Chapter 1-An otherworldly duo

"DAMMIT! Damn you all!" Subaru screamed out as he began punching the alley wall. He was not having a good day at all, having just been refused aid by three of Emilia's rivals. Based on the very fact that they were rivals, Subaru normally wouldn't care that they didn't want to get involved. It made sense, after all, to not help if it meant that your opposition's downfall was assured. After all, as that green-haired duchess said, "If Emilia is incapable of caring for her own domain, then that is her shortcoming. Not mine." Ordinarily, this would be a mean thing to do, but not an unjustified action, per se.

But this was not a normal situation. It wasn't like he was asking them to lend the camp some funds to help with their campaign or anything else that would've been embarrassing if it were found out. The village near the mansion was going to be slaughtered by the Witch's Cult! All Subaru wanted was to kill them and rid the world of their existence! And from what Subaru understood, these people were literally regarded as the scum of the Earth, ordered to be killed on sight for being an international terrorist organization.

"How in the hell is it Emilia's fault that she can't stop an organization that the entire damn world can't do shit against!? Not to mention the fact that if you become queen, you not protecting Arlam now means you didn't protect a part of your own kingdom! Damn tyrant bitch!"

Not to mention, if that other candidate was correct, then she was planning to take on the White Whale, a feat that would also have international ramifications. So how was Emilia not defending her domain from the Cult any different from Crusch leading an army to take on a calamity, which would likely get hundreds of people killed? It wasn't even remotely different! She was just denying Subaru because she didn't care about Emilia's life-which would be cut short due to something Emilia had no control over. She didn't choose to be born, to have the whole world hate her for her appearance! What did Crusch know of overcoming adversity? She was a goddamn noble who had everything spoon fed to her!
But as he glared at his mental image of Crusch while walling the shit out of his hand, he couldn't help but direct his rage at the other two royal candidates: that haughty bitch and greedy little runt that had both denied him in worse ways than Crusch.

"Priscilla, that bitch completely forgot that I saved her ass when we first met. And after I was willing to throw away my dignity to help Emilia, she called me greedy!? Me, the guy who's actively giving my own pride and worth away to save the lives of people that I'm not obligated to help? Who does she think she is!? She should be the one attacked by that damn Cult!" Images of her humiliating and assaulting him came to mind as he thought out the specific reasons he hated her. And her words…

"-What you have is neither loyalty nor pride! It is the greed of a pig, an unbecoming filth that shamelessly begs from others to survive! Even if you were somehow able to defeat the Witch's Cult, I'll destroy any camp that chooses to house someone as lowly as you!"

...They made his blood boil.

"..." But as his face contorted to reflect his wrath, there was one woman that came to mind that was even more egregious.

"And Anastasia! She might just be worse. Priscilla didn't even know that apples are red. She doesn't know any better than her own self-centered worldview, but Anastasia has the audacity of climbing her way out of poverty and then forgetting what hardships she had to face! Where does she get off, mocking my own worth!? She thinks nothing of me, yet she still tricked me into giving away information about Crusch! None of them deserve the privilege they were born with! So why…!?"

"GAHHHHH!" As Subaru's vision started becoming red from all of his rage, he slammed his head against the wall in frustration.

"WHY!? WHY AM I THE ONE WHO HAS TO SUFFER WHILE EVERYONE ELSE GETS TO MOCK MY EFFORTS!? WHERE ARE THEIR SCARS TO PROVE THEIR SUPERIORITY TO ME?" Taking a breath, he concluded his shouting with one final demand. "ISN'T THERE ANYONE WHO CARES ABOUT JUSTICE AND VENGEANCE!? WHERE'S THIS SO-CALLED 'KNIGHT OF KNIGHTS' WHEN SOMETHING ACTUALLY IMPORTANT IS GOING ON!? HE INSULTED ME ABOUT NOT DOING ENOUGH, YET HE HASN'T TAKEN DOWN THE CULT! JUST WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS!?"

"Hoff...Huff…" As Subaru finally concluded his rant, he sat down with his back to the wall that he'd tried abusing. His hand was probably broken, and he might've given himself a concussion. But Rem could heal him. Speaking of, he should probably find her. They might be able to find a solution of some sort even if she wasn't successful, like maybe getting there early and evacuating the villagers and mansion.

As he got back up, he turned to walk out of the alleyway-

"Yes, there is."

-When a terrifying voice spoke out to him. Turning around with a scared look on his face, Subaru inspected the alley he was in, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Sighing, his shoulders drooped. "Must've been my imagination."

But as he turned back around to find Rem, he stopped abruptly again when a small red...substance appeared in midair right in front of him.

