Author's Note: I hope you guys/gals didn't mind that I took a break from writing for a short while.
I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story and we had hit the most reviewed ReZero story on all of Fanfiction!
Until a way better writer comes along and says my story is shit and makes a better one that is.
Anyhow, enjoy the chapter everybody! This one's a bit peaceful... After the intro of it, lol.
Re:Circuits
Chapter 11: The Passing Time
He was in hell.
No, it was a mockery to call this hell, even if the flames rose higher than the buildings it turned to ash.
The men, the women, the children, the elderly…
All of them cried to him, it was an ever continuing encore of voices.
'Help me, help me, help me, help me.'
He didn't to help.
He wanted to help himself.
'Save me, save me, save me, save me.'
He didn't want to save them, he wanted to be saved.
'Make it stop, stop it, stop it, stop it!'
He couldn't stop it, he hadn't the ability to.
So, he kept walking, ignoring those that burned around him, passing by the ones who reached out to him.
He wanted to be saved, he wished for it so badly…
How ironic, that he wished for it, and he was the only survivor.
How twisted it was that the one who didn't want to save anyone but himself happened to be the only one saved.
He hated it.
He hated this memory.
But he could not ignore it because it was apart of him, it shaped him.
Without this memory, had this event never occurred, Sh**ou Em*y* could not exist.
For those flames burned more than just his body that dreadful day.
They tempered him, forged him, remade him.
After all, ste*l is h*s b**y, and fi*e is hi* bl**d.
Natsuki Subaru awoke, his eyes opening wide after the odd and foreign dream he had in his sleep. But as he sat upright, the sheets rolling off of him as he moved, the Japanese man couldn't help but ponder on what he had seen.
"That… That was too vivid… Too real to be a dream…" He said out loud.
That was the second time he had that same memory, and although it differed, it was still that greatly horrific, and terrifying, fire.
He had seen many things since coming to this world.
But that fire…
There was nothing to compare it too, and he hoped that he will never gain any sort of similar experiance to be matched to that foriegn corrupt memory.
His hands shook, gripping into fists, he himself unsure of they moved from fear or anger.
Why anger?
Because he wished only to save himself, he let all of them die.
He clutched his head, "Alright… I got to be careful around the fire subject, whoever's memories I'm getting is clearly affected by it."
Subaru got out of the bed and dressed, cleaning up his face in a nearby bathroom before opening the nearest door and arriving at the ever-moving library, with Beatrice sitting in her usual spot.
He walked up to her, greeting the blond-haired women.
Even though she looked like a kid.
"Decided to get that scent removed, at last, I suppose?" Beatrice said as he stood next to her.
"Scent?" Subaru questioned for a moment, "You mean the Witch's scent?"
"Yes," Beatrice began, "Though now you smell of steel, I suppose."
"How can one smell like steel?" Subaru said to himself, "Well, glad to know I no longer smell like I'm evil or something," He said.
Subaru was quite glad he no longer 'smelled' like the Witch, he theorized that perhaps it's because he hadn't died in a while or told anyone of Return by Death. Maybe him having the scent of steel was his natural musk?
"Tch, yeah right," He said, "Natural musk? More like, probably some other mythological figure I haven't been lectured about."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Beatrice replied, "But if you're done, then leave, I suppose,"
"Nice to know you care so much," Subaru said, before taking his leave before Beatrice gets antsy, "See you around Beako!" He said before closing the door before she had a chance to blast him to pieces.
He saw Meili outside today, possibly her first day out of the mansion since having been brought here. Subaru walked outside, his face lifting into a smile as the girl seemed distracted by the fascination of the world.
A girl with long silver hair wearing a purple dress twirled around excitingly in the yard. Her red eyes looking towards him with a bright expression.
"Morning, Sh*r*u!"
"Huh?" Subaru said.
"I said morning, Subaru-san!" Meili greeted happily.
"Morning, Meili-chan!" He greeted with equal enthusiasm, "You ready to go back to the village today?" He questioned.
"Yes!" Meili exclaimed.
"Great!" Subaru said.
Subaru had promised Meili yesterday when he had brought her food that he would see to allowing her a visit to the village, as it turns out, Roswaal had just finished sealing her abilities and granted him, and her, free reign in returning to the place. He had left probably earlier this morning towards the Capitol, Subaru had slept in a little.
"We can do radio calisthenics too," He finished, making Meili light up in excitement. "Just let me tell Rem real quick before we head off."
"It's fine, Subaru-kun, I've already prepared," The voice of Rem came from behind them, causing them to turn around.
Subaru took notice of a large basket with a beautiful towel covering its top being held by Rem.
"So, I'm taking a guess picnics are not foreign here?" He said.
Rem smiled, then raised finger, for a brief moment, she sparkled.
"I'm just making sure we're ready!" The blue-haired demon maid exclaimed happily.
