Navigating through the thick forest was difficult with so little light. The moonlight did not penetrate deeply enough to carve a clear path. Subaru almost got hit by a tree branch but avoided it at the last second.
"So, what do you make of this whole thing?"
Despite being completely alone, Subaru spoke aloud. A few seconds of silence passed before he heard a voice speak…
"You know you don't really have to talk aloud, right?"
…Directly into his mind.
"Yeah, but wouldn't you say in this situation it's better if someone heard me?"
"They'd probably think you're crazy if they did."
"Well, they'd probably be right."
The voice fell silent, and Subaru continued moving. Usually, he wasn't this careless when talking to her, but the situation called for a little recklessness. At least for this loop.
"Again, anything to say on this whole thing?"
He waited a few seconds for the voice to respond.
"Even someone of my intellect will not be able to deduce what's going on with so few clues. So, you must—"
"Provide more information. I know."
Subaru took one look down at his pendant. Within that stone resided the Witch of Greed, Echidna. Sadly, for all her wisdom, it seemed even she was at a loss as to what had happened.
He had gone to sleep like normal, yet he had awoken in the middle of the forest, with no one around him. He was somewhat capable of maintaining a level of alertness in his sleep now, so he doubted someone could've moved him all the way outside without sedating him somehow.
Even without that, Echidna, who was awake day and night in his head, should have known something about what had happened. But sadly…
"If only you were awake to see what had happened, I could work on a plausible theory right away," she spoke in his thoughts.
"I guess I'll try that first next time."
"What if it doesn't send you far back enough? What if you just wake up in the forest again?"
"Then we'll just figure out a new plan there…" Subaru suddenly stopped. "And what's up with you? Usually, you'd have agreed with the usual plan before even me."
"Well… I can't completely shake this feeling that something else is at play… Something bigger than what we're used to…"
Subaru did not like the sound of that. He had faced a lot of 'insurmountable' foes before. What could be even bigger than that?
"What do you think? Witch Cult again?" The decisive archenemy of Subaru could always be expected to appear at any moment.
"Maybe… Maybe another unrelated piece… But whatever it is, know that something has drastically altered our situation, of that much I can assure you."
Subaru hummed and kept walking. He reached a clearing in the forest and saw a building in the distance. It looked familiar, but before he could ask about it, a sound broke behind him.
"There you are~"
A familiar voice. He instantly recognized it as Elsa's.
"Elsa?"
Elsa dropped from the trees and looked at him. Considering her personality, it was strange how, in the next moments, she didn't say anything and just stood there looking at him.
"Ah… I'm glad to see a familiar face…" Subaru said truthfully. "Although it's kinda sad that you had to be the first one I see…"
When Elsa did not react to his light jab, he suspected something was up.
"So, any clue as to what happened to me? I just woke up on the ground and—"
"I—I also just recently woke up here." The tone in which she spoke was surprisingly meek, not what he expected from Elsa.
"So, you're as lost as I am…"
Nevertheless, having someone at his side could prove invaluable in this loop, especially if they could find more information more quickly.
"Well, I want to know where exactly we are. It's night, and you can see better in the dark, so—"
Suddenly, Elsa froze in place. She kept her eyes on him, so he didn't understand what had happened to her so suddenly.
"Elsa? You alright?"
Elsa blinked, then she closed her eyes and then…
"Ahh… Ha… hahaha!"
A hearty laugh. It was, again, completely out of character for her, who would maintain her sultriness and composure even while laughing.
Despite this, Subaru did not flinch.
"You…" She regained her composure. "You're not Natsuki Subaru…"
Her sudden and unexpected words shocked him. Well, this was his first attempt, so he could be excused for being surprised.
"I—I think I'm the only Natsuki Subaru in this world. I doubt there can be any other than me…"
"No. You are different. You act differently, you dress differently, you smell differently—" Subaru cursed silently, hoping that Elsa had not learned to smell the witches' scent somehow. "And your eyes are different… You're not Natsuki Subaru…"
Elsa produced her two twisted blades and seemed ready to pounce. However, he wasn't scared of her.
"Well, I am Natsuki Subaru. And in my case, I would rather say you're not my Elsa, seeing how strange you're acting. Maybe you're one of those shapeshifters I saw…"
Being confrontational in this situation might not exactly be the best course of action, but again, Subaru could be allowed to test the waters, seeing as this was his first attempt.
