Re: Tales from the Multiverse: Option One

by Ernalore

Subaru, along with his Camp, his rival Camps, his parents, and Meili, have all suddenly teleported into a theater, controlled by "the Warden". Said Warden has told them that they'd be watching alternate realities, and the Cast would be responsible for what they'd be watching. Seeing that their first option is Emilia arriving in Japan, Subaru makes sure that his secrets remain his.

12. Chapter 12: Reinventing Life

Chapter 12: Reinventing Life in a Different World from Zero

"What is there to talk about?" Felt asked.

"Freya-sama, you are the rightful heir to the –"

"Don't call me that," the blonde ordered her knight.

"But –"

"That's not my name, my name is Felt," the crimson-eyed girl said, angrily. "And I don't care that I'm the lost princess of Lugnica, or that my sole living blood relative is a Sin Archbishop, or that my adoptive grandpa was an ex-insurrection, or any of that shit, alright?!"

"But… how?"

"How?! My Big Bro is the Great Sage, Satella is innocent, Big Bro's employer is a body-jacking maniac, his contracted Spirit is the daughter of some Witch, a whole bunch of our Camps were responsible for Big Bro's suffering along with whatever other skeletons they have in THEIR closets, and we've learned that Pandora is the mastermind behind the Witch Cult!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Reinhard asked.

"There's a million more important things going on right now than what my lineage is!" Felt yelled. "And besides, it's not like I can just ask the Council of idiots to gimme the throne!"

"You could…"

"No, this is a Royal Selection," Felt corrected him. "If I win, it's gonna be fair and square."

"All right," Reinhard relented, his hands in the "surrender" gesture.

"But there is one thing I am curious about…"

"Hm? And what's that?" the Sword Saint asked.

"Did you take me just because of the insignia, or because of who I looked like?"

The redhead was silent. He knew what his liege was asking. Answering this question honestly could potentially shatter their relationship, but he knew he had no other option.

So, he gave her the truth.

"When the insignia first revealed you, the first thing that came across my mind was 'Finally, it's over. Someone will give me purpose again,'" he answered honestly.

"Purpose?" Felt asked.

"Yes. A monarch to give me purpose. Someone to tell me "go save them" or "go kill them" for an actual reason rather than just consolidating power like the Council," Reinhard answered honestly. "For once, I thought to myself, 'I can actually be a Hero.'"

"..."

"But I knew that you had no one to support you, so, being who I am, I volunteered. A small part of me speculated about who you truly were, but I honestly didn't care. Serving someone gave me meaning. I had a reason to exist that didn't involve me being responsible for snuffing out innocent lives," he said. "And the more I spoke with you… the more it seemed to click."

"..."

"You were unconventional, and a breath of fresh air from the stuffiness, all the smoke and mirror that I lied with for so long… and I wanted the entire kingdom to be like that: Honest. So, I decided to support you fully, and I will… as long as you let me, of course."

Felt turned around, and walked back toward the Theater.

But before she left, she smiled at him, and said, "Good answer."

---

"Alright, what did we miss?" Felt asked, as she came back inside.

"Nothing much, just our newest options," Subaru said.

"Ah, I see," Reinhard said. "Well, what do we have?"

What if Subaru teamed up with the Anastasia Camp?

OR

What if Subaru started his own merchant group?

"These," Subaru replied, pointing to the screen.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Anastasia cheered for the first choice.

"No, no, no!" Priscilla said, not wanting that.

"What are the conditions?" Felt asked.

Conditions: The Capital City's First Day, Loop Four.

Conditions: Subaru Natsuki arrives years earlier.

"It's these," Al, after putting down the remote.

Mimi began to talk. "Well, we've already seen Bro arrive earlier, so…"

"Oh, no, you don't," Crusch said. "Subaru, care to provide context?"

"Uh, yeah, so the fourth loop would have been in the loop where I saved Emilia and Felt from Elsa, with Reinhard's massive help, of course," the black-haired boy said.

"Please, Subaru it was nothing," Reinhard tried to deny his part.

"Hmm… the second one sounds a lot like the last episode," Tivey said.

"Yes… that is a good point…" Julius added on.

"Alright, let's put it to a vote!" Anastasia said. "Who want th' first option!"

Fifteen votes.

"Wow! A majority! Surprised you voted for it, Crusch!"

"It would have still been a majority win, regardless," she said.

"Point taken!" the purple-haired merchant said. "Let's begin!"

What if Subaru teamed up with the Anastasia Camp?

Conditions: The Capital City's First Day, Loop Four.

Everyone was in their seats as the next viewing began, only to see…

… an alternate version of Subaru having a mental breakdown.

Off to a good start already.

"I can't... I need to say it... I can't... I need to say it... I can't... I need to say it... I can't... I need to say it... I can't... I need to say it..." Over and over, Subaru repeated that phrase while pulling hard on his hair. He was aware of what he had to do and had the determination to do it. But his fragmented mind and tainted spirit just wouldn't allow it. Thus, the fight had moved into his being.

"What th' hell happened ta him?" Garfiel asked.

I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't. Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain. Death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death. Cold and lonely, death was drawing near. The suffering and pain that wanted to drown him would come with it. He needed to say it, but he couldn't. He needed to say it, but his mind precluded him. He needed to say it, but his body refused.

"He Returned by Death," Crusch realized.

"No… this is far worse…" Subaru slowly said.

Everyone looked towards Subaru, nervous.

"I went through this exact same thing when the Great Rabbit ate me alive… this… this is what happens when you feel pain beyond comprehension… when you feel absolute hell…"

"Please…" Shaking his body, Subaru rocked back and forth, hugging his legs. It was already getting dark and he was sitting on the futon in his room, completely alone.

He had refused to behave in the same way as the previous loop, when, completely broken, he pathetically clung to Anastasia. However, that in itself presented a huge risk, as Elsa had mentioned that his repulsive attachment to Anastasia had made it difficult for them to find the right moment to attack.

Upon hearing that, Anastasia was heartbroken.

She failed him. Again.

Meili, meanwhile, went pale. Elsa was alive in this timeline, which meant that Mama was still holding the two of them, and they were sent to kill Subaru. And succeeded.

He said the pain was comparable to being eaten by a Great… Mabeast… oh, no…

So, for that very reason, there was a possibility that at that moment Elsa and Meili were about to start their attack. The very idea set Subaru's heart racing. He needed to warn them, he needed to talk to Anastasia, Julius or Ricardo, and fully reveal the events that were about to happen. If he didn't act fast, the last piece of information he got from Elsa would be useless; if it weren't already. In the end, that moment of fearlessness would also end up in the trash. So he needed to do it, he longed to do it... but he couldn't.

"Fuck!" Pulling his hair even harder, Subaru screamed. After several seconds, he inhaled deeply and forced himself to calm down. After releasing his hair, several strands fell from his fingers, spreading across the sheet. With an expression of pain and frustration on his face, Subaru finally dropped down, being crushed under the weight of his inaction and the accompanying consequences.

Inhale, one, two, three, Exhale. Inhale, one, two, three, Exhale. Inhale, one, two, three, Exhale. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Until the body gets used to it, until it is recorded in the mind, until it is marked in the soul. Forcing himself to accept despair, Subaru, with tears in his eyes, finally stopped moving.

Face down, with his limbs splayed out, Subaru gazed into the darkness of his tainted spirit. With bloody tears, he gazed at the fragments of his mind. With a heavy heart, he contemplated his eternal weakness. Subaru had to accept it again, he had to accept that he couldn't do anything, that he wasn't the right person for the job.

"He's crying blood?!" Rem yelled.

"What the hell…? Return by Death never caused me to do that…"

"No… I've seen this before…" Emilia said, getting everyone's attention. "When Geuse took the Authority of Sloth… he ended up crying blood, too… as if he was being torn apart…"

"But wasn't that because of his incompatibility?"

"He's fighting his Authority…" Subaru realized.

Promises? Why bother? Why bother doing them? Why bother to comply with them? That's how he was, always hoping to achieve everything, always talking about how he would achieve everything; so that in the end they were nothing more than empty words. He, proud without reason, was nothing. His self-loathing only increased, as if in an upward spiral.

Subaru was aware of everything, the day he met Reinhard he was forced to see the truth straight in the face. But he had refused to really accept his weaknesses, had refused to truly accept their existence. However, the torture made everything so clear that there was no longer room for doubt. He was a coward who kept walking in circles, unable to get out of his loop of misery.

I am weak, I really am… My stupid unfounded pride, my big mouth, my childish attitude, my cowardice, my mediocrity, my self-indulgence. It was true, he had played at being humble the day he left everything in Reinhard's hands, but in the end he had only escaped. Escaped once more, escaped from his promise, escaped from himself, escaped from it all.

Reinhard's breath hitched. "The condition…"

"So, that's what happened, huh? I just told Reinhard everything, and then left…"

"Big Bro, you can't blame yourself for what happened!" Felt said.

But Subaru wasn't listening to her, or to anyone.

But now he couldn't keep running, he had to accept that he was weak, assimilate it. His weakness that was cruel, his weakness that was to blame for the death of those who were willing to give him a hand. So he had to accept it, assimilate it, and do something about it. He had to get up, assume he was who he was, and really do his best to improve himself. Strive to find his qualities and exploit them.

That is why he was following Anastasia, the woman who had accomplished just that. No, that was not entirely true... She had not completed the path, she was halfway there. She had taken the first step, the second and even the third. Unlike him, who was still stuck on the first step. But she was still far from her goal, far from achieving what she was fighting for. Subaru knew this from what he heard her say on their deathbed.

Anastasia suffered death like him, Anastasia was not satisfied with the end of her life, Anastasia wanted to continue living, to continue fighting. That is why it was necessary for him to overcome his weakness and reveal the proximity of Elsa's attack. So he had to ignore the pain caused by his weakness and take the second step towards his goal.

