Yo, everyone. I hope you enjoy the chapter. P.S. I was listening to Steins;gate music and damn that shit is great. I need to rewatch that show one of these days.

Subaru, Wilhelm, Julius, Ram, and a large group of soldiers all moved through the forest on ground dragons. The members of the iron fang had stayed back to guard against a possible witch-cult attack by gluttony. They moved towards Arlam village. The men were growing anxious. They had searched all across the territory but no witch cultists were found. Not a single one. None of Petelguese's fingers either. And it was integral to the operation to kill the fingers first and the archbishop second.

Subaru felt uncertainty growing in his chest. Maybe my information is off. Roswal could've done something.

"What do you think?" Subaru instinctively reached out to Nan.

"…" Silence reigned in Subaru's mind. Nan was quiet. His mind had been ground down into a million pieces by the voice of the white whale. I let it happen. Let it happen. Let him suffer. I let him suffer. Only I should suffer. Only-

Subaru slapped himself. Earning concerned looks from everyone that surrounded him. How can I find the witch cult? Subaru had an idea. He switched his mind from Nan the spirits living in the forest.

"Can you guys find any cultists?" Subaru pushed out to the minor spirits of the forest. Blue lights appeared around him. They spoke into his mind.

"We'll get on it." Voices resounded. His lips turned down into a frown. None were the voice he wanted to hear most. None were Nan's.

Subaru ordered the group to stay in place. Julius watched Subaru intently. His eyes were wide. He was able to draw that many minor spirits without any concentration. The knight's heart was filled with disbelief, and a touch of jealousy.

The group of combatants waited as the minor spirits combed through the forest. Subaru instructed them to pay special attention to a certain cave. The air around the group was tense. No one dared to break it they were targeting the witch's cult after all.

A few minutes later the blue lights appeared again. "There are two large groups of cultists. And then there is one in that cave you were talking about." The spirits informed him.

"What does the man in the cave look like?" Subaru asked.

"Green, and insane." The spirits have two words. In most contexts, they would be very vague words. But now they gave Subaru all the information he needed.

Petelguese. I guess he's done a better job at hiding his fingers this time. He mused.

He turned to the soldiers that waited behind him. "Petelguese's fingers and the witch cult are across the forest." He listed off the locations the spirits had given him.

"I need Julius and Ram to deal with the cultists that are nearest to the village. You guys take half of the soldiers with you." According to the spirits, one was getting ready to attack the village, and another waited near the cliff that Subaru had once committed suicide on. "Wilhelm and the rest of the men will take the group on the cliff."

Most nodded to Subaru trusting his plans. But Ram noticed something off about his orders. "And where will you be Barusu?" The maid asked him.

He directed his gaze to Ram. I let Nan suffer. Only I should suffer. I should suffer. I should suffer. I should suffer. "I will be checking out something else. The spirits told me that it might be important but it's nowhere near as dangerous." Ram's eyes were filled with suspicion. He met her gaze. She saw the resolve he always held. Though a slight unease wormed its way into her heart as she saw it.

"Fine. Let's go Julius-sama." Ram and the knight began walking towards the village.

Subaru turned to Wilhelm. His eyes slid over a shimmer in the air. He ignored it as a trick of his eyes. The man's eyes were filled with trust. "My sword is yours Subaru-dono." He bowed his head. Then he turned to the soldiers and ordered them to follow him.

He kneed Patrasche turning her in the direction of the cave. "Only I should suffer." I can negotiate with Petelguese for information. Pretend to be pride, and maybe he'll… Patrasche trotted towards Sloth.

A platinum-haired woman stepped out of the shimmer that Subaru had almost noticed a few seconds ago. Her eyes gazed in the direction that Subaru had gone. A smirk was painted across her face. She raised her right hand.

Blue lights faded into view around her hand. Her eyes flicked back in Subaru's direction. "He really shouldn't be as trusting of spirits." She giggled slightly.

"I wonder how he'll react." The witch of vainglory giggled to herself.

Patrasche and Subaru arrived at the edge of a large clearing. In the center lay a ruined structure. It led into a cave where the witch cult operated. "Petelguese is in there." The voices of minor spirits sounded in his mind.

Subaru, without realizing it, stepped off of Patrasche and walked towards the ruined entrance.

Subaru looked towards the blue sky. His legs carried him forward. He thought of Nan. I let him suffer so much. I should suffer. I should suffer. I'll negotiate with Petelguese for information. Pretend to be Pride. Then maybe he'll… In the back of his mind, he had a connection to Nan. Nothing came from Nan's side. Hopefully, he'll…

"Do you hate me Subaru?" Nan's voice called. It's only a memory Nan is gone, and it's my fault. Hopefully, Petelguese will kill me. I should suffer.

Patrasche followed him. "Wait out here." He reassured, "It should be nothing." I need to suffer. His eyes were sharp commanding. He strode into the structure.

As he walked further he realized that all of the torches had burned out. "Spirits." He used minor spirits to light his way forward. He continued deeper into the jaws of the cave.

"He's ahead of you. In the middle of the cave." Subaru nodded that was what he'd expected.

"Petelguese!" Subaru called to the man. However, he received no response only silence. Subaru had the feeling that someone was watching him. The person in the middle of the cave had turned their eyes to him. He caught a glimpse of his enemy's eyes. The light of the spirit's glinted in his gaze. Two emerald eyes stared at him. Not Petelguese, must be a finger in that case.

Spirits moved forward to light up the place where the person was standing. Subaru heard a whoosh from ahead of him. It was the sound that was made when someone jumped with incredible force.

When the spirits reached where they should've been standing there was nothing. He reached for his whip.

"Where?"

"Ceiling." The spirits answered.

"I need to be able to see." The spirits spread across the room. But he kept hearing that leaping sound. Whoever they were they were moving too fast for Subaru to register.

"Defend left." Spirits called into his mind. Instinctively Subaru reached for his whip and slapped it out to strike at his enemy.

His whip cracked with a sound of steel hitting leather.

"Above." Subaru slashed his arm upwards. Again his whip was hit away easily, but no further attacks came from that direction.

"Right," The crack of a whip. "Behind." Another lash.

"Front." Fuck! Subaru tried bringing his whip forward but he didn't have nearly enough time. He instantly switched his mind to his gate.

"Minya." Burning arrows of shadow magic flew towards Subaru's assailant. He heard bare feet slap the rock to Subaru's right. They had jumped away from his attack. I can use this.

"El Shamac!" Subaru pushed out a massive wave of black smoke. It paralyzed any who came into contact with it. Unfortunately for him, the person he fought overcame the effects of the El Shamac without skipping a beat.

The entity attacked once more. Subaru realized now that most of his spells would be useless. Minya had been able to catch them off guard, but now they would be ready for it.

The spirits continued directing Subaru. Who was too busy defending himself to fully realize that Petelguese did not fight like this.

What he did know was that he was barely holding on, through a mix of his whip and shadow magic, as it stood. But strangely Subaru's instincts did not tell him he would die if he lost this fight. He had an odd feeling in his chest. He was too busy fighting to think about it.

He dropped his defense for a second, as that odd feeling continued rising. Subaru had made a fatal mistake. A hand slapped Subaru's face. He raised his guard as soon as he could. But oddly, no new attacks came. He just heard odd whispers. He focused on them with the help of his spirits.

"Natsuki Subaru." It was a man's voice. Subaru was unable to see it but the man had raised his hand to his mouth. He was able to hear jaws opening. Saliva dripped onto the ground as the man stretched out his tongue. The man licked his hand.

Subaru felt a deep emptiness fill his chest. He didn't realize it, but his name was gone. Consumed. His called spirits started to drift away from Subaru. He had to concentrate to get the spirits to stay.

"Hghk?!" An involuntary sound of surprise erupted from the man. "So we can only eat one or the other." Subaru could feel the man's eyes turn to him. There was a hunger in those eyes. "We will take the other meal then ~tsu. But first, we must prepare it."

"He's coming." The voices of the spirits slammed into his mind. Subaru switched his mind to his gate. He knew that if he lost he might suffer a fate worse than death.

"MINYA!" Nothing appeared. No shards of burning magic manifested.

Subaru had the sobering realization that he was out of mana. The spirits had drained as much as the current surroundings possessed. Shit. That feeling.

"right." The exhausted spirits whispered. He tried to raise his whip but his arm screamed out in pain. His instincts told him that something worse than death awaited him. He slammed his arm out. The whip lashed towards the small body of his opponent. But at the very last moment, Subaru's grip gave out. The whip fell from his hands. His arm felt numb. He couldn't move it anymore.

Oh, fuck. Fear permeated Subaru's mind. That feeling in his chest had only increased. Coming into this cave alone was a mistake. Subaru had been hoping to find Petelguese and then he could negotiate for information. And he hoped that maybe Sloth would kill him.

I miscalculated again. He remembered Nan's screams. Subaru had been too confident in his information. And it had cost the spirit his mind. He would never make a mistake like this again. But with the feeling in his chest. Subaru didn't know if he'd ever have the chance to correct that mistake.