"...The hell-?" But as he was questioning what he was seeing, the red substance slowly started expanding, forming a giant vortex that looked suspiciously like a portal of some sort. Subaru immediately thought of running into the red vortex, desperately hoping that the voice he heard was real and inviting him to itself, but he didn't get a chance to enter before something stepped out. And the "person" in question...was surely a demon sent from hell. His skin was pure red; his yellow eyes reflected an absolute desire to kill, reinforced by his scowl. His entire body language seemed to exude incredible disdain and hatred. And his size...he was probably taller than Old Man Rom. As for his attire, he wore a red and black uniform with a lighter red insignia on his chest, glowing as if made by magic. But even more bizarre was the...companion he was with. Lying on this god's shoulder was a small blue cat wearing the same outfit, with a red ring on his tail. And the cat had an equally disturbing aura around him, as if they were both waiting for an excuse to kill someone. The same ring was also on the man's right hand, and he was holding a glowing red lantern in his left as he stared right into Subaru's soul.

"Wh-who are…?" Subaru stumbled back, backing all the way back to the wall as he could only stare at this gruesome duo, his rage forgotten and replaced by the fear he now fely. Then, they approached him.

"Hghhhhh!" He tried to back away, but he was already at the limit of the alley. There was no place he could go, unless he could somehow race past the duo. And that would only be possible if the giant couldn't react fast, though that would require him not seeing Subaru move at all. In other words, escape from these two was impossible. As he came to terms with this, the giant and the cat were already in front of him. Looking down at him due to the size difference, the red giant uttered the first words Subaru had heard from either of them.

"What have you experienced to be filled with such rage in your heart, human?"

"..." Subaru couldn't muster any sort of response to the giant, which didn't seeml what he wanted to hear.

"I'll ask you again, why do you have such rage in your heart for...the Witch's Cult and the other candidates?"

"Hrk!" Hearing this giant identify the source of his rage so acutely, Subaru was immediately reminded of the anger he'd just felt only a minute ago. Standing up, he replied to the giant. "Yeah, that's right. You'd frightened me, so I'd forgotten, but I absolutely hate all of them."

"And why is that? What have they done to cause such great rage to exist in your heart?" the giant inquired.

"That's...oddly specific, now that I think about it. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were reading my mind, y'know? But since you've asked, well, the Witch's Cult is an international terrorist group that's going to destroy the village and mansion that I...live at." He didn't exactly live there at the moment due to his...falling out with Emilia, but he honestly had no clue if he would be allowed back there. He did work and live there, and he was technically under Roswaal's employ, so it wasn't technically a lie. Yeah, he lived there, and if he didn't...he'd figure that out after he saved them.

"Hrrrrghhh…..."

"HYAGHHHHH!"
For the first time since Subaru saw it, the cat finally hissed at the mention of a terrorist group that sought to destroy his home, while the crimson giant growled in response.

"I see," he said. "And what of these 'other royal candidates?' Why will they not assist you?"

"...Maybe introducing myself would be the easiest way to answer your question. I'm Subaru Natsuki, a butler under the employ of Roswaal L. Mathers, the sponsor of the royal candidate Emilia." In all honesty, Subaru wasn't sure what to expect from this...person. He appeared out of a red vortex that just came into existence spontaneously. He didn't look like any demi-human Subaru was familiar with, and his attire was completely strange. And, if anything, he seemed even less knowledgeable about this world than Subaru, something that should only be possible if one was a child...or they didn't come from this world at all. And that wasn't even mentioning the cat on his shoulder. Though, Subaru was worried that, had this "man" spent any amount of time in the capital, he might've heard about Subaru's...display in the castle. If that happened, and Subaru had just told him who we was...

"Then I take it that these other royal candidates earned your ire because they refused to help this Emilia? They decided to aid their own enemies by letting them slaughter a rival for their leadership as well as innocents?!" The giant's voice was quiet, but his wrath tinted every one of his words. Anyone who overheard him would think of him as the villain in this scenario. But Subaru could see past that. And he could also see that the cat was shaking in rage with his owner. It seemed the both of them were quite appalled that so-called rulers would sit by and willingly let this happen.

"Yes, that's exactly what's happening," Subaru responded, hoping to get these two on his side if possible. Well, assuming that they could help him take on that monster Petelguese. If not, then...well, he didn't know what to do in this scenario.

"Grrrrrr...So tell me, Subaru Natsuki. When do we leave?"

"...Huh?" Subaru was certain he misheard the giant. "He...didn't seriously just agree to help, did he?"

"I asked when we'll be departing. You don't think the issue will resolve itself if no one does anything, do you?" His tone grew more annoyed at the implication that Subaru wasn't going to intercept the Cult.

"I-I mean...are you saying that you'll help me?" Subaru wasn't even remotely sure what was going on anymore. These two just appeared out of nowhere, got informed of the scenario, and were now inviting themselves along without Subaru even asking for their help? It sounded like a miracle, but Subaru couldn't just let two strangers get involved in his problems. "I don't even know your names yet! Why are you going out of your way to help someone you just met?"

But that just seemed to anger the giant even more, who responded with, "Were you not just screaming for someone to assist you enact justice and vengeance on these pathetic excuses for people? Why now are you hesitant? Was your rage merely feigned, an act to fool people into thinking you cared!?"

"N-no!" Subaru screamed "I absolutely hate them! I want them to die!"
"Then why are you hesitant!?" The cat nodded along with its owner's words.

