"S-So cool. . ."

He looked upon the purple-haired man with awe.

The ease with which he parried Gluttony's strike was something that continued to amaze the young Subaru. He'd been on the receiving end of that monster's assault, and he'd been incapacitated in a single blow! The Archbishop arguably wasn't even trying whilst 'attacking' him, but there was no doubt he'd been serious with his ambush on Plum. The superhuman movements from the mysterious gentleman gave Subaru some hope of defeating the ragged child.

"Oi! Plum! Don't just stand there! C'mere!"

Kadomon had finally made it out of his hiding spot, rushing out into the corpse-covered street with renewed urgency. If he was quick enough, he might be able to bring her back to where he and Subaru were hiding. If Roy saw them as they fled, there was no doubt he'd be pursued. That would spell doom for all three of them, so acting quickly was paramount.

". . .P-Papa!"

Plum's tearful sobs changed from hopeless wails to cries of joy, finally being reunited with her father. She ran over to Kadomon, jumping into his arms and hugging him with the strength of a bear cub clinging to its mother.

"Ah~! We remember you! How's the mer~cenary life taste~? We've been told it's qu~ite bland ~tsu!"

Sadly, Gluttony wasn't taken out by the stranger's attack. The fearsome form of a child emerged from the upturned dust cloud created by the unknown man's attack. The intonation of his words indicated he'd felt no fear from the power of this cloaked man. He instead spoke words of glee, either as an earnest greeting or perhaps as a deliberate taunt.

"Your tongue. . ."

When those indecipherable words left the man's mouth, Subaru saw the six multicolored orbs light up and begin charging an attack of unfathomable power.

"Our tongue~? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, our sense of taste is quite~ quite~ quite~ refined! It's not often we get to enjoy a meal a second time~! What luck! Fortune! Blessings! Boons! Karma! It's fated ~tsu!"

"I think I'll begin dismembering you with your tongue."

Any normal human listening to the threats of that monstrous child would've felt some modicum of fear. Hell, even Reinhard would find the mannerisms of this incomprehensible being unsettling. Only this man could answer such a disturbing statement with an even freakier one of his own.

"Still angry~? Always angry~? Perpetually angry~? Forever angry~? It's rare to find those who want a bite of us ~tsu!"

The man called on the white orb, named 'In', and him and the orb began to glow. Both of them were enveloped in an outline of a white light, and the swordsman bent his knees with his sword extended outwards.

"Mercenary Julius Juukulius."

He declared his name and station, as was proper procedure before one entered into a duel. Considering the opponent, however, this tactic most certainly had its drawbacks.

"Ah~! We like it! We like it! Befitting of 'the Finest of Knights'! Very good! Just like before! We like it! You haven't forgotten your etiquette ~tsu!"

The monster, Roy Alphard, seemed like he was almost offended by Julius's flippant disregarding of his authority. Declaring his name like that right in front of him was quite the arrogant act. No doubt the young child was preparing a follow-up taunt regarding Julius's situation as a discharged knight.

However. . .

"G-Guh. . ?"

Julius, who'd just finished casting enhancement magic upon himself, had disappeared from his initial position and reappeared suddenly right behind the Archbishop's laughing form. As the child released a weak pained cry, Subaru swore he saw something in the purple-haired knight's hand.

"I see. This is it. The organ that's inflicted so much damage. An appendage as disgusting as it is slippery. No longer will it be free to blaspheme the lives of others."

The cold, collected, almost calm, tone of the man's voice echoed in Subaru's mind. Upon closer examination, Subaru saw the completely severed tongue of the, previously cocky, Gluttony dangling in Julius's fist. The attack was so brief, Subaru would've thought it teleportation if not for the residual wind currents emanating from the path of Julius's movements.

However, Gluttony most certainly should've been able to dodge it. From what Subaru saw, the young child had displayed speeds far surpassing those of Julius. Why had this attack made it through?

