Watching Arc 4 in The Theater of Despair

by Ostap Bender99

This fanfic is a prequel to the work "The Secret" by Continuer123. The cast is still trapped in an enchanted theater by the enigmatic "Warden". And now they are about to see the trials of Natsuki Subaru that took place in Sanctuary. P.S. - this work is a translation of the finished fanfic.

2. Episode 1

The guests filled the main room and sat in their places. Emilia sat down on the right hand side of Subaru. Duchess Crusch Karsten sat down to the left of the sleeping young man. Otto and Gabriel took the seats on the left of her. The rest of the seats to Emilia's right were already occupied by Felt and the Sword saint. Beatrice, by the right of Natsuki Subaru's contractor, was sitting on his lap.

The right side of the second row was occupied by members of the Crusch camp - Wilhelm and Felix. The demi-human healer looked much better than during the last session. There was light in his eyes again, even a semblance of a smile returned to his face. Crusch noted with some pride how much better her knight looked now.

Rem took a seat in the center of the second row, right behind her hero, carefully placing her palms on his shoulders. Remembering the scolding the Warden gave to three girls with superhuman strength, who inflicted a lot of injuries on the sleeper, she stopped hugging him by the neck.

Instead, she contented herself with resting her head on his shoulder, listening to his measured breathing, remembering those days in the mansion when she could sit alone in his room and enjoy the view of her peacefully sleeping hero.

"Peacefully sleeping." Suddenly, this thought took on an unpleasant connotation. From what she learned during and between viewings, a calm and restful sleep became a rare pleasure for her hero. She did not yet know what she could do to help him, but she had already decided that she would spare neither her strength nor her life for this.

Next to her, to Rem's pleasant surprise, sat her sister. Ram believed that in the near future her charming little sister would need all the support she could get. Anastasia and her irreplaceable knight Julius sat down to the left of Ram. Priscilla with Al, Ricardo with the twins, and Petra with Frederica filled the third row from right to left. At the end of the row, near the wall, Roswaal was immersed in his own thoughts. Everything was ready for the start of the next session.

"Ah, I see that everyone had a good rest and gathered here. Wonderful. Let's not delay."

The Warden's voice sounded in the heads of those present. The most attentive viewers noticed that their "jailer" sounded much more cheerful and content than in the last few sessions.

"You sound full of energy, Warden-sama!" Petra said first. "Did something good happen? Have you managed to sort out all the problems?"

"Observant as always you are, young Petra! Well done. Let's just say I managed to strike a deal that tipped the scales in my favor. I'm sure you would be impressed if you could see the negotiations, Anastasia Hoshin. Unfortunately, I had to make some compromises, and I won't be able to do all the things I wanted. For example our sleeping hero won't be walking up during the viewings. But in return I will be able to show all the key points to you without any serious interference. There are more conditions that I had to agree to but they are not important at the moment. So, let us start the final arc of Natsuki Subaru's adventures."

A moment later, the theater's screen flashed and images appeared on it.

A whole caravan of dragon carriages was moving along an empty road.

"Hmm… I can't see the whale's head. So this is not a convoy that transported the wounded after the battle with the White whale." Tivey noted aloud.

"So this is the caravan that Emilia-sama and half the villagers rode in, nya." Felix agreed with him.

The healer was unhappy that the show did not start with his lady, but decided not to voice it. He believed that it would definitely be shown soon. That means he will see the faces of those who dared to raise a hand against his lady. And he will remember them!

After showing several images of the caravan, the screen focused on one wagon driven by a gray-haired young merchant in green robes.

"Well, we got an answer to that question quickly." Otto chuckled, recalling those days.

How abruptly his not very fortunate, but, on the whole, quiet life first turned into a kaleidoscope of dangerous, but exciting events. And when everything settled down, the travels and trade were replaced by unending work with papers and negotiations with representatives of all groups of Lugnika. And sometimes Kararagi.

The village children were sleeping peacefully inside. While Subaru and Emilia were watching them with tired but satisfied faces. Both enjoyed this calm picture, thinking about their own things.

Suddenly, Petra joined the young man's right side with the most serious look. Natsuki was clearly confused and didn't know what to say for a few seconds.

"Aren't you, um… a bit close, Petra?"

"Well, she had you all to herself earlier. It wasn't fair!" She looked defiantly at the surprised Emilia. "You don't mind, right?"

"A-a-a-and a new contender enters the arena to join the fight for the heart of our hero!" With the tone of a ringmaster, Al cheerfully proclaimed.

After which he turned his head to the mercenary captain sitting nearby and continued with a voice full of enthusiasm:

"Ricardo-san, as a veteran of many real and love battles, can you give us your assessment of the new participant in the competition?"

"Well, what can I tell you, Al-san," the demi-human immediately began to play along, barely suppressing laughter. "Many may write off our newest addition because of her age. But I think it would be a wrong and hasty decision. Her age gives her a chance to awaken the powers of Lolimanser in our friend, which will give her an unexpected advantage! And a very sharp mind hints that tricky and non-standard steps can be expected from her! So I would bet that she could compete for a piece of his heart!"

Two grown men could not hold it any longer and burst out laughing at their joke, causing laughter and smiles from many in the room. Only Petra, who was as red as tomato, did not laugh because she hid her face in her mentor's dress. The latter one looked reproachfully at the laughing adults while stroking her sweet student's head.

"Stop embarrassing the young one, you two!" Frederica declared with a menacing face, which, however, immediately became like the expression of a proud and satisfied cat. "And just so you know, gentlemen, my student here has the potential to win the heart of Subaru-sama completely!"

A new wave of laughter swept through the room. Rem and Emilia also smiled warmly at such a sweet and harmless joke from the maid. It was just a joke, right? They had nothing to worry about. Right?

"Just how does he do it…?" Garfiel asked with admiration and envy, looking at the captain's popularity among the girls.

"I don't know. But I can't stop thinking that in the future this trait will turn sideways for him more than once!" Otto answered him, trying to find a way to vent some of his boiling envy.

Emilia looked completely confused and tried to calm the girl down.

"Um… It's not like that, and I were just…Right! We had important things to talk about!"

"I'm not gonna lose to you! You hear me?!"

"Wow! She really is a worthy competitor!" Anastasia commented with a laugh, enjoying the situation both on the screen and in the theater.

Petra was afraid to show her face, terribly ashamed of her behavior on screen. But as the maid of the Mather's estate, she had to take responsibility for her actions. Still flushed with embarrassment, she stood up and bowed to Emilia, who was looking in her direction, laughing sweetly.

"I'm very sorry, Emilia-sama! I apologize for such inappropriate behavior!"

"Well, at least someone in this camp has manners." Priscilla said in her usual style, but without the usual venom in her voice.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Petra. You were younger then, not to mention that you weren't a maid at that time."

"It doesn't matter! You're older than me! You are a candidate for the royal throne! And you're beautiful, and…" The girl stopped, realizing that her thoughts went the wrong way, blushed even more and plopped down in her seat, covering her face with her hands.

The others turned back to the screen with satisfied smiles.

"Well done." Frederica quietly praised her student.

Emilia-tan, she's only a kid." Subaru decided to calm down his lady. "You just have to smile and laugh off what kids say."

"No way!" the girl said with indignation. "Even if she's a child, I can't take such a lackadaisical attitude."

"Lackadaisical? Who says that in this day and age?" Natsuki resumed his favorite way to tease Emilia. Which she immediately fell for, puffing out her cheeks like a child.

"You're teasing me again!"

"I'm not a kid!" Petra proudly declared and pouted. Absolutely not at all like a little kid!

"Okay, sorry. I need to thank you, Petra." He reassured the girl and began patting her head, which immediately made her look like a happy kitten.

"Amazing! Less than five minutes in, and she had already made him turn on his secret power! This girl is dangerous!" Ricardo declared with satisfaction, once again provoking chuckles from the neighbors.

"You kept your promise to not leave Emilia-tan alone. There are so many people I need to thank when things calm down." At that moment Subaru had a rare dreamy expression on his face.

"I'm really grateful to Crusch-san and her gang"

Images of Wilhelm, Felix, and Crusch during the battle with the whale began to appear on the screen.

"And Anastasia-san and her people helped a lot, too."

They were followed by images of Anastasia coming to the rescue during negotiations with Crusch, Mimi, Hetaro and Ricardo attacking the White whale.

"And I hate to admit it, but the same goes for Julius and those guys."

"I'm even indebted to Otto."

Hearing his name, the young man turned his head.

"Did you say something, Natsuki-san?"

"Nah, nothing. Just that I'm super grateful to you, too!"

"Gosh, what brought that on? You're making me blush."

"He is so grateful to everyone who helped him, but it's like he completely ignores the fact that he himself played a pivotal role in all these events." the duchess said, clearly upset with this attitude.

"Even having achieved such success, he still thinks that he is worthless on his own. That's why he transfers all his merits to others." Anastasia said with displeasure.

"We have to show how much he is wrong and teach him to appreciate himself more! Otherwise, he will not learn to truly appreciate others." Julius said with conviction, firmly deciding that he would help his friend feel like a worthy knight. Even if he resists.

"And help him we will! And if he is too thick headed to understand nicely, we'll have to shove self-respect up his ass!" Felt declared fervently, raising her fist in the air. Which earned her several nods of approval and one disapproving look from her knight.

"Dat's right!" Garf said.

"That's exactly what we're gonna do!" Otto echoed him.

