Hi everyone! This is going to be my first Re:Zero fanfic, so please give me any feedback. Even if it is only "this SUCKS" I'll appreciate it all the same. This will also be without a beta for a bit until my partner is won over by my dashing good looks (begging). Thanks again! Current plans exist up to Arc 5!

Re:Zero

ARC: ? Chapter: ?
Pyrrhic Victory

"Well Satella, this is it, huh?"

Natsuki Subaru cast a thin shadow as he stood before the Evil Sealing Stone Shrine. The intense sun of the desert beat down on his back, and felt warm even through his thick tattered green cloak.

He stood, not like a man, but more like a human sized pile of rags, tossed together haphazardly, threatening to fall over at the slightest breeze. Despite this implied instability he did not shake but why would he? There was nothing left to worry about. This would be his last task. Everything would be over soon.

Natsuki Subaru stood before the shrine alone. There was no one left to save, there was no one left to defeat. Except…her, Satella, Envy. He promised to save her, and now he was finally there to make good on that promise. Despite everything he would not fail this promise.

Ha... Who am I kidding so many times I promised and swore to save everyone and look at me now…. alone, here at the end.

Subaru tried to let out a long suffering sigh, but the sound that escaped was more like the hiss of air being let out of a tire. Without water his mouth felt dry as the sand beneath his boots. Oh well, he had forgotten his water back… somewhere. Hours ago. It was getting harder and harder to care about simple things like 'water' or 'food' or 'sleep'.

Subaru finally showed a semblance of life in his dead eyes at this thought, even though it was only a small twitch. He soon began slowly moving his head around, as if searching for something.

If I hadn't failed everyone… How many would be here with me now? Telling me I promised to take care of myself? That I was worth more than this?

Images and people flashed by his eyes, hallucinations for sure. But real enough for the moment.

A smiling Emilia appeared before him in his mind.

"You promise you'll always protect me? Really? But I'm… just Emilia."

Subaru moved faster than he had in weeks to clutch at his chest. A pain worse than the witch's shadow tendrils crushing his heart instantly assaulted him just for thinking of Emilia.

A tortured grunt tore his already shredded voice further, the sound seemed more suited for a dying mabeast than any man. Tears dripped down his face disappearing before hitting the hot sand. He already screamed and cried till his voice broke, and then he screamed some more until blood flecked air was all that he could make.

Satella had told Subaru, all the way back in Sanctuary, the only way to free her from the clutches of the witch of Envy was the power of all nine witch factors combined within a single vessel. Something he brushed off at the time, not knowing why this information could possibly matter.

However… soon, reports began to find their way to the candidates' ears of disasters. Magic storms, earthquakes, fires and more. Entire villages disappearing overnight and worse, entire villages waking up to the 'love' of witch's miasma suffusing them.

The confirmation came from the Divine Dragon himself. Volcanica inscribed words of pure horror upon the dragon tablet for all to see.

"Mine time in this realm wanes, I am soon to fade into eternal slumber. The envious witch, bound no longer by her chains, shall rise, and within five seasons hence, the world itself shall tremble and fall. For thee, fragile mortals, I weep."

Such a blunt and hopeless declaration from the very object of worship for much of the kingdom led to widespread panic, riots and general horror from the general populace.

Reinhard, the one who the entire world looked at in fear as monster, became the one shining beacon of hope for them. Praying that he would save them from the threat of the witch. But the man could only shake his head in despair.

"The Od Laguna itself tells me I cannot win, my divine protections will be useless against the witch." Reinhard had said simply, shaking his head.

Despite that he set off, against the wishes of the kingdom, to attempt to find what could defeat the witch. He never returned from his journey… what became of him Subaru couldn't find it in himself to think about after all that had happened after.

With no other options remaining the council of Wise Men set out the task to the candidates for the throne. Go out into the world, and search for a way to stand against the witch, to save them and the entire world at large.

So, with the weight of the world upon their backs the candidates set out. Though it took some convincing on where he got the information from, Subaru was eventually able to convince the Emilia camp at least, of the solution; it only took a few different approaches before they finally believed him. They camp set out to hunt down the Sin Archbishops, and the witches that still walked the land.

Hey… wasn't I supposed to be the hero here? I overcame so much… but for what?