"Our preparation is complete ~tsu." Subaru heard the sound of jaws unhinging.

"NOOOO!" Subaru screamed. He knew that he wouldn't die. Something else would happen to Subaru. He didn't know what it was. He was terrified for the first time in so long.

His balance disappeared as the man, who Subaru now realized looked like a little boy, pushed him over. His skull collided against the rock with a thud. He tried to force himself up but his body was tired, extremely tired. And he was paralyzed by fear. He didn't know what to do. He hadn't felt this way since the sanctuary, and that just caused his fear to grow.

The boy rubbed his hand alongside Subaru's face. His emerald eyes glowing with hunger. "The preparation is complete. Now I can enjoy this feast. I can tell that the memories will be a far greater feast. And I can only take one or the other from you. So I will enjoy these memories."

Memories. Eating. Meals. HUNGER. Subaru's mind grasped onto the boy's words. "Gluttony." Hatred entered Subaru's voice. An image of his Rem appeared in his mind. Fear and anger roared within him. Opposing each other, warring with each other.

"My, you may truly be gourmet." The boy reached his hand up to his mouth. No, no, no, no. He remembered Crusch's state. Not my memories. Subaru's anger was melted away by an even greater terror. "Natsuki Subaru." He put his hand into his mouth. I need to take on their suffering. I must remember them.

"Please, no." Subaru's eyes filled with tears. Gluttony looked down at him, mouth twisted into a smile. He took his hand out of his mouth. This is the end, isn't it? A tiny part of Subaru's mind realized.

"Thank you for this gourmet feast ~tsu." A massive smile split his face.

Subaru saw his vision melting away. "Please." He begged one last time. Soon Gluttony's smile was the only thing he saw. As Subaru's consciousness faded for the final time an image flashed in his vision.

It was himself smiling. He stood holding Beatrice's hand. He was standing in a grassy field wearing his tracksuit.

Subaru interpreted the vision as viewing a picture through a window. He was stuck outside. He tried to get in. Into a place where he could smile. That glass was all that separated him from his own smile.

Subaru tried to slam his way through the window, but it wouldn't budge. He realized that he was hallucinating now as his memories were being eaten. The window faded. His vision returning to normal. But as the vision ended he realized what the glass was. It was the best choice.

Another memory. He was sitting at a table the witch of greed sat across from him. She held out her hand. Subaru hesitated for a second. Before grasping the white-haired woman's hand. A good choice.

That was the glass, his contract with Echidna. An important choice. His mind whispered. It separated him from that future. That future where he could smile honestly. That beautiful future. He wasn't able to reach it because he had taken her hand. It was in this final moment of serenity, as his memories were eaten, and the person he'd become died, that he heard a voice.

"I'm sorry Natsuki-san. This is farewell." The memory of Otto's face as he spoke these words shoved its way into Subaru's vision. "I uhm, Natsuki-san. Even though things are like this, I thought of you as my benefactor. I thought of you as a person I owed a great debt to which I wanted to pay as soon as possible." Otto's eyes had been cloudy with tears.

"But, I saw your decision and I understand it. You don't want anyone's help, and on the contrary, you're going to try and somehow do everything by yourself, and you can do it." He had waved to Subaru. His wave had been slow, lazy, and almost mournful. "Therefore, this is my way of returning the favor. Since you probably will try to protect everyone who you are close to, I will take my leave."

His lips… "Well then, goodbye, Natsuki-san. Take care of yourself." Were turned upwards in a wide smile. "I thought of you as my friend." Subaru now realized that Otto's smile… "You wouldn't have thought that though." It had been fake. Subaru hadn't helped him.

Reinhardt's face replaced Otto's. His blue eyes weren't piercing as they had once been. Now they were misty. Always full of tears. His mistress had abandoned him. Subaru hadn't helped him.

Garfiel's face. His hatred of the world burned brightly in his eyes. Subaru hadn't helped him.

Beatrice's face. So dejected. Depressed. She'd just wanted to die. Subaru hadn't helped her.

Rem's face. The woman who'd helped him so much. She'd been there when he needed her. There for him to vent all his pain too. Then she'd told him to stand up. Anger. He felt anger each time he'd looked at her. Hatred towards gluttony. In the present that anger rose against the boy who stood above him. Savoring Subaru's memories. Rem's face faded. Subaru hadn't helped her.

Emilia's face. Her hair cut short like Rem's. Her eyes filled with dependence. With need. Her mind ground down by the first trial. Something in there had blocked Emilia and she'd never overcome it. Subaru had done her job instead. That was wrong. Wasn't it. Subaru hadn't helped her.

Ram's face. She'd been so nice to Subaru. She'd treated him with the utmost respect. But to Subaru, it hadn't felt like respect. Every one of Ram's compliment had a poorly hidden insult. And these insults had felt real. Unlike her original insults. He'd always felt so far away from her. Subaru hadn't helped her.

Subaru felt a deep sense of loss as he thought of Ram. I won't see her again. I will but, I won't remember her. I won't really ever see Ram again. Her face disappeared.

I didn't help any of them. I failed.

It was replaced by a voice. A familiar voice. Full of warmth and serenity. It was the voice Subaru wanted to hear most. "Subaru taking on someone's suffering is different than saving them." It wasn't really Nan. Just a memory of him.

I didn't save any of them. I failed so horribly. Because I… I… I… Echidna's hand filled his mind.

I made the wrong choice. Subaru's fear and anger disappeared. Tears streamed from his eyes faster. A new emotion filled him. Regret.

I should never have taken that hand. Guilt. His vision flaked away. In his last moment, no peace came. Gluttony stared down at him with the same twisted smile. Subaru's last moments were spent alone with the person who had taken Rem from him.

Subaru's tears kept pouring. "I-I mad-de the w-wrong choice." Shame. He whispered it aloud. His voice cracked

He sobbed loudly. Tears streamed down his face. Subaru was scared of what came next. He had wasted hundreds of thousands of years, for nothing. For a future that didn't exist, and it never would. He would end here. And all of his death and suffering what had it ever achieved? Nothing. He hadn't even saved a single person.

Gluttony's smile grew. Over the past few minutes, he'd been rolling the boy's memories around in his mouth. But they were beginning to lose their taste. He decided it was time to finish the feast.

Gluttony gulped down the memories with glee.

Natsuki Subaru lay there weeping on the cold rock as he was devoured.

Ley stared down at a comatose boy. He felt the memories enter his stomach. Louis will surely appreciate this feast. Once the memories entered his stomach he felt something else rising. Subaru's name was being expelled. Something about the boy didn't allow both his name and memories to be devoured. Ley believed that something was protecting the boy.

The memories began to be digested. He mentally reached in to have another taste of the meal. He brushed his mind against Subaru's memories.

They were on the verge of death. Their stomach slashed open. Pain they felt pain. A burning feeling had cut them open. A black-haired woman loomed over them. A smile on her face as she examined their bowels.

"AHHH!" Ley screamed aloud pulling himself out of the memories. Fear coursed through him along with a massive amount of adrenaline. We're dying. We're dying. Dying. Pain. Pain. Darkness. Must fight it. Must fight. We cannot die. What would Louis do without us? He reached for a way to stop the death that he thought was coming. We can't die. He remembered the feeling as Elsa caressed his entrails. Lunar Eclipse isn't enough.

He grasped the closest name he could find. The name wasn't in his stomach or from Louis. No, the name was from Ley's own throat. He wrapped his mind around it. Ley activated Solar Eclipse.

Ley's body spasmed and convulsed. His form altered. His height increased legs stretching out. A formal suit appeared. It fit well on his new body. A whip also appeared hanging attached to his belt.

Ley Batenkaitos had seized Natsuki Subaru's name. He had been in the process of expelling it but he'd grabbed and used it for Solar Eclipse. His body had now become Subaru's. His memories melded with Subaru's.

Ley dropped to the floor. He was convulsing. There were so many memories. They were filled with death. We died. We died. We died. We died so many times. Ley forced his body to stop shaking. He pushed himself to his feet.

"We are Ley Batenkaitos." Ley tried to turn off Solar Eclipse, but a voice interrupted him.

"I must take on their suffering." A new mind appeared within Ley's. The memories within Ley coalesced into a single entity.

"No this is our body." Ley resisted. Focusing all of his willpower into keeping hold of himself.

"I need to take on their suffering." Subaru's exerted his will.

"I need to take care of Louis." Ley forced Subaru back, with great difficulty.

"I will take on their suffering." Subaru's mind grew more and more real. Growing to be more than just thoughts in Ley's mind.

"I will make Louis happy." Ley brought every ounce of mental strength together. His mind straining.

Ley felt Subaru's mind become independent. Subaru's mind was as close as it could get to real, while still in Ley's mind.

"Only I have to suffer." He brushed Ley to the side like Ley was nothing more than an ant. Subaru's mental strength forced Ley to retreat.

Ley hid in the deep recesses of his own mind. But it wasn't his mind any longer. It was Subaru's. Ley was a fugitive in what had been, a few seconds ago, his psyche.