"Oh? Are you unable to speak? I see. Perhaps you thought I'd give consideration for you to speak your own name? In that respect, I will admit I was deceiving you."

Subaru widened his eyes in realization, as he now understood why Julius's sudden slash had been so effective. Reinhard had explained this to him during his education with Felt, but it was customary for two opponents to speak their names to one another before they engaged in battle. This practice was not only a show of respect, but also a way of ensuring each fighter's culpability in the death of their opponent. Knowing the names of the people you've struck down is important practice for a warrior, as there could be those who come seeking revenge.

In this battle, Julius had deliberately baited the Archbishop into dropping his guard so he could reply to his courtesy. Assuming Julius to have a speck of honor left within him to even pursue such a course of action, Roy Alphard felt inclined to answer with an introduction of his own. Such a ruthless tactic was. . .

"G-Gkrah. . ."

The young boy tried speaking without his tongue, but the sounds that came out resembled those of a gurgling shower drain. His mouth overflowing with blood, the attempts to add meaning to his sounds only creating bubbles in the sprinkler of viscera spewing out of his face.

"Very interesting. I'm surprised you fell for that."

Julius's words held no trace of joy or elation, he spoke such horrifying lines with a calculating, detached demeanor. Having experienced the torture of having his tongue ripped out himself, witnessing such an act performed onto another person made Subaru cringe with recalled pain. It was almost enough to make Subaru feel some form of pity for the child. Almost.

"Disappear."

Julius's sword glowed with the colors of all six of his spirits, infusing the oddly-shaped piece of metal with a blinding brightness. There was no doubt in Subaru's mind that, should this attack connect, it would mean the end for that child.

" . .O-AR. .E-IPSE!"

The boy spoke those words without a tongue, leaving their true meaning impossible to decipher. But as the last syllable exited his bleeding mouth. . .

"G-Guh!? Y-You. . !"

Julius's sword slowed. His hesitation should've been barely noticeable as the momentum in his strike hadn't been completely erased. Perhaps only a second was added between the moment of contact connecting the sword and Gluttony's throat.

However, this had been enough.

*BOOM*


A cloud of dust had completely overtaken the street where Julius and Gluttony were having their duel. Subaru's vision being so obstructed, he could no longer see more than two feet in front of him.

The black-haired amnesiac wished for nothing more than the purple-haired man's victory, but there were still some issues which plagued him even more severely.

'K-Kadomon. . .'

In the blast, Kadomon and Plum had been completely obscured by the soot kicked up from the surrounding buildings. As it stood right now, they likely had no sense of direction regarding Subaru's location or where to escape.

Subaru had quickly acknowledged that he would be unable to assist the purple-haired gentleman in his battle against the Archbishop, as he completely lacked all forms of combat ability in comparison to the two of them. However, he couldn't just sit around doing nothing.

Both Plum and Kadomon were likely targets for Gluttony to use whilst trying to manipulate Julius.

He could, at the very least, help the two of them get out of danger.

"H-How bothersome. . ."

Subaru lifted up the manhole covering he'd used to sneak his way into the sewers, gradually observing his surroundings to see if it was safe for him to exit.

"K-Kadomon? You there? If you can hear me, please follow the sound of my voice!"

Subaru bravely called out the cloud of dirt surrounding him from all sides, praying that the enemy hiding within it didn't follow up on it first.

"K-Kid? W-Where are ya'? M-My little girl got blown out of my hands!"

From his left, Subaru heard Kadomon's voice pipe up over the ominous sounds of silence, from which he could hear absolute despair piercing through the Appa man's heart. Somehow, him and his daughter ended up separated once again. And when they'd been so close to safety too. . .

*WHOOSH*

Without warning, the cloud of dust was parted with an extremely powerful gust of wind, its origin point undoubtedly being Subaru's right.

"Snake of the Twin Sword, ~tsu! Lots of power? Right~? Isn't that right~? You agree~? You must agree! It's indisputable~! Proven~! Absolute~! How wonderful~!"

