Guidance of the Everlasting Stars

RECAP Chapter


A/N: This is a recap for those that wish to jump into the current story beats without needing to read the first three arcs, or for those that want to get a reminder of what's going on (especially when I take a while to post, I know it's easy to forget. Oops~)

This will be laid out by arc, and feature non-Subaru character names in bold so you can (maybe) easily find what you want to know!

(There might even be some new character insights to be had. Maybe. Possibly!)'

All that being said, it's better if you *do* read the whole story, because a lot of small details are missing here!


Arc I - First Day from Zero

After exiting from the convenience store one fateful night, Subaru suddenly found himself standing in an unfamiliar street in the blink of an eye, surrounded by strange Human and non-Human beings. Realizing that it wasn't a dream, he was elated, until somebody suddenly bowled right into him!

Trying to chase after the mysterious figure, Subaru had to give up due to his lacking ability. Thus, he explored the city a bit, eventually finding his way to a particular fruit stand. Before the stand's owner could berate him for being broke, a man with violet hair appeared to question him about his encounter earlier with the hooded figure.

After introducing himself as Julius Juukulius, Subaru uses the knight's stature to get one over on the fruit salesman, managing to snag a bag of Appas in return for his strange Japanese currency. The two walk together as the knight questions Subaru, until the friendly charade is up, and Julius readies his blade and asks how Subaru is connected to the Assassin Organization

Denying any wrongdoing, Subaru is shocked when Julius slices his convenience store bag open, and a strange pouch of gems falls out. Before he can apprehend Subaru, the girl from before appears and attacks him. As the two face off, Subaru watches, terrified, and learns that the girl's name is Meili Portroute, a member of the Assassin Organization.

Deciding to run for it, Subaru bowls right over a guy that looks similar to Julius, and contemplates leaving the city, until a sudden gust of wind strikes, and his head falls from his body.

(Subaru Death #1)

Subaru awakens groggily, standing in front of the Appa salesman again. He's a bit confused as things play out similarly again, meeting Julius, except this time he opens his sack and finds the strange bag of gems within, realizing that something is amiss.

Deciding to simply hand the item over to the knight, Subaru does his best to talk his way out of the situation, giving Julius the false name E. Honda. However, Julius is quick to sus out his lies, causing Subaru to go to a drastic measure– Calling out for Meili, to potentially cause another battle for him to escape during.

It works, and the knight makes chase on the girl after she appears, though his spirits trap Subaru in mud to try and keep him in place. Using the moment, he wriggles free and runs, past the other violet-haired boy he'd bowled over last time, and heading away– However, Subaru feels guilty about leaving such a young girl at the mercy of a knight, and decides to head back to find them.

Subaru watches a bloodied Meili lying at the swordpoint of Julius. A strange doglike creature leaps out at the knight, but he easily knocks it away, and then uses fire magic to burn it, much to the girl's dismay. Luckily, the boy from before calls out to his brother, Julius, and the knight leaves the scene long enough for Subaru to approach the girl and try to help.

Unfortunately, there is nothing he can do for Meili. He's surprised that she has the sack of gems, commending her, but after telling him to go to the Poor District and apologizing to her sister, the girl dies. Distraught, Subaru does his best to find his way to the Poor District, eventually being guided to Rom's Warehouse.

Inside the old warehouse, Subaru slowly walks in, eventually finding the large, deceased body of a man, as well as a dangerous looking beauty of a woman. After confirming that she was the 'sister' Meili mentioned, Subaru shows the woman the sack of gems, saddening her.

In an instant, Subaru's stomach is cut open. As he suffers and internally questions why, he watches a tear fall down the woman's cheek, before he dies.

(Subaru Death #2)

After awakening in front of the Appa salesman again, Subaru realizes that something is terribly wrong. He drops his bag and runs away from the scene, his mind flooding with possibilities as he realized that he was, indeed, dying and coming back at a previous point in time–

Thus, he dubs the ability Return by Death.

In his blind wandering, Subaru ends up encountering, and then being beaten by, a group of three hooligans, landing only a couple of blows before they beat him down. As he lay against the wall, a bit delirious, a girl with pink hair approaches, and asks him the question: "Have you suffered enough?"

When Subaru does not provide the answer she seeks, the girl suddenly fires blades of wind at him. After dodging the attack, Subaru realizes that this girl must be who killed him the first time. Thinking about all that had happened, he decides to turn and challenge his fate, rushing towards his assailant-

Only to be absolutely shredded by her wind magic, suffering immensely. In his fading life, he hears voices speaking about him.

(Subaru Death #3)

After yet another Return by Death, Subaru contemplates what he can do, shouting out loud and spotting the pink-haired girl tailing him from around a building. However, this also attracts Julius, who arrives to question him per usual.

Realizing that the girl won't attack while he's with the knight, he formulates a plan, explaining that he's being hunted by a dangerous person and that he already sold the gems Julius was looking for to a merchant. Using his cellphone as an impressive bartering tool, he promises he can lead him to the gems if he takes care of his problem for him.

Unfortunately, Julius' brother Joshua is there to watch him, so Subaru has to give the boy the slip before running away til he's about ready to collapse. As he expected, the young assassin appears, confused by his antics.

