Watching The Dragon's Candidate (WHDAAA Canon)

by Reactionist

Spinoff of my story, WHDAAA, where the cast learn how one small movement from a jewel turned the boy they've been watching die over and over again into the sixth candidate vying for Lugunica's throne. Also known as that fic where two Muslims decided to piss off everyone in the community by doing more reactions. Written collab between Me and ArcherfromAnor

2. Chapter 2

Dragon's Candidate Chapter 1

Author's note:

Just a few more words from us two authors of this reaction.

We know it may start a new trend, this fiction isn't the only one that would deserve reactions after all.

But please, before you do anything.

Ask the Author First.

We are doing this fiction because we are working together on this. Because we both accepted.

No matter how much you love a fiction and you want to see or make a reaction about one, do not do anything before contacting the said author first. It is a question of respect and consent, we hope for you all to understand this.

Thank you

---

"Betty will not have any of it, I suppose!"

"But it's what Subaru-sama would've wanted!"

"Don't come closer to Betty or I swear you'll regret it, I suppose!"

The shrill scream of one Beatrice, the great spirit of shadow magic, filled the hallways of the theater. The twin-tailed blonde spirit was shown running through a room with a panicking expression on her adorable face.

"What is going on in here?!" Seeing her opportunity for escape, Beatrice quickly jumped away from her chaser and ran out of the door, convinced that the startled stern beast-woman was standing in the doorway.

Frederica didn't need to give the great spirit a second glance, choosing to glare at a far easier-to-catch troublemaker with her hands on her hips, "What's going on here, Petra-chan?"

The cute little maid quickly blushed in embarrassment and hid her two hands behind her back, a child getting caught for doing something inappropriate, "N-Nothing at all Frederica-sama! Beatrice-sama was just being mean again!"

"I do recall us agreeing that lying was a bad thing, Petra-chan."

The small maid could only flinch, the stern look Frederica was shooting at her reminded the village girl of her own mother when she was disappointed by her actions.

lowering her head down, a defeated expression almost like a pout, the small maid lowered her arms from behind her back and showed the older maid what she had in her grip.

Frederica gave a confused hum as she recognized the item, bunny-ears.

"Why do you have that? And why were you chasing Beatrice-sama with it?" Asked the confused blonde maid.

Petra only gave an embarrassed squeak and sighed in frustration, her adorable cheeks red, "I just wanted to make Subaru-sama a bit happier when he wakes up today! I remembered how cheerful he looked when Beatrice-sama and Emilia-sama had these on and I wanted him to have that huge smile as soon as he woke up and saw it on them both!"

Frederica blinked with bafflement, "Why wouldn't Subaru-sama be happy?"

Petra's eyes seemed to dim slightly, her frown replacing her soft maturing facial features as her gaze fell to the ground, "I just need to see him cheerful… I can't look at those eyes of his the same way again… "

"Petra..." Looking at the little girl, anyone from a mile away can tell that she had seen something so horribly wrong that her entire aura seemed almost colorless from the darkness that had befallen her, the little girl was simply in despair and barely hanging on by a thread.

"Petra-chan… It's not on you to hold this," Frederica spoke with a hurting motherly tone, hugging the small girl with her arms and lowering herself to fully embrace the girl, not questioning why the little girl such a look… the reason was clear on all those in this theater, Frederica need not question it… Just try to help as best she could.

"I wanted to be there..." The small girl trembled, her voice on the verge of breaking, "I-...I wanted to be on that hill as well… with Subaru… " Petra whimpered with her tears fully leaking on her chubby cheeks as she held the ear band tightly, not feeling the need to keep up an honorific that she didn't care for just for her status when mentioning the boy who'd saved her time and time again.

Frederica closed her eyes, and patted the girl's head in comfort, remembering the last viewing session and the hill-side scene that it ended on, showing the happiest of endings for the hero who suffered for so long.

"He deserved so much more than that! Emilia-sama is kind, but she doesn't understand how much pain he was in… I...I do… yet I wasn't able to help him either..."

Staying silent, Frederica let the younger maid shout her grief into her embrace, feeling all of the confusing mash of emotions the little girl was holding inside for so long.

"I don't wanna see him die again..." Petra gave a heart-wrenching sob, "I just want to see him smile and laugh again… be happy again… "

"I understand." Giving her a small nod that nudged the tip of her head with her chin, Frederica simply held the poor girl as she cried, "We all want him to be happy as well… And the hero that saved us will wake up soon… You could have your own moment where he smiles after that. But you must be strong. You must be the one to pull him out of his cursed darkness. We will all be trying our best as well, but you must be strong, Petra."

"How can I? After what he's been through… It's not good to keep everything in by himself!"

"He's not by himself, infact."

Before the older maid can refute what the village girl had said, the shrill voice of an upset girl sounded throughout the room.

"Beatrice-sama?" Glancing at the doorway, the once cowering spirit girl was now standing with a look of outclassing determination on her pouting face.

Petra only met her with a confused teary-eyed look.

"You think you're the only one entitled to give him help because you have feelings for him, but doesn't that make you just the same as those so-called dragon maidens in the other room, I wonder?"

"I'm not like them! I want to help Subaru-sama not use him!"

"Help him with what, infact?"

Petra's words fell silent, Beatrice's intimidating glare sitting a sense of helplessness within her, she couldn't argue back.

"You're not a strong half-elven princess, not even a smart merchant queen that helped free an army of slaves by just her wits, you can't even hold a conversation without stuttering, much less try to get someone with the deepest of walls around his soul to talk, I suppose. You are not going to be any good for Betty's contractor alone, infact."

At the elegant spirit girl's words, Petra only flinched harder and harder until she sunk, her hopes and determination crushed by the cruel perfect argument the spirit beat into her. A normal, insignificant, peasant little girl with no power or authority, she couldn't help the boy who suffered through hell itself. Images haunted the small girl's head, drowning her by nightmares of what her hero's been through.

She could not help him, she could not be of any importance to him.

Just a village girl.

"Not if you're alone, infact."

Petra's eyes could only widen as Beatrice's smirk did the same.

---

"I'd rather not have that discussion with you," a man said, briefly showing a hint of amusement in his tone.

"C'mon, you gotta tell me how ya did tha' jump!" A brutish young man shouted with a broken accent, appearing to be excited.

"This is hardly the place or time for that, I don't intend to bore myself with the details."

"You're really a bad teaser Julius-san~."

"Pardon?"

In the far right side of the dimmed theater, three young men from different factions were conversing fondly with each other with the rest of the filled room being ignored by them, Julius Juukilius, Otto Swen, and Garfiel Tanzeil all sat in their own little corner, conversing with each other after having seen the last of Subaru's arc 3. They did not know why they were called arcs but each arc seemed to represent a part of Subaru's journey or significantly dangerous situations that he had to overcome, much to the regret of the three friends.

"Cap'n's poses are the best! But I have to learn how ya used the air to jump like that!"

Julius simply sighed in his seat with a small smirk reaching his lips, enjoying how the blonde beast boy looked at him like one would a teacher or a child would look at a hero, he was not worthy of such a look of course, but the attention was appreciated since it was a hard move to master on Julius' part. The move-in question was that of the one he had used against the vile Archbishop of Sloth during the very last showing the screen had just finished projecting a few mere hours ago.

"Can't believe that the last one was the end of it… We've been watching this entire ARC for so long now, I can't even remember the ones that came before it."

Both, Julius and Garfiel stopped their gig and looked towards the muttering merchant boy, his eyes looking glassy yet determined. The boy remembered almost all of the horrors his brother had to endure, his expression showed every bit of relief seeping through his heart for it being over.

The two thought the same of course, both of them.

Seeing the boy's journey was an excruciating experience for everyone in this room, many of them went through a plethora of changes mentally that would've never been accomplished had it not been for the Warden's truth.

Especially the tired merchant boy and the bruised knight…

Julius held a hand to his cheek and frowned as he remembered how he acquired it, for the foolish action he was hastily taking after watching what the warden called Viewing episode 12 right before watching the final session of Subaru's arc 3. (I'm referencing an event that happened in the reactions of chapter 15 in whdaaa)

"I hope that heals well," a friendly, guilty sounding man pulled Julius out of his revere, "Sorry if I'd startled you, I just thought I may need company since… well… " The trio stared at Reinhard as he slowly trailed off and glanced at another part of the room with a sheepish face, "Since my lady seems to have found herself a new seat." Reinhard chuckled while looking where the small blonde had been seating with a proud smile.

"Your lady is really something else, man. I respect you for it."

Reinhard gave a little shake at Garfiel's words with a warm smile, "My lady will show the world greater colors than her attitude portrays."

Shaking their heads at the ever-loyal answer the happy Reinhard gave, Otto was ecstatic to pat the empty chair beside him for the legendary protector to sit.

"Thank you for having me, Otto-sama, Garfiel-sama, Julius." Giving a bow of respect, Reinhard took the seat gestured to him by Otto, not giving the purple-haired knight a second look.

Julius simply stayed silent and looked away from the redhead that had come to join the trio.

"I apologize if I'm inconveniencing you-"

"Man, do you ever stop apologizing?! Cap'n was righ' you really are an off-the-charts nice guy!" Garfiel growled with exasperated grinding of his teeth, Reinhard simply smirked and said.

"Sorry if-"

"Stop!"

Otto laughed at Garfiel's red face while noticing Reinhard's newfound confidence as the knight clearly teased the blonde beast boy.

Julius also gave a reluctant smile of his own, sliding a hand towards his black eye.

---

"Are you doing okay?"

"Yes, I am doing just fine, Crusch-sama. Please don't fret over me."

"You're my knight, I will express my worry for you whenever I want!"

Sitting in another corner of the theater, far away, were Crusch's camp including the duchess herself, the butler, and the healer cat demi that usually would look so cheerful. Now, the boy only looked to be in a completely tarnished state with his eyes red, his fur scraggly all over, and his clothes just wrinkled and drenched.

The worst thing in all of this was the way his eyes looked, no hope or purpose inside of them.

"I'm not a knight," he whispered with his head down low.

Crusch only glared at him, her fury and disappointment not over-shining her worry for him but increasing it, "You shall say no such thing! I will go over this however many times you need to hear-"

"Crusch-sama."

Barring her furious eyes towards the butler, Crusch gave the ever stoic Wilhelm a look of demand so he can get on with it and let her drill her thoughts into her stubborn knight's head.

Giving a shake of his head, "Crusch-sama, this is pointless."

"Don't you dare say that-"

"I don't mean to infringe upon your authority, my lady. But this is what Felix-dono chose, you can't force his hand unless you want to deeply hurt him."

The duchess only wavered with her furious look turning to one of remorse and sadness, "I can't let him keep thinking like that! It's bad enough Subaru…" Wilhelm stayed silent and let the trembling girl hold herself for a moment, letting her lament on her pain.

"He's a good one," a voice devoid of emotion whispered.

Wilhelm and Crusch looked over towards the down-trodden cat, Crusch had tears in her eyes.

"Natsuki Subaru… He would make a great knight for you, Crusch-sama… Better than me."

Crusch tightened her fists in anger, "Felix-"

"Please, Crusch-sama… Please don't fret about me…"

The duchess could only grit her teeth harshly, allowing her tears to fall as the healer gave her nothing but a broken smile devoid of hope, a gentle push on her arm from Wilhelm and the look of sheer hopelessness made on Felix's face forced the duchess to give up on the matter, for now, letting herself be moved into a seat far away from the depressed healer she used to call knight.

"I'm sorry, Crusch-sama. He needs time." Wilhelm whispered encouragingly, pitying his master as she sniffled.

"I know..." Crusch muttered with anger and frustration filling her tone, "I know that he needs time… I just didn't want to fail someone else that I hold dearly..." The royal heir to the Karsten house gave one short glance toward a black-mope of hair she was so dearly familiar with before looking down at the ground in shame, her mind filled with thoughts of her shame and helplessness in helping them.

Fourier, Subaru, and now Felix… Men who she turned her back on and ignored time and time again until they broke under the pressure that was unseen because of her ignorance and hot-hotheadedness.

Truly, she was no better than scum.

