"...Another failure, huh."
Sighing, Subaru narrows his eyes as he observes the grisly scene from a rooftop.
He is In a dilapidated section of the slums, where buildings seem to crumble, the scene is set for chaos in what could loosely be described as a square. Here, the violence unfolds with a chilling one-sidedness, as Elsa Granhiert takes on the Capital's guardsmen, who are desperately trying to subdue her but keep falling victim to her swift and deadly knives.
It all started when a well-meaning citizen from the city tipped off the guards about Elsa's threat, leading them to confront her. Unfortunately, their efforts to apprehend her have turned into a gruesome spectacle, leaving their bodies strewn about in a tragic display of failure. For Subaru, being that well-meaning citizen, witnessing this carnage is a heavy blow to his heart.
"Didn't think there'd be this big of a power gap between normal guards and Elsa..."
It felt like Subaru was just handing Elsa a bunch of lambs to happily take down. He had thought that since they were guardsmen tasked with protecting the Capital, they would have some sort of magic up their sleeves to level the playing field against Elsa.
But it turns out he was being overly optimistic about their capabilities.
So yes! Elsa is incredibly overpowered, even by the standards of this world. Subaru's feelings of anger and frustration towards her just keep building up. Yet, no matter how much rage he feels, he knows deep down that he simply doesn't have the strength to take down this evil woman. He doesn't even entertain the thought that the guards might somehow manage to land a lucky blow and bring her down.
"Pointless to just keep watching."
Subaru definitely feels a pang of guilt for the guards who had to make the ultimate sacrifice, but he decided to put an end to this whole experiment right here. He's not planning to pull any punches, but if things go south and he ends up losing his life, those who perished will come back in the reset world. For the moment, Subaru will hold back his emotions and accept that the sacrifices made will remain just that—sacrifices. Next time around, he won't count on them at all, allowing them to focus on keeping the peace in the Capital without any concerns.
Having reached that conclusion, Subaru moves to start leaving the scene—when.
"—Oh my."
Elsa stands frozen, her kukri held high, as she licks the blood from her lips. The wild excitement and thirst for blood radiating from her show that she's tired of taking down the guards and has set her sights on a new target. The identity of this unfortunate soul is—.
"—Go no further."
A pillar of fire is standing there, hallucinates Subaru.
"—"
Holding his breath and squinting hard, Subaru takes a closer look and finally realizes it's not fire but a person standing there.
A young man with fiery red hair and eyes as blue as pristine sky.
He might appear slender at first glance, but there's a strong and flexible physique hidden under his white attire. A sword, likely bigger than what most would carry, hangs at his waist. If he strolled past, you can bet every single person would take a second look; his striking features are so captivating that anyone who sees him can't help but be enchanted. The kind of chaos that often comes with such stunning attractiveness, regardless of gender, seems absent from him, likely due to his composed demeanor.
Just one glance is enough for Subaru's soul to inform: this man is different from the usual riffraff.
"Sir Reinhardt!"
"Everyone, please withdraw. That woman is the GUTHUNTER. The sacrifices already number far too many. I don't want that count to increase."
Reinhardt lowers his gaze as he responds to the shaky voice of a surviving guard. It feels like he's mourning the lives lost, treated like mere vermin, and he's clearly outraged at Elsa, the one responsible for the slaughter.
Subaru, observing from a distance, can sense the essence of this young man, Reinhardt. His thoughts are fair, his ideas are sound, and his mindset is right, which is why he feels such anger.
Mourned death, detested murder, lamented failure, overwrote his remorse with his conviction.
That was this man Reinhardt's—this knight's—way of being.
"Reinhardt Van Astrea. From the SWORD SAINT bloodline. Wonderful, excellent!"
"I often feel crushed by the expectations. And you are the GUTHUNTER?"
"Yes, I certainly am. Oh, goodness. What am I to do? I need to be doing my work, but now I've come face to face with you."
Elsa gazes intensely at Reinhardt, her breath quick and full of emotion. In contrast, Reinhardt's face is all business, his eyes reflecting a sense of responsibility with no hint of playfulness.
Both are facing the other with antithetical stances, but their hearts lead them to the same answer.
They must slay each other and achieve their goal.
"Fundamentally speaking, this is where I would advise you to surrender, but..."
"You're faced with this slaughter, and you're telling me this? Very kind of you. So kind that it's cruel both to me and to them."
