It was a peculiar thought, but Beatrice mused that the promise Subaru had made to her – to create enough joyous memories to fill the 400 years she'd spent in isolation – had already been fulfilled in the short period of time she had spent outside her Forbidden Library.

Of course, she wouldn't tell her dear contractor or anyone else this. He still had to provide her with plenty more of these moments for as long as their contract demanded. So far, he was doing a 'decent' job at it.

But Subaru hadn't needed to do it all by himself. The other residents of Emilia's camp were eager to get along with her. Emilia loved hanging out with her, and the little maid Petra had been more than happy to become her friend. Beatrice wouldn't tell the girl this, but she had also grown to appreciate her friendship.

Sometimes, Beatrice found herself drawn back to Mother and everyone 400 years ago. But to be honest, she was more than content with what she had now.

She had just finished 'hanging out' with Petra and was going to meet her contractor, who had finished his time with his two friends, Otto and Garfiel.

"That was the plan, but who is so uncaring that they would leave this child here alone, I suppose?"

It was a small girl who peacefully slumbered in the arms of the spirit. Beatrice had found her alone with nothing but an animal-shaped cloth that protected her diminutive frame, even by little Beatrice's standards.

"It doesn't matter whose mistake it was. I will take care of you, I suppose."

It went without saying, but Beatrice quickly moved over to help the lost child. And while some time ago she might have called this act a nuisance, Beatrice was now happy to enjoy most moments in life, especially if they were related to her contractor. Speaking of which, Beatrice noted the child had the same hair color as Subaru. A peculiar trait.

"Well, you're almost half as cute as Betty, so this isn't an unwanted experience at all, in fact. Now let's go find out why you were left here alone, I suppose."

The slumbering child seemed to be having a good dream. She smiled and gently reached for the spirit's finger, tightly grasping it. It looked like she felt safe in her hold.

"… Nee nee…"

"That's right. You can trust that Betty will keep you safe, I suppose."

Beatrice's heart ached at such a beautiful sight. When it came to interacting with or taking care of small children, she possessed only the knowledge her books had given her. So, she had next to no real-life experience, apart from with her contractor and his silly friend, of course.

"..."

But as she carried the child in her arms, Beatrice couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Was it a magic spell? It certainly felt that way to the great spirit, who knew much about magic.

The child she held in her arms had a lingering and faint trace of magic.

This magic, she didn't quite understand nor see the source of, but…

"Betty will get to the bottom of this, I suppose."

Natsuki Rigel didn't know what was happening, but he was sure his dad was behind it somehow.

He could probably just say he had been dragged off in his sleep and placed into this place as part of the 'Kararagi Culture Promotion Society' – another one of his dad's dumb ideas – and just call it a day.

So, he now found himself wandering the halls of an unknown villa with no one to guide him or talk to him. While he would call it a blessing that his dad was not here, in reality, he was just lost and he hated it.

A general sense of unease followed him as he stealthily made his way through the building, using all the skills his Uncle Halibel had drilled into him.

He felt like someone was constantly following his every move, even while he used everything to hide his presence. Someone was expertly pinpointing his location yet didn't move to stop him.

Rigel felt his oni blood heat up at the thought of his little sister and his mom being in a similar predicament, or worse. As for his dad… well, he just hoped he was getting his just deserts for bringing him into this situation. And if he wasn't the culprit… then he should quickly move out of his ass to help them.

That is if he somehow managed to find them first. It would help if he also found out where exactly he was.

He had once heard his dad say that he worked as a butler in a mansion in Banan, but this interior didn't match the design of Kararagi architecture. Rigel had a feeling he was not in Kararagi anymore.

Was he kidnapped? He doubted anyone could get past Uncle Halibel so easily. And even though she was crazy, even more so than all the acquaintances of his parents, Tia did seem like someone who was hard to deal with, especially if they attacked her so-called family.

Remembering that girl who always made him feel strange, Rigel reached for the charm she had given him. On his wrist was the bracelet ornament made of a beast's white fur that she'd given to him. She'd told him that she would rush to help him if something bad happened. Would that be true now?

"Ah…! Someone's there…!"

Rigel quickly moved over and took cover inside a luckily empty room.

From there, he spied into the halls where the unknown character made his way. He had silver-like hair and was dressed in green garbs. He started straightening his hat as he made his way back to his room while grumbling.

"–really shouldn't keep doing this. They take me out to see them train only to end up with them teasing me again. If I waste too much time, the paperwork will end up overstacking. They should hold more respect for my work- Wait. When did they manage to make me like this job?!"

Rigel managed to calm himself a little. Whoever this was didn't seem threatening at all. It was also doubtful this was the kind of person to kidnap someone with bad intentions. In fact, Rigel thought that guy looked like someone his dad would be friends with.

"It's Natsuki-san's fault too. If he wants to hang out, he should just say so."

