Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

– I will definitely... save you, – he said, reaching his hand toward her body.

After those words, Natsuki Subaru died.

The next thing he consciously remembered was the soft sensation beneath his head. A feeling so alluring he wanted to melt into it, and yet...

"Right, Satella!" – the memories of his final moments came rushing back, and he opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was a female figure and a girl's face leaning over him with clear concern. Her face was partly hidden by a black outfit with sparse orange accents, but from where he lay, he could see it clearly.

– Satella, is that you!? – Without realizing he'd been lying on her lap, he suddenly sat up, grabbed her shoulders, and asked anxiously: – Are you okay? What even happened!?

The scene that followed was rather amusing. The half-elf’s face, which had brightened at his first words, twisted into a sour smile that, after a few seconds, turned into a deliberately pouty expression, like a child sticking out their lips.

– I see, so you’re asking about that girl. – Turning her head away from the boy, she continued, – I’m not her. But she’ll be fine soon enough, knowing you.

– Oh, so you’re not Satella, but you look...

– No! I mean – yes! And yeah, I’ve noticed we look pretty similar. – Stopping the boy’s attempt to interrupt, she went on. – Satella is my name, not hers. I think that little liar chose it just to scare you off.

– Why would she do that?? And how would that scare me? You’re both pretty attractive, – Subaru reached out to lift the hood of her cloak and get a better look at her face, – more like twins, really, – he said, observing her face redden rapidly from the sudden contact.

– I–idiot! – Satella lightly pushed his hand away and pulled the fabric tighter over her face.

– Sorry, I got carried away!

– It’s fine, I don’t mind, just give me a heads-up next time...

The awkward silence that followed gave the boy a chance to take a better look at where they were. What he saw left him in awe: the dark space seemed endless in every direction, with no visible ceiling, and the floor he sat on didn’t feel particularly soft or hard. Despite the lack of any light source, he could see himself, the girl, and the various colored cards floating around them quite clearly.

– Hey, where are we anyway? – His gaze returned to the shy girl.

– I can explain everything from the beginning, just don’t interrupt me, okay? Save your questions for later. – Once the boy gave her a quick nod, she continued, – This space was created by your ability. You could say it’s... “next door” to my dimension, so I can easily enter it. It has no clear boundaries, but I wouldn’t recommend wandering too far from where you appeared unless I’m with you. That might end badly. – Seeing that he was absorbing every word, she went on:

– While you’re here, time in the outside world is frozen, so don’t worry about what’s going on out there. You’ll come here after, – the half-elf suddenly faltered, but pulled herself together and continued, – ...after your ability is activated.

She paused, giving him time to process what he’d just heard and ask questions, remaining seated on her knees the entire time.

That monologue only left Subaru with more questions, but the main one remained unchanged:

– What happened in the “outside world”?

The question made Satella stare helplessly at the ground. It was an answer that needed to be said, but was hard to voice...

– You died. I’m sorry. B–but it can be fixed!

– Died!? I... – Memories of his slashed stomach, the blood loss, the slow fade into darkness, and that other half-elf girl –. – Wait! What about Sa– that girl!? Did she also...? You said she’d be okay. That’s true, right?

– Sigh I’m more than sure you’ll want to save her, and you’ll have the chance to.

– Awesome! But how do I... This is connected to the powers you mentioned, right!? So I really do have them, cool! – Overjoyed, he jumped to his feet with his arms raised in a victory pose. But due to the sudden movement and dizziness, he lost balance and fell right onto the poor girl.

The position they ended up in wasn’t exactly compromising, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for the boy. His head was resting between her breasts, his left hand gripped her thigh, and his right had broken the fall slightly by hitting the ground.

– Ow! I’m so sorry, I’ll just... – He didn’t get to finish or move, because her arms wrapped around his back and pulled him toward her with surprising strength. – Huh? – But what surprised him wasn’t the contact.

He heard soft sobs. Sobs that quickly turned into quiet crying and then full-on weeping.

– Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! How can you even smile at a time like this!? You died! Died right in front of me! All because of my mistakes. I never should have let them summon you. I knew you'd get involved, I knew you’d try to play the hero! We took you from your parents, from your home, and threw you into a world full of danger! Knowing what you’re like! Knowing you'd try to save everyone... – Taking a breath, and not giving Subaru a chance to speak, she went on. – Of course, you ended up with that cursed ability, of all things. I waited for you all these years, not to watch this. It’s my fault, it’s my fault, it’s my fault—

Her self-blame was cut short by a sudden shift: despite her firm grip, he rolled them over onto his back, switching their positions entirely. Now, the silver-haired half-elf lay on top of him, their faces only ten centimeters apart. The next thing she felt was something warm and soothing on her head. He was stroking her hair. Gently running his fingers through it, occasionally tucking strands behind her ears for convenience. Noticing her surprised look, the boy stopped and was about to pull his hand back, thinking he had gone too far, but judging by her next words, he had done everything right:

– No, keep going.

The silence that followed was no longer awkward – just a calm pause. A pause that gave Satella a chance to catch her breath, and Subaru – time to gather his thoughts. She could no longer hug him as comfortably, but she still felt the warmth of his body and the hand on her head, slowly but surely soothing her.

"This was... chaotic. I don’t understand much yet, and I still have a ton of questions, but I think I should give her some time."

"From what I heard, she’s somehow connected to my summoning here, to some kind of 'cursed ability,' and... maybe the weirdest thing – she knows me! Like, not just from today, but like she’s known me for years..."

With all the vivid events and info bombarding him, the confused boy had no idea what to think about first. So, after a bit of inner struggle, he decided not to waste energy on wild theories and just wait for answers – while holding onto a girl straight out of his dreams...

The sudden realization of his current situation finally hit him, painting his cheeks red.

"Wait a minute, didn’t she give me a lap pillow when I first appeared!? And now? What even is this?? How did we get here!?"

Looking at the girl again, he noticed he could feel not only the warmth and softness of her body but also the rhythm of her heartbeat. At the same time, her scent finally reached his nose. An indescribably gentle aroma with a sharp note(?) that temporarily overtook his mind, making it hard to think about anything else.

"This is so strange. It feels completely new and unusual, but also somehow familiar. I’m sure I’ve never smelled anything like it before. I can’t compare it to anything in my life... it’s like my taste buds discovered a whole new category of flavor."

"Wait, what am I even thinking!? This girl’s clearly upset right now. Maybe even because of me! And let’s be honest, this whole thing’s way too intimate for a virgin like me..!"

– Subaru... thank you. – Now calmer, the girl managed to say a few words in a relatively steady voice. Satella pulled back a bit to look at his face as she said it.

– Oh, no problem... feel free to ask anytime! – "God, what am I saying, Subaru, shut up!" – Answering with an awkward smile, he continued thinking: "Well, okay, so she knows my name – not like that’s a huge surprise..."

– We don’t have much time. – Suddenly changing tone, she spoke sharply. Standing up quickly, she held out a hand to help the boy to his feet.

– Uh? Why?

– She’ll wake up soon... and I have no desire to introduce you to her. – Then, in a whisper, she added, – I don’t know how you did it, but now she sleeps most of the time, and I’m the one in control... Not that I’m complaining. You’ve always been amazing.

Given the complete silence of the space, he had no trouble catching her whisper or the unexpected compliment.

"Seriously, who is this girl? Maybe it’s just my imagination, but she definitely doesn’t seem indifferent to me!"

This line of thought made the boy blush again, though the excited girl didn’t notice this time.

– Ahem! While we still have time! I need to tell you about your abilities.

– I’m listening closely! – "Yes, yes, yes! I can’t wait to find out what I’ve got! It’s gotta be some kind of cheat skill, right? Satella seems super powerful if she made me my own dimension, so no way her gift would be weak."

– Since I’m already here, I can help you feel your Authority. That’ll be better than any explanation. – With those words, she pressed her palm gently against Subaru’s solar plexus.

Before the black-haired boy could reply, three screens appeared before his eyes:

Passive Abilities
?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)
?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)

Active Abilities
–
–
–
–
–

Inventory
–

– Whoa, so I’ll have a system like in a video game? Then where are my stats? – He carefully examined the sparse information on the screens, hesitant to click on anything yet.

The screens themselves looked very bare — no buttons, no ornate frames or designs. Semi-transparent gray boxes, minimalistic in every way. The design didn’t seem to reference any game or work Subaru recognized.

– No, I don’t think so. These screens can only be seen and interacted with here, in this dimension. Most likely, it’s just your Authority trying to present your power in a form you can understand. The design... probably shaped itself based on what you’re familiar with.

– What a shame... That would’ve made life way easier, – the boy sighed, and tapped on the first ability.

?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)
Upon the user’s death, returns them to a pre-set Check Point in time.
Warning!
Due to the way this Authority was obtained, the user cannot choose or set their own Check Points.

– Yes! My first cheat! And what a cheat it is! So I’m basically immortal, right? Satella-tan, is this what you meant when you said I’d be able to save her? – He received a flustered nod from the girl at the sudden nickname and continued. – Looks like I need to name the ability myself. But later! First...

?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)
Upon the user’s death, allows them to randomly copy one ability from the being that killed them.
Works only once per being.

– Another cheat! Of course it's skill copying, what else? But seriously... why does it have to be death again!? I’m not exactly eager to die a bunch of times! – A relieved sigh escaped the half-elf beside him.

– First things first, tell me – he turned to Satella – why can’t I choose my own Check Points? If not me, then who does it?

– That’s... the other me. – She started, then quickly added – Sorry, it’s a long story. Better save it for another time.

Neither of them wanted to think about when or how that “next time” would come.

– Alright, if you say so... I won’t name them yet either. – Subaru turned toward the colorful cards floating in the space. He’d ask about the other unfamiliar terms later. – I guess these aren’t just for decoration?

– Mhm. Most likely, these are the abilities you can copy...

The black-haired boy took a closer look. He counted about twenty: one gold, five purple, six blue, and eight green.

– If we follow video game logic, the gold one’s gotta be the strongest. – Without thinking too much, he grabbed it and turned it over in his hands. – Hmm, no description, no markings. Feels like I’m holding a really light golden leaf. – “So that’s what that word ‘randomly’ meant. Looks like I can choose, but not really.”

– Alright, what now? Accept! Copy! Assimilate! Claim! – He tried a few voice commands but eventually sighed and looked helplessly at the elf for help.

But she just looked just as confused as he was.

– Got it, you don’t know either. If we follow fantasy logic, then it’s probably something like ‘feel it’ or some crap like that.

The moment he said those words, the card began to emit a subtle mental pull. Subaru felt like it was about to merge with his hand, confirming he was on the right track.

– I think I’m close! Like something’s on the tip of my tongue, just out of reach... – “Like I’m about to catch it.” – Hmm. – A smile slowly spread across his face. – I got it!

I want this.

He expected flashy effects or something cool. Instead, the card just began to dim quickly and eventually disappeared, replaced by a new system screen.

Cursed Doll of Elsa Granhiert
Grants false immortality through powerful and rapid regenerative abilities, allowing the user to recover from virtually any damage.
Warning!
This version of the ability is stripped of most of its negative effects, but it is still classified as unfinished and incomplete, and has a limit to its regeneration potential.

– ...What the hell? – Both of them stared at the screen in shock. – What have I even gotten myself into!? – Still stunned, the boy leaned back. – "Seriously, it’s only my first day in this world, and I’m already dealing with that murderous, unkillable woman..."

– Subaru, maybe you shouldn’t. – The boy looked at her questioningly. – Don’t get involved. This isn’t your level, and it’s not even your problem. I don’t want you to get hurt again! You’ll return to a time before you ever met that girl – you won’t owe her anything.

– I... – and he genuinely thought about it. She was right. If things were going that way, he really wouldn’t owe anyone anything. But still...

– If I’d been thinking like that from the start, I wouldn’t even have helped her look for those insignias, Satella-tan. And I definitely couldn’t live with myself knowing I had the chance to stop a kind, sweet girl from dying, and did nothing. Besides, it’s not like I’ll necessarily run into that killer again, right?

Satella could only helplessly shake her head, as if already knowing and accepting his answer.

– Please... be careful... – She suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes went glassy. – That’s it, go! It’s time! You have to go back! – Her voice rose with urgency.

– Uh, what? How do I do that!? – he asked, confused.

– I’ll help. – She quickly stepped forward and hugged him. His body began to be covered from the feet up in a cloak of black shadow, climbing up toward his head. Subaru didn’t panic. He trusted her. But the rush still made him nervous.

– Take care of yourself. Please... don’t tell anyone about your powers or about me. – She spoke quickly, almost mumbling. – But if you’re in real danger, serious danger, then... call me, okay?

But it was her next words that left Subaru truly speechless:

– I love you, my dear.

He didn’t expect the kiss on the cheek either.

Chapter Text

– ...She loves me? – murmured the young man, rubbing his cheek.

– So, what’s it gonna be, kid? Want some appas? – said a middle-aged man at the same time, holding out an appa.

Both men spoke simultaneously, failing to hear each other – naturally leading to:

– What?

– What?

Seeing that the man was starting to get irritated, Subaru gathered his thoughts, trying to come up with some kind of excuse, and said:

– Oh, I think I forgot to bring any money with me. I’m really sorry, but before I go—can I ask one question?

"Calm down. People have told you a hundred times to be more polite. It’s about time you learned not to scare off potential customers... I’ll just answer the brat’s questions, and he’ll leave."

Enduring the shopkeeper’s glare—which looked like it came with a side of verbal abuse—Subaru managed to hold on long enough to get a begrudging response.

– Fine. Ask. What do you want?

– Do you know a woman named Elsa Granhiert?

– Not a clue, – replied the vendor almost instantly, not taking more than five seconds to think.

– That’s too bad. But thank you anyway! I promise I’ll buy your apples next time I come back with money! – Subaru shouted back as he ran away from the green-haired fruit seller.

"What the hell even are 'apples'...?"

After wandering the market street a while longer, Subaru came to a frustrating conclusion:

"Absolutely nothing."

No matter who he asked, no one knew anything about this Elsa. Even worse, when he tried asking about the Not–Satella girl, the conversations went nowhere beyond her appearance. The moment he mentioned her race or any distinct features, the responses quickly turned into either cold silence or open hostility.

All this running around felt like a distraction from everything else that had been dumped on him. Especially the part that had happened at the very end of his meeting with the incredibly cute and sweet girl—at least in Subaru's opinion.

"It wasn’t just my imagination, right? She confessed! She really confessed! To me! And then..."

"But why? What did I even do? How did that happen? I seriously don’t understand anything—not even a little!"

"But whatever! No point thinking about that right now. I’ve got more important things to deal with!"

That line had been looping in his head for the tenth time already. And, as evident, it wasn’t working.

– Get a grip! – he muttered aloud, slapping his own cheeks to snap out of it. Though the slaps were fairly strong, the pain—and even the sting—vanished quickly. The odd sensation brought a smile to his face.

"Regeneration, huh? That could come in handy. I wonder how fast it works... and what the limits are?"

Spending what remained of his time searching for Not–Satella or the local “police,” Subaru, unfortunately, found nothing. So, switching to plan “B,” he headed straight for the shack from his memory—hoping he wasn’t too late to stop the coming disaster.

"I might not be very strong yet... but I’m not exactly easy to kill either. Still, I really hope I won’t have to see her again," Subaru thought, unconsciously rubbing his stomach.

"I’d love to know more about this Authority of Envy. Is it like the sin from Christian mythology? If so, I really hope I don’t have to deal with six more people with broken powers like hers!"

"I didn’t get the chance to ask her, but I’m also curious who she was talking about back then. She was clearly worried about me meeting someone—she rushed me so much. And what about those Save Points? She mentioned another 'her'—is that connected? It could be. But that’s also kind of terrifying. Isn’t she the one deciding when and where I jump back in time?"

As he neared his destination, Subaru saw the building in the distance. His last thought before focusing was:

"I need to figure out a way to contact Satella–tan. Preferably without dying."

The Bowel Hunter could say without exaggeration that this was one of the strangest assignments she’d ever taken.

First of all, there were the rules—an entire set of behavioral patterns for different possible scenarios. Twenty-three. Twenty-three core branching outcomes, some of which required her to act in completely opposite ways depending on the trigger. These plans accounted for the Sword Saint interfering, Meili’s death (which she found suspicious), the rampage of the Beast of the End, and even her own demise (though Elsa considered that highly unlikely).

The second factor was a certain unknown individual. Unlike other targets, this one had no name, no physical description—not even a clear set of abilities. Worse still, in every potential outcome, his power level varied wildly: from pathetic weakling to disaster-class monster. But there was one common thread.

How he was to be killed.

Under no circumstances was she to kill him instantly. She had to ensure he had at least 10 to 20 seconds to fully realize he was dying.

"My client must be one hell of a sadist. Or he’s got a personal grudge against this one."

Not that Elsa minded. She wasn’t the type to judge—especially since the pay was excellent. And, on top of that, she’d been given two high-grade artifact cloaks. One was single-use but could block any magical attack, no matter how powerful. The other granted full invisibility—hiding not just her body, but her presence entirely. Thanks to that, she’d been hiding for hours in a house full of stolen goods, completely unnoticed, and thoroughly enjoying the drunk antics of the massive man inside.

She realized it was time to act when she heard knocking at the door, followed by the voice of a young boy.

Suppressing his nerves and pushing the bloody images of the previous time loop far to the back of his mind, Subaru stepped up to the door and raised his hand:

– Is anyone there?

He hoped he wasn’t too early and someone was still inside—or worse, that he wasn’t already too late. Despite his fear, he knocked lightly.

Hearing no response, he started knocking harder. Much harder. Almost enough to break the door off its hinges.

– Get lost! I haven’t even reached the door yet, you little bastard!

Barely dodging the suddenly flying-open door, Subaru found himself face-to-face with what was clearly the owner of the place.

– I guess asking for the password would’ve been pointless, huh?

"Tall. Muscular. Dark skin... Definitely the corpse I saw back then." – Swallowing the rising nausea, Subaru recalled the lines he had prepared:

– I have critical, life-saving information! And I’m also a customer! – "The sun’s already starting to set. I’m running out of time."

Staring at the weird kid a bit longer and taking in his odd appearance and bold attitude, the man thought: "A runaway noble, maybe."

"Hope Felt didn’t steal anything from him. But he’s clearly alone—shouldn’t cause too much trouble."

– Felt’s dealing with weirdos again? Told her... Tch, whatever. Come in.

Not the least bit worried about turning his back to this strange newcomer, the giant lumbered over to the booze shelf to resume his business.

As Subaru followed him inside and closed the door, he finally got a proper look at the place: a bar counter with stools lined up on the far end, a bunch of empty bottles scattered across the surface, and clutter everywhere that covered the expansive space. Paintings and equipment of various kinds hung on the walls, completing the messy interior.

– Had enough sightseeing? Judging by your face, whatever you came to say is urgent.

Subaru turned toward the man, taking in his alcohol-flushed features, and tried to sound as confident as he could:

– You’re going to be attacked soon. By a killer named Elsa! I don’t know her reason, or why it has to be you—but the intel is solid. I swear on my life.

The man stopped drinking and set the bottle down, face serious. It wasn’t the first time someone tried to trick him with claims like this, but something about this situation felt... off.

– Kid, you realize this kind of thing isn’t funny? Or are you just trying to pull one over on me? – Despite the alcohol, he caught something in the boy’s eyes and continued asking:

– Got anything else? What she looks like? How she kills? Known victims? I might be old, but I’m not weak enough to die to just any killer!

– N–not much. Just that she’s a woman with a deep voice. – Subaru tried to recall more details. – I know she has crazy regeneration. Her method... I think she targets the stomach first.

Now the giant sat in deep thought, trying to connect the dots. He didn’t miss how the boy had touched his own stomach while saying that, but let it slide for now.

– Say her name again?

– Elsa Granhiert.

– Sounds Gusteko. – The man’s eyes widened. Rage and fear flashed across his face. – No...

– Hey, old man, you figured something out?!

– Name’s Rom. And that maniac you mentioned... is probably the infamous Bowel Hunter. – Rom grabbed his club, clearly preparing for a fight. – No, it’s no good. I doubt we could take her!

– Bowel Hunter?! They don’t give scary nicknames like that to just anyone. – Subaru was relieved to see the giant convinced and moving toward the door.

– Damn it, Felt, where the hell are you at a time like this?! – As if on cue, knocking came from the door, followed by a voice:

– Sorry, Old Man Rom! That job wasn’t easy—she just wouldn’t let up, but I finally managed to...

– Later! We’re getting out of here! – Not even bothering to ask for the password, Rom interrupts the girl and immediately opens the door.

– What? Why—

She didn’t get to finish. It’s hard to speak when your head literally flies off your shoulders. Blood from such a sudden and horrifying dismemberment sprays in all directions, even splattering across the giant’s face.
Her body collapses to the ground after the head, which rolls back into the Loot House—its expression frozen in utter confusion.

– Huh? – Rom’s moment of shock turns into rage. Even his slow mind quickly grasps what just happened. Wasting no more time, he charges at the one responsible for his granddaughter’s death.

– You!! I’ll die if I have to, but I’m taking you with me!!!

– My first fight to the death with a giant. I hope you’ll show me something fun~ – the woman drops her invisibility cloak the moment she attacks the old man. It would only get in the way during a proper fight anyway.

This time, Subaru gets a better look at the one who had previously killed him.
Dark hair braided down her back, violet eyes and a wild, predatory smile. A revealing outfit that hugged her body, with a cut in the middle and violet accents that matched her gaze.
She slipped right past the giant and his weapon, re-entering the building and beginning her fight inside.

Subaru had previously intended to run to the sword on the wall and arm himself with something, but he couldn’t move. His legs trembled from terror, his heart pounded wildly, and his eyes were glued to Felt’s severed head—its empty stare seemingly locked onto him.

He wanted to scream, cry, maybe even vomit from the sight, but all that escaped his throat was:

– Why?

Why was this happening to them? Why was he even seeing this?

With sheer force of will, he turned his shaking head away from Felt’s corpse to look at the ongoing fight—

…Which ended right then.

Inside the now half-destroyed building, it was clear: the dark-skinned man had lost both arms and now lost his life too, a shattered glass bottle embedded deep into his throat.

– Just you left~ Looks like you’ve never faced anything like me before, huh? You look like you’ve already given up. But I’m still curious—how will you surprise me~?

Turning away from the collapsed corpse of the giant, she began walking toward him with slow, confident steps.

Her voice carried both pity and excitement. She looked at Subaru with a sort of bored curiosity, even though he still couldn’t move.

Despite her casual demeanor, she remembered her mission and wouldn’t underestimate this seemingly weak boy.

– Let’s finish this already. I’ll send you to the angels~

Realizing he wouldn’t make it to the weapon in time, Subaru did the only thing he could—he nervously took a fighting stance, praying without hoping for much.

Seeing this, Elsa picked up speed, transitioning into a full sprint. His eyes tracked the tip of her blade—and then a jolt of unease made him frown.

"Her target... my stomach!" – He remembered his painful experience from before.

That delayed fury at his earlier inaction and helplessness spurred his body to move. He stepped back, sucking in his gut to dodge the straight stab.

– Hrk—! – In response, he twisted his body and swung his leg around, delivering a spinning kick right to Elsa’s face.

– Ahh, I felt that. – she responded with delighted shivers, licking the blood from her blades after the exchange.
Her flushed expression and tone could almost have aroused him—had they been in a very different situation.

"Wait… blood?" – His gaze dropped and found a shallow cut on his shirt, already stained with a little red. The wound had already closed quickly, and it hardly hurt thanks to how fast it all happened.

– Oh? So you do have something special inside~ – she noticed. – Blessed, just like me~

Realizing he had a brief opening, the boy ran for the wall, hoping to at least grab a shield.

– Splendid, just amazing! But it’s such a shame you have no combat experience. We could’ve made a beautiful dance together. – she intercepted him before he could reach anything, delivering a spinning kick that sent him flying into another wall.
– Still, that just means I can have more fun with you. I bet your guts are a lovely color~

Surprisingly, he got up quickly despite the impact and the pain in his gut. Glancing around, he tried to get his bearings.

"The door! It’s nearby—I can…!"

– Nuh-uh~ Not so fast.

In that very moment, the hand he was using to push himself up was severed and flung aside.

– AAAAAGHHHHRK!! – Losing one of his points of support, Subaru collapsed sideways, screaming and sobbing from the pain.

– Ohoo~ Already healing! – Elsa watched in fascination as the limb quickly regenerated. – So that’s what it looks like from the outside. Absolutely gorgeous~

Subaru’s scream weakened as his voice cracked, but the agony and tears didn’t stop.
Thanks to his newfound power, he didn’t lose consciousness even with such wounds.
So, in pure terror and desperation, he forced himself up using his remaining hand and lunged for the exit.

– Thought you could run from me? – His eyes widened in horror as he heard the whisper… right next to his ear.

The next thing he knew, he was on his back—unable even to scream—because:

– Sorry, but if you keep yelling like that, I might go deaf. So do me a favor and keep it in your throat for now, ‘kay~?

"My neck… What did she do?" – Trying to lift his head only made things worse.
A kukri had been stabbed through his neck and deep into the floor beneath, locking him in place. Any movement sent waves of excruciating pain.

Blood filled his throat and mouth. Regeneration couldn’t help—his power kept trying to heal around the embedded blade, generating more nerves, more blood, only for them to be destroyed again in a cycle of endless agony.

– Krhhh, khurghk… – All he could do was try to spit out the blood.
But there was so much, it spilled from his lips, clogged his nose, even seeped into his eyes, blurring his vision.

– So we’re not just alike… you’re exactly like me! But how? I didn’t know they made others like us…

While speaking, she prepared for the main course.
When she saw him reaching for the blade with both freshly-regrown hands, she lopped them off again.

– If you keep squirming, we’ll be here all night~ – Drawing two spare knives, she stabbed them into his knees. Then, to finish the restraint, she sat on his hips.
His body convulsed, his mouth still tried to form sounds, and his arms—each time they regrew—reached for his neck, only to be sliced off again.

– Let’s begin~ – With manic glee, she slashed open his stomach, cutting deeper and deeper to watch the organs squirm before they regenerated.

With a twisted, lustful smile, and without caring about the blood covering her and her clothes, she continued slicing him open, lost in the morbid beauty of the sight.

"Maybe I should take him back and gift him to Mother? That’d be a great way to make up for things—after I have my fun~ There was nothing in the order that required me to kill him. Just that I shouldn't do it too suddenly."

The helpless boy was weak, but interesting. Interesting to someone like Mother of Elsa Granhiert.
Despite everything, he never lost the will to live. He still struggled, even now.

"Would he become her toy? Or maybe… my colleague?"

Her only mistake was forgetting about his hands—hands that had once again regenerated.
This time, one managed to grab the kukri, raise it, and—

He slashed at her neck.

Not that it was a great move. On instinct alone, she caught his wrist and twisted it, ready to disarm him again.
But his next words threw her off-balance.

The only thing he could still do—the only name that might respond to his plea—was all he had left.

Despite his still-healing throat, he croaked out:

– Satella… help me…

– Calling a Witch in your desperation? What makes you think she’d even—

But she came. Elsa instantly felt something change.

The world seemed to slow. Shadows began to swirl beneath Subaru, dark and slime-like, coiling around his body.

"So that’s it… You really are her favorite," Elsa realized.

The last thing Subaru saw was several of those tendrils rushing toward the Bowel Hunter.
The last thing he heard:

– I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you... – a voice like a bell’s chime, so eerily similar to those two silver-haired half-elves.

The last thing he felt… was the cold love that wrapped around him in the darkness.

Chapter Text

Subaru woke up. Much to his own regret. The memories of the last ten worst minutes of his life rushed at him all at once, causing phantom pain to flare across his entire body.

– Haaaaahkh, – his first instinct was to draw in as much air as possible. A nearly primal fear that he might never get the chance to do so again overwhelmed him, briefly eclipsing all other sensory input.

What followed was crying. Or rather, a horrifying wail of pain and despair like nothing else. Completely out of control of his mind and body, he didn’t even notice when he fell from something low, beginning... to bang his head against the floor.
As luck would have it, the floor wasn’t hard enough to fulfill his one wish at the moment:

I don’t want to be conscious.

All he wanted in that moment was to forget, to lose himself, to forget everything, to shut down his mind. To stop existing here and now.

He didn’t immediately notice the arms embracing him. A lot of time passed before he became aware of the body pressing close to him. Even more time passed before he began to hear a voice, gently soothing him and calling his name.

– ...It’s okay, Subaru, you’re safe, no one will hurt you anymore. I’m here, I’m with you. It’s over, everything is alright now. I’m sorry for everything, I should’ve acted sooner. Please, come back to yourself, I’ll do anything. You did everything you could, Subaru, just don’t blame yourself. The pain will pass, it will get easier, I promise. Everything really will be alright, Subaru...

The girl soothing the poor boy had to put in a lot of effort to exclude her usual loop of self-blame and words of love from her monologue.

"That’s definitely not what he needs right now."

– Satella..? – Having regained some awareness, Subaru began to look around in confusion and slowly, trying to understand where he was. – I– this– is this real?

– Yes, it’s all real, Subaru, you’re with me now—

But he only began to cry even harder.

– It really happened! She—!! I... Why!?

She realized she had made the stupidest mistake by misinterpreting the question.

"Idiot, you always mess up in moments like this! Comforting someone in pain was never your strong suit, just shut up and—"

– Why!? For what!? What did I do to deserve this? What the hell... – The more he screamed, the stronger the phantom pain returned, and so his voice grew weaker with each word until it turned into a whisper.

– It hurts. It hurts so much. I don’t want this, make it stop... – Every extra movement caused more pain, even though he had no actual wounds. The pain was so intense he lost awareness of his body in space and couldn’t even tell in what position he was.

– Sleep. – Unable to bear watching her beloved in such a state, she used the spell for the third time to put him to sleep.

"With each awakening, he gets a little better. With my help, the nightmares won’t reach him either."

What followed were already familiar procedures. Several spells: emotion-suppressing, inducing strong derealization, partially separating the needed memories from the main stream, and a few more with similar effects.

None of it worked fully in this place and with her hands. She blamed herself for not studying this in advance when she had the chance, but now there was nothing more she could do.

Subaru woke up. Again. Fifth time, to be exact.

This time wasn’t so bad. Just some tears and quiet sobs, but he was fully conscious now. The phantom pain had mostly faded, the perceived physical weakness receded to the background, and he could move his arms and legs with ease.

– Subaru?

– Satella-tan, please...

– Hm?

– Please, stay with me. – His face showed complete apathy, though it was likely a side effect of the spells rather than his true state. His head rested on her stomach as he lay on her lap, and his hands tried to embrace her from behind.

