help but think that.
"...So... You're not pride... or you just haven't realized it yet?"
"..."
"...What is he talking about?"
"You don't know?... Ahh! Ahhh! Don't you want to do your trial? Don't you want to reciprocate the love given to you? Don't you want to know everything about her? Don't you want to pay for your sins? Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Truly, truly, truly, truly, truly you are... Slothful..."
Exclaiming erratically with each movement he makes... He fixes his gaze on his hands.
Opening the book in the palms of them, his eyes frantically scan every word written in it.
"The sign she gave me! The proof of her love!! Her reward for all our efforts!!! The only one worthy of our unique love!...And you are not written in it... Why?"
"...I don't understand anything he's saying."
"Is it a mistake? Are you a mistake? Am I so incapable of seeing it? Ahhh! I truly am Slothful, Slothful......I can't allow mistakes... I must fulfill my objective-ctive-ctive-ctive..."
He becomes completely still... while watching Subaru with a disturbingly wide smile.
"...Ng-!"
And Subaru can see a kind of... arm... very similar to the ones he sees in his nightmares.
And acting on instinct, he moves to one side. As much as the chains allow him.
Was it enough to be safe? No. But it was an instinctive reaction. Not planned, just... seeking the safest place within what he can.
"...Are?"
...But he can't help but be scared... seeing the reaction he provoked in the archbishop.
"...Can you see my unseen hand?......Mistake..."
What started as a murmur...
"...A mistake... Mistake... Mistake, Mistake, Mistake, Mistake, Mistake!"
Ends up being a magical repetition, while he bites his fingers hard inside his mouth, preventing them from coming out of his hands by sheer luck.
"MISTAKE, MISTAKE, MISTAKE, MISTAKE, MISTAKE, MISTAKE!!!THIS HAS TO BE A MISTAKE."
"Ngh...!"
Subaru can no longer be sure, but he could swear that he was devouring his own fingers from the manic anxiety the man seemed to suffer from.
And he couldn't help but be more scared at a time like this.
"THE GIFT SHE GAVE ME, MY UNSEEN HAND... HER PROOF OF LOVE... NO ONE SHOULD SEE IT. WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY? WHY CAN YOU AVOID THEM?! DO YOU SEE THEM?! THIS LOVE BELONGS TO ME! ONLY TO ME!!"
The hands grow back... this time they don't seem guided. They just seem to sprout from his back propelled by nothing but madness.
"...AHHH! AHHH! AHHHHH! HAVEN'T I BEEN WORTHY OF HER LOVE? HAVEN'T I DONE ENOUGH? I'M SORRY! OH, I'M SORRY! I'VE BEEN SO SLOTHFUL, SLOTHFUL, SLOTHFUL, SLOTHFUL, SLOTHFUL"
...
After what seemed to be the most tense seconds he had experienced since arriving there...
Another shadow emerges from the floor.
"...Gather all the fingers. We must show our gratitude to her as soon as possible. Our trial will begin just as the gospel says. We will depart as soon as the gluttons send the whale."
"..."
As if he had only been summoned to give information, the shadow merges back with the darkness, disappearing.
"...His... trial?"
"YES! YES! YES! YES, YES, YES! OUR FINAL TRIAL! THE LAST DESIRE! MY GREATEST AND BIGGEST DESIRE FOR HER!"
"...Trial?... Witch Cultist... Petelgeuse... whale... Heading to the mansion..."
"...No..."
As if he had realized how stupid it was not to have realized.
"...THE FINAL TRIAL SHE IMPOSED ON ME! THE LAST ONE TO FULFILL OUR DESIRE! AS SOON AS SHE DIES, AND WHEN THAT BEAST APPEARS... SHE WILL COME! SHE WILL COME, SHE WILL COME, SHE WILL COME, SHE WILL COME!"
"WAIT! WAIT! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THE MANSION OR THE VILLAGE-"
Realizing he was facing the leader, or at least one of the leaders of the Witch Cult... this trial... could only mean one thing...
...And it terrified him.
He tries with force to concentrate his mana uselessly, while trying to break with force what chains him to the ground.
"...EVEN IF THE GIRL FINDS YOU, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING TO PREVENT HER RESURRECTION... AHH! AHH! AHHHH! THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING. THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING! Ahhh! THAT IS TRULY SLOTH, SLOTH, SLOTH, SLOTH!"
"Wait! Wait! Come back here! Come back! Ngh!"
Subaru stops talking when a hand, not so invisible, covers his lips.
"...In gratitude for your great visit... and thanks to you I could see something really interesting-ting-ting-ting... I will allow you to see the world I will create for her... The world that will be destroyed for her... The world you will see before you see her."