Between the bisected clouds of dust, stood the impossible image of an opponent who simply should not be alive. Aside from dried blood on its hands and mouth, they appeared to have suffered no damage whatsoever. Even the wound they sustained from having their tongue ripped out had completely vanished! But that wasn't what stuck out at his initial glance. . .

"W-Wha. . ."

"It's you~? It's you~? It's you~!? It's you! It's you! It's you! It's you! How delightful~! Must eat! Taste~! Devour~! To be blessed with two repeat meals~? Such a thing must be divine providence ~tsu!"

The ravenous child looked at Subaru with nothing but obsession in his gaze; wearing the same face Subaru greeted in the mirror each morning. If it wasn't for the disturbing way in which he spoke, Subaru wouldn't have guessed that the person in front of him was a separate entity at all. Somehow, he'd morphed himself into the spitting image of Subaru's likeness.

"H-How!? Y-Your tongue. . ."

Roy tilted his head with a wide smile on his face. It seemed the question made him very happy, as it gave him a chance to explain his bothersome abilities.

"Call it Solar Eclipse~! Let's us transform! We hate it~! Lose control~! But it allows us to regenerate~!"

The devious smile he let out did absolutely nothing to assuage Subaru's worries. Instead, his fear regarding this opponent had only compounded since the beginning of this loop. He really should've just remained hidden. . . but the situation with Kadomon didn't allow for it.

"Let us taste you again~!"

The Archbishop lunged at Subaru with an outstretched hand and wide open mouth, clearly intending to make good on his previous threat.

"Did you forget about me?"

Julius emerged from the remaining clouds of dust, battered and bloodied by the attack that just got unleashed by Roy, and made one last-ditch effort at striking down the approaching monster, only to get easily batted away with a single attack.

"Let your guard down~! Should've struck our neck~!"

Julius's body smashed into a building on the side of the road. It wasn't exactly his fault that he ended up like this, but the circumstances regarding his first attack had thrown him off immensely. He hadn't expected his duel with Gluttony to end with a single opportune strike at the child's vitals. After all, this monster had been strong enough to defeat both Julius and Ricardo when they'd fought him back in Priestella. Not to mention the fact that, as far as he was aware, Julius thought he'd seen everything Gluttony was capable of. He'd expected this to be a long, drawn-out battle where endurance would be the difference-maker.

That was why, when the opportunity presented itself for a premature end, Julius took it without thinking.

But. . .his eagerness had also left him open to surprise attacks.

As his most powerful sword slash, Al Clarista, had been poised to eviscerate the Archbishop down to its bones, the face that greeted him was not that of the Archbishop of Gluttony, Roy Alphard. Instead, it was the face that encompassed all of his regrets. The only face that could've slowed his wrath for even one moment.

His own 'victory' had led him into falling into the same trap Gluttony did. Letting his guard down before his victory was assured. Perhaps, also, his fighting spirit had been lacking.

Julius, no longer a knight, had nothing left to fight for. No use left for his pitiful existence. If his time had come, then so be it. This would act as his long-overdue execution. How fitting for it to be at the hands of one who resembles him.

"J-Julius-san!"

Subaru yelled out to the previously unknown man. Could it be that. . ?

"You~? Why are you still alive? We are curious! Interested~! Inquisitive~! Wondering~! Desperate~!"

Gluttony looked upon Subaru's shaking form and he trembled with anticipation for Subaru's answer. For all three of them to gather here, once again, there must've been some sort of fated reunion planned for the three of them. One that even defied death!

"I-I have nothing to say to you! You monster!"

Subaru did his best to draw away Gluttony's attention from the incapacitated Julius, thinking of scenarios in his mind where the knight survived that gruesome attack and could be used to fend off Roy.

Alas, as the dust finally cleared. . .

The only two people left on the road were Subaru and Roy.

