". . . ."
"It's a bit awkward if you just stare at me. . ."
Subaru, growing more and more perturbed with the long silence, scratched the back of his head and laughed uncomfortably, making sure to break off eye contact to try and quell the growing blush on his face.
". . . ."
"N-Not that I mind. . ! You've got rather beautiful eyes, a solid 10/10. . !"
Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was feeling like he fumbled this interaction. Clearly this person knew who he was and harbored some deal of affection for him. She had just declared her love for him after all! It didn't take a genius to recognize the turmoil this girl must be going through, but he still felt like he needed to be candid with her about his circumstances.
". . . ."
". . .Y-You don't remember me. . . ?"
Emilia finally broke her silence, barely audible to Subaru, but clearly overwhelmed by a litany of emotions. Her shock was communicated with an almost empty nihilism, almost like she wanted to laugh at herself for believing things could've turned out so conveniently for them. All of their shared experiences, all of those wonderful dates, the amazing ideas and stories, the noble deeds, all of Subaru's love for them. . .gone. No, even his fury, the justice which Emilia so desperately wished to face, was no longer present. This was a complete and total robbery of all she held dear, of her dear Subaru's essence.
"I-I'm sorry. . .I can tell it means a great deal to you, but I really can't remember a thing."
Subaru cut off another awkward laugh, turning away from her and donning a somber look. He could tell that his response wasn't what she wanted to hear, but given the circumstances they now shared, they would need to get to know each other again rather quickly. Right now, they were currently stuck in the middle of nowhere, clueless as to why or how they ended up there.
". . .Right."
Emilia looked down, her eyes still wide with a mix of disbelief and dissociation. The real reason was unknown to Subaru, but his running explanation for this reaction was that this woman realized how awkward her previous actions appeared. Truthfully, he couldn't say he hated the experience, as he much preferred this state of confusion to the state of dread he felt upon waking up.
". . . ."
". . . ."
'If it were me, I'd be dying inside if I gave a confession and got a reaction like that. It's probably for the best I don't remind her. . .'
The new awkward silence began to weigh even more heavily on Subaru's waning spirit. He couldn't deny that he felt some level of guilt for this situation, even if he knew he wasn't at fault.
"W-Well, like I said, if you knew me before, I'm sure we were both good friends at the very least. . !"
Subaru tried his best to act like the previous interaction didn't happen, thoughtlessly speaking some words that only made his newfound friend flinch even harder.
"Say, do you know who that other girl is?"
Subaru pointed over to the unconscious form of Beatrice, the gesture enough to make Emilia choke back tears. This situation was much worse than she could have anticipated.
". . .T-That's Beatrice, she's a great spirit."
Emilia had picked her up in her arms and moved her a little closer, but quickly lost track of Beatrice after her unexpected encounter with Subaru. She was still uncertain as to whether or not it would be appropriate to mention his previous relationship with her, so to be safe, she kept the details at a minimum.
"Ah, a spirit. . ? I thought spirits were little glowy orbs that floated in the air. . . You wouldn't happen to be a spirit yourself, would you?"
Subaru asked this, half-jokingly, but with a hint of seriousness underlying his question. This was his first time ever seeing a spirit that took the form of a human. In fact, he'd never even heard of such a thing being possible.
"No, I-I'm. . ."
Emilia paused, a small grimace forming on her face.
". . .a half-elf."
She braced herself for a scathing reaction, which would only be strengthened by the context of what she'd done to him before. Honestly, he was the one person with whom she'd fully earned a poor reputation.
"I-I see. . .I didn't want to assume, but the cute ears made it pretty obvious!"
". . . !"
Subaru spoke without restraint, saying words that at any other time would've made her heart flutter out of her chest. Somehow, this reaction only made the ache she felt even more unbearable. . .
". . .Subaru, I-I'm sorry if I've been acting odd. I-I. . ."
Emilia could see in his eyes, the happy, light-hearted, and innocent expression that had completely vanished from the corpse they'd buried so long ago. She wasn't sure what she should say to him now.
