Re:Zero Male Insert

by Booklore

Y/N, a normal guy is one day sent to the world of Re:Zero! He's watched the anime, so he knows that tough times are ahead. Come along the journey as you meet and help Subaru and the rest of the Re:Zero cast overcome the trials that await them! This is my first story, so feedback is welcomed! Disclaimer: I do not own Re:Zero.

60. The Trials of the Tower

Once you were out of the Green Room and its abundant plants, you closed the door swiftly. Facing everyone, you said, "I think I speak for most of us when I say that this is kind of a worst-case scenario with Ram right now, but she's probably mature enough to get it together soon enough. She might not forgive us, but I imagine she'll help out whenever she's processed all of this."

Shaula bent down to whisper to Omega as you focused on Roswaal. "So," you asked as you switched up, now pretending to be nervous, "you know... umm... seeing how Ram reacted, I'm surprised that you're being so calm right now."

The corner of Roswaal's mouth twitched as if he was trying to suppress saying something before he declared, "No offenssssse to Omega, but she is merely an imperfect version of Echidna. In myyyy eyes, you have just been contracted to a useful ally."

'This man lies as naturally as he breathes, and I can neither commend nor condemn him for this trait.'

Omega said this to you telepathically, but she physically shrugged as if she didn't mind Roswaal's statement.

"Nowwwww, I do believe that Ram was correct in the fact that we must move quickly. Shall we proceed to the next floor?" Roswaal keenly suggested.

"Hold up," you said as you moved your focus to Shaula.

Inviting her to talk, you asked, "I can't believe that I haven't asked you yet, but would you be open to leaving this place to come with us? We're here to recruit you to The Crusaders so that we can destroy the Witch Cult and help the people that it affects."

Shaula giggled as you gave her your reason for coming to the Pleiades Watchtower. "Silly (Y/N), don't you know that I can't leave?"

You, Roswaal, and Meili looked at Shaula with disbelief. The Sage's Apprentice - the person who was obviously one of the most powerful people you've met and the main reason for you to come here - just said that she couldn't leave with you.

Omega sighed since she knew more about the reasons behind this from reading Shaula's memories. Still not recovered from her disappointment toward Shaula, she exasperatedly asked, "Would you care to explain why you are unable to leave this place?"

Shaula nodded her head so enthusiastically that her scorpion-tail hair swung up and down. "Master told me to guard this tower, so I'm here forever, shooting anyone that makes it here!"

"Is there anything else that might pose a complication as to us completing our mission?" Omega added to guide Shaula into revealing the information that she wanted everyone to hear.

Shaula scratched her head and looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember if there was anything else that she should say.

The head-scratching yielded nothing, as Shaula confidently shook her head 'no.'

Not giving up, Omega prodded, "Are there perhaps any rules or such that we should know of?"

"Rules?" Shaula repeated. "Oh! Like the Tower Rules?" She proceeded to giggle again. "Silly me~ Master made some rules for anybody who made it here, and you definitely need to know them!"

Counting on her fingers, Shaula listed the rules. "The first rule is that it is forbidden to leave the tower without completing all of the trials. Rule two is that it is forbidden from violating the rules of the trials. The third rule is that it is forbidden to disrespect the library. And rule four is that it is forbidden to damage the tower!"

(A/N: To make it easier to read/understand, here are the rules as a list:

1. It is forbidden to leave the tower without completing the trials

2. It is forbidden to violate the rules of the trials

3. It is forbidden to disrespect the library

4. It is forbidden to damage the tower)

"Hold up," you said. "Trials? You're saying that we're stuck here until we get through these trials?"

Shaula nodded her head.

Speaking up, Meili voiced her thoughts and asked, "Umm... Shaula-sama... are the trials hard? Like, how many do we have to go through and how impossible are they?"

Out of joy, Shaula clapped her hands. "You're making me blush, attaching stuff like 'sama'! I'm not used to it, so you can address me without using any honorifics like normal. Using Shaula-sama...Dhehehe!"

Remembering to answer Meili's question, she continued, "But about the trials... I have no idea! Master told me to play 'Don't Worry About It,' so I did! High score!"

Meili looked uneasy about Shaula's answer while both you and Roswaal both had concerned expressions on your faces.

Both of you felt that the fact that this tower had trials had to do with Echidna since she was the one to create the trials at the Sanctuary, but you were worried for two different reasons.

Roswaal remembered the last time he attempted to take such a trial, and even though this entry requirement, if there was one at all, was most certainly different than the half-blood requirement of the trials in the Sanctuary, the fact that his Teacher most likely had a hand in inspiring or even designing these trials meant that they could be a considerable obstacle between him and wherever Volcanica might be.

You, on the other hand, started to worry because Echidna never mentioned anything about there being trials here. She also didn't know about the space-time interference around the tower to keep people away from it, so the fact that Flugel has already proven to be a master of creating difficulties to keep people from this tower meant more trouble up ahead.