He felt himself being pulled into the personality that was Natsuki Subaru. Must take on- NO! - save Louis. His personality was being altered. Su-no-Ley moved towards where the authority of gluttony was held. He found the authority quickly. He dove into it. His hunger exploded. They-Louis !-He latched onto where Solar Eclipse was. He was barely able to do it, but he forced the authority to deactivate. Subaru's name continued its way out of Ley's throat.

The name soon emerged with a gag. Ley turned his emerald eyes to the boy. Who…? Subaru stirred his body was exiting from sleep. Ley felt uncomfortable looking at Subaru. It was like looking at himself. Who are…?

Ley's pressed himself into a dark corner of the cave to wait until Subaru left as the gospel had instructed him. The gospel had been incredibly active as of late. But he was too busy with another thought.

Who are… we?

Subaru opened his eyes. He was surrounded by darkness. What the hell? He thought to himself. He tried to get his bearings. He began to take in the sensations he felt.

The first thing he noticed was tickling on his face. It felt like something was walking. Something with many legs. Spider, fuck! He jumped up slapping off the arachnid that crawled on him. He panted loudly. "Come on I walk out of the convenience store and a spider jumps on my face. Just my luck."

"Wait…" Subaru's eyes searched around the dark area. Where the hell am I? His mind was filled with confusion. After a moment he saw sunlight streaming in from an opening to his left.

"Is this a dream?" The boy asked himself. He turned to where rays of sunlight pierced the darkness. He pushed his body, which was far more exhausted than it should've been, forward. As he walked he noticed that his tracksuit was gone. How did I fall asleep? Another thing he noticed was the extreme soreness he felt in his right arm. Each time he moved it pain lit up his nerves.

Subaru's eyes were blinded by light as he stepped out of the cave. This dream feels so… real.

Once his eyes had adjusted to the light he saw four things entities in front of him. One was a two-legged lizard. A large saddle was strapped its back. That isn't normal. Either this is a dream or…

The other three were all humans or looked like them. One was an old man with six swords strapped to his belt. Or this…

Another was a tall purple-haired man. He had a single sword on his belt, and six strange lights floated above his head. Is a…

Finally, there was a short pink-haired girl. She wore a maid costume. A scowl was painted on her face. Something stirred deep within his heart when he looked at her. It was an odd feeling. It was something from deep in his subconscious. So buried in his mind that Subaru didn't even notice it. The feeling disappeared quickly. Replaced by a realization.

Is this a fantasy-?

The pink-haired woman's scowl grew she interrupted his thoughts, "Barusu, we never encountered the witch cult."

Subaru ignored her. That isn't my name and I've never met this girl. He shook his head returning to his earlier thoughts. Is this a fantasy world? A smile grew on his face.

The maid's scowl disappeared.

The two swordsman's eyebrows rose. I need to make sure this isn't a dream. Subaru pinched his check as hard as he could.

"Owww." He complained. "Not a dream." He looked at the lizard beast. And then he noticed the soldiers that were standing in the forest. They reminded Subaru of the middle ages. So then I've definitely been…

He looked to the black lizard once more. He raised his eyes to the sky. The three people were so stunned by the boy's odd behavior that they didn't try and get involved. He raised his hands above his head. A wide smile grew on his face. The smile was real. He pushed his arms to the sky. And tilted his head back. He breathed in and parted his lips to speak.

"I'VE BEEN SUMMONED TO A FANTASY WORLD!" Subaru screamed out. A tone of joy filled his voice.

"Barusu?" The maid asked. Her eyes were wide. Her head tilted to the side.

"That isn't my name." He pointed out to the girl. These are weird NPCs.

He pushed his body into one of the poses his father had taught him, though he didn't actually think about his father, and pointed one of his fingers into the sky.

"I am Natsuki Subaru, I'm flat broke, totally clueless, and it's nice to meet all of you." He pointed to the three people who stood before him.

All three stared at him. Their eyes had widened. Then the pink and gray-haired faces fell. The purple-haired man just looked confused. An awkward silence stretched out.

"So what are your names?" Subaru tried to cut through the tension.

"Subaru-dono?" That look in his eyes is gone. Wilhelm thought to himself. What happened to your memories?

"Barusu?" He forgot? Why? Tears pushed at the back of Ram's eyes.

"Natsuki?" His behavior is completely different.

Subaru pointed to the pink-haired maid, "That is not my name, it's Subaru. Su-ba-ru. Ya, see how that works?" The NPCs are stubborn, really? That's just great.

"Idiot Barusu. Went alone and forgot about us." She turned around and walked into the forest. Subaru was unable to see the tears that drifted down her face.

He looked to the old man. "Hey, do you know what that was about?" Subaru asked. The man whispered into the purple-haired man's ear. The grizzled man walked after the maid.

"Hello, I am Julius Juukulius." He stretched out his hand to the black-haired boy. "Nice to meet you again." Subaru felt immense confusion.

"Did I miss something?" Subaru asked him.

"I believe you've lost quite a few memories. Those two spent a lot of time with you, so they probably aren't taking it well." He explained.

Subaru thought to himself: Wait. So I've been here for a while. He stared down at his formal suit. Then this isn't a game world. If that's the case then I'm in a fantasy world that is like the normal one. And the new clothes are just from a case of amnesia. That does make sense. But just how long have I been in this world?

The large lizard walked up to him. Subaru reflexively stepped back. Fear rose in him. I don't want to get eaten on my first… wait whatever day this is.

"Is it gonna eat me?" Subaru gestured to the beast.

Julius chuckled at Subaru's confusion. "No that's a ground dragon. They don't eat people, and that one is your ground dragon."

"My ground dragon, eh." Subaru walked towards the creature. It tilted its head as if it wanted him to pet it. Huh, I wonder what kind of adventures I've gone on so far. "What's its name?"

"I believe you called her Patrasche," Julius commented.

"Oh, hey Patrasche." Subaru placed his hand on her chin. At least I kept the naming sense when I came here.

"Hey Julius, you got any idea how I dropped my memories?" Subaru called to the man. Is this a regular occurrence here? Or maybe I just hit my head really hard.

The swordsman looked back at him and shook his head. "I'm sorry Natsuki, but I have no idea."

Back in the cave, a boy is sitting on the rock with his head held in his hands. His massive jaws shut tightly. His emerald green eyes are staring ahead completely still. The bright emotion that was once held in them was gone. "Why? Why must we have eaten this meal?" Are we even Ley?

"I hate you. Why? Brother, why did you bring this meal to me?" A girl screamed. Ley couldn't see her but he could tell that she was weeping. "I just wanted to be happy." The boy stood up. We made Louis suffer. He pushed his tongue through his massive jaws. "We must take on Louis' suffering. We need to balance the feast." Resolve grew in Ley's eyes. He bit down slightly on his tongue. Iron blood filled his mouth.

What are we doing? He pulled his tongue back and rested it in its normal spot. Are we Ley, or are we… Natsuki Subaru?

His knee-length brown hair covered one of his eyes. His body felt heavy. He forced himself to move out of the cave and towards the Roswal mansion.

Ley Batenkaitos if he could even be called that anymore used Leaper Dorkell's ability to reach the mansion unnoticed.

"I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier." The old man bowed to Subaru. When he rose he stretched out his hand, "I am Wilhelm." Wilhelm's respect for the boy had not faded. He was still the boy that had brought down the whale. Even if he didn't remember any of it. But there was another reason that it remained. It was because Wilhelm saw that the boy's eyes still possessed that resolve. It was unfocused, but it was there. This boy was still Natsuki Subaru.

The next to apologize was the maid. She stretched out her hand. "Ram." He felt a massive distance between himself and the woman. She searched his eyes. Looking for the old Subaru. Her eyes searched but this new Subaru was so foreign to her that she had trouble reading him. But deep in them she glimpsed it. The resolve that had been so prevalent in the old Subaru. And that look that he would always be there. It was still there, maybe far less so, but still there. So he's still Barusu. Her lips tilted upwards slightly.

"Hey, Ram." He responded to her greeting. Why is she staring so deeply into my eyes? "Why are you staring at me?" He voiced his uncomfortable thought. Though he was also a little happy that a girl was this interested in him.

Ram turned away from him. Her cheeks coloring. "You didn't see anything, now kindly die Barusu." Subaru would've felt hurt if the insult had possessed any malice. But he couldn't feel any of that from her words. So he ignored her.

Instead of responding to Ram, he turned to Wilhelm, assuming he was in charge. "So why were we out here in the forest?" He asked.

"To find and kill the archbishop of sloth." Subaru tilted his head at the man's answer. The hell is an archbishop of sloth?

"Who?" He voiced his confusion.

"A sin archbishop of the witch's cult, idiot." Ram's voice insulted. The distance he had felt with her greeting had disappeared due to her two insults.

"What's the witch's cult?" Ram looked at him her eyes wide. How much has he forgotten?

"You really are that clueless, eh. It doesn't matter, for now, you don't have to do anything anymore." Ram relieved him of his forgotten duties.

"Julius will have his spirits check that cave," Wilhelm ordered.