It seemed like he had hit the nail right on the head. There wasn't much to worry about. It was just some dumb ploy by his dad, and this quite lame guy seemed to be in on it. Rigel quickly grew irritated at him. He was cutting short his precious Spica time.

"Alright, I've had enough. Hey you, Lame guy! You're working with my dad – with my old man, right?"

The man was completely flabbergasted. For some reason, his eyes quickly moved over Rigel's small frame, from his hair to his very threatening eyes. Rigel took it as worry over being found out by the one that he should've kept in check.

"Wh- who are you? Did you just say dad? Wha-"

The man was practically lost in thought but still totally focused on him. It was absurd. Rigel was surprised by how much this man was going nuts over him, inspecting all of his body while holding him in place.

"But… those eyes… and that hair… Then, could it be?"

Connecting the dots as fast as he could, the man rapidly attempted to make sense of all the meaning behind the child's appearance – who this child was, and why he resembled his friend so much; as well as how he had referred to his friend. Finally, it looked as if he had come to a crazy revelation.

"Natsuki-san had a secret child the whole time?!"

Despite being one of the most down-to-earth people in the group, even Otto, the Internal Affairs Minister of the Emilia camp, came to such a bizarre conclusion. But in retrospect, who wouldn't? The lad in front was basically the spitting image of Subaru if he were younger and had different hair.

The sharp eyes were probably the biggest giveaway. They were a sharp contrast to his youthful face and a clear connection to his friend. And while he did look the part, if the child in front of him hadn't called himself so, Otto would've believed him to be Subaru's little brother rather than his son.

"Actually, you're too young to be Natsuki-san's son. Yeah… I must've misheard you and came to a wrong conclusion… You mean Natsuki-san is your relative, right?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Of course, he's my relative; he's my dad! Even if I hate it, he is my dad! My name is Natsuki Rigel, and he is Natsuki Subaru! There. Satisfied?"

Otto's brain almost had a shortcut from the loud confirmation. He had never said the actual name Subaru, so it only went and proved this child's claims. But Otto still couldn't believe it. Not only had his friend hidden the fact he had a child, but he also had it at a younger age.

"What's next? Are they going to launch beans at me again? Last time they threw fish heads, so it can't be any worse… Hey, are you alright… M- mister?"

Otto managed to focus on one thing before he truly caused a great misunderstanding. The boy had a particular hair color. A hair color that he was too familiar with but chose to ignore. A certain 'sleeping beauty' had identical hair to the child in front of him, and while he didn't particularly enjoy talking about the tragic subject, Natsuki-san had remarked plenty of times on his affection for the girl.

Otto had sharply figured this affection translated into love, and while he did not know; or perhaps had just forgotten if the sleeping girl's feelings were also correspondent to his, this child that called himself the son of Subaru could be seen as proof of the bond they may have once possessed, and that now the entire world had forgotten, maybe even the son himself…

"But that isn't really possible, is it?"

Otto was smart, smarter than most would give him credit for. He knew there was no chance that his friend Subaru was the father of this child. While he was certain Rem couldn't be the mother due to her sleeping beauty condition, Subaru had the benefit of doubt going for him.

He believed his friend would have told him if he had a child somewhere, or at least someone in their camp. Besides, Subaru wasn't the kind of person to abandon someone close to them. If this was his child, Subaru would undoubtedly move heaven and earth to be with him.

Many other more viable options were likely the answer. Jumping to dangerous conclusions wasn't something he, as Minister of Internal Affairs, could afford, lest he ruin the lives of those he was supposed to administer.

He was annoyed that his job had led him to this conclusion. Maybe it wasn't all bad?

"… Listen. I don't know what this whole thing is about, but I believe I could-"

"Hey Otto! You left pretty early. Garfiel still wanted to hang out more, you know?"

Otto didn't expect Subaru to follow after him, but in a sense, it was a good development. The faster misunderstandings were cleared, the less chaos would ensue.

"Dad?"

Oh no.

"C'mon, Otto, don't be such a- Hmm? Who is this?"

Otto would've been surprised at how quickly Subaru's expression changed – from his usual carefree demeanor to a curious, then anxious one. The same thoughts that Otto had been entertaining for the last minute were undoubtedly running through Subaru's head now, probably much faster, given how he quickly backed away to get a good look at the young boy.

It was an entirely different situation for Rigel. Hearing and seeing his dad appear washed away his worries. Believing himself clear of immediate danger, he let his guard down – only to immediately raise it again for the hell he was about to unleash on his father, of course.

He was going to go all out, but…

"Hey, this isn't a joke, you know? This isn't funny at all…"

Rigel didn't have many chances to see his father lose his air of superiority. Flushed or broke, Subaru would have a good comeback or sassy quip ready, and only his mom could decently turn the tables on him. Yet, this was obviously not the case right now. His dad was outright quivering with fear and uncertainty, and Rigel didn't know what to make of it.

