-En Route to Roswaal's Mansion-

"Rem, how'd your talk with Ram go? What'd she think of the plan and were you able to say everything you wanted to say to her?"

Subaru poses these questions to the blue-haired oni sitting next to him in the dragon carriage. Exiting the barrier a few minutes prior, Patrasche is doing a commendable job keeping the group on schedule.

"Did she say anythin' 'bout my amazin' self?"

Sitting across from the two, Garfiel likewise inquires into what transpired between the sisters, though for more selfish reasons.

Shaking her head at Garfiel, earning from him a huff and crossing of his arms, she settles her gaze on Subaru and sighs. "It went about as well as I believe it could've. She still refuses to relinquish herself as that clown's maid, but we are on the same page about the Tome of Wisdom needing to be destroyed. She said she would destroy it while we're at the mansion. As far as our plan goes, she approves of it. I didn't tell her every last detail. I couldn't risk her not being onboard. I'm certain she'll scold me heavily for it when we return, but I'm prepared."

"She won't scold you that much, if at all." Subaru boldly predicts.

Rem tilts her head in wonder, "Why do you say that?"

"Cause yer her sis! Duh! Ram's always had a soft spot for ya and Roswaal!" Garfiel shouts the answer that should be obvious to everyone on the carriage.

Subaru briefly shuts his eyes in thought, "Yeah, I suppose that's true. But also, Ram's withheld a lot of stuff from Rem all these years. So she's not exactly in a position to complain. Ram's pretty astute, so she won't think of you any less for this."

Rem tries to smile to put them at ease, but it's not very convincing, "You're probably right. I'm overthinking this."

"We can worry about Ram after all of this is over with." Subaru says, putting an arm around her.

"I agree with the Capt'n! I'm seriously ready ta go in an' kick some assassin ass!" Garfiel proudly roars out, striking the two small shields he wears on his wrists into each other.

Despite all the encouragement she's getting and the physical contact with Subaru that would normally send her over the moon, the nervous butterflies flying haphazardly in Rem's stomach refuse to leave.

This must succeed. We can't die. We can't die again. Subaru-kun cannot succumb to another agonizing death. I will not let it happen. I can't! I'll show that bastard clown what happens when he threatens my beloved like this! But can we do this? Will I…be strong enough to protect the ones I cherish? I can't lose to Meili again…

As all of these thoughts of determination and self-doubt float throughout Rem's mind, the dragon carriage continues onwards in disquiet silence.

-Roswaal's Mansion-

"Alright you three, I see the mansion on the horizon now! Geeze…just what did I sign up for again…"

Hearing Otto's complaints, Garfiel shouts, "Hey! Don't tell me yer chickenin' out!"

"I-I'm not! It's only natural to be frightened in a life or death operation like this!"

"Garfiel-san?" Rem calls out to the boy sitting across from her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

Naturally, this apology out of the blue confuses him, "Heh? Fer what?" Subaru also gives a confused glance in her direction.

Beginning her explanation, the tension in Rem's lips loosen and her voice becomes slightly melancholy, "When we were younger, I was needlessly hostile towards you whenever me and Nee-sama visited the Sanctuary. Especially when you got close to Nee-sama. I was much more overprotective of her then. I didn't realize you also wanted to love and protect her in your own way. I also felt bitter towards you because of your treatment towards your sister, Frederica-san. Or rather, lack of any sort of treatment. It took until only just recently to understand that relationships between siblings can actually be…a lot more complicated. I know you still care very much about her. So, I want to apologize for jumping to conclusions back then."

"I…er…" Garfiel ends up scratching his chin in awkwardness at Rem's sudden confession. It was true, these two did not have a very good relationship in the past. Not only from Rem's end, but from Garfiel's end as well. Due to everything Rem did to try to prevent him from advancing his relationship with Ram, while also generally treating him in a dismissive or rude manner, Garfiel likewise formed a sour opinion of the other party.

Though as the years went by and Garfiel spoke to the Ryuzu's about the subject, he gradually somewhat began to understand Rem's point of view of the situation. He would do anything to protect all the Ryuzu's at the Sanctuary, whom he viewed as his grandmothers. Rem must've felt a similar sort of feeling for Ram, and is why she lashed out the way she did. Since then, he's tried to resolve himself to apologize for coming onto Ram too strongly. However, that attempt never came, as the twins wouldn't visit again for a very long time.