"Interestingly, as you said, I do think this is not actually our Elsa…"
Subaru sadly could not ask the witch to explain herself further without risking unsettling this Elsa even more.
"Fufu~ This is very interesting indeed… So, fake Subaru, what is it you want from me?"
"Well, finding our respective counterparts seems as good a plan as any, right?" Subaru said, glad that at the very least, this Elsa was not immediately antagonistic.
"Fufu~ How nice. At the very least, working with you until I find my Subaru doesn't seem to be such a bad idea…"
Even if she had done so as a hostage, his own Elsa had somewhat enjoyed her time in the Emilia camp and the role she played in it. As such, Subaru was confident that he could at the very least control this Elsa into doing what he wanted for the time being.
"Right… In that case, we have to try and find out what is happening here. This is an extraordinary situation, so we must be sure to get whatever pieces of information we can, whatever it takes. Got it?"
Elsa took her knife to her lips and licked it menacingly.
"Oh, how true those words are! In that case, maybe I should cut you open and see what's inside you. It's very valuable information…"
Elsa suddenly stopped. Subaru assumed it was because of his lack of reaction to her threat, but suddenly she looked past him, and then around him. She looked like a hunting dog; all she was missing was sniffing for her prey…
"Hmm… There are two—no, three people nearby…" Elsa suddenly declared.
"Oh? Then we should go and—"
"You're not going anywhere."
The tone in which she said this was so different from just before, and was so unexpected of Elsa, that he couldn't help but fall completely silent.
"Hmm… Do you know that I'm very proud of my instinct?"
"Yes. To the point where Meili even scolded you for relying on it too much."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously at his words. Subaru had expected that she would attack him for saying that, but he was surprised again when she simply turned to look into the distance.
"Well… those people… they feel…"
She cut herself off. Then, she leapt onto a tree. Looking back at him, she said, "Stay here. You at least make for a passable Subaru, so after I find out about these other people, I'll return with them to you… I'll decide whether or not I'll cut open your insides then."
Subaru watched her in silence. As she leapt onto another tree, she spoke without turning back to look at him.
"The hidden knife was amateurish… but you completely lacked any anger or killing intent…" She turned, an angry, almost disgusted expression on her face. "Good job."
And so, she disappeared into the foliage. Subaru waited a few seconds until he was sure that she was truly gone, then took a deep breath and exhaled tiredly.
"Well, that was quite something," the voice of Echidna echoed in his mind.
"Right? So, let's begin trying to explain that. From the top."
"Well, she acted pretty differently from how we're used to seeing her…"
"Do you think she's connected to Lust?" He remembered the many loops in which that devious archbishop had unleashed her foul Authorities on Pristella. "Or maybe she's a clone of some sort."
"Hmm, well, it could even be that she's just having a bad day. Didn't she say that she appeared here suddenly, just like us?" Echidna suggested, surprisingly tamely.
"That very well could've been a way to trick us. She might have moved us here and then told us she was in a similar situation to build trust."
"Indeed, it could be that too…"
"Heh, from the way she spoke about 'her Subaru,' you'd even think she was some alternate reality Elsa who met an alternate reality Subaru."
"Well, I don't know about that theory…"
Subaru chuckled. "Forget it. It was only a joke." After all, that theory was the most harebrained and least plausible of them all.
"In any case, you know what you need to do, right?"
Subaru took the hidden knife from his suit.
"Yeah. Next time, I'll try asking her some different questions. Let's see if I can figure out what she is, or what's happening to her." Subaru hummed. "Normally, I'd like to get more information from an attempt before redoing, but…"
"You need to go back and see if you return to where you were before appearing here."
"Exactly." If he let too much time pass, his save point might be updated.
"Oh, that reminds me…" Subaru played with his knife. "Elsa found this; maybe it's why she was so confrontational?"
"Could be. Do you think it's worth getting rid of it to talk to her?"
"I'll keep it in mind and give it a try later." He looked at his knife. He used to carry kitchen knives but had recently switched to a dagger of his own. If he said it was for self-defense, it was ironically easier to explain why he had it.
"It's a bit annoying to have to part with it because, while I can always bite my tongue, keeping a knife with me makes it easier for when I can't rely on Elsa to do it for me, like now…"
Subaru aimed the knife with his throat.
