Subaru couldn't take it anymore. He was screaming in a desperate rage at his torment. After being mauled to death over and over again, he began to lose his grip on his sanity and couldn't for the life of him fathom why Rem kept killing him. At first he thought it was his overbearing cheeriness, so he toned it down the next resurrection only to get killed even faster. He had exhausted every stratagem at his disposal and realised he was doomed to suffer violent deaths forever. He cursed whichever evil god had abducted him and transported him to this hell. He had had enough and took his crestfallen face back to the Roswaal mansion once more, too tired to to think or feel scared anymore.
?: "Ah, Hello young man." That was new.
"...Hello" He said with a despairing sigh, not even bothering to look at who greeted him.
?: "...Might you know where we are?"
This person just stumbled upon the Roswaal mansion? That should be Impossible, there were guards stationed all around this Domain.
"Roswaal Mansion" he answered tersely not caring to elaborate. What's the point anyway, he'll die again and again and he'll be explaining the same things and doing the same things over and over - .That was when it hit him
Subaru lifted his head up with great effort and looked at the man who greeted him. Tall, well built but neither too muscular or skinny. He was wearing some sort of traditional looking attire, heavily coloured in black and gold and his eyes were a deep mix of orange and yellow that gave off the impression of an ancient intelligence. Subaru did not recall seeing anybody like him until now. For some reason, in the presence of this strange man, he felt calmer. Well, just about anything would make him feel better after the endless insanity of the time loops he had suffered.
"Where are you from, geezer?"
?:"...Eh.." The man clearly wasn't used to being addressed in such a manner. A conflicted look briefly flashed over his face before he appeared to give up.
?: "You may not believe me…"
Subaru chuckled. After what he had been through he would believe just about anything. Nothing was impossible in this crazy Hell.
"Try me, old man."
?: "I am not from here"
A flicker of frantic hope settled in subaru's eyes. "Not from here?!" Not from the Roswaal Domain? What could that possibly mean in this context? Was he the same as.…
?: "I was merely minding my daily routines, listening to a famous storyteller in my homeland until I felt the desperate tug of a foul spirit on my soul.. it pulled me here.. Wherever 'here' is-." answered the man, awkwardly. He wasn't used to being surprised. A dark miasma suddenly settled around the man, But never mind that. Subaru couldn't believe it. Here was somebody in the exact same position he was! He finally had a companion in this hell. Perhaps it was wrong to be happy that somebody else was ripped from their life into this world but he didn't care at that moment. Subaru couldn't hide his relief and excitement and launched himself forward to the man, fearing he may be a fleeting hallucination and wrapped his arms around his waist firmly. The man was clearly taken aback by this sudden show of affection but he was intelligent enough to realise the boy was probably in the same situation he was. But for him to react so emotionally was odd. First he awkwardly patted the boy's head, and trying not to grimace at the tears and snot that dribbled onto his favourite Liyuen garments. As a matter of fact, these attire was a gift from the CEO of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour. Zhongli suppressed the potent irritation he felt at a gift from Hu Tao being soiled with snot and tears.
?: "I trust you are in the same situation?"
"Yes-" Subaru was about to answer in the affirmative when the familiar dread appeared and covered the world in black, grey and white. Everything was frozen in time except he and the black arm that reached out to stroke his heart. Mentally preparing himself for the same anguish he had already experienced, he noticed a dark gold hue radiating from his tall companion and a golden sheen surrounded him and expanded outwards, appearing to war against the miasma. Subaru could feel the dark miasma's rage and attempt to push back for a while before giving up and receding into nothingness. Subaru just saw the source of his torment that he even previously thought of as a malevolent god just be overpowered by this strange dude in a Chinese suit? Subaru's jaw was hanging loosely and spluttered, trying to think of what to ask. Subaru looked pained, as thinking was painful to him.
?: "Ugh. I should never have let this thing summon me".
"You let it summon you here?"
?: "Yes. If I wished, I could have rejected this spirit's summoning but the sheer desperation I sensed caused me to think perhaps it was a plea for help".
Subaru run through the past 10 minutes quickly before concluding this man was clearly a supernatural being on par with whatever evil force had isekaied him here. Actually maybe even more powerful than whatever isekaied him, based on the seething rage he saw from the miasma from being pushed back.
"Just who are you?"
?:"Oh, me?" questioned the man. A small amused smirk threatened to tug at the edge of his lips.
"You probably have not heard of the company, but I am the consultant of wangsheng funeral parlour" Subaru's brain noted the name sounded vaguely Chinese and filed it away for later thought, but was mainly miffed at having
had his question ducked. Not too miffed though, because he was just saved by this man. But miffed in a desperate way. He really did not want to leave this man's presence. It appeared he finally found a lifeline from this sick return by death game and he was not going to let this chance slip through his fingers.
"haha..." Subaru's broken voice began to quietly laugh and quiver
?: "...Did the spirit manage to harm you?"
"No no.. Thanks for that by the way. I'm just happy there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel. That light being you, old man. I thought I'd suffer in this loopy hell forever. Getting killed and resurrected over and over again, to be the
plaything of some evil god but I found you who can resist this world and -" Subaru was getting more and more frantic, and the man had raised his hand to tell him to breathe and relax.
?: "We can discuss this later. For now, you should relax a little and take some time to collect yourself. I will not disappear."
Subaru rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and chuckled in embarrassment at himself for letting his emotions run wild for a moment.
"Right, sorry about that. I'm Natsuki Subaru. What's your name, old man?"
Subaru looked revived and the despondent despair he was emanating merely minutes ago all but gone as his eyes regained their natural cheeriness and a short grin plastered itself onto his face.
?: "My name?"
The man appeared to fall into thought for a while, which confused Subaru. Did he forget his name?
?: "It's Zhongli"