Upon seeing Ram enter with Roswaal a couple days ago, he knew he finally had his chance. However, he never saw Rem and was worried that something happened to her, but he was too scared to ask Ram about it. Besides, Rem would never approve of him approaching her, especially when Rem was not present. So he stayed hidden. When Rem finally arrived, he ended up again growing too scared to approach and apologize. It had been so long since they last saw each other after all, and suddenly approaching her about the subject was just too nerve-wracking. Then Subaru entered the picture and threw everything for a chaotic spin, causing him to forget about the entire thing.

What a pathetic display for a proud member of the tiger demihuman. If Garfiel couldn't walk up to someone and do something as simple as an apology, how in the world is he supposed to be expected to go into a mansion and fight one of the strongest assassins currently living? No, scratch that, how could he even be a man worthy of Ram if he was only going to be a cowering feline?

"No, it's fine. I get where yer comin' from. Actually, my amazin' self should be the one sayin' sorry."

Rem's eyes widen a little in shock, "Huh? What for?"

"I was comin' on too strongly to Ram. I was real stubborn, and I caused ya a lot of trouble. I'm sure I was just some annoyin' growlin' boy that threatened to come between ya and Ram. My amazin' self can see why ya pushed me away. My feelin's on Ram…y'know what they are. I wanted t'say somethin' sooner, but I was cowardly hidin' with my legs 'tween my tail. And about Sis…my amazin' self knows. It's just…complicated. Y'know, between us."

Towards the end of Garfiel's confession, a saddened expression forms. Subaru wonders from this expression if he's thinking he'd like to make up with his sister.

"The matter between you and your sister is for you two to figure out, I'm afraid. However, as for Nee-sama, I extend my full support to your pursuit of her." Rem admits her support with a smile as she brings her hands in front of her.

"What? Ya serious?" Garfiel blurts out, digging into his right ear with his index finger to make sure there was no ear wax blocking his ability to hear her correctly.

She nods, "Obviously, the final decision on the matter lies with Nee-sama. When it comes to me though, you have my full permission and support to date Nee-sama. If she can be with any man other than that clown, my heart would greatly be put at ease."

"Including me?" Subaru teases.

"Uh…if Nee-sama fell for you…I…I would feel conflicted… On one hand…"

"It was just a joke!" Subaru hurriedly interrupts when he sees Rem taking his words seriously. "I think world peace would be obtained long before Ram ever thought of me in any romantic manner and not barf. And even if she somehow did, I'd reject her. You're the only one for me Rem-rin."

"Subaru-kun!" Her heart flutters with joy. Both with his declaration of love and that she wouldn't have to fight her own sister for his heart.

"Ah…erm. Thanks, Rem." After a period of silence, Garfiel thanks her in a slightly reluctant manner. Rem's unintentionally blunt words strike right through Garfiel's heart and makes him really wonder if Rem actually supports him in his romantic pursuits of her sister, or if Rem will just settle for Ram to be with anyone that isn't Roswaal.

It's not like he disagrees with her. Garfiel would likewise feel at peace knowing Ram found a good man that would keep her safe and make her happy. He knows Roswaal is the last person to provide that for her, even if Ram herself believes otherwise. Still, the rest of what Rem said seemed to be sincere, and the tiger boy takes those to heart as well.

-Roswaal's Mansion-

-Guest Room-

"With how big the mansion is, I knew there would be a lot of work. Still, I didn't expect it to be this much!"

The person mumbling this while carrying a water bucket with both their hands is Petra. It has only been a few days since beginning her new life as a live-in maid. For a gigantic mansion owned by an eccentric lord, there are surprisingly few employees working here. As far as Petra is aware, aside from herself, there are a measly four employees. Those being Frederica, Rem, Ram, and Subaru, in order from highest to lowest seniority. From those four, all but Frederica are currently absent. Of course Petra knew the reason for their absence. They went to the Sanctuary to bring the remaining Arlam residents back to their home village.

According to Frederica, the small number of employees is apparently normal. The master of the mansion, Roswaal, sent away practically all his employees from this mansion years ago to work in other mansions. The only ones who managed to stay here long term were Rem and Ram. Frederica herself had been called away to the Miload mansion for many years until recently when Ram requested her to return. As for Subaru, he's only been under Roswaal's employment as a butler for a few months now.

To the outside observer, it may seem that only Frederica and Petra are currently occupying the mansion, but the latter would quickly say that isn't true. There is one more resident, a Great Spirit named Beatrice. However, she seemed to keep to herself and rejected visitors. Subaru asked Petra to keep an eye on her, but she found that quite difficult when the Great Spirit in question only came outside from her Forbidden Library twice since she's moved in and finding said Forbidden Library proved to be fruitless. Unfortunately, that likewise meant it was useless asking Beatrice for help with her maid work.

