A/N: Hello everyone! I wanna start out by saying how happy all the feedback and reviews and all the nice comments I received on the last chapter made me feel! I'm very glad you all enjoyed it as much as you did! We have about a half dozen or so chapters left for this act/arc so please look forward to lots more interesting chapters to come! As sort of a last minute edition as well, I used some AI art to create a scene for this chapter, which will be visible on WP and AO3, but like always, won't be on FFnet due to site limitations. It's an edit of some official artwork to fit the scene, hopefully it helps paint a picture in your mind for the story.

But alas, here's the chapter! Please enjoy!

Chapter 101: Reunion

Driving through the night, YN looked down at himself.

Oh. Woops.

Failing to notice it before he had parted ways with its owner, YN was still dawning the magically infused white cloak.

Emilia had gone her separate way after receiving Puck back from the thief who had attempted to steal it. She had re-entered her original carriage with her Driver remaining loyal this time.

Too bad Rem wasn't with me, I don't know what became of that Witch Cult lady...

The woman with the auburn hair and freckles had seemingly remained absent for the entire ordeal, suggesting she had remained in the shadows the entire time. But with nothing he could do now, YN simply sighed as he rumbled towards where the battle with the White Whale was currently unfolding.

It's a good distance away, but I'll try and help as much as I can...

Continuing to let his mind wander while he drove, his contracted Spirit made itself known again by emerging from thin air, and resting itself on his dashboard, almost like a small pet might look out the window of the car.

YN: We still gotta tell everyone else about you... I don't know how Rem or Subaru are going to react...

Feeling a wave of uncertainty from the white spec, YN shook his head.

YN: It might just be hard for them to swallow at first, it's not like either of them hate spirits.

With a single shake of conformation, the spirit retreated back behind YN and into thin air. Focusing out onto the horizon still illuminated by the moon, YN had been left driving for a few more minutes in silence before a sudden jolt of pain caused him to nearly lose control of the wheel.

YN: —Gah!

Correcting his direction, YN forced his body to cope while he got the car to a safe stop.

Resting his head on the steering wheel, he breathed in sharply as sweat ran down either side of his face. The pain he was all too familiar with never got any easier. His chest ached, his head felt foggy, and his mouth had gone dry, just like every other time he had been subject to this pain.

YN: Aaargh... Subaru...

It was a full fledged Consequence he had just experienced thanks to the existence of Return By Death, meaning Subaru had just tried saying something about to someone he shouldn't.

Jeez... Even at such a great distance, this power is still in effect...

Entirely unsure if distance, no matter how far it was, could affect the ability that seemed focused around Subaru with YN as a strung along bystander, he thought to how Rem was also privy to knowing, but only by an extremely round-about fashion that involved her finding out via his memories. Thinking of that, another idea came to mind; a realization.

Wait a second...

If Algol had managed to be by YN's side since before the first time he had Returned alongside Subaru at the Mansion, was the contracted spirit also privy to Return By Death?

Surely it's heard me talk about it to Rem, if not Subaru before that...

Feeling a distinct need to try and find out, YN sought to ask the spirit.

The deal with Subaru was two Consequences in a row... If I do it once, that's not sending the signal.

While he hated the feeling, now seemed like as good of a time as ever since Subaru and him both now wore a renewal of the Witch's Miasma anyway.

What's an extra puff of the Witch's number nine cologne?

Taking a deep breath, YN called upon the Spirit.

YN: Algol.

Waiting, no white spec appeared.

YN: Algol, can you come out for a moment?

Still, nothing.

YN: Huh...

Holding a hand out like he was offering a perch to a landing pet bird, YN called for the spirit once more.

YN: Algol, come here, it's an order.

Wondering if he needed to be more upfront on the verbiage, still, it was as if YN was alone in the car.

YN: What the hell...?

Somewhat fed up with the spirit choosing to remain hidden, YN knew it was pointless to press further.

YN: I guess I just don't understand spirits yet. There might be something special I have to do.

Resigning on his attempt, YN hoped it was some short sight of his own.

Do I need to go earn some gym badges before it'll listen to me? Man...

Thinking more as the car gently idled in place, YN contemplated how he'd tell Subaru and Rem about Algol if it refused to show itself.

They'll think I'm crazy.

But what now plagued his mind more, was how Rem was going to deal with so much information at once.

Telling her about my spirit, and of my feelings for her... It might be all too much, especially if it's right after the White Whale and right before we deal with the Witch Cult...

Choosing the most pressing issue, YN sighed to himself.

I'll tell her immediately about Algol, anything else will have to wait till after the Witch Cult is dealt with.

