I do not own RE:Zero. All rights go to the author Tappei Nagatsuki.

This is a Fanfiction inspired by the challange that i accepted from One-Shot King Z.

'Why... why is this happening?'

Inside a dark cave a young boy was sitting with his back against the cold stone walls. His wrists bound to metal chains that kept him from moving. But he didn't want to move. He was lost inside his own thoughts. Thoughts of a recent memory... a nightmare of death.

"Now this is interesting... what is it that you have brought to me i wonder..."

A voice echoed through the dark stone chamber. The young man didn't recognise it. But his mind was still not fully with him. It drifted on the memories of his past... a past life. One that ended in death... death of those he loved and the death of himself. How was such a thing possible... to die over and over again. To suffer through countless horrible acts. His many lives all ended in his death. And the deaths of many others.

"Hmmm... now tell me this... why are you here? why have you arrived when the ordeal is so close"

A man cloaked in shadow stood over the young man. His gaze with directed on his chained up prisoner. Five seconds of silence past until the cloaked man broke it with a cackle only a mad man could make.

"OH ahahahahahaha... what a very very very very very very VERY! entertaining sight this is"

After his sudden outburst he leaned in closer, bringing one of his hands up to his mouth and... biting down on his finger with a sickening crunching sound that was swiftly followed by blood running down his hand and jaw.

This sight didn't faze the chained young man who just responded with a blank stare, to which the cloaked man suddenly stood up and took a few steps back.

"AH of course where are my manners... i haven't introduced myself yet"

He turned and walked back a few steps before quickly darting back around to face his prisoner and then did a deep bow.

"I am a sin archbishop cardinal representing sloth, Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti"

He got no response which appeared to deeply disturb the mad man that introduced himself. Petelgeuse quickly threw himself towards the chained man, bringing his face level with his prisoners. Grabbing him by his forehead Petelgeuse continued his insanity.

"Ahhhhhh it pains me to be ignored even though i have treated you with such kindness oh my brain trembles"

His rant reached deaf ears. Still no response. Nothing.

Petelgeuse clicked his tongue but then took something out from his robes. He pulled out a black book and quickly started flicking through the pages. It was too quick for anyone to read yet he seemed to be taking in all the information that was writen on each and every page. He stopped and his eyes returned to his prisoner, his eyes narrowed and he snapped his book shut.

"My gosepel... it does not mention you yet yet yet you are blessed with her love"

Petelgeuse inhaled a deep breath before letting out a sigh and then a wide grin scrept across his face.

"But the love that is on you is... tell me... are you perhaps pride..."

BOOM!

A loud sound echoed through the cave which brought Petelgeuse's attention off of the chained young man. His eyes narrowed as he stepped towards the middle of the cave. It was then that they appeared. Cloaked man and women begun to appear from the shadows, rising from the ground and kneeling before the sin archbishop.

"Go now... uncover the truth to that sound"

They all nodded and vansished from sight once again. Petelgeuse turned his head back towards his prisoner. His face then twisted into a toothy smile as he raised his hands up to the ceiling.

"MAYBE... i am asking the wrong questions... so i ask you and please answer me... why are you pretending?"

A few more seconds of silence past before another sound echoed through the cave followed by one of the cloaked men from before as he was sent flying across the chamber until body hit the ground.

"I finally found you!"

A new voice entered the cave, one that was familiar to the young man. His eyes slowly shifted towards the other end of the cave where foot steps could now be heard. A faint purple light could be seen illuminating the dark stone hallway as the figure entered the chamber. It was a young women in what appeared to be a maid uniform, with rips and tears littering the elegent uniform. The girl had short sky blue hair that covered her right eye. Here eyes were light blue but at this time were filled with hate. And atop her forehead was a single purple horn.

Her eyes shifted from the deranged man and the cloaked one that had begun to enter through the shadows until her eyes landed on the chained man behind Petelgeuse. Her eyes softened as she spoke.

"Subaru-kun! Rem is here, Rem will save you"

'Rem...' That name... that voice... was it really.

"Ah you are here for him" Petelgeuse spoke as he pulled Subaru's hair, lifting his head up so that it was in clear view.

Rem norrowed her eyes and her face twisted into one of pure hatred. "Don't touch him..." She said quietly but there was no softness in her voice. It was replaced with unrelenting hate.

"Huh... can't hear you could you repeat that" Petelgeuse said as he brought a hand up to his ear.

