(Rem x Reader) Re:Reader - Starting YOUR New Life in Another World

by Kaip0

After being teleported to a world filled with magic and fantasy, YN (Your Name) meets a girl he had no clue could exist. Inexplicably infatuated for the blue haired maid, YN will do everything he can to keep her safe from danger, even if she herself is the danger. During his time in the Roswaal Mansion, YN will find out the true meaning of why it's called a "crush."

117. Chapter 117: Unwelcome Guests Abound

Chapter 117: Unwelcome Guests Abound

The talk with Roswaal went surprisingly smoother than it had before, if not, quicker at the very least. There was still some yelling of course, and YN took an entirely backroom role due to it. And without so much exposition as last time, things were left on a much more successful note.

Subaru had managed to win over Roswaal's support nonetheless in convincing him of letting the villagers of Arlem return, as well as being granted special permission to return the Mansion the very next day. Yet, that was only under the reasoning that Frederica was a potential enemy, something YN still not agree with.

In the end though, all of this was accomplished with but one catch—

Ram: —To babysit Barasu while Roswaal-sama is still bedridden. How selfish of you. Do you have no shame?

As it was now the morning of departure, the pink-haired maid who was set to go along with Subaru, as was the condition that was levied unto them, voiced her personal disapproval of the arrangement.

Subaru: I'm really sorry Ram, but it's just in case Frederica is—

Ram: —Yes, yes. 'An enemy.' Ram understands why she is to come along. However, what she doesn't understand is why he's staying behind.

Gesturing to her flank, Ram's thumb pointed to YN, who had come to see them off.

YN: Well...

Subaru: I'd like someone here to protect Emilia-tan if need be. From anyone in the Sanctuary, or someone from outside it...

Perhaps worried Elsa may even go as far as coming to the Sanctuary if she didn't feel like waiting for them at the Mansion, Subaru had asked for YN to stay behind.

After speaking to Roswaal the night before, Subaru and YN had been awake until very late discussing what they hadn't had time to before. Now with each of them fully up to speed, YN did indeed see the use of staying behind once more.

Ram: Are you this dense? Or just foolish?

Putting her hand on her hip and scowling at his fellow wayward traveling companion, YN listened as Ram went on.

Ram: Had anyone here wished to harm Emilia-sama, they would be incurring the wrath of not only Roswaal-sama, but also of all those here whom still so wished to be freed. And does Barasu really feel the need to be concerned with outside threats? With as short tempered and vigilant as Garf is, you'd need someone of considerable might to come along.

Thwarting his argument on all fronts, Subaru did at least have one ace up his sleeve still.

Subaru: You may be correct considering all that... But that doesn't change the fact Patrasche's saddle only has two seats.

Finding the excuse weak still, Ram rolled her ruby-red eyes at the black haired boy, but nonetheless didn't protest further.

As the moment moved on, the topic changed back to Ram wishing she hadn't been tasked to go along with Subaru, primarily out of concern for Roswaal, and—

Ram: —If Garf were to lose his temper with YN, there would be no voice of reason to stall him.

Professing a wish to be able to defend YN, the notion and its depth seemed lost on Subaru.

Subaru: I think if push came to shove, YN could hold his own against him.

But while Subaru had written off Ram's words so easily, YN couldn't help but attribute them to something Rem might have said.

YN: I don't know about that... If Ram hadn't stepped in—

Ram: —Exactly. Had Ram not stepped in, YN may have been injured just as bad, if not worse then Roswaal-sama when you all first wandered into the Sanctuary.

Putting a hand to her chest, Ram boasted this logic to Subaru who seemingly wasn't affected by its weight.

Subaru: Bah. YN here is way smarter than him.

Throwing an arm over YN's shoulder, Subaru pointed at him with his thumb.

Subaru: Garfiel might have a strength bonus over our favorite landscaper, but YN here has better technique and proper magic at his disposal. Besides, nothing a few of your bandages couldn't fix. You did a pretty good job on ol' Ros-chi.

Folding her arms, Ram scoffed at Subaru.

Ram: Barasu should note it was not Ram who treated Roswaal-sama, but Garf himself.

Coming as a surprise to both of them, Subaru dropped his arm from YN's shoulder as the two also nearly dropped their jaws at the idea too.

YN: Ram, you'd trust Garfiel to do that?!

Ram: Of course! What if Ram does it wrong and only exaggerates the wound?

Shocked to hear the golden-haired youth possessed such refined skills, the age-old notion of "speak of the devil" showed itself.

Garfiel: Seems m' names' gettin' thrown around a lot for not actually bein' around. 'Gregory of the Hills stands at attention when called.'

Using another of his odd euphemisms, Garfiel had approached the group, arms crossed and an irritated look upon his scarred face.

Ram: Garf, have the elders set about their decision to release the Villagers of Arlem?

Garfiel: Yeah, they have. 'Good riddance.'

Spatting at the ground for good measure, Garfiel turned his attention to Subaru.

Garfiel: But I still don't get you. Why's you getting to leave so early with a woman on each arm?

With a finger pointed directly right at Subaru, the shark-toothed youth spoke of Ram, and the trusty land dragon they each were set to ride on, Patrasche.

But, not wishing to complicate things further with an honest explanation that he was suspicious of his sister, Subaru opted to tease Garfiel instead, if only to change the topic.

Subaru: Oh man, sounds like you're a little jealous I'll be riding with Ram.

Garfiel: —Tch.

Ram: As if.

Only managing to get rolled eyes from the two of them, and making Ram turn her head away, Subaru doubled down.

Reaching behind himself and patting the back of his tracksuit, Subaru went on.

Subaru: Not like I'll feel anything on my back though, I bet it's all boney.

Garfiel: —Gah?!

Calling attention to what must have been an insecurity to Ram, YN saw the maid's pink hair sway as she snapped her gaze back to the one who peddled these insults to her. With eyes open wide in surprised anger and her fangs bared, YN feared the worst for his wayward traveling companion.

Bold strategy, Subaru. Let's see how this works out for you.

Garfiel: I-I know better than anyone Ram is—!

Subaru & Garfiel: —GUH!

With all due prejudice, Ram laid out a harrowing right hand hook-slap across the two faces that dared to speak anything negative about her.

Ram: If either of you aren't careful with your words, Ram will not hesitate to knock you two to the ground.

Garfiel: Ain't fair warnin' us afterwards!

Subaru: Yeah, what the hell?!

Splayed out on the ground from the oni's sudden strike, Subaru and Garfiel both received their punishment for speaking so crassly. Shaking their fists in defiance as the red hand marks on each of their faces began to glow, Ram turned her head just that YN couldn't see her own visible eye.

Ram: Do you have any comments you'd like to add as well?

Glaring at him through her peach colored bangs, Ram levied a potential equal treatment to YN, should he deserve it.

YN: N-None at all, Nee-sama!

Ram: Hmph.

Turning her head the rest of the way, a much more calm expression was on her face as her single eye came back into view for YN.

Ram: As suspected of YN. He possesses honor even when those around him act like buffoons.

Giving praise to the one smart enough to keep his mouth shut, Ram turned back to the two picking themselves off the ground, a hand on her hip as she did so.

Ram: Ram no longer feels like embarking on this journey after such a transgression. She shall go and inform Roswaal-sama of this.

Turning to leave, Subaru quickly brushed the dirt off himself as his tone and attitude changed very quickly.

Subaru: W-Wait! If you don't come along I can't go!

Ram: Perhaps Barasu should have been more restrained in his words.

Looking over her shoulder, Ram gave Subaru the same cold look she had YN only moments ago.

As Ram took another step away, YN could see in Subaru's eyes he viewed this as a legitimate threat to derail what he thought was the key to saving everyone at the Mansion.

—And that means saving Rem too.

YN: R-Ram, hold on a second!

Hoping to be the voice of reason to get her to stay with the plan, YN spoke up.

Ram: —?

Turning just her head as she halted, allowing YN to see only her one eye and a raised brow, Ram let him speak.

YN: You gotta go with Subaru, otherwise he might be in trouble.

Ram lowered her raised eyebrow as she heard this, and properly turned to address YN's argument.

Ram: Ram refuses to travel with anyone who is obviously so unappreciative of her. I'd rather throw myself from the ground dragon's saddle. Why would YN ask Ram to subject herself to such rudeness?

YN: I—...

While he wished to bring up Rem and how she might need protecting too, YN curtailed the idea.

No, she's only seen Rem once, I can't convince her off just that. I would be wasting my breath.

But, patting the last bits of dust off his track-pants, Subaru took a step forward towards the oni, recognizing what her true aim was here.

Subaru: I realize even apologizing won't be enough to change your mind, but what if someone else was able to bring you along?

Sporting a half smile that was on the opposite side of her face from what YN could see, and a glimmer in her one exposed eye he also could not see that conveyed "I see you're catching on." to Subaru, Ram answered him.

Ram: Oh? Who did you have in mind that can easily ferry Ram on such short notice?

Turning to YN with the same expression on her round face, Ram looked to him as Subaru sighed and ran his palm down his face.

Subaru: Would riding in YN's car be good enough?

Slightly annoyed Ram had gone about her dislike of having to share a saddle with him to such an extreme workaround, Subaru weakly gestured to YN and then over to his car, which conveniently, was parked only a stone's-throw away.

Closing her eyes and nodding, Ram's cheerful voice of getting her way affirmed the offer.

Ram: Ram finds the dragon-less carriage sufficient. These conditions are satisfactory.

Reaching down into his pocket, YN removed the keys to his contraption and twirled them around his finger.

YN: Welp. Looks like coming along after all.

With an agreement secured, YN went to fetch his car, and was able to stay within ear-shot of the rest of the group.