"Up his ass!" Mimi said enthusiastically.

Tivey could only lower his head, prayerfully fold his hands and ask forgiveness for his sister from all who turned around.

"And…"

An image of Rem appeared on the screen for a second when she confessed her love to him. Natsuki's gaze softened and filled with tenderness.

Rem's heart skipped a beat from happiness. Her hero remembered her with such warmth. The maid rested her head on his shoulder, savoring this feeling. A little upset that she didn't get to feel that look on herself personally. The thought made her feel guilty again. She remembered that this idyllic picture would not last long. And she will spend the next year as a dead weight.

The rational part of her mind kept saying that she did everything right. She couldn't just leave lady Crusch and run away. If she did that, Subaru won't have forgiven her for this. But the emotional part said only one thing: 'You left him alone. You weren't there for him when he needed your help the most.'

At the same time, Emilia clenched her fists, fighting the pangs of jealousy. Even after reliving the most wonderful moment in her life, when Subaru confessed his love to her, she still doubted that she was worthy of his feelings. Because of this, she believed that she had no right to be jealous of Subaru for Rem.

While Rem supported him and gave him strength, even when he fell to the bottom of despair, Emilia just felt sorry for herself, sitting alone in the mansion. Rem risked her life fighting side by side with half-elf's knight against the White Whale, and helped him earn fame as a hero. And she wasn't even able to establish contact with the residents of the nearest village.

She wanted to prove to herself that she had the right to love him. She wanted him to continue to look at her with the look that she foolishly took for granted. She wanted him to continue to tease her sweetly for her old-fashioned words. It took her to see terrors that would haunt her at nights for a long time, just to understand how much he appreciated her, how he valued her. And all this so that she would just pay attention to him. And she was a blind fool who did not notice his love.

And most of all, she was afraid now that she would lose it. The thought alone was terrifying. She could only admit her immense selfishness. Because even if she admits that she is not worthy of his love, she will not give up on it. Because now she can no longer imagine her life without a black-haired young man next to her. And so there was only one way left - to become worthy.

"What's wrong, Subaru?"

At Emilia's simple question, he immediately blushed and began scratching his head nervously.

"Oh, um, just…Emilia-tan…"

Gathering his courage, he made a serious face and looked the girl straight in the eyes.

"There's something really important I need to tell you."

"Okay. What is it?"

"This is really hard for me to say, but please hear me out. Oh, and of course, I'm prepared to be kicked by Ram when I tell her!" He tried to laugh it off as usual.

"You shouldn't be afraid of kicks from me, Barusu." Ram commented dryly.

"Sister…" Rem turned to her with a happy smile. "I'm so glad that you approve of our…"

"When it will come to kicking, your tortured remains will no longer be able to feel pain." The older twin continued in a deliberately emotionless voice, without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Sister!"

"I'm just taking care of my sweet innocent sister, who, alas, has no taste in men at all. I must not allow such a parasite to stick to her."

The listeners giggled contentedly at the insincere threats from the pink-haired girl.

"But I want you to hear it first."

"Okay."

"It's actually… about Rem. Rem said that she, um…"

Another image of Rem appeared on the screen, with her asking: "In this future, can I be by your side?"

"Y-You see what I'm getting at, right? I mean, well… Rem said some nice things to me…"

"Subaru, just calm down for a second. I'm not sure what you're trying to say, but I can tell you're trying your hardest to say it, okay? So just take it slow, like a good boy."

"Am I the only one who is amused and ashamed at the same time watching how Emilia-sama treats Natsuki-san like a dog?" Otto noted with a smile.

"I'm surprised you didn't pat his head and scratch his ear at that moment." Anastasia added sarcastically.

"Don't you dare talk to Betty's contractor like he's your pet, girl!" Beatrice said menacingly, looking resentfully at the half-elf. "If anyone is going to scratch him behind the ear, it will be Betty, in fact!"

"Emilia-sama. You should have more respect for your knight!" Lady Crusch admonished her.

"I would say that she gives Barusu much more attention and respect than he really deserves. That just fuels his silly illusions about his place."

"What is it, Subaru? Oh, did you defeat the big and mean archbishop? Well done! Who's a good boy? Yes, Subaru - you're a good boy!" Al sarcastically imitated Emilia's tone, causing another wave of laughter. And the half-elf princess could only cover her embarrassed face with her hands.

"Like a good boy? That's not exactly encouraging. But… okay." Gathering his courage, Natsuki smashed his cheeks. "I'm just gonna come out and say it, like a man!"

"If this pig wants to be treated like a man, then first he should find some pride in himself and stop behaving like a dog!" Priscilla added irritably. Such blind devotion, based on a stupid infatuation, was quite infuriating assuming who was the target of said infatuation.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and loudly said:

"The thing is… Rem said she loves me, the same way I told you that I love you! So…"

"That's Rem's hero in a nutshell." The maid commented lovingly. "It's easier for him to find courage to defeat a legendary monster than to say something like that."

While the cast chuckled at Rem's comment, Emilia felt as if her heart was grabbed by the cold hand of the witch.

"I… have no memory of this part…" she realized with horror while looking at her and Subaru's peaceful chatter on the screen.

"Subaru…"

"Yes?"

"Who…is Rem?"

In an instant the positive atmosphere in the room evaporated. Smiles turned to stern expressions.

"Oh, no…"

"Shit!"

"Now he's going to find out what happened…"

"Be strong, little sister." Ram hugged her dearest sister tightly.

Just a few seconds ago, Rem was gently hugging Subaru from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. Now she barely stopped herself from breaking his ribs from the feeling of horror, while trying her best to hold back tears.

"Big bro! When will you finally get a break?!" Felt shouted.

Subaru's expression quickly shifted from determination to sheer horror.

Images that usually appeared after the death of a young man began to flash on the screen at high speed.

"What happened?! He didn't die at that moment, did he?!" Petra asked, startled by the images.

"No… apparently, we are being shown events of the past. It's like… rewinding time." Wilhelm noted the logic of what was happening.

"They are hinting to us that next we'll see the events that happened before the pal found out about the fate of the maid." Al decided to express his guess.

"Let's just keep watching." The duchess sighed heavily.

Once again, a caravan of carriages was moving along the road. But this time the huge head of the White Whale immediately made it clear who was in this wagon.

"Thyat's it, nya…" Felix said excitedly. "Now we're going to find out how the cultists ambushed Crusch-sama!"

Inside the carriage while the wounded soldiers were peacefully talking, Rem sat on the edge of the wagon and looked anxiously into the distance.

"You don't look very happy, Rem. Are you still worried?" Crusch's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Crusch-sama?"

"Felis and Wilhelm, and all the volunteers fighting alongside us, are the best of the best. Ricardo and the Iron Fang are lending us their aid, too. Such an assembly cannot lose."

"Is it selfish of me to worry despite all that?"

"It's as Natsuki Subaru said…You look best when you're smiling."

Rem was surprised by these words. Images of her hero, happy and laughing, flashed through the girl's head. These memories made Rem smile lovely.

"Honestly… That Subaru-kun is such a troublemaker. I'm sure you would also look quite different with a smile, since you always carry yourself with such dignity. I believe you would look lovely if you smiled."

"Yes, well… I'm not very good at smiling. It is something I still regret, even now."

"You're wrong, Crusch-sama! Yes, your smiles are rare, but each of them is more precious than all the holy coins of the wyorld, nya!" Felix said decisively.

"Thanks, Felis. I find it ironic that I had to lose my memories to learn how to smile more often and show my emotions better. But, as they say, there is always a silver lining."

"You've become surprisingly close to each other" Emilia noted with some envy in her voice, trying to somehow distract herself from the feeling of imminent disaster.

"When you fight side by side against deadly foes, mutual understanding and trust flourish quickly." Lady Crusch replied softly, turning to Rem and nodding respectfully. The maid returned the gesture with a bow.

Their friendly conversation was interrupted by a loud sound. The lead wagon of the caravan exploded, sending a cloud of dust into the air. The cart, along with the people inside, literally shattered into pieces.

[Title card: Living in another world from zero]

[Melody playing — Violent Decay]

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" the duchess shouted.

Everyone grabbed their weapons. Rem took out her morgenstern. The carriage was moving forward at full speed. Ahead on the road, the silhouette of a tall blond man in white clothes was visible. He just stood there, not making any movements.

"Run him over!" Crusch ordered the driver.

"And who is this?!" Mimi asked.

"Is he crazy? He's about to be crushed!" Tivey's questions followed.

"Alas, it won't be like that at all," Crusch sighed heavily, rubbing her left hand.

"What are you talking about, Crusch-sama?" Wilhelm asked blankly.

"Just watch…" The duchess said sadly.

The phantom pain that appeared shortly after entering this place made themselves known again. Back during the first break between viewings, she delved into her returned memories. And this episode held a special place among them.

She recalled her defeat, the soldiers who died because of her helplessness in front of the enemy. And now she had to go through it all over again. But she resolutely refused to look away. She had to go through it. It was her responsibility before the dead.

The carriage approached rapidly, but the stranger did not even try to move.

"Crusch-sama!" Instinctively sensing danger, Rem grabbed the duchess and jumped high into the air. A moment later, the carriage they were in ran over the blond man and exploded to pieces. The same fate befell a couple of others who followed.

"If Rem had reacted just a couple seconds later than Crusch-sama would have…" Felix's fur stood on end from horror at the very thought of what could have happened to his mistress.

