Once again they boarded the carriage and once again they set out for the sanctuary. This time, Subaru was determined for it to be different, to break the curse on Ram and Emilia, and to stop Roswaal's revival of the Witch of Greed.
As Subaru ruminated on his plan, Rem asked Halibel and Crusch to steer the carriage, for she had to talk with the young man privately.
"Subaru-kun. Please tell me... What do you plan to do?" she asked him.
Subaru didn't speak immediately, going over in his head what he would to say to her. After a few seconds though, he produced a response.
"The way I see it, I have to convince him." He told her.
"Convince him of what?"
"Convince him that I can help Emilia win the crown. That should set things straight, shouldn't it? He's done this mad plan because he's lost the faith. If I promise him I'll help Emilia, then maybe we don't have to have this confrontation."
Rem nodded in acknowledgement. It was a gamble, but she got where he was coming from.
Subaru continued. "It's definitely a risk... If it all goes south, we might have to do it over. But at this point, it's the only thing I can think of."
"Mmmmm" Rem understood his dilemma. "You need to be careful though. If you end up... well... killing Roswaal again, you come straight to me okay? No matter what happens." She touched her hand to his cheek.
"You're a lot stronger than Rem Subaru-kun..." she whispered. "I'll say it again - Rem can't stand to see you suffer. That's why, even if it's a disaster, Rem wants you and me and Ram and Emilia-sama and Hal-san to make it." Rem counted the names on her fingers.
She continued. "The sanctuary, it's..." Rem trailed off mid-sentence.
She couldn't seem to find the right word. Unimportant? Disposable? Collateral? They all sounded so ugly.
/Oh Rem.../ Subaru thought to himself. /Don't have that look on your face. It's your smile that I love./
"Don't worry about it Rem." Subaru held the hand she had to his face. "You're trusting me, so I won't let you down. I promise. On the name of Natsuki Subaru, I will put an end to this!"
Rem smiled. The hero in front of her was her hero. She felt confidence well up from deep in her heart.
"You're my hero, Subaru!"
Rem called Crusch back inside the wagon. "Let me tell you a little bit about Garfiel."
Rem explained to Crusch the boy's ability: Beast Transformation. It was a power possessed only by beastmen. "You'll see him. He's like a giant tiger. He might seem dangerous. And he is!" Rem interrupted herself. "But still, I'm asking that you don't hurt him too much, just enough so that he powers down." Rem gave a bow to Crusch, thankful for the aid she was lending them. "After all this is taken care of, Rem assures you: the margrave will take a look at your companion."
Crusch gave Rem an intense stare. "Despite your warnings, you don't seem too anxious about him. Are you that confident in your own power?" Crusch said, noticing that Rem was more concerned with Garfiel's safety than her own. "I've known some beastmen with the strength of a hundred humans."
"No." Rem answered her. "It's already been a few years since I could take Garfiel. No, it isn't my strength I'm trusting. It's yours."
"My... strength?" Crusch muttered out.
"Yes." There was not a hint of doubt in the maid's voice.
/Why do you look so calm?/ Crusch questioned /What makes you so certain of our victory?/
"Against the White Whale, I was powerless. That massive beast utterly overwhelmed me. You know that and yet... Why do you still put your trust in me?" Crusch asked her.
"Rem just knows." Rem was smiling. It was not a cheeky smirk, but a sincere display of happiness. "Everything will work out."
The dragon-drawn carriage continued towards the sanctuary, undeterred by the obstacles they were sure to face. Before long, they had made it back to the town in the sanctuary. In this loop, Garfiel's rampage had already occurred, and its consequences could be seen all around them. Despite the carnage, a villager reported to them that there hadn't been any casualties. Rem let out a sigh of relief. She and everyone at Sanctuary cared about Garfiel, and as long as he hadn't actually hurt anyone, it was still possible to get him off the hook for this incident.