Especially since his 'dad' looked so different than usual. He wore some weird clothes, although some part of him felt he had seen them before, and a different, shorter hairstyle.

He also noticed that he seemed way more… younger? Rigel was often told about how both of his parents had maintained their youthful looks magnificently; but the strains of age would still be noticed by the trained eye. Being the son of this man that he'd known all his life, the lack of these strains was easily noticed by Rigel's shinobi-in-training eyes.

"Otto, what – who is –"

Otto began the near-impossible task of calming Subaru down. To be honest, the sheer strangeness of the situation was also eating at him from the inside, but he needed to maintain his composure so they could get out of it.

"I'm as lost as you are, Natsuki-san. I was hoping you would have the answer. So, you don't know who this is either… Still, you should calm down. There are many plausible and normal explanations for this situation."

"R-right. You're right, Otto. Did I just lose my composure in front of Otto? Can't allow anyone to know I lost face like that!"

The small wink Subaru gave Otto was hidden from Rigel. Subaru was known for his quick thinking and ability to keep himself under control, and Otto certainly knew his friend wouldn't try to hide his problems from himself. Now how could they face this bizarre situation together…

"D-dad, what's going on? Where's mom? Where's Spica?"

At his wits' end, Rigel abandoned his pride and pleaded for help from his 'dad' – to stop whatever game he was playing and just help him, like he should be doing. Yet his dad looked like he just got hit hard, both from Rigel referring to him as dad and from mentioning Spica's name.

"Natsuki-san, this child called himself Rigel. Rigel Natsuki. Do you happen to have any relatives or know anyone like that?"

Otto calmly turned to Subaru, only to find him trembling in place.

"Rigel and Spica are both names of stars, names I got from my home… I don't think many would name their children after those stars… But… I thought about it."

It was Otto's turn to fall into uncertainty once again. Half of the down-to-earth possibilities had just vanished in the blink of an eye. This child not only had the looks of Subaru and Rem but also the name his friend would've liked to give to his children.

Coincidence? Otto couldn't believe it to be so anymore. Maybe one or two coincidences could be properly labeled as such, but this many? Then it became a pattern. Something beyond his comprehension was happening.

Having drawn a similar conclusion, with a face as pale as Roswaal's heavily made-up one, Subaru's eyes pleaded with Otto to find out more.

"Um… Rigel-san, right? I know you must be very confused, but trust us, we're also trying to get to the bottom of this. So, could you work with us? Let's take it slow to avoid reaching a half-baked answer."

Rigel took one last glance at Otto and Subaru. He seemed to conclude that this man mustn't be his father due to all the differences between them, just someone with a great similarity. After all, his dad never talked about his past. This ironically happened just as Otto and Subaru concluded that a connection between them did exist.

"R-right. Right. I must've 'jumped the gun' somehow. Slow? Yeah, I can take it slow. My mom did tell me not to trust strangers…" He turned to see the man who resembled his father to a T. "…But I can probably make an exception."

With an attitude unfitting of his age and a sentence that Otto felt was unfitting for anyone other than Subaru, Rigel decided to go along with their plan, hoping it would bring him one step closer to the truth.

"So… Rigel-san, by your attire, you must be from Kararagi. Or maybe you're from the city of Priestella?"

"Yeah, I'm from the city of Banan. Wait, you're saying I'm actually outside of Kararagi? For real?"

Otto once again turned to see if his friend gave him any substantial clues. But Subaru didn't seem to have anything substantial, other than a strong urge to ask about Kararagi again.

"Indeed. We're currently in the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica. And by your tone, you did not come here willingly at all, right?"

"I just woke up and was standing alone in the middle of one of these halls. I don't think that counts as 'willing' at all."

Subaru perked up at Rigel's claim. He began to seriously consider something. Otto waited to hear his input, but…

"Hey, Otto, doesn't that make us look like kidnappers?!"

"What the hell?! You really sound like my dad."

"Please focus, Natsuki-san!"

Both Subaru and Rigel instinctively turned to look at Otto, then comically pointed to each other.

"Actually, there's one more thing I wish to ask Rigel-san. This is going to be crucial."

Since Otto deduced that Subaru had just found a lead of his own, Otto knew he had to obtain the last piece of the puzzle.

"I've noticed you have a particular hair color. I assume you inherited it from your mother. And if so… May we know her name?"

Rigel was perplexed by such a weird and personal question. But, judging by the way both men's eyes instantly became expectant and fearful, it was truly crucial.

"… You're right. I did inherit this hair from mom. But the shape I got–" Rigel inspected Subaru's hair. "–from Dad… And as for her name…"

…

"It's Rem."