"Yeah, I really get it… Then why can't I do it?!" The surface of the futon absorbed Subaru's frustrated cry.

"His body is refusing to cooperate," Felix assessed the situation.

"Has that happened before?" Ram asked.

"On occasion," Subaru answered.

Subaru was aware of the course of action to take, Subaru had his goal clear. But he was unable to do anything about it. That's why he was in that state. He had accepted that he could do nothing, had accepted his weaknesses. However, he could not find the strength to do anything about it. Doubts clouded his spirit, holding him at a stalemate. What if they don't believe me? What if saying it makes everything worse? What if it's too late? Those were the questions that haunted him.

His mind was a mess. He was aware of everything, but he couldn't do anything. He had clear goals and desires, but they were not enough to move him out of self-induced stagnation; because of his doubts. He was frustrated, but couldn't find a way to release that frustration. He was at the end of a cul-de-sac that he had created himself and couldn't find his way out.

"I'll have to start all over again…" It was then that he finally found a way to release his frustration.

"NO!" Petra cried in horror, sharing everyone else's sentiments.

Opening Theme: Voracity

The screen begins to glitch, as it changes to Subaru, in his traveling clothes, crossing a desert. The screen glitches again, with words that can't be read, as it changes back to Subaru, who gets closer. This keeps on repeating, until…

Tales from the Multiverse

Volume III

The next scene opens with Minerva attacking, and it reading, "WRATH," followed by Typhon dancing around with the words "PRIDE." Then, Echidna and "GREED." Sekhmet with "SLOTH." Carmilla panicking while "LUST" appears, and then Daphne biting at the camera while the word "GLUTTONY" appears. And finally, Subaru, with madness all over his face, drags his finger over his throat, as he's bestowed with the title of "ENVY."

"Is there a way to skip this?" Crush asked.

"Hold on, let me check…" Al fiddled with the remote.

In the next scene, Elsa, Zarestia, and Shion are all seen together, and laughing, but their eyes are cut off from the screen, and their smiles are sadistic. Then, an army of Witch Cultists appears in the next shot, as the camera pans up to reveal the Sin Archbishops.

In the next scene, Reinhard, Julius, Felix and Al, all of them standing in a circle, their swords out, ready to defend themselves. Then, lowersing shot, as it shows Felt, Crusch, Anastasia and Priscilla. In the next shot, Vincent and his Divine Generals are marching, followed by a shot of Reid in the center, with Thereisa and Wilhelm flanking him, and finally, a long reveal of the Divine Dragon himself.

The music goes quiet, as the scene opens up in a shadowy dimension, where a hooded Satella is watching Subaru from afar. She places her hand on the "screen" with Subaru, and then, slowly removes her veil, but never reveals her face. In an instant, the screen cuts to still shots of the White Whale, the Great Rabbit, the Black Serpent, and then a happy Shaula, who turns into the Crimson Scorpion and attacks the screen.

"Okay! I found the fast-forward!" Al said.

"It's kinda too late for that," Crusch said.

And finally, the scene shows a close-up of Subaru, as he bites his own tongue. As the blood escapes his mouth, he laughs maniacally, as the camera pans out to show that behind him, the shadowy monster known as the Witch of Envy has appeared roaring, and ready to tear apart the silhouettes of the enemies in front of Subaru.

The final shot shows each one of the six Witches of Sin in a black void, each one of them smiling, as the shot changes to Subaru and Pandora, alone in the desert, ready for their final battle. Then, the camera pans over the desert of corpses, and the opening ends.

Episode Eleven:

Reinventing Life in a Different World from Zero

Using his two arms, Subaru raised his body slowly. With the sheet peeling from his reddened eyes, Subaru revealed a face that expressed resignation. Numb, he took the sheet in one of his hands and with a clumsy step approached the wooden pillar that supported the structure of the room. Looking up, he carefully observed the angle at which the pillar split into two pieces of wood that supported the ceiling.

Sighing, Subaru tossed the sheet up into the air, getting it through the gap formed between the pillar and the wooden beam. In a robotic way, without producing a word, he tied the sheet in a knot. Once he was sure that the sheet would be able to support his weight, he walked over to the table in the corner of his room and dragged it to the side of the pillar.

Sighing resignedly, Subaru placed himself on the table. Carefully, he rolled part of the sheet around his neck. Once he finished with the preparations, he looked down at his feet. The fabric of the sheet was snug against his neck as he hung from the beam. His legs wouldn't stop shaking; indication that he hadn't yet fully digested it.

Several people in the audience had tears in their eyes.

They knew Subaru had killed himself before, but this… was wrong.

Not even Subaru himself could stomach the idea. Hanging himself? He had never done that before. To have the air leave your body until you die? It was slow… it was horrible…

"T-This is the only w-way…" If I die, I'll go back. If I die, I will have more time. If I die, I will be able to seek the courage to overcome my eternal weakness. If I die, I can put my doubts aside and say what I know I must say. If I die, I will be able to warn Anastasia in time. If I die, I can avoid being killed by Elsa. If I die, I won't have to witness their deaths again... If I die, I won't have to face the consequences of my inaction again.

"Please stop! You can do it, Subaru-kun! I know you can!" Rem screamed, despite knowing the Subaru on the screen wouldn't hear her.

This is what Echidna would have had me to do, over and over again…

Death was the way. Now that he was at a dead end of his own making, he would force his way out the only remaining path. His death was the answer. His death was the ultimate escape. He didn't want to keep running away, he needed to stop using his weaknesses as an excuse. But without the willpower to carry out that, he had no choice but to try again... He would escape once more, to be able to find the willpower necessary to stop escaping. Ironically, that in itself was one more excuse, another way of escaping. Everything about him, that instant, was ironic and contradictory. The absurdity of the man who lies to himself and ends up believing his own lie.

With tears obscuring his vision, Subaru glanced towards his bedroom door, which had taken on a reddish hue. It was dusk, darkness would come in no time, and with it, the two assassins would attack; he was convinced of it. If he could not overcome his fear and warn Anastasia of the attack of the assassins before dark, he would have to continue to resort to that path, to death.

Cold death, lonely death, painful death. He didn't want to accept it. As much as it was the way in moments of despair, he didn't want to resort to it. He did not wish to die. He did not want to continue suffering. But as long as he had no other options, he would be forced to accept it.

"I'm s-such a c-coward... It's e-easier for me to d-die, than to talk a-about what's about to ha-happen. I'm only good at running away, apparently..." Grudgingly, Subaru once again accepted his helplessness, unable to do anything to change himself. Silently, without saying another word, he kicked the table and dropped to his death.

The pain, the pain returned. He gasped for air, his throat begging for a breath of oxygen, but the fabric wouldn't allow it. The weight of his body was causing the tension around his neck to increase, making it harder for him to breathe every second. It wasn't being a peaceful death. Convulsing, his body begged for survival.

With his lips turning purple, his skin whitening until it was camouflaged with the sheet that was robbing him of life, and with his reddened eyes about to pop out of their socket, Subaru finally lost consciousness. The darkness embraced him and his death, with frustratingly slow steps, approached him with a grim smile. I hate myself so much… Subaru thought, as his life faded.

Petra and Meili hid themselves behind Frederica, tears in their eyes. They never wanted to see their hero stoop so low. This was somehow worse than seeing him become a villain.

"-baru!" Feeling his entire world tremble, Subaru was abruptly yanked out of the darkness. "Subaru?!" Thousands of alarms were ringing inside his brain, forcing him to take a deep breath.

Coughing, Subaru squirmed. His throat hurt, it hurt a lot. The mere entry and exit of air was torture for his body. Still, his lungs didn't stop doing their job, as if making fun of him. Slowly regaining his senses, Subaru opened his eyes, to find a face that would usually never show expressions like the ones it was showing.

"Subaru, why?!" Still trying to understand what was happening around him, Subaru was shaken by an alarmed Julius, who kept questioning him about something.

"I saved him," Julius whispered, his relief evident.

Slow to understand, Subaru began to realize that something was wrong. He was still in his room, the sheet lying beside him, torn. And the light, that filtered through the tatami walls, stained the place a reddish hue. Realization hit him hard. His death had been thwarted. He was still in the world that was about to be dyed red, by the blood spilled because of his eternal weakness.

Shame and pain ran deep through his body, causing new tears to form in his eyes. Why was he still alive? Had Julius come for him just in time to save him? Subaru knew the answer, but refused to accept it. He was sick of all that, sick of the fate that played with him, as if making fun of his pathetic self.

"Arghhh!" With a squeak of frustration, Subaru pulled Julius, who was holding him by the shoulders, off of him. He was in no condition to listen to the knight's reproaches; he was in no condition to listen to anyone.

With a blank look on his face, Subaru took the rope, made from his sheet, that Julius had discarded. His gaze traveled from the makeshift rope to the rest of the room, to finally land on the tatami door. It was open, probably because Julius didn't even think to close it when he saw him hanging from the wooden beam. Through it, he observed the sky that stretched out over the rest of the inn rooms; it was already dark, completely dark.

"Subaru, you're not thinking…?" Julius approached him with the intention of snatching the piece of sheet from him, so Subaru threw it at his face. The knight, being caught off guard, tried to grab the rope out of reflex. That was the moment when Subaru took the opportunity to throw himself at Julius's waist to try to steal his sword. "Agh!"

"What is he doing?!" Beatrice yelled.

"He's angry at Julius, for ruining his death," Subaru said.

"But… he saved his life!" Mimi shouted.

"And in doing so, he's doomed everyone else," Al pointed out.

But Subaru was weak, useless, incapable of anything… With a swift movement, Julius pulled his waist away while with one hand he pushed Subaru's shoulder. Thrown by inertia, Subaru fell, face first, to the wooden floor. With a groan of anger and frustration, Subaru started hitting the ground with his fist, to the point where blood began to gush from the injuries he was causing himself.

