01

"Say Subaru ?"

The platinum girl whose hair fell to her waist and had an appearance so beautiful that one may have mistaken her for a goddess had tapped her hand on the edge of her seat with a mischievous smile. The look on her face was similar to a cat rubbing on its owner's leg. But unlike the girl with the mischievous look the boy on the other hand had average looks and could possibly be overlooked if someone had been in a rush beforehand and not been aware of what or who was around.

Natuski Subaru who had short black hair and sanpaku eyes glared to his side looking directly at the girl who had her finger to her chin. The girl who went by the name Pandora gave a cloudy smile.

Hmm ?

An unbeknownst familiarity filled Subaru's brain like lemonade on a hot summer day. To him he was confused when his heart started beating unnaturally fast for no reason whatsoever. The adrenaline in his body filled his entire body as his thoughts became a mixture of noise and quietness.

Had it been his imagination or was the side of him he had forgotten after countless trials that tested him in life or death had come back to him. Subaru sighed. How did his life come to this point ? He could've sworn that the girl before him had made a face resembling one of those yanderes from those anime he used to watch.

He shrugged it off.

That couldn't be possible.

Why would it be ?

It was just a deep desire that he had once wanted, ignoring the reality of what those things had meant. It was just that his brain decided right now would be the best moment to resurface those thoughts. It was just his brain connecting a face to a thought. That was all.

So when he was deep in thought, thinking whether he was a weirdo or if something was generally wrong with this girl besides the manipulation and mass murder of this world, Subaru felt a bump underneath his butt.

(Damn, riding without divine protection really is something.)

His current situation wasn't any better. Subaru had been stuck inside a carriage on a 85 hour journey, going to the country of Kararagi looking for a spirit that had enough power to fix Subaru's gate even if it was in an artificial way.

Without Beatrice it was only a matter of time before Subaru's body popped like a balloon. Mana poisoning was what they called it. Subaru tensed up at the thought, Pandora had a way of dispersing mana but it came in the form of a kiss.

He had a feeling that the kiss wasn't necessary, but if it came from her it wasn't a problem. But ultimately Pandora decided it would be best if they found a more permanent solution to such a small problem.

And with another kiss to suck out his mana Pandora decided Kararagi would be the best place to do that and with her charm it wasn't hard to gather a carriage even if the money in there pockets had been only some lint and dust.

Surprisingly Pandora had a nice side to her which had caused Subaru's face to darken as he stuck his tongue out. She managed to hustle a free ride out of an old man using those crocodile tears.

(Ah Sir me and my boyfriend had been wanting to go to ******* for the longest, but without the money we cannot go, sniff sniff.)

(Ah don't worry about it young lady. This one will be on the house so go have fun. Treat her right boy ! tch-)

The thought of that encounter made Subaru sigh as the chills in his back made him shiver and…

(Wait, that guy totally didn't like me !)

Another bump to his butt caused Subaru to forget about that memory and look at Pandora who had been wagging her feet like a child whose feet couldn't touch the ground. A sparkle in her eyes had lit up.

When her eyes locked with his Subaru averted his gaze with all his strength. As he turned to face her again nothing could've prevented the disaster that was about to unfold. Pandora's smile became something sinister as she poked at his head.

The carriage they were in was quite small. If one were to decide to measure the carriage they would ultimately come up with the thought that it didn't need to be measured. Because with a quick glance of an eye it would without a doubt be labeled as small.

Since it was small the inside barely had room for more than 3 people. So when someone was sitting across from another, the two people would practically be at each other's arm length and with just the 2 inside this carriage the air seemed to become heavier.

Subaru soon found this out when Pandora wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oooooh ? I didn't know you were into things like that, fufu~ "

"Ah ! Don't say things like that. What you're implying makes me feel weird on the inside."

"Describe it ?"

"No."

"Fufu~"

Subaru quickly averted his gaze with a hint of redness in his complexion. Matter of fact thinking back to when they first met it had also been similar in this exact same way. Subaru then became conscious of something else that made his face turn red. And as he feared Pandora realized this aswell.

"Subaru."

"..."

"Do you remember how we first met ? You were as innocent as a toddler back then."

"What are you talking about, it was only a few months ago."

"And ?"

Pandora gave a mischievous grin.

"It was kind of like this, wasn't it."

" ! ! !"

Pandora jumped from her seat and sat next to Subaru who still had a red blush on his face. What he had feared had come to light. Several months ago before Subaru had met Pandora and even when he was still in the Emilia camp he had been inside of a carriage when it had happened.

It was after that night just before challenging the pleiades tower he had awoken to something squishy and a pillow that felt more warm than usual.

"Heh heh. You cling to me like a little child at that time. Ah if only that Subaru still had that same kind of affection for me, fufu~"

Pandora licked her soft lips

"At that time you had come from nowhere. And to top it off I was asleep so I had no idea what I was laying on and what I was touching. "

"Fufu~"

Subaru could feel the blood rush to his head as Pandora drew close. She was only an inch away from his face. Her lips were almost touching his but far enough to where it was just out of reach.

