"D-Did I just…."

Return by Death. Those three words represented both a curse or a blessing, depending on the perspective. The ability to rewind time after death, a disgusting ability. Yet, it saved him countless amounts of times. It felt weird for him to not have died for quite a while now, and it felt even more nauseating after digesting the fact that he had died in yet another world. A world where The Witch shouldn't have an influence on, or could she?

For all the nasty-eyed boy knew, he was a beacon, a sort of catalyst, of Satella's influence. Maybe that's why he can access Return by Death here in this world, and maybe that's why Satella herself had seemingly gained the ability to move his checkpoints even throughout the vast distances of other worlds. It made him feel another wave of goosebumps after realizing such a thing, but right now, he has to analyze what just happened.

"Did someone attack?"

It could be possible that an assassin was sent to kill him, or even both him and Ruby. But he did not feel any pain nor sense that something was coming. It reminded him of another death loop where he died just like that. The one that had caught him off guard.

"Todd…"

That loop where Todd killed him several times in quick succession in the walled city of Guaral, where he was forced to face a loop with only half a minute of timespan. It was a shock at first experiencing that sort of checkpoint, it gave him little time to analyze what was going on. Wait...

Timespan, he forgot to analyze the timespan! All this time he did not consider that he had just died so fast. From Ruby's gesturing to come over and to him answering her question. It was only in a span of ten full seconds, meaning

"Shit! Ruby, listen to me! There's a killer nearby!" He yelled.

"A killer!? Subaru what are you talking abo-"

It was too late. She did not act quick enough, or rather, he did not act quick enough. As if time had slowed to a snail's pace, a crimson blade of wind came into view in Subaru's fearful eyes. It thrashed the entire immediate vicinity of its trajectory. Some of Ruby's limbs had been fully dislocated and some bones had been fractured just by the sheer shockwave of the attack, and by the next moment, immediately the red blade of wind sliced her clean vertically in half. Spilling the air with the red mist of her blood and remnants of her organs and brain matter, before crashing and breaking the white metal rack and the wall behind into a pile of smoke and sawdust, sending shrapnel of metal to all directions, some hitting and pricking Subaru all over.

As the scene was cleared of smoke, only the remains of the once joyful little rose were left, her once clean and naive face now a broken remnant stained in blood. But even before his mind could even react to what had transpired. Within the next moment, his mind had gone blank instead.

He was back at the same spot once again. No kind of damage was done, everything seemed so peaceful, and Ruby was back, currently reading a magazine. He was glad that it ended so fast, but he just can't seem to get used to the mental aspects of Return by Death, even after two years of being summoned from his world.

The girl in front of him, Ruby Rose, jumped in excitement at her findings, as always for the last two loops. She turned her eyes to him and gestured to him to come over, wanting to share the page for him to read. But, Subaru did not even react to that, he only stood there, frozen and hiding his shock.

His legs felt weak as if fatigue had suddenly come rushing over to him. Pupils had dilated to a single point, his expression had soured, cringing at the mere thought of seeing her corpse being in that state. Ruby quickly noticed what was going on and immediately dropped her book, choosing to rush over and check on him.

She gently caressed and touched parts of his face before trying to check on his neck. It's still warm, and she could feel the goosebumps, yet it was fully covered by cold sweat trickling down from his forehead. She looked to check his face, his eyes didn't react to her presence even slightly.

"Ru-ruby…." Uttered Subaru.

"It's me! Yes, this is Ruby Rose. Subaru, you're full of cold sweat and your face seems off for the mood. Mind telling me what's wrong? Is it a fever?"

Suddenly, Subaru shook his head before taking a deep breath, something he is still learning as a way to calm himself down after looping, using Ruby to support his palm as he grabbed his forehead and wiped off the cold sweat. He still felt tired, yet somehow fully recovered as if everything was fine. Ruby stood in front of him after he released his hand from her shoulder that was holding her down. Her face was full of worries, like a sad puppy or a child that had seen someone getting hurt.

"I'm fine, my knees only felt weak from all that walking, that's all" He assured her.

"O-okay…Subaru, you know it's wise to immediately ask for help or find support when that is about to happen right?" She responded.

"Y-yeah, sorry. I mean thank you, for telling me" He said, spreading a small smile on his face, making Ruby smile as well, although still concerned for him.

Subaru then began to turn his body towards the front of the store. He then discovered what seems to be a feminine figure standing in the distance, wielding a crimson blade and donning black clothing. His eyes tried to focus on it, trying to get a look at her face, but it was yet again too late.

