The Witch's Proposal
It has already been almost two years since Subaru came to this world.
Two years worth of suffering, idiocy, and… salvation.
Salvation. That's what the members of Emilia camp thought Subaru was.
Everything turned upside down when that black-haired boy found Emilia and joined her on the journey for the throne.
He had times where he wished to just close his eyes and never wake up again, but then he had people cheering him on… though there was one time where no such person existed… except her.
Echidna, The Witch of Greed.
She proposed an idea. To forge a contract with Subaru and all of his problems will become theirs.
And so, they took care of everything through the use of Return by Death.
Subaru was grateful for the contract. Having a person that he's able to share the knowledge of his power was truly a gift.
They used the power of Return by Death to get across all the problems together, with Echidna's wits and Subaru's persistence.
Though sometimes they didn't agree on a lot of things, deep down Subaru loved Echidna, and Echidna cherished Subaru. Not only because of his power, but because of Subaru himself.
A few months after the sanctuary incident, ten loops per checkpoint changed to a hundred, a hundred loops per checkpoint became five hundred… and now, Subaru is in his current loop for the thousandth time, just to perfect it.
Loop 1
"Alright. Let's make this a good one." Subaru stretched his hands as he woke up. The black crystal bound to his neck with a small chain swayed with every movement.
He gently grasped it in his hand.
"Good morning, Echidna. Did you sleep well?"
"Technically, I don't need sleep since I am something of an artificial being, but yes, it was good."
If anyone other than Subaru was present, they'd think he was insane. Talking to himself indeed seemed to be something a mad man would do, but Subaru was different.
Thanks to their contract, Subaru received this black crystal from Echidna. It was an object she resided in. Thanks to it, she could hear, see and feel everything Subaru does. She could also hear his thoughts, though that wasn't due to the crystal, but rather because of their connection.
The boy could also hear everything Echidna said. At first it was pretty weird, but later on he would get nervous if she didn't reply for a long time, and hearing her soothing voice made him remember that the choice he made was the correct one.
"There you go with your complicated answers again," he awkwardly chuckled as he stood up from his bed, heading straight to the bathroom.
"But that's what I like about you," Subaru admitted, "Thanks to it, I can get your point of view on things."
"What brought this sudden affection on?" the maiden asked curiously. He didn't see it because of her being inside the crystal, but a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
"It's just that I realized I was being too angry at you the last time," he sighed as he practiced his smile.
It was his daily routine to go to the bathroom and practice… practice the curvature of his lips into a smile. He needed this because all the time he lived through made him lose his emotions, so he chose to act instead.
He stopped and dropped his hands to his hips.
"I'm taking you for granted… Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't left me after all the insults I've thrown at you… but I finally realized that I need you. So, thank you, Echidna," he continued with his emotionless tone.
"You're gonna make me blush," she cooed into his ears in a loving tone, completely forgetting herself.
He picked up some clothes and quickly put them on. He got rid of the old, black, and orange tracksuit a long time ago. Instead choosing a noble-like white shirt covered with a black vest complemented by pants and boots of the same dark color.
"So I was thinking… We've been in this checkpoint for more than a thousand loops and we've perfected everything now…" Subaru said in a matter-of-fact tone, "So why don't we wait until it gets updated? Both of us remember the correct steps of this day so let's just follow them until night."
There was silence for a few seconds before Echidna's beautiful voice resounded in the boy's mind once again.
"Hmm, I was also thinking about that, but why don't we enjoy it slightly longer?" she asked.
"Enjoy? How so?"
"Well, since no one really remembers the failed loops, why don't we use it to gather more information? For example, why don't we try to play with 'your Emilia-tan'?" she inquired teasingly, saying the half-elf's name in a mocking tone.
"Play with Emilia-tan? What do you mean?" Subaru asked. He figured this talk would be for a bit longer so he sat down on his bed.
"It's simple. I propose finding out more information about that half-elf through questions you wouldn't normally ask because of reasons... Meaning we'd find out more about her true self, what she thinks, feels about you and the others."
Subaru's eyes were sliding across the room as he thought about it. He knew no one would remember anything, but making fun of the person he likes, especially if it was Emilia… it didn't feel that good.
"We don't need to necessarily make fun of her. It's just to know what she's truly like on the inside. Both of us will be able to understand her better… maybe even help her," she explained with sweet words invading his mind.
"I see. I guess that wouldn't be so bad," he whispered as he gazed into an empty corner of his room.
He stood up and fixed his clothes before walking towards the door.
"By the way, what's the time? I said I won't be waking up for breakfast today so no one woke me up," Subaru scratched his cheek in embarrassment.
"It is currently 9 am. Breakfast ended five minutes ago so if you want to meet with that girl, now would be the best time."
"Are we doing it right away?"
"Well, it's not like we're going to miss any detail of the loop. We've seen everything already. Don't worry, Subaru, you did a good job. Only you can satisfy me."
The door opened. Subaru wanted to tell Echidna one more thing, but he couldn't as he found a beautiful, silver-haired half-elf in front of his doors.