Satella tried and tried and tried and tried to hold back Envy, but the closer her salvation came the harder Envy fought. By the second year Return by Death was no longer even a useful curse. The checkpoints, completely under Envy's control, did everything to prevent Subaru from loving anyone but her alone. Rather than allowing him to save those he loved, the checkpoints marked his greatest failures.

Emilia….

The memory nearly brought him to his knees. Even hundreds of deaths later. He failed everyone, but he failed Emilia the most.

Envy decided to make his allies' deaths as permanent as she could by placing checkpoints as close as possible to their demise..

Emilia met her end at the hands of Hector, Warlock of Melancholy. Second to last witch factor to collect. Crushed to death right in front of Subaru. Over, and over, and over. Hundreds of times Subaru had to watch the one he loved most crushed into an unrecognizable, broken doll, just because Envy decided that was the perfect time for a new checkpoint.

Subaru staggered, and could feel the bile rising in his throat. No matter how much time would pass, he could never forget, he would never forgive.

He stopped just before he fell to his knees. He gathered what little strength was left and looked forward.

The fetid miasma of the witch writhed in front of him like fire, but hungrier and dark. Small arm like tendrils reached out towards him, but glanced off just before making contact. Something was protecting him even here.

Today, on the fifth anniversary of coming to this world, Subaru would end his journey, alone.

I will save Satella… and I will Kill That Witch.

Subaru clenched his fists with all his strength, his hands began to drip blood onto the golden sands that swallowed it up in an instant.

He reached towards the writhing shadows in front of him. As he did he couldn't help but remember everyone… Even though he failed them, he still selfishly loved them, and wanted nothing more than to save them. Though he knew that to be impossible now. He held onto the slim hope that maybe… just maybe… after he defeated Envy, Satella would have some way to fix everything, and they could all live happily ever after…

With the image of everyone he had lost firm in his mind Subaru spoke, his voice, unused for weeks, came out faint, and rusty.

"I love you. I love you al-"

As soon as the first 'love you' came out of Subaru's mouth the Witch of Envy, watching from within the seal in front of him, was stunned if only for one moment, mistaking Subaru's words as being directed at her.

But that one moment was all that Satella was waiting for. Gathering all the strength she had squirreled away, she threw Envy out, taking control for the first time in years. It would be short lived but she only needed a single moment to do what was needed.

Subaru for his part, noticed nothing but a slight fluctuation in the shadows in front of him. As he took his first step towards the shadows a single tendril reached out and placed it's palm on his forehead. There was a slight hiss as the miasma burned into him.

"Ouch! What the hell! My… authorities…. Huh?"

But as soon as it had come, it was gone.

Subaru blinked. Words he thought he would never hear again reached his ears.

"What's the matter boy? Looks like you've seen a ghost!"

Kadamon? What? What? What? How? What?

The world was a spinning cacophony of light and sound, buildings and people. The capital of the Kingdom of the Dragon, Lugnica.

Before he could truly begin to spiral into madness, he felt something drop into the pocket of his tracksuit. A slight weight that anchored him for just a moment. He reached for it with a shivering hand, and pulled out a small white, leather bound book. No larger than a postcard but thick as a deck of cards. A gospel.

Subaru cracked it open to the first page with shaking hands. And read something that made his mind finally shut down.

This is all I am able to do to aid thee. The Authority of Envy is now thine. Our bond is severed, neither Envy nor I can reach thee.

Please Excuse mine selfish wish, end this! Save me, save them!

I love you, always.

Satella

Subaru nodded to himself as if, yes, this was the most natural thing in the entire world to happen in such a situation. He stows the book back into the inner pocket of his tracksuit, turned back to Kadamon aaaaaand….

Subaru fainted.

There we go, that made more sense.

Wooohooo! What an original idea Amicus! Thank you dear reader... Definitely not a new idea but just thought it would be fun to write something in honor of season 3. Will take a few days to see if this gets any feedback (doubt) and then post chapters on a twice weekly schedule from here. Most likely Friday/Monday. I usually write on another cite for a completely separate fandom, so will do my best to do get used to FF quickly!

As always let me know if I suck or my story sucks in the reviews!

Toodles!