Omega, noting that the group's overall morale was beginning to sludge down, asserted, "Do not worry. I knew Flugel well, and he most certainly limited himself to three trials. Apart from personal reasons for this number, it also correlates to the number of floors above us, in which I assume we must pass a trial in order to proceed into each one."

Meili gazed at Omega with admiration. Of course, she knew that Omega/Echidna was a Witch and everything, but it never occurred to her that her companion actually knew the ancient hero.

"Well," Roswaal said, "if this is true, thennnn we should begin passing these trials immmmediately, no?"

"Actually," you responded, "can we go sit somewhere and make a game plan? I feel like there's a lot of information being thrown around here, and as much as I know we need to hurry, something just isn't sitting right with me."

Omega furrowed her brows, not happy with what you just said. "I understand your intention, but can we not have this discussion whilst walking up the stairs to the third floor? We do not have any food or water from our carriage since it was destroyed, so our next meal will be contaminated by miasma. We are truly running out of time before we must satisfy our goals."

"My thoughts exacccctly!" Roswaal tagged along with unsettling enthusiasm. "Now, Shaula, would you lead us onwards?"

Shaula visibly shuddered at Roswaal before shaking the creepy vibes out of her system. "Sure thing! To Tayg- I mean, the third floor we go!

Trying to cover up yet another slipup, Shaula started to march around the large room in the center of the floor to reach the next staircase.

'(Y/N), this girl is quite terrible at hiding information, but I must address something that she was successful at concealing before we move on.'

'What?'

'I am beginning to pity her... In order to keep us here longer, she did not tell us about the fifth rule of this tower.'

'Wait, a fifth rule?! What in the world is it, if hiding it's meant to keep us here longer?'

'It is quite simple, for this fifth rule declares that it is not forbidden to destroy the trials.'

Time Skip

As the sounds of footsteps and conversation echoed in the now enclosed stone staircase, Echidna telepathically made three things clearer for you from what she stole from Shaula's memories:

1). This first trial is what gives access to the library on the third floor and access to the second floor.

2). The trial on the second floor grants passage to the first floor.

3). Passing the trial on the first floor is what allows you to leave the tower.

This meant that you would be trying to pass all three trials as soon as possible to get home before the miasma affected anybody too severely.

Of course, on top of the issue with time and the difficult trials was now the fact that Shaula couldn't leave the tower.

'Hey, Echidna, you knew Shaula and Flugel pretty well, so is there any way to get her to come with us? I get that Shaula is really loyal to her master and everything, but you must've had something in mind before coming here, right? Perhaps a loophole or something?'

'...'

'Umm... I don't like the sound of that silence...'

Echidna sighed from within her Castle of Dreams. 'I gravely misjudged Shaula's emotions... I believed that I could understand how one would feel in her situation, and I assumed that we would have no difficulty in obtaining her aid. For example, I contracted Beatrice to remain in that library for what became four hundred years, and her loneliness was too much for her soul to bear. Flugel forced the same, cruel fate onto Shaula, but unlike Beatrice, she has not wavered in her emotions in the slightest.'

There was still discussion going around you, but everybody's words faded away as you focused on Echidna.

'Don't beat yourself up over it. I can say for certain that Shaula was lonely, but she and Beatrice are really different people - or I guess you can say they are as different as Great Spirit and a mabeast can get. I'm pretty sure that you've noticed this, but everyone can feel different ways about the same thing.'

'Of course. That is common knowledge, but that does not stray from the fact that I overestimated my ability to understand emotions. I was too hasty to believe that I was knowledgeable enough to bring us to this place, and my stupidity may result in something quite unpleasant for us if we cannot successfully pass the three trials.'

'Hey, just because you're smart beyond belief doesn't give you immunity from being stupid. That just shows that you still have more things to learn, which I guess is a good thing for you.'

'Perhaps...'

'And even so, I believe in us. If anybody can pass these trials, it's the people we have right here.'

'Plus the Sword Saint?'

'I mean... Reinhard might come in handy...'

'And Juukulius?'

'Yeah... and Julius t- Hey, I'm just trying to think happy thoughts here, okay?!'

'Yes, I am aware. I was merely "pushing your buttons", as they say.'

Echidna chuckled as she said this, and that made you break out into a smile, which brought you back into your physical senses.

"So, naked onee-san, you knew the first Sword Saint and the Divine Dragon?" This was Meili, who, after being told not to use formalities with Shaula, referred to the apprentice who would be fit for a picture straight from the beach if not for her cape as 'naked onee-san.'

"Hey, watch it, ankle biter!" Shaula objected once more to the nickname, "I have socks on too! And a ribbon! That means I'm not naked! And for the record, I haven't even let Master see me without my clothes on! And who are those Sword Santa's and Divination Dragons you're talking about?"

Meili didn't mind being called an ankle biter, since she had taken on many different code names during her time with her Mama's Assassin Organization, but she looked confused for another reason. "Huh? Didn't you know the Sword Saint and the Divine Dragon? You know, Reid and Volcanica?"