---

"Hmph! Aldebaran, I want a drink from those fancy bottles I saw in my room, go over there and bring mineself the best one at once!"

"Y-Yes, princess." The helmet-wearing one-armed man sighed deeply and moved to obey the snobbish Priscilla Barielle, ordering with a crossed leg under her magnificent dress and a luxurious fan in her hand.

The princess used the time she had alone to observe all of the peasants below her, she had been amused for a little while with that Karsten girl's blight and managed to form a sense of pity for the green-haired pig, pity for how pathetic her knight was, he was downright pitiful.

Priscilla scoffed at the horrid sight of the demi-human boy, truly an unkempt beast in both body and soul. Her senses simply revolted at the thought of having to deal with someone like him, in that she respected the Karsten filth indeed.

"What a pathetic lot..." The fiery-eyed matriarch waved with her fan, while inspecting all of the pathetic animals sitting all around her in the same theater.

All of them were weak, dishonorable, don't have any amount of noteworthy pride as they worried and failed to protect what was dear to them time and time again.

Her beautiful ruby irises moved over to the one person who settled a source of fascination within her since she learned about him. This boy, weak, pathetic, delusional, and broken in every form of pride or honor… A boy the entire world had failed him.

Someone that Priscilla truly wanted to see fall and stop fucking dying over and over again for people that didn't even have the decency to say I love you back to him.

The royal-bound lady was talking about none other than a most infuriating naive girl sitting in the front row. Taking up a spot that she did not deserve beside the boy she had ruined with her stupidity.

"Damn half-wit," Priscilla whispered deadpanned.

"Brought you the drink, princess. I don't know which one was the most expensive so I brought the most fancier looking one.

The scarlet-eyed lady glanced at the knight for a moment, her eyes observing him, "Where's the cup, you useless dog?"

Al simply tapped his helmet, "Knew I forgot something, damn!"

---

"So… "

"What is it, Ricard-san? I'm in no mood to play guessing games."

The dogman sitting beside her raised his hands with an uneasy smile on his muzzle, "Calm down~! I'm just asking you how you felt after… ya know?"

Anastasia breathed and glanced at the dogman with a tired flare surrounding facial features, her entire mood just looked… damp.

The twins and the dogman had stayed with their lady ever since the last showing had occurred. (Chapter 15 whdaaa)

They've been wary of their boss after she had left such a scarring 'review' towards a certain person she was displeased with and the actions they've taken so far.

"I think you're being a bit too harsh about this, boss."

Anastasia simply breathed heavily and kept her hands moving in a rubbing motion on the scarf around her neck, "It's nothin'," the merchant princess breathed heavily, "That girl jus' really gets on my nerves is all!"

Though the princess before him was growling, the dogman simply carried through, "What's got ya all heated, boss? I get why y'er pissed about the kid's princess, but I don't get why yer trying so hard to take the boy into our camp."

Anastasia stared her subordinate down, pursing her lips into a thin outline and letting her eyes grow cold as she stared him down, "Because he would be much more appreciated in our company rather than be wasted on that naive girl."

The dogman just kept his muzzle shut, seeing how his boss clearly was still fuming by the last presentation, he understood to keep his boundaries.

---

Sitting a couple of seats away, Ram was surprised to find that her sister had moved away from the front rows to sit beside her in the back lines of the theater room, "Rem?"

"Sister?" The blue-haired maid asked with a soft guilty smile.

"…" Ram blinked in confusion, "Are you gonna sit here?"

The blue-haired twin gave a slow nod, gazing at the front of the room with damp eyes for a moment.

Ram held an expression of understanding as she pieced everything together, "You don't want to be near Barusu… Because we will get to see your fight with those witch-cult dogs."

The girl held her expression of sadness as her sister stated exactly what was on her mind. Her sister was so smart, always.

"I'd never let go of my hero," Rem stated adoringly, making her sister smile softly, "And I shouldn't have let go of him so easily back then."

"Rem, Barusu already told you that he loved you, you were too hurt to help him with the rest of the mission after taking on the Whale." Ram kindly placed a hand on her sister's own, giving her twin a gentle smile assuming Rem was guilty for leaving the boy to deal with Betelgeuse on his own.

But Rem shook her head, "I'm not talking about that, sister. I abandoned him in a much more terrible way…"

"…"

"… I didn't think it through, I just jumped into the fight between those men thinking that perhaps no one will care if I would've been struck down… That at least I could make him think about me for one moment… I was selfish… "

Ram noticed the tears of shame building up inside of her sister's eyes, she couldn't speak as she mulled her sister's deep self-deprecation. Guilt and shame overwhelming the older twin.

"I didn't think how sad he could be sister!" Rem sobbed in grief, remembering everything the boy had been through just to save her and how she turned around to tarnish that as soon as he left her on her own for a moment, "I only thought about making him think about me… I'm worse than scum…"

"You were saving people that couldn't fight back," Ram whispered, holding her sister's shoulder firmly, making her look up at the stern older twin, "You may have been too rash to sacrifice yourself so easily. You may have hurt me, your dear sister by not caring for how I would've felt about your death," as Ram hammered in her points with stern whispers, Rem could only flinch underneath her older sister's scolding, "You were lucky to have been cursed by the cultists instead of being killed, sister. That would've destroyed us, Barusu and me most of all."

"I'm sorry. I understand my mistake, sister." Rem said with a shameful nod of her head, drooping her shoulders in misery and despair after Ram's stern disparaging of her actions.

"You must learn to have love for yourself. You must learn to value how we look at you, Rem… Barusu loves you, the boy loves you," Ram couldn't help but either snort out of amusement or fake being disgusted before she continued, "do you really think he wouldn't be crushed when founds you in the state you've been in for over a year? You should trust us more than that sissy, we love you."

Ram whispered in her beloved twin's ear as she engulfed the trembling girl in a tight hug, a warm tender smile on Ram's lips.

"I'm sorry sister!" Rem sniffed and happily melted in her sister's arms, "I'm so sorry!"

"Shhh, It's okay… just let it all out before someone finds us like this, we have to look our best before everyone less we ruin our lord's image," though that won't be standing for long unless the screen has mercy on Roswaal-sama.

Ram thought as she patted Rem's back, wondering what her sister's reaction would be once she learns of just how much pain Roswaal has caused the black-haired boy she loved.

I hope this will finally turn him away from his obsession for good.

Thought the pink-haired maid, thinking of everything her beloved lord is going to go through to earn redemption of his horrid deeds.

She was worried, but she did not pity him.

To Ram, Subaru didn't deserve any of the deaths Roswaal's obsession placed him through, and she needed to make her own amends with the boy she strongly wanted to protect along with her sister now that she sees how much he had suffered.

She will be an older sister just like he always joked.

---

A clown-faced the mirror inside of his personal bathroom.

A strange arrangement this room was, very fancy yet feels warm and cozy.

Made for the happy to feel comfortable…

Roswaal L. Mathers was anything but comfortable…

Anything but warm, cozy, fancy, or even happy.

"I guess today is the day I shall face them," he whispered to himself in the empty room, looking down at his sink, away from the mirror, away from his judging eyes.

"My grave sins," the clown sobbed without a tear coming down, "all of them."

He did not intend to beg for mercy, he didn't expect forgiveness nor will he ever accept it from anyone.

He could never forgive himself.

Everything was for his teacher. No matter the cost or sacrifice, he shall pay it.

But this cost… what he's done to the boy…

Roswaal would not be feeling any guilt about any of his other mistreatments… he regrets nothing yet feels guilty about everything.

He was a rascal, escaping from punishment and carrying through fates clutches, burning everyone's lives around him just to achieve this one cursed goal.

He would not earn forgiveness today, he didn't want it.

A man that was sentenced to die, and he was happy with his sentencing because he knew it was deserved from the start.

So Roswaal L. Mathers, lamented on his guilt for a few moments. Precious were these moments, for the screen shall show his crimes in full detail once the viewings of the fourth 'arc' starts.

Roswaal excepts his fate today.

"I guess it's time," the man whispered diligently and moved to wrap his coat around his body before walking out of the room, a wide, eccentric smile that could not reach his soulless eyes plastered on his clownish face.

---

"Are you okay, big sis?" A short girl, sitting in the front row, asked of another person sitting beside her with worry filling her voice.

"It's not healthy to keep ya're silence over stuff like this… I should know." The girl tried again once she saw that she wasn't getting an answer.

The short-stack speaking was none other than Felt, the royal candidate to the throne that had been picked up from the slums after one turbulent night.

She was now sitting right beside the sleeping Subaru, having stolen the seat immediately after Crusch gave it up to sit with her knight in one of the viewings. She had been waiting to sit next to her big brother for a long while and she was very happy to take a closer look at his peaceful innocent face. It warmed her heart to see him so at peace. She wanted to protect her big brother, stop him from getting involved in it all.

"He did a lot on his own, he would've been out of the slums in no time had he been born there," Felt commented softly, smile so soft and fond of the boy she called brother. Tone filled with respect and admiration for his deeds and achievements.

"He is really smart," Felt looked up in surprise.

"Finally talking, big sis?" The blonde teased her other companion sitting beside Subaru's right side.

"I just… had to take care of my own thoughts, Felt-chan. I apologize." Emilia whispered hoarsely, her eyes puffy and her hair is a bit of a mess.

Felt simply nodded her head with a soft smile, "Please take care of yourself, Big sis! Big bro will be waking up soon."

"He will wake up soon," Emilia whispered in repetition, glancing at the boy with her heart clenched miserably with guilt and fear of his reaction once he wakes.

If he learns of how much they saw and learned… will he demand to go back home? Demand a better master fit to protect him? Have another life elsewhere away from her?

Emilia didn't want to face Subaru.

Not after what she had seen in the final viewing. Oh so sweet was his patience with her, as she made him put all of his burning feelings on the back burner just so she can take it easy. Even after he had died time and time again. Yet he still gave her a shining smile of goodwill and waited for her to understand how much she loved him.

She can never find someone like him.

She will never find anyone like him.

That's why Emilia didn't want to lose him once he wakes up. She was sure that he would've hated her for all of the pain she had caused him, for all of her incompetence and weaknesses.

"He won't be angry with ya."

Blinking, Emilia glanced at the golden-haired ex-thieve, smirking at her with hands behind the back of her head.

"He will probably start blaming himself for all of this, he will also blame himself for making you worry about him. Dealing with him is just like dealing with Reinhard, ya gotta slap him in the face until he stops saying sorry."

Emilia couldn't help but giggle wistfully.

"Yeah," the half-elf whispered with a warm smile, "He's a real piece of work, my Subaru."

Felt proudly grinned.

"I don't see why you should be sitting in Betty's place, I suppose."

A rigid speaker growled from the side, making both Emilia and Felt glance towards them.

"Let Betty have her place beside her contractor or there shall be hell to pay, girl." The spirit of shadows, and Subaru's number one companion stood with her arms crossed and an adorable pout covering her face as she glared jealously at Felt.

The ex-thief simply glared back at the spirit with a look of defiance, "Nope. This is my place for now."

As the two glared at one another, Emilia couldn't think of a way to stop the situation from escalating further so she watched between them, not knowing what to do.

"That's enough!"

A fourth person interjected on the situation, walking right beside the angry blonde loli.

"Beatrice-sama shouldn't be so possessive with Subaru! He doesn't like that!"

"Hmph!" Beatrice huffed at the interjecting Petra, crossing her arms and sending her pout sideways to not face the miffed-out small maid, "You should be quite, I suppose! Betty bets anything that you would be delighted to steal her spot just like that blonde girl!"

"Stop calling me girl and speak to me face to face, twat!" Felt spoke out against her belittling with a dignified, battle-ready expression.

Beatrice glared at the thief hatefully as if honoring her challenge.

Yet before anything could break out, another person cut into the duel of stares and sternly spoke, "That's enough. The Screen-sama will return as soon as we're seated, we might get Subaru-sama to wake up today so please don't start fights over him… not just yet."

The three younger girls all huffed as Frederica asserted authority over them with a disappointed glare.

"Fine, I suppose! First a blue-haired twerp and then the green-haired plotter, I guess you're at least better fit to sit there instead of someone who's gonna hurt Betty's contractor, I suppose."