"It's alright, this whole situation is honestly really confusing. . .Just a few moments ago I was certain I was going to die, but suddenly I woke up here!"
Subaru quickly realized that his efforts weren't yielding the results he'd wanted, and brought the conversation back to what happened a few moments before. He was hoping there might be some clues to their current predicament that they could glean from everyone once they woke up.
". . .mghh. . ."
The other cloaked man beside Kadomon began to sound a small groan, immediately snatching the attention of Subaru and Emilia. The two almost immediately broke out of their trance, Subaru rushing to the man's side with a worried look on his face.
"I got this one, please try and wake up the spiri-. . . Beatrice, right?"
Subaru cut himself off, attempting to appear professional with proper usage of Beatrice's name. He'd seen many spirit users refer to the spirits by unique names, and so he did not wish to besmirch the name of the spirit which belonged to this girl.
". . . ."
Subaru called Beatrice by her given name, not by the nickname which he'd so lovingly granted her. It was a disorienting response that Emilia had not expected, despite it being something he could have never anticipated.
"P-Please don't worry. . . ! She'll wake up in a few seconds."
Emilia knew that Beatrice was very low on mana, which was likely contributing to her prolonged period of unconsciousness. Their contract was still in play, so all Emilia needed to do was grasp her hand and feed her some mana to wake her up.
"That's good! I could tell you're super worried about her. Is she your contracted spirit?"
". . .-hk!"
He smiled at her, a gesture almost like poison in the heart of the still recovering half-elf.
God, how messed up had things become? Beatrice had waited over four hundred years for someone worthy enough to become her contractor, and now here he was, forcibly separated from her and unwittingly asking Emilia if they shared a contract. Perhaps this wouldn't have been such a brutal revelation to someone unaccustomed to working with spirits, but Emilia's former contract with Puck had made the sanctity of such occurrences overwhelmingly powerful.
"S-Subaru, she's actually y-. . ."
". . !"
The drill-haired spirit jerked up off the ground, some heavy breaths escaping her chest as she took in the foreign environment she now resided in. There was still a recurring blur across her vision, so the only face that Beatrice could immediately make out was the one staring directly down at her. Emilia was saying something to someone, but it looked like she stopped at the realization of Beatrice's awakening.
"W-What *haghh* happened, I suppose?"
Beatrice could feel Emilia's hand pull her up off the ground and rest her back on her feet. The empty plains they were sitting in were entirely unfamiliar to her, and for some reason, she couldn't recall how they had ended up here. It was all too fuzzy. . .
"Follow me. I need to speak to you in private. . ."
"E-Eh. . ? Why!?"
There was no time for the spirit to spot Subaru before Emilia took Beatrice by the hand and marched off a few dozen meters to have a word with her in private. She could see that Subaru was slightly confused by her immediate reaction, but ultimately didn't feel the need to intervene, possibly due to a fear of overstepping.
'This shouldn't be his responsibility to clear up. . . !'
Emilia was no stranger to Subaru's position. She could still remember how she felt when she was regaining her memories of Mother Fortuna and Geuse. Not to mention what happened when they all regained their memories of Subaru. The feeling of having memories missing, a part of yourself that you know existed but can't perceive, can be extremely stressful. If it hadn't been for Subaru helping her back in the Sanctuary, she might've even gone insane.
Now here he was, chock in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by people he's never met, with unknown motives and clearly ridiculous expectations of him. Before any more misunderstandings could happen, she would tell Beatrice what was going on with Subaru.
"Kya! Y-Your grip on Betty's hand is too tight. . . !"
". . ."
"W-What's going on, I suppose? Where are w-. . ."
"Please Beako, be quiet for a moment. I don't want to alarm you, but it's reeeeeally important that you don't wander off before you hear what I have to say. . ."
Emilia deliberately stepped in front Beatrice's view of Subaru, putting her hands onto each of the spirit's shoulders with a concerned frown. The great spirit could only cover one of her eyes with her hand as she tried to recall the series of events that precluded this weird situation they found themselves in.