Before he could utter a word of warning, a flash of red rushed over to him. Getting larger and larger within a fraction of a second, and immediately cutting through him like he was nothing more than a mere obstacle in its path. The same crimson blade sliced him in half from the upper torso aiming for his heart with a wind blade. Even though it was only for a few seconds, he finally experienced a sense of pain. Natsuki Subaru died for the third time, under the shocked and crying face of Ruby Rose. He wished he had a way to comfort her in the last moments of this loop, but time had run out, and fate had decided for him to reset.

He was back at the same spot once again. No kind of damage was done, everything seemed so peaceful, and Ruby was back, currently reading a magazine. He was glad that it ended so fast, the sense of pain had passed by quickly, and he quickly reminded himself to take a deep breath to calm himself down.

Ruby, as always, jumped in excitement at what she had just found, before she gestured to him to come over shortly after, "Hey Subaru! You might find this interesting, it may solve our problem as well!"

This time, however, he will be using what info he had gathered from the past three deaths to avoid the first attack, giving himself time to act and avoid death for both him and Ruby. But before he could do that, he needs to know who he is dealing with here. As a blurry feminine figure wielding a red sword is not enough information to go with.

"Ruby, before you say anything, mind answering a question?" He began

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Aside from Roman, are there any other infamous criminals out there in Vale?"

She hummed, thinking it over before answering. While she does that, Subaru begins to think of ways of detecting said killer, but quickly rejects the said idea, afraid of triggering the attack early. "There is one! People call her 'The Hyena' due to the emblem stuck on her skirt armor and spotted birthmark behind her left thigh. She's a weird one. Never caught, chaotic killing patterns, and kills any person randomly or even stop mid-hunt and go somewhere else! It's weird!" She answered.

He was listening intently, processing the information the best he could, then it hit him. After briefly glancing outside of the store out of sheer curiosity, contradicting his promise not to look at the attacker to not be seen as suspicious, he quickly noticed the same feminine figure he saw in the last loop in the distance, approaching closer and positioning herself to attack. "Well then, keep your guard up, and if I push you over, comply and don't resist," He said to her

"W-why?"

"Just do it"

Subaru quickly pushed her away, and at the same time knocked himself backward. And as if on cue, the crimson crescent blade of wind missed its intended target. Only shredding the magazine rack and crashing towards the walls of the store, disappearing and shooting the remaining force behind the strike with a shockwave. The excess force of the attack shattered and shredded the nearby glass of the weapon display racks and dust shelves in droves.

Fortunately, the glass shards fell harmlessly onto him, and he quickly stood up to scan his surroundings. The entire corner of the store where he is currently in was utterly decimated, with even the floor tiles being shattered into pieces, revealing the concrete surface underneath it. However, he lightly smiled, as he saw that Ruby was safe and sound, attempting to stand up, although a bit dazed from the initial attack.

Subaru grabbed a nearby whip as a weapon, the only weapon he had been vigorously trained on, and quickly inspected its qualities before thinking to himself the strategies to approach this battle.

"Ruby, call your weapon" He ordered.

"Y-yeah, already on the way!" She responded, she shook her head to clear her dizziness, grabbing a nearby broken wooden beam of a once wooden shelf filled with dust that is now on the floor to support herself. She grabbed her scroll, a phone-like device equivalent to Remnant, and tapped the screen a few times. "The rocket locker should arrive in about one minute or so. Wait, Subaru! Where are you going!?" She yelled, looking at Subaru who was walking towards the entrance of the store with a whip in his hand.

He stopped to look at her before continuing onwards, "I'm going to buy you some time. Stay safe"

As he walked, he grabbed several pieces of dust crystals laying around, putting them inside his pockets as another card for him to play in combat. He already achieved his goal of avoiding the initial attack, now he only needs a plan to stall the killer before Ruby can join the battle. Using what information he had regarding her abilities, this so-called 'Hyena' possesses a semblance or power to strike faster than the speed of sound. It reminded him of Elsa who can casually attack at that speed, and Crusch with her signature move being able to exceed it to a degree.

He has to somehow predict when her blade will glow crimson red, which would indicate her firing up her attack. He also needs to learn how to keep her from striking towards the store, where Ruby is currently waiting for her weapon. His skill with the whip would guarantee the means of keeping her suppressed and at bay if he can strike fast enough in quick succession. He may not be able to pierce her aura through normal means without dust, but he could do what he had planned, stall for time.

Subaru exited the store, the exit completely ruined and almost collapsing, some parts being reduced to rubble as he walked over them. His eyes fixated on the person in front of him with sheer anger and a show of tenacity. He gripped the handle of the borrowed black bullwhip tightly in anticipation of the fight and the rush of adrenaline throughout his body. Slowly, he began to approach her, the one who had killed him thrice in this very moment. The details of her features are now available for him to see with clarity.