"W-Why? Why?! You just had to let me die! Julius!" Snorting, Subaru glanced at the knight. His pupils were clouded with fear, frustration, guilt, anger... hatred. Like a spring, Subaru got up and threw a punch at Julius's face. This time, waiting for it, Julius dodged without even touching him.

Julius cringed at the act. He knew how his on-screen counterpart would react to this.

Stumbling, Subaru collided with the pillar. From his nose, his mouth and his forehead… blood didn't stop flowing from his face. Was the cause of it the hit against the ground? Or was it the blow against the wooden pillar? Subaru had no idea, and he wasn't interested in the answer either. At that moment, Subaru had only one thing in mind: To get even with the one who thwarted his death.

His wishes were frustrated, his ideas, his plans, his future, his happy ending, his life... and now his death too. Nothing happened the way he wanted, the way he needed. And when he found a path that seemed to lead him to it, it always ended in suffering. That's how his life was before, which ended with him locked in his room, escaping from his reality, and now, which ended with him escaping his death and... his life, without achieving it.

Therefore, for all the frustration it caused him to be unable to warn Anastasia, to be unable to overcome his doubts and fears, and to reveal what was coming. For being unable to fulfill his plans. For being unable to act. For being unable to die. For being incapable of everything... For this reason, due to the frustration that this caused him, Subaru wanted to retaliate with Julius, the man who denied him death.

Like a maddened man, Subaru threw punches into the air, in places where only moments ago Julius had been. Left, Right, nothing... Annoyed, he threw a kick and knee, losing his balance and falling in the process. Getting up again, Subaru searched Julius with bloodshot eyes. There he was, near the entrance. His white knight's clothing, perfectly neat as always, reflected the light of the newly looming moon.

With his fists clenched so tight that his nails had penetrated his skin, Subaru lunged at Julius, waving his fists in a completely erratic manner. Julius, without showing any emotion, without saying a word, just dodged it. Just like a dragon would treat an ant, Julius ignored Subaru. This went on for several minutes, until Subaru showed obvious signs of exhaustion.

"Could you stop, Subaru? I was just coming to give you a message, I must return to my mistress as soon as possible and your childish tantrum prevents me from doing so." Nonchalantly, Julius questioned Subaru. Still, the raven-haired man just kept shaking his fists, not paying attention to his words.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Naoko yelled at him.

"I… could have worded that better…" Julius said.

"YOU COULD HAVE?!" Priscilla shouted.

"Okay, stop ganging up on him!"

Realizing that dealing with Subaru in a civilized manner would not work, Julius drew his sword and, with its handle, lightly struck Subaru's left shoulder. Upon being stopped by the force of the impact, Subaru was exposed to another attack. Julius was about to finish that useless revolt, when he noticed Subaru's fist approaching his abdomen. At another time, under other circumstances, he would have praised his determination. However, after everything that happened, they would have only been wasted words.

"Do us both a favor, and stay put." Printing a bit more force than in the previous blow, the metal handle of his sword plunged into Subaru's abdomen. Stripping him of air and the strength to stand, Subaru collapsed to the ground once more; this time, he showed no signs of wanting to continue attacking him. Assuming Subaru was done, Julius returned his sword to its sheath. And it was then that he heard it.

"Ha, ha, ha... Ha, ha..." Subaru, who was still lying splayed out on the ground, started to laugh. It was a broken chuckle, product of the shortage of air in his lungs. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..." As he caught his breath, his laugh became more and more strident. "Hahahahahaha!" Until his laugh finally started to sound completely crazed. A tainted laugh that could have chilled the blood of anyone lacking in guts.

"Subaru?" Bewildered, Julius called Subaru. But he just ignored him. Subaru kept laughing, as if his mind had finally been broken.

"Hahaha… I made it… Hahaha… I finally made it." Calming down a bit, Subaru knelt and looked Julius straight in the face. For an instant, even Julius felt a chill run through his body. Subaru's face, bathed in tears and blood, had a twisted smile on her lips, while his eyes conveyed suffering and despair. "I made it… Your damn uniform is no longer as tidy and neat as you always pretend to be!"

"What is he talking about?"

"Julius, the Greatest of Knights," Subaru said.

"What?" Tivey asked, mimicking everyone's confused expression.

"Julius is considered the second most powerful of all the knights, second only to Reinhard, who is considered impossible to beat," Subaru explained. "But Julius? He CAN be beaten, it would just take a monumental amount of work. But even then, all that work could amount to…"

"... to just a scratch," Julius realized. "Or… a drop of blood."

"What are you talking about?" Subaru, as if reacting to Julius' question, looked down at the knight's abdomen. Mimicking him, Julius looked in the same direction and… finally understood. A drop of blood, a lonely drop that could be completely ignored if not paid attention, even considering the white of his uniform. That's what Subaru had been looking for.

"Now you too have your clothes stained with blood. Soon it will be your hands, your sword, your entire body will be bathed in the blood of your enemies and allies. You'll leave behind thousands of bodies, thousands and thousands. You're a royal knight, so I'm sure you're used to it by now. But will it be the same when it comes to the bodies of Ricardo, Mimi, Hetaro, Tivey… Joshua… and Anastasia? You'll bear the guilt… You'll bear the pain of failure… You, the best knight of a candidate for the Royal Selection of the country you serve…"

Julius merely gulped at what Subaru said. That sounded…

… that sounded more like Subaru's destiny, if anything.

"Subaru, what are you talking about?" More firmly than before, Julius repeated the question.

"You'll get stained with blood... Like me! You and I will have failed! We'll be equal! Regardless of whether you are the knight and I the useless employee! We'll both fail! And all..."

"Subaru…?"

"And all because you didn't let me die! We'll both bear the pain and the guilt! So it would've been better if you had let me die! That was the only way out left! Don't you get it?! With my death we would have prevented it! But now it's too late... At any moment it'll begin, I'm sure. My damn, eternal weakness, led us to this hell one more time... And you... You took away the only way I had left!"

"Subaru!" With a voice so firm that it could have been mistaken for a scream, Julius stopped Subaru as he rambled incoherently. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I hope you can explain yourself once you calm down. But, for now, you have to start by understanding that your death wouldn't have solved anything."

"Anything…?" With a genuine gesture of confusion, Subaru finally stopped his crazed tantrum. "Wouldn't have solved anything... Sure, for you, things may be like that. But for me..." Before continuing, Subaru stopped, her doubts were once again preventing him from saying what he had to say... He won't believe me… "You wouldn't understand…"

"Understand? What do I've to understand? Death's the end, there's no magic or power capable of giving you back the life you have lost. There's only one person with a similar power, and he possesses it just because of who he is." A bittersweet frown formed on Julius's face as he said those last words. Subaru was not able to grasp what was going through Julius's head. However, that was not the time to try to comprehend him.

"You fucking idiot," Julius cursed his on-screen counterpart.

"That's a bit on the nose, don't you think?" Al asked.

"NOT THE TIME!" Otto yelled.

"I already told you, you would not understand. I doubt that there's anyone capable of doing so, and with that I include myself. The only thing you should know is that death was my only way, our only way. Now we'll have to bear the consequences of not having taking it. I'm sure it's too late by this point… And if it isn't, I'm sure you won't let me die, no matter how much I beg of you. Or am I wrong?"

"You're not… Subaru, I don't know what's going through your head, but I'm going to repeat it: Death is not the way."

"I already told you, you foolish knight! For me, it is! For me, it's the way!" Starting to feel quite annoyed, Subaru continued to insist on his point of view. Winning that argument was the only thing left for him to win…

"Accepting your death, or worse, being the cause of your own death, is no different than giving up. Are you doing that? Are you giving up? Are you running away from whatever it is that left you in your current state? Is death the only way out that your eyes, blinded by your emotions, can see?" Showing genuine interest, the Valuable Knight asked question after question. And unknowingly, each question struck Subaru deeply, who hated someone pointing out what he already knew.

"Am I giving up…? Running way…? Maybe…" With a deep wail leaving his throat, Subaru lowered his head. He hated Julius for saying it, and he hated himself for being unable to contradict him.

"That's the easy way out." Julius affirmed firmly.

"Easy?" For the first time during the entire conversation, Subaru firmly raised his face and glared at Julius. Anger ran through his veins, heating his body to the point of melting. "Giving up may be the easy way, escape may be the cowards' way out. I won't be so hypocrite as to deny that. But... Do you think dying's easy? Are you so closed-minded as to believe that accepting death's something easy?"

"It's not easy," Julius said, looking down in shame.

"Come on, Julyus-kyun, he doesn't know any better…" Felix tried to comfort him.

"But I could at least use some more tact, or at the very least, try to comfort him," the purple-haired knight argued. Was he really as bad as Subaru said when they first met?

"I depends on..." Julius was about to counter, but Subaru didn't let him.

"It isn't! Damn it! It isn't! Accepting your own death sucks! Accepting that it's the only way, it's frustrating and painful! Death is pure suffering! Especially if it's you the one who carries it out!" Terrible memories of a sharp piece of metal going through his throat flashed through his mind, causing his hands to spasm. "I wish there were another way! I wish I didn't have to accept that dying's the only way! But there's no other way! Know why? Because it's the only way resulting from my own actions! My weak self caused all this! Me! Only me! Stupid me who is incapable of doing what's necessary! Useless me, who cannot do more than weep over his own weaknesses!

"I insist, death is not the way. No matter how closed you perceive the panorama, death is not a way. There will always be another way to take, you just have to search without losing your determination. And if there really isn't a way, you just have to forge the path with your bare hands. Therefore, I refuse to accept your logic." Taking a deep breath, Julius stretched out his hand towards Subaru. "I may not know you well enough to try to put myself in your place and pretend that I understand you. But I have seen your look, a look full of determination. Of course, in addition to determination, I perceive fear, doubt and frustration. But above all that, there's a great determination that prevents you from stagnating."

