I don't own Re:Zero or any of the characters.
Our Task
"Wait a minute," Subaru frowned. "You just reset to now?"
Ian nodded. "I assume by your reaction that this isn't the save point?"
"That was days ago!" Subaru said. "Immediately after Emilia's first time taking the Trial." he frowned. "Well, What number do you remember being last?"
"Three," Ian said.
"This is six," Subaru said, Ian sighing in annoyance. "What happened?"
"Roswaal didn't like how things were going, so he used his magic to make it snow and pinned the blame on Emilia. Except, the snow drew in the Great Rabbit early, and it killed everyone. Then when I woke up, I couldn't accept reality and was pulled into a tea party where I was able to talk about everything with Echidna. But as a price for her not being able to punish me there, she possessed Emilia and used her as a vessel to destroy the Sanctuary and kill everyone in it, but I was able to commit suicide before she could get to me. Then after that, I accidentally took the Second Trial and failed, but got sent into a Tea Party. And while I was there, I met Satella."
"The Witch of Envy," Ian said. "Who you'd literally just met."
"No," Subaru said. "The alternate personality. Satella is different from the Witch of Envy."
"Really?" Ian's eyebrows rose before he nodded. "That's a surprise." He returned to serious business. "What next?"
Subaru blinked twice, his mouth hanging open slightly. "I just told you that I met Satella, who's different-"
"Focus, Subaru," Ian said flatly. "I have bigger things to worry about than that. It doesn't directly affect me. What happened next?"
Subaru frowned before nodding. "For this loop, this last loop, I have Roswaal tricked into a contract with me regarding the outcome. If I can settle everything my way, with your help, he'll ignore his gospel and help in earnest. If we fail, I'll cast aside my feelings for everything that's not Emilia and use my abilities the way he sees fit and in keeping with his Gospel."
"Then we can't lose," Ian said. "Can you handle Garfiel?"
Subaru nodded. "We've gotten him on our side twice now. It's why Roswaal made it snow last time."
Ian nodded. "Okay. Then I'm going to have to uphold my end of the bargain. I don't suppose you know where exactly Elsa enters through?"
"You said it was the secret tunnel in Roswaal's study," Subaru said.
Ian nodded. "Thanks. We'll be back soon. You still don't need Rem or Ram, I assume?"
"No," Subaru said. "Take them. But just remember, I need you back by midnight. That's when the Great Rabbit will attack."
Ian nodded and hurried back to the Irlam villagers and the twins. "We're riding ahead of the villagers." He climbed onto his and Rem's Earth Dragon and pulled Rem up ahead of him, before nodding for Ram to climb up behind him.
"Why?" Rem asked.
"I'll tell you on the way," Ian said, helping Ram up before looking over to the villagers' drivers. "We're going to ride ahead of you and clear the route. It's come to Lord Roswaal's attention that he's forgotten something important at the mansion, so we need to retrieve it and bring it back as quickly as possible. Is that alright with you?"
"With you clearing the route, we'll be fine," one of the drivers smiled. "We've all heard about you facing the Witch's Cult leaders to protect the wounded on the way back from fighting the White Whale from Rem."
Ian nodded, and Rem flicked their dragon's whiskers, the dragon surging forward.
"You didn't tell them that almost all of them were killed anyway?" Ian asked.
"There was no need," Rem said.
Ian snorted and nodded, giving her a light squeeze. As he did, she shifted backward slightly, and inhaled sharply, looking back at him in surprise for a moment before smiling and shifting back a little more. He sighed, kissing her on the shoulder and trying to ignore it, only for Ram's hand to pinch some of the skin over his ribs and twist.
"What's going on?" Ram demanded flatly.
"He just surprised me with a hug is all, Sister," Rem said.
Ram glared at Ian for a moment before releasing his abused flesh. Ian sighed, resting his chin on Rem's shoulder just as she pressed backward a little more, his arm tightening as much in warning to not do it again as it was to hold her tighter to him still. Rem's knowing smile grew.
Ian sighed as he stared at the door. Petra was currently with Beatrice, who had agreed to watch over her while they fought, Frederica was waiting in the courtyard with Rem as backup, and Ian and Ram were waiting outside of Roswaal's study for Elsa. Rem, while possessing monstrous power, lacked Elsa's level of speed, but would serve as perfect reinforcements for Frederica, where as the speed and destruction mix of Ram's magic, along with her lack of fucks to give about hitting Ian with that same magic, made her the perfect reinforcements for Ian. Ian had warned Frederica and Rem that there was at least one Guiltylowe and the giant hyena thing, which Rem had identified as a Spotted Rex. Meanwhile, on his and Ram's side, he had warned her that Elsa was somehow able to regenerate almost instantly from even fatal wounds, had a cloak that could block a single magical strike completely, and was seemingly immortal.