"A shame. I like it when she can do it painlessly for me."
And then plunged.
If there was one positive thing about the situation, it was that he didn't need to explain much to get the other Subarus in line.
"I'm not saying I don't believe you, but are you sure this isn't a joke? Because—" [Lust Subaru] had asked.
"You're married to Emilia and Rem, and Rem is pregnant."
And just like that, they immediately sided with him. Subaru was used to explaining things to his allies, but being able to be completely transparent and thorough was a first.
"So, at the very least we have confirmation about… Return by Death," [Sloth Subaru] said nervously.
"I think so. The other [Subaru] who was killed by Elsa… Well, his corpse was laid against a tree, so I think she moved it afterward. That, and the fact that a bunch of other things happened, meant he was dead for a while, and nothing changed," Subaru explained.
[Sloth Subaru] shivered, and Subaru couldn't blame him. He'd been just as scared when he thought he couldn't come back. Now that the others had confirmation…
"Well, it makes sense. This is your world, so only you have access to it…" [Lust Subaru] still had doubts, but he was trying to understand. "Guess the two of us will have to be careful from now on."
Subaru nodded. "Exactly. That's why I want you—" He placed a hand on [Sloth Subaru's] shoulder to stop his trembling. "—to run to the mansion and get help. Me and this guy will find the other Subaru and distract Elsa until then."
"What happened to me having to be careful?!" [Lust Subaru] objected.
Subaru shot him a side-glance. "You have some weird ability that makes you resistant to damage or something, right? That's how we're going to be distracting her."
"You based the plan on that?!" [Lust Subaru] exclaimed, but quickly relented. "But yeah, I do have that… Actually, knowing that is a relief."
And just like that, they each went on their missions. [Sloth Subaru] took a different route to the mansion, avoiding where Elsa should be, while the other two made their way toward her, attempting to be stealthy.
"Hey, it's probably not worth much coming from me but…" [Lust Subaru] looked at him warily. "I know this is the first try and all, but you coming along with me is…"
"Hmm?" Subaru turned to face his counterpart. "What are you trying to say?"
"Oh, you know what I mean. You have Return by Death, so now you throw yourself into danger." He growled under his breath, "Just like me with the Soul Marriage…"
The king was right. That bit of reassurance had changed Subaru's perspective drastically. He wasn't being completely reckless, but compared to the last loop, where he'd been terrified of danger, now he could act as he always had.
"Soul Marriage, so that's what it's called?" Subaru dismissed that train of thought and focused on the king's abilities. "How did you get it? Is it similar to Invisible Providence?"
[Lust Subaru] scratched his cheek meekly. "How I got it is… well, I'd rather not say! You'll just punch me again!" It was an interesting response. When Subaru had revealed he was married to both Rem and Emilia, [Sloth Subaru] had delivered a swift kick, calling him a womanizer.
"Don't worry, I already punched you in the other loop, so you're safe."
The king sighed. "Sure… also, what is Invisible Providence supposed to be?"
"Hmm? Maybe you call it something else?" Subaru stopped to consider their differences. "Or maybe… Hey, since you're from the future, have you ever faced this creepy guy from the Witch Cult, an archbishop…"
"Every single person from the Witch Cult is creepy, especially their archbishops." [Lust Subaru] interrupted. "But yes, I've not only faced them, but in the future, we defeat the Cult and kill all the Sin archbishops." The king spoke proudly. Subaru would've felt a bit jealous if it wasn't completely eclipsed by his excitement.
"A-all of them!? Even Gluttony!? T-tell me what did you—No. What happened—"
[Lust Subaru] raised his hands. "Woah, woah! Calm down. We'll have plenty of time to talk about it later after we deal with this, okay?"
"Y-yeah, sorry, I lost my cool there." Subaru calmed his turbulent mind, knowing he needed it for the challenge ahead. "Well, since you said you defeated all the archbishops, you should also have it. What do you call the… um, the shadowy hand?" Subaru asked.
"Hmm? Shadowy hand?"
"You know, a single big shadowy hand, it hurts after you use it, it's like that creepy guy's hands…"
Subaru stopped when he saw [Lust Subaru] looking at him with a dumbfounded expression.
"This Invisible Providence… you said it's supposed to be some kind of ability we have, right?" He looked a bit disturbed. "Because in that case, I have no ability like that…"
"…" Subaru's mouth dropped as he gawked at the revelation. It wasn't strange that an alternate version of him would have infinite small, yet important, differences. Nevertheless, it was a huge surprise.