Deciding on a course of action, YN rode out into the night once more. Getting the car up to speed and rumbling along, he was set to assist in facing the Whale if he got there soon enough, but was hoping Subaru would already be triumphant upon his arrival.

Arriving at the scene of the aftermath, YN parked his car as his jaw was left agape at the sight before him. Unbuckling his seat belt, shutting the car off, setting the brake, and opening the door, he did all this without taking his sights off the scene before him. He stumbled forward a few extra steps past the hood of the car and stopped.

He had seen something odd on the horizon, and at first had suspected he was still a great distance off from the Flugel Tree, given he could just begin to see the large green branches peeking over the road. But he hadn't realized he was much closer due to how it currently sat.

Normally he would have seen the large mass of leaves and branches, swirled and crowned by clouds much sooner on his journey to reunite with Rem and Subaru, but he quickly realized why that hadn't been.

Cut down, the Great Wonder that he and Rem had enjoyed the shade of, laid on its massive trunk, collapsed over the corpse of White Whale.

They brought the whole tree down on it...

Wondering what the planned endgame strategy of taking down the Whale had even been before Subaru had given Crusch the location of where it would appear, YN could only imagine they had planned on holding it down somehow and piercing its heart, or using some sort of group-magic explosion-attack. But with this result, he hadn't a clue how they managed to entrap and crush the mighty beast with perhaps the one thing that was larger than it was.

YN: What the f—

Going to exclaim his words of disbelief at the sight before him, cutting them off was a sudden rhythmic drumming playing in one of his ears. More like a memory of a sound rather than a physical one, YN didn't know what to make of it. It was loud, and it seemed to physically link to his direct sense of feel, causing a rush of adrenaline to form.

—Ba-dum-Ba-dum-Ba-dum-Ba-dum-Ba-dum—

YN: —Gah!

In the very next second, he was knocked to the ground with a great force. Sliding to a stop, he sought to right himself and prepare for some kind of combat, but quickly found his arms restrained to his side, held fast.

What's—?!

Rem: YN-kun!

Crying out his name, the voice of the maid he adored instantly set his mind to rest that this wasn't some altercation. Having seemingly appeared out of nowhere, Rem had tackled him in a hugging embrace upon seeing him once more after being separated for so long.

Now laying in the tall grass of the plains all around them, YN focused on sitting up and holding the oni back as tight as he could too.

YN: Rem! You're alright!

Embracing her back, YN's mind had a weight of worry stripped from it upon seeing the maid in good health, if only—

YN: Rem, your clothes...

Tattered, torn, and wrinkled, the maid's elegant attire was wounded from the battle that had surely taken place not far from here. While being held together and stained with blood in a few locations, if only barely, YN saw no visible wounds on her fair skin.

Rem: YN-kun's Rem is just fine. This outfit should be mendable once she has the time to do so. Her oni blood promotes rapid healing as YN-kun should remember.

YN: That's right... I forget that sometimes... I'm human, and you're an oni.

Putting her arms around his shoulders, Rem pulled him close and whispered in his ear.

Rem (whisper): While Rem may be many things, it was only YN-kun who has ever seen her as an angel and not just a demon upon knowing that.

Kissing his cheek, Rem moved her head back and caressed his own in her hands.

Rem: Rem is just very glad to see her YN-kun too, is uninjured. It's just...

Moving her hands down to his shoulders, Rem pinched the white fabric of Emilia's cloak that was still being worn by him.

YN: Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Rem. I had to make use of the magic that's in it. Had I not disguised myself, I don't know what I could have done to save Emilia.

Brushing the worried look from her face, Rem nodded in understanding.

Rem: YN-kun admittedly worried Rem that he preferred Emilia-sama's cloak to the one she made for him, however Rem must accept she is not able to enchant cloth to have such properties as hers.

Happy to see the maid wasn't one to jump to such harsh conclusions, YN patted her soft azure hair.

YN: Still, I'm sorry I wasn't more considerate to how you might feel seeing that. I'll make it up to you, okay?

Rem: No-no!

Shaking her head with a worried expression, the maid spoke in her cute and soft tone she reserved only for those closest to her.

Rem: Rem has promised she would never doubt her Hero, so it is Rem's fault for not assuring YN-kun that he need not worry about such trivial things. But...

Bashfully looking at YN, she playfully touched his lips with her finger.

Rem: —since YN-kun offered, Rem will hold it to him as a commitment.

YN: Huh?

Nodding as if she had just been promised something lavish, Rem's single visible eye shined with anticipation.

Rem: Rem looks forward to being spoiled by her YN-kun.

While he couldn't deny wanting to spoil her as well, the two embraced again. Coming apart though, YN knew there was still much to talk about, on both sides, of what occurred.

