Re:Modern Warfare

by ArcherFromArnor

The cast of "Watching Him Die Again And Again" are inside the theatre, as the screen shows them missions of Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2019. Only the protagonist they see on the screen, is Subaru.

4. Semper Fidelis

"Why are you this excited, I suppose?" glancing towards the little orange-haired girl by her contractor's side, Beatrice huffed, "You do know that we are about to see Betty's contractor in a battle, I suppose?"

"Because I want to see how cool Subaru-kun is in that battle!" Petra exclaimed with a smile, balancing her legs in the excitement of the scene they would see.

"Petra-chan, you do know that Subaru might be in danger in there right?" confused on the little maid's behavior, Emilia reminded, "he might be in danger…Wounded, or even…"

"He won't die!" Sure of the meaning of her words, Petra replied immediately, cutting her mistress's words, "Subaru-kun will fight them all off! And he will save the people of this country!"

While her words reflected more the distress of a little girl blinded by the belief of her hero being all-powerful, few were those in the theatre who recognized these words to hold a legitimacy.

"I suppose you cannot help but root for your hero, petra-chan~" Giggling softly as she caressed the little girl's hair, Frederica whispered to her ear.

"Well…This is…I mean…" The little maid uttered, her voice becoming smaller and smaller as she tried to justify herself.

"Aaaah, Natsuki-san should really learn to calm down a bit…" seeing the sight of the oblivious little girl, coupled with the several powerful women in this room, Otto couldn't help but hold a hand to his face in worry for his friend, "He isn't going to get out of this one easily, that's for sure…"

"Well, it can't be as hard as what he already went through." Garfiel shrugged, proud of his captain's success.

"Oh…I do wonder about that." Reinhard chuckled, earning a worried glare from the green merchant.

"Please do not jinx it, Reinhard-sama!" He exclaimed, "If even the Sword Saint believes so, I'm afraid we will not have a choice but to lock up Natsuki-san away to protect him!"

"No need to, in fact!" Beatrice immediately shot back, "Betty will be here to protect her contractor, I suppose! These girls can still try if they want to do anything to him!"

"Hear that Brotto?! Just avoid getting on the great spirit's nerves!" Garfiel laughed from his seat, patiently waiting for the next viewing.

"You're no different from this little one though, Garfiel," from the side, his big sister called as she held Petra in her arms, with the look of a teasing older sister in her eyes, "look at you, all excited."

"Ah! Ya think I'd be scared to say it?!" He exclaimed back with a wide smile, "capn' was so cool sis! There's no way in hell I don't want to see more of that!"

A bit surprised by the tiger boy's sudden reaction, Otto and Reinhard looked at each other for a moment before laughing at their blond friend standing tall to proclaim his admiration.

"Well, at least he's honest with himself." Julius sighed from his seat, smiling at this sight with his arms crossed.

However, there was something on the greatest knight's mind that made him tap his arm with his finger in anxiety, eyes towards the screen.

"Why is it taking so much time?" He thought out loud in a low voice, "where did the warden go?"

"Bah, a break ain't that bad is it?" Ricardo chuckled from the side, "Gotta rest our eyes too ya know?"

"While I might agree with you on that, usually he comes back at the end of each viewing to inform us of what is coming," the purple-haired knight explained with a hand under his chin, "I am worried that something might have happened."

"Ya're worried? About that guy?"

"He's still our host…" Julius sighed, "and the one who brought us here. I would also remind you that he somehow always feels like he is in a hurry, or…In a fight of some sort."

"Well…" Ricardo trying to muffle his yawn, looking back to the screen as well, "that's true, I give ya that…"

With this bad feeling in mind, Julius's eyes slowly went down to meet with the back of a black-haired boy he knew way too well, and with that, his screen counterpart appeared back in his mind, making him grimace for some reason.

For the few viewings they saw, Subaru Natsuki was seen to be completely different from the one they had by their side. The feeling was even more strange for those who lived with him on a daily basis and thought they knew everything about him.

It didn't help that the lady he made an oath to serve as a knight knew so little about this, and even grew to fear what she saw.

The lady in question, still couldn't believe herself to feel this way towards her knight. It would be a blatant and foolish lie to say that at this point she didn't have an idea of what love was. The feeling of warmth towards another, the feeling of need, attention, care, happiness…It took a while, but she finally came to understand how much she cherished her knight and that what she felt towards him was nothing else but love.

The same feelings Subaru claimed to have towards her since the beginning.

But now, there was another fear that dwelled in the mind of the silver-haired princess, the fear of time.

She felt like she was too late. She felt like she would come to miss what she was seeking without even knowing it.

There were so many questions, so many doubts that formed a confusing and unbearable maelstrom in her at the moment, about her knight, about Subaru Natsuki.

Would he accept her love once he is awake…? Would she even be able to look at him in the eyes without the fear of facing the one she thought she knew?

This was also something that didn't leave her until now. The same thing that made her lose her precious place near her knight…The fact that she couldn't see him in the same way that she did before.

Subaru…Was scary.

Emilia knew it, felt it. The one she knew, cherished, and loved was NOT the same Natsuki Subaru she was seeing on this screen.

He was not the same…

He had to be another one.

But even when she thought this. Even when she knew this, persuaded from the bottom of her heart…

She just couldn't accept it. Her mind couldn't, her body couldn't.

Her hands shook when she approached him, the memories of a merciless killer bearing the face of her knight appeared every time she closed her eyes.

Because she knew her beliefs were all a lie. An illusion, an image she was desperately trying to hold so that this Subaru wouldn't erase what her wonderful black-haired knight was in her mind.

In silence, she begged for the great warden of this room to come and tell her that it was all different. As much as she grew to despise him, she still held that hope…But he remained silent.

He was yet to give the reason why he was showing everyone these viewings. And this was another thing that bugged the silver-haired half-elf enough to peel the skin of the chair handles in anxiety.

One reason was that she missed the feeling of holding something or doing something with her hands…And the other was because she held on to the memory of how the Warden would come every time someone damaged his theatre.

While she managed to do so discretely enough in the middle of the rather loud chatting of everyone around her, eager to see the next viewing, there was one, or rather two, ladies seated near her for which her doings didn't go unnoticed.

For one of them, her reaction was nothing but a saddened wince on her face, as if she felt hurt by seeing the half-elven princess in that state. She seemed afraid, in pain…Her expression seemed to have grown darker as her eyes lacked the brightness of her usual character.

But truth was that Crusch Karsten was one of the few in this room who knew very well why Emilia held such a face and knew how she couldn't blame her.

While she still got interested by the viewings and managed to hold a better, stronger stand than her elven rival about them, Crusch too, would have rather avoided ever set her eyes on them.

She understood by now what kind of feelings she held for the self-proclaimed knight, and she also knew that she held these for a long time now. Perhaps, since the day her heartstrings felt a pull after seeing that weak boy fight so much for a battle that wasn't his, to begin with.

In a way, she knew she had to thank the warden and this theatre. She knew she had to be grateful to that distasteful entity who brought them all here against their will because it helped her to realize something that she truly couldn't bear to keep away by now.

She loved Natsuki Subaru. Not as a person, not as a friend, not as an ally. She saw him as a woman would, and she loved him as a man.

And along with all the feelings that would come with love, the will to care and protect another took place within her heart.

So…She felt pain. She felt so much pain…

To see him bleed, to see him cry, to see him yell, to see him kill, to see him angered, beaten, heartless, merciless…

Just like Emilia, she knew this was not the one she grew to love, yet was the same as the one she could feel with her gloved hand just by extending it a few centimeters.

And just like Emilia…She was hurt.

But when her rival was confused over the next step she had to make, over the decisions she had to take…Crusch was already determined on what to do.

No matter what, she would protect him. Help him. Let him know that he was not alone, that he could rely on her, not as people in one alliance but as friends and even more.

Of course, she wouldn't stand in the way of the silver-haired princess would she ever wish to do the same, but her decision would remain unchanged.

However, while the verdant-haired Duchess of the Karsten house decided to simply give her support wishes, the second witness of the half-elf's sadness, couldn't simply stay put.

"You have to stop, big sis!" She said as she punched her arm, earning a yelp of surprise from the half-elf, "What's with that gloomy face?!"

"Felt-chan…" Emilia whispered with wide eyes, still a bit surprised by the hit she took.

"You can't just continue like this,!" Felt pleaded, her eyes staring right into the blue irises of the half-elf, "You can't just keep being afraid of big bro!"

Both Crusch and Emilia, along with perhaps several others who heard the little thief around them, suddenly choked on their breath when she revealed the truth.

"You can't help but to feel like this is not big bro, I get it…" Clenching her fists, Felt looked back to the black mop of hair in front of her," But this ain't the way to deal with this…! What are you going to do when he wakes up?! Are you just going to avoid him and hurt him even more over something he has maybe no idea of?!"

"This is not what I wish…" Emilia replied as she looked away, trying to hide the tears forming in her eyes, "But this is just…Too much…This Subaru is so different…I know that there is a reason behind him looking just like mine, and bearing the same name as mine…But even then…"

"So you're just holding onto the feeling that he's different…?" Felt uttered with shocked eyes, her teeth gritted, "And what if that ain't the case?! What if he's really our Subaru?!"

"…"

"Big sis…"

"I-"

Her eyes and her expression were enough for Felt to understand.

"Big sis!" Felt exclaimed in outrage, gaining the attention of everyone in the room this time.

"How loud, and utterly annoying you two are for mine ears," The crimson princess growled, yet in a delicate voice, characteristic of her, "While I suppose this is a habit of you to bark as loud as a dog instead of speaking like a proper person, wisdom would advise you to retort to your lowly habits away from mineself.'

"Don't even start, shitty bitch!" Felt immediately replied, kicking the chair in front of Emilia where the crimson princess was seated.

"You…"

"Me?! Me what?! You wanna go at it?!" Felt yelled back once more, making several people in the room ready to intervene, starting by the most obvious of all.

"Felt-sama! Please-"

"Shut the hell up!" turning to her knight, Felt continued to yell her words, "You ain't here to stop me but to back me up! Do you want to know what you can do Rein?! Just help me kicking the shit out of her!"

"Ah for fuck's sake!" Up above, Aldebaran stood up while cursing under his breath, rushing down to his princess's side…

"Felt-chan! Stop that!" Emilia tried to restrain her, holding her hands before the little girl, "you are not doing anything that will better the situation!"

"Oh you're the one saying this?!" outraged by the remark from the elven princess, Felt shot back at her, "I can't believe you…!"

"Oi oi! Princess' right! We can't just start a fight 'ere between us blondie!" Garfiel stood up as well to intervene, "I get that you wanna kick that bimbo bitch's mouth but this ain't going to do us any good!"

"How unruly…" Priscilla shook her head, strangely not feeling angered at all by the insults casually thrown at her, "to think that mineself would have to deal with so many backward people at the same time…Perhaps I need a pause too."

"You're not mad, princess?" Honestly surprised, Aldebaran questioned under his helmet, "well not that I mind but…Ya know, this kind of stuff usually just makes you burn everything."

"Have you already forgotten that the keeper of this place stripped mineself from such a possibility?" sighing in disappointment to her jester's useless memory, Priscilla looked back to the black screen with a seemingly tired gaze, "Mh...I suppose this is more true than I am willing to admit."

"Oh, you're sleepy, princess?"

Ignoring this last, useless comment, Priscilla turned back to the people arguing before her that were just about to declare a pseudo war against her person and camp.

While she was thinking of her own situation, Otto, Julius and Felix joined the large arguing around Felt and Emilia, trying to defuse the situation as much as they could before something bad would happen.

"Felt-sama! Think about Natsuki-san, do you really believe that he would be glad to know about such behavior from you during his sleep here?" The minister of interior affairs pleaded, alarmed by the situation, "please, let us just think about this! Violence never leads anywhere!"

"Reinhard!" Julius called from the side, "Can you not see that your mistress is causing trouble? As a knight, your duty is also to-"

"I know what my duty is, Julius. Thank you for the reminder, but I will certainly manage by myself." Using for one of the rarest times in his life a tone that sounded bitter and displeased, Reinhard cut the words of his friend without any second thought, "you should mind more about your lady for whatever outcome this situation might have."

His eyes still staring at how the uncaring red-haired knight who already discarded Julius out of his sight, Julius slowly clenched his fists as anger rose within him.

"Nya, you two need to calm down! We are all trying to stop Felt-sama and Emilia-sama to cause an inside fight, we certainly don't need another round!" Felix lamented with a sigh of disappointment.

Reinhard and Julius simply clicked their tongues in resent.

"You're all damn annoying!" Pointing her finger towards Emilia, she continued, "first you act like such an ungrateful cunt towards big bro!" then she moved her finger towards Priscilla, "then this one just purposely gets on everyone's nerves even though she knows how tense is the situation!"

"F-Felt?," Emilia stuttered, for the word used to describe her, and for what she revealed.

"Emilia-sama…?" Not far away from her, a blue-haired maid questioned, "What does this mean?"

"Rem-chan…" Emilia uttered, glancing to her side where Subaru was in worry, feeling the pressure rising slowly," It's not….It's just that…"

"Emilia-sama seems to be in trouble, Roswaal-sama…" Ram said in a low voice to her master, who simply shook his head as an answer.

"We shaaaaaaaaall not do anything about iiiiiit," He replied, "this is their issue and theeeeeeir issue alone."

Quickly picking up on what the Margrave meant, Ram closed her eyes and nodded in understatement to him, her eyes still reflecting the worry she felt over the elven princess.

While some were shocked by the tone and words that the blonde candidate used against the elven princess, others who still didn't understand what was on Emilia's mind narrowed their eyes towards her in suspicion, following Felt's gestures between Emilia, and Priscilla.

"While this remains confusing, I must admit that Felt-sama holds a form of truth in her words," Silent until now, Wilhelm decided to speak, " I believe that Felt-sama, Emilia-sama, and Priscilla-sama are not the only ones in this room whom the behavior was affected."

Every eye turned towards the old and wise man who stood up from his chair and held a hand to his forehead.

"It has been now the third viewings we saw without any interruption aside from the few hours rest we had," he explained, crossing his arms with his eyes turned to the screen, "some of us did not even sleep during that time. It is understandable that it would influence our judgment and minds."

Suddenly, everyone remembered that they indeed felt very weak and tired. The viewings they saw were long, they were long…And heavy, tiring.

The sheer storm of emotions they felt at every last one of them greatly exhausted their body and soul, but truth was that even if it was strange, out of this world, or scary…Most of them still wished to know more and to see more about these viewings, at least until the end of this story.

"We might have simply not realized it because of how focused we were on these viewings…"The Duchess mused out loud, feeling the weight of her own head now that she remembered how tired she might be, "I had nothing but images of what we saw previously in mind for now…"

"So guess it would be time for all of us to take a break?" Ricardo wondered as he scratched the back of his neck, "I wouldn't be against it. These little ones can't even stand up."

"I…Can totally keep goin'…" Mimi whispered as she leaned into Ricardo's chest, unable to stand up on her own.

Tivey was already asleep.

Ricardo only sighed as he shook his head, patting the twin's head delicately for them to feel comfortable.

"Mh…Well, I believe y'are right about this," Anastasia wondered, caressing her scarf gently, "it seems like our host is missing though…I don't think we can really go away without telling this fella, can we?"

"If worse come to it, he'll just realize it and understand, won't he? Ain't the first time we sleep here after some viewings." Aldebaran replied, not against the idea of taking a longer nap than before.

The voice of a rather eager Aldebaran didn't go unnoticed for some. It was clear that the helmeted jester was more than glad to have everyone go back into their rooms and rest rather than make an all-out war in this theatre…And this same feeling was shared by a lot of other people here as well.

"Beatrice-sama…?" A weak voice called from the side, trying to not get the attention of anyone as she called the great spirit of the library, "Won't you do anything about this?"

Turning towards the source of the voice calling for her, Beatrice looked at Petra with a neutral gaze, before leaning in her contractor's chest, seemingly disinterested.

"And why should I do anything, in fact? As long as Betty's Subaru is not upon harm, I shall not willingly immerse with the quarrels of immature children yelling at each other over nothing that holds relevance, in fact."

"But…They are arguing because of Subaru…" Not afraid to speak her mind about what she understood, Petra retorqued in worry to the spirit.

"Not because of my Subaru, in fact," she corrected the little maid, "they are quarreling because they cannot see what obviously matters and uses my Subaru because they need a legitimate reason to fight."

Taking the hand of her contractor in hers as she closed her eyes, the great spirit continued.

"Betty's Subaru is right here, I suppose," she softly whispered, "He is here and he is alive. His heart beats right next to my ear, and what I am seeing in this viewing will not change that. Surely, I have my own questions. But I believe they will be answered in due time, in fact."

As she opened her eyes, she smiled warmly at the amazed little maid.

"And even if I don't have any answers, it doesn't matter, I suppose, "she continued, "as long as Betty's Subaru stays by her side…This is all I ask for, in fact."

"I guess you are right…Beatrice-sama!" Somehow reassured by her words, Petra sighed in relief as she decided to sit back near her mentor, and simply decided that she wouldn't take part in this for now as she took the advice of Beatrice.

"So…What, should we vote?" Still standing in front of everyone near his princess, Aldebaran asked everyone, "who thinks we should wait for the warden, and who thinks we should just go rest-"

And as Aldebaran was busy applying the basics of democracy and allowing everyone to have a right to speak their minds, the crimson princess walked past him and went towards her room, having seemingly already taken her decision.

"Eh, you're trying to act all high because you don't care?" Felt shook her head with a condescending tone, "Well, don't come and complain if we decide to stay and that the viewing starts without you!"

Hearing this much made the princess stop in her tracks, standing where she was for a few seconds before slowly turning around, and going back to the rows of the theatre.

Preparing himself for the worst, Reinhard was already set to dash forward and intervene to protect his lady if needed, as Felt narrowed her eyes in threatening ways to show how fearless she was.

"Stop right there, in fact." Tired of this farce, Beatrice decided to stand up from her seat, and walked in front of Priscilla, "I shall not allow you to start a fight around Betty's contractor. If you wish to do anything, do it elsewhere."

Looking down at the spirit from her height with her face hidden behind her fan, her ruby irises most prominent in this semi-dark room, Priscilla snorted to the little spirit's warning as she walked past her, completely ignoring the blonde candidate, to walk towards someone else.

And then, before the eyes of all to see, Priscilla grabbed the black-haired boy by his waist like one would carry a child, and put him on her shoulder.

Everyone immediately widened their eyes in shock, as others stood confused about what the crimson princess was doing until she spoke out herself.

"Mineself feels tired and decided to take some rest," she said in a bright voice, "and I shall take the commoner with me."

"What?!" Both Emilia and Rem exclaimed with a threatening glare.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Crusch growled in fury.

"Like hell, you'd do that! Put Big bro down, now!"

"And what will you do? Attack me? While I hold him in mine arms?" She questioned.

"You would dare to use Betty's contractor as a shield, in fact?!" Beatrice yelled in sheer wrath.

"No. It would already be deemed a miracle if any of you, aside from the failed hero would manage to lay a single hand on mineself for more than a second. But even then, the boy shall never be harmed in my presence." Priscilla calmly explained, sure of the words she spoke.

Several people in the room looked at the fiery queen like they would look at a madman. The same eyes that would be directed towards someone who just made a declaration of war to the most powerful personalities that existed within the kingdom.

While some of the people didn't quite understand well the meaning behind the crimson princess's actions now, others had quite a several ideas in mind.

To anger the other camp members and candidates that held the boy dear, to be sure that she could get her rest without caring for the viewings continuing without her since she would be holding the key of the reason they were here in this theatre, or maybe because she herself began to develop some sort of affection towards the black-haired knight, as strange as it might be for her.

But the main point of this entire situation…Was most certainly all the angry women, and camp members of the Margrave ready to jump at the Baroness's throat.

"Put him down," with a cold and threatening voice, the silver-haired princess ordered, her ice magic-making forcing her entourage to step away from her, "put down my knight immediately, Priscilla."

"No." She answered in a straightforward way, her eyes showing her boredom over the pitiful threatening act her royal rival tried to pull.

"I SAID PUT HIM DOWN!" She yelled, bashing forward her seat towards the princess.

"Emilia-sama!" Reinhard tried to intervene.

"Fucking hell!" Aldebaran cursed again, putting himself in front of Priscilla.

Priscilla stood unmoving as if she was waiting for the last second to act upon this…Until Emilia found herself frozen, her hand at a few centimeters from Priscilla's nose, who still looked incredibly uncaring.

"Well, that was damn close. Really scared of nothing aren't you, Priscilla-sama?"

"Why should mineself be afraid of something that holds so little relevance?" Priscilla sighed, turning back to the screen, "however, you have some explaining to do."