"I'm sure you saw wrong." Subaru replied, rejecting Julius's hand. "I'm someone who's only capable of running away, someone who uses his weaknesses as an excuse to sit back and regret everything he isn't capable of. There's no such thing as determination in me." Clenching his fists tightly, Subaru denied Julius's claim in a hoarse voice.

"You appeared out of nowhere, with no apparent knowledge about Lugnica or one of the neighboring countries. You looked for merchants and craftsmen, who were willing to help you, without obtaining anything for weeks, and still you didn't give up. You strived to bring to life artifacts lacking a market, and with the help of your colleagues, you built an unlikely business in less than a month… That's what I heard about the results of Anastasia-sama's research on you and your past."

"What does that have to do with what we're talking about?"

"That you don't give up that easily," Emilia answered.

"That's right, it means that you don't always have to rely on that power of yours," Reinhard said, also trying to encourage both the Subaru in the Theater and the one on the screen.

Subaru stared at his on-screen counterpart. They're right, what you're trying to do… it would have basically been what Echidna wanted you to do… killing yourself for no good reason…

"You endeavored to learn the writing, the local culture and about business and commerce; although they aren't your strong suit. You accepted Anastasia-sama's offer without hesitation and rushed all the procedures to begin the Reinvention Project as soon as possible. Plus, you have created at least twenty completely innovative artifact designs. All in less than five months."

"Why're you aware of all that? I'm a nobody! Why've you paid so much attention to me?"

"Not just me. Anastasia-sama and many people have been drawn to the mystery around you. For many, you're the new Hoshin of the Wilderness, a person completely out of the ordinary. Therefore, it's to be expected that even someone like me would be curious about you. Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your goal? What are you looking for? I'm sure you've heard those questions many times..."

"You really had all of these questions about him?" Otto asked.

"To a lesser degree than that," Julius admitted. "It was more to sate Anastasia-sama's interest, and while I was also curious, not to the degree I am on the screen."

"You were never interested in Bro's origins?" Tivey asked.

"He never really talked 'bout it…" Garfiel admitted.

"What's up with all that? I already told you, I'm a nobody. All my ideas are taken from really ingenious people where I come from. So none of that matters…" Subaru still remembered what Anastasia told him before his last death; that his ideas were his and no one else's. However, now that he was in a shit hole of his own making, it was hard to accept those lenient words.

"Leaving aside things related to the origin of your ideas and your place of birth, the point I want to get to is that."

"That? Which one?! Julius, stop playing with me!" Annoyed by Julius' roundabout way of speaking, Subaru urged him to say what he had to say once and for all.

"Everything I said." Insisted Julius, firmly, as if it were obvious. Then, noticing that Subaru still hadn't realize it, he continued speaking. "… Apparently you need me to tell you... In these four months you have worked non-stop, even obtaining a contract with Anastasia-sama. You have struggled to adapt to the new environment, you have learned from a business that you hardly knew about and still, you are already considered the new Hoshin of the Wilderness. Your determination has brought you here, this place and time, with us, with Anastasia-sama. Are you really willing to make all those efforts to no avail, for whatever has you in your current condition? Will you give up so easily? Will you fail the expectations of my mistress, who trusted you? Will you fail the determination that appears in your gaze, without letting itself be clouded by the doubts, fears and frustrations?"

"Is this a conflict of wills or perspectives…?" Wilhelm muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Crusch asked, gaining some more attention.

"This iteration of Subaru-sama seems to have gone up against an insurmountable obstacle in the form of the Bowel Hunter, while Julius merely sees him as a hard worker," the old man explained. "The question, however, is if this is an ideological struggle over the debate of willpower, or if the restrictions of Subaru-dono's Authority are preventing the two of them from seeing eye to eye, or even coming to any sort of compromise."

"What an interesting little theory…" Roswaal hummed.

"I…" Wordlessly, Subaru looked at Julius with a blank expression.

"The determination I saw in you, couldn't have been completely in vain..." Combing his bangs elegantly, Julius looked at Subaru with a strength and determination worthy of the Knight among knights.

"I…" Subaru remembered.

The pain of being killed by Elsa, him leaving everything in the hands of Reinhard, he seeking to make a living with the ideas of his world, he selling his cell phone and seeking support from a craftsman or merchant to start his business project. He remembered the nights full of fear, the days full of uncertainty.

The Cast were treated to the flashbacks of Subaru's first week in the Capital, from getting gutted by Elsa, to telling Reinhard everything, to simply trying to survive.

Several members of the Cast felt sick at seeing Subaru get killed by Elsa again. Not due to the fact that it seems painful, but due to the fact that they were now desensitized to it.

Subaru felt somewhat bad at the idea of selling his phone, as it did contain pictures of his time back home, but he also remembered that he gave it to Russel Fellow back during the White Whale hunt, so he couldn't exactly call out the other Subaru for doing the same thing.

He remembered entire days spent drawing designs with Leith, remembered entire nights doing business plans with Otto, remembered weeks spent helping Leith bring the designs to life. He recalled the efforts invested to make his business official, in order to sign their alliance with Anastasia. He remembered his promise to reach his happy ending. He remembered his promise to help Anastasia achieve the same.

"Another new character has entered the fray," Roswaal hummed.

"I wonder if we'll go looking for him, too…" Ram wondered.

Then he remembered even further back, his thread of memories traveled even before reaching that world. He remembered how hard his parents tried to get him out of his room... He remembered how much he made them suffer by ignoring and staying away from them. He remembered that everything happened, because he was unable to be like his father... He remembered that everything happened because of his inaction... His parents, whom he never listened to... His mother, whom he never said goodbye to…

And after all that time, even after acknowledging the existence of his weaknesses, he still acted the same. Allowing his inaction to define him, allowing himself to get away whenever things don't go the way he expect. Even after dedicating himself body and soul to the project he started with Otto and Leith, would he still make the same mistakes?

Perhaps the ideas weren't his, but Anastasia was right… Now that he was in that world, his reinventions would inevitably have a part of him. Would it be right to quit, when part of him was now invested in his ideas, designs, and reinvented artifacts? Would it be right to quit after putting Leith and Otto together with him in the same metaphorical boat? Would it be right to disappoint Anastasia, who had high expectations of him?

Sure, dying wouldn't be the same as giving up. He can Return after Death… But, seeing Julius's determined countenance when speaking of the determination he saw in him. Seeing him save his life, subsequently refusing to let him die. And after witnessing Anastasia return for him, to end up with both her and Mimi's life destroyed… Would he be able to say that dying would not be giving up and leaving them behind.

The purple-haired merchant stared at the screen, in tearful confusion.

I… came back for him?

That… went against her own principles. She didn't save others out of the goodness of her heart, she evaluated whether or not they were useful to her. So, why…?

Because you know there are exceptions to our rule.

That little voice in the back of her head betrayed her.

Julius. Ricardo. Mimi. Tivey. Hetaro. These are people we care for, those we would do anything for regardless of profit, you simply don't want to admit it. And now… Subaru is one of them.

Anastasia simply rubbed her scarf to try and calm her nerves.

What assured him that when he died, they would not continue their life alongside a deceased Subaru? Was his Return by Death a change of dimension, or a return in time that erases everything that happens after his death? There was no way he could come up with the answer, so there was uncertainty... Could he disregard the kind gestures of the people of that world towards his life? Knowing that there is a possibility that after his death, they are left behind, dealing alone with the consequences of his sins…

"Death… it's not the way…?" If death was not the way, then he would have to fight. Was that the correct course of action? Subaru didn't know it, but seeing Julius's determination, who claimed to see determination in him, he felt that betraying his expectations, like Anastasia's, would be despicable of him. But then, if death is not the way…

"No, it isn't. So get up and fight whatever brought you to your knees. And if you feel like you just can't, then don't hesitate to borrow my sword. We are allies now, as men under the command of Anastasia-sama. So it's my duty to ensure that you can meet my mistress's expectations and help her achieve her goals." Noticing the change in attitude in Subaru, Julius lowered his head slightly and again offered his support to Subaru.

"Do you think that everything can be solved with the sword, Julius?" With sarcasm, Subaru questioned Julius, who widened his eyes in surprise, as if realizing his error in judgment. But before the knight apologized for it, Subaru added. "Luckily for both of us, the problem that afflicts me could definitely be dealt with the help of your sword…"

"Wow, that is a dark joke," Kenichi said.

"Eh, we've said darker before," Al replied.

"It still doesn't change the fact."

"No… I guess not…"

"I'm glad to hear that." The knight expressed, smiling with his typical dignified expression. "Now, could you explain to me what you stated earlier? About the death of Anastasia-sama, the leaders of the Fang of Iron, and even my brother. From what I have heard you say, it seems to me that it is related to whatever ails you. Am I wrong?"

"No. You're not…" That was the moment, He couldn't keep relegating it. Fears? Doubts? Weaknesses? A new path had just been opened in front of him, it was time to put all that aside and say what he had been incapable of up to that moment. "There's something I've been trying to tell Anastasia, but I haven't been able to…"

"I know." Julius replied, nodding.

"My weakness… The weakness of my mind, my spirit and my heart, prevented me from saying it before, but… I'll take advantage of the fact that you are willing to listen to me and I'll get everything off my chest." Taking a deep breath, Subaru prepared to reveal what he had been unable to say.

Would he fail again? Would he breakdown again? No, he couldn't afford that. Not after everything Julius told him. If it was true that he could see determination in his eyes, then he wished he could live up to the knight's expectations. Same with Anastasia's expectations. To be less than that, would be a betrayal of all the efforts that he went through with Leith and Otto. It would be disappointing his parents, who loved him and wanted to help him, once again.

Therefore…

"Tell me everything you have to say, Subaru. I pledge to listen to you silently. Once you finish, we can think about what would be the best course of action to take." Being the reliable knight that he was, Julius prepared to listen to him.

"Julius… They're c-coming… Two ass-… Argh!" Memories flowed through him. The pain of torture, the pain of death, the pain of loneliness… His stomach churned, nausea causing him to reel. His forehead was bathed in cold sweat, his skin turned pale, and thick tears began to form at the corners of his eyes.