"DON'T TOUCH SUBARU-KUN!" Rem roared as she brought out a chained ball attached to a long chain and swung it at the nearest body. The result was the force from the attack crushed the nearest cloaked individuals skull killing the person instantly. "You took away my reason for living that night when you took Neesama's horn and now you want to take Rem's reason for dying too you damn cultists!"

Rem continued her attacks, taking down every cultist that tried to get close. She moved with inhumane speed as she cut, smashed and forced her way through every body that got between her and the one she held most dear.

Subaru begun to come back to his senses. His eyes adjusted to the scene as he scanned the chamber for the girl who's name he had remembered. Like a song on repeat the name of the girl played in his mind. He had to find Rem. Meanwhile Petelgeuse only grinned madly at the carnage in front of him as he raised a single hand towards the maid. Subaru and rems eyes finally met and Rem's expression changed to a loving smile, one that Subaru remembered. She looked like she was about to say something.

But

She felt something grab her. It was a strong feeling of something gripping her tightly. Even with all her strength she couldn't break free. Rem was lifted into the air slowly. Her struggles were fruitless as she felt more of her body being grabbed by an invisible force. Her arms, legs, torso and legs. She shifted her eyes towards the one who had remained calm this whole time. The one with a maddening grin on his face.

"Authority of Sloth... the unseen hand" Petelgeuse spoke and with that chant Rems body was twisted and crushed by his invisible power. Her arms where twisted out of their sockets as muscle and flesh tore. Her legs were broken in an instant with sickening cruching sounds. Rem agonising screams only lasted for a few seconds before her head was twisted 180 degrees. It was a horrible sight. And Subaru witnessed all of it. His mind was blank for a moment before it had finally registered what had just happened.

"RRRRREEEEEEEMMMMMM!" Subaru Screamed at the top of his lungs as he propelled himself forward trying to reach the beloved girl whos form was now twisted and mutilated. The chains topped his advance but Subaru then turned his attention to the man responsible, Petelgeuse. "I'll kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, die die die die die die die die die die!" Subaru screamed as he pulled at the chains to get to the man that had shattered his world. All his dispair and self pity was replaced with hatred for this man.

The sin archbishop of sloth frowned at Subaru's action. He looked into Subaru's hate filled eyes that were streaming tears of pain. He then looked back to the blue haired girl. "This is your fault you know... shes dead... dead because of you... in your actions you brought upon the death of this girl, this girl who was a beleiver of love, who died for that love all because of you... you are truely slothful..." Petelgeuse begun to walk away. He walked past the bodies of his cultist and past the still hanging body of Rem all the while Subaru continued his screams and threats. But Petelgeuse stopped at the mouth of the cave and turned his body once again to face Subaru. "I have created a mess here so i am going to leave now... after all the day of the ordeal is today and we must test the half devil so to you i say farewell" Petelgeuse said in a joyful tone as he clapped his hands together with a smile plastered on his face. He turned and as he did Rem's lifeless body fell to the floor. The madman walked out of the chamber his footsteps fading as he disappeared from sight. The remaining cultists vanished and left Subaru alone.

Time past and Subaru closed his eyes. He had lost Rem, he had lost everyone again. He had failed to protect everyone. He had let her down again. His mind pichured a certain girl with silver hair and amaethyst eyes. Emilia. The girl who had saved him from the thugs, the girl who claimed his heart, The one he had let down the most. Their argument at the capital, her face when he lost the greatest of knights the words she spoke to him before leaving him.

And it was not just Emilia he had let down. But Ram. The pink haired maid and older sister of Rem. He couldn't protect her sister and now she too was going to die again at the hands of those damn cultists. He remembered the time they spent together. The harsh words she would always use to descibe him. The fun times they spent doing chores together.

Beatrice too. The drill haired loli librarian who would always throw him out of the library everytime he would enter. And of course he couldn'y forget Puck. The contracted spirit of Emilia. He shared some good times with the little cat. He taught him how to use magic even if it was only one spell.

He then thought about everyone at the village. The citizens of Irlam village would be the first to suffer. He remembered the kids that would always come to climb on him. Mild, Meina, Cain, Dine, Lucus and Petra. Those kids also had a place in his heart.

'Why did i have to be so useless... why did all this have to happen... i really am a hopeless idiot'

Subaru just wanted it all to end, he just wanted to die. And this time stay dead. When he was first summoned to this world he died on the first day by the blade of the bowel hunter. He was disemboweled by that women. It should have been the end of it but... it wasn't he had returned. And then he died again by the same women and then again by those thugs. It was only then that he realised that he had a power. Return by Death. The ability that would allow him to try again every time he died. Such a dark power. He now hated it.