"Ewwww!" Shaula covered her ears and spun in circles as she hopped up more stairs, somehow not falling. After a few rotations, she uncovered her ears and balanced herself as she proclaimed, "I know them... You're talking about The Stick Swinger Reid and the Cynic Volcanica, right?"

Meili looked around at everyone as she shrugged. "I think so," she answered unconfidently.

Shaula looked straight up the stairwell, as if she was looking up into her memories. "Yeah, they're old friends of mine. I've been here since we parted, but they must be doing great, right?"

"Dooooo you not know?" Roswaal chimed in from his position at the front of the group. "It has been seeeeveral centuries since the Sword Saint Reid has died."

Shaula gasped. "Seriously!? He's dead, even though he was a guy who was nigh unkillable!? How did he die!? Did he eat something strange again!?"

Omega answered this time. "Reid died of old age. He was a human, after all."

"Oh." Similar to the time she was told about Daphne's death, Shaula's shoulders drooped as she processed the death of another acquaintance. "So, Reid's gone, but is Volcanica doing well?"

"He hassss not been seen for quite some time, but I doooo believe that he is still living. He issss a Dragon, after all," Roswaal said.

Shaula mindlessly nodded her head as she transitioned back to her usual self. "Aah, a Dragon, huh? Though, it would have been better if Cynic Volcanica had died rather than Reid~"

"Wait, what?" you reflexively called out from behind Shaula.

The scorpion girl turned around, now walking up the stairs backwards. With a cheeky smile on her face, she gleefully said, "They were both scum, and that makes me love Master even more! Although saying that Master was a nice person would be a lie..."

Omega stroked her chin. "If Flugel was not nice, what would that make of me?"

"Eh?" Shaula said, "What are you saying? You were always the nicest to meeee! That's why I was super sad when you left after Satella went bonkers!"

Omega fell silent after hearing the name of the person she hated the most in this world.

You just accepted the fact that you wouldn't get any context from this until sometime in the future, when Echidna was ready to tell you, but it really would be nice if you could get details on whatever it was that happened in the past.

Roswaal, although you couldn't see his face, smirked because he knew most of what had happened during the Great Calamity since he grew up in its aftermath, and he read several of his Teacher's records on what transpired.

Of course, he would never share that special knowledge from his Teacher with anybody else, so he found it quite entertaining to find yet another thing that he knew while you were left clueless while being contracted with the fake Echidna.

His grin grew even wider as he saw the entrance to the third floor. To be more exact, he saw the still darkness that sat at the top of this section of the staircase.

In comparison to the other staircases, the one connecting the third and fourth floors was incredibly short. If you had to guess, it was equivalent to less than ten flights of stairs in a normal building.

Because of this, the time it took to actually have all of these conversations was quite short, but as everybody noticed the odd darkness, you knew that it needed nothing other than its mere presence to make somebody nervous. Forget a long journey to build anticipation - the first trial of the Pleiades Watchtower wasted no time in greeting its challengers into its daunting arms.

Roswaal, who insisted on being ahead of Shaula, didn't even look back as he strode unnervingly into the new floor.

Shaula turned to the rest of the group to see if you were still up to challenge the trial, and you shrugged. You were all here to pass all three trials right now so that you'd be able to leave sooner rather than later, so there wasn't any decision to make other than to follow Roswaal.

The group fell into a hush as you entered the unnaturally dark floor, but in an unnerving, instantaneous switch, the darkness was ejected. Taking its place was nothing but white.

This sudden change was overwhelming. Suddenly, everything on the floor was so white that you couldn't tell where the walls or the ceiling were, as there wasn't a single impurity - not even a single shadow or texture- present. In fact, if it weren't for the physical sensation caused by your feet standing on the ground, you wouldn't have been able to perceive the floor either.

Everyone appeared to be floating in a white space that lost all three-dimensional meaning. Depth was nearly impossible to perceive since, no matter where you looked, all you could see was an infinite expanse of white.

As you tried to process the brain-wracking area surrounding you, you noticed that something else made an interruption in the white expanse.

Coming out of the middle of the floor, or so you assumed was the middle, was a large, black stone.

This stone rose up until it seemed to be as tall as Roswaal, who was already walking towards it.

"Myyyyy, I wonder if IIII should touch it," the clown jested.

"Go ahead," Omega dryly replied. "If we're lucky, you will be incapacitated, just as you were at the Sanctuary after failing to meet the requirements of those trials."

Roswaal turned around when he reached the black stone, his face dead serious. "I did not come here to shy away from such things. A person who cannot take risks will never accomplish a single thing."

As Roswaal turned back around to face the stone, Omega rolled her eyes. 'He was the one who asked the question. I answered, and he took offense. How childish.'

Right after Omega said this telepathically, Roswaal touched the tall stone. The next moment, the stone began to look blurry, and an exact copy of it suddenly shot out from it straight past you, making you jump from surprise.