"No, I don't. And don't feel any will to do so, for now, you're still in a place that I own just like everyone else."

Priscilla only responded by narrowing her eyes dangerously, even though she knew she couldn't do anything against this entity, her pride still gave her some sort of an urge to remind it of its place.

"Anyways, what's supposed to be the issue here?"

"Are you blind or somethin'?" Garfiel yelled in anger, "can't ya see what the bimbo's tryin' to do with capn' on her shoulder?!"

"She's trying to take my knight with her!'" Emilia yelled as she clenched her fists, "Why should I allow that to happen?!"

"I have to say this is quite an unexpected sight, care to explain what you're about to do with the sage candidate here, crimson countess?"

Several members of the theatre widened their eyes, remembering how the wolf called Subaru "sage" in the previous viewings, and how the Warden seemed to refer to him as something similar.

"Mineself decided to have some rest, and I shall take the boy with me." She answered out loud without any shame.

"Uh uh."

"We all are rather tired right now, these viewings were a heavy thing to take for a lot of us," Otto stepped forth, holding his hat in his hands, "but then Priscilla-sama…Well, you know."

"So, you all think you need a break? Okay, sure. We can pause the viewings for a night so you all can sleep…It would even suit me best."

"H-hum…Yes…But about Natsuki-san-"

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that he is laid down on a bed for once?"

"WHAT?!"

"You can't just allow this!"

"Are you making a fool out of us?!"

Emilia, Rem, and Crusch all yelled one after the other, not hiding their wrath towards the warden.

"This is bad nya…" Felix whispered in fear as he stared at his mistress gritting her teeth.

"You people are making such a big deal over nothing…" Anastasia sighed as she stood up from her seat, preparing herself to join her quarters.

"What? Did I ever tell you that Subaru had to stay inside the theatre? Ladies, as long as he is not hurt, things are fine to me."

"But….She….-"

"She what? Do you think it should be you instead of her, Emilia-sama? Are you sure about that?"

"Gkh...!"

The words of the Warden reminding her of her sin, Emilia simply looked away from the screen in anger and sadness, as she couldn't stop the tears running down her cheeks because of how powerless she was.

"Thought so."

"Even then, the general opinion should be taken into account. You are here to make us see the viewings of Natsuki Subaru, and we are not bound to obey you," trying to hide her anger, the Duchess spoke, "you have a duty to remain things fair and diplomatic for all of us. Or this becomes favoritism, and you uselessly make yourself enemies."

"Is this supposed to be a threat, miss Karsten?"

"I observe, dear Warden." She narrowed her eyes with an assured voice, "I only observe."

"Hm. Fine, I guess that you hold a point."

"How annoying," Priscilla shook her head, "you believe that this little stand-off will make you go against my wishes, Karsten?"

"I believe that I am already going against your wishes, Barielle," Crusch replied as she went down the stairs to stand in front of her, face to face, "now I will simply make sure these wishes of yours are crushed before your eyes."

"Oh? And how do you plan that I wonder?" The baroness smiled, eager to see what this wretch would try against her.

"Yeah, we are not starting a battle royale in here. I don't have the time either the energy for that. So just deal with that in the old way."

"Are you all really about to fight just so you can have the boy with you for a night? Am I the only one who thinks of this as ridiculous?!" Al exclaimed as he shook his head, "what is bro supposed to be right now? A stuffed bear?"

"That's true! You can't just do as you please with him without his accord! And if Subaru-kun ever wanted to be with someone, it would certainly be Emilia-sama, to begin with!" Petra intervened for everyone to hear, glaring at the crimson princess holding her hero.

"She is right, Priscilla-sama," Frederica continued to pat the head of the little girl, "you cannot claim that you act for the best of Subaru-sama's interest if you do not even take his wishes into account."

"Mineself is going in his interest as long as I keep him away from unfaithful wretches," without even looking towards the maid, Priscilla replied for all to hear, "mine decision is already taken. And it shall be fulfilled."

"Bullshit!" Felt exclaimed back.

"Subaru-kun would never want to be with you to begin with! After what you've done to him, you really don't have any shame!" Rem growled to the princess, uncaring of her status.

"How bold of you to talk about one's past actions towards the boy. Perhaps I should remind your little mind about the hours of merciless torture you inflicted upon his body and soul?"

"Priscilla-sama. I would advise you to not bring back these unnecessary memories to my little sister." It was now the maid's older sister to take place, warning the baroness in a clear threatening tone over what she was about to do.

"Unnecessary? While it is the very reason the boy's psyche was broken?" before the absurdity of these claims, the crimson princess couldn't help but laugh, "This camp is really nothing but pathetic."

"We already know about all of this. And it doesn't matter." Ram replied, holding her stare towards her, "it doesn't matter because Barusu already forgave us since he stayed by our side. And it doesn't matter because we will repay him. For everything we did, and so much more."

"Good intentions and promises are always easy to be told, a loyalty is always easy to be pronounced, maid." Priscilla snorted, "Would it be not so much easier if your actions would prove your words?"

"Ya're goin' too far now!" Garfiel shouted from his seat, "Ya just wanna have the entire theatre on your ass! Be a bitch as much as ya want but leave capn' alone!"

"Priscilla-sama." With a strong and serious voice echoing in the theatre, the Sword Saint was now the one to stand up, "You have done enough. With all due respect, I will demand you to put Subaru down to his camp members."

"And what will you do, knight?" Priscilla raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"If you refuse to comply…I shall take the matters into my own hands. As you said yourself, I am perhaps the only one here that would manage to force your hand. While I believe you are overestimating myself, I will surely try to do so."

Priscilla kept her gaze to him for a moment, before her eyes moved to have a greater overview of the theatre. All were tired, confused, and angry towards her for her actions. It was true that between all of the people here, she was perhaps the one Subaru Natsuki appreciated the less. But it didn't change anything about the plans that she had once she would be out of this place.

"I believe you know what to do now for the better, Barielle," Crusch spoke, "put Subaru Natsuki down. We shall all go back to our rooms, and he will stay here, as usual-"

"GOD DAMN IT!"

All eyes of the theatre suddenly turned towards the screaming voice coming from the screen.

"What is this?!" Julius stood up, much like the other combatants in the room because of the sudden scream.

"It was the warden…?" Emilia whispered.

"What's happnin' with him?!"

"He…Seemed in pain?" Otto pondered.

"Urgh, you guys always have to piss me off taking an eternity for a decision! Nearly got me killed!"

"What is happening to you?! Are you attacked?!" Petra exclaimed in worry, hugging her older maid.

"Damn right I'm attacked…And these guys aren't doing it easy! F-Fuck I'm losing control…!"

"Control…? Control over what…?" Reinhard questioned, having a bad feeling over what was about to happen.

"It seems concerning…And dangerous." Anastasia caressed her scarf in worry.

"What should we do?" Frederica thought out loud, getting ready for any battle to come.

"I'm losing control over the theatre, and Subaru…You all need to get out of here, now. I don't have time to explain."

"What is happening?! Tell us! What is it about Subaru-kun?!" Rem yelled in fury.

"We deserve answers, warden!" The Duchess shouted.

"To hell with you all…I already explained to you that Subaru needed to stay asleep so that powerful entities wouldn't try to get into his mind! This theatre is not situated in a normal plan of existence, you are not anywhere between the 4 corners of your waterfall-border world!"

"How could this be…" Roswaal uttered, not remembering anything akin to that to be a possiblity.

"Are you trying to say…That we are in another world…?" Quick to understand, Felix was the one who questioned the Warden with a shocked voice.

"That is impossible, in fact…!" Beatrice uttered in shock, "this is nonsense, I suppose!"

"We are…Not in our world?" Felt thought out loud, without knowing if the idea fascinated her or scared her.

"Good job Sherlock! Agh-! Fucking hell! No-"

"AAAAAAAARGH!"

All eyes suddenly turned towards the boy still in the arms of the crimson princess who began to scream in agony, with such strength in his voice that everyone around could feel their own lungs hurt by the simple thought of doing something similar.

His voice send a shiver down the spine of everyone, as a large feeling of panic began to take over every single soul here, especially the ones of the half-elf camp.

His continuous screaming of a pain they were not aware of, made their heartbeat so fast in fear they could explode at any moment, their bodies trembling over their confusion and inability to help the boy.

Her worry clearly apparent, the crimson princess immediately put the screaming boy down, holding a hand to his face as he kept breaking his vocal cords, again and again, piercing the ears of the people around who all rushed to his side.

"Healer!" Priscilla shouted in anger, "come here immediately!"

Even if the tone taken by the baroness seemed to not be to his liking, Felix quickly ignored it as he rushed to Subaru, trying to apply his magic to and know what was hurting him.

"What is happening?! Why is he screaming?!" Emilia began to cry, "Subaru! Subaru, what is happening?! S-Subaru!"

"Move if you cannot help him, I suppose!" Beatrice shouted, going to Subaru's other side with her healing hands "I am here, Subaru…Betty is here, I suppose!"

But all their efforts seemed to be in vain, as Subaru continued to yell his lungs out in pain, breathing heavily between each scream, his face contorting in anger as he couldn't even open his eyes. No one was able to know if he was even conscious right now, all they could hear was his screams of agony…Which were unbearable.

"Do something, Ferris, please!" the Duchess pleaded as she put a hand on the healer's shoulder, tears in her eyes, "help him…!"

"I'm trying…! I'm trying Crusch-sama…B-but…"

"Even Felix's magic isn't working…" Julius mused in a low voice, his hands trembling "this is not an usual pain he is feeling."

"What is happening to him?!" Felt yelled to the screen, "Hey do something! He's dying!"

"S-Subaru…" Reinhard uttered with a broken expression, seeing his friend in agony, hearing his helpless screams while he couldn't do anything…He was powerless once more to his misery.

"Why?! Why is it not working, I suppose…!" Beatrice shouted in tears, "Please, Subaru!"

"This is all useless you damned fools! This is not a pain that can be healed with any of your magic!"

"What is happening to Subaru-kun?!" Rem cried out loud, "Do something!"

"You best not leave him in this state!" Ram yelled, outraged.

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do right now uh?! But it won't do like that, he needs to get out of here, and you too before it reaches you!"

"Reaches us…?" Wilhelm wondered with wariness, "Do you mean this pain could reach us?"

"What should we do?! He's not stopping…! S-Subaru-kun…" Petra began to cry in Frederica's dress, clenched the white apron so hard it could nearly be ripped off.

"It could! Now get the hell out!"

"How?!" Ricardo yelled back in fury, "ya're the one who locked us here!"

"This theatre is in another plan of existence, just like all the other rooms here! They are trying to reach the theatre by using Subaru! So get to your fucking rooms!"

And with one final shout, the Warden exercised his unknown power once more, as he opened the doors of each one of the rooms present in the theatre, and send flying each one of the members present inside in a heartbeat.

All of them were brought in the rooms as if a hook attached to their backs linked them to it, and when they all opened their eyes…All they could see was their beds, furniture…And closed doors.

"Tch…" rubbing the back of her head, Priscilla heaved a displeased sigh as she slowly stood up…To find that she was not alone in the room she was projected into.

"Was it not to be expected?" She smiled as she looked at the black-haired boy lying next to her, "It seems that even another plan of existence bends to my will, as it should be."

Needless to say that Priscilla was really pleased by how this turned out. While she knew that the others should be panicking wondering where the black-haired knight was, it held little matter to her as she had what she wanted.

"Now, shall we rest?" carrying the boy onto her bed, Priscilla suddenly noticed how he still was grimacing in pain, his body and hands convulsing because of an unknown pain.

"What kind of suffering is being inflicted upon you?" She whispered, slowly caressing the boy's hair, "You seem to be in a constant nightmare."

However, as she felt her own eyes shutting down, the orange-haired lady knew it was time for her to rest as well.

She first began to take the boy's jacket and shoes off, before leveling him up to the pillow of the bed, trying to put him into a position of comfort, when she was done, Priscilla nodded in satisfaction as she leaned away to deal with her own clothing, before she felt her hand getting suddenly grabbed.

Turning around, she saw the black-haired boy's face soothing at the contact of her warmth, not letting go of the crimson lady's hand as if it was his only way of relief, like an instinct.

"Mh, I see." She muttered, gently going away from his grasp.

Bringing her hands behind her back, she began to unbutton her dress, slowly bringing it down her knees, revealing her beautiful body generously shaped for a woman of her age.

When she took her regal dress off, all that remained as clothes on her white skin were her black underwear and stockings, a sight beautiful enough to drive any man mad.

It was already known that Priscilla Barielle was the pinnacle of beauty for a woman, but the sight that none was able to see at the moment strongly enforced this fact.

While the Warden was somehow kind enough to provide nightrobes and clothes for every single room, it remained useless for the sun princess, who always had a habit of sleeping with little clothing on her for comfort purposes when she could, and this time she felt like it would be for the better.

Without a swift movement of her hand, she took her large, flower-shaped hairpin and hair bun off her hair, making them fall down her back, before running her hands through her long hair reaching her behind.

Finally, she took off her shoes and stockings, leaving her with nothing but her underwear.

"Now, let us not lose any more time. Who knows when these few moments of intimacy will end," Lifting up the blanket to take place near the black-haired knight, Priscilla whispered as she brought him closer in her embrace, "there, it shall be enough to soothe your pain, right?"

And as an answer, Subaru slowly began to calm his breathing and convulsions, unconsciously leaning closer into the ginger-haired woman's arms, as she gently caressed his hair, feeling his warmth, and his body gradually relax.

"Mh…Good," she uttered, satisfied of the result.

"Who would have thought that I would find myself in the same bed as a useless commoner such as you one day?" She sighed, playing with the boy's hair with her fingers, "but this issue, along with all of your many flaws, I shall take care of them."

Subaru began to move his hands around the back of the princess as if his unconscious self was trying to bring the warmth he felt closer to him.

Priscilla didn't feel the need to contest it.

"What a greedy man you are, half-wit's knight…" She giggled," mineself shall remind you of this very moment when you will be awake…Be grateful."

Slowly, she felt as if this warmth, this feeling, of having another one near her was bringing her enough comfort to drift her mind away as well.

"Today…Is an exception…" She whispered, "I shall allow you to indulge in mine embrace…"

"Gn…"

The sudden whisper coming from the boy's mouth managed to bring the orange-haired princess's consciousness back for a few minutes, looking at him with bewilderment, not knowing if she wished for him to awaken or not.

But Subaru remained with his eyes closed, any forms of suffering finally disappearing from the princess's sight.

"This was-"

While she was about to voice her thoughts, the princess was suddenly interrupted by the feeling of something touching, or rather grabbing her rear, immediately coming to realize what it was.

She quickly took a look under their blanket to see that one of the boy's hands was around her waist, while the other…Was situated a bit beyond that point.

Surely this would have been enough for the sun princess to set any unfortunate one in a great fire…But somehow, she didn't feel like it was much of an issue, as she just stared at the sleeping face of the boy with a softer expression than she would usually have.

"It seems like I changed too…Did I not?" She wondered to herself as she caressed the back of Subaru's head, "many would be those who would have been burned down to crisp for attempting something like you did…And you should not be an exception."

Since the beginning of this event she was forced to assist, the baroness was keener to believe that nothing here would change her perception of things, her vision of the world, and of the people around her.

When she discovered the secret of the self-proclaimed knight, she felt nothing but disgust over him. Someone with such a disgusting power, using it for such disgusting means. There was nothing right about this boy she held in her arms at the moment, truth was that in normal circumstances, she would have rather done the necessary measures to keep him away from her.

But as the viewings passed…As the story of this boy was shown before her eyes…Another opinion began to take place inside of the fiery princess' mind. The world would always go in her favor, so maybe being here had a greater meaning than she initially thought?

So she held on to that feeling. Where she believed that she had to put her initial thoughts on hold, and see everything to the end before making her mind over this event being a useless waste of time…Or an opportunity.

This allowed her to see more than she was willing to see.

And make her realize that there was something else about that boy.

There was something…That intrigued her. Interested her. For a reason she didn't know herself yet, she was willing to give him more time, more chances, to entertain her and make this all worth the while she spent here.

It was an instinct. And she was best to know that hers was flawless.

"I truly wonder…What kind of sight you will offer me?" She whispered at the boy who was so close to her, that she could feel his mellow breath hit her chest.

"Truly a greedy man…" She sighed with a smile, closing her eyes and leaning into this warm embrace, her tiredness taking her away to finally earn the sleep she yearned for.

---

"That was fucking close." Breathing heavily, he looked up to the sky darkened by the smoke and fire, "You guys really don't give me a break uh…"

"Damn you…" Another voice growled from the side, "your little tricks are really starting to get on my nerves, jack."

"Oh really? Well, what can I say except you're welcome?" The warden laughed as he spat on the side, slowly getting up on his feet," You didn't think I would just give in that easily, I'm a tough bastard you know it."

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT YOU ARE CAUSING!" His interlocutor shouted in fury, "You are breaking all of the timelines! This is going out of hand!"

"…"

"Jack…" He whispered, with a calmer voice," stop all of that. There is still time, we can fix this…"

"Is this…What you said to the others?" Narrowing his eyes dangerously, the warden uttered, "You were always a master when it came to bullshiting."

"…"

"You won't do shit," he laughed with a malicious smile, "Subaru is safe in a place out of your reach, and the theatre is locked up. It's just a question of time before you lose your grasp over it…And when things will be back to normal, I'll make sure you never get another chance."

"Damn you…DAMN YOU!" He shouted as he dashed forward.

"And FUCK YOU!" The warden yelled back.

---

Loud bangs on the door were the sound that woke her up from her slumber.

Still half asleep, she wished nothing more than to set anyone responsible for breaking her comfort on fire and watch them burn.

First, she simply decided to ignore it, believing it would eventually cease, and turned around in her bed as she brought what she held in her arms closer to her, leaning in the warmth of her bedsheets.

But the loud noises did not stop. Instead, they grew louder and louder. Like someone was having a personal vendetta against the door of her bedroom.

Eventually, it began to be upsetting enough for her to open her eyes, finding herself in front of a sound asleep black-haired boy, her arms still around him as their faces were so close to each other, they could practically breathe each other's air.

Her facial expression changed to a much softer shape when she saw him for a brief instant…before the loud aggression of her door began once more, turning her beautiful face into one of fury.

Standing up immediately, she went towards the door grabbing the black and white jacket and putting it on to cover most of her body, as it was a large piece of clothing compared to her size.

Swiftly putting it on, she went forward the door and opened it in a drastic and violent way, ready to face the one interrupting her comfortable rest…

Only to meet with the entire theatre, grouped in front of her door with various expressions from confusion, to shock and surprise.

In front of all of them, was the silver-haired half-elf, glaring at her with wrath clear in her eyes as her lips trembled at the simple sight of this woman wearing a jacket she recognized immediately.

"In what right did you commoners thought of interrupting my sleep?" Priscilla said in a loud and upset voice, not hiding her anger towards the populace staring at her, "did you all decide to unite in order to wake earlier so you can feel more reassured, annoying me as a group?"

"Hey, I tried to stop them…" Aldebaran shook his head, "but…"

"We are all awake for a few hours Barielle," Crusch growled, "we have been waiting for you to come out for a long while now."

"You…Were you still sleeping until now?!" Mimi exclaimed in shock, "That's amazin! And here I thought I was the one sleeping more than anyone!"

"You do sleep a lot…This is impressive…" Tivey gulped, trying to understand how a woman managed to sleep more than a feline demi-human.

"What were you doing…" Emilia snarled dangerously at the crimson princess, "why are you wearing this…?!"

Priscilla turned her gaze on the side for a moment as she began to think of this situation. From the looks of it, none of them were lying, she really was slower than most to wake up.

As she thought about any reasons aside from her tiredness, her eyes fell on the long sleeve of her left hand holding the handle of the door, remembering the boy who previously wore this precise clothing.

As a reflex, she glanced behind her to the bed where the boy still was and quickly went to understand that she might have simply be weakened by the comfort brought by this warm night.

Several other people followed her eyes to see Subaru sleeping soundly on the bed.

"Oh…" Ricardo scoffed with wide eyes, "night was comfortable heh?"

"Learn to shut your mouth…" Julius shook his head as he grimaced in distaste to the mercenary's comment.

In front of them…Were several people that held more of a glare that stunk murderous intent towards the fiery-princess.

"That cunt slept in the same bed as big bro…" Felt growled in disgust, the idea of her cherished big brother figure being anywhere near that woman awakening a killing intent inside of her.

"Tch. Adulterous scum, Barusu." Ram spat down in distaste.

"I do noooooot think he is of any fault here, Ram…" Roswaal uneasily tried to defend him.

"HOW DARE SHE?!" Rem exclaimed in rage and jealousy.