Surprised that the great spirit relented, Felt stuttered, "Y-Yeah! Big bro's safety is my number one rule!"

Beatrice raised a brow at this, "Hm, you may not be that imposing, I suppose."

"Where will you sit now, Beatrice-san?" Petra asked innocently as she noticed Roswaal and Al beginning to sit down in the back.

The blonde loli sighed and trotted towards the sleeping black-haired boy, not caring for the stares of the two candidates sitting at each of his sides.

"Where Betty will always be, in fact," answering the maid without even glancing back, elegantly placing herself on top of Subaru's lap and flicking her hair tails back and holding a pompous yet proud deadpanned expression.

The great spirit was right where she is supposed to be, by her contractor.

Emilia couldn't help but feel pain at the scene, remembering how manipulative and controlling her own spirit was in contrast to what Subaru had gotten out of Beatrice. She couldn't help but smile anyway for she was happy for the two's relationship no matter how much it made her resent her own relationship with Puck.

"Alright then, let's go and settle Petra," Frederica nudged the little maid to bow before Emilia, Felt, and Beatrice before moving with her towards the back seats.

"It seems you're doing well, Beatrice-chan." Emilia tenderly spoke to the girl now sitting beside her.

"Hello to you as well, I suppose." Beatrice gave no more a greeting, for the boy's sitting just to Felt's left began howling.

Or, it was only one boy screaming at the top of his lungs and two twins hollering with him.

"Come on ya dumbass! We're all 'ere!"

Everyone shared the blonde boy's enthusiasm, brutish as his excitement may be, it was shared by everyone, especially by his own camp members.

"Wake up Subaru!" Petra called from the back, impatient and excited, beaming with hopeful eyes at the dark and empty screen above her.

Emilia withheld a breath for a moment, handling her knight's hand with care as her heart raced heavy with the thought of not holding it again once he wakes up.

"Is Subaru-san waking up today really?" Tivey asked, correcting his glasses position.

"We will get to watch what truly happened with to Crusch-sama's wounded carriages on their way to the capital first, I think that was what he had told us." Julius chipped in naturally, recalling the warden's last promise.

"Would he really show us who ambushed Crusch-sama?" The reserved Felix, tiredly spoke up, his eyes turning from melancholic to vengeful in a mere moment. He wanted answers. He wanted to see why even Subaru couldn't save his lady from Gluttony's curse.

Crusch gazed at him from the corner of her eye, her lips thin.

"I don't think Screen-sama gave us any grief to doubt him… He's shown us things we could've never seen before." Reinhard told him, looking apprehensive.

"We might be seeing that vision last before having Barusu awake."

"Oi! Let's go! We're ready!" Garfiel shouted, not liking how they were all just theorizing about the next showing.

Everyone expressed excitement and rapid interest to watch the next viewing, to see what happened to the Duchess and the obscure factions of the Cult. To finally stop watching the suffering of the boy and have him awake and able to speak his pain.

An exciting venture and a hopeful dream, awaited by most of them in the theater.

And then a loud voice broke out,

Change of plans!

Change. Of. Fucking. Plans!

Wooooh!

"The hell?!"

Everyone stared at the screen in shock, hearing the usually calm and sarcastic voice of the faceless person holding them hostage in such a happy-go-lucky tone. As if he was excited.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Priscilla snarled in annoyance, not liking the feeling of doom her aura was sensing.

This thing working? Good!

Sorry for the delay, I had to take care of something while you were doing… whatever.

Anyways…

Change of fucking plans.

"What the hell does tha' mean?!" Garfiel shouted once more in frustration and anger.

"Please explain." Julius sternly demanded, having a soured look on his face.

You guys don't know this, but I've been fighting a few powerful people all at once ever since you've been summoned inside here. And it's a bit tiring.

"What?" Otto blinked with a look demanding more answers stretching over his expression.

"I do remember you struggling with something on the outside," Felix muttered, remembering all the short pauses where the hidden man would be screaming or appearing to be in a panic.

Yes, yes. So anyway, I got so badly beaten by one of those people that I almost gave up the fight today.

"You… were almost beaten?" Rem whispered in shock, thinking of how powerful this entity must be, it harbored the most powerful magic users and capable fighters known in Lugunica inside one single room and forced them to watch something even the Witch of Envy forbade.

For the warden to suddenly struggle with his fight means that these other people he fought were a real problem.

"Who was it?" Crusch sternly demanded, face deadly serious.

No one you should concern yourself with, for now.

But today, I've hit a lucky break.

See, I managed to broker a deal of sorts with the one that almost beat me until my bones were crushed.

"A deal?" Anastasia didn't like the sound of this. Deals made at the edge of death can be very catastrophic.

"Crushed bones?!" Petra squeaked in worry.

"What was this deal and what does it have to do with us?" Otto asked nervously, not liking the fact that they were tied to this Warden's mercy.

The deal was, for me to show you…

A possible reality.

"What the hell does that mean, nyan?!" Felix asked in outrage, not liking the fact that he won't be able to see his long-awaited fight between Crusch and Gluttony.

Let me explain.

Throughout this viewing, you saw Subaru pick the right and wrong choices every time.

He faced and met the consequences of each choice he made, if they were wrong, he suffered. If they were right, he carried on to the next choice.

Every choice had a possible different version of events tied to it had Subaru stuck with them.

"I don't understand…" Reinhard quickly muttered in bewilderment.

"Me neither." Ricardo rubbed his forehead.

"Is there going to be snacks?" Mimi whined feeling sleepy.

… Man… You all suck.

"Hey!" Garfiel shouted with an expression of deep offense.

"Don't lump your goddess with mere common brats, indignant swine!" Priscilla snarled dangerously as she pointed the tip of her fan towards the screen.

"P-Please continue, what does this other reality mean?" Emilia quickly decided to get back on track to understand what will happen to her knight.

"Yeah, what does big bro have to do with this?"

Okay. Let me explain it to you in simple terms.

'Other realities' is a term used for the many other worlds surrounding us.

They are infinite and they are all real and true.

"Such a theory has always been denied though." Tivey raised an eyebrow as he remembered many laughing at the idea of infinite worlds outside of the waterfalls off in books and scientific journals.

"What do we have to do with these other worlds then? I know Subaru is from another world than ours so it must be something else you want us to watch." Julius weighed in.

… Hm.

Okay.

Let me try to explain it better.

There's a strict difference between the terms, 'world' and 'realities'

Think of the universe as a bubble, a ball holding every single world in existence inside of it. Lugunica, Earth, Xeno, Nirn.

All are different worlds and systems of planets tied together inside of the same bubble, this is called the universe.

Many widened their eyes at the knowledge being spewed forth by the screen, showing them a small showcase of a circle with various small dots, each one of them called a name they've never heard of.

"Lugunica is barely in there," Reinhard whispered in astonishment, noting how small and fragile his country looks compared to the others.

"All of them are real? All of them are with us in the same 'bubble'?" Felix whispered in shock, never believing that there could've been life outside of Lugunica's world.

Priscilla pursed her lips, clearly hiding her surprise at such a revelation but her eyes narrowed, "I don't see the use in knowing such knowledge. These worlds are far away from us so why should we learn about them?"

For once, Anastasia was happy to face the fiery princess with a stern look, "Because most of these worlds held powerful knowledge that could advance us into thousands of years, Lugunica has been dealing with waterfall survivors from each of these worlds for a long time. Natsuki-kun is simply one of those people that made a difference with his knowledge from his world. Imagine how many times we've been influenced by these waterfall guys over the years… We wouldn't even have a chance if they decided to change our way of life into something more… 'sinister'."

"We couldn't prepare, even if we wanted to." Julius quickly entered the same wavelength as his mistress.

Understanding the sheer seriousness of the situation, everyone began thinking of the worst possible scenario.

"L-Let's not jump to any conclusions yet! We don't know if they truly will work to harm us! Subaru was sent here on his own and he only got hurt time and time again." Emilia tried to defend the future isekaid people that may come into their world.

But most of the candidates were unconvinced.

"Yeah, but big bro is just a forgiven person… what if it was someone else who got sent into our world? Someone that would've wanted revenge…"

Felt's words sent a chill down Emilia's form.

"That is serious…" Frederica whispered, holding Petra close.

Now, now. You don't have to worry about that for the time being.

Other worlds are not what I want you to see.

Realities… that's what concerns us today.

"What are those?" Felt asked in impatience.

You just proposed one of them.

"What?" The little blonde asked in surprise.

Emilia's eyes widened as the fear in her heart grew.

A world where instead of Subaru being the one to get transported to Lugunica that day, another person would've been chosen instead.

Whomever that person may be would be the one to decide how to go about their journey instead of Subaru.

They may take a different route, they may take the same route. But the difference between your reality and that one would always be clear.

"Impossible, in fact! Betty wouldn't choose anyone else as her contractor." The great spirit shot the loyalty in her heart straight and true. Not wanting to think about another person coming into their world that wasn't her Subaru.

Emilia held the boy's hand tightly, yet tenderly, keeping a composed glare on her face. Her heart clenched hard.

That is a 'reality'

Realities are basically bigger than the universe itself.

If the universe is a big ball filled with worlds and cultures, realities are just the grand space where those universes exist together.

Each reality is basically a copy of the universe.

Everything in it is the same, Earth is the same, Lugunica is the same.

All the worlds are the same in each reality…

But there's always one single difference.

It could be a small difference like someone in your world having a different color in the other reality.

Or it could be a very big difference.

Like if the royal family found a cure for the plague that wiped them out in your world in another reality.

"Th-This is real?!" Crusch stuttered as her heart dropped in shock. Her mind going towards another face that haunted her dreams, the face of a prince long gone. Her divine protection never was as questioned as it was today.

"This knowledge that could be life changing," Otto whispered in shock, as everyone else looked just like the merchant, astonished and in awe.

Not really, realities have always been theorized about everywhere. They are fascinating to think about.

Think of your world, for example, if one simple choice you've made could change your entire life as you know it, you can see what would've happened if you hadn't made that choice in a different reality.

Like… when Subaru decides not to leave Lugunica and run with Rem.

"…?!" The blue-haired maid in question perked her head up, staring at the screen with anticipation in her eyes, her heart clenching as she suddenly found herself nervous. "I-I thought about what it would've been like to run away with Subaru-kun many a time. I'm sorry, Emilia-sama." The maid bowed her head apologetically, noticing the sad look on Emilia's face.

In your world, Subaru decided to not run away from these monsters and faced them head-on.

In the other reality, Subaru ignored his heart and ran away with Rem to a peaceful state in Kiriragi. They lived together happily for many years, even bringing three beautiful kids into this world.

"Damn! That's nice!" Al shouted, happy that the boy could at least have a fine life worthy of what he's been through.

"Oi!" looking down the bleachers, Al noticed everyone glaring at him.

"What… oh." The knight slammed his helmeted face in acknowledgment… "Yeah, my bad. I forgot. Everyone must be dead in that world without our pal to get in there and save them."

Emilia looked down at the sight of the three children, not finding it in her heart to watch them play as her guilt grew to exponential levels. Not wanting to see how happy her knight truly was when he wasn't with her.

"M-my..." Rem's breathing hitched, her eyes wide and a hand on her mouth, slowly trying to process what the screen was showing her.

Much like her, several people in the theatre watched the screen in sheer disbelief. The sight of these young children bringing making them tremble in confusion and fear.

They knew what their friend went through, and they knew that out of everyone here, he is the one who deserved such peace.

But, knowing the price hidden behind such peace...They could only feel conflicted.

A feeling of guilt grew even stronger, as they started to hear the cries of a certain maid.

"They are so wonderful!" Rem sobbed, her tears running as soon as she saw the first boy playing with his little sister, a carbon copy of Subaru but with her blue hair.

Much like her, many were those whose expressions softened. That young boy looked exactly like his father, he was living a beautiful and happy life.

And that young boy added so much weight to their guilt, they could nearly get crushed under it...

As all of them were relieved to know this reality to not be theirs.

Almost all.