"Ah. . ! Weren't we just fighting someone, in fact!? What exactly happened I wonder. . ."
The half-elf could see Beatrice rapidly putting the pieces together, which meant her time to intervene was getting more and more limited. Urgently, she took a glance back at Subaru, who was now conversing with some unknown person in a hood. Their discussion appeared to be cordial, nothing for her to be concerned about.
'G-Good, it's not just us out here. . .'
Emilia could only thank the Od that there were people here whom Subaru already knew and trusted. She honestly worried how she might act if she was left unchecked given the circumstances. After all, even though she knew he had no memories, her affections nearly burst out of her chest when he said that stuff about half-elves being 'cute'.
It had taken every ounce of willpower she had to keep herself steady in the face of that onslaught.
"Beatrice, Subaru is awak-. . ."
"S-Subaru. .!?"
Emilia kept her grip firmly locked on the spirit's shoulders, but the task was difficult. Beatrice was using her whole body to try and turn, likely searching for him with her limited visibility.
"Where is he. .!? Please, t-take Betty to him immediately. . ."
Beatrice had tears welling in her eyes, her voice shaking with fear evident in her body language. She was anticipating a rather brutal dressing down, or even more likely, being completely disowned.
"Y-Yes, he's awake. . !"
Emilia once again looked over her shoulder, accidentally informing Beatrice exactly where he was. This signal only made Beatrice struggle even more against Emilia's firm grasp.
"Let's both face him now, I suppose. . ."
The half-elf could see Beatrice's features trembling as she spoke such an assertive course of action. This was obviously no small reunion she was expecting to walk into, it looked almost like she was headed to war.
"N-No, no! That's what I wanted to speak to you about. . . Before you say anything, please listen to what I'm about to tell you. . !"
Emilia just barely snapped Beatrice out of her stupor with a rough shaking of her body back and forth. This caused Beatrice to finally take a moment to pause and look Emilia in her eyes. The spirit was very confused with the expression that greeted her.
"Y-You. . ? Don't tell me you already spoke to him. . ?"
Beatrice felt her heart in her throat as she saw Emilia's face contort into a pained wince. Clearly, she was aware of something that Beatrice was not. All the small spirit could think was that it indeed was over.
Subaru decried them all the lowest form of scum, refusing to associate with any of them so long as they all shall live.
Just the idea of such a thing made Beatrice want to squeeze into a ball and cry uncontrollably. However, compared to the anguish of having lost him, this was a punishment Beatrice was more than willing to accept. So long as a world that included him existed, she would be happy.
At least. . . that was what she told herself.
Now that she stood here, at the precipice of the fantasy she'd only dared dream of for all these months. . .she wasn't sure if she was ready to accept the judgment that must be coming her way.
". . .H-He hates us, I suppose? H-Hates. . .*hik* Betty? I-I see. . ."
Beatrice whispered this with a light sob, as Emilia could only embrace her in a light hug.
"N-No! That's not the case at all! I-It's. . ."
Emilia tried to correct the record, but what she wasn't sure if what she was about to tell Beatrice was even worse than the 'truth'. It was a situation so ridiculous that it bordered on insanity. Somehow, the Subaru in front of her had no memory of them all. Of any of their battles, their jokes, or their tribulations. . .
Not even memories of what they'd done to him.
"E-Even so. . .I have no right to run away from him. Betty's contractor deserves that much. . ."
Beatrice, not hearing what Emilia had said, was now certain of herself that it must be the truth. Subaru must despise her the most out of them all. In a weird way, there was some peace that came with absolute despair.
Up to this point, Beatrice had believed she'd been in total despair many a time. However, the small bits of hope that dangled in front of her often served to alleviate and to exacerbate her feelings in ways she could not predict. Now she finally understood that despair and resignation were two sides of the same coin.
There was truly nothing she could do now, and she wasn't sure if that thought comforted her.