"How dare she indeed," Emilia uttered, the cold aura emanating from her once more.

"Emilia-sama…We mustn't." Crusch tried to calm her down, trying to calm her nerves as best as she could, "the Warden already asked us to take place…"

"So, this is what happened?" Priscilla clicked her tongue, now understanding the reason they had to go against her door so much, "Very well."

As she closed the door of her room, it was stopped right before the end by the tip of a white boot, making the ruby and blue irises face each other.

"If you dare take more time than needed…I will break your door in and make you dress in front of all to see." Emilia threatened with a hollow, shivering voice.

"If you try to do anything to what is deemed mine, I shall make you wish you would have died one of the many times you were saved at the cost of the boy's sanity." She answered in the same tone of voice, forcing the door to close.

This entire situation was certainly getting on her nerves, as Priscilla would have loved to simply shut this half-elf herself at the moment she dared to open her mouth to address her. But alas, even she had not much power here, and this fact greatly annoyed her.

Walking forward to pick up her dress, she glanced to the boy on her side still sound asleep, as she looked back to the jacket she was wearing and the dress in her hands.

In the end, she simply giggled softly at the thought of the piece of clothes she wore at the moment to be…Far more pleasant to wear than she thought.

---

"Alright! I hope everyone's rested and ready to go."

A few moments after their stand-off, Priscilla got out of her room with the boy in her hands, naturally walking to the front row to put him in his place when she noticed each of every seat around him to already be occupied…

"What is the meaning of this?" Priscilla demanded with a raised eyebrow, looking at the 3 maids forming a circle around the boy's seat.

Petra was sitting to the boy's left, Rem to his right, and Ram right behind, all staring at the fiery-haired princes with either resent or a clearly angered look.

"Perhaps those who usually took these seats were inappropriate as you said yourself," Ram explained, her arms crossed, "this is why us maids decided to take the matters into our own hands."

"You won't seat anywhere near Subaru-kun this time!" Rem exclaimed, her eyes glaring to the lady, "we are his camp members. We will take care of him!"

"She's right! You had enough fun taking him away and pestering all of us!" pointing her with her finger as if she was denouncing someone guilty.

"Put Betty's contractor down, now." Beatrice threatened, glaring at the lady.

Looking at the three maids and spirit forming a blockade in front of her, Priscilla glanced quickly to the mistress of the said camp, situated near Ram, glaring at her with all the hatred one could muster.

She looked at Priscilla like she stole something from her, like she attacked her, insulted her, humiliated her…And she looked like she was ready to take it all back.

However, while most of the theatre prepared themselves for another eventful situation, the only thing that Priscilla did was to laugh out loud.

She laughed with a clear and bright voice, not really that of a condescending person, more the laugh of something that was so fun to think about to her she couldn't help but laugh.

Setting off most of those looking at her, especially the three maids wondering what they could have possibly said to create such a reaction, Priscilla took the boy off her shoulder and sat him down in his chair with her usual smile.

She then took a look at all three maids.

"You are right," she off-handily said as she walked up to take her seat at the last row, "I had him for an entire night, after all, I shall allow you thisfor now."

"Allow us?!" Rem growled in fury to the laddy's taunting words, before her sister calmed her down.

"For now…!" Emilia growled in fury.

Ram of course understood that it was a clear bait to upset them…But she had to give credit to the fiery princess for doing it so well, naturally.

"In what kind of trouble did you put me in this time, Barusu?" She whispered to herself.

Ram quickly noticed the lack of reaction from the silver-haired lady on her side, which was strange since Emilia didn't hide her resentment at all up until now, and saw how…Empty she was.

Emilia's expression was a mix of sorrow and pain. Her face didn't hold much of an expression.

She simply felt empty because of how distant she thought to be of her knight. Even if he was right there in front of her, he just seemed to be so, so far away.

And this feeling was slowly crushing her from the inside.

"Emilia-sama…" Her eyes reflecting her worry, Ram uttered the name of her mistress in pity.

But she also knew that this was something that the elven princess inflicted upon herself because of her own doubts.

Emilia was responsible. And Emilia was the only one capable of fixing this.

"Alright, you're all seated comfortably…The next viewing will start."

"So here goes the battle…" Julius whispered as he began to clench his coat.

"I really hope he won't do anything too reckless…I doubt my heart can take much of it…" Otto whispered his hand on his chest.

"Hell ya're talkin' about! This is capn'! Of course he'll be reckless!"

"I certainly dislike it, but Garfiel is right, Otto-sama," Frederica shook her head with a smile, "it is impossible to see him in action without his original schemes and plans."

"Original is a cute way to put it." Laughing along with the maid and her little brother, Otto pointed, "well…At least I hope he doesn't get too much on his shoulders."

Upon hearing that the viewing was about to start, Emilia raised her eyes towards it, her heart aching at the idea of seeing more of this Subaru, at the idea of stepping even further away from her knight.

Why would such torture be inflicted upon her?

The half-elven princess began to curse the world around her…She began to hate this theatre, this warden…

It didn't help her see more about her knight…It only drifted her away from him. It stripped her away from the only good thing that ever happened in her life, all of her happiness ripped off of her, mercilessly, cruelly, heartlessly…

All she ever wanted was to live. Live happy with her knight, be by his side and have him by hers. She wanted to eventually learn what love was so she could finally give him an answer to his feelings, she wanted to give him as much as he gave her.

But no matter what, this place, this curse…Did everything it could to destroy her hopes, to crush her dreams, and to leave nothing but despair within her mind.

Why? This was the question she wondered.

Why was so much relentlessness directed towards her? What did she ever do to be hated so much? To be despised so much? To receive such torture and pain when finally she was able to look at her future and smile?

The memories she wanted to build, of her and her knight.

Of her and her friends.

Of this camp she was able to build against all the odds of this world resenting her to the bone.

She loved it, she cherished it, she wanted it to last as much as it could…

And yet she was feeling everything slip off her hands at this very instant…All because of this theatre. All because of this damned theatre.

When she finally was able to smile no matter how much the world hated her for a sin she never committed… She had to see everything getting taken away.

And this is how…Bit by bit, a thought emerged from her mind.

"I wish I would have never known about Subaru's secret."

In the front row, she took her seat back next to her knight, the blonde candidate readjusted herself in her seat as she began to think about what kind of unique and unseen things she would witness in these viewings.

"This really looks promising if I'm honest," she thought out loud, "I really want to see what kind of tricks big bro will pull to win."

"You seem persuaded that Subaru will prevail here, Felt-sama…" Reinhard replied, his voice showing more worries than assurance.

"I mean, what would be the point of these viewings if he dies?" Felt explained, "I don't think big bro will fail here, you know?"

"…I understand." Reinhard simply replied, closing his eyes.

"We'll certainly see a bunch of new weaponry…" Ricardo whispered, a dread thought traveling in his mind as he remembered what he saw until now. The images of the first viewings never really left him.

"I have to say that I am quite interested in this as well," Anastasia hummed from her seat.

While she certainly feared and hated most of the weapons used in these viewings, Anastasie firmly believed that she needed to see at least what they looked like, and what they were about.

So she could be sure to always prevent such a thing from coming into her world.

"It seems most of us are ready…Do you feel alright, Crusch-sama?" The old sword demon demanded to his mistress, who stayed silent up until now.

"I just have a bad feeling about this, Wilhelm-dono," Crusch whispered as she massaged her temple with her fingers, "something does not feel right."

"D-do you mean inside the theatre, or in the viewings Crusch-sama…?" Felix stuttered.

"Both…" Glancing to her right where Emilia stood just after the pink-haired maid, Crusch uttered.

"We shall remain on guard." Wilhelm solemnly answered, turning towards the screen.

"So princess, enjoyed the night with bro?" Al laughed with a teasing tone to his mistress.

Priscilla only turned to her jester with neutral, uncaring eyes, opening her fan as she leaned in her seat to prepare for the next viewing.

"Ah, not in a joking mood this morning? At least I tried." Al waved off.

"Your jokes rarely manage to amuse me, to begin with," she told him, uninterested.

"Well, that hurts." Al sighed in defeat.

"Here it is."

The screen slowly lit up, showing small habitations in something that could be described as a village. Or rather, what was left of it.

"So this is what a classic habitation looks like here…?" Frederica held a hand to her heart in pain.

"The slums seem like a palace next to that." Fuming from her seat to the unfair conditions these people lived in, Felt couldn't help but growl," War is really a bitch…"

"Such is the cost…" Wilhelm closed his eyes in respect.

Several fighters were situated outside, preparing weapons and moving equipment under the directives of Hadir, working on a white, bird-shaped object.

"5 gold coins that it's a weapon." Ricardo huffed immediately.

"Make it 10!" Mimi shot back right at him.

"Speaking about something unique…I have never seen, nor would have ever thought, of a weapon with such a shape." Julius mused with wide eyes, trying to pierce the utility of it.

"Any ideas?" Otto looked back to the helmeted man in the last row.

"Frankly? These viewings make me feel old as hell." Al shook his head, "I have no idea what that is pal."

"Well, we will surely come to discover it anyways." Crusch sighed, waiting to see what was next.

Just near him, children were playing and running, under the eyes of the villages' elders…And the rebel soldiers.

"This is no proper environment for children." Feeling more and more hurt, Frederica turned her eyes to the side where Petra was seated, happy to at least know how she didn't have to grow up this way, in a warzone, and around soldiers.

"Yet…They seem happy." The little maid in question answered, "They seem to enjoy life…"

"They are. In a way, they grew up thinking this was enough for them," Ram voiced her thoughts.

The camera came closer to two people entering the village, Subaru, and Farah, coming closer to the main building of the village.

Before entering it, Subaru quickly glanced to his side where the children were playing.

"We will attack in few hours," Farah said, taking her veil off.

"You should rest for the time being. You were already a great help, CIA. I wish to have this same kind of effectiveness in our coming battle." She said with a small smile.

"I can still help you." Subaru waved off. "Just tell me what to-"

"No." Farah cut him; her tone much sterner.

Both of them looked right to each other, Subaru tilting his head a bit to show his confusion to the lady.

"I have been on these battlefields for a long time, CIA," Farah explained. "I can recognize the eyes of someone who needs a break."

"…"

"She seems to be wiser than she looks." Agreeing to Farah's words, Wilhelm nodded his head, feeling the same concern for the boy, "Subaru-dono can't go on with battles after battles this way."

"Eventually his mental will deteriorate, staying on the battlefield for too long is never good for a soldier." Ricardo sighed, remembering his own early days as a mercenary, "but the lil' boss seems to not give himself a break."

"You guys keep forgetting he's used to it." Al voiced loud for all to hear, "Bro has been trained to tank all that."

"This is not a reason for him to do it anyways…" Rem sighed in frustration, "Subaru-kun needs to take care of himself more…"

"You are hopeless…" Ram shook her head to the black-haired boy on screen.

Subaru just kept silent, as the Arabian woman went to pick up a pillow resting on a chair, dropping it on a couch nearby.

"Just sleep. I will wake you up in 3 hours and we will attack in 4." She nearly ordered, tapping his shoulder before leaving the room.

Now alone, Subaru let his eyes wander all around, from the cracked, damaged walls to the weapons and bullets on the table, to the stockpile of explosives and Molotov.

"Are those…Bottles with tissues inside?" Otto squinted his eyes to be sure of what he was seeing.

"Alcohol? They managed to make a weapon out of this?" Crusch said in a surprised tone.

"Well, I guess they are resourceful?" Anastasia mused out loud.

Nothing but weapons. Nothing but objects of destruction and war.

In a village where civilians and children were living and playing.

They had a playground on one side, just near enough explosives to blow out an entire city in another.

"Fuck me." He grunted between his teeth, taking the pillow in his hand.

"Ooook…He's angry." Al cleared his throat.

"I think he can't help but be frustrated about how wrong this situation is…Children living in a war-torn country…Playing with weapons laying all around…" Otto winced in sadness to the words he spoke, disliking them as much as Subaru would.

"…Indeed," Priscilla whispered behind her fan, closing her eyes as if these words reminded her of something familiar.

"This shouldn't be a thing, to begin with…" Felt grunted, "I'll make sure this never happens when I get the damn throne."

"I believe most of us wouldn't want something akin to this to exist, Felt-sama," Crusch corrected her, wanting to affirm her own beliefs.

"I really doubt it. Up until now, you didn't do anything for people like me and you're a Duchess." Without even turning towards her, Felt spoke her mind, "you guys from high nobility never cared about us."

"This is nothing but a lie!" Crusch retorqued immediately in outrage, "do not believe that our lack of actions means that we do not care about the lower classes!"

"Oh, you can be sure as hell I'll believe it!" Felt turned around a bit, "actions speak louder than words, thoughts and prayers don't do shit!"

While she wanted to reply, Crusch was aware that she had nothing much to say about the little blonde's words. It was true that the high nobility never did anything for the capital's lower classes.

As a Duchess, she had her own domain to take care of. She believed that other matters had to be taken care of by those responsible for it, but she still thought about how something had to be done for the people in general.

This went along with the wish of the Lion king she cherished. To create a rightful and just kingdom of Lugunica.

For now, she had to accept defeat on the fact that nothing was done. But when she shall have the chance…She would certainly do what has to be done and perhaps face the little blonde once more.

Ram could only glance at the blonde candidate arguing with the Duchess, she thought about this specific subject, the nobles helping the people.

This was something that her lord was especially known to do...And with that in mind, Ram couldn't help but feel proud to know that even the Duchess of the Karsten house couldn't reach him.

When he noticed Ram glancing at him from the front row, Roswaal only sighed in frustration, looking away from her.

"Do not look at me like that…" He grunted as he clenched his fist, "I am not what you believe me to be."

But Ram kept smiling.

Lying down on the couch, he put the pillow under his head, sighing heavily as he slowly closed his eyes.

And the screen gradually faded to black, as a voice, a whisper, was heard through the theatre.

"…The duty of a soldier…"

Everyone in the theatre began to look at each other in confusion, some even afraid of what's to come.

"What is happening…?" Otto wondered in a hushed tone.

"Did capn' fall asleep?" Garfiel raised an eyebrow in confusion," and who was that voice…?"

"It seemed familiar of some sort nya…" Felix noticed, moving his ears in curiosity, "Ferri is sure to have heard it once…"

"So it was a voice of someone we saw." Confident in the catboy's earring, Wilhelm narrowed his eyes, "but still, what is the meaning of this?"

"Are we going to wait a few hours before the screen lights up again because big boss bro fell asleep? Well, you talk about an irony…" Mimi yawned as she spoke in a disappointed tone.

"No. I think there is more to come." Julius mused out loud, sure of his words, "this is nothing but a foreshadowing."

Everyone focused their eyes on the screen once more as the greatest knight's thoughts made them focus a bit more on the screen.

"It is obvious that something else will happen," Priscilla narrowed her eyes, "what are you going to show me this time?"

The screen then lit up once more, showing the words flashing on the screen.

5 YEARS AGO.

JAPAN. OKINAWA.

CAMP MCTUREOUS MARINE CORPS.

"What's that?!" Tivey exclaimed, a bit surprised by the words appearing.

"5 years ago?!" Anastasia widened her eyes, "is this…"

"Japan…This is Natsuki Subaru's homeland." Crusch reminded as she watched the screen in surprise.

"So this is Natsuki-kun's past…" the purple merchant princess held a hand on her scarf, eager to see more about the country her idol might be coming from.

"Subaru's…Past?" While she remained silent most of the time, Emilia finally spoke in a hushed tone when she heard her knight's origin is mentioned.

"5 years ago…W-wait, how old is big bro in these viewings?" Felt widened her eyes to the sudden revelation she made to herself, "it was never mentioned, right?"

"It's true…" Petra followed her thoughts, "Subaru-kun looks really similar to ours though."

"Of course not!" Rem replied in an outraged tone, "this Subaru is taller, more built on the level of his upper body, and has the beginning of facial hair on his cheeks and chin!"

Several people just turned their eyes to Rem in surprise and shock to the explanation she gave with such speed.

"How do you-"

"I took care of Subaru-kun's clothing and well-being as his personal caretaker," Rem proudly stated as she cut the blonde candidate's words, "I would recognize my Subaru in the middle of thousand versions of him."

"It's also certainly because she watched him sleep at night," Ricardo whispered to the purple-haired knight at his side, remembering the episode they watched called the memory of snow.

(Watching Him Die Again And Again chapter 8)

"Keep that to yourself, I have a feeling it would be dangerous if it slips out of your mouth," Julius noticed him in an equal silenced tone.

"What would be dangerous, Julius-sama?" Ram questioned with a cold stare.

"N-nothing" Both Ricardo and Julius stuttered in fear.

"I must admit that I did not see the subtle differences that appeared to be so easy for you, Rem-san." Crusch somewhat praised the maid.

"It would be unwelcome of me to not notice them, Crusch-sama. It is my duty to look after Subaru-kun after all." Rem replied in joy.

"I could have noticed too if I wasn't too focused on the events…" Petra pouted as she grabbed the arm of the boy seated next to her.

"So this is how it feels…" She thought to herself, "All of these girls were really so selfish to keep you for themselves all this time…"

"So none of them noticed…Mh." Priscilla widened her eyes in surprise at how simple-minded were the people under her.

"Everyone doesn't have your genius, princess." Al sighed, a bit disappointed about the boy's camp members who didn't realize the oblivious.

"Come on he's way more buff on screen you dumbasses…" He grunted under his helmet.

Within the said camp members, most of them were actually disappointed that they didn't notice the differences as Rem did. But truth be told, most of them were more focused and hooked by the different events that Subaru was facing to ever notice it.

The confusion provoked by such viewing to begin with was a lot to take in. Only does with keen eyes could have realized it right away.

"What kind of liege I am…" Emilia clenched her fists, disappointed in herself for not being more observant of her knight.

The screen started to light up again, showing a military base very much similar to the one they previously saw in the second viewing. However, this time, the area seemed way much more different.

The camera came closer to a line of people, young men, waiting their turn to pass in front of a desk, where an officer in uniform awaited with a paper, a list of names.

The screen focused on one of these men, coming closer, it was the black-haired boy they all knew well.

"Subaru?" Emilia was the first to whisper his name, seeing her knight in the row.

"This one looks closer to ours," Rem explained out loud.

"Mh…I really wonder what's the age gap here." Anastasia thought to herself.

He was wearing a green uniform and cap, along with a big bag that he carried on his shoulder.

"Name?" The officer asked.

"Natsuki Subaru." The boy answered with a disinterested tone.

"Wait…This is…!" Otto exclaimed as he turned around to meet the knights and old warriors.

"I believe it is, Otto-dono," Wilhelm spoke out, "it seems to show us how Subaru-dono entered the army of his world."

"That's a classic recruit presentation similar to ours," comparing the day he registered as a knight and the sight he was seeing, Reinhard mused, "the recruit present themselves and then move to their section's quarters as they wait for orders of commanding officers."

"These were our first days indeed." Julius smiled in nostalgia.

"So this is how Natsuki Subaru became a soldier…?" Crusch mused in a ushed tone, a slight feeling of excitement growing within her.

"Your interest seems to be picked here, Duchess." Noticing the said excitement, Anastasia couldn't help but point it out.

"Don't you think of this as fascinating?" Tapping her fingers on her arms, Crusch voiced her thoughts, "It is evidence that Natsuki Subaru's world is far more advanced than us in many ways. If I must watch these viewings about a world that is not mine, I shall take anything useful that I could take, and the gestion of an army is part of a ruler's duties."

Although remaining silent, Felix and Wilhelm faintly smiled in pride at their leader's ways. It was no doubt that Duchess Karsten was able to take advantage of every opportunity that was presented to her, this was a clear example.

"Or…Ya just wanna see more of Natsuki-kun's early days?" Anastasia laughed haughtily.

"Of course, I shall not deny that." Crusch confidently replied.

"Natsuki…?" The officer thought out loud, raising his eyes to the young man.

"Are you…Ken's son?" He continued with an amused smile.

Subaru nodded his head as he discretely rolled his eyes to the officer.

"I am."

"My! To think that we would have another one like him over here!" He laughed loudly as he signed up a paper. "Your father was really something!"

"Was he," Subaru replied, uninterested.

"For sure! We had some tough people, but Ken? Man, this one was something else. A real example!" He laughed as he seemed lost in his memories.

"I already expect great things from you kiddo!" He finished, handing Subaru a paper.

Behind the young man, several other recruits could be seen scoffing and glaring at him, others whispering to each other and narrowing their eyes to the black-haired boy.

Subaru extended his hand and took the paper, nodding to the officer.

"Thanks."

"Did you notice that?" With an uneasy tone and worried eyes, Felt nudged her knight's shoulder, "big bro's…"

"He was seemed really annoyed…" Reinhard replied to her, his voice showing worry as well.