"EH!? Why WOULDN'T I be hesitant!?" Subaru demanded. "You two just appeared out of fucking nowhere, ask me why I'm mad, and then act like you're gonna help me!? Who the hell even are you two!?" Subaru concluded his mini rant by pointing at the giant.

"Hmmmmmmm...You're correct in the fact that you don't know of us, and going into war without trust in your comrades is foolhardy. My name is Atrocitus," the giant said. "And this is Dex-starr. And as for helping you, if you need a reason, then know that we despise those that commit evil, as well as those who allow them to do so. To avenge the innocent, that is why we live as red lanterns."

"Well then, I honestly don't know what to make of that. But you know what? I'm honestly really annoyed at all the people you've just described, and even if I have a feeling you're partly responsible for it, it really doesn't matter. Because you're right. As long as the Witch's Cult is a threat to Emilia-no, to EVERYONE, they need to be taken out. And if the government won't help us…"

"Then we will take matters into our own hands!" Atrocitus concluded.

"HRAWWW!" Dex-Starr hissed.

"Alright!" Finally, Subaru could smile as he found some comrades to help him...even if they seemed a bit too happy to kill all of his enemies, but who was he to judge? "But, before we find the girl I was with and head out of here." Subaru said, referring to Rem, "I have to make sure: Are you two sure that you'll be capable of taking down an entire cult. When I last...saw them, there were a lot of them, and they were really strong. Even if all four of us took them on…" Subaru didn't finish the statement, but Atrocitus did not hesitate.

"There is no cause for concern. I am the leader of the entire red lantern corps, and we number in the hundreds, if not thousands. When we arrive at the battleground, I shall summon as many troops as we need, should our rage not prevail."

"...O-oh." Subaru had no words to describe Atrocitus. No, there was something he thought in his head: Atrocitus's arrival was a miracle, a godsend. He might as well have been Subaru's savior. Actually, if he could back up his strength, then he was Subaru's savior. But there would be time to thank him later. For now, they needed to find-

"Subaru-kun!"

The sudden shouting brought the trio's attention to the alley's entrance, where they saw a certain blue-haired maid...with her morningstar drawn.


When Rem came from the guard's station, she was not in the best of moods. Sure, her claims about the Witch's Cult approaching were taken with a grain of salt due to their own mysteriousness, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was how badly Subaru would react when he heard. He'd been very...aggravated as of late, and this surely wouldn't help his own mental state. Well, even still, Rem had faith in her hero to overcome this hurdle and stop the Witch's Cult. But first, she had to find him. Fortunately, he...had a very specific scent that she could track, and she located him quite easily. Making her way through the crowded city streets, she detected Subaru's scent coming from an...alleyway? Well, that was strange, but-WAIT! He wasn't alone! There were two other scents with him! What if he was in danger? Rem rushed off at an even greater speed, brandishing her weapon in the event that a fight ensued. And when she finally got there, she saw Subaru, of course, but he was blocked in by some sort of red giant! Of course, this damn thug probably thought that he was alone and defenseless! Well, he was going to suffer if he hurt her Subaru!

Entering the alley, Rem immediately called out to him.

"Subaru-kun!" she yelled, gaining the attention of her coworker and his assailant. But as for their reactions?

"Ah, good, Rem! You're not gonna believe this, but these two are willing to help us!"

They were not what Rem envisioned, and she could not properly believe her own ears. "E-eh? What did you say, Subaru-kun?"

"I said, these two are willing to help us. Isn't that great!?"
"Y-yes…" Rem absent-mindedly responded while eyeing the giant. His face was...painted with the red blood of his boiling blood, both figuratively and literally. He certainly had a very dark and...downright murderous aura around him. But if Subaru-kun said that they were willing to help, then-"Wait, THEY?"

Rem proceeded to analyze the man again, and this time she noticed the blue object on his shoulder. But as she was looking it over, it suddenly moved. It...brought out its limbs and stretched. It was no "object," it was a cat!

"...Ah, where are my manners? I am Rem, a servant of Roswaal L. Mathers. Thank you for lending us your aid, and for helping Subaru-kun," Rem said while bowing after putting away her weapon. She had no clue who these two were, but neither of them made any attempts to deny Subaru's claim, so she was grateful to them for agreeing to assist them.

"It is no issue, girl," the giant spoke. "I am Atrocitus, and this is Dex-Starr." The cat meowed in response to its introduction.

"All right! Now that introductions are out of the way, what say we officially plan out our assault against the Witch's Cult?" Subaru asked. Thus marking the first official meeting between Subaru Natsuki, Rem, and the official leader of the red lantern corps...as well as Subaru's unknown first meeting...with their god, who watched from beyond his perception, yet was located right by him.


Been reading Re: Resolve and Power recently, and I'm a fan of the red lantern Subaru story, so I figured I'd put them together. I also have another story where Saint Walker appears after "From Zero," but that's for later. For now, just wait patiently for the next chapter, which will hopefully be much longer.

- Crossoverist