"Hold it. . ! Beatrice, it's not what you're thinking. . !"
With a whispered shout, Emilia yanked Beatrice back once more into her arms and away from the view of the talking trio behind them. They were just out of earshot, but it wouldn't do for them to shout these private details to total strangers.
"E-Eh? W-What. . .? Are you saying he's. . .?"
Emilia could swear she almost saw as light itself reentered the little spirit's eyes. It broke her heart to have to crush this hope.
"H-He can't remember us. Any of us. . !"
". . . !?"
Beatrice squinted, a dazed, lost temperament across her features. It was simply unimaginable that such a thing was possible. Then again, it was already ridiculous that someone dead and buried could return to the world of the living. She'd thought she'd prepared herself for all the different ways this interaction would go wrong, but the world had once again thrown her for a loop.
". . .I-It's all gone?"
Beatrice could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate, she didn't want him to forget. . . ! Everything they'd been through together, every promise he'd made, how she'd. . .
"Yes, for now. I-I'm sorry if this is abrupt, I just wish to avoid a situation where we demand from him something that. . ."
'That he can't give.'
Emilia cut herself off, put her hand to her mouth a suppressed a cry of her own.
". . . ."
Emilia took another glance back at Subaru, talking jubilantly with a cloaked man along with another person she swore she'd spoken with recently. Her heart was light as she saw the smile on his face directed at his new friends.
'Remembering us, indulging us, accommodating us. . . it will just bring you more pain, won't it?'
She couldn't deny that her impact on his life up to this point had largely been negative. She'd been the one who forced him out of his new home with Reinhard. She'd been the one to lay out the perfect circumstances for the Witch Cult's attack. She was the one responsible for them being teleported into this strange new place.
Pain, pain, and more pain. And now they were about to levy on him an entirely new type of pain. One with which she was uniquely familiar.
It was because she knew what it was like to have expectations put on her. . .to be someone she wasn't.
'He's already got new friends, a new family. . . a new life.'
And the worst part of it all, was he looked happier than he'd ever been with them. Those bags under his eyes. . .they were much smaller than she'd ever seen them.
"W-What should we do, I wonder. . ?"
Emilia looked back at Beatrice and could see that same thought process running through the spirit's head. She could see an almost unbreakable gloom in her butterfly-like irises.
"W-We'll. . ."
The half-elf wanted to vomit.
". . .remain forgotten."
Beatrice could feel an almost primal anger building in her chest, looking for any possible reason or way to refute Emilia's ridiculous suggestion. Her? His great spirit? Just. . .leaving him?
". . . ."
. . .but when she really thought about it, what benefit was there for him to take her back? Subaru's kindhearted nature meant that he might extend his hand to her once again, and Beatrice didn't trust her greedy self not to take it. She was too much like her mother in that regard.
Wasn't this exactly what she'd wanted?
'But it's not what he would've wanted.'
The thought pierced through her heart like a Kukri blade.
"Please Beako. . .let's remain cordial with him. B-But don't try and make him remember. . ."
Emilia's stomach was twisting itself into knots. Every instinct in her was screaming to make the most of this second chance they were receiving. However, the core logic behind that was wrong, manipulative even.
This wasn't a second chance for them.
It was a second chance for Subaru.
If they approached him now with that previous line of thinking, then it was all the proof required to show they were just as shallow and cruel as they had been before. It wasn't right for them to abduct him, demand he fill the shoes of a person he'd never been, and leech all the happiness for themselves.
"T-Too cruel. . *hik*. . !"
Beatrice reached a hand out, her arm full extended in the direction Subaru was talking. Before too long, she pulled it back and clasped it with her other hand.
"This is too cruel a fate for Betty. . ."
Emilia turned back to look at Subaru, her own desires to embrace the poor knight being suppressed with ever greater urgency.
". . .T-This is the fate we chose."
She had to look away from Subaru, or else she would start crying again. Emilia wished so badly to see that smile directed at her. . .
". . . ."