As they surveyed some of the damage, a distant roar caught their attention.
"That must be him" Rem stated. "Subaru-kun-"
"I know." Subaru cut her off. "I'll take care of Roswaal, so in the meantime, you do what you have to do."
"Alright." Rem gave him a short, determined nod. "Crusch-sama, that was Garfiel just now. We're gonna go give him a talking to." Rem pulled out her iconic weapon. "If you would, please follow Rem."
Crusch put her hand to the hilt of her sword. "Let us face him then." She was psyching herself up for combat.
Subaru and Halibel got back on the carriage and departed for the witch's tomb. Rem and Crusch ran into the forest, following the feral cries of a now transformed Garfiel.
It wasn't long before a giant, lumbering silhouette came into view. Their target.
"Garfiel!" Rem shouted at the beast. Its huge form turned to face them. "It's been a few years since we sparred, but I'll show that your onee-san's still got moves!"
"GRAHHHH!" Garfiel made a thunderous bellow and ran towards them, smashing any tree unfortunate to be in his way. He seemed to be exuding animalistic rage. A red aura enveloped him, but perhaps that was just a trick of the light.
Rem ran towards the monster and jumped, letting her chain fly beside her. She made a quick spin, and the spiked sphere whipped itself around her, slamming into the now proximate Garfiel.
"AHHHHRRRR!" Garfiel tried to swat the morningstar, pulling it out of Rem's grip. She was quicker though, returning the spiked ball to her left hand before he got the chance. Garfiel's claws only swung at air.
"Is that all you got Garf!?" She called out to him. "Come on! Rem hasn't even gotten serious yet!"
This only enraged him further, and he let out yet another furious howl.
Garfiel charged at the two women.
"Crusch, leave close-combat to Rem! You prepare an attack!" Ram yelled.
Garfiel tried to nail Rem down with his massive paw, but Rem swiftly got out of the way. His limb smashed into the ground, so hard that one could feel the tremors in the earth.
Rem made a sweeping motion with her right arm. Her morningstar flew out in a curved trajectory, colliding with Garfiel's side. It seemed he wasn't as concerned with dodging as they were. Blood spurted out from his torso, but a hissing steam showed the wound was healing fast.
"Come on Garfiel!" Rem jumped up high. Her superhuman strength let her get to the same height as the treetops. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Crusch's sword glowing bright green. "I'm right here!"
Garfiel lunged for the airborne Rem. Without anything to push off of, she had no way to dodge. But she did have faith.
Garfiel's shadow loomed over her. She could see his terrifying face. Sharp teeth, a tight snarl, spit leaking out the corners of his maw.
Garfiel ducked his head down, aiming to crush her in his powerful jaws. Rem could smell his breath. He was about to bite down on her when...
BOOM!
Something sent the giant tiger flying. Crusch had swung the sword of the Karsten family, sending a supersonic wind-blade crashing into the beastman.
The hulking animal took down several trees as he flew across the forested terrain of the sanctuary.
The damage Rem could do was only minor, but Crusch had techniques of truly devastating strength in her repetoire.
Rem fell back down to the earth, landing on her feet. Between haggard breaths, she made out a 'nice one' to Crusch. She was unusually tired though...
/What is this?/ Rem pondered. /I never get tired this easily, but I feel so worn.../
Then she made the connection. /It must be because I'm pregnant! I don't have as much stamina as usual./ The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. /This might be harder than I thought./
"Crusch! Let's do that again! I'll distract him, when you get the chance-"
"Understood! It'll only take me a minute to prepare another!"
"Alright!"
Rem ran toward Garfiel, who was getting back up. It was risky to rush in head-first, but it was imperative that Garfiel focused on fighting her. Crusch didn't have the agility to dodge should she become his target.
There was a crackling sound as Rem let out her horn a little. Not too much, just enough to give a her a boost but still stay in control.
She channelled the extra strength to her legs, leaping towards her opponent.
