(This is non canon to the main storyline. This is an AU based on Arc 1)

Quest #9

Memento Mori

Condition: Kill Sayori

Failure: None

The notification screen formed itself in front of Issei, he refused to end Sayori's misery, because he knew that he was the reason any of this even started, had he not killed Monika, has he just told her about his abilities, there could have been a way to get out of there without having to end her life.

He did not want to do the same for Sayori, he wished to find another way to get out of this endless loop, because he did not want to let go of Natuski either... Yet she wouldn't remember him, the few days they had been together, they were his happiest memories.

"I can't..." Issei shook his head as he responded, he knelt as he looked at the ground. "I can't just let you go again..." He looked at the screen again, meanwhile, Sayori looked a bit saddened at the current state of Issei. "Issei... It's alright, take all the time you to be prepared." She knew that she was asking something very tough for Issei to comprehend.

"You don't understand... Is there truly no other way?" Issei asked her, getting a shake of a head in response. "I simply cannot kill you." He finally got up, he looked at her and gave a weak smile. "I don't care if Natsuki loves Cordis, I know that it's selfish of me to say this, but I want to continue with the Literature Club, because it is the only place where I felt like I belonged..."

"If it weren't for the fact that I had stumbled upon you when you were holding those papers for the club... I would have continued to be the pervert that I used to be..." He wanted to express how much the Literature Club had changed him. "I would have never found out my love for poetry, nor would I have found what it is to truly love someone..."

Deep inside his mind, he knew that Sayori was his first love, it was only after she died when he tried to move on, and Natsuki was the one he ended up anchoring toward, he loved her, but alas she would no longer love him back.

Did he truly love Natsuki? Of course, he was no scum, he truly felt like those days together meant the world to him, but he needed to move on, just like how he did with Sayori back then. Ironically he was going back to Sayori, because she was the only one who would remember anything that had happened.

Could he move on by killing her? It would take time, and he was scared that doing so would be the worst mistake of his life, he feared that he would never be able to move on, as he no longer would feel that emotion that he felt with Sayori and Natsuki.

"I wish to continue with the Literature Club, until we find a way to break through this scripted plot." The declaration did not shock Sayori, in fact she smiled. "So be it, I knew that there was the chance that you would refuse my request."

Issei's love for Natsuki was one that Sayori wished was directed to her. But given the circumstances, additionally, she didn't have control over her emotions while Monika was the leader of the club, there was nothing she could do.

"I know this is scummy for me to say... But... Natsuki will no longer love me right?" Sayori sadly nodded. "Then... Would you be willing to go out with me?" Sayori's eyes widened at the declaration. "W-what?!" She was completely red as she stuttered through her words, her mind was going on many paths as it tried to comprehend the words that were uttered.

"What I'm saying may betray Natsuki's love... But I know she wouldn't want me sulking up like a widowed husband, she'd want me to move on... I could try to win her love back... Or I could accept someone who clearly loves me." He smiled as he wished for those around him to be happy, even if Natsuki and Yuri were scripted to love Cordis, if it meant that she would be happy, so be it. He wouldn't want to ruin it, he acted before based on the Writer's System, and he would not do so now.

Not when he could make amends and make Sayori happy.

His feelings for Sayori were still there, he was sure, despite being a pervert, he was, after all, a kind boy, the harem dream he had could have been originally meant as a pervert's dream, but there might have been more that dream that he gave it thought.

It was his wish to be loved unconditionally while loving others.

Sayori died because of Monika's manipulation, but he felt like he was also guilty of it, because he gave her advice that may not have helped her, but rather hindered her, and he wished to fix that. Because one of the best ways to get through a tough moment is to be surrounded by those that love you, so that they can help you move on.

Ah, there he went again, perhaps making a poem out of it would help him clear his mind about those thoughts, but maybe not now, if possible, he'd like to put everything from the past into a book so that he could move on to the future.

He needed to tell her something important. "There's also another thing I wanted to tell you, Sayori..." This got her attention as she looked curious as to what Issei wanted to say. "I... I have the ability to go back in time... Whenever I die." The short pause in between got longer as Sayori then asked. "So... that's what you've been trying to do by using that gun?"

"Yeah... I wanted to go back in time aga-" He felt his shoulders being grabbed as he saw Sayori's look of shock as she asked. "Y-you... How many times have you gone back in time?!" Her worried voice made Issei stay still for a bit, but he already knew the answer. "Only once."

Sayori didn't expect that answer, in fact, she was skeptical. She felt like he had tried this scenario far more many times, and it scared her, the fact that she might have come too late haunted her. Issei on the other hand pat Sayori's head. "And no, it's not that you were too late, it didn't happen during this moment."