Beatrice couldn't disagree with that assessment through any grounded logic, but every part of her detested it nonetheless. That conclusion, that it was all over. . .How could she accept it? What should she do now? What could she do now?
Mother was gone. Subaru was forever out of reach.
His words on that fateful day repeated themselves in her head once more. The day when he'd told her to choose him. . .
'For someone like you who will live forever, your time with me might feel like just a moment. So. . . I'll engrave it all into your soul! The moments you spend with me, and the fact that Natsuki Subaru was a guy so memorable that even after an eternity, he'll never fade to sepia!'
Truly, those words at the time he spoke them had felt like the greatest blessing she'd ever been granted.
Now. . . it was emblematic of the greatest curse ever placed upon a spirit's heart.
"I-I. . .*hik*. . . B-Betty never thought our time would end so soon. . ! M-Much less like that. . !"
Beatrice leaned forward, putting her face into her hands and letting out a sob. Emilia put a hand around the crying spirit and let out a quiet cry of her own.
It was only then when she noticed the hooded man begin to remove his disguise, lifting his sword high up into the air near Subaru's head.
". . .-!"
The air around her might have just frozen into solid ice if she stared at the scene for another second.
In that moment, it was safe to say everything changed.
While all that was happening between Emilia and Beatrice, an entirely separate development was occurring with the remaining crew.
". . .mghh. . ."
Subaru heard a quiet grunt, turning his attention back to the person he was seated next to.
"Subaru. . . ?"
The hooded man beside Kadomon let his eyes flutter open, along with a short groan followed by the utterance of Subaru's name. Subaru, who was directly above him, forced out a long sigh accompanied by a smile.
"Thank goodness you're alright Julius. . . ! Tell your spirits to prioritize their contractor next time, I really thought you were about to die back there. . ."
Subaru extended his forearm for Julius to latch onto and stand up, which he obliged after a brief pause. He looked a mess, as the burns he'd sustained from the previous battle had not yet fully been healed. Regardless, Kua was already beginning to cast healing onto the remainder of his superficial injuries.
"That would've been a fitting end for someone like me, please don't worry yourself on my account."
Julius gave a pained smile, to which Subaru gave a light pat on the back and breathed a heavy sigh.
"Hey, don't joke about that sort of thing, I'm sure you've got people who care about you."
". . . ."
Subaru said this, but looking at the man's attire, he realized he might've been a little presumptuous to say something like that out of the blue. Clearly Julius felt the same, as his expression looked noticeably more downcast than before.
". . .W-Well at the very least, Kadomon and I certainly do! You did just save our lives after all. . . !"
"Truly, I am undeserving."
". . ?"
Subaru caught himself again, as he realized pushing on this issue would only strain Julius's already weakened resolve. He really didn't know where he would be at this point if it hadn't been for Julius's help, and to see him beat himself up over it really made Subaru feel guilty for reasons he couldn't understand. Just what had this man gone though to think like that?
". . .Oi!"
Both Subaru and Julius turned to look at a familiar voice, finding their green-haired friend sat up with a hand to his forehead. He was trying to take in their surroundings, but understandably, was lost as to where exactly they were.
"Ah, you're doing all right as well!"
Subaru strolled over to Kadomon, putting a hand on his shoulder and quickly examining him for injuries.
"What do you mean 'as well'? Kid, I ought to crack one right across the back of your head. . ."
The merchant rubbed his forehead and tried to soothe the dull ache he felt all throughout his upper body. Despite his memories being unclear, it felt like he'd just been through a catastrophic carriage crash. Adding in his newfound sensitivity to light, it was likely he'd suffered from a concussion along with whatever odd scrapes and localized burns he found on his limbs.
"Where are we anyway? I ain't got a clue what happened after ya' ran off."
Kadomon looked up at Subaru, squinting his eyes to try and avoid any lingering sunlight from piercing his gaze.
"I-I'm not sure. . . Julius, do you remember what happened?"