The calm atmosphere they had cautiously built was shattered instantly. Otto admonished himself for not trying to hold onto Subaru in case he acted rashly where his suspicions were correct. And now he had to pay for his mistake.

"Natsuki-san, wait!"

Subaru disengaged from them and ran off with incredible speed. He had a clear goal in mind: Rem's room.

Otto turned to fix a conflicted gaze on Rigel, the source of their problems.

"I'm sorry, Rigel-san, but I must ask you to follow us. The situation just got a lot more complicated."

"You bet I will. I'm not leaving until I figure out what's going on. Not that I know where to go, either."

Otto still didn't know what to make of this child in front of him, and the same could be said for Rigel. But despite their mutual doubts, both chased after Subaru as fast as they could. Which meant that Otto was left in the dust.

But as he followed behind Rigel and tried to regain his breath, he found Subaru.

Subaru stared at the doorknob that led to the room where Rem slumbered. Doubt was plastered all across his face. But his determined eyes showed he was just steeling his heart for what may be inside.

Rigel wished to speak up but was stopped by Otto. He saw another conflict raging in his friend's mind.

Sadly, neither of them could ever hope to comprehend it. For Subaru knew things they didn't. He knew about Return by Death, and he also knew how much of its inner workings were unknown.

He had once been shown terrible nightmares from worlds that kept on going after he died. The thought of parallel worlds had been planted into his mind.

So if those were true, then the existence of this child who claimed to be the product of both his and Rem's love was no longer impossible. It's just that the fact of it being true would bring far worse implications.

But before he gave time to dwell on any of those theories, he had to confirm one last thing: the safety of Rem.

And without further ado, he turned the doorknob and launched himself forward.

…

"You took your sweet time getting here, Subaru. What a hopeless contractor Betty has, I suppose."

Despite their deep connection as contractor and spirit, Subaru did not expect to find Beatrice inside. However, he had been anticipating something extraordinary. But since anytime he saw Beako, his day became better, maybe that counted?

Regardless of the cute and unexpected spirit inside the room, the reason why he had entered was there just as he remembered it. Unmoving and unchanging.

"Beako… What are you doing here? Were you looking for me? That's cute and all, but you could've just called me…" Subaru moved forward towards his spirit.

"I was looking for you, in fact." Betty was definitely pouting. "But it's not to play your silly games, Subaru. This is serious."

Beatrice turned towards Subaru, who finally caught a glimpse of what she'd been holding in her arms. That was…

"As I thought. The resemblance is uncanny, I suppose."

A baby girl, whose hair color strikingly resembled his. And her style perfectly resembled…

"… her mother's…"

"Subaru seems to have figured it out too, I suppose."

Beatrice reached closer and handed the girl to him. Subaru cautiously picked her up, holding her as if she were the most delicate porcelain. He hesitantly moved his fingers through her hair, the hair that marked her status as his child.

"… Papa…"

Even while asleep, the girl had such a carefree smile that no one in the room could avoid having their heart melt or wishing to spoil the little girl.

A sentiment both Otto and Rigel also shared as they entered the room. Rigel was particularly eager about it.

"Spica! Hey, give me my sister–" Rigel paused as he noticed behind the twin-tailed spirit and the figure laid in the bed. "M-mom?! What did you do to her?!"

Rigel fearlessly marched inside to 'help' his sister and mother. He was just about to tear her away from Subaru when…

"H- huh? Why… Why are you crying?"

A caring boy at heart, Rigel had to ignore his rage at the sight of this 'Subaru' shedding tears while holding onto Spica.

Beatrice moved next to her contractor and earnestly held onto his jacket, as if to signal that she wasn't going anywhere.

"I know this must be hard for you, but as Betty's contractor, you should prioritize what I have to say first, I suppose."

Subaru turned to Beatrice, who got on her tiptoes to wipe away his tears. He would've hugged her at such a cute act, but he was holding something very important. Beatrice saw this as a chance to speak up.

"While it's regrettable, the whole extent of the situation is not clear to even me, I suppose. But thanks to that girl, Betty was able to formulate a theory." She gestured at Rigel. "And that foolish boy was the last thing I needed to prove it, in fact."

"My name is Rigel!"

While purposefully ignoring the blue-haired child, Beatrice carefully took hold of the sleeping Spica without any complaints from Subaru. She took one last glance at both Spica and Rigel, then back to her contractor and the sleeping maid. Having made up her mind, she began:

"This will be difficult for you to accept, Subaru. But… these two children are, in fact, yours and the maid's, I suppose."

Everyone in the room, shocked as they were, almost lost total control of their composure. Rigel and Otto both turned to Subaru, each with different questions about this implication.

"B- But what does this mean, Beatrice-sama? It's impossible for Natsuki-san to have a child with Rem; she has the 'Sleeping Beauty' disease!"