"It seems like his superiors know about Subaru's father," Julius pondered with a hand on his chin, "could it be…That he is coming from a renowned family?"

"With a father known in the army, and regarding what that guy just said, I'd bet he is." Ricardo mused out loud, "and apparently little boss's father was one hell of a guy."

"His father…" Julius took a moment to think, his mind falling back to a year before when he faced Subaru inside of the royal hall, remembering the tumultuous interaction they had which lead to an event he still regretted to this day.

"You told me that day that we earned our rank thanks to our fathers…" Julius whispered, more to himself than anyone.

"The others behind him didn't seem very pleased with that interaction as well…I do not like this." Frederica sighed.

"They don't look like they would be up to any good," Ram commented, "I do not like this as well."

"Nee-sama?" Rem questioned her sister in worry, taking this opportunity to bring her hand closer to the Subaru next to her, and take it into hers.

"It does feel rather comforting…" Rem whispered, leaning a bit closer to the boy, "Mhmh…This is what Rem needed, after all…"

"Would you all stop squeezing my contractor like he is some kind of toy, I suppose?" Beatrice sighed in frustration.

As Subaru is seen walking away from the line, the screen focused one last time to the men behind him, seemingly upset at the young man.

"Alright, somethin's up!" Garfiel growled as he saw the expressions of the remaining men on the line.

"They clearly have some resent towards Subaru-kyun…" Felix thought out loud.

"But why?! He didn't do anything to them!" Mimi hissed in outrage.

"These men are jealous of the boy because he already holds more importance than them." Fanning herself as she saw right through these pitiful men's schemes, "how pathetic.."

"Is that it? Just because Subaru-kun is known?!" Rem too seemed outraged by this treatment, "they don't' even know him!"

'They don't need to go this far, sister," Ram sighed as she dangerously narrowed her eyes towards these men, "a dog frustrated of his size will bark to anything else slightly taller."

"This was…A pretty good way of explaining it," Al complimented, "basically since bro has already some sort of a reputation, these dudes feel inferior. So they immediately hate him."

"They will simply resent him for something he has no real power over, I suppose," Beatrice clicked her tongue in distaste," my contractor is not responsible for another one's actions."

"But…Now he has expectations he will have to meet…" Reinhard uttered, only for his lady to hear.

Felt immediately looked up to Reinhard as she comforted him as best as she could with a tap on his shoulder. Being the one who knew the sword saint best, she also knew most of his issues and pain.

And the weight of the expectations of the world he had to carry himself was the main thing that crushed his life every day…This is why if there was someone that was able to understand such pain.

It was definitely Reinhard Van Astrea.

"I simply hope that we will not share this same trait…Subaru…" He whispered to himself.

"Section Delta…" He murmured to himself as he walked in front of different barracks, finally stopping in front of that he recognized as the one he needed to enter.

Opening the door, he met with a group of people, all men, each doing an activity on their own. Some rested on their beds, others played a game of cards or checked their weapons.

Of course, when Subaru entered, all eyes turned towards him immediately, something the black-haired recruit couldn't care less, as he ignored everyone and directed towards his personal place without a word spoken.

"Hm…There is something odd here…" Emilia narrowed her eyes, "Subaru seems…very different."

"You mean in another way than physically?" Felt demanded, as she too noticed something off.

"Mhm…He is less…Cheerful." She voiced her thoughts, feeling a pain in her heart, "my Subaru would usually always smile and be happy to meet new people…This one just seems to resent everything."

"That's…True…He didn't even look at the others…" Petra whispered, clenching the arm of the boy, "this is not good…"

"Could it be that we are really facing a different Subaru?" Frederica mused, looking at the grey-haired merchant.

"I doubt it…But it is odd, I agree…" Otto sighed in worry.

"For now, let us keep watching." Crusch concluded for everyone in doubt, "The answer will certainly come at some point."

While not everyone knew Subaru as much as the members of the half-elf's camp's, they all knew him enough to remember him by his cheerful attitude, generally bringing a smile to anyone he would meet.

The positive vibes Subaru would constantly carry with him were one of his many qualities.

And this one…Looked like a total opposite.

"Oi! What's up with you?" Called out one of the men, trying to get his attention.

But Subaru didn't give him what he wanted, as he didn't turn his gaze and kept minding his own business, taking off his coat and checking his locker.

The man who called him frowned in confusion and outrage, glancing to his comrade who scoffed to see him getting ignored.

Clearly upset, a smile of malice slowly formed on his face as he got up from his bed and walked towards the new recruit as he wiped his hands nonchalantly as if getting ready to use them.

"Oh no…Oh no no no…!" Otto widened his eyes as he saw the bad intent in the man's eyes, thinking of the worst.

"Back off…!" Rem growled, grabbing her left chair handle with great force.

"Mh…It seems he brought this on himself." Priscilla sighed, disappointed.

When Subaru heard the man's footsteps getting closer and closer, he heaved a faint sigh of exhaustion…And boredom.

"Guess I can only blame myself for this one." He thought as he turned around to face the man.

"It seems you realized it," the crimson princess leaned a bit closer, "now let's see how you deal with this."

"Oh? Now you're looking at me?" He snorted with a sarcastic voice.

"Well since you decided to come towards me, do I have a choice?" Subaru answered with no apparent expression.

"Indeed you don't." Nodded the man, putting both hands behind his back in a haughty manner. "Now, let's start by the beginning again, should we?"

Subaru turned his eyes away from the man, trying to show how unwilling he was to continue this discussion.

"Listen…I don't mean to be a dick or whatever" He voiced loud enough for the others to hear. "But I'm not here to…Make myself some pals. I just want to be done with the time I have to spend here and go."

"What?" Crusch exclaimed with wide eyes," He doesn't want to be here?"

"That's surprising…But the way he said it is a bit…Unpleasant, I believe." Julius cleared his throat, pondering over his friend's choice of words, "You were never good for first interactions anyways."

"This doesn't sound good, Natsuki-kun," Anastasia sighed, "ya'll only create yarself more troubles."

Blunt with his words, Subaru managed to surprise his interlocutor who narrowed his eyes to him, quickly changing his attitude as he brought his face closer in an attempt to pressure him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He said in a low voice. "You think you can disrespect the flag like that?"

"What?"

"There it goes…!" Ricardo grunted, getting ready for a fight to come off.

"He doesn't seem to be able to avoid problems…" Wilhelm shook his head, "Perhaps doubting him being our Subaru-dono is useless."

"I agree with the old man," Garfiel grimaced dangerously to the screen, "there's only capn' to get involved with the bad guys and havin' to fight 'em!"

"Saying you don't even want to be here, yet you signed the fucking papers. You're disrespecting the fucking flag right now rookie." The man told him, pointing him with his finger as if he accused him or wanted to show this to everyone. "Do you even care? Do you have respect for it?"

Before answering, Subaru glanced at all the others in the room. He saw them all looking at him with contempt, waiting for him to answer.

"First it depends which flag you're talking about." His voice radiating his resentment, the black-haired man narrowed his eyes dangerously, "second, I don't give a damn either way. But if you're talking about yours Yankee, then it's worse."

While the general feeling of the theatre resented the man who tried to pick a fight with Subaru, most of them felt rather disappointed in his answers and the way he was handling things.

They expected a fight to go off, but Subaru answering the man's provocation just gave such a bad image of him, some couldn't help but shake their heads in frustration.

"Why don't you ever learn…?!" Julius grunted with a grimace on his face.

"This was unnecessary, Subaru-sama…" Frederica mused with a frown on her face.

"What do you mean?! This guy's clear goal was to humiliate capn'!" Garfiel retorqued to his sister.

"Maybe but Natsuki-san didn't have to answer in the same way! He should have tried to defuse the situation rather than answering the provocation!" Otto replied to Garfiel, still upset about Subaru's decision.

"You all think he should have just taken the threats and insults in?!" Felt yelled at them, showing how opposite her views were, "Big bro has no reason to do that!"

"The rat is right," the crimson princess announced from her seat, waving her fan elegantly, "the man clearly tried to publicly humiliate the boy in a way to assert some sort of dominance. Him listening to his pride and refusing to bow puts this dirt back in his place."

"Pride isn't worth a fight that could cost his health and wellbeing!" Petra shot back to Priscilla," Maybe this was the right decision in your eyes, but certainly not the wisest!"

His eyes widening in fury, the soldier immediately stepped forward and grabbed Subaru by the collar, only for this one to stay apathetic to it.

"No!"

"Subaru!"

"What you're going to do now? Come on Yankee, this is all I'm waiting for."

"What is he doing?! He's asking for the fight to happen?!" Rem exclaimed as she tried to calm her heartbeat.

"He's pushing this guy to hit him?!" Petra exclaimed in fear," why!? This doesn't make sense!"

"There has to be a reason behind…" Otto wondered as he gripped his chair handles, "I can't believe Natsuki-san would be stupid enough to be hit on purpose…!"

"Maybe because he knows it'll create more problems if he fights back?" Wilhelm voiced his thoughts, narrowing his eyes to the face Subaru was making on-screen.

He was self-assured. He knew what he was doing. This Subaru wasn't acting on impulse or without thinking first…He had something in mind.

"So you believe that…it would just make it worse if he fights back nya?" Felix pointed out for the old man, who nodded his head.

"It is unacceptable in any kind of army to have soldiers wishing to harm each other. If one decides that it is permitted to attack and ally, how trusted can he be when he faces an enemy?"

"So what happens when someone does that…?" Felt questioned, "he gets thrown out or something?"

"Yes. This kind of behavior doesn't hold any place within the ranks of soldiers, Felt-sama," Julius replied as he ran his hand through his hair, greatly disappointed by this soldier's mindset.

"I wonder what kind of selection the armies in this world holds, "Crusch shook her head, clenching her fists in worry for the boy, "there is no way this would have been allowed in the ranks of Lugunica."

"You damn…-"

"Alright, alright, let's stop this farce here." Another man intervened, putting his hand between Subaru and the soldier.

Most of those in the front row breathed out in relief at the sight of someone ending the conflict before it escalated too far

"Oh thank the dragon…" Otto sighed in relief with a hand on his chest, falling in his seat.

"Of course this would happen," Priscilla mused out loud, her eyes focused on Subaru rather than the man who intervened.

She wanted to see his doings, read his intentions…

"Thank you, whoever you are," Reinhard nodded in relief to the intervention.

He was taller than both Subaru and the soldier and was a well-built black man.

"The fuck you're doing Griggs?!" Shouted the soldier.

"I'm doing what I gotta do to avoid getting our asses kicked by a commanding officer or the damn drill sergeant dipshit, now get the fuck back!" He replied, adding enough power behind his words to make the soldier fall back with a growl.

"And you…" He now turned to Subaru, "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but if you're coming in with that mentality you ain't going to last long."

"I do agree there's something off here…Why would someone engage himself in the army if it is to dislike it?" Tivey wondered, looking up to his mistress in confusion.

"I have to agree that Natsuki-kun doesn't make much sense here," the purple-haired queen said as she patted the head of the little demi-human, "I can't see any good reason to join a place you don't like."

"It is indeed strange…Even for someone like Barusu," Ram seriously thought about this, not understand why the black-haired boy would do something so stupid and illogic," No matter what you break my expectations more and more when it comes to reaching new heights of foolishness."

"Perhaps he was forced?" Crusch thought with a hand on her chin and a grimace over the idea, "obliged to join the military…A mandatory service?"

"Mandatory?" Petra repeated in confusion.

"In times of war or crisis, it is common for countries to apply a mandatory military service to its citizen so that anyone can join the fight," Wilhelm explained, remembering his own days in a war, "much of them were never fitted for this and left…"

"So it's possible that Subaru has been brought inside of this mess without even wanting it…?" Emilia whispered in heartbreak, "did…Did he have to live all of this because he had no other choice…?"

"It's…A possibility, Emilia-sama…" Ram silently bit her lip over the thought as well.

"Subaru-kun might be coming from a country in war…" Rem only held his arm tighter," poor Subaru-kun…"

"What do you think, Al?" Priscilla demanded, her eyes still on the screen.

"About the mandatory service stuff?" Al questioned.

"It is obvious by now that you have the same origin as the boy," Closing her fan, Priscilla turned to him with a demanding voice, "is the country he is coming from torn by war?"

"Well…If my memory serves Japan was involved in a world war once but…it was before bro was born." Aldebaran explained, managing to remember bits of a story about allies and axis forces.

"A world war?" Priscilla repeated, intrigued by this term.

"Yeah," Al sighed," one of the bloodiest wars the entire world we come from ever known."

Al cleared his throat a bit before scratching his helmet as he tried to remember these old age answers he had to search back in his memories.

"I'm sorry…Did you say 'world' war…? As in, the entire world in war?!" Ricardo exclaimed in shock, making everyone turn towards Aldebaran and Priscilla with wide eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Crusch demanded, her curiosity taking the edge of her.

"Basically…Think of it like that," Al leaned a bit closer as he found a way to explain, "one day, Vollachia gets sick of Lugunica and decides to declare war upon you. Obviously, Lugunica fights back, but at some point, Gusteko joins Vollachia's cause and they both decide to fight you so they can share the rewards, but then Karargi decides to join the kingdom with an alliance with you because it's in their interest as well."

Everyone listened to Al in awe and fear of such a possibility to ever happen in their worlds. Wilhelm and Roswaal to an extent still remembered how terrible was a civil war in Lugunica alone, having to go on an all-out war against both Vollachia and Gusteko would be nothing short but a nightmare to live for anyone deciding to go and fight.

"You have then two alliances, Vollachia and Gusteko followed by Lugunica and Kararagi, who fight each other until one alliance's win," Al concluded, "this is basically what happened something like…Uh…Well a long time ago in this world."

"So…The entire world's countries were at war against each other…?" Reinhard uttered in sheer fear of such an idea.

"Not necessarily all the countries pal, if that really happened we would have been in there for a ride to the end of the world," Al scoffed to the idea, "but rather the major and greatest ones."

"And what happened to the country of Subaru-kun?" Petra asked the helmeted man.

"Well, Japan was part of the Axis if I remembered correctly so…Yeah, they were the bad guys of the story," Al sighed, "they lost…Rather violently I'd add."

"Subaru's country issued a violent defeat?" Emilia squinted her eyes in confusion at these words, "you mean that there are soldiers out there…Even more competent and stronger than Subaru?"

"…They didn't lose in a conventional way lady," Al shook his head, "they got nuked."

"Nuked?" Julius repeated as he searched in his mind anything that could come in relation to this word, "what does this mean?"

Al sighed once more, as he raised his hand to point the red-haired Sword Saint with his finger.

"Imagine if your friend over here just takes his sword out and wipes out the entire country of vollachia," Al explained in a stern tone, "this is a nuke."

"…What?!" Emilia gasped in shock, her eyes wide at the thoughts of something akin to this happening to a country.

"This is disgusting!" Felt shouted, "war or not, doing something like that is too excessive! What about the innocents?!"

"They call those necessary losses or collateral damages kid," Al leaned back in his seat, "such is the cost of war."

"Even Vollachia wouldn't go to such lengths…" Julius growled in sheer disgust, "this is madness…"

Priscilla only narrowed her eyes to the purple-haired knight, before snorting because of how ironic she thought these words were.

"But…Since they lost, the war ended, right?" Rem questioned the helmeted man.

"As I said, it happened a long time before Bro and I were even born, I doubt he's about to go at war against anyone at the moment, especially since the enemies in question were the United States." Al explained, "the screen told us he was in a marine camp. Marines are from the United States."

"So he is becoming a soldier…In one of his ex-enemies bases?" Crusch mused out loud, thinking of how confusing Subaru's situation was.

"Well after they lost the war, time was to put on terms and peace Duchess," Al replied, "I believe one of these terms was for the United States to have a part of their army stationing here."

"So they can keep an eye on them…" Ram narrowed her eyes, "and hold a possible strategical territory if the need is to intervene near this country."

"You got it, Ram," Al concluded.

Both Ram and Rem glanced at the helmeted one for an instant when they heard him pronounce the pink-haired girl's name. His tone seemed a bit familiar.

For someone from the Priscilla camp, it was strange. Not that Ram even cared, but still an odd behavior.

"Which part of what I said earlier about doing my time and leaving did you not get?" Turning towards his locker with a scoff, Subaru continued to mind his own business.

"I gotta say I'm rather a part of the chill dudes around here, but somehow, looks like you managed to get on my nerves too." Griggs laughed, shaking his head, "What the fuck you're doing here? I don't remember the army becoming a place for the depressed Japs of the country."

"Me neither." Ram snorted.

"Sister! Please avoid taking part in Subaru-kun's berating at the moment!" Rem pleaded, pouting over her big sister.

"You really can't help it can you? Even when it's possibly another Subaru…" Emilia shook her head, a small smile on her lips.

"Barusu will always remain Barusu," Ram shrugged, "holding that name is enough for me to fall into my habits."

"Preposterous, in fact!" Beatrice answered.

"That's all you got in stock? Looks like you'll have to try harder 'Griggs'."

"Eh, at least you said my name instead of 'Yankee' like my buddy over here. Though, now that I think about it, I'm wondering if the problem is not about the nationality."

Hearing the last part seemingly managed to get Subaru's attention, as he turned around with a questionable gaze towards his interlocutor.

The camera changed to show a more focused point with both Subaru and Griggs being face to face.

"Nationality? What did he mean?" Felt looked up to her knight, "Or is it because…"

"Because what, Felt-sama?" Reinhard repeated, curious as to what she meant.

"Big bro is…Well, this guy and big bro they…They are not the same." Felt tried to explain without sounding rude, remembering that one of those she cherished the most in her life was in the same situation as this Griggs person.

"Are you speaking about the color of his skin?" Anastasia giggled with a hand before her mouth.

"I mean this is delicate ya know!" Felt replied, embarrassed.

"Ah well, I don't believe it's any of that," Anastasia shook her head, "I would more believe it to be associated to what the one-armed fella explained us earlier."

"The two countries that were previously enemies…?" Felt mused, turning back to the screen.

"Are you from those guys who think the US shouldn't be around here?" Griggs said as he scouted a bit closer to him to speak in a low voice, "Bud, you should understand at this point that we're just following orders."

Subaru simply narrowed his eyes.

"See? I was right!" Anastasia clapped her hands.

"Well thought, my lady." Julius praised.

"Collecting information has always been my forte, have to be observant and listen whenever you hear something valuable." She explained as she rubbed her scarf in satisfaction of having it right.

"And you lost the war. I'm sorry bro but rules are rules, there's always a victor and loser, and you guys lost. Shouldn't have attacked the boat-"

"You think I can't see the shit you're trying to pull?" Subaru cut him in a stern tone.

"…"

"You want to get a reaction from me. Testing the terrain to see how you'll handle an approach, aren't you Griggs? But as I said before, I don't give a damn. About you, about your damn country, and much less mine. I'm leaving the politics to those who are competent to deal with them." Subaru concluded, leaving Griggs speechless.

"Oh, this was harsh…" Otto tried to muffle his uneasy laugh, "this poor man can't even answer."

"Splendid…He saw right through this man's attention and laid it out before him to see, leaving his opponent speechless…" Priscilla mused with a pleased smile. She seemed oddly satisfied with the boy's short performance.

"Wait, did he just say that he didn't care about his country?" Mimi said in shock, scratching the back of her head, "big boss bro makes no sense!"

"I think it was more in a way to say that…Well, the results of this war was not for him to judge?" Tivey tried to explain.

"Or…He really just doesn't give a shit." Felt shrugged off with a nod, "I can understand him to be honest."

"So, why are you here then?" Griggs questioned one last time.

"The question of the day…" Felix whispered with a nonplussed expression, a bit annoyed by Subaru's weird antics.

"Yeah, would be time to know about that!" Ricardo exclaimed with an upset tone.

Crusch, Wilhelm, Emilia, Otto, and Garfiel all leaned closer to properly hear Subaru's reason…Hoping it would be something capable to explain properly his new behavior, hoping it would give answers about who this Subaru was compared to theirs.

They just hoped for answers.

The camera changed to the inside of the locker, as Subaru closed with the sound of the metallic door echoing inside the theatre.

"Hell if I know."

---

"OH COME ON!" Al and Ricardo shouted.

"Well, that didn't give any answers…" Petra pouted, disappointed to hear Subaru's answer…but yet it didn't feel right.

"The way he said it…The expression he held…" Julius frowned, even more, having a hard time piercing through the mind of the black-haired man on the screen, "what is the meaning of all of this, Subaru?"

"This doesn't make any sense…" Otto fell back in his chair in confusion, holding both his hands on his face, "we aren't going anywhere…"

The scene changed to show all the soldiers of the section standing in front of one another from a few feet, Subaru being the closest to the camera, as a man with a brown hat entered the room.