Rem and Crusch landed in the middle of the wreckage of the cart, blood and parts of those who were living people just a moment ago.

"I wish you wouldn't do that. Ordering them to run me over when I'm not doing anything? That's not something any decent human being would do." The stranger said.

He spoke calmly, as if he didn't care about the creepy picture around him at all. There was an excessive conceit and self-confidence in his voice.

"How dare you do such a brutal thing to my retainers? Just who are you?" Crusch asked sternly.

"I see, I see. You don't know who I am. But I know who you are. You're a candidate to be the next ruler of this nation."

As he spoke, the camera zoomed in on his face.

"REGULUS!" Emilia screamed angrily, jumping to her feet and clenching her fists.

This reaction attracted the eyes of the others to her, greatly surprising many and scaring the members of her own camp. They never saw their lady this angry before.

"Emilia-sama. Do you know him?" asked Crusch in surprise.

The girl answered without taking her eyes off the screen:

"Yes. I encountered him once. When I was a child. The day when Elior forest was frozen." She was shaking with anger and fighting back tears.

"He… everything happened because of him… he's the one who brought that witch to our village! Mother Fortuna died because of him! Because of him… because of him, Guese turned into a monster!"

Who would have thought that the villain who ruined her childhood happiness more than a hundred years ago would show up again. And even without getting a day older.

"That's who the real monster is!" The princess thought angrily.

Most did not understand what exactly the half-elf meant, other than the fact that the man on the screen was a villain responsible for her personal tragedy. Except for two.

Two pairs of eyes, one with heterochromia, the other with butterfly-shaped pupils, stared at the screen. The ancient mage and the great spirit, without any collaboration, set another goal in life for themselves: to find an arrogant blond man. And make him regret that he was ever born.

"Princess. Not like my amasin' self don't believe yar words. But ain't the Elior Forest froze over a hundred years ago?" Garfiel asked with obvious doubt in his voice.

"Garf is right. Are you sure, Emilia-sama? I don't see any elvish features in this guy. And he looks young. Who is he anyway?" Otto asked, startled.

"Emilia-sama may be right in her guess. This is not an ordinary person. That is the Archbishop of Greed! Regulus Corneas." Rem replied angrily.

"Greed? That means soon there will be a second one?" Wilhelm asked, clutching the armrests.

The old swordsman had conflicting feelings about the scene on the screen. He knew that he had done the right thing by going with Subaru to save the village from the witch cult. After everything that young man had done for him, his honor would not allow him to do otherwise. But all the same, for the past year he had been tormented by the feeling that he had failed his lady.

"Yes. Gluttony is also there."

"You talk too much. Answer my question! Next time, I will kill you!"

But the blond man completely ignored the threat, as if nothing in the world could threaten him.

"Now that's just mean. But I suppose one could never hope to rule a country without some degree of arrogance. I can't comprehend that sensibility myself, but…"

"I told you there would be no second chances!" Crusch declared and sent a wind wave at the enemy with a swing of her sword.

But the blow, which could pierce even the hide of a White Whale, dispersed before the blond man without making him even move. Crusch was amazed at the lack of effect from her attack.

"So that's the legendary defense of the Archbishop of Greed." Tivey said grimly, trying to memorize every detail of the fight.

"Ha! Let me get to him, my amasin' self will give'em a good pommelin'!" Garf began flexing his fists.

"Even Crusch-sama's signature attack doesn't bother him?! How do you even deal with such a monster?!" Otto asked nervously.

"Well, it's very fortunate that I specialize in hunting monsters." It was one of those rare occasions when Reinhardt felt genuine anger.

In his head, he was already pondering over the different possible ways Corneas could defend himself from attacks and methods of countering them.

"That's right, Rein! We'll find this bastard and make him pay for everything!" Felt supported the Sword saint.

He looked into the fiery red eyes of his princess and was sincerely glad to have her support.

"If it is my lady's wish, it will be done."

"Now, look here! Who taught you that it was acceptable to swing a sword at someone when they're happily talking? I do believe that's a violation of my right to speak!" The archbishop suddenly decided to show his displeasure.

And with each word, his face became more and more distorted with anger. At the end of the tirade, an invisible force cut off Crusch's arm completely.

Felix and Petra involuntarily screamed at this scene. Al unconsciously reached for the stump of his arm.

"Now you too will have to live with phantom pains. My condolences, duchess." He whispered sympathetically.

Dropping the sword, the duchess would have fallen to the ground if not for Rem who came to her aid and started healing the wound with her magic. The girl grimaced in pain, involuntarily pronouncing Felix's name.

Next moment a contented, bloodied smile with shark-sharp teeth appeared on the screen.

"Ah… I keep eating and eating, but it's never enough!" Another voice came from the side of the surviving part of the caravan.

On the screen, it could be seen that the soldiers and even the Earth dragons, who had not been hit by Greed, were lying unconscious on the ground.

"I eat, I devour, I chew, I bite, I gorge, I gnaw, I munch, I crunch… Pure gluttony! Ah, thank you for this feast!"

Rem and Crusch, was approached by a young man, covered from head to toe in blood. He looked like a skinny teenager with long brown hair that reached to his knees. Two blades, stained with the blood of the fallen, were attached to his wrists.

"Another vile fiend!" Priscilla said contemptuously, having received tacit agreement from the others. No one asked who it was. The answer was obvious to everyone.

"Gluttony!" Ram said quietly and angrily, clenching her fists.

For the past year, she had been building up her anger at this archbishop who had taken away the last member of her family. Even though Rem had been erased from her memory, she still wanted to get even with the archbishop and return what he had stolen. Due to the Warden's actions the last point has lost its relevance. But the desire to turn the creepy guy's head into a bloody mess only increased tenfold. For now she remembered what had been stolen from her.

"You two are…" Rem asked.

The pair seemed to be waiting for this question and did not keep themselves waiting.

"Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing gluttony… Lye Batenkaitos." The teenager introduced himself.

"And the Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing greed, Regulus Corneas." The blond man echoed him.

"We came here because we heard our pet had been slain, and look at this bounty! I expected them to be a good, ripe bunch, considering they managed to kill a beast that had been rampaging unchecked for 400 years… But this is beyond my expectations!

The Archbishop of Gluttony continued his insane speech while Rem was finished closing Crusch's wound and carefully laid the duchess who lost consciousness due to blood loss and shock.

"You've closed such a serious wound with healing magic, despite the fact that your reserves were depleted." the blue knight said gratefully. "You risked damaging your Od!"

"It was the least I could do, Sir Felix. With such a wound, Crusch-sama could have died from blood loss otherwise." Rem replied, as if it was an obvious course of action.

"Nice! Good! Great! Excellent! Fine! Perfect! Fantastic! Stupendous! How long it has been since our hunger was so thoroughly sated!"

"Another confirmation that everyone in the witch cult is totally insane!" Frederica said contemptuously.

"And each one is crazy in their own way." Ricardo growled.

"Mimi doesn't care about the garbage in their heads! Mimi's just going to kick their asses!"

"Well said, pipsqueak!" Garf gave Mimi a thumbs up, which made the girl pleasantly embarrassed.

"Now we have direct evidence that the Witch Cult was behind the White Whale attacks." William confirmed.

He had no doubts now. They destroyed only the weapon that killed his wife, but not those who directed this weapon. Which means his revenge has not been completed, yet. How fortunate it was that the one he dreamed of killing for his Theresia and the one who was responsible for his lady's loss of memories were the same monster.

"It looks like I'm in your debt again, Subaru-dono. After all, it was my acquaintance with you that brought me to this place. And now my life has become clear again." The old warrior whispered.

"You can relax. I'm nothing like that guy there. I hate fighting and stuff. All that "hunger" and "thirst" nonsense? Such petty self-indulgences are beneath me." The blond man said smugly.

"He hates fighting…hypocritical bastard!" Emilia still hasn't calmed her wrath.

"To make Emilia-sama say THAT?! What kind of scum one has to be to earn such epithets from her?!" Otto thought in surprise, looking at the angry expression on the half-elf's face.

Rem silently stood up, took out her weapon and summoned two groups of ice arrows.

"Were you even listening?" Said Regulus clearly displeased. "Did I not just say that I hate fighting?"

"Is that all you wish to say, witch cultist?" The girl answered him sternly. "Soon enough, a hero will appear and rid us of all of you. The one and only hero… whom I love."

"Oh? A hero? I look forward to that. And who are you?" Asked the archbishop of Gluttony.

"The head maid of the mansion of Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers… and currently, the caretaker of my one and only love, my beloved Natsuki Subaru, who will one day be that hero… Rem!" She finished with a confident tone and materialized her horn.

"Well said, Rem!" Crusch praised the girl's determination.

"Yeah, tha' was great! I also wanna to address my enemies the just as awesomely!" Garfiel joined in.

"A worthy words from a worthy warrior." William commented respectfully.

The girl herself was heavily blushing from the flow of unusual praise. She managed to keep calm by holding her sister's hand tightly and receiving signals of support and approval from her through synesthesia.

"You'd better be ready, Sin Archbishops! I promise you, my hero will soon be here to bring you to justice!" Having said that, she launched both volleys of icicles at her enemies. But none reached Regulus. They collapsed when they hit an invisible barrier.

The Archbishop of Gluttony showed frightening speed, dodging all projectiles. Speeding up, he jumped into the air and aimed at her. Rem retaliated with blows from her morgenstern. The duel began.