"D-dad? But then… why is Mom is sick? What's gonna happen to her? What…" Rigel saw how his 'dad' truly did not know of him. He wasn't playing a bad prank on him. It was as if he genuinely unaware of his existence until now. "…What happened to you?"

Subaru shivered at being called dad. He looked back at his spirit, pleading for her to continue her explanation and fixing another longing gaze to Spica.

"You all are too fast in reaching reckless conclusions, in fact. Just as Betty was saying, these two must be the children of 'Subaru' and 'the maid'… but at the same time, they are not the children of Betty's contractor, I suppose."

If he hadn't been drilled to keep calm under pressure by Halibel and have some second-hand experience with every year's Setsubun, then Rigel might've collapsed just from all the stress alone. Seems like the ability to endure harsh situations runs in the family, as Subaru also struggled to comprehend this strange turn of events.

Only Otto managed to plead with the great spirit to continue her explanation.

"Do not assume that Betty seeks to worsen the situation by holding back information. It's just a theory Betty has made, and even Betty doesn't understand this situation fully, I suppose."

She moved closer to Rigel and continued.

"These two are not of our world, if that makes sense. Rather, they've somehow been brought here by some unknown magic, I suppose." Beatrice carefully wiped away some strands of hair from Spica's face. "The flow of mana was disturbed, and Betty could feel as if a grand spell had been cast, in fact. It would be impossible even for Betty to decipher the secrets of these spells…"

Beatrice looked back upon her past, all the crumbs of knowledge her mother had once given her. All the years learning in the library. She reluctantly gave a silent thanks to her mother for once giving insight into the topic that it seemed to be at play here. She didn't know much, but she could at least hypothesize about it.

"Except for the fact that it's some sort of Yin magic… And there's few ones who could know these spells and have the power to cast them, I suppose… Like the Witch of Envy."

Otto and Rigel both flinched at the apparent culprit of their concern. Who wouldn't? Just hearing the dreadful title of the Jealous Witch was enough to send shivers down one's spine, but to hear that she somehow was involved in their affairs was infinitely worse.

Some unwanted voice inside Otto told him that he was having his just desserts after joining the half-elf's camp, but he swiftly silenced it. He knew what he was getting himself into and would gladly do whatever he could for his friends, even if he was to face the Witch of Envy.

As for Rigel, while both of his parents had masterfully avoided the subject and kept it out of their house for the most part, it was still common knowledge. So, it wasn't strange that Rigel knew about the Witch or that he now was showing the traces of terror befitting of a young child such as himself.

Subaru himself was not faring any better. He was terrified but also relieved. In a twisted sense, he had managed to clear many unknowns about Rigel's and Spica's apparitions. Of course, they were replaced with many, many more questions, but Subaru knew he might never find the answer to those questions, so he would have to settle on throwing the blame at the Witch of Envy for now.

"A-are you certain, Beatrice-sama?"

"Hmph. Betty already said she didn't know for sure, I suppose. It's only the most likely culprit, but there may be another who managed to accomplish this feat. Although Betty couldn't give you any leads to that, I suppose."

The great spirit answered the disturbed merchant's question with a pout, as if dissatisfied that she didn't really know the answer.

"In reality, none of what I said could be true, in fact. Betty has seen many spells, but none to the level of what must be required to accomplish this, I suppose."

Yin magic was her specialty, but even she could not be sure what had conspired here. At least, the truth of these children being from another world and probably another Subaru looked very solid.

"And there's one more thing Betty needs to say. Subaru would obviously overreact, which is why Betty kept this for last, I suppose. These two children are not the only anomalies right now. When Betty started looking for similar flows of mana, Betty managed to feel many more Yin magic fluctuations, in fact. And many of them are placed in this mansion, I suppose."

"Dammit, how could I have forgotten about Emilia-tan in this situation… And if Ram finds something weird, she'll certainly lose her cool head…!"

Subaru slapped his face with both palms to clear any doubts he had; all his inner turmoil shoved and regretfully turned to Beatrice.

"I'm sorry I have to leave this in your hands, Beako, but could you please look after Rem, Rigel, and Spica here? I would ask you to keep an eye out for Otto too, but that might be too much, right? Shame. Looks like you'll have to come with me, Otto." Otto let out a dejected sigh at his friend's peculiar way to ask for help. At least he wasn't down on the ground.

"Betty's contractor is truly helpless, I suppose. Very well, I'll look after everyone here, Subaru."

Subaru knew everyone would be safe in Beatrice's care, but his heart eagerly welcomed Beatrice's final words of reassurance, nonetheless. And with that, he turned to the odd-one-out in the room. His little replica that looked back at him and surprisingly spoke first.

"I seriously don't know what's happening… But I trust you. I know Dad would do anything to try and protect Mom and Spica… and you act just like he does, just less annoying. But… I still miss them."