"How much longer?" Ram asked.
Just then, the door swung open, Elsa stopping and staring at them in surprise. "My, my. I certainly wasn't expecting you to know exactly where I'd be coming from. Have I been sold out?"
Ian drew his sword. "Whether you were or not is irrelevant. Either way, you're dying."
Elsa smirked. "Well, I'm glad you're here. I actually have a message for you."
"And that is?" Ian asked.
"Consider yourself warned," Elsa said, drawing her first blades.
"Interesting," Ian said, the same rage flooding through him, but more controlled this time without the surprise with it. "Tell me, who exactly are you here for?"
"There are several on my list, though not as many as I'd like," Elsa said. "There's the pink and blue twins, one of which is here with you, conveniently, there's the young maid-in-training, the big maid, the spirit girl, who I'm extra excited about, and then, there's you." She licked her lips, staring at him. "I'm also excited about you. You were fun before, and I'm excited to know how much stronger you've gotten. It sounds like you've been up to a lot since we fought." She paused, smiling what could almost be called sweetly, if not for being who she was. "Oh, but I almost forgot the most important thing. Everyone on the list is optional. Every one. Except you. Killing you, and you alone, is non-negotiable."
Here, Ram raised her wand. "While Ram can certainly sympathize with wishing to kill him, and even though doing so would keep his filthy, indecent hands away from my beautiful sister, doing so would also hurt Sister deeply. As such, I cannot allow you to kill him. I also will not forgive anyone who threatens Sister. Pay for your sins with your life."
She flicked her wand almost casually, but in the span of a second that it took the spell to cross the distance between them, Elsa had taken off, evading the blast by inches before launching herself at Ian, blades first. Ian spun, slashing with both hands and smashing through both blades before his sword split her torso open. Then, his foot flashed up, sped up and reinforced by his wind, and exploded into her ribs, sending her exploding out of a window and spinning out of the house. She cratered the cobblestone out front, and Ian and Ram leapt after her, Ian holding Ram. As soon as he'd landed, he set Ram on her feet and both readied themselves to continue fighting as they glanced around at Frederica and Rem, who were all but slaughtering all manner of Mabeasts around them. Off to one side, along with the sea of Mabeasts, Ian could see the Guiltylowe, then a hippo in the distance, one that was inflated to about three times its normal size, big enough to swallow the Guiltylowe in a bite and a half, maybe hole if it was determined. And sitting on its back was Meili. Her hair was in a braid again with a purple, flower-shaped pin at the top, and she wore a dark purple coat and blue pants. Ian couldn't focus on those threats, however. He had to focus on the one closer at hand.
He turned his sight back to Elsa as she stood, fully healed again, but with the gash from the front leaving the front of her dress hanging from her waist.
"You truly are hopelessly indecent," Ram said.
"I have bigger things to worry about than trying to see her breasts," Ian said.
"And now you're neglecting to try to kill her in order to instead comment on the size of her chest," Ram said. "You have no redeemable qualities."
Ian rolled his eyes, readying himself again. "Are you going to help me kill this cunt, or not?"
"Unquestionably," Ram nodded, raising her wand.
In answer, however, Elsa tosses her kukris aside, then reached under her dress, producing a knife belt from somewhere, one with four more still inside of it. However, she tosses them aside and reaches under her dress again. This time, as she withdraws her hand, it's with a pain of kukri vastly different and more dangerous than her normal set. One is entirely black like her normal sets, but with the edge of the blade heavily serrated like the blades of a saw, meant to rip flesh apart. The other blade is entirely white and is much thicker, looking to be useful for snapping through bones. As she readied them, Ian and Ram tensed, readying themselves accordingly. She was serious now. She wasn't going to hold anything back.
Ian moved first, exploding forward as Elsa moved to charge. Except, before he could reach her, she swung her left hand. Suddenly, the white knife's blade seemed to transform. It elongated and flexed like a whip, while still being flat like a blade. As it drove itself through his heart, he realized what happened. It was a string of connected blades that collapsed into one, but which could extend and be manipulated by her. He skipped backward, ducking aside from the blade just before a blast of wind slammed into it, knocking it backward. Elsa retracted it before meeting Ian, slashing with her serrated blade. He deflected it, transitioning from a block to a stab and planted his blade in her heart, then twisted sharply, slashing out through her side. As soon as he did, he all but launched himself away from her, allowing Ram's spell to hit her.