"...Ngh... nGh. Ahhhhh!!!"
"...But you will only need one eye to see."
"...Arghhhhhhh! Nghhhh."
Subaru is completely helpless as he feels his left eye go deeper and deeper into the holes of his skull.
"...ARGGHNN! NGHHHHH!"
The pain is so unbearably great... that dying to escape that sensation... didn't seem like such a bad idea.
"...NGH!"
In a desperate gesture, he grabs with one hand the unseen hand coming out of Petelgeuse's back.
To his surprise... he manages to gather a little strength, to pull it close to him, and try to hit him in the face.
...And although he does hit and impact...
He doesn't stop smiling terrifyingly.
"...STRUGGLING SO MUCH... AND IN THE END ALL YOUR EFFORTS AMOUNT TO NOTHING... YOU TRULY ARE...
SLOTHFUL."
"...Let... go... Damn you-... Ngh!"
Subaru loses strength in his limbs again, as he stops being able to breathe.
Petelgeuse's hands grip his wrists, arms, legs, feet... and neck with force.
"...Ngh... Ah... ngh..."
Applying pressure without stopping... not letting oxygen enter his body.
He tries to fight... But with each passing second, he feels his body weaker and weaker...
"...damn... it"
He feels again, little by little... his consciousness slipping from his grasp.
"...I still... haven't saved..."
The last thoughts before being disabled again... are the thought of his own failure for not having been able to save anyone yet.
And he won't.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"..."
Hours later?
Subaru was lying in the cave... completely... defeated.
"..."
"...How long was I asleep?"
When he regained consciousness... he realized he was completely alone in that dark cave.
Even darker than normal... Had hours passed?
The bleeding in his eye had stopped... the blood... had dried on him...
In his left eye... he could only see the result of his own uselessness.
"..."
Considering that... if hours had already passed... if it was already night...
...It was already too late to avoid the-
"...-kun..."
"...Huh?"
"-Suba... SUBARU-KUN!"
But with his other right eye... he managed to see a girl approaching.
"REM!"
He shouted with joy... Did he have the right to do so knowing the whole picture?... He didn't really care at this moment...
...Seeing a familiar face alive simply... was too much for him.
Although she was... far from being in her best condition.
There wasn't a single part of her body that wasn't stained with blood. Her right arm was burned even more than he remembered... Her skirt was torn at the edges, which revealed her legs with scratches and even deeper wounds.
Undoubtedly she had been fighting and suffering much more than he had in the time they had been apart.
"Subaru-kun!"
But her smile... was the same beautiful smile she had when seeing her hero alive.
"H-Huma!"
She summoned ice crystals... to Subaru's perception they were smaller and weaker than normal. Besides, he could notice her stammering voice. A sign of the little energy Rem had left.
But still, it was enough to impact the chains.
"Rem!"
Subaru doesn't hesitate when he sees he is no longer restricted... it seems that with just one part breaking it was enough to lighten his body, as he can feel the mana flowing through him again.
But he doesn't care about that... he just hugs his Rem... in a way that tries not to hurt her... but keeping her close.
Trying to calm her, not only her. But himself as well.
"...Rem..."
"...Subaru-kun..."
She accepts the gesture, hugging him back...
“…”
She... didn't make it in time...
She couldn't... really do much to save her hero.
The only reason Subaru was alive... had been pure coincidence or luck... So you could say that... she had failed to protect him...
She didn't want to mention something like that in front of her hero. Not right at this moment at least...
Though unknowingly to him...
"...It must already be very late at night... and we don't have a carriage... The mansion is..."
He has a thought very similar to hers.
"...Ngh! Subaru-Kun! Your eye... What... what did they do to you? What the hell did those damned witch cultists dare to do to you?"
But as soon as she recovers a bit of emotion, Rem looks at Subaru more closely again.
He was injured... but barely. Much less than her... She could notice a few wounds, like strong marks caused by the handcuffs, probably caused when he tried to escape..., several small scars from the midday battle, A slightly serious swelling in the neck area... And an eye... truly destroyed inside him...
Wounds that perhaps on their own, weren't something that needed to be urgently healed…But with the sum of all of them…The fact that Subaru could be standing... was already something extraordinary with the pain he must be feeling.But she couldn't think of anything other than the anger that was overflowing in her thinking about everything the cult dared to touch.
"...Hehe... So many wounds you have... and you only worry about my eye?"
Subaru says, feeling both happy... and resigned...
He was happy to see Rem. She was alive. She hadn't died... he hadn't failed someone else... for now.