"Ah, hello, Subaru!" she enthusiastically greeted the boy.
As soon as he saw her, a bright smile appeared on his lips. He couldn't waste this loop instantly by worrying the girl. Yet the half-elf noticed his sad glance as soon as she saw him open the door, and a glint of concern appeared in her amethyst eyes. Subaru didn't answer her, instead choosing to gaze at her hair as his eyes trembled.
It wasn't long as it used to be. Her long hair was one of the things he loved about her, but for some reason, one day she decided to cut it to shoulder-length.
He shook his head to get out of his chain of thoughts.
"Good morning, Emilia-tan. What brings you here?" Subaru asked as he showed the girl his trained smile.
"Well, breakfast just ended and I thought I'd visit you on the way back to my room."
"I see. Well then," Subaru walked out of his room, closing the door behind him, "Would you like to go to your room? We can talk there."
"Mhm, sure!" she nodded.
The pair walked the halls of the Roswaal manor in silence before the short-haired girl began to speak again.
"U-Um, Subaru, is something the matter?" she inquired. Her voice slightly trembled as she was scared to bring this up. "I noticed that you were slightly sad when I opened the door. Did I do something wrong?" she asked in worry, her eyes getting wet.
The boy stopped himself, his eyes widened.
He rested his hands on Emilia's shoulder while looking deeply into her eyes. "No, it's not your fault, Emilia-tan! I was just having a strange dream that had me confused for a moment. It definitely wasn't you, I promise!"
"I see… I'm sorry fo-"
"I said it's alright. Weren't you the one telling me it's better to hear a single thank you than lots of sorrys to begin with?" he inquired with a smile to calm the girl down.
That's right. I only worry my Subaru. He always knows what's best for me and everyone… That's why I like him. Stop worrying him, Emilia. Get yourself together… For Subaru.
"Anyway, we are here," Subaru brought the girl out of her chain of thoughts as he opened the door and walked inside the room.
Emilia closed the door behind them and watched as Subaru sat on the bed.
"So, Emilia-tan," he started. The nickname he gave her made her fall for him all over again. The way he managed to say her disgusting name in such an affectionate way always made her all fluttery inside, "How are your studies going? Were you a good girl and read everything I asked you to?" he inquired as he observed the girl sitting next to him.
"Mhm, I read everything!" she replied enthusiastically. Her amethyst eyes had this weird glow to them. It could creep some people out, but Subaru was used to it and started to love them again.
"So… Could I get a reward?" she asked with a blush.
"Hmm, a reward? Do you think your efforts are worth a reward? I mean, learning new things is a given, no?" Subaru teased the girl.
"Mmmmm… Hey! But you said I'd get a reward if I was a good girl and read the book… Was I a good girl, Subaru?" she inquired with puppy eyes that could melt anyone's heart.
The boy sighed. "Yes, yes. Emilia-tan did a good job,"
"Yaaay! So… could I get a… a head-pat for a job done well?" she asked, her entire being filled with hope.
"Of course," he replied as he placed his hand on her hair, "That's the least I can do." He started gently scratching her head while observing her visage.
"Mhhh~ Subaru's head-pats feel soooo~ good!" Emilia breathed out as she lost herself in the feeling of his soft hand on her head.
"You know, you could have a bit more ambition, Emilia-tan," Subaru voiced out as he continued staring at her, his hand still motioning around her head, sometimes sliding under her ear to scratch her further.
"Hmm?" Emilia cutely tilted her head in confusion.
"Haaah. I can give Emilia-tan head-pats whenever she wants, so please, ask for bigger and better things as rewards next time, alright?" he questioned as he pulled his hand away from her. The feeling of his lovely fingers leaving her side has made Emilia pout in anger.
"Hmm, head-pats whenever? So how about now?" she grinned.
"But I just… sure."
"Ah, mhmmm~" Emilia continued making cute sounds as Subaru scratched her in the best places imaginable.
As Subaru continued patting her, he remembered what he and Echidna talked about in the morning. These upcoming loops will be used to get to know Emilia more.
"Listen, Emilia-tan…" Subaru said as he slowly drifted into his thoughts, but with a shake of his head, all of his drowsiness disappeared. His hand also left the girl's head, making her slightly disappointed.
He thought as to what should he ask, his smile was slowly getting wiped off of his lips, but before that could completely happen, he steeled himself and looked back at Emilia with a smile as bright as the rising sun.
"We don't really know too much about each other, right, hehe?" he asked with an awkward chuckle as he looked at her.
Emilia rested her chin on her hand before answering. "Now that you say it, I don't rea~lly know too much about you, Subaru,"
"E-Exactly. So I decided I'll take the entire day free and we can talk lots. What do you think?"
The half-elf girl looked at him bewildered, "T-The entire day free… just Subaru and I?" she repeated and Subaru nodded in agreement.
"Yes! Thank you!" she lunged at him, wrapping her frail-looking yet strong arms around him.
This is the best reward! Spending the entire day with my Subaru.
