Gusteko, Vollachia, Lugunica, and Kararagi.
These are the names of the four great nations of this world. But they are nothing but names. They are nothing but labels given to large swaths of land and the people who live within them. They hold no power in their own right. It is all granted to them by their citizens.
Except… this isn't entirely true. There exists a force, a presence, a mechanism of some kind in this world that supersedes labels and humanity and everything that exists.
It goes by many names and its influence is felt in many ways:
Od Laguna. The Hall of Memories. The Sword God.
All aspects of the soul of the world. All aspects of an underlying mechanism that governs all things.
Except… there are a handful of forces that defy it - that defy its heavenly will:
Witch Factors and the Witches, Warlocks, and Sin Archbishops who possess them.
The soul of the world is normally unfeeling, unthinking. It is normally machine-like in its governing.
But these abnormalities, these flaws in the clockwork world bother it to no end.
It could just allow them to exist. Allow the natural course of history to play out as it always has done. Allow the flaws to inevitably collide against each other and eventually cancel out.
Or… it could interfere.
An endless corridor of blinding white. Only a single figure stood in contrast to this odd place.
?: This had better work… but knowing onii-san…
A lone girl nervously paced around in the Hall of Memories, dressed in a long white garment and adorned with even longer blonde hair.
?: Want to be happy… need to be happy… this is the only way ~tsu!
But just as she was going to enact her insidious plot, an odd booming voice spoke aloud to her from seemingly every direction.
?: Louis Arneb.
Startled and confused, the girl spun around and around, searching for the source of the intruder, before tripping and falling on her own hair.
?: The Natural Course Of History Dictates That Your Plan Be Allowed To Come To Fruition.
Sitting on the ground, she instinctively wrapped her arms around her small body in a defensive gesture. The words confused her and their tone brought a great sense of awe to her, along with a sizable helping of existential fear.
?: Natsuki Subaru Ought To Be Allowed To Have His Adventure In Vollachia With You And The Oni By His Side.
She was bewildered by this statement. Having just monologued about her plan to enter the physical world, the whole of her scheme was fresh in her mind and… going to Vollachia was not part of it. But the sense of authority with which the voice spoke made her believe that that was the certain future. Well, until it continued.
?: But The Soul Of The World Has Declared That Events Shall Now Be Rewound.
The implications of its words terrified her, her sharing of a certain black-haired boy's unique ability fresh in her mind.
Don't want to die. Don't want to die. Don't want to die.
Deep in the desert, within a tall tower, existed a magical room-sized spirit that healed all who entered it: The Green Room.
Flanking either side of the door was a short dark blue-haired girl and a taller pink-haired one. The shorter girl was inspecting nothing in particular, stroking the tiny crimson scorpion on her shoulder, while the taller girl was softly yet intently gazing at another figure in the room: an unconscious woman who looked identical to her with the exception of breast size and hair color.
Across from them, on the opposite wall, layed a large jet-black reptilian beast of burden. She was wounded, like all the other conscious individuals in the room, but felt more at ease than any day in the past week. This was all because her rider and master, a lean yet toned black-haired boy, was peacefully sitting beside her, his back resting on her scales and his attitude calm for the first time since the incident at the Watergate City.
She let out a chirp-like noise and relaxed her body even further, closing her eyes and allowing her mind to rest. Her master, hearing and feeling this, followed suit, and properly rested on his ground dragon's side as his mind began to wander.
They had just finished a short discussion regarding the contents of the top of the tower they'd spent the last few rather chaotic days conquering and decided to take a moment at ease in a comfortable silence.
I wonder which old geezer is supposedly up there…
Subaru's pondering was interrupted by the sound of shifting vegetation. He opened his eyes to see the pink oni standing up from her leaning position on the wall, her hand grasping a wooden wand. Her sights shifted from her sister to Subaru, or rather, to the bricks behind him, the feel of her gaze changing from surprise to determined defiance. Subaru knew what this meant without even a word from her.
A threat's coming, and fast.
He immediately began to stand from his spot beside Patrasche. Sensing his intention, her eyes snapped open and she stood, helping Subaru to his feet in the process, and began to make her way towards the unconscious girl. He yelled out to the still zoned-out loli assassin across the room.
Subaru: Meili!
She immediately snapped out of her daze and brought her attention to Subaru. He spoke out in a rushed tone.
Subaru: Put Rem on Patrasche and-
His command was received and Meili instantly moved to act, despite her surprise. But he could not finish his sentence as the wall behind him blew open to reveal a massive, growing shadow headed right for him. He shot a glance at the pink oni.
Subaru: Ram!
With one look at his eyes, she knew what he wanted and, despite her distaste for his plan, went along with it, leaving him with a stern warning.
Ram: Barusu, you better not make Rem sad.
And so, the three quickly ran out the door of the Green Room while Subaru turned to face the shadow, a frustrated rather than fearful look on his face.
Subaru: And everything was going so well too…
The shadows surrounded and engulfed him, cutting off his every sense from the outside world. He heard the familiar voice of off-tune silver bells chiming.
Envy: I love you. I love you. I love you.
He felt his every muscle held tight by the embrace of her magic and his whole mind prisoner to the hold of her words.
Envy: I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
And yet, he resisted.
Subaru: Natsuki Subaru can't be held prisoner by your love anymore. You have to learn to accept that much, Witch.
She paid his words no mind as she drew closer and closer.
Envy: I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
And, right as she was about to reach him, another voice rang out through the darkness.
?: I am Volcanica. In accordance with the ancient covenant, I ask the will of thee who hath reached the top of the tower. Step forth through the first floor, almighty petitioner.
A majestic blue light assaulted the shadows from directly above for a moment before yet another voice rang out, this time from seemingly every direction.
?: The Soul Of The World Has Declared That Events Shall Now Be Rewound. Good Luck, Natsuki Subaru.
In a light more blinding than any he had ever seen before, the world vanished and Natsuki Subaru thought that he had lost his life.
Blinding white followed by darkness followed by blinding light.
Rubbing his eyes and blinking, Subaru opened them to a familiar yet completely unexpected sight: a gruff middle-aged merchant holding an appa to him.
Subaru: What the…
Subaru's mind raced, hoping that he was not, in fact, sent all the way back to one of two almost equally bad checkpoints, when the merchant spoke, dropping the appa and looking at him with shocked eyes.
Kadomon: Hey kid…
The merchant looked left and right, noting his surroundings.
Kadomon: The hell is going on here? One moment I was on a walk with my daughter and another I'm at my shop?
He glanced down at his clothes, his face filling with surprise.
Kadomon: And I haven't worn these in over a year now!
Subaru silently gawked at the Appa Man as he too looked around. Every single person in view had stopped and seemed to be some flavor of confused.
Subaru: So this means…
Natsuki Subaru had been brought back to Zero… kind of.