Garfiel roared and extended his arms forward, trying to catch Rem.
"I don't think so! HYUUMA!" A sharp icicle materialized beside the blue-haired maid and shot at Garfiel with incredible speed. It struck true, piercing into the beast right under his left eye.
"GRAHHHAHAHH!" Garfiel stopped his attack, using his arms to instead cradle his injury and protect his face. Again, steam escaped from the strike.
"I won't give you the chance!" Rem screamed. She backflipped mid air. Garfiel may have been covering his head, but there were still gaps in his guard. The momentum from the flip rocked the iron sphere upwards.
THWUMP!
It avoided his arms, and instead slammed into the beastman's chin, delivering an epic uppercut.
Garfiel was wracked with such pain that he fell onto his ass, the shock of the blow left him reeling.
"Now!"
"Takeeee this!" Crusch swung with full force. Another wind-blade was sent flying. This time, it clobbered Garfiel in his abdominal region, and again it sent him skidding back some distance.
/I need to end this quickly!/ Rem didn't have the energy for a drawn-out battle. She had to end this while Garfiel was still stunned and they had the upper hand. /Come on! I know you're at your limit you stupid chuuni!/
"Snap out of it Garfiel! Or else Rem will beat it into you!" Rem exclaimed.
She once again risked herself, running at full speed. She sent her morningstar high into the air, up towards the sky. Garfiel put his hands above him, trying to protect himself from the blow he knew would come from above.
"Falling for the same trick twice!? I thought we went over this! You need to use your head!" Rem let go of her weapon and charged. She used the last of her strength to jump. She got up, eye-to-eye with him now.
"Aghh!" With all she had left, she nailed Garfiel with a right hook to the face.
The distracted Garfiel was caught unawares.
The blow was so hard, it knocked out one of his giant canines. Sparks flew in Garfiel's vision. Garfiel fell to ground. His massive body made a loud sound as it collided with the earth.
Steam started to leak out from every part of his body. They had won.
(A/N Have you guys ever been punched in the head? 'Sparks fly' isn't just a figure of speech - you literally see bright specks in your vision.)
Rem sat her butt on the ground, exhausted. Garfiel's form started to retreat. No longer was there a vicious beast before them. Instead, an unconscious blonde boy was passed out in the grass.
Rem heard Crusch's approaching footsteps. "Is it over?" Crusch asked.
"Yes." Rem said simply. She didn't have the energy for any words over a syllable.
Crusch hesitated. "That was... impressive."
"hufff- Thanks. I hufff- wouldn't want to do it again though."
Crusch laughed.
Rem was glad for their victory.
/Told you I still had moves Garf. Not bad for a girl, right?/
Crusch extended an arm to Rem, and Rem took it, getting back up on her feet. The day was won.
*Scene Break*
As Rem and Crusch fought Garfiel, Subaru and Halibel continued onwards towards the witch's tomb. They made it, and got out of the carriage.
"Hal. What I'm going to say next will sound strange."
Halibel was silent.
"Under no circumstance are you to actually fight Roswaal." Subaru said. "If things get ugly, then you leave. I want you to be a deterrent."
"A deterrent? Su-san, margrave Mathers is the court magician of the Kingdom of Lugunica. He's not someone you should trifle with, or take lightly. Don't take this the wrong way, but compared to him you're-"
"I know. I'm pathetically weak compared to that clown. Still..." Subaru looked Halibel in the eyes. "I want to talk to him, not fight. You're presence here will give him pause. It'll buy me precious time. Time I need to start a conversation with him."
Halibel gave a dark rebuttal. "Would it not be simpler to eliminate him?"
Subaru shook his head. "If we eliminate him, we guarantee a disaster. That's why, if things take a turn for the worse... You get out of here. I don't want to see anyone else getting hurt."
Halibel just nodded.
Then, Subaru said something strange. Something Halibel did not understand the meaning of.
