Author Note: Scary fact— my admission test is less than half a day away and my mind is a messy place to dwell at the moment.
Took a break and decided to publish this chapter, short, sweet rolls of the screen, I hope.
Wish me all the best. A good result means great mood and when I am cheerful...
United States of GOAT class stories!
...eh, cringy, I know, but come on, I am not exactly calm right now.
Here's the content...
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After a wonderful day spent with Emilia-tan—and cautiously avoiding Puck, who had once devoured her in a previous loop—Subaru felt a strange sense of peace.
Dinner had been delightful, though her mood soured slightly by the looming presence of Roswaal at her side. He hovered like an eager puppy, his unsettling grin faltering now and then as his gaze darted nervously around the room.
"What's got you so anxious, Ros-Chi?" Subaru had asked, raising an eyebrow as she popped a piece of bread into her mouth.
"Oh, nothing too important, Maaaster~," he had replied, a tad too quickly, refusing to meet her eyes.
Subaru frowned but ultimately shrugged. If he didn't want to talk, she wasn't going to press. 'Probably just weird noble stuff.'
At least Beatrice wasn't clinging to her tonight, demanding head pats as if it were her birthright. The little spirit was occupied elsewhere, muttering in frustration as she attempted to solve an unsolvable Phoenixian equation Subaru had smugly given her earlier. The girl's multilingual ranting in English, Latin, and Greek had been a curious delight—probably magic at work, Subaru assumed with a wry grin.
Later, while playing a local board game with Emilia-tan, she noticed Roswaal lingering in the corner, his unsettling gaze fixed on her. 'Creepy, as always,' she thought but said nothing.
Eventually, Subaru retired to the grand room assigned to her, her body sinking into the plush bedding with a satisfied sigh. However, something nagged at her, a persistent weight in the back of her mind. Rising, she walked toward the ornate mirror.
The reflection staring back was still strange to her. Coal-black eyes that seemed to devour the light, framed by long, snow-white hair that fell past her shoulders. It was a stark, otherworldly beauty—peculiar and unsettling. So this was the form of Echidna, the infamous Witch of Greed.
"Still not me," she murmured to herself, touching the glass.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the Book of Wisdom she had found earlier in her bag. The small, pristine A5-sized book with its plain white cover seemed ordinary enough at first glance, but its weight felt heavier than it should, as though the pages carried secrets beyond comprehension.
Flipping it open, Subaru's breath hitched.
There was a new entry.
Her eyes scanned the words, her heart pounding with every line, the text written in elegant kanji:
To Subaru Natsuki, Echidna—
Thou art bound to face thy fate anon,
Hunted by a demon beneath the moon so high,
Yet cloaked in clouds that obscure the night's eye.
The words shimmered faintly on the page, like a whisper carried on the wind.
Subaru's breath caught in her throat, her fingers trembling as she clutched the book tighter. Her mind raced, heart hammering in her chest.
"A demon…? Hunted…?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding in her ears.
Her thoughts spiraled. The last time the Book of Wisdom had spoken, its prediction had been true, leading her to the cursed events of her arrival here. It was never wrong.
Her legs felt weak beneath her as the weight of the prophecy settled over her like a crushing storm cloud. 'When the moon is high but veiled by clouds…' She could almost see it in her mind's eye—an ominous, moonlit night shrouded in darkness, a lurking shadow, claws and teeth.
"Am I… going to die?" she muttered, a cold sweat breaking out on her brow.
Her breaths grew shallow as she staggered back to her bed, sitting heavily on the edge. The room seemed to tilt, the grandeur of the furnishings fading into irrelevance against the stark reality of her situation.
'Why now? Why me?'
Subaru swallowed hard, her throat dry. She thought back to the encounters she had survived in this world, the pain and terror of every loop, every death. Was this demon going to be her end? Could she even stop it?
She clutched the book tightly to her chest, her knuckles white. The words echoed in her mind, relentless and cruel: '"Hunted by a demon…"'
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back. She couldn't afford to break down. Not now. If the prophecy was true, she needed to think, to act, to survive.
"Damn it," she muttered, biting her lip. "Why can't I catch a break…?"
Her reflection in the mirror caught her eye once more, the black orbs staring back at her with an unsettling calm. For a moment, it felt as though the reflection wasn't her own but something else entirely—someone watching her from within the glass.
Shaking her head, she stood abruptly, placing the book on the bedside table. She had no choice but to prepare. The hunt would come, and she would either face it head-on or…
Subaru clenched her fists, her jaw tightening.
"Bring it on, then," she muttered to the empty room, her voice trembling but resolute.
But deep down, the fear lingered. Could she truly overcome a fate written in the stars?
Subaru sighed, her thoughts swimming as she fumbled with the hem of her tracksuit, now blessedly back in her possession. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small, white-covered ''Book of Wisdom'' that had inexplicably appeared in her bag on the first day. Its pristine surface glimmered faintly, almost like it had a life of its own.
