-House-
In a decently sized but single room home, Subaru, Rem, and two of the Ryuzu clones are all gathered together. On one of the walls is a fireplace that is currently crackling. In front of it a few feet away is a wooden table with a few chairs. Then on the opposite side of the house is a large bed that can easily fit at least two sleeping people, possibly three.
Ryuzu Bilma, as she identified herself, takes a seat in one of the wooden chairs. The other three sit on the bed. Subaru sits down first, with Rem following, sitting on his left side while the other Ryuzu clone sits on his right. Almost immediately, the clone grabs ahold of Subaru's shirt, as if she's afraid that he's going to leave her.
"She seems pretty attached to me for some reason…" Subaru expresses his thoughts aloud, confused as to why one of the clones he's never interacted with would want to be this close to him.
Rem could only look perplexingly at the clone and agree with Subaru. In the last loop, one of the Ryuzu clones didn't hesitate to scheme with Garfiel and throw Subaru into a ruin that essentially functioned as a prison cell. Now another clone is attached to him like this? She couldn't understand what the motives or desires of all these clones were. Perhaps all the clones are entirely unique with their own set of thoughts and feelings. That would at least somewhat clear up why the clones have been acting the way they are.
Staring at the area between Subaru and Rem, the clone gets up and walks around to Rem. Hopping back onto the bed, she grabs the hem of her maid outfit. This only makes the two more confused. "Me as well?" Rem says.
Ryuzu Bilma, who's been watching them with keen interest, says, "I think she'd like to sit in between Young Su and Young Rem."
Both people in question gaze at the clone's face and see that she's once again gazing at the area in between the two. With how they're currently sitting, there's no room for the clone to squeeze in between them. Subaru and Rem look at each other. The former nods, with the latter nodding as well a moment later. The two scoot away from each other by about half a foot, which is enough room for the clone to sit neatly in between the two, which she promptly does. Following that, she grabs both Subaru's shirt and the hem of Rem's maid outfit at the same time.
As everyone gets settled down, Ryuzu Bilma begins the conversation. "You do know who is responsible for creating this place, do you not?"
"Actually, I don't." Subaru responds. "Although, I've heard that Echidna's tomb is here. That's why this place is called the Sanctuary."
"That is correct. Not only is her body laid to rest here, but she was the one who created this place."
"Everything within the barrier was built by that witch?!" Rem exclaims, shocked by this revelation.
Ryuzu nods, "Yes. This was an experimental facility meant to fulfill said witch's dream."
"Experimental…" Rem mumbles, gaining an ominous feeling from this description of the Sanctuary.
"What was she experimenting on?" Subaru asks.
Closing her eyes, Ryuzu tilts her head forward ever so slightly and says in slight disappointment, "Can you not see it right in front of you?"
"Huh?" Both Subaru and Rem let out.
"Was there not a girl who looked just like me trapped within the magic crystal? That was the true first Ryuzu Meyer. All of the Ryuzus, including myself, are copies of her. We are imitations."
The two take a moment to process this information. Taking note of their silence, Ryuzu asks, "Does knowing that I'm an imitation change how you see me?"
"If I'm to be honest, this is all rather confusing." Rem admits her true feelings. "I can accept that you and all the other Ryuzu-san's are clones. Beyond that, I'm unsure how to take you. There's still too much I don't know. Like how all the clones were created. There's no magic that I know of that can replicate bodies. The behavior of you and your clones has not made things any easier."
"Yeah…same here." Subaru agrees with her.
Under her black cloak, Ryuzu smiles and chuckles a little. "I understand. Our replica bodies are built upon cores of artificial od that has been produced by magic. Those cores are wrapped in mana and given physical form, resulting in these bodies."
"Isn't that essentially creating life?!" Subaru says, quite disturbed. "Why the heck would she do an experiment like that?"
"To add something to those bodies, obviously." Ryuzu looks at Subaru and then to her cup of tea she's holding in her hands, "Specifically, to add personalities, memories, and knowledge. In other words, a soul. She filled Ryuzu Meyer's body with her own being, and each time a body perished, she would make a new vessel to inherit a soul, which would make her…"
"Basically immortal." Subaru finishes, his head hung down low. "That's why she kept acting so familiar with me!"