Subaru was surprised at the girl's enthusiasm. He hugged her back, he would even use more strength, but he was caught off guard by the scent of her hair. He scowled, but his smile quickly returned so Emilia wouldn't question him once they parted.
The scent of her hair wasn't the thing that got Subaru acting weirdly. He in fact liked it. It was the usual, lovely strawberry smell. The reason he suddenly scowled was once again her short hair.
"Emilia-tan-" Subaru once again spoke out to the girl.
"Yep? Your Emilia will always listen to what you have to say."
Subaru was glad to hear that, and so he braced himself and asked, "I was wondering, why did you cut your hair short?"
For a few seconds, the room was quiet. So quiet even the murmurs of maids on the floor below could be heard.
And then, Emilia finally replied.
"I don't know. I just felt like it," she caressed her short hair while looking at the boy in front of her.
"You… don't know?" he inquired and the girl nodded back.
"It just got over me like 'my Subaru must prefer girls with short hair' and so I cut them, hehe," she chuckled as she awkwardly tried to explain it.
"My Subaru?" he raised his eyebrow with a smile, "Is Emilia-tan getting possessive of me?" His smile turned into a grin.
He didn't wait for an answer and instead continued, "But… you think I like girls with short hair?"
"Mhm, you rea~lly love Rem, don't you?"
"Rem?" he mumbled under his breath. He remembered the girl's sleeping face and… her beautiful blue short hair.
His eyes widened. "Emilia-tan did you… did you cut your hair because of Rem?"
The girl once again gently caressed her bangs. "Y-Yes…" she sighed, finally getting it off her mind, "I thought Subaru would like me more if I looked like that blue-haired girl… you seem to really like her,"
As he heard her explanation, he scowled for a moment. It's true that he likes her… maybe even loves her, but Rem is Rem and Emilia is Emilia.
"Emilia-tan, I-I still don't understand why you would cut your hair short. Is it because you wanted to look like Rem?"
Emilia looked at Subaru with a raised eyebrow.
Me? Look like Rem? My silly Subaru can really say some funny stuff. Why would I want to look like that blue thing? It's not like short hair is Rem-exclusive. Just because that blue thing has it, doesn't mean I can't, right?
"No. As I said, I just felt like cutting my hair short. I think I prefer it that way. Don't you like it?"
Subaru's warm smile returned to his face, even if it was one of the most forced ones.
"That wouldn't make sense, Emilia-tan," he said, making the girl tilt her head in confusion.
"I like your hair no matter what, though it would be a lie if I said I didn't prefer you with your long hair." There. He finally said the thing he had on his mind for the past months.
"H-Huh?"
"I mean, you're beautiful no matter what, but simply seeing your beautiful, long, silver hair swaying in the breeze- that's what I love."
"W-What?" she mumbled under her breath, her eyes wide.
No… That can't be right. Why would Subaru love my long, ugly hair? I cut them because he was always spending time with that blue girl… He always loved to pat her short hair so… so why doesn't he like my short hair?!
"What do you mean? I thought you-"
"Don't take it personally, Emilia-tan. I love you no matter what, it's just that I needed to tell you what I truly thought."
"I…I"
Not another word left the half-elf's mouth as she stood up from the bed and ran away.
"Emilia-tan! Please, wait!" Subaru tried stopping the girl, but she continued running away, god knows where.
"Damn it… I'm sorry, Emilia-tan," his usual emotionless self said, deciding to return to his room.
He closed the door and locked it with a click.
"Well, that was unexpected," Echidna commented, the dark crystal bound to Subaru's neck calmly pulsating with every word.
He crawled onto his bed and pulled out a knife.
"I don't think we should be doing this, Echidna," Subaru stated as he held the knife to his neck.
"She won't remember any of it anyway. Getting angry all of sudden is a common thing when you disagree with a person. That's just how some girls are," she explained, her voice lurking inside his mind.
Subaru didn't have anything else to say, and so he decided to just finish it. He firmly grasped the knife so it wouldn't slip out of his hands. He was about to send it straight through his neck, but a knock on his doors accompanied by a silver bell-like voice interrupted.
"S-Subaru, I'm sorry for running away. You must think I'm a dunderhead now." She waited for an answer, her lips slightly trembling. When no one replied to her, she decided to continue.
"I… I just want to let you know that I'm not mad, in fact, I am sorry for worrying you. So if you could, please forgive me."
The boy continued to be quiet. The hands that rested on the knife started trembling.
"It's alright, Emilia-tan!" he shouted so the girl would hear his voice from behind the door.
"R-Really? You're not mad?!"
"Nope. Everything is a~lright. And I should be the one to apologize. Sorry for insulting your hair."
He didn't see it, but the girl shook her head, her silver hair fluttering in the air.
"No, no. It rea~lly is alright. So, please come out and I will give you a very good massage. I promise I trained!"
His lips curved into a smile once again, "Sounds goorglhlghg." Those words of appreciation soon ended as he plunged the sharp knife into his neck.
"Then, unlock this door and I will give you the best massage ever! These hands will only be used for Subaru's pleasure hehehe," she chuckled behind the door.