He wouldn't be naive and think he had something to do with her safety. If she had come out alive from her situation, it was nothing more than because of her own skills.But that still… made him feel happy.That happiness made enduring the tremendous pain inside his skull... child's play.
But he was resigned because... He knew how this was going to end...
...If they hadn't reached the mansion yet... and everything had ended the same as the first loop...
...Subaru knew what he had to do...But that would be something he would suffer later.
"...How... how did you find me?"
Ignoring the fate that awaited them…Subaru replies with a slight worried smile.It was a normal question... and maybe Subaru just wanted to break the ice and clear Rem's worries.
He just wanted... to talk a bit and enjoy... his last hours...
Rem looks a bit surprised. But she immediately answers her hero's question.
"...When Subaru-kun was taken by those damned ones... Rem... lost a bit of control of her emotions... attacking frenziedly without thinking."
She comments with slight embarrassment.That impulsive side… was something she had worked on, But sometimes she couldn't help it…
"...Many cultists started to appear... Rem... Couldn't find a way to finish off everyone, defend herself and the dragon, and find a way to escape... what felt like hours... suddenly the cultists stopped attacking and left... Rem has been looking for you since then."
She finishes speaking and starts breathing heavily…Subaru could see through her.No matter how much effort she put into keeping her body firm and stable. Her voice less shaky, or that genuine smile on her face.Subaru could see all the wounds, exhaustion, pain, frustration, and anger that Rem had been containing, And that she still contained just to talk to him.…It was something Subaru admired and hated at the same time.On the other hand...
“Wait... Dragon?”
"Patrasche?... Is Patrasche with-!?"
Seeing her hero's excitement…and with a little extra effort, she couldn't help but give a slightly bigger smile.
"...She's badly injured... and can't run... but... she won't die today... She's waiting for us outside the cave."
She said smiling. thanking the earth dragon for saving her hero.
If she had left her behind in battle, she would undoubtedly have had it easier to kill and escape and find Subaru sooner.
But there was no way she would do something like that... she couldn't let someone Subaru-kun loved so much die...
Besides... she also felt somewhat identified with her.
"...I see... Thank you..."
Subaru was forced to thank, once again, Rem… he feels he has thanked her for an infinity of things during the last few days.…He had to do something to return that kindness, even if it was useless considering the current situation.
"Ngh..."
Subaru places his arm on Rem's shoulder... on the start of her burn. Making her groan in pain a little.She can't help it after having been fighting with it all day.
"...I'm sorry... that you had to go through all this."
"...Subaru-kun is not to blame... it's the fault of those damned witch cultists..."
"..."
Subaru... couldn't agree more... looking at the past loops and remembering... who is the cause of everything.
"...I swear to you... next time I'm going to..."
Ignoring that... he concentrates his healing magic. He knows that healing that with his abilities... is impossible... but at least he manages to lessen the sensitivity and pain that Rem must be hiding under a mask.
"Ah! Subaru-kun. No! Stop!... Your eye is in worse condition. I don't have mana to heal you! Please, heal yourself."
She replies quickly. She appreciates seeing her hero trying to help her. And she can't deny that it doesn't feel good to feel his mana passing through her arm.But she still couldn't let that mana go to her when he has a serious wound on his head…If it weren't for the lack of mana, she would already be healing him right now."...I'm fine... it's not necessary... even if I try... I won't be able to regain my sight."
In what remains of 'this' life... Subaru acknowledges he won't be able to see with that eye again.
"...Damned cultists of... Ah!"
That fact was something that made Rem's blood boil…she was going to start insulting and planning a way to make them pay whoever dared to hurt her hero... But before finishing her sentence, she feels herself being lifted off the ground.
And gently placed on the back of the black-haired boy.
"...Subaru-kun?"
"...Unlike me, you haven't had any time to rest at all... please let me... just let me carry you."
“…But-”
“No Buts. Let me do this for you…You deserve to rest a little…please”
Subaru…will do his best to make sure Rem feels good on this last day…She deserves it.
"...If-... If Rem starts to weigh too much... please... Don't overexert yourself."
"...I won't."
He says while carrying Rem out of the cave...
"Gyaa..."
"...Patrasche."
And when he manages to get out, he manages to see his beloved earth dragon.
...She was weak... her body had burns all over her skin... Her strong scales had protected her from certain death for any human...
"..."
Subaru can't help but hug her, even if it's just for a few minutes.
“…I'm sorry for…Making you protect me.”
“Gya!”
“…Hehe…Don't lick my face…Okay, Sorry for saying that.”
He says, while managing to perceive a bit of frustration from the dragon upon hearing her master's comment.
