His shoulder and thigh were pouring out blood, creating a gruesome scene. Each breath he took was ragged and filled with a burning fever, indicating the intensity of his pain. The pallor of his face showed that he had lost a significant amount of blood, making it clear that his life was slipping away with each passing moment. The countdown to his inevitable death was underway.
And If he didn't get treatment right away, his life would be at risk because the countdown couldn't be halted.
On the other hand, in the event that a healing spell was to be performed, his life would undoubtedly be spared. The wound he sustained was completely manageable and could easily be cured with the right magical intervention.
However, Subaru doesn't actually give much thought to the well-being of todd who relentlessly pursues him, attacking him and killing whenever he gets the opportunity. Subaru secretly and openly, hopes that Todd's injury is more severe than it appears, but due to his ability to return by Death and foresee future events, Subaru is quite certain that Todd won't perish from such a wound.
As all Subaru's Attention now is fixated on the ominous hand protruding from his body, the appendage that he knew all too well and vice-versa, the appendage that inexplicably shielded him from the deadly blow of Todd's axe.— This time, unlike the milions previous instances—— where he met his Death at the hands of the same weapon at the same moment, Subaru now unlike all the times before, finds himself alive and unscathed, bewildered by this new turn of events.
Subaru[ Even so, why now of all times...?]
Beside the crushed mill, with the scent of charred wood still hanging in the air from the dying embers, Subaru once again found himself confronting a foe that he held nothing but contempt and loathing for, in the slowly submerging Imperial Capital.
However, the person in question, Todd Fang, was no longer deserving of the label "enemy" in Subaru's distorted perception of reality that's what he thought before the millions of constant deaths. But what about now?
—Now Subaru's feelings towards Todd had shifted drastically; he now saw Todd as his sworn enemy a target of hate, a rabid dog that needs to be put down, a sentiments that he believed would remain unwavering even as Todd faced his inevitable death—— The hatred towards him had grown so deep that Subaru could not fathom a scenario where he would ever view Todd in a different light.
Right from their very first meeting, Todd had taken it upon himself to subject Subaru to a never-ending cycle of torment. Subaru had been relentlessly pursued and mercilessly killed on multiple occasions, leaving him scarred with memories of death and terror that had fueled an enduring grudge against Todd— The pain and fear inflicted upon Subaru had etched themselves into his very being, creating a lasting animosity towards Todd.
Every instance Subaru faced Todd's assaults and experienced death, he managed to reverse the tragic events that unfolded. Subaru's ability to Return by Death allowed him to navigate through the challenges and prevent the sorrowful outcomes from taking place...unfortunately.
The People of Shudraq found themselves in a dire situation when their beloved forest was engulfed in flames, ultimately resulting in their death. Flop faced repeated deaths during the unexpected assault on the Fortress City of Guaral, Subaru's nerves were put to the test as he navigated through the intense operation to seize control of the City Hall of Guaral.
And at the height of it all, Subaru found himself stuck in a relentless two-second death loop, unable to react as Todd repeatedly ended his life by driving an axe through his head. It felt like a cruel mockery from the Witch herself, leaving Subaru to question her competence in managing return by death.
Each time Subaru perished, the agony of his demise was compounded by the realization that he was trapped in a cycle of death with no escape. The frustration and hopelessness of the situation weighed heavily on him, as he struggled to find a way out of the seemingly endless loop.
Despite his best efforts to break free from the cycle, Subaru remained ensnared in a never-ending nightmare, forced to endure the same gruesome fate over and over and over and over and over again and again and again. The desperation and despair grew with each repetition,—but more then that the hatred not of himself ——for a change, leaving him to wonder if there was any way to overcome this cruel twist of fate.
However, in the end, he triumphed over the harrowing experience— he actually stopped the death loop despite daying milions of times in the process, in the end he managed to overcome it. And wasnt because of Emilia, or Rem or Ram, Garfield, or even Beatrice and all his old and new friends not a single one of them was of use to him presumably to escape the cycle of death. None of the people he had previously rescued came to his aid during this ordeal or any Other in similar fasion— Although Subaru already aware of the fact that it's unfair for him to blame them since they weren't present to assist him, Subaru's new twisted and irrational mind continues to dwell on this thought——He can't help but believe that the very thing he despises saved him from the nightmarish death loop he was trapped in.
Subaru[ thank you ... pet].
Subaru would not deny the great assistance of the invisible Providence, nor would he turn a blind eye to Todd's actions any longer—— Subaru believed it was time to settle the score, and he was adamant that blood and gut would be the only acceptable form of payment, and for sure this time, it won't be his.
Subaru[ Todd!, from now on I won't even bother questioning your motives or the reasons behind your actions anymore because, to be honest, I've reached a point where I simply don't care anymore. And My sole desire at this moment is to see you dead...]
Todd[Those eyes brimming with animosity...I could see through your facade of pretense...but now you've chosen to reveal your true self, haven't you, child of war?]
Todd frowned deeply as Subaru spoke with a cold calm voice.
With a face that seemed like he was dealing with a monster, Todd's gaze fell on the axe floating in the air―― or that was how it would have appeared to him as the weapon was grabbed by a black hand.
Todd was inseparable from Subaru's thoughts, and whenever Subaru thought of an axe, it instantly reminded him of Todd.
Subaru had endured the sensation of Todd's axe striking his head for milions of times, Despite managing to wrestle the weapon away from Todd's grasp, the mere sight of it lurking in the corner of his eye was sufficient to send shivers of anger and fear down Subaru's spine. The memories of the brutal attacks replayed in his mind, causing his teeth to clench in a mixture of rage and dread.
The psychological impact of the traumatic experience lingered, haunting Subaru's every move and thought.
