I do not own Re:Zero or any of the characters.
Second Trial
Ian took a steadying breath as he placed the book back on the shelf. The books were titled with names, and reading any random book was pointless. All of the people whose books were present were dead, and if there was no connection between the reader and the book's subject, the book was too boring to remain in memory. However, if a connection existed, if the person had been known by the reader, the person's memories would play through the reader's mind. It wasn't a pleasant sensation, but it wasn't the worst.
On the other hand, there was no sign of the stairs to the next floor, meaning there was a gimmick, or some hidden way to make them appear. And Ian doubted they'd find any useful information in this section of the Great Library.
"We need to figure out how to make the stairs appear," Ram said, looking through the books around them as Rem knelt beside Ian, though Ian could tell that Ram was equally as worried about Ian's wellbeing as Rem was.
"When in a library, what better way to hide the switch for hidden stairs than with a book?" Ian asked, wiping some sweat from his forehead. "Press one, pull it, or with an application of magic, read it. We might as well be looking for an ice cube on a glacier."
Ram nodded. "If that is the case, it is an exceedingly effective method of concealment."
"While we're thinking, could someone tell me the rules Shaula said earlier?" Elena asked. "I didn't catch most of them because I was convincing Frederica to share Shaula."
"You're supposed to be the one paying the most attention," Ian said flatly, then sighed. "The first rule is that we can't leave before clearing the first floor or Shaula's under orders to kill us."
"Secondly, it's forbidden to break ths rules of the Trial," Ram said.
"It's forbidden to disrespect the library," Rem added.
"Fourth was that it's forbidden to destroy the tower," Ram said.
"And by the way she acted while listing them, I'd bet money on there being a fifth, but she claimed there wasn't," Ian said.
Ram nodded in agreement. "Her behavior was suspicious when mentioning a fifth rule."
"There's also the rule about breaking the rules of the Trial," Elena said, thinking. "What are the rules of the Trial?"
Everyone paused, then shook their heads.
"None were stated," Rem said.
"We're going to need to be very careful," Ian decided.
"Hey, Ian!" Subaru called out. "We're heading down! Come on!"
"Coming!" Ian called back, all of them heading back to the stairs with the others.
They headed down to the next fllor down, and after a moment, they found the stairs. They'd appeared next to the Green Room, in which the plant spirit was tending to Patrasche.
"I'll say it again, Subatu growled. "The guy who made this tower has the shittiest personality ever!"
"Agreed," Ian nodded. "Let's go."
They all nodded in agreement, then started up the stairs. Elena dropped back beside Shaula to flirt, so Meili dropped off Shaula's shoulders and ran to catch up with Subaru, who was walking at the head with Ian, Julius, and Rem, Ram in the middle beside the two Royal Selection Candidates and Frederica.
"If it's a riddle, I leave it to you," Ian said. "If it's a physical challenge, Ram, Julius, or I will go first."
Subaru nodded. "I'm worried about the riddle part. If it's something even I don't know, there's nothing I can do."
"We'll just have to wait and see," Ian said. "Elena's also good at riddles, so she might get it, too."
Subaru nodded, and they fell silent as they walked up the seemingly endless stairs. Finally, what felt like an hour later, they reached the top and all stopped. As with the last Trial, the room was an expansive white void, but in place of a monolith, the center, or what Ian assumed was the center, of the room was decorated by a sword stabbed into the ground. It wasn't anything excessively fancy, but it was well-forged. Ian narrowed his eyes, catching Subaru's shoulder as he made to step forward.
"What's up?" Subaru asked.
"It's not a riddle," Ian said, then walked forward, wrapping his hand around the sword, the hand turned over to grip the hilt properly.
He lifted his arm and drew the sword from the ground smoothly, and almost immediately, the instructions for the trial were whispered wordlessly into his mind, just as they had been last time.
"Gain his forgiveness, by the hand of the Fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword."
Ian narrowed his eyes as a silhouette began to form directly ahead of him. He raised the sword in front of himself in preparation.
"Gain his forgiveness, by the hand of the Fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword," the silhouette's gruff voice said.