– Of course, I’ll stay. No matter what happens, I promise. – Her lips formed a tender smile, sharply contrasting with her tear-reddened eyes and stained cheeks. Subaru didn’t miss the detail:

– You... I’m sorry, I made you cry, didn’t I?

– Fool, you should worry about yourself more. – All this time she kept stroking his head and running her fingers through his hair.

– Why are you even with me? Why did you say you loved me back then? What did a loser like me do to deserve your affection...

She couldn’t bear looking into his distrusting eyes and listening to him talk so badly about himself, so she interrupted him, placing a finger to his lips.

– It’s not just affection, idiot. I love you. I love you with all my heart. You showed me the world, showed me I can be loved too, gave me so many beautiful memories. You’re the best, Subaru, irreplaceable to me. I’d love you no matter what – even if you were a girl, a child, or even a monster. – Her hands gently wiped the tear stains from his face. – Don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything, alright? This time, we have more time, I can answer all your questions.

– Can we just stay like this for now? I need a bit more time. – With these words, his eyes, which had been fixed solely on the girl, closed to allow the boy some rest.

– Of course, whatever you wish, my love.

– Flugel? Sounds cool, I admit. I even remember using that nickname in a few online games. – He grew a bit nostalgic. – Oh, you probably...

– I know, you already told me! But if you want, I can listen again.

– Eh, no, I don’t think that’s necessary. – Throughout the entire conversation, they hadn’t changed position. They were both comfortable, so there was no reason to.

– Are you sure I’m him?

– I’m sure! I doubt there’s another guy as wonderful as you in the whole universe.

– Cut it out already! You’re embarrassing me. More importantly— – Blushing rapidly again, Subaru tried to pick his next question. – Right! You mentioned something about your “other self.” Can you explain, please?

In an instant, almost all of Satella’s accumulated good mood vanished. The shift was so fast it was slightly frightening, so Subaru tried to stop her:

– If it’s a painful topic, it’s okay, I can ask something else!

– No, it’s alright, I’ll tell you.

She took several deep breaths before starting.

– 400 years ago, when I was forced to accept a Witch Factor incompatible with me...

– ...After that, I was sealed on a semi-voluntary basis. The main guarantee that the Witch of Envy wouldn’t break free was me, as the only one who had any influence over her...

– ...Following our plan, I summoned you into this world again, but during the transfer of the Envy Factor to you, something strange happened: instead of just accepting the portion we prepared, your Od latched onto it like a lifeline, absorbing most of it. Since the Factor had already been divided during the transfer, two interconnected abilities formed from its Authority. That alone isn’t unusual, but it’s rare for both to be so strong.

Finally getting the answers he had longed for, he absorbed every word, trying not to miss any detail. Some answers only brought more questions, but he had other topics in line, so those could wait.

– You said we have more time this time. Why? And how long have I been here?

– About six hours? Honestly, not sure, it’s a bit tricky to keep track of time here. – Ignoring his surprise at the amount of time spent there, she continued:

– Since my second personality was originally formed from my Authority, your actions severely weakened her, causing her to sleep most of the time. – A genuinely happy smile spread on her face, her eyes closed in pleasure. – It’s like a heavy burden was lifted, I don’t have to exert so much effort to suppress her anymore... Ah, right, – she caught herself – after you called me, Envy, as if she hadn’t been sleeping, got ahead of even me. Due to the element of surprise, using the few powers available to her, she went to the outside world to protect and take you. But her rage toward that bitch distracted her and allowed me to retrieve you.

She was lying. Likely for the first time in these two meetings. Considering his condition, she chose not to tell him the truth.

The situation was far worse than she made it sound. Because she could have lost him forever. It was true that Envy was the first to emerge in order to protect Subaru. But “protection” in the Witch’s understanding was a perverse and twisted concept. When her magic reached his body, she didn’t intend to teleport him, not at all. Assimilation. Envy’s first instinct was to literally consume the boy. To eat his essence, his Od, all his memories. Because if he became a part of her, he could never leave her again. He would be with her forever.
When Satella realized what her other self was trying to do, she was horrified. While the chance of losing Subaru forever wasn’t that high – she had time to intervene – the very fact it could happen almost caused her a panic attack.
She managed to intercept him when the shadows had already covered his body, intending to teleport him to the Shadow Garden. Intercept him to... kill. She had to, “with her own hands,” use a single spell to atomically destroy his entire body at once, to leave not even a sliver of a chance for Envy to fight for control.

That part, she definitely wouldn’t tell him.

– Fortunately, I’m stronger than her now, so while she’s fighting Elsa, I quickly returned to your dimension and erected a temporal barrier before your arrival. – She pointed her finger through the dozens of floating cards around them at the grayish transparent dome that surrounded them.

– As long as we don’t step outside of it, time around us is frozen, and with my mana reserves we can stay here for a few more hours or so.

– That sounds... insanely strong! Will I be able to do that too? – He looked at Satella with hope.

– You don’t have that much mana yet, but as for the spell itself, – she grinned slyly and proudly – it was your invention! So don’t doubt yourself, once you regain your skills, you’ll do even better~

Subaru still wasn’t sure how to feel about it. On one hand, she praised him so much, on the other – for achievements he didn’t remember and doubted he had even done. The more he heard about “that him,” the more like a fraud he felt. It was like she was talking about a completely different person, mistakenly thinking Subaru was him. All those spells, those feats, that power. It all seemed to belong to someone else entirely.

Who are you, Flugel?

– Dammit, so I did raise a flag back then!?

That’s how our dear Subaru reacted to the new info about the various Witch Factors and Authorities.

– But where the hell did Melancholy and Vanity come from? They totally don’t fit in. And the fact that I’ll potentially have to deal with eight broken powers now doesn’t exactly make me happy!

– Heehee, last time you found out, you reacted the exact same way. How cute~

Even though she’d been showering him with compliments with or without reason, he still wasn’t used to it and always reacted emotionally. Which, in turn, only spurred Satella on even more.

He didn’t know just how much self-control it took for her to stop herself from going further. Her hands kept wanting to go way ahead of her brain, preferably grabbing anything soft along the way. If her eyes weren’t locked on his, they were on his lips—or, well... ahem. The longer she listened to his voice, the stronger the urge grew to strip off his clothes and—

But not now. She didn’t want to scare him off. She’d wait until he was ready—and when that time came, nothing would stop them.

– Earth to Tella-tan, you there? – Subaru raised his hand to her face, waving it in front of the zoned-out girl.

– Huh? What did you just call me?

– You don’t like it? If you want, I can...

– N-no, keep it! Please call me that more often!

Noticing Satella’s blushing face, Subaru came to a conclusion:

"Yeah... that’s probably what I used to call her before." That thought only dragged him into deeper melancholia, which he could do nothing about.

"I’ll just hope I really am the person she thinks I am. I don’t even want to imagine how she’d react if I’m not."

– All right, Tella-tan, if that’s what you want.

– Yaaay~!

– Well then, I guess it’s time we stopped ignoring the elephant in the room.

The black-haired boy reluctantly got up from the girl’s lap, where he’d spent many hours. There was no need to stretch in this space—his body didn’t go numb or sore no matter the position, which was pretty convenient.

– I’m really curious what cards you’ve got, Tella-tan!

Hearing this, she gave a barely noticeable flinch. They didn’t dwell on it, but both of them knew whose hand had killed him last time.

– If your stories about yourself were even a little bit true, then I’m about to get another cheat skill,

"and I won’t be so helpless anymore." Even if I have to pick one at random.

– Of course they’re true, silly! Why would I even lie to you!

She puffed out her cheeks in mock offense and turned away.

"Cute..." But deciding not to start another ping-pong of compliments, he turned back to the cards.

Unlike Elsa, Satella had way more of them. Subaru had tried to count them, but lost track somewhere around sixty. Overall, there seemed to be about 150, which was honestly impressive. He was a bit curious about their contents, but what drew his attention most were the cards in a color that hadn’t appeared before.

Four bright red cards stood out even among the golden ones—let alone the lesser-tier colors.

– I never would’ve guessed there was that color too. Seriously, I’ve got such weird luck.

– I think... I might know what’s in them.

Satella mumbled with her eyes closed, holding one of the nearby gold cards in a focused pose.

– Oh, that’s handy! Can you always do that, or...

– I think this is a special case, – she turned to him with an apologetic look, – sorry.

– Nah, that was a logical guess.

Subaru reassured her without the slightest disappointment.

– It’s good enough that we even can do this.

– All right, I’m leaving the choice to you!

– Really? Are you sure?

– One hundred percent! You clearly understand this whole magic system better than I do, so I’d rather trust you with it!

He clarified, giving her a thumbs-up.

– Thank you! I won’t let you down!

For the next five minutes, she wandered between the red and gold cards with a blank expression. She winced slightly at one of the crimson ones, quickly moving past it. Eventually, having checked all of them, she returned to one of the first ones and picked it up.

– What’s in it?

Subaru asked, taking the red card she offered him.

– Something that’ll help you with magic. You’ve just arrived in this world, so your Od and Gates are like a newborn’s. If you’d acted even slightly recklessly, you could’ve damaged your Gates—or even destroyed them completely.

– What happens if they break?

He asked, though he already had a hunch about the answer.

– You’d never be able to use magic again.

– That’s horrible! That’d be the end of a whole part of my new isekai life!

To that kind of comment, the half-elf could only give a crooked smile and sigh. She didn’t fear he’d treat this world like a game or a novel too seriously, but she understood—it was just a defense mechanism against everything he was going through.

– All right then, since this is your choice...!

I want this

Exactly like last time, he once again felt the sensation of the card trying to merge with his body through his fingers. It didn’t last long—within seconds, a screen popped up in front of him:

Satella’s / Witch of Envy Magic Gates

1 – Increases the user’s affinity with Yin Magic to match that of the "skill" holder

2 – Enhances the user’s Gates to the level of the "skill" holder

3 – Increases magic conduction and recovery to the level of the "skill" holder

Warning!

This "skill" does not improve magic control, magical knowledge, or mana reserves.

Warning!

Once installed, the "skill" is irreversible (cannot be removed or deactivated), and can only be placed in a passive skill slot.
Install?
Yes / No

p>The description answered a few questions they’d had earlier—but raised some new ones too.

– So I can get rid of that damned regeneration after all?

Hard to blame Subaru for thinking that first, considering the circumstances.

– Want to try removing it now?

Satella looked at him with sympathy.

– Yeah. Even if I end up in mortal danger, I’d rather meet you again than go through anything even remotely like that again.

Subaru tried to joke with a goofy smile, while telling the absolute truth.

Not knowing how else to respond, the girl approached him from behind. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her head on his shoulder, watching as he fiddled with the system windows.

Silent support.

Opening and closing the description of the Cursed Doll a few more times, he finally made up his mind. With an intuitive swipe, he removed the ability from the Active Skills list.

Instead of disappearing, the skill simply moved to his Inventory, taking the first slot out of an infinite number.

– Figures. Guess I can never really get rid of it.

He muttered indifferently.

– From what I can tell, only the Active Skills have limited slots. I wonder if you can increase them somehow. And what exactly is the difference between Active and Passive anyway? Still unclear...

Leaving the unanswered questions for now, Subaru returned to the Gates.

– Should I take it?

He turned his head slightly toward Satella, as if asking for permission.

– Mhm, there shouldn’t be any negative side effects.

– Perfect!

With nearly no hesitation now, Subaru clicked “Yes.”

In response, the screen simply vanished—nothing visibly changed, either in his vision or in his body.

– The effects probably won’t be noticeable until you return.

She picked up on his confusion.

Meanwhile, all the skill windows now looked like this:

Passive Abilities

?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)

?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)

Satella’s / Witch of Envy Magic Gates

Active Abilities

–

–

–

–

–

Inventory

Cursed Doll of Elsa Granhiert

The last hour before the barrier came down was spent chatting about all sorts of little things. Subaru learned the basics of physical enhancement through magic and how to memorize the steps to cast Shamac, and they talked about the plan going forward:

– I guess there’s no point trying to talk you out of it, huh?

She looked him in the eyes with sadness, hoping to guilt him a little.

– I’ll never forgive myself if I let anyone go through even a fraction of what I had to just because I stood by and did nothing.

The tracksuit-wearing boy responded firmly and, this time, confidently.

"If... If I really am even a little bit as amazing as she described me, then I will pull this off. I’ll save them all—Not-Satella, Rom, Felt. They seem like good people. They don’t deserve this."

– ...Stay safe.

She threw herself into his arms one last time. Lifting her head to meet his gaze, she looked sternly at his blushing, flustered face:

– You do remember how to do it, right? I can explain again—

– No need! I’ve got this! According to you, Shamac is the easiest spell there is, and thanks to your Gates, I won’t have any trouble with Enhancement.

– All right, I believe you.

They stood in awkward silence for a couple more minutes before Satella spoke again.

– My mana here’s almost gone. Time to take down the barrier. To get out, remember the feeling of, um, being kidnapped by the Witch. Should feel similar.

– Got it. I’ll try!

Subaru said, but still stood there awkwardly, looking away, trying to think of what else to say.

– I think we’ve covered everything.

She nodded to herself.

– Good luck, my love.

This time, the kiss landed on his other cheek.

Chapter Text

– So, kid, gonna buy an appa or what?" — the same green-haired vendor stood before Subaru, holding out an appa fruit.

– …No thanks, I’ll come back some other time. – Still slightly disoriented both by the “return” and Satella’s farewell gift, the young man started walking aimlessly until he remembered something important:

– Magic! – he exclaimed with delight, lifting his arms overhead in a victory pose. A few passersby turned at his shout, then quickly lost interest in the strange boy.

“Using a spell here is probably not the best idea—might get arrested.”

His attention, however, was fixed on something else: Physical Enhancement. It wasn’t flashy or overwhelmingly powerful like he’d hoped, but it was right now the simplest, most reliable option.

Stepping away from the middle of the street toward a nearby wall—so as not to disturb anyone—he tried to recall the sensations the half-elf woman had described.

To his surprise, it came easily. In fact, it was rather simple compared to his new enhancement. When he first arrived in this world, his Gates had just barely formed, and sensing any change was difficult.

Now, it felt like gaining a third arm—something always there, but never noticed. Subaru thought it more akin to a tail. Even if a person explained what it was like to be born and live with a tail, he’d never truly grasp it.

“It’s something everyone here is born and dies with, taken for granted. It’s… sort of enviable.” Contradictory emotions surged through him alongside the new sensations, creating, unexpectedly, one of the most intense moments of his life. “Haha, I might actually cry with happiness. This is so strange.”

“Okay, no time to waste.” He shook his head as if to clear out stray thoughts. “Mm… mana… now… here… slowly, steadily across the whole body.” He followed the instructions in his mind, trying to be gentle.

“Damn! Looks like I pulled in too much.” Unfortunately, his control was far from perfect. At this stage, no matter how hard he tried, it was hard to draw just the minimum mana needed for body infusion. “It’s supposed to hurt a bit now, right? Hope not too bad—”

But the expected pain Satella had warned about never came. Instead, all the excess mana began pooling in a knot in Subaru’s stomach, rushing upward.

– Huh? What’s—blluurp!?

He vomited. A pitch-black, slimey substance expelled from his mouth onto the roadside. This repulsive purge lasted five seconds until his body finally expelled all the excess mana and returned to normal.

– Haahhh, haahk. – Subaru gasped greedily for air. The substance gave off no distinct smell—at least, he didn’t notice any.

– What the hell? – He would’ve fallen onto his back or butt if not for the sudden surge of strength coursing through him. – What even was that? Is that supposed to happen? – He spoke in confusion, wiping black slime off his mouth and staring at the slick pool on the ground.

Its sight unsettled him and raised more questions than he could answer now.

“Are they hinting that I’m just not talented at magic? Or is this somehow linked to my isekai origin?”

– Looks dangerous and probably spells trouble. – But he couldn’t afford to waste time. – I’ll hope it’s not something too bad. – Glancing around swiftly and worrying someone might’ve seen, Subaru quickly left the scene of the “crime.”

Too quickly, really. By his estimation, he’d moved at least three times faster than before. The thought of what would happen to his other stats—like strength and endurance—filled his mind with awed chaos.

Within minutes, he spotted the alley he needed, its shade beckoning him on a sweltering day. Not denying its appeal, he climbed the steps and sat on the topmost one, waiting for the others.

“Maybe I came too early.”

At least now he had some quiet time alone to think about past events and future possibilities.

“If I think about it, the moment I met Not‑Satella hasn’t even happened yet. But it only feels like a week.”

In reality, it’d been just a day and a half—but let’s not nitpick.

“Wonder why the two of them look so much alike?”

Subaru would never believe it’s just coincidence. He’d had plenty of time to study both faces, and even with his perfect memory, he could say there were no differences. That’s not even counting hair, eye color, figure—they were identical.

“Is one of them a long-lost twin sister? Maybe. But Satella‑tan wasn’t surprised by her appearance, and she just avoids the topic.” The spot he sat on wasn’t exactly comfortable, but lying down wasn’t an option either. So he decided to stretch a little, doing his usual gym routine.

“It’d be pretty stupid to die from an untimely stretch.” Besides, it was a great way to get used to his newfound strength.

– Empty your pockets if your life’s precious. – A voice came from the side.

He’d maybe gotten too into his warm-up and didn’t notice their approach.

– Huh? Oh! You’re here—I’ve been waiting! – Subaru said with genuine happiness to the trio of bullies. They looked exactly as they did before: one tall with blue-pink hair, one short with a mushroom haircut, one bulky with either braids or dreadlocks. Subaru didn’t pay them much mind. – “Who had the knives?”

– Huh? Did the sun fry your brain? – the tall one retorted, clearly dumbfounded.

– Maybe not fried, maybe just cracked. – the bulky one continued mockingly.

– Doesn’t matter. Let him empty his pockets peacefully and maybe he won’t get hurt. – The short one was eager to get to business.

As they spoke, two of them moved to flank Subaru. He simply tried to decide whom to take on first to gain the advantage.

– Move aside! Don’t block the way! – A red-eyed blonde girl ran toward them on the crosswalk, distracting the trio.

Wasting no time, Subaru punched the nearest—blue-haired with a tongue piercing—squarely in the face, knocking him out. Before the others understood what happened, he spun and kicked the short one, and to ensure the bulky one stayed down, followed up with a kick to the groin. Unlike last time, neither his arms nor legs ached, and he could be certain the trio wouldn’t get up easily.

– Ehh?? – Felt froze in place, watching Subaru—the clear instigator of the scene.

– Thanks, Felt, you saved me! They tried to rob me. – Subaru gave a thumbs‑up, sincerely grateful.

– …You’re welcome? Do we even know each other? – Felt asked politely as she prepared to run off again.

– Wait! The girl who ordered your badge theft is going to kill you! – Subaru tried to sound confident, raising his hand in a “Stop” gesture.

– Huh? How do you even know that?! – Felt’s confusion deepened. She wanted to get far away from this weirdo.

– If it was that dark-haired girl in the tight dress with big breasts, I bet everything she’s a Gut‑Hunter! – he threw in as much info as possible, hoping to convince her in the little time they had.

– That makes no sense. Sorry, but I’ve got to go! – Clearly not believing Subaru’s sudden info dump, she tried to leave again.

– Stop! I’m talking to you! – Since Felt had only just started running and hadn’t fully built speed, the moment she leapt with the intention of reaching a nearby rooftop, she abruptly felt someone’s hand on her ankle, pulling her down.

– Leeeet gooo, you idiot!! – she yelled, falling. – What do you even want from me!? – she yelled again as Subaru locked her in a chokehold, blocking any escape.

Meanwhile, the trio lay unconscious—an unexpected relief to Subaru.

– So you’ll just listen to me! I saved your life, stupid! That bitch won’t even pay you! – Mana infused through his body, making him less vulnerable to harm—but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt when she shoved his hand under her chin and began to bite it.

Fortunately, he’d secured her not only with his hands but also by wrapping his legs around her torso, having sat down earlier for leverage.

“I never thought that my father's "training" in wrestling almost every morning would be so useful to me."

– Why should I trust you!? Maybe you’re working with that half-devil! – Felt continued trying to wriggle free. She’d been in similar situations before but this time hoped she hadn’t landed in the hands of a creep.

– Enough. – Subaru heard a crisp, familiar voice. He didn’t need to look to recognize the speaker, but he still couldn’t resist. – Just give me back what you stole, and I will forgive you.

Purple eyes intently observed this odd five-person scene, but those eyes were drawn first to the blonde thief they’d been following for some time.

– I knew it—you were just stalling me! – Felt screamed in panic.

– I’ll explain everything later! – The unusual young man apparently addressed her. – Help me hold her and you’ll get your badges back!

Despite all the oddness, Felt decided to trust him… and then—

– Alright, be careful—it might be cold. – Said the girl (unknown to Subaru) quickly rushing over and immediately touching Felt’s legs.

– WAAAHH!!! – Felt squealed, and understandably so. Her legs—joined together—were rapidly turning into ice, freezing so she could barely move them separately.

– Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I can do this without harming the body. – the beautiful half-elf stated sternly. – I’ll let you go once you hand over the badge and promise not to steal from me again.

– Sorry to interrupt, but freeze her hands together, too—she might have a weapon! – After icing the legs, he focused on the girl’s hands, pressing them together and preventing any resistance.

“Why are even kids here this strong!? I really hope she’s an exception.” He had reason to complain: he was expending almost all his power just to hold a thirteen-year-old, preventing her from fleeing.

– O-okay. – The half‑elf, clearly hoping she wasn’t getting into something wrong by helping the boy. It wasn’t for her to judge by looks; the boy’s unusual clothes and unsettling voice evoked only minimal trust, mostly because he’d helped catch a thief who’d stolen something valuable from her. Maybe he had personal reasons against this girl, but if he ever tried to hurt her, she wouldn’t hesitate to intervene.

Even less trust was earned by the three unconscious bodies around them, keeping the girl on alert and ready for confrontation.

“I don’t sense any ill intent from him, Lia.” Her father’s voice habitually spoke in her mind. “Neither toward you nor toward that girl. We can hear him out.”

Ice spread over Felt’s hands as she, now largely subdued, resigned herself to the situation. It seemed they didn’t plan to harm her—though predicting the intentions of this odd boy was beyond her.

Subaru, seeing the situation calm down, gently lifted Felt and set her down next to him, finally ready to begin his explanations at a normal pace:

– And now… listen to me closely…

Meili hadn't had much rest the past few days.
Her older sister called their current assignment the strangest she’d ever taken on — and the girl had to agree, even if she had far less experience in mercenary work.

It wasn’t often she got to share a job with Elsa, since their skills were so different, so she’d agreed to the new mission gladly.

As long as it meant staying far, far away from Mother.

The client was, surprisingly, well-versed in every nuance and detail required to put together such an accurate plan. Neither she nor Elsa knew who exactly it was — they only spoke through intermediaries — but it quickly became clear the person was someone very influential.

The advance payment of ten sacred coins was a fortune. Meili had never seen that much money in one place in her short life. Even if her share was only two coins, she could live in relative luxury for months on that alone.

But the amount of work required for those coins matched the pay. For several days, she’d been tasked with moving as many mabeasts into the capital as possible, following the predetermined routes in the plan. The birds and small rodents posed little trouble: the birds flew in one by one, landing in less populated areas, while the rodents gnawed and burrowed their way through the ground.

The problems started with the Majira — monkey-type mabeasts — and the Volgarms — demon dogs.

The client somehow knew their exact habitats and even provided safe transportation routes directly into the capital. A couple of guards had been bribed, some areas had secret passageways, but all that still didn’t do much to avoid the attention of the capital patrols before the plan officially began. The young Volgarms — shaman pups — didn’t attract much attention, but there were only a handful of them due to their rarity.

The whole time, Meili had to use her Divine Protection up to 17 hours a day, always alert and ready in case she was spotted or caught. She also had to keep the beasts hidden until Day X, making sure none were discovered too early.

She reread the plan nearly every hour, poring over it with the same intensity that Mama gave to the Gospel.

The thought could’ve disgusted her, if only she had the strength — and if her greatest wish weren’t simply to get some real sleep.

And all of this? Just to keep the knights busy, to stop them from reaching their targets before they could call for help? Some versions of the plan clearly stated that the targets might already know about her sister’s attack and were preparing countermeasures.

Meili didn’t understand: if the client had such resources and connections, then why offer the targets so many chances to escape from both realistic and impossible scenarios?

But that wasn’t her concern. Tomorrow would be the final and hardest day, and then it would all be over.

The Sword Saint canceled his well-earned day off a day later.
He had no time for rest when reports started coming in about hundreds of mabeasts appearing here and there throughout the capital. Things were taking a strange turn, but Reinhard didn’t know the meaning of fatigue, and his newly acquired Divine Protection of Mabeast Detection helped greatly to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties (which, as he later learned from the reports, were almost nonexistent).

The lower ranks desperately didn’t want their superiors to find out about their blunder, so it was decided not to cause panic among the public and to use patrols to handle the sudden problem quietly.

That wouldn’t help them much — Reinhard would report to the Council of Wise Men regardless, without hiding a single detail.

By evening, after cleaning up most of the city, his new ability alerted him to the presence of several small monsters near the slums.
Duty called, and without hesitation, he headed that way — already noticing that several blocks were engulfed in a dense violet fog...

– Lia, this is no longer our business. We’re leaving. I won’t put you in danger. – A spirit appeared from the half-elf girl’s hair, shaped like a somewhat anthropomorphic cat about the size of a forearm.

– So you’re a spirit user!? – Felt exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the girl. Now she understood she’d never had much of a chance of wriggling out of this situation peacefully.

Felt had been freed from her improvised shackles during the conversation, once the insignias had been taken, and Subaru had made sure she understood the trouble she was in.

– This boy is suspicious. – The spirit continued. – For your own good, just tell us: where did you get this information? – Even with his ability to read the intentions of intelligent beings around him, he couldn’t treat the situation carelessly — especially when it concerned the safety and life of his daughter.

– It’s not that I don’t want to explain… It’s that I can’t... – the boy tried to defend himself, averting his eyes nervously. Satella had told him about the Taboo, strongly warning him not to tell anyone about his ability.

– At least try to be more specific. You already look and sound far too suspicious. – The spirit continued the conversation calmly but sternly, speaking in place of his contractor.

At the same time, the half-elf placed a hand on her chin and, with what Subaru considered a cute look of thoughtfulness, pondered her next move.

Felt wasn’t much different, but she was far more panicked. She’d have to face that killer eventually, one way or another. And she didn’t want to test whether the Bowel Hunter could track her and her grandpa down. She was still standing here, secretly hoping — though refusing to admit it — that she was looking for help.
No matter how much she bragged and lived by the rule of “survive by being strong,” there were moments when help was the only option.

This guy, at least, seemed to know something — and he wasn’t particularly weak either. The three bodies he had later dragged out of the alleyway to avoid drawing attention in an already grim situation were proof of that.

What she didn’t know was that Subaru had borrowed a pair of daggers from one of the thugs and hidden them under his hoodie and pants.

– Ehhh, well... – Subaru sighed awkwardly and scratched his head. – Fine, I’ll try. – He decided to test his luck and see where the Taboo’s limits lay.

– I have a way to receive information about some possible future events. But I don’t fully control this power, and I can’t explain it in detail. That’s probably the most I can say.

All three paused to digest the revelation, clearly not fully convinced the boy possessed such an ability:

– I’ve never heard of a Divine Protection like that... – “Lia” said, coming to the simplest and most logical conclusion regarding Subaru’s power.

– Ha! What else can you do, teleport? – Felt was more skeptical. Despite the entire Divine Protection system and general public knowledge of magic, this kind of ability was more myth than reality.

"Wait a second. He said that’s the most he can say. Does that imply the ability is much more powerful? But the description was vague — maybe it’s just how it works that’s odd. –" Puck thought intently.
"Sounds like an Authority. A rather weak one, at first glance. Could it be a Gospel? No, the explanation was too clear. Cultists wouldn’t have something like that. He treats my daughter well. Seems like he even finds her attractive. Suspicious… but even a disguised cultist would act differently. It wouldn’t be bad to show him to Beatrice and check for miasma..."

Despite all the questions swirling in his head, Puck asked only one:

– What exactly did you see?

At Puck’s question, Subaru paled slightly, mentally sifting through memories, wondering what to say. Two things Satella had told him came to mind:
He absolutely must not talk about his deaths — the Taboo would definitely activate.
He must lie as little as possible.
There are several variations of Divine Protections and innate abilities in this world that can detect lies. He wasn’t sure, but this flying cat looked like someone who might be able to do that.

– I remember helping your daughter look for a stolen insignia. Then night fell, you went to sleep inside your crystal. We— – he pointed at the half-elf – were out late when we found the thief’s hideout, so I went in first and saw Felt and Rom...

He paused meaningfully, hoping no one would ask further.

They didn’t. Everyone understood.

Felt’s knees trembled slightly as her mind filled in the rest. The half-elf’s expression darkened.
And Puck spotted one inconsistency:

– You already know I see her as a daughter, but you never once called her by name, even though you know ours. Why?

– Well... that’s a bit of a weird one. I actually don’t know her name. In those memories, she introduced herself as Satella...

– Why in the world would I do that?? – Not-Satella finally entered the conversation, hearing such a blatant claim about herself. Felt took a half step away from her in slight fear, and Puck gave his daughter a disapproving look. He didn’t doubt she’d do something like that — especially if a stranger was kind to her.

– I don’t know! Maybe to scare me off? Or maybe you just didn’t trust me! You’d be better off answering that question than me, you know. – Subaru narrowed his eyes and replied in mock offense.

– Anyway, now that we’re on the topic... – Subaru cut off the conversation quickly. – We already know Felt and Puck’s names. Great opportunity to introduce ourselves too!

In the next moment, he raised one hand with his index finger pointing upward and shifted his hips to the side, striking a ridiculous pose.

– My name is Natsuki Subaru! I’m absolutely broke, lost in life, but not broken in spirit! And what’s yours, beautiful?

"Weirdo. With strange taste in girls." – All three witnesses of Subaru’s performance thought more or less the same thing at once.

– Me..? Ah, y-yes, that’s me! – the flustered, blushing girl replied, not expecting the compliment. – My name is Emilia. Please take care of me. – For some reason unknown even to herself, she decided to use a phrase from Kararagi.

– Emilia... – Subaru repeated after her, savoring the name on his tongue like he didn’t want to forget it. – Beautiful name. It suits you!

Chapter Text

Three figures were rapidly heading toward the slums. Well, not very rapidly, actually. One yellow flash really was rushing ahead, constantly stopping with irritation to wait for the two others falling behind, simultaneously glancing around as if looking for someone. The white one was running at a measured, confident pace, seeing no reason to speed up, since the black one next to her was already moving her legs as fast as she could.