Todd, as usual, was mistaken. Subaru was never filled with hate or anger; it was Todd who caused this change in him.
Subaru's only misstep was failing to activate Invisible Providence himself. It was a grave error on his part to turn his back on the injured Todd without taking any precautions. It seems that Subaru never truly learns from his past mistakes, and this lack of growth is incredibly frustrating.
However, he had certainly wished if he did.
Nothing that occurred should have ever happened.
But like it or not it happened.
In that case...
Todd: [My bad, my bad. I fell right for your trap.]
Subaru: [No you didn't because there wasn't any you delusional freak...]
Todd: [Oh my that's harsh! I never thought that you would say such hurtful words… You're quite the actor.]
Subaru: [Think whatever you want I don't care...]
Todd: [Did you plan to blow me up with that explosion earlier? If that was the case, it's too bad that your aim was off.]
Subaru: [your right It's too bad indeed].
Todd: [finally! no lies Involved, I like it when you drop your mask off]
Subaru[ The only thing I want see it dropped, is your dead cold body on the floor].
Todd had been silenced a thin smile gracing his face as Subaru's cold voice hit.
With one eye closed, Todd looked into Subaru's cold eyes with a gaze devoid of heat and humidity. His gaze did not contain any hint of evaluating Subaru, which it had just moments ago.
Todd had already finished appraising Subaru, and that was why he was like this now.
While Subaru's initial belief in Todd's humanity, his perspective on that has now shifted drastically. Instead of seeing Todd as a fellow human, Subaru now perceives him as just another monstrous entity that needs to be eliminated from this world.
Todd: [ We just can't understand each other.]
Subaru[ ——].
Todd: [ I am outwardly suspicious of others, and I don't even know what are you, Sometimes you are trusting of people by default, but other times, as now, you are completely different. No matter how many words I exchange with you, I Really can't seem to understand you.]
Slowly changing position, Todd cautiously watched Subaru, especially his axe that floated in the air. Subaru also bit his lip and glared at Todd with hate over the hovering axe.
They could not understand each other, Todd had said. Subaru continued to wonder if it's even possible to understand an animal.
Subaru: [ You won't be able to kill me trust me, no one ever can...]
Todd: [You seem confidence In your words I will give you that. But you will die. And once am done with you, I will be able to get with Katya to the city walls, away from the zombies and the likes of you.]
Subaru: [You are dreaming of the impossible]
Todd: [Huh! And why is that?]
Subaru: [——Because after I'm done with you, Katya-san will be next in the line...and then Jamal, that wil—
Todd[ ——don't you dare!]
Subaru[ Oh I actually do~]
Todd, standing in front of Subaru, who was speaking coldly, said angrily.
Subaru's maniac smile only widening as he enjoyed seeing and hearing Todd's frustration and anger, he relished on it
Subaru is not joking he really wanna kill todd and everyone he ever cared about.
Subaru's mind, heart, soul, and every cell in his body are now consumed by a singular focus on vengeance. The value of human life holds no significance for him anymore, and his own personal values have been cast aside.
The suffering he endured due to his inability to adapt to his circumstances has left him devoid of faith in himself and all the people of this world.
Subaru no longer believes that people have a good side, as all he can see within himself is a deep darkness so he will see in others,The Subaru of the past is gone, replaced by this new, hatfull version of himself.
Subaru[ you will die!]
Todd: [――good because I won't beg for your forgiveness.]
As they finished they're words exanging, Todd lowered his stance and lunged at him.
The feeling of the shrinking distance between the two sides was so great that every cell in Subaru's body screamed. but Subaru didn't let that affect him as he calmly commanded his Unseen Hand, which was extended in the air, to throw the ax he had seized back at Todd with an intent to kill
However――,
Todd[——!]
Subaru[Do you think am an idiot to fell for that].
Subaru watched as the invisible hand deftly intercepted a knife mid-air, preventing it from reaching his head. The effectiveness of his quick thinking left Subaru astonished, his heart pounding with a newfound sense of triumph.
It had been in Todd's hand just a moment ago. Right before he leapt, he had thrown it into Subaru's head, and unfortunately for todd Subaru already laerned one of his mistakes—never think too deeply of usless things while fighting to death.
In an instant, Subaru's reflexes kicked in as he tightly gripped the knife in his hand. With lightning speed, he instinctively raised the invisible hand to shield himself from the incoming kick, which was aimed directly at his chest.
Todd[ you are not fighting fairly]
Subaru[ life was never fair to begin with—— now die!]
Subaru didn't know how or why, because at the same moment he blocked the kick, another invisible hand materialized out of thin air, he was confused. But Despite the confusion surrounding the appearance of a second Unseen hand, Subaru couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and gratitude.
Todd: [Oof!]
Todd was unable to disengage and retreat In time, when Subaru swiftly employed his second unseen hand to deliver a forceful punch directly to Todd's face. The impact was so powerful that it sent Todd soaring through the air, emitting a cry of agony, before he ultimately came to rest against a nearby wall.
And yet...
Subaru: [You're, too tenacious…! Why don't you just Give up and die already...!]
Subaru knew it, he knew that it's too good to be true. Could he really have killed Todd with just one blow? No, that didn't seem possible.
Subaru's cold gaze remained fixed on Todd, who stood a mere few meters away now with his Iconic ax in hand. The chilling air seemed to intensify as Subaru's eyes bore into Todd's figure, noticing the crimson stains that covered him, making him appear even more drenched in blood than Subaru himself.
Todd: [No, way… not until you die…!]
Subaru could feel the sheer anger emanating from Todd although it's not, even scratching the surface of Subaru's own.
Subaru: [——Good because I don't want it to be easy——There is no fun in that].
With his hands on the ax Todd once again lowered his stance and lunged at him...