Under his breath he muttered. "Rem's not the only one who's fed up with seeing precious people die."
After that, it was time to enter. They ventured into the stone temple: The witch's tomb.
It was his third time, so Subaru had little trouble getting to the far side of the building, to the room where Roswaal was. As he approached, he noticed that it was brighter than before. The big seal in the ground shining more intensely than the last time.
/We're later than the last times. It's probably because he's further along with his spell./ Subaru theorised.
In the centre of the room, Roswaal was sat cross-legged. He had his eyes shut tightly and he was doing some strange chant. It was clear he was focusing hard on casting this evil magic.
"Roswaal."
The margrave's eyes snapped open. He turned to face the intruders. "Subaruuuu. Quite rude of you to show up this late. I'mmmmmmm nearly finished here."
"You don't say?" Subaru said flatly.
Roswaal noticed the calmness in Subaru's voice. The air of the boy was strangely relaxed. Roswaal smirked.
"You know why I'm here don't you?" Subaru asked.
"I'm not betting mannnnn, but I'd wager you're here to stop me."
Subaru nodded, confirming Roswaal's statement. "That's right."
Roswaal let out a cackle. "Well get toooo it then. Draw your weapon and tryyyyyy." Roswaal taunted the young man.
Subaru let out a sigh. "Hughhhh."
Roswaal was surprised by this limp response. He had anticipated that Subaru might make it here, but should that happen, he had fully expected to face off against his former butler.
"Already given upppppp? How anti-climatic." Roswaal said.
"Yeah? Well, not everyone has your flair for the dramatic Roswaal." Subaru quipped. This got a light chuckle from the Margrave.
It was time for Subaru to put his money where his mouth was. "I came here... With a proposition for you." Subaru paused, imbuing his words with gravitas. "A quid pro quo."
"Oh?"
Subaru slumped his head forward and got down on one knee. He kneeled before his enemy. Roswaal was shocked at the gesture.
"I'm asking that you break the curse on Ram and Emilia."
There was a second of quiet before Roswaal burst out laughing. "Bahahaha! You expect meeeeee to do such a thing!? Has the Kararagi food made you delirious!? Perhaps you would have been better suited to being my jester and not my butler!"
Subaru didn't feel annoyed or ashamed though. He had already swallowed his pride. This was not a fight he could win outright. There would have to be a compromise.
He looked up and made eye contact with the clown. His amber eyes were glowing menacingly, and this made Roswaal shut up.
"Of course, I'm not asking you to do this for nothing." Subaru said slowly. "Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, ya get? Let those girls go, give me your word that you won't bring harm upon any of us..."
Subaru gulped "Do that, and I'll do everything in my power to help you achieve your goal. Make Emilia ruler, right? I can do that for you."
Roswaal look became all of the sudden very intimidating. "You jest." Roswaal spat out. "Your absence has already sent the world veeeeeeering into the unknown. Crowning the half-elf would be a task too impossibly heavy for even you to accomplish. Without her guidance, we are alllllll lost children."
"Give me a chance!" Subaru cried out. "Don't you want this!? I don't understand why you're settling! An impure resurrection!? With my help, you could have the genuine article! You've waited 400 years for it Roswaal, so what's another three?"
"You expect me to entrust my mission to you?" Roswaal was angry. "Too much time with the maid has horribly bloated your ego. You're nothing Subaru. A dogsbody at my mansion. Pwah. What makes you think you can achieve anything without my Gospel's instruction?"
"I'm here aren't I!?" Subaru refuted him. "I've overcome every obstacle up to this point, Capella included! Isn't that proof enough that I can help you achieve-"
"If you're here then you ought to killllllll me!" Roswaal boomed. "Take aim at the enemy, Subaru Natsuki! Burn up the faggots of your scorn in the fires of your wrath! For that makessssss a man! Find your meaning and pursue at all costs! That is the proper the way to live! For your own sake, strike me down if you can!"