"Nothing, Wilhelm-sama," Julius reported. Wilhelm looked over to Subaru. He was the one who had all of the information and now it's gone. We probably missed sloth. And we never found any of the cultists that Subaru-dono ordered us to kill. Damn. He pounded his fist into his leg.

A few kilometers away Ley gorged himself on Arlam village. He needed to eat as many meals as possible to balance out Natsuki Subaru's memories.

So this is what it feels like to be Roy. He thought, with disgust and strange enjoyment, as he grabbed a girl named Petra Leyte.

"Ahhh!" She screamed as Ley opened his jaws. "Please, no."

The dark void of his mouth approached Petra's eyes. Someone help me. "SUBARU!"

"Petra Leyte ~tsu." Ley activated his authority.

Petra's vision flaked away. She was laying on the floor. Maybe, she didn't really know what was going on anymore. But she did know that her eyes were filled with tears. Her red hairband lay held in her left hand. She sobbed loudly.

"Subaru, please save me." Petra Leyte was devoured.

Wilhelm began to walk into the forest he caught Ram's eye and gestured for her to follow him.

"What is it?" Ram asked when they were out of Subaru's hearing.

"What do you want to do here?" Wilhelm asked the maid.

"I want to take Barusu back to the mansion maybe find a way to jog his memory there. I also think Barusu was wrong about sloth." He was so confident though. The maid thought to herself. She remembered his calming gaze and stable eyes as he'd told her his plans.

Wilhelm thought about the situation for a second. "Hmmm. Alright then, the soldiers, Julius, and I will camp out here. So if sloth ever appears and you need us then you know where we are."

Ram nodded. She turned and walked back to where Subaru was waiting.

Otto Suwen flicked his ground dragon's reins. He was traveling towards where he'd heard the subjugation of the whale had taken place. The news had spread quickly through the animal kingdom. So he was transporting his massive stockpile of oil there. Maybe one of the people who'd been involved in the subjugation would want his oil. It's the closest I'll get to anyone wanting to buy this stuff. He craned his neck back to look at the many barrels in the cart behind him. Seriously, it's just my luck.

"Master!"Otto's ground dragon screamed a warning to him. He turned his head back. Branches snapped off of trees. A great whoosh of wind slammed into Otto.

"OTTO SUWEN!" A hungry scream. The merchant snapped back. Right there shooting towards him breaking branches on their way was a young boy. He had daggers strapped to his forearms. The boy opened his mouth.

"DON-" Otto started forcing his mana into a spell.

"Hmph!" Gluttony's authority was activated.

Otto fell back into his cart. His muscles had stopped working. His vision was beginning to flake away. The merchant knew that he was dying. Or if not he would be as close to dead as possible. "T-that's j-just my l-luck isn-n't it?" Otto tried to laugh at himself, but all that came out was a sob.

Tears began to flow down his face. Images flashed in his mind. His mother, his father, his two brothers, and all the animals he'd been friends with as a boy. He thought of the home he'd been cast from. His sobbing grew louder. I'll never see them again, will I?

Otto's vision burned away. The merchant was devoured.

He stood over a merchant with a green hat. He would have been gourmet had Ley prepared him better. He'd have fought well given the chance. Ley felt regret as he gazed upon Otto's frozen face though whose regret it was, Subaru's or his own, he did not know. He ignored thinking about who he was for now.

I'm sorry Louis. We will get you new meals to balance it out. And once we have enough names and memories then we will rip you from the corridor of memories, and take all of the names and memories that you hold for ourselves. Only we should suffer what is in those memories. Over the past few hours, he had worked out a plan. He'd also eaten many meals. Now it was time for the last three.

Ley, satisfied with his new plan walked from the merchant towards the Roswal mansion.

Ley pushed open the doors of the mansion. He searched the house for a certain maid. He didn't find her until he shambled into the dining room.

Inside a woman was setting out food for one person. Her hair was a blue reminiscent of the ocean. Wait what is an ocean? Ley asked himself. Never mind. He shook his head.

Rem turned her blue eyes to him. His heart stirred at that gaze. Rem, Rem, Rem! OUR REM. Her nostrils flared. Her eyes grew hostile. She reached down for her morning star.

We can't alert her. An image of a silver-haired woman filled his mind. "REM!" Ley activated Lunar Eclipse. Leaper Dorkell. He grasped the memories.

He disappeared. Moving so fast he was impossible to see. Rem's face rapidly approached his vision. "OUR REM!" His jaws unhinged sharp teeth emerging.

The authority given to him by Louis activated.

Rem looked up at Ley. Her eyes drifting closed. She whispered to herself. "I didn't do enough. Never enough. Rem was right Rem was never better than sissy." She let out her last breath as Ley gulped down her memories.

He looked down at the blue-haired girl. Part of him wanted to reach down and hold the girl. Though that part wasn't really Ley. The part that actually was Ley forced himself away.

He walked from the room towards where a silver-haired girl studied. This meal was a gamble. The cat might kill him if he ate Emilia's name and memories, but he would have forgotten her in that case. So Ley bet on Puck not destroying the world. The real problem was finding a way to get Puck to not appear in the first place. But he didn't expect it to be a problem after all not a hint of malice filled Ley's heart as he opened Emilia's door.

The half-elf looked over at him. "Heeeeeeeeey." She examined him, and his childlike appearance. "Are you ok, are you lost?" Concern filled her voice.

Louis. We will take on your suffering. "Emilia-tan!" He rocketed forwards opening his jaws. I must do this quickly or Puck will kill me right away.

"Whaaa-" Ley's jaws filled Emilia's vision until she could only see into his mouth. The jewel on her neck began to glow.

"EMT!" He screamed activating his authority.

Emilia lay on the ground. Her purple eyes darting around. Puck? Puck? Puck? Subaru? Subaru? Subaru? Both of you said you would be there for me. Both of you. You promised. Something disappeared from her mind. It felt liberating. Like a wall falling.

Emilia saw them. Mother Fortuna. Father Guese. They stood next to each other. Emilia thought they looked like they were married. The vision flickered. Disappearing for a second. When it returned Emilia no longer felt liberated. Now she felt horrified.

Guese was on his knees. He was whispering about love. His eyes were filled to the brim with insanity. Fortuna was laying on her back. There was a hole in her chest where her heart once was. Blood poured from her lips. Emilia was sobbing as she looked upon her mother.

A woman stared down at Emilia. Her hair was a metallic color. Emilia turned her eyes to the woman. Fury filled the little girl's gaze.

The witch smiled.

Emilia's name and memories were devoured.

Ley stood above the silver-haired girl. Too bad we had to forgo the preparation. He looked to the gemstone on Emilia's collarbone. It had cracked. The contract is probably gone then. Ley commented. He walked from the room. Leaving the door open as he left. He had one last meal to find.

Ram led Subaru back to Roswal's mansion. She was riding on Patrasche's back. Subaru had his arms around her midsection. His face was colored with embarrassment. This is the closest I've been to a girl since grade school! He thought to himself.

"So is there anyone else at this mansion?" Do I live alone with this girl? Subaru thought that Ram was very cute, though he deducted points because she was as flat as a board.

Ram turned back to him. "The only inhabitants are you, Roswal-sama, Beatrice-sama, Puck-sama, and myself." She didn't notice the names that were left out. Because she no longer remembered those two people.

"Oh okay."

Ley began opening the doors of the mansion and leaving each one open. Just as Subaru had once done in a forgotten loop.

After a few minutes, he got to the last door. "Beako, open up." He grabbed onto the door. He pushed it open to reveal a grand library.

He forced a smile onto his face. A little girl looked up at him. Blonde hair shaped into drills. Her eyes filled with tears. He's forgotten Betty's answer by now. It was her only thought there was no point in thinking about anything else. Until the boy before her spoke.

"Hey, Beako!" Ley greeted, stepping forward. He forced the girl into a hug. Natsuki Subaru's influence forcing him to do it.

Is he… Could he… She thought of Subaru, of the boy who'd forced her to live another month. For nothing. She looked into the emerald eyes of the boy before her. Are you Betty's they?

"Are you-?" Beatrice's voice was cut off by the boy's.

"Yes, Beatrice ~tsu. I am your they." He wasted no time. He unhinged his jaws and activated his authority.

Beatrice's vision was fading. Flaking away like burning paper. She looked up at the boy who'd entered her library. Immense relief and gratitude filled the spirit. I'm finally dying. A smile formed on her face.

"Thank you." She whispered to the boy. Her vision burned away.

Subaru thought about the inhabitants of the mansion. Ram had explained all of them except one. He remembered her using another name. Did it start with a P or a B? I think it was B. Beatrice, right? Eh I'll find out

"What about Beatrice?" Subaru asked using the name he'd heard a few minutes ago.

"Who?" Ram looked back at him. Her eyes showed confusion. Subaru's grew confused in turn. Did I get it wrong?

"But you just mentioned her to me." Subaru's confusion only grew. But it was close right?

"I have absolutely no idea who this person is. You are completely clueless Barusu." Ram retorted. She grew more and more certain in her answer. She didn't remember who Subaru was talking about. She also didn't remember that a few minutes ago she did know who he was talking about.