"They really are…" Ram commented warmly, smiling wide with tears of her own at the sight of her sister's kids.

That is one reality. A world that's the same just look yours. It's just that one simple difference made it derail into a new set of events.

Like a world where Subaru didn't contract with Beatrice but did so with Puck instead.

"Preposterous, in fact!" Beatrice shouted in anger and shock, her face proving how sad and betrayed she was knowing that her contractor actually chose someone else to be within another world.

A reality where Beako actually contracts with Emilia because Puck died protecting her and Subaru from the Witch's Cult.

"...gh?!" Emilia didn't comment on that, seeing enough of the cat she once called her father to understand how selfish he was. Of course, he would leave her and Subaru to die so simply.

"I wouldn't choose you in a million years I suppose. Hmph!"

"Stop being a tsundere, Beatrice-chan," Emilia commented offhandedly, smirking at the surprised expression of the spirit.

"Subaru isn't the only one who can use that word, mhm~~"

Beatrice growled in frustration as Emilia looked proud of herself.

A reality where Subaru was actually brought into Lugunica 2 years before Emilia's insignia was stolen. Where he was found by Julius and trained to be a junior knight by Julius himself.

"What?!" Felix shouted in shock and a little bit of delight, wanting to see how these two would've interacted and how Subaru would've turned out as a knight under Julius' mentorship.

"That is… incredible!" Reinhard quickly beamed towards his friend, a feeling of happiness emanating from him. Happiness...And jealousy as well.

Julius himself did not comment, just looking at the screen with his jaw hung open as images of Subaru's training with him played.

"He has good form." was the only comment given from the bewildered knight.

Anastasia smirked as she noticed how his elegant eyes almost sparkled with the attention he was giving the screen.

"Hopeless, Julius-kun~~~"

A world where Subaru decides to join Anastasia's camp instead of Emilia's.

"Ooooh, I love this!" Ana coed as she noticed the many wonders Subaru created for her distribution.

"Won't happen," Emilia growled heatedly, glaring at the screen.

"Yeah, cap'n is ours!" Garfiel followed the princess and growled as well, much more anomalistically though.

Near them, a little blonde silently clicked her tongue in distaste. Seeing her big brother with someone else than Emilia, without being her was extremely annoying to her.

A certain duchess as well frowned heavily upon seeing the merchant princess happily interacting with the black-haired boy.

A different version of your world, where Lugunica isn't the dragon kingdom and is broken into several states because Farsale wasn't able to secure the Dragon's protection.

"Oooh~, is the dragon useful? I would've never known~~" Anastasia clearly teased towards the duchess sitting beside her.

Crusch simply snorted at the feeble attempt at humor, "The kingdom has already gotten used to the status quo, there will be no warring states because the people are one with our throne, we don't need a dragon that does nothing but wastes our abilities to help us."

The knights all shook their heads including Felix at the two girls, not wanting an argument to break out.

A world where Subaru decides to keep his pride and not lick Priscilla's foot, making her notice how he wasn't just some pig following his master blindly and actually helping him with the whale and Betelgeuse. And thus, ends up following her instead of Emilia-sama.

"What?!" It was now Emilia's turn to stare at the screen in shock, seeing how her knight completely demolished the cult and the whale using nothing but Priscilla's support. Until the events of the screen changed, showing Subaru interacting with Priscilla, Schult, and Al. The half-elf's expression slowly turned grim, fearing with all of her soul such a situation to happen.

Seeing this much was enough to anger more and more people. From a Garfiel to Felt. From Felix to Ram. Even Reinhard felt a bitter taste in his mouth at the sight of his friend forsaking his loyalty to the half-elf princess.

A sentiment only strengthened by the sight of the screen showing Subaru kneeling before the fiery princess.

"Hmm, he does look like an obedient dog," Priscilla noted in disinterest, seeing how she completely forced the boy to abandon the girl's camp and bow to herself. Liking the tears on the silver-haired winches face as Priscilla took fealty of the black-haired boy kneeling before her.

This wasn't a simple vision… it was simply a future for the fiery-haired queen.

"This won't happen either!" Otto was the one to denounce it this time, not forgiving the terrible princess for what she had done and said to his brother.

"Unruly and foolish, truly a requirement to be a part of the half-wit's camp." She sighed in annoyance, her ruby irises keeping their stare to the sight of the boy knelt before her, noticing as well the delighted expression of her 'other reality counterpart.

"Finally a satisfying sight for mine eyes." She commented to the screen.

These worlds are all real and true.

They exist just as yours does.

One simple move can change the world.

Imagine what would've happened had Subaru not saved Emilia in the slums.

What could've happened, had he joined with Betelgeuse's cause to the Witch's Cult.

And most importantly, what could've been… had Betelgeuse been blue instead of green.

"Oh my god!" Frederica shouted in despair.

"Those are all so terrible!" Mimi sniffed while hugging her twin tightly.

"I don't like any of those," Rem muttered nervously, not knowing if she should be distressed over them since they were different worlds from hers, slowly getting herself together as the memory of her other reality children played in her mind.

Rem was sure to keep these images engraved in her memory for the rest of her life from here on out...A simple memory, a simple sight...Yet bringing her so much joy.

Just like everyone here, however, she wondered what reality she was about to witness. What would be as important, as powerful, and critical...

And that's what will be shown to you today.

My new ally in this fight has decided that it would be useful for you all to see a certain reality.

One where a simple 'motion' changed Subaru's story to something else entirely unforeseen.

Your meetings with him changed, your interactions changed, and his entire personality changed.

"Although the prospect is interesting… we were already watching something real to us… our world's events take priority over another that may never come." Ram interjected dryly, her expression miffed out since she wanted to watch her sister's attackers and learn their faces.

Your normal viewings shall continue.

I just have to show you this other reality in accordance with this deal.

You may learn a lot of things about yourselves and your friends from it.

"Can you at least… wake him up," Emilia whispered, not liking how forced this all felt over her and the others in the audience.

"Will you?! Please! Please!" Petra begged from the back with hope in her eyes.

Otto and Garfiel looked hopeful as did the two knights beside them.

Beatrice just held her contractor's arm and hugged it.

Sorry. I can't.

If he wakes up, everything would be ruined.

"Why not?! This is another reality anyway so what does Subaru-kun have that may ruin our viewing?" Rem asked in outrage, wanting nothing but to pummel the speaker.

I told you before… Subaru's being followed by other entities.

If he wakes up, they will start attacking his mind to get into the theater.

I can not risk it. Sorry.

Many looked disappointed at this notion. Others looked extremely alarmed.

"Will we ever see him awake?" Otto whispered his head down low.

Emilia, Rem, and Beatrice all looked up with pleading expressions.

…

If you can help me and watch everything… absolutely.

He will wake up.

"Alright then," Reinhard said monotonously without expression.

"Let's do it then." Felt nodded her head and faced the screen, feeling comfortable beside Subaru.

"What's going to be the difference in this reality though? What makes it more special than the others?" Al asked from above the rows of seats.

My friend… I'mma call you friend… anyways! My friend has a special connection to this reality you will be seeing. He kind of makes the choice that changes everything.

"So the person responsible for the final choice is with you right now?" Reinhard asks, noting how the warden was speaking with someone else gleefully.

Yes.

That's exactly why I'm showing you this one instead of anything else.

"Okay? What's the choice then?" Ricardo asked as his confusion mounted more and more at the vagueness of it all.

The choice that changed the world.

You will have to see it for yourself.

At the warden's mischievous tone, everyone groaned across the wide factions of the theater.

"I hate him!" Beatrice seethed, rubbing her Subaru's arm for comfort as she thought about the warden's irritating suspense.

"Okay, let us see this through to the end!" Emilia encouraged brightly, slightly relieved that she wasn't going to confront an awake Subaru and yet greatly saddened by it.

Her curiosity was also tumbling over her sadness as she truly wondered what a different world would look like to theirs.

"Tsk! Alrigh' alrigh', let's see how this goes!" Garfiel grunted in annoyance. He wanted his captain to be awake and see the rest of the adventure. But in the end, as long as the viewing could tell him how to help his captain...

"Damn right I'mma watch." He uttered with narrowed eyes.

"Well..." A green merchant sighed with a tired expression, readjusting his hat on his head. "We don't really have much of a choice do we...?"

"I just hope he won't suffer as much as here..." Petra whispered as she held onto Frederica's dress, a hand on her heart.

Her older maid, noticing her dress being pulled, slowly brought her arms around Petra, giving her the warmth she needed to soothe her mind.

"I beg of you, oh Od, oh dear Dragon...I beg of you to keep Subaru-sama safe, at least in this reality." She whispered, keeping her tears from flowing.

"Eh, ya're not cool being this secretive pal," Ricardo grunted in annoyance, leaning on his chair and patting the heads of the twins.

"So here we go again..." Tivey sighed.

"I think it's exciting tho!" Mimi exclaimed, her tail wagging in joy.

A small smile found its way on Anastasia's face as she got to see the little cat's excitement. Even though it wasn't the case for some people here...For someone as opportunistic as Anastasia Hoshin, every piece of information she could get her hand on was more than worth it.

Thus, this new "reality" was more than welcome for her.

"Go on~Show me some interestin' stuff will ya~?" She said, rubbing her scarf in anticipation.

"I just hope that in this one...I didn't..." Julius uttered, clenching his gloved fists with a hardened glare.

"A choice that can change...The world?" Crusch uttered, glancing towards the boy in the front row with confusion clear in her honey-colored eyes.

"What are you going to do...Subaru?"

Felix simply stayed silent. Accepting the choice of the warden and ready to see this reality. He knew he would get to see his mistress's attacker soon enough.

"Subaru-dono...What are you about to live this time?" Wilhelm wondered with a soft glare towards the boy, his blue eyes showing his worry and concern.

He didn't want to see him suffer more than he already did...

"Hell, another world, another reality...Is it me or that boy really never gets a fucking break?" Al grunted, knowing very well that what he was about to see wouldn't be a pleasant viewing for him.

"Hmpf. Let us see if this is worth my time." Priscilla huffed haughtily, leaning in her chair and putting her fan up to her face, eyes narrowed to the reality she was about to witness.

Strangely, she felt a glint of excitement. As the world seemed to tell her she would somehow find this...Interesting, at least.

"Don't disappoint me."

"Another reality… a small choice that changes the future… " Roswaal whispered, wondering in his head about all of the choices he could've made differently had it not been for the gospel choosing his path.

Wondering how different he would've been in another reality had he broken his ambition.

And the screen lit up once more.

Dragon's Candidate Chapter 1:

A Trick Pulled By Fate

It was now the fourth time that Natsuki Subaru, a shut-in NEET, had been summoned to another world with nothing but the power of Return By Death, an ability that allows him to come back to a certain point in time, every time he dies.

Up until now, the shut-in NEET has fixated himself on one simple goal: save the mysterious silver-haired half-elf from the grim fate that awaits her in the loot house by the hands of Elsa Granhiert A.K.A The Bowel Hunter.

After a fierce standoff in said place, things began to go in his favor when the young blonde mischievous thief, Felt, ran away from the battle into the depth of the slums to look for help, only to come back with the Sword Saint himself, ready to end that battle once and for all.

Ultimately, the bowel hunter got defeated but at the cost of Subaru getting his stomach open by one last strike from the assassin, causing him to faint from the blood loss.

The screen stopped flashing the images of the scenes foretold by the narrator, changing the scene into one that was previously shown of a relieved-looking elven princess sitting atop an unconscious black-haired boy with slow fading light dimming as her healing magic died down.

"Whoa! We went back by a lot!" Ricardo whistled in shock.

"I don't even remember when we saw this… it's been too long since the first arc…" Otto whispered, the deaths of his brother playing in his mind, making him feel slightly nauseated once he realized just how used he was getting to the sight of Subaru's death.

"So… the choice is happening way back during bro's first moments…?" Felt asked weakly, still heartbroken at the memories of her old man's deaths at the hands of the assassin.

"What could possibly happen differently here that causes such a massive change like the one screen-sama talked about?" Julius muttered dryly, not understanding the point of this all.