Julius had most likely been killed by the vicious strike from Gluttony, whilst Kadomon and Plum were either hiding somewhere else, or disposed of by wandering cultists.

He was all alone now.

"Let him die? You won't let him die~? Noble~! Righteous~! Indignant~! Virtuous~! Upstanding~! Honorable~! Brave~! We love, love, love, love, love, lo~ve Natsuki Subaru ~tsu!"

Subaru steeled himself for Gluttony's incoming attack, wracking his brain for anything he could use to deflect him away long enough for him to flee.

Somehow, if he could make it to Reinhard's, he knew everything would work out. He knew it. That was all that needed to happen!

"I-Invisible Providence!"

Natsuki Subaru shouted those words loud enough he swore he felt his vocal cords tear. He hoped his scream would be loud enough to push him through the inevitable pain that followed.

"Hm~? Invisible~? Ni~san telling us something invisible~!"

The unfortunate name he gave to his authority made it trifling for the Archbishop to dodge it. But what he didn't expect was the surprise attack that hit him from behind.

"Run! Get outta' here kid! F-Find the Sword Saint n' bring him here!"

Kadomon, who Subaru assumed had fled the scene, nobly launched himself at the unprepared Gluttony, tackling him with the full strength of his body.

"Surprise~! We are so very sur~prised you came back! What a magnificent feast laid out in front of us! We might soon shed tears of joy ~tsu!"

Completely unfazed by the attack, Gluttony smiled at the man atop his crushed body, laughing at the man's selfless sacrifice with no regard for Kadomon's bravery. To try such a thing with his paltry power was the definition of foolishness.

"K-Kadomon. . !"

Subaru screamed out his name and ran a few steps closer to the horrific scene unfolding before him, but Kadomon's glare stopped Subaru in his tracks.

He'd made this decision fully understanding he would die. Charging in now only meant his death would be completely in vain.

"L-Look after my family, will ya'?"

Death flag after death flag. But this plea nearly crushed Subaru's heart.

". . .D-Damn it! Don't go telling me stuff like that! Survive and watch over them yourself!"

Subaru's words contrasted with his actions, as when he turned around to begin running away, tears streamed down his face with no end in sight.


Fading. Fading. Fading.

The state of Julius's consciousness was fading.

While he couldn't put a finger on what damage his body had sustained, he could tell his life was running out. It seeped out of him through countless wounds covering his entire body.

Julius Juukulius was about to die.

He'd accepted it.

There was no other path for him to walk. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to continue living in the first place.

As sounds began to fade out from his mind, touch began to lose its feel, sight began to darken, Julius heard something.

". . -ulius-sa-. . !"

His mind recognized it as someone calling it to him. Someone desperately trying to force him back up to fight. It was sad that he'd have to deny this voice it's salvation.

". . .-ove, love, love, love, love, lo~ve Natsuki Suba-. . ."

Then he heard a name.

A name he'd refused to speak for the rest of his life. One that he promised he'd never see disrespected ever again.

Rage. Pure, seething rage ran through his heart.

And just like that, life found him.

". . .k-khuhh."

Julius groaned out a deep feeling of loss. The peace he'd been granted having just been interrupted by such an unpleasant feeling.

"K-Kua. . ."

Julius barely managed to throw out the name of his Quasi Spirit Kua, who he relied on for rudimentary healing magic. There was no chance of it being able to heal the wounds Julius sustained as a result of Gluttony's surprise attack, but it could at least let him move his body for a little bit longer.

'I will eliminate that voice. . !'

The voice that continued to mock Natsuki Subaru needed to be destroyed. So utterly that it could never speak another syllable from its disgusting maw again. To defame his appearance, his voice, his legacy. . . such a thing must not be allowed to exist.

One last attack.

That was all he had left in him.

However, Julius didn't find himself lamenting his circumstances. No, he found this situation to be a fitting end for someone like himself. His continued existence was also an affront to the hero that was Natsuki Subaru. At least now, by his hand, he would bring this tragic story to a close. The two of them facing judgement for the crimes that they committed.