As Subaru mounted his trusty ground dragon, Ram had moved to board YN's car as he moved it closer, but as Garfiel was left to just stand and watch, Subaru got his attention.

Subaru: So, I take it since you're here, you're seeing us off?

Garfiel: Yeah, ain't like I'm happy 'bouts it though.

Subaru: Well, we appreciate you cooperating.

Garfiel: —Tch.

Growing tired of the small talk, Garfiel had begun to leave before Subaru called to him one last time.

Subaru: Uhh, hey actually... Don't you have something to give us?

Garfiel: W-huh? Wadder' you on about?

Overhearing the exchange, YN had a clue about what Subaru was asking for.

Is he talking about the crystal necklace he was given last time? If I remember Subaru telling me correctly, he willingly gave that up last time he—

*Thunk*

Breaking his thoughts, the dull, familiar sound of his locked passenger door handle trying to be opened echoed in the cabin.

The one responsible for the attempt was none other than Ram. Seeing her attempt was unsuccessful, she had moved on to trying to use the mirror, and another small extremity on the car as the means to open its otherworldly door.

Quickly stepping out from his seat, YN circled the car and used his key to manually unlock the door, and open it for the confused maid.

YN: Ahh, sorry Nee-sama... I had it locked still.

But, seeing the embarrassing display, Garfiel scoffed at it.

Garfiel: Hah. He must not want you goin' if he's leavin' you outdoors like that. Why don't you stay ere' instead, ay?

About to take her seat, Ram paused her motion to sarcastically respond back at the golden-haired youth.

Ram: And miss the opportunity to be warm and comfortable for the first time in ages? Garf must surely not appreciate the finer things in life.

Taking one quick glance at YN who still held open the door for her, Ram turned back to Garfiel one more time.

Ram: As for this, YN was simply doing his gentlemanly duty making sure Ram did not labor herself in opening the door herself. That's just proper etiquette for a lady entering a carriage, is it not?

Perhaps only saving face for YN out of spite against Garfiel, her words had the desired effect and then some.

Stomping the ground with some degree of his awesome strength, Garfiel directed his annoyed reply not at Ram, but to YN.

Garfiel: What's yer angle, huh? What's got Ram of all people suddenly wrapped around yer finger? She always been so clingy with you?

Before YN could defend his own honor though, Ram was already snapping out her reply.

Ram: Ram cannot understand from where Garf assumes that. What he should be more worried about instead is just how well YN and Frederica are getting along.

Garfiel: ...Oh? What's this about now?

With daggers sharper then his teeth now in his eyes, the youth turned his attention back to YN.

YN: R-Ram, what are you—?!

Ram: —Ram heard from Emilia-sama that when YN and Frederica met, she was very charmed by him.

Garfiel: Oy, Oy...

Hearing Garfiel's tone turn darker, YN pleaded to Ram to stop antagonizing him.

YN: W-Why are you making me sound like some kind of womanizer?!

Just what is Ram trying to accomplish by saying these things?!

Garfiel: Ay. Just cus' you can get one good knock on me doesn't mean I'll just let you waltz away with my sister, huh? 'Stealin' brides at night ain't any easier when Jambo's around.'

Approaching YN as he spoke of references lost on him, Ram stepped between the two in the feud she had manufactured for unknown reasons.

Ram: Before Garf does anything foolish, Ram is willing to thwart any potential chemistry between the two if he'd so kindly give his momento to Barasu.

Halting the golden-haired youth, he gave each of the two before him a glare of suspicion before exhaling sharply. Snagging the necklace from off his neck, Garfiel chucked it behind him in the direction of Subaru.

Subaru: W-Woah!

Barely catching it, had it not been for Patrasche moving with all due haste, the crystal would never have been caught by its uncoordinated rider.

Now without his momento, Garfiel turned away from them all, and headed back towards the interior of the Sanctuary, but not before getting one last word in.

Garfiel: I expect you to honor that, Ram. If I come back to Frederica head over heels for that guy, a lot more than just her heart's gunna be broken.

Ram: Hah.

Gracefully taking her seat in the car, Ram gave YN a look that signaled she was done with her shenanigans.

YN: *Sigh.*

Closing her door, YN thought to himself as he circled back around to his side.

I gotta give Ram props for recognizing we needed that crystal for... whatever reason. But did she really need to do all that?!

Reentering his seat, YN fired up the car, and set about following Subaru on his ground dragon.

By mid-day hopefully, they'd all be back at the Mansion, and this business with Elsa seemingly returning to be an adversary once more could be investigated.

Don't worry Rem... I'll be back soon.

---

?: Subaru-sama!

Brought back from his deep thoughts despite both Ram and YN trying to get his attention, the one finally able to get him to snap-to was the Roswaal Mansion's newest maid.

Petra: Welcome back! You've managed to return a lot sooner than we thought!

Subaru: — — —

While the auburn-haired girl awaited a response from Subaru, YN and Ram stood back with Patrasche, who had just had her rider dismount.

Fidgeting with herself, Petra was suddenly embraced by an emotional Subaru.

He must have been pretty worried about her. Hopefully he didn't see anything... graphic involving her after Elsa paid the Mansion a visit Loop.

Theorizing why it was Subaru may be acting this way, Ram tugged YN's sleeve as she kept her vision trained directly on the girl in a matching outfit to her own.

Ram: YN. Who is this young lady?

YN: Oh, that's right.

Given everything that had occurred, the insignificance of Petra's hiring had ultimately gone undiscussed.

YN: Frederica took the liberty of hiring more help.

Ram: Hmph. Who does she think she is? She did not even consult Roswaal-sama on the matter. How inconsiderate.

Looking to YN now, the pink-haired maid tilted her head.

Ram: Does YN not find it suspicious an otherwise unknown person to him has stepped in and started taking charge and making decisions like this about the Mansion? Ram finds his complacency strange.

Again questioning YN on why he did not view Frederica as slightly suspicious, YN shook his head.

YN: Given she's only shown up now that Rem's been removed from the world, I'm really not surprised. When the White Whale would erase people, it was like they never existed. But when there were those erased by Gluttony, it seemed the universe pulls other strings to replace those people.

Thinking on all that had changed that he so far had noticed, YN continued his point.

YN: Actions or heroism attributed to someone gets moved to next applicable person. Roles get refilled. To me it seems Frederica is here to fill Rem's shoes, in a way.

Giving Ram a weak look, he wished to speak the truth but not be rude to her.

YN: We both know you can't take care of the whole Mansion on your own.

Seemingly taking his logic with a grain of solt, Ram shook her head nonetheless.

Ram: I still find it curious how only you and Barasu are capable of recalling individuals who are victims of either the Whale, or Gluttony... But your trust in Frederica still is what's oddest to Ram. You've never met her before yet you are certain she is not a threat.

Shrugging, YN only had his original motive to fall back on.

YN: Rem never said anything bad about her. I have to trust that because she would trust that from me.

Looking back to Subaru embracing the new maid still, Ram sighed.

Ram: This is a subject for Ram to dwell on later. As for now—

Taking a few steps forward, Ram spoke directly to the two before them.

Ram: How unpleasant.

Subaru: —Huh?

Petra: —?

Hands on her hips, Ram scowled at the two.

Ram: It seems everyone here has forgotten about adorable Ram.

As she said that though, Ram turned her head back to YN ever so slightly, just enough for him to see the side of her single eye that was unobstructed by her bangs.

Ram: —well, not everyone.

Looking back at the now separated two before her, Ram crossed her arms and awaited an answer.

Petra: Ah. Ram-sama, correct?

Approaching the oni who was putting off a considerable amount of intimidation to the new hire, Petra remained undeterred.

Petra: I am the recently acquired maid now working to the betterment of the Mansion for the Margrave. My name is Petra.

Bowing deeply, the young girl's large bowtie flopped about as she returned to her standing posture.

Petra: I am honored to meet you.

Ram: — — —

Keeping her arms crossed, the pink-haired maid gave a few more silent moments of judgment before speaking back up.

Ram: You seem honest, unlike Barasu.

Subaru: —H-Hey!

Ram: Ram accepts this introduction. You pass.

Subaru: W-What?

Forgetting the initial insult, Subaru was now more concerned by Ram's rapid acceptance of the new hired hand.

Subaru: How can you just give her the thumbs up so quickly?! Did Petra say the magic phrase for instant approval?!

Turning to Subaru with a hand on her hip, Ram figured she didn't owe the black-haired boy a serious explanation.

Ram: Ram can now and then be capable of approving people at first glance. YN is a shining example of that after all.

As if putting herself on airs for her "good judgment skills," Ram spoke of that in a cheerful voice before returning to her normal one.

Ram: If Barasu is going to protest one, he might as well protest both.

Subaru: —Tch... His circumstances are different though! He's practically in-law'd!

Speaking of the key mutual person between Ram and YN, he could tell at first the argument confused the oni, but by her eyes, he could see she realized what he had meant a moment later. Not wishing to let this cause an air of awkward silence though, Subaru moved the conversation along.

Subaru: So... Petra. Has anything odd happened since we departed?

Petra: Hmmmm...

Genuinely thinking about it, Petra replied with a weak smile and shake of the head.

Subaru: What about with Frederica? Anything strange?

Petra: Frederica-nee-sama?

While all three were slightly surprised as to how Petra referred to her, they were all equally more concerned with her answer.

Petra: No. Nothing at all. But...

Subaru: 'But?'

Petra: Just before you all arrived, she went out to check the forest barriers. She said it's one of her normal duties but this is the first time she's gone to do it since I first arrived.

Piquing Subaru and Ram's suspicion, the oni voiced a question of judgment to Subaru.

Ram: This is either excellent timing, or the worst. How will Barasu treat it?

Hand to his chin in thought, Subaru voiced his confliction aloud.

