Chapter 15: Interrogation
Still staring in absolute disbelief, YN asked his question.
No response.
Puzzled and maybe questioning what he was seeing, YN began to walk up to her, slowly, but not taking his eyes off her for the first few paces.
Almost halfway to the silent, non responsive Ram, YN thought he should see if Subaru himself was watching this as well.
Subaru, are you seeing this?! YN wondered.
Going to turn his head up and behind to see if Subaru was visible on top of the cliff, his head only made it about halfway around before another gust of wind made him stop.
He hadn't heard this gust coming. And it was so sudden that something was off.
Turning his vision back towards Ram, in the short time YN had gone to turn his head, Ram had advanced with that breeze. She stood only a few paces away, and now both of them stood right in the middle of that clearing at the bottom of the cliff.
The two stood there, staring at each other, waiting to see who would make the first move.
With tension rising, YN made a rather large gulp, hoping to swallow his anxiety of the moment.
In response, Ram snorted.
Feeling as if the tension was finally broken, YN knew that this was Ram in front of him. Putting his hand on his chest to help expel the air trapped within him, YN sighed a sigh of relief.
YN: *sigh* You were spooking me there, Ram. But... what are you doing out here?
With an unchanged expression, and a tone that almost conveyed an air of utter contempt, she answered.
Ram: That's a better question for yourself, isn't it?
YN: ... —Hk!
He truly hadn't thought of this that way. To Ram, it would be rather suspicious as to why he was still nearby the mansion. She really did have a reason to be so on guard.
Ram: Out with it. Why are you still here?
YN: Well, it's really complicated but I promise it's for a good reason, but I can't—
Ram: Can't what? Can't tell me? Do you honestly think I'd believe whatever you have to say?
YN: Ram...
Ram: Save it. I won't be the one you have to 'explain' things to.
YN: — —? 'Explain'? I-I don't understand—
?: AHHHHHHHHH!
Cutting off YN, a loud yelling noise rose from the cliff behind him and Ram.
Off to the very far edge of the cliff from where the two stood, Subaru had made his escape, jumping off the cliff edge with the rope still tied around him. Not hesitating for a moment, he cut himself lose and fell another two feet down, almost face planting but rolling right up and sprinting off, into the brush, totally oblivious to the two standing on the other side of the clearing.
YN: Suba—
Ram: It's pointless!
Snapping his head back to Ram who had shouted over him, he couldn't figure out why it would be "pointless" to shout over to him. Obviously he could explain all this to Ram and—
Ram: Barasu was to be dealt with first, but it looks like you'll be the first instead.
With complete contempt for YN, Ram spoke these words. It was a tone only used for those she bore absolutely no sympathy for. A near lament for his very existence.
YN: Ram. What are you talking about? Fill me in here, help me understand, because I'm getting real—
*SCRAAAAAAAAPE*
Stopping his words cold, his eyes widened to the familiar noise.
*SCRAAAAAAAAPE*
It was the same noise.
*SCRAAAAAAAAPE*
The very same noise.
*SCRAAAAAAAAPE*
The sound of dragging pipes and rustling chains from the night the mansion was attacked. The thing that had killed Subaru. He was hearing that here and now.
Bending his knees, almost as if anticipating a strike any moment, YN began to plead to Ram.
YN: Ram. We need to leave here. Now.
Shaking her head, Ram replied.
Ram: You're not going anywhere.
Steadying his voice, YN stiffened his attitude, and narrowed his eyes.
YN: You don't understand. We aren't safe here. We need to find Subaru and get back to the mansion. Everyone there is in danger and so are we right now.
Still giving YN her stare of contempt, Ram waited before responding to YN, but before she could—
*SCRAAAAAAAAPE*
Ram: What are you going on about? Are you trying to weasel your way out of this?
YN: That... That, sound Ram! Don't you hear it?!
Ram: What sound do you mean?
YN: What?! The one of rustling chains and iron being dragged, that sound. It means we're in danger and we need to leave. Now.