"—No, I share your opinion. It is impious to their deaths if I am lenient on you. I cannot ask for you to surrender."
Elsa happily gives a kick to one of the fallen bodies while Reinhardt shakes his head slowly. He turns to the guardsman next to him and says, "Could I get a sword, please?"
"Please do accept it."
The guard presents a sword, which Reinhardt takes. He confirms its feel in his hands while Elsa furrows her brows, looking to have qualms about this.
"You're not using the sword on your hip? But I wanted to feel the cut of the fabled Dragonblade."
"Unfortunately, this sword ascertains which opponents it ought to be drawn for. It's a rather troublesome trait, and it doesn't seem that you've earned its graces. Instead, I will oppose you with this."
"Hrmpf."
Elsa glances at Reinhardt, who's not drawing the sword at his side but the one he's taken up. Her annoyance is fleeting, though, as she quickly shifts her focus, sensing the impending clash and tasting the thrill of combat on her lips.
"Elsa Granhiert, Guthunter."
"Reinhardt van Astrea of the Sword Saint bloodline."
They introduce themselves, transforming into the wind as they rush toward each other. This single clash wraps up the entire fight.
A completely banal slash births a maelstrom of light, the shockwaves destroying this section of the slums.
The slash from the man called the SWORD SAINT is the exact definition of POWER.
Natsuki Subaru watched the scene unfold before him, his eyes filled with shock. A tear rolled down his cheek as his knees trembled, leaving him completely unaware of the reason behind his emotions.
...
The air hung heavy with the stench of decay. As Subaru navigated the labyrinthine alleyways of the slums, his mind was a whirlwind of anxieties, each thought more chaotic than the last. Then, a voice, cold and emotionless, shattered the silence, echoing within his skull like a relentless drumbeat.
"All requirements have been fulfilled. You are now the proprietor of the contaminated fruit."
"Guh!"
Subaru's head throbbed, a wave of nausea washing over him. He gripped his temples, his vision blurring. The world around him seemed to dissolve, the familiar shapes of the alleyways morphing into an unsettling void.
The sky, the ground, the very essence of reality itself – all of it seemed to fade away, leaving him suspended in a disconcerting expanse of absolute blackness.
"What the hell is going on?" he muttered, his voice a mere whisper in the suffocating silence.
"Everything has been taken care of. You are now the rightful owner of the contaminated fruit. Feel free to take it; it belongs to you, Natsuki Subaru."
The voice echoed again, this time emanating from the void itself, Subaru, his heart pounding against his ribs, frantically searched for the source of the voice.
And then, he saw her.
Standing before him, seemingly materialized from the very fabric of the darkness, was a girl. Small, almost doll-like, yet exuding an aura of chilling menace. Her eyes, pools of obsidian, stared at him with an unsettling intensity. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her back, framing her pale, emotionless face. She was clad in a flowing white robe, giving her the appearance of a spectral apparition.
Yet, despite at her scary appearance, Subaru felt little fear. He had faced countless horrors in this world, each one chipping away at his resolve, leaving him with a shell of emotional armor.
"Who are you?" he inquired, his voice surprisingly steady.
"I'm nobody,"
the girl replied, her voice a chilling monotone. "I'm just here to deliver what you truly deserve, Natsuki Subaru."
"What I deserve?" Subaru echoed, a sense of dread creeping into his voice.
"Yes, please take it," the girl insisted, her voice devoid of any emotion.
He finally caught sight of what the girl was holding out to him, and it was definitely… odd. It resembled an apple, but it was a deep, unsettling black, with wisps of dark smoke curling up from its surface.
A wave of disgust washed over him, so potent it made his stomach churn. "No thanks," he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of revulsion. "Even though I'm starving, I can't bring myself to eat that… where am I, anyway?"
The girl's expression, previously a mask of indifference, shifted into one of disappointment. "So?" she replied, her voice a low, monotonous hum. "Even after I promise you that this fruit would grant your wish and eliminate your biggest hurdles?"
Subaru's surprise quickly morphed into irritation. "I don't get it!" he exclaimed, his voice rising without his intending it to. "What conditions have I met? What is this fruit supposed to be, and how is it going to help me get what I want!?"
Perhaps it was the pent-up frustration from a long, arduous day of looping, or maybe it was the unsettling nature of the girl and her offer, but his voice had risen, sharper than he had intended.