Subaru did the same thing he did for Julius, extending his forearm for Kadomon to use as a crutch to right himself. Unlike Julius, Kadomon just waved it off with a grumble, putting his hands on his knees and standing up himself.
"I apologize, but I am uncertain. This place does seem familiar, but I haven't a clue as to how we arrived here."
Julius looked away, his pained smile shifting into a saddened frown. It was still a Herculean task to look Subaru in the eye after everything that he'd done.
"That's still reassuring. . ! If you recognize this place then I guess that means we aren't in 'enemy territory' right? With you here with us, I'm sure we'll be fine."
The former knight could only open his mouth halfway, then close it without saying his thoughts. If his intuition was right, this place could only be called enemy territory. Just the thought alone made him shudder.
flick*
"Oi. . ! What was that for?"
". . .Kid, don't make this poor guy do everything. How 'bout we get a lay of the land before we start crafting convenient facts for ourselves?"
Kadomon scolded Subaru, flicking him on the side of the head, much to the aforementioned "kid's" dismay.
"I-I assure you, it's quite alright. . ! Please don't get upset with Subaru, it's my fault this happened. . ."
Julius, in the face of their playful banter, still felt honor bound to intervene on Subaru's behalf. It was the absolute least he could do to ensure that the two of them remained safe, in fact such trust was too generous to be afforded to a sinner like him.
"Don't go claimin' everything's your fault now either. . . ! Didn't ya' just say ya' had no clue as to how we arrived here?"
Kadomon let out a long sigh, seeing Julius's expression lit up with confusion. The appa merchant could read these hopeless types like a book, having already played 'parent' to both Subaru and Reinhard the past few weeks. Although, even compared to those two, this guy was on a whole different level of hopelessness. . !
"We were the ones who troubled ya', and it's ultimately because of ya' we got off as lightly as we did. As a merchant, I can't overlook such an obvious debt, nor can I ask ya' to trouble yourself anymore on our accounts."
The merchant focused on the burns on Julius's face as a guilt-ridden frown formed on his own. This man who they barely knew had just risked life and limb for them and asked for nothing in return. It wouldn't be right to selfishly take and take his goodwill until there was nothing left!
"B-But still. . !"
Julius tried to think of something he could say to repudiate Kadomon's frank assessment of the situation. There was so much context he was missing. . !
"While it pains me to admit it, he does have a point. . ."
Subaru interjected, rubbing the spot where Kadomon had struck him whilst maintaining a solid glare at the merchant for causing the embarrassing situation. It was perhaps a bit arrogant to assume that Julius would stick around with them after everything they had just put him through.
"I-I'm sorry. I've been taking your kindness for granted. Even if I was desperate, it doesn't excuse dragging innocent bystanders into this. Especially if it means manipulating one of former self's friends. . ."
Subaru ad-libbed this part, as he was uncertain as to the exact relationship he shared with Julius prior to losing his memories. It was a safe bet that they were on friendly terms, as this man was a royal knight like he apparently had been.
". . .-hk!"
"H-Hey. . !? What's wrong?"
With Subaru's last utterance, Julius could no longer abide the cruel irony of the scene playing out in front of him. He immediately fell to one knee, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he felt nausea build in the pit of his stomach. The shame was literally making him sick.
Circumstances had not allotted for him to relay the full details of his sins during their previous encounter, but now he was certain he could not go one second longer under this torture.
He would tell it all. Everything.
He would get Subaru to hate him, as he should've from the moment their eyes met once again.
Then, with his own blade, he would request Subaru strike him down. This was the only justice that could rectify the absolute travesty of a misunderstanding that had just occurred.
"Subaru. . ."
For the first time since that horrible day, Julius managed to say his name without so much as a stutter.
"W-What's up with you. . ? Are those burns still hurting. . ? I-I'll get Kua to heal you faster, ok?"
Julius stood back up, his hand now grasping the hilt of his sword. The sword that cut the head off a man now staring directly into his eyes with nothing but concern for his wellbeing.