"Suuub...ar...u" a weak voice broke his trail of thought and he opened his eyes. He looked around the dark cave but found no one there. Then he heard shuffling. He looked ahead and found the source. It was Rem. She was still alive and trying to reach him. "REM!" Subaru shouted her name as he pulled himself towards her. Rem was dragging herself using her twisted limbs to pull herself towards him. "rem rem rem" Subaru could not reach her with his bound arms but when she was close enough he bite down on her collar and pulled her into him. He held her as he looked at her broken form. "Rem are you..."

"Al..." Rems voice was raspy and weak but was enough for subaru to hear her. He held her tight and waited for her to finish what she was trying to say. "Al...huma" and with that the chains that bound subaru to this plave shattered. Subaru looked at his wrists before he turned back to Rem. "Rem you..." he tried to speak but was cut off by Rem. "Live..."

"Wha..." was all subaru could mutter as he parted the blue hair that covered her face revealing those loving eyes starring up at him. He felt so useless. All he could do was comfort her as best as he can and listen to her. He had to hear her last words.

"Li...live... Subaru...kun... i Love...you" with that Rem shut her eyes. Her chest raised and fell for the last time and the girl left Subaru alone. He held her body tightly and cried for the maid that stood by him, risked her life for him and lost it in the process but most of all she loved him...

"My fault..." Subaru's voice echoed through the caves, his sobbing exploded into pure rage directed at himself. "My fault... its my fault! Rem im... im sorry... oh god Rem I..." Subaru screamed and yelled his frustration and pain into the empty chamber as he cradled the dear girl in his arms. Tears flowed down his cheeks like rivers of running water as all his emotion exploded. All the pain, his suffering, the suffering of those he loved and his failures.

After a while of self loothing Subaru managed to gain back his strength and lift himself off of the ground and onto his feet. He walked to the mouth of the Cave still holding the deceased Rem in his arms bridal style. He looked out the the forest and sky above. The sun was setting but the sky was stained with black smoke that rose up from the direction of where the village and Roswaals mansion was.

Subaru looked down at Rem as he gave her a weak smile. "Lets go Rem" And with that he headed out into the woods. The journey their was every bit as painful. Not just physically as his body was only just managing to support his own weight and Rems but the phycological horrors that awaited him. But he had to go there. There was no where else left to go. He had to see if anyone survived. He owed them that much. And at least give them a proper burial. He passed by some dead Maebeasts. The creatures were torn to pieces, their bodies just dumped onto the forest floor. But he just walked right past them. He didn't even register that they were there. All his mind was focusing on was one word... one name.

'Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse...'

The name of the one responsible. That man. No that monster did this. Him... all him it was his fault.

'Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... The sin archbishop of sloth. Of the Witches cult. Wait... the Witch. The jeaslous witch... Satella'

Subaru walked into the village. The once lively and happy village now recked of death, stained in blood with the residents all burned or left to rot. Some had daggers stabbed into their bodies, while others had burn marks with some completely charred black while others were just like the beasts... torn apart.

'Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... '

Like his previous loop. The death, the sickening sight and stench... it was all done by that madman. This act... this display... it was evil... just pure evil, unrestrained evil.

"Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... Petelgeuse... "

Subaru approached the Mansion, the huge structure that had once been his home where had worked was within sight. But strangly it had started to snow. Subaru didn't notice it at first. But as he got closer the blizard only entensified. It was cold. But he had to press on. He had to get to the mansion. But he prepared himself for the worst.

He passed the gates. There were two cultists dead with one leaning against the gate, the other was cut in half. The front garden, once a beautiful sight to behold was now a battlefield. Dead cultists littered the grass and gravel path. Subaru then spotted a familar pink haired girl. Her back against the storage shed. She was dead and around her layed a dozen cultists. She had died in the defence but was clearly overwhelmed.

Subaru lost his composure. He sank back to his knees as tears flowed from his eyes once more. "Petelgeuse!" Subaru screamed. The storm continued to worsen and then it happened. A loud crashing sound with the tower and about a third of Roswaals manor came apart as a large creature emerged from the structure. It towered above everything in the facinity. Subaru turned his head to face the creature.

It had its head turned away from where Subaru was Kneeling. It was large, covered in a thick fur and appeared cat like. It then turned its head towards Subaru revealing a pair of yellow eyes that starred right back at him. Subaru felt his blood begin to freeze.

