This is a fanfiction created by myself, all rights to Re:Zero go to Tappei Nagatsuki. This takes place between arc 6 and 7 so please finish arc 6 before starting. Chapter 2 will be out soon

Arc 6.5 fanfiction

Chapter 1: Transported to a distant land

Subaru lay face down in the hot sun. Sweat beaded his face and there was a taste of dirt in his mouth. His arms ached and his stomach hurt like he had been punched in the gut. In his dull mental haze, a single thought cut through to snap his senses back into place.

Subaru: "Re… Rem?"

Subaru pawed his hands around in search of her but there was nothing. He tried to open his eyes but they were caked shut. He forced his elbows beneath his chest and pushed himself up to a sitting position. He felt drained and tired but knew he couldn't rest, not until he found Rem.

He rubbed his eyes and spat out the dirt in his mouth. The ground beneath him felt like it was made out of many rocks lined together. He opened his eyes and saw a large dense forest before him. Subaru felt dispirited at first, thinking he would have to search for Rem in the forest, but then he smelled baked bread and wine. He turned around to see a moderately sized town with a castle in the background.

The houses were made out of a red-hued stone, though not like the bricks from earth, these were smoother and looked like they were mined directly from a cave. The streets looked to be made of the same material. The buildings also didn't appear to have any rhyme or reason to their placement in the city, so instead of having clearly discernible streets, it looked like a maze.

Subaru knew that if Rem was anything like her old self she would head to the town first before trying to rough it in the woods.

Subaru: "REM!... REM!"

Subaru called out for Rem but there was no reply. As Subaru ran through the town screaming he began to panic. He was getting more and more lost.

Subaru: "I should use Cor Leonis to find her. Cor Leonis!"

Subaru cleared his mind and activated his newest authority. He scanned the town for any sign of the white dot that would be Rem but he couldn't find it. This only made him panic more so he kept running.

Finally, he spotted a vendor. Subaru ran up to the quaint little shop. The man running the stand was a fox demihuman who just stared straight ahead.

Subaru: "Hey did you see an Oni woman with short blue hair by any chance?"

The vendor slowly looked down at Subaru. Then without saying a word reached under the counter and put a loaf of bread and a glass of water on the counter and returned to staring in the distance.

Despite the fact that Subaru was dying of thirst, his desperation to find Rem outweighed his bodily needs, and his common sense. He slammed his fist on the counter, knocking over the glass of water, the vendor didn't even flinch.

Subaru: "Hey, I'm talking to you! Can't you understand me? I need to find the blue-haired girl."

The vendor seemed to be acting as though Subaru wasn't even there. He simply stared off into the distance. Subaru was about to protest again when another villager appeared. This one was a dark-skinned human, with large muscles and a dagger at his belt. The newcomer silently walked up to the counter, the vendor put a loaf of bread and a glass of water on the counter, the newcomer took the items and silently walked away.

This is when Subaru noticed something was off, and then he heard it. Nothing.

There was no sound in the entire town, not a single sound. No one talking, no one noisily walking or running anywhere. No one dropping things and no one even accidentally hurting themselves. There was absolute quiet throughout the entire town.

Subaru felt a now deeper sense of dread, one motivated by fear and the presence of evil rather than desperation. Subaru moved his hand back and forth in front of the vendor's face to get a reaction but none came. Subaru considered punching him to see if that got a reaction, but he'd never be able to explain it to the authorities if it did.

Then Subaru had a terrifying thought. What if all these people are under some mind control spell or a zombie infection or something. If so, then Subaru needed to find Rem as fast as possible. He was about to start running and yelling again when he realized. If the whole town is dead silent. Then whoever did this, whoever is running this whole operation is gonna track down the one guy who's been making all the noise. And that was Subaru.

Subaru knew now that he needed to get help, that he needed to find Emilia and Beatrice and Garfiel and come launch an all-out assault. Subaru began running towards the exit. As he ran he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He felt like someone was chasing him. However, it turns out someone was in front of him. Every step Subaru took towards the exit was another step the entire town took to intercepting him. They were closing him off, and closing him in, which only added to his sense of dread. Now that Subaru was a hundred paces from the exit, every villager was too. Subaru knew about this tactic from shows in his homeworld. It's a little cliche but when you're the one facing down two hundred mindless people, it didn't matter how cliche it was.

Subaru knew that even if he fought his hardest to get through he'd never make it. Not to mention that leaving the town would require abandoning Rem, and he couldn't let himself do that.

Subaru: "Damn it. Well if you won't let me leave then can you tell me where I'm supposed to go?"

The people said nothing and did nothing. They just stood there, blocking his path. Subaru felt tired from running around everywhere but even through his drowsiness, he could feel it. A force of some kind drawing him to the castle.

Subaru: "If Rem lost her memories then she would follow her gut and that castle is almost magically inviting. It kind of creeps me out."