– Haa, haa, haa. Disgusting. – Complained Subaru. Even with his new strength he was already at his limit just trying to keep up with these monsters.

– You done there, snail? – Teased him Felt. In her defense, she was very nervous and tried to relieve stress this way, even if it meant mocking the weakest member of the group.

– Felt-chan, you’re not the one to say that with your Divine Protection. – Emilia defended her new potential friend. Unlike the thief, she could maintain her speed thanks to her own strength, even if won by innate genetic advantages.

Felt and Emilia were currently moving along rooftops, while the guy had to run along streets and alleys, chasing after them. Maybe he could’ve jumped as high as they did, but he didn’t want to experiment just yet.

Subaru would find out about this later, but elves were on average the strongest race in all sorts of aspects right after oni. Funny how both were on the verge of extinction.

– Don’t wanna hear that from a speedhacking cheater like you, shorty. And aren’t we almost there anyway? – Changed the topic and stopped the guy.

– You..! – Felt’s face became serious when she saw her house not far away. – Yeah, we’re almost there.

– Then stop! We better split up here like we agreed. – Simultaneously with these words Subaru felt something wrong. The world seemed to have frozen for a split second, barely noticeable, and his solar plexus felt a wrapping cold that disappeared as sharply as it had come. – Kh-! – The sensation wasn’t painful, but the suddenness confused and alerted the guy, so much so that he even stumbled.

– Are you okay, Subaru? – Emilia was slightly worried, tilting her head cutely to the side. She was close to him, though a few meters above, so she noticed.

– Yeah, I’m fine! – “I’ll deal with this later. Not the first and not the weirdest thing in the past few days.”

– Alright, I’m going! – Her previous task had been to show them the shortest way to the Loot House. Now Felt, following their improvised plan, was supposed to head to the knight headquarters, asking them for competent people to help.

Emilia’s role was to stand on the nearest tallest building, watching the situation from the side and jumping in only if the enemy appeared.

Convincing Puck to allow Emilia to help was a real headache and took quite a lot of their most precious resource — time. But she was persistent. Her main arguments were that simply running away from a killer who might very well start chasing her was a bad idea. In that case, they could lose the slight element of surprise if they didn’t attack now.

The second was no less important: the Contractor. The mysterious person might turn out to be another royal candidate. It would still be interesting how she found out about Emilia — not the most public figure and not the most obvious candidate for the throne so far — but that wasn’t the most important part. If she could figure out and prove the involvement of another candidate in such a scheme, the second one, by all rules, would be disqualified from the selection.

Even though the rules they were given were far from perfect, and the capabilities of those playing the role of forensic experts in this world were not that great, it didn’t change the fact that any attempt on the life of another candidate, with the intention of simplifying one’s own way to the royal throne or for any other reason, was severely punishable.

Puck, for his part, was urgently sent to sleep in the crystal, to save and accumulate strength for a possible fight. Such irregular sleep would not have the best effect on the spirit, but the safety of the contractor was more important.

– Wish me luck! – Subaru patted his cheeks, mentally preparing himself, and headed straight to the door of the Loot House.

Felt’s first mistake was relaxing her vigilance.

The second — going down to the ground and running there due to the less “convenient” roofs in this area.

The third — running close to the wall.

All this together led to the fact that when she ran around the corner, the teeth of a waiting wolgarm instantly sank into her neck, giving her no chance of rescue.

Reinhard van Astrea, who found her body half a minute later in this worldline, had to live with even more regret, guilt, and unfulfilled duty.

Luckily for him, not for long.

– For rats?

– Poison.

– For the whale?

– Harpoon.

– For the great dragon we all are?

– Shit.

The door immediately opened, revealing a slightly surprised giant.

– The client?

– No, but it seems like Felt forgot to lock the gate when she left. – That pair of words was enough to bring a war veteran into combat readiness.

How could it be otherwise. These words were prepared between Felt and Rom as a secret phrase in case of complete disaster.

– What happened? – Doing his best not to raise his voice, the now completely sobered man asked sharply.

– Your granddaughter got involved with the wrong people and now we all have to deal with it. – Rattled off Subaru. – It’ll be safer for us to stand in the open. – He then hinted that Rom should step outside.

– Where is she now? – The giant quickly turned around to go grab his club before going out.

– She ran to the knights, looking for help. – This dialogue wasn’t meant to continue. As soon as Rom stepped away from the door, Subaru tensed every one of his senses, focusing like never before in his life.

He wasn’t sure if the Bowel Hunter was inside or outside, but if it was the first, she would most likely have to come out or attack.

And he was right, catching two unnatural details at once: One of the floorboards at the threshold to the house slightly bent, and he caught a barely noticeable but familiar smell of blood and cold incense.

“She was inside this whole time.” – Noted Subaru mentally, quite nervous.

He didn’t hesitate: One of the knives borrowed earlier was already flying from the right toward the invisible person.

– Oh my~ I’ve already been found out! – Elsa effortlessly parried it with her own, knocking the boy’s arm upward with the movement.

– Watch out, the Bowel Hunter is here! – Subaru called out, both as a signal for Emilia and to inform Rom.

– You even already know who I am! – A mad smile “decorated” the woman’s face. – And I really wanted to introduce myself.

With the next kick, barely visible to Subaru’s eye, she sent him flying through the door straight into the giant. The latter immediately put away the club, caught the boy in his large arms, and placed the poor guy on his feet next to him. Even despite that, Subaru was briefly taken out of commission. The kick was strong enough to knock the wind out of him and definitely leave a huge bruise.

“And that’s with magical enhancement, she’s a real monster. I hope she didn’t break any ribs.” – He didn’t know what that would feel like and didn’t want to know. Dropping to one knee from the pain, for now he could only watch the fight unfold.

– What do you want from Felt!? – The giant shouted furiously, trying to hit the “slippery bitch.” Even despite his precise and fast strikes, he still couldn’t hit her, and was getting increasingly irritated.

– I’ve never fought a giant before~! You’ll give me a wonderful fight, won’t you? – Elsa started jumping across tables and pushing off walls, gracefully and tastefully dodging all his swings.

– Answer my question, bitch! – Rom didn’t back down. He didn’t have time to think over the situation. From the door opening to the fight barely twenty seconds had passed, and he already had to try to land the first strike. He’d managed to hear the title of this killer from the boy and couldn’t stay calm.

– How rude! But really, what else can you expect from the relative of a mutt who can’t even complete a job properly. – Catching the man on a mistake, she with precise movement cut off the hand that was holding the club.

– Aaarghrrgh!! You bitch, I’ll..! – With those words, a knife flew at the Bowel Hunter’s head, thrown by Subaru, who was already halfway up, still holding his side in pain.

She deflected it effortlessly, creating a ringing clash of metal. But the guy hadn’t hoped to hit. He just needed to distract her for a moment.

– Puck, now! – Emilia’s voice, having found the right moment to sneak into the hut, echoed through it.

A dangerous spell of several dozen ice crystals, created by the spirit, was already rushing toward Elsa. She wanted to shield herself with the disoriented Rom standing nearby, but ran into an ice shield separating them. With no other option, she jumped aside, still intending to deal with the crystals coming her way.

Despite her attempt, the spell successfully reached its target, covering her from all sides with thick layers and spikes of ice.

– Is she finished already? – Asked Rom, trying to stop the bleeding by wrapping some kind of skin layer over the remains of his wrist.

If Subaru had been less tense right now, he would’ve definitely replied something like “Don’t raise a flag, old man!”, but he was pretty sure that if this did get her, then only temporarily.

And he was right. The ice block was seemingly blown apart from the inside, shards scattering harmlessly through the room, and Elsa, with a pleased smile, tossed aside one of the cloaks given to her by her employer.

– Such a nice item. Shame it’s single-use.

By this point, Subaru, having recovered from the hit and holding a dagger in one hand, had also taken a shield off the nearest wall, fully arming himself.

“I guess that cloak’s some kind of protective artifact. That’s bad—one of our few chances to catch her off guard just slipped away. We still have the advantage, but how long will that last? We need to coordinate somehow… but I’m the only one here who’s never been in a real battle!” – The boy quickly analyzed the situation, trying to memorize every detail and think of something—anything—that might help.

– Four against one? And all so different! – Her gaze shifted to Puck. – I’ve never gutted a spirit before, but hey, first time for everything, right? Let’s dance~

– You won’t get near my daughter! – Seeing that the maniac was heading their way, Puck and Emilia stood back-to-back, conjuring shields in front of them.

The rest of the fight took place on the edge of Subaru’s perception. Elsa darted and leapt side to side, constantly looking for a gap in their defenses, circling around the unguarded angles. She couldn’t stay in one place too long, nor could she brute-force her way through the barriers, as doing so prompted either Emilia or Puck to hurl ice projectiles at her, forcing her to retreat.

– Got you. – Puck noted as the woman stepped into one of his ice traps. Elsa’s leg froze nearly up to her knee, leaving her unable to pull it out. – Thought we were just throwing spells around for fun? – he smirked victoriously at her.

Seeing an opening during their exchange, Subaru began to circle behind the Huntress, hoping she wouldn’t notice his approach.

– I’ll admit, I’m impressed. But what made you think this would stop me?~ – With one swift move, the crazed woman severed her own leg and hopped aside on the freed one. The dismembered limb wasted no time, already regenerating with a sickening sound.

The gruesome sight, coupled with Elsa’s actions, left the giant—who had just finished bandaging his arm—frozen in horror. Even Emilia and Puck, despite Subaru’s earlier warnings, were stunned. Seeing it firsthand was another thing entirely. Their eyes filled with revulsion, shock, and a creeping sense of hopelessness. What was the point of all this, if after everything they’d done, the most they’d achieved was a single serious injury… one that was already healed? How long could she keep regenerating?

A small sliver of hope remained in Emilia’s freezing magic—perhaps powerful enough to paralyze even the strongest beings.

Meanwhile, having found a favorable angle, the black-haired boy rushed silently toward Elsa’s back. The shield was in his left hand, and with his right, he aimed the dagger at her head or neck.

– A word of advice, kid: hide your intentions. – Despite noticing his efforts, she couldn’t completely dodge, and the dagger left a deep gash from her neck up to her cheek. – Your fear and hate reek from a mile away. – She paid the wound no mind. On the contrary—now that her regeneration was no longer a secret, she saw no need to hold back and stepped into the fight more aggressively.

With a sharp whistle that marked her increased speed, her body appeared near Rom, ignoring the club swinging toward her. She shifted just slightly, letting it strike her shoulder, and positioned herself for a perfect counterattack—which she of course didn’t pass up.

Both blows landed. The Huntress’s shoulder was mangled, drooping unnaturally like a limp rag. Into that same arm flew a shard of ice from Emilia, neatly freezing and tearing it off. Meanwhile, Elsa’s kukri slashed across the giant’s torso on a diagonal—from liver to nearly the arm—leaving a gash so massive it was a miracle he wasn’t cleaved in two.

Blood sprayed in all directions, though none landed on the woman. By the time Rom collapsed with a fading cry of life, the Huntress was already near Subaru, dodging more spells on the way.

– Subaru, please, stall her! I’ll try to heal him! – Intending only to prevent the wound from becoming fatal, Emilia manifested a glowing white sphere of healing magic and began to guide it over his body. Puck stood guard over his contractor, occasionally casting icicles. His mana was running low—he had to conserve it.

He knew Elsa was holding back. He saw that she was toying with him. And with each passing minute of “combat,” it enraged him more. Subaru was giving it everything he had, fighting on sheer willpower. In his old world, the way he wielded the dagger and shield—albeit clumsily—might have been enough to beat a regular human. But he wasn’t in his old world anymore. He was in the land of monsters, little more than human, forced to learn through pain.

Clashes of steel rang out every second, footsteps echoing across the room in a deadly dance. Sometimes Subaru tried dirty tricks—tripping her or throwing whatever he could grab—but nothing worked.

Clash after clash, grapple after grapple, all he could do was rack up more wounds, each one weakening him further. Anger drove him to desperation, and desperation only worsened his state, forming a vicious cycle. He didn’t even have the strength to look over at Emilia anymore. And truthfully, in his mind, there were barely any thoughts left unrelated to surviving the fight.

As for Emilia… things weren’t going well there either.

A man was dying in her arms, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. Her magic only prolonged his suffering—and he wasn’t even conscious anymore.

“I should’ve worked harder. I should’ve trained more healing magic. I failed…” – The thought looped in her head like a broken record, clearly affecting her ability to heal even with what little skill she had.

Tears welled in her eyes. No, she wasn’t crying out of sympathy or loss. She barely even knew the man’s name. What hit her so hard was the overwhelming sense of helplessness and irresponsibility. “How can I call myself a queen if I can’t even handle this? I dragged innocent people into this, and one of them is…”

Dying in her arms.

Not that it was entirely her fault. While healing magic was rare, she happened to be the third person in the mansion who could use it—and also the third in talent.

She’d only learned the basics. Most of her magic was centered around ice, adapted from fire spells—she had a lingering fear of using raw fire.

Puck knew his daughter would have to grow up someday. He just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly—and so brutally.

“We never should’ve gotten involved.” – He couldn’t even bring himself to blame the boy who was fighting so desperately. Emilia had insisted on going with them, and she’d gotten her way.

– Lia, my mana’s running out. – He steeled himself and continued. – Please… just run. If it gets critical—don’t hesitate to call me, even at the cost of my Od.

“Reinforcements should be arriving with that girl soon. The knights can shield my daughter. She’ll be safe.” – The self-proclaimed father tried to convince himself.

Over the next ten seconds, the spirit grew more transparent until vanishing completely, leaving his tearful daughter alone.

Rom died the moment she stopped healing him. No miracle came. Swallowing a sob, she wiped her eyes and stood up, finally turning to face the fight. Lia would not obey her father’s final wish.

What she saw was terrifying. While she tried to heal a hopeless case, Subaru was already covered in wounds. Apart from the arm holding his shield, his entire body had been carved up like Elsa’s personal canvas. And even the shield looked like it wouldn’t last much longer.

And it didn’t. Noticing the spirit’s absence, Elsa sighed in disappointment and delivered a final slash that split the half-dead shield—and the fingers holding it—in two.

– AAAAAAAH, it hurts! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts… – That blow broke Subaru’s endurance. Pain wasn’t something you just got used to, and he’d endured far too much already. His scream faded quickly as his strength ebbed, and with it, he finally noticed the familiar, sticky substance churning in his stomach.

Tears ran down his face, mixing with the blood from his wounds, as his legs gave out and dropped him to his knees. He expected to lose his head any moment now, from a bored Elsa tired of playing with him—but it didn’t happen.

The sound of her knife hitting a barrier reached his ears. Forcing himself to lift his head, he saw Elsa performing a move he’d never seen before.

While one dagger struck the crying Emilia—who managed to raise a shield—the other fell from her hand toward one of the legs left exposed by Puck’s earlier attack.

– What is she…? – The answer came fast. Caught between her toes, the knife was instantly kicked upward. Calculating the perfect angle, the strange attack slipped under the shield and aimed directly at the girl’s chin.

The silver-haired girl didn’t even have time to realize she was dead. The kukri was long enough, and the speed great enough, that the tip emerged from the top of her skull, the hilt driven flush between chin and throat. Her body fell to the floor with a dull thud under Subaru’s shocked gaze, making his body jerk with fear.

– Emi… lia…? – He didn’t want to believe it. Seeing the body of the kind girl dead—for the second time—brought him no strength, no rage. He’d already used up everything he had in the fight. A fight that had ended less than ten seconds ago. Elsa’s efficiency, when she wanted to be serious, was terrifying.

His gaze stayed locked on her lifeless body until it was blocked by someone else.

The figure in black stood before him.

– Have you lost the will to live? – Elsa looked at him with a blank expression. – Pity. For someone fighting for the first time, you weren’t bad. – His hopeless face slowly shifted into numb acceptance.

– Please… make it quick.

– No. – This time, her flat voice and the meaning behind it frightened him more than anything else. – Nothing personal this time—just doing the client’s bidding.

Without waiting for a reply, she sliced off his right arm above the elbow. His whimper, mixed with a sob, was followed by another strike, cutting off his ear. The third was aimed at her favorite part—the gut—sending the boy flying back onto the floor.

“I’m dying again? Why am I dying again? Did I do something wrong? Where did I mess up? Why does this world hate me? I don’t want to die. I’m scared, scared, scared, scared. It hurts. Oh… no, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

His brain, deprived of proper energy from the body, began to deteriorate rapidly, dragging him into delirium.

“Pain? What’s pain? Sounds bad… Am I dying? I wonder what it feels like… Wait, haven’t I felt it before? Funny… hehe…”

His torn-up body lay motionless for half a minute in the empty room, blood pooling beneath him.

His lifeless hand made no move to grasp his main wound, just like the rest of his body, which didn’t stir at all.

“Oh… I died.”

The next thing Subaru felt was the collision of his face with dusty earth.

Chapter Text

His eyes reflexively managed to shut just before his body hit the ground, so the dust only made it into his nose and mouth.

– Aaahhh! – The sudden spike of pain from smashing his forehead sharply contrasted with the rest of his body, which had abruptly stopped hurting and felt completely healed.

– Khah–Khhz–Khah... – Right after, before he even had time to get up, the dust in his mouth made itself known again. Naturally, his body tried to get rid of it, along with the irritation in his nose:

– Achoo! – That sneeze acted like a trigger, snapping Subaru back into the world of conscious thought—something he desperately needed, considering what had happened at the end of the last loop.

"I'm not... in that place?" – Along with his first thoughts, his hearing returned, helping him notice someone calling out to him.

– -baru! Are you okay? – It was a familiar girl, one whose death he'd just witnessed. – You collapsed so suddenly. You shouldn't push yourself too hard—when you're tired, you make more mistakes! – Emilia lightly scolded him, her concern evident.

A white light shone on his forehead, letting his brain properly process incoming signals again and beginning to heal the injury. The half-elf, having descended from the roof, placed her hand on his forehead and immediately began healing him.

– Emilia? You're alive... – But that kind of healing couldn't undo sudden trauma. In Emilia’s eyes, Subaru—who had looked totally normal just ten seconds ago—was now kneeling, hugging her around the waist, pressing his head into her stomach, and quietly sobbing.

– Subaru!? Uhhh? What’s going on? Did something happen? – The boy didn’t answer, just continued crying. Then a realization struck her like lightning. – You saw one of those visions, didn’t you!?

That question finally brought Subaru back to his senses. He had mentioned that “information” could come to him at any random moment. Considering what they’d just been doing and what he might’ve seen... Emilia had no trouble connecting the dots.

"Did I... die in it?" – It’s hard for any rational being to truly grasp the concept of death until they stand face to face with it. Yes, the idea itself was terrifying—but she hadn’t seen it, hadn’t felt it.

The girl was ready to believe in Natsuki Subaru’s abilities, but truly accepting the idea of her own possible death—especially in such a hurry—was too heavy to bear.

– I-I’m sorry! – Embarrassed, Subaru quickly stood up and backed away, his face already starting to flush from shame and guilt, hoping she wouldn’t take it badly. – Yeah, you guessed it! – he hurried to change the subject. – I think we need a new plan...

– Hey, what’s going on back there? – Felt, noticing no one was following her, hopped back toward them.

– Subaru, please, can you tell us what happened? – Emilia didn’t miss how the boy’s legs trembled slightly, but chose to gently coax the vital information out of him.

– I... Yeah, of course. Give me five minutes. I need... to remember everything.

– So what the hell even happened? – This time, Felt's question was answered. There wasn’t much to tell yet anyway, so after Emilia explained the gist of it to her in a few sentences, they waited for a quiet, slightly calmed-down Subaru—who had plenty to think about.

"Alright, time to put it all together. First: I didn’t teleport anywhere. Probably because I didn’t acquire any new ability. Tch, died for nothing... Didn’t even meet Satella, what a disgrace." – He wanted to see her more than he could ever admit to himself. Her support had helped him so much in the past—and even now, he still longed for it.

"Second: the 'save point' changed. And I figured out what the hell happened when we were running last time. I’ll need to memorize that feeling." – He continued organizing his thoughts.

"Third: The maniac is inside the building and apparently waiting for specific people to show up before attacking. Last time, she didn’t go for me—just slipped past when Rom wasn’t blocking the way. But why?" – Subaru mentally mapped out the layout and began recalling where she had gone. – "Was it... because of Emilia!? She was definitely standing in that direction, and you could see her if you tried. So that bitch was trying to take her out first..."

His anger, though brief, soon gave way to cold calculation.

"Fourth: the client. Who or what is that supposed to be? Why the hell would someone know I’d get involved? Why the hell would anyone even know about me!? Didn’t I just get here today!? Or are they targeting that ‘previous’ me? But Satella said it’s been 400 years!" – The questions piled up, but answers refused to come. Subaru’s mind dumped all of them into the “Important Questions for Satella” bin.

"Fifth: Felt never came back. She had more than enough time, yet the reinforcements never arrived. Honestly, rushing straight to Rom’s place was... kinda stupid. It wasn’t even dark enough yet for Elsa to attack on her own, and I arrived before the blonde did in the second loop."

After a few more minutes, he assembled a new plan based on everything he’d learned:

– Listen to me carefully...

Running down the suspiciously empty streets on the edge of town, Subaru sincerely hoped he’d made the right call this time. Ahead of him was the back of a blonde girl, also hurrying toward the nearest knight outpost.

That’s right—this time, he decided to run with Felt. He didn’t know why she hadn’t made it back with help last time, but hoped that his presence might speed things up somehow.

–At the very least, he’d get more information if this loop failed.–

Meanwhile, Emilia had found a better hiding spot, staying alert and watching the house and surrounding area. Elsa wouldn’t act for a while yet, and Subaru and Felt had time to bring the knights to successfully apprehend her.

Though he hadn’t told the girls the brutal details, they knew the general idea of what had happened in previous timelines. And since they couldn’t come up with a better plan, they agreed to follow their “prophet’s” lead and act accordingly.

Subaru was deep in thought as he ran—until something wrapped around his left leg. It felt alive—like a rope—and yanked him downward, dragging his whole body to the ground.

– What the hell!? – He didn’t get a clear look at whatever did it, but a scaly green tail disappearing into a hole underfoot was a clear sign of some kind of snake-like creature.

– What the hell are mabeasts doing in the capital!? – Felt’s voice reached his ears. He was already turning to her to ask a question—when he stopped halfway.

His eyes locked onto several dog-like creatures peeking out from the abandoned houses across the street. They looked threatening. Their black upper fur faded into brown underneath, with sharp bony protrusions lining their backs. Their eyes and the veins on their sides glowed an ominous red.

"Mabeasts?" – The word rang familiar. – "Right, Satella-tan told me about them... crap, she barely told me anything!" – Subaru got up, drawing his daggers. – "I know they were made by another Witch, and that there are four ultra-powerful ones, but how does that help me now!?"

He didn’t continue the thought. His peripheral vision horrified him—the beasts he could see were far from the only ones. They were surrounded. Maybe 20 or 30 of them—exact numbers didn’t matter. It was terrifying regardless.

"This must be what stopped Felt last time."

– Hey, brat!

– What!? And don’t call me that! – she snapped back, eyes wide with panic as she scanned their surroundings.

– Are they strong? – The “dogs” were slowly closing in.

– I have no idea! But supposedly, they're not dangerous alone! – Felt desperately tried to recall anything about wolgarms. – Ah! I don’t remember why, but you’re supposed to avoid their bites!

– Got it. Then run! – Subaru motioned for her to leave as he shifted into a ready stance for battle.

– What the hell do you mean!? You think I’d abandon you here!? – she snapped at him, casting a quick, angry glance.

– No, I don’t think that. I’m asking you to. Someone has to hold them off so the other can bring help! – He said this just in time to dodge the first wolgarm lunging at him.

– Big brother, you... – Without thinking, out of sheer distress, Felt gave him a new nickname.

– I’ll be fine! Trust me! I trained at home—I even know how to hold a weapon! And I know one spell too! – Subaru continued hyping himself up, trying to believe in it at least a little.

To prove his words, he slashed open the belly of a second wolgarm that lunged at him, ducking and striking upward as it leapt over him. Some of its oddly-scented blood splattered on him—but that was the least of his worries.

– Go! – he shouted again, noticing their escape route was closing.

– Don’t you dare die before I get back! – With speed Subaru had never seen from her, Felt dashed past the wolves and back to the rooftops like a ninja.

"So I can die after she gets back, huh?" – That was the last stupid thought in his head before the real fight began. – "Okay, avoid bites. That’s gonna be a problem."

And it was a problem. This wasn’t some low-budget movie where the enemies attacked one at a time due to plot armor or clumsiness.

The wolgarm were coordinated. They didn’t get in each other’s way and often worked together in terrifying sync. There was never a second’s rest: attack after attack, ambush after ambush—often from two or three directions at once—forcing Subaru to make mistakes and take hits.

But the otherworlder held his own. By his modest standards, he was doing great!

"At least I’m not dying to damn EXP sacks disguised as low-level mobs from some demon king’s army."

Only half his attacks were landing, and even fewer did real damage—but surrounded by eight wolgarm corpses and having wounded several more, Subaru’s confidence surged. It was just what he needed after facing a monster like Elsa.

That cocky thought spread across his face in the form of a defiant grin. He ignored his bloodied, battered appearance— scratches and bite marks covered his body, and his clothes were far beyond repair.

The daggers in his hands, while not as graceful or precise as Elsa’s, still carved through the battlefield with respectable effectiveness, slicing through demonic flesh. The wolves’ bites became liabilities—those that bit him left themselves exposed for clean head or neck strikes, ending their lives.

This continued until Subaru felled his twelfth wolgarm. Though he heard a strange tearing sound behind him, he couldn’t react—two more lunged at him from either side.

Crashing into the wall of an abandoned house didn’t go well. Cracked ribs, knocked-out teeth, broken bones, and a mild concussion nearly took him out of the fight. Despite everything, Natsuki Subaru was still just a human—and the boost from magic only let him survive what would have instantly killed most people.

Knowing the battle wasn’t over, he desperately tried to turn and stand. He managed to roll over—but a broken leg stopped him from rising.

– Shit! It hurts! – He tried again, only intensifying the pain, which began to override his adrenaline. Grabbing his leg, he hissed.

"What the hell even hit me?" – His back was wrecked too, even though he landed front-first.

He didn’t realize the blow had hit him hard enough to weaken the wall that had supported the roof. Just before he was buried under a pile of collapsing bricks, he caught a glimpse of the new enemy:

"THE BOSS!?" – Looking up, he saw a massive wolgarm several times the size of the others approaching him. Visually, it was nearly identical—aside from the size. His guess was correct.

This time, death came quickly.

Before he could even scream under the falling rocks, the Boss’s large paw crushed his skull.

Felt realized he had broken her promise when she stumbled upon the Sword Saint and brought him to the scene of the massacre. And the shadows appearing everywhere were not #### ## ########!!!¡

!HELP#

– Tella-tan, what am I doing wrong? – The girl’s body pressed against his back wasn’t as unfamiliar as it used to be, but it still made the boy uncomfortable — he just wasn’t used to that kind of affection.

Still, it calmed him. This time there were no hysterics, no tears even, but hopelessness, depression, and melancholy would be the main words to describe his current state.

– Why is this happening to me? I just want to run away... I can do that, right? They can deal with their problems on their own. – The half-elf's hand gently stroked his head, her chin resting comfortably on his shoulder. – It was never my fight. I’m not cut out for this. Just some idiot who thought he was the protagonist. When I go back, I’ll just tell them to leave. We won’t make it.

How badly Satella wanted to simply agree with the path he was choosing — but:

– Subaru, you’re not an idiot, and you’re not useless. Even if not to the world, to me you’ll always be the main character. – The words flowed naturally from her mouth, aimed solely at supporting him. – I’m so sorry you have to go through something like this. You didn’t deserve it, sunshine! – Raising her voice slightly, she stopped stroking him and hugged him even tighter.

Despite the trembling beginning to shake her from the memories of what she had witnessed, she forced herself to blend her own opinion with what he truly needed to hear, and continued:

– I know how strong you really are — maybe not physically or magically yet, but mentally! You’re capable of so much, and this obstacle will be nothing once you gather your thoughts. They need you, my dear. They’ll die without your help. Even without knowing how amazing you really are, they’ll come to see you as a true hero. – Leaning closer to his ear, she whispered. – You can do this, Subaru.

Why was she doing this? Why was she convincing him to go through with something she would otherwise drag him far away from?

The answer lay in Subaru’s personality.

He was... inconsistent about things like this. Sure, right now, crushed under the weight of his failures, he wanted to run — but it was just a phase. A phase that, without the right support, could go too far and break him under the burden of wrong decisions.

If she supported his idea of running away, things might go well for a while. Until the moment Subaru returned to his normal, calmer self. That could happen in a few hours or a few weeks. And in the latter case, it would be too late for regrets — and in the former, Satella would become associated with the one who told him to abandon his new friends... or worse.

No, of course it wasn’t just about pragmatic calculation. Even if she wasn’t the root of the bad decision, the consequences would hurt him more than his current stubborn, painful, yet ultimately successful desire to be a hero.

The best option for her was to convince him to help those people and earn, in his eyes, the image of someone compassionate toward others’ fates. Of two evils, this one was the lesser.

In the end, once he felt better, she’d only win his affection. Naturally, the witch wasn’t lying — not in any of her words. She didn’t care about almost anyone but Subaru. But she didn’t say what she really thought. She told the truth, wrapped in exactly what Subaru needed to hear.

She loved him so much. She cared for him so deeply.

– Thank you for everything, really...

– You don’t have to thank me or ask me for anything. I’ll always be here when you need me and give you the support you deserve. Well... – Satella hesitated. – Within the limits of what I can do right now, of course.

– I won’t get to see you more often, Tella? – Subaru looked at her with sadness in his eyes.

"Od Laguna, he looks so adorable even when he’s sad! It’s so unfair. I want to see him more, too, but to ask for something like that..."

– We’ll figure something out, Subaru. – The half-elf reassured him. – There are plenty of possibilities... – The temperature in the space suddenly dropped, and the girl's violet eyes gleamed a little brighter.

– Sorry, we’re short on time again. – And anticipating his question, she answered in advance. – No, I can’t do what I did last time anymore. That situation... was a bit special.

– I see... – The boy was clearly upset by the revelation. It wasn’t just about seeing Satella again — it was a place where he could stay, rest, and think things through before facing the world again with a clear mind.

Reluctantly pulling away from her embrace, the first thing he did was walk over to the meager set of cards given to him by death at the Boss’s hands.

