Entity of Hostility and Hatred

Zero days since the Last Death (Six Deaths)

"Arghhhh!" With a muffled cry, which was choked by the vomit in his throat, Subaru returned to the world he had just left. "Koff! Koff!"

Coughing desperately was the only way his body found to get rid of the semi-digested food that had been attempting to get into his lungs. With tears forming at the corners of his eyes, Subaru fell to his knees and completely emptied his stomach. Feeling a kind of phantom pain in his throat, Subaru grunted as he tried to regain his composure.

Not only had he just received the traumatic recoil of being decapitated, but he was also able to still feel the jealous claws of the shadows... Every second that passed, as if it were a dream, Subaru remembered less of what had happened in the prelude between his death and his return. However, the unpleasant sensation lingered. It was as if the shadows refused to let him go from their world, and that only made the already tortuous return to life even more traumatic.

Finally forgetting what happened with the jealousy-laden shadows, the only thing that remained in his mind was the memory of the figure that had ended his life. The white-haired woman dressed in a black kimono that barely covered part of her thighs. No, that analysis was flawed... That thing was not a woman; the aura of hostility and hatred that radiated from that entity, could not be compared to something that could be transmitted by a human being.

A ghostly entity, an evil entity, a god of death, a shinigami... Those were the only titles that Subaru could associate with the figure that beheaded him before he had a chance to react. Although he himself doubted that his body would have been capable of obeying him even given the opportunity, finding himself before the entity's murderous aura.

"Something wrong, kid?" Subaru was still deep in the ocean of his thoughts, when he heard someone talking to him. Looking up, he noticed that a shabby-looking demi-human, reminiscent of a black wolf, was staring at him through sharp eyes.

"M-Me?" Subaru was confused, what had he been doing until now? Then, he realized that he was still kneeling on his own vomit. "I, ah…" Twisting his face, Subaru tried to excuse himself.

He had died again. He had not yet fully assimilated the fact, everything had happened so fast that his mind was still having trouble processing what had transpired. Fear and pain were slowly returning to his body. After a little more than two months, he had died again...

His heart rate accelerated, as did his breathing; if he continued like this, he would have another panic attack. Forcing himself to calm down, Subaru took a deep breath as he clutched his chest with one hand. That was his sixth death; it was about time he got used to dying. He didn't want to, in fact, he didn't think he could. However, he had no choice, or else he would risk getting lost in the madness again.

As if something inside him decided to take control, Subaru felt the sensations of fear and pain go numb. Replacing them, a strong survival instinct took its place. He had to carefully analyze the information he had gained before his death. Giving value to that death, by making use of the information he obtained from it, was his only way to make it worthwhile. He had promised Anastasia not to give up and fight to the end, and that's exactly what he intended to do. At that moment, his only goal was to return to the mansion alive.

"Kid…?" Subaru heard the voice again. The demi-human with black wolf features was still there. As he watched him curiously, he was smoking with a kind of golden pipe or kiseru that hung from his snout. Nodding, Subaru took a deep breath once more, making sure that he had finally calmed down.

"I'm fine, thanks. Lunch made me sick to my stomach, that's all."

"Hmm… I thought you're havin' a pretty bad time, so I stopped to see if somethin' happened to you. It's good to hear that it wasn't anything important." With a voice devoid of any concern, the guy explained to Subaru why he was there at his side.

Without saying anything else, Subaru tried to get up, but his arms failed him and he ended up falling face down on the floor, on the puddle of vomit he had just created. Grunting, Subaru shook his hands, which were still shaking, and tried to stand up once more. It was then that he noticed a hairy limb in front of him. It was the arm of the demi-human, who had reached out to him with the clear intention of helping him up. Without much hesitation, Subaru accepted the help.

"Thank you..." Subaru thanked him, while wiping his vomit-covered face with his shirt sleeve; being careful not to uncover his arm.

"It seems to be more than just an upset stomach, are you sure you're okay, kid?"