Sorry for protecting him? She would give him a little hit if he said it again.
“…Then…Thank you, Patrasche.”
This time, he changes his words, and gives her gentle pats on her head while hugging her.
She accepts them and tries to return that affection in her own way…
After a few minutes…They finally decide to walk
…
To the mansion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"...It must already be dawn..."
"Gyaa..."
"..."
Hours later... Subaru continues walking beside his reliable dragon...
At slow steps. At safe steps. At determined steps.
They had been walking all night.
Rem had asked if it wasn't better to look for a shelter to sleep and recover energy for the next day…
But Subaru knew that made no sense…He convinced her somehow that they would continue this path.
She tried to fight a bit against this idea…But the exhaustion and her effort of the whole day made her unable to anymore.
She shortly after meeting him, couldn't take the exhaustion of her own body anymore…
Although she wanted to stay awake all the way, she finally fell asleep in her hero's arms…Feeling happy for the sensation of them.
Something that... genuinely made Subaru happy...the truth was that that's what she wanted…
As long as Rem remained asleep…she wouldn't have to remember or live any of this.
Not because of her sister's synesthesia, nor because of having to see it with her own eyes.Although she wouldn't remember anyway... he would try to give her the best he could so she could... rest...
"..."
After what felt like a long journey.
They finally arrived at the mansion…
He decided…not to pass through the village…He didn't have the strength to find out if all who lived there were…
The Evacuation plan was going to fail…with all the information he had discovered today…
There was no way that just by sending some escape carriages they could be saved from this.
Subaru learned that he alone…would be incapable of saving anyone. No matter how much he strives. No matter how much he tries…
This world…his world…It was doomed.
“…”
And that was confirmed when he saw the mansion in front of him.
He just looked at the cold ahead... the cold air... the cold dawn...
...The cold snowstorm again...
"..."
"..."
In the distance... Behind the mansion. Right above it... A beast rises...
"...The beast Petelgeuse was talking about?..."
Subaru is grateful that his Rem doesn't have to live through this again. It wasn't necessary.
Only he needed to know.
"...Sleep forever along with her."
All the failures they had committed...
Subaru Natsuki was decapitated by the Beast of the End.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Goodbye Onii-san/Chan!!. Come back soon!!!!"
"See you soon, Kid!!. Don't forget about us!!"
"I hope to see you again, Subaru."
"..."
Waking up... for the fourth time in the same place... The black-haired boy has to get used to the light of the scene in front of him.
All the discomfort in his body... All the pain he had had... the lack of vision in the left side of his eye...
...All that had disappeared...
“…”
He takes a few seconds to count in his head…seconds to avoid crying, to avoid screaming, to avoid…breaking down.
It's as if everything he had endured... wanted to explode inside him all at once, and he uses brute force to stay standing.
"...Mimi... Tivey... Hetaro?"
"Mmm? Yes? Is something wrong?" (x3)
The three triplets looked with a smile and slight curiosity when the boy suddenly turned and looked at them.
He, with a trembling voice…But trying not to let it show, replies with a smile.
"...Uhhh... Could I ask for... a goodbye hug?"
"..."(x3)
"..."
"...Onii-san is starting to accept affection!"
"It was about time."
"I guess I have to give my little brother a little pampering."
The brothers would never refuse to return all the love and affection they have received from their human brother.
He wanted a hug? They would give him all he wanted!
"Hehe"(x3)
And with joy, Subaru is quickly hugged by three small bodies again.
He crouches down to be able to hug them all at the same time.
"...Ahhhh."
He hugs them tightly... letting this small comfort... sink deep into his being.
He shed a few small tears of relief feeling that... there is someone here he can lean on.
Subaru holds his breath for a few more seconds, letting this hug happen like no other...
...And when he speaks again.
"...Hey, Ana-chan?"
"Mmm? Yes, Subaru?"
"...I'll visit you again tomorrow... I'm sorry but... I need your help."
Subaru considered himself a useless being...
A being who couldn't achieve almost anything if it weren't for the help of others…If that's the case…
Why couldn't we try to depend on them?
Notes:
Well. For me, the most controversial chapter up to now. I feel it's a candidate to have the most negative comments at this point.
Deserved? Perhaps. I never managed to feel totally satisfied with the Petelgeuse part. Because it was something very complicated to write for everything I wanted to achieve. It could undoubtedly have been done better but the circumstances were difficult.
With this… Bye Bye suffering. Hello friends. I'm glad to know Subaru has good company for this arc. My redemption is coming, my people!
Anyway. What did you think? Please comment, I need to know your opinions to continue and improve this even more if it's within my possibilities.
Support me. See you. Bye!