The man had long, blood-red hair that flowed down his back. He was taller than Ian, and his body rippled with muscles. He wore a red robe in place of armor, and had the tight side of his chest uncovered, the robe tied about the waist with a white cloth. The last feature that caught Ian's eye, however, was the frayed eyepatch over his left eye. The man's face was split into a wide, ferocious, insane grin, and his sky-blue right eye was fixed on Ian. Behind him, Shaula dropped to the floor, small, horrified noises escaping her as she trembled, only for Elena, and a moment later Frederica, to wrap their arms around her, Elena resolutely keeping her eyes on the man ahead of them. As they all stood there, struggling to overcome their reactions to the man's suffocatingly powerful presence, the man repeated the instructions again, then again a few seconds later, then again. Ian backed away slowly until he was standing with the others.
"Julius, is that who I think?" Ian asked.
Julius didn't respond, and after a moment, the man's repeated repetition of the Trial's instructions became more and more broken, until he broke off with a groan. As he did, however, Shaula's fear finally boiled over and she squealed like a pig at a particularly nasty growl by the man. Being wrapped in Elena and Frederica's arms already, she clung to them, one hand snatching the back of Subaru's track suit.
"Shut up already!" the man roared finally. "My head's already killin' me as it is! Stop shoutin'!"
Shaula's body went limp as she fainted from fear, Elena catching her, face betraying her worry. Ian narrowed his eyes.
"I take it that you are, by no means, a simple existence," Julius spoke at last.
The man made a confused noise, and Julius stepped up beside Ian, drawing his own sword.
"Hell's up, ya prick?" the man asked. "And what's with this place? Ya fuckin' around here, ya prick?"
Julius shook his head. "No, we are doing nothing of the sort. We too, are of a similarly confused standing. You appeared here all of a sudden. We cannot help but be on guard. That is all."
"Hell's up with you?" the man demanded. "Don't be talkin' weird, ya prick. Don't ya be talkin' like my follower. Ya my follower? Ya ain't, right? Since ya ain't, don't be talkin' like him, making all this shit confusing."
Ian narrowed his eyes slightly as the man continued to grumble to himself. His mood was getting worse, and if he kept it up, they simply wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with him.
..."pretty lookin', pretty lookin', hot stuff, runt, runt, follower, small fry," the man was grumbling, Ian was pretty sure.
"Unfortunately, I am not your follower," Julius said.
"Kah! The way ya talk, it's just how my follower talks. Stop copyin' it." The man glared at Julius, then turned his eye to Subaru. "Oi, you. Explain what's happenin' here, ya prick. The hell'd ya do to me. Don't ya be hidin' stuff. Get to it, ya prick."
Subaru grit his teeth. "Appearing out of nowhere, acting like you're hot shit...What's up with that?"
The man made another unintelligible noise of confusion, scratching his bare chest. Ian stepped forward finally.
"Why are you here?" Ian asked.
"Gotcha," the man nodded, but didn't answer the question. "So then, let's start."
"Start...Wait!" Subaru yelped. "Why do you keep on running the conversation all by yourself!? It's really too much to take!"
the man glared at him. "Zip it, ya prick. Keepin on yappin over and over. Already explained while I was sleep-talkin, didn't I? Pay attention to what I'm sayin."
Subaru growled. "What's with this for the past few minutes?"
the man repeated himself again. "Gain his forgiveness, by hand of the Fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword."
Ian narrowed his eyes as he readied himself to voice his assumption of the words' meaning. Before he could, Emilia stepped into the man's view.
"Kah! That beauty over there's different from this here small fry," the man said. "If I'd been alive, I'd be bedding you tonight, ya twat. Looking close, ya real sweet. What's with that face. Ya real damn frizzlin'."
Emilia grimaced, but her brows scrunched up in confusion all the same. "Frizz..."
Subaru glared at the man and stepped in front of him. "Hey, you! You're the guy! You're the examiner here, right?"
"No clue," the man grinned. "Ain't interested in some title someone's put on themselves. I'm me, you's you. Nothin' more to it than that. Ya wanna talk with me proper? Get me to move even a step from here, ya prick."