"Who's this guy?" Mimi grimaced as she saw his face, "he doesn't look good at all…"

"He looks mean," Petra narrowed her eyes, "all of those that we saw until now were somehow bad to Subaru-kun…"

"Another bad guy?" Tivey replied, "ain't that enough already…"

"Mh…I wonder." Wilhelm mused in a hushed tone.

"Soldiers!"

Immediately after his shout, everyone raised their hands on their forehead and stomped the ground to salute.

The man with the hat then began to slowly walk in the space given to him as he spoke loud and clear for everyone to hear.

"I am your drill sergeant and instructor. From here on out, the first and last words that will come out of your stinky mouths will be 'sir'. You will only speak when given permission to, loud and clear, do you all understand!?"

"SIR, YES SIR."

"Oh, so he is their superior?" Crusch realized, "well he is certainly strict with his subordinates."

"It sounds unnecessarily mean…" Emilia commented with a frown, clearly disliking this way of doing things.

"It's not something sincere, Emilia-sama," the Duchess replied to her with a smile, "it is just a way to motivate the troops and somehow train them to remain calm. While this seems extreme, this way of training recruits is fairly present in every army."

"I-I see…" Not so familiar with how the military worked, Emilia only took Crusch's words as a given, "I still wonder how he is motivating anyone this way, though…"

"Soldiers! You are no longer black! Or red! Or yellow! Or white! You are now green! You didn't join the regular army or these lifeguard pussies! You joined the marine! If you survive this place, if you live through it, you will become a weapon! A war machine that takes the blood of his enemies as oxygen! Born to kill, trained to kill, and living for killing! But until then…You are all worthless! You don't even qualify as human beings! Am I understood?!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"Shouting, disgusting, rude…" Al laughed, "yeah that's cliché enough."

"It sounds also brutal…" Anastasia mused, not liking everything she heard.

"Are they adamant to kill the enemy…? This ain't the good way to prepare your men." Ricardo frowned upon these words, "even as a merc I know this."

"I mean…They're soldiers, what else would they be trained to…?" Felt demanded tilting her head in wonder.

"To protect, Felt-sama," Reinhard answered to her, "soldier's first duty is to protect…"

"Not these guys," Al continued, "they are trained to kill."

"This is disheartening then," Julius grunted, "a duty of a soldier is to protect. Now to kill."

"You take it the way you want bright knight, but in this world, conflicts aren't ended with a sword slash at light speed," Al spat, not caring if they didn't understand everything he said," if they aren't prepared for the worse, they aren't going to go far. Marines aren't just soldiers."

"Soldiers, Marines, special forces, CIA…" Tivey rumbled with a sigh, "this all is becoming complicated."

"So Subaru will receive this kind of training…" Emilia clenched her fists, feeling a pain rise in her chest, "then it explains a lot about what we saw…"

The man walks until stopping right in front of Subaru, looking at him with a grumpy face.

"Soldier, what is your name?"

"Sir, Subaru Natsuki, Sir!"

"May I be damned! I inherited the son of Kenichi in my ranks! How old are you son?!"

"His father really seems to be well known…" Reinhard uttered, keeping his eyes on Subaru's expression.

Something was off.

The man kept shouting while keeping a monotone voice and a straight expression.

"Sir, 20 years old, sir!"

"Outstanding! There's only a Natsuki to pass the marine selection at such young age, just like you damn father!"

"20 years old?!" Rem exclaimed, looking back and forth between the screen and her Subaru.

"B-But Subaru just reached 18 years old…" Petra began to breathe heavily, her hands trembling as she clenched Subaru's sleeve" Does…Does this mean…"

"This can't be, I suppose…" Beatrice began to tear up, "please…There has to be a better explanation…"

"20 years old…" Emilia whispered, looking back to the Subaru in front of her.

Just like rem, Petra and Beatrice…She came to the same dreadful possible conclusion that she hated. The conclusion that would doom her future.

But aside from these few members of the Emilia camp, the other seemed to not have understood the reality they now couldn't get out of their minds.

"Only a Natsuki to pass the selection?" Felt repeated in pleasant surprise, "so big bro's father build up his reputation?"

"It seems like something akin to that…But…" Crusch glanced to the black-haired boy in front of her, closing her eyes in thought, "It does not seem…"

As he heard those words, Subaru's expression didn't flinch. His eyes, however, reflected something else.

"Sir, thank you, sir!"

The camera switched to several other soldiers in the room who all harbored a grimace as they heard the drill sergeant, the one that Subaru met earlier, several others, and Griggs, who seemed more surprised than resentful.

"Oh yeah, they definitely didn't like this one…" Otto voiced in worry.

"They can't accept that capn' is the best!" Garfiel spat in disappointment, "what stupidity does to a man."

"…"

"Princess?" Al inquired, "you…Seem like you wanted to say something."

"The boy is resentful towards this man's comparison of him and his father," Priscilla voiced her thoughts, fanning herself as she moved her leg over the other, "I wonder what is the meaning of this…"

The drill sergeant continued on his walk as he glanced to left and right, carrying on his speech that grew to be inaudible for the cast, as the camera kept its focus on Subaru's face, narrowing his eyes and showing a clear distaste.

"Yep, you had it right…" Al cleared his throat, nodding his head to his lady's previous statements.

Priscilla didn't really react to it, knowing her statements couldn't be wrong. Yet…The reason behind such animosity was still unknown to her.

And she decided that it was an answer she had to know.

"Just why is he so…Unhappy?" Rem whined, resting her head to his shoulder, "is it because…"

"There is definitely something that pushes Natsuki Subaru to grow resentful about his situation in the army," Crusch shook her head, "but now the reason of his resentment…"

"There might be really something going on that is crucial information to his situation," Anastasia mused, "You people know him best. Perhaps you could answer this question?"

The targeted camp of people simply stayed silent, looking at each other to know if anyone could respond to the kararagian candidate, but in vain.

"I believe this might be one of the many secrets Subaru-sama kept for himself…" Sadness clear in her voice for the boy, Frederica voiced her thoughts.

"Well everyone has secrets, can't really blame him." Ricardo grunted, "but still this is rather…"

"Frustrating," Emilia replied in a cold tone.

"Yeah…Frustrating.." Ricardo replied once more, a bit weirded out by the elven princess' tone.

Crusch and Wilhelm looked at each other for a moment, both of them understanding that something was going on with Emilia, and both knew that if it came down to it in the worse case, they would be the first ones to intervene.

Even if such a thought truly hurt Crusch who wished to have a close relationship with the elven princess…Truth be told, she wanted to help her out of this darkness she was sinking in, but she knew that it wasn't a task for her to accomplish. Her words simply wouldn't reach her as efficiently as a certain person would.

Somehow, she was persuaded that this moment was coming…And that they just had to wait.

Wait for Subaru to save her.

---

"Come on ladies, what is this?! Do those pushups like real men!"

The scene changed to show the squadron outside, face down as they were doing pushups as the drill sergeant was seen walking near them, shouting and urging them to do more.

"Come on! Come on! One! Two!"

Subaru is seen doing pushups at a decent speed, his eyes showing a man lost in his thoughts, focused on nothing.

"What are they doing?" Priscilla tilted her head, truly confused by such activities.

"They're training princess, push-ups are a classic for army men," Al replied to her, wishing he could still do this.

Priscilla only looked to the screen with a rather surprised expression as she didn't understand the need to try to reach the ground this way, or rather to train in the first place.

"Why would I bother myself with such useless doings anyways…" She sighed.

"Capn' rocks these like he's breathin'" Garfiel roared in awe," I wanna do some!"

"Garfiel…" Frederica held his arm, urging him to sit down, "do not act so reckless now."

"They're all rather struggling…But Barusu isn't showing any issues," Ram commented before clicking her tongue, "the more I am learning about you, the more upset I become, scum."

As she spoke, Ram scouted closer from the back of his head whispering these words to his ear, hoping he would hear them.

"Maybe you should wake up now, so I could properly pass my anger towards you…" She whispered with a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it harder as she couldn't get a response.

Ram swiftly glanced towards her sister, Beatrice, Petra, and Emilia that were around her. All of them held rather…Sorrowful expressions.

They were hurt, they were in pain. Fortunately enough for Ram, what they came to realize was already something she made up her mind about since the beginning of the viewings.

Not that she wanted it, not at all…But she already accepted it as possible.

And yet she couldn't help but feel her own chest agonize by remembering what this sorrow as about.

"Please, Barusu…" She whispered once more, her head too low in the darkness of the theatre for anyone to see her tears, "Wake up…"

She was only met with silence.

The drills sergeant looked pleased with Subaru's performance and then resumed his shouting to the others.

"Come on you damn maggots! Raise that torso correctly!"

"If he keeps acting this way, there will definitely be some conflicts nya!" Felix lamented as he berated the man, "there is clearly favoritism!"

"I agree. This might only make their flame of jealousy grow wider," Julius continued for his friend, "Perhaps this is what will cause Subaru some issues."

"What do you mean…" Rem turned back to the purple-haired knight, "Y-You think Subaru-kun will be in trouble?"

"Rem-san…In each of these viewings, Subaru had to face something…" Crusch responded as she winced in sadness, "I believe this kind of event is only to be expected."

"This is unfair…" She uttered, leaning closer on the arm of her Subaru, "this is really unfair to you…"

At this point, it was fair to say that Rem lost the will to feel angry and growl towards anyone controlling the strings of destiny who inflicted this much to her hero. For now…She was just weakened by the sadness of the revelations crushing her heart.

For now, she only thought about one thing, and it was Subaru's wellbeing.

This was something she was prepared to protect as she would cherish all the time she shall have with him when he will be awake.

She will have to atone for all of her sins…And be sure that Subaru is the happiest in the world.

This was the blue Oni's wordless promise.

---

The scene changes to a shooting range, as all soldiers hold their rifles, an M16, and practice their shooting skills.

The drill sergeant is seen coming really close to a soldier's face, shouting near his ear, as the soldier stands still.

"What is this?! You call that shooting, soldier?!"

"Sir, no sir!"

"Then why the fuck are you still doing it?! Hold that rifle properly and hit the damn target you little shit!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Is such language really necessary?" Anastasia complained as she raised her hand in incomprehension to the man's attitude, "ya think your men will respect ya with that?"

"I think they don't have a choice boss…" Ricardo scoffed, "they're here to be bullied."

"Yeah, I couldn't take that, no way." Mimi nonchalantly replied, happy to be away from such training.

"Of course you wouldn't…" Tivey sighed, even if he somehow agreed with her on that.

"Were your training this…Well I mean, was your superior like that?" Felt asked her knight, who shook his head.

"Captain Marcos was harsh but respectful towards us. He didn't believe in this kind of way to teach, I believe." Reinhard smiled in nostalgia for his early days in the royal guards.

"He was especially towards you, Reinhard!" Felix exclaimed as he shook his head, "You're an Astrea after all nya!"

"Because you ever did any trainin'?" Garfiel glanced to his back with a suspicious gaze, "don' try and make us believe you eve' sweat."

"I am a knight nya! Can you say the same?!" Felix shot back to him, proud of his title.

"Yeah?! I'm the shield of the sanctuary! I protected all of my kin alone while all ya did was to wear yar white uniform to think of yarself as high!" Garfiel shouted at him, being held by his sister.

"Garfiel! It's enough, sit down!" She ordered, slapping the back of his head in anger of his actions.

"Such savagery nya..." Felix fakely whined.

"That kitty boy is getting too much on my nerves…" He growled as he obeyed, "I should kick him real good once…"

"I get that you dislike him for his behavior towards Natsuki-san…But you should control yourself," Otto explained as he put a hand on his shoulder, "what he said had nothing to do with us…"

Garfiel replied by sighing in frustration, looking back at the screen.

Nearby, Griggs is eyeing the sergeant and the soldier, before resuming his own target practice, hitting his target several times with good precision.

A few meters away, Subaru is seen doing the same, hitting the targets with the same precision, if not better, than Griggs.

"That's some fine shooting Natsuki! Ken didn't miss a single shot as well!" The sergeant laughed as he tapped his shoulder, only for Subaru to silently wince in distaste.

"Of course he'd succeed here too," Anastasia laughed as she began to find this amusing, "he's a 'natsuki' after all."

"Mh…A Natsuki…" Julius wondered in a hushed tone, focusing on Subaru's eyes.

"Could it be…" Crusch widened her eyes a bit as she began to pierce things together.

---

The scene changed to the entire squadron running side by side as the drill sergeant is shouting from the side.

"I don't want no teenage queen!"

"I don't want no teenage queen!"

"I just want my M16!"

"I just want my M16!"

"If I die in the combat zone!"

"If I die in the combat zone!"

"Box me up and ship me home!"

"Box me up and ship me home!"

"Pin my medals upon my chest!"

"Pin my medals upon my chest!"

"Tell my mom I've done my best!"

"Tell my mom I've done my best!"

"Come on boys! Keep this cadence!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Isn't it a bit morbid?" Frederica shivered at the lyrics.

"It really is, somehow…" Otto replied, "It's like they are taught that their life doesn't matter that much…"

"Would that fit in the mentality of a soldier?" Petra thought out loud, not letting go of Subaru's arm," Subaru…"

"Alas…" Wilhelm grunted with a grimace.

---

The scene changed to show an immense room with tables and kitchens, as soldiers are seen waiting their turn to be served a plate of food.

While numbers of soldiers are talking with each other around their tables in groups, the camera changed to Subaru, seated alone as he was eating his plate while using his phone in the other hand.

A black-skinned figure is seen coming closer to him from behind, making Subaru slowly raise his head from his phone.

"Yo, can I sit here?"

"No."

"Awesome!"

Ignoring Subaru's answer, Griggs took his seat near the black-haired boy with a chuckle, while Subaru did nothing but sigh tiredly.

"Oh? Something interesting happenin'?" Ricardo leaned closer along with the twins.

"This guy seems to want to be closer to Subaru," Otto sighed with a laugh.

"I think I'd too if I was there!" Garfiel tapped the merchant's shoulder, "don't ya think?"

"Probably…" he answered with a smile," I probably would."

"My man, you need to stop being that resentful towards everything and anything." Griggs laughed as he started to eat, "that's bad for the unit spirit."

"Because you think I care for the un-"

"Alright alright, let's just pretend you don't edge lord. What's the damn point in being so good at what you're doing here?"

Both Ricardo and Al couldn't stop laughing after hearing Griggs's sudden comment. In a way, this word was so good at describing Subaru in that viewing that they couldn't know if it was sad or worth laughing more.

"I-I can't believe this guy…" Al took his helmet a bit off to wipe his tears, "He really said it!"

"Man I should have seen this one coming!" Ricardo replied, holding his stomach.

"The boy's behavior is nothing to be laughed at," Priscilla sternly reprimanded, her voice loud enough for all to hear, "he is performant and reliable, and he does not involve with useless swine. I do not see any wrong in this."

"I mean it's wrong because it's just weird," Ricardo scoffed," he'd believe he's only doing this to give him a genre."

"But he is not," Priscilla replied, looking at the dogman with a pressuring gaze.

It was not that she was defending the boy on screen. Rather, she really thought his behavior to be a satisfactory one.

He was being completely autonomous and thriving without the help of anyone. This attitude was clearly commendable.

"Is it necessary though…" Emilia frowned in pity.

"It's even bad…As this man said, the unit spirit is at stake. Subaru-dono's behavior is not just unnecessary, but also a bad one." Wilhelm sighed with a shake of his head.

"Welp…" Ricardo turned back to the screen, "sorry for having a sense of humor I guess…"

"…"

"We all saw you. You're one of a fucking kind. Even the drill sergeant was impressed, and God only knows how hard it is to impress these dudes."

"What's your point here Griggs?" Subaru answered in a bitter voice.

"My point is that you're a good soldier. Though I see you say that you don't care about shit! You didn't even join the regular army, you're in the marines motherfucker don't tell me you don't care when you picked the hardest course!"

"The marines are the hardest?" Subaru repeated with raised eyebrows.

"Wha-…The fuck does that mean?!"

"Ah, he seems a bit hurt by this one!" Felt laughed along with Garfiel and Otto.

"Natsuki-san clearly knew what he was doing right now, this is clear as the day!" Otto cheerfully added, happy to see that Subaru wasn't all dark in this viewing.

"I…Don't think I got it?" Emilia whispered to Ram next to her, hoping that the maid would enlighten her.

"This man believes this course to be difficult as he struggles for it while Subaru is effortlessly overcoming it, Emilia-sama," Snorting to the black-haired boy, Ram continued," it seems like he was outraged by this statement. At least Barusu is good a something."

"Ram…" Emilia sighed in disappointment at her behavior…But smiled due to how nostalgic it felt.

This reminded her of the days in the manor…Something she only wished to have back right now.

Or anywhere else.

Anywhere else than this theatre. Where she could be with her knight, and her friends…Just living, and forgetting about all of this.

The smile of Emilia was about hope and a dream that she knew would never happen.

For the first time in a while, Griggs's outraged tone managed to earn a smile from the black-haired man, who laughed along with his comrade for the very first time.

This managed to make Griggs sigh in relief.

"Ain't that hard in the end, see?"

"Looks like he's as reassured as us," Felt nodded at him, "this guy's a good guy!"

"I believe that he holds good intentions as well, his first introduction tells as much." Reinhard voiced his own thoughts, remembering how Griggs stopped the first fight that could have happened.

"I don't know what to answer Griggs," Subaru sighed as he continued to eat, "I really had no specific goal when I joined."

"You have one now?"

"Nope."

"It's good to see him like that…" Petra murmured in relief, leaning in Subaru's warmth, "It's good to see him…"

"Natural, I suppose." Beatrice finished for her, "He's acting like always here…"

"It just shows that our Subaru is still somewhere near this one." Rem laughed gently, caressing the boy's arm.

"I have to agree that so far this viewing feels more relaxing than the ones we have been used to see until now," Crusch explained her relief, smiling to the interaction, "this is not half bad…"

"I mean…Still wanted to see the fight though," Mimi replied.

"Me too lil' one," Ricardo patter her head, "but you'll just look stupid if you say that so, avoid."

Mimi only pouted.

"I gotta say I'm still confused…Is it for the challenge then? To prove something to someone?"

"Maybe...I really can't tell."

"Oh got it. Yeah I think I understand now."

"Mh?" Subaru turned to him in curiosity.

"That's some kind of a spiritual journey? Like you needed answers about your life, where it was headed, what was the meaning…So you enlisted in the hope to obtain them in the end?"

"…"

"…"

"…What?" Otto uttered in confusion.

"Okay this guy's weird, I take back what I said," Felt said with a deadpanned face.

"What kind of bullshit is that…?" Subaru answered with wide eyes, trying to understand what Griggs meant.

"Welp, at least I tried."

"Ahahahah!" Al laughed once more, "Even bro was just staring wondering what the heck he heard!"

Crusch tried to hide her laughter behind her fist, feeling thankful for this interaction to bring more ease to the theatre.

"Oh, Subaru…" Emilia whispered with a smile of her own.

Griggs then continued to eat his plate, as Subaru glanced at him from the side wondering if he would go away.

He ultimately sighed with a slight shake of his head, turning his eyes back to his phone.

"So…Friend acquired?" Otto laughed alongside Garfiel, "Is this what this scene meant?"

"I think it gotta be something like that now yeah," Garfiel replied in joy," this is clearly something that could work with capn'"

"He always seems to gain friends with the most unusual ways possible…" Emilia warmly whispered as Ram nodded her head to this statement.

"Barusu naturally attracts people holding the same personality of a misfit as him," she snorted with a proud smile, "but at least…Generally, these people are good-natured."

"Aren't you one of his friends too?" Felix questioned in suspicion.

"And I have a good nature." Ram nodded with a smug, discretely passing her fingers in Subaru's hair.

---

The scene changed to show multiple images of the squadron training in an obstacle run as the drill sergeant is beside them.

"Come on! Come on! Faster soldier! Make each step count!" The Sergeant is shouting, as he watches his squadron making runs and sprints.

"You're falling behind Yankee," Subaru said in a disinterested tone, eyeing at Griggs who was hardly keeping up.

"S…Shut up! What the hell is up with you?! You have three lungs or something…?!" He said between heavy breathing.

"I didn't wait to enlist to start training." He simply answered.

"Fuck me…!" Griggs spat.

"It seems pretty draining…" Julius said with wide-opened eyes, "but he seems to hold up…"

"This is pretty different from a knight's training…" Crusch mused with a hand on her chin.

"I believe the way they fight demands for another type of training, Crusch-sama." Wilhelm mused as he observed.

"It seems fun!" Felt cheerfully exclaimed, "Man I'd beat them all if I was there! Going as fast as the wind!"

