Subaru woke to a bleak room. A blue-haired girl was asleep, sitting atop a small stool. In the bed slept a… wait. There should have been a silver-haired girl in that bed.
"Rem!" Subaru shouted, getting up off the ground and bounding over to Rem.
The maid opened her eyes and put her feet out below her, standing up. She gave her face a light slap to get alertness into her limbs and mind.
"What is it, Subaru-kun?" She asked after a moment.
Subaru's eyes jumped around the room again, "Emilia's gone."
The two of them stood in silence for a moment, thinking. For Rem, the silence was a quiet dejection. For Subaru, it was an obstacle he needed to find a way around. They remained like that before Subaru stumbled upon a surefire way to find Emilia. He reached into the back of his mind, calling spirits to him. Dozens soon came into the cabin.
Rem opened her eyes to the beautiful sight. He hoped it gave her a bit of calm, as well as security in the fact they would find Emilia. It would only take them a bit of time. And if they didn't find her today, well… he could always loop.
But he knew of a few locations she might be. So he directed his spirits out of the cabin and into the surrounding forest. Looping was something he would do only when he'd gathered as much information as possible.
"Alright, they'll scan the forest, and we'll check major locations," Subaru said.
Rem nodded to his plan and walked out of the room. Subaru followed. Once the two arrived outside he started them in the direction of the church. It was a very obvious place, maybe the first place Emilia would think to hide.
Subaru had a feeling she was trying to hide after taking the trials twice yesterday. A bit of guilt touched his heart. Not as much as he might have felt before, but more than he would have possessed at the beginning of this loop.
The two traveled in relative silence until they reached the church. Where Subaru summoned more spirits and let them rush through the building. He didn't want to disturb the inhabitants too much. Capella's whispers didn't concern them. They'd had nothing to do with the end of the last loop.
"Is she inside?" Rem asked.
Subaru waited for the globes of light to return before answering, "No. She's somewhere else."
"She could be at the place we found you yesterday…?" Rem said, almost like she was asking instead of telling him.
"Could be, but we should check the village itself first. Can't ask Ros though," Subaru said, intending the last part to himself. If he told the clown he didn't know where Emilia was, then the man might force him to reset.
And he needed to keep the loop going to gain as much information as he could. He needed to get out of here in as few loops as possible, so that meant he needed to make progress in each one. Roswaal couldn't get in the way of that.
"Then let's check the village," Rem said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He nodded and the two set off.
As it turned out, Emilia wasn't in the village either. Though right before they could go to the next location, a pink-haired woman stepped out from behind one of the trees.
The Ryuzu copy moved toward them on her short legs. Her eyes held an odd expression, one Subaru couldn't quite determine.
"Ah young Su," The clone said, "I have something to speak to you about."
Subaru stared into her eyes.
"Which one are you?" He asked. The clone took a step back in the face of him.
Subaru had no idea why. Maybe the way his gaze looked. Maybe the way he clenched his fists. Maybe it was the spirits surrounding him. In the end, it didn't matter, and he didn't care much. All he needed to do in the rest of this loop was find Emilia. So that way he would know where she was hiding for the next loop.
If he embraced his old analytical mindset, then it wouldn't take as many loops to get out of this place. He wouldn't have to go through that pain as many times.
"I'm Ryuzu Bilma," She said.
"Ah. Well what is it you wanted to say?" Subaru asked.
"Step carefully around young Gar for the foreseeable future," She said, almost quiet enough he didn't hear it, before racing off back into the forest.
"What's going on with Garf?" Rem wondered.
"Doesn't matter," Subaru said, "We need to find Emilia."
Rem pursed her lips, nodding before the two traveled to their next location. This time there was no path to guide them, so it took around half an hour to reach.
But a while later, they arrived at the Ryuzu Meyer crystal site. And once again, they couldn't find Emilia.
"Shit," Subaru cursed and checked back in on the spirits he'd left to scan the forest.
"Have you seen her?" He asked them.
"No," They sent back their response, and he left them to continue searching.
He kept himself focused and tried to think about any other location she could be.
However, his mind produced little aside from waiting for his spirits.
"Where do we check next?" Rem said.
"The trial building is the last spot," Subaru answered.
"Why would she be there, Subaru-kun?"
Because I guilted her into taking the trials.
Before he said those words, he thought about his response for a moment, then decided to lie, "It's the last place to look."
"Right, of course, Subaru-kun. Rem understands." She bowed her head to him.
Subaru didn't pay too much attention to it. He needed to focus. This loop was already likely over, but he needed to get all the information he could. To see if there was a way for Emilia to clear the trials.
Rem's shoes clicked against the stone behind him as they began their walk to the trial room.
It didn't take them long to reach their destination.
As the two ascended the steps a silhouette emerged from the shade of the tomb's entrance.
"Subaaaru! Rem!" Emilia rushed into the sunlight only stopping when she was in front of them.
"Emilia, what're you doing here?" Rem asked.
Subaru remained still. He couldn't have moved or spoken if he wanted to. Because when he looked into her eyes he realized.
He remembered that look.
"Oh, I was taking the trial, because everyone expects me to. And I think I did good. I mean I tried, and that's what counts right?" A smile slipped across Emilia's face, "I reaaaaaaally tried. And that's why I was waiting here. So that when it's dark again I can keep taking the trial."
"Emilia…" Rem held her hand right in front of her own face at the look in Emilia's eyes.
Subaru kept looking into her eyes. When the girl noticed a small blush crept across her face.
"Oh hi, Subaaaaaaaaru!" She stepped over to him, putting herself a very short distance from him.
Her warm breath caressed his face. "Did I do good, Subaru? I tried so many times. I was ready each time, you know. So I kept taking the trial. And I think I got up to…" She froze for a moment and tilted her head to the side.
The hair on Subaru's arms stood up. Cold bit into him. He ignored it though.
No. Not this… Subaru remembered. He could still see what it was like to stare at the ceiling of that very trial room with only one eye.
The image of Emilia leaning down and planting a kiss of death on his lips was still so fresh. He shied back from the girl.