In a few seconds, hundreds of copies flooded the white room. Many floated close to where the ceiling must have been, while eight hovered at the same level of the main stone.

The ceiling must have been impossibly high up, because as the people-sized stones floated upward, they eventually looked like tiny dots above you. Looking straight up, you thought that this was almost like a replica of the night sky with the black spots being stars, making an inverted starry sky.

Once all of the blocks were in place, a voice that wasn't Echidna's pierced your mind. "- Touch the brightest of the hero destroyed by Shaula."

This voice could only be described as an imitation of yours, and everyone else seemed to have heard their own voices say this very same thing into their minds, because Meili was looking around the room, trying to find the source of the voice while Omega sneered.

"That Flugel..." Omega scoffed, "he really liked showing off, didn't he?"

You cocked your head to the side, trying to solve the riddle, figure out what you were supposed to do with all of these blocks, and wondering what Omega meant by those words.

Starting to figure out the mechanics of this trial, Omega touched the block directly in front of her. The moment her hand came into contact with it, the block faded into nothingness, and all of the other blocks followed suit.

All that was left was the block in the middle, with Roswaal still standing next to it.

Ignoring the clown, Omega told you, "Flugel, as he always did, used a very complex system of spells in order to create this trial. The voice we all heard in our minds - that was one of my specialties, and he was able to replicate it without any information from my experiments with it. I almost feel as if he implemented this in order to spite me."

"Nonsense!" Shaula protested from her position near the entrance. "Master was petty sometimes, but he thought that hearing voices in your head was cool, so he probably did this because you inspired him!"

"Speaking of Flugel," you asked Shaula, "I don't think he made any rules saying that you couldn't help us with the trials, right?"

Shaula shook her head no. "I can't take any of the trials, but if you need anything, you can ask yours truly for some genius advice!"

"Well, what's the answer to the riddle, then? Who did you destroy?"

The Sage's apprentice gave you a blank expression, as if she didn't just say that she would give you a genius answer. "I have no idea... Master and everyone else did most of the destroying, and I don't think I ever gave him an assist in blasting a hero, so I'm not super sure..."

You deadpanned at Shaula while Meili looked up at her and shook her head in disappointment.

"Wellll then!" Roswaal said from the center of the room, "I suppossssse that we must touch a stone thaaaaat correlates with the answer! If need be, we will have to touch every single one until we findddd our answer!"

Omega sighed as Roswaal touched the center stone again. As the stones began shooting across the room again, she used Murak to reduce the effect of gravity on her body, making her float in the air.

As soon as the stones were all in place, you heard the voice once again say, "- Touch the brightest of the hero destroyed by Shaula."

After the voice delivered that line for the second time, Omega used a small amount of wind magic to carefully blow herself across the room without accidentally touching a block and resetting the trial again.

At this point, a block in the distance blocked Omega from your field of view, but you assumed that she was onto something, so you decided to wait in place.

In no time at all, you were flashbanged as the room suddenly flashed unbearably bright.

All of the blocks and even the structure of the room was blown away while this brilliant light shone, and when it finally died down, you found yourself in the middle of a stone room - a stone room filled with countless bookshelves.

Omega effortlessly passed the first trial, and you were now inside the legendary library of the Pleiades Watchtower.

Time Skip

Somehow, everybody had ended up at the same exact spot inside the library, even though you were separated in the trial.

Meili and Shaula gawked at Omega in shock, while Roswaal was already turning his head to look for the staircase leading up to the second floor.

"Well," you said to break the silence, "that was pretty easy. What was the answer, because I don't think any of us were anywhere close to figuring it out?"

Omega seemed a bit annoyed when she answered. "Flugel was quite shrewd in creating this puzzle. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it was quite impossible to solve."

"Yet, you solved it quiiiite quickly, Omega-san!" Roswaal praised.

"Yes, I did, but it is no thanks to my own aptitude."

Meili scratched her head, not following Omega. Seeing this, Omega explained, "Passing this trial required knowledge of astronomy, the study of the stars. I take it that Subaru has attempted to explain it to you all at some point?"

'Wait, Echidna, does this mean that Flugel was from another world too? I'm pretty sure that nobody in this world knows about astronomy, or at least my version of it.'

'Indeed... If you had known Flugel, you would be quick to recognize that he did not originate from this world. However, (Y/N), there is something that I must tell you about Flugel.'

'What?'

'This pains me to say, but I am unable to disclose any information regarding his appearance, the specifics of his origin, or his death. The last time I spoke to him, and unpleasant as it was for the both of us, I swore to keep these a secret for all of eternity, so I cannot enlighten you about these aspects of Flugel.'

'Why would he need to keep that a secret?'

'From my respect for his legacy, I have refused to search for that answer. Indeed, if I were to discover all of what Flugel held in his mind, I would not be able to regard him as one of the greatest humans this world has ever known. I am afraid that I will see him as a complete fool instead of a frightening genius, and all that I will have left of him will be unpleasant memories.'