"I'm sure you would, my lady." Reinhard smiled.

"If I was there you would just eat the dust!" Garfiel retorqued, pointing himself with his finger.

"Yeah?! You wanna see that from yourself?!" Felt replied with a wide smile of self-assurance to the tiger boy.

"Anytime ya want!"

"Just you wait from being out of here then!" Felt laughed, "You won't even see my shadow!"

"Bet!"

Most of the people in the front row laughed to the childish, yet heartwarming banter between both Garfiel and Felt.

Emilia somehow felt like resting her mind a bit more…The atmosphere slowly becoming more and more relaxed…

Perhaps this viewing was shown for this? For everyone to have a little break and insight into Subaru's life?

Well, she didn't hate it as much as she thought for now.

---

The scene changes to show all of the squadron jumping in a large pool of water, as they have to reach the other side.

"Come on! Marines must fight everywhere! Come on!" the drill sergeant shouted.

Yet again, Subaru was near the top of the group, swimming flawlessly to the other side.

Arriving at the end, he got out of the pool and looked back, giving a hand to Griggs who was not far behind him.

"And what?! You were a mermaid or something in your childhood?!" He commented as he grabbed his hand.

"Hey, you kept up this time," Subaru replied with a smile.

"Because I did natation all my fucking life! Man, I was supposed to hand your ass to you this time! What's the damn deal with you Natsuki?!"

"They are training in the water?!" Ricardo exclaimed in shock.

"It seems they plan to be as versatile as possible," Wilhelm praised in great surprise, "Marines must fight everywhere…"

"I guess this is really the hardest course…" Garfiel uttered in awe, stars in his eyes, "I wanna do it so bad!"

"I wonder how good you'd do in water," Felt said as she nudged her knight's shoulder, "you never trained in it, right?"

"Indeed. I believe I wouldn't do much good." Reinhard shook his head as if to admit defeat.

"No, you wouldn't," Julius grunted in frustration, even jealousy.

"Yeah, you wouldn't," Felix repeated.

"Can't even deny them." Felt shrugged, as Reinhard held an uneasy face of how everyone seemed to overestimate him.

---

The scene changed to show the squadron climbing up a wall with their equipment and weapons.

Subaru was climbing the wall at a decent speed with agile hands, jumping from a rock to another like each of his fingers was a hook catching the rock.

Glancing under him, he could see Griggs having a hard time reaching the next position, seemingly too exhausted from his last exercises, much like the rest of the squadron.

Only a few managed to still be up for this one last training session, and Subaru was one of them.

"Go! Go soldiers, reach the top! There's your rest there, there's your breather! But you ain't getting any break if you don't reach it!" The drill sergeant shouted, urging the men to climb up.

Hearing him, Subaru turned his eyes up and continued to climb.

"Hey…Hey, what?" Petra exclaimed, "No! You wanted to help him!"

"It seems like he's more focused on himself." Ram thought out loud, narrowing her eyes as she leaned on Subaru's chair, "this isn't you."

"Ram...?" Emilia turned to her, feeling her heart skip a beat at her words.

"I cannot see Barusu turning his back to someone in need, Emilia-sama," Ram voiced her thoughts, poking the boy's head, "even if it's ordered. He isn't like that."

"…"

"So…Perhaps this is…"

"Ah…Fuck…" Griggs cursed, the tip of his fingers touching the ledge of the rock he had to grab, "Come on…!"

And just before he was about to lose balance and give up to reposition himself down, a hand extended from above grabbed his, pulling him up to grab the ledge.

Looking up to see his benefactor, Griggs saw the black-haired man nod at him wordlessly, before continuing to climb up, showing the way to Griggs.

"Thanks, bud…" He chuckled as he shook his head, "See you can have some unit spirit when you want to…"

"Mhm," Ram hummed in satisfaction as she caressed his hair, "this is better."

"I guess it is…" Emilia smiled.

Somehow, while she wished for them to be different…She quickly shifted her thinking when she saw Subaru helping Griggs. This was more like him…This was even reassuring.

"There we go!" Petra cooed as she hugged Subaru, "I knew you wouldn't leave him!"

"Rem's hero is too kind…" The blue-haired maid sighed with a warm smile on her face, looking up to him, "aren't you?"

"Hesitating that Betty's Subaru would do an act of kindness when he can, I wonder if you really know him, in fact!" Beatrice exclaimed from her seat.

"Dunno what kind of hesitation ya're talkin' about, I knew it all along!" Garfiel waved off.

"Indeed, please do not underestimate us, Beatrice-sama." Otto spoke out, smiling in proud of knowing his friend more than anyone could.

"I believe very few people would have doubted him to act this way," Crusch spoke out, a bit upset that they would claim her to not be observant enough of the boy, or rather for them to know more about him than her.

"Very few indeed," Priscilla uttered as she fanned herself.

When the training was over and all the marines took a break, Griggs walked up to the black-haired boy, drinking from a bottle of water.

"Hey Natsuki, thanks for the help earlier," Griggs said between heavy breathing, "feel like I would still be down there without you."

"Don't mention it." Subaru simply answered, getting up as he put his bottle on his belt.

"He's pretty humble," Julius smiled as he looked down the Subaru in front of him, "you should take notes."

"I know right?!" Otto whimpered, making all the members of his camp laugh in remembrance of their banter.

"Nah man, I think I need to mention that," he laughed, "you just couldn't bear to see your best friend over here struggling so you had to help!"

"Best friend?" Subaru scoffed as he raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you're going too fast!" Garfiel growled in jealousy.

"Step back on the line." Otto shrugged, pointing towards Julius.

"I would remind you that I became his friend first, merchant," Julius answered with a deadpanned face, "you should step back on the line."

"Ah sorry, maybe I went ahead of myself too much," Griggs replied as he looked around him," after all the competition is pretty fierce!"

Subaru just chuckled as he shook his head.

"I mean there's that bush over here…The grass…Oh the rocks too, damn can't forget about them almost lost to one just now." Griggs continued as he laughed along with the Japanese marine.

"Oh fuck off." Subaru waved off as he walked towards the barracks followed by his 'friend' who kept laughing.

The theatre was quickly filled with laughter from all corners. Even Priscilla managed to giggle a bit over this little interaction.

"And now they became friends like it's official." Otto laughed, even if he was a bit saddened to see his friend away from him, at least he had other friends to rely on.

"Yep!" Garfiel replied.

"Mhm, this is good," Emilia acknowledged," you shouldn't be alone."

---

The scene changed to show nighttime where Subaru and Griggs were seated around a table with other soldiers, all speaking of everything and anything to simply pass time before the curfew.

"And what happened after?" One of the men asked with a laugh.

"What do you think happened after? It's Texas buddy, the guy got shot before he even understood what was happening to him!"

When most of them began to laugh, Subaru glanced at Griggs to his side who simply chuckled at the story.

He quickly noticed that Subaru wasn't laughing at all, and wordlessly apologized for the story that could truly seem special for anyone else than an American to hear.

"Seems like it wasn't funny for everyone nya," not liking the end of the story he heard, Felix couldn't help but scoff at how pitiful he found him to be.

"I really want to question these guys' sense of humor," Ricardo clicked his tongue, "but I guess it's about cultural preferences."

"Or they're just assholes," Mimi replied.

"That too."

"Hey, what's up with you Nagasaki?" One of them commented, directing towards Subaru.

"It's Natsuki." He corrected the man.

"Pretty sure that's what I said."

"And I'm sure it wasn't."

Glancing back and forth between Subaru and the other marine, several people could feel that something wasn't right.

"You…" Rem dangerously glared at the screen, wishing she could appear in there and punch this man in the face.

"Now this one's really looking for trouble ain't he?" Anastasia spat in disappointment, "what a fool."

"I don't think there's anyone against big bro shutting his mouth in now at least!" Felt exclaimed with a malicious smile, "he ain't going to take this! I can feel it, he's going to regret it!"

"It still wouldn't be a good idea," Otto grunted in worry, "remember what Wilhelm-san said about such behavior in an army…Natsuki-san could be in trouble."

"Let us see how he deals with it then," Priscilla advised, more to force them to remain silent than anything so she could see this situation unfold.

Chuckling haughtily, the man went a bit forward with a malicious smile on his face, staring right into the eyes of Subaru.

"Man, I really can't stomach you sometimes. Either you can't take a joke, or you always have to act like this…Like you're all superior…All tough…While you are in a US Marine camp."

Subaru simply narrowed his eyes.

"I know you gotta feel reeeaaally high knowing that the drill sergeant thinks great of you…Thanks do daddy uh? Is that Ken that amazing that we only hear about him when you're around?"

"Well, this feels familiar nya…" Felix widened his eyes as he looked to Julius, this scene making them remember the fiasco in the capital.

"It does…" Julius hardened his eyes, gripping his chair handles.

"He's taunting him…Mh," Ram clicked her tongue, "this will not end well."

"He was competent enough to be remembered in a US marine camp, it seems. It can't be said for everyone. And certainly not for morons who think nationality matters in an army."

"Did you just insult me Jap…?"

"And of course, it is the only thing you kept in mind from what I said." Subaru shook his head, "Is this what you were waiting for?"

"Oh you talk about a bitch," Al snorted.

"What a lowly dog," Priscilla glared dangerously, "I believe he will be put back in his place."

"I hope, bro doesn't look like he'll take it here," Aldebaran began to laugh in expectation, "let's see how he'll beat the shit out of him."

"He clearly just wished to fight with Subaru-dono," Crusch spoke with a threatening tone, "this man reeks an animosity directed towards him."

"But Subaru-kun didn't do anything to him!" Petra retorqued, "this is just evil!"

"Sometimes people are just evil, little one," Wilhelm grunted with a grimace.

"Damn right." He got up with a grin, taking off his shirt.

"Hey hey hey there's no need to do that!" Griggs yelled, going in between them.

"Subaru, come on man…" He pleaded to him, "let me handle this…"

Subaru simply nodded his head to Griggs, keeping an eye on the man.

"Griggs at the rescue!" Petra sighed in relief, "Thank you…"

"Ah, well ain't that bad if things end up like this I guess." Aldebaran nodded his head.

"He's really a good man…" Emilia whispered, smiling at Subaru for having such a good friend.

Thankfully nodding to him, Griggs stepped upfront.

"What the fuck are you trying to start Allen!?"

"Don't get involved Griggs! It's between Samurai Jack and me!"

"Samu-What?" Tivey repeated in confusion.

"This is an insult?" Mimi scoffed, "It sounds crap."

"I believe only them can understand it." Ricardo nodded his head.

"See this right there?" He said in a low voice to the man, "This is because of dickheads like you that the locals hate our guts…"

"The locals got their ass nuked and are lucky we didn't eradicate the shit out of them in the first place. Last thing they got the right to do would be to act all cocky like this one."

"So he thinks the 'nuke' was favorable…" Felix whispered with wide eyes, "he is truly a scum nya…"

"Yeah no doubts, this guy deserves to have his jaw getting kicked in!" Felt exclaimed with a heated glare, "I ain't against a pacifist way of doing things but sometimes people need a good beating."

"No."

Every eye turned towards Julius.

"Such a belief is what leads to an action with which I still hold deep regrets, Felt-sama," Julius explained as he closed his eyes," there is always another way. Acting on impulse and the heat of the moment…Can have great consequences."

"…"

"Not bad, Julius-kun," Anastasia smiled at her knight," not bad at all…"

"I guess one really learns from his mistakes," Ram acknowledged with a nod, "this is a good thing."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me…" Griggs growled, "so this is how it goes with you? You think Sheperd will want an asshat to join his ranks?"

"General Sheperd wants dedicated American soldiers, not disrespectful fucks from these wannabes of an empire of the rising sun." Allen snarled as he kept his stare to Subaru.

"You got nothing close to a soldier right now though, the only thing that comes off of you is a dickhead too full of himself." Griggs pointed out, " back up and avoid making your case even worse than it is."

"I'm tired of your sermons…" Allen growled, "Either you step aside or you're going to suffer the same shit."

"You little-"

"Griggs!" Subaru intervened, walking forward.

Everyone leaned forward, at the edge of their seats.

"Is it about to start…?" Crusch narrowed her eyes, tapping her foot in anxiety.

"It's about to go down…" Otto whispered, watching the scene attentively.

"Go, big bro…" Felt nodded her head, "come on…"

Both Griggs and Allen looked at Subaru coming closer to them.

"It's alright, let it go…" He told his friend, before turning to Allen, "I'm sorry. This is not the impression I wanted to give, nor disrespect you in any way."

"Capn'…"

"Subaru…"

"Subaru-kun…"

"…You did well…" Julius nodded his head with a smile, "you…Did really well."

Everyone just looked at Subaru, as he bowed his head in front of the man in a sign of apology.

Griggs was surprised but sighed in relief to his friend swallowing his pride to avoid a conflict, while the man narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, it's alright," Allen said, presenting his hand with an open palm for Subaru to shake.

"…!"

"Princess-"

Subaru raised his hand to take it…Until Allen swiftly made his palm into a fist, and punched Subaru right in the face.

"SUBARU!" Griggs immediately tried to help him, as everyone else just stared at them from the side.

Everyone in the theatre gasped in fear of the sudden punch, glaring in anger towards Allen with such murderous intent, it could have nearly reached the man behind the screen.

"OH, YOU FUCKING!" Garfiel jumped off his seat with a roar.

"He gave you a chance," Julius grunted in disgust, clenching his fists, "you don't deserve any other."

"you damn bitch!" Felt exclaimed in fury, "I'll rip your head off!"

"The parlay is over," with a commanding tone, Crusch growled, "negotiations shall now take a more martial turn."

"You seem a bit excited," Emilia demanded to the Duchess, her amethyst eyes burning in wrath.

"I am," Crusch replied.

However, Subaru pushed Griggs back, touching the place where he was hit with his fingers.

"What now?! Come on pussy that's all you got?!" He laughed.

"He is not making his case any better." Reinhard shook his head before such stubbornness.

"He's too full of himself," Wilhelm spoke in distaste, "he will now pay for his mistakes."

With a glare, he approached his hand to her mouth before delicately running his fingers over his lower lip, and seeing them stained with a few drops of blood.

He then looked up at Allen and stepped closer to him.

"Soldiers!"

Everyone immediately lined up on either side of the room, Subaru and his opponent still face to face.

"WHAT?!" Garfiel and Felt both yelled in unison, seeing everyone disperse.

"His fate by his side?! What the hell!" Ricardo grunted with his hand raised towards the screen, "he's going to get away with that!"

"Boooooo!"

"Damn scum!"

"Well that's disappointing, ain't it princess?" seemingly upset about the situation, Al tapped the handle of his chair with his finger in frustration.

"One who indulges itself in such resentful behavior will only know a greater pain when his time will come," fanning herself with a cold stare to the screen, she abruptly closed her fan, "patience, Al. His punishment is coming, and it shall take a form far more important than we think."

"What's going on here huh?" He asks in a suspicious voice, walking slowly to inspect each marine, "I heard a lot of mayhem, and seen how you were positioned…"

However, the sergeant stopped questioning when he got to Subaru's level, noticing the bloodstains on his lip and his cheek having the mark of a sudden.

Following the young boy with his gaze, he turned to face the opponent, keeping his head held high to avoid contact.

"I see," he sighed, stepping closer to Subaru, "having trouble fitting in? Yeah, Ken had this concern too ..."

"Why is he constantly comparing Subaru-kun to his father?!" Petra pointed in outrage, "this is becoming upsetting!"

"…This is…" Julius widened his eyes.

"Julius-kun?" noticing her knight's whisper, Anastasia turned towards him with a raised eyebrow.

"Was it…Because of that…?" He looked down, his memories flashing before him.

"What you are talking about nya!" Felix yelled in frustration, only for Julius to stay silent.

"Did you see something that we did not?" Crusch asked, wanting to know more about his thoughts…But Julius simply didn't seem like he was willing to speak at the moment.

He was too lost in his thoughts. With a face that didn't inspire to any good.

It's like he had just made a shivering revelation.

He nodded before clearing his throat, considering what to say.

"We'll take care of it," he whispered, in a serious and sorry tone, "but you have to do something for me."

puzzled, Subaru turned his gaze to the sergeant.

"No retaliation." He concludes, in a firm manner, like an order.

"You expect me to simply brush this off?" Subaru replied with narrowed eyes.

"He clearly ain't scared of shit in these viewings!" Felt smiled wide.

"This is how he should be." Priscilla nodded in acknowledgment.

"That's my capn'!"

"There is not much you can do about this one, he is one of the few selected Sheperd to follow several pieces of training," he sighed, visibly disappointed to not be able to do more for the young black-haired man, " I'll do what I have to do…But you can't touch him."

"Oh, what?!" Petra watched slack-jawed, "He can't touch him?!"

"It seems he's some sort of a favorite of a higher up," Wilhelm sighed before this injustice, "of a general."

"So he has the right to do all he wants because he's a higher class's favorite?" Felt snorted with a heated glare, "ain't much different from our world in the end."

Subaru stared at his boss for a moment, without saying a word, before nodding and warning again.

"Ok ladies, now all in bed! I want you all ready tomorrow morning at dawn! Come on!"

The last thing Subaru saw as the drill sergeant left, was the grinning face of the man satisfied to not have been called out.

Most of the Emilia camp just glared at the man, wishing nothing but his demise.

"This smile…This damn smile…!" Rem growled dangerously, like an animal.

"Rem, please calm down," Ram tried to soothe her sister, even though her own mind was filled with nothing but disgust for Allen, "he is seemingly not worth this much attention from you."

"Thiis is disgusting." Al spat with an angered tone.

"Hmpf," Priscilla didn't comment much, waiting for her words to hold their truth once more.

---

The scene changed to show the squadron in front of the drill sergeant, as this one stood before the doors of what looked like a maze, or rather, a course. With targets showing enemies and civilians, along with directions to take.

"Soldiers! Welcome to the pit!" He shouted, walking in front of them, "this right there, will show me what you got!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"A new trial?" Felix asked as he twitched his ears in curiosity.

"This one seems to hold more importance…" Reinhard noticed at the sergeant's words, "the pit?"

"If you want my guess, it sounds a lot like a passage ritual, ya know." Ricardo mused.

"Now that you say it…" Anastasia rubbed her scarf, "well…I do hope this is nothing dangerous…It would be rather counterproductive to threaten the lives of new recruits."

"Behind me, stands a table with equipment, rifles, pistols, grenades, tactical. I want you all to make your choice, and hop into the course! The goal is simple, you run in and you take down all of the targets as fast as possible!"

"Sounds a bit too simple, Capn' would win too easily." Garfiel shrugged.

"I'm sure there's more to it," Frederica thought out loud, "we have already seen them doing shooting practice…This would be too similar."

The whole squadron stood listening.

"However, you all should hold your horses before thinking it's that easy! There's civilians targets in there, and a proper path to take! If you hit a civilian, you're fucking out! I will not tolerate this kind of mistake in my platoon! If you have to take more time thinking, then think! But no bullets out of your guns shall touch a civilian, you got me?!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good! Remember the keywords here gentlemen! You strike fast, and you strike good! Precision, swiftness, and speed!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"So they do care about civilians in the end?" Felt snorted before the irony, "the same guys who 'nuked' civilians?"

"Maybe they have learned of their own mistakes and decided to not treat human lives so lightly…" Reinhard replied to his lady, noticing the irony behind these words.

"I doubt it, they are initially trained to only attack the enemy pal," Al explained, "but once they're on the battlefield, rules don't apply anymore. It's a "me or them" kind of situation, and they would rather shoot 5 civilians to kill 1 enemy rather than shooting no one and getting killed."

"This is a lost cowardly behavior!" Julius replied as he punched his handle, "what kind of soldier disregards an innocent life this way?!"

"There are no rules in war contrary of what you believe bright knight," Al replied in an uncaring tone, "I told you. No one's a good guy here. They're all scum."

"And big bro is in the middle of it…" not hiding her disgust, Felt mused, "They all act all mighty while killing innocents without any care…And they are allowed to do so?!"

"Most of the time it's watered down as collateral casualties, " Al explained once more, "blame the US kid. Not me."

"Truly a bunch of cowards no matter the side." Shaking her head in disappointment, and in worry for Subaru's position, Crusch raised her eyes to the screen," I hope you do not fall into the same habits…Please don't…"

"If he's my Subaru…" Emilia whispered in response to the Duchess, nodding her head, "he won't. Not now…Not ever."

Several members of the squadron went forward and began to enter the course one by one. In the meanwhile, the drill sergeant went toward Subaru.

"Now we're going to see how much you inherited of Ken," he laughed as he gazed towards the course, "in the old days, he was the one to beat the record in the course."

"..." Julius just kept watching as he slowed clenched his fist.