How would he know what it sounds like? There's no way he should have heard it before. Ram's thoughts raced through her mind now at this very moment, confused as to how YN was familiar with what the noise was. Unless he's being serious—!
YN: Ram! We need to go! Please! That's the sound the attacker makes with their weapon!
A small gasp left Ram's mouth.
He thinks that... She's the attacker? Were we wrong about—?
Cutting off Ram, the sound intensified.
What had been the sound of pipes dragging and chains rattling, had turned into what was clearly a launched attack. Sounding as if an anchor was just tossed from a mighty ship, the chains screamed from their own velocity. From somewhere. Headed for one of them.
YN: RAM GET DOWN!
Still having been stuck in immediate thought, Ram finally came to as YN was charging at her, closing the distance and being more then halfway to her, only an arms length away and closing.
Their eyes met before the inevitable collision. Ram seeing a tenacious mix of desperation, concern, and ultimately, honesty in YN's eyes. YN saw the look in Ram's eyes as well. Surprise, astonishment, and almost a hint of what he maybe thought was regret of all things.
Finally colliding, YN grabbed a hold of Ram and continued going, twisting his body take the brunt of the fall, and as he did, the impact of the metal weapon could be felt hitting the ground behind him with a massive thud.
With the two finally falling, YN let go of Ram right before they had landed, hoping to prevent himself from crushing her, but also to give her more energy to get as far from the weapons impact point as possible.
Rolling, YN recovered and bounced back to his feet, while Ram was slower to get back up. Dirt covering them both, YN looked to where the impact had been.
A large spiked ball, a morning star, the size of beach ball, laid half buried in the ground where it had impacted with great force. Noticing a chain attached to it, YN was too worried for Ram's well-being to visually trace it back to its origins.
YN: Ram! Are you alright?! Say something! Are you hurt?!
Having just got back up, Ram still wore the expression she had been, one of worry and confusion.
Just as YN had called out to her though, the morning star launched back to life, retreating to someplace YN couldn't follow. Taking the opportunity, he called out and began to approach Ram once more.
Is she paralyzed with fear or something? That's very unlike her but why else is she not working to evade that thing? YN thought.
Holding his hand as if she should take it, YN beckoned to her.
YN: Ram! We have to go! We're in danger. Let's get a move on and — —!
Just as YN was within arms reach of Ram, intention to grab her and run if need be to save her, an almost explosive impact erupted from the ground between them.
With dirt and grass and other debris showering the area, YN flew backwards, landing on his back, he took in one big gulp of air and coughed out the dirt he had inhaled.
Not allowing himself to take too long, YN sat up, worried for how Ram had fared during the last impact.
Almost not believing his eyes, Ram continued to stand in the same spot, unmoved and unfazed by the shockwave that had sent YN flying backwards.
The morning star also had to have been recalled almost as soon as it hit, as the crater it left was empty.
Ram continued to stare at YN, almost as if she were in disbelief to his actions. YN didn't know why she was acting so strangely given the situation, but before he even had time to get back up, he could already hear the wind-up for the next throw.
A sound of chains clashing violently, grinding, coming uncoiled.
Waving his arm to get Ram to move YN called out once more.
YN: RAM! Run! Move! Hide! Do something— —!
Again before he could finish, the morning star returned, this time passing both of them and wrapping it's chain around a tree, uprooting it and breaking it's thick trunk.
Falling, the tree landed right between YN and Ram, obstructing YN's view of Ram.
YN: Ram! Shit!
Stumbling up to his feet, YN ran to the fallen tree, dust still mixed in the air from the mighty trees fall.
Please, please! Don't let her be stuck under this!
Reaching the tree, coughing up dirt, YN looked over the tree's trunk, now laying sideways on the ground.
Frantically he looked up and down the tree for any sign that Ram might be trapped.
Looking just forward, further ahead of the tree where Ram had been, remained the crater that had separated them, meaning the tree had not fallen close enough to Ram to impact her, yet—.
YN: She's not here... where did she—?...!
Again hearing the whine of chains being violently handled, YN saw the morning star coming again, directly for him.