He had felt her lips before but that was a time of sadness and grief. If let's say Subaru had locked lips with Pandora as of now, he would without a doubt drown in that affection. Even if they were both human Pandora had a greater mysterious aura to her.

Subaru then was brought to reality when he heard her angelic voice whisper into his ear.

"Say… Why don't we recreate the scene ?"

"Huh that's… Kind of indecent for someone my age."

"You don't want to ?"

He felt a pain in his chest like a stick had impaled his heart. It wasn't like he didn't want to. He would gladly do it even if his brain and moral compass denied it. The only problem was, during that time he had been thinking about Emilia, not her so recreating that scene would be like him saying he still had feelings for that girl.

He didn't want that.

Subaru turned to the side but Pandora pulled his face to match hers.

"Is it because of that girl ?" She said.

His heart sank.

His blood stopped.

And his eyes felt full.

"..."

"Is that so… Well how about you try thinking only about me this time and try saying my name a little. "

Pandora had her hand to her chin as she tilted her head, her eyes became cloudy and her smile was either warm or cold. Subaru began to think. A bump underneath his butt made it clear that he was getting tired.

It had been only a few weeks since he had left the Emilia camp so those feelings of pain were still deeply rooted in his heart. No matter how much faking he could have done, those scars would never heal. But that didn't mean the wound in itself couldn't heal.

If he had repeated what had happened several months ago he would surely have to face those emotions once more.

His scar would never fade.

"Pandora…"

"Just lay on my lap."

Pandora had been stern this time and forcefully brought Subaru's head to her lap. It was soft like a pillow or a mother had been. He felt relaxed but that was not it, when he looked to the side he saw Pandora's gaze fall onto his, her hair falling just over his face. The pain in his heart had not wavered and the memories only filled his mind.

(Subaru-kun)

It was rem

"Try saying it now."

"Pandora."

He had said her name just like she had asked of him. The pain in his chest grew as the memories of the past became more vivid.

(Subaru)

It was Emilia

"Yes"

"Pandora…"

(Subaru-kun ! Cap !)

It was Rosswaal and Garfiel.

"Pandora…"

"I'm here."

With a soft and gentle voice Pandora spoke into his ear and rubbed his hair as if she was petting a dog or someone she had loved who had been going through a tough time. Something burned. Those memories burned like a piece of paper that had gone through many hardships and had been thrown into a fire.

Were these tears that he felt coming from his eyes ?

Yes, he was crying but unlike those times where nobody had known why, he had her by his side. He cried as he gripped Pandora's white bed sheet she wore as clothes. A stream fell down his face. He cried like a baby, it was obvious the words they said had hurt him. It was obvious he was putting up a front. He wanted to be a hero but was scared of pain. He wanted friends but was scared of arguing. He wanted to love but was scared of rejection.

He had wanted it all.

And all of it wanted him.

(Barusu ! Monster ! Pride !)

It was Ram, Louis and Petelgeuse.

Those burning memories felt like he had been thrown to hell and forced to rot but as he sank further into the darkness a bright light bursted out and filled his entire world.

(Archbishop of vainglory ! Subaru ! Natsuki Subaru ! The knight filled with misfortune ! The one of many sacrifices ! My knight ! The one that shall be by my side !)

It was Pandora.

The memory that shined brighter than them all had replayed more and more in his head.

The tears had stopped and Pandora smiled even harder than before. Subaru buried his head in Pandora's lap.

"It's okay to cry… Now I will be with you so please use my shoulder to cry on."

Her white cloth was drenched in tears. She may have worn nothing underneath and it may have been her only one, but she didn't mind.

Subaru cried and cried like the world was ending at that very moment.

Pandora smiled and wiped his tears with her finger..

02

What would happen if someone you knew suddenly disappeared ? Matter of fact, what would happen if that person disappeared right after a bad argument ? What if that special person had left because of the words you had said ? Could that have been your fault or was it their actions that caused that outcome ?

Anyway these were the questions Rem found herself asking as she sat on the fluffy bed that had obviously been made for two. She sat in silence not even moving a muscle as if her brain was completely fried and she became a zombie whose only motive was to eat brains.

Her shabby appearance could tell a story. Her hair was messy like she had neglected it for days and her eyes had been puffy from tears that had once fallen from those eyes. Now no matter how much she tried those tears wouldn't come out again, she was dried like a mummy.

(Rem I don't love you anymore, I just can't. The constant aggressive acts and misery that you put me through, I just can't do it anymore!)

His voice rang in her mind. The memory of the black haired boy with sanpaku eyes who had claimed to be her hero when they first met entered her mind once more.

Why had something like this happened ? Could it really be her fault for throwing him out when they had met ? She was the one with memory loss not him, could it really be pinned on her for those misunderstandings ?

When she thought about this her heart sank even further.

Yes the blame did fall on her. Even when that boy chased her and claimed to know her she decided to not listen because of a smell that didn't mean anything in the end.