Roswaal charged up balls of pulsing mana, and aimed them at Subaru. Subaru looked at the beastman next to him, the person Roswaal assumed would be fighting on his behalf. Then, Subaru said something completely unexpected.
"Leave us, Halibel." Subaru whispered to the beastman.
Halibel hesitated, and then he put a hand on the black-haired boy's shoulder. "Good luck." He said simply, and then turned to exit.
"What?" Roswaal was astonished. Subaru was leaving himself defenceless. Roswaal knew that he had the power to 'redo' in some capacity, but it seemed that the clown didn't understand the nuances of 'return by death'.
The room went eerily quiet, with Halibel's footsteps quickly fading out of earshot.
"Faggots of scorn? You're the faggot, you clown." Subaru crossed his arms and hardened his face.
"Let me tell you something: I. Positively. 100 percent. Want to kill you." Subaru's tone was matter-of-fact. "The only reason I'm not acting on that impulse is because a certain pink-haired girl is sticking her neck out for you. You schmuck. You're so caught up in your delusions you can't even see the real people around you. You have people with hot blood pumping through their veins and life in their breaths who care about you, and you're here brooding over a woman who's been dead 400 years? Don't lecture me about the proper way to live Roswaal: I don't want to hear it from you!"
The unexpected memory of his parents crashed into Subaru. In some ways, his situation before getting isekaied paralleled Roswaal. He too had been so lost in himself that he had failed to appreciate the people who were trying to help him.
Subaru continued. "So kill me if you want. But what I'm offering you now is a chance you won't get again. Let me make Emilia ruler. I might call on your assistance at times, but you can rest assured that I. Will. Succeed."
Roswaal was speechless for a moment. Silence reigned. Then he gave a devilish grin.
"My myyyy..." Roswaal powered down his attack. "You've certainly got moxie Subaruuuu. Such a way with words... When you talk like that, I start to believe that maybe there is something to your idea after all."
"There is." Subaru said confidently.
"Then." Roswaal spoke slowly. "I trust you wouldn't mind making a proper vow of it then?" It seemed Roswaal could be bargained with after all.
/Christ.../ Subaru shuddered. /This is what I wanted, but am I really gonna make a deal with the devil?/
"What would the terms of this 'vow' be?" Subaru asked Roswaal.
"It's a magic vow, a powerful spell that only a high-level mage like myself could cast. I would vow not to harm you or your merry band of pranksters. You have to vow that you will make Emilia ruler. Should either of us fail... Well, our very Od would ripped out of us and torn to shreds. Of course this is necessary so that we don't go back on our word. I won't accept any lesser assurance."
/My Od... Isn't that like, my soul?/ Subaru bit his bottom lip. He had to do this. /If that happens, I doubt I'll come back. Even if I do, I'll be catatonic for sure... Still!/
"And one more thing." Roswaal added. "I'll be keeping Beatrice with me. Should you fail, I might still need to make use of her."
Subaru spied the spirit sitting far away. /I'm sorry Beatrice, but I have to. Forgive me./ Subaru had made his decision. /Right now, I don't think there's a whole lot I could do for her anyway./
He remembered the interactions he had with her in the previous loops. As things currently stood, she was rejecting him anyway.
"Okay. I'll do it." Subaru extended his arm forward. "I, Natsuki Subaru, vow to make Emilia the next ruler of the Kingdom of Lugunica!"
Roswaal walked forward, towards the boy. "And I, Roswaal L. Mathers, vow not to impede you in that goal, and to not bring harm to any of those in your camp." Roswaal clutched the young man's hand in a firm handshake.
A magical light emitted from the point of contact. Tattoos manifested. Small, black coils, dotted with thorns made their way up each of their arms and crept up their bodies. On their chest, the vow was set. A ring of thorns, with an intricate 'X' marking their hearts. Should the vow be broken, the spell would activate, and Subaru would die a true death.