"So..." Shaula interrupted, "does this mean that I didn't accidentally destroy a hero? Because if I did, that would really put a dent into that whole 'Sage' thing that the outside world thinks of me as."

"Not at all," Omega answered. Making sure she had everyone's attention, she explained, "In this riddle, 'Shaula' was referring to the name of a star. Here, 'Shaula' was connotated with a scorpion, and in terms of astronomy, the most obvious inference would point to the constellation, Orion, for you see, Orion was stung by a scorpion and died. Therefore, he is the hero that 'Shaula' destroyed. After I realized this, I had to isolate the brightest star in the Orion constellation, and by choosing the correct star and the block that represented it, I passed this trial."

This might have seemed like a decently long explanation, but in Echidna terms, it was actually quite short, so you were both impressed with how she somehow solved the riddle so quickly and by the fact that she was willing to summarize the process she went through.

Of course, maybe it was the fact that you were in a race against time that made her do this, but it was impressive nonetheless.

Whether or not time influenced Echidna to speed things up, Roswaal was already ready to move on. Instead of admiring Omega's brilliancy, he ignored it and asked Shaula, "Nowwww, I do believe that we are ready to continue to the second trial. Would you careeee to show us to the next flight of stairs?"

"Oh, right! I almost forgot!" Shaula snapped out of her Auntie appreciation mode and shifted to tour guide mode. "I can't read the books since Master told me not to, but welcome to the original purpose of the tower! Welcome to the Great Library, where you can search for anything you like, be it something you want to know or something you'd like to be aware of. You can do that in Pleiades!"

She gestured to the countless bookshelves that surrounded you, and Omega looked really desperate to stay here.

'(Y/N), do you suppose that, since I passed this last trial so quickly, we could spare a few days- I mean - hours in this library? To ignore such a wonder would be a sin!'

'Don't get me wrong. You've hyped this place up so much that I really want to stay too, but you're the one who told me we couldn't stay on the fourth floor to sort things out, so reading can probably wait for later.'

'But-'

'Look! Shaula's already showing us the way to the stairs! I think she'll be pretty sad if you leave her so soon, so you should follow along. Besides, the faster we get through all the trials, the less we'll have to worry about a time limit.'

'... I have been defeated by logic... What has become of me?'

'Hey, don't discredit the competition. For all we know, maybe I'm getting smarter!'

Echidna didn't respond to this because, in her mind, this defeat was a result of her losing her edge. Of course, you were probably right about becoming slightly smarter, but she attributed most of her shortcoming in logic to her own faults.

Roswaal, once again, cared not for anything that was going on. He was going to keep moving forward, up this tower, until he eventually found Volcanica, if the Divine Dragon was indeed here as the fake Echidna told him.

Shaula and Meili were looking back at you and Omega as they pressed back toward the stairs from the fourth floor, and you took Omega's hand and started walking with her in tow.

"Hey, don't start letting stuff get into your head," you told your partner. "And besides, the faster we pass the trials, the faster we can come back down and do some reading. I promised you that we'd spend some time back here in the library, so I need you to help me help you."

Omega smiled. Helping you was becoming her specialty, so that's all she needed to focus on. There was no room to let memories of the past make her remember how it felt to doubt herself.

Time Skip

The staircase leading to the second floor wasn't on the third floor. Instead, after the first trial was completed, what used to be a blank segment of the wall on the fourth floor revealed itself to be the new staircase.

After making it back to the fourth floor, Shaula guided you around whatever large room it was that sat in the middle of the fourth floor, and you couldn't help but glance at the Green Room, where Rem and Ram were in, as you stepped foot into the staircase that appeared right next to it.

"So... about the third rule of the tower..." Meili asked Shaula after going up the equivalent of a couple flights of stairs, "You said that we can't violate the rules of the trials, right?"

Shaula bobbed her head up and down. "Yup! You got it, ankle-biter! That's what Master told me!"

Meili pursed her lips and started to thread her fingers through her blue hair. "But... isn't that unfair? We didn't hear any rules at the first trial, so how can we know if we're breaking any rules?"

"Uhhh..."

Shaula was stumped at this question, and Roswaal, who was ahead of her again, added another difficult question to this interrogation.

"Annnnnd what would happen if we were to break a rule? I doooo believe that you never mentioned a punishment!"

Shaula bit her lip since she was once again approached with a situation where she needed to reveal more information. "Shoot... the ankle-biter and the creeper were a lot smarter than I thought they were..."

Seeing how Shaula was troubled, Omega asked a question to help guide her to an easier way to answer the questions. "Shaula, of the information that you have not yet told us, you do not know about the specific rules of the trials, do you?"

Glad that her Auntie came to her rescue, Shaula got teary-eyed and nodded her head, confirming Omega's statement.

"Good," Omega said, "and now, I will ask you this: are you required to accompany us to these trials? For example, if we fail a trial and attempt to pass it later today, do you need to be in attendance once more?"