Subaru: Hmm, it would be good to know if she's actually doing what she told Petra... Maybe—

YN: —I'm tired of this. If you all wanna treat this like some generic 'whodunnit' mystery board game, go right ahead. I'm going to go see Rem while you figure it out.

Ram: —?!

Walking past the other three, YN headed towards the Mansion's main front door. While Ram at first felt the inclination to scold YN for his disregard to what they still believed was something worth at least discussing, her interest quickly was picked up by the prospect of once again meeting this previously unknown twin of hers.

Ram: —...Ram shall accompany you.

Subaru: H-Hey!

With the main motivation of the group changing, Subaru felt an air of frustration at the disregard of Frederica being gone.

Petra: O-Oh! You must mean the Sleeping Girl! Please allow me to show you the way, okay?

Cheerfully taking up the task of leading them to where Rem slept, Petra took the opportunity to put her maidly training on how to treat guests to the test.

Left alone though, Subaru sighed and hung his shoulders.

Subaru: 'Guess we're doing that first. Might as well go along...

With everyone now committing to the change of plans, Subaru was left with little choice except to follow along, as the three others were now several dozen paces ahead of him. Catching up by the time they entered the Mansion, they all headed inside to pay the blue-haired oni and sister of Ram, a bedside visit.

---

Showing them through the recently cleaned halls, Petra had the three in tow behind her. Coming to the same familiar door and room he had left his beloved in before, YN's muscles tensed as they approached.

It feels like forever since I've seen her, but in reality it's only the next day...

Due to Loops, YN hadn't been in recent mental contact with the one he loved.

As they reached the door though, Petra read the emotion on YN's and Ram's faces, and quietly excused herself to go back to the cleaning duty she had been tasked with before Frederica's departure.

Standing back with his hands in his pocket, Subaru watched as YN put a hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. Engaging the first *ker-chunk* of twisting the ornate, gold handle, Ram's words halted him.

Ram: That tenseness does not suit you.

Closing his eyes for a moment, YN reopened them after turning his head to the maid in response.

YN: It doesn't suit you either.

Ram: — — —

With Ram silent in reply, YN had correctly sensed the looming anxiety in the oni that wasn't unlike the kind that currently held his own confidence hostage. Ram could only look on without a word while YN readied himself once more, before fully twisting the knob and pushing the door open.

Inside the room was dim, but not dark. There was no furnishing in the room except a single chair, a single bed, and a single pyroxene-crystal lamp.

But, laid ever so tenderly in that bed, safely kept under the sheets of white, was the one they had all come to see. A single strand of brighter light crept through a gap in the two thin curtains adorning the one window in the room. Laying it's rays of sunshine upon the one who resided in her never-ending rest, the brilliant hue of azure was greatly pronounced against the rest of the room.

To no other though, then to YN did this color stand out more.

The one and only thing to be filled with any sort of saturation or life was this single color to him. In a world of dull and dreariness, this remained his single reminder that such happiness and joy still existed.

With a slight wobble to his legs, YN approached the Sleeping Beauty, and knelt down by her bedside as her delicate head and hair rested upon a mountain of pillows, if not for her own comfort she otherwise did not have.

Gently taking her hand that rested atop the covers, it did not take his back. But, nonetheless, the contact was warm and rejuvenating. Stroking her bangs and moving them just enough so both her closed eyes could be exposed, YN for the first time in a long while, smiled.

YN: I'm back, Rem.

Having stayed back at the entrance to the room, Ram and Subaru only entered further after YN turned his head and nodded, signaling they were welcome and needn't worry.

Approaching YN's flank and staring at the Sleeping Beauty with him, was this girl's older twin sister, Ram.

Looking up to her she stood next to him, YN could see the brilliant blue reflect in Ram's crimson eye. It was almost as if looking at a mirrored, yet color shifted doppelganger of herself. In truth, in the dimly lit environment that was YN's car in the woods that first night in the Sanctuary, Ram had not been given the opportunity to closely inspect Rem. To Ram, the marvel of her first reveal had yet to be forgotten.

As Subaru decided to give the two some space, he at least was close enough to be involved, carefully taking a glance at Rem in her slumber.

With no words further being exchanged, and not even a single further reaction from Ram, after close to a minute or more, she finally managed to force herself to speak.

Ram: —Ram would like to request to be alone.

At first taking a look back to Subaru, YN did so only to make sure he heard that right as well. With only a wide eyed expression from him, YN turned back to look up at Ram.

YN: I—...

No...

About to argue that he too, should be allowed some time by Rem's side, especially since it was he that remembered her, not Ram, a sudden change in judgment came over him.

Ram knows all that. She wouldn't be asking this of me unless she really did feel a good reason to.

YN: No problem. Subaru.

Standing back and gently letting the blue-haired girl's hand rest limply back to the sheets of white, Subaru had already gotten halfway out of the door by the time YN was on his feet.

Unable to see Ram's expression thanks to her bangs, YN simply nodded.

YN: We won't be far, if you need anything.

Garnering no response still from the maid, it wasn't until he was at the door did she respond.

Ram: Umm...

Raising a brow without turning back around, YN reset his expression before craning his neck over his shoulder to look back at Ram..

That's... not her usual voice.

In rare form, a hint of timidness, and dare he even say, "weakness" escaped from Ram in her single spoken word.

Ram: ...Would YN actually consider remaining after all...? Ram believes she has questions that only he will be able to answer sufficiently right now.

Looking back to Subaru out in the much more well-lit hallway, YN lightly shrugged, conveying "What else can I do?" to which the black-haired boy nodded heartedly in reply, conveying with that "do what you have to do."

Closing the door to his friend now, Ram reached for the single chair in the room and placed it before her, as if inviting YN to have a seat as the maid herself took a spot just at the foot of Rem's bed.

In the dimly lit room, YN sat just across from Ram, who, still gazing at her younger twin sister, hid her expression from him with her bangs once more.

After a moment of more silence, Ram spoke up.

Ram: Ram must apologize... It was selfish of her to ask YN to leave. I neglected to think of how important Rem is to you as well.

Taking a large sigh, YN waved off the concern.

YN: I can understand it's probably overwhelming for you. And as her sister, I have to respect you needing time alone with her.

Looking back to YN, Ram cast her eyes downward at her two legs, dangling just above the floor from the high, plush bed she sat on. Gently kicking her legs about, she folded her hands before her, as if in great thought.

YN had never before seen Ram look so somber. It wasn't a usual look for her, but he could tell her mind was a mix of different emotions, what those were though, was a mystery.

Ram: I can't recall a time before ever hearing you speak that way...

Raising a brow to what she meant by that, YN let the maid slowly continue explaining.

Ram: Your words had such a deep and meaningful sound to them... so much kindness and sincerity in them. —Ram doesn't believe you don't exhibit those traits, but to hear you speak them to Rem...

With clearly mixed emotions, Ram shook her head.

Ram: Ram is uncertain why she let such a brash request be voiced. She is uncertain what prompted her to say this.

YN: I think it might just be due to you wanting that sisterly bond with Rem. It's completely natural in my opinion.

Looking back to Rem, Ram still hid her face, much like how she hid her innermost reasonings for her request for him to stay.

Inside Ram's mind was a tense sea of emotions and desires. While much of the unease stemmed from seeing Rem and knowing who she was, the motive that came from wanting solitary time with her was different in origin.

Did Ram simply want Rem for herself? Or—

Again, the same confliction brewed in her mind she had felt when YN and Subaru had first arrived to see Roswaal in his bedridden state.

—did Ram simply wish for YN to be away from Rem?

It did however, feel like this sensation stemmed from a similar pain she had felt when looking at YN. Unable to comprehend how she could feel what could only be amounted to petty selfishness from a desire she could not pinpoint, Ram remained silent until YN spoke up a moment later.

YN: You two really had a special relationship. From the way you talked with each other, to your synchronization... Rem really looked up to you.

Ram believed every word YN said regarding the blue-haired girl. His words to her upon his arrival to the Sanctuary proved he would not lie about her. Yet, even Ram wasn't blind to the truth about herself; "What was worth being looked up to in Ram?"

But as her mind forced her to remain silent in deep emotional thought, YN spoke up once again.

YN: The two of you were so close, it might have been due to Synesthesia as well, being able to feel each other's emotions.

Ram: —?!

Snapping her attention back to YN, the surprise was apparent on her one visible crimson eye, but quickly her melancholy combined with her logic smothered any other emotion.

Ram: That... somehow feels familiar. As if Ram already knew this. It is surprising, yet also not at all.

Taking a large sigh of her own now, Ram weakly looked back to YN, a curiosity of her own seemed to glint in her eye from some faint reflection in the room.

Ram: The two of you also share a particularly special relationship as well. Ram would like to learn about that as well. Perhaps it will answer some questions she still has.

While Ram did believe this was a good way for her to learn more about this sister of hers, and while there was too a genuine empathy she felt for YN having lost someone so special to him as well, what really drove Ram to ask this was none of these other concerns.

No...

For some reason, deep down in her mind and soul, she wanted, —needed, to hear directly how close YN was to Rem.

She wanted the truth.

The truth of how hard this pain she felt inside her could be, knowing how close YN clearly was with her precious sister.

YN: ...Just what sort of questions do you have?

Putting a hand to her chest, Ram was honest with not only herself, but to YN as well.

Ram: While it may serve as a way for Ram to deepen her understanding of her relationship with Rem, she also wants to better understand the relationship Ram has with YN.

YN: —?

Surprised this could come back to him and Ram of all people, YN could only surmise this curiosity in her stemmed from one thing.

Maybe this is another void left in her with Rem's erasure. It's gotta be from the place where Ram knew of mine and Rem's promises to each other. The trust she has in me is still there, I can tell. But since her memories now omit herself ever asking for me to be the one Rem leans on, that must be it.

