Chapter 1: Beyond the Cascade
Naoko and Kenichi sat anxiously in the doctor's office, hands intertwined, as they awaited news about their son, Subaru. The silence in the room was heavy, and the ticking of the clock seemed to grow louder with each passing second. Finally, the doctor, a middle-aged man with a furrowed brow and kind eyes, broke the silence.
"I have confirmed that Subaru suffers from a condition called Avolition," the doctor said gently but firmly.
"Avolition?" Kenichi squeezed his wife's hand tighter. "What does that mean?"
The doctor folded his hands. "Avolition is a severe lack of motivation. It's not just the usual kind of laziness or unwillingness; it's an inability to initiate or sustain even the simplest of tasks. He won't be able to start, much less finish, everyday things like getting out of bed or even brushing his teeth. It's often linked to mental health conditions like depression or schizophrenia."
Naoko's eyes welled up with tears. "Is this our fault? Did we... did we do something wrong?" Her voice quivered as she spoke.
The doctor shook his head. "No, it's not your fault. But untreated, it will affect every aspect of Subaru's life—his relationships, his education, his future. However, with medication and therapy, there's hope. Still, you need to be prepared for the reality that he might never be like other children his age."
Kenichi lowered his head, hiding the pain in his eyes. "I see…"
7 Years Later...
The house was quiet, save for the faint sound of a keyboard clicking in Subaru's room. Now 16, Subaru had found a way to live without leaving his safe space. After discovering his love for writing, he had written his first light novel at the age of 14. Much to his parents' relief, the novel was a success. It gave Subaru a way to channel his thoughts and frustrations, and more importantly, it gave him a purpose. From the confines of his room, he could contribute something to the world.
He woke up late as always, groggy and disoriented. The cold, hard ground beneath him jolted him fully awake. His heart pounded in confusion. "What the...?"
"Urgh, is this another dream?" Subaru rubbed his eye to see what is happening.
"If you don't wanna get hurt, cough up whatever you've got!" He heard a voice
Gone was the soft comfort of his bed. He was in a dark alley, with the faint smell of rotting garbage and the distant sound of water dripping from gutters.
"This... this must be a dream, right?" Subaru rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the unease.
Before he could gather his thoughts, three figures emerged from the shadows. A giant man with bulging muscles, a short stocky dwarf, and a lanky figure whose eyes gleamed with malice.
"Cough up whatever you've got!" the lanky one snarled, brandishing a knife.
Subaru blinked, still not fully comprehending the situation. "Before you rob me, can I ask you something?"
The trio looked at each other, confused by his nonchalant attitude. The dwarf spoke first. "What?"
"Where am I?"
The dwarf scoffed, eyeing Subaru like he was a complete fool. "You're in Lugnica, kid. And if you don't wanna get hurt, you better start taking us seriously."
Lugnica? Subaru's heart sank. "Not Japan..." His voice trailed off.
The trio exchanged uncertain glances, their confidence wavering. "Are you sure this guy's even worth robbing?" the dwarf muttered, eyeing Subaru with disdain. "He looks like dead weight."
Without hesitation, the skinny one stepped forward, drawing a pair of knives from behind his back. "Oi, oi, you mocking us?" he snarled, advancing on Subaru.
Before he could get any closer, a swift kick landed on the back of the skinny guy's head, sending him crashing face-first into the steps where Subaru sat. Startled, Subaru glanced up to see a petite, golden-haired girl perched on a nearby rooftop.
"Live strong," she called out cryptically, locking eyes with Subaru for a brief moment before vanishing as quickly as she appeared.
"Ugh, damn that Felt," the skinny guy grumbled, struggling to his feet and rubbing the back of his head. "If old man Rom wasn't protecting her, I'd slice her into a million pieces."
Regaining his focus, he pointed one of his knives at Subaru, his face twisted with anger. "Now, hand over everything you've got, including that blanket."
Subaru sighed and, with little resistance, tossed the blanket toward them
"That's enough" Subaru looked behind the trip and saw a man walking towards them.
"Who the hell are ya?" the trio demanded, turning around—only to freeze in terror. The giant staggered back a few steps, his face draining of color. "R-Red hair... and sword, with marks left by dragon claws...he stammered.
The dwarf's eyes widened in disbelief as he also backed away. "No way... It can't be... the Sword Saint... Reinhard?"
Subaru glanced at the three, noticing the sheer fear etched across their faces. Whoever this Reinhard was, his presence alone had reduced them to trembling wrecks.
"Seems I needn't introduce myself." He walked and stood in front of Subaru and continued talking "Though, that nickname is a bit much. I don't know how much my modest strength could aid him. But if you wish to resort to extreme measures, as a knight, I would have to fight back." Slowly Reinhard moved his hands towards the sword that the trio mentioned.
"S-Screw this! It's not worth it!" The trio ran away.
Subaru tried to stand up but Reinhard offered his hand to help Subaru. While holding his hand Reinhard noticed that it was very soft to the point he never did any manual work before.
"Thank you for saving me," Subaru said, still disoriented. "I'm Natsuki Subaru, and honestly... I can't tell if I'm dreaming or not."
Reinhard studied Subaru for a moment, sensing his confusion but also his sincerity. "I can assure you, Subaru, this is no dream."
"Then, can you tell me where I am?"
"You're in the capital of Lugnica," Reinhard replied calmly.
"Lugnica?" Subaru echoed, blinking. "Not Japan?"
Reinhard furrowed his brow. "I've never heard of a place called Japan," he said, slowly piecing together the oddity of Subaru's situation. "How did you end up here, Subaru?"