Using his knowledge from Return by Death, Subaru convinces Meili that he can help her get to her sister. Thus, he helps he dawn an amazing disguise, via cutting two eye holes in his convenience store sack and placing it over her head!

The two travel across the city, talking and bonding a bit over some stolen fruit the girl swipes. They eventually run straight into a large knight known as Gildark. Meili slips away unnoticed, and Subaru has to talk his way past, but then realizes that Meili had swiped the gems from him as well!

Heading to Rom's Warehouse, only to stumble upon a meeting between a girl with silver hair and elf ears, a small blonde girl, and the huge man he'd seen killed before his last death, realizing that it must be Old Man Rom.

The three are quite hostile towards Subaru, and he watches as a deal to return an insignia the girl Felt stole from the half-elf begins, only to be interrupted when Elsa Granhiert, Meili's sister, appears.

Elsa tells Subaru to go to her sister, as she plans on killing everyone in the warehouse. Rom breaks out his large club and threatens everyone to get out. Subaru slips out and follows a trail of blood around the building, finding Meili sobbing near the sliced open body of a doglike beast.

The girl is irreconcilable, and Subaru calls for help, just as Julius appears, stating Joshua managed to follow Subaru's trail. The knight has choice words with Subaru before leaping through the roof of the warehouse to enter the battle within.

Meili, distraught and angered by everything, calls forth a powerful chimera-like beast— The Guiltylowe.

Subaru tries to talk the girl down, but she insists that she's tired of it all. However, the powerful beast turns on her and hits her hard, before swiping with its snakelike tail and taking a chunk out of Subaru's leg. In extreme pain, he goes to check on Meili, whose losing a lot of blood.

Meili expresses her regrets and gives a dagger to Subaru, telling him that she'll believe in him. Thus, Subaru fights for his life against the unlikely odds, managing to deal damage to the Guiltylowe, but ultimately falling.

Thankfully, the wind-user Subaru had died to multiple times arrives to incapacitate the demon beast for a short time, and asks him that same question, of whether he's suffered enough. With his confident and defiant answer, the girl apologizes ans formally invites him to her master, Roswaal L Mathers, mansion.

Confused, Subaru watches the girl leave while the Guiltylowe gets up for more. Meili stands weakly and places a hand on the beast. Subaru yells to her, but to his surprise, the beast turns and leaves. He catches the girl as she collapses.

Subaru tears up, believing he'd failed again, but Julius arrives in a bad state to help. As he begins to heal Meili with his contracted spirit, he tells Subaru he should rest, and Subaru ends up collapsing into unconsciousness.

In his dreams, Subaru has a vision of a woman with no discernable features, and reaches out to her, promising that he will save her.

Subaru awakens to find Meili beside him, holding his hand. She smacks him after he tries to say a cool one-liner, and the two reconcile with what happened before Julius approaches to take the girl away. Subaru insists that he should also be taken, since he was complicit in it all, and the knight eventually agrees to take him as well. Marco confirms to them that they have been freed of any crimes thanks to Julius.

While things start to settle down, Subaru gets curious and sneaks over to the warehouse to get a peek at what happened inside, boosting Meili up to see through a crack. They spot the half-elf girl encased in ice, something troubling that Subaru can't quite wrap his head around yet, til Joshua catches them and tells them that Subaru was requested.

Heading to a nearby tent, Felt headbutts Subaru and yells at him for ruining everything. They insist that it all worked out well in the end, but the girl is pressed about losing an Insignia of some kind. The blonde confirms to Meili that Elsa Granhiert managed to escape when Julius brought out a spirit from the half-elf's necklace to cause the freeze.

Subaru is retrospective as he thinks about all that happened, wondering just what the future holds and what the deal is with the pink-haired girl and Roswaal L Mathers.


Arc II - Iron-Blooded Beasts

(A/N: This arc's name is fairly self explanatory, coming from the fact that Subaru is told he fights like a Beast more than a Knight, as well as the name of the Iron Fangs mercenary group.)

Subaru and Meili have their hands bound and board a carriage along with Julius heading for the city of Picouttate, a merchant city to the south. The girl expresses distaste in the long journey, remembering how it took her 5 long agonizing days to reach the Capital from there. The knight tells Subaru who they are going to see, now that they are away from prying ears– Anastasia Hoshin.

During their travels, Subaru and Julius converse a lot, with Subaru learning much about the world from the knight, such as the known history between the dragon Volcanica, the sage Flugel, and the witch Satella. When the knight asks Subaru why he knows nothing, Subaru eventually decides to tell him about Return by Death, figuring he can trust him.

However, Subaru quickly realizes that it won't be so easy, when time slows to a crawl and he watches a strange darkness overtake him and cause him physical pain. Once it stops, Subaru is having a panic attack, and it's as if he had stopped speaking when he tried to talk about Return by Death, confusing the knight.

During their next night, Julius helps Subaru by touching his Gate, noting that it is very weak as if he has never worked on it before. He also states that Subaru has an affinity for Yin-based magic, which Subaru hates when he learns what it can do. The carriage then stops and Joshua alerts them that something's wrong. Subaru leaves the carriage to find a huge wall of fog, and Meili begins to panic as Subaru sees something huge move within the fog, making his blood run cold.