"Subaru?" Her head snapped back straight. His body temperature returned to normal.
The three stood in silence for a second before need crossed Emilia's expression.
"Right what was I saying… uh so I did good, right Subaru? I took the trial I think… three dozen times, and if I take it another thirty more I should be able to figure out how to pass it," She noticed he'd shied back from her, then closed the distance again, "That's the right thing to do, right, Subaru?"
"Emilia…" Rem whispered from the side.
Emilia looked over at the girl, then back at Subaru.
"So why did it take you two soooooo long to get here?" The empty gaze in Emilia's eyes disappeared. Envy replaced it.
"We didn't know where to find you, Emilia-sama." Rem said, bowing.
"Hehe," The girl giggled, "You're super-duper silly Rem. And you two Subaru. It should have been so obvious that I was here. Why wouldn't I be? You both believe in me, so why did it take so long?"
Her envy changed to wrath.
"Why did it take you both so long? You were hurt right, that was it… something happened to both of you. Oh! What happened?" Emilia grabbed both of their wrists, "Do you guys need me to heal you? Can you tell me who did it?"
"Nothing happened, Emilia," Subaru said, trying to extricate himself from her grip.
But, her elven strength was far too much for him.
"Subaaaaaaaaaru. You liar," Emilia tilted back her head.
Immediately a searing cold wind blasted him, and a bit of snow fell from the sky atop him.
Not again. He knew what this was. It had happened so many times back in the mansion after he'd gotten through Sanctuary.
"Emilia! It's alright," He completely closed the distance between them by wrapping his arms around the girl.
"Someone hurt you Subaru," Emilia said, "You don't have to hide it silly. I know what you're thinking."
Subaru pushed his head into Emilia's shoulder. For a moment he let himself lay there, clinging to the girl. But when that moment ended he changed his focus. Instead of trying to hold onto the girl, he focused on his lips. He forced the muscles of his face to move.
Then once he was sure it was convincing enough for Emilia he lifted his head, showing her his expression.
Emilia's smile widened and for a moment an almost empty joy glowed in her eyes, "SUBARU!" She screamed out in elation, "You're smiling!"
Snow stopped falling from the sky. And soon after, the temperature returned to normal.
Anguish pushed into Subaru as he held the expression on his face.
Emilia almost melted in her fearful joy. She clung to him and wouldn't let him move.
"This is amazing Subaaaru, you're smiling. Let's just stay here for a minute," Emilia pulled him over to the wall to the side of the tomb's entrance, "You too, Rem. Subaru smiled again, we need to celebrate."
Rem's once icy eyes were cloudy. Guilt tore into Subaru at the tears held there.
Emilia beckoned the girl again. Then when Rem approached, Emilia grabbed the oni and pulled her down next to her and Subaru.
"Alright Subaru, so why are you smiling?" Emilia rested her head on his shoulder as well as wrapped her arms around his chest.
"I'm not sure. Guess I just am," Subaru said. Pain filled his voice as he tried to keep the smile.
"Oooooooooooh! Then we can figure it out together," Emilia said.
A giggle escaped her throat, then she launched into the conversation. Subaru's chest was empty, as he kept the smile up. A tear rolled from his eye and onto his cheek. He wiped it away before Emilia could see.
Ram stood in front of an old woman, from Arlam, about her height. The woman spoke into her ear, telling her of what had happened this morning. According to her a large number of spirits had appeared in the church one moment, then in the next were gone. It had seemed a trivial event to the villager. But exactly what Ram had come looking for.
"Otto," Ram called to the man a few meters away.
But, no immediate response came from him, so she cast a glance at the merchant. He was kneeling above a group of squirrels and other small animals.
The maid shook her head, "Talking to squirrels? You truly have gone mad," In reality, she knew he was gathering information from the animals "You are nearly as bad as Barusu sometimes…" Her words trailed off when the black-haired boy came into her mind.
After another moment the man looked up, "They saw spirits in the area," He said.
"The villagers as well. Either Barusu or Emilia-sama came through here," She said in response. The two had been searching for Subaru almost all day. To the point where the sun was dipping toward the horizon.
"Seems likely, Ram-san," He said.
"Alright let's try the tomb," Ram said after a moment of thought, "We need to find Barusu quickly, he never did give us a time frame on the attack."
"Gives me a bad feeling," The focus in his eyes disappeared for a moment, "But, Natsuki-san needs our help."
"He truly is just incompetent," Ram said.
A short laugh fell from Otto, "Yes, he really is."
The two set off for their destination. While they walked Ram held a single goal in her mind. I'm going to find a way to beat sense into you, Barusu. I don't care if you're afraid of me. I'll show you that you're an idiot.
Along the way, Ram kept her eye on the forest through Clairvoyance. Garfiel had been acting erratic yesterday. So the disappearance of Emilia, Subaru, and her sister could have been something he'd done. But she doubted it. Those three wouldn't fall to Garfiel without some kind of fight.
Though Garfiel might have gotten the jump on them. But with how much suspicion Subaru had looked at everyone with, she doubted that.
Any humor from her conversation with Otto a moment ago was gone. Thinking about Subaru's state did that. And it wasn't like she could push it out of her mind. Ram wouldn't, or couldn't, ignore what was troubling him.
So she had enlisted Otto to help. Once the morning had come they'd set off for Emilia's cabin, though Subaru, Rem, and Emila had all been missing. But they weren't going to let it go uninvestigated.
So even now they were looking, and Ram knew they were moving in the right direction. She only had to check on her Synesthesia. Which she'd forgotten to check until arriving at the church. She'd been too busy smothering the connection to think of it as a first option.
As the monotony of the walk set in once more, Ram focused on her Clairvoyance. Pulling every perspective near to her into her mind's eye. It stretched her mind and a pounding headache came upon her, but she ignored it and kept walking.
After a few moments though, she realized holding onto this many perspectives would only hinder her. Seeing through so many eyes reduced her ability to gain information. So she went through each one and dismissed it if it didn't offer any useful information.