"Subaru's unconscious right now… I'm supposed to be taking him to the mansion with me," Emilia whispered, understanding immediately where her knight would end up in this reality. Either in an inn or Reinhard's manor, either way… "It's going to be a world where he doesn't go with me." The silver-haired girl gave a harsh whisper filled with sadness and grief.

"Let's watch, princess," Garfiel muttered nervously, looking at the screen uncomfortably. Thinking about how he would've met the captain in this reality or if there's a chance they even meet once since it was because of Emilia and Roswaal that Subaru tagged along in the true reality.

Hearing this much made several people around her flinch in surprise. All those who heard the silver-haired princess widened their eyes to the screen. Wondering if this would really be…

A world where Natsuki Subaru would not be by Emilia's side...

"Then…How…?" Crusch mused to herself with narrowed eyes, earning the glance of the sword demon by her side, thinking much the same.

Up in the back, a certain magi narrowed his eyes in suspicion as well, glancing towards the red-haired knight in the front row.

"A choice that will change the world…" He whispered. "Is that actually…?"

"I've finished his treatment, looks like we're past the worst of it." Said the half-elf, sighing in relief as her benefactor seemed to be alive.

"That's splendid news, Emilia-sama…" Voiced Reinhard, praising her with a slightly forced smile, his eyes glazing over the sleeping form of the weird boy that had been injured during the battle, signs of guilt seemingly appearing on the knight's expression.

"Reinhard?" Emilia called, looking at him with a curious gaze.

The sword saint shook his head and flashed her with another one of his smiles.

"Forgive me, Emilia-sama. I was just lost in my thoughts." He voiced, seeming to have regained composure.

"Is that so…" She replied, still a bit bewildered.

Both the sword saint and the princess slowly turned their eyes down to the sleeping boy. The sword saint approached and knelt in front of the unconscious figure, remembering the first time he met him in the alleyways of the capital and his rush to the loot house. The perfect description the boy had given to describe Emilia to Reinhard came back to his mind, taking him aback as he turned around to meet the lady in question.

"If I may ask Emilia-sama, what is your relation to Subaru?" Reinhard asked as he remembered the boy's rush to the loot house.

"A passing acquaintance?" the lady shrugged with a baffled face, "I don't recall ever meeting him before. I thought our meeting today was the first time." She replied, holding a hand to her chin as she seemed to search in her mind if ever she met him before.

Hearing this much made Emilia look down in shame, biting her lip as she felt guilty taking her over for what she dared to say…Of course she knew that she wasn't to blame. But still, now that she knew the truth behind her dear knight's secret…She couldn't help but feel disgusted to say "I don't recall ever meeting him before."

"However, he was looking for you. He said he had something to give you." Reinhard urged with a look of suspicion.

Emilia widened her eyes, frowning a bit as she really couldn't remember ever meeting with the boy below her.

"That's why it is strange..." She muttered in confusion, her eyes fixed to his sleeping face.

"What shall we do with him? If anything, my family can take him as a guest," the knight softly suggested, smiling as he showed something akin to eagerness to host Subaru in his home.

"No," Emilia shook her head with a firm look, "I'll take him home with me, so I can learn what's really going on, thank you for your concern." She replied, giving the knight a small smile showing gratitude for his proposal.

"Everything seems to be in order…?" Reinhard mused, a little sad he got his hopes up when he offered to have Subaru as his house guest, feeling crushed when Emilia rejected it just like the other reality.

"It does..!" Emilia couldn't help but beam slightly at this. Maybe it wasn't a choice made in the slum house after all! Maybe her knight would still be by her side!

"Let's just keep watching." Crusch mused sternly, wanting to see where this goes and how this is different from what happened in her world.

Her eyes moved towards the far end of the room, glancing at the two persons that had been sitting in the corner of the now wrecked loot house. A little blonde with scarlet eyes, hunching over a beaten giant demi-human male.

"What would become of them?" Emilia asked the knight, her eyes filling with pity.

"Officially, I cannot overlook what they've done. But… unfortunately, I'm off duty today." He answered cheekily giving a small shake of his head.

"Fufu, you're a bad knight~," the lady in white robes teased a little relief seeping through her tone, her eyes wandering back towards the pair of thieves that had suffered from this unfortunate turn of events.

"Ain't that true, eh?" Garfiel laughed loud, tapping the sword saint's shoulder.

Reinhard only gave a slight smirk to him, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as Julius shook his with a false disappointed attitude. He already saw this scene, but it was still a fun one to see.

Few were the times he had the chance to see Reinhard acting like this after all.

Emilia slowly sat next to Felt, the little girl trying to look away as she was filled with guilt.

"Is this old man your family?" Emilia gently asked, taking the girl by surprise to the lack of resent she presented.

"Something like that, he is the only one I have… he's like my grandpa." Felt softly whispered, her scarlet eyes filled with grief.

Felt nodded her head, smiling fondly at the memories of her grandfather. Thanking the stars for all three of her heroes for helping her and her only family on that night.

Roswaal, simply closed his eyes as he breathed out heavily, wincing faintly as he remembered that he was the reason why that little girl might have just lost the only family she had.

He had to do it. He had to do it for the sake of his goal. This wasn't the first time he forced himself to do something like this…

But it never got easier.

"I see. I only have one family member, too. But he's always asleep at the most important times." Emilia replied, showing her green necklace to the little thief.

"We know it's deliberate now." Shockingly, before the souring Emilia could comment on her hatred for the cat being mentioned as a father, Beatrice took it upon herself to shine her snide with a glare of disgust.

"I wouldn't consider him a father anymore, Emilia-sama." Ram emotionlessly and politely said, holding her anger behind a cold facade, while her sister outright snarled at the mere mention of Puck's existence.

The murdering of millions and the breaking of Subaru's sanity just because he couldn't do an impossible feat…

The spirit was truly disgusting to many in the audience.

"Let's move on, nyan!" Felix yelled, miffed.

Felt widened her eyes, confused as either she had to smile along with her or be scared by this display of goodness she witnessed.

In the end, she decided to trust Emilia's smile to be genuine.

"I-I thought you'd be a lot harsher on me. I'm sorry. You saved my life and I can't let a debt go unpaid. I'll return what I stole, keep it hidden so no one can steal it again!" She smiled back to her, rubbing the back of her head.

"It feels funny, having you give me that warning." Emilia gently replied.

Felt then took the item from her chest and handed it over to her owner under the look of a thoughtful Reinhard, observing the scene from his position near the sleeping boy.

Though, while trying to retrieve it, by making a move that may be too hasty for her precious item, she ended up tossing it towards Reinhard with an unconscious Subaru at his feet.

He recognized the insignia of the dragon kingdom right away and was already advancing to retrieve it.

Until, like a trick pulled by fate itself, under the referee of a long lost entity from beyond the webs of interlocking futures and combined destinies, The insignia made its own way until reaching the laying hand of Subaru Natsuki, emitting a red shine only perceived by the knight who knelt to pick it up yet stopped frigidly as soon as fate cemented its final word before him.

The screen only showed the jewel reaching Subaru's hand but cut out before the glow was emitted… the cast didn't see what the insignia signified in its call of fate.

Priscilla raised an eyebrow in surprise, noticing the change in this reality compared to the first viewing she saw, her expression of boredom not changing a bit.

"Hmm, this is new," Anastasia muttered, as she didn't remember the screen slowing down when the insignia fell… she couldn't even remember if the insignia had fallen in such a manner.

"I remember you handing it to me, Felt-chan."

"Really?"

"Mhm. I just got it back from you, so I grabbed it tightly as soon as I could've touched it."

"Jeez, feeling the trust."

Emilia simply looked deadpanned at the girl for a moment, while the pouting Felt just rolled her eyes and raised a brow at the screen.

"I still don't understand what happened, so the jewel fell out of my hand… how will this create a different world for big bro?"

Emilia shrugged, not understanding the answer either.

"Just watch, I suppose!" Beatrice growled seriously, her eyes honed in so sharply at the scene as if it killed her mother. She was a spirit… she can sense the sheer mystical aura of that moment. It was a very important moment that destiny itself called for its existence.

"So why did it happen in this world and not ours, I wonder? And what did this jewel do exactly?" the small girl questioned curiously with her head leaning back against her contractor's heaving chest.

"Reinhard?" The silver-haired princess inquired worriedly from behind the hunched knight, staring as the Sword Saint seemed to be frozen over the form of the sleeping boy, not moving a single muscle as his mind was solely focused on something. her mind wandered for a moment that another problem might have occurred when she wasn't looking and couldn't help but show it, earning the worries of the blonde little thief as well.

"Okay, this clearly didn't happen!" Otto detailed, looking nervous about the Saint's actions.

"What is happening with ya man?" Al chuckled at the Sword Saint, finding the confusion of it all kind of entertaining.

The red-head swordsman wouldn't answer anyone, too busy pursing his lips and watching the screen with hopeful eyes.

Without thinking twice, the little thief hopped from her place towards the sword saint, tapping his shoulder to gain his attention as she looked to Subaru with a serious face, mixing her worry and confusion.

"N-no it's..." The usually composed knight stuttered for a moment, before facing the serious-looking girl that had inquired his help and got him into this situation, recognizing the look of demand as if the girl wasn't gonna budge on not knowing if something was wrong with the boy laying before them.

"I'm sorry Emilia-sama. But in the end, it looks like I cannot let you take Subaru-sama with you. It would be too long to explain right now and without further confirmation so please, I beg you to understand."

"What?!"

"You can't just do that!" Petra shouted in outrage, standing on her seat to face the swordsman with her most protective glare.

"Why would you take Subaru-kun? Your lady is right there!" Rem irrationally pointed at the screen without noticing the troubled look on the redhead's face.

"Calm down! All of you!" Crusch tried to keep the peace but was struggling with so many panicking at once.

"Ya're really bout' to take capn' like this?! Without explainin' shit?" Garfiel grunted to the sword saint, eyes showing his confusion to what he was seeing on the screen.

"STOP!" Everyone stopped yelling at the knight and looked at the deathly stare one little blonde with blood-colored eyes was sending them, "We will have'ta watch! Rein isn't the one in that reality so he won't answer you with anything you want to know!"

"I-I wouldn't focus on anyone except for my lady. Felt-sama's candidacy was the only thing on my mind that night. I don't know what this me saw…"

"Whatever it was…Reinhard seems to have taken his decision," Julius commented with a hand on his chin, trying to understand the decision of this sword saint.

"Yeah. I guess we'll see the reason in question soon." Ricardo grunted, his hatred for the suspense clear on his face.

"That's enough, grandson. We understand. Let us see what's going on." Wilhelm nodded for his panicking kin to calm down and take this with grace. The old man intrigued out of his mind as to what had set this off so differently than what had happened in their world.

Meanwhile, a silver-haired half-elf was looking crushed after hearing that the knight is taking away Subaru.

Her Subaru… living somewhere far away.

Garfiel, Petra, Rem, and Beatrice all held that same fear and sadness in their hearts.

"What?!" Felt shouted at the knight, "You can't just do something like that and keep quiet!"

She glared at Reinhard with a wrathful glare, showing how determined she was to obtain answers as she stood in front of Subaru.

Even though Reinhard asked with an incredible polite behavior worthy of the "knight among knights" he was, his serious expression and gaze didn't help to reassure the two girls.

"This may actually be quite serious," Julius mused again, reducing himself to a natural onlooker, knowing that the events would just play out all the answers for him without the need of a fuss.

"It's rare to see Reinhard with this expression nya…" Felix mused from his seat, earning the nod from Julius.

Otto noted the same thing Julius did right away, "Reinhard-sama looks really serious here… what just happened?"

Emilia walked towards them and put a hand on Felt's shoulder, shaking her head slowly, telling her to let it go.

"But I am actually even more worried right now you know..." The pointy-eared girl muttered with her eyes narrowing with a hint of disappointment towards the knight and the unconscious boy.

"Can't you at least tell these two so we can be spared of the suspense?!" Anastasia mumbled in annoyance at the knight, hating his secretive behavior even more and wanting to know why Subaru was taken instead of the blonde.