"Perfeghght."
Loop 2
Opening his eyes, Subaru slowly sat down on the bed, feeling the spot where the knife penetrated with his fingers.
"Echidna, I decided… Let's do it again. As you said, no one remembers after all," he said to the witch, but even after waiting for around thirty seconds, no answer came.
He grasped the black crystal between his index finger and his thumb. It pulsated for a second before completely stopping.
"I guess she's resting."
He stood up from his bed, once again dressing and going for the door.
Before he opened it, he remembered that Emilia stood right behind it, and so he put a smile on his face.
He wanted to grasp the handle and open it, but before he could do that, the door opened on its own. Lo and behold, the beautiful silver-haired princess stood before him.
"Ah, good morning, Subaru. Hope I didn't wake you up?"
"No, no. Everything is alright, but didn't Ram teach you not to open stranger's doors?" Subaru inquired as he walked into the hall and closed the door behind him.
"Hmm? But Subaru is no stranger, so it's okay, right?" she asked.
The boy sighed as he looked at Emilia, "Emilia-tan sometimes makes me question my own common sense," he chuckled.
"What was that?" the girl interjected.
"Nothing, nothing. Just that Emilia-tan is really beautiful today- well, you're always beautiful."
Hehehe, my Subaru is so nice. He seems focused on something though. Wonder what he's up to now. The half-elf thought as her amethyst eyes pierced through Subaru.
"By the way, why are we going to my room?" Emilia questioned as her eyes left Subaru's visage, instead focusing on the path in front of them.
"I decided that since you're a very good girl, we're going on a journey today, so we need- you need to pack some things with you," he explained as he opened the door to her room.
"I see. Today certainly is a special day," Emilia pondered on her previous thoughts.
Subaru looked at the half-elf. "Well, Emilia-tan, this trip will be around three days long so I suppose you should pack an appropriate number of clothes."
Emilia nodded, but instead of heading into the closet, she came closer to Subaru, "Listen, why don't you pack my things instead? I think my Subaru knows what fits me the best!"
"Eh? Hearing that seriously makes me question my common sense… But whatever. Since it's a special day, I can do that for Emilia-tan." He rose from the bedside and opened the closet.
Pairs upon pairs of clothes were revealed to the boy.
"Hmm."
He eyed them for a moment before deciding.
"Alright, I think this will suit Emilia-tan the best!"
He pulled out a pink t-shirt connected to a skirt, a white cape, and a green ribbon.
"These will help you look even cuter, Emilia-tan!" he smiled as he presented them to the girl.
"Wooow! I didn't even know I had such pretty clothes. Thank you, Subaru!"
The girl lunged at him, wrapping her pale arms around him.
"A-Ah, it's alright."
After a few seconds of being mesmerized by each other's touch, they parted.
"Alright, let me finish packing you and then I'll go get Petra."
Emilia slightly winced as she heard the name of the too well-known brown-haired maid.
Petra? Why does my Subaru need to get Petra? Ah, surely he only wants her to prepare the carriage, nothing more. Yep. I need to stop having these weird thoughts lest I want to worry my Subaru further.
While Emilia was lost in her thoughts, Subaru finished packing her clothes into a large travelling suitcase. The clothes were laid on top of each other with such precision that at a single glance, anyone could tell this was the work of a professional in love with their craft.
"There we go," Subaru voiced as he closed the bag with a sound of a click- the suitcase being locked so it wouldn't open on accident.
"Now then," he said as he turned to Emilia.
"Could you grab this and wait for me down the stairs? I'll go fetch Petra," he asked as he handed the girl her suitcase.
"Mhm," the girl nodded and briefly left the room.
Subaru walked around the mansion's halls. Even though she was a maid, Subaru remembered that Petra had a day off on Friday, and on the weekend she didn't need to work. A perfect opportunity.
He was about to turn into a corner, but someone bumped into him.
"Ah, I apologize, Subaru-sama," a small girl with reddish-brown hair called out to Subaru as she scratched her head.
"Petra, I was just looking for you," Subaru said as he forcefully smiled at the girl.
"Looking for… me?"
"Yep, you're free for the rest of the week, right?" he inquired and as Petra nodded, he continued, "So I was thinking, why don't we go on some trip? We would be there for about two to three days so you don't need to worry about Ram," he explained with a slight chuckle. If Petra didn't meet her daily quota of work, she'd most likely get scolded by the senior maid.
"D-Do you mean like a d-date?" she stuttered out, her cheeks shifting into a bright red color.
"Unfo~rtunately, it wouldn't be a true date. Emilia-tan is also going."
It seemed that Petra didn't mind the company of the half-elf at all, instead choosing to focus on the more important words, 'Why don't we go on some trip?'
"I'd love to go!" she exclaimed, "Though I need to do my chores until 9:10 so it'll need to wait for a bit…" she drifted off into her thoughts, and then, she suddenly perked up, "Subaru-sama, my shift ends in five minutes so could you take over for me so I can pack something?" she inquired with puppy eyes.
"Sure. What do I need to do, by the way?"