"Meeee?" Shaula asked, not following where her Auntie was going with the question. "Weell, I don't particularly need to, but since it's been so long, I want to come with you. It gets lonely not being able to talk despite being perfectly able to, you know! I've been cooped up in silence for centuries, so I want to talk and talk and taaaalk~"

You glanced at Omega as you walked up the stairs beside her. She liked to talk a lot, so maybe this is another reason she got along well with Shaula.

Omega rolled her eyes since she could hear your thoughts and continued to talk to Shaula. "Well then, that means that there is some 'punishment' inflicted by the trials themselves if we were to break any of the Tower's rules, would it not?"

You heard Meili whisper 'Ohhhhh,' to herself, and this question from Omega kind of reminded you of the Trials from the Sanctuary. If someone didn't meet or lost the requirement to enter, it either repelled them or made them feel deathly sick by going inside. If breaking a rule resulted in something similar here, leaving this tower could become a lot more difficult than it already was.

However, as these thoughts formed in your head, Shaula stopped mid-step and turned around with an oblivious grin.

"Nope! If a rule gets broken, it's not the tower that punishes you! When you do something bad, I'm supposed to just... get it, ya know? I'll suddenly know somehow, so there's absolutely no way to trick me!"

"Aaaaand," Roswaal interrupted, "what do you dooooo once you know we have violated a ruuule?"

Shaula shrugged. "I've never gotten that far since I've sniped anybody that got close to coming in, so I guess I'll just know what to do."

A hush fell over the group, and since this topic was yet another one that was starting to become worrisome, you asked Echidna, 'When you looked through her memories, did you see what she'll do if someone breaks the rules?'

'No, I did not... I can confirm that Shaula is not aware of anything pertaining to the trials other than their location, and she has yet to know what she will have to do to enforce any of the tower's rules.'

You clicked your tongue at this news. There were so many unknowns and half-known things here, and from experience, you knew that, in these conditions, things could go south really quick.

"Well, at least barely-clothed oneesan is really nice to us," Meili voiced this thought as she heard you click your tongue.

After seeing that you weren't hiding your apprehension well and hearing Meili, the one you had been comforting the whole time, try to console you, you went to apologize. However, before the apology left your lips, you suddenly switched its phrasing.

With a warm smile, you replied, "You're right, Meili! Good job on thinking positive there!"

It went unsaid that the incredibly high number of unknowns made it just as easy to imagine worst-case scenarios as it was to think of the best. However, with the least confident of the group making an effort to dwell more on the good side, you were able to push some of your worries to the back of your mind, where they could only be shared with Echidna.

Ever since Ram went ballistic, or maybe before that, while you were trapped in the Sand Time, you began to feel quite uneasy, but now, going into the second trial, you were starting to feel like your usual, confident self again.

Amazingly, Omega seemed to appear a lot more enthusiastic as well.

Stretching her arms as if she were getting ready to actually do something physical, Omega announced, "Rules or no rules, we must not forget our objective. In this case, what we do not know can harm us, but it is in my belief that any challenge that Flugel may have created is one that I will be able to overcome. No rule can be broken if the trial is completed before there is an opportunity to break one."

You patted Omega on the back as everyone, excluding Roswaal, felt a new rush of excitement overcome them.

'Now, (Y/N), do not allow my words to be misleading; I am still very weary of these things that even Shaula does not know. I will merely formulate as many possibilities for the results of my actions before any of us attempt the second trial, and whatever course of action I deem to be the highest in probable success with the lowest possible risk will be the one we adhere to if possible.'

'We'll leave it up to you, then.'

Echidna knew that creating a dependence on her wasn't the best thing to do, but in this case, she was merely doing what needed to be done.

She just hoped that Roswaal wouldn't fall out of line. If he did, then she certainly had countermeasures, but in the case that he broke one of the tower's rules, the repercussions could be catastrophic.

Of course, Roswaal couldn't intentionally break the rules since he made a contract to not harm anybody in the Emilia camp, but seeing his eagerness to ascend the tower in search for Volcanica really made it seem like he would try to find a loophole somewhere if he so desired.

As she was thinking this, Omega sighed. This staircase was considerably longer than the previous one, and her legs were beginning to feel quite tired again.

This didn't escape your notice since you were right next to her, but before you could suggest that Shaula carry her again, Meili surprisingly asked to be carried by the scorpion girl.

"I'm not really complaining or anything," the Mabeast User said as Shaula picked her up and placed the little girl on her shoulders, "but walking up all these stairs after sitting in a carriage for a few days kinda hurts, and like I said, barely-clothed oneesan is really nice!"

Shaula's giddy grin was interrupted once she heard her modified nickname once again. "Yap it with the barely-clothed, ankle biter! I've got an ero-kawaii thing going on! Or, at least that's what Master said when he made this outfit for me, so stop complaining about it!"

"Ehhhh? Is that so?" Meili asked. Shaula was starting to make her opinions of the three great heroes stray away from pure admiration to disgust, and she couldn't really chalk this one up to Shaula having an odd point of view. 'Ero-kawaii' was a phrase she didn't understand, but the fact that Flugel picked this outfit for her said enough.