"You can do it!" Petra tried to cheer on her hero.

"Fight it, Subaru!" Julius yelled.

"Save everyone!" Emilia begged him.

His brain was breaking down. The trauma etched into his mind after the torture was so profound that just trying to mention it shook his entire body. That was the weakness that was holding him back, the weakness Elsa etched deep in his heart. And that wasn't all... What if he don't believe me? What if he thinks I know about it because I'm in cahoots with Elsa and Meili? What if all this is in vain? The doubts, one by one, accumulated inside him again. Piece by piece, Subaru began to fall apart.

"NO! We'll believe you!" Mimi begged for that Subaru to listen.

"He can't hear us," Priscilla said. Not to be cruel, but because it was the truth.

Hearing Subaru's broken psyche, Roswaal's heart sank even further. He knew he wasn't above using the assassin sisters to get Subaru to listen, but to torture him like that? I guess I truly deserve to burn for everything I've done… but not before I make up for it…

His mind; clouded with doubts. His heart; oppressed by the trauma. His spirit; corrupted by pain and fear. Subaru knew that as long as his condition remained that way, talking about what was about to happen would be impossible without getting seriously hurt psychologically and emotionally in the process. He knew it… But he also knew that if he didn't do it, if he allowed it to stop him, then all the people who accompanied him, all the people who had been kind to him, all the people who had placed expectations on him, would die or be embraced by misfortune.

It doesn't matter if he don't believe me. It doesn't matter if I make it worse. It doesn't matter if it's too late. I'll say that what I've known all this time I've to say, no matter what happens from here. Whatever happens, it has to be better than the hell I witnessed before my last death. Fighting the doubts that gathered inside him, Subaru forced himself to keep talking.

"They're go-nna c-come…" With his eyes reddened, Subaru continued to fight his weakness. That was the second step... The first was to acknowledged his weaknesses, which occurred the moment he accepted that what happened in the Loot Cellar was beyond him and left everything in the hands of the Saint of the Sword. Now was the time to take the next step, and do something about his weaknesses; using them as an excuse was no longer an option. "Two p-people will co-me..." He paused again, searching for words that would stray as far as possible from the painful memories of his previous deaths. "A li-ttle girl and a wo-woman…" Every word that came out of his mouth, he felt like a knife was driven into his chest. "They're b-both… a… as… assa… assassins… A-And… they'll en-ter the c-city… throu-gh the se-wers… alo-ng w-with a g-group of Ma-beasts…" Julius' eyes widened, but the knight refrained from stopping him, which Subaru silently thanked; had he stopped it, continuing would have been impossible. "I-I'm… their ta-target… B-but, they'll a-also attack… Anastasia!" Feeling a weight disappear from his shoulders, Subaru finished saying what he had to say, as he began to cough violently.

Meili felt her heart sink in guilt, deeper and deeper. She and Elsa did this? She knew they killed people before, but to slowly and horribly do it like this, it was… cruel. Evil.

The exact sort of thing Capella encouraged.

Was she really not better than…

Before she could finish that line of thought, she felt two arms wrap around her, and she looked up to see Subaru hugging her. "I don't blame you for this. I don't blame you for any of this."

She held him tighter, the words helping to comfort her.

"Two assassins have been hired to kill you, but they will also attack Anastasia-sama and the rest of the Camp?" Summing up Subaru's words, Julius made sure he understood the message by repeating it. Subaru, who was still coughing in agony, nodded. "And what did you mean earlier by "it's too late"? Do you think they are about to attack?" Subaru, who was finally beginning to recover, nodded again. "Subaru..." A change in the atmosphere caused Subaru to look at Julius. What he found was one of the sources of his doubts. "How do you know all this? Where did you get all this information? I am willing to believe you, but I need you to answer that."

There was no other way... Doubt was visible on Julius' face, but it was clear that, for the moment, he was willing to take his word for it. How high were his expectations of him? If that was the case, then Subaru would go as far as he could go. He had nothing to lose anymore, anyway. To hell with everything, he thought.

If he had finally managed to warn about Elsa and Meili's attack, talking about his ability to return to life after his death should be relatively easy. Besides, if he hadn't talked about his ability until then, that was because he hadn't had the need and didn't want people to doubt his sanity any more than they already did. But, in the situation he was in, that was the least of his concerns. Let whatever happens… Subaru thought, ready to reveal the reason for his knowledge of future events.

"Julius, your trust in me may be completely shattered by hearing how I know about it. Still, I'll tell you, so I hope you'll listen to what I have to say with an open mind." Julius, with a serious expression, accepted. "I've never told anyone, but the reason I know about the attack is because… I can Return by Dea–"

"NO, DON'T!" Naoko tried to warn the on-screen iteration of her son.

"YOU IDIOT!" Felt yelled at the on-screen Subaru.

"He didn't know any better…" Rem whispered.

Julius didn't react. In fact, he didn't move at all. It took Subaru several seconds to realize it. Time had come to a complete standstill, including him. The dust in the air, the feel of the wind, the sounds of the people in the inn, even his breathing. The only thing that was mobilizing at that moment was the running of his thoughts. Was it the same for Julius?

Subaru was forced to abandon that train of thought when he realized that something was changing in the room frozen in time. It was a shadow, a shadow that was materializing in front of him. What the hell? He thought, unable to tear his gaze away from the shadow. Moreover, something inside him told him that this was not the first time he had seen that shadow; it felt like déjà vu.

However, he was sure that whatever it was, his life was in danger in its presence. Little by little, like the fluctuation of ink in the water, the shadow approached him, gaining the shape of a hand. Five fingers were visible, but the rest of the arm was nothing more than a stream of throbbing shadows, giving the impression that it was something toxic.

The hand-shaped shadow advanced until it touched his chest… No, the shadow went through his chest. Panicking, Subaru tried to shake himself, wallow, whatever it took to prevent the black hand from entering inside him. But it was all useless, his body did not move in the slightest. In terror of what was about to happen, Subaru kept his gaze fixed on Julius's frozen face, unable to check the state of his shadow-pierced chest.

Everyone in the Theater was silent.

They had seen this before, all the way back to the first episode.

The Witch of Envy had come to grab Subaru's heart.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, absolutely nothing happened. The flow of the shadow that disappeared behind his chest remained static. However, everything shifted so quickly that his brain had trouble processing the change for several seconds. When he did, a wave of pain, coming from his chest, washed over him completely.

If he hadn't been deprived of his voice, his cry could have been heard in every corner of Priestella. The pain that arose inside his chest was so great, that if time had not been stopped, he would have collapsed lifelessly right there. He wanted to squirm, he wanted to refuse, he wanted to resist, but he had no choice but to accept the torture the shadow was inflicting on him in complete obedience.

The pain in his chest, the pain in his heart, was compared to it being crushed with all the force of an industrial machine. For several agonizing minutes, the shadowy hand made his heart its toy. Subaru inevitably remembered the torture he suffered at the hands of Elsa. At first, despair and madness seized his thoughts. But, little by little, he got used to it.

It was maddening pain, as terrible as having your heart crushed can feel. Even so, Subaru eventually began to realize that Elsa's torture took the pain and suffering to another level, one that the shadowy hand had failed to reach. It was almost nothing compared to feeling your skin being ripped off, feeling your limbs being sliced off, feeing your scalp being cut like a sheet of skin, feeling your organs being ripped out. All, at the same time, while you are still alive. Pain enough to break you completely. The torture of the hand, while incredibly painful, still did not compare to it…

Then, with his mind starting to clear, Subaru felt something inside him. A fragment that was hidden inside him, waiting for the right moment to show itself. "I hate you... I hate you... I hate you..." Like a mantra, that fragment of his mind began to express hatred towards the shadow that was torturing him. And before Subaru could begin to question himself about it, the pain level increased; no, to describe it like that would be an understatement, a huge understatement. Apparently, the shadowy hand had reacted to the feelings in the piece of his fragmented mind.

"What…?" Subaru whispered out.

"Wh-what is it, Subaru-sama?" Frederica asked, still afraid.

"I… I was never able to talk when Envy froze me… all I could do was see, hear, and think," Subaru said. "But for this version of me to talk to her, much less say he hates her…"

"That would have to take an incredible amount of willpower…" Crusch realized.

"What the hell has this version of Subaru through…?" Reinhard fearfully asked.

His spirit, mind and heart, everything that represented his being, Subaru Natsuki, was then fragmented into thousands of pieces that the air took away. His heart, which had beaten to keep him alive throughout his existence, was crushed until nothing was left but a bloody pulp... Subaru, whose mind was unable to process all the suffering that was tormenting him, heard a voice. He heard a voice yell at him with jealousy, before everything in his mind went white. "Love me, Subaru!"

As everyone watched in horror as Subaru's heart got crushed, Subaru himself was angry.

"No," he hissed. "You're not Satella, and I'll never love you."

Go burn in Hell along with Pandora, you cheap imitation…

"… I've never told anyone, but the reason I know about the attack is because… I can Return by Dea–" Julius had promised to help Subaru, so even though doubts were plaguing him, he was willing to listen to Subaru. His honor as a knight compelled him to do so. "Arggggggghhhh!" However, instead of getting the answer he was looking for, Subaru's countenance changed in an instant.

The inventor boy, by no means, had maintained a completely stable attitude. Throughout the conversation, like a person on the verge of collapse, he screamed, threw tantrums, and wailed. But what he was seeing in that instant, was beyond anything he could have seen during the entire conversation. Julius, struggling to show a dignified and composed countenance day and night, let out an involuntary look of astonishment.

Screams of agony, as he had only heard during the worst tortures, reached his ears. Subaru, who had been kneeling in front of him until just a moment ago, was now rolling on the floor. With an anguished grimace, Subaru clutched his chest with both hands, just above where his heart was. With foam gathering at the corners of his lips and his eyes rolling, Subaru convulsed violently.