With only fractions of a second to react, YN dove back behind the fallen tree, narrowly missing the impact, but the morning star continued it's destructive path, bashing through the freshly fallen tree, sending shrapnel and splinters everywhere.
Getting right back up, YN broke for the woods, towards the direction Subaru had run. Behind him he heard the continued rattle and whine of the chains, almost like a rattlesnakes tail, letting him know it was ready to strike yet again if need permitted it.
YN ran. He ran as hard as he had ever ran before. Jumping over stumps, fallen trees, rocks, whatever was in his path, he hesitated for nothing.
He knew not where he was running, only that he must run. As he ran, his thoughts began to rationalize more.
He had not seen Ram, she had disappeared. Had she run? Did she hide?
YN's run slowed to a jog, devoting more of his energy to thought. He hadn't heard the chains since he broke for the trees, so was this person still aiming to attack him?
Suddenly a cold realization came over him.
Did I just abandon Ram to the attacker?! He theorized.
Stopping where he stood, YN turned back in the direction he has just ran from.
What do I do?! I'm powerless to do anything... But to just leave her? Could I let myself do that?!
YN's mind raced with question. Should he go back? Should he run? If so, where to? The mansion? Not a bad idea but how? The road was the quickest and most sure way to find his way back, but he would be out in the open. Running in the forest might be safer but could take much longer. He had also gotten all turned around while running. Just what direction was he going?
YN needed the sun. Before it set he could tell where he was headed based off it's location. But under the thick canopy of trees he was under, it was impossible to tell with the sun where it was now. He needed to reach a clearing.
Taking off running again, YN was on a mad dash to see the sun before it set. Ram and Subaru's life might very well depend on getting help from the mansion.
Running, YN heard another noise. A noise like the one he was making. The noise of someone crushing sticks, impacting the ground, and kicking up rocks. Someone running like he was.
Looking to his right, he saw what he hadn't expected to see.
Subaru. Running in the same direction he was, beat with exhaustion he had been running for awhile.
Cutting through the foliage, YN run up to, next to, and matched pace with Subaru.
YN: Subaru! Hey!
Turning his face to see YN, a look of pure panic played out across Subaru's face. He had seen something very concerning.
Bellowing out, Subaru answered YN as soon as he called.
Subaru: The attacker! *Huff huff* the attacker is—HCK!
Just as Subaru was going to tell his discovery, a razor like sound shattered the air around them. This sound was unlike the sound of rattling chains and dragging pipes from before. This was a new weapon, a new foe.
Just as soon as the sound had rung out, Subaru had expressed a sound of pain. He had been hit, by something YN didn't know what. He was too busy being knocked over by a falling Subaru to observe the extent of the damage.
With Subaru crashing into YN, both lost their balance and went tumbling to the ground. With whatever had hit Subaru, it had given him further inertia, the impact of the crash and the distance they both flew because of it was evidence enough.
Rolling and floundering on the ground, YN rolled and flipped till he hit the trunk of a tree, back first knocking the wind right out him, and slumped down.
Now sitting and his vision blurry, he huffed for air, desperate to not pass out.
In his blurred, vision, he could make out Subaru against the ground, laying, sprawled out.
Only, he looked taller perhaps?
Trying to concentrate on breathing, taking in short small breaths, all that his body would allow him to, he couldn't devote the energy he'd like to in order to clear up his vision.
Laying still, Subaru's seemingly longer body in his warped vision began have a new color, almost halfway down his body. Red.
With Subaru's body starting to rustle back to consciousness, or at least awareness, only half of what YN thought was Subaru was floundering about.
Subaru: aaaaaaaaaagggghhhhAAAAAGGGHHHH! MY LEG!
With Subaru violently flipping and turning, YN's vision began to clear up, unblurring, the scene was slowly painted for him.
The long Subaru he had seen was due to his knee having been severed right from the rest of his leg, and the red was the blood gushing from the wound.
As his vision cleared up more, it became more apparent as to why they had tripped and fallen, something had blown Subaru's leg clean off, launching him into YN in the process.