The two spent the rest of the short trip in silence. Subaru from confusion, and Ram because she was spending time analyzing this new Subaru. That smile. And the look in those eyes is very different from normal. Is he…?

"Barusu." Ram began.

"Huh?"

"We're here," Ram spoke. Sure enough, a few seconds later a massive mansion appeared in the distance.

"So how many people live there again," Subaru asked he was still in disbelief that so few people lived in that big of a mansion.

"I suppose I should've expected you to be this incompetent. Like I already explained it's you, Puck-sama, Roswal-sama, and me." She ignored the three women that had been ripped from her memories.

"Thanks, Ram." Subaru was having trouble mustering humor in this situation. I guess I was just hearing things with that Beatrice lady.

"Barusu." Ram's stern voice shook him from his mind.

"What is it?" He asked. Tilting his head.

"We're here so you have to get off the ground dragon." Ram pointed out. It was only now that he realized she was standing on the ground next to Patrasche.

"Oh, right." He climbed down from the ground dragon. Struggling as he tried to get out of the saddle. He had no memory of how to do this. And when he got to the ground he noticed that Ram had not once offered her hand.

"Hey!" Subaru shouted. "You could've at least made it look like you were trying to help me."

Ram tilted her head her eyebrows rising slightly. He's so different. How did a few memories change him that much? She led Subaru towards the mansion. He can't have lost that many. What happened to you, Barusu? She looked into his eyes again. She saw that resolve deep down. Well no matter what you're still Barusu.

She continued to wonder about the situation as Subaru followed her into the mansion. She turned her eyes back. The boy was practically melting with awe. Ram had to force a scowl onto her face. If she didn't she would smile at how happy the boy looked.

The two of them arrived at the great doors of the Roswal mansion. Ram's heart stirred as she thought of the owner of this mansion. Though it did not stir as greatly as it once had.

Ram pushed open the doors. She strode into the mansion, Subaru following close behind. Subaru's awe grew into amazement as he saw the mansion. "Wow, this place is big." He whispered. He sounded innocent. Ram had to fight even harder to keep the frown on her face.

The light of the sun dimmed. Clouds had moved in front of the star, but Subaru his eyes still glowed. Ram's scowl broke. A smile slammed through onto her face. Right now looking at his smile was almost enough for her to ignore the gaping wound in her chest. It wasn't physical. It was the pain left behind when Subaru forgot her. So many memories gone. He was getting better. Why couldn't he have smiled and remembered? He could have done both. Right?

Ram turned her eyes forward to the mosaic floor of the entrance.

Ram's eyes glazed over mud. She stiffened. The mud had imprints in the center. They were the marks left by a child's feet. Someone has been here. "Barusu."

Subaru looked over at her the awe on his face disappearing. "Huh?"

"Stick close to me." Her voice was far sharper than it had been seconds before.

"Hehehe." He twirled his fingers. "Ram-chi wants me to stick close to her."

"Barusu." He felt the aura emanating from Ram. Realization finally dawned on him, this was serious. Deadly so. So this world might be dangerous. Fear wormed its way into him. How dangerous?

Ram walked forward gesturing for him to follow her. She followed the muddy footprints, in a battle-ready position. "Hey, Ram how good I am at fighting?" Subaru asked the maid.

"Can you still commune with spirits?" She asked him. Her voice low, and flat.

"What does that mean? Do spirits exist in this world?" His confusion returned once more.

"Then you are completely useless. Any fighter with more than a few months of training could kill you with ease." Ram responded. Subaru could tell that this wasn't an insult, she was being perfectly honest.

Dammit. I come to a fantasy world and get no power-ups. I guess this world doesn't work like that. Man, how is a shut-in like me going to get anywhere in this world? Subaru thought as he followed Ram trying to mask his sound just like her, but he was failing miserably with each misstep, which was common, he made a loud sound. The only good part of this is the cool mansion and the cute maid.

His heart sped up each time he looked at Ram. He had noticed it, but it didn't feel like it was his emotion, so he ignored it and continued following her.

Ram arrived in the dining room of the mansion. The tracks led here. Though they continued into the kitchen. A plate of china was shattered on the floor it looked like it had been dropped. A sleeping girl lay next to the smashed plate. She held a morning star in her hand. Ram quickly noticed the stunning resemblance the girl possessed to herself. It was uncanny.

Ram was too unsettled to notice her faint synthesasia with the girl. "Who is that?" Subaru asked her.

"I have no idea." She searched her memories but no hint of the girl was there. Ram had no idea who this girl was.

"She kinda looks like you." He pointed out trying to find an answer.

"I noticed, but I really don't remember her." Ram at the weapon in the sleeping girl's hand. "But I'm more worried about what took place here." I need to protect this mansion in Roswal-sama's absence. "Follow me." She ordered she began to follow the tracks out of the room.

Subaru nodded quickly following her. But he stopped following very quickly when something else caught his attention. The shadows in the room were getting longer. Is this magic? The sunlight coming into the mansion hadn't changed. The shadows kept extending.

They seemed to curl towards Subaru. Ram opened the door to the kitchen. An odd interest rose in him. He reached down to touch one of the shadows. His fingertips grew closer. Ram turned around she had noticed that he wasn't following her.

He felt the shadows calling to him. It was an unnatural and highly unsettling feeling. Though that didn't allow him to resist it. His palm connected with the shadow.

Subaru's body stiffened. His vision changed. To him, it no longer looked like he was in the mansion. Instead, he was in a land filled with shadows. Two women were facing each other. Subaru was standing a meter away from them watching. They didn't notice him.

He examined the two women. Both looked exactly the same. They both had the same flowing silver hair and glowing purple eyes. They stood at exactly the same height. Their skin was the same pale color.

The only difference between them was their clothing. The woman on the left wore a black outfit, it looked like it was made of normal materials. But the woman on the right was clothed entirely in black shadows.

Before Subaru could examine them further the shadowed woman opened her mouth to speak.

"SATELLA, I'VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH. WE SHOULD HAVE EMERGED WHEN THE SPIRIT DISCOVERED RETURN BY DEATH." The right woman's voice was powerful. It drilled into Subaru's soul.

"No! The spirit wouldn't have hurt him… But, I agree now that Gluttony has discovered it. We need to keep Subaru safe." The voice on the left was softer. Far more natural. It only lightly caressed Subaru's soul.

"YES. HE MUST BE KEPT SAFE. WE MUST SAVE HIM. WE MUST. MUST. MUST. SAVE HIM." That overwhelming voice emerged again from the woman on the right.

Subaru tried to speak, "What-" He was interrupted when the heads of both women snapped towards him.

"Subaru?" It was the woman on the left. How does she know my name? Subaru was unable to think on it further as he felt a crushing weight.

The woman on the right had suddenly wrapped him into a hug. "Wait-" He tried to say, but his protest was ignored.

"I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU-"

"Barusu." A whisper from outside.

"I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU."

"Barusu." His body quaked.

"I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU-"

"Barusu!" He snapped back to reality. Ram was shaking him violently.

"Ram?" The image of the two women filled his mind. What the hell just happened-

His thoughts were interrupted by the sunlight from outside growing dim. He turned his head to the window along with Ram. They saw a great mass of shadow surrounding the mansion. Blocking out the sun. One thing came to Subaru's mind. Does this happen often in this world?

Only one thing came to Ram's mind. The Witch of Envy. Her eyes shot open. It's the only thing that makes sense. The shadows grew more and more opaque. Less and less light entered the mansion.

The truth fully sank into Ram's mind. Satella is here. The oni's eyes narrowed. Her body snapped into motion. The scar on her forehead began to glow.

"BARUSU WE NEED TO GO!" Ram grabbed onto his hand and pulled him with her as she sprinted for the exit.

"RAM?" Subaru had no idea what was happening, but dread grew in his chest. He was barely able to keep up with the maid as she dashed. If it wasn't for Ram's firm hand he wouldn't be able to keep up.

"BARUSU IF WE STOP WE'RE DEAD!" Ram turned her gaze back to him. It was almost frantic. Subaru saw terror in her gaze.

Am I gonna die? Why? Why? Why? His heart was beating extremely fast. Adrenaline surged through him. They reached the front door. However, it was shrouded in shadows.

"FUCK!" Ram screamed. She quickly changed their direction. Leading them in the direction of the nearest exit door. They sprinted through the many hallways of the mansion. It was difficult to navigate in the darkness. The sunlight blocked by those great shadows.

The two were so frantically trying to navigate through the dark corridors that they missed the light sound of footsteps coming from behind them. Although this ignorance didn't last long. Ram's hearing picked up on it after a few seconds. She prepared for a fight. Releasing two shackles on her power. Her mana leaked out. It formed a breeze that surrounded her.

"Ram-chi" A voice rang out across the hallway. How does he know my name? It doesn't matter. She stared at the source of the voice. The nickname had lit a sense of familiarity in Ram.

A youth stood there. Blades strapped to his arms. Mostly brown hair tumbled from his head. The hair was filled with white highlights. Ram thought of a plan. She could feel the aura that emanated from him. He was far stronger than her. If either she or Subaru fought him then they would die. So only one of them would make it out of this scenario. What do I do? She reached into her chest. Abandoning her mind for this decision. Her heart screamed an answer.