It was similar to when Rem had been erased by the Whale. Ram's trust for YN still remained, never unbroken or disturbed. But its foundation and what it was built from, was.

Yet for as solid of a conclusion as that was, YN was only privy to about half of what was the cause for Ram to feel this way.

What Ram desires most to know is... why does she feel this longing towards YN?

Casting her eyes away, past YN to the blank, but ornate wall of the room, Ram struggled to understand herself.

Why is it only now that Ram feels this way? This only started once YN came to the Sanctuary... Would it not have occurred before then too?

Racking her mind with possible solutions, she turned her gaze back to the near-mirror image of herself, causing a pang of guilt to radiate through her from her continued thoughts.

It's not because Ram sees a selfish chance because Rem is asleep, is it?

Fearful this "longing" she described had come from some sort of opportunistic desire in herself, Ram desperately tried to brush such unsettling thoughts away.

No. Ram refuses to let herself think that, especially when it involves a sister she had such a special relationship with.

Seeing Ram sigh as she looked upon Rem, YN further questioned Ram on what she had meant earlier.

YN: So... are your questions about me and Rem's relationship? Or is it about how you felt about it?

Trying to gauge Ram's goal, he was answered broadly.

Ram: Yes.

Pinching the bridge between his eyebrows, YN took a deep breath, knowing this must be hard on Ram.

YN: Can you start with a more specific question? I'll answer anything.

With her gaze still intensely focused upon Rem, Ram spoke to YN, and asked the burning question in her mind that she felt was of ultimately, selfish origins.

Ram: YN has been at the Mansion for such a brief time. How did it happen?

Slightly tilting his head in initial response, Ram elaborated more on her question.

Ram: You spoke to Ram how special the relationship was between you and Rem... How it had been my own request that got things started... but how did it become so deep, so soon?

Folding his hands in his lap, YN could really only shrug. He did so not out of not knowing the answer, but his need to keep things as vague as he could as to not reveal the existence of Return By Death, as that had been a key element of it after all.

YN: I think what made it that way, is that the relationship was very tragic from the beginning. Some bad things happened between her and I. —Things Rem still felt really guilty over to the very last moments of being awake.

Ram: —These things. Did they occur in the forest during the Mabeast attack? As you know, Ram cannot recall Rem being involved in that, but I do seem to recall YN nearly dying.

YN: That was related to it, yes. Most of it though happened before then.

Ram: —? 'Before?' What could have happened in the handful of days you and Barasu had first arrived at the Mansion?

YN: Ram... you were suspicious of me and Subaru first arriving, correct?

Ram: Was Ram not to be? Was she not to think that Emilia-sama had been swindled by two men up to no good and convince her to bring them both home like a pair of abandoned puppies? Of course Ram was suspicious. Had she noticed anything dubious, she cannot imagine what she might have—

Stopping her words, Ram picked her head up but still gazed far ahead. As if in a long distance trance, Ram slowly turned her head and gazed to YN from Rem.

Ram: ...nothing... violent happened during that time... did it?

Only able to hang his head and let his expression of somberness do all the talking, Ram's heart sank.

Ram: — — —

YN: — — —

While a silence grew between them, YN kept quiet not out of lack of knowing what to say, but rather he did not want to paint Rem a bad picture of herself in front of Ram. Coupled with speaking of events of far gone Loops, he also wished to not lie to Ram. After a few moments, the maid finally spoke up.

Ram: You mentioned Rem feeling guilty... is Ram to suspect that a rash conclusion was reached at one point by Rem and myself that has simply been erased from Ram's mind? Another casualty of Gluttony's authority?

YN: ...More or less...

Ram: If Ram can piece together the rest, she can imagine that Rem was also present and eventually saw YN's actions in the forest to provide an escape opportunity for Barasu and I... —Rem must have been included in those you tried making a chance for.

Nodding earnestly to the pink-haired girl, Ram had done an excellent job patching together things.

Ram: —and thus was the means for your 'tragic love' to form.

YN: Deep down, what hurt the most wasn't anything Rem ever did to me, but that I seemingly upset such a nice and kind person...

Ram: —YN, what are you speaking like that for? If Ram can imagine what may have transpired, and for what reason—

YN: —It's only because that happened between her and I that we ended up this way together.

Ram: —?!

Wide eyed at the notion YN was just going to accept it all, or rather, had long done so, Ram looked at him with great surprise.

YN: Those things allowed what love we would have later to be so tragic. To answer your original question... It happened so quickly because of that. The tragedy of it all made us stronger. It blossomed Rem's infallible trust in me, and in turn, I swore I'd never betray it.

Having arrived at the conclusion she did not expect to hear, Ram could only turn her gaze back to Rem and slowly reached to hold her hand.

Silent again, YN could see Ram was doing a great bit of thinking. Her mind juggled not only her own self-guilt from the origin of her question, but her thoughts on Rem, her thoughts on YN, and why now after hearing all this, her heart only longed more for the groundskeeper.

At an impasse really, YN thought to himself as well.

Ram is going to need to resolve a lot of things in her mind. She's going to have a hard time doing that while I'm here though, I can tell.

Standing from his chair, YN gave Rem one last readjustment of her blue hair as he spoke to Ram.

YN: Would some alone time between you two be beneficial?

Ram: Yes... Ram would like that. She'd very much like some time with Rem to reconcile her feelings.

Thinking what she meant had to do with the sisterly bond YN knew the two twins had to share, it still went unknown to him the emotions Ram felt in regard to him now.

It's probably something I can't comprehend. I'll leave her be.

Taking his leave, YN proceeded to the door slowly, and gave the two sisters a parting wave as he left the door frame.

YN (softly): See you later, Rem, Nee-sama.

Gently shutting the door, YN turned in the direction back down the hallway to where he had come from. Leaning his arm against the wall, he sighed heavily.

Not only had it been hard on himself to recall such things and feel the raw emotion that went with them, but he now already missed the blue-haired girl he had just left.

YN: I just gotta... I just gotta keep moving forward.

Trying to motivate himself despite the dull, near colorless atmosphere now having fully returned to his vision, YN put his hands in his pockets and slowly shuffled back to the tea room. If anyone was waiting for him, be it whoever, they'd be found there, no doubt.

---

Step by slow step, YN had somberly made his way down the last flight of stairs to reach the main foyer area of the Mansion. His slow pace had burned some time, but just a few more steps and he'd right back at—

Subaru (distant, muffled): Answer me, Frederica!

—the upstairs Tea Room!

With shouting echoing out from the nearby room he hadn't expected anyone to be, YN quickened his pace and set about trying to see what the situation was as turned to go back up the steps

Subaru must be getting heated at Frederica... She's probably back now.

As more of Subaru's shouts echoed, the word "teleportation" was among them. Reaching the door frame, YN made himself visible to the two.

Right in Frederica's face, Subaru was clearly hounding the maid for answers, to which the maid could only shrink back, despite being taller than the one accusing her.

But catching sight of YN, her blushed face of worry seemed as if it saw hope in his presence.

Frederica: Y-YN-sama! Y-You must be done visiting with Rem!

Seeing the one he was interrogating turn her attention elsewhere, Subaru also turned his head.

Subaru: Oh, hey.

A stark contest in tone to his recent yelling, YN didn't know exactly how to respond to either of the ones now looking at him.

YN: Uhhh...

Frederica: — — —

Still somewhat compromised, Frederica's eyes bounced between the two while still slumped back.

Subaru: How was Rem?

YN: Uh, fine I guess?

Beginning the subject of small talk, YN figured all he could was play along.

YN: Are you uhhh, asking Frederica about the whole teleporting-thingy?

Trying to at least bring the topic back around, this finally prompted Frederica's eyes to sparkle slightly as it gave her a means to answer for herself at long last.

Frederica: I sincerely have no idea what any of that means...

Given such a dead-end, blunt answer, Subaru could hardly believe it, should they be truly honest words.

While the two were going back and forth again, mainly with Subaru shouting and Frederica professing innocence, YN's attention was pulled away now with an alarming noise being heard in his head.

*Ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum—*

Again as if it were the sound of a beating drum, YN couldn't turn his head quickly enough to suddenly find he was no longer alone in the doorway.

Ram: I knew Barasu was foolish, but to hound Frederica on his own...

Scoffing at this supposedly poor choice on his end, Ram entered the fray.

Ram: —tis a near suicidal endeavor.

Getting her last belittlement in, Ram turned her head slightly to YN and nodded it as if she wished for him to follow her.

Ram took a seat on one of the Tea Room's two longer couches, to which YN took the seat next to her, hopefully keeping up with whatever direction or plan she had going.

Taking a cup and saucer from the center of the small table between the two seating areas, Ram passed a set to YN, one over to where Subaru would have been sitting, and one to Frederica.

Turning her gaze up to Frederica's tall frame, Ram eyes spoke for her, and got the golden-haired girl to act quickly.

Frederica: —Ah!

Taking the seat next to Subaru, the maid reached for the porcelain container that currently still held a batch of hot and ready tea. Pouring each person a cup, Ram was first to grab hers.

Ram: Barasu's misplaced barrage of accusations has unfortunately caused Ram to prematurely end her sisterly bonding to come and deal with this. He should feel the utmost remorse for it.

Scowling at Subaru, he could only defend himself after trying to take a sip of the tea.

Subaru: H-Hey! You also think Frederica isn't so innocent!

Ram: It was merely a possibility.

Subaru: —Tch!

Setting his tea cup down with a loud *clink!* the black-haired boy shot a fully outstretched arm to Ram with his finger pointed right to her.

Subaru: You wouldn't be throwing me under the bus —er, carriage like this if YN also thought Frederica deserved some scrutiny!