If only she had sat and listened then maybe things could have turned out different.

She moved her hand to her face. This was her first movement in the past few hours.

As her thoughts became louder a sound from the door made her suck up the tears she had thought was falling.

"Rem…"

It was the pink haired maid that had walked in. In other words it was Rem's sister that came into the room. She had a stern look and her appearance said that everything was fine. Ram was nonchalant and calm but behind that thick exterior Rem knew she was burning with anger.

Rem took a glance at her and with a weak smile she waved at the girl.

"Sister…"

"Rem… You can't stay in this room forever. I know what that idiot Barusu had said, but it's time to get up, you have to eat something. As an older sister I have to do at least this for you."

Rem's eyes became cloudy like someone who had lost all hope. Ram had a sorrowful expression but she kept trying to insist.

"Rem…"

"Hey.. Sister… It's my fault that Subaru left. If-"

"Enough!"

The one that cut her off was Ram. She was burning with anger.

"It's not your fault for what happened. That idiot made his own decision and once we find him I'll make sure to give him a good beating! And then I'll make him apologize with his blood soaked face."

Rem gave a weak chuckle.

"But that's the thing. It is my fault and that may have ended it all. Sister, do you know the pain I had caused him, if it weren't for my inability to listen then things wouldn't have gone this way. I'm such an idiot! I really am! If I had just listened then Subaru wouldn't have left, everything would've been alright, I could've stayed… By his side."

Rem had been on the verge of clawing at her face. Her cloudy eyes became darker and as she dug her nails into her skin it then became clear that something was seriously wrong. Ram quickly put a stop to this.

"Rem stop!"

Ram grabbed Rem's arm and that seemed to bring her back to reality.

"Huh."

Ram's face was burning with anger.

(Barusu if you ever hurt Rem like this again, I'll be sure to kill you.)

03

"What the fuck is this ! Is this some fucking joke ! "

The tone in his voice took a drastic turn. If someone had seen this they would say it had to have been a mixture of a child's cry and the rage of a fully adult male who found out their pay had just been split in half. The one who had made this pubescent cry was a clown who's makeup was melting like ice that was on the side of the road on a hot sunny day.

His clown-like smile had twisted into a frown, what was the reason for this nobody had known, besides him who stared at a piece of torn up paper that looked to have been at least a few centuries old, even the writing on the small paper made almost zero sense.

If it wasn't for the clown's mysterious knowledge of the past he would've had no idea what this piece of paper had even said. Roswaal clutched the paper in his right hand with a grip of a bear. His anger was spilling out, his body shook as his face twisted and contorted. His brow had a specific vein that pulsed with blood.

"T-that scammer, what does she mean by this? Only the body, I did what she had asked of me."

And here was the reason for that face that was out of character for him to make. Roswaal was conflicted when she had first spoken to him. ("Please give me Natsuki Subaru") She had said and ("In exchange you shall see your teacher once more") Those were the words that had changed his world.

So when that trashy piece of paper saying where a pink haired, cyan eyes Ryuzu clone was. He felt his heart sink. He didn't even question why a Ryuzu clone was so far outside the county. Why was she in Kararagi, he didn't know, yet he didn't care.

No matter how hard he thought about it, it all came back to him being so stupid as to not see something off about that deal. If he had just stuck to his original plan then there wouldn't be any need to resort to something so extreme.

"-tch" Roswaal felt a sickening pain in his mouth and without thought he stuck out his tongue.

"There has to be something, it can't just be nothing !"

Roswaal flipped his desk making a thud sound, papers flew all over the room. Maybe that witch had left something else that he hadn't realized, maybe that Ryuzu clone had only been part one of the process, or maybe it was something that had been used to fool him.

Roswaal searched his files trying his best to atleast get one single clue. Yet when nothing appeared he fell over his desk, slumping on top of it with one hand to his face.

"This just can't be !"

He screamed, his voice was something like a lion.

Whether he was crying or laughing was unknown but when he felt the touch of a slender hand on his shoulder he peaked out from under his hand, giving a deceitful glare.

The girl who had touched him was Frederica, she was worried. Was it the clown's behavior or was it the fear of his declining health that had spooked her ?

"Rosswaal-sama ?"

"Frederica. "

He had a look of sorrow. He then placed a hand on her shoulder which caused her to tremble slightly.

"Find Ram and tell her to order a carriage to Kararagi, there is something I must do, tell the others that are going to be ready by sun rise."

His tone was demanding, but Frederica couldn't keep up.

"But Rosswaal-sama, We had just gotten back and besides Rem, Garf is still undergoing treatment and had just started recoverin-"

The hand on her shoulder had tightened, any more and she would've been brought to her knees in pain.

"Frederica… Now !"

"Ah yes Rosswaal-sama."

Frederica scurried off and closed the door behind her leaving Rosswaal to ponder in his thoughts.

"Subaru."

Little did he know. Somewhere in Karatagi a young couple had just arrived.