The wound was a clean cut one, almost as if done by a guillotine, but with such velocity it had propelled them both. Bone and muscle was visible when it faced YN as Subaru thrashed about.
Subaru: AAAGGGHHHHH!
Subaru's bellows continued, too writhed in pain himself though, YN could do nothing but watch and suck in what little air his body would let him.
As the gruesome scene before YN played out, a figure emerged from where they had been running from.
Stepping into the evening light that broke through the trees where the two laid battered and torn, blue hair, caught the brilliance of the sun's farewell rays.
Her maid outfit, covered in dirt as if she had fallen, also made it's appearance into the light. Holding something in her arms, YN's vision hadn't quite gotten back to where it could see that far quite yet, but he wouldn't have any trouble knowing exactly who this was.
Not being able to see her face, only her rough outline and color, YN strained himself to get a glimpse of her in sharp vision, just to know she was okay, to know she was unhurt and the attacker hadn't gotten her as they may have gotten Ram.
Working his eyes and lungs as hard as they could, as Rem approached the fallen Subaru, YN croaked out his shallow words, as loud as he could muster, not to waste a single breath. He had to inform her. The attacker had to be close.
YN: R- *wheeze* Re- *wheeze* Rem!
Having gotten her attention, she stopped in front of Subaru, her face obviously pointed at YN, however her expression, and the rest of her, were still quite blurred.
With speaking greatly helping his breath capacity, YN found himself being able to use more words in one go.
YN: There's a- *wheeze* an attacker! They're after the- *wheeze* mansion! You gotta get help! *wheeze* They might have already got Ram. *wheeze* Please Rem. You've *wheeze* gotta be careful.
Without a response, Rem set what she holding onto the ground, making not a sound. Placing her hand next to Subaru's gaping wound, a blue aura emanated from her hand. Reciting a chant, her words were of healing to Subaru's wound.
Picking what she set down next to her back up as she rose, Rem finally directed words to the two broken and battered former guests of the mansion.
Rem: If you die so easily, Rem cannot extract the needed information from either of you.
Such utter contempt was in the tone of her voice.
YN strained his vision. He had to focus it and get a clear picture of what was going on. Something wasn't right. Something definitely wasn't right.
Dropping what she held in her hands, an oh so familiar and dreadful sound of dragging chains echoed throughout the forest.
YN was completely stunned.
Why?
Why why why why why why why why why did that awful noise just sound like Rem had made it?
YN denied what his senses were telling him. The noise had to mean that the attacker was close. Right?
Right?
Facing Subaru, Rem spoke.
Rem: I ask you this. Are you a member of a faction that is a rival to Emilia-sama's royal candidacy?
YN was extremely confused by this entire exchange up to this point.
Why is she asking questions like that at a time like this?! We're in serious danger!
With more of his vision returning, definition to the scene also began to refill. As Rem continued to hold something in her hand, Subaru, still in pain but no longer life threatening, croaked out a response.
Subaru: My heart only belongs to Emilia... —ACK!
With the sound of chains filling the air once more, Rem had made a motion as if striking Subaru.
Hearing the sound of iron striking flesh, and a shout of pain, YN's vision finally restored itself out of panic to the scene before him.
Before him stood Rem, arm raised, hilt in hand. From the hilt followed a thick, spiraling length of iron chains. Following them down to the ground, laid a pile of more of them, coiled, ready to be raised again to lash out at Subaru once more.
And next to the pile of chains, laid a morning star.
YN couldn't believe his eyes. Surely this was false. How could Rem of all people be the attacker? None of what YN saw made any sense.
Writhing with pain, Subaru held his forearm where the chains had met his skin.
Rem: Who hired you? And under what conditions?
Subaru: Emilia-tan's smile... And it was priceless— AAACCH! AHHHH!
Again Rem lashed Subaru. Hitting his already wounded arms again, YN gasped in horror. Why was Rem being so outrageously hostile?
While Subaru rolled and howled in pain, YN brought up the courage to speak his voice to Rem. To ask her why she was behaving this way.