She hesitated, fingers trembling as she flipped open the delicate cover. The book, while enigmatic, had proven itself unnervingly accurate. The first time it spoke, it had guided her through treacherous circumstances, though she had yet to understand how or why. Now, its pages lay blank, the stillness of its silence eerily foreboding.
"A demon?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hammering of her heart. Her chest rose and fell erratically as she read the words again, willing them to change, to mean something different. But no matter how many times her eyes traced the poetic warning, its meaning remained grimly clear.
"Hunted…"
Her mind reeled with questions. Who was the demon? Why would it come after her? Was this another punishment of this twisted, otherworldly fate? She bit her lip, her thoughts spiraling. The book had never lied before.
Her breathing quickened, her head snapping toward the window. The moon hung high in the darkened sky, its light veiled by scattered clouds. She could barely make out its faint glow behind the thick, moving shadows.
Sweat trickled down her forehead, her body growing cold despite the room's warmth. 'When the moon is high and hidden by clouds…' That was now.
Her survival instincts kicked in, and she leapt to her feet, clutching the book to her chest. Her heart felt like it was going to burst. "No, no, no. This can't be real," she muttered, pacing frantically. "Maybe the book's wrong this time! Maybe I'm just overthinking it!"
But the memory of its past accuracy loomed large.
She backed up until she hit the wall, her hands shaking. "What the hell do I do?!"
Meanwhile, ''Roswaal'', seated in his study, had already read the prophecy in his own ''Tome of Wisdom''. His face remained still, but his thoughts raced like a storm. The cryptic entry mirrored Subaru's exactly, and its implications sent a shiver down his spine.
"The Oni…" he whispered, gripping the tome tightly. His fingers curled, nails digging into the leather binding. "Why now? Why her?"
His golden eyes, usually filled with playful mockery, were clouded with dread. He leaned back, closing the tome with a snap, though its weight still lingered in his hands.
He thought back to Subaru—'Master'. She was so full of life today, laughing with Emilia, bantering with Beatrice, and even engaging him in her peculiar but endearing manner. Could she truly face such a threat in her current state? Her magic was raw, her understanding of her power still nonexistent.
His hands trembled. For a moment, his mask slipped, and his emotions cracked through. His voice dropped to a whisper, almost pleading. "Master… I can't lose you again."
But as he closed his eyes, he steeled his resolve.
"The tome has spoken. This is necessary. I must let this unfold… even if it shatters me."
Roswaal clenched his fists and stood, determination flooding his veins. "But I will prepare. If that demon truly dares to hunt you, Master… I will ensure you survive."
Back in Subaru's room, her panic was starting to boil over.
She grabbed the mirror from the dresser and peered into her reflection, her black eyes wide and wild with fear. "You've survived worse, Subaru," she whispered to herself, trying to muster some courage. "You've died and come back before. You can handle this. You're not just some random idiot—well, maybe you are—but you're a 'smart' random idiot!"
A sharp knock on the door startled her, and she yelped, almost dropping the mirror.
"Subaru?" came Emilia's soft, worried voice from the other side.
Subaru hesitated before calling out, her voice shaky. "Y-Yeah? What's up?"
"Are you okay? Do you need anything?"
She swallowed hard, her heart still pounding. Emilia's concern was comforting, but what could she say? 'Oh, nothing much, just that I might be hunted down by a demon tonight. How's your evening going?'
"N-No, I'm good! Just, uh, thinking!" she called back, forcing an unconvincing laugh.
Emilia didn't sound reassured. "Okay… Well, if you need anything, I'm here."
Subaru sank onto the bed, her head in her hands. She glanced down at the ''Book of Wisdom'', its cryptic warning seared into her mind. The night wasn't over, and now all she could do was wait.
Y—Y
The night was suffocating.
Even with the cool breeze brushing against her face, Subaru couldn't shake off the thick, crushing sense of dread that enveloped her. Every creak, every rustle of leaves, every faint sound in the distance felt like a prelude to an attack. She lay curled up on the plush bed, trembling, her ears straining to catch the faintest hint of an intruder.
She wanted to sleep, needed to sleep, but her eyes refused to close. The moonlight streaming through the window cast eerie shadows across the grand room, warping the edges of furniture into grotesque shapes that played tricks on her already fragile mind.
A sudden creak outside the door made her jolt upright, her heart hammering wildly. She clutched the ice spear she had conjured earlier, her trembling hands barely able to keep it steady. 'Someone's here,' she thought, her chest tightening with fear.
The footsteps grew louder, steadier, each step deliberate and heavy. Whoever it was, they weren't trying to hide their presence.
"Who's there?" Subaru called out, her voice shaking despite her attempt to sound firm.
No response.
The door creaked open, the faint golden light from the hallway spilling into the room.
Subaru's grip on the ice spear tightened. "I'm warning you—"
A figure stepped inside, her silhouette illuminated by the moonlight.
"Rem?!" Subaru gasped, lowering the spear slightly.
The blue-haired maid stood in the doorway, her face partially obscured by the shadows. She held her morningstar tightly in one hand, the spiked ball dangling menacingly at her side.