"If I understand what you just said correctly…" Rem begins, her head also hung down low. "That Witch of Greed intended to create bodies, using Ryuzu Meyer as the source of said bodies, to put her soul into?"
"Essentially."
"That witch…" Rem grumbles. She's not even surprised Echidna would try to do something really shady like this.
"Was the experiment a success?" Subaru asks.
Ryuzu shakes her head, "No, Echidna's soul was not inherited."
Rem leans over towards Subaru's ear and whispers, "If the experiment had worked, I don't think we would've ever met her in that dimension. If I recall, it was her soul we met."
"Ah." Subaru lets out a sound of acknowledgement and understanding.
Ryuzu continues, "The witch's plans only came to pass in an imperfect form."
"An imperfect form?" The two repeat.
"Ryuzu Meyer was an insufficient vessel to house the Witch of Greed."
"She couldn't have figured that out before she tried it?" Subaru asks.
Ryuzu shifts her pupils to observe him while not turning her head. Returning her eyes to her tea, she replies, "After the witch's death, this facility remains. More copies continue to be produced. Since our bodies are made of mana, our saving grace is that we require no resources to survive.
"Yet you're drinking tea." Subaru smirks a little and teases her.
"This is merely a hobby of mine." She replies flatly. However, she looks at him again and smiles, saying sweetly, "An individual quirk I've acquired over my long life."
"How old are you?" Rem asks, "Since it appears that the original Ryuzu Meyer and the Witch of Greed knew each other if the latter was trying to inherit a copy of her body. And knowing that no witches have walked the world since the Witch of Envy destroyed half the world all those years ago, you're older than you look, aren't you?"
"Quite perceptive Young Rem. Though I've come to quite enjoy how young I look, I'm aware that my appearance can fool others into thinking I'm a young child. In reality, I'm one of the first four copies ever made over 400 years ago."
"One of the first four copies…" Subaru starts.
"Over 400 years ago…" Rem finishes a little surprised. She had thought Ryuzu was old, but not so old that she's lived Rem's entire lifespan over a dozen times.
Ryuzu nods, "Yes. I suffered at first. I had no memories, only a job to do. I know not of how many years passed by before I felt I was truly alive."
"Oh…" Subaru lowers his head and mutters a sound. To suddenly be thrust into someplace with only the knowledge of how to do your job sounded like a really boring and restricting life. If he had been brought into this world without the memories of his previous life on earth, would he be feeling lonely like she did?
Yeah. I would. If I had not met everyone… Where would he even be right now?
Rem looks at Subaru with concern, noticing the slightly grim aura surrounding him.
"Now don't look so sad Young Su. In my own way, I have come to find significance in fulfilling my purpose." Ryuzu says in an attempt to cheer him up.
"You say you're one of the first four copies. Is there a reason you only mentioned the first four?" Rem raises yet another question. She finds it odd she mentioned the first four specifically.
"Among all the clones that currently exist, only four were granted the ability to have a personality, or a will, so to speak. The four copies, including myself, act as the main overseers of the Sanctuary. Everybody else, including the one sitting with you both, is a mindless shell."
"Um…" Subaru turns his head to look at the clone beside him. She returns his gaze, her face devoid of any emotion, positive or negative. She seemed to not care in the slightest at being called a mindless shell. "Aren't you being a little harsh with calling them mindless shells?"
"Is that so? It's the truth though." Ryuzu stands by her choice to call them that. "They are devoid of any personality. Unable to think and understand in a complicated manner, they are only capable of simple tasks, such as alerting us if they spot an intruder. They obey the orders of their superiors."
"Who do they consider their superiors?" Rem asks. Being a maid herself, she's intimately familiar with how master and servant relationships work. Whoever the clones submit to, they are likely to obey them without question. Especially if they don't hold any sort of ego or will. If whoever holds command over them is an opponent of her, Subaru, or anyone else she cares about, then it'll be a long journey ahead of her to deal with them all.
"Either the clones who hold a personality, like me, or whoever is recognized to be an Apostle of Greed. Sometimes they get a little too caught up in their work and fail to properly rest. It's quite taxing to care for them all. They're like little children. Fufufu." Ryuzu puts a hand to her mouth as she shuts her eyes and laughs a little.