His spirits swirled around him rapidly, almost like they were begging Julius not to get up. Feeling his intentions through their contract, they knew if they let this happen, it would be the end for him.

Julius simply paid them no mind.

He'd long since stopped living for himself. His existence had been dedicated to the remembrance of Natsuki Subaru.

"G-Grant me this, my beloveds. . ."

As he whispered his, then final words, to his lifelong partnered spirits, Julius dashed out at the disgusting imposter wearing Subaru's skin.

The rage causing his blood to pump so fast, Julius swore he heard his rapidly slowing heartbeat in his ears.

"I won't allow you to exist any longer!"

Julius ran through the monster with his sword. The strike eloquently piercing his chest and exiting through his back. No doubt, this wound was fatal.

". . . . ."

Blood leaked from its mouth, its eyes locked with his with an expression of shock. Their eyes close enough to reflect off each other and see one another's face within.

"H-Hahahaha~! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

The voice which was unmistakably Natsuki Subaru's rang out in a chorus of laughter. Maybe the real Subaru found some comedy in witnessing this scene from the afterlife. Seeing how pitiful both of them were, and how pathetically their lives would end.

Almost like it was mocking Julius from afar.

N-No. . . wait.

That's exactly what was happening.

The form in front of Julius spoke no words, but he still heard the voice of Natsuki Subaru piercing through the ominously silent streets.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~! This must be what Ni~san meant by Gourmet~!"

His eyes shook.

His arms shook.

His legs shook.

Julius could no longer stare at the face inches in front of him, as he'd felt every extremity in his body tremble in what felt like abject terror.

'N-No way. . . i-it can't. . !'

Gluttony tossed off the body of Kadomon, who's name and memories he'd just consumed, and broke out into another fit of laughter. The irony of the scene in front of him making him hold back from finishing Julius, as the entertainment factor briefly overwhelmed his desire to consume.

"I-It's not. . !"

Julius felt himself beginning to hyperventilate, as the horrible reality of what he'd just done sunk in.

Julius Juukulius had killed Natsuki Subaru.

"A-Ah?"

Those words, filled with indescribably complex emotions, trickled out of Julius's mouth.

They would be his last.

Julius Juukulius died in utter despair.


"Stop bein' such a baby! I swear, you're actin' just like my daughter, kid!"

". . ?"

The world reassumed its shape. Natsuki Subaru put a hand to his chest to try and affirm the overwhelming burning sensation he'd just felt emanating from there.

Instead, he felt nothing.

"O-Oi!? Kid? What's happenin'!?"

Subaru fell to one knee, panting out long, ragged breaths. His eyes darted to his left and his right, and nearly just as quickly, he realized that the place he stood was almost exactly where he'd been when he been struck down by Gluttony.

This all but confirmed to him that he'd just Returned By Death.

'Or would it be more accurate to say that the other man slayed me. . .?'

The last moments of that loop flickered into his mind, and he couldn't help but feel he was missing something surrounding the context of that man's attack.

Within his eyes, he'd witnessed unending hatred transform into a horrified revelation.

It was as if the man wished to scream out his regret for all the world to hear.

"U-Ughh. . . I don't think I'll ever get used to that. . ."

Kadomon eyed Subaru suspiciously, whilst taking a step away from him to try and distance himself from the man making a scene to all the passersby.

"K-Kid! I'm pretty sure ya' just promised me ya' wouldn't draw unnecessary attention. . !"

The salesman grit his teeth in frustration, having been reminded of the flamboyant actions repeatedly undertaken by the previous Natsuki Subaru.

"H-Hey, can you be quiet for a second? I need a moment to think."

The audacity this kid had to ask HIM for a moment of peace was lost on neither of them. However, Kadomon granted this request, as he saw the unusually serious expression appear on his face.