Dark hair with a small tied ponytail at the back of her head and hazel-colored eyes, the two main features of her face. She covered herself in a sleeveless black fabric that followed the mold of her body, starting from the neck collar and ending right above her thighs, with the end being a short skirt tied by red ropes and armor protecting her hips, one of which possesses the symbol of a Hyena's head. She also possessed a pair of scabbards for her swords, one of which was on her behind as a backup weapon. Her legs were covered up asymmetrically by a pair of black socks, her right leg indicating having been covered in a roll of bandages. She bared a smile that of a serial killer, a predator expecting her prey, a bloodlusted monster with nothing in mind but the target in front of her. As he walked towards her, she waited, gripping the crimson-bladed sword ever tightly in blood-pumping excitement.

"Ya know, it was almost a pure coincidence that you would dodge that!" She exclaimed, "It was almost as if you'd predicted it, ain't that right, Natsuki Subaru?"

He stopped, just around 10ft in front of her. She knew his name, it made him confused and appalled. How did she know his name? Subaru only stood there, wondering why as he prepared himself for the first strike.

"My my, you are awfully silent! Quite the opposite of you, isn't it? Or is it because you're ready to sacrifice yourself as a meat shield for that girl behind you? You don't even qualify as decent fodder! Your aura has not even been awakened yet, how are you going to compensate for that!? Very reckless aren't you?" She said once again, letting out a crazed bloodlusted laugh right at the end of her sentence, a laugh that of a Hyena.

"I'm aware of my weaknesses, thank you very much. And I take pride in my recklessness. Your insults do not affect me whatsoever, and the only effect it has will only strengthen my will to beat you" Subaru responded, a small confident smile appearing across his face as he readied his guard, placing his offhand right above his pocket, where the dust crystals reside and aiming his whip right in front of her.

She laughed once again. "Well let's find out just how determined you are, oh sir knight!"

The first strike came in the form of an overhead strike of the whip. Hyena dodged it in the nick of time by backing off one step away from its strike.

"Taking the initiative! Such are the qualities of a leader!"

She replies by sending three blades of wind after she charges up her attack. Subaru however, managed to notice it and dodged to the right, making those blades dissipate after a short distance. He took a mental note that Hyena is indeed capable of making slower and weaker blades such as those.

Quickly, Hyena charges and goes for a series of wild but aimed strikes. She pressured Subaru to only avoid her attacks and falling back. She is vicious and aggressive. She did not give any chances for him to strike back at her. But Subaru had other plans.

He quickly reached for his pockets and grabbed a gravity dust crystal, colored in purple. He immediately throws it at her after a short amount of distance is covered. Said dust was then triggered by the shock wave of his whip crack and it exploded into a gravity wave that pushes her back. She smiled and sent a wind blade at him that he sidestepped to dodge.

He goes for a counter-attack, a series of whip cracks to pressure her to back off even further. He then goes to reach for his pockets once again, this time three combustion dust is on his hand. He threw them at her one by one and cracked his whip after to trigger their effects. Sending off a series of explosions that knocked her back even further with each blast. A crimson barrier around her flickered in the process, her aura was damaged. He smiled, but not for long.

"My my, you managed to do some damage! I think it's time for me to get serious then!"

Out of the smoke, she pounces forward with increasing speed. And immediately, she goes in to cut his leg. Subaru managed to back off just in time, but barely. The cut behind the knee joint was deep. It prevented him from keeping himself mobile at that moment. She swiftly continued with a series of fast strikes. Slowly but surely slicing and cutting Subaru's limbs as he attempted to flee. He is desperately trying to avoid her attacks to no avail. Each slice weakened his ability to move further. Each cut was deep and had been made to be as painful as possible. Before finally, she went in for the kill with a stab aiming for his heart. Before suddenly

"Invisible Providence!"

An invisible force in the shape of a hand bursts forward out of his body. The sheer pain of the recoil began to spread throughout his body, but Subaru persisted. It countered the blade of her sword, and with the sheer force of its forward burst combined with the speed of her thrust, broke it in half, before advancing further with increasing momentum to push her back with a powerful jab to her face.

She was flung into the air, but quickly regained her balance and footing once she landed on the ground. A large grin appeared on her face. "Your worth for the kill far exceeds my expectations, Natsuki Subaru!"

She readied her stance, and the broken blade of her sword began to glow bright red. Subaru was too tired to even move now, his body covered in wounds. He awaited death to come, this is a failed loop, but at least now he knows the scope of the opponent he is facing, at least he got this far. He smiled, slightly chuckling, seeing that he had come this far to only be killed by the same attack he died thrice towards.

"Not on my watch!"