YN: Rem! What are you doing?! What... what's going on?!
Turning her head to him, she had an eerie aura about her as YN could not see her eyes, as her hair blocked them from where he sat.
Reaching her arm with the hilt in hand back, Rem strung the chains out, and delivered them in a deadly launch, directly at YN.
Flinching from the impending impact, YN tightly shut his eyes and braced.
Hearing the chains hit, YN felt debris hit his face and arm.
Opening his eyes back up, he looked to his side and saw the slashes in the ground next to him. The dirt and grass once in that very spot were covering him. Moving his head, splinters of wood fell from his hair to his lap. Brushing it off, YN looked at the tree behind him before back at Rem.
It was as if a mighty beast had taken a huge bite out of the bark and wood that made up the tree.
Turning back, YN's eyes were wide open, full of fear towards none other then Rem.
The one person he had vowed to protect from this attacker, had ended up being her.
Looking away from YN, Rem turned her attention back to Subaru who was finally beginning to calm down and manage his pain in some respect.
Rem: — — —
Raising her arm once more, Rem readied another strike for Subaru should his answer be again, what she didn't want to hear.
Rem: Are you... Are you affiliated with the Witch's Cult?
Subaru: 'Witch Cult'? No... I don't know what that is... My family has been secular for generations— AAAGGHHHH HOOOOO!
Delivering another blow to Subaru's arms, this time they had taken all they could. Both of his arms bent in a new location, the crack of shattering bone could be clearly heard.
Subaru tossed and turned on the ground, squirming in pain and agony, hollering and screaming continuously.
Rem: LIES! How can you make such bald faced lies when you... Both of you, smell so much like the Witch herself!
Rem's voice boomed over Subaru's screams of pain. Even as she had quit her yelling, Subaru continued to roll and thrash about in pain.
Subaru had been broken. Mad with pain he screamed and wailed without reason and moved his body with even less.
Noticing that there would be no more effective interrogation for Subaru, Rem snapped her head towards YN, eyes filled with rage and disgust.
Fear, exploding within YN, told him to run. His conscious screamed for him to pick himself up, and run away, far far away.
Placing his hand out to brace himself for balance to lift himself off the ground, Rem immediately knew his intentions.
Launching her chains once more at him, this time striking YN.
With the hand he had hoped to help get himself up, Rem delivered a crippling blow.
The thick iron chains smashed the fingers of that very hand.
Sparing his pointer and thumb, his pinky, ring, and middle finger were complete shattered and torn to bits, his pinky finger only remaining attached by the flesh still connected to his hand, the bone for it completely shattered and detached. His other two fingers had suffered broken bones and deep tissue wounds on the back of them.
YN: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGGG!
Bringing the critically wounded hand to his chest and covering it with his uninjured hand, YN rocked his body in pain as the blood dripped into his lap.
In the moment of YN's dispatch, Rem turned and struck at the still wailing Subaru.
Chains aimed for his head, they mad their mark, blood flying from his skull. Subaru was out and silenced.
YN, forgetting about his pain remembered.
He remembered Return By Death. He remembered how last time Subaru was killed, everything reset in the blink of an eye. Why hadn't that happened now? That would have been his easiest ticket out of this suffering.
Unless.
YN: No...
Subaru wasn't dead, but merely knocked out. Still being alive meant there would be no reset yet.
With the reality sinking in that he was to be interrogated next, YN prayed Subaru would die before it began.
To be tortured is one thing, but to be tortured by Rem? Nothing could be worse. With Subaru indisposed, Rem walked over to YN, dragging her chains as she approached.
Pure panic filled him. He dared not run or fight.
Rem: Now...
Immediately reacting to her speaking to him, YN threw his arms up, covering his face waiting for an impending chain whip.
Shutting his eyes tightly, YN waited for the pain.
But nothing happened until he felt his arm grabbed.
Kneeling down, Rem grabbed his arm with the injured hand, still bleeding and slashed.
With her other hand, she grabbed the still barely attached pinky finger and tore it the rest of the way off.
