Among the shrieks, Emilia's, Rem's and Crusch's were the loudest.
Stoically watching to respect their hero, to endure what he did?
What impossible ideals.
In front of this excruciating and cruel fate, looking as their loved one turned into a pile of meat, pretty little ideals crumbled to dust.
Their wails mirrored Subaru's.
Another bite.
Another shriek.
Another bite.
Another shriek.
Another gulp.
Another slurp.
Another fleshy chew.
Subaru was being consumed, consumed by the monstrosity that was called the great rabbit.
And he was alive.
Through all of it.
Petra had long since fainted into Frederica's trembling arms.
Garfiel was... crying.
Crying was all he could do for his captain, once again.
How useless was he? A shield? How utterly hysterical. The joke of this century! What a disgrace he was. What good was a shield that personally killed the things it should protect? And now, the one he was supposed to protect was turning into mincemeat. The only use that his pathetic self had left was crying.
Anastasia and Ricardo closed their eyes, Ricardo hugging the bawling siblings.
Julius gagged, tears rolling down his cheeks. The armrests of his seat were long crushed in his rage.
This is too much! Why must his fellow knight endure such things?! No man can suffer an attack of the great rabbit and ever smile again! How? Seeing his loved ones die, experiencing unspeakable horrors, and dying the most gruesome deaths imaginable. How can Natsuki Subaru be so strong as to ever smile?!
Otto vomited.
At first, he felt proud how he saved his friend's life by sacrificing himself, even if it was horrific in the end. But... he would have preferred for his friend to die a swift death... than this atrocity.
Not like this.
'It's my fault... my fault... my fault... again...!'
He dared to look at the screen again, seeing Subaru's intestine being swallowed by a pair of rabbits as he screeched.
He vomited again.
Priscilla and Al could only watch, Priscilla was slightly trembling, and blinked less than usual, just slightly so.
'For being able to protect the ones you hold dear after all this... You truly are... interesting... You'll make a fitting addition to my camp, rough diamond.'
'My fucking god...'
Felix retched and hunched over. He envied Subaru, for being a better person than he ever could be. But this... he could not even begin to fathom what Subaru was feeling. What pain... what suffering...
Wilhelm's eyes glistened, but their determined gaze continued on.
'Please... I beg of you... stay strong, Subaru-dono...!'
Subaru's screams were gone, replaced by the fleshy sounds of innards being wetly chopped and slurped.
If it were his vocal cords that were destroyed, or if his will to scream was gone... no one could tell.
Subaru was barely recognizable. His body was comparable to a pile of raw flesh.
His face... His face...
The loop did not reset, meaning he was still alive...
Frederica closed her eyes shut, holding the fainted Petra.
Roswaal... exhaled slightly.
'Pathetic.'
Felt was screaming and thrashing violently, but her vision was blocked by Reinhard's hands.
She saw it! She saw it! She saw how big bro was being eaten! She still hears how he is being eaten!
"Reinhard! Save big bro! Save him!" she screamed with all her might. It did not matter if her order was irrational, she just wanted Subaru's pain to be gone.
Reinhard scowled at the screen, disgusted with himself. His friend was dying again, in such a horrific and painful way, and even with all his strength, with all his power, he was powerless to do anything.
Why does he possess this strength, when it is so useless?
"I'm so sorry..." he whispered, his eyes watery.
Beatrice hugged her contractor tighter and tighter, bawling incoherently all the while. From beginning to end, this was the only thing she could do.
This is what he experienced in Sanctuary?! This horrific end?! Her contractor suffered such a death?!
She had steeled her mind for his eventual death, hoping she could take it. But this... this is just unreasonable! Outrageous! Why was she not there for him?! Why was she in the Forbidden Library, wallowing in self-pity! Subaru was dying!
"Betty's sorry...! Betty's sorry...! Betty's sorry...!"
As for Emilia and Rem...
They continued to shriek at the sight.
Even the battle-hardened Crusch.
She saw what the great rabbit was capable of. Even so, such a gruesome death, a death that was more agonizing than any other, more sickening than she could ever imagine, was befalling the one she loved.
Ram was hugging her crying sister, not daring to look at the screen. Rem could not care less for Ram's embrace right now.
Her hero.
Her hero was dying again.
Again, again, again.
Crueler, more painful, worse than ever before.
Could the world not give him a break?
Was he not allowed to rest? To have happiness? Not a shred of mercy?
Why him?
Why her hero...?
Those thoughts could not form a sentence, not a word.
The only thing that came out of her mouth were ear piercing shrieks.
Emilia was the same.
He does not deserve such a thing.
He, who saved her countless times.
He, who suffered for her and others countless times.
Her Subaru, who deserved so much better...
did not deserve to be teared to bits.
Bit by bit.
Bite after bite.
Gulp after gulp.
The person named Natsuki Subaru... The Hero, Future Knight, Ordinary Boy, acquaintance, friend, hero, love... ceased to exist in this world, ending up as the nutrition for the great rabbit, which would consume itself in its limitless hunger.
On and on, the cycle of death continued.
For the great rabbit.
And for Natsuki Subaru.