Suddenly being drawn into the conversation again, Ram answered on his behalf.

Ram: And Ram could be saying how refreshing it would be if Barasu had the same humility as YN to admit when he's wrong, yet here we are.

Taking a sip from her cup, Ram shut down the notion that Frederica had anything to do with the events at Sanctuary at all. And also in doing so, completely changed the topic.

Ram: ...It would seem your tea brewing skills have remained as mediocre as ever.

Putting a hand over her mouth, Frederica replied in a tone that bore little concern for the words of criticism.

Federica: My, what harsh judgment from the one who's only skill is serving tea. Such an uncharming thing to say.

Ram: Ram does not need to act charming, she is adorable enough on her own.

What is going on?

Both Subaru and YN could only watch and listen each with a cup of cooling tea in their hands as the once tense confrontation had instantly devolved into lighthearted banter.

I seriously thought the two of them wouldn't get along so well by the way Ram acted and spoke of her...

Somewhat dumbstruck by it all, YN was mostly surprised considering from what Rem had told him in the past, he hadn't expected their behavior to be as such.

Ram: In all truth, that is the reason why it is Ram who pours Roswaal-sama's tea.

Boasting as she took another sip, Frederica countered.

Frederica: At least Subaru-sama is enjoying it.

Giving her fellow maid a smirk, Ram retaliated.

Ram: Of course Barasu is. One might serve him tea brewed from the leaves of any random tree outside and he wouldn't know the difference. Even YN is refraining after one sip.

YN: —hk!

Being used as ammo now in this fight of words, Frederica turned to him with worry in her green eyes.

Frederica: Does YN-sama truly think it is as bad as she says?!

While he couldn't exactly confirm or deny, he struggled as he was so rapidly put on the spot. Taking another sip as if in good faith he didn't wish to offend Frederica, YN was quickly reminded why he wasn't adamantly partaking in the fresh brewed tea.

It's just not the same...

The harsh reminder of how spoiled he had once been made itself known.

Seeing his obvious reaction though, Frederica had half a clue as to why he maybe felt this way from what Petra had disclosed to her while everyone was away.

Frederica: ...Was Rem able to do something different to it?

Closing his eyes, YN shook his head and gently set the cup and saucer back on the table.

YN: No, that's not it at all. It's nothing you've done or haven't done. I can't really put it into words...

Feeling guilty he was bringing the mood down, there was a bit of silence following his answer before Frederica spoke back up.

Frederica: I see...

With no clear solution to be had, Frederica turned her gaze to Ram now, her worried expression remaining.

Frederica: Well, Ram... I'm sorry but, it would be dishonest of me to not ask how you feel about this as well, given what I've been informed of about your relationship with her.

Not wishing to beat around the bush, Frederica came right out and asked Ram what her feelings were regarding Rem. Given Rem's existence was shocking to them, YN was curious how Ram really felt as well. While he remained silent, he too wanted to know how she felt about it all.

Ram: It is a complicated feeling...

Turning rather melancholy, Ram set her tea cup on the table and looked down at her folded hands.

Ram: Ram had been hoping for a moment alone with Rem since YN had first shown her to me, but he had to bring her back here to the Mansion as quickly as he could.

Her gaze slightly moving towards YN, she went on.

Ram: There was never any reason to doubt YN, but after touching her, Ram can confirm Rem is an oni; the very same blood that flows through me, flows through her. He would not have been able to fake that had he tried. Ultimately though, it is unfortunate that her memory only persists in YN and Barasu.

Concluding her statement by returning to her tea, there was a brief silence growing in the group.

But also growing, was a sense of guilt YN carried.

While he couldn't pinpoint an instance of it, it felt as if everyone was subconsciously laying the blame on him for Rem's fate. After all, he still felt responsible for it, even if this suspicion only stemmed from his own insecurity regarding the manner and nothing actually tangible.

YN: Ram... I'm so sorry I couldn't do more to protect her...

Ram: With how obvious the strength of your feelings for her are, if YN failed to secure Rem's safety, that only means it was an impossible task. Do not guilt yourself on things entirely outside your capacity to prevent. What matters now is your resolve to rectify what's happened.

In rare form, Ram spoke words of comfort to YN's weak expression. While this had caught Frederica completely off guard, it surprised everyone further with how Ram had shown such warmth to someone like this, even in the presence of Subaru.

YN: Ram...

Giving him a stern, but ultimately soft look, Ram's expression to YN caused Frederica to cup her hands across her face to hide her dropped jaw.

Ram: Tragedy like this is as much a part of life as your proclaimed love was with each other.

Taking a sip of her tea having uttered such profound words, Ram let a brief silence brew before Subaru spoke after taking his last sip of tea, and leaned forward to pour himself more.

Subaru: Ya know, I guess it's pretty good you're already so attached to Rem, but does this favoritism to YN really need to continue— Ahh! Ow!

Grabbing his ear not unlike Emilia had in the past, Ram levied a punishment to Subaru.

Ram: It is only natural that Ram takes to being Rem's older sister just like that. As for YN... Barasu said it himself, 'He is practically in-lawed.'

Her hand releasing Subaru, Ram leaned forward to pour herself a new cup as well.

Ram: Ram is certain of her status as Rem's sister. If Ram was very fond of her before, she shall remain as such now.

Defending her choice of words to YN boastfully, the topic from there moved back to the one they had set to ask Frederica of; the teleporting crystals and their timely happenings.

Subaru in turn brought up the crystal that Frederica gifted Emilia, and how had Subaru not taken it from upon crossing the barrier, it would have teleported her away to the Tomb's opening to undergo the Trial right on arrival.

Explaining the events and how they went on with Subaru taking the place meant for Emilia, Frederica did genuinely seem to be surprised by them and was concerned for Emilia's safety. But, asking the important questions, Subaru brought up one key point.

Why had Frederica given Emilia the stone in the first place, if not for some reason?

Being asked this, the golden-haired girl struggled to answer it.

Frederica: Well... That is a precarious one...

Frederica had failed to give a reason for her smoking gun, and thus...

Ram: Is your refusal to answer due to a vow of sorts then?

Setting get teacup and saucer down with a stiff *CLINK* upon the table, Ram stood before dramatically changing her tone and posture.

Ram: —A mediocre reason, Frederica!

Subaru: Woah—! Hey!

YN: N-Nee-sama?!

Brandishing her wand, Ram let a mild gust of wind rush across the room as she beckoned threats to Frederica.

Ram: Frederica has confirmed her turncoat nature.

Subaru: Hey-hey! There was no reason for this to go from peaceful to violent so quickly! Let's talk.

Ram: The time for talk is over. YN, restrain Frederica.

YN: —Huh? What—?!

Having recalled how both Rem and Ram had each acted in accordance to their suspensions of them both in far-gone Loops, YN feared a repeat of the evening in the forest where he had learned of Rem's strength.

YN: Ram, what's gotten into you? Y-You're the one who calmed Subaru down just a little ago but now you're taking things even further?!

Ram: We are going to take Frederica back to the Sanctuary with us. From there, Ram will thoroughly investigate who it was that gave her this order to give Emilia-sama the proxine-crystal and expose them.

At an ultimatum, Subaru couldn't help but pipe back up. While he too was suspicious of Frederica, he didn't want Ram just to walk all over her.

Subaru: D-Don't let her just boss you around! If you really had nothing to do with it, just—!

Frederica: —I will go quietly. I only ask YN-sama to be gentle with restraining me.

YN: —Hk!

Subaru: Wha-huuuh?

Each making double takes between the two maids, the two wayward traveling companions just simply couldn't fathom why events were being spun this way.

Frederica: I will not resist and do as Ram says.

Just as confused as Subaru, as YN thought, some things did in fact come together when he cross referenced his own logic.

If Frederica really is innocent, wouldn't she resist being punished? Unless...

Looking to Ram, YN and the oni exchanged another blank, mute, stare of communication.

YN: I uhhh, I think I see what's going on here.

Recalling Ram's own words, the word "vow" stood out.

If Emilia-sama has proven anything to me, it's that a lot of people in this world take vows and promises as seriously as legally binding contracts... If Frederica can't break a vow but is still completely innocent, that's a dead end unless something else happens.

Ram smirked towards YN as if proud he had managed to read between the lines, but just after doing so, turned that smirk into a frown as she addressed Subaru.

Ram: Typical Barasu. Are you so dense that you can't see Frederica wishes to cooperate with us but cannot due other circumstances?

Subaru: ...Are you saying we have to force her to answer?

Ram: Yes. In order for Frederica to break her vow and not suffer any repercussions, she must not do so willingly.

Subaru: ...So it's fine if YN pins her down and "makes" her say it?

Ram: That is the correct idea, yes.

Frederica: I would hope YN-sama wouldn't be too forceful in doing so.

Covering her toothy smile with a hand, YN had to respond to Frederica despite the red tint growing upon his face.

YN: I-I'm not doing any of that! S-So don't get your hopes up!

Shaking the implied notions off his shoulder, YN took a deep breath and tried to return the conversation to its roots, starting with an observation he and Subaru both shared.

YN: You two really are in sync. It's really only second to how Ram and Rem used to act...

Subaru: Yeah. It definitely was familiar if you think of it that way, considering they didn't plan this beforehand.

Frederica: It's only natural.

Ram: The two of us have known each other for more than a decade.

Boasting as if their years of familiarity were the cause of this, YN partially leveled that high perch they were on.

YN: —And trained by Roswaal.

Ram: Of course, it was only because of Roswaal-sama's teachings and wise counsel that we perform our duties so well.

Not one to miss being able to praise her employer, Frederica found the age old habit amusing nonetheless.

Frederica: Hmm, YN-sama and Subaru-sama both must have seen Ram do similar things.