He gulped, damn, why does this world have such cute girls!?
Know my pain.
Shut up!
"Great work, Rem!" Subaru said, drastically trying not to lose his cool in front of them, to do so was to make him a mockery of men everywhere. "Then we can all go together, see the sights, check out the flowers, visit some people, and then eat together in the shade of a large tree!" He said, nodding to himself.
'Perfect plan! You've really outdone yourself this time,' He thought.
"Yay! Let's go!" Meili said, beginning to drag Subaru's arm towards the entrance of the mansion.
Rem smiled, he didn't get a moment to fully examine that smile, though, "No plan survives the first contact, Subaru-kun," She said in a quiet tone.
Subaru's eye twitched, he could've sworn he felt a chill down his spine.
And it worse than those bad gut feelings.
It seemed the time flowed quickly, that so-called events that he predicted, where he would see the sights, check those flowers, visit the villagers… All such sayings went by like the coming and passing of the fall season. He had done the promised radio calisthenics to those kids, and reintroduced Meili to the other children, Petra was especially concerned about her disappearance and was quite joyful to see her friend once more.
It was quite calming, though, this was the peace and tranquility that he wished to see more often.
Everyone was safe and sound, happy, laughing…
He half expects to see some sort of memory come from that, but by fortune, during the entire time he had been in the village, playing, chatting. Nothing badly had occurred nor had there been any foreign thoughts in his head.
Natsuki Subaru sat comfortably on the towel placed down in the shade, the sun shining brightly in the sky, it's position making it roughly pass noon. Before the Japanese man was placed what you could expect of a typical lunch, he ideally wondered where Rem got all these ingredients from for there to be salad, sandwiches, cut fruit, and other assorted dishes.
Perhaps Roswaal was actually very rich, just didn't show it much? Sure the mansion was quite large in stature, but if you went through it, it didn't seem so fancy…
Then again, he was probably comparing it to modern Earth counterparts, so Roswaal might be rich in terms of Lugnica's standards.
Subaru absently grabbed a sandwich, and bit down onto it, the flavor was brilliant and he enjoyed its taste very much so. He quickly swallowed so that he may have the chance to compliment the chef before hunger triumphs over pleasantries.
"This taste great, Rem!" He exclaimed, giving his best smile.
"Thank you, Subaru-kun," Rem replied with her own brilliant expression.
Meili had long been lost to the food's overwhelming power, not so much as noticing the other two with her as her hands and mouth dug into the sandwiches and fruit laid out for them all.
'She's going to choke on her food at that rate,' Subaru thought.
And on cue, Meili began coughing from ingesting too much too fast.
He patted her back as the child recovered, "Don't eat too fast this time," Subaru said.
'Y-Yes… I was silly…" Meili commented.
Rem leaned over with a handkerchief and wiped some of the sandwich pieces off Meili's mouth, the little girl was confused, having known that Rem didn't like her, but not hated her.
"Sorry, Subaru-kun had told me that you're not at fault for what happened, and I believe him," Rem said, finishing wiping the pieces from her mouth.
S*b*r leaned over with a napkin in one hand, gently wiping off some food from I**ya's mouth.
"Kya- That tickles, S*ber!"
"I'm surprised you didn't reject me, I*l*a."
"Why? I like being treated kindly."
Alright, Subaru could deal with that foreign memory just fine, it was lighthearted and didn't carry the dread or sense of justice with it.
'I wonder who those people are, though… Why do I have the memories, yet the faces and names are a blur to me?' He questioned the thought in his mind.
He shook his head with a smile and looked to both Rem and Meili who were engaging in a conversation. The man sighed, and took another bite out of his sandwich, filling his stomach with the delicious food.
"Today was really nice," He said out loud, "Wish we had a lot more of these days, maybe when Emilia-tan gets back, she, Rem, and I could go out? Maybe also invite Ram and Beako? Eh, actually maybe they can just do what they want instead…" He voices out loud.
Rem nodded in agreement despite him not realizing she listened, "Of course, we can finish early if we're quick enough,"
"Yosh! I'm sure with our skills combined we can get it done in no time!" Subaru said in prideful expression, he took a container and sniffed the tea in it. "Wait… Isn't this the most expensive tea in the mansion?"
"Yes," Rem answered.
"Never mind then," Subaru said, "She'll kill me," He finished.
He could already picture her vengeful wrath with his body splitting in two by her wind magic.
"Nice knowing you," Meili stated.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence…" Subaru trailed off in dismay.
Another day, peace continued, Natsuki Subaru woefully unaware of what was occurring in the Capital as without his presence, Emilia found herself being likened to the Witch of Jealousy by the public crowd and such attention was not drawn away by any outbursts.
Yet, simultaneously, Subaru did not embarrass her as he was not there.
The clock turns, fate is being altered, the road to the future is now clouded in mist.