"Wait… I'm not going to be forced into the election…" Felt realized that the knight would be leaving her and her old man in the slums. Instead of napping her and forcing her into this stupid race…

"I won't be living with Rein anymore…" Felt whispered in sadness, her heart clenching at the memories this her won't get to make with the annoying self-righteous knight.

Seeing how much the situation seemed off for most, Reinhard decided to clarify as much as he could.

"Don't worry, Emilia-sama. This is not something that could bring harm upon him but...Something that I cannot let pass without further investigation."

Emilia raised her eyebrow in confusion and incomprehension. She wanted to know more, push her investigation further, but it didn't seem to be something possible as of now. Reinhard walked forward as he picked up Subaru in a bridal style.

Seeing this, Felt could not help but let out a small chuckle at the ridiculous sight.

Garfiel couldn't help but let out a boyish chuckle of his own.

"Because you really think this is enough of an explanation?" Crusch sternly commented, shaking her head not having the heart to smile at the comedic sight presented to her.

"You really need to learn how to deal with situations like this… Your lacking explanation only made the girls worry more." Julius commented offhandedly to the knight beside him.

Reinhard only frowned deeper.

He approached Emilia with the insignia in hand and presented it to her, the red jewel shined brilliantly, something that made Reinhard only frown more.

It represented what was at stake.

"I shall contact you once I'll be sure everything is in order."

The knight bowed to Emilia who wordlessly gazed at him once she accepted the insignia, walking away with her savior with him.

As he walked out, the clouds dispersed to let the moon shine brilliantly above him, as if it was watching over the knight and the boy making their way to the Astrea mansion. Reinhard looked up to meet the white orb with his sky blue irises, narrowing them, thinking about the recent events and most importantly, the moment the jewel shined.

"Tonight…Might be our last chance to gaze calmly at the moon," whispering wearily, Reinhard van Astrea lamented the moments of past events and worriedly thought about the future, feeling a more significant weight placed upon him that is greater than the noble-hearted boy being carried in his arms, or perhaps it was the feeling of heaviness that carrying this boy's destiny in his arms would feel like.

"I really did leave my lady behind..?!" Reinhard would've thought that something else was going to happen to make him take the golden-haired girl and achieve his own destiny. If he didn't take Felt… what happened to the royal selection?

"So, when you take me, you leave big bro behind with big sis. Yet when you take big bro… you leave me?" Felt glared at her knight for a moment, looking pissed.

"I-I...um…" Reinhard couldn't express his shame, horror, and guilt at this. Wanting to make it up to his lady which had been clearly offended by the Reinhard on the screen's display.

"Rein…"

"Yes, Felt-sama…"

"I'm just messing with you."

"Oh…" Reinhard couldn't help but smile with relief as Felt shot him a grin.

Back in the loot house, the thief and half-elf looked to each other after observing the sword saint take his leave. The situation was still unclear for them but when they saw the insistence of the Sword Saint himself regarding this matter, they knew that they couldn't negotiate.

"Well...That was something...What now?" Asked Felt, expressionless, looking up at Emilia.

"Mh...I don't reall-"

"Emilia-sama?"

As she was looking at Felt, a pink-haired maid made her appearance in the destroyed loot house, looking both worried and relieved to see the silver-haired half-elf.

The screen cut to black for a moment, and then lit up once more, with a changed scene…

"It didn't show us much!" Emilia pouted, she would've loved to at least house Felt and her grandpa! She was still absolutely bitter about the knight taking away Subaru into his own house.

"I don't think this story is meant to follow us, Emilia-sama," Ram told in a monotone voice.

An elegant, king-sized bed, with a tired black-haired boy, resting in it.

Slowly opening his eyes, Subaru was met with a polished well-carved ceiling.

"…I don't know that ceiling."

Reinhard couldn't help but have a small smile on his face, even if the election and his own destiny as a knight were delayed, he couldn't help but feel happy to see Subaru actually present inside of the cold, lonely manor with him.

Makes it livelier.

He got up a bit sitting down on his bed, to find himself in a white night-robe that didn't belong to him, he slowly opened the front and gazed at his exposed stomach, "The wound is gone...was that Emilia's doing? I gotta be sure to thank her properly later!" Subaru said, smiling to himself as he thought about how he was healed and away from death.

Emilia looked down, biting her lip at this. "Oh, Subaru…". The girl whispered lovingly, wishing more than anything to be by his side when he had woken up.

"He's already in love with her here…" Ricardo hummed in slight confusion.

"He might leave the sword saint to go to Emilia's." Tivey nodded his head, making the knight and the half-elf flinch in surprise.

He got up on his feet and started to look around his room. It was kind of a luxurious place; everything was white or gold-colored.

"Talk about a fancy place...Wait why am I alone again?! Isn't it supposed to be the moment when I wake up with the main girl just next to me who slept in my room because she cared for me all night?! I feel betrayed!" The boy whined pathetically, holding his head in his hands.

Crusch let out a chuckle, finding his behavior amusing and a bit childish. The duchess couldn't help but feel comfortable watching this reality… at least no one knows when he will start looping.

Of course, she wasn't the only one to enjoy this sight. Subaru's suffering and horrific journey managed to engrave fear into everyone's heart by now. Seeing him cry, bleed and sweat…Again and again.

So seeing these kinds of moments where it was just him, being normal…Was pleasant to see.

"If only I would have…" Beatrice whispered, tightening over her contractor's cloth. "If only I would have known sooner, I suppose…"

In the middle of his lamentation, the door of his room opened. Subaru quickly turned towards it with a bright smile on his face, jumping towards the door with open arms to welcome his sav-.

"Emili-WHY IS IT YOU?!" He yelled out, expression one of anger and deep-rooted disappointment.

To his surprise who felt more like a stab through the heart than a pleasant one, it was not Emilia but a young man with blazing red hair and eyes blue as the sky, entering the room giving a shining yet uneasy smile, he answered his disappointed guest.

"Good morning Subaru-sama...I apologize to not meet up with your expectations..." The sword saint said, rubbing the back of his head with an unsure smile.

"Sorry…" Reinhard didn't look sorry at all, in fact, he was smirking.

Not far from him, a little blonde girl was smiling warmly, happy to see her big bro and her knight interact. She knew how much Reinhard needed this.

Subaru who already began sulking with his arms down simply sighed and raised his head to Reinhard with a deadpanned face.

"Nah, don't worry about it. It's not like I'm not happy to see you, Reinhard, it's just that...Well you know, it's every man's dream to wake up to the beautiful girl of their dreams." He said while closing his hand into a fist, looking determined.

"Stupid boy…" Emilia whispered fondly, blushing as she heard his compliments.

Wilhelm could only shake his head in fondness, acknowledging the boy's words as he remembered the days he woke up by his wife's side.

Every man's dream, truly.

"Tch." Priscilla spat from her position, grimacing in disgust upon hearing the boy qualify the half-elf as "beautiful."

Near her, Al only sighed tiredly.

"Don't sulk, Rem." Ram teased from the side, making the pouting blue-haired girl look away from her.

Reinhard couldn't help but chuckle at Subaru's statement, that he tried to hide behind his fist.

"I think I understand what you mean. But I still must apologize, Emilia-sama is not here at the moment," the knight's curt reply was met with nothing short of despair from the crushed boy.

"Ugh! You're crushing my heart! Does that mean that my fantasy love ended before it could have even started?! I feel even more betrayed right now!" He lamented, holding his head with his hands.

"Subaruuuu…" Emilia whispered with a low voice, a large smile on her face hidden by her hands from embarrassment.

"Nothing ended at all you know…" She whispered again, in a voice so low only she could hear, caressing the hand of her beloved knight.

Of course, everything was just a pure act from Subaru, Reinhard was fully aware of it but didn't know how he should actually react since those kinds of interactions were something he wasn't used to knowing.

"I'm...Sorry?" He tried to say, unsure if that was the appropriate response.

"Oh, come on! Reinhard!" Felix facepalmed as his excitement for his friend finally getting a chance to interact with someone in an act of teasing was ruined by the knight's obliviousness.

The redhead simply dropped his head in shame, "I'm sorry," came his whisper as he was patted by both, a consulting Otto and a firm-looking Garfiel.

"It's okay, I had to learn too," Garfiel assured with a nod.

Julius simply shook his head at all of them.

Subaru immediately raised his head towards him with dead disappointed eyes. Though he was the sword saint, even he was feeling uneasy when he met that gaze.

It was and for a real first time for the Saint… a truly awkward moment.

"That's not it! You're completely in the wrong Reinhard! When your best friend is actively falling into depression right in front of you, you have a duty to console him! Like 'Don't worry, when you lose one you get ten more!' or 'She was not worth it anyway, you deserve better!'" Subaru explained in a teacher-like tone with a disappointed firm stare aimed at the increasingly baffled knight.

"Best friend?! Oi! You are going too fast ther' Cap'n!" Garfiel shouted in jealousy, his fangs coming out in protectiveness, feeling left out.

"This is simply ridiculous," Julius commented dryly, crossing his arms and not at all pouting at the screen.

He was a knight.

Reinhard couldn't help the warm grin appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, Emilia was looking at the screen in shock and hurt.

"He thinks… I'm not worth it?"

It was clear that these types of interactions weren't in the job description for the poor confused knight.

Reinhard got startled by those words, especially "best friend" He didn't know why but hearing this made him feel kind of warm and happy. He unconsciously started to smile, even though he didn't know what to respond and so, tried to find something. However, his logical sense took the upper hand and made him come up with one answer only.

"Wait, you mean Emilia-sama wasn't worth it…?" He voiced out loud.

He put his hand on his mouth immediately with a shocked face as he just realized what he said as Subaru fell on his back while putting his hands on his face, faking a cry.

"You tell me." Anastasia heartlessly spat, making some faces turn to her with an annoyed glare. Only one agreeing with her being a smirking fiery princess.

"You should hold your tongue if it's to say anything that isn't relevant, Anastasia." Crusch sternly replied, taking the defense of the silver-haired royalty.

"hm? Ya're going to prevent me from speaking now, Duchess? Wanna take my right to breath while ya're at it?" She offhandedly answered, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"What an interesting idea…" Crusch didn't hesitate to reply, turning her threatening glare towards the merchant princess.

"Hmpf!"

"Of course, she was! Dammit!" He cried, "You really suck at this! We'll have to work on your behavior towards your friends! And lord help us all because we're in for one hell of a time!"

"It's okay… pfft…" As the sword saint held both hands to his face, hiding his embarrassment, Otto tried to counsel him by tapping his shoulder and whispering encouragement… But he couldn't keep his laughter in as the rest of the theater giggled and chortled at the scene.

"You dunderhead…" She whispered with a hand on her heart, smiling in happiness to see that her knight was joking earlier. Truly, Subaru was a cruel man.

"That's true!" Felt laughed loud, adding to the redhead's shame. "Big bro pierced through you like it was nothing!"

"They really have a good dynamic…" Tivey commented with an amused tone.

"Yeah! I thought so too!" Mimi replied.

Rem and Ram couldn't help but slowly glance towards one another with a grim expression on their faces. Comparing Subaru's awakening to this place compared to theirs in this reality.

A part was because the sisters' hearts ached to see this moment supposed to be theirs…Kind of robbed away from them. Someone else was in their place to see Subaru. Someone else was greeting him. This was supposed to be the representation of the first time they got to meet him…

And another part…Was because they knew that Subaru wouldn't have to die in that manner compared to this reality.

Again. He felt it, again. Subaru's behavior and words made him feel differently. He did not understand why at first, he only met him yesterday but...The way he had to treat him like any other person had a long way with him. His past and reputation were not something to explain anymore. The way people treated him, the way he led his life, everything was based on one thing, him being the sword saint, him being the hero, and someone that had to be treated as such.

Reinhard simply smiled warmly at his new friend and acknowledged his words.

"Well...I-I'm counting on you then!" He exclaimed with eagerness.

"That seems… a bit sad…" Petra said, looking at the older knight with pity.

"Man…" Garfiel winced, glancing towards Reinhard on his side. He didn't seem to take the comments he was receiving into account.

Reinhard just kept watching the screen. A childish grin on his face.