The sound of a gun firing was heard, and the bullet hit Hyena's blade, stopping the attack mid-charge. Subaru looked behind him, a large scythe wielded by Ruby Rose was seen. Behind her, a rocket locker crash-landed just right in front of the dust store, its door fully opened. Ruby had a look of determination before looking at him with a smile.

"Subaru, you did a great job at stalling her! Now you can leave this to me!"

He smiled, nodding before slowly moving away from the battlefield. Ruby walked forward carrying her scythe, Crescent Rose, and getting to her battle stance. Facing off against Hyena, who was clearly pissed off.

"The little red riding hood came to save the day, really, a beautifully timed moment!" She mocked, "I'll end this quickly. A great combatant, but not without your weapon, little rose!"

Hyena sent a wind blade forward from her broken blade. It clashed with the blade of Crescent Rose, which Ruby swung with all her might to parry it away into another building. Ruby then charged forward, boosted by the recoil of her scythe fired behind her. She sliced horizontally towards Hyena. She replied with a quick parry and a kick to her sides, knocking the little red sideways.

Ruby quickly regained her balance and charged once again, striking Hyena with increasing speed. A series of equal blows began to exchange, a dance of death between the broken blade parrying and attempting to cut through as the scythe continued to strike with ever-increasing momentum. Both are determined to win this combat. So, Ruby spun diagonally along with her weapon, trying to deliver a strong attack to end the exchange. Aiming for a diagonal strike to shatter Hyena's aura. But it was deflected away once again by the assassin. Hyena then proceeded to kick her in the head, dazing her.

Subaru watched intently, hoping for Ruby to at least drive her off. But that hope soon ended after watching the result of that exchange. Hyena charged up her weapon once again and sent a large blade of wind forwards against the dazed little rose, it was stronger than even the one that killed him thrice in quick succession. She was caught off guard and the wind blade knocked her back, losing the grasp of her weapon. Her body bounced across the street, creating small craters along the way, chipping away at her aura. Before crashing to the side of a building at the side of the street across the intersection in front of the store. Her aura was shattered as it flickered its last dying light, losing her consciousness in the process.

"I was hoping that you would fare better than him, but even with all the things you had in your arsenal, it was just not enough. A disappointment!" Seeing her aura being shattered, Hyena quickly went for the kill, sending yet another wind blade towards Ruby's direction for the last killing blow. But it was soon blocked by a thick wall of ice, shattering said wall in the process as well.

Both Hyena and Subaru stood dumbfounded. The smoke then soon cleared, and it revealed Weiss, behind said destroyed wall of ice, holding her rapier, Myrtenaster, and aiming it towards her. "You've gone far enough to hurt our team leader and her friend, villain!" Weiss said.

"That will be enough Weiss, tend to her wounds." One voice interrupted, revealing a masked white-haired figure in the distance. Weiss looked at her before nodding, dragging Ruby away from the battlefield. She bore a resemblance of one particular bandit leader from Mistral, Raven Branwen, only in the color of deep blue and black. She appeared right in front of Subaru, holding a pair of sword handles before she activated it to reveal their hard light blades. She conjoined the two swords together to form a double-bladed sword, spinning it around and aiming one end of her weapon towards the crimson-bladed assassin. Hyena only laughed, focusing her attention on the white-haired masked figure as she approached forward.

Beatrice then suddenly appeared and landed on the ground, deactivating her spell afterward. She ran to Subaru, who was covered in wounds but was happy to see her. "Subaru shouldn't be this stubborn, I suppose! He should've called Betty early, not waiting for her to notice it herself!" She said, tearing up after seeing his condition.

"Beatrice…thank you" was all Subaru could say at that moment before she began to heal him. Sitting down on the rubble to let her have easier access to his wounds.

Meanwhile, the two combatants approached each other slowly. Both getting to their stances. Hyena still had a crazed look on her face, only this time she was more or less happy that she saw a worthy opponent in this battle. Her opponent, however, was more or less indifferent, as if she had met her before.

"Well well, I can see that you are well prepared to fight against me!" Said Hyena, "May I know your name before we begin our fight?" She brought another blade out of its sheath pairing it with the broken one, before getting into her stance.

"Shiro Indigo, that is all you need to know," She replied, "I've been trying to track you down for years on end before arriving here. But now you've come to me as if it was fate. May I know your reason to be here?" She continued, her tone hinting towards familiarity and concern for the opponent in front of her.

"You are pretty stubborn then huh? My reason here has nothing to do with you, but the boy behind you. But you have intervened and made me deviate from her plans. Now it can be said that my reason here is to eliminate you from the equation!" Hyena answered. A sense of bloodlust can be felt through her words, "So how about we start now, Shiro Indigo?"

Indigo goes into her stance, and nods in confirmation, "It'll be an honor for me to finally reunite with you again, old friend. This time, I won't leave you behind"