YN: —Ack!
Though his hand was somewhat numb from pain, he could still feel some pain from the removal of his already gone finger. Still holding his arm, Rem then used her other hand again to place a blue aura of magic to his wounds.
Feeling a warmth fill and flow through his wounds, they miraculously began to close and heal, taking the pain away and the feeling of his nerves returning calmed him down quite a bit.
Though his pinky had not returned, his other three digits returned to their original condition.
Seeing her healing had stopped the wound from becoming more severe, Rem stood, towering over YN, she held her hilt and chain, ready to use them if she deemed necessary.
Rem: Are you a member of a faction loyal to one of the rivals that opposes Emilia-sama's royal candidacy?
Shaking his head slowly, YN replied in a shakey voice.
YN: N-n-no.
Staring down at YN still while he sat slumped against the tree still, Rem waited a moment after he gave his answer.
Taking her foot, still in her maid shoes, Rem placed it on YN's kneecap, standing on it, but not putting any weight onto it.
Rem: Who hired you? And under what conditions?
Taking in air to answer, YN slightly whimpered before giving it.
YN: No one has hired me.
Rem again took a moment to react to YN's answer, almost as if she was checking it against some sort of lie detector.
Steadily, she placed more of her weight onto YNs kneecap, an intimidation technique to get him to spill information he simply did not have.
YN: Arrg! Hk!
Giving him a further look of pure disdain, YN knew the next question she was to ask.
Rem: Are you... are you a member of the Witch's Cult?
Despite the pain in his knee, despite the fear he had for his answer, and despite the fear of having more pain, YN gave her an answer as honest as he could.
Looking her straight in the eye, YN spoke his reply.
YN: No. I am not a member of —ARRRGGGH!
Having given Rem an answer she did not want, YN heard and felt his kneecap being crushed under immense force. The cracking and popping of bone was overpowered by the sound of his yelling.
It was as if a car had just run over his kneecap. While there was no blood, he could already tell it was serious injury.
YN: REM WHY!? WHY?! I'M NOT YOUR ENEMY!
Rem: LIES!
Stepping off his knee, Rem whipped her chains at the tree YN was slumped up next to.
Smashing it's truck to pieces, the tree fell backwards away from the two of them, allowing more of the evening light onto them, to bathe them in a hue of orange.
Feeling the now stump he was laying next to vibrate from the fallen trees impact with the ground, YN grabbed his knee in pain.
Rem: Why are you two so insistent on hiding the obvious truth?! You both reek of the Witch!
YN: I'm telling you the truth Rem! I know we have the stench! There's nothing we can do about it!
Rem: Do you know what it's been like for Rem to hold herself back, everyday, while you walk around the mansion smelling like that?! Do you know what it's like to have to constantly be reminded of the group that hurt Nee-sama so much!?
YN: Rem I'm sorry! There's nothing I can do to change it... I would if I could, Rem... Believe me I —UGH!
While YN had his eyes lowered, begging to Rem, she had apparently been infuriated with what he had been saying, and had given him a taste of her iron chains...
The strike had been right across his abdomen, slicing his garments open on his chest where the impact started and was thus the spot hardest hit, blood splattered all over YN and some even on Rem.
YN slumped over to his side, his body wreathing in pain from head to toe, his breathing was hard and shallow.
Wiping the blood spatter from her face, Rem looked down even further at YN, laying down like an abused and broken animal, shaking, covered in blood and dirt.
Rem: If you reek of the Witch's scent, then you must know where it comes from. Don't you?
YN wanted to tell her. He wanted Rem to know that this wasn't his doing. But the consequences were serious...
Do I risk it? How much more painful can it be then this? If I can just manage to get the words out...
YN: It's... *huff* I want to tell you. But I can't. *cough* It won't let me.
Snorting almost exactly like how her sister would, Rem responded.
Rem: How convenient. You say you are not Rem's enemy yet you refuse to tell Rem why it is you reek of the Witch.
Feeling a wash of anger at himself fill him, YN gritted his teeth and prepared for the worst.