With the mood turned sour after such a harrowing encounter, Subaru gives up his dignity for the remainder of the ride to cheer everyone up with jokes. Then they finally arrive in Picouttate,and Subaru is surprised when cat-eared, orange-haired children ride up on the backs of wolflike beasts. He learns one of them is named Mimi, and she's very loud and boisterous when she tries to get Meili to talk to her, but the girl seems reluctant after everything that's happened.

The group arrives at the Inn, and Subaru is glad to finally be free of the wagon. The wolflike demi-human Captain Ricardo appears to greet them. He butts heads a bit with Subaru, but decides he likes his fire and tells everyone that it's time to feast.

The Captain makes Subaru help him prepare dinner, and the two chat. Subaru learns that Meili was accepted into the Iron Fangs, the mercenary group the demi-human runs that work under Anastasia. He explains her Divine Protection that must have had her shaken up when they found the White Whale, and how he'd found Meili on a return trip through the city of Priestella after she escaped the Assassin Organization.

While Ricardo gets lost in memories of a certain purple haired girl he'd met years ago that wasn't Meili, he surprises Subaru by telling him Mimi is their battle general.

Before the food is done, Joshua is to take Meili to see Anastasia, much to the annoyance of Subaru. After they leave, Ricardo expresses that it's a great time to test Subaru's earlier words about being a knight, and the two soon engage in a duel with Subaru wielding a wooden blade.

Obviously outclassed, Subaru does his best, but the Captain toys with him and knocks him around, explaining that calling oneself a Knight has heavy ramifications. When Subaru tries dirty tactics, Ricardo expresses that he's more of a beast before knocking Subaru out with a headbutt.

Awakening later to the cat triplets Mimi, T.P, and Hetero, Subaru feels regret at his beatdown and shuns the Captain. Julius enters to assure him that it was a test, and that Meili is okay and in her room, before taking Subaru to meet with Anastasia.

Subaru is taken aback by the lady's looks when they first meet, however, her elegance doesn't mask the fact that her line of questions are clearly very much an interrogation, and Subaru finds himself on the backfoot while trying to explain himself.

Anastasia Hoshin offers Subaru a choice— Whether to join the Iron Fangs, or to serve under her. He makes his decision, and three days later, we see him sparring with Julius, but he's not making much headway in that regard.

Subaru dawns his new uniform as a fledgling member of the Iron Fangs and is told by Ricardo that they'll be running recon to see where the White Whale is at. They prepare to mount their Ligers, but Julius arrives with harrowing news and brings him to Meili's room.

Once there, Anastasia states it seems grave. Subaru enters to speak to the girl, finding that she's gone blind and sickly. She believes it to be a Curse brought on by an Assassin, and Julius states killing the one who brought it about usually ends the curse.

Unfortunately, they were too late in discovering the curse, and Meili screams in agony. When Subaru goes to console her, he, too, goes blind and falls over. When he feels around, he can feel her lifeless body, knowing she's passed away, before he falls unconscious.

Waking up again, Subaru hears Julius and Ricardo in a heated discussion about what to do. He has a vision of that strange ethereal woman he'd dreamt of before, telling him to kill her, and that she loves him. Then he convulses in agony, and perishes in darkness.

(Subaru Death #4)

(Heavily recommend reading chapter 8: Trick of the Trade, which is about at this point. It's insanely good on my re-read. I know I know, patting myself on the back, but I think it's my best work.)

Upon waking up in front of Anastasia's choice three nights earlier, Subaru feels awful as he stumbles out of the room and heads to Meili's room.

They talk, and Subaru wonders if his Return by Death ability is a Curse. Meili seems to not think time reversal is real, and when Subaru tries to explain it, he is once again beset by darkness and agony like when he tried to tell Julius before.

Distraught, a knock at the door makes Subaru worried, but he finds it's just Julius. He expresses distaste at Subaru's actions, and regret when Subaru explains he's just there to protect Meili and not join their group. When the night leaves, Meili is appalled and creeped out, and Subaru realizes how insane he looks before leaving the room.

While wandering Picouttate, Subaru ends up at the Suwen Trading Company, meeting Olso Suwen and his student, a young boy named Stern. The strange boy smiles with jagged teeth and tells Subaru that he smells like a rat when Oslo is out of earshot, making Subaru's blood run cold.

Subaru and Oslo begin to speak and negotiate for information. He ends up telling the man a half story of what happened in the Capital with Emilia and Elsa Granhiert, which seems to pique Oslo's interest greatly.

He tells Subaru two suspicious individuals arrived days ago before vanishing. Thinking they may be the Assassins, he presses for more, but learns nothing. However, when he asks about Stern next, Oslo seems to panic and have an attack of sorts. The lights all get snuffed out, and when Subaru snaps a picture with the flash on his cellphone, he sees the terrifying sight of Stern taking a bite out of Oslo's neck!

A hatchet flies across the room and Subaru barely dodges it. The second Assassin falls from the ceiling and accuses Subaru of hiding Meili. He tries to use his practiced combat skills to fight the Assassin, but he struggles, and he hears Oslo calling out for help which distracts him.