"Wha' th' hell…?" Garfiel whispered, horrified.

Otto couldn't believe it. "This can't be what Natsuki-san goes through every time…"

Emilia was horrified by what she was seeing. She knew for long now that Subaru's erratic behavior during their fight was most likely a result of him trying to divulge his Authority, but this wasn't anything like how the penalty seemed to work. This… was far worse.

Julius would have liked to claim that it was all an act. The possibility that Subaru was acting to hide something, including sinister intentions, was a topic that he had already discussed extensively with the leaders of the Fang of Iron. Ricardo, Tivey, Hetaro and Mimi seemed to have doubts about Subaru. Even so, the opinion of the triplets leaned towards the idea that Subaru was not acting. Ricardo, on the other hand, refused to allow Subaru to stay at the inn, due to his suspicions.

Julius, for his part, kept himself in a more neutral position. He was willing to wait patiently while he watched over Subaru, as did his mistress. That was why Anastasia had sent him to Subaru's room, in order to see if they could get something out of him. Perhaps she would have gone there herself, had it not been for Ricardo's resistance; since Subaru seemed to maintain a normal level of consciousness about his surroundings, he represented a danger towards their mistress.

But now the situation was different, and it forced him to act quickly. None of Subaru's symptoms seemed the work of a performance, clearly he was suffering some kind of indescribable torture. Julius started to help him, when he noticed something that stopped him in his tracks for an instant. It was blood, blood was coming from Subaru's throat… no.

Petra closed her eyes. She knew something horrifying was coming.

Meili looked at her friends, and then back at the screen. She didn't know whether to cover her eyes to preserve what innocence she had left, or to keep watching because she felt like she owed it to her older brother. She decided to go with the latter.

Not just from his throat. From his tear ducts, as if it were a hellish cry, drops of blood began to emerge. And the bleeding didn't stop there, as blood also began to gurgle from his nose and ears. Subaru's face was soon bathed in blood, pushing Julius's urgency to the limit.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Felix screamed, absolutely pale.

Crusch looked at Subaru in horror. "Subaru, is this –?"

"No," he said. "This is far worse than any penalty I've ever experienced. This looks like if I kept trying over and over again, and Envy getting fed up with me… but that's never happened…"

"How is he still alive…?" Beatrice whispered, completely mortified.

Taking a piece of the rope with which Subaru had tried to commit suicide, Julius leapt at him and opened his mouth. After inserting the cloth into Subaru's mouth, in order to keep him from biting his tongue, Julius called out to one of the Fang of Iron mercenaries who had accompanied him. There were two men, and each stayed outside the room to stand guard in case something happened. Luckily, one of them was a user of healing magic.

"Julius-sama?" One of them answered the call, leaning over the doorway of the room.

"Olaph, I need you to use healing magic on him immediately!" With no time to explain the situation, Julius called the healing magic user by his name. The demi-human, with the white and orange Fang of Iron uniform, approached them and began to apply his magic, causing Subaru's convulsions and bleeding to gradually stop.

Reacting abruptly, Subaru regained his consciousness, turning away from Julius and the mercenary who was healing him. Coughing violently, Subaru instinctively expelled the piece of cloth from his mouth, as if his body completely refused to accept the foreign object. From the way he reacted, Julius couldn't help but think that there was something else behind that action, although he didn't give it much thought due to the situation.

Subaru, staggering, leaned with his hands on the floor, vomiting blood clots that had collected in his throat. With his eyes stained red from the multiple swollen blood vessels, Subaru looked at Julius. Showing a considerably disturbing image, Subaru kept still, as he seemed to process everything that had just happened to him.

"I can't…" He said abruptly. His countenance was ruled by an image of despair, which might as well belong to someone begging for his life before he died. "I can't tell you how I know." He added, lowering his gaze. His knuckles were white, due to the force he was putting on his fists.

Come on, Julius begged his counterpart. Please believe him…

"We need a code," Reinhard realized.

"A what?" Wilhelm asked.

"We need a code for Subaru to use when he uses his Authority," the redhead explained. "Just because we know of it now, doesn't mean he can now speak to us about it."

"You're right," Felt said. "It's imperative we have one."

Reinhard looked at her in surprise. "Did you… just use a word I taught you?"

"Alright, fine! Your teaching's rubbing off on me! Jeez!"

Could it be a very well-crafted hoax? Julius wondered, as he watched Subaru. Sure, the bleeding Subaru had just had could hardly be considered an act. However, it would not be the first case of a spy or assassin taking his act extremely far in order to gain the trust of his target, even at the cost of risking his own life. Still, Julius's very doubts were buried under more doubts.

To what end would he cause so much harm to himself, if it were all an act? Are there not more effective and efficient ways to get closer to the enemy while letting him down his guard? At least Subaru, lacking a past and place of origin, could offer thousands of alibis that could hardly be denied on the spot. So… was it all true? Then…

"Subaru, what's causing you all this? Was the bleeding caused by you trying to speak?" What entity or being had Subaru in that condition? First was the panic attack inside the carriage, which nearly led to him choking to death in his own vomit. Now he was plagued by multiple internal bleeds that may well have ended his life.

"I don't know..." Looking lost, Subaru shook his head, as he replied with a lack of confidence. The situation was becoming more and more complex, and Julius did not know how to deal with it. Should I trust Subaru? Should I distrust him? Whatever the answer, he needed to act fast. If the attack Subaru mentioned happened, it was his duty to stand by his mistress and protect her.

"Subaru… I don't know how to deal with you. Should I put an escort on you and leave you under arrest in this room? Or should I take you to Anastasia so you can give us more information regarding what you said? Are you on our side? Or are you an agent of the assassins you speak of? Or else, are you an infiltrator who wants to distract us by talking about an attack that won't happen?" Expressing his doubts, Julius questioned Subaru, who was still staring straight at the ground. After a moment, Subaru seemed to find the strength to reply.

"JUST BELIEVE HIM, YOU IDIOT!" Julius yelled at his counterpart.

"There's nothing you can do," Reinhard said.

Julius knew he was right, but he still didn't want to hear it.

"Do you think I would've told you if I was in cahoots with the murderers?! I swear, Julius! All I wanna do is prevent innocent people from dying because of me! I'm the one they're looking for, but like I told you, they won't stop just with me! " Going into despair, Subaru crawled towards him, leaving behind a trail of blood. His face, contorted, looked him straight in the eye. "I beg you! Trust me! Please… don't close me off the last way I've left…"

"A misstep." Julius replied, keeping his gaze on Subaru's eyes. "A misstep, a wrong decision, a bad judgment on my part. That would be enough to put Anastasia-sama's life in danger. It's not that I want to believe you or not, Subaru. I just can't afford to make a mistake that leads me to fail my mistress... "

"Julius…" With a pleading groan, Subaru called out to the knight's name. His mind seemed to have cleared, and yet he refused to pay attention to his precarious state. The determination he had seen in his gaze, though clouded by a turmoil of negative emotions, was there. After some of the longest seconds of Subaru's life, Julius finally decided.

"I will believe you. Hence, I do not want you to disappoint me, Subaru Natsuki. Or I will make sure to end your life myself, with the edge of my sword." Firmly, the Valuable Knight exclaimed his judgment.

"I'm puttin' ma faith 'n Natsuki-kun," Anastaisa said firmly.

"Yeah, same," Ricardo said.

"Heh, it would be pretty foolish not to," Julius admitted, with a small chuckle.

"Oh, good, we have a scene change," Tivey sighed in relief.

"Yeah, looking at Bro's blood was starting to get gross," Mimi admitted.

"Are ya sure about this, Julius?!" With a voice loud like thunder, Ricardo expressed his doubt towards his partner's judgment. Julius had just informed Ricardo, and the rest of the Fang of Iron mercenaries gathered there, regarding what happened in Subaru's room. The other actor involved was at his side, while he continued to be healed by a member of Anastasia's Camp; in the absence of time to go to a professional healer, that was the only option.

"I already told you. I decided to take Subaru's word for it. That's why I need you to gather, as soon as possible, all the members of the Fang of Iron scattered around Priestella, here in the inn. We don't know when they will attack, but It might as well be tonight. " Expressing his decision firmly, Julius requested the collaboration of the wolf-shaped demi-human.

"Wait, wait! Julius, I'll repeat it again, are ya sure of this? What ya're asking of me isn't an easy thing to carry out. Besides, are ya aware of the danger posed by gatherin' all my men in the same place? Of course ya know! Now that a Candidate for royalty's in a border town like this, we'd expose Priestella as a whole to an assault. Which would be completely counterproductive, even if what the boy says is true."

"They will enter through the sewers and their only target is the inn and its surroundings. That's right, isn't it, Subaru?" Julius questioned Subaru, who immediately looked back at him. Along the way to where they were, and with a little more confidence, Subaru had managed to gather the strength to explain the attack a little better to Julius…

"Did you really have to drag me here?" Subaru asked.

"How is that a problem?" Felt asked.

"Look at me!" Subaru exclaimed, pointing at his on-screen self. "I look like death itself! That me is in no condition to try to convince a bunch of people to go into battle!"

"I have faith in you," Priscilla said. "You've managed to convince others before."

"Yeah, but I didn't look like I just came out of a hell loop…"

Along the way, he had also had time to take a closer look at the information he obtained before and during his previous two deaths. Enduring the nausea caused by the memories, Subaru squeezed each one of them out as much as possible. His first clue came from an especially painful memory.

Elsa, before making the Mabeast eat him alive, delivered one last message. Her memories were blurred due to the situation, but the message more or less was that he had made a mistake, had made the wrong decision and that whoever had hired the assassins would see to it that he complied with what some book said. Who had hired the assassins and sent that message? What mistake was he referring to? What was the wrong decision? What was the correct decision? What book was he or she referring to? What was the purpose of that message…?