Despite his better judgment, Subaru headed for the castle. The buildings he passed all had the same design and were only devoted to one thing, like it was a town of robots. As he reached the center of the town, he noticed a strange circular contraption. It was made from a complicated network of metal, stone, and leather. It formed a circle with a giant pit in the center.

Subaru: "Woah."

At first, he thought it was a machine but there weren't any wires or electricity, and this world was far off from discovering robotics.

Subaru: "It must be some sort of shrine."

As Subaru stopped his walk to the castle and approached the contraption, he suddenly felt an immense pain course through his entire body. There was a voice, a girl's voice screaming in his mind.

?: "Subaru get away from there, I suppose!"

A little girl yelled out in pain in his mind. He could feel himself getting weaker, like the contraption was trying to yank his soul out.

Subaru: "B...Beatrice? Where are you?"

Beatrice: "Subaru, We will find you, I suppose, But leave where you are, in fact. It's killing me!"

Subaru reeled back from the contraption and the sensation stopped, as well as Beatrice's voice. Subaru felt nauseous, for that brief moment he could feel Beatrice's life force draining out of her, through him, and down the pit of this contraption.

Subaru: "-hk"

Subaru willed his legs to work again, just so he could get away from this thing. Whatever it was it was magical, and it was deadly to Beatrice, and if it was deadly to Beatrice it was deadly to him.

Subaru: "I need to get Rem and leave this terrible place."

Subaru kept walking until he approached the castle. The citizens had returned to their normal duties, if you could call this normal. There was a bridge across a chasm that led to the main gates. There wasn't a moat but at the bottom of the chasm was a small river that flowed out of a mine. There were people in the river, excavating precious metals from the river with those boxes that you shake to get the dirt out. Subaru was certain he'd die if he fell.

As Subaru approached the door he noticed there were two guards in knight armor. However, they were visibly shaking, as if they were terrified.

Subaru: "Hey, are you guys okay?"

They said nothing and kept shaking. Subaru decided there was nothing he could do for them. Subaru looked up at the castle.

It was also made from the red-hued stone but it looked a little more sunbaked. The doors were made of metal with pathetically little decoration. Subaru knocked on the door and it was immediately opened by a petite girl with short white hair. She had pale skin and purple eyes, which stared blankly at Subaru. She was wearing a white sundress.

?: "Who's at the door Ninet?"

A man's voice sounded from inside the castle. Upon hearing it the girl's face lit up. She turned to face him with a spring in her step. The guards behind Subaru also anxiously turned to look in the door with a sense of longing about them. The little girl skipped right up to the man who then tousled her hair. The man walked up to the door to greet Subaru.

The man had purple hair and purple eyes. His face was distinguished and his suit was black and purple. He had no visible weapons and had an air of likability about him.

Man: "Well hello there, what's your name?"

The man spoke with a dignified tone. Subaru could understand why everyone around him liked him. He was handsome and spoke softly, calmly, and respectfully.

Subaru: "My name is Subaru Natsuki, and I just found myself here alone with no idea where I am."

Man: "Hmm, well, you are in Redrock village in Vollachia."

Subaru: "Well that's way far from home. Do you know how to get to Lugnica?"

Man: "Of course it's due north of here. Though I would prefer if you stayed."

Subaru: "No, I need to go, once I find Rem."

Man: "Who's Rem?"

Subaru was tired of hearing that question but this time it was expected. Unlike all the other times when it was a result of [Gluttony]. The man was so nice he captivated Subaru's full attention. Subaru forgot all about the creepy town and creepy acting people, and the weird contraption outside. He set aside all these things in his mind but he couldn't disregard two things, his friends in the Pleiades Watchtower and Rem.

Subaru: "She is an Oni woman with short blue hair, have you seen her?"

Man: "Yes, in fact, I have. She came to my castle a few hours ago and we've been caring for her."

Subaru let out a massive sigh. Subaru liked this guy, something about him drew him closer, and when he talked Subaru felt warm comfortable feelings. The man turned to Ninet and said,

Man: "Ninet, would you be a dear and fetch the newcomer for me."

Ninet: "Of course, anything for you sir."

She said that, and with a youthful gallop, she disappeared into the corridor.

Subaru: "So, is she your servant or…"

Subaru started but the man shook his head and said.

Man: "She is my servant yes, I'm not the kind of man who would be with a little girl, there is only one woman in the whole world worthy of my love."

Subaru: "Oh, and where is this lucky lady?"

Man: "Sadly, she was taken from me long ago and locked away in a tower. One day I will find a way to save her though."

Subaru: "Well I hope you do."

The conversation had reached a natural endpoint, which gave Subaru a moment to think. He realized he had been sidetracked by the man and hadn't been paying attention. The castle entrance was painted white, there were windows and two hallways leading deeper into the castle. To Subaru's left was a small room that appeared to be a lounge. The sunlight gave off a warm feeling to this place.

Then Subaru remembered all the strange things in the town. He had forgotten to ask about them because he was captivated by the presence of the man.

Subaru: "Hey, by the way, what's with this town? No one even realized I was there and the people wouldn't let me leave, and there was that weird shrine with a pit in the middle of it."