Ian swallowed hard, Julius tensing at his side.
"Knight of the Imperial Order of the Kingdom of Lugunica, Julius Juuculius," Julius introduced himself.
"Personal Knight to the Royal Selection Candidate Emilia, Ian Fletcher," Ian said, Subaru snorting in amusement. "Shut up, Subaru."
"Ain't got no name worth giving you," the man said. "Just a stick swinger."
"I'll start," Ian said. "Do you want a weapon?"
"I've got the only weapon I need already, ya prick," the man smirked.
"Very well," Ian said, then launched himself forward slashing overhead.
He didn't expect the strike to land, and he hadn't expected the man to be hit, but when the sword halted on a dime, nearly being ripped from his hands, his jaw set hard, everyone behind him shouting in surprise. The man had caught the very tip of the blade with his left hand, his right scratching his chest again. Except, he hadn't caught the blade with his fingers.
"A pair...of twigs?" Julius gaped as Ian leapt backward leaving the sword, which didn't so much as twitch in the man's chopsticks' grip.
"Chopsticks," Ian corrected, eyeing the sticks in the man's hand. "I knew it. Red hair and the title of Heavenly Sword. You're Reid Astrea. The first Sword Saint."
Julius went pale, Subaru shouted in surprise, and Rem and Ram's expressions darkened in understanding. That was why the Trial was to move him back a single step, not to defeat him. Because even a single step would be a monstrous undertaking.
"Even if he is, to use nothing but chopsticks..." Subaru trailed off.
"Hah?" Reid spoke. "Don't be makin' me laugh, ya prick. Swingin' at the best angle, with the best speed, with the best feelin', in the best way...Be it chopsticks or whatever, there's nothing it can't cut."
Julius made a sound somewhere between awed and shocked as the sword still didn't move.
"Lemme tell ya though, this here ain't made outta somethin' funny. Bad material's just bad for the skin, so. Got nothin' mixed in, just your everyday pair, made from some tree somewhere."
Ian made a reflexive noise, little more than his breath catching, as Reid flicked his chopsticks and sent the sword flashing past Ian within millimeters of his ear, much too fast to react to.
"Let it out, let it out," Reid said. "Best be laughin', ya prick. Whoever's laughin's more of a looker. Not that it matters, you bein' a guy."
Then, moving faster than even Ian had anticipated, and he'd expected a fight on level with fighting Reinhard, Reid closed in on Ian, a chopstick in each hand, and began to strike again and again. Ian, not even having a blade out, was utterly helpless to fend him off as the chopsticks tore into him again and again and again.
"El Fura!"
"El Huma!"
"Jiwald!"
The three spells fired off to spare Ian from the onslaught of the vastly superior swordsman crossed the distance in an instant, all three of the strikes lethal and more than enough to leave nothing but an unrecognizable mess behind. Except, even the spells, including Jiwald, which was a spell which turned pure light into a lethal blade, were shredded by Reid's chopsticks.
"Wind, ice, and even light," Reid spoke as he allowed Ian to retreat and finally draw the White Whale Sword. "My sword can cut through them all, ya twats."
But that didn't stop them from casting, and speaking hadn't stopped Reid from resuming his pursuit of Ian. Ian's magic roared to life around him as he himself roared in a desperate defiance, and warned Elena to close her eyes. Julius joined the fray, even Ram being careful not to strike either of them. But no matter the number of spells or blades assaulting Reid, still nothing could reach him. And all too soon, Anastasia's limit arrived. She had said herself that she couldn't rely on her magic, as it shaved away at her life. After having cast dozens of spells in rapid succession to try and save Ian, her strength failed her, and she collapsed. Desperation and determination flooded Julius in equal measure, and his strikes grew even more refined, nearly flawless. And yet, still it wasn't enough. Despite the number of strikes Reid was fending off, he was also striking back, stabbing, slashing, and gouging both Ian and Julius. And Julius's form, due to frustration and desperation, began to fail.