"Ehh, just clean the tables so there's no dust on them," she quickly replied as she handed him a rag, "I'll be right back!"
"Aaaaand there she goes," Subaru sighed as she gazed at the girl's disappearing figure.
"Anyway," he turned to a table standing below a window, "Let's clean you."
With a final flick of his hand, the table was clean and shining.
He looked at it with a proud smug.
"What do you think, Echidna? House husband Subaru reporting for duty!" he laughed as he contacted the white-haired woman.
"Looks good. I could definitely put your cleaning skills to use here in the Castle of Dreams." After being quiet after his death, Echidna's voice finally resounded in Subaru's mind, calming him down.
"What do you mean? I thought everything is different in your Castle of Dreams. So does dust also fall there?" he questioned with piqued interest.
"Of course it does. I can get rid of it with a snap of a finger, but where's the fun in that? Even I wanted to try all of these things before."
"Heh, I would pay to see you cleaning dust and mowing grass," Subaru chuckled. He couldn't see it but he made the Witch of Greed pout.
"By the way, Echid-"
"Barusu, who are you talking to?"
"Yeep!"
Suddenly, a pink-haired maid appeared behind him.
"Ram! What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be cleaning the kitchen!" Subaru inquired with panic.
"I am a lot faster than you think. I came here to inform Petra that her chores are over, but what are you doing here?" she countered with a question of her own, squinting her eyes at the suspicious boy.
"Petra, Emilia-tan, and I are going on a few day trip. And me? I am cleaning the tables while Petra is packing some clothes," he explained, a slight sweat drop falling down his forehead.
"Oh? And does cleaning tables have anything to do with you calling out Echidna's name?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
Subaru's eyes widened for a moment.
Dammit! What if this gets revealed?! I can't let that happen!
"Don't worry, Subaru. Just say-"
"Echidna? Echidna… Echidna… Oh! Do you mean Chidna? That's the name of this rag! You must've misheard," Subaru quickly tried to defuse the situation with an awkward chuckle as he pointed at the cloth in his hand.
Ram looked at Subaru for a few moments before sighing in defeat, "Haah." She approached him and took the rag out of his hands.
"You should seriously stop giving names to non-living things… First a knife and now a rag," she said as she turned around. But before leaving, she gazed at Subaru one last time.
"Make sure to return safely, or else no trips for the rest of the year. Is that clear?"
"Yes, m-ma'am!" Subaru quickly straightened his posture and saluted as he watched the maid leave.
Once she turned into a corner, Subaru slumped his back once again and deeply sighed.
"That was a close one."
"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't compare me and my name to a simple rag," Echidna the original complained in his mind.
"Sorry about that," he whispered so no one else would hear them this time, "But it was you who said no one should find out about our contract. I just do what's necessary."
All he heard was a deep sigh of the maiden residing in the black crystal.
"I know. By the way, why do you plan on going on a trip all of sudden?" she inquired.
Subaru started walking towards the red-haired maid's room as he continued talking with Echidna.
"I wanted to stop this, but the last thing Emilia-tan said before it ended was that she forgives me. That made me happy and I want to do something for her. And why I'm taking Petra? She wasn't on a good trip for months. She deserves a beautiful break."
"And where will we go?"
Subaru put his hand on the door and knocked, "I might have an idea," he whispered, his voice only audible for the two of them.
As the door opened, Petra stood in front of Subaru, her maid uniform replaced by her usual, cute clothes.
"Well, are we ready to go, Subaru-sama?"
"Yep," Subaru replied with a smile, "Frederica must be done preparing the carriage so let's go."
"E-Eh? Frederica-neesama is going too?" she asked with a pout. Frederica was a senior maid and Petra was being taught everything by her- as well as being scolded.
"Hahaha, don't worry. She will reside in the nearby city. This trip will only be between the three of us," Subaru calmed her down with a happy chuckle.
Subaru and Petra stood outside the mansion, gazing at the carriage.
"Frederica… what's with the fancy carriage?" he called out to the demi-human maid. It seemed as if she was gone, perhaps she quickly went on the toilet? But after a few moments, her head peaked out of the driver's seat.
"A noble such as yourself needs a good carriage. Patrasche already got used to it so there's no need to panic," she explained with a smile.
"But..." he came closer to Frederica while Petra already jumped inside, "Why get a totally new carriage? I doubt there's some new function I'm missing. Carriage is still a carriage, right?" he questioned as he carefully touched it to feel the material.
"Hehe, most certainly, Subaru-sama," the maid giggled cutely before continuing, "This carriage was created just for you since most of the time you travel with a large number of companions, and the old carriage would most likely give out and break soon. So Roswaal-sama decided to buy a new one just for you as an… early gift for your birthday, I suppose?" she replied with her finger resting on her chin.
"...Well, I appreciate it, I guess."
"Then step in, we will arrive in the city of Hanumas in few hours."
The carriage's interior consisted of two benches with small yet comfortable pillows.
There were five windows in total. One in front so the passengers could see the driver, and two on each of the walls, a wooden double door between. That way, anyone could happily look out the windows without having to move around the carriage.