"Oh yeah! You mentioned that me and Subaru-kun have that Apostle of Greed thing earlier! What is that? We'd rather have no relation to that witch in any way." Rem says. This was one of the primary questions she had for the small pink-haired clone.
"Put simply, that title refers to the ones who have the right to command us copies of Ryuzu Meyer. Did the witch not bestow upon you a symbol of her apostlehood in the graveyard?"
"What kind of symbol?" Subaru asks.
"A part of her body, such as a strand of hair or a fingernail."
Both Subaru and Rem's eyes widen at this.
"No…don't tell me…that tea! It was that damn tea of hers we drank!" Rem shouts, highly displeased with this revelation.
"Tea?" Ryuzu tilts her head in confusion.
Subaru sighs deeply, "Thanks to certain…circumstances. She got us to drink her bodily fluids cleverly disguised as tea."
"Ah, so you two ingested a part of the witch."
Rem coughs violently at hearing how disgusting that sounds.
"All joking aside, that surely must be it." Ryuzu says.
"None of that sounded like a joke at all…" Subaru groans. "Damn! What the hell did that witch make us drink?! Wait…"
"What is it Subaru-kun?"
"Remember Garfiel? When we encountered him last, he was able to command the Ryuzu copies. And if an Apostle of Greed is what allows someone to command the copies…did Garfiel enter the graveyard and undergo the trial too?" He looks towards Ryuzu for an answer.
A simple nod is all she gives. However, that's all they need.
"I see. Then Ryuzu-san, I have one more question for you." Rem gently takes the hand of the clone grasping her maid outfit and makes her release her grip. Now free of being gripped, she stands up and takes a few steps towards Ryuzu. "Who does your loyalty belong to?"
"My loyalty?"
"Yes. You stated you're inclined to obey anyone who is an Apostle of Greed. And you said me and Subaru-kun fulfilled the requirements to obtain that. Garfiel-san also has that title. If the Apostle of Greed members were to become hostile to one another, which one would you and the other clones follow?"
"That's how it is. I see…" Pushing her chair back, Ryuzu stands up, grabs her staff, and faces Rem. "If it were to come to that, we would be on standby. We cannot defy any Apostle of Greed nor bring harm to any. As such, they would need to resolve their problems alone."
"If that's the case, then how and why did one of the clones conspire with Garfiel-san to throw Subaru-kun into one of the ruin cells? By your explanation that should be impossi-"
"Ah um Rem, let's just drop-" Subaru tries to interject.
"It is impossible." Ryuzu strikes down her cane on the ground to regain control of the conversation. "Me and all of the other clones have no capability to defy and bring harm upon either young Rem or Young Su. I have not heard of a case of Young Su being imprisoned either." Then, her eyes widen, "However…"
The two gaze at the senior clone with intense interest for what she'll say next.
"Shima could. I would rather not get into the details but she's not like the rest of us. One reason being that unlike the rest of us, she is against lifting the barrier to the Sanctuary. If you intend to lift the barrier, you must be prepared for her."
"I see. Got it, thanks. One more thing. The person that the clones are based off is Ryuzu Meyer, yet you call yourself Ryuzu Bilma. Where'd that come from?"
A moment of silence passes before she responds, "To go by the name 'Ryuzu' is the duty that has been instilled in me and the others. Therefore, we must express our individuality in other ways. Such as hobbies, preferences, and names. Say, Young Su?"
"Hm?"
She closes her eyes and smiles, that smile being hidden underneath her robe. However, her cute face essentially reveals that smile, "If you do not mind, would you ask me the same question again after tomorrow?"
"Hm? I suppose so."
With the most important topics out of the way, the three talk about more mundane topics for a little bit before bidding her and the clone that came with her goodbye.
"Wow…I certainly didn't expect all of that." Rem says once they leave, taking her seat by Subaru once more now that the clone isn't there to disrupt her.
"You're right. To think they were all clones of Ryuzu Meyer, someone who lived over 400 years ago. That was certainly unexpected…" He deeply sighs. "Still, there are so many questions. Like is Ryuzu Meyer responsible for the creation of the barrier in the first place? And if so, why did she create it, and with the condition that half-bloods specifically cannot leave once they've entered? Did Echidna somehow force that responsibility onto her? We still have no idea of how to take down the barrier aside from the trials…"
"I wouldn't be surprised if that witch is responsible for what happened to that poor girl." Rem says in an irritated manner. Hearing Ryuzu Bilma's story, she's gained a considerable amount of sympathy for Ryuzu Meyer and her ultimate fate of being sealed in that crystal. Just what all had Echidna done to make the creation of the clones possible? "Immortality…what a selfish desire."