The Assassin licks Subaru's wound, and suddenly he awakens outside with no memories of the encounter. He can't move his body, and once morning comes, it all floods back into him— But suddenly his injuries explode, and Subaru becomes a splatter on the road.

(Subaru Death #5)

Waking up again before Anastasia, Subaru is frightened and defeated. The girl manages to soothe him enough to not have him lose his mind, giving him til they leave in five days to answer her question.

After some thinking, he seeks out Ricardo to enact a new plan. Together, they grab Meili to head out with them on a hunt for the White Whale's path. She's reluctant but trusts in them, and they head off, though Subaru and Ricardo know the true reason for them leaving was to potentially make a scene and draw out potential Assassins. Mimi and T.P are on standby to alert them if they see anyone follow.

A loud but short screech signal from the cat duo alerts them that a single person left the city after them. That night, the trio sets up camp, and Subaru explains his plan to Meili, who expresses how terrible of an idea it was and that Anastasia might also be in danger.

Reluctantly, Subaru knows they have to face what's coming head on, and it isn't long before a hatchet is hurled out from the shadows and the thin Assassin appears. Ricardo leaps in to fend him off, but the Assassin is slippery and still manages to attack Subaru, only for Meili to help fend him off and confidently pronounce herself as one of the Iron Fangs, telling them that she won't back down.

During the scuffle, Meili realizes there's another Assassin, and barely deflects a knife aimed at Subaru before a figure leaps out to slam her into the ground. Subaru uses a sword to force them back, finding it to be the boy, Stern, from the Suwen company.

The fight is on, with Subaru and Meili doing their best against Stern, but the other Assassin intervenes, and Subaru becomes badly wounded. Meili manages to kill Stern and calls in a pack of demon beast dogs known as Wolgram from the forest nearby.

When they are about to treat Subaru's wounds, he's forced to jump in the way of an oncoming dagger for Meili, taking it to the back. It was coated in poison, and Subaru quickly succumbs to it, being unable to move as he bleeds out, the girl sobbing above him as he regrets that his daring plan didn't work, feeling the rainfall starting to hit his face— though he realizes that it's her tears.

(Subaru Death #6)

Feeling himself going mad with grief and faced with impossible odds, Subaru goes off the deep end when he finds himself in front of Anastasia again. He begins to wail and headbutt the wooden desk, all the pain and agony catching up to him, til she holds a hand to catch his assault and stop him.

Managing to calm him slightly, Anastasia expresses her worry as her soft hand caresses his bloodied forehead, petting him soothingly. Subaru is full of turmoil, considering how he's been going about things wrong, and remembers words that she'd spoken to him last time he was here.

With the realization that he needs to trust in others, to trust in Anastasia, he decides to become her servant, and she asks what the problem he's facing is.

Later, on their second day in the city, Subaru accompanies Anastasia to her meeting with Oslo Suwen, along with Joshua. Now in a butler-esque outfit, Subaru does his best to act proper. After some back and forth with Joshua, the two are told to wait outside the room, where Subaru thinks over the plan Anastasia and Julius had come up with after he told them of the dangers looking over the Suwen Trading Company.

Using his bickering with Joshua as a distraction, Subaru notes one of Julius' spirits, Nue, is in place, and the Assassins finally make their move. He tackles Joshua out of the way of an oncoming hatchet, the slender Assassin dropping to the floor. Subaru calls for everyone to run, as Stern attacks.

Subaru stops the oncoming dagger by letting it slam into both his hands, then he headbutts Stern hard. Joshua catches Subaru when he stumbled back, and Subaru rips the blade from his hands using his teeth on the handle, before spitting it out towards his fellow servant, poison dripping from it.

Purposefully pissing Joshua off so he'd throw the knife, Subaru ducks and the blade nicks Stern, before Subaru kicks him hard. The boy recovers quick and comes back in, but Meili emerges, having used her training to stay concealed, and trips and stabs Stern in the throat, leaving him writhing and bleeding out on the floor.

Subaru reveals that he's currently immune to the poison thanks to a temporary bond to Julius' spirit, Nue, whose Yin magic worked with his own Yin-based Gate to negate its negative properties. Falling to his knees, a door bursts open just in time as the other Assassin is sent flying in, chased by Julius who commends Subaru and sends his water spirit Kue out to help mend his wounds.

As Julius does battle with the Assassin, Subaru reassures Meili that this is just the start, and that they'll save her sister from the fate the Assassin Organization promises, as they watch Stern die at their feet. At the same moment, Julius delivers a fatal blow, and Subaru feels at peace despite the blood and chaos all around.

The Assassin tries a fruitless escape through the front doors, only for Ricardo to kick him back, complaining that they didn't get to see any action. Oslo is distraught when he sees the carnage, and Anastasia explains that the curse should be lifted now.

Ricardo finishes off the last Assassin and leaves bitterly, and Subaru reassures Meili some more. City guards arrive and assess the situation and question everyone, before Joshua informs Subaru that they should begin their cleanup. Subaru is surprised but goes along with it, til night comes and Julius tells him it's time to go.