Relief flooded Subaru's chest. "Oh, thank goodness. Rem, you scared the hell out of me! What's going on? Are we under attack?!"
"We are under attack…?"
"That's why you're here, right? To save me?"
Rem's cold gaze locked onto her, unblinking. "Yes," she said simply, her voice devoid of emotion.
Subaru scrambled to her feet, the ice spear dissipating as her focus shifted. "Who is attacking? Why? Are Emilia-tan and Ros-chi okay? Where's Betty?!"
"They've already been evacuated," Rem replied after a pause, her tone eerily calm.
Subaru blinked. "Evacuated? Without me? Why—"
"I'm here to take you somewhere safe, dear Honored Guest," Rem interrupted, her words cutting through Subaru's panic. She gestured toward the door. "Please, follow me."
Subaru hesitated, her instincts screaming that something wasn't right. But the fear of the unknown outweighed her suspicions, and she nodded reluctantly. "Alright… let's go."
Rem led the way, her steps deliberate and her grip on the morningstar firm. They moved through the manor's winding hallways before entering a narrow, hidden passageway. The air inside was damp and stale, the stone walls pressing in on them as they descended deeper into the earth.
Subaru's anxiety only grew as the silence stretched on. "Rem… you're sure Emilia-tan and the others are safe, right?"
Rem didn't respond immediately. When she finally spoke, her voice was as cold as ever. "Yes."
The passage eventually opened up to a small clearing on the edge of a cliff. The moon hung high above them, its pale light casting long shadows across the jagged rocks. The forest below stretched endlessly, its dark canopy swaying gently in the wind.
Subaru stepped out, her bare feet brushing against the cold grass. She looked around, confused. "How is this a safe place? We're completely exposed out here!"
Rem stopped a few steps ahead, her back still to Subaru. "They can't see or hear us from the manor," she said quietly.
"Who?" Subaru asked, her voice rising. "The intruders?!"
Rem turned to face her, raising her morningstar. The moonlight glinted off its cruel spikes, the weapon held with precision and purpose.
Subaru's breath hitched. "Wait… what are you—" Her brain told her that somebody must be behind her, that's where Rem was probably aiming for—
The ground beneath her feet suddenly grew cold.
Pain erupted through her body, sharp and all-consuming, as she dropped to the ground.
Her legs were gone.
Subaru's eyes widened in horror as she looked down, her breath caught in her throat. Blood poured from the stumps where her thighs had been, pooling around her trembling hands as she tried to stop the bleeding.
"No…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "This… this can't…"
Her head snapped up, her tear-filled eyes locking onto Rem. "What are you doing?!" she screamed, her voice raw with terror and pain.
Rem's expression remained cold, unyielding. "I hate the Witch Cult," she said flatly, her grip on the morningstar tightening.
Subaru's chest tightened. "Eh? What are you talking about?! I'm not—"
"You reek of the Witch's miasma," Rem said, cutting her off. "Your stench is strong enough to choke me."
Subaru tried to crawl backward, her hands slipping on the blood-soaked grass. "Y-you've…got it w…w-wrong! I'm not—"
"You're a witch," Rem continued, her tone devoid of mercy. "A monster. You've bewitched Emilia-sama, Roswaal-sama, and even Beatrice-sama. Your hands have manipulated them all."
"N-no!" Subaru screamed, tears streaming down her face. "You're… wrong! I didn't—"
The morningstar came down, slamming into her stomach. Subaru's body arched in pain as blood spurted from her mouth. She clawed at the ground, desperate to get away, but her broken body wouldn't obey her.
Rem's eyes burned with fury now, her cold demeanor giving way to unbridled rage. "You thought you could fool us?" she hissed, raising the morningstar again. "You thought you could manipulate us? You 'witch'!"
Each word was punctuated by another swing of her weapon. Subaru's pleas turned to desperate sobs, her voice growing weaker with every blow.
"Please… stop…" she begged, her voice barely a whisper. "Rem… I'm not… I'm not—"
But Rem didn't hear her.
Her laughter grew unhinged, her strikes more ferocious, as though she was reveling in the act. Subaru's vision blurred, the pain overwhelming her, her body barely able to move under the relentless assault.
She tried to summon her magic, her trembling fingers glowing faintly with icy light, but Rem was faster. She struck Subaru's arm with brutal precision, the impact shattering bone and extinguishing the magic before it could form.
"Did you really think you could use magic to stop me?" Rem sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "You're pathetic."
Subaru's tears mixed with the blood on her face as she choked out one last plea. "Rem… please… I'm not—"
The morningstar came down one final time, its cruel spikes crushing her skull with a sickening crunch.
The world went silent.
Subaru's broken body lay still, her blood gleaming in the moonlight, soaking into the grass below. The clouds drifted lazily across the sky, obscuring the pale moonlight as though mourning her fate.
Thus, Subaru died once again.
Y—Y
Author Note:
Now, now, Rem, killing a person your boss regards so highly is not so good for your resume.
Poor, poor, EchiBaru…
Anyways, drop your thoughts in the review section. Your words inspire me to write faster, better and with more depth.
Till next time!