YN: FINE! You know why I stink? It's because me and Subaru can Return by D—!
As soon as he had tried his hardest to utter the words, no matter the pain, he was cut off by that very same pain. Pain so unbearable that all his wounds felt like scratches in comparison. A pain wallowed in his chest so extreme it felt as if his eyes would pop out if they were forced open anymore.
Feeling the pain in his chest begin to subside, all his other wounds multiplied in pain, as if the pain from his chest had relocated itself to all these places.
Huffing and coughing and wheezing, Rem continued to look down at him until—
Rem: *sniff sniff*
Looking up through his pain, YN saw a new look in Rem's eyes. One of pure hatred and contempt. A beastly presence filled them.
From YN's botched confession and punishment from the Witch, the scent had been not just renewed, but multiplied. Letting Rem smell this had obviously been a terrible unforeseen consequence.
With this look of hate in her eyes, Rem stood above YN.
Rem: You disgust Rem.
Finishing the only words she could find to describe the feeling she now had, Rem raised her leg backwards, and impaled a kick into YN's abdomen as he laid on the ground still.
YN: HYCH! *cough cough*
The kick had knocked him right onto his back, thankfully so, taking the weight of his body off his now broken set of ribs.
Still in massive amounts of pain, YN coughed himself horse. Each cough sending shooting pains from his ribs throughout his body, and each cough bringing up bits of blood as well. His entire body had begun to go numb. No longer did his body wish to be in pain.
Walking a few short paces over to where YN now laid, Rem set to more questions.
Rem: Why?! Why do you continue to deny being Rem's enemy and yet you taunt Rem like this! What do you gain for this? From any of this? Asking to be a guest of the mansion yet you still wish to help me and Nee-sama with our work! What is it that you want?!
Getting his cough under control, YN laid on his back, looking directly up to the evening sky. It's hue of pink had turned orange, and now it had begun to turn purple, and then soon it would be black.
Hearing Rem's question to him, it had been the first he could answer in whole. Tears beginning to flow from his eyes, his body was so numb he couldn't even feel the them run down his face.
YN: What do I want? Is that what you want to know?
Rem: — — —
YN: I wanted to help you two. I wanted to be friends with you. With Ram and you. I wanted to laugh and eat meals together and work together. I was just having so much fun here. Compared to my life before, this was fulfilling.
Rem was silent for a while. She knew YN was not lying but still did not truly understand him.
Rem: ...Why would you want to be friends with people who only pretended to be nice to you?
Taking the little energy he had, YN shook his head.
YN: Now you're the one who's lying.
There was a long pause between the two of them as they stared at each other. Both unsure of what to say next.
It looked as if Rem was about to come up with something else but she was cut short.
Subaru: Uhhgg. Uhhhgggg! UUUUAAAGHH-AAAAHHHH! MY HEAD! MY HEAD -AAAAHHH!
Snapping her head around, Rem's attention was taken back to Subaru, now awake and bellowing in pain. YN continued to look upward to the sky, trying to imagine what was going to happen next.
Hopefully Subaru will die. YN thought.
Stopping himself. YN reconsidered his last thought.
What a cruel wish that was. Closing his eyes and slightly shaking his head at himself.
It was only when he heard Rem's footsteps begin to take her away from where he lay did he hear her speak finally.
Rem: Nee-sama...
"Nee-sama?" That means—
Opening his eyes and trying to raise his head to see if Rem was actually addressing who he thought she was, a ribbon of crimson shot up from where Subaru laid.
Even with Rem's figure blocking most of what she saw, YN could tell exactly what he had seen.
Natsuki Subaru had been killed.
Before his blood, launched upward by some kind of strike, had even reached the ground, the world paused. Slowly, but also instantaneous because of the stopped nature of time, the whole world was enveloped in a dark inky abyss.
Again feeling his senses leave his body, YN's conscious drifted along, devoid of sight, smell, feeling, everything.
The pain from his wounds subsiding, it was not a relief from pain, but rather simply the absence of feeling.
Into the dark abyss he fell.