"Ah, what mettle! I am most certainly going to enjoy… this feast!" Batenkaitos said happily.

Rem fought desperately. She recalled how Subaru had distracted the Ulgarmes to give her and her sister time to escape. How he smiled at her, telling her that they will laugh together, talking about the future. As he told her on that hill that he would become a hero. How she made him promise that she would be able to be with him in his future.

Regulus just watched the fight for a while and didn't take any action. Then the air around him flared up, and suddenly Rem was paralyzed. Gluttony used this opportunity and pounced, mouth wide open.

A couple of vague images and the thought: "I hope when he finds out that I'm gone, it will cause a slight ripple in his heart" became her last.

The screen was once again occupied by the contented face of Gluttony.

"Thank you for the feast." Then the image began to shrink, as if it was burning from the edges, until only darkness remained.

There was silence in the theater for a while. The knights lowered their heads as a sign of respect. Rem herself was crying quietly, realizing how selfish her last phrase sounded towards Subaru.

"Rem… I want you to know. Until the very end, you were just fuckin' amazin'!" Garf said admiringly, turning to the girl and looking her straight in the eyes.

In the young man's head, she began to approach his captain in terms of coolness. But not only did he want to express his opinion, he also wanted to distract her from sad thoughts.

"Thank you for your kind words, Garf-kun." she replied softly with a sad smile, trying to wipe away her tears.

"He's right! Rem-rin you were great!" Petra eagerly joined in, also wanting to cheer up her senior colleague.

"Hmm… maybe we should lure Rem to our camp? She is more than worthy to serve queen Crusch! And Subaru will surely follow!" Felix suggested with a nasty smile.

Which earned him a chuckle from the swordsman next to him, a sly look from his lady, who decided to think about this idea properly, and angry glances from Emilia and the male part of her camp.

"Oi! Like hell we'll give up our cool Rem to you! Don't open your mouth at someone else's castella!" Garf replied sharply, receiving a response from the healer in the form of a stuck out tongue.

"What's going o-o-on? My employees are really in great demand lately. If this goes on, I'm going to be left completely bare-e-efoot.

"No wonder, Roswaal-sama. They're talking about my gorgeous little sister. She can be a jewel of any royal court!" Ram was almost overwhelmed with pride.

"Forget about lady Crusch's camp! Come join our squad! With such skills, you'll have a great career!" Ricardo added, helping to improve the mood in the theater.

"You saved my life twice that day, Rem. And I didn't even thank you properly." The duchess said, turning to the blue-haired girl with a warm smile.

"We're allies, Crusch-sama. There is no way I could've done otherwise."

"This does not in the least diminish the heroism of your actions, Rem-dono." Wilhelm said, rising from his seat.

Felix, who saw this, followed his example. A second later, the young healer and the gray-haired swordsman bent down in a deep bow. Rem was clearly confused.

"If it weren't for your bravery, Rem-dono, we would have lost our lady that day. Please accept my deepest gratitude. I am deeply indebted to you, as well as to Subaru-dono.

"P-please stop, W-Wilhelm-sama…"

"They're right." Crusch also stood up and, repeating the bow of her subordinates, addressed the maid. "Rem, I owe you for saving my life as much as I owe Sir Natsuki. And I will never forget this debt again. Just like I will never forget you.

"But I… I haven't done anything that…" Rem stood up out of habit, but didn't know what to say.

She couldn't accept the fact that she was being thanked by such outstanding people. At the same time, the best healer in the kingdom and the sword demon himself from the Astraea family bowed to her! And the duchess of a noble house, a candidate for the throne of Lugunica, said that she owed her as much as her hero?!

During her life, she was so used to her actions never being good enough and not worthy of praise that she literally did not know how to react. Until she received a poke to the side from her sister and a quiet advice: "Stop mumbling already and accept your well-deserved gratitude!"

Grabbing the hem of her dress, Rem elegantly bowed to the duchess.

"I'm happy that I could help you, Crusch-sama. I am honored to receive your gratitude."

Then she did the same in the direction of the duchess's subordinates.

"And I am also grateful for your praise, Wilhelm-sama, Sir Felix. I will do my best to live up to your words."

"At least we got valuable information about the witch cult. We now know the names, appearance, and even some of the abilities of two more archbishops!" Noted Tivey, who as always aimed at collecting and analyzing information.

Ricardo patted the boy's head approvingly. Many thought that this was the rare moment when they really wanted to thank the Warden for these viewings.

The scenery changed to a night panorama of the Karsten mansion. A field hospital was located in the courtyard. Dozens of wounded soldiers on the ground, healers scurried around using water magic. There were dead people in the carts. Subaru and Emilia stood in the middle of this picture, shocked.

"How awful…" The girl said softly.

"What happened here?" Natsuki asked, and was immediately startled by a cry of despair. Felix was sobbing over the body of an unconscious duchess. William, who was leaning next to him, tried to calm him down as best he could.

"What a horrible sight." Frederica said sympathetically, hugging Petra closer to her.

"I'm so glad Hetaro wasn't hurt…" Mimi said in an uncharacteristically low voice, pressing her ears to her head and wiping away tears.

"Despicable witch's slaves! These soldiers have earned their triumph! And instead they ended up like sheeps in a slaughterhouse!" Even the Vollachian princess was outraged by this turn of events.

"I failed you, Crusch-sama. I wasn't with you when you needed me myost. I'm a lousy knight."

"This is not your fault, Ferris! I want you to remember this well!" The duchess answered him sternly, not letting him get depressed. "You went with Sir Natsuki on my orders! If you hadn't been on that expedition, many people might have died! And if you had stayed with us, you would most likely have died yourself or ended up in a coma, like Rem. And then I'd have been left alone. Without memories. And without you."

The demi-human knight did not stop crying, but nodded understandingly.

"Where's Rem? Where is Rem?!" Subaru asked in a panic. And began running around the yard in panic.

"It's just like before!" He thought, recalling scenes from the past when Rem was first forgotten.

His escape from the White whale with Otto. He couldn't remember the girl who sacrificed herself to buy them time. Ram, who confidently said that she did not have a younger sister. Emilia, who pronounced the name

"Rem" as if she had never heard it before.

"Just like the time when the White Whale got Rem! But I know we defeated the White Whale! So why?!"

"Rem! Where are you?! If you hear me, say something, Rem!" he called at the top of his voice as the screen showed the suffering wounded and the ranks of the dead.

"Rem!" When he noticed the patient with blue hair, he rushed to him, but it turned out to be a young man. "Not her!"

His fear grew every second, he looked into every face, constantly shouting her name.

Every time he cried "Rem" felt like a whip lash to the girl's heart. She clutched her dress so tightly her knuckles turned white, not daring to look up. The girl was consumed with guilt for making her loved one suffer again.

"Am I just going to keep hurting you because I want to be with you, Subaru-kun?" She whispered, pressing her fist to her heart.

Ram, who was trying to comfort her, heard this but could not find the strength to warn her sister that, most likely, an even more terrible scene awaits them soon.

"Once again, such a tragedy happens, and I'm always somewhere else. So much of a hero I am…" Reinhard lowered his head shyly. And got a poke to the side from his lady.

"Stop blaming yourself for everything, Rein! You are not a prophet and did not know that this would happen! Even if you participated in the whale hunt, you would've definitely joined big bro in his battle against the Cult! And still would not have known about what happened with the caravan!" She tried to calm him down, although she herself couldn't stop crying because of what was happening on the screen.

Meanwhile, Emilia covered her mouth with her hands so as not to cry out in grief. This did not happen. These events were not in her memory. And that meant only one thing: Subaru would die again, and she would do nothing to help him. Even though she was right there! With him!

Finally at the edge of the camp, away from the wounded, he noticed a lone figure in a maid's dress, over which a doctor was bending. Filled with hope, Subaru rushed there.

"Rem! Come on, Rem, wake up! It's me! Hey, Rem? Rem… Rem!"

But no matter how much he called the girl by name, she did not react. Hope began to be replaced by fear.

"You know this girl?" The doctor asked.

"Yes! She's Rem! She's alive, right?! Why won't she wake up?!" he asked angrily. The doctor only lowered his head guiltily.

"Unfortunately, she's beyond help. Nothing I can do will wake her"

A young man with a furious face grabbed the doctor and began to scream:

"Why?! And you call yourself a healer?! If you're a healer, then heal her! Wake her up with magic! Right now! Come on!"

"He's losing control over his emotions again." Julius said sadly.

"He's desperate. His triumph turned into a disaster almost in an instant. How would you feel if you were in his shoes?" Anastasia asked him, trying her best not to let her emotions run wild.

The best knight tried to imagine his lady lying there in the courtyard, forgotten by everyone, while he was unable to help her. The image made his skin crawl, and a cold fear settled in his chest.

"No… I won't allow it…never!" The knight swore to himself, clenching his fists most inelegantly.

After this tirade, the last strength left Subaru. With a faint whisper "please," he fell to his knees in front of the doctor. Unable to help in any way, the doctor went to work further.

Then Subaru noticed a broken sword lying nearby. Picking it up, he looked thoughtfully at the blade and swallowed in fright.

"No… Subaru-kun, NO! Don't you dare!" In panic, Rem tried to jump out from her seat, but Ram held her in place and hugged tightly. The girl could only burst into tears in her sister's arms from despair. "Please don't!"