Julius and Felix kept their heads down, not wanting to admit the shame they felt for not helping out their friend with this problem.

"Pathetic," Priscilla commented offhandedly, keeping a stern stance on her hatred for Reinhard as a weak child given too much power.

He approached him and excitedly extended a handout.

To which Subaru smiled and grabbed it firmly as he got lifted to his feet.

He started to rethink his encounter with Emilia, Felt, the loot house, and of course, his many deaths by the hand of Elsa.

"Hey, by the way…" He inquired, making Reinhard look at him curiously, "Where are the others then? Felt, Emilia, Rom…Are they okay?" He worriedly asked.

Reinhard smiled as he understood very well the meaning behind this question.

"You don't have to worry. Emilia-sama came back home safely, I saw the dragon carriage of the margrave's domain where she resides retrieve her when we came here. As of Felt-chan and Rom-san, I went to inspect the loot house along with other knights after the incident, they were not there but some of their belongings were missing. I assume they moved somewhere else." The knight explained.

"Even after all of that…One of the first things he asks is how the others are doing…" Otto said with a warm smile on his face, recognizing his dear friend's character.

"That's just how foolish Betty's contractor is, in fact." The little spirit commented with an annoyed tone.

"Yeah but that wouldn't be our boy anymore would it?" Ricardo exclaimed, making the spirit sigh in agreement.

"However…It seems that Felt-sama won't be appearing once more in the story…" Crusch mused with a serious expression.

"What happens to the election then?" Anastasia inquired, feeling the slightest bit annoyed that they needed the blonde to finalize the candidacy of the maidens.

"In regards to the fifth candidate of the dragon stone, if they weren't found, the race for the throne would still be postponed," Julius answered elegantly, making everyone else think.

"So… I'm still important, you just have to start looking for me." Felt couldn't help but grin smugly.

Subaru sighed in relief and smiled to know everything went for the best. He couldn't help but remember the deaths of Emilia, Felt, and Rom every time he closed his eyes by the hand of the bowel hunter, images of gory corpses standing around him, blaming him for the failure Those memories were stuck with him forever, but at least, they wouldn't be real to some extent.

'I just need to think of it as a nightmare. Right…Nothing more but a nightmare…'

As he took a deep breath once more, he looked up to meet the slightly confused look of the sword saint gazing upon him.

"Looks like he's affected by what he saw." Crusch frowned sadly.

"Of course he is. This is way more than one boy can handle, and this is even the start of Subaru-dono's journey." Wilhelm wistfully ordained for his lady.

"Not to mention that he's now much safer than when he first started in our world," Anastasia commented with a pointed look.

"What would that mean?" Frederica couldn't help but ask, as she didn't understand the royal's statement.

"It's not clear? Oh well…" Anastasia seemed to relent her point, content with earning everyone's attention and keeping it to herself.

"What is she trying to say?" Otto questioned the lady's knight, sitting beside him with a forlorn look.

Julius answered him emotionlessly, "My lady is referring to what the situation was like for Subaru when he first woke up in the Mathers mansion."

Otto's blood ran cold. The memories of every death coming around Subaru from every corner unforeseen played inside of the merchant's head.

"...gh!"

Subaru shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Well, time to...Uh ...Wait, where are we?" The boy asked, realizing just where he was.

"Ah, we're at my home. I took you hereafter Emilia-sama healed your wound, back at the loot house..."

Subaru noticed the disappointed look on Reinhard's face. He could not help but be concerned and made a wave of his hand in front of him. Yet Reinhard continued to keep his head down.

"I...I'm sorry...You got wounded because I let my guard down...It could really have gone to the worse if-"

In the middle of his lament, Reinhard got stopped by a punch right on his chest that kind of startled him, he raised his head to meet Subaru's brown-yellowish eyes gazing into his blue-sky ones, along with a dead serious look on his face.

"You're really true to your code, huh white knight? Even though I fully understand your way of thinking, I will have to stop you right now before you end your speech with something like 'I'll accept any punishment' or whatever." Subaru said, closing his eyes as he nodded his head several times.

Reinhard was surprised beyond compare, this is exactly what he was about to say.

"You're not going down that way in front of me. You saved my life, that's a fact. You also saved Emilia's, Felt, old Rom, and probably any other unfortunate soul who would have met with that freak afterward," Subaru shuddered and growled in place at the memory of the black-clad sadist that had haunted his scared mind, keeping a focused look and shaking his head afterward to stare the knight down, "So that's why rather than lamenting on the 'My lack of sense of duty led to you being hurt, I would rather hear an "I'm glad you're okay with a smile so that I can thank you. Along with thanking you for everything I've just said while sharing my bright smile as well!" He exclaimed, pointing at himself with his thumb.

"...Ghk!" Reinhard was too absorbed in the scene to notice the punch that had come flying into his gut courtesy of Garfiel.

"There! Even Cap'n appreciates ya!"

The knight looked at the blonde boy with shock, overwhelming shock. Garfiel only grinned toothly at the man, holding his hand in a thumbs-up gesture.

"It seems you two actually bond well when you're on your own," Julius admitted sourly, slightly happy for his friend for coming closer with someone like Subaru but also very ashamed of how his first meetings affected the relationship between himself and the boy.

Reinhard couldn't help but smile widely, fist-bumping Garfiel and nodding to Otto, feeling happy for the first time in a while that he gets to sit with friends.

"I really don't understand," Emilia commented with a confused look, "this Subaru is way different than ours… he's more… cheery…"

At the half-elf's words, Priscilla let out a shrill laugh filled with snide.

"What're ya laughing bout?" Anastasia mused with a small smirk, knowing exactly what the arrogant princess was finding so funny.

Priscilla stopped her laughter short and hid her lips behind her fan, glaring heatedly at the half-elf, "You're more litter than brains huh, half-wit?"

Emilia glared at the princess' and her insult, not saying anything in return.

"Your precious dog is happier because he's yet to be betrayed and butchered for smelling wrong from someone's perspective." Priscilla took glee watching the people relating to her sarcastic words flinch on themselves out of guilt and hurt.

Beatrice simply held on to her contractor, forsaking her disgust with herself for touching him after she had failed him so many times alone, understanding exactly why their Subaru acted so different than this one… he was still to be traumatized by death and fear… Still yet to be tortured by someone he considered a friend.

Ram kept her head down, wishing that she could get back in time to do anything to stop those unwarranted deaths from happening. Wishing she was a better older sister that could've done something about Rem's mental state at the time and helped her see Subaru for the innocent boy he was.

That was a hit. That was a critical hit. He could not understand a thing about what was happening right now. No one in his life ever said those words to him, no one in his life gave him such a cheering sermon. If it was not for his image and the surely worried reaction of his friend, Reinhard would've shed tears at the moment.

Subaru's expression softened as he saw a warm smile forming on Reinhard's face. This smile wasn't for show, this smile wasn't for the attitude, it was a genuine, happy smile of a man, who for a moment, though he broke free of a cage he had been trapped inside for most of his life.

"Thank you...Subaru-sama...Then...I'm...I'm glad you're okay!" Reinhard ended up exclaiming, his eyes bright with happiness.

"There we go! Thank you, Reinhard!" Subaru ended in a gentle tone. Grateful.

That beautiful moment of friendship and bonding got interrupted by a growl coming from Subaru's stomach. He immediately hated himself for having ruined such a moment and that could be bright as the day on his face, while the knight couldn't help but give a happy chuckle even if the moment was ruined for both of them.

Adding to Subaru's disappointment.

"Nah Nah, come on. I deserve that one. Yup, I totally do." He said with a tired smile.

That comment added more to the situation, to the point that Subaru started to laugh along too, which ended up in a unique scene of two-man laughing along in an empty room. Well at least, unique for the maids that had been looking at them by the door with a surprised face when they realized one of them was none other than their master.

Of course, Reinhard noticed it right at the moment they arrived but it didn't matter. He was enjoying a priceless moment right now and nothing could ever have the right to take it away from him.

Wilhelm couldn't help but feel a bit of pain filling his heart as he saw this small interaction. A small normal interaction happened between two friends. And it crushed him how happy his own grandson looked. As if he craved this type of relationship in his life because it was taken from him.

"Well then...Shall we head to breakfast?" Reinhard asked, wiping a small invisible tear from his eye.

"You bet!" Subaru answered with a bright smile.

After putting on his freshly-cleaned tracksuit, Subaru followed Reinhard to the dining room, ignoring the servants' stares and his attire.

"Ugh…So in the end, Emilia is the one who healed my wounds…Looks like I owe her another debt." Subaru sighed as he voiced his thoughts, his face showing a look of guilt, fondness for Emilia's kindness, and disappointment at himself.

"I think she owes him a lot of debts herself," Anastasia chuckled dryly as she pointed out, rubbing her scarf to solidify how much spite was placed in her statement towards once naive half-elf.

"I do." Emilia whispered, hair covering her eyes as she rubbed his hand softly, "I really do."

Crusch only frowned in pity.

"I do not think Emilia-sama ever considered doing this expecting something in return, you know?" Replied Reinhard to his friend's thoughts with an uneasy smile on his face, not used to being able to speak with someone so casually.

Subaru closed his eyes as he remembered her and her smile through his loops, the moment she saved him, the moment she went forward to help that child, how she healed Rom despite being a potential enemy…Subaru could not help but smile as he remembered everything she has done so far.

"Yeah, you're probably right." He chuckled.

"But that means I still have to at least thank her…Man that's putting me in a tight spot. I was already thinking of letting go and try to find a girl who wouldn't be so out of my league, but if I see her face again…" Subaru gritted his teeth to show his frustration as he remembered her cute smile.

"What do you mean..." The half-elf uttered, her white hands clenching on her skirt as she looked down in shame.

Trembling and shaking. A weight in her heart as Subaru's last words wouldn't cease to echo.

"What do you mean, "out of my league?!" She whispered once again with teary eyes. "Why do you think I would be where you aren't...? No..."

The silver-haired royalty lifted her face, meeting with the Subaru seated right by her side and leaning on his shoulder.

"Why do you think...I would be anywhere near your league...?"

Because she wasn't. Subaru was so much more than her, so much better in every way...She was nothing but a disgusting woman playing with the heart of that poor boy who did so much for her. A selfish wannabe queen who can't even care for her own.

She would certainly see a much more happy Subaru in this reality. A Subaru far away from her.

And as much as she couldn't dislike the idea of her knight smiling...If it meant to stand somewhere away...

She hated it.

"It seems as if he plans to meet with Emilia-sama again," Crusch smirked in amusement after seeing the half-elf suddenly perk up.

Emilia's eyes were hopeful as a surprise came over her face, "R-Really?"

Anastasia sighed with an exasperated look on her face, "What a troublesome boy."

"Subaru's Betty will contract with her in this world, I suppose. And Betty shall protect him better, in fact!" The small blonde laid out her determination with a dangerous pout of seriousness. Declaring that she and Subaru would still somehow meet in this reality.

The twin maids just kept on being invisible without a sound or an expression.

Reinhard started to laugh around with Subaru at this childish statement, he knew perfectly it was nothing but an act.

As they were walking down the hall, Subaru ended up looking around and was amazed by how fancy everything looked. He knew that Reinhard was more than just a snobbish, arrogant nobleman, but what he was seeing right now was something more than just mere nobility, nigh royalty, somewhere that only the most worshiped of prophets would be living in his world like a medieval Aztec temple.

"Hey Reinhard, are you perhaps from a royal family or something close?" He said scratching the back of his head.

Reinhard was surprised by this sudden question but quickly realized: it could be misleading knowing that Subaru was from a foreign land, to see such a place like his when just yesterday they were both around the slums.

"Of course not, Subaru-sama. But you could say that my family is pretty much an important part of Lugunica." He proudly answered.

"Subaru-san is so lucky~ I wish I can go to the Sword Saint's house." Petra childishly whined, looking jealous, making Reinhard chuckle in bemusement.

"It's surreal to think about though," Otto commented thinking of Subaru's journey, "Getting transported into a new world and instantly being housed by the greatest hero in the land… kind of lucky."

"Don't forget how much pain such an ending cost him." Julius sourly reprimanded the merchant in front of him.