"In the first place, the Soul Marriage ability isn't even mine. It's more like a buff someone else is giving me." He ignored Subaru's reaction. "And if I do have it, then that means she probably also arrived in this world with me…"
As the king said that, he returned his gaze forward and kept walking. Subaru had so many things he wanted to ask him and [Sloth Subaru], but right now, he had to focus on completing this little trial, so he silently moved forward to lead the way.
Despite knowing the need for a calm mind ahead, his already scrambled thoughts kept dancing around in his head, which only got worse once they reached the place where the other [Subaru] and Elsa were.
Because there, dropped on the grass, was once more the corpse of [Natsuki Subaru].
"Damn! Were we too late?"
Ignoring the king, Subaru rushed to the side of the dead [Subaru].
"W-why… we arrived early… why did Elsa…"
Not completely processing the death of [Subaru], he knelt down next to his body. There with trembling hands, he turned him around so he could see what had happened to him.
"A-ah…" There in the throat of [Subaru] was a dagger, coated in blood, as it was pushed deep into his flesh.
In the last loop, he didn't get the chance to inspect the body in detail. Even if he had, he doubted he would've been too eager to do so. Yet now, as he found himself with the corpse again, he forced himself forward.
"Shit. Looks like Elsa got him bad… hmm?" [Lust Subaru] also came forward. Subaru noticed he wasn't as shocked as he should be, but then again, he was holding his sword so hard his knuckles were turning white.
"This… doesn't this make it look like…"
"Like he stabbed himself?"
Both Subarus looked at the corpse. It had obviously died recently and had only been disturbed just now by turning it around. One hand had managed to keep a strong grip on the knife it was holding—the same knife that had been shoved into its throat.
"B-but… this makes no sense. Why would he do this now?"
"Last time, he was also stabbed in the neck…" Subaru said quietly. He had completely forgotten that detail in the chaos that followed, but it was notable that the last [Subaru] had been stabbed in the neck, not the gut.
An eerie silence settled between them until the king spoke again. "Then… do you think he did it to avoid being done in by Elsa?"
"Maybe… I can't know what he was thinking… I guess he thought a stab in the throat would be less painful than the alternative…" Subaru reached for his gut, remembering the terrible pain he had recently experienced.
"But… it still makes no sense. I can't wrap my head around it. That he gave up that easily…"
Why? Why would he give up so easily? That question dominated their thoughts. Was there another danger he was privy to, and they weren't? Had Elsa told him something terrible, forcing him to restart out of desperation?
"…Now… now what?"
Subaru asked the other him, not expecting an answer. A [Subaru] had died. It wasn't their fault they couldn't save him, but he had died, nonetheless. There was one way to save him, but Subaru didn't know if he could do it.
[Lust Subaru] looked at him expectantly. "Listen… don't do anything rash…"
"But… I have to, don't I? I mean… I have to try and save him…"
Subaru spoke without looking away from the corpse. The king sighed and pulled away, looking into the distance.
"For now, you don't need to do anything. We're in a pretty tough spot already, so let's try clearing that before you consider more… drastic measures."
Subaru didn't like that viewpoint, of seeing this life as abandoned already. He never met this [Subaru] who had foolishly squandered his own life. Did he truly have to save him?
… Yes. Yes, I do.
But did he have the will to do it?
"…"
Sensing his turmoil, the king sighed and stood up. "Come on, let's try to get to the mansion before Elsa appears and—"
"Before I do what?" A sultry voice suddenly made itself known. [Lust Subaru] pulled his sword free from its scabbard and frantically searched for her position. She wasted no time, appearing from the thick of the forest.
"You three here, and the other one running toward that mansion… Yes, that is everyone I could detect nearby." She looked right past them and directly at the corpse.
"I can't believe he ended up doing that. I just left for a moment to look for you two, and he went and stabbed himself. What fun is opening his insides if they are already spoiled?"
Seeing no sense in arguing with her twisted logic, [Lust Subaru] took the initiative and stepped forward, shielding Subaru behind him. Subaru knew he needed to act quickly.
"Elsa, please, stand down! You're lost here, right? We can work together to get out of this!" With the knowledge that Elsa had not been the one to kill [Subaru], working with her became a more plausible idea—at least long enough to ensure they escaped danger.