"P-Please don't. I'd like the scars to remain as evidence of my sins."
Subaru looked even more concerned at this sentiment, worriedly calling the names of Julius's other spirits to try and snap him out of this odd behavior.
"Your sins? Julius, listen, you did nothing wrong! How many times do we both have to tell you. .!?"
He gripped Julius's shoulder tightly, still quietly begging Julius's spirit buds to forego their contractor's orders and heal him anyway. They wavered in the air, turning back and forth at the behest of both Subaru and Julius's strong spiritual affinities. They, of course, would normally honor Julius's request. But individually, they all agreed with Subaru. They didn't wish to see him marked and tortured for something he clearly felt so repentant for.
". . . ."
". . .Julius?"
With the awkward silence growing even longer, Julius slowly removed his hood and let his purple hair begin to blow around wildly through the wind. The burn on one half of his face did little to hide the handsome features remaining on his unmarred half.
". . .Subaru, there's something I must confess to you. Before I do, please take this sword, I am not worthy to hold it in your presence."
Julius slowly drew his sword out from his sheathe and fully extended it up into the air for Subaru to see. The gleam of its edge was tempered by an almost rusty coloring stained into the steel. Studying it closer, one would see the pattern of this reddish hue aligning closely with a splatter of some kind that ingrained itself into the weapon.
"W-Woah. . ! That's a beautiful sword. . ."
His attention had been briefly diverted from Julius's face because of the elaborate gesture, and now Subaru couldn't stop himself from uttering his unconscious observation of the weapon above his head.
"Subaru. . .I-I am the man wh-. . !"
CLINK*
". . !"
". . !"
". . !"
The weapon was blasted out of Julius's hand, sent flying dozens of meters away into the empty field. Subaru didn't have a lot of time to register what caused it, but if he had to guess, it was some kind of ice crystal. . ?
"Y-You. . ! Just what the hell do you think you're doing!?"
The three of them whipped their heads to the direction of a familiar voice, only to find the culprit to be someone with whom they all only shared unfortunate experiences.
"Julius. . !"
Emilia glared at the poor knight, her irises trembling and tears overflowing.
Author's Note:
6 months or more since I've updated huh? Man, I really need to get a move on with this before the Re:zero Anime catches up to the WN lol. Rather unfortunate misunderstanding with Julius holding his sword right over Subaru's head, it's almost like I've manufactured this for maximum drama hahahaha. Either way, I'm actually really excited to set up some of the new dynamics for this group next chapter, as I think it's a rather ironic inversion of the Arc 7 we get in the WN. I hope none of these characters felt super OOC, then again this is a re:forgor so it's kind of already in that direction. I really got into a groove this chapter, but it wasn't super long either. I do want to know how many of you guys have read Arc 7 up to this point, because I'm actually going to try and turn that arc on its head. I think I have the potential to set up an absolutely fire character arc for just about every character here, and this includes some missing characters you might be waiting to see. . .
Also full Wrath gang can canonically show up in this! Subaru is gonna die. . . a lot! God, this has so much potential!
I want to get back to updating in more reasonable timeframes, I dropped an update for my other fic at the start of this month, so I figured we were long overdue for this fic as well. Let me know what you think of how this chapter went and if you guys are excited to see the other group's POV. Let me tell ya, things are about to COOK!
Also, thank you Arc 9 for answering a crazy question that will definitely be relevant to this fic later, I'm actually so hyped with the mainline story right now guys!
Arbitrary poll time!
Ok, so this chapter took me WAY too long to release. I have an idea of how the next few chapters will go, but I'm interested if you guys want to swap back to the group in the Lugunican capital after I release the next chapter, or if you want me to hold off and cover this storyline first.
A. Go back to Lugunican Capital right after next chapter
B. Stay with this group for a while longer
Here's my typical plugs that I normally put at the end of each of my chapters:
I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:
/tgMtCvdasb
I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we've actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that I've begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they're interested in that kind of thing). If you want to participate in those, then join the discord!