Subaru: Yeah, although it was with Rem, so the sisterly aspect was also there.

YN: —Not to mention too, Synesthesia.

Subaru: That is right.

Putting a hand to his chin, Subaru himself recalled how in-sync the two twin maids had been. While it only seemed like the duo were an indomitable force in his mind, to YN, the memories did nothing other than cause pain.

Rem always let me in on stuff the two of them were going to do, or explained it better afterwards. She didn't want to leave me out of the loop as much I didn't want to leave her out either when it came to Return By Death...

The image of Rem, and the kind and caring girl she was, especially to YN, caused his heart to ache.

More or less, the recollection had caused YN to go back into his shell in the convention now, as Subaru had moved on to discuss what the person, whom was still an unknown, intended behind asking Frederica to give Emilia the crystal, and why they would keep such a thing secret.

Taking another loathful sip from his now meekly warm cup of tea, the lack of enjoyment YN sustained from it only served to further pain his mind at Rem's remembrance.

Rem... I miss you so much...

Retreating into the world of his mind, the darkness of his thoughts and guilt drowned out the lingering conversation he had resigned from. YN missed Subaru's summery of how having Frederica become a full fledged ally was a great boon, and his apology for suspecting her before. Replying with a saying that she further needed to explain that originated from the Empire to the south, even Frederica's words fell deaf to YN as he sat next to Ram still, deeply letting his pained mind trample his soul.

Even missing Subaru's declaration of action and adjourning of them staying any longer at the Mansion, what caused YN to finally return his attention to the world around him wasn't any sort of outside input, but rather—

*Ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum-ba—*

The drumming! Or knocking... Why am I hearing that now again? What does—?

Looking to his left and right as if suddenly waking from a nap, before YN could fully regain his awareness, he was spoken to.

Frederica: O-Oh! A spirit. Does this one belong to you, YN-sama?

Before YN had even noticed it himself, Alogol had come into view to the others. Watching as it moved back and forth in a hurried manner, YN was just as clueless as to why Algol had appeared as he was still perplexed by the sudden noise forming in his head again.

Huh? What's going on? Is that sound a sign of a bad thing or—?

Ram: YN, may Ram ask what your intention is here?

Also unsure why Algol was out, Ram assumed it been a beckon of YN's, yet still—

*Ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum-ba—*

Still, the sound echoed in his mind, yet—

I don't... I don't think it's from any of them, it doesn't sound right, but I can't put my finger on it...

His instincts taking control of his judgment, YN set his half-empty tea cup down and went to stand.

YN: Something... No... Someone else is here.

Making the hair's on everyone's neck stand up from saying such words, there was a brief silence before Ram spoke up again.

Ram: YN, please explain to Ram—

?: Ara~~, just whatever gave me away?~

Cutting off Ram's question just as YN went to tentatively scan the room with his head, a dark, low, but still feminine voice addressed YN's suspicion.

No way... Already?

With all faces in the room turning to the origin of the new voice, they all laid their eyes upon the woman in question.

Adorned in black attire, one that greatly displayed her voluptuous curves of her bosom, midriff, and hips, was a woman YN had not seen in what felt like ages, but was much more recent for Subaru. Stood in the doorway to the hallway, there she was.

Elsa...

And while it was troubling that such an entity was here on home turf, what much more greatly concerned everyone was the ally of theirs she held in her grips, —hostage with one of her signature, razor-like khukuri at her neck.

Petra: — — —

Scared stiff with dried tears on her once rosey cheeks now pale in fear, the Mansion's newest resident maid was held within the claws of death.

Everyone: — — —

With a tense, but brief silence growing between the two adversaries, it was broken by the bowel huntress herself, licking her lips as if awaiting a delicacy of sorts.

Elsa: Now then, let us fulfill the promise I left with you.

Knife to the young maid's throat, the tense situation broke into combat not even a second after the gut hunter's declaration to make good on her morbid promise to Subaru.

Petra: Subaru-sama... Run!

At the poor girl's cry, action commenced.

Ram: El Flula!

With her wand having already been drawn from her faux confrontation with Frederica, Ram let loose a rapid response in the form of a blade of wind, set to remove the bowel huntresses head in an instant.

Elsa: Ah, wind magic.

Easily dodging the shock-wave of air, Elsa evaded the next three blades sent flying for her.

Elsa: —And so masterfully wielded!

Not one to waste mana in vain, Ram halted her barrage.

Elsa: Had you not been so considerate for the young maid's life, you might have actually managed to end me.

Taunting Ram's restraint with a sly smile of her, it was Frederica who stepped up next.

Frederica: While it may be a constraint for us, ultimately it is our strength as maids to rely on each other!

Her arms changing form, the golden-haired girl lashed out at the assassin.

Claw meeting blade, the augmentation Frederica had undergone was apparent.

Elsa: Ah, and a demi-human as well. How fascinating.

Frederica: That's not the only trick up my sleeve—!

While she quickly set about transforming her forearms and hands into beast like appendages, complete with fur and claws, the maid reared out her torso, and out from beneath her long dress—

Frederica: Petra-chan!

—A long lash of golden hair in the form of a tail.

Reaching out as the grip around her had lessened due to the exchanges Elsa was forced to meet with her khukuri, Petra grabbed a hold of the tail Frederica had conjured from nowhere.

Snatched from the clutches of hostile hands, Elsa was now completely vulnerable without her hostage.

Leaping out of her way with Petra safely in her arms, Frederica cleared the way for another barrage of Ram's unforgiving wind magic.

Ram: This time you won't be so fortunate! Flula!

*CLASH* *CLASH* GUSH*

With only enough speed to meet the first two blades of wind her two yielded khukuri, not even Elsa was fast enough to have her blades meet the third. Set to once more remove her head, the sharpened air was set to meet its mark until—

Elsa: My, had I not done that, surely that would have killed me.

While she wouldn't have been able to meet the air with her own blade, she did at least move her arm in the way.

Cut and lacerated, Elsa licked a single drop from the newly ran streams of blood on her self-sacrificed appendage.

Her arm now deeply enshrouded in a shiny, dark maroon texture, the lengths this assassin would go through to achieve victory was made apparent.

Subaru: She used her whole arm as a shield!

Ram: What a rotten woman.

Elsa: Haa~~, how marvelous... Boys and girls of all sizes. What a varied selection that has been laid out before me!

Hunched over and pulling her pair of blades close to her, the assassin prepared to strike with impunity.

Elsa: —I will lay all of your bowels out, side by side, and compare them!

Launching forward, this was the opportunity YN had been waiting for.

YN: Jiwald!

Thanks to Algol's assistance, the spell cast from his hand was charged in lightening speed and released from his palm even faster.

With the rays of Yang magic being able to travel at speeds that dwarfed that of Ram's wind magic, surely an impact was guaranteed.

And it was—

YN: —tch!

—except.

Pulling her dress's shroud before her, Elsa had once more shielded herself from an attack. Quickly burning and disintegrating away as the black cloth turned to a bleached white before crumbling to nothing, Ram could see even YN striking this foe was not a worthy endeavor to undertake.

Ram: It's useless! Barasu!

Subaru: R-Right!

Pulling his fists to his side, Ram had called upon the black-haired boy to use what single magical talent he possessed to get them away from Elsa, who in only a moment longer could have her sacrificial cowl removed and be back on the offensive.

Needing only to concentrate for a moment, Subaru cast the spell just before Elsa had fully recovered from YN's spontaneous attack.

Subaru: Shamak!

Instantly, darkness.

Cast into an inky black nothingness, YN found his senses weren't as dulled as they normally were when caught in the Yin magic.

Immediately, the blackness was beginning to fade around him, just as it had done in Saluzzo, except—

YN: —So you're what makes that happen...

Almost as if it were a vacuum for the Yin magic, Algol was before YN, doing its best to "purify" the magic and release YN from the smokescreen.

YN: We really need that to not happen right now though!

Potentially cutting down the amount of time they could hope to be concealed, YN was set to plead with the spirit more until a hand had snatched him from behind.

YN: —Woah!

Being pulled from concealment, YN quickly found his surroundings had changed.

No longer was he in the Tea Room, but rather—

Frederica: —Thank goodness, you are unharmed!

Releasing the back of his clothes from her large, transformed demi-human gauntlets of fur and claw, Frederica it seemed had done so to Subaru, Petra, and Ram as well.

They were now out in the hallway, and with Subaru having shut the door to the Tea Room, all that remained was the residual black, inky smoke radiating from beneath the door.

Ram: We need to regroup.

Frederica: My thoughts exactly. Ram, could you please take Petra?

Handing the pink-haired maid custody of Petra, Frederica stepped between the boys.

Frederica: We're leaving! Out the window!

Tucking each of them up and under her arms, Frederica hoisted them both up on her own strength. Making sure they were secure for the leap, she gave them one jerk each.

Frederica: I'll hold onto you two for the jump. Are you ready?

But, at the current position, YN and Subaru both found it hard to answer.

Subaru (muffled): I wish I could at least enjoy this... maybe if we weren't running from a gut hunter...

Held tightly by Frederica, they each found their faces pressed tightly against her endowments.

Beginning her charge for the window down the hall, Ram followed closely in pursuit.

Frederica: I would not let you touch them even if things were calm!

Putting to rest any scummy thoughts Subaru might have had, Frederica quickly realized the same position must be true for YN as well; his face pressed against her bosom.

Now at full speed almost, it was only a few seconds before they needed to brace for the glass.

Frederica: Do you think Rem would forgive me for such an intrusion against her property?

YN (muffled): Hopefully!

Despite everything, am I really thought of only as 'Rem's property?!'

With no time to contemplate Frederica's words as he answered her, YN squinted his eyes and turned his face away from its destination as the maid who held him leaped through, and crashed through the window.