Ian was at his wits' end trying to even stand against Reid. No matter how he fought, even using his Authority, he couldn't block a single one of Reid's strikes. If he skipped back to block a strike, a completely different strike was thrown until he abandoned the idea of using his Authority entirely. And then, finally, he saw the end of Julius's aid in the form of a strike so full of faults that even Subaru and Elena could have countered it. In place of allowing Reid to use it against Julius, Ian detonated his magic, hurling Julius away, back to Anastasia. Reid carved his way through the explosion of wind magic easily, and drove a chopstick into the center of Ian's sternum, shattering it and hurling Ian backward. As he crashed to the ground, Emilia passed him, ice particles, invisible in the pure-white interior of the room, began to form around Reid.
"Before we start, let me ask you something," Emilia said.
"Ah?" Reid asked. "Lemme hear, frizzlin'."
"I'm Emilia," Emilia said coolly. "Just Emilia. Wasn't the condition, to make you take just one step? You ran around a lot just now though."
"Oi, oi," Reid said, smirking. "Don't be takin' that stuff seriously, ya twat. Just made it up on the spot. It happens, right? Ya wanna be lookin' cool from time to time, right? It's that stuff. Geddit? Ya don't? Well, ya bein' a woman an' all. Bein' a frizzlin' one an' all. Be with me tonight, ya twat."
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean," Emilia said. "Besides, I don't think I can win, even if I fight you."
Subaru blanched. "Eh, Emilia?"
"You can't," Ian groaned, pushing himself up to one knee, ignoring the pain all through his battered, shredded, abused body.
"You're reeeally strong," Emilia said. "I can see that. But we have to pass this Trial. So please, give us a way to win."
Reid regarded her in silence.
"If we manage to make you move even one step, it's our win," Emilia continued. "Let's base our match on that. Can't we?"
Reid was silent for a long few moments before releasing a bark of laughter. "Real fine stuff ya made of, can't say I hate it. Showed lotsa guts, sayin' all that to someone like me. Biggest idiot I've seen since Trisha, you. I've taken a liking to ya."
"So, I've passed the Trial?" Emilia asked.
Reid snorted. "I ain't gonna treat ya that much, ya twat! But alright. Already showed off in front of a nice lady. Gotta keep it up. Gonna turn even in my grave if I step down here. I'll make it like ya want."
"I'll pass if..." Emilia began.
Reid nodded. "Ya win if ya can make me move even a single step!"
"So that means if we pull back mid-battle, you won't pursue us?" Ian checked.
Reid nodded. "My right foot won't move, but I'll be using my left to turn and lunge and stuff."
"Fair enough," Ian nodded. "Rem, if you would."
Rem began to heal Ian, all of them watching as Emilia began. In the blink of an eye, the invisible barrier of ice particles had become a multitude of weapons of all shapes and sizes, then flashed inward at Reid from all directions. And yet, despite the sheer volume of weapons assaulting him, now that he'd agreed to take his own statement as the actual rule of the Trial, his feet weren't moving, even to use his left foot to pivot. Using only his upper body, he shredded and shattered every weapon Emilia could form almost as fast as she could form them. Then, Emilia herself stepped in, adding direct and controlled strikes with ice weapons to the hailstorm of weapons, and yet still nothing could slip past Reid's chopsticks. Ian narrowed his eyes as he watched. Ram might be able to, but he wanted a second chance, now that Reid had agreed to handicap himself. It wasn't pride, and it wasn't for honor. It was something he'd learned from playing video games like Subaru enjoyed. Instead of attempting to strategize in order to beat an unwinnable fight, or instead of leveling up to beat the boss, when he played, he stuck to a level that would allow him to succeed in any fights he reached, even if not win easily, and then would continually assault a boss he couldn't beat over and over at the same level simply for the enjoyment of the extreme challenge. When he played video games, he was the type of gamer who would attempt to beat a game at the minimum possible level for no greater a reason than the challenge it entailed. This Trial, in which Reid wasn't attempting to kill them, was just such a challenge. It was also a surefire way to increase his own skill with a blade, since Reid was far too skilled for his Authority to be of any use.