"Work together?" Her gaze sharpened. "I was planning to do that with that man over there," she said, pointing her wicked blade at [Subaru], "despite not knowing what he was. But he went and did that… I still don't know what he and you all are, but now I know I can't take my chances…"
He didn't know where her trail of thought was leading, but he sure didn't like the sound of it.
"So, I think I should stop your little friend from getting to that mansion and whoever is in it." She licked her lips. "It's a perfect opportunity to open his guts up too."
The situation was quickly deteriorating, and Subaru didn't know what to do—or rather, he didn't have the will to do what was needed. He had gone almost a year without suffering the horrible experience of dying, but ever since he met and understood the nature of these otherworlders, he had steeled himself for the possibility that something like this might happen.
But it seemed like it wasn't enough.
"If it's guts you want, I'd be happy to provide them—if you can beat me, of course." [Lust Subaru] tauntingly swung his sword and assumed his stance. However, Elsa seemed to deduce that he wanted to keep her attention on him.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful~ But sadly, I can't allow myself to indulge in my pleasures at this moment."
With an unnecessary show of flexibility, she jumped from the ground to the trees again, hanging from a branch like a bat while giggling.
"This will only take a few minutes… So, make sure you don't end up like the other one too~"
She swung herself around on top of the branch and then jumped. Subaru could see her eyes still trailing on them as she disappeared into the foliage in search of [Sloth Subaru].
"Damn you, Elsa! Get back here!" The king screamed while giving chase, and Subaru followed after him.
There were many things he could have said but failed to. Though he doubted he could truly manage to get Elsa to stand down, at that moment, it was already too late.
Once more… meeting that guy made her act all weird…
Subaru tried to wrap his head around Elsa's thinking, which was significantly complicated by her being from an alternate reality—and also by her being an insane gut-fetishist assassin.
But he somewhat understood that seeing [Subaru] dead had impacted her greatly, just as it had impacted him. She apparently had a connection with another [Subaru], so it wasn't strange that being thrust into this situation led her to try and figure things out her own way.
He would have to keep that in mind for next time…
Subaru turned to see his counterpart looking at him worriedly. He likely knew what Subaru was thinking… And in that case…
"Listen, I want you to—"
Suddenly, despite being deep in the forest, they saw a cloud of black smoke rise abruptly, so high and potent that it easily breached the dense forest and filled the space around and above it.
"That—that's him! She must've found him!" Subaru said worriedly to the king.
"Crap!" The king cursed. He then looked back at Subaru with… pity in his eyes. "I'm going to rush over there… Do what you have to—" He bit his tongue and looked away, ashamed. Then, without another word, he gave a great leap toward the smoke.
Subaru stood in place, stunned. He knew what the other him was getting at. He wanted him to make a decision about the other [Subaru]. He gripped his fist in anger.
"At the very least, I'm not willing to let it end here!" he screamed in defiance at the forest and chased after them, whatever good it might do.
Following their trail was easy. The smoke had begun to clear out but still lingered, and the king's leaps weren't as skilled or powerful as Elsa's. He had smashed his body against the trees in his hurry, leaving a clear path of destruction for Subaru to follow.
Even through the thick of the forest, Subaru could make out the mansion. The lights were turned on, and he could see the shadows of people moving about. He hoped that someone had gone to check on them and seen the thick smoke that [Sloth Subaru] had made with his Shamak, and was coming to help.
Even then, it might be too late…
A part of him desperately wanted to go towards the mansion and directly ask for aid. What good was he out here anyway? But he held himself back. [Sloth Subaru] was in danger, and Subaru needed to help in any way he could. Sadly, going to the mansion would make the other thing he needed to do much more difficult…
He kept running, now toward the ever-increasing sound of metal clashing.
"Marvelous! This is marvelous!"
He heard Elsa exclaim in pleasure as they clashed. It seemed that [Lust Subaru] had surprised her with his skill. He was silent, trying his best to hold her off. Even though his eyes were literally burning with red fire around him, signaling the use of his so-called Soul Marriage, Subaru could make out the clear image of fury they were radiating.
And as he turned, he saw why.
"Urk—!"