To say Rigel was shaken would be an understatement. The poor kid had been dumped into such a heavy pile of trouble in the last twenty minutes, so him still maintaining a level head is nothing less than a miracle. And yet, he was still a child. So, he couldn't manage to keep his tears hidden much longer.

"So… please. Go find them… And tell them me and Spica are both fine. They must be worried sick." He cleared his tears with the edge of his kimono, just like Subaru had cleared his own tears just earlier. "Ah, b-but don't go telling 'em that, or I'll never hear the end of it!"

While he still didn't know how to feel, Subaru had to smile at the child's helpless plea.

"Don't worry. Wherever they are, I'm sure they're safe." With a thumbs up and a last wave of bye, they both left the room.

"Alright, Otto, if I were me but had two children, who are very cute by the way, where would I be?"

"Why are you asking me that!?"

Otto fixed his hat, and then continued.

"But if I know Natsuki-san, even if he has finally become a father, well, he's probably getting himself into trouble right about now."

"That sounds about right. Well then, Otto, let's go find ourselves the most amount of trouble that we can in this mansion!"

And so, Natsuki Subaru began running once more.

And so, Natsuki Subaru ran away once more.

Somewhere inside this unfamiliar mansion, an explosion had occurred. Ever the opportunist, Natsuki Subaru made his escape once more.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

He had confessed. Confessed his feelings to Emilia in the dream. His sincere apologies for what he had done. Or rather, for what he had failed to do.

He wanted to tell her about the whale. About Sloth. But even in the dream, that horrific hand that liked to torture his heart still caused enough fear to clamp his mouth shut. It had been years since he last felt its terrible embrace, yet it still managed to bring him enough fear to keep him in line.

But he could tell her about how he had failed. How he had abandoned them. Left them to die.

The dream once again reminded him of how real it looked, because the faces of Emilia and Petra were enough to almost drive him to tears again.

And so, he was going to continue. To tell them what had happened after he had left. What he had managed to build together with Rem.

A good household, two beautiful children, good friends, and neighbors.

Then, after remembering the good things he now possessed in his life and how much he treasured them, the nightmare would end.

But she had stopped him. The dream Emilia looked at him with compassion, and a bit of sorrow. As if she had failed him, and not the other way around.

She looked at him as if he wasn't the Subaru who had left her to die. Who had left everyone to die. She looked at him like he was a different Natsuki Subaru.

"Umm… Subaru, I reaaally don't get what happened this time… But… I'm fine. And see, Petra-chan is fine too! You already know that we will help you with anything, Subaru!"

"Ye-yeah! Subaru-sama, just tell us what happened, and we can help fix it, right Emilia-sama?"

"Yeah, Petra-chan is-"

It was that that moment that he heard the explosion from somewhere in the mansion. At the very least, it sounded like an explosion. He noticed Emilia instantly move closer to Petra, looking to protect her. She likely would've done the same for him… had he not already left.

Apparently, dream Emilia didn't expect him to take off running and had been stunned long enough for him to lose sight of her.

"Subaru! Wait!"

What a sick joke. He should've guessed by now that it was going to end this way, just like always. If he had known that this dream Emilia would react like this, he would've continued running until this nightmare finally ended.

'They were fine.' That was the most outrageous lie he had ever been told. And since this was his own dream, it made him the biggest liar of all time. Well, he knew that much already, when he had broken those promises with the not-dream versions of the people he saw now.

And now they sent their spirits to haunt him. At least, that's certainly what it felt like, with how real they, and indeed everything, looked.

Maybe it wasn't going to work either way…

Seeing how the dream had unfolded thus far, it was safe to say that dream Emilia would never have accepted his apologies.

But at the same time, the way she and dream Petra had responded hurt deep, and he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Was it because they had ignored his sincere apologies so quickly, in favor of once again telling him that he could count on them?

That hurt. The dead telling the living that they could help. He needed their forgiveness, not their help. As it stood, they were the only problem he had.

But either way, it would all soon end.

That explosion was unexpected, for both him and his dream captors. It probably signaled that something in the real world was moving or trying to communicate with him while he was still dreaming.

He could feel it. Soon, he would stop dreaming. Soon, his beautiful wife would sense his pain and hurry to him out of this nightmare, as she had done so many times already. Or maybe it would be one of his kids that greeted him. Cute little Spica grabbing onto his hands, or Rigel shouting and kicking at him to wake up or something.

And it appeared that he was right. For after turning a corner, he saw her.

She was in a pitiful state. Her beautiful kimono was almost reduced to tatters, her perfect skin bruised and cut all over. The biggest casualty had been her hair, once a beautiful cascade of gentle blue, now barely anything but tangled and weak strands below her shoulders.

Another woman was nearby, carefully trying to approach the wounded girl. She was blonde and unfamiliar, yet she also wore the same maid apparel Dream Petra had used, though hers was in a much poorer state than the one worn by the young village girl.