He glanced back at Elena, who had opened her eyes and hadn't felt the need to vomit since her eyes were closed for the déjà vu episodes. She nodded, and he returned the nod as Rem finished healing his sternum and the bruises and cuts that Reid had given him, though he'd neglected to cut Ian much, showing him mercy and merely humiliating him, rather than wounding him, with the exception of the sternum.
Suddenly, Emilia slashed with a pair of swords, striking from both sides, and when the man ducked under the strike, her arms crossed before she released the blades, creating another pair and slashing back outward. However, when he avoided it, going so far as to do so by leaning backward parallel with the floor, her arms swung out wide. Ian froze. That was a fatal mistake that anyone could judge as a mistake. However, his counter as he stood wasn't a strike. He swiped the chopsticks up her chest, groping her with them.
"Good, real good stuff," Reid grinned. "But don't be gettin' mad over somethin' so small-"
Emilia released a noise between a shriek and a battle cry as her hands, now encased in ice gauntlets, shattered them atop his head.
Reid shouted in agony, crashing to the ground, rolling around and shouting in pain. "It hurts daaamnit! Wh-What the hell were ya thinkin', ya twat!? Usually, a woman's gonna hesitate if someone does that, but ya didn't even blink! Hell's with you!?"
Emilia frowned in confusion. "But, you just touched my body, right? Plus, you were completely off-guard."
"Don't fuck around!" Reid complained, shifting to sit on the ground with his legs crossed. "The hell's with your upbringing! The hell were ya parents doin'!"
"Did I say something weird?" Emilia asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Do not concern yourself with that deplorable man's actions, Miss Emilia," Ram said. "He is speaking nonsense."
"Oi!" Reid shouted at Subaru and Ian, ignoring Ram entirely. "Do something about this frizzlin' beauty! Get her walking out or somethin'! Small fry! Ya supposed to be attendin' to her! Make somethin' of ya-self! Do it proper! It hurts, goddamnit!"
Subaru grimaced. "I-I'm in no place to be taking this from you. That aside..." He pointed at Reid. "To hell with just one step, you moved a whole lot away."
Reid's mouth shut tight instantly.
"Ah! It's true! I did it! I won!" Emilia began to jump up and down like an overexcited child, flowers of ice blooming around her to match her mood.
Ian grimaced but nodded. It was true. She'd made him move by catching him by surprise. Ian watched Reid in silence. After his behavior so far, he wasn't expecting much in the way of fair sportsmanship.
"Aye, no helpin' it," Reid sighed. "My word's my word. This kinda defeat'd make me a laughin' stock, lecher soul be damned, but I ain't got a choice."
Subaru gaped. "Y-You'll approve!?"
Reid glanced at him. "You, the hell ya thinkin' of me. If I ain't keepin' my word 'ere, all of my posin' cool's gonna get shot, ya prick. Gonna flip everythin' I worked on over. Ain't gonna be able to take a step towards women no more, ya see."
Subaru shook his head. "Yeah no, with the way you lost right now, your worth was already at rock bottom"
"Shut it, small fry!" Reid snapped. "Heck, ya ain't even a proper fish, ya just a tadpole. Don't be throwin' round weight, tadpole. Anyway, that frizzlin' beauty over there wins. Ya get a pass. That's the condition. No helpin' it."
Subaru sighed in relief, glancing at Julius and Anastasia.
"Well, who's gonna be next? The tadpole? Or is it gonna be one of them brats?" Reid asked.
"Huh?" Subaru asked, eyes narrowed.
"I thought so," Ian nodded. "Only the person who wins gets a pass, right? I'll go again, then."
"I'll help," Ram said, her scythe now resting on her shoulder.
"Not yet," Ian said.
"Let her," Reid shrugged. "You two fight together and win, I'll give you both the pass, ya prick."
"Nah," Ian said, passing Rem his Whip Sword. "It'd be no fun if Ram just wiped up the floor with you."
"Huh!?" Reid snarled.
"Don't worry about that," Ian said. "I'm fighting next."
Reid narrowed his eyes at Ian, but grinned, nodding, slipping his left arm free of its sleeve to bare it like his right. "Round two, then."
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