[Sloth Subaru] lay on the ground. His intestines were sprawled on the grass. On one of his hands was one of Elsa's wicked kukris, stuck on his hand. It looked like he had struggled against her and managed to make her forgo the knife, probably in the heat of battle after being pressured by [Lust Subaru]. And then his eyes… who followed him. He was still alive.
"W-wait…!"
Subaru rushed over to the dying man, desperately trying to keep his stomach from expelling all its contents at the gruesome sight. He watched in despair as [Sloth Subaru] moved his lips. He was trying to speak, but his fading voice was too weak to reach him.
"W-watch out!"
Suddenly, the battling Elsa and [Lust Subaru] passed near him. He was knocked aside; he didn't see by whom, as he tried to stand back up and go to the wounded father.
But then he noticed… he couldn't move. He was stuck, face-first against the ground. It was as if his body was frozen in place, reminiscent of when he was trapped in the accursed realm of the witch.
He tried to look around, but even his eyes wouldn't turn. However, from the corner of his eyes, he could see the legs of [Sloth Subaru], as well as his outstretched intestine.
He resisted the urge to close his eyes in disgust, not that he could have done so anyway. There was something he could see moving, right there, in the very corner of his vision. He could just make out a figure—only a fraction of her full form—but he undoubtedly recognized the shapes of a dress, completely black and covering practically the entire form of its wearer.
He could only see it with great difficulty, as a constant stream of shadows seemed to dance around her, distorting his view.
He wanted to speak, to scream at her. Because it had to be her. He had seen her before. It could be no one else.
What did he want to tell her? To save him? To save them? To have mercy? Again, it was a futile and useless thought. His mouth, too, could not move.
With a mix of fear and desperation, he tried his hardest to keep looking at this shadow in the corner of his eyes. He could make out how she knelt down to [Sloth Subaru]. He wondered what she was doing. Was she looking at him closer? Was she kissing him? Or perhaps… she was saying something to him.
He tried with all his might to force his ears to catch any sound. Just as it seemed time had stopped, all sounds had stopped too, leaving him in an oppressive silence. He was sure he wouldn't even be able to grasp what she would say if he heard it—just the tiniest whisper of it. But at this point, he was all too familiar with those exact words said by that exact voice.
"I love you."
Subaru was so shocked that he couldn't help but blink in surprise. Only then did he realize he could blink again. "A-ah…" And that he could talk again.
Sound suddenly returned to the world in such a brusque way that it almost hurt him. The sound of battle was once more thundering in his ears. He turned and looked at his battling counterpart. The king managed to give him a short but significant glance towards the body of [Sloth Subaru].
He was asking him to help, not knowing he was actually dead.
Subaru himself technically didn't know either, but that… thing… surely meant he had died, right?
He broke through his shock and moved towards [Sloth Subaru]. What if it had all been in his head? What if he had imagined it all? It had felt so long, but now that he tried to remember, it seemed as if it had passed in a flash too.
But no, it had been too real to be simply imagination. The witch, Satella, had appeared and whispered her love for Subaru. But she had not done so for him, but for [Sloth Subaru].
And indeed, when he reached him, he confirmed that he had died. Despite being next to the disgusting visage of [Sloth Subaru's] corpse— his own corpse—Subaru once again did not allow himself to throw up.
But… had he Returned by Death?
That was the question. The witch had knelt at his side. That had to be proof that his ability would activate, right? But if so, why did the world still continue?
"…"
They had thought that only Subaru would get to Return by Death, as they were in his world. But now he found himself doubting this fact again.
He remembered something he had been trying to avoid since he first met Rigel—the terrible images he was forced to see in the Sanctuary. Horrible presents where time continued after his death, where those who remained were forced to live with his failures.
Had those terrifying images actually been true? That realization almost made him puke as well.
Did this mean he was left behind in this failed reality? Would he still be able to Return by Death? Was this what [Sloth Subaru] was thinking too, in that world where he had died?
Maybe the other [Subaru], who had stabbed his own throat twice already, had also returned to his own little new world, just as [Sloth Subaru] would. Or maybe he didn't return because he had stabbed himself, and [Sloth Subaru] would return because he was killed by Elsa. So many questions, and he didn't know any answers to them.
So, did this mean he had to continue in this doomed world he had created?
No.
Even if his fears were true and the world would continue after his death, he could not continue in this reality where two of him had already died. Especially if one was [Sloth Subaru], the father of Rigel and Spica Natsuki. He could not allow a reality where those two lost their father to exist.