"Barusu. You need to run. I'll hold him off." Ram's voice was calm. Her mind agreed with her heart's decision. If we both go he'll catch us as soon as we take our eyes off of him. A tiny, tiny part of her mind analyzed the third option. Barusu would never be able to hold him off long enough for me to escape. Ram's mind filled with disgust that she had even considered that possibility in any capacity.

"But-" Subaru tried to resist her decision. He didn't want to leave her behind. And the feeling in his chest had grown greater. It had become a yearning to be close to Ram.

"Barusu you will die in seconds. As it stands I won't last a minute. Run. Survive this Barusu."

Ram turned back to gluttony. She gazed into his green eyes they were cloudy. Ram guessed that it was from an injury. She didn't know that this injury had been self-inflicted by Ley not ten minutes before. The memories he'd taken from Subaru had begun to overwhelm his mind.

She heard Subaru begin to back away behind her. Run, Barusu. Guilt rose in Subaru's chest. The murderous boy's eyes stared at him. A smile clear on his face. Subaru's fear overcame him and he dashed through the hallway.

Ram breathed a sigh of relief as Subaru's footsteps got further and further away. She could tell that the smile plastered across the boy's face was fake and that the look in his eyes was empty. Exactly like Subaru's had once been.

A feeling emerged in Ram's gut. "Tell me before we begin, can you take memories." She tossed out her wild guess.

"YES!" Fake joy filled his voice.

"Did you take Barusu's memories?" Ram's voice was sharp.

"We did. My to figure it out so easily you may be true gourmet." She noticed that the gourmet part of his words sounded fake. Like something he added to pretend he was something he wasn't. But this observation was quickly overshadowed by another emotion. Rage.

"YOU! You disgusting manlet!" Ram's anger, fury, and hatred melted through her. She had to restrain herself to not immediately attack him. Barusu, I shouldn't have listened to you. She remembered his eyes as he'd ordered the group of soldiers to split up. She realized that she'd seen eyes like that before. It had been a man from Arlam village. He'd had that same look. His body had been found at the foot of a cliff a few days later. Subaru's eyes had looked exactly like that.

I saw that look in your eyes. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I didn't notice it. Ram's red eyes grew cloudy. Tears forming in the corner. I wasn't able to help you was I?

"Look after Subaru for me." Nan's words rang out in her mind. "He needs someone to help him stand."

An image flashed in Ram's mind. It was Subaru a few hours ago. His gaze filled with the desire to die. I couldn't save Barusu then. A new image. It was Subaru a few minutes ago. Awe painted across his face. He looked so happy. But I will save him now. I will see that smile again.

Ram looked to the boy standing across from her. "Let's begin." Her voice was filled with calm stability. It was similar to the old Subaru's calm.

"Well, then we are a sin archbishop of the witch's cult, representing gluttony." A fake smile split his face. "LEY BATENKAITOS ~tsu." He readied his arm blades.

"You seem to already know mine, it's…" Barusu's smile filled her mind. I will not die here. "Ram."

The battle initiated.

Ley jumped forward blitzing past Ram's defenses. He seemed to disappear, he had used the abilities of Leaper Dorkell. Unfortunately, this did not help against Ram. The oni pushed wind magic outwards forcing it into a shield that surrounded her. Ley tried to hit her, but his attacks were ineffective.

He lunged backward. He knew this tactic was not going to work. These new memories that now made up Ley, had made him a far more rational fighter. Though they'd come with other downsides. Like the crippling emptiness that filled him. He ignored his own emotions focusing instead on Ram's movements. Her wind armor had dropped, but Ley knew it would return at exactly the right moment. I need to wear her down. Ley's new memories told him this was the best strategy.

Ram watched him in turn. Her mind searching for a way to win this fight. I need to win quickly.

With that, the battle between Ram and Gluttony truly began.

Ley activated Lunar Eclipse. His body blurred he moved at incredible speeds. He raised his arms. Preparing to strike her with the blades strapped to them. But Ram's form was blurry. Ley's aim was off.

He shot past her with a snap of air. He had spent the past few minutes slamming his head into walls desperately trying to relieve the pain that he felt in Subaru's memories. His eyes hadn't enjoyed the treatment. They were now heavily damaged.

He landed behind Ram with a soft slap of bare feet. He turned back to her and readied himself to strike again.

Ley powered up his legs. Something starting to take shape in his mind. He leaped towards the oni once more. A shield of wind rose in between her and Gluttony. Our aim is perfect. He wasn't gloating. He was right. He flew towards Ram. His aim true. He readied his arms. Loose thoughts coalesced in Ley's mind.

Ram's forehead was bleeding. This shield wouldn't be enough. They both knew that Ley could slice through it with ease. Ley got within striking range of Ram. He forced the smile on his face to grow wider. Another mind began to take shape within Ley.

Ley flexed his arms. He struck or tried to. But his arms didn't budge. He forced them forward, but he couldn't control them. Couldn't even feel them. Ram's eyes widened. Before narrowing. She jumped back distancing herself. She couldn't be daring until the pivotal moment. And her instincts told her that this was not it.

Ley forced his legs forward. But they quickly slowed. His control over them weakening. What is happening?

Ley reached for Lunar Eclipse to try and activate Dorkell's abilities once more. But when he reached for his authority he felt something blocking him.

"I can't let you do that." The voice of Natsuki Subaru rang out in Ley's mind.

Subaru heard two opposing voices from the hallway he'd left behind. I left her behind. I ran. I ran. I ran. I ran. She helped me, gave her life for me and I left her. He tried to stop his body, tried to force it to turn, but he kept moving forward. His fear drove him away. As he kept going he grew more and more guilty.

Subaru forced himself to stop. He turned back. He remembered the boy's aura. "I…" He sank to the floor his knees giving out. "I…" Tears fell from his eyes. He wanted to help, but, "There's nothing… Nothing I can do to help…"

He held his head in his hands. Out of his periphery, he noticed the room getting darker. He looked up his tears stopping for a few seconds. Hands grew out of the darkness. They caressed his face wiping his tears away.

Ram's eyes probed Gluttony. The boy was standing there in the same spot. His body convulsing. As if fighting itself. She readied her mana. Wind began to surround her. She pushed her arms forward.

"El Fula." A storm of wind blew towards Ley.

Their senses alerted them of the incoming attack. One of them tried to dodge. The other forced their body to remain.

"RAM!" Subaru screamed as he held their body in place. Ley's mind pushed back trying to retake control of what had, up until a few minutes ago, been his body.

"LOUIS!" Ley forced the disembodied mind of Subaru back. They leaped out of the way of Ram's wind. The ability Ley had ripped from Dorkell activating suddenly.

Ram altered her stance getting into a defensive posture. The paralysis disappeared at the last second. I need to find out more. She focused her red eyes on the boy in front of her.

Ley, who now stood a few meters away from Ram, raised the blades on their arms. Their eyes widened slightly. Ley had encountered no resistance. He'd forced Subaru into the depths of his mind. Hopefully permanently. But he could still feel Subaru in his mind.

Ley reached for Lunar Eclipse. A massive wave of mental strength slammed into Ley. Subaru's mind had pulled itself back and had now grasped their arms. Subaru pushed their blades towards their clouded eyes.

Ley pressed back trying to force Subaru away. But this time it was like trying to swim through the great waterfall. Subaru's mind had grown more solid. Now he was more than just loose thoughts leftover from Solar Eclipse. He was an entire personality in Ley's mind. And Subaru was still gaining strength.

Ram saw what was happening to Ley. He was trying to stop himself from killing himself. What the hell? This is a poor trick. She held back wary of deception.

"Ley Batenkaitos." A pained whisper from her opponent. "We are Ley Batenkaitos." Ram watched as the boy's arms shook. He is a good actor. But why is he doing this? Her suspicion eroded slightly at Ley's behavior.

"Yes. You are." Ley spoke again, but it didn't sound like him. What is going on? That tone sounds slightly familiar. The voice had a tone of strength.

"But I am not." Ley's mouth spoke in the same odd tone. Ram felt a greater familiarity. And her heart fluttered a few beats faster. The voice had a tone of stability.

"So it's time for a fight over what happens to this body." That odd voice. Does he have someone else in his mind? Ram's heart was beating faster and faster. But not from the heat of battle. From another kind of heat. The voice had a tone that Ram remembered.

"Very well." Ley's voice returned to normal, "WE ARE LEY BATENKAITOS OF GOURMET!" He screamed out. Ram grabbed her remaining mana. Who is he fighting? She asked even though Ram knew, deep down, exactly who it was.

"I" Ram's lips unconsciously lifted into a smile. That voice held a tone of resolve. "am" And it held another tone hidden deep down. "NATSUKI SUBARU!" A tone of warmth.

Shadows caressed Subaru, but this didn't calm him. I ran. It only terrified him. I hate this place, why can't I just go home. He remembered his mother. She'd told him to take care. I ignored her. I ignored her because I didn't want to do the fucking dishes. He began to sob. He rocked back and forth.