He noticed that this girl was also wounded, even if it couldn't compare to the condition Rem was in. He noticed this as she carefully attempted to make her way through the ruined floor of the mansion.

If he had noticed a moment later, he surely would have fallen headfirst into them. The floorboards were now askew and broken, scattered chaotically across the site. A broken window, its shards still quivering from the impact, revealed the point of the destructive force that had ravaged this space. The wooden frame was splintered, and glass shards littered the floor alongside the broken tiles.

Even so, he ignored the many hazards in the now-destroyed hall for what lay in the middle. The blonde girl had already made her way through the shattered floor and was carefully trying to take Rem into her arms.

She must have seen him then, not that she could have failed to do so with how eagerly he threw himself onto the ruined floor. And just like all the other phantoms, she knew who he was.

She exclaimed something upon seeing him, but he ignored her words. At that point, it didn't matter if it was real or a dream; the image of his wife lying wounded on the ground would have spurred him to act the same way.

He briefly wondered, how long had it been since he had seen her in such a state? Covered in wounds and suffering, he once thought he had managed to bury the images of seeing her like this… and in even more terrible ones.

Nevertheless, the fact that he had allowed her to get into this state in the first place meant he was a failure as a husband. And such a failure warranted only his most earnest action to help fix it. Dream or not.

Yet, just as he got close to her, he saw what the other girl was so adamant about. It was to be expected of this accursed nightmare that they would manage to make this already grim image even more terrible.

Two sisters. Estranged twins reunited once more. Yet this was not a joyous occasion. If he thought that Rem's wounds were serious, then the state he found the other oni nestled close to Rem was truly severe.

The visage made him stop once more. He had seen Ram in his nightmares before, and this wasn't even close to the most grievous of injuries he had seen inflicted on her body, yet he could not help but be stunned by both her presence and condition, both of which he had thought he would never see again.

Finally, he paid heed to the voice of the other girl calling to him.

"Subaru-sama! Ram, she- she passed out…" After finally taking a good look at him, it seemed she also had something to say about him, seeing as she suddenly lost her words again.

This at least helped Subaru escape from his stupor, and he finally managed to cross next to where his wife lay.

He let out a gasp of surprise when he finally saw why the dream maid had not separated them. He always knew that his wife was a strong and amazing woman, so it should come as no surprise to him when he saw her caressing her sister with a distinct light emanating from her hands.

Despite being greatly wounded herself, Rem was still prioritizing healing her sister. He could already see some of the wounds on Ram's body beginning to mend. Of course, being wounded herself, it was only a matter of time before her energy depleted and she collapsed just like her sister.

"Ah… Rem."

His heart was a mess. In such a short time, this 'dream' had shown him so many terrible things that he was overwhelmed. But the biggest pain came from his doubt. The doubt that this was even a dream at all.

Because it had to be a dream; the alternative was an unthinkable reality. A preposterous horror.

He had long stopped asking questions about his dreaded ability [Return by Death], having gone a long time without using it.

But now, those terrible possibilities were running amok in his head, giving rise to many questions he doubted he even wanted the answers to…

"Subaru…"

A delicate hand reached for his cheek, and despite feeling cuts and bruises, Subaru recognized it as the beautiful hand of his wife, Rem.

"I- I knew it… If Subaru-kun is here… there's no way this is a nightmare…"

"Am I an idiot? I definitely am an idiot."

Here he was, despairing about himself while his darling wife was hurt and in pain. Had he not promised always to help and protect her, to never let anything like this happen again?

So, Subaru closed his eyes. For one final time, he hoped that when he opened them, his wife would be staring back at him in the comfort of their bedroom, with no sign of any wounds upon her body. He would jump out of bed, hug her, visit Spica for the same, and maybe go to Rigel too, even if he would probably resist. Then, he would go about his day as usual, trying to bury this particular dream in his memories where it belonged.

But… he couldn't keep lying to himself any longer. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he had been trying to turn a blind eye to the truth. Even the touch of his wife was not the first one he had felt today. Both Petra and Emilia had reached out to him, and he had tried his best to deceive himself about the authenticity of what he had felt.

So, he opened his eyes to confirm with his own eyes the truth he had been trying to hide from himself.

"I'm here, Rem. Your Subaru is right here."

Despite being together for so long now, he couldn't possibly begin to guess what his wife was thinking about the situation they were in. But he couldn't even decide what he himself thought about it, so it was better that he helped her so they could think about it together.

He knew that with Rem by his side, he could endure anything. Even this most despicable of situations could be overcome.

He saw Rem's feeble smile gain some strength. He also couldn't ignore the way the other maid he had not met moved closer with careful steps.

"Um… Subaru-sama, if it really is you, then please help me take Ram and… and Rem to a healer. Garf should be nearby…"

Another name he didn't recognize. He wondered if this girl could see the same trepidation in him that he saw in her.