Completely exhausted on the ride back to the inn, Subaru is surprised when a huge party is awaiting him, featuring all of his new friends and a large feast. Some citizens of the city approach and thank him for his service, and Subaru feels a bit overwhelmed by all the praise, but Anastasia insists he should get to know all of those around well, that they'll be his strength.

Subaru makes the rounds, and eventually grabs food for Meili when he notices she's not there. Mimi insists on going as well, and they head to her room to cheer her up. They keep her company through the night, and the girl eventually opens up about wanting someone to rely on now that her sister wasn't around.

Realizing what he's always needed to be for Meili, he tells her that she can look up to him, and that he'll never leave her side, seeing her as what she was in that moment: A lost kid who couldn't face the world on her own.

Meili gives a genuine smile for the first time since Subaru had known her, and he promises himself that he won't let her down.

A few days later, the group is set to head for the Capital, but Anastasia stops Subaru and insists he's been invited to the Mathers Domain, where Roswaal L Mathers has a mansion. Subaru remembers the pink haired girl inviting him on his first day, and feels reluctant.

Anastasia explains that the girl, Emilia, is required to show to the ceremony in the Capital, per the dragon's prophecy. Thus she wants Subaru and co. to see if she is still there and perhaps save her if she needs it. Plus, it would be a good opportunity for Subaru to learn to read and write and other such tasks from Roswaal's maid staff.

Thus, Subaru hops into a carriage being driven by Otto Suwen, Oslo's brother, and Joshua. He then helps Meili aboard and takes her hand, the group setting off towards the Mathers Domain and whatever awaits them there.

Subaru thinks about all that's happened, and all of those he cherished in this world. Towards Anastasia, Julius, the Pearlbatons, Captain Ricardo, he expresses that he'll see them again eventually, and that they are all his guiding stars.


Arc III - Blasphemy of Snow

(A/N: The entire crux of this arc is the belief that they'll find and save Emilia at Roswaal's mansion, only to discover the harrowing truth of what has happened to her– Thus the arc name. I could never think of a better label for it, and it sounds pretty neat, so it stuck.)

The arc begins with a cold open, showing a destroyed Mathers Mansion, with flames and rubble all around. Subaru can't feel his body, and hears haunting and crazed words as someone approaches.

Something slams into Subaru and raises him in the air, an unseen force shattering his bones until they completely snap him in two.

A week earlier, Subaru is gawking at the size of the mansion, and barely stops the Earth Dragon in time, causing Meili to hop out and hit him a bunch while Joshua expresses his lack of surprise at his incompetence.

The doors to the mansion open, and twin maids Rem and Ram greet them. Subaru is shaken when he sees Ram, remembering her as the girl from the Capital that had killed him two times over.

The two maids express regret that Roswaal is not there, and won't return for a week. Knowing the Royal Selection ceremony will be over by then, Subaru and Joshua share worry that their goal of helping Emilia may not work out.

The group is invited inside, though Rem stops Otto, and Subaru tells him to keep the dragons fed and maybe visit the village they'd seen along the way, much to Otto's disdain.

Once inside, Subaru and Meili can feel the malice with which Rem is staring at them. When Ram goes to get them tea, Subaru goes over the plan in his head, where Joshua was to assist him in his teachings while searching for clues in the place, and Meili was to hang out in the nearby village to gather information there.

After Ram returns, conversation begins, to make sure both parties agree they are to work and learn there for the time being. The pink haired girl suggests that Rem shows Subaru around, and her sister reluctantly agrees.

While talking about Roswaal, Subaru laments that he feels awkward around Rem compared to someone like Anastasia. Then he trips face-first into manure in the garden and the maid shows him the way to the laundry.

After washing up, Subaru opens a random door, testing his memory, but it's just a closet. The next one he opens surprises him, as it's a huge library that seems to defy logic, with a strange, vibrant, and doll-like girl sitting with an open book at the center, looking at Subaru with disdain. He introduces himself formally.

After failing to get her name, the girl makes the doors shut and appears before him, touching him and making him fall over in pain, asking if he had anything to do with hurting her 'Bubby'. She says he is clear after she drained his mana, and decides to return the introduction, telling him that her name is Beatrice, protector of the Forbidden Library.

Subaru manages to stay conscious, but only barely, as Beatrice expresses worry for what is to come. Then he passes out, and awakens in a bed a few hours later, with Meili nearby to berate him for finding trouble already.

Ram brings his cleaned uniform and asks if he has any ill feelings towards her. He insists no, despite it being a lie, and gets the girl to explain that day in the Capital. She tells of how she was sent to watch over Emilia, but her side task to find Subaru and her encounter with Julius, who Subaru had sent at her, led her astray til she found him fighting the Guiltylowe.

Insisting that he not hold it against her Master, Subaru agrees to bury it behind them and start anew.

Three days pass, and Subaru's hands are a mess of cuts, and he's exhausted. He ends up at the door he took to the Forbidden Library, but opens it to find just a normal bedroom. Returning to his room, he wrote his name in Japanese, lamenting that the symbols meant nothing here, before Ram enters to begin a new session of lessons.

On the fifth day since arriving, Subaru falls while trying to clean the upper windows, and Rem expresses discontent with his lack of progress. Subaru takes the moment to think of their overall progress, with Meili and Otto reporting the villagers were respectful of Roswaal and that a strange carriage had arrived a couple of weeks ago.