"Very well Subaru Natsuki! Show me what you can do! I'll manage my patience while you work towards your aim, so don't disappoint me!"
*Scene Break*
Rem and Crusch had made it to the witch's tomb. Crusch was princess carrying the unconscious Garfiel. They saw Halibel standing outside.
"What's going on in there?" Rem asked him. "Why aren't you with him, Halibel-san?" The image of a solitary Halibel was pricking Rem's anxieties.
"Ahhh, Rem-chan." Halibel started gingerly. "Well, Su-san, you see, he asked me to leave."
"He did what!?" Rem was astounded. "You mean he's in there, with Roswaal, all by himself!?"
Before Halibel could answer her though, two figures exited the gaping hall of the tomb. It was Subaru and Roswaal.
"Subaru-kun!"
"Rem." Subaru's voice was hoarse. He'd done too much shouting in his conversation with Roswaal.
Before the any more words could be exchanged Roswaal interjected. "Toodeloo Subaru. I'm off to break the curses. I had better hurry if I want to live." Roswaal shot up into the sky, travelling to Ram and Emilia.
Rem gazed at the disappearing Roswaal. "What happened?" She asked him.
Subaru explained to Rem and Halibel the deal he had struck. He asked Crusch to leave. This was sensitive information after all, he didn't want a competing faction hearing about it. He promised Crusch that he would arrange a meeting between her and the margrave soon. After some pleading, Crusch left them.
As Subaru spoke with Rem, Crusch sat by herself on a log. After ten minutes, Garfiel, who she had laid down beside her, began to stir.
"What happened... What..." Everything was confused for the boy.
"Garfiel I presume." Crusch said.
"Ughhh." Garfiel sat up, still sore from the battle. "Who are you?"
"I am Crusch Karsten! Head of the noble Karsten family, and candidate for the throne of Lugunica!" Crusch loudly proclaimed.
The way she spoke... It was so cringy... So chuuni... It was love at first sight!
"Woahhh! No way! I've heard about you! Crusch Karsten? The Iron Valkyrie who is bravely standing up to the dragon Volcanica!? What the hell are you doing in a podunk place like this?" Garfiel asked her.
"I came here to seek counsel from the court magician." She explained. "It seems that will still have to wait though..."
"That guy." Garfiel suddenly remembered his beef with Roswaal, and why he had transformed in the first place. "He's a villain Karsten-sama. He's killed people. Ryuzu..."
"Young Garfiel. I know that the margrave has wronged you gravely." Crusch acknowledged his plight.
"You could say that again. I need to kill that bastard! Where is he!?" Garfiel was getting all riled up again, but Crusch stopped him.
"But right now, you need to rest. You're still recovering from our battle." Crusch told him.
"Our battle?" Garfiel couldn't recall what had happened. He had seen Roswaal kill the Ryuzus, but then it was all a blur.
"Yes. You were a strong opponent, but you lost to me and the blue-haired girl."
"Blue haired girl? Are you saying that you and Rem beat me?"
"Indeed. You were vanquished by our combined efforts."
"There's no way that Rem could take me on." Garfiel stated. "You be pretty strong yourself then, huh Karsten-sama."
"No one can stand before the might of the Karsten household!" Crusch exclaimed.
"Wow! So cool!" Garfiel felt butterflies in his stomach.
Crusch could tell what kind of person Garfiel was. In love with heroes, she was hamming it up to impress him. After all, since the defeat with the White Whale, she was in desperate need of allies. Recruiting someone as strong as Garfiel would be a boon to her cause. In other words, she had seen his blush, and she was manipulating Garfiel.
"Garfiel!" She put a hand out valiantly. "On your feet soldier!"
Garfiel took it, and Crusch lifted him up. "Garfiel, I've seen your strength first hand. How would like to work for me?"
Crusch was standing too close to him. He could feel the heat coming off her.
"I-"