One purple, three blue, and three green cards floated slowly around him. Such a small number of abilities stood in stark contrast to what he’d seen with Satella.

"No use complaining in my situation. Just take what you're given."

There wasn’t much to think about. His hand instantly reached for the purple card and absorbed it.

Curse of Volgarm

Turns the user into a "Shaman", allowing them to place a mana-draining Curse mark on a target via bite or (optionally) another magical attack.

Conditions:

1. The Curse can be removed before it is activated.

2. Once activated, only the user can stop the process.

3. The Curse may not be activated until at least one minute after application.

4. Once active, the Curse lasts up to 60 minutes. If the target is still alive after that, the Curse is removed.

5. If the user dies before activation, the mark remains but cannot be triggered.

Warning!

Not recommended for use if the user’s mana pool is full.

Accept?

Yes / No

Satella leaned over his shoulder, already a somewhat familiar sight, reading the description. Without hesitation, he accepted the new power. There didn’t seem to be any major downsides, and the one that did exist was more of a logical warning.

– So that’s why Felt said something about bites being dangerous...

– This’ll be more useful than you think, my dear. Especially for you. With your small mana pool, but quick recovery thanks to me, and this new curse, you’ll be able to last and buy time.

– Making every battle a war of attrition, huh? Doesn’t sound too bad, honestly. – Subaru put a hand under his chin, thoughtfully reading the description again. – But this just makes the debuffer role even more fitting for me, huh? I rarely played those kinds of classes in games, and I definitely wouldn’t have thought I’d have to play one in real life, hahaha. – His nervous laugh was met with Satella’s equally nervous half-smile.

"A war of attrition, yep? Now that I think about it... The Huntress always left me for last. Don’t know if it’s her own habit or her client’s instructions, but that works in my favor."

He was slowly and hesitantly moving toward a thought he didn’t want to admit. Opening the skill menu, his gaze fixated on a particular entry.

But first, he had to ask something important:

– Tell me... If I call for help again, will you come? – Puppy-dog eyes pleaded for the answer he needed.

– Mhm. You see, I will come. But Envy will almost certainly show up before me. And if she does, the timeline will end. – Satella looked down at the floor guiltily, unable to meet his eyes. – Even if she doesn’t manage to do anything too catastrophic, she’ll almost certainly reach the ones she gets jealous of while she still has the chance, and...

– Got it. No need to go on. – He raised a hand and gently patted the sad half-elf’s head with a comforting smile. – Don’t blame yourself. I don’t see it as your fault.

They stood in silence for a minute, until Satella remembered something:

– You asked that because you want to bring back that skill, don’t you? – She had noticed his nervousness while reviewing his full list and how he hesitated to open the description of one in particular.

– Yeah. I noticed how Elsa fights. She always kills everyone else first and leaves me for last. – Swallowing a lump in his throat, he continued with a trembling voice. – If I can protect everyone, I won’t have to restart the loop. And she’ll definitely start wondering how I even can...

– Subaru. – She pressed a finger to his lips. – I know what you’re thinking and what you want to say. You don’t have to force yourself. Just do it. This time, you won’t even need to call me — I’ll come myself if I see the situation’s critical.

– Thank you. – Unable to hold back his emotions, Subaru hugged her. – Really, thank you. I owe you so much!

– No more than I owe you, silly.

Chapter Text

Subaru's behavior seemed very strange to anyone who didn’t know the full context of what was happening to him.
...
Well, it was a little strange even to Satella, but even in that, she found his charm.

Emilia, too, didn’t know how to react to the fact that the guy who had been running at a steady pace just a few seconds ago suddenly slipped, hit the ground, rolled forward in a somersault, and shouted something about how “this time he got lucky.” Then, after getting back on his feet, he threw his arms up in a triumphant V-shaped pose.

Noticing Emilia staring at him in stunned silence, he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and said the necessary words:

– I’ve got new information!

– Are you sure this is a good idea? – Felt’s skeptical look seemed like it might drill a hole into his forehead.

Well, how else? At that moment, he had completely rejected nearly everything they had just discussed and was trying to send them on a suicidal mission.

– Yeah, yeah, I know how crazy this sounds! But we really don’t have a better option! – Subaru insisted, completely confident in his words. – I don’t know what’s going on in the city, but there are literally wolgarms walking around freely, and we haven’t run into a single knight. Isn’t that strange? – Giving them a moment to process, he continued. – It’ll be safer to stay here and try to defeat her. Besides, now we’ve got even odds.

Without hesitation, he decided to demonstrate his unique abilities, testing a new spell he had learned from Satella.

His fingernails dug harshly into the skin of his arm, leaving visible medium-depth cuts. Before they began to heal, Subaru spoke:

– Sensumure.

It was a rather interesting spell, invented by some ancient, surely long-dead doctor skilled in Yin magic. Working on the same principle as “debuffs,” it was instead almost always used for support purposes and resembled Yang magic more in its effect.

Satella hadn’t been sure Subaru would be able to use a practically forgotten spell like that without any magical experience, but her worries proved groundless. Although not fully, the boy felt the desired effect: half of the pain from his wounds vanished, replaced by a light discomfort that merely signaled bodily harm.

Most likely, this was the only and easiest variation the boy could use at the moment, but not everything comes at once. According to the half-elf, the Ul variation of this spell could completely block all pain, fatigue, negative emotions, and hunger throughout the body for a time.

Even though it didn’t enhance, wasn’t offensive, and didn’t weaken the enemy, its uses could be substantial.

– Hm, not perfect, but it’ll do. I’ll need to learn how to use it mid-fight, it takes too much focus. – Subaru observed the closing wound calmly. The girls, meanwhile, stared at the now-healed arm with mild awe.

– Looks like you weren’t lying. That definitely wasn’t a healing spell, and the wounds closed up on their own. – Emilia spoke, going through what she knew. – So that “Hunter” can do the same? Then what did the spell do?

– Yeah, unfortunately, she can—and that’ll be our biggest problem. The spell just dulled the pain—I doubt I’ll ever get used to it. – He tried with all his might not to think about how the fight would go and how high the price would be.

– Can we get back to the topic already? – Felt’s impatience snapped.

– Yeah, yeah, right! First, let’s talk through the possible courses of action...

– Old man, open up! – came a knock on the door and the voice of a young girl.

"The giant’s granddaughter? Looks like this’ll be more boring than I expected. Or maybe..." – While the Bowel Hunter played out possible scenarios in her mind, Felt had already spoken the password and entered the house.

"She’s nervous. Interesting." – Elsa also noticed how the blonde was trying hard to act casual and not glance around.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Felt asked Rom to lean down and started whispering something in his ear.

"Why would she do that? They’re alone here." – An unseen smirk stretched on the woman’s lips. – "Or maybe they know they’re not alone." – The final straw was Rom’s behavior: glancing around nervously and reaching for his club. – "I see. Time to act~."

But she was interrupted by a sudden shattering of glass from a nearby window and...

"Powder? Why would someone throw powder all over the room?" – Then it clicked. – "They don’t just know—they came prepared!"

The dust scattered by the black-haired boy covered the room, marking the spot where Elsa herself stood. Rom was about to protest, but then he saw the dust-coated silhouette and grabbed his club, preparing for battle.

Seeing no more point in her movement-constraining cloak, she threw it off in one fluid motion. Subaru didn’t wait—he was already attacking with two identical daggers and a fierce, hateful glare that pierced her figure.

– Oooh~, I see you all prepared for my arrival and even set the stage. That’s so cute—I’m flattered! – Due to the floating dust, both Subaru and Elsa had to squint, but it didn’t stop them from fighting.

– Shut up, you bitch, you’re disgusting! – Subaru couldn’t contain his rage as their blades clashed. Despite her seductive appearance and soft, deep voice, it all only sickened him. The sooner she shut up for good, the better for everyone.

– Such a mean boy. Have we met before?~ – She deflected one of his blades and attacked his exposed forearm. What she saw thrilled her. The boy only flinched, pulled back, and muttered a strange spell, after which the wound healed.

– Weird healing magic. Never seen one like that.

– Don’t forget about us! – Elsa turned her head toward the voice, expecting an attack, but only saw Felt standing nearby, not rushing in.
Then, her neck felt the breeze of something flying at her.

"Hm, a distraction." – Naturally, she tried to dodge, but not successfully enough. Rom’s club, thrown from her blind spot, clipped the back of her head and sent her flying from the impact.

– Teamwork, how lovely! I can’t wait to see what else you’ve got for m–

She didn’t get to finish. One of Subaru’s daggers was already flying toward her eye before she even stood up.
To his own surprise, it hit the mark perfectly, stabbing through the eyeball and into the brain. Almost no blood splashed on him, but shocked by his own success and brutality, Subaru failed to pull the blade out in time, and was grabbed by the wrist.

– I’m starting to like you~. – Before he could even try to break free, as if in slow motion, Subaru had to watch one of her knives slice into his arm and cut it off just above the wrist.

– Aaaaargh! Sensumure! Sensumure! – Panicked, he clutched his arm and used the spell twice before most of the pain was “cut off.” Elsa was about to chase after him but had to deflect the knives flying at her by hurling back the one she had just pulled from her eye socket.

Realizing the reattachment would take longer without the original limb, Subaru crawled to the hand and pressed it back in place, waiting for it to heal. He hoped the bones, veins, and everything else would realign correctly—or fix themselves somehow.

As much as the Bowel Hunter wanted to observe the process, she was forced to dodge Rom’s attacks. He swung at her, uncaring of damaging his home—smashing tables, cabinets, paintings, and anything on the walls to try to hit her. Felt had warned him who they were dealing with, and he wasn’t about to take it lightly.

At one point, when she jumped too far, she heard a warning from the little blonde:

– Old man, don’t get close to her right now! – Elsa might’ve guessed she was about to be hit, but she didn’t have time to think. A huge blast of icy shards, created by Emilia who was peeking from the window, shot straight toward the killer.

Realizing she couldn’t dodge, Elsa pulled up her cloak to shield her head and braced for the blow. The attack wasn’t normal—on contact, the ice multiplied massively and encased her in a large frozen structure. That was what happened.

– Is she done for!? – Rom couldn’t contain his reaction.

– Not yet, old man! – Subaru knew the real attack was just about to start. He already saw cracks forming in the ice, so he gave Puck the signal.

– Always be ready for anything. – Ironically, those were her words—and she wasn’t ready for the next hit. As soon as she broke free of the ice, more shards flew at her face, this time surely freezing her completely and doing considerable damage.

– And now? – the giant still wasn’t satisfied.

– I hate to say this, but I can literally see her pupils moving inside the ice. She’s still alive. – Grabbing the nearest longsword, Subaru walked straight to the structure, intending to stab Elsa in the head.

Because of the light distortion, he couldn’t see her face—but he was sure there was another of her insane smiles behind the ice. Slightly shocked by how quickly the boy had turned brutal, the others in the room could only watch as the sword pierced the ice and struck the killer through the mouth, coloring the area around her in red.

Even a masochist like Elsa wasn’t going to take that quietly. She began pushing herself to the limit, trying to escape while Subaru kept driving the sword through the ice again and again, wounding her head.

Ironically, that’s what helped her get out faster. The cracks from the blade’s strikes widened until the ice finally shattered, revealing the girl—now reddened, likely from the cold.

– So exciting! You’re incredible! – Ignoring her stiff body, she lunged at Subaru with the only surviving dagger—a twisted thing between a cleaver and a gruesome short sword.

Unfortunately for him, that was the moment the familiar viscous sensation in his gut—one that hadn’t appeared in this loop yet—began to crawl up toward his throat, threatening to burst out at any moment.

– Who did you just tell to shut up, bitch!? – To Elsa’s surprise, the day’s surprises weren’t over yet. As the clash of blows continued, she noticed something odd: he wasn’t trying to use that strange magic to heal most of his wounds, leading her to a surprising conclusion:

– You’re just like me, darling~!

– I... – Using the brief lull to catch his breath and give the others a chance to strike, he finished the thought. – I’m not like you. I’m better. – Taking advantage of the opportunity, he spat a blob of thick black substance right in her face. The suspicious slime got into her eyes, buying Subaru a moment to fall back and hand the battlefield over to the others.

His temporary retreat irritated Elsa, so when Felt and Rom charged her, flanked by flying magic crystals, her only thought was: “I’ll deal with them quickly and get back to the main course.”

Clearing away most of the slime—whether it was a trick or some new strange spell—Elsa braced herself to counterattack. Effortlessly dodging the magical projectiles, she didn’t hold back, slashing the giant across the stomach as hard as her position allowed.

– Old man Rom! – Poor Felt couldn’t help but panic at the sight of what happened to her adoptive relative, which nearly cost her dearly. A dagger was already flying toward her neck, about to claim her life.

But no—this time, a miracle occurred in the form of Natsuki Subaru, or more precisely, the first use of his new spell:

– Shamak!! – Unlike the feeble effect of Sensumure, the classic Shamak, when cast by an unskilled user with gates like his, caused a rather different kind of distortion. The purple mist, which should have only covered the area around the house, wouldn’t stop expanding, eventually flooding over a third of the entire slums. Many creatures—from mabeasts to regular humans and demi-humans—were caught in the spell’s effect, panicking and unable to understand what was happening. Among other things, the incident also drew the attention of a certain red-haired young man.

– It’s over, Bowel Hunter. – Being the only one unaffected by the spell, Subaru managed to pull Felt out of harm’s way and deliver a dramatic line as the mist cleared. Everyone present reacted differently. Emilia immediately rushed to heal Rom, asking Puck to cover her, while Felt, having just narrowly escaped death, dropped to the floor in a double shock.

– But why? I can still fight, and your fascinating tricks seem to be all used up. – Elsa grinned with excitement as she stared at Subaru. – We still have so much we could—

She felt it. She finally noticed the unnatural weakness, one she shouldn't be feeling. Her strength wasn’t returning—it was only draining further, throwing her off.

– What did you do to me? – Though the smile had vanished from her face, there was still no fear or anger. Her body continued to weaken, her vision blurred, and nausea welled up in her head. Her legs couldn’t hold her anymore, and she collapsed to her knees in confusion.

– While you were frozen, I had the perfect chance to slip a couple curses onto you. – Subaru began to explain with pride, knowing she had no way to stop it now. – I’m not sure how long you have left, but it’s irreversible. You can’t kill me anymore, and after activation, there's no way to undo it.

– So that’s how my last fight ends. – Elsa came to terms with her death rather quickly. – It was... magnificent! I couldn’t have asked for a better end. – With every word, more and more of her strength slipped away for good, making her feel death’s arrival.

Emilia, having finished healing Rom, stood watching with Felt and Puck. All three relaxed slightly, sensing the battle’s end.

– I don’t even know your name, but you gave me a wonderful fight, perfect boy. – Her knees gave out entirely, toppling her to the side. – I even fell in love with you. What a shame I never got to see your insides. – Subaru twitched slightly, clutching his stomach, and Elsa finally spoke her last words:

– If you find Meili, please take care of her. – The girl’s outstretched hand fell limp, her final phrase a rasping whisper. – Maybe... you’ll even be able to kill our mother...

“Who’s Meili?” – There was no point in asking aloud. The only person who could answer had just died.

And so, the Bowel Hunter left this cruel world.

– Can someone tell me what just happened here? – That was the perfect moment for a new face to enter the scene, crawling through the broken window. His suspiciously perfect hair waved in the windless night, complimenting his expensive white uniform. The moonlight, like in a painting, dazzlingly reflected off the sword at his waist.

“Who the hell is this ikemen?” – was Subaru’s first thought upon seeing him.

– So that’s how it is, – Reinhard replied after a brief explanation, – I’m glad you’re all safe. That must’ve been a tough battle.

– That’s an understatement. I’m honestly shocked we pulled through and that almost all of us are still standing! – Subaru said, replaying everything he’d gone through to get to this moment in his head. – We’ve still got all our limbs, and even this old guy, – he pointed at Rom, – will recover soon.

– Big Bro, could you maybe not say such creepy stuff, please!? – Felt protested with an exaggerated shout.

– Sorry, sorry! I guess it’s becoming a habit! – Subaru clapped his hands together and bowed slightly. – Y’know, stress reactions and all...

– Sir Reinhard, – Emilia spoke up, – could you tell us why we didn’t see any knights in the city center or on the way here?

– Really? – Reinhard seemed genuinely surprised. – Actually, there were more patrols than usual. Orders were given to track mabeasts all across the capital...

– Now that’s something we really need to talk about! – Subaru cut in as Felt was once again checking on her grandfather. – Where the hell did those beasts come from in the first place!? – “And it’s even weirder that out of everyone, only Reinhard showed up in response to my Shamak.”

– I’m sorry, we’re still investigating that. We haven’t learned anything yet. – The Sword Saint bowed slightly. – The mabeasts acted unusually carefully and in sync. How they got in remains a mystery.

– Well, alright. – Subaru could only shrug at the familiar lack of clear answers. – Felt! – he called.

– Huh?

– Are you going to hand over the emblem to Emilia or what?

– Oh! – And Emilia herself remembered why she’d gotten into this mess to begin with. – Yes, please, Felt. It’s really important to me! – The half-elf approached and held out her hand.

– Of course, sis! – The thief pulled out the object from an inner pocket. – Sorry for all this, but if I were you, I’d hide important stuff a lot better! – In the blonde’s hand appeared a triangular dragon insignia with a glowing red gem inside.

But the conversation wasn’t meant to continue uninterrupted, because the red-haired knight, with imperceptible speed, suddenly appeared next to Felt and grabbed her outstretched hand. Even his usual poker face showed clear surprise.

– Hey, let go, that hurts! – Felt struggled.

– Unbelievable! – Reinhard ignored her protests. – What’s your name!?

– Felt!

– And your surname? – he pressed. – How old are you?

– F-fifteen! – she said fearfully, still trying to break free. – And I don’t have a surname!

– Reinhard, what’s going on!? – Subaru stepped in. – We’re not blaming her anymore. Let her go!

– Could you please explain? – Emilia also looked confused. – This isn’t still about the stolen emblem, is it?

– That might be a serious crime. But compared to the other monstrous injustice I’ve just uncovered, it’s nothing. – Reinhard tugged her arm, “helping” her stand. – You’re coming with me. Sorry, but I can’t take no for an answer.

– Like hell I’m—

She didn’t finish. Reinhard raised an open palm near her face and instantly knocked her out with a method unknown to Subaru.

– ...That wasn’t very knightly of you. – Emilia rose to her feet.

– Hey, hey, go easy on her! – Subaru stepped closer to shield the thief. – Mind explaining what this is all about?

– Don’t worry, I measured the force precisely. – The Sword Saint reassured them both. – I can’t explain yet, but it seems we’ll meet again soon. – Fully calm, he took the emblem from Felt’s hand and handed it to Emilia. – I hope you understand. I’ll take good care of Felt...

– If you’re taking her, at least leave a note for Rom or take him along too. – Subaru pointed out the flaw. – He might freak out over his granddaughter and do something rash.

– Yes, that was careless of me... Since they’re family, I’ll take him too. It’ll ease her mind to have a familiar face in new surroundings. – Reinhard turned around and gave a mysterious look at the moon visible through the shattered window. – I’m afraid this might be the last time we can gaze at the moon in peace...

“I really don’t like it when this ikemen says such scary things in that mysterious tone!”

Chapter Text

Watching Reinhard walk away with the unconscious Felt and Rom slung over his shoulders, Subaru could already feel an awkward conversation coming his way.

Earlier, during their discussion when he had just caught the thief and met the two girls, he had told them directly that he was looking for a place to stay and a job. In fact, it had worked even better than if he had just said he wanted to help them — that kind of offer as a trade for assistance had actually been suggested by Satella during their second meeting — and with everything that had happened, he wouldn’t have remembered such important details himself.

Luckily for him, Emilia had said she lived in a mansion and could easily ask the owner to let him stay for a while. And even if she couldn’t, he doubted Rom and Felt would deny him temporary shelter after he saved their lives.

The problem was, they hadn’t actually caught Elsa. Subaru wasn’t sure if Emilia had used the goal of capturing the assassin alive for information as an excuse, or if she genuinely needed it, but either way, he still felt awkward about it.

In truth, he had dragged her into a dangerous situation for no reason, when she could have just taken the insignia and left. Fortunately, her father was already asleep and couldn’t lodge his complaints.

– S-Subaru Natsuki, right? – The boy even flinched a bit when he heard his full name from the girl’s lips. Turning around, he was met with quite a sight: the half-elf girl looked embarrassed. Her face was slightly red, her feet fidgeted in place, and her hands were nervously wringing the fabric of her dress.

"She looks like she's about to confess her love. I doubt that’s the case, but now I really want to know what she’s going to say." – After about twenty awkward seconds of silence, he finally heard the awaited words:

– Would you like to join my camp, please?! – Raising her voice slightly from the tension, the girl squeezed her eyes shut in fear of rejection. She even bowed slightly forward, just as she'd been taught.

– I accept! – Subaru answered without hesitation, prompting a relieved sigh from the girl. – Uh… What is this ‘camp’ anyway?

– Huh? – Emilia’s mouth opened slightly in shock. – Then why did you agree if you didn’t even know? – And then it hit her. – Wait, you didn’t know at all?!

– If you explain it, I’ll know. – Subaru replied casually. – I’ve kind of gotten used to not getting answers to a bunch of important questions lately, but still, I’d really like to know what I’m getting into.

– You’re saying you helped me without even knowing...

– I just wanted to help a cute girl in trouble, and once I found out what I was really dealing with, I refused to back down on principle! – Subaru answered proudly, puffing out his chest theatrically and hitting it with his fist.

– C-cute..? – Emilia blushed even more, crouched down, and covered her head with her hands. – You... you bubblehead! How can you say something like that out of nowhere?

– Eh? Out of nowhere? Do I need to give you advance warning before every compliment? – The boy grinned slyly, watching the girl’s reaction with amusement. – Should I submit it verbally or in written form? And where do I file the paperwork? Oh, and who even uses the word “bubblehead” like that these days?

– Okay, okay, enough, please! – Still crouched down, the half-elf waved her hands in protest. – And plenty of people say that! It's your problem if you’ve never met any! – Then, in a whisper, but with a grateful smile on her lips. – Dummy.

– Let’s get back on topic! – Emilia suddenly stood up, pulling herself together. – I’ll explain everything now. A camp is... sort of like a political faction around the royal candidates, and the insignia you helped me get back was proof that I’m one of the five candidates.

– You... – Subaru’s eyes widened. – You’re a princess!?

– N-not exactly! – But after a moment of thought, she continued. – But I will become queen if I pass the selection better than the others, so yes... in a way.

– I’m awesome! – Subaru was bursting with joy and pride. – First day in this wor– err, – he struggled to recall the name of the country, – Lugunica, and I’ve already helped the future queen!

– Heehee~ – Emilia was touched by his antics. – You’re strange, Subaru. – Then she realized what she had just said and quickly corrected herself. – Not in a bad way! It’s good, in its own way!

"He already thinks of me as the future queen..."

– I got you loud and clear, Emilia-tan, no worries! – Said the boy, who then began to walk around the semi-destroyed room under the half-elf’s slightly puzzled gaze.

– “-Tan”? What’s that? – She seemed to understand his actions and asked the logical question. – Are you looking for something?

– Yeah, and I’ve already found it! – With a happy look, he showed her a familiar black cloak. – It’s that assassin’s cloak, the one that made her invisible. Looks useful, and it might also be a clue to continue the investigation.

– Oh, that’s right! – The girl gave a small bow. – Thank you again, that’s very considerate of you. And also, you still haven’t answered my first question!

– Oh, that’s just a suffix I use for people I feel close to. – Subaru smiled at the thought of another girl. – Maybe it’s a little presumptuous of me, but I already consider you my friend. Is that okay?

Even if only a little time had passed for her since they met, for the boy, it had been several days since their first real encounter, during which they had mostly gotten along very well. Thoughts about the memories and time lost to others due to his ability made him feel a little sad, but he quickly cheered up with hope for a brighter future alongside his new acquaintance.

"The important thing is that I remember it. And I can always recreate the events, maybe even make them better than they were." – The boy successfully comforted himself.

– Really!? – Emilia reacted a little too emotionally at first before pulling herself together. – I mean, yes, I’d be happy to accept that, Subaru. – The involuntary smile on her face was so bright it almost blinded the boy.

Because of her status and origins, Emilia had no one she could truly call a friend. Puck was more like a father figure, Roswaal was just a business partner and sponsor, and the maids at the mansion treated her with respectful neutrality, never trying to grow closer no matter how much she tried. It wasn’t surprising that such a simple offer triggered a storm of emotion.

The strongest was disbelief, mixed with the fear that the boy was just pretending in order to use her somehow. But no, he seemed completely sincere. The spirit sensed no ill will from Subaru, and Emilia trusted its judgment. In the short time they’d spent talking, she’d already come to see that the black-haired boy had a strange but kind nature — knowing, surprisingly, both a lot and very little at the same time. That contradiction was part of what made him so intriguing, sparking a desire to know her new friend better.

Happiness and nervousness followed. The joy was easy to understand, but the latter was more complex. This was her first friend, after all — and she had no idea what friends were supposed to do together. What if he thought she was boring and left her? What if she annoyed him, and he just pretended to care out of pity?

She tried her best to suppress the negativity, but only time would tell how well she’d manage.

– Hehehe~ – Subaru, who had a somewhat similar situation to Emilia and shared many of her feelings, couldn’t help but smile as well. – By the way, when are we heading out? Were you staying somewhere, or are we leaving tonight?

– No, I was supposed to leave right away, but I got separated from Ram during the day and– Ram!! – The girl suddenly panicked as she looked up at the moon rising toward the center of the sky, finally remembering the situation and the time. – She’s probably still out there looking for me!

– Yes, Emilia-sama, I’ve been searching for you for about a quarter of the day now. Thank you for finally taking notice.

The couple turned toward the voice of the newly arrived figure. In the place where a door should be stood a rather beautiful, in Subaru’s opinion, girl in a maid outfit. Her pink eyes matched well with the same-colored bob haircut that covered her left eye, and the short black dress with white floral patterns went perfectly with the white apron and thigh-high socks.

"I want to shake hands with whoever designed that maid outfit."

– How long have you been there, Ram? – Emilia didn’t even know why, but she felt nervous about the maid catching her doing something embarrassing near her friend.

– Not long. When I saw that large spell, I figured you’d gotten yourself into trouble. – Her gaze briefly flicked to Subaru, then continued. – Ram happened to be nearby when she heard you shout her name. – She took a better look at the boy. – Could you introduce us, please?

– This is Subaru. He helped me a lot and saved me, so I invited him to my camp! – Emilia briefly explained the situation. Ram, giving the newcomer a sharp but slightly suspicious look, said:

– I take it you’re planning to let him stay with us? Roswaal-sama won’t be very pleased if you start dragging stray mutts into the mansion.

– Hey! Saying that about someone on the first meeting is a bit rude, don’t you think? – Subaru protested, raising a finger at Ram in indignation.

– Indeed, my apologies. Ram should have waited until the second meeting or gotten to know you better before making such comments. – And not letting the guy, who clearly disliked such generous apologies, get a word in, she continued. – Let's go, the carriage is ready. Better we leave now.

According to the maid, the trip would take four hours, which left plenty of time to tell her about today’s events, talk about nothing, or sit in awkward silence.

– Ram understands. – The girl turned her upper body and slightly bowed to the guy. – Thank you, Subaru-san, for your timely help.

– Whoa, you can be polite!? – For the first time in the thirty minutes since they met, the new acquaintance said something to him without obvious sarcasm or teasing, which genuinely surprised him.

– Understood. – Ram’s face turned to stone, completely devoid of any emotion. – Guest's wish noted. It won’t happen again.

– Wait, no, I was just joking!

Emilia watched their interaction with slight confusion, not understanding why Ram was acting like this toward her new friend. However, even the little she knew about the maid's personality was enough to tell her there was no real animosity from Ram toward Subaru.

Relaxing at that thought, she continued to watch their exchange, occasionally giggling at Subaru’s clever remarks.

– By the way, Subaru, where are you from? – Emilia suddenly realized she didn’t even know the basics about the person she’d invited to her camp. – You mentioned it’s your first day in Lugunica, right?

– Oh, that... – Meanwhile, Subaru remembered he still hadn’t come up with a proper backstory. Satella told him no one would believe the “other world” story without solid evidence—they’d just think he was a lunatic or a liar.

"All because of those con artists who’ve tried to pull the same stunt before, tch." – Maybe he’d tell them the truth later.

– I'm not from any land you would know, – Subaru began improvising – my family and many others were cut off from the world, raised in a closed community due to strong hereditary miasma. I might not know a lot of basic things, but I have many interesting ideas from home that I could try here! – "Satella seemed pretty convinced I had some talent. Still don’t fully get what she meant, but better come up with an excuse for that too." – I got a bit tired of that lifestyle, so I decided to head out and see the world. I hope people will accept me here! – This wasn’t really his style, but since he’d made up such a story, he figured it was worth adding a hint of pity at the end. Key points: a humble face and a slight "brave smile through pain."

Subaru really hoped none of them could tell lies from truth or would bother checking his words. Luckily for him—they couldn’t, and wouldn’t.

Emilia was touched by his story. It reminded her a lot of her own situation. Being feared or shunned for things beyond your control felt all too familiar.

“It's decided: I’ll be the one to show him the outside world!” – She didn’t even think about how she herself knew little about it, mostly from books and Roswaal’s estate. The important thing was: they'd spend more time together. – “Is that why Subaru is so kind to me? Because he’s had it rough too.” – The half-elf blushed slightly, remembering their earlier interactions. – “He even called me cute and beautiful...”

Despite her appearance, origins, and power, Emilia was still a girl with a bit of a naïve heart who craved attention. It wasn’t surprising that someone suddenly entering her life, treating her with warmth instead of cold indifference, would grab her attention—even without considering his help and abilities.

Ram, however, was forced to focus on other details in his story. Because if what he said was true, she’d need to have a serious talk with her sister.

“Please, Rem, keep yourself under control.”

– Damn, your trees get that big around here!? – Subaru was amazed at the sight outside. Since there wasn’t much to do, and they had been quiet for a good twenty minutes, he just gazed out the window, taking in the nighttime scenery. But even the darkness couldn’t hide the massive tree whose top reached past the clouds.

– That’s the Flugel Tree! – Emilia answered immediately. – It was planted over 400 years ago, before the Great Calamity. Almost nothing is known about it—if there were any records or witnesses, they’ve been lost for a long time.

Hearing that name was too shocking for the now-speechless Subaru, though he still managed to pry further:

– Flugel? Why is it called that?

– A long time ago... – Emilia drew out her words to buy time and recall what she had read. – When the tree’s abnormal growth was first noticed, a phrase was found carved into the trunk: "Flugel was here," or something like that.