While self reflecting, the blue haired maid asks to speak with Subaru in private. His mind runs wild, but he agrees and follows her towards a gazebo out in the front lawn of the property. She asks if he is a part of the Witch Cult, which he denies and questions, before she sends an icicle slamming into his arm with magic.

Angered, Subaru insists he knows nothing, but Rem says his stench and his lies are just like any other worthless Human, grabbing him by the neck. Luckily, Meili hops into the scene to make Rem move back, but after she produces a large morning-star on a long chain, a horn growing at her head.

Subaru and Meili run away, trying to shout back at Rem to placate her as she makes chase. Unsure if she can be reasoned with, Subaru makes a bold move, running right at her and shaping his hand into a finger gun, firing off a "Nurak" Yin spell, as Julius had taught him. He tried not to hold back, aiming for her horn and expecting something amazing, only for a pathetic little dark ball to emerge and fizzle out.

Rem slams her weapon into his side, not holding back and dealing a massive blow to Subaru, who watches in horror as Meili tries to stand up to her. Knowing he may never be able to forgive Rem if she killed the girl right in front of him, he taunts her and threatens to kill her sister, enraging Rem and making her finish Subaru off. The look in Meili's face was more terrifying to him than the enraged demon coming to kill him, and he is slain while trying to stay positive.

(Subaru Death #7)

After another Return by Death, Subaru decides his focus has to be on the blue-haired maid, Rem. Thus he spends the next three days trying to surpass his limits at cooking, cleaning, and other chores, til Rem gets annoyed by his antics.

He decides to apologize for anything she might hate him for, but she insists she doesn't know what he means. Seeking guidance, Subaru flings a random door open and finds the Forbidden Library. Beatrice is instantly annoyed and flings him out with a gust of wind.

Subaru tries another random door and finds the library yet again. Before she sends him away, he manages to convince her to listen to him, and he decides to tell her that they are there to find Emilia. However, Beatrice states that the girl never returned to the Mansion.

Surprised, Subaru asks about the spirit Emilia had with her, and Beatrice admits that she's been searching for a way to save him while he was suffering after what happened in the Capital. Before the girl sends him away, he insists on her telling him about the witch's scent and why it upset Rem so much.

She tells him of the twin Onis who lost their family to the Witch Cult, and how the witch's scent lingers on people and beasts that hold some of her power. Once she finished, Subaru unfortunately overstayed his welcome and she sent him flying out of the library again.

That night, while thinking things would go smoothly since Rem never attacked him, there's a scream, and Subaru leaves his room to find a terrified Meili fighting strange figures in dark hoods. The entire mansion shakes, and the second floor collapses.

In the fire and dust, Subaru searches for his friends, but finds nothing, and is ultimately killed by an unseen force as the voice of a crazed madman asks questions into the destruction

(Subaru Death Count: 8)

Awakening in bed again, Subaru is in a cold sweat. Thankful to see Meili alright again, he pushes past Ram when she enters and opens a random door, finding himself in the Forbidden Library on his first try. Beatrice is annoyed, but sees that something is up with Subaru, and when he slumps down nearby, he asks her to tell him everything she knows about the Witch Cult.

After talking to the girl and learning a little about how the Witch Cult functions, Subaru feels a bit better, but is promptly banished from the library when Beatrice sees writing in the book she's always reading, and Subaru notices that it's blank, knocked unconscious from how violently she threw him out.

The next morning, in a neck brace, Subaru gathers Meili and Joshua to tell them about his findings and a potential plan. Claiming that Beatrice is worried about a Witch Cult attack, Subaru tells the two to go to the village to help out there and be safe, while Subaru checks the mansion for sabotage and prepares there.

A day later, Subaru is searching once more, when he finds a mysterious sack hidden near the front of the mansion. After tossing it away, resulting in a violent explosion, Ram ties him up to a chair to interrogate him. Luckily, Rem finds and questions the man who dropped the explosives off, confirming that it was not Subaru's doing.

The maids bring in Beatrice, who is unconvinced by Subaru when he asks for help, though Rem and Ram ask her for assistance and she reluctantly agrees, as long as Subaru repays all of the mana she uses in the endeavor. Subaru agrees, only to find out that Beatrice is a Spirit, something he had no clue about, and that he just agreed to a contract with her without realizing it.

When the next day comes, Subaru knows that the Witch Cult will attack sometime soon, and their preparations begin to take shape. Rem uses her water magic to create a capsule of ice with a fake body within, to act as Emilia. Beatrice teaches Subaru a little bit more about magic, and he learns the Shamak spell, a stronger version of the Nurak he's utilized before.

While speaking with Ram, the two sense something is amiss, and soon enough, the front windows of the mansion are blown out, while Rem tells her sister through their bond that several attackers have appeared in front of the mansion. Just on time, the creepy leader of the assault enters, utilizing strange, dark hands emerging from his body to move and attack. Ram's wind magic doesn't seem to cut it against their opponent, and she can't seem to see the strange hands like Subaru can.