Subaru shakily gulps upon hearing that.
"Subaru-kun?" Rem, having become way more attentive of him ever since taking the second trial, does not fail in hearing this nervous gulp.
"What's…going to happen when I get to be of old age? Will I…" He shakes his head, trying not to think of Return by Death interfering with dying of old age, forcing him to live the last few days of his life over and over again with no end. He would, in a certain sense, be forever immortal. Never able to truly die.
"You're way too young to think about that now!" She raises her voice a little in anguish. "It's way too early…and…well…hopefully we can solve this long before you ever need to think about such things. So please…"
"Rem-rin!" Subaru turns towards the maid and embraces her in a deep hug.
"Oh!" She lets out a sound of surprise, but instantly returns the hug, smiling immensely. I'm really happy he feels he can be this open about his issues with me. One thing does confuse her though, "Rem-rin? You haven't called me that in a while."
He lets go of her and explains, "That's true. It's been on my mind lately and well…I've kinda missed calling you that. Don't get me wrong, I really liked calling you Rem-tan as well. But…I don't know how to explain it. But I feel like Rem-rin fits you better, you know? It's like…unique to you, and still really cute like Rem-tan was! Do you…not like it?" He frowns, a little worried she'll reject the new nickname.
She firmly shakes her head and continues to smile widely, "No, I love it! I love any nickname you give me! I think it's really cute too! Please call me that from now on."
Subaru gives a small laugh and replies, "As you wish Rem-rin!"
For the next hour the two remain in each other's company. Sometimes they'd talk about various mostly trivial matters, and sometimes they'd just sit silently while numerous thoughts roll through their minds. During the hour they briefly discuss their plans for the next day.
Subaru and Rem will take off for the mansion first thing in the morning. Knowing that Elsa will be at the mansion no later than the end of the second day of them being at the Sanctuary, Subaru figures that she likely wouldn't be there for very long to carry out her assassinations. Thus, if they arrive in the morning, they should be able to evacuate everyone safely before she arrives. It should be such a simple task that Subaru could go by himself if he wanted. However, Rem's going with him for two reasons. One, she's rather uncomfortable to let him go by himself, leaving himself extremely vulnerable like that. It's unlikely that anything will happen, but she doesn't want to take any risks when it comes to his safety. Two, the evacuation would likely go more quickly if they both run throughout the mansion informing everyone at the same time. Better to spend as little time there as possible.
Eventually, the time comes for the two to leave for where they're staying at. The two exchange a small kiss on each other's cheek.
Rem giggles a little, "I'll always treasure these sorts of moments. Thank you for everything Subaru-kun."
"I should be the one saying that. Thank you for believing in me when I didn't even believe in myself. Soon these peaceful days will hopefully return. We just need to ensure everyone's safety."
"I agree. I'll patiently await those calm and peaceful days where we can excitedly talk about what's in store for the future. Well, let's get back to the place we're staying at."
Subaru nods and they both begin to walk back to the house she, Subaru, Emilia, and Otto are all staying at.
-Forest-
"W-W-Wait! R-Rem! R-Ram! Please! We can talk this out! D-Don't you remember? The joys of cleaning pots and pans together? W-When Ram taught me the language here? When Rem was going to style my hair? When-AAAAAHHHHH!"
Subaru, lying on his back facing a pair of furious Oni twins, shrieks upon feeling the horrific pain of having his left arm brutally detached from his arm by Rem's Morningstar. No one is around except for the three mentioned. In the middle of a forest, Subaru can be rest assured that no one is able to hear his cries of pain and suffering aside from the various wildlife roaming within said forest. Not like they could do anything for him though.
"When will you stop with your pathetic lies, Witch Cultist? Hearing your ear-piercing screams is going to make my ears hurt and give me a headache. If you'd just answer us honestly, this whole process would go a lot quicker."
The one speaking such cold and heartless words towards him is Rem. Glaring at him with hateful eyes and a scornful expression, she wields her Morningstar in her right hand, ready to strike again at a moment's notice.