Tears started to form in his eyes as he reached for the knife that had been cleaved into the hand of [Sloth Subaru]. Questions and doubts kept dancing in his head. What if he was wrong? What if he was right? These two questions kept repeating about so many things that it was nearly overwhelming.
I suppose there's only one way to find out…
He wouldn't have another chance. Soon, someone would arrive from the mansion, and he knew he wouldn't have the heart to do it if they were here.
He cut his fingers trying to dislodge Elsa's dagger, but that pain would soon be nothing compared to the one he was about to inflict upon himself. After finally getting the knife free, he breathed deeply and looked to the sky.
A part of him wished it had been him who died at the hands of Elsa's wicked blade. At the very least, the terrible pain would be accompanied by a small reassurance that he could come back. But if that other [Subaru] hadn't returned because he had struck the killing blow himself, then…
Well, it was too late to second-guess himself now. Subaru aimed the knife at his throat.
"Please... give me a chance..." He prayed silently once more. To any god, to Satella, to anyone.
And then, he plunged.
"I love you."
There it was once more, that familiar call of love. A part of him wanted to cry in joy. Another wanted to vomit his insides out. Not that he knew if he had any insides to vomit with. Or eyes from which to cry, for that matter.
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
Like last time, he heard it repeating over and over again—
"I love you."
Hmm?
"I love you."
Nonono, wait!
He wanted to scream, but no voice came out. As if sensing his distress at what he heard, the voice closest to him whispered her love. But that did nothing to make him mistake what he had felt.
He had heard a singular call of love, different from both the one whispering in his ear and the ones that came from everywhere all at once.
Had he even heard it?
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
…
"I love you."
"I love you."
There. He was sure he had heard it. Or at the very least, he had felt it. In this bizarre place beyond his comprehension, things were always uncertain, but of this, he was certain. He had felt a call of love, but… it had almost felt as if it hadn't been directed at him…
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."
Yes, not like the others. Like it was whispering in the ears of someone else…
"I love you."
Not like the one who whispered her unyielding love into his ear…
"I love you…"
"…"
He blinked once, twice. He let out a sigh of relief. He had Returned by Death after all. Next to him were the other two, safe and sound.
He had made it back. There were still many questions to be answered, but at the very least, he had made it back.
Now, all he had to do was quickly convince the other two again and think of another plan to save [Subaru] and leave safe and sound.
"Yo, are you guys just gonna leave me hanging?"
Hmm? This wasn't what he said last time…
Subaru turned towards his royal self. He was still holding his famous introduction pose, although half-heartedly. Instead, he was looking at the two of them.
"I mean, you both got all weird and different so suddenly…" [Lust Subaru] said, worryingly. Subaru guessed it was as good a time as any to tell them what happened, so…
"I-I just Returned by Death."
"I just Returned by Death."
The same voice spoke the same words twice. So much so that it seemed choreographed.
Subaru turned to look at [Sloth Subaru]. His expression was hard to describe, but it was a mix of shock and fear. In any case, he was sure that he was making the very same expression too.
"Y-you died?" [Sloth Subaru] asked him.
Subaru solemnly nodded, before also asking. "And you… did Elsa get you- and… well, was your hand also pierced with her knife?"
It was a strange question to ask, and for a moment Subaru thought he would get no answer, but then [Sloth Subaru] stopped looking at him to inspect his body again.
Subaru saw as he absentmindedly touched his stomach, and then his hand. The hand that had been slotted with Elsa's knife. He then turned to look at him again with that terrible expression and then nodded.
When he had considered that [Sloth Subaru] would Return by Death this… this was not what he had been thinking.
"Okay, what the fuck is going on?!" The king, who had been silently watching them thus far screamed.
Subaru very much wanted to know that himself.
Well, look at that. Double Return by Death. Again, since I like seeing your theories I'll refrain from saying anything else for now. But something I will say is about Lustbaru to avoid future confusion. Just like Pridebaru, Lustbaru managed to defeat all the archbishops in his future. And again just like in the PrideIf, he doesn't have access to their authorities after defeating them like Envybaru does. Many other important things happened or didn't happen in the Lustif because it's mostly my headcanon at this point, but this was the only one that merited a direct explanation from me. In any case, thanks for reading and reviewing this chapter, and I'll see you next time.