– Is anything known about the person with that name?

Emilia clearly struggled to remember more and lowered her head in frustration. Ram noticed her lady’s hesitation and decided to help out:

– No, there are no historical mentions of anyone by that name, and none have been found to this day. – After thinking for a moment, Ram added: – Maybe Lady Beatrice knows something or has information in her library, but I doubt she’d let just anyone in. So you definitely don’t stand a chance.

– Beatrice? – Subaru ignored the jab, too tired to reply. – "Ughhh, was I really that secretive? Seriously, nothing of what Satella was talking about, just some tree... it is weird. And suspicious."

– She’s a great spirit of Yin who’s lived in the mansion’s library for many years. – Emilia took over again. – We don’t get to meet her often. She hides herself with magic and moves the library around the mansion. – As she spoke, she caught herself staring at Subaru’s face and blushed. – Roswaal says she’s been around since his first ancestor and the Great Calamity.

“Jackpot! Just what I needed. Finally, someone who lived through those events.” – He trusted Satella, but even he could see she wasn’t the most reliable source—especially when it came to things that happened after the Cataclysm. Besides, he simply wanted to talk to someone else who might’ve known Flugel. – “But there’s something else I’m curious about...”

– A Yin spirit? Is she good with that element?

– Definitely! She can make any door in the mansion lead to any other room or hall using her magic. And that’s just what I’ve gathered from Puck’s stories about her. She’s supposed to be strong, very knowledgeable, and skilled in medicine. – Emilia smiled sweetly, clearly hoping for praise.

– Thank you, Emilia-tan. It’d be amazing to ask her about a lot of things. – Subaru thanked the pleased girl. – From the sound of it, she’s a total shut-in. I bet we’ll get along great.

And he did have a lot to ask:

“First of all, I need to know about that black slime.” – His own health was his top priority. – “Seriously, that looked and felt totally unnatural, and I have no idea what it even was.” – He was surprised Satella didn’t seem to know the cause and didn’t worry much about it either.

“Next, I need to learn about this world’s history so I don’t sound like a total idiot later. I’m sure lots of stuff happened in the magical world that even isolated communities like ‘mine’ would’ve noticed.”

“What else...? Magic! I really hope she agrees to teach me at least a bit. As the protagonist of an isekai, I have to be good at it.” – Subaru smiled at the thought. – “I’m not exactly eager to keep dying—even if it means seeing Satella-tan again. It’d be nice to get stronger.” – He had magic problems too. Just using Shamac, reinforcing his body, and even that low-cost Sensumure group spell had drained nearly everything from him. The issue wasn’t just low mana reserves, but his lack of experience and poor control.

“Crap, I can’t read or write. That’s going to be really embarrassing to admit... but I’ll have to ask someone eventually. Ughhh, I hope it’s not Ram.”

“Meili, Meili, Meili...” – Subaru kept replaying the name in his head. He’d already asked Ram and Emilia, but neither of them knew anyone by that name. – “Guess I shouldn’t have taken her dying words so seriously. That psycho even said she was in love with me! Still don’t get what the hell that was about.” – As for her “mother,” that was a mystery too. He decided to chalk it up to the delusions of a dying killer for now.

Subaru’s thoughts inevitably circled back to the reason he could even ride this carriage toward a new life:

“I need to name my main cheat skills.”

The first one came easily. Two main ideas—Time Leap and Death—merged in his mind, forming:

Return by Death

“Yikes!” – Subaru flinched mentally. Not even a second after naming it, his heart clenched painfully, as if under some unseen pressure. – “Can I please get a guide or something? Someone to just tell me what I can and can’t do, and answer my freaking questions!?” – He was completely fed up with not understanding what was happening.

"This is definitely somehow connected to the new title. I won’t name the second one for now—I'll save it for a better moment."

"I wonder how Satella’s doing? She’s always watching me, right? That’s kinda creepy." – Subaru recalled the other half-elf when he looked at Emilia. – "But I get her. It must be boring, sitting sealed away for so long." – He couldn’t even begin to imagine how boring, and didn’t deny the fact. – "Even I would’ve gone crazy if I’d spent so many years in a closed space. And she literally has nothing there! The ‘Shadow Garden’, according to her, doesn’t differ much from mine. No wonder she sounds and looks a bit creepy even when she's sane." – Subaru mentally winced at his own thoughts. – "That was really rude, why would I think that about her!? Tella-tan, if you're reading my thoughts, don’t be mad, okay?" – A part of his heart still hoped she wasn’t actually a yandere, even if she resembled one. Otherwise… that could become a problem.

...

"Is all of this really happening to me?" – Derealization struck him as suddenly as Elsa had in the first loop. – "I’m riding in a carriage with beautiful girls, pulled by a damn Dragon, the biggest tree I’ve ever seen in my life is in the distance, and all of this is in a parallel world. I’ve already died multiple times and rewound back in time. Died painfully. I’ve got superpowers. Superpowers! Like, if I went home right now, I could be a cool superhero! And this is only my first day in this world! One of the two most beautiful girls in my life has already confessed her love to me several times, and the other—her identical counterpart—invited me into her political clique! I could even call this protagonist-level luck, if not for..." – His mind flashed with Elsa’s torture from the second loop. The pain piercing his stomach, throat, and arms torn off, the choking on the blood filling his mouth and throat. His desperate struggle and cries for help...

Good thing Emilia had dozed off, softly breathing in her sleep, and Ram had moved to the front seat to guide the earth dragon due to the rougher road and upcoming turns. They didn’t see Subaru trembling from the memories, holding back tears.

When Subaru stepped down from the carriage, he was met with the sight of a massive white mansion with a black roof and five towers, four in each corner and one in the center. It was an imposing three-story building with three wings, a wide front garden, and paved paths.

– Whoa, – he breathed out, not forgetting to offer his hand to Emilia as she climbed down after him. – You did say you lived in a mansion, but this is way beyond what I expected. And only a few people live here, right? One of whom you barely even see?

– W-well, I haven’t lived here for very long myself, so I was just as surprised. – She scratched her cheek with the fingers of her right hand, not realizing her left was still holding Subaru’s.

– Everyone’s probably already asleep, so Ram will prepare a guest room. You can go inside and turn right—that’s the wing it’ll be in. – Said the maid before taking the earth dragon to the stables.

– Thanks, Ram! – Subaru didn’t skimp on gratitude, even if she didn’t respond. – Emilia-tan, could you maybe... – His face flushed as he looked at her hand still gripping his.

– Ah! Of course! – She let go instantly. – Sorry, I didn’t notice. I’m so sleepy, I’ll go ahead and crash! See you tomorrow\... or is it already today? Doesn’t matter, good night—see you in the day! – She rambled and quickly hurried off without showing her face.

"She’s even more embarrassed than I am! That was so cute\~." – With no better option or energy to explore, Subaru decided to head straight for the entrance.

Opening the doors revealed a luxurious wide hall with high vaulted ceilings, a pair of columns on each side, and lights at the entrance. Ignoring the staircase leading to the second floor, he walked past flower vases straight into the right wing, as Ram had instructed.

"It’s so quiet in here. So quiet it’s kind of scary to even make a sound."

The corridor stretched on, and on, and on... Just when he thought he’d walked too far, Subaru turned around—only to see the same endless hallway behind him.

"I should’ve waited for Ram. But it’s too late now, I guess."

– Am I lost? – Subaru stopped. – No, that’s not it—the mansion didn’t look this long from outside. – To test a theory, he memorized a nearby painting, then walked forward. Passing a second, third, fourth, and ten more paintings, he finally noticed something strange:

– Yep, the same one! – The painting of a nighttime forest he had seen earlier stared back at him. – A closed loop corridor. – He nodded to himself.

– And if we go by game logic... – He placed a hand on the door handle. – The correct one is the first door. – Then he pushed it open.

– Who is this uninvited guest putting on a show in my presence, I wonder? – came a little girl’s voice from the room’s center. – Who are you?

And the room... screamed "Library." Bookshelves lined every corner, filled so tightly with books that it was impossible to estimate how many there were.

Books took up space and were heavy—having this many was a problem. In Subaru’s case, his whole family loved manga, and the second floor of their house had a room packed to the brim with it.

"I wonder how my parents are doing..." – But he’d think about that later. For now, there were more pressing matters.

– Hey, little girl, isn’t it a bit late for reading? – Subaru asked honestly. – Even grown-ups are asleep by now.

– You came in without knocking, didn’t introduce yourself, and ignored my question. – The girl even set down her book. – You’re getting on Betty’s nerves.

– Betty? – "She refers to herself in the third person using a cutesy nickname? How adorable! – Oh, and this is a library! So I guess you’re... Beatrice, right?"

– Yes, and Betty still doesn’t know the name of this rude young man. Could you at least show a basic level of courtesy? – The blonde in a red dress gave him a flat look.

– Apologies, I’m Subaru Natsuki and I’m looking for help! – He was so nervous he forgot to strike his usual pose and just gave a small bow.

– Hmph, you can ask, but don’t expect much. Know this—at the end of the conversation, Betty will need to borrow your mana to determine if you mean any harm.

– I see... thanks for the warning. Hope it doesn’t hurt too much... – Even without fully grasping it, he understood what she wanted and had a rough idea of how it might work.

– Get to the point, I suppose. – After a short explanation of the dark slime appearing after magic use, one thing caught her attention. – What magic did you use?

– Nothing weird. Yin spells: Shamak and Sensumure—

– Stop! – The unfamiliar name made Beatrice stand up from her chair. – What does the second one do?

– They told me: “It separates pain from the body.” I used it in battle so the wounds wouldn’t hurt...

– Demonstrate. – The girl abruptly cut him off, eager to see the unknown spell for herself.

Surprised by her sudden assertiveness, Subaru had no real choice. The fact that he piqued her interest could only work in his favor.

– As you wish. Sensumure. – A faint violet light wrapped around the section of his arm where he used the spell. He didn’t even notice when the girl appeared beside him, watching intently.

– Betty’s never seen anything like this. – And Subaru, for the first time, saw an actual emotion on Beatrice’s face—surprise. – Fine, come back here tomorrow. Betty will answer your questions in exchange for this spell, I suppose.

– But what about...

– You should be fine. Betty has a rough idea of what you encountered, and you’re not in any immediate danger. If you have more questions—ask them tomorrow. For now, Betty’s going to sleep, and suggests you do the same. – With that, she placed a hand on his stomach. – Also, be wary of the blue-haired maid. This will sting a little. Any last questions, I suppose?

– Uh, what? No, I think I’m good? – Subaru hadn’t processed all of her words, so he answered on autopilot. In response, he felt a small pain and a wave of exhaustion that made him want to lie down and sleep.

"This day was way too long and weird..." – was all the boy could think as he fell, losing consciousness. – "Nothing surprises me anymore." – Despite the short, rushed conversation, it seemed like he got what he came for, and so he drifted off content.

Meanwhile, one spirit regretted ending their tiring conversation so quickly, because what she had discovered raised WAY too many questions.

Chapter Text

– Ah, he’s awake, Rem.

"It feels like my consciousness is rising to the surface from the depths of the ocean. The bed is so soft and comfortable, it doesn’t want to let me go."

The boy’s awakening in a new place began with the familiar voice of one of the maids reaching his ears.

But he chose to ignore it.

– This is just my first time waking up, so I can sleep another half hour. – Subaru muttered without even opening his eyes, choosing the very familiar habit of indulging in a bit more rest.

– Those are the words of a true slacker who sleeps past noon, Sister.

"Noon? Did I really sleep that long?" – Distrusting this new voice, he decided to use his tried-and-true method to check the time: the stubble test. Touching the rough hairs slightly grown on his chin, he began analyzing. – "Considering I last shaved the morning before yesterday, that voice was lying. It can’t be later than 12 p.m.!"

– Ha! Caught you in a lie! – Subaru suddenly sat up on purpose to startle whoever was in the room with him. His finger pointed at the first silhouettes his eyes caught. – I seriously doubt you eat lunch that early!

Despite his love of extra sleep and multiple awakenings each morning, Subaru had an excellent ability to fully wake up when needed. So it didn’t take long for the haze in his eyes to clear, revealing those responsible for the blind dialogue.

His sudden action startled the girls standing by his bed. They stepped back, moved toward the center of the room, and looked at him while holding hands. And while one of them was just surprised by the sudden movement, if you knew what to look for, you could spot a note of genuine fear in the other.

They were about 150 centimeters tall. They had large eyes, pink lips, and shallow facial features that made them look cute.

Two girls—one of whom Subaru already knew—looked almost identical, more like mirror images with minor differences. Both had short hair, but in different colors: Ram’s was pink, and the other, unknown to Subaru, had light blue. Their bangs covered opposite eyes, further emphasizing their mirrored appearances.

– Barusu, – said Ram, who had recovered quickly, – you already missed breakfast, and lunch will be in two hours. My sister and I already had to carry you from the library to your room, so at least have the decency to wake up early and not keep people waiting who want to talk to you.

– Barusu!? – The boy latched onto the most important part. – You’ve turned my name into a blinding curse, Ram-chi. How cruel! – He clutched his chest theatrically.

– At the very least, I have taste and skill in giving people nicknames. – The sharp-tongued maid pointed out how she had been addressed herself.

– Ahem, never mind that, Ram-chi. Just tell me, who wants to talk to me? Don’t tell me it’s Emilia-tan? – Subaru hoped, eyeing the silent maid. – Wow, you weren’t lying, you two really are like two peas in a pod. True eye candy, seeing twin maids together!

– Ha, don’t you dare hit on my Rem, Barusu.

– Please don’t flirt with my sister, dear guest! – Rem hugged her twin. Despite the joking tone, Ram’s synesthetic ability let her sense more seriousness than she would’ve liked.

But Subaru didn’t have time to respond before he heard a familiar, saving voice:

– Could you wake up without making so much noise?

The girl hadn’t even knocked, having heard their voices from down the hall.

The beauty of her long silver hair was on full display, flowing freely down her back today. Her outfit wasn’t her usual attire but was designed in slightly darker pink tones that, in Subaru’s humble opinion, suited her slim white figure. The skirt was a little above the knee, showing off her slender legs, though they were mostly covered by thigh-high socks.

– Wow! I don’t know who picked out this outfit, but I completely agree with their taste! – Subaru was glad to see the silver-haired half-elf first thing in the morning. As lovely and cute as the maids were, he still preferred her company.

– I don’t quite understand what you mean, but… thank you, I guess. – Emilia was still a little flustered by the boy’s compliments. – But that’s not why I’m here! I don’t know what happened between you and Beatrice, but she really wanted to see you.

– Oh, so it was her? – Subaru recalled Ram’s earlier words. – She didn’t say what she wanted? She ended the conversation pretty quickly last time, saying we’d talk today…

– No, she didn’t say. – Emilia shook her head, then looked at the maids still watching their exchange. – Let’s step out for now, okay? Beatrice insisted you two have privacy, and she should be here soon.

– Don’t do anything dangerous this time, Subaru! – She warned him again, wagging her finger like a child. – Don’t provoke her—I don’t want to wait so long for you to wake up again! I’ll be in the courtyard. Come find me when you’re done. – With that, she left, taking the maids with her and leaving Subaru alone to ponder her words:

"She waited for me to wake up?"

Since Beatrice hadn’t shown up yet, Subaru decided to get dressed in the familiar tracksuit lying on the nearby chair, with its holes and tears from the fight with Elsa now neatly sewn up.

"I wonder who did this? As much as I’d like it to be Emilia… I doubt it was her." – She didn’t strike him as someone who could sew this well. – "She did mention she’s a royal candidate? Yeah, this wouldn’t really be a task for someone like her. Most likely Rem or Ram."

"This tracksuit is one of the few things connecting me to my old world." – Subaru looked at the patched holes with a hint of sorrow. – "Once I get some other clothes, I’ll keep this one as a trophy."

– You’re already awake and coherent enough to answer my questions, I assume. – A familiar loli voice came from the side.

– Did no one teach you to knock? – He couldn’t help but throw a jab at the girl, though it had no effect—she was still staring at him with a dead-serious expression. – Fine, so what did you want to ask?

– What are you?

Such a question couldn’t help but catch him off guard. For several seconds, Subaru simply stared at the girl, as if trying to find deeper meaning or context in her expression, but all he saw was suspicion.

"And how am I supposed to take that? She thinks so little of me she’s not even asking who I am, but what I am? Really?" – And then Subaru had an epiphany. His face broke into a proud smile, his right hand stroked his chin, and his mind drifted into a fantasy world—all while Beatrice’s suspicion intensified by the second.

Finally, he broke the silence with an absurd line.

– This is that moment where I get told I’m special, right!?

Now it was Beatrice’s turn to look confused. It seemed he’d drawn his own conclusions from her question, and judging by his stupid face, they were clearly wrong. Well… in a way, he was special, but she wouldn’t exactly call it something to be proud of.

– Your attitude changed after you drew mana from me. – Subaru continued to think aloud. – That must be how you gauge power! Tell me, I have some kind of “strong” mana, right? Or maybe I’ve got some cool trait like super-fast growth? Oh, maybe I can use all elements or nullify spells!? I’ve been told I have a lot of magical talent…

– Enough, stop! My ears are bleeding from your uneducated nonsense. – Her irritation began to overpower even her suspicion. – Stop dodging and answer my question! – Still, she had to stay alert. For all she knew, the boy could be using his stupidity to avoid answering.

– But I really don’t know what to say. – Subaru’s tone grew a bit more serious. – If you want an answer, then ask the question in a way I can actually understand…

He already had a few theories about why she was reacting like this, but it was better to hear it from an expert before jumping to conclusions.

– Haaah... – For some reason even she didn’t fully understand, the boy’s ignorance about his own condition made her breathe a small sigh of relief. Though deep down, a possible answer was forming—and it wasn’t a flattering one.

"I really hope he’s not a monster."

– Very well, Betty will explain everything, I suppose. – Beatrice’s eyes followed his every movement and reaction, but all she saw was a boy genuinely excited to get some answers. – You… are an anomaly.

– Ha–? – Subaru’s surprise was ignored as the great spirit continued her monologue.

– A being like you is practically impossible to create, and yet right now, I see an exception. Betty suspects that someone conducted extremely complex experiments on you. – She added in a whisper: – It feels like Mother’s work, but even for her, this would be insanely difficult.

– Wait, wait! I’m sure no one experimented on me! And I’m not some “being,” both of my parents were regular humans…

– Yes, you’re a pure human, and that’s the strangest part. A newly adult human shouldn’t have an Od source as fresh as a newborn’s. Someone who’s never even cast a hundred spells in his life, – which she couldn’t confirm exactly, but based on her magic analysis and Emilia’s morning report, she’d reached a few conclusions, – shouldn’t have gates so sturdy and a reserve so small.

Beatrice was growing heated, listing everything about him that baffled her. In all her long life, she had never seen anything like this, so her reaction was understandable. The sight of Subaru looking just as confused both calmed and irritated her, and no mental analysis helped explain how this boy had ended up in such a state.

– A normal human with that much miasma concentration should drive everyone around him insane, but in your case, due to several overlapping strange factors, it somehow became possible!

– How could someone with a fully human body and Od have gates with partial elven traits, producing mana so toxic it could literally poison someone!?

– Answer Betty honestly—don’t dodge. I’m not here to judge you if the answer is yes, so don’t be afraid to reveal your secret. – Beatrice paused for ten seconds before asking: – Do you possess an Authority?

That question... didn’t even faze Subaru. To be honest, he was tired of being surprised. Given that this was still a magical world with unknown rules, he was ready for anything. His lack of knowledge played a role too—he simply didn’t know the weight the word “Authority” carried. He only suspected they were “cheat powers,” and kind of took having one for granted. Only the fact that they were connected to the deadly sins hinted that they were rare, especially according to Satella.

He didn’t have much time to process the spirit’s chaotic monologue, but he came to one conclusion:

"Seems like it’s related to my new powers. Both the ones I got in the beginning… and the ones I copied."

– Yeah. – Not knowing what else to say, he simply nodded.

– I see. Thank you for your honesty, I suppose. – Beatrice’s tone became a bit more respectful, though it seemed mostly performative. – That seems to answer part of my earlier reasoning. But something still bothers me more than anything else. Why did you curse yourself? Or more precisely… why did you curse your entire body?

– Eh..? Ah, that! – The cursed boy did not immediately understand what was being discussed, but the clarification about the body led him to the thought that was heading in the right direction.

"She definitely means Elsa’s ability." – He shuddered slightly at the memory of that name. – "Even though her regeneration was described as a curse, I didn’t think it was meant so literally. But I need to clear something up."

– Listen, I didn’t curse myself. It’s a bit of a weird situation that’ll be hard to explain...

– Fine, you can keep the explanation to yourself for now. Betty will find out later. – The girl cut him off, noticing he wasn’t eager to talk about it right this moment. – But from what I’ve understood, here’s my advice: Don’t lift that curse – with your kind of gates, you won’t last long without it.

– But why?

– Is your curse somehow connected to bodily regeneration? – And when he nodded in response, she continued. – That’s probably one of the main reasons why you don’t have to worry about that “black sludge,” I’d say. Your body has, surprisingly, been processing and disposing of the corrupted mana remnants quite well from the beginning, but its resources for that wouldn’t have lasted forever. That curse on you is exactly what’s providing the necessary resources – and it’s using that very mana as fuel. Betty’s not sure how that’ll affect you in the long term, but you definitely don’t need to worry for at least a few years.

"So that’s what the black sludge was." – Realizing he’d have enough time to figure it out, Subaru returned his focus to the curse. – "Tch, so I won’t be able to get rid of it anytime soon after all. Thanks for the skill, Satella, but who’d have thought it would come with such a downside..."

Beatrice, now relaxed, sat down on the nearest chair and let her feet dangle.

– So, Betty will sum it up: Tonight, a black-haired boy wearing strange clothes arrives at the mansion. His abilities are largely unknown and hard to understand. He emits one of the strongest miasmas Betty’s ever seen in her life. The miasma is so thick due to the curse and, I assume, an Authority, that it becomes poisonous to any weak or unadapted body – yet causes no passive harm, as it normally should. On top of that, his mana reserves are ridiculously low for such durable and powerful gates, which makes it obvious to anyone that they were artificially grafted, with some poor elf acting as the donor in a cruel experiment. The only question is how it was done so precisely, leaving no trace but indirect signs. From what Betty heard from the half-elf girl, you should be nearly 18 years old, but your Od is only a few days old, which would be impossible unless you...

The Great Spirit began flipping through not just every book in the library in her mind, but also any mentions of similar situations from her mother. The perfect memory installed by the same mother helped greatly, quickly bringing her to the right clarifying question:

– Did you come from beyond the Great Waterfall?

– Great Waterfall? What’s that?

No, Subaru hadn’t forgotten the term – this was simply the first time he’d ever heard it. Even though he and Satella had little time to talk about worlds and their differences, some information inevitably slipped through. For the witch who had spent her whole life in a flat world and accepted it as natural, it was difficult to remember to explain something that was common knowledge. Just as Subaru, whose worldview only ever included spherical planets, hadn’t thought to ask if it was different here.

Such an answer – in the form of a question – gave Beatrice another piece of the puzzle named “Subaru,” and greatly amused her.

– Pfft—Aahahahaha! – The built-up stress from waiting and having the conversation vanished instantly. She laughed so hard that tears formed in the corners of her eyes, which she quickly wiped away. – That only answers Betty’s question, heheh, I suppose.

– That’s just rude—why not explain first?! I know geography’s never been my strong point, but did you really have to laugh like that?

Subaru was genuinely embarrassed by the whole thing. He didn’t understand why not knowing the location – or existence – of some waterfall had made the usually expressionless, over-aged loli laugh so hard.

"But it seems like she’s not suspicious of me anymore. That’s good, I suppose?"

– Heheh, heh... Alright, ahem. – The spirit quickly composed herself. – Betty will think about what to do with you, but I won’t oppose your stay in the mansion. Be happy, hm! – She turned her head away with a slight blush, lifting her chin.

"How cuuute~" – That’s what he thought, but he was also relieved he didn’t say it out loud.

– Betty doesn’t like that weird look in your eyes, I suppose. Stop it!

– My apologies, dear Beako, I’ll take note of that!

– What did you just call me!? – Upon hearing such “indecency,” Beatrice jumped off the chair, hands on her hips and puffing out her small cheeks. Unfortunately for her, that only made the boy even more charmed.

– I called you Beako, sweet loli! It’s my thank-you for the very important information. Also, I often give nicknames to close acquaintances and other good people!

– Take your thanks back, I suppose! – The girl in the red dress protested. – And what the heck is a “loli”!? Betty doesn’t know yet what it means, but she already doesn’t like it!

– Ah, that... I’ll explain later! – In truth, he had no intention of doing so. As fun as it was to tease her, he didn’t want to overdo it.

– Hmph. Well, you’ll tell Betty everything you know sooner or later. – Beatrice would never admit it, but she was genuinely happy not only to have a new source of information but also an interesting person she could freely chat with. – It’ll be fun to study a chimera like you.

– Hey, just no experiments, alright?

– ...Betty will think about it, I suppose. – She said in the most serious tone, barely hiding her sly smirk.

– Don’t joke like that! – Subaru cried out in feigned fear, but when she didn’t respond, he asked again. – That was a joke, right?? – There was a little less fake terror in his voice this time.

– Hmph, who do you take Betty for? – Clearly signaling that the conversation was over, she walked to the door. Grasping the handle, she added one last thing. – Tonight, the library door will be open to you. Don’t you dare not show up!

Without giving him a chance to say a word in return, the Great Spirit left the room, leaving the black-haired boy standing there alone.

"That was weird… but I think it went well. I didn’t get to ask everything, but what I learned is already a lot."

"So I really won’t be able to get rid of this regeneration?" – In truth, Subaru still thought the ability was very useful, even if it contradicted his Authority. Using death as a tool was something deeply alien to him, even if the consequences were minimal. Having a spell to help avoid pain made taking injuries and avoiding death easier, but there was the inner symbolism. The thought of using abilities from that despicable woman wouldn’t leave his mind, constantly reminding him of the fear, pain, and tears she had “helped” him endure.

"Don’t think about the bad stuff." – He slapped his cheeks a few times out of habit, shaking off the disgusting memories, and headed toward the door.

But the world, it seemed, wasn’t going to give him even a minute of rest.

A familiar sensation of chilling cold wrapped around him before he could even reach the door. The frozen world, for a moment, reminded him of one of yesterday’s events, allowing him to recognize what was happening.

Save Point!

"There it is! Now I’m sure that’s what this is." – This time, better prepared, Subaru memorized most of the sensations from the moment the checkpoint was placed. He didn’t know exactly why, but at this point, any information – even abstract or sensory – was valuable.

"I wonder how the Witch chooses the timing for these?" – Yet another important question he wouldn’t get an answer to anytime soon. If what Satella had told him about her second self was true, he had no desire to meet her at all.

For now, the only thing he could hope for was that Envy would continue making reasonable choices.

– Alright, I bet Emilia-tan’s already been waiting! – The thought of his new friend brought a gentle smile to his face. – "Now I know for sure it wasn’t in vain to save them. Thanks for the support, Tella-tan."

Reaching the door, Subaru opened it and stepped out of the guest room. Recalling all the cute moments with both girls, their behavior and similarities, he came to an interesting conclusion:

– Could it be that Emilia-tan likes me too?? – But after a few more steps down the corridor, he shook the thought off. – Nah, that’s dumb. I’m thinking too much of myself.

– Still, I should totally ask her out on a date! I’ll figure it out based on her reaction. – Subaru nodded firmly. – But...

"I haven’t asked anyone out since middle school! And never on an actual date!! What do I do!?"

The sudden realization made Subaru stop in the middle of the hallway.

"Wait a sec—doesn’t Satella already like me!? Wouldn’t that make me a womanizer or something?"

Realizing he’d stopped, Subaru resumed walking toward the main hall and the mansion’s exit.

"Then again, we’re not dating, and I’ve never even responded to her feelings. But I don’t want to break Tella-tan’s heart!"

Subaru swung between extremes, finally landing on this thought:

– A date doesn’t mean we’ll start dating right away! First, we’ll just get to know each other better, and I’ll decide from there. – Unsurprisingly, the self-doubting boy once again dumped his romantic worries onto his future self.

At last, after walking the long corridor, the anxious black-haired boy opened the main hall doors, only to see, not far off in the yard, one of the girls he’d just been thinking about.

– Hey again, Emilia-tan!

Chapter Text

– Subaru! Are you alright? – Emilia asked with a touch of concern. Just a touch, because she trusted Beatrice’s judgment and Subaru’s kind nature.

– As you can see, I’m totally fine! – Subaru waved his arms around energetically, “proving” the intact and uninjured state of his body.

– I’m glad it turned out okay. What were you two talking about?

– Oh, that… – Subaru thought for a moment, deciding what to keep to himself. – Mostly about my miasma. Beako was checking if I was a threat. We also talked a bit about my abilities. As for the rest, I’m not sure I’m even allowed to talk about it. – He skillfully dodged the subject.

That wasn’t necessary — Emilia focused on what mattered most to her: the implication that Subaru was being judged for something he couldn’t control. The object of pity didn’t even notice and used the pause to glance around.

Even though Subaru had already seen the garden, he couldn’t help but sigh in awe when taking in the view of the grand estate in the sunlight. Thinking there wouldn’t be a better time today, he began stretching exercises to get back in shape.

– Those are some strange movements. What are you doing?

– Hm? Don’t you guys warm up before physical activity here? If you don’t loosen your muscles, you can injure a ligament without even realizing it! If you tear your Achilles tendon, for example, it’ll hurt like hell!

– I see... I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that. But it’s true you can easily get injured if you start moving suddenly without warming up.

– I wouldn’t have guessed people in this world didn’t do warm-ups. Well then... how about I teach you, Emilia-tan? Radio calisthenics from my homeland — passed down through generations!

– Radio... calisthenics? – Once again, the girl encountered a term she didn’t know. This guy kept confusing her with names and concepts she could only figure out through context.

– As you can see — specialized warm-up exercises! Anyone can do them, regardless of gender, age, or background! – Subaru awkwardly tried to hype it up while continuing the movements. – I learned them from my dad, and they always helped me fully wake up!

– W-well, I suppose I don’t mind. – Emilia didn’t see any reason to refuse.

Subaru asked her to stand next to him. Once they were lined up side by side, facing away from the mansion, they took a deep breath under the blazing sun and began their routine. Mostly, Emilia tried to mimic Subaru, while he struggled not to stare at the way her body moved with each new stretch.