Along the way, a suspicious view stood out to her. There was something, or someone, watching her and Otto. It followed them with incredible accuracy. Ram focused on it for a moment, then returned most of her mind to reality.
But she didn't dismiss her Clairvoyance. All she did was localize it to the watcher's surrounding area.
She didn't wait to glimpse the one surveying her and Otto through her Clairvoyance, instead, she chose to direct her eyes to them. What met her vision was a small pink-haired girl. She was clad in a white robe which was a little bit too big for her.
"Stay here, Otto," Ram said. She didn't wait for the young man to respond before stepping into the forest after the girl. Who ducked further into the forest upon Ram noticing her.
The pink-haired maid readied the mana within her and pulled out a small bag of magic stones that Otto had lent her.
Another pink-haired copy of the village's elder jumped out, but before it did anything Ram gripped its robe with her right hand. With her other hand, she tightened her grip on the bag of crystals.
"Where is Barusu?" She asked, knowing her emotions were pushing her to be far more impulsive than she should be.
It wasn't long before around ten more copies crowded around her.
"Ram-san?" Otto stepped into the forest, brushing branches out of his way, "What're you doing? We need to find Natsuki-san, not pick fights with random oddly similar children."
Ram loosened her grip on the clone. She knew Otto's words made sense. Though the way the Ryuzu clones were crowding around her made her think she'd already stumbled into something they couldn't get out of. Or if they could, it would be nowhere near as easy as he made it seem.
"Ram," Garfiel's voice rang out, and the boy stepped out from behind a tree. He'd closed his eyes, instead of using them to move he felt around with his hands.
His caution gave off a calm aura, but Ram could tell how fake it was. "We aren't here to hurt the Sanctuary, Garf," Ram dropped her insults, cutting straight to the point instead.
"But that Subaru guy is tryin'!" He shouted out in response without opening his eyes.
Ram knew what she had to do in this situation. The only way for her and Otto to make it out unscathed was if she could find some way to disable Garfiel.
"Garfiel. Barusu doesn't want to hurt Sanctuary. He isn't a Witch Cultist," She said.
Garfiel cracked his eyes open, remembering it did nothing while standing in front of her. His green eyes laid a glare on her and Otto.
"You ain't actin' like yourself, Ram. You'd never fall for this trap if you were in yer right mind. And Granny explained it all to me, how much that guy is manipulatin' everythin'. And how he smells like the Witch," Garfiel said.
"I'm just trying to find Barusu, and he killed a Sin Archbishop," Ram tried to keep Garfiel busy. She didn't want to have to fight him.
She was thankful that Garfiel didn't want to fight either. He kept talking to hold off any violence, "That's the point. He's lyin'. He's manipulatin' you. He faked killin' whatever he says he did. Just help me stop him."
The gauntlets on Garfiel's arm rattled as he raised his hand to her.
"We don't have to do this, Garf," Ram didn't take his hand.
Otto didn't say anything from behind her, she was thankful, he would only have gotten in the way.
"I don't want to do this either Ram, but Sanctuary comes first," Garfiel's eyes closed once more, out of fear for what might come.
When he opened them a moment later Ram knew the depth of her mistake.
Garfiel's green eyes had disappeared. All that stood in their place was glowing red. Striped patterns grew along his body before she could react.
He roared with command.
The ten Ryuzu clones that surrounded her and Otto jumped closer, closing most of the distance. Ram seized the crystals in her bag and brought their mana into her.
"El-" The clones exploded before she could finish her incantation.
Otto's body collided with her, he wrapped himself around her. Covering as much of her body as he could.
Pain shot through her where her skin was still exposed.
By the time the explosion ended, burns ran along her right side. But that wasn't important to her.
What was important was the groaning at her side. She turned and found Otto. His eyes were wide open, staring toward the canopy above.
"Ram-san," He reached out his hand in her general direction.
Emptiness entered Ram's heart as she continued to look upon him. Every part of him but his stomach and chest had been shredded. Ram's eyes flicked to her injuries. There were none on her left side.
"Natsuki-san needs…" The man trailed off, no new breath entered his lungs.
The maid held an image of Subaru in her mind. Then stood up from the mangled merchant. Anger lit within her chest. Her hesitation toward fighting Garfiel vanished.
Her hands turned to fists. She grasped the mana within her. Pain greater than what had come from the explosion filled her. Alongside it, wind gusted around her.
Her wrath shoved the pain aside.
Ram met Garfiel's beady red eyes. The tiger remained in place. She assumed a tiny amount of his personality was holding him back.
"Garfiel Tinzel."
The four mana crystals in the bag at her side shattered. Ram raised her arm. She formed the words in her mind.
Garfiel's eyes flicked back to their normal green color.
"Al-" She hesitated at his normal gaze.
He blinked again, and the color in his eyes disappeared.
"AGGGGGGGGH!" He shouted out and shoved his fist forward. Before Ram could react he'd already put his palm to her chest. Then with ease, his fingers shoved through her skin and wrapped around her ribs.
"Al Fu…" Memories spent with the blonde-haired boy rushed through her mind.
As the massive tiger lifted her she remembered all the boy's horrible attempts at flirting. All his gifts to win her love. All his appeals to her. All the times he'd done things he shouldn't have for her.
Blood rushed into her lungs when he bashed her back into the ground. Her spine snapped with a sickening crunch.
Her anger shifted.
She couldn't direct it at Garfiel. Because she remembered something about the boy more important than all the times he'd tried to win her love.
Ram remembered all the times Garfiel had refused to change himself for her. Even as he loved her, he always held true to who he was, and never tried to change for her.
The tiger's other hand wrapped around her face.
Ram wasn't angry at him. Even while he tried to rip her head off her shoulders.
The pink-haired maid could never be angry at the boy who'd always wanted to be true to himself.
All she was angry at was the world that had forced him to abandon himself for what he thought was right.
But that didn't matter. The world would be gone in a moment. So she kept her mind on a single memory. It was the conversation she and Rem had shared with him while they were going to find Otto. Only yesterday they'd all laughed together.