"Subaru... why" A voice called out. It was familiar but still quite complexing. It was like a deep growl but Subaru was sure he recognised the voice. Someone who was close to Emilia. The cat spirit that had sereved as her contract spirit.

"Puck?" Subaru weakly muttered but the giant's ears twiched and then it stepped forward. Another large chunk of the mansion came crashing down as the beast freed itself from the structure as it approached the boy. Its footsteps where like loud drums as it approached. The storm seemed to be even worse around the giant Puck. Was he the one doing this.

"Subaru... why did you come back?" It was defiently Puck. Subaru knew now that this giant beast was indeed the same cute fluffy cat. It lowered its head down towards him as its cold breath hit Subaru. He was sure that his body was freezing but he didn't care now. After all that happened he wanted to die.

"I... i wanted to make everything right... i" Subaru didn't have the words to reply properly. The cold and his current state of mind was eating away at him.

"Subaru... you are quilty of three sins, first you broke your promise to lia and then you returned to this place. You have no idea how important that promise was to her. Your final sin was you failed to protect her despite claiming to be her knight so tell me Subaru how do you plan to make this right?"

Subaru was lost for words. How could he make this right. The archbishop was too powerful. He was weak... all he could do was die and then start anew. Knowledge was power but how could he come back from this with anything at all. Subaru didn't know what to do anymore and only hung his head in defeat.

"I expected more from you Subaru, despite your stench that looms over you i had high hopes for you but... its too late now..." Pucks voice was empty. There was no hate, no sorrow nothing. Subaru felt his gaze still on him but didn't look back up at him. Not that he could anymore. Most of his body was frozen. He was going to die again. Frozen solid. He felt nothing now. But he could still hear the wind, the sound of his flesh freezing, his heart beat which was soon going to stop. He had given up and soon his body would to.

"Sleep along with my daughter Subaru. But next time... please save Lia"

'Wait what!' was the last thing that subaru thought as everything went black. And Subaru's body crumpled away, shattered into pieces. Both Subaru and Rem and soon everyone else would be lost to the snow as the great Spirit was left alone in the icy apocolypes. Puck looked down at the ground one more time. Before he raised his head up. His felt another presence nearby. In the distance he could make out the figure of someone walking towards him. As he approached he could make out the red hair and blue eyes of the person that walked towards the giant spirit with a blank expression. "I knew you would come, sword saint".

Subaru awoke in a dark void. An endless Void. He picked himself up off the ground and begun to feel his body. He had returned once again. This would have been the 9th time return by death had brought him back. But this time was different. Where was he. Was this... the end for him. Was he dead for good. No wait he was alive. He had checked. His heart was beating and he was taking in air. At least thats what he assumed spirits didn't do in the afterlife.

"Hello" Subaru called out with a weak voice into the endless black mist that surrounded him. His voice seemed to echo forever. He let out a sigh after a few seconds of silence. Was he indeed trapped here. Was he all alone...

"Subaru" A new voice cut through the void and reach Subaru's ears. He darted his Gaze left and right trying to find the owner of the voice. It sounded Familiar. Like a silver chime that had many timnes warmed his heart. It had to be her.

"Emilia?... Emilia is that you?" Subaru called out. His gaze still shifting into different directions as he searched for the girl. His eyes caught sight of something in the distance. It was mostly covered by the black mist but it looked different. More humanoid. Subaru begun to walk towards it. "Emilia!" he called out to the fugure. But as he got close something stopped him dead in his tracks. It was something within him. Something was screaming at him to run deep inside his subconcious. Run as fast as he could away from what was now undoutably standing a few feet infront of him. He couldn't move anymore. He was scared, more scared that ever before. This was primal fear. But his body would not move. He only starred at the figure as it begun to step towards him. It raised its arm towards him, from the shadows a pale hand reached out to him. Snow white skin... 'but Emilia had snow white skin and...'

Then it clicked. He just remembered why Emilia was hated. Why such a kind and sweet girl was loothed by everyone. Her resemblence to the witch of envy. It wasn't emilia standing before him now but the one responcible for bring him to this world. The one who gave him return by death. The one who would grab his heart whenever he tried to speak of it.

"Satella" is all subaru could say as he starred at the figure as her face came into view. That is what he assumed to be her face that was covered in shadows. But he could tell those eyes behind the mist was starring right back at him. There stood infront of him was the witch of envy.

"I love you"

Wow. Finlly done with this first chapter. What will happen next? Well all will be revealed in the next few chapters.

Please leave your feedback and comments.