Not far from him, Crusch glanced at the purple-haired knight and the boy before him, keeping her eyes on his, and noticing how they changed everytime his father was mentioned.

"It is because of him..." She realized, whispering more to herself than anyone.

Subaru's eyes widened as he heard the sergeant.

"My father made this course…?" He repeated in a hushed tone, "What was his time?"

"His father is really everywhere," Anastasia commented in boredom, "who is he in the end? A god?"

"He's constantly compared to his father, constantly reminded of his greatness…" Julius whispered with wide eyes, "he is only known as his son…"

"Julius?" Emilia inquired as she heard his whisper, "what do you mean?"

"I…Think that you will understand as you watch this, Emilia-sama…" Julius shook his head, "but I believe the day in the royal capital has more meaning than just a rude child insulting knighthood."

"This is not funny anymore, you know…" Emilia told him with saddened eyes.

"I apologize, Emilia-sama," Julius avoided her gaze," but I believe you should see this for yourself…"

Hearing the conversation, Crusch only nodded her head in acknowledgment of the spirit knight's words.

"O..kay? This is curious," Otto commented, surprised by Subaru's reaction, "he seems pretty interested in his father's score…"

"He didn't know it before coming?" Garfiel questioned," uh, weird."

"Maybe his father didn't tell him for a reason?" Petra replied with another question, trying to think of a reason.

"Uh?"

"The record. How long did he take to complete the course?" He inquired to the sergeant.

"…He took 19 seconds to make a flawless run." Feeling a bit pressured by Subaru's tone, the sergeant cleared his throat with a questionable gaze towards the young man.

"19 seconds…" He whispered, narrowing his eyes to the guns on the table.

The scene showed Griggs glancing at Subaru from the side.

"Uh, he's not happy is he?"

"He really isn't! What the hell is happening?!" Ricardo began to lose patience before all of this confusion, "come on man!"

"If you could shut your mouth and watch, perhaps he would be able to think?" Priscilla voiced loud from her seat, having enough of the dogman's complaints.

"Tch, yeah yeah." Ricardo turned around, not wanting to start any fight with this woman.

"What is happening to you, Barsusu," Ram wondered, looking at the sleeping boy, "what is it that gives you such an urge to fight?"

"Subaru-kun…" positioning herself to watch better, Rem took a confident expression, "Rem will cheer for you…You can do it!"

"I get it…!" Felt exclaimed, "He wants to beat the record!"

All eyes turned towards the little blonde.

"19 seconds! He wants to beat that!" Felt pointed it," the reason he's so focused is that he's aiming for this!"

"But…What would that bring?" Emilia questioned, a hand on her chest."

"I believe this is what we are about to find out, Emilia-sama," Crusch replied, ready to see how Subaru was about to perform.

After several men passed the selections, it was Subaru's turn to go forward and make the course. Carefully taking his weapons, which was an M4A1 with a 20 rounds mag. He put the selector on semi-automatic, took a standard-issue 1911, and presented himself to the gates.

"Why didn't he take a 30 round mag? He's handicapping himself…" One of the marines whispered, "there are 28 targets!"

"That guy's dumb." Allen scoffed.

"Oh, you motherfucker better shut it!" Felt punched her chair handle, "why do you exist?! Argggh!"

"I'm betting all of Otto's purse that Capn' will fuck up this guy's score by a large margin!"

"Yes! Natsuki-san wi- WHAT?!" Otto exclaimed in shock to the tiger boy.

"You ain't taking it back!" Mimi shouted from across the room.

"Oh my…" Frederica giggled before Otto's worried face, pale as piece of paper.

"N-Natsuki-san! You better win this! Go! Gooooo!" He shouted in cheer, for his friend, and for his purse.

"As he'd lose," Petra shook her head, "this is why you're easily bullied, Otto-sama."

The scene changed to show a man up the course, watching from above the young black-haired boy take place.

The camera didn't go up enough to show his face.

"Who's that?" Garfiel narrowed his eyes.

"I don't know, but the fact that he cannot see his face certainly means that he holds a certain importance," Crusch voiced her thoughts, grasping the way these viewing worked bit by bit.

Several people agreed with her theory and came back to focusing on Subaru.

"Marine, get ready!" The man at the interphone yelled, "Natsuki Subaru, section Delta, Batallion 7!"

The scene came back to Subaru as he slowly pulled the charging handle to check the bullet, as the red light turned orange.

The camera focused on his eyes, as he narrowed them slowly, observing what he saw behind the gates.

Everyone leaned a bit forward to see the course from up close, eyes staring at Subaru

And green.

"GO! GO! GO!"

In a split of a second, Subaru entered the course and aimed his rifle, taking down the 5 first targets one after the other who appeared behind the sandbags situated in line at the front of the gates with a bullet each, his eyes immediately following to the next sector he had to reach.

"Sector clear! Enter the building!"

"What the…" A marine outside watched slack jaw, as several people stood confused in what they just saw.

"Go damn Natsuki…" Griggs whispered.

"W-wha…" Felix squinted his eyes, looking at Julius, "what just happened?!"

Julius just kept staring at the screen, unable to close his mouth to the sheer speed with which Subaru took down the targets.

"Guess he's as shocked as us…" Felt commented with an impressed expression.

"So this test consists of seeing one's ability to react," Crusch mused as she leaned a bit forward, "reflexes, eyesight, speed…Mh…"

"This is really a passage ritual eh," Ricardo chuckled, "and lil' boss is rocking!"

The screen changed to show Subaru entering the house, as several targets lifted up, a total of 7, 3 being civilians.

Taking a single glance to analyze the room, Subaru continued to advance as he shot the enemies once more with terrific precision, his hands moving his rifle as if he already did the run multiple times before like he knew each enemy's position.

"This is unreal!" Al yelled," he can see 1 second in the future, what's the damn deal?!"

"Such accuracy is indeed fearsome…" Wilhelm mused, "but I believe that Subaru-dono already made us used to much more fearsome and impressive abilities."

"Tight sector, switch to handgun!" The man yelled.

Approaching the stairs, Subaru switched for his pistol and knife positioned under his right wrist, going up with warry steps, until a target suddenly erupted from the side, only for Subaru to stab it right on sight.

Immediately as the target fell, he stepped on the open balcony and shot each one of the 6 targets as they went up from the ground, avoiding the civilians that showed up in between, before running to the edge as he switched back to his rifle.

"O..k no use into being impressed anymore Natsuki-san, just beat it! Come on!" Otto shouted to the Subaru on screen.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Felt cheered as well!"

"Sector clear! Down the under level!"

"What the hell is this?! He's cheating?!" Allen yelled, eyes wide to Subaru's performance.

The drill sergeant looked back and forth with a slack jaw to the images of Subaru running the course and the time code on the side, showing 13 seconds.

"He's gonna do it…!" He grunted, breathing heavily, as he looked up to the man watching the field from above.

"Of course he is, imbecile, in fact," Beatrice haughtily exclaimed, "you saw Betty's contractor greatness up close and you still doubt him?"

"They're all as much impressed as we are…" Crusch smiled in confidence, "it says a lot about Natsuki Subaru's feats…"

Said man slightly leaned forward, his face couldn't be seen but it was obvious that he was focused on Subaru.

Back to the young man, Subaru jumped from the balcony and landed in another one as 4 enemies showed up in the corners. When he noticed the first one lifting up in one of the corners, he immediately understood where the others would appear, and managed to be in a position even before the target lifted up the ground.

"Always check your corners…" the man on top whispered with a laugh.

"Wait…This voice!" Ricardo widened his eyes, along with Felix.

"I heard this one too!" Mimi pointed out, "this is the mustache guy!"

"That was some pre-shot bullshit…" A marine shook his head.

"What's a pre-shot?" Petra asked, turning to Aldebaran who just shrugged in response.

"Sector clear! Go to the rope!"

Running to the rope in front of him, Subaru slid down the last sector, as a total of 7 targets lifted up immediately, several with enemies having civilians in hostage.

"This is becoming tricky...!" Otto cleared his throat in worry.

"They are holding the civilians as shields…?" Emilia whispered in dread, even if this was nothing but a simulation, the thought still scared her.

"It seems like they are really preparing for anything." Wilhelm narrowed his eyes, waiting to see how Subaru was about to deal with this.

First taking down the easy targets as he ran forward, Subaru noticed that the last target, which was moving from left to right, wouldn't be proper shooting sight when he would be of reach.

Thinking quick, Subaru immediately shot down all of the 6 targets around before his rifle ran out.

He immediately put the rifle up to his back and began a sprint to the end gate, the timer showing 16 seconds.

"16 seconds!" Felt shouted, "come on big bro!"

"But there's still one?! There's still one!" Tivey pointed out with his finger.

"What is he doing…?" Crusch wondered, "he certainly has a plan…"

"I hope he does…! Please!" Otto whimpered.

"He's going for the exit?! But he forgot one!" One of the men exclaimed.

"Did he…?" Griggs uttered, eyes wide to the images of the camera.

And just before reaching the end line, Subaru crouched down and scraped the ground with his boots as he slid, taking his pistol out of his holster and pointing on his side where the thin line of the target remained…

"Wha…"

"Is he…"

"No fucking way…"

"Sector clear!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"'

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!"

All the marines yelled in shock and maybe fear, eyes wide and slack-jawed to the last shot that Natsuki Subaru managed to pull before reaching the end line.

Several even lost motivation to even try to run the pit with someone like Subaru around. When they looked up at the clock.

The end timer stopped and resulted…To 17,4 seconds.

"LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Garfiel roared in all of the theatres, as everyone just tried to process what they just saw.

"What was that?! How did he…?!" Ricardo stared in disbelief, "that ain't true!"

"Subaru-kun is the best!" Rem exclaimed in joy as she hugged the sleeping boy.

"That was beyond just impressive…" Crusch fell back on her seat, her heart beating in excitement, "well done, Subaru…Well done…"

"I can't believe that guy!" Al laughed out loud, "that's just ain't human no more!"

"He did pretty good," her fan hiding the wide, satisfied smile she held on her face at the boy's performance, Priscilla leaned back in her seat with a mind at ease, waiting for the last thing that would only make this victory of his better.

"He did it…" Julius uttered as he grabbed his shirt over his heart," he won…"

Emilia looked at the purple-haired knight and to the screen again, feeling that she was about to have the answers to her questions.

"May I be damned…" The drill sergeant uttered, looking at Subaru coming back to the table to put his weapons down as he stopped in front of the timer.

Looking at the timer being 17,4 Subaru clenched his fists, looking back to the drill sergeant.

"You can add a new record now." He said out loud, walking back to the side of those who already completed the course, under the shocked faces of all the marines before him…A smile forming on his lips.

"Ah…That's it…" Priscilla smiled as she kept her eyes on the boy, "this smile…This is a beautiful smile. A smile of triumph."

Priscilla felt like nothing could go against her good mood at the moment. This viewing satisfied her so much that even Aldebaran's stupid habits or the half-elf's voice couldn't break hinder her. She felt marvelously well and at ease, more than she usually was.

"He…Wanted to beat his father…?" Emilia widened her eyes, turning back to Julius, "his goal was to beat him?"

"Subaru was always referred as his father's son, Emilia-sama," Julius explained as he looked down with a grimace, "he was living in the shadow of someone instead of being himself."

"So this is why…"Crusch whispered in revelation, feeling stupid for now realizing this sooner, "this does explain a lot…But he made it…"

"And this is his way of showing that he exists…" Emilia uttered in relief, "good job…Good job, my Subaru…"

Both Crusch and Emilia began to laugh, happy for the boy who accomplished his goal and relieved to see him so proud of himself.

"That's just too badass!" Felt laughed in satisfaction, "he really just walked in there and beat his father's records like it was nothing.

"…It was because he didn't need more…" The marine uttered near Allen, who turned to him with a confused expression.

"20 rifle rounds, 6 pistol rounds, one knife, and the last bullet…28 targets…" He uttered, "he took just enough to finish the course because he knew he wouldn't need more…"

"Man, he knew he wouldn't miss a single shot?" Mimi exclaimed in awe, "this is so cool!"

"It is more that he wouldn't have allowed himself of missing one," Wilhelm corrected the little demi-human, "Subaru-dono was determined to win. There was no room for defeat, and this was a way for himself to know that there couldn't be any errors here."

"Still too cool!" Mimi replied to him, only for the old man to chuckle.

Hearing this, Allen widened his eyes as his teeth gritted in fury, before the show that Subaru put in front of everyone to see.

After a while, it was his turn to the course.

"I'm gonna show you…Just wait for it you fucking samurai dipshit…" He growled, before running inside of the course.

Later when he got out…A time of 28,7 seconds showed to the screen.

"pfff…"

"That's not going to end well…"

"Wait for it…"

Eyes wide in disgust and anger, he slowly turned around with the hope to not see what he feared to see…

Until he saw Subaru looking at the time code, and then back to him.

"What's up pussy? That's all you got?"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT A LOSER!" Felt laughed while pointing her finger towards Allen as she wiped the tears off her eyes.

"This is really pathetic." Crusch couldn't help but laugh.

"Well…" Al chuckled," Still a flawless foreseeing princess!"

"My, what did you think?" Priscilla questioned in a happy, fond voice, closing her fan as she rested her head on her hand, looking at the boy in the front row.

Now, she was truly satisfied, and in a very good mood.

"You ripped what you sowed," Reinhard shook his head, "you are unfortunately the only one to blame."

"He ain't living this one down!" Ricardo laughed to Subaru's comment, "that's what I call a comeback!"

"IN YOUR DAMN FACE FUCKER!" Garfiel exclaimed as jumped off his seat.

"Garfiel!" Frederica tried to stop her brother, in vain. He was too excited.

"Good, good, you deserved this one," Otto sighed in satisfaction, patting his purse at his belt," I really worried for nothing."

---

The scene changed to show Subaru who was lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head, closing his eyes as he seemed to remember something.

"What is happening now?" Anastasia wondered, "what are we going to see this time?" "

The screen slowly changed to show a memory of him, in his house with his parents.

"Are they…?" Emilia widened her eyes, putting both of her hands before her mouth.

"I think they are…" Crusch whispered in awe."

"Mh…This is ought to be interesting." Priscilla acknowledged as she leaned a bit forward.

"So this is Subaru's mother and father…" Emilia whispered, her gaze fixated on Naoko's face, and eyes "his mother is soooo pretty…"

"He also looks a lot like his father now that I see him," Anastasia pointed out in surprise, "he really holds a lot from him, even the haircut seems to be the same."

"Indeed…" Julius nodded his head, understanding more and more what it was all about.

Subaru is seen eating some food as his appearance changed drastically. He had the beginning of a beard on his face and rather long hair.

"Eeeewww!" Felt let out with disgust, "what the hell big bro?!"

"T-This is unacceptable, in fact!" Beatrice pointed in anger, "what is this?!"

"No no no no no! Shave that! Shave that right now!" Emilia pouted, not liking this sight at all.

"It's decided," Crusch spoke in a stern tone, "you shall never grow a bear as long as I shall breathe, Natsuki Subaru."

"Hey, it's not that bad! I think the hair is what's ruins it!" Al tried to argue, "what do you think princess?"

He was met with a clear look of disgust on Priscilla's face, grimacing as if she saw an unacceptable sin.

"The first thing we will do is to forever burn your facial hair," She decided, fanning herself, "you will not be allowed to come near me with such a face."

"You all are being too harsh!" Rem reprimanded," Subaru-kun is still good-looking!"

"I agree, capn' looks cool no matter!"

"Garf…" Both Frederica and Otto shook their heads.

"No he's not." Petra immediately shot back, deadpanned.

"Then don't claim that you love him!"

"No, I love him. But I hate his beard." She answered, still with the same tone.

"…"

"There is no use arguing, Rem," the pink-haired Oni spoke as she held her hands and fingers on Subaru's face," this is not a sight that should be allowed to exist."

"W-What are you doing?!" Rem yelled to her sister as she saw how Ram was touching Subaru's face.

"Checking if he is allowed to exist."

"Nee-sama!"

"Subaru…" his mother sighed as she touched her son's cheek, "Just when are you going to get rid of that?"

"Me having a beard bothers you this much?"

"It's making me really upset! Why should I tolerate my cute son's face to be tarnished by such a monstrosity?!" She pouted in outrage, "Let me shave it!"

"Monstrosity…? Isn't it a bit excessive?" Subaru said uneasily.

"It's really isn't, get that off!" losing her patience, Crusch voiced aloud in frustration.

"You seem really adamant on that nya…" Felix worriedly pointed out.

"It's making me upset, I wish I could shave it myself…!" Crusch whispered with a frown over what she was seeing, truly disliking such a sight.

"It really isn't! A beard does not fit a Natsuki, period. Have you ever seen your father with a beard?!" Naoko continued.

"I…Don't have one because you force me to shave it every time…" Kenichi intervened with a confused voice.

"Because it would be too ugly to be acceptable on a social level," she explained, "and I hate unfairness, my son shall remain as good looking as he is, without this."

"It seems like Barusu's mother gets it." Ram nodded her head. She already liked that woman.

"She seems fun!" Felt exclaimed, smiling at her, "I wish I could meet her!"

"Me too." Crusch nodded, imagining a scenario where she could face the matriarch of the Natsuki family.

"Mineself as well." Priscilla nodded with a smile, feeling like she would get along with that woman.

Kenichi glanced back at his son with pensive eyes, before sighing uneasily as he remembered the reason his son began to even grow a beard.

"Subaru," Kenichi told him, "didn't you…Let yourself too loose for too long?"

Both Subaru and Naoko looked at him in surprise.

"I mean, I finished school as you asked me to…"

"And now what?" Kenichi continued, "You didn't talk to me or your mother even once about your superior studies."

"…"

"Superior studies? Like, even more studies than school?" Felt mused with scared eyes.

"In Subaru's world, there is a lot of studies to achieve in order to be able to work properly, in fact," Beatrice explained.

"Oh well Nah," Mimi shivered just at the thought.

"This sounds like hell!" Tivey exclaimed.

"Do not refer to knowledge as hell, Tivey," Anastasia sighed at the child's antics, "you don't know what you're talking about!"

"I know I couldn't bear it!" Mimi sighed.

"It's true, Subaru…" seeing the opportunity, Naoko intervened, "It's been a year already since you finished school…Perhaps it is time for you to choose a university?"

"I…"

"Is it because of the money?" Kenichi continued, "you know this is not an issue right? We have prepared all the savings for you since you're born!"

"It's true, we are more than ready to support your studies!" Naoko added, waiting for her son's response.

"It really seems like a good family…" using a hushed tone to speak, Emilia mused at the sight of Naoko and Kenichi…

The parents that got robbed of their son.

"…"

"I don't know…" Subaru said in a low voice, keeping his gaze away, "I…Don't think this is what I want."

"Subaru…If there's anything you know you can tell us, right?" Kenichi pleaded, seeing the look in his son's eyes to be of pain, "you…You have been acting strange you came back to school and finished…"

"Strange?" Subaru replied, seeking answers.

"If I had to put it into words, I would say depressed…" Naoko told him, her eyes showing the worry of a mother.

"Why would he be depressed?!" putting a hand in front of her mouth, Rem expressed her worries, "Did something happen to him too?"

"It is a memory…So this point still has him in the shadow of his father like you said," turning to Julius Emilia told him, "do you believe it is a reason for his…"

"It might be, Emilia-sama…But from what I'm hearing, it doesn't seem like Subaru's father is the type of man to pressure his child..." Julius mused as he frowned at the screen, "maybe there is something more."

"…I don't…Really know what to say…" Subaru uttered, holding his forehead, "I just…Really don't feel like it…I don't know. I don't feel like doing it…Not now at least."

"What happened to you, I suppose…" Beatrice murmured, leaning in her contractor's embrace.

"Subaru-kun…" Petra whimpered, heartbroken at the sight of her hero like this.

"This is becoming really concerning," Frederica spoke in a serious tone.

"Yeah but…This reality or this Subaru is maybe not the same as ours…So I don't know what it could be or have an idea about it…"

Seeing his answers about the university, Kenichi and Naoko threw a glance at each other, their eyes mixed with worry, fear, and sadness.

Looking at his son again, Kenichi nodded his head and came to a conclusion.

"Alright," he started, cleared his throat to take a brighter voice, "if this is what you want, we will not contest it. You are our son, and we respect your decisions, though I might have one more proposition for you if you are willing to hear."

"Here is the reason we are seeing this," Priscilla mused, her interest picked, "let us see what is your proposition."

Making both his wife and his son curious as to what he would propose, Kenichi, smiled.

"Try and make your service," he said as he looked right into his son's eyes, "if you don't know what to do, then try this."

"…"

"Hold on…"

Subaru's father is the reason why he joined the army…?" Reinhard tried to understand.