"I am, so you don't have to keep harping on about it. Besides, I recommend you get away from here and avoid the main avenue, a dangerous entity is about to appear there." Without looking at the demi-human, Subaru started walking in the opposite direction from where he was supposed to go.

"Hmm?" Subaru heard the demi-human express with curiosity, but decided to ignore him. At that time he didn't have much time.

Considering the number of people on the avenue just feet from the exit of the alley he was in, it was easy to assume that it was approximately noon. That only meant one thing: the point of return was now after his meeting with the designers. Which implied that there could not be more than five minutes left for the figure to appear on the main avenue of the metropolitan area.

"Shit..." He muttered, realizing that Return by Death had played him dirty. Subaru, though he hadn't had a chance to think much about it at the time due to circumstances, noticed in Priestella that the "save point" of his ability was changing.

For several months after what happened on the first day he arrived in that world, Subaru wondered what would happen if he died again. Would he return in front of Kadomon, the appa guy? Had his Return by Death been a one-day thing? Would he definitely die if he died again? With these doubts hovering in his head, Subaru strongly feared the moment when his life would be in danger again.

But now he understood that the point of return changes, even though that change is completely out of his control. Moreover, the conditions that cause it to change were still beyond his knowledge. The only conclusion she could draw now, after her sixth death, is that the save point, or point of return, changes randomly, returning him always to a point in time when he is able to avoid the coming danger. However…

This time it isn't even ten minutes before the death event take place. What kind of sick joke is this? He thought, grumpily. Fate, or whatever gave him that ability, definitely enjoyed making him suffer. With the little time left to act, there was only one option left to make.

"Hi, Onii-san…?"

"Mimi, I'm so glad to see you!" Having emerged from the alley onto one of the side-streets, adjacent to the main avenue, Subaru pulled out his metia and contacted the demi-human girl. Seeing Mimi's reflection appear on the surface of the pocket-mirror-shaped metia, Subaru felt pathetically relieved.

"Do you need anythin', Onii-san? Mimi thought you'd call only if an emergency happened… Wait! Did Onii-san get scared and now he's lost in the middle of the city?!" Looking particularly alarmed, Mimi approached the screen of the metia, thus trying to see where Subaru was.

"Midge, stop treating me like a child!" Putting a hand on his forehead, Subaru sighed as he tried to calm down. He felt very nervous. He did not know if moving away from the avenue would be enough to avoid the attack of the female entity; in fact, he did not even know what the entity's objective was, besides killing indiscriminately. "I wish I could say that it's something as simple as that..."

"Hmm… Is it any worse than Onii-san bein' lost due to fear?" Curiously, the girl watched Subaru attentively, as she waited for the answer to her question.

"I'll be brief. The main avenue of the metropolitan area is about to be attacked. I left there immediately, but I fear I haven't yet escaped the danger."

What did the entity want? Was killing those present in the avenue her only objective? Would she settle for that place alone, or would she attack the rest of the city? Subaru only remembered that from one moment to the next the female figure appeared. And he, paralyzed by fear, was unable to even try to flee and ended up decapitated. Probably the same had happened to the rest of the people who were near him, at the moment that the hostile figure launched her attack.

How had she attacked him? That was another unanswered question. All he remembered was that one moment he was dying out of fear, and the next he was literally died. Whatever that entity's attack was, it was capable of killing multiple people in the blink of an eye... There would be many deaths, of that he had no doubt.

Will I leave them behind without warning? He thought, feeling great remorse. Subaru had already warned the demi-human that he had encountered in the alley, but that wouldn't change anything. In fact, he had huge doubts that this demi-human had taken his word for it. So, once again, he was running away, no matter how many corpses he left behind. Just as it happened in Priestella, where he first took hours to warn of the attack and then refused to take his own life to save the lives lost during the siege of the inn.

No… He had promised Anastasia that he would do everything he could to stay alive. Besides, nothing assured him that if he committed suicide, he would be able to avoid all those deaths; after all, by the time they entered Priestella, Elsa was already watching them. However, if he had revealed it before entering the city, perhaps… Subaru refused to continue with that train of thought.