Of course, seeing the way Elsa dressed, Meili really didn't have a good reason for being able to bring the topic back up. At this point, teasing Shaula was amusing, and that's why she was already trying to find a new nickname for her.

After getting a hold on Shaula's shoulders so she wouldn't fall, Meili leaned forward next to Shaula's head and mischievously said, "If you say, so... desperate oneesan!"

Shaula's eye comically twitched as she playfully grinded her teeth. "You're really bossy even though you're just riding on shoulders, ankle-biter. I'll tell on you when I see Master again! Actually, I want to just teach you some manners myself~!"

Shaula planted her foot on the stairs, and as if there was nobody on her back, she jumped four steps up, then another four to pass Roswaal. Her scorpion-tailed hair flailed about as she sprinted, and you could hear her chanting, "Dadadadadadadadadadadada!" as Meili cheered in excitement.

"Well," you commented as the two of them shot up the stairs, "I have no idea how Meili got so attached to Shaula so fast, but it's pretty nice to see."

Roswaal remained silent as he walked up the stairs, no longer at the head of the group.

Omega, on the other hand, nodded her head along with your statement. "Shaula, as dull as her mind may be, has quite the affinity for creating attachments. Just as she stated moments ago, she is quite fond of talking, and I believe that her energetic nature is what creates a sense of likability about her."

"Well, that explains a lot."

"Indeed," Omega replied. "I shall be considerate and not berate Shaula for speaking too much and revealing my identity to the maid, for as much as I wished to hold an intelligent conversation for the four hundred years before I met you, Shaula must have yearned for the same on a much greater level."

You started to feel bad for Shaula, but you had another thought, and you couldn't resist doing what you just thought of.

'(Y/N), you would not dare do that!'

'Hey, you said that you were being considerate today, so this is just me doing the same!'

Omega was too tired to dodge, so you picked her up bridal style and began jogging up the stairs after Meili and Shaula.

Before you could pass him, Roswaal looked back, and he frowned when he saw Omega being carried in your arms. Right after this, he muttered a spell under his breath and began to literally fly up the stairs so that he wouldn't be left behind.

'I cannot believe that I have been carried twice today! If it weren't for this frail body, I would never have accepted such appalling treatment!'

You had a stupid grin on your face and couldn't wipe it off as you replied, 'I dunno... you aren't quite the athletic type, so I wouldn't blame the clone's body. And even so, between me and Shaula, your time was ticking before one of us came up with a good excuse for this!'

'Hmph. How would you like it if you were suddenly swept off of your feet and carried without giving consent?'

'I mean, it really depends on the person. And by that, I mean I'd be pretty happy with it if it was anybody but Roswaal. If he carried me like this...'

You shuddered at the thought, and Omega rolled her eyes. You being uncomfortable with the thought was exactly the point she was trying to make, but that didn't make you want to put her down in the slightest.

Time Skip

According to Omega, the staircase leading up to the second floor ended up being about ten times longer than the one to the third floor. Well, she actually said that there were 8.2 times as many steps, but you rounded up to make it easier to remember.

When you finally reached the second floor, you were initially blinded by the brightness of the room, and while squinting your eyes as they adjusted to the sudden brightness, you gently let Omega down from your arms.

Once your eyes could look into the light, you noticed that the room holding the second trial was an exact copy of the first trial. If not for the longer staircase, you would have wondered if you accidentally went to the third floor again.

Just like the first trial, this room was perfectly white, and if not for the darker entrance that the staircase provided and the fact that your feet were on the ground, it would've been impossible to tell where the ground was, and there was once more an object in the middle of the room.

This time, there appeared to be an unsheathed sword, and it stood perfectly straight with its tip inside the floor.

This sword looked like a katana, and from what you could tell, it had absolutely no decorations on it. Even the hilt was as simple as possible, and it was the same grey color as the blade.

There was a beauty in its simplicity, and you looked over to Shaula to see if she had anything to say before you attempted to pass this trial.

Since she arrived earlier than you and Omega did, Shaula had plenty of time to let Meili down, and now, she had her arms crossed and chest puffed out, brimming with confidence. It was as if she was prepared to brilliantly answer any question that you had, even though she was on a track record of hiding many things.

Just for the sake of it, you asked Shaula, "So, do we just touch it like Roswaal did with the black stone, or is this something where the sword won't come out of the ground unless you're worthy or something?"

You really hoped that this wasn't going to be a sword in the stone-type trial, since that would mean that Flugel could make the requirements as specific as he wanted to. Of course, seeing as somebody would need to know astronomy to pass the first trial, maybe the condition to pull the sword would be to come from a different world. If so, you'd be able to pull it with no problem.

Omega was thinking along the same lines, and to nobody's surprise, Shaula's confidence diminished as she nervously chuckled. "Hehe... I've never been up here before, so I don't reaaally know, but I think that you should try both!"