"Dear…?" Naoko said with wide eyes, looking back and forth between her husband and her son.

Subaru just kept staring at his father.

"It's alright if you don't know what to do with your life, it can happen with anyone here and no one in this household will blame you for it," he explained, "but I at least want you to try something. As a parent, this is the only request I have for you. So, just try to go to the army while you think about your future, for having done my own service in Okinawa I can guarantee you that it helps when it comes to put your ideas back into place. "

The expression on Subaru's face showed that he didn't dislike the idea this much. Not that he acknowledged it, but he didn't refuse it yet either. His decision took shape when he looked at his mother who, even though uneasy, smiled at her son with a supportive look in her eyes.

"While I'm not thrilled to the idea of you holding a weapon…I will always support your decision, Subaru." She told him.

"Oh, immediately the gun talk!" Kenichi laughed, "it's alright the only thing he'll do is to learn discipline as he patrols here and there! It's not like he'll be sent in a battlefront!"

"You never know what can happen, dear…" Naoko sighed.

"For now, Japan doesn't have any major conflict that can result to such an outcome," Kenichi waved off, "plus we don't have enough resources for that. The JSDF is here for defense mostly, and if anything we have the support of the Americans."

"Didn't you say that you disliked them a lot during your service?" Naoko reminded, questioning her husband.

"Oh I hated their guts," Kenichi nearly grunted in distaste, "but your old man over here showed them who was the boss!"

Subaru looked down for a moment as he seriously thought about what his father just proposed to him.

"Just try," Kenichi said in a low and warm voice, "if you don't like it you can always come back home. I just ask you to try, alright?"

Hearing this much Subaru raised his head, meeting with both his parents' eyes and smiles.

He then took a deep breath.

"Where's the shaving kit?"

"This is a joke, right?" Ricardo remained slack-jawed in disbelief, "his father is the one who made him go to the army?"

"So he…Disliked the idea because the army is just someplace he joined to please his parents, without being what he wanted?" Felt voiced her thoughts, hoping for anyone to follow her up, or to explain the situation.

"Maybe? This is hard to tell…" truly intrigued, Otto reminded what he saw, "I mean he's really, really good at being a soldier…"

"He's 19 years old here, and he was being registered at 20…Perhaps he trained himself beforehand?" Crusch began to think," it would explain how he is so skilled compared to others."

"And knowing his father was the best there, maybe he was the one to supervise him?" Ricardo thought out loud," it wouldn't surprise me honestly."

"Yeah but if that happened…Wouldn't he see that his son is against it? He seems rather perceptive." Rubbing her scarf in frustration at this confusing situation, Anastasia tried to find an explanation for this as well.

"Maybe this is not about joining the army…" Wilhelm widened his eyes as he realized something, "perhaps…It is animosity towards life itself?"

"Life…?" Emilia repeated in worry, "why would he…"

"We don't really know what happened to him before that memory played…Perhaps something in his past is responsible?" The old man tried to continue, "his parents mentioned how Subaru-dono seemed to hold dark thoughts for a while."

"Mh…That is true…" Felix followed Wilhelm, "Subaru-kyun might just be this way because of past events that…Made him like that."

"We would need better insight," Ram sighed, seeing how all of these theories didn't lead anywhere, "from what we know, Barusu is very good at hiding his true intentions, after all..."

Suddenly, Subaru reopened his eyes, standing up from his bed as he held a hand over his eyes, touching his chin with a chuckle, seeing if there was any facial hair growing.

He then stood up and went outside, before sitting against a wall with his phone, looking at a picture of him and his parents.

"Can't wait to tell you that I beat your ass old man…" Subaru smiled, the moon shining upon him.

"He seems very happy about that fact," Emilia sighed with a smile, "this can't be helped…"

"I'm sure his father would be proud." Crusch confidently answered with a smile of her own.

"Mh…Well, can't really sleep for now…" Subaru stretched his arms, "let's see if there's an update."

"Whatcha looking at?" Griggs asked as he scouted closer to see his screen.

"Wa!" Mimi hissed in fear as she jumped from her seat, as Ricardo and Anastasia began to laugh at her reaction.

"Well, this was startling…" Felix sighed in frustration.

"What the?!" Subaru jumped back, turning around to see the man behind him laughing, "Jesus Griggs!"

"Ain't my fault if you have your head in your ass and can't hear me coming up!" He laughed as he sat down near him, "you wish-supersoldier."

"Wish?" Felt raised an eyebrow, wondering what it meant.

"Perhaps some sort of insult in their world, Felt-sama?" Reinhard replied, not really knowing what to say either.

Subaru grunted as he took his phone again, and Griggs scouted closer once more.

"Do you have to-Ugh…" Subaru grunted as he showed his phone to him, with was a manga.

"Oh, true! You guys love this kind of thing! I read some myself in my youth!" Griggs laughed in nostalgia," though the new ones are just too weird for me, what's this one about?"

"Oooooh! What is this?!" Anastasia exclaimed with a bright voice, "some sort of storybook?"

"It looks like it…" Felt whispered, oddly interested by it, "but it's really small…"

"Usually these are books that you hold in your hands," Al explained as he recognized what kind of book this was, "but here it seems that bro is having another version of it…"

"And what is it that he holds? Another type of Metia?" Crusch asked, curious to know.

"Well uh…I have no idea." Al shrugged, still not introduced to this kind of technology, "I guess it is?"

"It's interesting to see that Aldebaran-san isn't aware of most of the things that are happening here," Otto mused with a smile.

"Hey, I told you that I didn't have all my head from that time you know? But even then…" Al began to think for a moment, "that stuff looks like a miniature TV that you can get in your pocket I guess. This is for sure an advanced tech."

"Miniature TV?" Garfiel struggled to say, "I ain't even goin' to ask."

"B-But if it's advanced technology…" Anastasia narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "then it means…"

"It's about…An empire and a republic at war with each other." Subaru explained, "the heroine is commanding a group of soldiers against the empire, a squadron that is known to be a horrible one, for all of these soldiers become mad or kill themselves."

"Talk about a depressive story!" Ricardo exclaimed with a horrified face, "what are these tastes lil' boss?!"

Several people agreed with Ricardo on that.

"At some point, she tries to help them, as she understands their misery…And she learns the truth about the gruesome war against the empire that lasts for 9 years." Subaru explained, looking back at Griggs who was nodding his head.

"Perhaps there is more to it than all of this darkness?" Seeing a light at this final explanation, Julius picked up on the last words, "it also sounds interesting, in a way…"

"9 years of war?" the duchess breathed out as if relieved to not have to be in the heroine's place, "along with soldiers seemingly doomed to a certain fate…"

"Disheartening," Wilhelm grunted, his own memories flashing before his eyes.

"This the girl?" He said as he pointed the finger to a silver-haired girl in uniform.

"This is the heroine."

"A blue-haired girl's the heroine?"

"What blue hair? Those are silver hair."

"Wha…" Otto began to smile at the comedic sight this was taking, along with the sight of the heroine on screen, "silver hair?"

Several eyes turned towards Emilia, widening her eyes with a hand on her heart at the sight of the scene playing before her.

"Man, you blind? This is clear blue!"

"You fell on your head as a kid that you're over here with colorblindness?" Subaru squinted his eyes in incomprehension," this is silver!"

"It seems like a very important debate," Frederica giggled with a hand in front of her mouth, "for Subaru-sama at least."

"It's about something way too important for him!" Garfiel laughed out loud, "of course he's takin' it seriously!"

Emilia remained silent, watching this discussion unfold with her heart beating faster and faster.

Just like Rem.

Just like Beatrice.

Just like Petra.

Just like Ram.

"Yeah yeah, I'm going to leave it to the great 'connoisseur' of silver hair then," He waved off as he came back to his plate, "even though it's blue."

"Tch."

"And the uniform? That's a fetish of yours?"

"Oh, you're about to diss girls in uniform now?"

It was now towards the Duchess Crusch Karsten that the eyes were upon, her attention taken by the tone of outrage Subaru had when he mentioned an animosity of some sort towards women in uniform.

She also felt a weight on her heart, but it was more about what Subaru was about to answer.

"Subaru likes girls in uniform?" Otto whispered Garfiel at his side, "he never told us this…"

"Nah he did say he had a thing for maid uniforms brotto," Garfiel thought out loud, making Otto's face red in shame, "he had somethin' for uniforms since the start."

Ram, Frederica, Petra, and Rem all felt like laughing warmly at the remembrance of it. It was easy to forget about this, but Subaru did state several times that maid uniforms were a personification of elegance in his mind.

"I always knew it," Petra chuckled as she rested against his shoulder," this is why I am here, after all."

All the while the Duchess couldn't help but smile uncontrollably, smiling like a child as she held a hand on her warming heart. It was such a trivial matter…But it still managed to make her smile this much.

"Struck a nerve?" Griggs began to laugh, "it's okay we all have our kinks. Mine is white girls."

"…"

"Hey to each their own! Though I don't really think you'll find anyone with silver or blue hai- Wait no, there's California," Griggs took a more disgusted tone," fucking California."

"Oh…"Al began to laugh, earning a glance from his mistress who seriously began to be frustrated by all of these mentions and references she couldn't understand.

"California?" Ricardo scoffed, "even the name sounds weird."

"You'd love it," Al continued to laugh, "trust me you'd love it."

"I wish silver hair and blue-haired girls would exist in this world…" Subaru sighed, taking some sort of nostalgic smile, looking at the heroine on his phone, "Ah…Green hair is not bad too."

"Green ha- what the fuck is wrong with you...?" Griggs looked back at him with a disgusted face.

"…You have no fucking right to open your mouth and much less say those words!" Subaru retorqued as he put his phone back on the table, "fucking hippie."

Silence.

What filled the theatre at this precise moment in the theatre.

No one felt like laughing anymore. No one felt like saying a single word.

Everyone…Just remained to stare at the screen with eyes wide in shock. Some were paralyzed, others tried to process the information they just heard…It felt so surreal, so horrible…Painful.

While the moment was short, it still felt like an eternity for most of the people, as those seated in the front row began to whimper, especially a certain blue-haired maid. Others could only listen, as fear began to fill their minds, hands trembling and shaking, throats choking over the tears flowing of all the people who finally understood the pain of most of the Emilia camp.

Emilia…Began to cry. Just cry.

She couldn't stop herself, with both of her hands wrapped around her waist as if she felt a shivering cold wrapping around her, she cried. Her voice becoming hoarse, painful, unbearable…Coupled with the wet floor of the theatre, swelled by the never-ending flow tears of the elven-princess.

The reality she tried to discard, the truth she didn't want to hear. Her future that she dreamed of and cherished, the one she wanted to see and have…

All of it crumbled down in that precise instant before her very eyes. Before everyone's eyes.

"Don't…" Beatrice cried, her head buried in her contractor's chest, "D-Don't go…"

"Don't leave…!" clenching his arm as if he would disappear, Rem whimpered in pain, "Subaru-kun…Please…"

"I love you…" She whispered to his ear, "I love you so much…"

Petra did much the same as her colleague, not being able to speak a single word as her throat seemed unable to work anymore, barely breathing…The idea of Subaru leaving this world crushing her soul.

The duchess was doing her best to not show any sign of weakness…

Holding a straight face, her eyes down.

Her fists trembling, her legs quivering.

Teeth gritted…

She didn't have the chance to spend as much time with him as most of the people in this room, yet she still felt an equivalent amount of pain rising in her chest.

She cursed the world, she cursed fate for this…And in a corner of her mind, she even cursed herself for falling in love.

She felt as if the pain she couldn't escape wouldn't be if it wasn't the case. Those things could be easier.

But it was not. She was already trapped in the merciless strings of love. She was feeling all of the suffering ones could feel with the knowledge of so little time she could spend with a loved one.

For her, and for everyone, these few words were the truth they all feared, but for the Duchess herself, it was also an answer to her feelings, as she believed his last wish to be directed towards her.

"Subaru…I-"

"He can't go!" Felt shouted at the top of her lungs, holding her chair handles in frustration and pain, "He can't leave! He can't!"

"Felt-sama…" Reinhard called in a hoarse voice, trying to raise his hand towards her in an attempt of comfort...But Felt already jumped in his arms to cry.

"Why…Why?!" She whaled in agony, clenching the Sword Saint's coat," why should this happen?!"

"I.." Reinhard wanted to apologize.

He wanted to apologize to his lady, he wished he could. He wished he could take the blame for this…He wished in a way people would take their anger on him and ease a bit of their suffering.

A wish only some sort of madman could have, but one that Reinhard held nonetheless. He didn't want them to suffer from this, he didn't want them to feel so much pain…

A pain he felt as well.

It wasn't something that could be ignored or discarded by Reinhard from here on out that he wished for Subaru and him to be closer. He wished to be someone he could rely on as much as Otto or Garfiel…And after the few promises he made with his lady, this was something he was ready to do, something he expected to do…!

He was so excited! To the idea of Subaru coming by his side, to the idea of living adventures with him, laughing with him, and having a future where they could tap each other's shoulder like brothers in the confidence of overcoming any obstacles that could stand in their way!

He already had so many things he wanted to do and try in his mind! Like a child that was imagining a thousand scenarios over a future that he was told would come, Reinhard felt like a new life was just ahead of him, at the end of a tunnel that was once filled in darkness until the fateful day he heard someone calling for help in an alley of the capital.

And all of a sudden this light, much like his past and everything he ever lived, was shut down in a wave of darkness striking him with a force he never felt before.

Even as the Sword Saint, even as the strongest being in this world and age, this was the greatest pain he ever felt.

A pain that created an urge to cry. To shout, to scream, to let it all out, to fall to his knees and punch the ground until it was nothing but crumbles to let out his anger…

And a feeling of wanting to grab any god or bearer of fate that he could reach by the collar and ask the most hurtful of the questions to it.

"Why?" He whispered, bringing his lady closer to his embrace…

"Natsuki-san…Will…" Otto breathed in and out, grabbing his shirt where his heart was, "No…I don't want it…"

"Otto-sama…" Frederica held her tears in, the sight of the green-clothed merchant's agonizing face awakening an instinct in her to find a way to comfort him…

Alongside her dear brother who didn't say a single word since the beginning.

Garfiel…Was quiet. His arms crossed and his head down so that none could see his face and eyes, he stood in this position with the dim light of the screen over his head showing nothing but his lips trembling.

Had it been someone else than her sister, perhaps he could have fooled him. Perhaps he could have held this position and make them believe that he was holding it in.

If only, that is.

Frederica only held a hand to her own heart, her tears cutting her loud breathing filled with sorrow…Unable to do anything.

"Big boss bro…Will go?" Mimi began to whimper, looking at Ricardo in hope that he would answer something else, along with her brother.

"R-Ricardo…We're getting mislead, right…? This is all but a misunderstanding…Right?" Tivey asked, tugging his arm in hope of a favorable answer.

Ricardo heaved a long sigh of frustration, grunting as he didn't wish to answer while patting the twins' heads.

"Sometimes life isn't easy." He uttered for them to hear in a gentle, father-like voice, "sometimes there is no choice but to face those hardships…And move on."

Both twins only sniffled and cried more, burying their faces into his embrace.

"I wonder if this is really what it meant…" Anastasia looked down, in deep thoughts, "Perhaps we are being misled…"

She turned her face to her knight, hoping that she wouldn't be the only one drowning in the depths of the revelation all came to…But Julius was himself leaned down his chair, eyes closed, and hand over his face.

It didn't seem like he was in a mood to talk at all.

"Maybe…It's for the best nya?" Felix wondered, shaking his head in sadness, "this world only brought him pain, after all…"

"Felix-dono…" Wilhelm replied with wide eyes, showing an outrage to his words.

"Am I wrong, old man Wil?" the healer continued, eyes still focused on the screen, "tell me..Is it really bad that Subaru came back to where he belonged?"

"Even if you hold the truth in your words, Felix-dono, I would rather this question be avoided," Wilhelm calmly reprimanded, closing his eyes in pain.

"What good will happen by avoiding the truth?" Felix narrowed his eyes, "Subaru-kyun deserves some peace…And if he'll find it by changing words-"

"Because you saw any peace in his return?!" The old man growled in frustration, his eyes glowing in anger to the catboy, "Tell me, Felix-dono…Where did you see peace?!"

"…"

Breathing heavily, Wilhelm slowly turned his back away from the boy, letting his face fall in his white-gloved hands.

"In the end, there is really nothing I was truly able to do for you…" The old man lamented, "I wish that in the short time that we will have left…"

"Is this...How things are supposed to end?" Roswaal mused in his corner.

While he remained silent for most of this viewing it was mainly because he didn't feel like he had anything to say or comment. The life that Natsuki Subaru lead before...Away from the misery that he had to inflict him, or the battlefield, seemed too peaceful to be tainted by his words.

And now, this information came out. The fact that what he was seeing, reflected an event he would eventually have to face. Roswaal didn't know what to think about it.

What about his goal? Was it fulfilled? Was he able to see his teacher once more? Was he punished?

Or did Subaru leave to come back where he belongs to leave him in the despair he always deserved?

"How ironic it would be...Right?" He whispered as one single tear fell from his eye.

"I...Who can only rely on you for my salvation..." He whispered as he felt his eye hurt, "you leaving me would be the greatest punishment I could ever go through..."

Which is why, even Roswaal had no other choice, no matter what...

To fear what he was seeing.

"So this is how it will end…" Aldebaran breathed out in frustration.

As rare as it was, he felt the need to take off his helmet and breathe freely, looking at his hand.

"So you are also grieving, Al?" Surprised by his sudden, unusual behavior, Priscilla closed her fan and observed his reaction.

"…In 18 years I was in this world, I always felt like I was mad for ever believing that I spent a part of my life somewhere else," the one-armed man explained, "bro was the only one who managed to give me hope about all of this…To be real."

"You grew to him this much?" Priscilla couldn't help but laugh, something that Al didn't share, nor appreciate.

"We share way more than you think." He sighed in a saddened tone," so…Yeah, I guess."

"Quit making such a pathetic face," the crimson princess threatened, losing all the previous cheer she seemed to have," members of mine camp shan't bear such an expression over something so trivial."

"Yeah, trivial," Al scoffed, "how ironic coming from the girl who insisted to bring him along to spend a night together. This is how little worth you give to those you care for?"

"What did you say…?" She repeated in a dangerous, wrathful tone. One which could send shivers down the spine of anyone.

"Oh please," Al snorted without any will to act as usual, "kick me or punch me if you want. I ain't in a mood to argue for nothing."

While it is true that most of the time, Priscilla wouldn't have bothered to show such a disobedient dog who held the title of master, this time, she decided to simply take a deep breath to ease her violent urges, before clicking her tongue in disgust.

"Who would have thought you were this pathetic as well, Aldebaran." She spat mercilessly, her ruby irises focused on the boy of the front row, "what you saw is nothing that you should take into account. You decided to follow the general feeling of such mongrels, believing a hoax out of the blue without any legitimacy."

"I think it's pretty clear that he referred to those in the room right now princess," Aldebaran replied in a suspicious tone, "Or…Did I miss something?"

"No name was spoken, no base was given, no memories were told," She mused with a strict voice, "the boy is expressive by nature. If he wanted to refer to the half-wit, the maid or the Duchess, he would have not hesitated to speak their names, to remind of his past."

"…But he is 20 years old over here…" Al continued.

Priscilla snorted haughtily, crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest.

"You believe this to be enough of evidence to believe these viewings to be a future of his?" Priscilla inquired to her jester.

"Well if it's not I really wonder what's the damn point of watching this!"

"And what would a future in which we take no part and hold no relevance would bring us then?" She demanded again, not bothering to turn her head towards him, "open your eyes and see, you damned fool."

"…"

"I have decided that the boy shall be by mine side." She proudly stated with a head held high, "whatever is the truth that lies behind this viewing, the boy's fate is now in my hands."

Al only widened his eyes to her, slack-jawed.

"And him leaving mine side is something that I shall not allow."

---

Hello everyone, as you can see this chapter is finally out...After quite a long time, I apologize.

It was really like the universe was against me writing it, from my studies, to my PC showing me a little finger, to the document getting corrupted twice, killing the chapter along with my will to live...

Well, the first versions were crap anyways.

Here it is then! The famous chapter 4 of Re:Modern Warfare! A chapter with a script that I fully wrote myself inspired from movies about US Marines, and some research about Okinawa, Japan and USA.

It took a loooot of willpower to come, but I'm glad I can finally updated it.

I hope you enjoyed the read, and if you did, feel free to leave a review and voice your thoughts!

(This entire intro was because of Maxwell.)

See you next chapter!

(Fuck you Dyn.)

Link to the Discord server of writers and fanfiction: https / discord . gg / ytyVcNk9Tf