"Well then, let's get going, shall we?" Frederica asked with a smile. After Subaru complimented her bright smile a few months ago, she wasn't afraid of hiding her sharp fangs anymore. In fact, she gladly and proudly smiled with her entire being. She gently patted the earth dragon- Patrasche. And so, the journey has begun.
Both of the girls already chose their seats, Petra being near the driver's window while Emilia was opposite of the petite Petra.
As Subaru finally stopped peaking outside, he gazed at the two girls, wondering where he should seat himself.
"Ah, Sub-"
"Subaru-sama, could you please sit next to me?"
Subaru chuckled at the reddish-brown-haired girl, "Gladly."
He sat into a comfortable position, close, but still far enough to maintain a professional discipline.
None of them noticed a pouting half-elf glaring at the two.
She was mad but nonetheless was about to drop the subject when out of nowhere, Petra moved closer to Subaru, just close enough that their thighs were pressing against each other, sending jolts of electricity through the pair.
"Ah," Petra breathed out at the touch, her cheeks turning bright red while Subaru simply ignored the girl, instead choosing to look out the window. The silver-haired girl sitting opposite of them was now furiously gazing at Petra.
"Petra!" she shouted out her name, making the girl perk up.
"Y-Yes, Emilia-sama?"
"I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work!" she said with her eyebrow twitching while pointing at the girl.
"W-What do you mean I'm doing? I'm just sitting next to Subaru-sama."
"Yo-"
"Is something wrong, Emilia-tan? You acting weird all of sudden," Subaru called out to the half-elf in worry. Did she perhaps not get enough sleep this time? Impossible. She was doing just fine the past… few hundred other loops.
"N-No, everything is fine, Subaru," Emilia replied to him with a cute smile as she didn't want to worry him. But the boy didn't notice her eyebrow twitching as she gazed back at the little girl sitting next to HER Subaru.
With nothing else to do, Subaru looked out the window and found himself mesmerized by the surroundings.
"Wow. It's beautiful," he said as he observed all the nature around them, the trees quickly moving. If he had to guess, Subaru would say they were going around 60 km/h, which is no small feat for an earth dragon. That was just another perk of Subaru's favorite girl; Patrasche. Then, he turned his head towards the silver-haired girl, their eyes locking, "Though nothing can be compared to your beauty, Emilia-tan," he shot her a thumbs-up with a smile.
The girl's eyes widened at Subaru's affection and flirting. Her heart started pounding fast, even skipping a beat once in a while.
"Mhh, can I see?" Petra asked as she leaped out of her seat, ending up on Subaru's lap.
"Hehe, of course," Subaru replied as he patted the girl sitting on him while Petra warmly smiled at the contact of Subaru's hand with her head.
Emilia had enough of this. She stood up, her teeth gritting while threatening aura filled the carriage.
Both Subaru and Petra immediately perked up, and so Petra tried to defuse the situation.
But before talking, Petra moved around in Subaru's lap while looking deep into the half-elf's amethyst eyes to assert dominance, "Is something wro-"
"You know what's wrong! Stop trying to seduce MY Subaru!"
Petra was offended by Emilia's words, but she wouldn't give up so easily either.
"Your Subaru? I'm sorry, but that's not how it works. Subaru-sama isn't an object you can just own!" she spat back at Emilia.
"N-Now, now, girls. There's no need to figh-"
"Tsk. As if you'd understand what love is! You're what… thirteen? You don't even know how babies are made!" Emilia argued back, ignoring Subaru in the process.
Petra stood up from Subaru's lap and gazed at the girl in front of her, "Me? I'll let you know I am fourteen and will turn fifteen this winter! And I know how babies are made, I knew it sooner and better than you did!"
"You know…?" Emilia mumbled before steeling her resolve and continuing, "I don't care! You know my Subaru and I are in a relationship, we even k-kissed! So why do you keep looking at him and trying to seduce him?!"
"Emilia…" Subaru called out to her as he stood up, "Petra is just a kid, do you really want to argue with her about… whatever it was you were arguing about?" But all his words went into one ear and left through the other as the girls continued arguing.
"Are you being jealous because Subaru-sama gives me more attention due to my cuteness?" Petra inquired before continuing, "Even though Subaru-sama is who I love, I guess his taste in women sucks when he chose such an ugly girl instead!" she spat with her tongue out, mocking Emilia.
Emilia gasped before continuing, "You can insult me all you want, but bringing my Subaru into this?!" she grabbed Petra's shoulders while looking into her eyes menacingly. With a little bit of her superior elvish strength, she pressed her hands harder.
"Ow, ow! You're hurting me!"
"Emilia-tan, stop this immediately!" Subaru approached the pair and tried stopping the girl. It seemed that she calmed down as her eyes warmed up at the sight of Subaru, but once she heard Petra's comment-
"Hurting me like this? You truly are a witch!"
"Petra!" Subaru was speechless at the girl's comment. This time, instead of just letting it happen, Petra tried defending herself and also slapping Emilia's hands with her own.