He is weak and helpless, no matter how much information he collects, that will remain a constant. For this reason, the best thing he could do in Priestella was to settle for the ending he got, in which Anastasia came out alive and no life close to her was lost; a selfish idea, but crudely realistic. I'm not a hero of any kind, I cannot afford to try to protect with my hands more than what little I can embrace; he concluded.

Therefore, staying on the avenue to warn people would be useless. If anything, it would only make the entity appear prematurely and focus solely on him. So his only option at the time was to flee, get as far away from the attack area as possible and get help. And at that moment, Mimi was his only option for salvation. After all, the company's factory, where Tivey was located, is situated on the opposite side of the metropolitan area, farther from the company's headquarters than the mansion.

"Onii-san, where're you right now?" After a moment of silence, Mimi questioned him about his whereabouts.

Looking around his surroundings for a moment, Subaru searched for a landmark, however, he found nothing of value. "I'm on one of the streets adjacent to the main avenue… But I've a better idea. I'll go back to the company building and wait for you there."

"Okay, in that case I'll call Bro and tell him to go there as quickly as he can. Mimi will be by your side as soon as possible, Subaru Nii-san." That quick response, lacking hesitation, even though Mimi probably didn't understand what was going on, was the result of one of the few things he got out of the hotel siege, that was worthwhile, even if it was something he didn't think he deserved; genuine trust on the part of those close to Anastasia.

"T-Thanks, Midge." Feeling melancholic, Subaru watched with tears in his eyes at the little girl he was staking his life on. Regaining her playful smile, the girl looked at him with confidence.

"Now that the lady isn't around to pamper you, Mimi will. Don't worry, Onii-san, everyone at the Fang of Iron makes sure to look after those who've looked after us."

Feeling guilt burning at the base of his stomach, Subaru said goodbye to the girl and put the metia back in his pocket. Had he looked after them? All he had done was serve as bait, something only a worthless man like him could do. At the end of the day, he had done nothing for them, but they still saw him as someone of value… So he had to keep trying, he couldn't fall apart.

Clenching his fists tightly and with determination seeping into his gaze, Subaru began to run across the road that would take him back to the Hoshin Company's headquarters. Once there he could begin to feel somewhat safe, before that, he would be like a mouse running in the middle of a meadow full of predators. Subaru was still thinking about it, when fear assailed him...

There, in front of his eyes, was the feminine figure, standing in the middle of the street. Some of the passers-by, being taken by surprise, watched the female in horror. While others simply obeyed their instincts and ran away. However, the figure did not react to the movement of any of the witnesses to her appearance. Her hate-leaden gaze was focused solely on a single person...

"Sh-Shit..." Subaru realized too late, he had been very naive. The entity of death had not appeared on the avenue to wreak havoc and execute everyone present. She had appeared there, because her goal was to kill him. Just like Elsa; Subaru reasoned.

He was struggling to keep his train of thought as clear as possible, and if he panicked, he would be paralyzed again and lose his life before he could even squeeze a bit of information out of the situation. This way of thinking, which was unbecoming of him and not to his liking, was the only way he could stand firm to the promise he made to Anastasia and make use of his ability at the same time.

Even so, his mental strength simply wasn't enough. A shudder that began in his hands spread throughout his body, until no limb of his was left unshaken. Just as it happened shortly before his previous death, his being was invaded by a sense of terror capable of paralyzing him completely.

The entity, losing her defined shape, as if she were a shadow, began to walk towards him. The blurred silhouette of the feme-fatal didn't stop emitting hatred and hostility, paralyzing and frightening the few people left on that street. Making clear her killing intentions, the entity stopped in front of him, only a few yards away, and raised a hand.

"Die..." With a single word as a farewell, the entity released a blast of air capable of slicing through the stone as if it were paper. Subaru, terrified, watched completely frozen as death returned for him. However, before death could claim his pathetic life, a metallic sound halted the advance of the murderous gust.