During their struggle, Beatrice arrives, looking shocked to see that man there. He introduces himself as Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing Sloth, and shows no memory or remorse when he attacks Beatrice. Subaru rushes in to save her, activating his Shamak, feeling his gate get drained immensely as the dark clouds fill the room, grabbing the Spirit and running to a safer spot with her. She tells him that she expects full payment for her services, looking more determined than ever.

As Petelgeuse continues his attack, Beatrice draws from Subaru's mana to keep him at bay. Fires are starting to rise all around, and Ram recovers enough to assist, but they still can't seem to do much. Rem appears, covered in blood, looking like a true demon, and reluctantly Ram knows she has to go help her sister, heading outside to the battle there with her.

Subaru and Beatrice move down a hallway to a dead-end, utilizing Subaru's mana to cast a Shamak and several other Yin spells to keep Petelgeuse at bay. When it seems all is lost, Beatrice uses her door crossing and opens a door to the library. However, she tosses Subaru in and stands off against the Archbishop, before closing the door. Subaru runs himself against it, finding it to be locked. Angered, he sees that strange blank book that the spirit girl is always reading, seeing six words appear on it before they vanish from the page and from his memory. (Spooky.)

Knowing he might not be well enough after another Return by Death to do this all over again, Subaru rushes towards the door, only for it to open perfectly fine. Now on the farthest wing of the top floor from the foyer, Subaru has to run back towards the battle, seeing the bodies and blood strew all about the courtyard through the window.

Having to brave the intense smoke and fire, Subaru leaps into the unknown of the foyer, injuring himself but finding Beatrice standing in the foyer, with an unfamiliar white-haired man standing before her, a finger held to her forehead. She makes a whimper, and when Subaru tells him to go away, the man goes off on a long rant about how rude it is to intrude on a conversation without even introducing yourself first.

When the man lets go of Beatrice, the girl goes flying down the hallway as if gravity had gripped her in that direction. The man then introduces himself as Regulus Corneas, Archbishop of Greed. When Subaru manages to get up to his feet, the Archbishop punches him in the gut and berates him on yet another tangent for his earlier rudeness. Subaru tries to headbutt him, but it does absolutely nothing, and he realizes that the man before him is even more dangerous than Petelgeuse.

Subaru is only saved when the Archbishop of Sloth arrives, stating that they have been called. Regulus seems annoyed that Emilia is not at the mansion, tossing Subaru away and leaving, the other Archbishop doing the same. Subaru passes out, apologizing to everyone in his mind that he couldn't do anything more.

When Subaru awakens, he's lying on the mansion steps with Beatrice beside him, holding her hand. Ram expresses that they've been asleep all day, and that her sister is alive, just over-exerted. She tells Subaru to stay with Beatrice, as she may need his mana to keep her going. However, the ever-growing sound of wheels can be heard, and Subaru picks up the spirit to join Ram, watching a carriage approach.

Wondering if they are more enemies, the carriage stops at the Mansion, and to their surprise, Roswaal L Mathers and Emilia both exit. Ram is visibly shaken by this, and Subaru quickly notes that something is very wrong with Emilia's eyes, as they are black and almost lifeless, reminding him a bit of how Regulus had looked at him.

Beatrice awakens suddenly, seeming distraught as she escapes Subaru's grasp, calling out to her 'Mother' and reaching out to Emilia. The half-elf then tells her that she is released from her duties, before her and Roswaal walk past them like nothing was amiss. The Master of the house then excuses Subaru from his visit. When Subaru goes to confront them, Ram grabs his arm tightly and stops him.

After Ram makes it clear to him that she'll find out what's going on herself, she tells him to take Beatrice and leave. The spirit girl is clearly shaken by what happened, so he picks her up and convinces the carriage driver to take them to Arlam Village, where they find several demon beasts slain around, as well as some destroyed houses, but everyone seems to be alright.

Meili and Joshua tell Subaru about how Roswaal and Emilia arrived last night to the village and helped stop a demon beast attack after the village's wards had been tampered with. Angered that they didn't help fight off the Witch Cult at the mansion, Subaru is desperate to return to get some answers, but has to focus on Beatrice first. Joshua expresses that he doesn't have his brother's knowledge of Spirits and they may need to find him. When Subaru tries to pawn her off to them while he goes back, Meili knocks him out, deciding to go herself to gather some intel.

Back at the mansion, Roswaal and Emilia are sitting in lavish chairs in a destroyed room, acting very nonchalant about everything. The maid twins, after changing to be more proper, enter the room to report what happened, but eventually, Ram can't help herself but interject and accuse her master of a terrible crime, pointing at the half-elf and speaking the name of who was truly in control of her– The Witch of Greed, Echidna.

Meili watches from the shadows, confused by the happenings, watching as Rem steps in to stop her sister from doing anything drastic. Then, to her horror, Roswaal attacks, his hand slamming straight through Rem to then pierce into Ram's chest. The blue-haired maid falls over, unmoving, while Ram stumbles back, clutching at her wound.

Roswaal expresses that fate has shifted to a new direction in which they are no longer needed, and thanks 'that boy' for bringing them to this point. Echidna also expresses gratitude, and looks straight to the hiding place where Meili is, freaking the girl out and making her flee.