Jumping out right after them, Ram twisted midair with Petra still over her shoulder. Waving her wand, the oni was sure to leave a parting present for the assassin.

Ram: Ul-Flula!

*WAH-BOOOOM*

Like a massive implosion going off, Ram scuttled the entire hallways and adjoining rooms with one large usage of wind magic.

Yet just as they believed they had made a clean getaway—

Subaru: —Gah!

Frederica: —Eh...

YN: —Ha?!

While only grazing YN's arm, Frederica and Subaru both were made targets out of projectiles thrown from the crumbling hole they had leaped from.

Landing, Frederica dropped the two from her arms and embraced her wound.

Frederica: —Tch...

Wincing in pain, Petra saw this immediately and ran over to her.

Petra: Frederica-nee-san! And... Subaru-sama!

Hit in a way not unlike how Frederica had been, YN shuffled to his feet to try and see if he couldn't help too, yet before he could—

Ram: YN! Are you struck?! Do not remove the weapon, you will surely bleed to death!

YN: I-I'm fine! It just missed me. They aren't poisoned, are they?

Picking up one from the ground, Petra handed it to Ram.

Ram: It does not appear to be so.

Subaru: Aaaggghh... It hurts like hell though.

Bracing her shoulder, Frederica concurred.

Frederica: It seems I underestimated our foe...

Subaru: Yeah... Elsa is a seriously tough opponent.

Ram: But she only landed those hits by throwing them through a cloud of Yin magic. That hardly seems like something an assassin of such high caliber would do.

Somewhat unconvinced that such a menace had suddenly appeared here at Mansion for no discernible reason, Ram questioned Subaru's conclusion.

YN: He's right though, Elsa went toe-to-toe with Reinhard. She's earned her reputation.

Hearing YN's take as well, Ram looked back up at the destruction she had caused to her employer's Mansion, two levels above them.

Ram: Then I would suggest we do not get our hopes up that she perished.

Looking back to Subaru and Frederica, both of whom were still in pain, YN hadn't a clue what they should do now.

YN: There's no one here who can use healing magic...

Subaru: There is one... But we gotta go find her.

Thinking to who Subaru meant by that, YN could only draw two conclusions, but before he could ask—

Petra: Beatrice-sama?

Subaru: Yeah...

Looking at the expression Subaru was making as he in turn gazed at the Mansion, now a hostile territory, YN knew what he was thinking.

He's wracking his brain trying to come up with a solution. He knows we've gotta save everyone—

Ram: —Barasu!

As if chastising him, Ram called out to him as it appeared he was spacing out.

Subaru: G-Gimmie a second! I'm trying to figure out how to not only save Beatrice, but also—

Ram: —Do you have any idea of what challenge we face right now?! We need to leave, now.

Wide eyed at the maid's chosen path of action, Subaru felt the weight of the situation compound on his shoulders.

Subaru: You... You can't be serious!?

Yelling in great distress, Subaru approached the maid who remained firmly planted not only in her place, but also her rationale.

Ram: Why are you screaming? Control yourself.

Subaru: 'Control myself?!' Do you even hear yourself?! Do you want us to forget all about Beatrice?! Not to mention—!

Arguing on, a presence among them slipped away in its midst.

As Ram knew of who else besides Beatrice needed to be saved still, she tried to cement her stance and reasoning to the black haired boy.

Ram: Think for a moment and better understand the situation. If Rem were truly Ram's sister, she would say—

*CRASH!*

About to utter a truly dreadful statement, one that surely would have pushed Subaru over the edge in this moment and caused YN to be filled with unbridled frustration, he was spared from it as—

Subaru: —H...—Hey!

Ram: —You fool!

As the arguing had gone on, it was clear YN had very quickly decided fleeing was not an option. Having just caught a glimpse of him climbing through his self-prescribed entrance, the two who were formerly in a disagreement were now united in calling for him to wait.

Amidst the squabble, YN had recalled Rem was still inside, defenseless and vulnerable beyond belief. Not wasting a single moment after the call to go back in and recover her was anything but assured, he utilized his enhanced strength thanks to his Yang magic. As there was precious little time between him and the woman he loved being found by the Gut Hunter, he kicked down the nearest wall of the Mansion to let himself in.

Still clutching his injury, Subaru spoke the obvious.

Subaru: He's going back in on his own to get Rem!

Making the situation more complex, YN was gone from sight as he entered the fray. With Ram and Subaru starring on, it was Frederica who spoke up.

Frederica: Now is not the time to argue. YN needs our support.

Ram: Frederica—

Frederica: —I agree that running is a smarter idea.

Ram: — — —

Subaru: Frederica...

Frederica: —but, I believe YN-sama and Subaru-sama are correct in wanting to save everyone.

With both Subaru and Ram surprised for separate reasons, Frederica went on.

Frederica: Both Rem and Beatrice are vital to our Camp.

Each mulling over her words, the youngest of them voiced her opinion as well.

Petra: I-I think we should follow YN-sama!

Ram: Know your place and keep quiet.

Petra: YN-sama would go back for any of us! We should do the same!

Firing back at her senior, Petra's words of logic struck all those around her deeply.

Ram: ...So if we are to follow YN's lead, what is our plan? We lack sufficient combat prowess.

Subaru: We should leave retrieving Rem to YN... There's no one better to go and get her.

Putting a hand to his chin, only one course of action was left for them.

Subaru: —the same could be said for me trying to find Beako.

Ram: Barasu does have an uncanny ability to locate her.

Frederica: Then allow me to at least confront the Bowl Huntress. If she's focused on me, the rest of you can move freely.

Ram: Hah. Perhaps in your absence, Garf's headstrong attitude has proven appealing to you.

Frederica: Not at all, as it is Garfiel who imitates me.

Even in the current state of things, the two experienced maids found the opportunity to banter. But as Frederica said that, Subaru had noticed her grabbing a large amount of the fabric on her dress within her still transformed hands.

Looking to both Subaru and Petra though, the shark-toothed maid gave them a weak expression.

Frederica: Please do not be alarmed...

As if asking for forgiveness for something, Frederica did the unthinkable.

Subaru: Woooo-OOOAAHH!

At the sound of ripping fabric and tearing thread, Frederica lashed her own clothes for a much more... natural outfit.

Covering his own eyes out of modesty, he had narrowly missed making the last thing he saw of Frederica's tall, shapely body be described as something that would make this story unsuitable for the rating it has.

Fully in the clothes she was born with, a further, more complete transformation took place.

Petra: Oohhhh...

Sensing something had changed, and by Petra's reaction, Subaru looked back upon the golden-haired maid.

Subaru: —!

—And golden-haired, she was.

Subaru: —So the rest of you can transform!

Frederica: Yes. It is part of my heritage.

Subaru: —And you can still talk!?

As a full fledged, greater-cat-like-lioness, Frederica answered the black-haired human.

Frederica: Of course! I'm not some rage-blind hot-head.

Feeling as if that comparison was a bit too personal to someone in specific, Subaru saw the great feline turn to Petra.

Frederica: Thank you, Petra-chan, for not screaming.

While this was still clearly a lot for the small maid to process, the praise from her superior was all she needed to drop any hesitation she had.

Petra: Frederica-Nee-sama... So cool!

Seeing the lioness's expression soften at her underling's quick acceptance, she turned back to view the Mansion where the danger still awaited.

Frederica: I'm glad YN-sama did not have to see me do this. While this transformation does increase my healing aptitude—

Looking down at the ground, that was true. The needles that had been embedded in her shoulder were now laying there. On the equivalent of her shoulder where the wound had been in her human form, was now fresh scaring as her enhanced ability to heal was making progress.

Frederica: —I'm afraid of how he might perceive me after witnessing it. Something tells me he might not like it.

Speaking stoically, Frederica turned her attention back down to the three behind her.

Frederica: If the altercation takes a turn for the worse, use the secret escape in the Master's study.

Wasting no more time, the maid-turned-beast leapt back up into the crater Ram had created in the side of the Mansion, keen to clash with the assassin that targeted their lives.

Ram: Let us not squander the time Frederica is buying us.

Holding her wand up as she declared this, Ram led the way inside with Subaru following closely behind her. Petra held his hand as they entered into the improvised opening YN had fabricated with but a kick.

Inside, they began their search first for Beatrice, but right away, Subaru immediately noticed a problem.

Subaru: All the doors... they're open.

Saying his thoughts aloud, Subaru recalled they had also been this way in the last Loop he had come across.

Subaru: This... that's not right, why would—

*MUFFLED CRASH*

Petra: Ahh!

Wincing at the sound, it had caused Subaru to flinch as well.

Subaru: W-What was that? Did Elsa and Frederica crash through the floor?

Thinking the fighting must be intense, Subaru figured that must have been what it was, however—

Ram: No, there is still intense movement to be heard on the upper floors...

Looking up, Ram saw how specks of dust still fell from the ceiling, and how occasionally you could still hear a more intensely muffled crash from above.

Ram: —Something else is responsible for that.

Subaru: —tch...

With yet another variable added to the developing conundrum, Subaru bit his lip and pressed on.

Subaru: —Let's just work on finding Beatrice.

Moving down the rest of the hallway, the next corridor they rounded was also a host to many opened doors.

Ram: Is the assassin searching for something? Valuables perhaps?

Subaru: That's not why... If it's what I think it means...

Hopeful this didn't signal that somehow Elsa had been informed on how to defeat Beatrice's Door Crossing magic, Ram suspected a different cause.

Ram: Did you simply not bother to close any of the doors?

Petra: Wha—?! Me?! No...

Only able to conclude they were open for the simplest of reasons, Ram paid Petra's answer no heed as they reached the next corner of the hallway.