Subaru hesitated, but then began recounting his past—his disorder, his life, and the strange events that had led him here. Reinhard listened carefully, observing Subaru's clothes and mannerisms, gradually putting the puzzle together.
"I see," Reinhard said thoughtfully, lifting a hand to his chin. "Subaru, it seems you've come from beyond the Great Cascade." Subaru nodded slowly, starting to accept the reality of this unfamiliar world.
"Until you figure things out," Reinhard continued, "you're welcome to stay with me. You'll need guidance in this world."
"Thank you very much, Reinhard," Subaru replied gratefully.
With that, the two of them set off down the road, walking into the unknown.
"Love, love, love, love... aah, slothful love, diligent love." A deranged man, dressed in tattered black robes, stood amidst a burning village. The flames roared like a bonfire, casting an eerie glow on his twisted grin. "With your sacrifice, my love will reach her... I am the most diligent believer," he chanted, his eyes wild with madness.
"Betelgeuse-sama, we have purified this village," one of his followers, one of his fingers, said, bowing before him along with the others.
Betelgeuse turned to them, but something stirred deep within him. It wasn't foreign—it was familiar. A rush of forgotten memories flooded back to him, memories of his master, Flugel. His eyes widened as realization struck him, his mind unraveling. The remnants of the contract he once held with Flugel resurfaced.
"What... What have I done?" he muttered, clutching his head, his body trembling violently. "I failed... I failed... I failed, I failed, I failed!" His voice rose into a shriek, repeating the word over and over, his sanity fraying at the edges.
His eyes locked onto the fingers bowing before him. Without hesitation, he summoned his ten Unseen Hands, invisible to the others, and with a flicker of his twisted will, he crushed the necks of his own followers. Their bodies fell limp to the ground, lifeless.
"I failed, I failed you... Fortuna-sama, I failed you... Emilia-sama!" His voice broke as he reached for the dagger hidden at his back. "I-I failed you... Flugel-sama..."
With trembling hands, Betelgeuse drove the blade into his own throat, his final act of desperation splattering the ground in blood. His body collapsed in a heap, and from it, a black orb rose, pulsating with dark energy. It floated upward, as if searching for something—or someone—and then shot off into the distance, like it had found its new host.
Subaru and Reinhard sat by the fountain, Subaru slouched on the bench, trying to catch his breath. "Subaru, it's only been fifteen minutes and you're already exhausted," Reinhard remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want me to carry you?"
Subaru waved him off between labored breaths. "I-I told you... it's... gonna take... time..."
Reinhard chuckled lightly. "Alright, rest here. I'll go buy us some fruit." He turned and made his way toward a nearby vendor. Subaru noticed a few people glancing in his direction, likely due to the odd sight of him wrapped in a blanket, sitting beside someone as distinguished as the Sword Saint.
This really is like one of those isekai stories, Subaru thought, trying to process everything. But I didn't get any cool powers. No magic, no weapon skills... just a "gate" that's so new it'd shatter if I tried to use it. And let's be real, I'm too lazy to swing a sword anyway.
He leaned back, staring at the sky. Telekinesis would be useful, he mused. That way, I could just attract objects without moving...
Suddenly, a strange black orb appeared in front of him, pulsing like a heartbeat. Subaru squinted, leaning in closer. It seemed almost alive, floating right in front of his face. Hesitantly, he reached out, but before he could touch it, the orb shot into his body, vanishing into his stomach. Subaru flinched, wide-eyed.
"What the...?"
Moments later, Reinhard returned with a small bag of fruit. He stopped when he saw Subaru fiddling with his clothes, pulling them up as if something was wrong.
"Subaru, what are you doing?" Reinhard asked, clearly puzzled. "You shouldn't undress in public."
"Sorry, but something... went inside me!" Subaru stammered. "It was like a black ball, but it was alive. And then it... disappeared into my body."
Reinhard frowned and placed a hand on Subaru's abdomen, his expression serious as he concentrated. "There's something there, alright. A foreign presence, like you said. It's merging with you... but it doesn't feel like a spirit. It's something else, like it has its own consciousness, using you as a host."
Subaru yawned, not quite as concerned. "Yawn Can you... remove it?"
Reinhard's focus deepened, but something about Subaru had shifted—though he couldn't figure out exactly what. As he thought about it, he accidentally dropped one of the fruits he had just purchased.
"Rein?" Subaru shook his arm. "You okay?"
Reinhard snapped back to the moment, bending down to pick up the fallen fruit—only to notice something odd. The fruit didn't hit the ground. It was hovering in midair.
"What the...?" Reinhard muttered, scanning the area.
But to Subaru, it was clear: one of the strange black hands had caught the fruit, gripping it mid-flight. He could see it clearly, the dark, spectral arm stretching out from his own body, holding the fruit like it was nothing.
"Eh...?" Subaru's eyes widened in shock.
"What is it?" Reinhard asked, still looking around, oblivious. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Subaru realized with a start: Reinhard couldn't see the hand. These... these hands... they're invisible to everyone but me.
Author notes
I was reading sloth if and Subaru didn't feel like slothful. Just wanted to create a proper sloth Subaru. I will try to update it when I feel like it. I know the pacing is fast because I don't properly plan and write this stuff. I just do it in one sitting with a beer.
I read some pride, greed, gluttony, lust, even wrath Subaru fanfics. I just wanted sloth fanfic where he is actually sloth.
Thanks for reading
Disclaimer: I don't own re: zero it belongs to Tappei Nagatsuki. (Don't sue me Tappei-chan )
SPECIAL THANKS TO GRAMMARLY FOR PROOFREADING. So, there will be some grammar mistakes.