A bloody smile rose on her face.
"Garf," Ram whispered. Her voice was full of forgiveness, full of warmth.
In the last moment of her life, even as Garfiel tore her head from her shoulders, she loved him.
Just not in the way he'd always wanted.
Subaru struggled to hold his smile. He was barely able to keep it up. And his body quivered while the silver-haired girl held onto him.
She rested her neck against his twitching shoulder, using it to loosen up her neck muscles.
"Ahh…" Emilia made a quiet sound of satisfaction, "That feels good Subaru."
"Ooh look Subaru. It's almost time for me to take the trial again," Emilia said, her eyes locked onto the setting sun.
After a moment she had to raise her hand to block the sun's rays from her empty purple eyes. While her eyes were turned away from him Subaru let his smile drop.
Emilia, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I made you do this. Please… forgive me… please. I'm sorry.
This loop was doomed. He couldn't let it continue.
Once the loop was over he could focus on finding a way to liberate the Sanctuary in as few loops as possible. Though, it would likely take many more loops than this one. So he was resigned to letting this loop fail.
Until Rem dropped from a sitting position onto the floor.
"AH!" Shock rushed through the girl and she struggled to breathe.
Emilia let go of Subaru and leaned down to Rem, "What happened, Rem? Rem?"
Subaru followed Emilia but didn't lean down to help Rem.
Oh… I remember that reaction. "This one really is over, huh," He said.
He didn't let any emotion touch him. But that didn't last long.
Though it did last up until the memories of his last loop returned to him. Rem's screams rang out in his mind.
Even if this loop is over I can't just let her suffer. Subaru reached down and took hold of Rem's hand. Then lifted her onto her feet.
"Rem…" Subaru didn't know what would be best to say to ease her anguish.
The girl gave him a vacant stare. Then, Subaru remembered something.
"Rem," He held the girl up from falling back to the ground, "Stand up."
A glow lit within Rem's eyes at those two simple words. Rage burned within every facet of her being.
Is there any real way I can assemble a plan with this? He looked at the two women with him.
Emilia was strong, but the trials had destroyed her sanity. And she wasn't able to match people like Theresia and Kurgan alone.
Rem on the other hand had sharpened wits due to her anger. Yet even then she still didn't have the strength to win a fight with even Elsa.
"We have to leave," Subaru said. It was the only option that would allow them to stay alive the longest in this loop. He knew it would likely have been more wise-In terms of Return By Death's save point not updating-to stay here. But he couldn't bring himself to let Rem's face fall because he came up with a plan that didn't match her view of the situation.
The black-haired boy brought spirits into view around him.
"What's going on Subaaaaaaru?"
"Ram is dead. The attack is happening early… or something else is happening," He answered.
"Oh…" She grabbed onto his and Rem's hand, "Well as long as you and Rem are here I'll be fine."
"Yeah," Subaru said, "...Yeah."
"Subaru-kun, where are we going to escape to? Can we go to Roswaal-sama? He would help us get revenge for sister." Rem said.
He thought for a moment, "Ros won't help. We should head to the church."
"Alright, Subaru-kun."
"That sounds goooooood," Emilia said, a dumb smile on her face. She was ignorant of the situation's true weight.
Subaru nodded to the two women, then looked toward the direction of the church.
But someone was blocking his path. It was a small girl with pink hair that fell down her shoulders. A white robe covered her body.
"Are you Shima?" Subaru stepped forward. Blue globes of light manifested around him.
After a moment of no response from the clone, he readied himself to grab his whip.
"Get out of my way," Subaru pulled out his whip from his jacket.
The clone looked up at him. It met eyes with him, there was no intelligence in its gaze. A moment later Subaru heard the shout of a beast from the forest, the clone exploded.
Subaru didn't have any time to react to the sudden blast, though Emilia did. She raised a wall of ice in front of him which withstood the attack.
"Was that…?" Rem didn't want to finish her question.
And before she had any chance to deny what was in her mind a golden tiger stepped into the clearing. Blood, stripes, and fur covered Garfiel's beast-like fists.
"Garf…" Pain ran through Rem. Then anger took over, "Garfiel."
Subaru snapped his whip against the ground. Garfiel. He didn't know what to think of Ram's death.
Garfiel's eyes narrowed, and he climbed the steps on all fours. Using his gargantuan arms to carry his large body up the steps.
While the tiger was moving toward them Subaru focused his mind. Gathering as many spirits around him as he could.
Once Garfiel neared the top of the steps Subaru turned to Rem, "What do you want to do?"
"Kill him," Rem pulled her flail out of her skirt.
"Ooh can I help, Rem?" Emilia's voice from behind was eager.
"Yes, Emilia," Rem said.
How do I get far enough in this loop to get information on Capella?
Garfiel stood up on his feet in front of them, cutting any more thinking short.
"Garfiel, a Sin Archbishop is coming, get out of that form," Subaru shouted up at him.
Glares from Rem and Garfiel were all that met him.
Subaru's eyes flicked to the horizon, where the sun was descending. Then to the other side, where the moon was beginning to rise.
It's almost time, the attack may come early. Capella could be pretending to be a bird scouting around. There was nothing that could prevent her from doing something like that, so Subaru held it in his mind.
He reached a course of action. Helping Rem kill Garfiel wasn't an option right now. He needed to keep the two from killing each other.
And with Garfiel on the verge of pouncing, he had to act now. So he pulled mana from his spirits, giving a slight chill to the air, then belted out an incantation, "El Shamac!"
A cloud of black mist burst from him. Its tendrils grasped Garfiel and Rem, forcing their bodies to stop moving. A look of betrayal appeared on Rem's face, and Garfiel himself railed against the captivity.
"Emilia freeze their legs," He shoved a smile onto his face and met her eyes, "I promise everything will be alright if you do that."
"Alright Subaru," Emilia said. The corners of her mouth lifted, then she let her head fall back.
Ice reached up from the ground and captured the two rage-filled fighters.