'No matter how you look at it, there simply isn't time for me to find Reinhard on my own. If I run away, there's a good chance I'll get intercepted by that bastard Gluttony or killed by wandering cultists. I could send Kadomon, but. . . I can't send him away from his daughter while all this is going on! My only option left is to find that guy and warn him before the attack starts.'

Subaru, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to himself, faced a fork in the road breaking off in two directions. One road, the one branching off the main road and leading to the Butcher, laid to his left. The other, a continuation of the main road, continued straight for an unknown distance. It contained an uncountable number of paths dividing off from it where this man could be dwelling. Finally, there was the chance they'd already passed him already and they simply needed to retrace their steps.

It was really rotten luck. He only had five minutes to track this guy down and explain the situation. And that assumed he would even be willing to help in the first place!

"D-Damn it. . . I don't have a choice!"


Subaru first took the route towards the butcher.

It was the biggest risk, so he wanted to get it out of the way first. If that man was here, they would probably end up trapped here by the fires started by the fodder cultists. He would be unable to send someone to retrieve Reinhard, and they'd be all on their own.

"W-Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?"

Subaru repeated this under his breath, scanning the crowd for signs of purple hair or glowing orbs, but he found nothing.

*BOOM*

"Y-You've gotta' be kidding me. . . !"

*Clap* *Clap*


Subaru's next target was further down the main road.

He didn't even waste time answering Kadomon's questions this time, instead breaking into a sprint and running further down the main road, turning his attention to every pedestrian in his view, hoping to find the one person who could save him. He was running out of time.

The terror he felt hadn't lessened since the first time he'd returned by death, but his body moved as if it was autopilot. His mind was so completely focused on finding the spirit knight that no other thoughts existed in his head.

To put it another way. . . he didn't have time to be scared.

"N-No. . . he's not here. . !"

*BOOM*


Subaru's body shivered, as he'd just been incinerated in the initial explosion of the Cultist's attack.

The feeling of skin on his body was his signal that he'd successfully returned from death. The air suddenly felt very prickly. . .

He didn't have time to think about those things.

Subaru abruptly turned around, sprinting back the direction in which he came, praying for someone, anyone, who could help him.

This time, Kadomon kept pace with him.

"W-What the hell are ya' doing?!"

"P-Please help me. . ! I need to find someone with purple hair!"

Subaru sputtered these words out, only now realizing that having a second person searching would make the process more efficient.

He rounded the corner, staring manically at each of the people who dared make eye contact with him. Only one of them didn't flinch beneath his gaze.

"Ooh~! Someone smells ni~ce!"

As the voice traveled into his ear, Subaru only had a split second to react to the blinding speed of Gluttony's attack.

By heading backwards, they'd inadvertently run into the Archbishop before he could begin his assault.

"W-Wah. . ?"

Subaru received Gluttony's shoulder-check and went flying off into a random person's shop.

"Hm~? Are you actually really weak~?"

His blood pooled high enough to obscure his vision. The light faded from the corners of his eyes.

And. . .

Once again, Natsuki Subaru lost his life.


Death. Death. Death. Death.

Such was the fate that awaited Natsuki Subaru.

The day that had begun as a simple outing to pick up groceries had suddenly turned into an inescapable labyrinth of death.

Oddly enough, that was the exact scenario resulting in him being isekai'd in the first place. The irony wasn't lost on Subaru, but he would have to laugh about it later. When he escaped from this absolutely terrible, horrible, accursed place.

". . .A-Anyone?!"

Subaru had died over five times, making absolutely no progress towards a survivable future. Knowing that he'd died in vain was beginning to weigh heavily on him, and he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to bear this burden.

The crowd walked by like they didn't even hear his pleas.

He basically didn't exist to them.

". . . . P-Please! JULIUS!"

No longer able to take it, Subaru screamed out the man's name with nothing but desperation in his voice. Even if he drew the attention of the entire world. Even if his identity was revealed. So long as he could break out of this hell, he would cast all his preparations aside.

". . . . . ."