Otto held his tongue from commenting on how lucky Subaru actually was for his power. Old feelings and shameful thoughts coming back into his head.

"I see...W-wait...Reinhard, we need to talk about something," Subaru suddenly stopped in his tracks, his hand stretched towards the knight.

Reinhard stopped to look at Subaru's sudden request.

"What is it, Subaru-sama?" Reinhard asked with an innocent face.

"This!" Pointed the boy with a baffled stare aimed at the knight, "Where does that '-sama' come from? I know you're a knight, but you really don't need to be 'that' formal towards me! I'm a guest of yours sure but still..."

Reinhard immediately answered as he looked slightly alarmed by that statement.

"It would be inappropriate! We both hold totally different positions and I wouldn't dare to disrespect it!"

"You're taking the whole host thing a bit too literal." Frederica couldn't help herself but comment, finding the knight's manners a bit… extreme.

Reinhard frowned slightly as he wouldn't have been happy to feel so inclined to stop with the titles.

Subaru couldn't have the time to respond when someone coming from down the corridor interrupted them. He was a man much like Reinhard, hair red and blue eyes, a scruffy stubble beard and appearance of almost brutish nature, he had a strong allure, and he was also in what could be thought of as leather battle armor.

The man grinned and walked up to Subaru, the height difference becoming very clear as he approached.

"So here is our esteemed guest that you've been seeking? Greetings." He bowed. "My name is Heinkel Astrea, at your service! Please feel free to walk within this estate as your own." The brutish man, a seemingly welcoming smirk aimed from him toward the boy, bowed… Subaru wasn't as dumb as to believe that smile.

"… Ghk!"

"What's wrong, Felt-chan?" Emilia, seeing the blonde's gritted expression and clenched fists, asked worriedly.

The blonde simply shook her head at the sight of the man, "That guy's trouble, Big bro best stay away from him."

"Heinkel…" Wilhelm whispered in a soft voice, truly missing the sight of his son yet feeling slightly responsible for how crooked his aura has become.

"That's supposed to be Reinhard-san's father?" Otto asked in disbelief, simply not able to see how this clearly broken man was the one to father the greatest most charming knight.

"Yes," Reinhard answered emotionlessly, "This is my father. Lord of the Astrea lands and the head of our family."

His voice didn't carry the grand tone expected of such an announcement.

Emilia and Beatrice both looked curiously at the little girl but then at the screen. Both of them held the boy close.

"He better not do anything to Betty's Subaru, I suppose." The loli growled.

Priscilla simply snorted at the people below her, "That man is nothing but a mere dog, you need not fear such a being."

She kept this to herself, of course. Watching them squabble in worry about someone who was underneath her divine service was just too amusing for the princess.

Subaru was not accustomed to this kind of behavior at all, so much that he didn't know how to react before such respect was shown towards him. Not so long ago, he was nothing but a nobody living a simple life of basically slacking off in his room and now he is an "esteemed guest" side by side with a Sword Saint, someone of the probably same caliber, in a royal-like suite chateau.

"U-um...Thank you very much, Sir Heinkel, I... appreciate your offer!" He nervously answered.

"If you could excuse us, father, Subaru-sama isn't in the best of his condition right now after his fight against the bowel hunter." Cut Reinhard, gazing to his father who looked at him with a glint of disdain.

Reinhard's tone wasn't as well concealed as he wanted to believe. Subaru could hear a hint of bitterness in it. He need not go further to understand that there was some kind of trouble in this father/son relationship, nevertheless it had nothing to do with him, hence he shouldn't meddle.

Julius and Felix both looked uncomfortable, not liking how their former Captain of the king's guard was treating his son. There was clear animosity that everyone had noticed. Especially Wilhelm.

"You don't have the best relationship with your father, Reinhard-sama?" Emilia asked innocently, not knowing how private of a question that was.

The knight looked uncomfortable until a scoff cut his answer before it left the edges of his lips, "You bet! That guy is such petty shit! He doesn't deserve Rein as a son!" Felt abused verbally, with a glare full of anger for her knight.

"Let's not get involved in family drama… We're watching this to understand what makes this run of Natsuki-kun's so much different than ours and I've yet to understand what the hell happened at the beginning to derail everything to this chain of events." Anastasia interjected on everyone as she noticed how Emilia and Otto stared at Reinhard with looks of pity and sadness, wanting to be done with all of this and get to her answers.

"Cheer up pal." Garfiel gurgled and punched the knight's shoulder.

Thanking Heinkel once again, Subaru followed Reinhard to the dining room where a sumptuous meal awaited them. Subaru had shining eyes before such a display of incredible delicacies.

"Damn you, Reinhard! Don't tell me something like that is usual for you?!" He yelled to him with an eager smile as his eyes shined towards the food presented to him.

Reinhard simply smiled and they both took a seat before beginning. After both eating to their full, Subaru ended up continuing the discussion they had earlier, his curiosity not satisfied.

"So... About the "Sama" thing... I don't know what you were talking about or rather I think you're mistaken...As I said, I'm not from here you know? How could I have a higher status than you since the only thing I've been eating since the past week was cup noodles!" He exclaimed with a small smile.

Reinhard seemed a bit confused by what Subaru just said but could not help it. How could he, after all? The only things he knows for sure are limited to the borders of the kingdom since he cannot travel at all.

On top of that, Reinhard still had not explained anything at all to his guest.

He reached his pocket and presented an insignia to Subaru, who looked at it with a surprised look of recognition.

"Isn't that Emilia's..." He stuttered, looking back and forth to the sword saint and the insignia.

He looked at him with a kind of disappointed gaze, Reinhard quickly understood what it meant.

"No! E-erm...Emilia-sama already retrieved hers. This one is another, it is yours, Subaru-sama." Reinhard explained.

"Huh?" Al sounded his own confusion before the rest of the cast below him.

"Subaru's?!" Emilia was now looking at the screen in shock.

"Uh oh…" Felt groaned as she realized what that might mean.

"Really? So, there's more like these? I don't understand but, oh well." He reached out his hand to grab the insignia, relieved to know it wasn't the thing Emilia looked at and nearly died for.

Subaru reached Reinhard's hand to take the insignia, which at this instant, shone with bright light from the ruby positioned in it. The color was a shade of red mixed with white. Tough, the glint of white color was only noticed by Subaru.

Seeing this, the sword saint's eyes narrowed. He nodded his head in relief while the fewer servants in the room bowed down instantly.

"W-wow, glowing stones at contact? It really is a fantasy world isn't it...?" He smiled with bewilderment as he had no idea of what was going on. "What...What's with you all?"

"Subaru-sama. The shining light emitting from the insignia is undeniable proof that you are recognized as the final candidate for the position of 42nd ruler of the dragon kingdom of Lugunica." Sternly announced Reinhard.

Hearing this, Subaru made a kind of confused face, along with a cracked smile.

"Eh?"

Dragon's Candidate, Chapter 1 end.

"What?!" Tivey shouted in shock, his jaw-dropping just like his twin at the revelation.

"That's kinda troublesome isn't it?" Ricardo groaned as he thought about all of the complications that are gonna come from this.

"Subaru's a candidate?! B-But… What…" Emilia stuttered once again as the confusion of the entire situation didn't hide how hurt she was feeling at knowing this. Why would Subaru be a candidate? Would he face her in the election?

Would she be his enemy?

The half-elf couldn't help but feel helpless for this might be a reality where she had to fight Subaru for her own dream, and that feeling was shared by her members. As Otto simply just stared at the screen with his jaw hung in disbelief once more, Garfiel was shaking him to stay awake and answer his questions, "Oi! Why's Cap'n a princess now?!"

Beatrice herself just growled at the screen once more and kept her hold on Subaru protective and true. "Betty will end up with her contractor no matter whom he has to oppose in this stupid run for Fersale's throne, in fact!"

Rem and Ram also showed their worried faces as they understood that Subaru will be a direct enemy to their lord's camp. The same lord that has been watching all of this with wide-open eyes and a shocked open mouth. His clown makeup couldn't hide the slight twitch his right eye had.

"T-Teacher's book never showed me this! The partnership I could've had with the boy… " Roswaal was officially angry that this wasn't his own reality. He would've loved to have Subaru as his sponsored candidate instead of having to rely on Emilia and her stupidity while Subaru prances around like a love-sick pup, wasting his power.

But the most crucial reason for Roswaal's anger… The clown-dressed magi knew for a fact that he wouldn't have had to force Subaru into RBD at all had he been the candidate instead of Emilia.

Not even once.

And that's something the clown truly was jealous of.

"I'm sorry, Subaru." He whispered in guilt, clenching his fists as he blamed his long burned book for another way out that's been obscured to him by his teacher.

"This doesn't seem right… The dragon stones chose Subaru-sama instead of Felt-sama." Crusch mumbled as a feeling of distrust began filling her, questioning if this was a true reality or not.

"Could this have happened in our world?" Felix whispered, earning a slight shrug from the shocked Frederica and a shake of the head from the equally bewildered Petra.

"Will Subaru not come to our village then? Who's gonna save us from Meili?!" the small maid yelled in worry as she understood how busy Subaru would be with playing prince and studying for the election. She was always observant of how much time Emilia would take in her own studying sessions when she would bring her tea every hour or so to refresh the princess.

He wouldn't have time to waste meeting her… or even playing with her… a simple village kid.

The girl simply teared up and stayed silent.

"What is this even? What's the choice that did this to reality?" Anastasia mumbled harshly, concentrating on the details she had made note of in her mind about this entire session.

"There has to be a mistake somewhere. No way it could've been something did by one of the mortals… the dragon stones were preordained by the divine Dragon himself!" Julius was sweating nervously. This entire situation seeming impossible for him.

"Couldn't the dragon change his mind or somethin'?" Al asked calmly, shrugging.

"Why would the divine dragon change his mind?" Otto finally spoke up, not seeing any other explanation except for the dragon stone being tampered with.

"So the boy has more to his destiny than being a follower?... Fufu… " Priscilla's expression showed a dark glee she was having since the start of this viewing, she always wanted to see the dark-haired boy step out of the dumb half-devil's shadow and do something for himself for once. And it did help that she would be seeing him kneeling before her right with the others when she finally wins her rightful throne.

"Wouldn't have thought I would be taken out…" Felt whispered grimly, her eyes darkened with tears coming out of the corners. Already missing the days yet to come with her knight. Seeing how happy her own knight and her big brother were without her there. Feeling inadequate to be sad or else she may be a bad friend to them both since it was something they clearly needed.

"I guess my place truly wasn't on that damn throne." Like she always did, Felt seethed with hatred and anger towards the only thing that did her and everyone she's come to learn from harm… the royalty and monarchy of the country. The same one she was to destroy.

But out of all the people in the theater...Between the shocked and surprised, scared and troubled, worried and guilty...There was one who felt so much more.

One that felt an entire mix of all these emotions all at once. Like a storm taking his mind over and shaking his soul to the core.

Paralyzed, frozen...his eyes wide as sheer confusion was clear on his face...Was Reinhard Van Astrea. The sword saint of Lugunica.

"How can this be..." He whispered with a grim tone, his voice taking a tone much uncharacteristic of him.

Broken. And afraid...Yet amazed.

For a reality like this to exist, where he was by Subaru's side...

Like a wish buried deep down in the knight's soul...But

At what cost?

Now.

Everyone's questions died in their throats as the warden's voice distorted through their collective consciousness.

Let me explain.

Why this reality could've happened to you.

Why Natsuki Subaru has become a Dragon's Candidate.

To be continued…

Chapter 2: The Cost Of The Scent.

Coming.

---

Meh. I would like to thank you all for reading this project.

Please go to my partner's account and show him lots of love cuz he worked just as hard as I did on this. www. reddit user / ArcherOne325

Also follow and fave his fic, Dragon's Candidate: m. fanfiction s/ 13758246 /1/ The-Dragon-s-Candidate

Now for the actual chapter, I would like to note that Archer will be leaving for a few weeks because of his finals. So this fic won't be updated until he comes back. But don't worry. I'm still here, and I plan to do my best to deliver much more content in the coming days without our wholesome sweet man.