"Subaru, what are you doing?" The anger in Rem's voice bordered on hatred.
"A Sin Archbishop is coming to kill all of us," Subaru said. He couldn't let these two kill each other. They needed to fight Capella. He needed to observe her more if he was to escape. Even if this loop was doomed he could use it to gather as much information as possible.
Rem's anger gave way a tiny bit, but not all that much, "Sister."
"I know," Subaru responded, for a moment his vision blurred. Water dripped to the ground. He wiped it from his face.
It's only sweat. If he repeated that lie enough times, he might believe it. Only sweat. Ram wouldn't care if it was anything more.
He blinked as fast as he could for a few seconds. Then once his vision cleared, or got as clear as it could, he refocused on Rem and Garfiel.
Rem was struggling, trying to escape. But nothing she did worked. Emilia's magic was too strong.
"Am I doing good, Subaru?" The silver-haired girl asked.
"You're doing very good," He said.
Then Subaru turned to Garfiel, "Get out of the form."
The tiger's eyes stayed bright red. Garfiel likely didn't want to come out of that state, as he would have to face the guilt of what he'd done.
So Subaru had to try another tactic rather than simple demands, "Sanctuary will be in danger if you don't."
For a brief moment, the tiger's eyes turned from red back to their normal green. Then they were red once more. Either he didn't believe Subaru, or the guilt was too overwhelming to face.
Subaru shook his head, then spent the next fifteen minutes trying to get Garfiel to listen. By the time he gave up trying he'd made no progress, and the sun had completely disappeared. The night was only lit by the moon and the spirits surrounding him.
Rem's anger had disappeared and her eyes were now filled with nothing. Aside from dejection.
"Remember who did this to you."
He let out a quivering breath. For a moment his smile disappeared. Though, he pushed it back onto his face before Emilia could notice.
After a second to think he met Garfiel's red eyes, "Your guilt is going to get everyone in Sanctuary killed."
Garfiel blinked, and his normal irises touched Subaru. Tears welled up, clouding the once sharp green. Another pit of guilt wormed its way into Subaru himself.
"Listen Garfiel," He broke eye contact with the boy and switched to the blue-haired maid, "Rem we-"
A white dove landed on his shoulder.
"Ooh it looks nice, right Subaru," Emilia said from behind him.
Subaru took a step back, shaking his head, "No, no, no, no. Why? Why? Why do you have to be here, Capella?"
The bird jumped off of him. As it floated down its skin and bones twisted. By the time its talons touched the ground a full woman had grown in place of the avian.
Her blonde hair was bright in the moon's light. "Capella," Subaru backed away from her, almost falling down the steps.
"Ooh that fear," Capella stepped forward, her leg extended with a crunch and she closed the distance in a second, "I don't know why you'd fear this lovely lady, but…" She laid her hand on Subaru's cheek.
"Just die," A glacial wind blasted from Emilia.
Before Capella could react Emilia had captured her legs in ice. "You'd dare confine this lovely lady," The Sin Archbishop's spine snapped while she turned her upper body around. Her legs remained facing Subaru, "You little meatbag piece of garbage."
"Just die," Emilia said, not listening to the woman in the slightest, "You took Subaru's smile."
Emilia tilted her head to the side, crushing Capella's legs.
"Are you really hurting this lovely lady? Trash like you doesn't even deserve this gaze," Capella's red eyes touched Subaru again, as the woman bent back to him.
"AHHHHHH!" Garfiel screamed out, his red eyes had returned and he fought to break free of his prison.
Subaru glanced over to Rem, who was using her anger to chip away at her prison of ice. It was slow going but the girl was making progress with new resolve.
The black-haired boy grabbed the handle of his whip, unfortunately, he couldn't get a solid grasp on it. His palms were slick with sweat.
"Hm… what loop is this?" Capella's torso stretched out, she tried to grab Subaru. Though Emilia's ice covering up to her shoulders stopped her.
Subaru had already raised his hands to try and stop the woman.
"So afraid, the pain is recent then?" Capella didn't wait for an answer before disappointment slipped onto her face, "Too late then, I don't get to have fun with you."
"Please don't make me feel that again," Subaru's determination melted away. He rushed down a couple of the steps.
"Fresh in your mind." Capella's disappointment increased, "Tell me, where is the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony."
"Ley is dead," Subaru said.
Capella shook her head, "The least fun loop then."
"Emilia!" Rem shouted out, "Kill her now!"
The silver-haired girl directed her purple gaze to Rem. Then nodded and let the ice surrounding Rem's legs melt.
"Just die," Emilia whispered.
Thin blades of ice reached out of the ground. Capella didn't have any chance to respond before they cut her into pieces.
Emilia raised her arms, and new blades manifested in the air. They piled around each other forming a prison of lethal edges for the Archbishop. The smile on Emilia's face melted away.
Chills ran along Subaru when the temperature of the air dropped. He hadn't felt temperatures this low since the loops where Puck had killed him.
Consciousness fled from him. He approached the edge of blacking out from the sheer cold. The water in his eyes froze solid. His skin cracked all over his body.
"Die."
Emilia brought her hands together. All her shards and blades of ice diced Capella into tiny pieces. The woman's blood splashed everywhere freezing before it could hit the ground.
Rem walked over to Subaru, then offered her hand out to him, "Stand up, Subaru, if you won't let me get revenge on Garfiel then we can get revenge on the Witch's Cult. All we need to do is kill those who followed this woman."
Oh Rem, they still follow her. Subaru accepted her hand.
"Are you alright, Subaru?" Emilia stepped up to him, "Sorry if I got a little weird there."
"It's fine, Emilia," Subaru let out another terrified breath.
"So you weren't lyin','' Garfiel whispered. His beast form had melted away, leaving only a young boy in its place.
"Well he's just a meatbag, so every word out of his mouth is nothing compared to mine," Capella said. She stepped back up the steps, her body intact.
Garfiel, Rem, and Emilia remained silent. The woman's perfect condition left them shocked.