"You really did screw up in such a major way that even I'm impressed Barusu. For a Witch Cultist, you're the most weak and pathetic member I've ever had the misfortune of laying my lovely eyes upon. The ones back at the village at least put up a fight. Yet here you are, pretending to cower in fear as you refuse to answer our simple questions. For what reason do you struggle like this when you could be put out of your misery way sooner? Answer me." Ram says. Like Rem, she looks down upon him as if he's nothing more than a piece of garbage on the side of the road. Despite that, there is a hint of regret hidden deep beneath her red eyes, as if hoping things could've gone differently.
"I…I…I why don't either of you remember anything?! I don't know anything about Witch Cultists! I'm innocent! Please! I beg you two! L-Let me go! I-I'll do anything! I'll work twice, no, triple as hard! So please! Don't kill me!" Tears stream down Subaru's face as he anguishly pleads with the two to spare his life.
"There is no mercy for Witch Cultists. You pieces of filth are the reason my dear Nee-sama has lost her horn and was never able to reach her full potential. You'll pay for that with your life." Raising her Morningstar, Rem throws it violently onto Subaru's fear-stricken face, completely destroying it and killing him at the same time.
"Great work Rem. That's one Cultist down." Ram smiles and praises her sister.
She smiles back, wiping away a bit of blood with her sleeve that flew up to her cheek from striking Subaru's face. "Thanks Nee-sama." Then she frowns, "Though I'm not sure if we'll ever be able to take down every single Witch Cultist. Those Sin Archbishops I've heard are way more powerful. I need to do more training for when that day comes that I face them.
-Rem's Room-
"Aaaaaaahhhh! No! Subaru!" Rem suddenly and turbulently sits up in her bed. Placing a hand to her chest, she pants heavily as she was very forcefully awakened from her sleep in the middle of the night.
"Hah…hah…"
After about a minute, she calms herself down to the point where she is able to mostly breathe normally again. However, she's still very visibly shaking.
"I…I need some water…"
Deciding a glass of water might help calm her nerves a little, she slowly turns her legs towards the edge of the bed and sets her feet on the floor. Then, with a bit of effort due to shaking so much, she manages to stand and sluggishly makes her way for the door. Halfway there, the door suddenly swings open.
"Rem! Is everything alright?! Where's Subaru?!" Emilia frantically enters and looks around the room for any signs of him.
"E-Emilia-sama?! Nee-sama?!" Rem watches Emilia enter the house and standing behind her is Ram.
"I sensed you were really distressed Rem, what's going on?" Ram asks, concerned about her younger sister's wellbeing. As soon as she felt that feeling deep within her heart that didn't originate from herself, she ran as fast as she could to the house Rem is staying at.
"I…I just had a bad dream, that's all. Subaru-kun is fine. I'm sorry to have disturbed you two from your sleep. I really hope I didn't wake up Subaru-kun or Otto-san…"
Luckily for her, both Subaru and Otto are currently in a deep sleep upstairs and were not awakened by her screaming.
Emilia lightly shakes her head and smiles, "You didn't disturb me. I couldn't sleep and was actually walking around outside when I heard you scream since I was right by the house. I'm glad everyone is super-dandy."
Rem chuckles a little, prompting Emilia to ask, "Is something funny Rem?"
"Hehe. I was just thinking if Subaru-kun heard you say that then he'd tell you who says super-dandy in this day and age." She's really glad that Emilia said this. It helped steer her mind away from that horrible nightmare.
Emilia pouts and cutely clenches her fists, "Hey! Why do you find him teasing me funny? I can freely express myself however I wish…"
"S-Sorry Emilia-sama." Rem lets out another small laugh.
This prompts Emilia to give a small "Hmph!" However, she soon joins in the laughter.
"Rem." Ram calls out to her in a normal voice, having decided to not join in on their fun. The two look at her with newfound seriousness. "Was your bad dream about Barusu? What sort of things did he do to you in that dream? Depending on what it is, I'll need to really lay it in on him."
"He did nothing! I promise he did nothing to me! Instead, I was the one who…" Rem trails off, initially thinking of revealing her dream to them but ultimately deciding against it. Who knows how they'd react to her and Ram torturing Subaru, even if it was only in a dream.