"Damn it… Cap'n…" Garf clenched his fists in rage.

He had little doubt about what his captain would do next. Subaru would've never abandoned Rem or the others. But… he couldn't get behind this idea. His cap'n shouldn't be going through this shit. But Subaru had to go through all this. While Garf was sitting in his forest at the time and was completely useless.

"We don't have to worry. He won't do it." Felix said melancholically.

"Ferris?" Crusch asked him uncertainty. She was afraid that her knight's former hatred of Natsuki might come back to life.

"Don't worry, Crusch-sama. After what I saw, I believe that Subaru-kyun would never leave you in this state for selfish reasons. But the fact that he did not prevent this tragedy tells us that he will not dare to kill himself. And I'll be damned if I judge him for that."

"Really?" Rem asked with a newfound hope.

But this hope was killed by a mental signal from the Ram: "Prepare. Accept. Endure." With pleading eyes, she turned to her older sister. But she only shook her head softly. Rem wanted to wail.

"I wouldn't be so su-u-ure about that, Sir knight" Roswaal said. "Subaru-kun is very attached to our dearest Rem, and we have already seen that in a desperate situation, he will not spare himself in order to make everything ri-i-i-ght."

"But in this case why didn't he save Crusch-sama?! Why didn't he save Rem?!" Felix jumped up from his seat. There was not even a trace of his melancholy.

He had already come to terms with the fact that Subaru was afraid of death because, despite everything, he remained human, and did not blame him for it. But now this creepy magician claims that the one whom Felix so desperately wanted to call a friend will do the unthinkable?! And it won't fix anything?! How is this possible?! Without sitting down, he stared at the screen. He needed answers.

"Please don't do it, Subaru, I suppose… don't do this…" was all Beatrice could whisper, snuggling up to her contractor. She had failed him again. Once again, she wasn't there to stop him, to comfort him, and make him understand that he wasn't alone.

"He'll do it… he'll kill himself… for her… that's how much he loves Rem." Emilia shrank into a chair and hugged her knees with her hands.

She understood everything as soon as he picked up the sword. That's why she didn't remember their conversation in the carriage, or this scene. It could only mean one thing. And this realization made the girl's heart ache. A whole whirlwind of emotions was raging in her.

Jealousy of feelings Subaru had for Rem.

Of love that gave Rem the courage to stand against even the archbishops of the witch cult.

Empathy for the pain of her knight, who, right before her eyes, was about to die again for the sake of another. Only to realize the futility of his sacrifice.

Compassion for Rem, who was crying inconsolably and probably blamed herself for everything.

A keen desire to be loved by him just as much and to love him back even more.

And a burning hatred for herself, because of the question that viciously appeared in her mind - "Would you do the same if it was me, Subaru?"

Tearing his gaze away from the blade, the Young Man looked towards the camp.

"If I Return by Death now… I'll have to fight Petelgeuse again." With trembling hands, he put a piece of the blade to his throat.

"But I don't care!" By pressing the blade further he caused bleeding.

"Subaru-kun!" Unable to look at the screen anymore, Rem buried her face in her sister's shoulder, who was barely holding back tears herself.

"He will do it, Frederica nee-sama… he will die again…" Petra muttered with a distant voice.

She tried to stay calm, but her body was trembling from tension, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. There was nothing she could do to help him. Just watch the suffering that befell her hero.

"Don't, Petra. Don't say that," Frederica began, frightened.

She was very worried about her student's mental state. It seemed that Petra had mentally matured for a good ten years in a couple of days. But the price of such progress was the soul of a gentle and kind girl.

"Better close your eyes and…"

"No way! I won't close them! He's already been through it all. Alone. He's going to die again trying to save you and me, Frederica nee-sama… The least we can do is to see it through to the end and let him know that we understand his pain. I had the opportunity to rid myself of these horrors. But then I would have betrayed my hero. I've made my choice."

The head maid couldn't do anything to counter these arguments. But how bitter it was to realize WHO had expressed them.

"How can something so selfless and heroic look so wrong?" William said sadly.

The old man also guessed what would happen and why the young man who should have returned triumphantly that night looked so empty and broken. Why didn't he look surprised when he saw the scary picture in the courtyard. Because he already knew what was waiting for him.

Now the old soldier could only accumulate boiling anger within himself in order to bring it down on the witch cult at the right moment. And feel even more respect for the young knight. He understood Subaru's feelings. If only he could have the chance to sacrifice himself to save Theresia he would gladly accept a hundred deaths.

"I'll fight him as many times as it takes… beat him as many times as it takes… to save both Emilia and Rem." His eyes were filled with madness mixed with fear. "I won't let either of them die! If it'll save both of you…

"I'll… As many times as it takes!"

"DON'T DO IT!" Rem shouted in despair, not daring to look at the screen.

The blade pierced his throat.

Images of returning from the dead flashed on the screen. He came to his senses in the carriage, between Emilia and Petra.

"Are you alright? Subaru, what's the matter?" Emilia asked anxiously.

"Where's Rem? What happened to Rem?" Emilia was taken aback by this question.

"Subaru…" She began hesitantly.

But it was clear from his face that he had already understood everything. The screen focused on the lips of Emilia, who asked the fatal question:

"Who's… Rem?"

The only sounds in the hall were sobs and sobs.

Emilia couldn't say anything. Only strangled sounds came out of her throat. So she just rested her head on her knight's shoulder in search of warmth and comfort.

Garfiel bit his fist until it bled to keep himself from crying. Even if he guessed what was going to happen, it didn't make him feel any better. His cap'n acted like a real hero from fairy tales. Sacrificed himself for the sake of his loved ones. It's so cool! But if so, then why did he feel such despair?

"It's cruel… IT'S CRUEL! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HIM!" Petra jumped up and shouted tearfully when she saw the cause of her hero's suffering. Why did the world do this to him? He was a wonderful man who cared so much about everyone. Why did he have to go through so many trials?

A sobbing Frederica hugged the girl tightly, who just repeated "you can't" over and over again. Not only to calm her down, but also to find some kind of solace for herself. Even the maid's iron self-discipline could hardly keep her from shouting the same words as her young student.

"But… how… why…" Felix couldn't find the words.

He was sure that he had correctly guessed the essence of the events of that night. But just now Subaru on the screen voluntarily decided to kill himself. To save Rem and the others. To save his lady. The healer collapsed into his chair.

'He really did it… he was trying to save Crusch-sama. He killed himself to save everyone… And I… I… smeared so much dirt on him… I'm such a scum…' tears fell down while Felix, lowering his head, plunged back into the depths of self-hatred. But now there was no one to help him get through these emotions. Everyone was consumed by their own grief.

"He really did sacrifice himself… he did this… for us… to save Rem, to save… me?" Even though Crusch guessed what was going to happen, she still couldn't believe what she saw.

To make such a sacrifice, while thinking that you will have to fight a terrible enemy again. And all this to protect his loved ones from danger. Right now the duchess's biggest regret was that the heroic young man was sleeping, and she didn't have a chance to tell how immensely grateful she was to him right now.

'Barusu… you really are… pathetic, incompetent, stupid...hero!' Ram also shed tears for the sacrifice of the mean-looking boy. This time she allowed herself this. He deserved it.

Rem did not dare to look at the screen, the sounds were more than enough for her to understand what had happened.

'Useless, in fact!' Beatrice began to condemn herself again for not giving her Subaru a helping hand much earlier due to her fears. How many opportunities did she have? And not once did she decide not only to offer him a contract, but even to help on her own volition. And now he died again. 'Useless.'

"Just like I predicted." Lady Bariel said, disappointed. "So the time has come when he decided to turn this vile ability into a tool for fulfilling his desires."

To her surprise, she didn't feel satisfied that she was right again. She did not feel annoyed that her rival had got herself a servant with such powerful and disgusting power, who would now kill himself in order to achieve more and more trivial goals. But she felt sad for some reason.

"Do you think so, Princess?" Al turned to her. "He did not thrust a blade in his throat in order to improve the position of his candidate or build another alliance. But to save the girl he loves. Ask yourself, what would you feel, if he did the same thing for you?"

"Don't talk such nonsense, you imbecile! The world will not allow me to be in such a situation to begin with!" She replied angrily, actively fanning herself. "Of course, he will be happy to die for his goddess when he becomes my faithful servant."

Without admitting it, she wanted this dark-haired commoner to remain an exorbitant blockhead with a big heart to the very end. The one who will sacrifice his life without hesitation, but only in order to save those he cherishes. She started moving her hand with fan faster. The thought of this unusual mortal doing something like this for her caused an unusual feeling of warmth inside.

"It's not like you'll ever have to go through something like this with me again." the Baroness thought.

The show was suspended for a while, giving the audience time to calm down and collect their thoughts.

The screen changed to a night panorama of the Karsten mansion. Then it shows the room where Rem is sleeping in a bed, and Subaru silently sits nearby and looks at her.

"Now that I think about it, I never really saw you sleeping before." He was talking quietly to a girl who wouldn't wake up. His face was full of sadness and warmth. "You always woke up before I did. Before I realized it, you were already in my room, watching me sleep."

"Rem…" He gently touched her face. And there were tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Rem. I tried to sound all brave, saying I'd die as many times as it would take to save you… But I guess no matter how many times I die, I'll never make it in time."