"Mama!" Meili's voice shouted out. Courtesan bears and a gabou stepped into the clearing. Atop the gabou was the small Mabeast User. The jaws of the bears were rich with blood.
"No…" The sight broke Garfiel.
Once the mabeasts were in the clearing Elsa dropped down from the trees. Her knife was covered with the same red liquid as the teeth of Meili's mabeasts.
This one really is over then. Subaru let himself fall to the ground.
"Subaru?" Rem and Emilia said at the same time.
"I'm sorry. It's over," He responded.
"Ram, please forgive me," Garfiel whispered.
Emilia let the ice around his legs melt. The boy fell onto his knees, then stared up at the starry sky.
"Ram," The blonde boy said again.
Subaru stopped paying attention to him. Instead, he focused on the sound of Elsa and Meili's boots squeaking as they ascended the steps. Once they reached the top the older woman's voice rang out, "What are your orders, mama?"
"Meili, send the signal," Capella said.
When Meili reached for the bat flapping next to her Capella grabbed the beast, then crushed it in her hand.
"Not that one." She said.
Meili tried to object, "But-"
"Silence Meili, don't question mama," Elsa interrupted her.
"You took my sister's horn. Left her vulnerable," Rem said. The chain of her flail rasped, "Witch cultist!"
Rem launched her flail toward the woman. Instead of dodging Capella put her hand out, which umbrellad out into a massive dragon claw. Once the flail got close enough her talons clamped down on the steel ball.
"Rem, that won't work," Subaru said to the maid.
"See he knows so well, he might be trainable, though it is such a difficult task it will take multiple versions of myself. A testament to how low you are in comparison to this lovely lady," Capella said, "Also yes Meili, do send that signal. He's needed."
"Yes mama," Meili obeyed.
"Die," Emilia threw her arm forward, summoning a spear of ice to impale Capella.
"Disgusting," Capella said, her throat growing scales, "Meatbag," Her voice rasped, "This lovely lady will live as long as she wants!"
Black flames shot from her throat.
Emilia shoved her palms to the sky, forming a wall of ice between the two groups.
Subaru's body trembled at the sound in her voice.
Capella's flames kept beating at the wall until it shattered. Emilia's lips fell open, and she threw herself toward Subaru.
"Ah…" The black flames stopped, "That's enough for this lovely lady. Let's go you two, this won't be fun to watch. Did you leave any alive?"
"We left the clown alive. He is powerful, but he will not resist your beautiful ministrations," Elsa said.
"Well maybe I'll have a little less fun with you and Meili then," Capella smiled.
"WITCH CULTIST!" Rem rushed forward.
"Don't touch her," Capella ordered Elsa and Meili while her bones twisted.
Black wings burst from her back. Their leathery membranes blew wind around with each small movement.
"Ram. I'm sorry," Garfiel whispered.
"Subaru, don't leave," Emilia clung onto him, any confidence she'd displayed gone.
Instead of paying attention to her, Subaru kept his eyes on what was happening with Rem.
"Meatbag," Capella said before her human form twisted into that of a black dragon. Her size was still the same at first. But right as Meili and Elsa grabbed onto the woman her body grew. Within another second she was massive. The size of a full dragon.
Rem forced herself to a stop, she knew she didn't have the strength to beat what was in front of her. She backed toward Subaru.
"Subaru, we're going to find a way to kill her," She said to him.
"I don't know if there is one with what's inside of Sanctuary," He said.
"Doesn't matter, we'll figure it out, no matter how long it takes," The maid's voice was strong.
"Ram…"
"Garfiel. Do you have any way to help kill her?" Rem said, her hatred toward the boy barely hidden.
"The granny clones can keep'n eye on'er," Garfiel said, his mind absent.
"Bring them here," Rem ordered.
Emilia continued to cling onto Subaru. Her behavior had changed from earlier. She wasn't smiling, now fear controlled her.
"The clones are comin' know… only granny Shima, Arma, and Bilma are alive though," Garfiel said.
Rem crossed the gap between her and Subaru and yanked him onto his feet. "You told me to stand up, to keep moving forward Subaru, is this what you've become? That man in Crusch's mansion what would he think of you now?"
"Wilhelm," Subaru's legs gained strength.
Stop. This is a failed loop. There's no point. He tried to stop himself, but his instincts shoved against him, "He would tell me to keep moving forward."
He closed his eyes, then pulled in a deep breath. His exhalation shook, but it had perseverance to it.
When he opened his eyes blue globes of light manifested around him. He wiped the sweat from his palms. None of the liquid slicked his hands again.
"Where are they Garfiel?" Subaru stepped over to the boy. There was still fear in his words, but he was able to keep it at bay at least for the moment.
A part of his mind kept telling himself it was a failed loop, and that he should stop, but the rest of him couldn't. There was nothing more to say about it. His painful memories could do nothing to stop him either. They were just memories. He had a lot of those, so he could ignore these, at least for the moment.
"They're coming through the forest, right there," Garfiel pointed to where the women were standing at the edge of the clearing, "They won't let Shima come to the tomb."
"Fine," Rem said, "We'll go meet them in that case."
"Emilia c'mon," Subaru said, lifting the girl.
"Alright Subaru," She said and followed him with obedience.
The small group made their way down toward the three women.
"Young Gar," They all said at once.
"We need you to watch the black dragon," Rem said.
Garfiel nodded confirming the command.
"Ah," Arma and Bilma said at once, "That makes sense."
Shima gazed at them with suspicion, "Do you truly agree with this course of action, young Gar?"
"I do…" His voice was too full of guilt to end his words. He only trailed off.
"Well then, I'll get to that," Shima said, then walked away.
Though she couldn't get too far as an odd sound came from above her.
Raspy breath emanated from the canopy. Shima gazed up, noticing it was right above her. Everyone looked up at the same spot but only heard that breathing.
Subaru sent a few spirits to investigate. Before they did he noticed something. That breathing sounded hungry.
The canopy burst open. Leaves flew in all directions. Branches shattered, falling to the ground.
In the middle of it all, a small form careened toward the dirt behind Shima.