Except I really did that once. Not exactly like that, but I really did act like that towards him. Oh…
Seeing herself torture Subaru in the second trial gave her a lot more trauma than she expected. This is now her second nightmare she's had torturing Subaru, and it happened to be even worse than her first one. Unlike the first nightmare, Ram joined her in torturing Subaru. And she seemed to have no regrets in doing so.
"You were the one who?" Ram says, hoping Rem will finish what she was trying to say.
"A-Anyway, why were you unable to sleep Emilia-sama? I heard you were deep in sleep earlier." Rem quickly deflects the question, directing her attention to Emilia. "Also, please sit down on the bed. I'd feel awful forcing you to continue standing here."
Ram looks like she wants to say something, but Emilia answers Rem's question first after taking her offer to sit on the bed, "I-It's nothing major. It's just…"
"Is it about the trial?" Ram asks.
"No. Well, um, maybe…I did fail it tonight after all. I guess you could say I was walking around trying to figure out what to do. I really wish…Puck was here to guide me."
"Tch." Rem clicks her tongue upon hearing that name. "If she knew…"
"Sorry, did you say something Rem? I couldn't hear you." Emilia turns her head to her, giving a look of curiosity.
"It was nothing. I wish we could do something to help as he's not here right now." I need to be careful to keep my mouth shut. If Emilia-sama knew how I feel about that spirit now, she'd be devastated. And I'd be questioned too. I can't reveal what I saw in those trials to anyone else…not even Nee-sama… Rem thinks, noting to herself to be more careful from now on about carelessly making remarks like that. Thankfully she only mumbled her disdain for Puck in a whisper, so neither of them heard her properly.
"Puck-sama is quite irresponsible to abandon the person he calls her daughter at a time like this. Especially with no explanation given." Ram says, not holding back in expressing her true thoughts on the matter.
"Don't speak about him like that! I'm sure he has his reasons. I just wish he'd talk to me. We've been together all this time." Emilia looks down towards the floor.
"My apologies, I spoke out of line." Ram bows, accepting that she's made an error in her speech.
"Even if he isn't here right now, I think you'll do just fine Emilia-sama." Rem gives a warm smile to the half-elf.
"Why do you sound so convinced?" Emilia looks up at Rem, seriously wondering what makes her sound so confident that she'll succeed in conquering the trials.
"I'm not saying it will be easy. You may feel helpless, powerless, and that you want to run away from your past. However, your past always catches up to you, one way or another. If you can face that past, prepared to take on whatever it has to throw at you, and accept it, then you may be able to carve a path towards your future."
"Carve a path towards my future?"
She nods.
Ram nods as well, "I agree. If you cannot handle whatever unfortunate incidents have occurred in your past, then you're not fit to be the ruler of Lugunica. I may not have ever been in a position of royalty, but from observing various documents Roswaal-sama has had me look over as well as the various meetings I've attended with him, I've realized that having a position of such high status is quite challenging and troublesome. And you would be in an even higher position. You've admittedly done quite well in facing the discrimination that has come upon you ever since entering the Royal Selection, but that's merely the first step. It only gets more difficult from here. You must have the resolve to continue forward regardless of how arduous it is."
"Nee-sama…" While Rem agrees with what her sister said, she feels that she could've said it a little more kindly.
"No…she's right." Sensing that Rem may have disagreed with Ram, Emilia expresses her opinion before she can say anything. "I can't rely on Puck for everything. If I'm to become the next ruler, then I need to show everyone that I can be relied upon. And these trials are the first step to accomplishing that."
"That's a great attitude to have Emilia-sama. Though remember, while it's good to be able to do things on your own, it's never a bad thing to be afraid to ask for help. If you're ever struggling, you can always come to the people you trust the most for help. Me, Nee-sama, and especially Subaru-kun will always be here if you ever need a shoulder to lean on."
"Rem!" Getting up, Emilia embraces Rem in a strong bear hug. "Thank you." Releasing her, she looks towards Ram. "Thank you too Ram. I really needed to hear that. I'm feeling much better at attempting the trial tomorrow!"
"It's not a problem, Emilia-sama." The two sisters say in unison.
Next Morning
-Village Border-
"Are you ready Rem?" Subaru, preparing Patrasche for the trip to the mansion, asks her.