A massive cyclone roared to life around her, dragging her into it and slamming her with invisible blades of Wind Magic beyond counting. However, in this attempt at fighting her, she still had her cloak, and wrapped it around herself. As the attack dissipated and she dropped to the ground, her anti-magic cloak disintegrated, but her wound had sealed. She sent her white blade speeding at Ram, but Ian slammed into the blade, deflecting it to the ground before Ram brandished her wand.
"El Fura!" Ram dictated, an explosion of wind blades and force erupting from her wand and crashing into Elsa, sending her blasting backward along the ground, blood spraying.
As she rolled to a stop, however, her white blade sped backward through the air to her again. Then she was charging again, her wounds shrinking out of existence as she charged. Ian moved to meet her, their blades clashing rapidly. And then the white blade was extended again.
The edge of it tore into his right bicep as the point speared through his back. He skipped backward. The blade wrapped around at him and bit into his neck as her black blade opened his skin from his chest out through his groin. He skipped back again. He blood blinded him as he slashed her throat, and Ram's next blast hit both of them. He skipped back, avoiding the blood and Ram's strike, only for the white blade to split his back open. He skipped back, deflecting the blade and allowed Ram's blast to find its mark. Elsa regenerated. The white blade extended at Ram, only for Ian to deflect it before the black blade found his throat. He skipped back.
He rapidly lost track of the number of times he'd had to use his Authority. Was it twenty? Fourty? A hundred? He knew he had to use it more than three times per every wound he gave her. Her stamina was incredible, but between himself and Ram, they could match it. He lost track of the number of wounds he gave Elsa as well. Not all were fatal. How many had been? Six? Seven? He hoped she was nearing the end of her regeneration abilities. Because Ram's attacks were waning in power rapidly.
Elsa slashed his throat, his torso, his inner leg, removed his arm. He broke her wrist with the flat of his blade, slashed her eye out without doing much else, pierced her heart. Ram severed Elsa's neck almost completely, shattered bones, tore flesh, split her head vertically from scalp to nose. They traded wounds like candy, Elsa regenerating each time and Ian skipping back. And yet, the fight dragged on. Until, suddenly, it didn't. Suddenly, just as Ian ducked aside from a blast from Ram, allowing it to fly toward Elsa, Ram staggered to the side, her attack losing nearly all of its power and doing little more than opening several small scratches in Elsa's torso. But Elsa had seen the moment coming, unlike Ian, who was facing away from Ram, and laughed wickedly, slashing with her white dagger and sending the blade speeding at Ian, even as she charged straight through the weakened spell. Just as Ian blocked the extended blade, however, Elsa shot past him to Ram, who was only just recovering her footing, and planted her black dagger in Ram's heart.
It's time.
Ian skipped backward, seeing the white blade just beginning to extend. This time, instead of blocking it, he spun, allowing it to graze his back as he launched himself between Elsa and Ram. Even using his magic for speed, he only barely managed to get between them, the blade burying itself in his own heart instead of Ram's. Ram's eyes flew wide as Ian slashed at Elsa, who leapt back, bringing the dagger with her.
"Ian!" Ram managed to gasp, as he collapsed backward into her arms.
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but as soon as it escaped her lips, Rem's voice suddenly shrieked in fury, terror, and grief, all at once. Elsa spun toward her, instantly crossing her daggers, only for Rem's flail to explode into them. There was the sound of metal shattering as the flail smashed both, then exploded into Elsa's face, crushing it in to the back of her skull and launching her away. Before she'd even landed, Rem was kneeling beside Ian.
"Ian!" Rem sobbed, hands pressed futilely to his wound.
"F...Freeze...it," Ian croaked.
"B-But-"
"Do it!" he instructed more forcefully.
Rem nodded and the snapping of ice filled the air as pressure rapidly built in Ian's chest, crushing him. Agony filled his body, resultant from his blood ceasing to flow, but it was no longer actively draining, so he wouldn't pass out yet. He'd have to work hard not to, though. His eyes slid over to Elsa, who was pushing herself up as the last of her most recent wound finished regenerating.
"You have two minutes," Rem said as Ian stood.