It was a boy wearing a single regal-looking cloth.
When he touched the dirt his shoeless feet made no sound.
Time slowed for Subaru as the boy raised two short swords.
"We don't know your name," The boy said, then sliced through Ryuzu Shima before the girl could even respond.
Bright blue slashes glowed. Her eyes filled with light, before she could react another slice cut through her neck. The boy pushed her to the ground. She offered no resistance, bursting into blue light when she collided with the dirt.
The boy smiled at them. Saliva dripped from his lips.
"Granny!" Garfiel shouted out his body twisting into the form of a tiger.
"We know your names though!" The boy shouted out in hunger while he planted his feet.
"No..." Subaru noticed the familiarity. The resemblance. The same emerald eyes holding the same insane look.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Garfiel roared and rushed toward the boy.
The boy's twisted smile widened further. To the point, it looked painful. Instead of running from, or dodging Garfiel, he shouted out, "Sin Archbishop of Gluttony representing Bizarre Eating, Roy Alphard!"
Garfiel ran forward. He didn't resist the bestial instincts that consumed him. This boy had killed one of his granny's. He extended no care for him, and even if he was in his normal mindset he would have killed the boy anyway.
He pulled back his fist, raising it until it was even with his head. Once he got in range he slammed his knuckles forward. Roy dodged the strike with ease then jumped toward Garfiel.
"Don't let him touch you!" Subaru yelled out, "El Shamac!"
Garfiel forced away his beast-like instincts. He didn't attack Subaru, he knew how much he'd been wrong about the boy. What Garfiel needed to do was listen. If he did that then he might come close to atonement, though he wasn't hopeful.
In any case, a black mist reached out and grabbed Roy, "Getting in the way of our first meal of the night, Natsuki Subaru?"
Roy could speak, but Garfiel could tell he couldn't move, otherwise, that anger in the boy's eyes would still be eagerness.
Without any hesitation toward killing, Garfiel brought his striped fist into the boy.
"Lunar Eclipse, Carnivorous Beast," Roy belted out right as Garfiel's knuckles cracked on his chin.
"AHHHH!" Garfiel roared. He had no idea which emotions laced his yell. It didn't matter anyway.
"Garfiel, give us your existence, it will be a good feast. We need to eat, let us eat!" Roy pushed against his shadowy bonds.
"I can't hold him for much longer, Garfiel keep hitting him," Subaru shouted, "You too Rem, Emilia!"
Garfiel didn't need to hear those words to attack. He kept hitting the boy over and over again. Though it didn't injure the boy much, Roy stood and took them without flinching. Garfiel's hits only made his knuckles bleed. But after enough attacks, Garfiel overcame the boy's durability for a brief moment. When he pulled back his right fist, Roy's blood had joined his own.
"Witch cultist!" Rem screamed out and blasted her flail into the back of Roy's head.
It threw the Bishop's head forward. Blood dripped onto the dirt. Once his face was parallel with the ground Garfiel brought his tiger-like knuckles into the boy's chin in an uppercut. He was trying to punch straight through Roy's head but only succeeded in blasting his neck back.
"You just had to vomit Dorkell out, brother," Roy whispered as shards of ice grew around him. Once he'd said brother his body had frozen, "Brother…"
Resolve filled the Archbishop's eyes. He snapped the tendrils of shadow holding him in place. "Well, you ate that Yin master at least, though you were always too restrictive with your food!"
Garfiel didn't care for the boy's words and sent a punch sailing toward him while Emilia's shards of ice flew at him.
Roy tightened his grip on the two swords in his hands. A hungry gleam lit in his eyes. The boy's pupils then darted around taking note of every shard of ice.
After that, he danced under, through, over, and around each one, which left him in a position where Garfiel's fist was right in front of his face.
Roy dropped his swords, putting his hands between his face and Garfiel's knuckles.
RAM! Garfiel shouted out in his mind, guilt rushed through him as he put everything he had into his punch. His fist connected with Roy's palms with a slap. Once the boy's resistance gave out Garfiel pushed the back of the boy's hands into his face.
"SANCTUARY!" Garfiel yelled, following through on the punch. lamenting on the people that were now gone.
The force of his attack knocked Roy onto his back and left him gasping for breath. The heavy breaths weren't from pain.
A strike laced with every ounce of Garfiel's rage and sorrow had only left the boy out of breath and seeming excited.
"Shit! El Minya!" Subaru shouted out, he knew something Garfiel didn't.
Roy regained his breath and stood. His eyes touched Subaru, then Garfiel, "Thank you for the treat, Garfiel Tinzel!"
The boy's tongue shot from his mouth and ran across his two palms. When he flicked his tongue and a fleck of saliva hit Garfiel, the blonde demi-human knew he'd made a mistake.
A deep pit rose in his stomach, along with his beast form fading. A second later fissures spread along his vision. His knees dropped from under him. He didn't notice when he hit the ground.
Ram. I'm sorry, Ram…
The fissures divided his vision up into little islands. They melted away starting one at a time, then more and more, until he couldn't make anything out.
I guess my amazing self wasn't so amazing…
Black edges closed in.
I was a terrible Shield.
An image appeared. It was himself standing with Ram. The two of them were living in a secluded part of Sanctuary, though they could still see the village itself.
I killed Ram.
A moment later the image flipped to a destroyed village. In his arms, Ram was dead, her blood on his hands.
So that's what my terrible self is going to leave behind.
All his vision disappeared. For a final moment, he was left in blackness.
My terrible self was a failure.
Garfiel Tinzel was devoured.
"El Minya!" Subaru shouted it out again.
"El Huma!" Rem yelled out as well, augmenting his attack with her own.
"Die!" Emilia joined in.
Within moments a massive battery of ice and flaming shadows lay poised to attack. In the next second, they all careened toward Roy.
The Archbishop stayed kneeling above Garfiel's body for a moment.
Then Roy's eyes flicked to them, they glowed the same sickening emerald green Ley's once had.
He didn't move to pick up the swords he'd dropped, instead he put his hands out in front of them, then pulled them back. Recognition passed through Subaru.