"Hehehe," the girl chuckled, a low, melodic sound that sent shivers down his spine. "Subaru, don't let disgust cloud your judgment or resent what you've earned; this is your reward for being so patient despite everything that's happened."
Finally, a smile broke through the girl's previously gloomy expression, transforming her face, which had resembled a specter from a horror flick, into something… more lively. But the smile was unsettling, a predatory grin that revealed a set of sharp, pointed teeth. Subaru felt a cold dread creeping into his bones.
"Regardless, your thirst for revenge and the darkness that has taken root in your heart—once pure but now desolate—has flourished into a twisted flower of pride and hatred," the girl continued, her voice a chilling whisper. "That was one of the conditions… and the second condition was death, which has indeed come to pass."
The mention of death sent a shiver down Subaru's spine, causing him to instinctively step back in fear and surprise. Yet, as he realized he was trapped in this suffocating darkness, unable to even discern his own surroundings, the thought of fleeing slipped away, leaving him rooted in place to confront whatever this is.
With a mix of tension and confusion, Subaru asked, "How do you know about… that?"
The little girl shrugged, a dismissive gesture. "Nope, no hints! Just take a bite, and then I'll tell you," she replied, her voice playful. She held the apple out to him once more, her eyes twinkling with an eerie amusement.
Subaru felt a surge of frustration. "Really? I'm not so sure about that…," he muttered, trailing off as he reconsidered his words. After everything he had endured—the countless deaths, the gut-wrenching despair, the memories he desperately wished to erase—he found himself questioning whether he truly feared this strange, ominous fruit.
"Alright, I guess I'll give it a shot," he finally said, his voice surprisingly steady. He grabbed the apple from her hand, his fingers trembling slightly, and took a bite without a second thought.
The taste? Nothing. It was like chewing on air, a bizarre sensation that left him feeling strangely empty.
"I'm glad you went for it!" the girl chirped, her voice laced with an unsettling glee. "Now, see you later, Subaru Natsuki!"
Subaru was taken aback, his confusion evident. "Huh? What do you mean?" he began, but his words were cut short.
A wave of debilitating weakness washed over him, a suffocating sensation that robbed him of all his strength. He collapsed to the ground, his body heavy and unresponsive. He couldn't even register the impact of his fall, no pain, just an overwhelming chill and a complete inability to move, except for his eyes.
With a fierce glare filled with hatred, anger, and a thirst for blood that he seems to feel alot lately, he locked his gaze onto the little girl.
"Oh, don't give me that look," she said dismissively, her voice monotonous. "But it's fine, you'll thank me later anyway."
Subaru wanted to respond, to voice his thoughts, to ask her why she had done this to him, but the all-too-familiar sensation enveloped him once again, darkness threatened to consume him entirely. And just like that, he slipped away, his consciousness fading into the abyss.
...
The familiar cacophony of the Royal Capital – the clamor of merchants hawking their wares, the clatter of horseshoes on cobblestones, the laughter of children at play – washed over Subaru as he blinked open his eyes.
"Damn It all," he breathed, his voice a mere whisper, laced with a mix of frustration and fury.
He had returned. Again. The familiar sting of déjà vu, the bitter taste of defeat, all of it washed over him in a suffocating wave. But just like always, Subaru took a deep breath, the familiar ritual of self-calming kicking in. He had to focus. Satella. He had to save her.
"I need to figure out how to save Satella from dying; what can I do now?" he muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping across the bustling marketplace.
A plan began to form in his mind. He crouched down, his fingers tracing patterns in the dirt. He counted silently, marking each tally with a stick, '', '', '', until a sense of grim satisfaction washed over him. He had a plan. He always had a plan.
He wiped away the markings with his foot, the familiar act of erasure a small comfort in the face of the overwhelming despair. He had to move, to act.
"System activation"
But before he could even take a step, a voice echoed in his mind, a familiar sensation accompanying the intrusion.
And then, it appeared.
A single sheet of paper, materializing in a puff of smoke right before his eyes. Subaru stared at it, his mind reeling.
"What on earth is this?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
He unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the message with growing apprehension.
"This can't be happening. Why now? Of all times… why now?" Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. He felt his knees buckle beneath him, the weight of his countless failures finally crushing him. He was engulfed in a profound despair, his heart heavy with the darkness that had become an unwelcome companion.