Encouraging the puzzled Emilia, Subaru ran through the famous radio calisthenics program. At first, Emilia seemed unsure, but gradually she became more focused and engaged, her expression turning serious. When they finished, she took a deep breath and...

– And to finish, raise your hands and say: Victory!!

– V-victory! – Emilia shouted softly, embarrassed but clearly pleased. – “Whoa, I can actually feel my mana circulating more easily!”

– Victory! – shouted a voice from above her head — the spirit who hadn’t been asleep for a while, now striking a Y-pose like the other two. – That was a great idea, Subaru.

– Oh, Puck, you’re awake!

– You know, I don’t sleep all the time. – said the cat, though there wasn’t the slightest trace of annoyance in his voice. – I should thank you for yesterday. Even though Emilia got dragged into trouble later, that was her choice. Despite some missteps, you prevented her death and even eliminated a potential assassin. I owe you one wish. I’m capable of quite a bit, so don’t hold back.

– Then let me pet your fur whenever I want. – Subaru didn’t even pause to think before replying.

Not only was the spirit surprised, but Emilia too, clearly a bit flustered by the request.

– Wait, don’t you want to reconsider? I know he looks small and weak, but Puck’s power is way beyond appearances.

– Hehehe, it’s a bit awkward, but yeah. I’m a pretty powerful spirit despite how I look, so I wouldn’t mind if you were a bit greedy. You’ve done good work, but man... you really lack ambition. – The cat-like spirit chuckled, but he honestly didn’t care what this guy asked for, so he wasn’t going to argue.

– For a fur enthusiast like me, the right to pet such a luxurious coat whenever I want is priceless. – Subaru declared, and immediately used his newfound privilege to gently grab Puck and start squeezing him.

And so time passed until lunch, until...

– Master Roswaal, the lord of the manor, has returned. Please proceed to the mansion. – Both voices spoke in perfect unison, without a single mistake. Their approach had gone unnoticed by Subaru, who had his back turned, and he jumped slightly in surprise.

Their perfect sync amazed Subaru, but what shocked him even more was their sudden shift in demeanor. Unlike before, when they joked around casually, the two girls now looked like proper mansion maids.

“They switched from relaxed mode to professional mode... just like that.”

– I see. Roswaal... Then we’d best go meet him.

– Yes, and he asked that you bring the guest as well, if he’s awake. – said the maids in unison again, while Puck shrank in size and dove into Emilia’s silver hair.

– He’s the master of the mansion, right? – After Emilia nodded in confirmation, the boy continued. – You didn’t tell me anything about him on the way here. Is he that unimpressive?

– ...No, it’s the opposite — you’ll understand once you meet him. – Emilia looked away as she answered.

– You’re giving up way too soon. That’s kinda scary!

– Oh, you’re awake. That’s good, very gooood~ – A tall man with long, dark blue hair flowing down his back spoke cheerfully, looking at the boy.

He was tall — even taller than Reinhard, one of the tallest people Subaru had met so far. His slender frame looked like it had never known physical labor. His eyes were mismatched — one yellow, one blue — paired with extremely pale skin. It might’ve made him look sickly, if not for the over-the-top makeup and eccentric outfit that gave a bizarre impression.

His appearance could objectively be called beautiful, but one thought circled in Subaru’s mind:

“He looks like a court jester.” – If not for Emilia’s vague warning earlier, Subaru might’ve fallen into the trap and blurted out something inappropriate about the man.

What really unsettled him, though, was the man’s intrigued gaze and mysterious, wide grin. Subaru had to resist the urge to say something like, “Sorry, but I’m into girls.”

The voice didn’t help either. The moment he heard it, his rear clenched up, and a random image of a buff blonde guy flashed through his mind. Subaru didn’t know what that was about, but he figured he should take this seriously.

– I assume you’re Roswaal. – Subaru guessed correctly, but couldn’t stop a whisper from slipping out. – Honestly, I never would’ve guessed...

The slight shift in Roswaal’s grin told him that the man had heard that last part.

While no one paid them direct attention, the maid twins moved swiftly yet gracefully, setting the table with dishes both familiar and unfamiliar to the otherworldly guest. Despite their rocky first impressions, both Ram and Rem had left Subaru with a good feeling.

The kitchen’s design didn’t differ much from the rest of the mansion Subaru had seen. Though he couldn’t grasp the artistic depth of the painting of a ruined forest across from the table, it did contribute to the atmosphere. The large windows were placed just right so sunlight never hit the diners directly, but still lit the room well without the need for extra light sources.

– As much as I’d looooove to chat with my dear guest right now, it would be terribly rude of me to let a benefactor go hungry~ – Roswaal spoke, dragging out syllables in a way Subaru found unpleasant.

While he spoke, he approached the most luxurious seat in the room. After a short pause to observe the maids finish setting the final pieces of tableware, the girls positioned themselves at either side of their master, perfectly composed, ignoring the other guests entirely.

In under a minute, everyone besides the twins — Subaru, Emilia, and Roswaal — had begun eating. The boy hadn’t expected anything amazing food-wise in a medieval world, even in a noble’s mansion, but he still found himself surprised.

“I don’t recognize half of these dishes. But then, what did I expect from another world? Actually, what’s more surprising is how many of these things resemble stuff from home.” – Subaru mentally reviewed the familiar items he’d seen over the past few days. – “It doesn’t even seem like coincidence. Satella mentioned some inventions I made with someone named Alec, but I seriously doubt I could’ve contributed this much even with someone that capable.”

“I’ll need to look carefully for any traces the old me left behind. Most of it probably vanished after that catastrophe, but something’s bound to remain.” – Despite everything he’d seen and experienced in this short time, Subaru still hadn’t fully come to trust Satella. Not deep down.

It was hard to, after all — when someone bursts into your life, turns it upside down, explains who you used to be, and only sees you as the person they want you to be. For some reason Subaru couldn’t quite name, that created a familiar, unpleasant pressure in his chest. The same kind he’d felt over the past few years, only stronger now...

“What if she’s wrong? What if I just look like that person, and I’m not actually him?”

– Subaru, are you alright? – A familiar, clear voice reached his ears.

– Huh? Of course, Emilia-tan. Why do you ask?

– It’s just... you’ve been staring at your plate looking super sad. Do you not like the food? – Emilia tilted her head slightly, asking innocently.

– No! The food’s really tasty, I promise! – With those words, Subaru abandoned all pretense of table manners and quickly finished off the unfamiliar bird meat and vegetables on his plate. – I’d even say it’s excellent! Who made it? – He turned to the maids standing behind Roswaal, who had just finished his own meal.

– That was made by Rem, dear guest. – The blue-haired maid answered after a short pause. A second longer, and her sister might’ve answered instead. Only half the room caught the chill in her tone.

– Awesome! So you’re really good at cooking. Then, by that logic, Ram-chi must be a cleaning master!

Emilia was still eating and only half-listening, while Roswaal absorbed every word, watching the boy closely. It wasn’t quite oppressive, but it was definitely intense — enough to make Subaru nervous. Still, he chalked it up to the man’s clownish quirks or just suspicion toward a newcomer.

Any disappointment on the mansion owner’s face would’ve been impossible to notice, even if Subaru had tried. Some people were just too good at their craft.

– Yes, my sister excels at all things cleaning-related. – Rem replied in a calm tone.

– So, you’re good at cooking but not cleaning, and Ram’s the opposite — good at cleaning but bad at cooking. – Subaru offered his theory.

– No, actually, I’m good at both. I’d even say I’m better than my sister in that regard.

– What!? – He pointed an accusatory finger at the pink-haired maid. – Then what’s even the point of her being here!? – But within a second, a triumphant grin appeared on his face. – Ha! And here she was acting all smug...

Both sisters had plenty of things they wanted to say in response to the insolent boy, but none of them were suitable for polite company — so they wisely held their tongues in front of their master.

– What an interesting young man~ – Roswaal drawled. – But now that we’ve all finished our meal… – A quick glance from his yellow eye slid over to the girl who had just finished eating. – I propose we move on to more important matters. Subaru-kun, you do realize just how much you’ve helped me and Lady Emilia, don’t you?

– Yeah! I returned the insignia that proves Emilia can participate in the Royal Selection. The more I thought about it, the more I realized just how good a job I did. – Subaru nodded to himself, before leaning in toward the exciting part. – I should get a pretty decent reward, right!?

– That’s right. I already said this, but I’ll say it again: Thank you, you really helped me out! – She even bowed, as far as her sitting position allowed. – You may ask for anything you want. You’ve earned it. – For some reason unknown even to her, the words “within reason” never made it into the sentence.

– And I’ll make it happen, as long as it’s within my power. – Roswaal added, as Emilia’s sponsor.

In truth, Subaru had already come up with his answer a few hours ago, once Emilia hinted that a conversation like this was bound to happen.

There were lots of options: a large sum of money, an apprenticeship, free lodging, unrestricted access to their archives… but the boy decided on something that combined most of those into one request.

– Alright then… Hire me to work in this mansion! – Then, after a short pause, he added, – And I’d be really glad if you taught me the local written language and magic too.

There were more than a few reasons he’d decided on this. Working for someone this wealthy probably meant decent pay. And since the job would be in a mansion as a servant, his needs for food and a place to sleep would already be covered.

He could’ve asked to be a guest, but he didn’t want to freeload. Plus, he was pretty sure boredom would crush him. As a teenager used to a constant stream of information from the internet, glued to his computer and books tailored to his interests, adapting to a new lifestyle without all that would take serious time.

Even with magic here, Subaru seriously doubted studying it—along with this world’s history and geography—would take him that long. And then what would he do with all that free time?

Despite all his bravado, the guy didn’t actually have a high opinion of himself. He lacked confidence in his otherworldly knowledge and skills, so he decided to start with something more stable before attempting any risky plays.

If the whole magic and innovation thing didn’t pan out, at least he’d have experience working for a respected noble as a butler. And if the best move ended up being leaving and starting a new life somewhere else, he’d have saved up a decent amount of universally useful money.

– Excellent choice, Subaru-kun. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be employed as a staff member of the Mathers mansion. – Barely a couple seconds passed before his new lord cheerfully approved the request. Somewhere behind him, Ram sneezed in surprise.

– A-are you sure, Subaru? – Emilia still wasn’t sure how to react. After all, she had invited him into her camp expecting him to take a more prestigious position.

“Does he really think that little of himself?” – The boy had already impressed her as a strategist with amazing potential, so this decision came as a surprise. – “W-well, I guess he knows what he needs better than I do. I’ll trust his choice.”

The most important thing was that he wasn’t leaving and planned to stay nearby, right?

– Absolutely, Emilia-tan, I have no doubts about my decision. – His confident smile sealed the deal.

It wasn’t until he found himself alone in the familiar corridor that a certain realization hit him:

“How the hell do I even get to the library?”

He’d already learned from Emilia that the place didn’t have a physical location in the mansion—not in the normal sense of the word.

Subaru couldn’t fully grasp how the library worked, but his pop culture knowledge, a bit of physics, and all the magic systems from anime he’d seen gave him a rough idea.

“No way I’ll get lucky and stumble into it again…”

Walking down the long hallway and inspecting every door he passed did nothing. Trying to open some of them led to completely empty rooms or failed outright—locked shut.

After wandering the mansion aimlessly for another twenty minutes, Subaru decided to just head to his guest room, where he’d spend his final night as a visitor.

“It was a pretty nice room, actually,” he thought, approaching it. “I doubt the servant quarters will be anywhere near as nice.”

– Betty’s been waiting for you.

The irritated voice of a little girl was the first thing he heard the moment he opened the door.

“It was so obvious, why didn’t I think of that!?” – The answer would’ve been clear if Subaru had caught the smug little smirk hiding behind the book in the great spirit’s hands.

– Tch, one–one. Fine. But don’t think I’ll lose to you next time! – The dark-haired boy scratched his head in feigned frustration.

– I never agreed to play any of your stupid games, I suppose. – The dismissive tone came right as the book in the girl’s hands snapped shut. – You wanted to ask Betty something from the start, didn’t you? Now’s the perfect time. I advise you not to waste it.

– Huh? Oh, right! – Subaru, caught up in everything else, had completely forgotten. It took a moment to gather his thoughts. Naturally, the thing he was most curious about:

– Do you know anything about someone named Flugel? – Then, remembering something, he added a key detail. – Besides the bit about the tree. I already know that much.

The question didn’t surprise the guardian of the forbidden library. Questions about historic figures were common from the lucky few who managed to stumble their way in—humans, demi-humans, and others alike.

The impulse to immediately answer “no” was stopped by her flawless memory. Or rather, by a couple of vague recollections that, to Beatrice’s surprise, resurfaced—linked to a time of quiet joy before melancholy and disaster.

– Not much, honestly, but I can tell you a little. – She saw no reason to withhold it. – Betty remembers an acquaintance once referring to a certain “Master Flugel” in a positive way. He clearly knew him well, I suppose.

“Yes! A lead!! Though I already know this won’t be simple…”

– “Knew”? So he can’t tell me himself…?

– No, not because he’s dead, if that’s what you’re thinking. – But Subaru’s reborn hope didn’t last long. – His condition is far worse than death. Don’t even try to find him, and especially don’t ask him anything—it won’t end well. – And to crush that line of thought completely, she added, – I doubt he even remembers what you need to know.

Another disappointment for Subaru in this world. Even with that vague description, it was obvious he had no reason to go searching for that person. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about why.

– Can I ask why—

– No, you can’t. I don’t want to talk about it. – Beatrice cut him off sharply, coldly. Whatever nostalgia had softened her face a moment ago vanished, her brow furrowed, and her small hands clenched her dress.

As anti-social as Subaru had become in recent years, even he could tell he’d stepped on a sensitive subject.

Her sad face and sullen posture stirred a strong desire to hug her, but knowing that would only cross yet another line, the boy tried to fix things with words.

– I’m sorry, really! I didn’t mean to upset you! – His bow wasn’t a perfect 90 degrees, but it was close.

– That’s enough. I don’t need your pity. – The great spirit slightly misunderstood his intention. – Was that all you wanted to ask? – Her voice was calm and steady again, just like usual. Nothing showed she’d had a moment of weakness just seconds earlier.

– I’m not sure if you’ll even want to answer this one…

– We’ll only know that if you ask. – The indifferent reply nudged him to get on with it.

– Do you remember the Great Calamity that happened 400 years ago? – This was his second most burning question.

Even with Satella’s vivid descriptions, Subaru’s desire to hear a witness’s view of such world-shaking (and horrifying) events burned strong. Believing that half the world was swallowed up was the kind of thing that made his brain short-circuit. Naturally, it made the skeptical modern teen question everything.

– Yes and no. Even before the Witch of Envy’s Calamity began, I was already in this library. The mansion and the surrounding area were barely affected. And I, of course, never left during that time. – The great spirit’s answer felt robotic, devoid of emotion, like she was reading a memorized script.

It wasn’t far from the truth. So many curious people and creatures had asked her that over the centuries that Beatrice had memorized this dull response to the level of reflex.

– The only thing I could observe with magic were the waves of shadow spreading here and there, devouring everything they touched unless it was very well protected. That’s all. – Beako’s answer ended so abruptly that Subaru spent five more seconds expecting her to keep going.

Disappointment had become routine for Subaru by now.

“Once again, I learned nothing useful. It’s like someone’s deliberately stringing me along, keeping me from the answers I need. I bet they’re watching me run around for scraps and loving every second of my suffering!”

But even so, his ability to stay grateful hadn’t vanished.

– Thank you for even that, Beako. I don’t have any more questions, but I do have a couple... requests.

– Surprise Betty, I suppose. – The boy’s audacity was starting to amuse her. So much so that the nickname she’d just gained was left unchallenged.

What she didn’t ignore was how much more nervous her conversation partner suddenly became. In the ten seconds of silence that followed, his breathing quickened, and his palms grew sweaty.

His eyes, previously squeezed shut, suddenly snapped open. He locked them onto Beatrice’s, unsure but trying to look confident. His mouth opened wide, sucking in air before he declared:

– Please, take me as your student!!! – If this room weren’t in a separate dimension, his shout would’ve been heard all the way in Arlam village.

– Betty accepts.

Chapter Text

She knew perfectly well that she had rushed into making such a decision.

But she didn't care.

Naturally, trying to convince herself that she had no expectations and that the affirmative answer had been given out of mere curiosity turned out to be a lie.

No matter how many attempts were made to show others how much she resembled her mother, they never even came close to succeeding. Despite all her love for her, she had long understood that the great spirit had been abandoned.

"But she's dead." – someone with a poor understanding of her mother’s essence and personality might say.

"She wouldn’t die so easily." – Beatrice could see through that.

Who else, if not her, would know just how much the Witch of Greed had invested in achieving immortality by any means possible? Even that clown who was indirectly trying to act as Beako’s foster father managed to use one of those methods successfully.

With plenty of ways to contact her... not once had they done so. Beatrice was certain — no one was watching her anymore. She wasn't even of interest as a subject for study or experimentation. And that was one of the few things that could still attract her creator.

Unlike Roswaal, her Gospel didn’t work. At all. No matter how much she wanted it to, no matter what she did, its last directive remained unchanged: "Await the arrival of ‘That Person.’" What else could it be but another strange, forgotten experiment of her mother?

The Tome of Wisdom was capable of many things. Even the knock-offs distributed within the Witch Cult, with their basic instructions, helped the faithful achieve almost anything they could dream of. So it was only natural to expect at least that much from the only two genuine copies.

But all she saw was a blank page. Unlike Roswaal, who received incredibly detailed future predictions across multiple variations, Beatrice had been forced to look day after day at a book that hadn’t updated even once in over 400 years.

Over the years, she had developed many theories. Most were discarded, some directly refuted, and only a few scraps remained — scraps that caused her pain and yet gave her hope to keep going.

No — it was a lie. What kept her from ending it all was simply the impossibility of doing so.

Pretending that she no longer cared about her fate only made it worse. A strange boy who reeked of miasma nearly at her mother’s level? A chimera created by who knows what or why, brought to the mansion by an exact copy of the Witch of Envy?

She didn’t care. He could kill everyone here — just not in front of her. She’d had enough nightmares already.

But that cursed contract didn’t allow for such freedom. In addition to the standard order to always protect her mother’s library, there were plenty of other clauses limiting her autonomy.

The most binding wasn’t just the prohibition on self-harm — no, it was much worse. If she were in danger, she was obligated to do everything to survive, even at the cost of another’s life. Fortunately, she hadn’t had to act on that final clause, but the mere fact that it existed weighed heavily on the poor girl.

Even if someone came who could end her life, Beatrice herself would be unable to give it up willingly. Any attempt to resist, and her body would defend itself — automatically, instinctively — using everything it had, without regard for the consequences.

In the past year, aside from Bubby, the library had virtually no visitors. And despite appearing and acting like a complete antisocial shut-in, some interaction with someone had always brightened her dull days. It had reached the point where even the usually oblivious Emilia noticed Beatrice leaving the library more often.

The boy who had arrived recently was special in his own way. Not that all the things that made him special were rare on their own — the one unique thing was that she had never met anyone from beyond the Great Waterfall before. The combination of several such traits made him someone worth paying attention to.

"He has potential." – That was her first thought about the mansion’s newest guest and now employee. Not even "dangerous." That, if she hadn’t stopped caring, might actually have been for the best.

Two mutually exclusive hopes led her to give an immediate “yes”:

"He might be able to kill me." / "He might be ‘That Person.’"

Both statements were full of logical holes and flaws, but that didn’t make them any less of a hope.

Hope that the black-haired boy’s Authority might circumvent the contract’s restrictions. Hope that under her guidance he would grow strong enough to defeat her in battle and put an end to her centuries of torment.

Hope that Natsuki Subaru was the one her mother had spoken of. The one the book had written about. The one she had truly waited for all this time. Beatrice had always imagined what her contractor would be like, and frankly, this otherworlder fit her image of that metaphorical person quite well.

"Hah, he doesn’t even know how to read yet..." – Not that this was a problem — the pink-haired maid had already been assigned to teach him reading and writing. Everything else, meanwhile, Beatrice herself had agreed to cover: magic, history, politics, even the basics of common sense.

Naturally, not for free. She would extract every piece of unknown information from him, document the most interesting things, and archive them in the library. Yes, in some ways, she really did take after her mother…

Ram nodded in satisfaction after taking Subaru’s measurements and pointed toward the upper floor.

— There’s a servant’s foyer upstairs. You’ll find your clothes there. Judging by your height, you’ll fit Frederica’s size — she left two months ago.

— Ooooh, finally! — The boy rejoiced at the end of the wait. — Wait, but Frederica... isn’t she a woman?

— But her size is nearly identical to yours, Barusu. — She gave him a look like he was an idiot. — Just wear what you're given and don’t cause any more problems. I’ve already had enough dragging you out of the library…

— Are you ever going to let that go!? And it wasn’t even my fault! Blame Beako! — he protested once again, still sore about the consequences of his first encounter with Beatrice.

— Ha! The weak always look for excuses and try to blame others for their failures. — Ram said this with the air of someone quoting an ancient philosopher — purely to get under her new coworker's skin.

— What’s that got to do with anything!?

That’s how the whole morning went. First, he was told to choose one of the remaining servant rooms. After it was furnished with essentials, he was given a brief tour of the mansion.

During the tour, they discovered Subaru’s uncanny ability to find the forbidden library no matter where he was in the house. But since he’d be meeting with Beatrice nearly every evening anyway, it was quickly decided not to irritate his new mentor and to leave her to play with Puck.

As soon as the quick estate walk — incorrectly called a “tour” — ended, Subaru was taken to the fitting and wardrobe room to find a suit that matched his size.

— Just give me the best-fitting men’s suit, a sewing kit, and a couple of hours! — The servant decided to use one of his few occasionally useful skills. — I’ll make myself a proper full set.

— Surprising. Let’s hope this isn’t just your new way of shirking work, lazybones. — Despite her mocking words, the maid still stepped toward the appropriate closet to pull out what he needed. — Maybe you’ll even be useful...

— I haven’t even started the job yet!

And the job turned out to be a complete failure. He wasn’t especially useful either. Everything — from cooking to laundry to cleaning — went horribly wrong. By the second day, he’d somehow accumulated over 20 injuries through every possible and impossible means.

Thanks to his regeneration, he was even a little sad that he wouldn’t get any scars to show for his hard work. But since none of them came with a cool story, maybe that was for the best.

Out of everyone in the mansion, Subaru interacted most with Ram, whose task was to walk him through all the work over the next few days and monitor his progress. Their shared mission was to stay out of the way of hardworking Rem, who bore the bulk of the workload.

Ram’s constant teasing of the newbie became the norm, unlike her sister, who seemed to go out of her way to avoid the black-haired boy.

None of his attempts to get closer or find common ground were reciprocated, and under Ram’s biting remarks, he decided to focus entirely on the work that wasn’t going well.

Knowing he was constantly failing, Subaru did his best to show he was giving it his all. And it worked — no one got angry at his mistakes, and Ram just kept showing him the correct way within her ability.

A couple of writing lessons obviously didn’t make him literate, but within just a few hours, Ram managed to drill into him the basics of the easiest of the three writing systems. The structure reminded him of Japanese kanji, though instead of characters, it used symbol-letters more common in other countries of his world. His confidence that he could learn everything within a couple of months only grew thanks to his rapid progress.

Where progress was not so rapid, no matter how hard Subaru tried, was magic. Beatrice, upon learning that he was a total beginner, was actually delighted by the news:

— A blank slate is easier to teach the right and more efficient way of spellcasting than someone who’s used to doing everything their own way. Be glad you have such a wonderful teacher. You may not understand now, but once you get more experienced, you’ll realize what a huge favor I’m doing for you.

As he later learned, the library spirit was a specialist in minimizing mana usage in any spell without sacrificing power or efficiency. The path that Beatrice had semi-voluntarily laid out for him was more difficult and much longer, but in the future, Subaru would not be a mediocre mage.

She didn’t teach him any spells, not even allowing the basic Sensumure, saying that reckless use of magic would only complicate his training. The only truly magical practices — aside from the mountain of theory that was already giving him headaches — were direct manipulations with mana in the body, dubbed the “Mana Flow” method. He had previously thought it was just physical enhancement based on hasty lessons from Satella, but as it turned out, there was much more to it.

— Oh, Subaru, you’re here? — came a familiar gentle voice from behind. Due to his new workload, he’d only seen its owner a couple of times in the past few days.

Even though they lived in the same mansion, he honestly missed her a little. They didn’t always see each other even during meals, and when they did, it barely counted — mansion staff ate separately.

Interactions with the other mansion residents didn’t help either. Everyone except Puck and Roswaal — whom he met even less frequently — wasn’t particularly warm toward him. At least everyone showed it in different ways, so it never escalated into outright bullying.

— Long time no see, Emilia-tan! — There was no reason to hide his happiness, so the boy, who had been sitting on the grass, jumped up, spun 180° with flair, and pointed dramatically at the girl.

— I see you’re still just as energetic. I’m really glad the new environment and workload didn’t break your spirit. — Over the past six days, the half-elf had quietly gathered a bit of info from the twins about the new guest’s condition and behavior.

She might have asked Beatrice too, but finding her was hard.

So it was no surprise she knew how Subaru was doing. The fear that he might dislike something here and decide to leave didn’t really weigh heavily on her.

But a few snarky comments from Ram were, in her mind, a fair price for knowledge. And after all, a little healthy paranoia never hurt anyone, right?

— I feel more alive than ever! — Subaru said as he brushed dirt and grass off his butt and legs. — The work’s not easy, but I wasn’t expecting anything simple anyway. By the way, did you come here to relax too?

— Mhm, but not just that. Usually here or in a couple of other places, according to my contract with Puck, I spend some time each day communicating with spirits. Of course, preparation for the royal selection takes up almost all of my free time, but this is something I absolutely cannot skip. — Promises and contracts were a crucial part of Emilia’s personality, though Subaru didn’t yet understand their importance, so he didn’t pay much attention to what she said.

– I see you're working hard too, Emilia-tan. But yeah, your studies and responsibilities are on a whole different level, unlike me. – Subaru sighed, visibly disheartened.

Naturally, the insecure teenager had immediately found a perfect opportunity to belittle his own efforts, unconsciously seeking reassurance.

And his conversation partner wouldn’t be Emilia if she didn’t take that bait, simple as it was.

– Don’t talk like that, Subaru! You shouldn’t belittle yourself or anyone else—especially when they’re trying hard. – The boy had to put real effort into resisting the urge to pinch the half-elf’s puffed-up cheeks.

– I’m sure you’re doing your best! Honestly, I find it inspiring. – Without even realizing, she took a couple of steps closer. – Besides, every kind of work matters, and it shouldn’t be dismissed...

– I-I get it, Emilia-tan, I’m sorry! I was wrong! – Subaru started to panic a little when she got too close, their faces now only about fifteen centimeters apart.

– ...Idiot...! – Emilia, on the other hand, didn’t notice this at all and kept scolding the guy for saying something dumb.

After a few minutes, her monologue finally came to an end, and the conversation slowly shifted to a more normal tone.

– I heard you went to the village. How was it? – Emilia asked a little shyly, sitting cross-legged on the grass next to Subaru.

– Not bad at all! The people were pretty friendly—some even gave me food. Though, the same old lady later tried to hit on me... – He shook his head back and forth hard, as if trying to fling away traumatic memories.

– The kids, though, total spawns of hell! Zero respect for elders! – Despite the complaint, a happy smile was on his face as he stared into the starry sky. – They kept trying to hit me, slobbered all over me, and even bit me!

– Hee-hee-hee-hahaha!! – Even though Subaru’s story wasn’t all that funny, Emilia burst into laughter. For some reason, she found the way he told even the most ordinary situations fascinating.

The sound of her laughter knocked almost all other thoughts from Subaru’s head. As he sat there chatting casually with the half-elf, he somehow forgot that she was literally his ideal type in terms of looks.

He couldn’t deny that everything about her—the tips of her ears, her lips, her voice—was incredibly attractive. Beyond that, she seemed like a sweet, if naive, conversation partner who genuinely enjoyed talking to him too.

But even though it was impossible to tear his gaze from her face and his cheeks were burning red, thoughts came creeping back that were frightening even to consider.

“This might be the best moment to ask...” – was the last clear thought he had before he pulled together all his willpower and stood up in front of Emilia.

– Emilia-tan! – With eyes tightly shut and his whole body tense, it looked unintentionally comedic.

– Yes? – Tilting her head, the half-elf tried to figure out the reason for his sudden movement.

– Do you want to... go with me to Arlam sometime when you're free? – Subaru was so nervous he couldn’t bring himself to say the word “date.”

“Maybe if she enjoys it, I’ll call it that next time.” – Even though he had no idea how the outing would go, he was full of hope that it wouldn’t be the last.

Not getting an immediate answer from a very surprised Emilia, Subaru took it the wrong way and awkwardly tried to convince her:

– Believe me, the people there are really nice! I’m sure if we explain the situation, they’ll at least try to understand. And the kids won’t care at all—they just love seeing new faces! Oh, and speaking of that! A new girl just moved there. She’s kinda weird, but her pets are super cute! A blue ferret with really smart eyes, and a bald puppy. Though, I wouldn’t recommend petting the puppy—it likes to bite. – Remembering what happened, his left hand subconsciously rubbed the now-healed bite mark. And also...

– Alright, I’ll go. – Emilia answered softly, cheeks slightly red. – But are you sure? I mean, I’m... – She scratched her cheek near the ear, clearly hinting at her half-elf heritage.

– That doesn’t change anything for me! – Subaru blurted out happily. – Even if anyone’s against it, they can shove their opinions somewhere dark and watch us have fun from afar!

– You really are such a dummy! – At his words, her face buried into her knees and her hands wrapped around the back of her head, forming a little “protective cocoon.” – Y-you can’t just say things like that!

“Even if he says that, there’s no way this will go smoothly. I’ll have to ask Roswaal for a cloaking cloak...” – Emilia thought a little sadly, before her thoughts turned brighter again. – “I can’t believe it... he... he wants to spend time with me like a real friend!”

Subaru already understood well what kind of effect his words could have on a lonely girl—and shamelessly took full advantage of it, enjoying the moment while he could.

– I’ll let you know tomorrow when I’m free... – The cloak might not be available at the moment; those kinds of things rarely just sit around unused. Roswaal might even have to make her a personal one, which could take some time.

After that final confirmation, the rest of their time together passed in awkward but pleasant silence. Emilia was lost in her thoughts, no longer trying to hide her smile, while Subaru stared up at the stars, trying to memorize their different patterns. Later, after a short conversation with some minor spirits, Emilia went to sleep, and not long after, Subaru headed back to the mansion himself.

But he wasn’t going straight to his room. Today had been less busy than the previous ones, so he decided to try out a new trick he’d learned in recent days before going to bed.