"At least he didn't vomit this one, now give us what we really came for! Palm of the Fist King!" Roy shoved his hands forward.
All the shards of magic that had been flying toward him blasted apart into tiny pieces of themselves. Each piece dropped to the ground, harmless.
Roy didn't spend another second speaking instead he rushed straight for Subaru.
Subaru brought mana together, "Ul-"
"Roar of the Thousand Hooves!" Roy shouted out. Before Subaru could react the boy was right in front of him, his speed had exploded for a single second.
"Subaru!" Emilia screamed. "ROY DIE!" She switched to speaking to Roy and brought ice out of the grass.
"Beasts," Roy said, "Come."
Innumerable footsteps all sounded out at once. Then a massive group of mabeasts rushed into a sprint somewhere a little ways off.
Within a few seconds, nearly a hundred courtesan bears tore down the trees and rushed toward them.
"Ul Goa," Roy cast his arms out, melting the ice around him, "Attack the silver-haired one!"
Each of the floral bears turned to Emilia and pounced on her, "Don't kill her, though. Mama wants her alive."
"You disgusting cultist!" Rem cast her flail toward him.
"Roy," Subaru said, snapping the boy with his whip.
Unlike his brother, Roy didn't waste time letting them fight. He grabbed Subaru's whip in one hand and the chain of Rem's flail in the other.
For a second his hands flashed white-hot. Then he ripped Rem's chain and Subaru's whip apart. The heat of his hands had neutered the two weapons.
"Al Huma!" Fury burst through Rem.
As a massive shard of ice burst into the air around Rem, Subaru rushed to try and help her.
"Ul-" Subaru started.
Roy turned away from Rem and in less than a second crossed the distance between them. Before Subaru could react Roy was dragging his hand along Subaru's cheek.
"Thank you for the meal!" Insane hunger twisted the boy's smile. It was more insane than anything Ley had ever displayed.
Subaru wasn't afraid of what the boy was doing, at worst Satella would appear and shove his memories back into him.
"NATSUKI SUBARU!" Roy shouted out and shoved his hand into his mouth. He paid no attention to the Al Huma coming at him from behind.
An empty feeling took Subaru. But he stayed himself. What happened?
Rem's Al Huma approached the back of Roy's head. To dodge it all Roy did was tilt his head and push the icicle to the ground with his free hand.
"Thank you for giving me this location and letting me kill Ram, Pride," Roy's voice was robotic. His words sounded practiced.
The boy jumped into the canopy and ran off before Subaru could say anything.
"Sister…" Hatred flared in Rem's voice.
"Rem, who is that man?" Emilia threw herself to the girl, wrapping her arms around the maid.
"Rem doesn't know, Emilia-sama, but he stinks of the Witch," Rem said. The blue-haired maid's cold anger was gone, replaced by searing fury.
"Rem… Emilia… you don't remember…" Subaru's eyes fell to the ground.
"Remember who did this to you."
"You didn't choose me, Rem, you didn't tell them to torture me, you and Otto are the only ones who didn't. Why did you forget?" Subaru's rationality disappeared, and so did his resolve.
His limbs jittered from the memories.
"Rem-" He stepped toward her.
"Stay back cultist. Rem heard what he said to you, he called you Pride, and that smell," Rem's anger pierced him.
"Let's start here. From square one. No, from zero."
He tried to conjure the image of Rem saying those words to him, her hands raised to the side, but it wouldn't come.
Subaru let his arms fall and hit his legs. He fell to his knees as Rem raised her hand. Her horn glowed atop her head. Its white light reflected in Emilia's empty purple eyes.
"I'm sorry," Subaru let his head fall to the ground.
"DIE, WITCH CULTIST! Al HUMA!" A sharpened pillar of ice appeared before him.
Tears rolled down Subaru's cheeks.
"Rem, why are you doing this? It's me. It's Subaru. You said you loved me. Why? You told me all the things you loved about me."
"Shut up, Cultist, you disgust Rem. You helped that one kill sister," Her hatred tore at Subaru.
"Rem what about starting from zero," Subaru stood his eyes blurry, "What about all the things you loved about me. You… it was you who rejected my offer. You told me to stand when I only wanted to quit. Rem!" He took a step forward, "Please, Rem, you remember, you remember."
"Die," Rem said.
Subaru took another step forward, "Why don't you remember? You were the only one who didn't pick me? Why? I thought you cared about me, Rem. So why?"
He reached out to her, but Rem backed away.
He couldn't take another step before Rem's spear of ice rammed through his chest.
When Subaru looked down his reflection stared up at him. Tears rolled down from his eyes.
"Rem…" Subaru whispered. Blood entered his throat before he could say any more.
Rem…
The girl stepped up to him and shoved him onto his side.
"Huma." Shards of ice blasted down toward him.
I was wrong. You never cared about me, Rem.
Ice tore open his neck. Air flowed through the opening and into his skull. It passed his exposed veins. He was used to the pain that took him, but that didn't stop him from wanting to weep.
Rem's dull eyes stared down at him, glaring with hatred.
Rem…
His eyes remained open filled with tears.
"Did he kill Ram-san?" Emilia asked.
"Yes, Emilia-sama, yes he did," Rem said.
Emilia stood over him, her empty purple eyes stared down at him. Subaru's throat gurgled. He didn't even know what he was trying to say.
He reached up toward the girl. Emilia moved her hand toward his, but before their fingers touched the girl spoke to him, "You killed Ram-san, sooooooooo just die."
Subaru's hand froze, as did the tears in his eyes.
If his throat wasn't filled with blood he would have screamed. It would have been a raw scream, full of pain, full of betrayal.
His raised wrist cracked. His hand slid off his arm. It burst into pieces on his stomach. After that, his torso collapsed inward as well.
Before he knew it snowflakes fell into his eyes and his opened mouth. A second later his tongue broke off and fell into the back of his throat.
Emilia and Rem's hateful gazes stared down at him.
His vision turned black. Death grasped him soon after.