"If that's the case... Then when did it happen?" That question did bring a look of guilt from Issei, he knew that if he did tell her about it, she would also feel guilty, but he preferred to be honest. "Back when... You committed suicide, I tried to go back in time by stabbing myself with a knife, but there seemed to have been a checkpoint that did not let me go back before your death."

Sayori's grip on his shoulders got stronger. "I'm... Sorry for making you do that..." Issei responded immediately after. "No, don't be sorry, I was the one who did it, because I wished for you to be alive... And look at you, you're here." He smiled, he put his hand on the side of her face as he rubbed her cheek, the gentle smile he had as he felt calm over the fact that he could talk to her again made him gain his Sanity back.

Sayori giggled. "I guess so..." She knew her cheeks were starting to go red, but she did not care nor did she show any sort of embarrassment. "So how did you get this ability?" Curiosity took Sayori over as she wanted to know more about Issei.

"One day I got something called Writer's System, and it basically made me do stuff to continue with the story. Currently, there is a quest where I need to kill you, but there is no failure condition, which means that there is no way for me to be punished for this decision."

Sayori looked quite intrigued. "If it wants you to kill me, why didn't you follow it? It seems as if it is the only way to continue onward for you?" Issei then responded. "Because I am sick of following it, I was starting to feel as if my life was being completely controlled by it, in the end I had the choice to follow it or not, and right now is the best moment to not follow it."

"I found out that... Maybe doing my own thing, by my own decisions would be better... I wish to help everyone in the club, be it by helping Yuri and Natsuki be with Cordis... Or by making you the happiest girl I would ever meet."

In response Sayori smiled at his reasoning. "Very well then, I guess we should go back to Monday?" Issei nodded as he no longer felt like he was alone again. "And... About Natsuki... Are you truly sure you can move on from her?"

Issei sighed in response, he wasn't truly sure. "I could try to move on, I could try to make her fall in love with me, I could try everything in my power to make everything how it used to. But would that truly be the way to do it? You're here Sayori, would you be happy if I were to choose Natsuki over you?" Issei knew her answer, and so, he proceeded

"Sayori... You're going to be stuck in an endless loop until we can find a way to get out of here with everyone alive. I can't just leave you alone, I want you to always feel like I am there for you, that everything will be alright as long as we are together."

Sayori blushed a bit at Issei's response, it did make her guilty, was Issei only accepting her feelings over Natsuki's because of the situation? It only took Issei to remind her of his previous advice to take her out of that mentality. "Remember Sayori, you can be selfish at times, you don't want what happened before to let you become sad again right?" He joked

"Rest assure, I am doing this because I love you, I'm an idiot you know? If Natsuki finds out I'm sure she's going to blame me rather than you." He laughed a bit, he was sure that she would just call him a pervert, she wasn't wrong, he had that dumb dream after all.

Sayori in response leaned forward, and she kissed him on the lips. Issei on the other hand accepted it, the kiss felt right to both of them, it was an action that both wished to do, and they had done it.

Both of them finally separated as Sayori proceeded to answer. "Very well, if you still have that ridiculous dream, I'm sure she'll accept, after all, I am pretty sure we were all love interests for Cordis." The hint that all four of the girls were supposed to be part of a harem visual novel was a bit weird to her, and she did not want to be part of it, as while she used to love Cordis, the childhood friend that she had was no longer there, but instead he had become a puppet to god knows what.

"We'll be sent back on the Monday before, I'm sure we'll get through it much more easily, I'm just not sure what will happen after the festival." She was worried about what existed after the festival, the same went for Issei, he had never gone through the festival until today.

"I know, but we are here for each other, we can go into the unknown together." He held Sayori's hands as they both looked at each other, they were happy about the results of today. The girl that had become self-aware of what was going on at the Literature Club, and the boy that could remember the events of a deleted timeline, together they would forge a new path for the Literature Club.

Sayori said her last words as the clock started to go backwards, they were going back in time to the day everything started.

"Til death do us part"

(A/N)

This is a What If similar to the ones in Re:Zero, in this case, the variable that made this happen was the quest not having a failure condition. This is non canon, and so could be thought of as nothing, but there are a few things said here that foreshadow future arcs.

This short story is meant to be filler so that the wait between the next arc isn't as wide. It is also a way for me to write something much less sad, because holy shit, what I wrote for the last chapter of the first part of the arc is something I am hella proud yet sad about. It is also a way for me to ask the next question.

Would you guys rather I release the first part of the third arc earlier or post everything as a whole?

Once it becomes 1 of December, I could post the first part of the arc, which is a total of 6 chapters, and then have another break and then post the second part.

I'll put a poll on Fanfiction, in Wattpad I'll see in the comments, same goes for AO3.

Until then I'll see y'all in the next update.