Halting them by raising a single hand, she gestured to the debris on the ground that had been flung past the corner.

Ram: It appears we've found the source of the crash. Be on guard.

With nods from both Subaru and Petra, they cautiously rounded the corner.

This short corridor that led to the Mansion's main foyer was what this last corner emptied out into. With a small change of decor normally to be expected from the halls they had just been in, the condition of the short corridor was far from how they remembered it.

Subaru: What... What made that happen?

Like the hole YN had opened up in the exterior wall of the Mansion, there was yet another improvised entryway made.

Petra: D-Did YN-sama decide to exit that way?

Taking only one more thorough glance at the hole made in the wall, Ram made a chilling observation.

Ram: No... This one was made from the outside as well, the entire wall was pushed inside, as there's little debris in the flower bed just outside.

Looking for himself, what she said was true, Subaru saw that one of the many flower beds that YN attended to that lined the perimeter of the Mansion had very little of the destruction in it. However—

Subaru: —?

In the once neatly laid out, black and fertile soil of the flower bed, were two distinct paw prints. Large, and fresh.

Subaru: Hey... Ram...?

Simply pointing to the two dinner plate sized paw marks in the soil, Ram noticed them.

Blankly staring at them, her facial expression changed.

Ram: ...—!

Subaru: Are... Are they Frederica's?

Wondering if she had been thrown from a higher floor and re-entered the building, Subaru's innocent assumption was halfway ignored by the pink-haired maid.

Looking up at the extent to which this hole had been broken through the side of the Mansion, it was as if Ram was mentally measuring how big the entrance was...

—or perhaps guessing at how large the one responsible for it was.

Ram: —No. No, those are not Frederica's...

Clearly alarmed by what may have caused it, Ram looked back at the paw prints before storming further down the hallway.

Ram: It seems we have another beast in our company. —Stay behind and close to Ram.

Seemingly having half a clue as to what made the prints, Ram proceeded as if worried about what laid ahead in the foyer.

Coming to another doorway, this door was not opened in the traditional sense, but rather was blown off its hinges as if whatever had made the previous entrance, certainly went this way.

Proceeding past the third pile of rubble so far, clearing it, they entered into the foyer with what were the Mansion's main staircase to their side, the actual steps hidden from that as they ran parallel to the direction they viewed.

Yet as they entered, Ram and Subaru's fight or flight responses piqued.

Ram: —!

Subaru: —hk!

Before them, was a massive beast.

Subaru: W-What's a mabeast doing here!?

Stepping into action, Ram hesitated not for an extra second to defend themselves.

Ram: Flu—!

Cutting herself off though, Ram halted her magic.

Wondering what would cause her to halt, Subaru turned his eyes between her and the stationary beast several times.

Looking at it though, Subaru was clued into why she had stopped.

While the beast before them was formidable, with its body like a goat or mule, and a scaled tail like a serpent, it still had not reacted to their presence.

Crouched, as if ready to strike at something beyond their gaze, or jump up the stairs, its red eyes were unblinking on its horned head.

Yet, looking closer, the reason for its statue-like behavior was apparent as a pool of blood slowly continued to grow around it.

On it, were several distinct holes, –or wounds rather. Five in total.

Going right through its fair mane of white fur, now stained red, for each hole made, there was a subsequent hole on its hind area to match it.

Someone had slain the beast prior to them entering into the foyer, and the one responsible...—

Petra: —YN-sama!

Being the only one brave enough to step forward farther, the stairway itself had come into view of the young maid, and upon it, collapsed and on the brink of passing out, was the one she shouted out at.

Ram and Subaru both stepped ahead to where Petra had shouted from, and laid their own eyes upon YN.

As if he had fallen backwards onto the stairs, YN laid with his back to the steps on the ground, his arm and fingertips still extended outward towards the slain mabeast.

One eye shut and breathing heavily, he finally dropped his arm upon seeing the familiar faces.

Subaru: Did you—?

Ram: —YN, why did a Guiltylowe suddenly show up here?

Each in disbelief, Ram asked her question in pure surprise still at the beast being slain so quickly.

YN: I don't know what it is... *huff* —but I killed it.

Putting her wand back down, Ram turned to view the mabeast's corpse once more. Joining her in doing so, Petra pointed out something she had learned during the attack on the village.

Petra: It still has its horn... If someone breaks its horn, it's supposed to obey them, right?

Subaru: Yeah... But the idea it decided on its own now was a good time as ever to drop by for a visit is just as frightening if someone was telling it to.

As Subaru and Petra each observed the fallen beast, Ram went about helping YN to stand.

YN: I gotta... I gotta go find Rem.

Even while Ram had tried to continue to help YN to steady himself, only one thing was on his mind still.

Rem...

Ram: YN, please, Ram implores you to—

Subaru: —Gah!

About to protest YN's will to push forward despite his fatigue, Ram had her attention stolen by Subaru wincing in pain.

Ram: —Barasu!

Moving back to Subaru, the wound he still had on his shoulder from the needle embedded in his arm had begun to bleed more. Having also now collapsed, Ram assisted Petra as she could with the black-haired boy.

Taking this opportunity though, YN slowly proceeded up the stairs with no one stopping him now.

Ram: —tch, YN! It is dangerous upstairs! Frederica and the assassin are locked in combat!

In rare form, YN paid her no mind, as only one maid continued to be on his mind.

Rem...

Too concerned now with the prescribed removal of the needle in Subaru now, Ram was unable to halt YN.

Reaching the top of the stairs, YN felt more of his strength return to him as he stepped onto the second floor; the one that housed Rem.

YN: I guess one El Jiwald won't just knock me right out now... but I guess that's thanks to you.

Flying out from beyond his vision, the white spec of light that was his contracted spirit made itself known.

Pulling mana out of the atmosphere to restore his own reserves, Algol abided by their agreement.

YN: ...Thanks.

Departing from his view, the spirit went away upon his appreciative remark.

Looking back down the stairs, YN lamented to himself about leaving everyone else behind.

Honesty... at this juncture, if Subaru died and triggered a Reset, that wouldn't be so bad considering the mess we're in now...

Pushing himself on despite the still lingering fatigue, YN went in search of the Sleeping Beauty.

As he stepped into the main hallway, he looked up and down both sides, in reality heeding Ram's earlier warning.

YN: I really don't wanna run into Elsa... I'd be completely powerless towards her right now...

But even as he looked, he was reminded of what his first observation was when he entered the Mansion.

Every door is open, if I didn't know any better, I'd say it's because Elsa is trying to find Beatrice...

Recalling the forgone Loop Rem and him had forcefully trapped Beatrice in the Mansion to prevent her from coming along to Saluzzo, the still lingering pang of guilt was overshadowed by one crucial detail surfacing above it all.

Roswaal informed us of how to trap Beatrice and said it was a secret regarding her Door Crossing ability... How would Elsa know that?

Truthfully, an unsettling emotion festered in his gut.

Someone had to have told her about that... And I hate to think of who it may be...

Limping his way towards the room Rem was in, it came into sight, and was just down the hall from where he was now. And thankfully as well, this hallway, while only consisting of two other doors, was finally ones where they were still shut, meaning Elsa hadn't yet gotten to opening them here.

Finally, a good sign. I'll grab Rem and then we can—

Before he could finish his optimistic thought—

*CRASH*

Ripping out the ceiling above him and plummeting through the floor below, YN had just narrowly managed to avoid being crushed. With so much dust being kicked up, he spit out bits of drywall, plaster, wallpaper, and wood splinters.

YN: *cough* *cough*

Trying to wave the particles away, he tried to get a better look at what it was that had fallen so hard.

Through the dust below, he could only hear the clash of blades and the snarls of an angry beast. With only a flash of her golden hair being seen before the fight moved away, YN was astonished.

That must have been Elsa and Frederica!

Surprised he hadn't heard anything from up above him until now, he knew that chances are, Subaru and the rest of those he left downstairs might now also get caught up in their continued combat.

No time to worry about that... I've gotta get onto—!

Yet, realizing the reality of the situation before him, YN was halted.

The floor before him was gone. There was no way to cross the gap that had been created. With Rem's room just past this obstacle, YN truthfully was at a loss of what to do.

YN: Damn it, it's too far to jump, especially with how weak the edges of it are now...

As damaged as the floor was, he risked landing on nothing but the ceiling of the first floor or the fragile sub-flooring of the second floor, neither of which he thought could take the impact of his landing.

As spanning the gap wasn't an option, YN brainstormed for ideas.

I can't just go all the way around! That'll take forever, and if I end up running into Elsa doing that, I'll be too far from Rem to protect her!

Looking to his immediate side though, was one of the two doors that remained closed in this short hallway.

YN: Wait a minute...

YN thought quickly, opening the door and looking inside, it was a bare guest room. As stirred up dust twinkled in the light coming through the window, YN looked down the wall that divided the room from the hall and concluded his idea was feasible.

Entering the empty room, he walked to the other side and—

YN: —Ha!

The groundskeeper repeated his action to enter back in the Mansion here again on this bedroom wall. Impaling his foot through the ornately decorated surface, YN kicked a hole large enough for himself to rip open more and fit through. Inspecting his results, he found he could now clear the hole in the floor without the need to span it somehow.

With the door to the room that housed the one he loved just across the hall, YN bolted straight for it. Reaching it in only a few steps, he grabbed a hold of the door handle and twisted. Although he knew she could not hear him, as he entered, he called to her.

YN: Alright, Rem! Let's—

While he had liked to say "Let's get out of here," he instead halted his words. Not because he did not wish to leave, even with this person, yet rather than the room Rem was in—

Beatrice: —I am afraid to inform you that none of the maids you derive so much attention from are present in Betty's Library.

—YN had opened up the door to the Secret Library.