Yet, even in the face of this crushing despair, a flicker of hope, a tiny spark of defiance, just appeared
"A state window!," he murmured, the words barely escaping his lips.
The implications of this discovery were staggering. Hope, fragile and fleeting as it was, bloomed within him, a beacon in the suffocating darkness.
...
Level: 1
Race: Human
Name: Natsuki Subaru.
Class: contamination apostle.
Stats.
HP: 460/460.
MP: Limitless.
STR: 4.
VIT: 8
AGI: 2
INT: 9
LUK: 1
Passive ability, "return by death," allowed you to rewind time to a random point in your past upon dying, a power that came with its own burdens.
The passive ability "Tactical Retreat" lets you heal any non-fatal injuries when you're out of combat for a full nine seconds, allowing for a complete recovery. It's a handypassive at ensures you can bounce back from minor wounds without needing to rely on potions or other healing items, giving you a chance to regroup and get back into the fight feeling fresh and ready to go.
Skills
,"dark point" enabled you to unleash a lethal dark beam from your fingers, inflicting wounds that no healing could mend.
"you can't beat me" could strip opponents of their abilities and stats, rendering them powerless for a long time or as long as you desire, though it required a half day cooldown period after use. It can be used three time before the cooldown.
"Vengeance" Not open yet due to low level.
"King of the stake" Not open yet due to low level.
"Gamma ray flash" Not open yet due to low level.
"Black Lightning Steps" Not open yet due to low level.
"you can't see me" Not open yet due to low level.
"Anti-frost" Not open yet duo to low level.
"Mind Shield" Not open yet duo to low level.
"Space box" Not open yet duo to low level.
...
He flipped the paper over, trying to tear it in half, but it was surprisingly sturdy. This wasn't some trick; it was real. Slowly, the shock began to subside, replaced by a strange sense of wonder. Then, a memory surfaced – the girl from his previous loop.
"So she wasn't kidding, huh? This power...is all real. But damn, look at my pathetically low level!" Subaru muttered to himself, the initial excitement giving way to a wave of self-doubt. He quickly refocused on the skills list, a twisted smile playing on his lips.
"Ten skills, and only two I can even use? And infinite mana? How the hell does this even work?" he wondered aloud, the absurdity of the situation finally sinking in.
"You simply say the name of the skill while aiming at your target," a voice answered in his head, startling him.
"Who's there?" Subaru demanded, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger...that he didn't have anymore.
"Glad you asked," the voice replied, this time with a feminine, almost robotic inflection. "I'm your humble assistant, at least until you no longer need me."
"Okay, this sounds… interesting," Subaru said cautiously. "Considering all I've been through, this might actually be a blessing in disguise. Though, I guess I don't really have a choice now, do I? This is probably the best thing that's happened to me lately… well, aside from meeting Satella, of course. This would be a close second."
Subaru admitted internally, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too, Natsuki Subaru. Oh, and just call me Urusia. I have other names, but I prefer this one."
"Right, Urusia. I'd like to chat more and ask you some questions about these… powers."
"Sure, ask away."
"Alright, let's walk while we talk."
Subaru adjusted his pace, feeling a bit self-conscious under the curious stares of the passersby. He decided to head towards the usual spot where his usual three exclusive hooligans – the ones who always seemed to be itching for a fight.
"So, Urusia, can you tell me more about these 'powers'? How can I use them?"
"Well, it's not easy to explain simply. Imagine it like…" Urusia began, her voice trailing off as if searching for the right analogy.
Subaru, however, was already lost in thought. Ten skills. Infinite mana. This was… a game changer. A dangerous game changer, but a game changer nonetheless.
...
A symphony of shouts and laughter washing over Subaru as he navigated the crowded streets. Urusia, her voice a gentle murmur against the cacophony, was busy explaining the intricacies of his powers, detailing how they functioned and how he could hone them to their full potential.
Subaru, his mind half-lost in the familiar rhythm of the city, listened with a detached air, the information filtering through his consciousness like a low-grade fever. It all seemed rather straightforward, a simple matter,... gathering experience and leveling up to open new skills, much like in the countless RPGs he had devoured during his countless hours spent indoors. And from his limited experience in this world, it seemed monsters were as common as pigeons back home. He already had a target in mind.
"Hey, buddy. You come play with us for a second."