Silence was all that greeted him.

This was the last hope that remained, and it had come up short. The fear he'd felt during the assassin's attack on the Manor resurged from the depths of his heart. The fear that he'd entered into a truly inescapable loop of death.

If this was true, his only comfort would be the truth of his previous self's permanent death. With enough time, he could surely recreate it!

'It's bad to think like that, but I have nothing left. . . I d-don't want to keep coming back!'

Subaru tried his best to keep these thoughts at bay, but as he sobbed into his hands, he had no choice but to accept true despair. There would be nobody that came to save him this time. This was his fate.

". . . .S-Subaru. . ."

Then he heard his name.

Someone spoke out his name with a tenderness and reservedness he could've never predicted.

This voice wasn't Kadomon's. It was. . .

A man dressed in ragged clothes, unkempt knightly attire, and a brown cloak to conceal his countless weapons. His hair was purple, waving softly with the wind currents that passed through them. The six multicolored quasi-spirits circled around the man's head with lightning speed, almost like they were shocked to see him.

And his expression. . .

The look on his face reflected a myriad of emotions. The guilt and pain combined with shock made the young man's, normally handsome, face get wrinkled into an appearance that would scare small children. Of all his feelings, the most evident one Subaru could pick up on was fear. Although of what, the black-haired amnesiac wasn't sure.

None of those things bothered him at all anyway. To Subaru, this man represented the hope he'd nearly just cast aside.

". . .J-Julius!"

Julius Juukulius would be his salvation.


Author's Note:

Hoohhh boy that was annoying to write! Julius finally knows about Subaru's resummoning! The same four characters can only do so much, ya know? How'd you guys like this chapter? I think it turned out pretty good. Savage Julius was a treat to watch, but unfortunately, Gluttony is the king of playing dirty! That switcheroo that happened between the real Subaru and the transformed Gluttony was honestly a great plotpoint imo, and it was a nice plot twist that I wanted to see happen LONG in advance. Was it shocking? How about Subaru's opinion of Julius?

I apologize for the super short loops at the end, but I only really planned out the first two loops and I wanted to set the length of the death montage up to you guys! A lot of you voted to keep it conservative with 5 deaths, so that's exactly what I did!

Gluttony's lines did feel like they got a bit repetitive, so if you guys have any critiques of that I'm willing to hear them!

Fight scenes aren't exactly my forte, but I will have to get better at them whilst we head into the follow-up chapters. In this chapter, I probably should've reiterated at the start that Subaru and Julius's existence's were hidden from each other due to the dust cloud and Subaru hiding in the sewer. Julius only realized what happened after he stabbed Subaru! What terrible luck! I think Julius might've had it worse than Subaru this chapter. . .

Next Chapter:

Kadomon, Subaru, and Julius face off against Gluttony! This time, for keeps! + (potentially) a glimpse at what's happening over at the Manor!

I wonder where the other Archbishop went. . .? ;)

Poll:

How should Subaru react to Julius's inevitable breakdown?

A. Chill. At least, as chill as he can be after dying several times.

B. Overcorrecting. Basically worshipping Julius for coming to help him after everyone else on the road ignored his cries for help

C. Confused. Immediately informing Julius that he has no memories of him from before that day.

Finally,

I've started taking commissions for anyone who's interested in my writing style and wants me to write them a short fic! I charge $40 for 5K words, which is pretty cheap relative to everyone else I see on there! I don't really have any rules regarding what I write either, I just ask that once you receive the document you don't put my name on it unless I say its ok. I don't wanna start beef with people over something I got commissioned to write. It doesn't just have to be Re:zero either! If it's something I'm familiar with, I'll write a fic for you to the best of my ability! If you are interested, check out this link:

continuer123?up_rollout=true

I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:

/tgMtCvdasb

Next chapter should be out soon, but idk I said that last chapter and it took me a bit longer than I expected! Hopefully I don't get bogged down by school and get it out as in the next few days!