'I know your pain, pal. I know what it's like to suffer a loss while realizing that even with such an ability, you can't fix something. I really do.' The knight of Priscilla mused, unconsciously rubbing the stump of his left arm. 'But it's your own fault that you suffer so much. You could just run away from all this shit and live in peace. Stupid heroism is rewarded only with pain…'

'I will never repay my debt to you, Subaru-kun. I wanted to give you my love, but I only brought you suffering. How many wounds have you inflicted on yourself, blaming yourself for my mistakes?' Rem scolded herself.

Her self-deprecating nature once again tried to declare that she was unworthy. That she had no right to be with him after all the pain he had suffered because of her. But Rem resolutely rejected such thoughts.

She was determined that she would be by his side, no matter what. Even if he never looks at her with the same tenderness as on the screen. Even if he completely rejects her feelings. She will stay by his side and do everything so that her hero finds his happy ending. That was her decision.

Suddenly, Puck materialized in the room.

"Oh, it's just you, Puck."

"Just" me? I don't think that was necessary. You're so mean." The flying cat replied with mock resentment.

"So what brings you all the way out here?"

"I have a connection with this girl too, remember? So what's wrong with me dropping by to check in on her?"

Hearing this, Subaru cheered up.

"Puck, couldn't you…"

"I'm amazed that he can have a calm conversation with this monster." Priscilla said with displeasure.

"Bubby is not a monster, in fact! He's… just… he's..." Beatrice rushed out of habit to defend her big brother's honor, but stuttered. Did she believe in her own words after what she saw?

"Yeah, he's such a lovely character. Turned Natsuki-kun into an ice cube three times for nothing! And the whole world along with him. And all because of his own uselessness! What is the use of a great spirit who does not come to the aid of his contractor, even when she is in mortal danger?!" Anastasia commented without a drop of sympathy. And many agreed with her.

Emilia wanted to stand up for the one who had been her only family for years. But she couldn't find the strength. Puck has hidden a terrifying clause in their contract. He was hiding so much. She would bring him back, she would get him a new crystal. But she won't sign a new contract with him. Not after what he'd done to the boy did so much for her. At least… not right away.

"The captain should be harsher! He shouldn't just forgive what others have done to him!"

"I'm afraid many of us are here right now only because our brother is so merciful. Unnaturally merciful." Otto remarked sadly, lowering his head guiltily. Memories of throwing his sworn brother off the cart to save his skin from the Beast of Oblivion came back to his mind.

Many guiltily averted their eyes after these words. They had nothing to say.

But Park shot down his hope right away.

"Sorry, but not even my power can wake her from the sleep she's in. It might not do much to make up for that, but I could tell you a bit about Gluttony."

"Gluttony?"

"The one who devoured her name and memories. Put simply, the Authority of Gluttony is a power for eating. He can eat someone's name and make everyone forget about them, or make that person lose their own memories by eating them. If both your name and your memories are taken, there'll be nothing left of you but an empty shell. That's what happened to this girl."

Hearing what really happened to Rem, anger began to boil in Subaru again.

"Subaru…" the spirit said softly to him.

"What?!" He was clearly in no mood to continue the conversation.

"I hate to ask a favor of you when you've already got so much on your mind… But I'm counting on you to take care of Lia."

With these catches, the Pack disappeared with a flash.

"If I remember correctly, Puck stopped responding to my call at about the same time. Was it really his own decision? Or did he know he won't be able to heed my call? But if so then why didn't you warn me? Why did you turn to Subaru?" Emilia mused aloud, once again remembering her resentment at her foster father for not telling her about anything. And for treating her like a little girl unable to grow up.

Beatrice, who heard these lamentations, thought about telling the girl a little about the specifics of her brother's contract, but rejected this idea. After everything the great fire spirit had done to her contractor, he didn't deserve such help from Betty.

After leaving Rem's room Subaru heard a girl address him.

"Were you in her room? Is she feeling better?"

"She hasn't changed a bit... There's nothing I can do to help her. It's sad to feel so useless." He replied, carefully hiding his condition behind a friendly smile.

"And that's how it always is, I suppose." Beatrice sighed sadly. "When it is obvious even to a blind person that Subaru is suffering a lot, he still tries to make a joke of everything."

"Don't worry, Beatrice. Now we know where to look and we won't let Subaru worry alone anymore!" Emilia said confidently.

"I'm afraid kind words and lap pillows won't be enough here." Crusch said skeptically. "In such a short period, Natsuki Subaru has experienced horrors that would have broken even a seasoned veteran. It's sad to admit, but his incredibly kind heart is his main vulnerability."

The half-elf and the rest of her camp could only nod in agreement.

"So this is where you were. How is she?"

"No changes at all. It's not as if there's anything I can even do… I know I'm weak and pathetic, and yet…" He replied, carefully hiding his condition behind a friendly smile.

"That's not true at all. I believe you made her quite happy, in fact." At these words, Subaru wilted, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry… That was crossing a line. I've made you upset, haven't I?" She asked worriedly.

"No." The young man reassured her. "Anyway, were you looking for me because you needed something?"

"Yes. Everyone has gathered in the lounge to discuss things. And, well… um…"

The girl suddenly stopped, as if trying to remember something. Natsuki realized what was causing the duchess difficulties and hurried to help.

"It's Natsuki Subaru."

"I'm sorry. Of course, you're Natsuki Subaru-sama. I've been told that I owe you a great deal, and yet I've been nothing but rude. Please forgive me.

"Nah, you can't help it. I know you have a lot to remember right now. It doesn't bother me, Crusch-san." He said amiably.

The screen focused on Lady Crusch, who was very different from her usual militaristic image.

"Please don't take it as a sign of disrespect, Crusch-sama. But you look very feminine in this image. Maybe you should go out like this sometimes?" Rem remarked in a gentle voice.

"Yes! Crusch-san is very beautiful!" Petra noted enthusiastically.

"My lady looks great both in battle and at the ball! It doesn't matter which dress she chooses!" Felix did not miss the opportunity to proudly and publicly admire his lady.

Who was smiling shyly at that moment and struggling with her blush with all her might. Statements from anyone other than Felix that she looked feminine were still extremely unusual for her. But it was pleasant.

The scene changes to the guest room of the mansion.

"Crusch-sama, I'm sorry for making you deliver that message."

"No, it's quite alright, Felis-san."

In the hall, Crusch and her knight were sitting at a table on one side and Emilia and Subaru on the other. Wilhelm was sitting at the far side of the table between two pairs.

"It's just "Felis". You and I have known each other for ages. It makes me sad when you talk to me like you don't know me."

"I'm sorry. I know it won't be like before, but I'll try my best, Felis."

"There's no need to rush. I'll always be on your side, Crusch-sama! Besides, it's like I'm seeing a whole new side to you now!" The demi-human added, playfully wagging his tail.

Meanwhile, Emilia looked at her companion with worry.

"Subaru?"

"It's okay. I've calmed down now, Emilia-tan. I'm just fine."

"Well" Wilhelm decided to strat. "Now that Subaru-dono and Crusch-sama have returned, let us talk. Let's start by reviewing where we currently stand. By the time the Iron Fang members who got away brought back reinforcements from the capital, the only ones left were the casualties and…"

"…those in situations similar to mine." Crusch finished his sentence for him.

"Crusch-san's memories were eaten." Subaru noted. "And Rem lost both her name and her memories…"

"The capital has also had many cases of memory loss that no healer could fix, like Crusch-sama, and an unexplained malady they've dubbed the "Sleeping Beauty disease." Felix added. "But now, all of that…"

"…should be considered the work of the Witch's Cult." Wilhelm summed it up, giving Crusch a very intense stare that scared her. "Oh, I meant nothing against you, Crusch-sama. I do apologize for frightening you."

"No, I apologize for being such a hopeless master. I've been trying my hardest to remember you, as well, but…"

"Over the past year, I have studied almost all documented cases of "Sleeping Beauty disease". But I couldn't find any pattern." Felix said thoughtfully. "Some of the victims looked like aristocrats, others like warriors. But also there were both poor and ordinary residents. Humans and demi-humans alike. It's like this bastard is ready to "eat" everyone he comes across. But then it is not clear why there are not that many such cases. Sometimes I thought that I was studying the traces of the crimes of two different people."

"The members of the witch cult are all madmen and maniacs, Sir Felix. We've seen it firsthand here. You shouldn't blame yourself for not being able to figure out the mindset of a crazy killer." Rem tried to support the knight.

"There is another question that bothers me," Julius said thoughtfully. "Those who got both their name and the memory eaten by Gluttony fall into a coma, like Rem-san. Those who got only their memory eaten forget everything, like Crusch–sama. But what happens to those from whom he ate only the name?"

The question made many people think.

"I'm not even sure what's scarier." Felt said. "The fact that you have forgotten everything and everyone, but your loved ones still remember you and can help. Or when you remember everything, but the whole world has forgotten you…"

"Parents who don't recognize you. Family and loved ones who see you only as a suspicious stranger. Friends, comrades… What a terrible fate." Wilhelm added.

"Moreover, you are not only left alone in the whole world. You're also left with nothing. All your achievements and successes are assigned to others. All your property goes to other people and there is no way to prove that at least something belonged to you. After all, you never existed for the world in the first place." Anastasia noted with fear.

"Like a hollow deprived of its place in the world, although still alive. The sooner we find and get rid of Gluttony, the calmer everyone will be!" Reinhard concluded gloomily.