"Looks like you weren't lyin', kid. This girl really seems to be a very dangerous entity." With an extremely relaxed tone, even in the presence of the hostile figure, spoke the demi-human who just a few minutes ago had helped him to his feet. "Hmm… And who're you? A woman as beautiful as you shouldn't be-"

"Die…"

Repeating the same word over and over again, the entity of hostility and hatred continued to unleash attacks, composed up of gusts of wind, indiscriminately. With an agility that did not fit his appearance, the demi-human who had just saved his life dodged each of the attacks launched at him.

"Fooooh… Honey, don't you think you'd calm down? If you keep this up, you'd endanger someone." Breathing out a huge column of smoke, the demi-human nonchalantly rebuked the entity, as if it were a normal girl throwing a tantrum.

"Die… Die… Die… Die…! Die…! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!" Frustrated, the female figure launched more and more attacks, incessantly repeating the same word. Death, that's all that woman was thinking about... Subaru, who was watching the fight from the side, felt uncomfortably identified with her. Their close relationship with death was a trait they unfortunately shared.

"Still… Why does she want to kill me so badly? Is this another move by the Client?" Now that he did not have the dangerous glare of the entity on him, Subaru was able to partially recover and took the opportunity to search for clues to help him get out of the situation.

Once again, only one culprit for that attack directed at his person crossed his mind: the client Elsa had mentioned. The person he hated the most, and his target for revenge. If it was really him, or her, then his reasons for revenge could only grow. However, there was something that made him doubt that theory.

That female entity did not appear to be a hit woman. To begin with, she was attacking too erratically, without considering the surroundings. Also, by her look and aura, it was implied that her attack was being driven by her emotions; as if it were something personal. But what had he done to cause such a reaction from the entity? Subaru was confused, the information he possessed was not enough. So he would have to find a way to escape from there and...

"… Die, die, die!" So far, the demi-human who had saved him had been fighting defensively, as if he had been analyzing hos enemy's fighting style and skills, but he had finally decided to take out a kunai, a stabbing weapon that also came from his country, and start counterattacking.

"I wish I didn't have to use my best techniques, but it looks like I'll have no choice."

Annoyed, the hostile figure leapt up, dodging the demi-human's kunai and counterattacking with a kick. Using his furry arm for cover, the demi-human managed to reduce the damage from the kick. Even so, the force applied by the entity in her strike was enough to throw him against one of the street businesses. The shabby demi-human, however, did a somersault in the air and avoided colliding with the stall.

Using the wall of one of the buildings as a surface to propel himself, the anthropomorphic wolf returned to combat with a kunai in his hand that he had held free until a moment ago. The deadly female, having anticipated the counterattack, quickly approached him and released another gust of deadly wind. However, as if he were a ninja, the shabby demi-human disappeared into thin air, only to reappear just behind the feminine figure.

Subaru, surprised, observed from only yards away the exchange of strikes between both abnormal beings. And what surprised him most was the combat prowess of the shabby demi-human who had helped him in the alley. Using techniques reminiscent of the ninja fighting style, the raggedy wolf had managed to fight the murderous entity on equal terms. Hopefully, on this occasion it would be enough to leave everything to him... He would be repeating what happened with Reinhard, but he had no choice but to accept it without complaint.

"It's a shame, but I'm afraid it's time for me to finish ya off." In cold blood, the demi-human pierced the entity's back with his kunai. Blood began to flow from the female figure's body, proof that it was a living being and not some kind of demon or evil spirit. Subaru allowed himself to relax for a moment, which was a complete mistake.

"No... not you... Die!" After whispering something that seemed to be meaningless, the female entity shouted the same thing she had been repeating incessantly until now, producing a wind dome that surrounded her completely. The demi-human wolf was unable to react in time, since he was still holding the handle of the kunai stuck into the hostile entity's back, so he received deep cuts throughout his fur.

Bathed in the blood of the demi-human, the hostile entity charged towards Subaru at terrifying speed. Subaru, paralyzed again by the terrible aura of despair radiated by the figure, was only capable of watch immobilized as death returned for him. Like the pathetic good-for-nothing that he was, he would die without putting up any resistance. Once again, he would fail his promise and die leaving Anastasia behind. He would die again without being able to overcome his weaknesses.