“Careful now, channel mana to the legs, squat and...” – A gust of wind hit his face as he launched forward. His feet barely found purchase, and his arms stretched out wide to balance himself.

– Yoohoo!! I did it! – Subaru had made it to the rooftop. In the context of this world, it was nothing impressive—just a basic move from the “Mana Flow” technique, commonly used by close-range fighters. Pretty much every second mana user could do something like that, and those who couldn’t usually didn’t need to anyway.

But Subaru didn’t care. Even such a minor thing brought pure joy to an ordinary teenager like him. He had to suppress the urge to try it again. It might not be very dangerous, but getting hurt and feeling that pain was something he’d rather avoid.

– Thanks a lot, Beako. I hope you’re not mad at me, heheh. – He scratched his head awkwardly, simultaneously circulating mana through his body to check if the jump had caused any damage. Sure, any wounds would heal quickly, both magically and physically, but it was more important to gauge how well he could manage it.

“Seems fine. Though... weird. My mana’s recovering slower.” – Deciding to ask about it tomorrow and not bother Beatrice now, he started looking for the most comfortable spot on the roof to lie down.

– What are you doing up here? – So focused on checking his body, he had stopped paying attention to his surroundings. When he heard a voice beside him, his body jolted reflexively—but he didn’t take a defensive stance, recognizing who it was.

– Oh, Rem, it’s you. Don’t scare me like that! – he exhaled in relief. – I was just planning to stargaze a bit. Wanna join me?

A few days ago, Beatrice had told him that she wasn’t the only one who could sense the miasma he emitted. Without much delay, she’d even revealed the identity of the girl who could, asking him to be careful.

“That explained her cold attitude from the start. I wonder... is it just because the scent is that bad, or is it something more personal?”

Rem had never acted aggressively toward him, but after Beatrice’s confession, he’d occasionally seen fear in her eyes. That, to say the least, upset him. His immediate instinct was to prove something to her... though he wasn’t sure what. He just wanted to fix it.

– Hmph, my sister was right. Give you a little free time and you immediately waste it. – Though her tone stayed cold, there was no hostility in her expression.

“Seems like it’s better to be seen as a slacker than a mysterious danger.” – Subaru thought to himself, a bit bitterly. He definitely preferred the second image more.

– You don’t understand! Back in my world, stargazing and naming astronomical objects was considered a prestigious hobby. – He explained proudly, as if he had personally contributed to the field. – And since the stars here are different, I can...

He didn’t get to finish. A sudden nausea climbed up his throat. His first thought, of course, was that it was the dark slime—but fate had a different surprise for him. What came out of his mouth was just the contents of his stomach.

– What the hell– – Another wave cut him off.

– Subaru? What’s wrong? – From her position, Rem could clearly see the boy suddenly doubled over, vomiting. Her hand started to reach for her skirt but hesitated—and then, after visibly making a tough decision, she spoke. – Should I get help?

– No n–kgh–need. – The unnatural vomiting had drained everything from him. Only water and saliva followed. – I won’t survive anyway.

– ...What? – Now her shock replaced confusion. Watching someone who had been talking just minutes ago now curled up on the roof and practically vomiting his guts out was surreal. Her mind couldn’t process the sudden shift, while Subaru was slowly beginning to understand what was happening.

– I’ve been cursed. Khh. – Blood began to mix into the fluids pouring from his mouth. – I’m sure. It’s that exact kind I can use myself...

The realization that he was going to die again—on what should’ve been a safe day, in front of a new acquaintance, from some unknown curse—began pressing down on him. Fear, anger, despair—they could’ve taken over, but the weakness in his limbs and the way his hands slipped on the rooftop surface left him with no strength to feel anything.

– I’m calling Lady Beatrice! – Rem spoke clearly, finally snapping out of her daze. Knowing she couldn’t handle this alone, she turned to the one person who understood curses. She dashed to the edge of the roof and jumped down, disappearing from Subaru’s sight.

– Wait, don’t go... – “Please kill me instead...”

That would be far better than the death awaiting him now. Even curses with clearly defined rules had variations in how they worked—and this seemed to be one of the worst possible cases.

The shaman likely wasn’t nearby, and only one curse had been applied. It probably hadn’t activated immediately either. What did that mean for Subaru? A slow, agonizing death. Unlike Elsa, where the curse worked quickly and drained almost everything instantly, his situation was different.

His new magic gates regenerated mana rapidly, so the curse didn’t take effect right away. While he ignored his own condition, they kept producing more and more mana—mana that was immediately drained by the curse, extending his suffering.

But he couldn’t say that aloud. Not only out of fear of saying such horrifying words or forcing a friend to become his killer—but also because his strength failed him. After vomiting something meaty and bloody, his arms gave out and he collapsed onto his side.

The pool of vomit beneath him was large enough that, even as he fell, his face landed right in it. But that was the least of his worries now.

“Why? Why is this happening to me? Who did this?” – Tears of helplessness and frustration streamed down his face. – “I don’t want to die again... not like this, please. Please! I just want to live these days in peace.”

Lying on the ground didn’t help. Subaru’s memory was hazy about what happened next, but he clearly remembered that some of his organs left his body—not even all at once, but in multiple waves due to his regeneration. That memory burned itself into him for many loops to come.

The endlessly replenishing blood, desperately searching for an exit, now flowed from his nose and ears, robbing him of hearing and the ability to even breathe.

By the time help reached him Subaru was already dead. andshecameagain

Chapter Text

– Why? – Subaru asked himself a philosophical question with a tormented look. – What the hell even happened..? – His voice trembled just as much as his legs did.

His hand reached toward his mouth, as if suspecting something else might come out of his body. Not without reason. Just the memory of several sets of vomited internal organs caused retching and dizziness.

His thoughts darted from one edge of consciousness to another, trying to piece together at least some plausible conclusions and answers from the situation. His eyes looked at the familiar door to the guest room, hinting to the boy where exactly he was now, but his mind still refused to accept it.

– Disgusting. – The only thing Subaru could squeeze out once most of his mental clarity returned. – “I Returned by Death again.” – The correct choice was made quickly, forcing him to accept the reality of the situation even faster.

“Why didn’t I meet Satella?” – With a desperate need to cling to any island of stability within himself, the next logical question surfaced. Unconsciously, but it was this very thought that helped push aside the shock and focus on the inconsistency. – “Wasn’t I supposed to start choosing a new ability?” Several possible answers came to mind almost immediately:

“Did I not die at the hands of anyone specific? Or was I already killed by the one who used to do it before?” – While pondering this, his legs carried him back to the bed on their own, making him sit, and then lie down when it didn’t help ease the dizziness and the darkness clouding his eyes.

“But that death... the curse, I’m sure that was it.” – In the previous loop, his teacher had made him use that spell on himself several times, though not activate it, of course. Such a curious exercise was held as part of a necessary magic lesson.

After learning that he couldn’t do much else — including removing his own curses — she made it her goal to protect both him and everyone around him from himself. “A walking catastrophe” was a description Subaru agreed with. They hadn’t made it very far, but the theoretical part had stuck well, helping him quickly match the relevant facts.

Considering everything that had happened, it wasn’t hard to guess. So after thinking through the few possible events that could have led to his death, Subaru settled on the most likely:

“Bossgarm from the capital.” – He nodded to himself. – “It’s impossible to receive a curse like that without interference from another creature. It just won’t work.” – Naturally, that led to other questions. – “But when exactly did I get it, and how?”

That was much harder to answer. There was no doubt it happened on the last day, shortly before nightfall, but the method of transmission raised questions. From the lecture on similar curses, Subaru remembered that this particular one couldn’t be passed through distance or another creature. Only direct contact or a mana-charged item could work. But even then, the item had to touch both the shaman and the victim simultaneously, like in the battle with Elsa.

“Why was he even nearby? Is he tracking me? But why wou– ah, the miasma.” – It seemed the dizziness now came with a headache. It felt like everyone but him considered this topic disgustingly important.

– What the hell am I supposed to do? – The despair in his voice was almost physically tangible.

– I’d like to remain a guest at this mansion for a week. I need to finish a few things. – Then, after a brief pause, he added, – Later I’d like to find work here, if no one objects.

No one did. Behind a smiling Roswaal, not a single maid made a sound or changed her expression. Emilia nodded in satisfaction, happy with his choice, even though she didn’t yet know what work he would take on. Even Beatrice, who this time was present at lunch, didn’t seem to pay attention and was playing with Puck.

“Strange, I don’t think I changed anything major, so why is Beako here?” – Asking that question would’ve been odd, since even though she was a spirit, nothing would stop her from enjoying a meal and Bubby’s company. Once again, Subaru would not get an answer.

His earlier meeting with the half-elf had gone almost the same way. Driven by fear of losing shared memories, Subaru tried to reproduce the same actions and words. He also tried to “dig out” all the same information he’d learned in the previous loop, so he could justify it here and avoid extra suspicion.

His first urge to tell Emilia everything faded as quickly as it had come. She was too busy preparing for the Royal Selection, and wasting her time on solving problems that — Subaru believed — he caused himself, felt shameful. For the same reason, he decided to hide the truth from everyone else. Since no one else got hurt, he’d handle the burden on his own. Besides, there was never any guarantee they wouldn’t throw him out as a prime example of miasma contamination. Not knowing many of the local customs and unwritten rules made things difficult.

– Weeeell, I see no reason to say no. – Something in the mansion owner’s voice changed, but Subaru couldn’t tell what. – I hope you enjoy your time here, dear guest~. Ram, would you show him around the mansion? – Though the last sentence was phrased as a question, everyone understood it was a command.

– Of course, Lord Roswaal. – She then turned to the boy and, bowing slightly, continued, – I invite you on a tour of the mansion after the meal, dear guest.

– Ram-chi, come on now! Don’t talk to me so formally! – His reaction to her changed demeanor was immediate. – You can speak to me like you used to.

– Hmph, if the dear guest wishes. – Ram decided to return to casual speech only when her master wouldn’t see it. But her thoughts returned to a more important matter — her sister.

Internally, she could only curse Subaru for his poor decision. Though over the past couple of years Rem had become more restrained regarding miasma, Ram couldn’t predict how she’d react in this case. It was one thing when someone like Roswaal emitted a faint, barely noticeable trail of unpleasant odor. That was easy to avoid: the mansion was large, Rem had far less contact with their master than her sister, and the mild discomfort didn’t stop her from keeping her composure.

It was another matter entirely when someone arrived whose very presence reminded her of that dreadful night. The stench, according to her sister, rivaled a whole congregation of cultists. And even after they searched his unconscious body and found literally nothing, Rem’s suspicion remained.

Ram decided not to tell her sister about the boy’s prophetic abilities, so similar to the knowledge in their master’s Gospel. She trusted Roswaal’s judgment, and since he said their guest’s abilities had no such origins, then it must be true.

Naturally, the sisters were aware that unlucky people existed who drew the Witch’s attention but had no connection to the cult. That was one of the few things keeping Rem from quietly carrying out her own judgment.

As soon as Beatrice gave permission, Rem had searched him and, finding nothing, left the unconscious body to her sister and fled to the bathroom with a green face — that’s how sick she felt being near him.

“There’s no way such dense miasma could come from a random person off the street! There’s just no way!!! What would be the point!?” – Ram would never admit that she was frightened, seeing her sister so enraged for the first time in ages. Thankfully, no one noticed that emotion.

The fear, clearly felt through their shared synesthesia, was mixed with irrational anger at the lack of clear evidence against the boy, and revulsion at his very existence. Fortunately, her frustration at being unable to act without disobeying Roswaal’s order was still stronger than her desire to do something. It was clear that the blue-haired maid would start closely observing Natsuki Subaru, trying to uncover the truth.

By order of the margrave, Ram did not interfere.

– Filth. Why has your stench only gotten worse this morning, I wonder? – This was the first thing Beatrice said when they were alone.

They were both still at the table. Near the end of the meal, Subaru had asked the Great Spirit to stay a bit longer, under the curious gazes of Emilia and Roswaal, and the seemingly indifferent ones of the maids.

– Can the smell get worse from using an Authority? – Subaru chose not to filter his thoughts and asked straight to the point.

– Definitely. That’s the most obvious thing to anyone who possesses such power. – While her words weren’t insulting, the look in her eyes showed clear doubt about his intelligence. – Betty is actually surprised you didn’t know.

– ...Thanks, I’ll have to be more careful. – Knowing from the previous loop that the Great Spirit likely wouldn’t refuse, Subaru bowed, put his hands together, and once again asked directly:

– Please, will you become my teacher? – His eyes squeezed shut from nerves, despite being fairly sure of a positive answer. – I still struggle with reading and writing, but I’d really need lessons on curses at first. – And in response to Beatrice’s raised eyebrows, he finished:

– I only know two curses, and I can’t even lift them myself, plus...

– Very well, I agree. But if I hear that stupid nickname again, I’ll change my mind. – She replied just as quickly as last time. – Come see me in two hours. Betty will prepare the program. – Turning away quickly so Subaru wouldn’t see her expression, she hurried to the door and cast Crossing Door to warp into the library. – If you’re late, don’t bother coming!

– Thank you... – A soft, lonely word reached Beatrice before the door closed behind her.

Three days were enough for Subaru to determine the exact cause of his death. The answer came from an encyclopedia on mabeasts he happened to find. Although the drawing didn’t perfectly resemble that bald puppy, even the small similarities — along with the description and the image labeled “Bossgarm” — put everything in place.

After confirming the information with his teacher, Subaru didn’t hesitate and rushed to the village. Reintroducing himself to all the residents, he didn’t stay to play with the children despite their pleading eyes, and instead tried to subtly gather information.

– Weird, I can’t find Emerald anywhere. Guys, do you know where she is? – Subaru finally remembered the name of the girl who had held the puppy and the ferret in the previous loop.

– Emerald? – asked a surprised Petra. – I don’t know who you’re talking about. I’d definitely remember such a beautiful name! – The question was passed to other children, but none of them could give a coherent answer.

Even after circling the entire village multiple times, Subaru still hadn’t found any helpful information by evening. Neither the girl’s distinctive appearance nor her pets were mentioned anywhere, leaving Subaru stuck.

The next day wasn’t much more productive, apart from his lessons with Beatrice. From her, he also learned about the barrier surrounding the village that protected it from the mabeasts swarming the forest. Because of increasing paranoia from zero results, Subaru spent almost the entire day walking the barrier, inspecting each crystal for damage, stability, and mana levels.

His interactions with the rest of the mansion residents went even worse than last time for some reason. A couple of encounters with Emilia and Puck brought neither the answers he needed nor positive emotions. To Emilia’s questions about how he was doing, he replied with “Everything’s fine,” yet still earned only concerned looks.

Ram and Rem — especially the latter — diligently avoided him, always finding urgent reasons and politely slipping away. It seemed both had become noticeably colder, and Subaru couldn’t understand why. Despite his request, Ram only slightly dialed down the formality in her speech, didn’t respond to his jokes, and with each passing day, it became more obvious that his presence made the pink-haired maid tense.

Rem wasn’t even worth mentioning. Even if he somehow ran into her in the mansion, the encounter never lasted long, and an excuse to flee from the persistent boy appeared instantly.

Roswaal surprised Subaru the most by flying off on unknown business as early as the second day. Literally flying. According to his new teacher, Subaru wouldn’t be able to come anywhere close to that level of magic for at least a year.

– And that’s a very optimistic estimate. Don’t get cocky from my praise, I suppose! – So it turned out the only reliable company, aside from the village children, was Beatrice.

Subaru didn’t feel like overthinking the sudden changes in Roswaal’s behavior. Prioritizing the discovery of the Bossgarm puppy and the way it had bypassed the barrier, he set out for the village on the sixth (twelfth) day of his stay at the mansion.

– Dear guest, are you heading to the village again? – A quiet, familiar voice reached his ear from the side. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the ever-sarcastic Ram, but her sister, who for the first time initiated a conversation.

– Huh? Yeah, yeah, that’s right! – Subaru was so caught off guard that he got flustered and began speaking incoherently. – Rem, you..?

– I need to pick up supplies and do some shopping, so if the guest doesn’t mind waiting, I’ll go fetch a few things and prepare the cart. – She smiled slightly, to the boy’s surprise, lifting the hem of her skirt slightly and bowing.

– I was thinking of walking, but... no, I don’t mind at all... – He didn’t even finish speaking before Rem nodded contentedly and walked back to the mansion, leaving the guest standing in confusion as he watched her go.

“What’s gotten into her?” – Despite the confusion, he definitely didn’t mind the sudden improvement in their relationship. – “Are my efforts to accumulate relationship points producing results? I hope so.!”

While the maid was away, he decided to re-hide the surviving kukri he’d taken from Elsa and the largest kitchen knife he'd... borrowed, possibly forever. He also considered taking the invisibility cloak, but that would mean explaining to Emilia, who currently had it, why he needed it.

“Ram’s definitely going to scream at me as soon as I start working here.” – Trying to calm his frantically beating heart with jokes, Subaru couldn’t shake off the troubling thoughts about the children, himself, and others potentially in danger. – “Am I putting Rem in danger by taking her with me? Can she even fight?”

– No, I can take care of myself. Why do you ask, dear guest? – Answered the maid as they were already riding in the cart. She skillfully steered the harnessed dragon, showing no trouble in holding a conversation.

– Well, you know, the forest around here is full of weird monsters. What if one of them sneaks past the barrier, hahaha! – A nervous laugh escaped Subaru as he imagined the scenario.

– Rem understands, but can assure you that without deliberate tampering by outsiders, such a thing is practically impossible. – Her calm response did little to soothe someone who had already twice been a victim of one particular mabeast. Even though he could now dispel that specific curse thanks to hours of persuasion with Beatrice, he didn’t feel much stronger for it.

– Okay, I believe you. – He decided to lie. – How much longer till we arrive? – The village was visible from the slope already, but it was hard to estimate the cart's exact speed.

– Ten minutes. While we travel, Rem can offer the guest some revitalizing tea. – She said, carefully scanning the forest along the path.

– Revitalizing? That sounds... I won’t say no, thanks! – Cheered by the blue-haired maid’s attention, Subaru agreed without a second thought.

She handed him something resembling a modern thermos, but without plastic or rubber — only an unfamiliar type of metal. He quickly figured out how to use it and within a minute was sipping a pleasantly flavored drink.

– Delicious! – Rem stopped watching him drink the moment Subaru pulled the cup, which also served as the lid, away from his lips. He didn’t notice this at all and simply continued enjoying it. – What’s it made of?

– Those were the most expensive tea leaves in the mansion, Subaru-sama. – Rem replied obediently.

“This is... a bit suspicious. Why the sudden kindness?” – With such thoughts, but noticeably more relaxed — likely due to the tea — he continued on with the maid toward Arlam village. And there, paradoxically, he was greeted by one expected surprise.

– Brother Subaru, that girl you talked about is here! – He didn’t even have time to greet the kids before hearing the important news. His gaze immediately shifted to a blonde girl with crimson eyes, about fifteen years old, holding strangely familiar animals. Her outfit was slightly revealing and rather expensive-looking, but otherwise blended into the general medieval style.

– Fufu~ So you’re the boy who knew I’d be arriving. How fascinating! You’re clearly not just a sack of bones, are you, Borrower of Love? – Her suspicious phrases matched her disturbingly excited tone far too well, giving everyone around goosebumps. But this time, she said something Subaru simply couldn’t ignore.

– Borrower of Love? Are you talking about me? – He pointed at himself in confusion. – I don’t understand what you mean... – Nor did he understand why, in the very next second, his head spun sharply and his body collapsed onto the grass.

Sight, sound, and thoughts all fled rapidly, replaced by emptiness and darkness. The only thing he managed to perceive was being caught by someone, followed by the surprised gasps of onlookers.

– Don’t worry, this happens to him sometimes. – Rem reassured the children. It took significant effort not to glare at the girl named Emerald.

– Are you sure? Maybe I should take a look~? – The blonde insisted gently, stepping closer.

– There’s no need. – Effortlessly, under the children’s stunned stares, the maid lifted the boy. – We have an excellent specialist. She’ll examine him. For now, Rem must hurry back to the mansion.

– AaaaAAaaaAAAAaa!!! – Without even realizing what was causing the pain, Subaru woke up to the remaining tea being poured onto his face.

His skin swelled almost instantly, some parts peeling off, burning sharply, the pain radiating to his eye and ear. It was a sudden, intense pain — but not panic-inducing. Panic hadn’t had the time to settle in. The cursed doll worked faster, healing the wounds.

His breathing became ragged. His heart pounded several beats above normal. His abdominal muscles tensed from a gag reflex triggered by the sudden shock. His body jerked and instantly stopped — his wrists, chest, and ankles were tightly bound. The movement caused the rope to tear into his forearm skin.

He felt something rough and uneven pressing against his back, not allowing him to pull away. He was tied to a tree.

– Sensumure! – The pain on his face subsided, the wounds closed, but the peeled and shriveled patches of skin obscured his vision. The spell didn’t help much — his thigh took a powerful blow. The second scream that followed seemed to halt the attacker for a moment, giving him a chance to speak:

– Stop, please! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, stop!!! Who are you, what– – This time a heavy object struck his liver, bending his body and ripping open a large part of his abdomen. – Sensumu– kgh! – He couldn't finish the spell before a kick to the jaw knocked out several teeth.

– I’m the one asking questions here. And you will answer them. – The shock of recognizing the voice temporarily overrode even the pain, and the peeled skin confirmed his suspicion.

– Rem? But why...? No, all this time... – Unable to even form a clear thought, Subaru stared at the maid in disbelief, meeting only a furious glare in return.

– I said, I’m the one asking questions, cursed cultist!! – The next blow landed right in the groin, and before surrendering again to the pain, the tortured boy caught sight of the weapon: a spiked mace, otherwise known as a morning star, and it looked truly terrifying.

Realizing quickly that her "patient" had strong regeneration, Rem chose not to use healing magic. The questions didn’t come right away either: first, the kukri was shoved into Subaru’s mouth, preventing him from saying anything — only letting him scream, choking on his own blood.

After several agonizing minutes, it became clear he didn’t even have the strength to scream anymore, so the knife was pulled out and tossed aside.

– Now you’re ready to talk. – Feeling less afraid that this suspicious man might do something unexpected, she began the interrogation.

– Are you part of the Witch Cult?

– No, Rem, please, listen to me, I’m not–! – The mace crushed his ribcage, but the exhausted Subaru could only whimper pitifully instead of screaming.

– Are you a spy working for the Lady Emilia opponents?

– I haven’t even seen them face-to-face!!! – The boy mustered his last strength to shout and try to break free. He didn’t hope to be found. He didn’t even know where he was. All he saw around him was forest, and the orange sky clearly said it was late evening.

Gathering mana in his hands allowed just one rope to snap, but it was enough for the freed hand to grab the knife hidden in his underwear and cut through a few more nearby ropes. This didn’t go unnoticed, and his right hand, along with the knife, was immediately severed.

His eyes, full of despair, lifted back up to Rem—only to witness another shocking sight: a bright pink horn on her forehead. The girl’s eyes no longer held any intelligence, shaking so violently it seemed they’d pop out of their sockets.

– Arghrghhr!! – A furious roar came with a blow to the head, one that even conscious Rem hadn’t dared to deliver earlier, knowing his regeneration had limits. His own scattered brains, blood, and other bodily fluids were beyond recovery after a few more brutal hits.

Subaru would only realize much later that such a rapid loss of control wasn’t natural even for an oni. Originally fueled by powerful negative emotions toward a specific person, Rem had also been in prolonged contact with him, causing the miasma to quickly take root. It didn’t have a strong initial effect, but slowly accumulated in the maid’s system — one highly sensitive to such things. After a poorly cast spell, part of the magic leaked from his gates, accelerating the process and eventually robbing Rem of her mind completely.

– Die slowly. – Surprisingly, these words weren’t spoken by Rem. On the contrary — they were addressed to her, by a voice with no discernible gender. In her haze, the oni didn’t immediately realize the words had come from the mouth of the already dead boy.

His body, torn apart by shadows, was held together in places by black cords. His eyes glowed violet, and instead of clothes, streams of black mist floated around his form.

– I hate you. I’ll rip you apart. I’ll eat you alive.

Chapter Text

He was met with silence. Absolute. Overwhelming.
For the first time, after every arrival here, he was completely alone.

The endless dark space didn’t look frightening, but it didn’t give off any warmth or friendliness either.
Of course, it never was supposed to.
The only reason he ever felt comfortable here was because of one person.
A half-elf, to be precise.

But this time, she was gone.

– I... I’m here. I died again. – His lips moved, but the sounds that escaped his throat were so quiet, it was as if they drowned around him—and even the space itself refused to listen.

As if... it was disappointed in him?

– Satella? Are you here? – Subaru managed to say a little louder. But again, he received nothing but silence in response.

Coming here, the boy was so disoriented by what had happened, he couldn’t even cry and let some of the emotions out.
Even the phantom pains seemed to have left him alone for a while, letting him sit among the floating, colorful cards.

– Where are you? Y-you’re probably busy. – He spoke awkwardly, as if trying not to be a bother. – I-I don’t mind waiting for you.

His head turned from side to side, trying to catch even the faintest trace of the familiar figure clad in dark robes.
With every passing minute, the feeling grew stronger—that time had abandoned this place, that the space was cut out and separated on purpose, just to keep everyone as far as possible from such a pathetic creature as him.

– Tella-tan? You’re okay, right? – The urge to go looking for her was cast aside by a memory:

"Please try not to stray too far from this place, okay?" – Her worried words resurfaced in his mind.

Now, more than ever, he wanted a hug.
It felt like only through her embrace he could cry, release all the thoughts and emotions with his tears.
She was the only one who knew just how much he was hurting.

And she wasn’t here.

– Why? Did you leave..? – Came the raspy voice of the broken boy after half an hour.

A natural, unanswered question followed.
It was as if the world itself decided to show him that he never truly deserved what he hadn’t fully appreciated.
That he gave so little thought to the one who cared most for him.
As if he was purposely trying to forget the one so tightly associated with death in his mind.

– I’m sorry. I’m sorry... I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please forgive me! Please, forgive me!!! – The breakdown into screaming was inevitable in his case. – If I did something wrong, please forgive me! I know I’m a coward, just give me time, okay!? I’ll become stronger, better, I promise! I know it was stupid to expect trust from Rem, but that... that really wasn’t obvious!

– Maybe... maybe I shouldn’t have asked Emilia out on a date? I’m really sorry if that upset you. If you want, I swear I’ll never do that again! W-we didn’t even go on it in the end!

Subaru continued listing all the possible sins and wrongdoings he could’ve committed against Satella.

All this time, he hadn’t moved. He remained on his knees, foolishly staring into the void, trying to see something. But all he saw was a dry, deaf emptiness that didn’t even echo his pleas.

– I studied really hard. It was really interesting and useful! Beako is a strict teacher, of course, but you know, in my situation, that’s for the best haha-hah-haha...

"..."

– Yeah, I know I’m basically helpless, but when I lived with my parents, we had enough modern stuff to make life easier. – Subaru’s voice began to tremble under the weight of loneliness. – And I never had to cook. Mom was a housewife, and Dad earned enough for the two of us.

"..."

– Where are you..? – After Rem’s betrayal, now at the lowest emotional point, the last thing he needed was to be alone. Almost every time something like this had happened before, she would be there—comforting him, confessing her love, warming him physically and mentally.

"What did I ever give her..?" – His thoughts finally turned this way after sitting motionless for two hours.
The only support, the only girl in this world who saw him at his worst in such a short time... was gone?

– Of course, yeah, she just got disappointed in me. I knew it. – The corners of his mouth tasted salt, signaling the tears sliding down his cheeks. – She just didn’t realize right away how useless I was, mistook me for someone else and...

– She was just lying. Another liar! Swore so many times she loved me, kept saying she understood me, said so much.
And now she doesn’t even have the guts to show up and admit she was wrong!

– I know you’re sealed, I remember you don’t even need sleep! So what the hell could you possibly be doing!? – The longer Natsuki Subaru was left alone with his thoughts, the more he convinced himself it was all made up by his trauma-riddled mind.

Because really, what else could a witch who, by her own words, waited 400 years almost without leaving—what else could she be doing?

Roswaal L Mathers had no particular business this time.
The reason for leaving the mansion was... the uselessness of his presence there.
Realizing this was only the second temporal “loop,” as Natsuki Subaru would likely call it, he had no hope of being the final Roswaal.

The fact that the Gospel now provided information from broken timelines pleasantly surprised even him.
To be honest, even the first appearance of the otherworlder in the Book had already been astonishing.

Before his arrival in the holy scripture, the concept of time had always been linear and orderly—until one moment, it shifted to four or five most probable outcomes, not very detailed, but quite thoroughly described by the best tool and gift from his beloved.

Then everything changed again that night—when Emilia was supposed to meet her new, most valuable subject.
The moment he realized his plan had succeeded, the sudden flood of new information nearly threw him into blissful ecstasy.

Descriptions of only four worldlines, though, cooled his fervor somewhat.
Most of his preparations and efforts, as it turned out, were quite meaningless.
The carefully constructed “obstacle course” had been cleared in just a few attempts.

The consistent descriptions of four different versions of Natsuki Subaru, each remembering more than the last, helped track the logic of his actions and explained several of the things that had puzzled Mathers.
But there were still far more questions than answers.

"How exactly do you borrow powers?" – He didn’t care about the internal mechanics of the Authority—it seemed like something impossible to reproduce anyway.
What concerned him was the activation method, the trigger that unleashed one or possibly both of the Authorities.

The Tome of Wisdom, for reasons unknown to him, didn’t reveal the specifics of the boy’s abilities—and the fact that Subaru didn’t seem intent on abusing them raised certain thoughts. For example...

"Thinking in this direction is not recommended!" – Since the book was already opened to the last filled page, the sudden new line of text appeared instantly.

Even Roswaal’s expression showed shock—perhaps the most emotion he had displayed in years.
And the terror that crept down to his bones brought not only goosebumps but a paranoid pounding in his heart.

"It’s that serious..?" – Now not thinking about it became an incredibly difficult task.
Had the warning not come from the Book itself, the nobleman dressed as a clown would’ve already regretted dragging the boy into his schemes.
Never before had the text in the Gospel carried emotional overtones—let alone responded so instantly to thoughts!

– Lord Roswaal! – Without knocking, a panicking Clind burst in, adding another layer of surrealism to the whole situation. – W-we need to leave immediately! The entire capital is being evacuated!

The young man’s gasping breath showed how fast he’d run to bring the news.

– Be kind, first explain exactly what made you so nervous and is now forcing us to abandon this place~? – Despite the servant’s condition, Roswaal didn’t believe anything else could impress him as much today.
So he prepared to listen while calmly sipping his now-cold tea.