"We finally took care of Sloth, and now there's another Sin Archbishop? This really sucks." Felix signed. "Of course, the moment Emilia-sama became a candidate in the royal selection, knew the Witch's Cult would get involved."

"Maybe… it really is my fault." Murmured the half-elf.

"Well, that's true. They're fixated on getting rid of Emilia-sama, the half-elf. What's going on now is just a tiny part of—"

"Hey! Do you have any problems with our princess?!" Garfiel declared angrily, turning to Felix.

He looked very uncomfortable, remembering well that he would not show his best side in this scene.

"Cut it out! That's ridiculous! Give a little more thought to what you say!" Subaru abruptly intervened, throwing the gospel taken from Petelgeuse on the table to prove a point. "The only ones at fault here are those scumbags! Don't put all the blame on the wrong person! Hurting your own allies with misdirected blame isn't gonna help!

"Hmm? Coming from you, Subaru-kyun, that's so much more convincing. I guess it's the difference in experience? Felix refuted sarcastically

"Felis. I cannot ignore the comment you just made. Apologize. Natsuki Subaru-sama is right. It is crystal clear where the blame should fall. Plus, you do not have the right to ridicule someone who has made a correct statement.

"Even in a state of amnesia, my lady has not lost any dignity." The healer could not resist the compliment, even if the reason for it was obtained at the cost of his pride.

"Yes, Crusch-sama. Emilia-sama, I apologize. To you, too, Subaru-kyun.

"Forget it. Let's just get back on topic.

"But just let me say this." Felix suddenly continued. "About the alliance we spoke of…"

There was a tense silence in the room.

"Can we just scrap that idea?"

"What do you mean by that? How did all this lead to the subject of dissolving the alliance?

"An alliance is formed when it benefits all parties involved. You expect us to ally ourselves with Emilia-sama, the Witch Cult's target? Can you promise that Crusch-sama won't be hurt again if we do that?

"Hardly…" Subaru replied.

"But the reason for the attack of Greed and Gluttony was not Emilia-sama!" Petra was indignant.

"We found out this only now, when the magic screen showed us what really happened." Felix looked guilty, but did not want to give in to the dissatisfied glances of others. "At the time, all we knew was that two archbishops attacked the caravan almost simultaneously with the operation against Sloth. It was logical to conclude that their target was Emilia-sama. But still I apologize to you again, Emilia-sama."

"You don't have to worry, Sir Felix." The half-elf stopped the argument. "Even if I was upset by your words at that moment, you were motivated by a desire to protect your lady. Isn't that the primary duty of any knight?"

"Very well said, Emilia-sama." Julius supported her words.

"I am opposed to that opinion." Wilhelm stated his position.

"Why would you be opposed, Old Man Will?! Look what's happened to Crusch-sama! What point is there in continuing to assist Emilia-sama and her friends?!"

"With regard to this "Gluttony," the one who attacked Crusch-sama… We may be given an opportunity for revenge."

"Is that more important than Crusch-sama's life?!"

"Felis…"

"I know this is hard on Crusch-sama, too! She has no idea what's going on, she can't remember anything… So how can you expect her to fight?! Isn't that right, Crusch-sama? Isn't it?! I'm sure I can do something about your memories! Even if it's not enough right now, I'll fix this with my magic! So please don't put yourself in any more danger!"

"For a whole year I tried all known methods and searched for answers in any books and scrolls I could get my hands on, but it was to no avail." The blue knight sadly lamented on his failure.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Ferris. I remember the last year perfectly well and I know that you did everything in your power. For that, I am sincerely grateful to you." Lady Crusch turned to Felix with a smile.

"You shouldn't be wasting yourself like that, I suppose. Her memories were stolen by the authority of the Archbishop of Sin. Your failures are caused by forces that ignore the very rules of our world, not by a lack of diligence, in fact."

Beatrice's straightforward attempt to comfort Felix brought guilty smiles from the members of Emilia's camp. Of course, Subaru will be glad to know that his Beako decided to help someone on her own initiative, but the wording still needed to be worked on.

Crusch smiled gently at her knight.

"Felis, thank you for worrying about me." She said, turning to Emilia. "Right now, there is simply too much I don't understand. I can't remember a single detail about who I used to be. I'm sure all of you are perplexed as to how you should interact with me, too. But to everyone who still retains their respect for me despite all this, I must express my thanks." Crusch bowed respectfully to them.

"Felis, I know that your concern for me is genuine, and that you are trying to guide me. I could do as you say and walk the path that is safest. But I loathe the thought of going on with my life, knowing nothing. If I have a choice, I would rather choose for myself than simply do as someone says."

The duchess's gaze was firm and strong-willed. Looking at her, Felix was ready to cry.

Crusch-sama…

"At that moment, I was so afraid for you, Crusch-sama. But I was so happy that even after the attack of Gluttony, you did not lose your fighting spirit in the slightest!

"Well, at least a commoner who dares to think she's my rival has the will not to break down over minor troubles, I'm ready to admit that much." Priscilla said condescendingly.

Apart from the angry look from Felix, no one looked at her. And Crusch was genuinely surprised to hear a compliment in disguise from the mouth of the fiery princess.

Calling him "Ferris" softly, she took his hands in hers. The knight allowed himself to sob in relief. Pleased with the decision of the lady, Wilhelm turned to the guests:

"If this is Crusch-sama's will, surely no one would be in favor of dissolving the alliance."

"Right. I know I will be a great deal of trouble to you, Emilia-sama and Natsuki Subaru-sama." The duchess confirmed his words.

"No, it's all right. We can't exactly say we're all on the same page, either. We need to rejoin Ram and everyone else who's at the Sanctuary, and we need to talk it over with Roswaal, too."

[The following fragment is taken from the manga]

The scene changes to one of the corridors of the Karsten estate. Wilhelm was gloomily going about his business when Natsuki called out to him.

Wilhelm felt a pang of guilt, remembering what scene was about to happen next. He hoped that this shameful moment would remain only between him and the young man.

"Truly, this screen is merciless to everyone."

"Wilhelm-san. Thank you for supporting the alliance."

"Stop it. The reason I supported the alliance is because of a personal, selfish desire - for which I am now very ashamed. Also…"

The old warrior unbuttoned his jacket and showed his shoulder. The shirt in this area was stained with fresh blood.

"What?! Old man Wil, is this the wound you got in the fight with the cultists?! And you didn't tell me about it? Why?" Felix was both indignant and worried about his colleague.

"Please, Ferris-sama. A modicum of patience. Soon you will know everything. But I want to offer my deepest apologies to you in advance for being insincere during the discussion about the alliance. And to you too, my lady, for betraying your trust."

Crusch looked at him without much emotion. She didn't believe that the old warrior could actually do something dishonorable behind her back. Besides, she knew how seriously he took matters of trust and honor between master and servant.

"Whatever it is, Wilhelm-dono, I believe that you had good reasons for such a decision. Not to mention that your words led to the best result for us. Even if it wasn't your real intentions."

"Don't you want to show this wound to Ferris so he could heal it?"

"This wound is not healing. This was done by an opponent… who possessed the divine protection of the "God of Death"."

"God of Death…"

"This wound becomes stronger when the opponent gets closer. That's her action. And this long-closed wound has reopened."

"So the opponent who injured you is here?"

"The one who inflicted this wound on me was a past 'sword master'. Theresia van Astrea. The open wound was inflicted by my wife's sword. That's why I have to continue the persecution of the witch cult to find out the reason for this."

Natsuki didn't know what to say to that.

[End of the manga fragment]

"Stop… stop, stop, stop! How is this even possible?! Old man Wil, I'm sorry for bringing up a painful topic for you again, but... your wife is dead! It's been fifteen years nyow!" Felix was seriously alarmed. "Do you still have that wound? And you've never shown it to me!"

"You heard it yourself, Felix-sama. This wound has the mark of the "God of Death". No healing or magic can close it. Moreover, this wound did not bother me for all these years since my Theresia died. I saw this wound more as a memento of her than anything else.

"But why, Sir William? Why would your amazing wife leave you such a wound?" Petra asked, her voice ringing with emotions. For her this eerie detail was like an ugly crack on the picture of perfect love that was immortalized in the ballads.

"Love sometimes manifests itself in the most unexpected forms and actions, Petra-san. Alas, sometimes it can be frightening, or even completely unacceptable. She inflicted this wound on me so that I would not forget my duty to the kingdom and follow her into battle with the White Whale. Ironically, it is only thanks to this wound that I am alive now and was able to avenge my wife."

"I understand your motives, Wilhelm-dono, and I don't blame you for what you did back then. The only thing that disappointed me was that you didn't consider me a close enough friend to tell me about it. I would have worked much harder to find any traces of the cult and help you with your mission!" Duchess Karsten replied sternly, looking at her companion.

"I sincerely apologize, Crusch-sama. My selfishness did not allow me to involve you in my personal affairs."

"I suggest we return to a more pressing issue." Al intervened. "The old man said that the wound didn't bother him since the previous Sword Saint died. It is logical to assume that the effect of divine protection ended with the life of its owner. But once it opened up again…"

"It's impossible… this… just can't be… if Grandma was alive…" Reinhardt began to literally shake.

"What if it's all connected to Gluttony?" Otto made an unexpected suggestion.

"Explain, merchant!" Priscilla demanded an explanation. "This idea is of interest to me."

"This is nothing more than a hypothesis. But now we know that the Archbishop of Gluttony and the White Whale are connected. So it is possible that the archbishop has participated in the battle against the expedition of the previous Sword master.