Roswaal took that as a cue to walk toward the sword, but Omega quickly stopped him by grabbing a fistful of his clothes.

"And whaaaaat do you think you are going, Omega-saaaaan?" Roswaal impatiently asked.

With a blank expression, Omega answered, "I believe that we should have (Y/N) approach the sword. Considering all of the possible catalysts that the sword could be, he is the best candidate to activate this trial."

Roswaal shrugged and backed off, shaking Omega's hand off of his clothes. He stared intently at you as you walked toward the mysterious sword, but you ignored the clown's gaze.

Instead, you focused on the sword in front of you. Upon reaching it, you were able to confirm that it was, in fact, a katana. Somehow, it had no rust on it, despite it probably being here for at least four centuries.

Taking a deep breath in, you firmly reached out and grabbed the hilt, which was called the tsuka since this was a katana, and prepared to pull it.

You felt some sort of unnatural resistance as your hands made contact with the katana, so summoning all of your strength, you pulled upward.

To your utter surprise, the tip came out of the ground easily, as if it only required the slightest bit of strength to be removed.

Before you could make a comment about it, a voice that sounded just like yours resounded in your mind. However, unlike the voice you heard in the first trial, this one was so loud that it echoed inside your head, making you free up a hand to hold your head.

"-Gain his forgiveness, by the hand of the Fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword!"

You looked back to see if the others had heard this voice as well, and you confirmed that fact when you saw Meili holding her head just like you were.

'(Y/N)...'

Omega caught your attention, and she raised her hand to point at something that must have been behind you.

This in itself was pretty scary, but what terrified you was the fact that her hand was visibly shaking.

Echidna was scared of whatever it was that was behind you, but you knew that you had to turn around and face it, so you made sure both hands had a good grip on the katana as you gulped and slowly faced whatever it was.

As you turned, you heard a voice. This time, it was an unfamiliar one, and it came from a silhouette that was slowly walking toward you from the end of the room opposite of the staircase where everyone else was.

"Gain his forgiveness, by the hand of the Fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword."

This voice boomed around the huge room, but what was strange was the fact that there seemed to be something missing in it. As you stood your ground and faced the silhouette, you couldn't help but think that it almost seemed to be an NPC, since both its movement and speech seemed to be mechanical.

"Gain his forgiveness, by the hand of the Fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword."

As you heard the powerful voice again, there was a slight tremble in your arms that you couldn't control. Whoever this was, the mere sound of their voice could toy with other people's lives, or at the very least, that's what you felt as you stood alone.

"Gain his forgiveness, by the hand of the Fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword."

After saying the same line for the third time, the figure was finally close enough that you could make out its details.

The voice belonged to a man who seemed to have an eyepatch, and he wore a crimson robe that left half of his chest exposed, and behind it flowed flaming-red hair.

As he came even closer, you could see that his uncovered eye was blue.

The red hair... the blue eye... his overwhelming presence... it reminded you of Reinhard, and you slowly realized why Echidna was so afraid of this man.

"Heavenly sword... forgiveness.. fool... heh!"

This man, who had been so robotic before, shook off all of the rigidness out of his body and his personality seemed to come to life as a cruel, savage smile filled with insanity sprouted on his face.

There was almost no doubt about it. This man... he was-

"KYAAAAAAA!"

You didn't dare look behind you, but from the voice, you could tell that Shaula had just screamed, and Omega quickly explained what had happened.

'Shaula is now in a fetal position. It seems that she has also realized the identity of this man.'

You could faintly hear Shaula gasping from behind you, and she was obviously overcome by fear. "Master! Heeeeeelp!" She panted some more before whimpering and whispering, "Help me!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The man bellowed before you, and he began to stretch his body, as if he was only just now gaining control of it and getting used to it.

'(Y/N), do not panic, but Shaula began seizing from fear, and she is now unconscious. She will be unavailable to us for a short period of time.'

You could feel the same fear in your body, but hearing that Shaula passed out from fear didn't make you feel any better.

Facing this man, you felt like you were facing a force that wasn't meant to be challenged. Just from being in the same room with him, you could tell that he was a being who wasn't even meant to be defeated, for he surely never experienced it.

Without a doubt, the examiner of this trial who made everyone so fearful just by his presence, was none other than the first Sword Saint, Reid Astrea.

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

First off, how do you feel about the pacing in this arc so far? I'm trying to keep in mind that we're under a huge time constraint and Roswaal is really eager to find where Volcanica is, so I assume that they would really want to pass the trials as quickly as possible so that they can still have time for their own goals, but let me know if the pacing feels too unnatural.

And about that cliffhanger... Sorry! But honestly, I have my finals this coming week, so as soon as I finish them, I'll start writing the next chapter, and although this might seem unrealistic, I'm trying to publish a chapter for both of my stories by New Year's Day.

After that, I'll write the annual birthday chapter, and I think that this time, you guys can ask any questions to any characters! In fact, if you want to comment any questions between now and mid-January, I'll do my best to answer them!

And with that, I'll see ya next time!