Ian nodded, raising his White Whale Sword in his right hand as he also drew his second sword. Then, his magic roared to life around him and he exploded forward. Elsa shot forward to meet him, grabbing her four remaining knives from the knife holder on the ground, and hurled two at him. They stabbed into his lungs and he skipped backward, deflecting them. Then, as he reached her, he cheated. The second Elsa's kukris met his own blades, his magic exploded away from him at the points of impact, the focused Wind Magic shredding Elsa's body. She managed to land on her feet, only for Ian to stop in front of her, slashing in an upward arc. She leapt to her right and her left arm spun into the air. Elsa shrieked in agony and rage, even as her face contorted in ecstasy. Then, just as her feet touched the ground, Rem's flail exploded into her back, broken pieces of rubs bursting from her sides and chest in a massive spray of blood as she sailed toward Ian.
Ian exploded forward, slashing with the sword he'd gotten from Felix, only for Elsa to meet his slash with her own. Her knife shattered, but succeeded in snapping the sword's blade off with her own. Then, as she landed beside one of her fallen knives and snatched it up, Ian flicked the broken-off blade of her white kukri, which had remained largely intact while the black one was shattered. After fifty failed attempts, he succeeded in controlling the extended blade into piercing her heart, then dropped it as he charged. As Elsa ripped the blade out of her chest, he noticed something. The stab wound was sealing, although at a slower rate than before, but her ribs were not. He smirked, pulling his sword back.
"I'm going to stuff your bowels down your throat!" Elsa shrieked, stepping forward.
An arc of Wind Magic flashed past her, shearing her arm off just below her shoulder before slicing through the army of Mabeasts to the giant hippo, taking it's head off instantly. Elsa's shriek of agony was joined with Meili's shriek of surprise and dismay. Then, Ian drove his sword into Elsa's heart, glaring at her.
"Stay dead this time!" he snarled. "Al Fura!"
Instantly, a massive explosion of Wind Mana detonated from inside Elsa, splattering her as a tick red goo over everything but Ian, who was protected from it by his own magic. However, the Wind magic then transformed from an explosion into an enormous cyclone, every single Mabeast present being sucked up into it and shredded, bits of them falling all around them as the spell faded. However, Rem, Ram, and Frederica weren't paying that any attention. Frederica was binding Meili's arms and legs while Rem and ram were struggling to save Ian.
As he had cast the final spell, he'd not only expended almost all of his remaining mana, but he'd also shattered the ice in his chest.
"Ian, hang on!" Rem pleaded, the glow of healing magic doing nothing to save his life. She could only either keep his heart beating or seal the damage. And ignoring either would be a death sentence after how long his heart had been inactive already.
"Why?" Ram asked, tears welling in her eyes. "Why did you allow yourself to be stabbed for Ram?"
"If you died...it would have...broken Rem's heart...and mine," Ian rasped, voice barely audible.
"You're an idiot!" Ram snapped, her tears beginning to fall. "How do you think Sister will feel if you die!? She'll be even more broken if it's you who dies, so...you have to live! You have to live so that you and Sister can be together!"
"This isn't good!" Rem said, face frantic but voice forced even. "I can barely keep his heart beating, and that's without trying to heal him!"
"We need to get him to Beatrice!" Ram said.
Rem's tears began to flow anew, her voice all but shattering. "He can't be moved!"
Ram stared at her in shock as what she was saying sunk in. He was going to die. She opened her mouth to speak, to try and come up with some way of saving him, when the front doors of the mansion suddenly burst open, slamming against the outside wall as Beatrice nearly flew toward them from the library exposed inside the door. Within seconds she was kneeling opposite Rem, healing magic shining between her hands and Ian's chest.
"Keep his heart beating!" Beatrice ordered. "Whatever you do, don't stop!"
Rem nodded, her own healing magic brightening as she redoubled her efforts. However, Ian's head began to grow fuzzy rapidly, his vision beginning to grow dim.
He looked up at Beatrice, forcing his mouth to move. "You left...the door open."
"Shut up, I suppose!" Beatrice snapped. "If you talk, you'll die, I suppose!"
After another moment of trying to heal him, Beatrice swore, shaking her head.
"He's losing too much blood!" Beatrice said.
"Is there something we can do?" Ram asked.
Beatrice hesitated. "He needs someone to give him some of theirs!"
"I'll do it!" Ram said.
Beatrice glanced at her before nodding. "You'll need a knife and a tube!"
Ram was on her feet in an instant, streaking toward the mansion faster than Ian had ever seen her move. However, just as she leapt into the air and exploded through a window, Ian's vision darkened completely. He tried desperately to cling to consciousness, to the feeling of the healing magic being pumped into his chest, but it was a losing battle. Words fell upon his ears meaninglessly, and he began to slip. His mind began to fill with memories of his time with Rem, and regret about not getting to tell her or Ram his true feelings. Then, his consciousness faded.
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