YN: Admittedly though Rem, I should tell you something did happen between Emilia and I in Fleur. It's nothing bad... —and I did deny her! —But I did so with you in mind.

Running a hand through YN's hair, Rem nodded and smiled brightly at the one who held her heart.

Rem: Rem is certain that YN-kun always acts with his Rem in mind, for that she is grateful beyond belief.

Holding a hand over her heart, Rem awaited what it was YN had to tell her.

In the brief second that followed, a bright, warm light illuminated Rem's beautiful face.

Rem: —! YN-kun! Look!

Taking his hand to share the moment with him, Rem and YN watched in silence as the first rays of the morning sun rose over the horizon of the grassy plains.

Rem: It's beautiful... Isn't it?

As two laid in the cool grass still, YN turned to her as the sun crept up, and down the smoothest line of his life.

YN: But it's not as beautiful as you.

Giggling at the timing of it, Rem nonetheless didn't doubt those were YN's honest feelings. Resting her head on his shoulder, the two enjoyed the peace until the ball of light that climbed higher in the sky was too bright to look upon any longer.

Not wishing to beat around the bush anymore given time was still of great importance, YN bluntly relayed to Rem what he'd been offered.

YN: Rem, Emilia offered to have me fill her vacant position of having a Knight.

Somewhat shocked to hear the half-elf had actually formally offered, Rem turned to look at YN with eyes wide in surprise.

Rem: Certainly YN-kun accepted, did he not?

YN: Rem, I couldn't.

Tilting her head in question, Rem didn't at first understand why he answered this way.

YN: Being Emilia's Knight —anyone's Knight, would mean I'd need to put them first in my heart. Not doing that is a disservice to them, which would mean they should go find someone else to be their Knight. And Rem—?

Taking her into his arms, he rested his hand in the back of her head. Normally it was Rem who initiated such sudden and intense embraces, so to say the least, this slightly surprised her.

YN: —The person who occupies the number one spot in my heart, the person I always put first, is you.

Feeling her own heart skip a beat, Rem buried her tearful face into YN's chest. Right now, Rem was so happy it was moving her to tears.

Rem (muffled): YN-kun...

A heat of intense love and longing burned inside Rem's chest at this very moment.

If YN-kun has put Rem in such an important place in his heart, as it's the most important and first spot before anyone else... perhaps Rem has nothing to fear from saying her truest feelings...

But even having that courage in herself, could she ever believe he could bring himself to love her?

How is it that YN-kun is able to say that about his Rem? After she's done so many terrible things to him, can he say that?

Coming out from the embrace, the maid looked up to him while they each still were lying in the grass. She wanted to just ask, "Why?" Rem could not understand from which this deep affection could be rooted in such a tragic, horrendous meeting and history between the two.

But before she could muster up the strength to ask, YN had looked over her delicate head of blue, which brilliantly shined with the morning sun, to the scene unfolding beyond them.

YN: —Besides, I think there's someone who's a lot more qualified to be Emilia-sama's Knight now, having pulled all this off.

Turning her own head, Rem could see Subaru, Crusch, and Wilhelm all conversing. They were far out of earshot, and were a good hundred or more paces away, but they too were looking at the body of the Whale as it laid crushed beneath the gargantuan tree.

YN: It's probably uhh, good we're so far from it... I hear beached whales smell awful.

Somehow finding his comment amusing, Rem leaned her head back on his shoulder.

Rem: To Rem, nothing can smell worse than the Witch Cult... To which, we'll need to depart soon to face them, won't we?

Hearing Rem's tone become somber, and knowing what she said was true, YN nodded his head.

YN: Yeah... But I think we're going to need to reorganize here first...

YN figured there'd need to be some conversations and planning before they set out for Arlem, but one conversation he needed to have nearly slipped his mind until—

Rem: YN-kun? Is that a spirit?

Lifting her head from his shoulder, Rem sat up and moved her hands like she was reaching for something past his vision. Her cupped hands returned to her with a bright spec of white light in them.

So curiously, and without any caution, Rem had reached for something she knew not for what it was. YN thought this was extremely unlike her to act with such little caution as he saw the Yang Spirit dance happily in her hands.

YN: Yeah... I was about to bring that up...

YN could only look on before continuing, he couldn't help but feel strange watching Rem so casually watch in wonderlust at the little spirit in her hands.

YN: Rem, meet Algol. It's apparently been around me since before I even met you.

Rem: —? Is it from YN-kun's original world? Err, but... Rem recalls YN-kun mentioning there was no magic in his world...

Explaining to Rem what Emilia had relayed to him in regards to where the Spirit came from, the maid listened on with an ever growing, new found fascination for YN.

Rem: Rem can see how it was that YN-kun has been able to control his mana so well then, and to so quickly learn powerful Yang magic.