"You girls, stop this at once!" But no one listened.
The two moved from one corner into another as they fought- well, it could barely be called a fight. Emilia was just glaring at Petra while strongly holding her shoulders while Petra continuously tried slapping her hands away.
They didn't even notice the shouting Subaru before bumping into something hard.
"Huh?" Finally, that brought the two out of their trance. As they looked to their left to see the hard object they bumped into, their eyes widened.
Subaru flew mid-air as Emilia's strength pushed him away. He hit the carriage's door and everyone thought it would be fine. The two girls would apologize and reconcile, but nothing of those sorts happened. As Subaru and the door made contact, it burst open, revealing the green nature around them, as well as the rocky path underneath- Subaru flying straight out of the carriage.
The world around Subaru slowed down as his hair swayed in the cold breeze.
"I see… So this is how it ends," he whispered to himself as he looked at the carriage, the distraught faces of the two girls deeply carved into his memory.
Time has returned to its regular passage, and then-
SPLAT!
As Subaru's body crashed to the ground, he hit his head and rolled around countless times, splitting his head and throat open in the process.
The last thing he heard before falling unconscious was the carriage stopping and an angel's voice.
"Subaru! Subaru, are you alright?"
"Subaru-sama! I am so sorry!"
Ah, you two are truly angels.
At that moment, Natsuki Subaru lost his life for the second time since Echidna's proposal.
Loop 3
Opening his eyes, Subaru felt his entire body jolt in phantom pain as he remembered his last moments.
"Wow, those two did you dirty. I still don't understand why you love that half-elf so much even though she's so annoying," Echidna voiced her opinion as soon as she figured Subaru was listening to her.
"Emilia-tan isn't annoying, she's just… different." Subaru took a few seconds to finish his sentence as he reminisced back upon the days of the Sanctuary.
Emilia wasn't able to finish the trials even after 80 loops, a large quantity of which Subaru ended by being devoured by the Great Rabbit. Most of those loops were wasted because Subaru tried returning Emilia back to normal as he didn't like her mind-broken self, but it was useless.
After having enough of it, he… Subaru told Emilia what a useless girl she is before doing the trials on his own. Since he was already contracted with Echidna, she assured him everything will be alright, and with that, he successfully finished his third trial in a matter of minutes, leaving the Sanctuary with the speechless Ram, Roswaal, Garfiel as well as the mind-broken Emilia.
"If it'll please you, we can end this experiment already. I don't think there's really much to do anymore and I guess you already found out what weirdos surround you?" she questioned with a hint of curiosity.
"Alright," he stood up from his bed and walked towards the door, "But there's one more thing I want to know before we move on."
"Oh? And what might that be?" The Witch of Greed inquired, her curiosity now piqued.
"You'll see," he replied as he forced a smile on his face.
He opened the door and-
"Hello, Emilia-tan! Sleep well, eat well?" he asked with forced enthusiasm and a warm smile as he gazed at the half-elf's unbeatable beauty.
"Ahh! Subaru! How did you know I was right in front of the door? And yes! I slept rea~lly good today," she answered with a smile of her own.
"You see," he started as he moved into the mansion's hall while closing the door behind him, "Emilia-tan and I are connected. That's how it was and will be."
"C-Connected?" A tint of red appeared on her cheeks as she imagined being connected with her Subaru- with their lips.
"Yep, I was always attracted to you. I guess silver-haired beauties such as yourself have it in them," he flirted with her as he changed his fist into a thumbs-up.
"Aah~," Emilia breathed out with her hands on her cheeks as she tried to hide the bright red blush on her face.
"A-Anyway, where are we going?" she inquired as she noticed that they were heading straight for the stairs.
"I wanted to talk to you, and what better way than in the garden? You like flowers and the fresh morning breeze, right?" he asked with a grin.
"Woooow, how do you know that? Oh, don't answer that. We are c-connected after all, right? Ehehe," she giggled.
"Right you are."
Standing in front of the garden, Emilia twirled around with her skirt.
"Mmh, the fresh air is rea~lly nice."
Subaru agreed with a nod. He crouched and grabbed a flower. He gently held it as he breathed in the smell, "Mhm, this is Emilia-tan's favorite."
Alright, let's do this one quickly. I am honestly bored of doing the same loop more than a thousand times, and it's time to move on.
"Emilia-tan," he called out the girl's name to catch her attention. She noticed him and gazed at him briefly before noticing the flower in his hand.
"Wow! That's my favorite one!" she said as she rushed toward Subaru, "How did you know?"
Subaru softly held Emilia's head and put the flower into her hair, "I just know this kind of stuff, Emilia-tan is my favorite after all," he answered with a grin.
"Hmm, I am your favori- wait! Subaru!" she shouted at the boy, making him slightly shake under the half-elf's watch.
He quickly stuck the flower into her hair, complementing her beauty further before answering her, "Y-Yes, Emilia-tan?"
"Did you have any women before me?"
Please say no. Please say no. Please say no. Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.