"O-of course! After all, carrying this girl in my arms has become second nature to me!"

Trying to lighten the mood in such a situation was one of the few things Natsuki Subaru could think to do, other than moving closer to Rem to carry her while the blonde did the same for Ram. He didn't know if it was effective, but…

"Heh…" Rem let out a weak chuckle as he tried to pick her up.

He would consider getting his wife to smile, even just a little bit under these circumstances, a victory. But he could tell it wasn't due to his joke.

"… Two Subaru-kuns… This really is a wonderful dream…"

Subaru's wife finally reached her point of exhaustion and closed her eyes to rest. But just before that, he managed to see where she had glanced.

There he was. A spitting image of him in his younger years. The same face, the same eyes, the same hair, the same tracksuit. There stood another [Natsuki Subaru], with an expression he couldn't understand plastered on his face.

But considering it was supposed to be him, then he probably had the same look on his face as well. And if that was the case, then this other [Subaru] wasn't scared of him; rather, he was… anxious but determined.

For a moment, his own determination almost faltered. Emilia and Petra were right behind the other [Natsuki Subaru].

"See, Subaru? He's right there. Why didn't you tell us you had a twin brother?"

The other [Natsuki Subaru] kept looking at him without saying a word. Subaru should have done the same and avoided looking at Emilia and Petra. He still couldn't even begin to understand the situation he was in, but he at least knew that this wasn't a dream, so those two were somehow real. And if they were, then…

He needed to apologize.

When he was still under the delusion of this being a dream, he had tried and failed. It made sense now that Emilia would not understand what he had been ranting about. After all, when he had asked for forgiveness then, he had internally been asking himself for it, not the girls he thought were dreams.

A second wind of determination came over him. He didn't know what to tell the other [Natsuki Subaru], nor would the people of this parallel reality even know what he was talking about, but he knew he needed to say something. Anything.

"Erm-" "Rigel and Spica."

He started to speak, but the other [Natsuki Subaru] spoke first, mentioning two names very familiar to him: the names of his children. Once more, fear took over his heart. Fear and anger. What had this guy done to them? He wanted to scream that, but…

He was looking at his wife, at Rem. On his face was an expression he had not seen before, yet he knew all too well. A face of pain and sorrow. He was certain that if he had looked in a mirror just before, he would have the same expression.

But this other [Natsuki Subaru] did not lose his composure or break down before what he was presented with, even though it was likely that he really wanted to. No, he had something to do.

But so did he.

He carefully picked up the now sleeping Rem in his arms and took a deep breath. Then he turned to the other [Natsuki Subaru].

"Rigel and Spica. Those are my kids. I don't understand what's going on here at all, but… If you've seen them, I need to know where they are."

He kept his gaze on the other [Natsuki Subaru], and he likewise did the same.

"I-I found them. Me and my friends found them. They were lost, but now they are safe and sent us... looking for you and Re- and that girl."

He scanned their faces: Emilia, Petra, the wounded Ram, the blonde maid, and this other [Natsuki Subaru]. He could tell they were as lost as he was, but they still strove to help, to reach an understanding, anything.

He still didn't know what to make of the situation or of the people standing right next to him—those who wore faces of corpses and the one who had the face of the man who left them to die, the same face he had. He probably would never truly wrap his head around it.

But he knew something. He knew his wife was hurting in his arms. He knew that out there, his two beautiful children were probably lost and confused. And even if he didn't know what to make of these 'new people' yet, he knew that one of them was also wounded and needed help. As a husband, a father, and a good neighbor, it was his duty to help them.

Natsuki Subaru couldn't forget his past.

This hellish situation apparently meant that he couldn't move on from it.

But maybe, just maybe, he could help make things right with it.

Hey, would it be funny if I just ignored how this chapter took years to come out? I think it would.

So, Rigel and Spica join the fray! At first, I was only going to have them and leave the Subaru's first meeting for the next chapter, but I figured that it was best if they could all reunite and talk faster. They have a lot to discuss after all. Also, I was going to have Rem and Ram talk a bit before they passed out, but it didn't really fit quite as I liked. In any case, the next chapter will have everyone sit down and have a nice talk in which there will be no problems between them whatsoever.

Alright, I'll say it. It has been nearly three years since I last chapter and since then I have barely been writing anything. Obviously, many things happened during that time, and I have been quite busy, but even when I finally got some free time, I still ignored writing. And about this time I stopped reading arc 7, other fics, and other series, and once again didn't go back when I was freer. I guess that's part of having a busy life.

Still, I'm back. My writing has not improved in all that time (in fact I started writing in hopes of improving it) and I'm now behind many side stories and a whole new arc, but I still want to write more. I appreciate all of you who read and write reviews about this work, and I hope you will continue doing so.