She nods and gives a tired smile while having bags under her eyes, "Yes Subaru-kun. I will happily follow you wherever you go."
She didn't manage to get much sleep for the rest of the night due to being terrified of having another nightmare. She had thought of going to Subaru and asking if she could sleep with him, but that made her worried that by sleeping next to him she'd only have more intense and frightening nightmares. Not wanting to bother him with her issues when they had other people to save from being disemboweled by Elsa, she decided to not bring up her nightmare with him. She was also rather worried that talking about it would only bring up those awful memories of when it happened for real. She didn't want to cause him any more pain or trauma than she already has.
He blushes a little and scratches his cheek a little in embarrassment. "I-It's embarrassing when you put it that way. Anyway, thanks. No one followed you, right?"
She nods again, "I made absolutely sure that no one saw where I was going on my way here. Everyone should be completely unaware of our plans."
He breathes a sigh of relief, "Good, same here. I put a note for Emilia-tan and the others right next to Roswaal's house under a rock but where they can plainly see it. They'll know about us going to the mansion, but I didn't tell them why we were going. Hopefully they don't see it until we're already well on our way there."
"That's my hero, always planning ahead."
"Well…you already know the truth behind that."
"I know, but even so. You always try to look out for everyone no matter what you do."
"That's only natural. Also, are you feeling alright? You look kinda tired."
She quickly puts on a brave face and smiles, "I'm alright Subaru-kun. It's true I'm a little tired, but that's just because I ended up falling asleep a little later than usual. It's nothing to worry about.
"That's good. You had me worried for a minute." Subaru turns to Patrasche, "Alright, you ready to go?"
She gives a small roar of approval.
The two hop onto her back and ride off for the mansion. Unfortunately for them, Ryuzu Shima, who happens to be hiding behind a tree a little into the forest, manages to spot them riding away. She swiftly runs deeper into the forest once she sees them leave.
-Barrier-
Subaru and Rem ride silently on the dirt path that leads towards the mansion. At the current speed they're going at, they should be able to arrive at the mansion within the next few hours. This will give them plenty of time to enter, find everyone, and leave before Elsa arrives.
However, it would seem that their hopes of an easy and smooth trip towards the mansion was a pipe dream away. Up ahead, Subaru spots a person with shiny golden hair blocking their path.
"Garfiel…" Subaru mumbles, unsure of how he managed to find out they were leaving.
-Author's Corner-
Thanks to everyone who gave their thoughts and opinions on Rem-rin vs. Rem-tan in the last chapter! A large majority thought Rem-rin is better, and honestly I have to agree with them. From now on, Rem-rin will be what Subaru calls her when he uses her nickname!
In canon it was Subaru who talked with Emilia about the trials. Here, I decided to have Rem and Ram be the ones who do that instead.
Sorry that it took longer than usual to get the chapter out and it being shorter than usual. Next chapter will be filled with a lot more action.
danielsantiago4545: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!
Boxmantm: Totally not. Totally! Nothing too devastating has happened yet (if you don't count the nightmare).
Dovahking2023: Goes to show just how jealous and well, envious Envy is. The only solace for Rem like you mentioned is that she was long dead before Envy brutally tore her to shreds. And yeah, I agree, Subaru would've been much more hostile if he had met Envy first like in canon compared to meeting Satella first.
Maximum Rhapsody: That answer will come whenever she obtains the power. I'll incorporate as much canon knowledge I have about the oni god power as I can while also coming up with original powers for it as well.
demon god noir: Thanks! I plan to do more intense deviations down the road. So far I'm generally following the canon path of arc 4 while also switching up some things around, along with Rem learning about RBD.
Deathenglegamers1144: Thanks for your thoughts on the nickname!
TheEndBoss: Thank you very much for reading it up to this point! I have no plans to abandon it. Also, thanks for your opinion on the nickname! I figured out a way to naturally have him say it without needing to retcon anything.
NexusZXD: Thanks for your opinion on the nickname! I do plan to have the village kids stop calling her Rem-rin so that Subaru has exclusive permission to use it.
Guest: If canon is to be followed, yes, you'd be right. But they're not avoiding Garfiel this time! And I agree with you on Rem-rin. I decided to go with that as her official nickname from here on!