Man: "Well now, perceptive are we? Well first of all the people in the town are on a special kind of drug that we make here, it makes them really focused on their tasks. As for the shrine, it will help me and my friends rescue the woman I talked about. The only woman who deserves the unparalleled love I possess."

Subaru: "Oh I get it now, thanks."

Subaru would have been more skeptical but the feeling and attitude of the man was so charming that he didn't pay attention. Subaru's mood just seemed to get better and better, he felt more energized and felt like he could do anything. However, the man was starting to look annoyed.

Man: "You have a very strong will don't you young Subaru. Even in the presence of someone as amazing as me you won't yield, it's annoying."

Subaru didn't notice the agitation in the man's voice nor the meaning of his words, just that he was speaking.

Man: "Why don't you have some of this water while we wait."

The man handed Subaru a glass of water. Subaru drank it absentmindedly. It wasn't until it was half gone that Subaru noticed it tasted metallic. Subaru's eyes widened and he threw the glass on the floor.

Subaru: "Wa… what did you give me?"

Man: "Some of that drug I told you about, though I suppose I didn't tell you everything about it. Which I'm sure you're okay with."

A part of Subaru wanted to agree with him, but Subaru buried that part deep inside him. The real Subaru finally woke back up and realized he had been under attack.

Subaru: "What the hell are you? What the hell did you do to me?"

Subaru collapsed to the floor, all his muscles refusing to function. He felt like he was getting sleepy, and his brain couldn't focus right. Then he felt it, all the happy warm energetic feelings were not his own, they were being poured into him. Subaru fought to resist it.

Man: "Even now you resist me, was my amazing acting not good enough, was the drug not strong enough."

Subaru: "I won't let you do what you're trying to do."

Subaru wheezed this out with the last of his physical strength. He felt the warm positive feelings twisting his insides trying to control him but he continued to resist.

Man: "Your pathetic resistance only makes me want you more. This seems like yet another opportunity to prove my already soaring greatness."

?: "Sir, you asked for me."

Rem appeared in the hallway, dressed in a similar sundress that Ninet wore. She had a smile on her face but only when looking at the man. She paid no attention to Subaru.

Subaru: "No, Rem! Not you too, please Rem remember me and snap out of it. I'm your hero, your greatest hero. The one that started your life again, please remember."

Subaru was reinvigorated to fight the drug for Rem and blurted that out but all that was on her face was confusion. Subaru held out hope that he could still save her. In desperation, he reached out his hand towards her but in vain.

Man: "Somehow, someway, seeing I now control your beloved's heart has not waned your resistance. Perhaps there is another way to crush your spirit. Rem dear."

The man appeared to think for a moment then decided.

Man: "Rem dear."

Rem: "Yes, great lord?"

Man: "Kill yourself for me, slowly."

Subaru's eyes widened in shock. He tried to move, he tried to squirm, he tried anything to get to her but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't cast magic without Beatrice, he couldn't use his whip because of the drug, he couldn't use invisible providence because he was too weak and Cor Leonis won't help because Rem doesn't see him as an ally. All he could do was watch as Rem was handed a blade and began cutting her left wrist down the center slowly. She didn't flinch or waver, she just stood there smiling at the man.

Man: "Rem do you want to hear a story."

Rem: "yes."

Rem spoke to him the same way she had spoken to Subaru when she told him to get back up, despite cutting her wrists on his orders. The man leisurely reached into his suit coat and pulled out a gospel. A witch cult gospel. Now Subaru understood, once again the witch's cult was taking everything from him.

Subaru: "I'll kill you."

Man: "You'll join me."

The man opened the book and read as Subaru lay on the floor and watched Rem die.

Man: "Once upon a time a man and a woman got lost in the woods, and they came across a tower. The lord of the tower was the greatest man to ever live and the girl fell for him. The man burst in intent on saving her, only to fall in love as well with the greatest man to ever live as well. Sadly to open his eyes to the man's majesty the woman heroically sacrificed herself. The end. I would tear up if my perfect face would allow it.

Rem collapsed to the floor blood pouring out of her wrists. A warm smile permanently set on her face. Subaru's spirit faltered. He filled up with rage. He felt the positive emotions poison him further and it made him disgusted.

Subaru: "I'll kill you witch cultist! I'll kill you, I'll kill you!"

As Subaru continued his tirade the man stood up and spoke.

Man: "I find the word cult to be too derogatory, but yes, I am the sin archbishop of the witches faith, representing pride, Nathaniel Sargas, I'm certain you feel glorious to bask in my presence. And with the help of the drug, this girl, and my authority, you shall be able to bask in my presence for all time, just like everyone else in Redrock."

Subaru felt his vision darken as the positive emotions and foreign energy directed by the authority made it to his core. As his vision darkened his last sight was Rem's smiling face covered in her own blood. Tears caked Subaru's face and snot dripped from his nose.

Nathaniel: "Surrender to me Subaru Natsuki."

Darkness enveloped Subaru.