Upon seeing the flashback of Subaru getting eaten alive by Mabeasts, Meili burrowed her face deeper into Subaru's chest, her eyes getting wet. Meanwhile, Subaru was held closer by the women surrounding him, essentially making it a giant cuddle pile.

Elsewhere, everyone else looked at Roswaal with some serious hatred.

"Roswaal-sama, what that version of you did was low, even for you," Ram said.

"I am well-aware of that," the clown said. "Even I'm disgusted by his actions."

Was it a merchant or company rival of Anastasia, who wanted to form an alliance with him? That might explain that wrong decision thing, but he still had no idea which book the client was referring to. After a bit more turning the matter over, Subaru decided to put it aside and focus on another topic.

The emerald rock. What was it? Why did he seem able to avoid his death no matter what they did to his body? Apparently, that rock was the tool used by the assassins, to be able to carry out their terrible tortures without killing their victims in the middle of the process. A horrible way to use such a valuable magic item, he concluded.

Once more everyone looked at Roswaal.

"Ros… be honest with us," Kenichi said, in a low tone. "Do you have such a rock?"

"..."

"Answer us, clown," Naoko hissed.

It was then that his train of thoughts was interrupted by his arrival at the dining room, where Ricardo was with the two boys from the group of triplets. Apparently Anastasia was still in the meeting Julius had mentioned. So the knight took the opportunity to submit the information, which Subaru had told him, to the noisy demi-human, who, according to his personality, reacted by screaming…

Subaru nodded at Julius' question. He could not be completely sure that the assassins wouldn't attack other areas of the city, however, he was quite convinced that this would not be the case. Why? Because during the first attack, Meili seemed quite concerned that no one would approach the alley they were in; indicating that they probably hadn't interfered outside of it. Another reason would be that until now, after his two deaths since arriving in Priestella, Subaru never heard the assassins speak of any more reinforcements besides Meili's beasts.

Sure, it was still a shot in the dark. If it went wrong, it could cost the lives of many, many people. Even so, the situation really called for taking the risk. And, in the worst case, there would be no choice but to take the only remaining way: His death. If there was a chance to prevent the tragedy from happening again, the right thing to do would be to take it. He was completely convinced of it.

"And how the hell does he know all that?!" Ricardo roared, making Subaru wince.

"He can't tell." At Julius' assertion, Ricardo's gesture became more severe. "It seems that he has some kind of curse or magic seal that prevents him from doing so. I saw it with my own eyes, Ricardo. Do you see how he is completely covered in blood? That's because he tried to tell me the reason behind his knowledge regarding the attack."

"But that doesn't make sense!" Ricardo, frustrated, took a deep breath to calm himself and continued. "The healer said there's no sign of interference with his mana, Julius. And while it's true that a particularly skilled mage or Warlock might've concealed a curse on him, the probability is... Hmm... Julius, I really don't think taking his word for it's the right decis–"

"Tha' version o' me knows what a Warlock is?" Ricardo asked.

"Given that Sphinx was deemed a "Witch" despite the fact that she didn't wield an Authority, there is a good chance that the nomenclature is commonplace," Wilhelm guessed.

"Okay… but why not assume that the evil magic user is a Witch?" Felt asked. "I mean, there are way more Witches than there are Warlock? Like, eight or nine to two of them, right?"

"Wait, are you counting me?" Subaru asked.

"Subaru-sama, you technically are one…" Frederica admitted.

"Julius's my knight, Ricardo. As such, I'm the one who'll decide whether his judgment's correct or not." Interrupting Ricardo, a beautiful lilac-haired girl dressed in a flowered white kimono with purple details entered the dining room, followed by a kid with orange hair and plushy ears, also dressed in a flowered kimono. Behind them, a group of several well-dressed people entered, probably executives from the Hoshin Company with whom she had been meeting. "Julius, they already briefly reported to me what's happenin'." Facing her knight, despite her short stature, it was Anastasia Hoshin.

"Anastasia-sama, the situation is as reported. Subaru warned me that we are in enormous danger of being attacked, he being the main target. He assures that despite being like this, you are also in danger. I am willing to give him my vote of confidence, so I will accept any punishment in case of-"

"Ya're my knight, Julius. I'll be the one to bear the consequences of your mistakes, not the other way around." At a loss for words, Julius meekly nodded at his mistress's words.

"In that case, miss. What position do ya've regardin' the boy's statements?" Ricardo questioned her, pointing at Subaru.

"Me? Like my knight, I'm willin' to trust him." With a gesture of utter surprise, Ricardo gaped at Anastasia. Apparently the captain of the Fang of Iron was expecting another outcome.

"But…"

"I trust Julius's judgment, Ricardo. Don't ya?" Silenced by the firmness of his employer, Ricardo closed his mouth again. That argument had apparently been enough to silence the demi-human's complaints. "Besides, I also believe in Natsuki-kun. So far, he hasn't acted in a way that led me directly to doubt him, quite the contrary. So I'll give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Sorry 'bout dat, Ana-bo," Ricardo apologized.

"It's fine, tha's not you on th' screen," the Royal Candidate said.

"Anastasia-sama, if I may speak about it, my recommendation would be to contact the city capitol and report that we will need to use the bunkers in the area. We should also call the Fang of Iron patrols scattered around the city as soon as possible. Against the Mabeasts, the numbers will be of great help."

"I appreciate it, Julius. Ricardo, send a message to the patrol leaders via metia. Tell them to return to the inn as soon as possible, and to inform us in case they notice any sign of suspicious activity in the city." Reluctantly, Ricardo accepted the order and, using an object similar to a pocket mirror, began to contact his subordinates. After that, Anastasia instructed one of the Hoshin Company executives who had arrived with her, to inform the Priestella Capitol regarding the use of the bunkers. "Now..." With short strides, Anastasia approached the bench where Subaru was standing, until she was in front of him. "Natsuki-kun, 'bout the attack… That's what ya tried to tell me all mornin', right? Ya wanted to warn us about this, but ya couldn't."

"Yeah…" With a depressing whisper, Subaru answered the shrewd girl's question. Nodding satisfied, the girl continued to question him.

"I'm glad ya finally managed to get it outta your system. So, Natsuki-kun, could ya tell me everythin' ya know in your own words?"

"Anastasia-sama..." Julius tried to say something to his mistress, but she stopped him by raising a hand.

"I'm aware of this… kinda curse that threatens Natsuki-kun." She nodded, indicating that she was informed about what struck Subaru every time he said something he was forbidden to say. "Therefore, Natsuki-kun, tell me everythin' ya're able to say to me without getting' hurt." With a sweet smile, Anastasia asked Subaru to reveal as much as he could.

Breathing deeply to strengthen his spirit, Subaru prepared himself to reveal everything possible. "We'll be attacked. I couldn't say exactly when, but it could well be today. Considering that there's a possibility that at this moment we're being watched..."

"That's ridiculous! We've men stationed at strategic points in the inn, no one should be able to enter or leave the place without us finding out." The one who interrupted him was not Ricardo, but Tivey, who was looking at him suspiciously through his monocle.

"Never say never when you're dealing with my son!" Kenichi said.

"That… is actually a good point," Reinhard realized. "We will have to end up writing an entire new rules of engagement book when it involves anything Subaru-related."

"Make sure to add everything we learned from the Theater in there!" Al chimed in. "Witches, ancient beings, other worlds, Authorities, time travel, all of it!"

"You're making it sound like an SCP manual for me…" Subaru groaned.

"Tivey-chan, could ya not interrupt Natsuki-kun? He's trying his best to give us as much information as possible, the least we'd do is listen to him." With a motherly tone, Anastasia rebuked Tivey, who nodded regretfully. With a movement of her chin, the girl motioned for Subaru to continue. From the corner of his eye, Subaru could notice Mimi hitting Tivey with her staff, which improved his mood a bit.

"Thanks." After thanking Anastasia, he continued what he was telling. "As I was saying, the assassins probably already know that we're aware of their siege, so they could attack at any time. To answer Tivey's question, I'll say that the assassin's an extremely skilled woman, enough to cause Julius trouble. " His statement, as expected, caught the attention of the aforementioned knight and raised the tension in the atmosphere of the dining room. "Her name's… E-El… El-sa… Elsa." Losing his composure again, Subaru forced himself to throw up the name.

"Sorry, Bro," Tivey apologized.

"It's fine," Subaru smiled.

"I have heard the name." Julius declared. "Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter. If it is that same Elsa, then Subaru is right in saying that we are dealing with an extremely dangerous person."

"But isn't she supposed to only work at Gusteko?" At Julius's statement, another voice joined in. This time it was Hetaro, who had been listening in silence. Apparently he had also recognized Elsa's name.

"Her area of work is mainly in Gusteko, but she has been seen recently in Lugnica. In fact, Reinhard van Astrea fought with her a few months ago in the Capital. From what I heard from him, the matter seemed to be related to the theft of an extremely valuable object… "Julius, thinking well what was correct to say and what not, decided to put aside that this was how Reinhard met his mistress, Felt, the last candidate for the Royal Selection. "He also mentioned that despite receiving a direct hit from him, she survived and escaped."

"She survived a direct hit from the Sword Saint?! Is she immortal?" Ricardo, who had just finished giving the new orders to his subordinates, joined the conversation again.

"Nah, she's very killable," Garfiel said.

"Just extremely hard to do so," Frederica admitted.

"If you want "immortal," redirect yourself to the big three," Al said.

"The big three?" Subaru asked.

"You, Reinhard, and Satella," the helmeted knight answered.

"I… okay, that actually makes sense."

"There are rumors that, in addition to being extremely agile with knives, Elsa can withstand several fatal blows without being defeated. She really is an opponent that I would rather not face near Anastasia-sama." Listening to the conversation from the side, Subaru could feel a chill run through his body. After saying that, Julius looked directly at the girl. "That is why I would prefer you to be escorted to one of the bunkers in the city as soon as possible, Anastasia-sama. Besides, I want the triplets to stay with you as your bodyguards."