But his carefully constructed façade of confidence and calm shattered into pieces the moment he heard the next line:

– The Witch of Envy is heading for the capital—from your lands—!

World destruction.
It wasn’t the first time they’d seen it happen—
But it was the first time their consciousnesses were one.

None of them could have imagined that something like this was still possible, but as it turned out, even they could be surprised. Each of them understood that this couldn’t last forever—losing the identity each personality had built and tried to preserve for 400 years was something terrifying even to Her.

It only took witnessing their beloved, someone they couldn’t even fully reach, die such a death. And it wasn’t even about the torture itself. That incident with Elsa had been much more painful and horrific, but it hadn’t triggered such wild emotions or such a unique effect.

Watching how their beloved tried—how sincerely he tried to befriend them, to open up. How he tried to draw attention and reacted with joy to being acknowledged...

False acknowledgment.

...They couldn’t bear to watch how exactly that blue-haired bitch responded. A fool, blind to anything beyond her own trauma, an idiot unworthy of even a drop of His attention...

– How dare she!? – Two absolutely identical voices cried out in unison.

"It should’ve been Me! I’m the one who should’ve gotten his attention. He should’ve been chasing after Me! I would’ve given him what he truly deserves!"

"...Where is He now?" – But that all-important thought was cut short by his voice, filled with power:

– Stay where you are, Witch–Subaru!? – They barely knew each other, so it wasn’t surprising that Reinhard didn’t recognize him at first. – What happened to you!? – Even a few Divine Protections that always kept his face in a steady smile faltered, revealing pure, unguarded surprise.

– No, you... you’re not him. – The red-haired young man quickly began piecing the situation together. – In that case, I’m sorry for this. I truly don’t know how to save you. – Even if they were barely acquainted, that didn’t stop the hero from feeling true sympathy for such a cruel fate—becoming the vessel for the Witch of Envy.

"The Sword Saint of the new generation. Him again." – That’s right, this wasn’t their first encounter. But each such meeting meant that Envy would go no further in her destruction of the world. An eternal stalemate would keep the situation locked until Subaru chose a new ability and began the cycle again.

But she didn’t need to go further. The surroundings of Roswaal’s domain and a third of Lugunica had already been destroyed in service to her insatiable hunger. The most brutal death, of course, had been reserved for a certain blue-haired trash. How wonderful that an oni’s endurance let her live just long enough, even after shadowy tentacles had entered every hole and torn her body from the inside out. Her final screams of agony had been a delight to the ears.

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. That was their agreement: since the world was doomed anyway, Envy could do whatever she pleased with it, while Satella could spend time with their beloved.

"But Satella is also here right now." – Their violet eyes in Subaru’s body widened in realization. "Right now, we have to—" – Their attempt to split was interrupted by Reinhard himself, who decapitated them with the Dragon Sword.

– Don’t get distracted, monster. – Seeing his opponent already regenerating, he added, – This battle won’t be quick.

"The capital is ahead, the evacuation’s still ongoing. I can’t let her pass. Not after already failing to save so many people." – Even while performing such a noble task, Reinhard van Astrea couldn’t stop blaming himself for every life lost due to his inaction—or even just ignorance.

And right now, he was staring at one of those victims. The athletic tracksuit was almost completely gone, replaced by clinging black shadows and mist occasionally bursting from excess mana. Not a single visible part of the body looked whole—unnatural stitches were holding the body together, preventing it from falling apart by sheer miracle and magic.

– Was there a reason you chose him? – The question was more rhetorical; he didn’t expect an answer—legends said the Witch of Envy had forgotten human speech. But the moment the head was reattached, the Sword Saint had to be surprised again:

– Yes, I love him. More than this entire world.

Several Divine Protections he had gained during the fight told him this battle had likely happened before.

Synesthesia of Kindred Souls

Grants twin oni, who share a common demonic horn, the ability to establish a synesthetic bond.
The power and abilities of this bond vary from pair to pair. Possible features include:
– Emotional perception
– Mind reading
– Sharing strength and mana
– Amplifying other existing bonds
– Long-distance communication
– ???

Warning!
Twin not detected!
A kindred personality for establishing synesthesia will be chosen automatically after encounter.

One of the three purple cards fused with his hand without much effect—same as every time before. As it turned out, Rem hadn’t even been particularly strong, possessing no gold cards and only about six blue ones.

What he saw in front of him felt like a dumb, unfunny joke. A bond? Kindred personality? Seriously? Who could you even trust that deeply anymore?

The resurfacing paranoid thoughts were hard to suppress, but not impossible. Slapping himself a couple times on the cheeks, Subaru once again, shamefully, went over everything that had happened a few hours ago.

"God, I hope Tella-tan didn’t hear any of that!" – Every memory that popped up in his mind weighed heavier and heavier, making him blush even more. Unable to contain his emotions, he started scratching his head until it hurt, messing up his hair. The slight pain helped bring him back to focus.

"I hope she’s okay." – Even despite the things she had said and the unresolved resentment he still held, it was hard to stay calm in such a weird situation. "Once I can talk to her, I’ll ask everything—every little thing. And if she doesn’t respond—" – Another self-inflicted slap helped again in the tough moment.

"Calm down, idiot. No one owes you anything. If she has secrets or other important stuff, you just have to accept it..." – His attempts to rationalize weren’t very successful, but not entirely useless either. At the very least, he didn’t feel like he’d been abandoned. Probably.

"Yeah, just like I wasn’t supposed to be summoned to another world and forced to go through fucking nightmares again and again." – Despite logic, the emotional voice of bitterness never shut up. The inner argument wouldn’t stop, so the only solution was to ignore his own thoughts and focus on what he could actually fix.

Passive Abilities
1) Return by Death (Authority of Envy)
2) ?–Enter Name–? (Authority of Envy)
3) Satella’s / Witch of Envy’s Magic Gate

Active Abilities
1) Cursed Doll of Elsa Granhiert
2) Walgarm’s Curse
3) Synesthesia of Kindred Souls
4) –
5) –

Inventory
–

– Right, back then when I named the first ability, it happened on its own. Maybe that weird effect was a magical result of naming something important.– Subaru came up with a vague explanation for himself. The “floor” beneath him was neither soft nor hard, but it was comfortable to sit on—which he was currently doing. – Or however that usually works in fantasy?

– Hm, only two slots left. Passive abilities are cool, but the fact I can’t unequip them is awful. – Scratching his chin, he carefully reread every available description and system window. – Oh! I should name the second one too. – His attention turned to the second part of the Authority of Envy, which hadn’t received its fair share of attention. – Ehh, no, I don’t want to deal with that now. I’ll name it once I come up with something good!

After another ten minutes of trying to squeeze out any missing information, Subaru finally gave up and started thinking about what to do next.

– In the first loop, Rem didn’t try to kill me. She even went to get help, even though I told her it was too late. I don’t get it—why? – Trying to solve the maid-assassin’s logic led him to a few theories. The first one was something he couldn’t control.

– Miasma? Beako said they got worse right away. Tch, does that mean when I go back, they’ll spike again? – He didn’t want to believe the situation was completely out of his hands, so he quickly switched to another theory:

– I was creepy and suspicious. – Looking back at his previous actions, he really wanted to slap himself hard. – Of course, it was totally normal for a random guest to go inspect the village’s barrier! And to steal a knife from the kitchen. Bravo, Natsuki Subaru, true genius! – Sarcasm poured out in waves, threatening to flood even this infinite space.

The longer he thought about it, the more he realized that what he should’ve been ashamed of wasn’t his recent panic attack, but his behavior in the last loop. Suddenly, his conversations with others made a lot more sense.

– Thinking about it, Beako was less harsh, and Emilia-tan looked kind of concerned. Also, I probably shouldn’t have pulled her away from her duties... I need to be less clingy.– Ironically, that very thought would later become one of his clingiest. All his attempts to befriend the maids had unintentionally turned into reasons for his most recent death.

– This time, I’ll do better!

Another thirty minutes of thinking passed as fast as a dragon overdosed on Bokko. The behavioral strategy he came up with wasn’t too different from the first cycle, except now he knew about Emerald and the dog. The fact that she only appeared on the last day and had a whole mabeast with her wasn’t just suspicious—it was something very hard to stop.

"At least I can pin everything on her if I have to." – He didn’t yet know whether he’d be honest about everything, but having a backup plan for risky actions was never a bad thing.

– Plan’s made, mistakes noted... I guess it’s time to go? – Remembering what Satella had taught him, Subaru focused on the outside world and imagined pulling himself through a pipe, ejecting himself from his personal “domain.”

– Domain? Sounds badass, like I’m some kind of demon... – Realizing what he’d just said, the boy twisted his lips in disgust. "Yeah, no. Bad idea. I won’t call it that." – He didn’t say the last part aloud, as the white door before him clearly signaled that his peaceful solitude was over and no insurance could save him now.

As fast as possible, so as not to lose a shred of confidence, the guest of the mansion left his room and sped through the halls, trying to find the right door. The patterns Beatrice used to place her library paid off. Reaching the opposite wing within five minutes, Subaru lowered the right handle and entered the second-most familiar room from his past.

– Betty clearly told you she’s waiting in the evening, I suppose. – The indignant voice of the girl, for whom barely any time had passed since their last meeting, made the uninvited guest exhale in relief. Naturally, the library hadn’t changed since last time—and that was very pleasing to the eye.

– Sorry, dear loli, but I have something to tell you! – Trying to pour as much cheer into his voice as possible, the boy breathed slowly and steadily to calm his pounding heart. Not knowing what consequences his next words might bring made it hard to stay composed.

– Fine, Betty will listen. But I warn you: if it’s something useless, you’ll be kicked out right away.– Putting her book aside, the great spirit raised a hand in his direction, clearly ready to use magic to eject him. – Also, you’ll explain what this “loli” means later, I suppose.

– Thanks! I knew you’d listen! – The deep breath that followed wasn’t just to calm himself, but also to show Beatrice how important this was to him. – I want to tell you about my Authority.

And it worked. The spirit observing the scene didn’t interrupt or rush him—she continued watching with mild interest and patiently waited for his answer.

– I can copy other people’s abilities and go back in time when I di—

Something inside his chest, like his heart, clenched and tore. Air wouldn’t enter his lungs, and it felt like black tar spilled inside his skull. The world trembled at the presence of something terrifying, even despite time being frozen. A sticky, monstrous shadow seeped through unseen cracks in reality, reaching for Subaru.

"Why is everything frozen? I can’t even speak... I can’t breathe!" – Panic only intensified as the black mass shaped into a more physical hand and reached toward his heart. "No, no, no, no—!" – Despite his pleas, the hand passed through his torso, gripped his heart, and was about to squeeze when suddenly...

A sound like shattering glass rang out. The breached dam unleashed a flood of chaotic emotions and sensations. The expected pain in his chest never came. A dual voice in his mind both terrified and comforted him.

– "I love you."

– "Subaru, is that you?"

– "I love you."

– "Are you okay, darling?"

– "Love you, love you, love you, love you—"

-"Did you find a way to reach us? Of course you did, I believed in you!"

Save Point!

And the world remained frozen...

Chapter Text

The atmosphere around the table was, by all impressions, peaceful. The food on the plates was disappearing by the second, and even Subaru, remembering who had prepared it all, didn’t deny himself a portion.

Though it would be more accurate to say he had simply been persuaded.

– “You need to eat properly. You’ll be completely drained otherwise!”
– “I love…”

The gentle voice had been whispering various pleasant words to him asynchronously for hours now, whether appropriate or not. Even if it felt as though it had slipped straight into his soul, there was no sense of rejection or discomfort. Despite being one of those voices that repeated certain words over and over like a broken old record, he adapted quickly. Speaking of which…

– “I think I know why she set a new temporal point back then,” Satella began to answer the unspoken question in Subaru’s mind, as if sensing his curiosity.
– “You’re mine. You won’t leave! I love you. We won’t part!”

– “You wouldn’t have been able to avoid Synesthesia with us. Try… to come back. I doubt you would have done it, but I understand her decision.” Even in the apologetic tone of the shadowy silver-haired half-elf, one could sense confidence and clear thought: “I would have done the same!”

It didn’t take long to start understanding the twisted logic of Envy, and even Subaru, in his brief acquaintance with her, could see that reason was far from the dominant trait. She left an impression as mixed as Satella herself, but in a more negative light. Despite having never seen her or interacted with her in any way beyond voice communication, consciously suppressing the subconscious surges of panic and dread triggered by merely acknowledging a connection to Her was difficult…

– “It’s alright, darling, she isn’t going to scare you. She won’t do anything unforgivable to you. I’ll keep an eye!”
– “I love you. I won’t let go! I love you. You’ll always be safe with me!” The emphasis on the last two words did little to bolster the certainty of her claim. Despite other, more… striking moments over the past days, he had only discovered the true cause of his second death an hour ago, in one of the lively internal debates in his mind.

…and this was his thought—a man who had come from another world. One not, at first glance, connected to this place, not raised amidst local legends or influenced by the common sense and mentality of the locals. It was easy enough to imagine how an average bystander would feel in such a situation.

Although adjusting to his new circumstances had been easy, the inability to “think out loud” in his own mind without being heard by his new involuntary partner was extremely frustrating.

– “I-I’m sorry, but I hardly have control over this myself right now and I’m in a similar situation, you know! But I don’t mind at all if it’s okay with you. I have no secrets from you, darling!”
– “I love you. Your thoughts and feelings will be mine! I love you. You will love me!”

– “You do know I can sense lies from you, right?” Subaru’s question was rhetorical. Both participants had discovered this “function” within the first twenty minutes of the bond.

At first, most of the information flowing from the new ability was extremely vague, and understanding what a particular signal, sensation, or mental image meant took time. Even so, there were things they had already sorted out: the transmission of surface thoughts, sensing intentions and lies, literal empathy toward one another, and sometimes even awareness of what remained “unspoken.”

It would seem that this should have increased mutual trust, right? Well, for Satella, it might have—waiting centuries for her beloved, she was ready to accept him almost completely, disregarding flaws and mistakes… which was hard to say about Subaru, who had clearly started growing disappointed in her after every serious attempt to hold a meaningful conversation or extract the information he wanted.

– “I’m sorry, really, forgive me! I can’t just… it’s too hard and painful. Just give me more time, okay?” The girl, judging by the trembling voice, seemed almost on the verge of tears for reasons Subaru couldn’t understand. Seeing that he would achieve nothing more and would only hurt her, he mentally exhaled in disappointment, leaving the attempt—and serious topics—for the near future.
– “…¡”

– “As you say.” That was all he could manage to say. Having had almost no social contact during his teenage years, the boy had no skill in even casually interacting with others, let alone comforting someone in a difficult moment. The more he tried to understand what was happening with this girl, the further he drifted.

The sudden silence in his mind was like the electricity cutting out in a house, when all the devices running with a light background hum abruptly stop, reminding one of their existence. Apparently, Envy had grown tired of listening to their dialogue—or of remaining unheard—but for the first time in hours, she had not uttered a single word.

Involuntarily, Subaru’s attention shifted to the presence, existence, and words of the one he had deliberately ignored all day, trying not to lose his mind to her relentless repeated speech and unclear, yet purposeful, mental images.

Her existence and intentions were what he managed to learn, unlike the manner of her appearance and the reasons behind it. In any case, “communicating” with someone who literally embodied the yandere archetype in one of its worst forms offered very little appeal, even if the love from such a person was directed at him. But this wasn’t the only reason.

Attempts to initiate conversation with the second personality of his newly found kindred soul were unsuccessful. Even if something she said exceeded the usual vocabulary, it still needed proper translation and explanation from Satella herself. It seemed she understood the question and tried to respond in her own way, but it was like the first attempts of a two- or three-year-old learning to speak fully.

“I’m a kindred soul with someone who has the role of ‘Satan’ in this world. Sounds cool, can’t deny it. I feel like a character in a novel written by a fourteen-year-old girl.” Even retreating into jokes and mocking everything around him didn’t shake the thought that his past—and still potentially absurdly dangerous—killer stood less than ten meters away, pretending not to look at him.

At this point, knowing her true intentions, almost all past actions gained meaning. All those glances, avoidance, the few interactions… Now even one look at her triggered quiet panic, forcing him to steady his shaking hands to avoid raising questions. A few times, attempting to glance unobtrusively at the blue-haired maid, Subaru found his limbs momentarily paralyzed from blood flow, realizing she was staring directly at him. Intently, yet seemingly indifferent. He didn’t try again.

The more he thought of her, the more effort it took to prevent the food he had just eaten from coming back up. Gradually, this also killed his appetite, so he set down his utensils and ended the meal, sinking fully into his thoughts. Slightly puzzling Beatrice, who was present at the lunch this time for a different reason, and he didn’t even notice Emilia with his gloomy expression.

“Why did Rem run for help that time?” Memories of his first death in the mansion, though with focus on other events, surfaced in his mind. Her indecision—whether to finish off the dying boy before her or call for help—hadn’t lasted long enough to prevent confusion for one of her unfulfilled victims.

«Was I really that pushy? That’s nonsense! Who even kills over something like that!?» – His first guess was dismissed as quickly as it had come to mind. Subaru wanted to hope that common sense existed in this world, and specifically with one particular maid. – «Maybe she found me more suspicious than the first time… But it’s still nonsense! She’s some kind of animal to kill over this!?» – His fingers clenched into fists in anger, nails digging into his palms almost to the point of bleeding.

«No, not an animal. But definitely not human.» – The thought of a new skill flashed through his mind, directly hinting at the twins’ racial identity. – «That horn of hers at the end points right to it. So there really are demons in this fantasy world. Mhm, how cool. Wow.» – While delivering this sarcastic monologue in his head, his eyes flicked to Ram, unlike her sister who was staring into the void.

«I can’t trust her either. Surely they’re communicating telepathically even right now. Ram couldn’t have not known what Rem wanted to do, yet she didn’t stop her. She didn’t even warn me!» – After spending some time with Synesthesia, Subaru could, if not precisely, at least roughly explain how it worked and was confident that detecting mortal hatred within five days was entirely possible, as well as preventing its consequences.

«In any case, even if this is even partially true, my best option will be…»

– Subaru, are you alright? – A familiar voice came from the side. Apparently, his state had finally been noticed and had started to worry those around him. Funny enough, he didn’t react immediately, thinking Satella was speaking to him in his head. The similarity of not only their voices but also their speech patterns threw him off a little, making him confuse the half-elf girls. – Are you okay? – She touched his shoulder, her concern more pronounced when she got no response.

– Huh? Ah, yes, I’m perfectly fine, Emilia-tan! Can’t you tell? – But upon seeing her pitiful face, he realized that no – it wasn’t obvious. Unfortunately, it was hard to find anyone who could honestly and impartially explain to Subaru how he appeared to others, so most of the time he had to guess. – If something’s bothering you, just say so…

– Don’t worry, girl, your company will definitely improve his mood, I suppose. – Unexpectedly, Beatrice, who had remained silent throughout lunch, intervened. – I doubt he needs anything else, considering that without you he wouldn’t have stayed in this mansion.

– You… you’re going to stay here? – The girl was a little pleasantly touched by the sudden revelation. Her hand covering her slightly open mouth made her even cuter in the boy’s eyes, who fiercely restrained the urge to stroke her hair. Tried to restrain himself.

– Wh-what are you doing, Su-subaru? – Her stammer began as his hand moved through her hair, accompanied by a rapidly reddening face and a body frozen in confusion. From the very first second of his actions, the touch sent a pleasant, captivating warmth through her whole body, making her abandon any resistance. Her clear excitement didn’t stop her from closing her eyes and starting to enjoy it, and now for the full picture, it only lacked a purr from her. Unfortunately for the boy, she wasn’t the right race.

– Cough- coughha ha! – The great spirit choked on her food, which should have made the situation more absurd, but no one paid attention. Beatrice, having regained her composure, immediately pinched her left arm to verify what was happening before her eyes.

Ram, genuinely surprised by the boy’s confidence, about whom she apparently had the wrong impression, had already started thinking up a new collection of insulting jokes about him. Shocked Pack tried to catch even a hint of dissatisfaction in Emilia’s expression, so he could instantly, without hesitation, freeze the hand of the guy trying to get close to his daughter. Naturally, for her safety.
Uncertain how to react, Rem continued to carefully observe every move of the boy, so she, like Pack, could act at any moment. Also for Lady Emilia’s sake, of course, but for her own personal reasons.
Roswaal, squinting slightly, showed no change in expression but seemed quite satisfied with the situation.

«Forcing this part of the plan ahead definitely won’t harm the rest~» – He concluded for himself, yet decided to interrupt the unexpectedly intimate moment between the two.

– Ahem, ahem. – Finishing his meal, he set down his utensils and deliberately cleared his throat to draw attention. – I suggest continuing your flirting in a more private setting, so as not to embarrass others. – Waiting for Subaru to remove his hand from Emilia, who was starting to understand what was happening around her, he continued. – For now, let’s discuss the choice of our dear guest~. If what Betty said is true, I assume you intend to stay here, right? Under what pretense, may I ask?

– You have no right to call Betty ‘Betty,’ I suppose. – Beatrice quietly muttered to herself, so as not to interrupt Roswaal.

«What was that just now?» – Both perpetrators of the recent incident thought simultaneously. But while the half-elf blushed to the color and heat of fire, placing her hands on her head, squeezing her knees, and hiding her face, seemingly trying to hide from the world, the boy had a different reaction.

«I just went and did it?» – He thought with surprise. His eyes drilled into his clenched and unclenching fist, remembering the pleasant sensation of touching the girl’s hair. – «And even now, I don’t feel embarrassed. Unlike her.» – His gaze shifted from his hand to the girl, noting her condition. – «Damn it, she’s even cuter now! Alright, Natsuki Subaru, pull yourself together! You mustn’t meet a pitiful death for getting close to a royal lady!» – Finally, mentally giving himself a slap, he composed himself and answered:

– I would like to become a servant in this mansion. – Despite what had happened, Subaru continued to carefully observe his surroundings, and thus heard the question from his new master.

«If I want to avoid what happened last time, the best solution is to repeat most of the actions from the first loop.» – His body shuddered slightly, vividly remembering the unexperienced tortures. – «Now I’ve learned some things and will know how to allocate time properly for the necessary tasks.»

– Also, I’m not very good at reading or writing in this language, so I’d like to have a teacher to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. – He didn’t forget an important aspect of his socialization. Nor about leaving himself an escape route. – I hope it’s not too bold of me to keep the option to change my wish within ten days?

– Considering your modest wishes for such much-needed help, nooo problem. – Roswaal thought briefly before answering. – You’re accepted! You’ll start work tomorrow~.

Strangely, this time he didn’t ask Ram to give him a tour of the mansion. Emilia’s reaction to his words was not much different from the first loop, nor was the behavior of the others present. Unlike Beatrice, who wasn’t there last time.

She sat directly opposite him, across the table, so noticing her reaction was easy. Especially since it wasn’t hard to notice when someone’s gaze silently judged you as mentally inferior, and not in your favor. The clear «you’re an idiot?» mixed with irritation and disappointment made Subaru stare back in bewilderment.

The girl herself, seeing the confusion on his face, could only sigh resignedly. The cutlery had been set aside, the chair pushed back, and her small feet scuttled toward the door. Casting one last glance at the boy, she nodded for him to follow and disappeared into the library.

A few minutes later, Subaru, having said his goodbyes to everyone, stood before Beatrice, seated in her usual spot across from the door. Shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, he could only guess why she had summoned him again, given that this would already be their fourth conversation in such a short time.

– What was that, I suppose? – he heard a brief question that clarified nothing.

– I don’t understand what you’re talking about. – He replied with the same short, meaningless statement.

In response to her twitching eye, the only sensible solution was simply to wait until a more coherent and precise question was formulated. And so it happened.

– Betty doesn’t understand why this is all you chose? Didn’t you just tell me about your abilities recently? What’s the point of taking such an ungrateful and unsuitable job with those capabilities? – The butterfly eyes stared at him, awaiting his answer.

…And yes, it turned out she had indeed heard his words. The first part, before the time stop, to be precise. Considering where the last checkpoint was now located, it was no longer possible to change that. Naturally, she didn’t know—and likely would never know—the main and only way these abilities triggered, but the mere fact that the taboo Satella had used to scare him acted so selectively was enough to astonish him.

As soon as Beatrice heard this and confirmed that she had understood correctly, a stream of clarifying questions began. Though he wouldn’t have been able to answer most of them anyway, the fact that she managed to learn anything at all was satisfying. So much so that the request for apprenticeship this time came not from Subaru, but from the newly self-appointed mentor herself.

– What else am I supposed to choose? I don’t really have any real skills yet. And it’s not even that ungrateful, just a perfectly ordinary job… – His attempts to justify his choice did not convince the spirit.

– Not in your case! Betty, of course, understands that this world is mostly unfamiliar to you, but wouldn’t even the mere possibility of traveling through time be considered absurd in your situation!? – In genuine bewilderment, Beatrice even let out a shout and grabbed her head, beginning to scratch it.

– Oh, in my world, there’s nothing even remotely like that. – This conversation, however, was not new to the otherworlder, as he had witnessed a similar reaction many times before. – No magic, no Divine Protections, no Authorities, nothing even close. – With each word, the blonde spirit’s eyes widened further. – So the very concept of such travel was considered practically impossible, even theoretically.

Predicting a long conversation, Subaru habitually sat down on the floor across from her, expecting no objections. Finally in the library, he could relax and lower his alertness to his surroundings. His mentor was now the only person he could fully trust, even if he couldn’t tell her everything.

– The very existence of such a world is impossible, I suppose! Magic is an integral part of the overall system, permeating and supporting all living and non-living things. Its disappearance, even for a short time, would literally tear our world into tiny pieces…

– That’s the thing, it’s “your” world. – Subaru interrupted, fully aware of what she was about to explain. – The world I come from is closer to those celestial bodies you see in the night sky. Believe me, I was shocked myself when I learned this world is flat! That’s completely meaningless! Why is everything in space spherical except this place? I’m more than sure the whole ecosystem here was created artificially, not naturally, like in our world. Od Laguna, or whatever his proper name is…

– Naturally, artificially, of course—how could something as complex as life arise naturally…

Throughout the ensuing conversation, Natsuki Subaru once again reproached himself for having missed his high school years. Even full middle school education, along with good grades, didn’t give him enough knowledge to argue with a 400-year-old spirit of the forbidden library on fundamental matters of a world he wasn’t even fully familiar with.

– Anything with even a trace of life has its gates. – She reached the point of explaining well-known facts to the boy.

– What, even mold and cancerous tumors? – The question was asked with clear sarcasm.

– Naturally! – Beatrice replied, calm and unflustered. – Mold, like any other fungus, is no exception, though tumors are more individual, mainly classified into several types…

If it weren’t for the knowledge from previous loops and a few fairly obvious logical inconsistencies at the start of their discussion from her side, he might have begun doubting what he knew.

But Subaru didn’t complain. It was during such conversations that he often learned about things natural to the intelligent beings here, but unknown to him. Often, the needed knowledge couldn’t just be gleaned from textbooks. Not just because he could barely read half the simplest books now, but primarily because, as strange as it sounded, you had to know exactly what you needed to find out.

– …Where, then, does the water flowing down the Great Waterfall go?

– It disappears approximately at the distance where the Divine Protections cease functioning, and I suppose returns to our lands.

– Wait, the Divine Protections have that limitation? No, wait, that makes sense! Since they’re granted by the god of this world, they only work here…

– Yes, that’s right. With one exception. – The great spirit’s hand stretched out, waiting for one of the nearest books to levitate toward her. Pointing at it, she said: – One of the newest books in this library appeared only a few years ago. Now. – Opening it near the end, she began reading:

– The current Holy Sword Reinhard van Astrea, during an attempt to test his strength in experiment number 575, sponsored by the Council of Sages, proved the following: Upon acquiring the Divine Protection “Power Beyond the Edge of the Earth,” it becomes possible to use the powers granted by Od Laguna far beyond the Great Waterfall. The exact distance remains unknown—further testing is required. – Pausing here, she closed the book and returned it to its place.

– Damn that cheater! Why is it every time I hear a fact about him here, it’s always something so mind-blowing…

– Betty believes you’ll be very surprised to learn that he’s the first person in history to have had so many various books and oral legends dedicated to him at such a young age.

Only by evening did their engaging dialogue, long departed from argument, come to an end. Satisfactorily wishing each other goodnight—in their usual tsundere “dreleloli” style—they parted ways, agreeing to meet again tomorrow.

– “If I remember correctly, you could contact Od Laguna directly through the tower that sealed me.” – The familiar voice unexpectedly returned in his head as Subaru had already said goodbye to Beatrice and exited the library. She had been preparing to tell him this fact since the middle of his dialogue with the spirit, but not wanting to distract him, it came out somewhat untimely.

– “I love you. I love you. I love you so much.”

– “Oh, Tella-tan, welcome back. Why did you suddenly disappear—?” – He immediately faltered in his thoughts, remembering why they had stopped talking. Having eaten, regained composure, and distracted from pressing problems with Beako, he felt better, bringing shame over the previous situation. – “Ah, I… um… well, I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have pressured you.”

Even though the apology was sincere, Subaru still didn’t fully understand what had happened, or even why he should apologize. He just thought it was the right thing to do.

– “It’s okay, I overreacted emotionally!” – Satella quickly interrupted her beloved. – “It’s just that all these events piled up over the last few days, and I haven’t talked to anyone for so long…”

– “Love me, love me, love me, love me…”

– “I understand you, Satella-tan, it’s the same with me.” – His legs carried him to the usual guest room, eyes scanning every shadow.

Even understanding her didn’t help curb his curiosity.

“Where were you after my last death?”
“What exactly happened during that catastrophe?”
“Why are you sure I’m Flugel?”
“Why do you lie to me so often?”
“Why do you really love me?”
“What exactly was in your other red cards?”
“Can you return me to my world?”

For these and many other questions, she certainly knew the answers—but she didn’t want to give them. Avoidance, lies, and changing the topic did nothing for trust between them, but it seemed he could do nothing about it now.

“I guess she just wants me to get closer before she tells me. I can’t blame her for that.” – Having thought this, he didn’t go to his room, heading straight for the exit instead.

– “Since we now have more free time together, can you teach me magic, please?” – As the most neutral way to spend time together, he chose familiar training. Combining pleasure with usefulness was always a good way to get closer.

– “Of course, dear, as you wish! I think with this new connection between us, it will be even more effective.” – Without wasting time, the half-elf seized the convenient thread leading to improving their relationship. – “You said we might be able to transfer mana to each other, right? Want to try now?”
– “Sooner or later, but you’ll be mine…”