I am the only one for you, my Subaru. You are the only one for me! We can hug and kiss, and do the things I've read in that book. Hmm, what was it? Se… Hmm, it was something that started with an S…
"Well, no. Emilia-tan is the only one for m-"
"It's Sex Education 101!" she shouted from the bottom of her lungs.
Subaru stood there speechless as he gazed at Emilia with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh oh… Did I say that out loud?" she inquired, and the nodding Subaru was enough of an answer for her, "Jeez… What a dunderhead I am. Now Subaru won't want to do t-that with me…"
"Do what with you, Emilia-tan?" Subaru questioned as he didn't hear the girl's whispers.
"N-Nothing!" she replied as she waved her hands in front of her, which didn't give much credit to her answer.
"A-Anyway, you said you wanted to talk about something? That's why we're in the garden, right?"
Subaru nodded, "How perceptive of Emilia-tan." He rested his hand on her head and gently patted her.
"Ehehe, praise me more," she breathed out as she melted under Subaru's touch.
He stopped and retracted his hand, making the girl pout.
"I believe you've finished reading all the books today?"
"Mhm."
"Well then, just think of whatever you'd like as a reward, and I'll do it. But, first I want to hear your answer to my question."
"So-
Alright. Whatever I want and my Subaru will do it? I guess trying out that… what was that thing in the book? A "blowjob" wouldn't hurt for starters? I've seen how sad my Subaru was in the past few days, and apparently, this is every man's fantasy, so hopefully, it will help my Subaru release all the pent-up frustrations he has.
"Do you… think you could do that for me?" Subaru finished.
"O-Oh? Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. Could you repeat that?" Emilia asked with a warm smile. Subaru was used to Emilia's airheadness, in fact, he found it one of the very cute things about his EMT.
"Ah, sure. What I was saying is, that you'd do everything I'd say, right?" Subaru asked once more. Now that Emilia was carefully listening to his every word, sweat started sliding down his forehead.
"Yup! I will do anything my Subaru wants me to do, whatever it is!" she said as she showed him her hand.
"I can draw my Subaru, I can cook for him." With everything she mentioned, she raised a single finger, "I can cuddle with my Subaru, brush his teeth, I could even protect him from anything at all! A-And maybe… even kiss million times if my Subaru wants?" she inquired with a blush.
"Hahaha, that's certainly a great ambition."
Certainly more ambitious than simple head-pats like before. He thought.
"And I'd have no problem with doing that, but… I want you to do something different…" Subaru awkwardly gulped.
"Yes? What is it you want? I can do anything!"
She held her fists in the sign of support, she also made sure she would hear her Subaru properly this time.
"I want you to kill me."
"H-Huh? Did I hear you properly?" Emilia asked as her smile wavered.
"Yes. I want you to kill me. Can you do it?"
"W-Why? Why are you asking me something like that?! I thought you… you love me and I love you! You preached about how life is important and now you want me to kill you?"
Tears started falling down her wet eyes.
Suddenly the surroundings got a lot colder. Not like your usual cold mornings, but the magical kind of coldness that was well-known to Subaru.
"No, no, no!"
"E-Emilia-tan, please calm down!"
With every word, the garden grew colder. The once beautiful, green scenery was turned into a frozen wasteland. Even the mansion and everything around it froze to a mere sculpture.
Now all that was left standing was the crying silver-haired girl and Subaru.
"Emilia, please!" Subaru called out to her, forgetting the honorific which enraged the half-elf further as she lowered the temperature.
Subaru raised his hand and tried to caress her pale cheek, but his fingers froze at the contact. They fell off, only stopping once they crashed into the ice and snow underneath them.
"No! No! No! Why!?"
Her short, beautiful silver hair swayed around as the cold wind picked up, disheveling both her hair and her clothes.
The Witch of Frost was the last person standing as Subaru's figure stood there covered in ice and pure, white snow.
She truly was a Witch.
Loop X
"Huaah~, huaaah~, huuuu~." As Subaru woke up, he deeply and loudly breathed as he just witnessed himself freezing to death.
He remembered… the cold being so strong and the wind so powerful that it literally tore both his and Emilia's clothes apart, making him freeze to death instantly.
"Never mind what I said. This truly was worth it," Echidna commented as she remembered the previous loop.
"Echidna… let's-"
"Yes. Let's finish this loop and let the checkpoint update," she finished for him.
Subaru shook his head as he thought about how this all started.
"Echidna, your ideas are so great, yet they frighten me so much."
The Witch laughed as she replied, "It wouldn't be the first time someone said that to me. I am the Witch of Greed after all. People are supposed to be scared of me, yet here I am dilly-dallying with you, my contractor, Natsuki Subaru."
"And why's that?"
With a brief pause, the white-haired witch answered in the most affectionate way she could.
"Because only you can satisfy me."
Author's Notes
Hey guys, this was really fun to write.
Greed If is my favorite if story and Greed!Emilia is especially hot. Hence I decided to do something like this.
Maybe one day in the future I might do some kind of Greed if fic once again, but for now this is the only one.
I hope you had fun reading and I'll see you later.