"Sh-it..." Cursing, Subaru refused to accept his death without at least trying to do something, anything, no matter how futile any kind of resistance might be.

"Die…" With a murmur laden with hatred and hostility, the female figure stopped in front of him and raised one of her hands.

"N-No!" Breaking through the paralysis that was forcing him to accept his death without a fight, Subaru leapt to the side, partially dodging the gust of wind aimed directly at his chest. The figure did not expect Subaru to move, so the attack with which she had attacked him did not carry the momentum necessary to make escape impossible for him. Even so… "Aarghh!"

Subaru had managed to prevent the sharp wind from slicing through his torso, but had been unable to prevent the attack from coming into contact with his body. Like a soft piece of cloth, the air sliced through his left leg right down the middle of his thigh, completely severing it from the rest of the body. With a thud, the severed leg and Subaru fell to the ground. Screaming in agony, Subaru tried to squeeze his leg, only to realize that it was gone.

"No… I… wai-ted… a lo-ng… ti-me…" Full of anger, the figure mumbled. "Y-You... sh-all… die.. now!" Hatred was blinding her, the figure could only think of one thing, and that was to kill. Just talking was hard work; anything that wasn't killing was hard work.

Still, Subaru had managed to partially grasp the message. The agony caused by the pain in his leg was enormous, but not enough to cloud his judgment; he had been through worse before. He only had to fight until the end, only then could he die without remorse. Striving to grasp every last detail of what was happening around him, Subaru ignored the pain in his severed thigh.

"Wh-What do you want from m-me, dammit?!" Tears of agony were staining his face, but that wouldn't stop Subaru from facing his last moments of life with firmness. That strange force that was surging from within his being, Subaru knew he needed to seize it and strive not to let it fade away.

"Die!" However, his efforts were in vain...

"Kid!" Standing up again, the demi-human tried to prevent his death.

Why did he do it? They didn't know each other at all... He was useless... It was not worth saving someone like him... Now he would die and have another chance to try. This is how Natsuki Subaru's life cycle worked. He had to try again and again, so that he would be able to arrange the pieces on the board in such a way that the optimal result would be achieved. That was his job, as a witness to the past that never happened and the future that might happen.

The wind attack this time had been launched with much greater force than the previous one. The hostile female would no longer risk Subaru dodging her attack. As if it were an air barrier, the multiple gusts approached him, announcing his seventh death.

With no one able to avert the fatal outcome, Subaru's body was engulfed by the multiple blasts of air, forming deep wounds throughout it. One of his hands was chopped into three parts, his remaining leg was sliced from the heel down, his neck was partially slit, and his chest was covered in cuts up to two inches deep. In addition, one of his ears, one of his eyes, his nose, and part of his lips were missing.

"Blergh!" Throwing up blood, Subaru felt his life fade away at breakneck speed. The pain flooding his body was extreme, as if he were smoldering to death, yet the damage he had received had caused his body to lose blood rapidly, so the pain was instantly numbed by death. Unconsciously, Subaru was grateful for this.

"Onii-san?!" When much of his mental processes had already disappeared, Subaru was able to hear a childish voice calling him. How did he know it was him who was being called? He didn't. His mind was no longer capable of processing information that way; he just knew. In his field of vision, which had been shortened by the lack of an eye, a cute face appeared with an expression of utter despair. "Onii-san, don't die!" Mimi had come for him, as she had promised; she hadn't left him alone... Subaru wanted to thank her, Subaru wanted to prevent her from crying, Subaru wanted to tell her that everything would be all right...

Mimi… But before he could even think about it, everything was shrouded in darkness. Once again, Subaru had died leaving behind a world fraught with his failures. How many times had he done it already? Soon he would lose count, and he hated to be aware of it. If he truly wanted to reach his happy ending, he would have to deal with it… Even so, the expression of complete agony that Subaru saw on Mimi before he died; he didn't want to witness something like it ever again.