"But he looks like a kid! And the previous expedition was fifteen years ago!" Felix noted.

"Yes, but according to Emilia-sama she encountered the Archbishop of Greed a century ago! I wouldn't be surprised if their vile magic gives them ways to live longer than the average human. Or maybe they hunt down elfs for their blood to use for some nefarious rituals to keep them young. Anyway, my point is if he "devours" a name and memories, maybe it's possible that he can take them for himself along with skills and abilities?"

"So you mean that if he "ate" the divine protection of Theresia van Astrea…" Emilia began pondering on his words.

"And after the death of the whale, he was not far from the site of the battle with the cultists…" Ricardo continued.

"Then this could be the reason why the old man's wound opened up again, since the bearer of this ability was pretty close!" Al finished his thought.

"I understand that this idea sounds very far-fetched and we don't have any evidence…" Otto wanted to justify himself.

"It's not that important, Otto-san. Whatever the case it doesn't change my intentions. It's enough for me to know that the White whale was just a tool of the witch cult. And now I know the face of my new enemy. For what they have done to my Theresia they will taste the sharpness of my blade. And if this archbishop of Gluttony is directly responsible for her death, then this will only add to his agony before death, nothing more." William answered him in a respectful but cold tone.

At this point, everyone decided to close the topic and continue watching.

The scene changed to Rem's room. Subaru sits silently next to me. He looks extremely exhausted.

"You said I was strong, but without you, I can't even find the Subaru who could put on that tough guy act, Rem."

"You are the strongest in the whole world, Subaru-kun." Rem confirmed quietly. "No one else could have endured so much."

"Is he really ready to give up again?" Tivey asked worriedly.

"I don't think so. I remember him like that. Subaru quickly came to his senses and promised Rem that he would save her!" Emilia reassured everyone.

"He's too stubborn to just give up. Barusu never knows when to stop!" Ram supported his determination in her own style.

The sound of the door opening.

"I knew you'd be here." Emilia said to him.

"Oh… Emilia-tan. Did you need something?"

"Am I not allowed to be here if I don't? I know this girl… Rem-san, too, don't I?"

"Rem-san" huh?"

"Oh, right… I just called her "Rem" before."

"Well, you're basically Roswaal's guest. I don't need to explain that she's Ram's sister, right?"

"Yes, I can tell. She looks just like her. There's no mistaking that."

"Not at all, Emilia-sama. My charming sister is much more beautiful." Ram decided to make a joke to try and cheer up Rem.

"Not at all, Emilia-sama. My beautiful sister is much more charming." Rem played along out of habit and smiled faintly, when she realized Ram's idea.

The others just chuckled when the twins remembered their manner of dual speech.

"Subaru, you haven't slept at all, have you? You should rest for a while."

"It's not like I'm doing anything that'd make me tired. It's not like I can do anything."

"But it's true that you want to do something, right? If your spirit keeps trying so hard for so long, your body will wear out first. So… please."

"I'm so pathetic."

"Is it just me, or is he repeating the same words that he said to Rem when he was depressed because of the quarrel with lady Emilia?" Tivey remarked.

"Although the situations are completely different, he still feels guilty about what happened." Ricardo sighed. "The guy really needs to learn to understand that not everything that happens in the world is his responsibility."

"No, you're not. You've helped me so much, Subaru. I really mean it."Leaning over, Emilia looked Natsuki straight in the eyes. "It'll all be fine… Not that I have any right to talk as if I know that. I want to understand how you feel, but since I don't remember anything about this girl, I know anything I say will just hurt you. But… know this, please. Don't burden yourself with carrying the weight of Rem alone. Let me carry your burdens with you."

"If only he had followed your advice, Emilia-sama." Otto sighed sadly, looking at his friend's hand, remembering the scars from numerous cuts.

"Even Betty can't rid her contractor of all the pain that resides in him, in fact!" The great spirit bitterly acknowledged. "How would YOU help him, boy?"

"I don't think any of us are able to fix the situation alone." He persisted. "But if we work together, we may as well succeed. Our task here is to understand the reason for his feelings."

"Emilia… But you don't even remember anything about Rem."

"Is it wrong to want to do something if I don't remember her? She's important enough to you that it's made you this sad, right? Is it so strange that it makes me want to help her, too?"

Subaru listened to her attentively.

"Just like you saved me, I want to save you this time. If you're in pain, I want to do something for you."

He looked at her in surprise, Subaru finally relaxed.

"You're amazing, Emilia-tan."

Really? I think you're much more amazing than me.

"No, I'm really not. I'm glad it was you." After a few seconds of silence, he smiled sadly. "Emilia-tan… I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"Could you turn around? I'm going to cry."

"All right." She answered and turned to the door.

Subaru finally released the accumulated emotions and began to sob uncontrollably.

'It's all right, Subaru-dono, cry from the bottom of your heart.' Wilhelm nodded, understanding his feelings perfectly. 'There is no shame in these are doing well by not repeating my mistakes and not accumulating pain in yourself.'

He unconsciously looked towards the red-haired knight, then guiltily lowered his eyes.

'Because this way leads to mistakes that will make you hate yourself…'

A few seconds later, a half-elf hugged him from behind. Without saying a word, she started stroking his head. His tears quickly stopped flowing, and the desperation on his face was replaced by determination.

"I swear… I will get you back. I swear it. I'm going to… Your hero is going to come for you! I swear! Just wait for me. Rem."

[Title card: Each One's Promise]

When a title card appeared on the screen announcing the end of the first episode, the hall was filled with encouraging voices.

"Keep it up, princess! Put the cap'n back on his feet, and he'll show us all again how great he is!"

"I'll let Barusu cry this time. But only because he is grieving about what happened to my little sister."

"Thank you, Emilia-sama," the blue-haired maid said softly, barely holding back tears. "Thank you for being by my hero's side and supporting him when I was just discouraging him."

Emilia looked at the girl surprised. Rem had not treated her with such sincere warmth since their quarrel, when Emilia became depressed due to her guilt for abandoning Subaru in the capital. She really wanted to rush to Rem, hug her and tell her everything that accumulated in her.

She wanted to apologize for her behavior earlier, to tell about the jealousy that is gnawing at her, to inform her that from now on she will not sit idly by. But not now. Not in front of everyone. This conversation concerned only the two of them. After all, this will be a conversation about a young man who loved them both so much.

"Rem-san, I think you and I should switch places." Crusch stood up and addressed the girl.

"Crusch-sama? But…! I wouldn't dare to... I mean... I'm comfortable... quite…

"I insist. You need it more than I do right now, Rem-san." The duchess gently shook her head. "After all, he spent so much time with you while you were unconscious. I think it's only fair that you return the favor and be there for him when he's like this."

Rem had nothing to say to that. Moreover, the opportunity to sit next to Subaru again and hold him close made her heart flutter. Rising, she bowed gratefully to Crusch and went to her old place.

The duchess sat down in Rem's place, which Felix immediately took advantage of, sitting as close to his mistress as possible. The young maid really needed to feel the warmth of her beloved right now. Besides, Crusch thought, strengthening her relationship with Sir Natsuki's closest people in every possible way promised to be a profitable investment in the future.

"Color me surprised! The half-wit at least did something that contains a grain of value!" Princess Bariel snorted.

"What's it to you, you pure-blooded bitch?! She helped the big bro calm down and gain his confidence back! Something that you are incapable of with all your cheap "divinity"!" Felt defended her friend.

"A sewer rat like you should sit silently so she does not get her tail torn off! I'm saying that for the first time since this commoner almost broke himself trying to convince the maids with his antics not to cut him into pieces, the half-devil did at least something good for him! Because since then, we've only watched him overcome real hell for her and all for what?! Even in Vollachia, such diligence is rewarded accordingly. And what did he get?!

"Emilia-sama herself gave him the title of her kni-i-ight." Roswaal replied to her. "A well-deserved reward for a commoner who committed a feat, don't you think so-o-o?"

"Hmpf! I'm sure that even this title was part of your plan to make the dog your faithful puppet, wasn't it, clown? And I asked about how the half-devil personally thanked him for everything he had done for her. As I understand it, this spineless coward is still waiting for her to finally respond to his confession. And this is exactly the reward he craved for. So he was obligated to either receive it, or get an explanation why it is impossible and be offered another suitable reward!"

Noticing the guilty expression on Emilia's face, the princess smiled rapaciously, realizing that she had hit the target.

"Ha! I don't even know what makes me more sick. The total lack of gratitude from this parody of the candidate, or the idle stubbornness of this pig, unable to understand when he is looked at only as canon fodder?!"

"It's not true! I... I love Subaru! And I will definitely let him know about it as soon as I have the opportunity! Yes, maybe I didn't understand my feelings before I got here! But Subaru won't have to be restless anymore, waiting for my answer!"

Emilia spoke with fervor, but for Priscilla, Anastasia and Crusch, something else was important. They received confirmation that the hero of the views had not received a response from the object of his love. Although it has been more than a year since the death of Sloth. This information could be useful if used correctly.

Even Felt like hitting Emilia on the back of the head. To keep her big bro waiting for an answer for a whole year after all he had done for her?! Even if you don't take into account what they learned in the theater. How poorly does she understand other people's feelings?!

"You can discuss this in detail during the break. And now I suggest we continue watching."

The Warden's voice rang out in the hall.

No objections followed. The screen came to life again. The next episode began.