"Okay, no problem." Anastasia, in addition to Ricardo and the aforementioned triplets, agreed with Julius' request. "Will ya be fine without their help?" She asked, addressing Julius and Ricardo.

"I'm sure that if we divide the burden well, Julius and I'll do it without any problem." Ricardo answered confidently, while showing his enormous canines. Julius, silently, nodded showing that he shared his opinion.

"Terrific!" Folding her hands with a cute gesture, Anastasia was satisfied by the response of her subordinates. "In that case, I'll leave once I've finished listenin' to what Natsuki-kun has to say." Making her intentions clear, Anastasia returned her gaze to Subaru, who had been cast aside.

"O-Okay… Ahem!" Regaining some of the composure he had lost in naming Elsa, Subaru continued. "Elsa's the main assassin, but she's accompanied by a little girl named Meili. I'm not sure what her role is within the team, but I think she's capable of controlling the Mabeasts; I'm not entirely confident about it, though." That is another of the conclusions he had reached when analyzing what happened before and during his previous deaths. "And as I said before, they'll enter the city through the sewers and will be accompanied by a large number of Mabeasts, though I cannot say an approximate number." Although, if he hadn't locked himself in Anastasia's room, refusing to accept everything that went on outside, he might have a better idea about it. "I'm also sure they'll focus on attacking the inn only." Elsa had mentioned that Meili was buying her time, and was probably referring to Julius and Ricardo, reinforcing his idea that they would focus on attacking a single place rather than carrying out a massive attack on the city. "Unfortunately, that's all I got."

"It's basically the Sanctuary Incident, but in Priestella," Ram said.

"Man, between the Sin Archbishops from the previous episodes, and this, it seems like Priestella is some sort of hub for evildoers to converge at," Subaru joked.

Oh, he had no idea.

"Hmm… It's not poor information, Natsuki-kun. In fact, it's very accurate information. It really intrigues me how you got access to it, especially considerin' how suddenly you changed the moment we got to Priestella." Squinting her eyes, Anastasia carefully analyzed Subaru's expression.

"I'd tell you if I could, Anastasia. I assure you that. It's just… If I do, it's like the world stops and my heart… Hnk!" Fearing the shadows would return, Subaru abruptly fell silent, clenching his chest defensively.

"Shit, the fear's engraved into him," Subaru cursed.

"Is that bad?" Emilia asked.

"You know how earlier in the viewings I didn't want anyone to find out about Return by Death due to all the penalties?" Subaru asked. Emilia, and a few others, nodded.

"Well, one of the major reasons was because I was terrified of my heart getting clenched. It's also the reason that for most of my loops I didn't ask people for help, since I believed I couldn't explain what was going on without divulging such information."

Emilia and Rem both stared at Subaru in sadness, before hugging him even harder.

The sensations had been etched in his mind and body. The indescribable pain, the terror he felt towards the shadow, the hatred, the jealousy... Once he returned to reality, leaving the shadow behind, and regained consciousness, Subaru knew immediately: the shadow would not allow him to speak about it, it would never let him reveal any detail of the Return by Death. He would have to deal with it alone, as he struggles to explain what he knows without being able to mention the Return by Death. Just thinking about it, he understood the hatred that fragment of his mind professed…

Sighing deeply, Anastasia stopped looking at Subaru and turned to Julius. "Natsuki-kun claims to be the main target of the assassin, so we cannot risk leavin' him in a separate bunker from mine without the necessary security. That's why he'll come with me." All the members of the Fang of Iron, in unison, displayed gestures of disagreement. However, Anastasia's expression, which Subaru failed to witness, was enough to keep them silent.

All but one. "Miss, I hope this decision doesn't end up killin' ya. I'd be very upset to be unable to remind ya dat I had warned ya." With a dejected gesture, Ricardo headed for the door as he spoke. "Let's get it over with. We also have to communicate everythin' to the inn staff and begin the evacuation, so we don't have too much time."

"Why do I have the sick feeling that this decision has killed us before?" Subaru wondered.

"Probably because one of the flashbacks we saw featured Anastasia-sama's corpse, along with that Pearlbaton girl, implying it was a previous loop," Roswaal answered.

"Ah, yep, that explains it," Subaru nodded. "Thanks, Ros-chi."

"No problem."

Obeying the captain of the Fang of Iron, everyone present began to leave the dining room in an orderly fashion. The first to leave were two mercenaries that Ricardo sent to communicate to the inn staff regarding the need to evacuate immediately. Finally, only the main actors remained inside.

After a brief goodbye, Anastasia, along with Subaru, was escorted out by the triplets, who have just said goodbye to Ricardo. The five of them were about to cross the exit threshold when a thunderous crash shook the foundations of the inn. Feeling fear running through his veins, Subaru remembered that this was how the attack had started the previous time. Once again, he had taken too long. However, this time everyone was informed, maybe they could make it…

"It's quiet," Otto realized. "Too quiet."

"And now, it's not quiet enough," Ram replied.

"Hmm... It's not fair... With all the trouble we went through to prepare everything for this job, only to have it all ruined by our target." With a grim smile, Elsa appeared in front of him and Anastasia. "Apparently, our client was right about you..."

"AW, WHAT?! IT ENDS THERE?!" Garfiel complained. "WHERE'S THE ACTION?!"

"I think we've had more than enough action," Frederica said.

"Yes, between the children versions of Emilia-sama and Subaru, the Warlock of Envy, Hector and the White Whale, the younger Echidna, and Priestella, we've had plenty," Julius agreed.

"Well, now what?" Otto asked.

"We wait for the new options, I guess," Subaru suggested.

And so, patiently, they waited.

---

Author's Note: Sorry that there were no guns in this chapter.

The original story is called "Re: Inventing Life in a Different World from Zero, written by Geisterivian. The story can only be found on with the link, s/13651774/1/Re-Inventing-Life-in-a-Different-World-from-Zero. Thank you for your time, and now off with the comments from the last chapter!

VaktaisNoforHigs: Well, who knows? Maybe Emilia gets freed earlier. It's been something that has been discussed by writers before. So, maybe everyone could win!

Chuck B. Winanaki: Insert reference to some Subaru vs Subaru fic down the line here. Watching Subaru realize that the real world isn't a video game will always be cringey. Roswaal always had the capability of being nice, he just chose to ignore it. Yeah, your theory on Return by Death makes some sense. Your theory for what their world is also makes sense, too. I'm pretty sure the entire fandom believes Subaru can get into anyone's pants if he tries hard enough. Glad you liked the previous chapter!

Anon: Then why do you keep reading it?

Razvanazzz: No more asking for the Lust If! PLEASE!

R-king 93: Awesome comment.

Guest #1: "The Perfect Husband"? No, I have not. I shall check it out.

Crafter Von King: Yeah, a lot of people made that mistake. And since the first option took place OVER fifty years ago, it could theoretically be before Wilhelm was born.

5queso: Actually, a lot of my future projects will be in the MHA fandom, but thanks for the support anyways! And as for this chapter, I said that the original story featured guns, not the chapter I was having everyone react to. Next time, read the fine print!

Pryd: I knew everyone would throw a hissy fit if I made the Cast pity Capella a little too much, so I had to balance it out. And Subaru with his hair down? Maybe…

BigSmokeYett: Don't worry, THIS Subaru will get a happy ending. Kinda.

Deathenlegamers1144: Subaru will never escape the horror that is the Great Rabbit. Yeah, I'm not sure whether Meili and Subaru will have a sibling relationship, or a parent-child one. And for the idea of a second season, I have been considering it…

LouisCy: You'll have to thank the original author for that one. Yeah, Anastaisa might have bit off a bit more than she could chew with this reality, regardless of the others.

King_LAO2964: Well, I can't remember every little detail! I'm only human!

Pulszer_NTG: If you are referring to the one where the female Reinhard is all yandere for Subaru, then yes, I have read it, but I won't be making that one part of the roster, sorry.

Wins: Is that a Zelda CDI reference?

Jo: Satella can watch everyone from afar, but she won't interact with the Cast.

CrowMADDER: Yeah, about that… Pandora's offer to this version of Capella was WAY far into the future, so I really couldn't show that without cutting a bunch of stuff. But the idea of having the second season be a continuation of these stories is a nice idea…

TheCrimNyaEbo88: NO.

A Passing Bruh: Well, they are being written by two different parties, so…

DanUzumaki11: I was really considering doing a "Sealed" chapter, but if I did that, it would end up contradicting something bad and spoilery down the line.

Spavaq: To be honest, compared to Option One, Option Two needs all the wins it can get. So, the stories featuring Zarestia will remain on Option Two timeline.

WanderingShogun: Sure, why not? It's not the first time I have made accidental references to other media, why not take credit for this one, too? Have fun with that idea.

aj2362: Okay there's dark stories, and then there's just plain evil.

Poofbomb: Never read "Re: Treachery", actually. I probably should read it. But yeah, the next story will feature a completely different revolutionary-based story.

Imperius: Entertainment is the name of the game!

Ernalore's Big Brother: Considering that I have no idea what stories are your favorite, I have no idea. Also, your username is both 1984-creepy and wildly inaccurate.

Now that that's out of the way, a special thanks to Infinite the Celestain for helping me in making this story, and for being an all-around great guy! If you want to join my Discord server, the link is /gEGK4JXH. You can chat with others, post memes and fanfic recommendations and prompts, role play, and fan art, and I'll drop by with announcements and chat with you all every now and then! And for the love of God, PLEASE FOLLOW THE RULES! If you can't, then don't join, seriously. If you want to add me as a friend, my username is Ernalore#8663! I also have an Instagram where I post my art, called "eranlore_aka_the_writer," so if you wanna check it out, please do!

Thanks for reading, see you next time!

- Ernalore

---

Next time:

What if Fourier Lugnica survived?

OR

What if Subaru had a different Authority?