Closing her eyes, Rem nodded in remembrance.

Rem: When Rem saw how masterfully YN-kun struck down the leading mabeast, she knew his skills in Yang magic were exceptional, so it only makes sense he would attract a spirit of Yang to be his contracted partner.

Somewhat blinded by how she admired YN, Rem in a way put the carriage before the ground dragon and aimed her recognition of those feats entirely at him, rather than Algol which had given him that strength to perform the deeds she praised.

Yet, still dancing as if it too, enjoyed the kind words of the maid, Algol spun around her cupped hands before retreating past YN's vision, and hid from view once more.

YN: Hey Rem, how does one control a spirit?

Smiling weakly, Rem shook her head.

Rem: Rem is uncertain as she has poor compatibility for Spirit Arts. YN-kun would be better off asking Emilia-sama or Beatrice-sama... Speaking of Emilia-sama...

With the topic once more returning to the half-elf, Rem took YN's hands as she spoke.

Rem: It now makes sense why Emilia-sama at times wished to know YN-kun better, and would try to speak to him regarding his Gate. Rem knows she has very few she can speak to, and her affinity for Spirit Arts is very high, so it is likely she thought she could relate to YN-kun.

Helping YN to realize why Emilia had always been so keen on speaking to him, and so consistent with her questions, they each realized where it all stemmed from now.

YN: I guess everyone just wants a friend they can understand. I doubt Emilia gets much of an opportunity to talk to anyone who doesn't immediately dislike her based on her appearance alone. —And even less likely that she finds a Spirit Arts user on top of that.

Feeling a tinge of guilt for some of the times he'd maybe been too uncaring in the way he responded to Emilia's questions that now only made sense to ask, Rem spoke up.

Rem: Rem does not think it is a bad idea for Emilia-sama and YN-kun to be closer friends. She is certain Emilia-sama can teach YN-kun many things about the spirit he now is partnered with. And having a high degree of trust with her camp members is essential to being successful in the Royal Selection.

Lifting a finger upward as if to make her point more solid, Rem gave her approval that she would not view this as a bad thing.

Rem: Even though Rem has only just learned of it, Rem is certain her YN-kun will not have her waiver from being first in his heart.

Hugging him tightly as she said that, he returned the embrace.

YN: Rem, you should know you've held that place for a long time now... Ever since the moment I first met you, and I mean first met you, you've had that spot.

Hearing such words, Rem's hands tightly balled the cloth beneath them as she continued to hold onto the one who held her heart, those words making it seemingly melt.

From the very beginning... Rem cannot imagine how YN-kun has put her there and kept her in his heart despite everything that happened after that...

Coming apart, she looked up at him once more, and felt the heat in her chest drive itself upward, as if wishing to force the words she longed to say out of her mouth for him to hear.

Should Rem say it now? Is it safe? Is this a good time?

No. Now was as good of a time as ever.

Rem: YN-kun... Rem...— Rem wants to say—

?: Man, look at you two over here, shamelessly rolling in the clover like no one else is around.

Casting them into shadow and shielding his own eyes from the sun as he cut off Rem's words, the hero of the battle graced the couple with his presence.

Subaru: I take it what happened in Fleur went smoothly?

Extending a hand down to YN, Subaru helped him up to stand. Answering him while he in turn helped Rem to her feet, YN replied with sarcasm.

YN: Oh yeah, just as smoothly as everything always seems to go.

Subaru: That difficult, huh? Well, at least Emilia-tan is safe, I owe you that much.

YN: I'd say we're even, Rem is alive and well after fighting Moby Dick over there, so that's an accomplishment on your part as well.

Gesturing to the Whale that remained crushed, Rem tilted her head in question.

Rem: 'Mo-bee Dick?' Is that a pun of some sort?

While she didn't say it aloud, Rem knew these words' origins were from their shared previous world, but knew to ask in a way that still made her seem oblivious to that fact in front of Subaru.

YN: Uhh, well, it means...—

?: Oh that's where you went, Subawu.

Calling out as he jogged towards them, it was the demi-human that had been tasked with giving both Subaru and YN treatment for their Gates.

YN: Oh, Felix-san.

Felix: YyN too? It seems everyone is here nyow.

Subaru: 'Everyone?' Who else is coming?

Smirking at Subaru in a smug way, Felix pointed past them to where the sun was still rising.

Subaru: —? Huh? Reinforcements?

Felix: Look closer~~!

Squinting Subaru looked at the riders coming closer and closer despite the bright, early morning sun at their back.

His eyes opening wide, he could hardly believe who he saw at the helm of all those inbound towards them.

Subaru: No way! What's he doing here?!