However, she's attacked by a mask-wearing man with incredible strength. She barely manages to escape and runs for her life, while the man stops, Roswaal and Echidna joining him, the witch telling Garfiel that he has another duty to attend to rather than chase after her.

When Subaru wakes up, he's pissed about being KO'd, but finds Meili pretty shaken up and comforts her. They decide they need to flee, and Otto and Joshua have gotten their one remaining Earth Dragon and their carriage ready. Beatrice finally awakens, asking Subaru if he is 'that person', confusing him before she falls unconscious again.

There's an explosion and a large kick-up of dust in the village, and the group quickly hops on and takes off, watching as Garfiel walks out, holding a bloodied Ram in his arms. He yells out, cursing their visitors and Anastasia, saying that they killed her. Subaru realizes that their entire time here at this mansion was a trap as they ride off.

Subaru is in turmoil during their ride, wondering if this was all the best outcome, knowing he doesn't have the strength to kill himself to use his Return by Death and try again. He keeps hearing a faint voice calling to him, but chalks it up to his imagination. When night falls, they stop and see a huge wall of fog to the west, wondering just what the White Whale is doing that way– However, Beatrice suddenly begins to unravel, her physical form turning slowly to a glowing light.

Subaru tries his best to stop it, trying to wake the girl up, yelling that he'll be 'that person' if she needs. It's no use however, and he feels defeated, until he hears that voice again and feels a slight movement in his pocket. He takes out a strange necklace there, confused, staring into the green jewel at the end.

Puck, Emilia's contracted spirit, begins to speak, lamenting that Subaru took so long to hear him. He says that Ram placed him in Subaru's pocket, thus he must have trusted him a lot to get things done. He begins to explain that Subaru is an enigma on the timeline, that even Echidna is unable to predict what he may do.

According to Puck, he and Ram had been watching Roswaal since the events in the Capital, trying to uncover his plot, but they could have never fully imagined what he would do to Emilia. When Subaru asks about Beatrice, Puck tells him to place the necklace on the girl so he can save her, and a light emits from the crystal, fixing Beatrice up, though she remains asleep. Subaru thanks Puck as the necklace's light fades out, the spirit making it clear that he needs to rest for a long while due to a lack of mana.

Knowing they were just given their last time extension, Subaru gets everyone going, and they quickly head towards the Capital, about just under a day's ride from the city.

Meanwhile, we see Anastasia in her room of an inn in the Royal Capital's third layer. Julius reports that preparations are done for a joint effort between their camp and the camp of fellow candidate Crusch Karsten to hunt the White Whale, but the knight laments that they are doing such a thing instead of checking on and helping Subaru and the others.

Anastasia states they must believe in them, because there are simply too many things to do. The two share an intimate moment for the few minutes they could, before having to separate again, the girl watching her knight go. She speaks to a strange voice that she seems to trust a lot, calling them 'Dona. Then, as the nearby open window curtain flutters, there's a single noise before complete silence fills the room.

Later in that evening, Subaru and Joshua enter the inn, pushing past the workers towards the room their Lady was supposed to be staying in. They find the room in disarray, and Subaru is shaken when he finds Anastasia lying in a bloody puddle on the floor, still breathing slightly. Joshua is sent into a spiral of despair, just as several knights arrive, being guided by a worker who says she saw Subaru flaunting that he had killed her. Knowing he didn't have much time to work, Subaru grabs a letter that looks like Anastasia had been holding, before activating Shamak to jump out the nearby window unimpeded.

Barely able to move after his rough landing, he heads for the carriage outside where Meili, Otto, and Beatrice still are, hopping in and telling Otto to hit it. The driver is distraught at seeing city knights coming after them, but heads out, while Subaru asks Meili to read the letter, which tells them about the hunt for the white whale that is about to begin.

Meili then tells Subaru awful news to go with everything else– Her 'Mother', the leader of the Assassin's Organization, is around, and she has the ability to shapeshift herself or others. Subaru curses this news, and realizes that there's no way they can escape the knights making chase, deciding that he needs to do something drastic to save them all. He tells Meili to find Julius and the Iron Fangs, and to take care of Beatrice til he returns, before he jumps out at the dragon riders behind them.

Activating Nurak, Subaru manages to distract and then knock one of the Earth Dragon riders off his ride. The beast then suddenly stops, sending Subaru flying off of it, the other knights turning to come after him. When he tries to stand to take them on, a blade slams into his shoulder from behind, pinning him down, as the Sword Saint Reinhard van Astrea tells him to stay himself.

The knights surround and grab Subaru, roughing him up a bit while Subaru insists on his innocence. Reinhard goes off on a mad tangent, confusing Subaru before the boy is tossed into the back of an iron carriage.

As the door begins to close, Subaru feels a bit of madness born of exhaustion and pain taking over him, thinking that he'll change the future, just as the Witch of Greed fears, knowing that he is the only one who truly can.


And now… You're all caught up!

Everything seems awful, and Subaru has been arrested, but he alone can change the future of this world. How will he manage to fix all of this? Can he even manage it without losing his mind completely?

Well, read Arc IV - Shatter the Everlasting Greed to find out!

(The first chapter is finished as of writing this, so expect it within a day or so of me posting this recap!)