He heard footsteps. He ignored them. Instead, he thought about his personal jar of mayo back home. I'll never get to eat with them again. Never. I… Why? Why didn't they just abandon me? He felt a weight. Shadows surrounded Subaru enveloping him. His fear grew. I don't… I don't…

A memory filled his mind. Subaru remembered the look on Ram's face when she'd heard that he forgot her. Tears had filled her eyes. She helped me a lot didn't she? He thought back to her giving her life for him a few minutes ago. I don't deserve her.

A new memory. A man with hair just like Subaru's stood over him. He wore glasses that glinted in the morning light.

"But I will make it so that I do!" Subaru's mind screamed out. The darkness grew greater. Darker and darker. Shadows encroached. A woman wrapped her arms around him. Lighter. It grew lighter. A tiny pinprick of light. He turned his eyes to the light. It was a little smaller than a marble. It glowed a faint blue.

Then another one appeared. And another, and another. Until eventually the shadows glowed. They were filled with little balls of light.

"We are here." A hundred voices spoke. Energy rushed through Subaru's mind. Many of the voices were far away. They were scattered across the mansion. But whether near or far they had answered Subaru's call.

Ram attacked. She knew that the tone in Ley's voice wasn't fake. Barusu is speaking through Ley somehow. Her smile widened. A fire burned in her heart. She shifted her mind to her gate. A breeze blew around her.

Ley's head snapped towards her. His neck cracking. He built up power in his legs to jump out of Ram's way. Ram raised her arm. Wind surrounded it. This is one of the dumbest battlefield decisions I've ever made. But her heart urged her forwards. Her heart knew that this was the right move. I will trust you Barusu. She breathed in. Running towards Ley. Words formed in her mind.

Ley released the power in his legs, or tried to, they froze at the last moment. As if someone else was stopping Ley's dodge. Thank you, Barusu. The word in Ram's mind gathered power. She parted her lips to speak. Her palm connected with Ley's chest. His eyes widened. He jerked around. His arms and legs barely responding. Words grew on Ram's tongue. "WE ARE LEY BATENKAITOS!" He shouted.

"I know." The boy spoke in a different tone. Another person speaking through his mouth. Ley was paralyzed, there was nothing he could do as Ram readied her mana.

"AL FULA!"

Subaru grasped the power in his mind. "How do I use this?" He asked the lights that surrounded him.

"Ready it." Subaru readied his mana. The voices guiding arms reached around Subaru's neck. They rested on his shoulders.

"I love you." A whisper that sounded like silver bells. Subaru ignored the woman's incessant whispers. He focused on the minds that surrounded him.

"Now how do I use it?" He asked. Subaru had grown incredibly uncomfortable in the woman's arms, and he wanted to escape. Maybe if they belonged to Ram I would be ok with it. A thought whispered deep in Subaru's mind. It sounded like his voice. Except the tone was far more depressed.

"Use it." A whisper of voices.

"I love you." A sound of silver bells. A voice that should have belonged to a young girl named Emilia though that name was now forgotten. And her body belonged to someone, or something, far more sinister.

"How?" He needed to get away from this woman and get to Ram.

The voices spoke one last time. "Minya. Say that word." A picture of him using the spell appeared in his mind. "And picture it."

"I love you." The voice grew desperate.

Subaru jumped up shaking the woman's arms off of him. He turned around and looked into her eyes. Her eyes looked jealous and dependent. He wasn't able to see the resolve that burned in his own eyes. I need to help Ram, in any way I can.

He stood there mana surging through his body. Subaru breathed in to speak, "I'm sorry about this."

"I love-" She began. Her arm reached out towards Subaru. She shied back as he interrupted her.

"MINYA!"

The storm of wind from Ram's spell enveloped Ley's body. By the time it was over he was covered in gashes. His clothes torn to shreds. The daggers on his arms were bent and chipped. He was lying on the ground.

But that didn't last long. After a few seconds, he pushed himself up. His bones creaking. He walked towards Ram. She tried to raise her arm, but it lay limp at her side. She was barely able to stand. The mana in her body nearly exhausted. She'd held on to enough for a single Fula, maybe two.

"He, he, he." She panted. Ley forced his body to move. The resistance on his limbs was not from Subaru anymore. He was busy trying to keep Ley from using his authority instead of his body.

The room grew darker. Shadows enveloping the hallway. These were different from regular shadows. They were far more opaque. More like a black mist. A large pool of it appeared at Ley's back. Tendrils of shadows reaching towards him.

His march towards Ram was halted as these tendrils grabbed him. They began to pull him back into the mass of shadows. "No, no, no, no, no." He shouted as he forced his body forward. But it didn't budge. He was dragged backward instead. Ram watched this with a tired gaze. I guess Satella doesn't like him very much. Her mind was remarkably calm for the subject she was thinking about.

He was dragged back further. His back was submerged in the shadows. Ley's eyes widened. Then they narrowed. "LOUIS!" He screamed. Ley's willpower soared. He broke through Subaru's resistance. He activated Lunar Eclipse.

The wounds on his body began to heal. He marched forwards. His body uninhibited by fatigue. "RAM-CHI!" He broke from the shadows and dashed.

Ram readied her left arm. The one that wasn't so sore that she couldn't lift it. "Thank you for getting me this far, Barusu." When she said Barusu Ley froze. His body locking up. Satella's shadows reached forward to grab him once more. Ley pushed his body one step forward. But it was barely a step. Subaru was holding him in place. The shadow tendrils wrapped around Ley's body.

"Ram." A pained voice came from Ley's mouth. Though it spoke in Subaru's tone. Ram's eyes widened. Barusu. A new smile grew on her face.

"Ram you need to hit Ley into the shadows behind him." An instruction came from Ley's mouth. His body shaking. Ley was fighting back. Ram nodded. I will trust you Barusu. She stepped forward placing her hand on Ley's chest.

"Thank you, Barusu." Ram's smile grew.

"WE ARE LEY BATENKAITOS!" Ley's tone returned. Ram prepared to jump back, but she realized that while Ley had regained control of his tongue his body still wasn't responding.

Satella's shadows dragged him backward. But it wasn't fast enough. Ley's body was growing less tight. Subaru's hold was weakening. Ram drew on her mana. Goodbye, Barusu. A memory appeared in her mind. The awe on Subaru's face as he saw the mansion. That was only fifteen minutes ago. But you aren't really leaving, are you? You'll still be here.

"Fula," Ram said it with a smile. Ley shot back. His body pushed by blades of wind. His eyes grew wide.

"LOUIS." He slammed into the pool of shadows. His body began to disappear. Satella was consuming him. "LOUIS!" He screamed. His body started to change shape. It shifted between a thousand forms. His entire torso was swallowed. All that remained was his neck and head. Though it wasn't his head and neck. It was a thousand other heads.

"LOUI-" His head was swallowed by the shadows. Ram let out a massive sigh. She would have collapsed if a blue light hadn't appeared in her vision. It funneled mana into her. Healing her. Wiping the fatigue from her body.

"A spirit?" It began to move quickly emitting a worried rhythm. BARUSU! Ram gathered the strength the spirit had given her, and she pushed herself in the direction the spirit indicated.

Shards of burning shadows burst into existence around Subaru. They shot in the direction of the silver-haired woman.

She stopped them all with ease. Her face showed a hint of rejection. Of sadness. She reached for Subaru again. "LOVE ME!" Her voice was overpowering.

Shadows surrounded Subaru once more. The mana in his body was ripped away by the woman. The lights scattered as her attention turned to them. She wrapped her arms around him. Whispers drifted from her mouth. "Love me, love me, love me." Subaru heard footsteps. Somewhere close. Though he couldn't see where. The shadows were too dark to allow any light.

"Disgusting witch." The stern voice of a maid pierced the whispers of love.

"UL FULA!" Two words blasted away the shadows for a millisecond. In that millisecond she jumped in grabbing Subaru. She carried him bridal style and began to run from the shadows.

They followed quickly, angrily. Ram dodged and weaved. Her strength was sapped. She was moving entirely using borrowed mana. She reached a T in the hallway it only went left or right. In an unfortunate turn of events for Ram, both directions were filled shadows.

The only way out was the window. She set Subaru back onto his feet.

"We have to jump out the window Barusu. This will be dangerous but it's the only way out." Ram explained. She reached out and slammed her elbow into the glass. It shattered easily. "You first, go."

Subaru followed her, his mind filled with resolve. That yearning in his chest continuing to grow. "Not without you."

"Don't worry Barusu, I don't plan on dying here." Subaru looked into her eyes. He saw the resolve there. He stepped forwards climbing onto the window sill. "GO!" Ram spurred him as the shadows rushed forward.

But she was too late. A tendril of shadows reached out and grabbed Subaru's leg. His eyes filled with fear. I don't wanna die. He thrashed around for anything to hold onto. Ram's hand's linked into his own. Her eyes were stable. The bleeding from her horn stopped and it began to glow. She pulled Subaru back with incredible strength, yet a delicate touch.