Subaru turned to see three figures blocking the alleyway, a trio that looked like they had stepped out of a classic medieval fantasy cliche —big, medium, and small, each one radiating an aura of menace. Their eyes, narrowed and predatory, raked over him with a practiced ease, sizing him up like a hunter eyeing its prey.
Subaru, however, felt a familiar thrill course through him, a thrill that had nothing to do with fear. He already knew what they were up to.
Glancing around, he noticed the alley ended behind him, a dead end that offered no escape. He was trapped, a caged animal facing a pack of hungry wolves.
"Hell're you looking so spaced out for?" one of them sneered, his voice a low growl.
Another chimed in, "He don't understand what's goin' on. Say we make 'im find out."
Their grins widened, adisplay of predatory glee. They were enjoying this, reveling in the anticipation of the hunt. To them, he was nothing more than an easy mark, a rookie no body stumbling into their territory. It was hard to blame them, really. Who wouldn't relish the opportunity to toy with such an obvious target?
...
"Urusia, any idea how many points I get for wiping the floor with these losers?" Subaru muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on the three goons who were trying their best to look intimidating.
"Not enough to level up, that's for sure," Urusia's voice, a calm counterpoint to the rising tension, echoed in his mind. "They're too weak to give you much experience. Besides, you said 'wiping the floor with them, right? Aren't you actually going to kill them?"
The image of the Sword Saint, that terrifyingly powerful guard who had dispatched Elsa with one swing, flashed through Subaru's mind. He remembered the indifference in the Sword Saint's eyes, the way he had treated elsa, Subaru's biggest obstacle as an afterthought.
A frown creased his brow.
"Yeah, I'm tempted," he admitted, his voice laced with a hint of unease. "But what if I kill these guys and then some bigger fish with a big sword red hair and cringe-worthy lines shows up and decides I'm a threat? I don't want to be the one who died because I got cocky."
"I see," Urusia replied, her voice thoughtful. "Makes sense...who is it then?"
"Tell you later," Subaru said, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. He turned back to the goons, a playful smile gracing his lips.
...
"Alright, guys, let's wrap this up because I've got places to be."
"So you can actually tal–!
"Dark point"
The giant, stoped mid-sentence, as he felt a chill crawl down his spine. Subaru's eyes, usually filled with an almost unsettling degree of kindness, now held resolve. Before he could even register the threat, a surge of darkness erupted from Subaru's fingertip, a sinuous beam of shadow that lanced out across the alley with the speed of a viper's strike.
The world seemed to slow down, Then, with a sickening fsss, the beam impacted the giant's shoulder, tearing through flesh and bone with terrifying ease. The eerie purple glow of the attack cast an unnatural pallor over the alleyway, making it feel as if night had descended prematurely.
The giant let out a guttural roar, his voice a raw, animalistic sound that was quickly cut short by a coughing fit.
He crumpled to the ground, clutching his shoulder, a grotesque, gaping wound now marring his flesh. Blood gushed forth in a crimson torrent, painting the cobblestones a gruesome shade of red.
"Wha!" The remaining members of the trio, their faces pale and drawn, could only stare in stunned disbelief at the scene before them.
The air filled with Tom's agonized screams, his voice echoing through the alleyway like a banshee's wail. Dick and Larry, their faces pale and drawn, stood rooted to the spot, fear gripping them like icy tendrils.
Subaru, his eyes narrowed and a grim determination etched on his face, shifted his gaze towards Dick, the medium-sized target.
"Dark point," he commanded, his voice a low growl, the word exploding from his lips with the force of a conjuration.
Another wave of darkness, a viscous torrent of evil energy, erupted from his fingertip, lancing out towards Dick with the speed of a viper's strike. The world seemed to slow down Then, with another sickening fsss, the beam of darkness impacted, obliterating Dick's left leg from the knee down.
Bone, muscle, flesh – all consumed in an instant, leaving behind only a blackened, smoking stump.
A cruel smile spread across Subaru's face, mocking and amused. "Looks like I went a bit overboard," he chuckled, his voice laced with amusement. "My apologies, old sport."
He watched with a predatory gleam in his eyes as Dick, his face contorted in agony, clutched at the phantom limb, his screams echoing the earlier cries of his fallen companion.
With Tom incapacitated and Dick writhing in pain, only one opponent remained standing.
"Eep".