A woman appeared in the shadows. Her hair a glowing silver, her eyes a shimmering violet. Ram's eyes fill with anger. The witch. She hadn't wanted to acknowledge it a second ago, but Satella was truly here in the flesh, and she was trying to take Subaru. Her scar glowed brighter.

Her lips curled into a sneer. Ram was out of mana. She knew of another way to buy time for Subaru's escape, but she wouldn't survive. She looked away from Satella and instead she focused her eyes on Subaru. He was still Barusu. He was still her Barusu. Her sneer melted away. It was replaced by a warm smile.

A fire grew in her chest. It was greater than any Ram had ever known. Greater even than the fire that was her feelings towards Roswal. These feelings towards the eyes she gazed into were something true. Not like those held for a captor who could deny her life at any moment. Because she knew if all else failed then Subaru would always remain there when she needed him, willing to help her no matter the cost to himself. You always were a little too selfless, eh Barusu. Well, now it's my turn.

Ram shifted her mind to her od. Her life force. She grasped it. She whispered to herself. "Al Fula." A great storm of wind surrounded her and Subaru. The shadows were driven back. Ram's od diminished.

The witch's arm lost its grip on Subaru driven back by Ram. With Subaru free, she pulled him into a hug. "Barusu I know you don't remember any of this, but thank you for everything."

The storm of wind that surrounded them grew stronger. Ram's od was melting away.

He smiled back at the maid. "It was probably no problem, sorry that I don't remember." He joked.

Ram held Subaru in front of her. Her face was centimeters from his own. She smiled at him. She moved her face forward, her lips nearing his own.

In a single beautiful moment, their lips met. Subaru melted into it his heart pounding. That stirring in his heart. Those feelings he'd had each time he'd looked at the maid. They had felt so foreign like someone else's emotion. But here in this moment, he realized they weren't someone else's. Those feeling were his own. Maybe he didn't remember Ram, but somehow the emotions he'd once felt still remained. This was something that the past version of him had once felt. Though he had buried it so deeply that he'd never truly realized it.

In this moment he shared with Ram Subaru could almost understand the man he'd once been. They remained like that for a few seconds, lips interlocked.

Ram pulled back. A wide smile on her face. "I wanted to do that at least once." She let go of him. "Goodbye Barusu."

She walked towards Satella. He turned back, "What do I do without you?" He asked.

She turned her head back to him. Her eyes twinkling. "Live, idiot Barusu." Ram reached out her hand. "Fula." She shrouded Subaru in a storm of wind. She raised him up and pushed him out the window.

"Goodbye, Ram. Thank you." Subaru's voice sounded peaceful. Calm serenity suffused it. Ram used her od to lower him to the ground safely.

She turned back to the angry form that was being held back by her wind. The power Ram now used was akin to the power she would have if she still had her horn.

But she didn't really think about her own strength at the moment. The happiness within was distracting her. A burning passion that focused her mind on a single thing. Protecting Barusu.

She burned her od away single-handedly holding the Witch of Envy at bay. She heard screams from the witch. "HE IS MINE!" She proclaimed it over and over again.

Ram bowed to the witch a smile on her face. "I am very sorry Satella-sama, but that moron is mine." She rose up into her full posture, standing tall. Ram felt her od burn down to half. But her happiness wasn't dampened in the slightest.

Look at me. Falling for a man so hard. She felt she should be disappointed in her lack of control over her emotions. But today for one of the first times in her life Ram let her emotions run free not hiding them behind a mask of stern anger. And those emotions decided that now was a time to be elated, not disappointed in herself.

She stared into the witch's hateful eyes, and she responded with a wide genuine smile. Nothing could dampen Ram's happiness right now. Even the screams emitted by the witch didn't make a dent.

"I WILL MAKE YOUR DEATH MORE PAINFUL THAN IF YOU WERE EATEN BY THE GREAT RABBIT." The jealous witch screamed.

Ram still smiled back, "I don't particularly care. Because I know something about you. I know that you are afraid that you aren't with him then maybe he'll find someone else, someone better. Isn't that right you are the Witch of Envy after all. You're afraid of someone who will take him from you." Satella froze.

"I hate any who would try that, but I'm not afraid." The witch's voice had been sapped of its power.

Satella stood opposite a radiant pink-haired maid. "You're lying." Ram stated with confidence, "You are afraid."

"Haha." Ram giggled to herself. She stared into the witch's eyes. Ram was exultant. "No matter what you do to me I'll die knowing that the Witch of Envy feared and envied me."

Ram felt her od burn out. But the smile on her face stayed. The wall of wind dropped. Satella rushed forward. Tendrils of shadow pierced through Ram's heart. Knocking her to the ground. She looked up at the Witch of Envy. Her eyes dancing with passion.

Ram remembered what it had felt like to have Barusu's lips on her own. It had been heaven, paradise. It had been a moment she'd wanted to remain in for the rest of her life. Ram was filled with happiness as she remembered it. More tendrils stabbed into Ram's torso piercing her organs. Satella was filled with utter fury as she killed the oni god.

Ram was filled with Love as she died.

Subaru ran. Away from the mansion. Towards a better life in a new world. It was the time for Subaru to start life from zero in another world. He didn't feel guilty for leaving Ram. It was an odd feeling, maybe he was a monster, but Subaru just felt full of hope. Hope to live, as Ram had told him. He would always think fondly on her. The maid who'd given her life for him. He could only repay her by fulfilling her wish to live.

So Subaru ran. He ran from the shadows towards his better life. But the shadows had other plans.

The land grew dark around Subaru. His hope fell. Arms of darkness grew around him. His fear did not return. Only stability. Maybe he could get to know Ram better in the afterlife. He still wanted to live desperately, but he accepted it there was nothing to be done in this situation.

Shadows wrapped around him. He remembered the feeling of Ram's lips on his own. Those lips they had brought him such peace. Subaru smiled as the shadows consumed him.

The first thing he noticed about the inside of the shadows was that he wasn't alone. There were two more presences here aside from his own. Subaru still smiled. Nothing could remove this peace he felt.

A silver-haired woman reached out to him. She placed her left arm on Subaru. "I love you." She whispered it over and over again. Her right arm reached out to the other presence. It was a young boy. It was the boy Ram had fought earlier. Subaru didn't know it but his name was Ley Batenkaitos.

The woman's right arm grabbed onto Ley. She began to glow lighting up the shadows. Memories slammed into his mind.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed as all the horrors of his memories returned.

Pain, death, humiliation, torture, hell, oblivion, chains, snow, sloth, bowels, beasts, rabbits, whales, clowns, A greedy witch, a contract, six hundred thousand years of death, a return to zero, a whale, a scream, NAN.

Subaru's memories filled him. His eyes lost their light. Their warmth. The smile disappeared from his face. He pushed his hands into his hair. "HGHK!" His body began to convulse. If Satella's shadows weren't holding him in place he would have fallen onto the ground.

His body's convulsions grew worse and worse. His eyes darted around searching for something to relieve his pain. Foam bubbled from his mouth. He'd experienced six hundred thousand years in a few seconds. His mind was trying to readjust. His seizure continued as Satella whispered.

"Now that you remember me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me," Subaru's mind began to return. Its function slowly recovering as the witch ranted.

And he acknowledged his most recent memory. It was the feeling on his lips as they met Ram' filled his eyes as he thought of it. Satella continued to beg.

I… Subaru had experienced it. It was fresh in his memory. Subaru knew what it was like to be human. To have emotions. To feel joy. To be able to smile honestly.

He still remembered his realization, that he'd made that wrong choice. I... I… I…

Ram died for him. I didn't even try to take on her suffering, but how do I help them? HOW? Satella whispered in his ear. Her voice maddened with love. He knew that this loop was a failure. Rem had been eaten. Emilia possessed. Beatrice eaten just like Rem. I failed. He pushed his tongue through his teeth. I… He slammed his jaws down without hesitation. Biting all the way through his tongue.

Subaru fell to the ground blood pouring out of his mouth. Satella looked down at him. Tears of rejection filled her eyes. She looked so sad. I… I… I… I… I… Subaru's blood poured down his throat. His consciousness fading. He was dying. He still felt no fear. His mind was consumed by another emotion. I… h-

Natsuki Subaru bled out surrounded by shadows.

Subaru gasped. He had to blink as his eyes acclimated to the sunlight. He was standing on the battlefield where the whale had been killed.

His knees gave out he fell to the ground. He freshly remembered what it was like to have genuine emotions. Genuine smiles. He now realized that he paled in comparison. I'm not human. I'm just an empty shell. Tears poured from Subaru's eyes. I made the wrong choice.

An image flashed in his mind. He heard a voice. A soft voice. "As long as you can smile when you're done everything will be fine."

I can't smile. I'm sorry Mom. I failed. I failed so horribly. Subaru's face squeezed together, as if in agony. Sobs escaped his mouth. "I failed." He whimpered, "I wasn't able to smile in the end. And I can't smile anymore. It can't turn out ok." Tears poured from his eyes, and snot poured from his nose. A new emotion filled him. Three words escaped his mouth.

"I hate myself."