Petra didn't want to have to rely on the others if she could help it. She desires to be with Subaru, and is the reason she took up the job in the first place. If she is to be useful to him and make him happy, she has to learn to overcome these trials and tribulations with her own will and perseverance.

Still, having a little help would be really nice right about now! Petra grumbles internally as she awkwardly carries the water bucket towards a large window. The weight of said bucket exceeds most objects she's carried throughout her life, so she's not used to it. Upon setting it down, she lets out a sigh of relief as she wipes her brow. "Whew! Well, it's good exercise at least! I'll need to strengthen my muscles if this is the type of work I'll be doing a lot of in the future."

Grabbing a washcloth draped over her shoulder and dipping it into the water filled with a soapy substance, Petra approaches the window and begins washing it. She continues for a little while until she is forced to grab a chair to reach the upper parts of the window. With a dry towel, she wipes until the window is sparkling clean.

Now this is a window to be proud of! Pleased with the results, Petra puts back the chair where she found it and grabs the bucket in preparation to leave. With one last look at the window, she thinks, I wonder if Subaru-sama would praise me for doing a good job.

Humming a happy tune, Petra steps out into the hall so she can go into the next guest room and clean its window as well. However, after taking the first few steps, a voice freezes the young maid in her tracks.

"My, what an adorable little girl. You must be the smaller maid, correct?"

An audible gasp leaving her throat, Petra turns her head towards the source. Only a few feet beyond stands a tall woman with long, black braided hair. She wears a black dress that Petra finds far too provocative. In the woman's right hand is a large, carved blade that causes the young maid to gasp in horror upon locking her eyes on it.

"Are you shaking? Don't worry. I'm sure your bowels are absolutely beautiful." The tall woman says, licking her lips sensually.

Too stunned to even move, Petra helplessly watches as the black-haired girl approaches her.

"Good girl. I'll send you to meet the angels."

"Aaaahh!" Finally free from her paralysis, Petra screams. The tall woman raises a blade, clearly intending to strike.

Turning as quickly as her body will allow, she attempts to make a run for it.

"Attempting to run? How cute." The tall woman says sadistically. She lets the little girl run for a few seconds before sweeping in for the kill. "I almost feel sorry for you."

Seeing the blade coming down out of the corner of her eye, Petra launches herself forward with as much momentum as possible while tilting her body to the left. Thankfully, with that move, the tall woman missed her vitals. However:

"AAAAHHH!"

Feeling excruciating pain on the lower part of her body, Petra couldn't help but let out an ear-piercing scream. She tries to pick herself up to run again, but for some reason, her body refuses to obey. Looking behind, Petra immediately understands why her body wouldn't listen.

An immense pool of blood lay right behind her. In the center of that pool, a small leg lies on its side, a trail of blood seeping out of the open end.

The tall woman giggles sadistically, "Oops~! Looks like my blade didn't quite meet its target. I won't let it miss this time." Raising her blade again, the woman lowers her figure and dashes in for the real kill.

"Petra!"

Speeding down from the opposite end of the hallway, Frederica calls out the young maid's name and puts herself between her and the Bowel Hunter. Quickly transforming her right hand into a powerful claw, she swipes at the blade and successfully veers it off course, forcing the Bowel Hunter to pull back and realign herself.

Looking down and behind herself, Frederica quickly grasps the situation at hand, "You! What did you do to her?!"

The woman smiles cruelly, "Isn't it obvious? Though it's clear to me that you're the bigger maid here."

"Grrr…" Frederica growls in frustration. Forced to stand her ground, she mulls over whether to stand her ground and fight or to grab the defenseless Petra and run for their lives. "Who are you?! Why are you doing this?"

"Elsa Granhiert. I'm simply fulfilling my employer's wishes. After an experience in the Royal Capital that nearly cost me my life, I've improved my skills. Oh what glorious bowels do you two hide behind those stomachs? I look forward to finding out!"

Frederica's eyes widen, "You're the infamous Bowel Hunter that's been wanted for years! I wish I could lay blame on the person who failed to finish you back then, but it's not surprising that person failed to kill a person of your caliber. Your words disgust me. "

"F-Frederica…Nee-sama…" Whimpering on the floor behind them, Petra calls out to the elder maid. Tears stream down her cheeks, the tremendous pain still searing through her veins.

Hearing that cry finally resolves Frederica into making a decision. Reaching down and picking her up, she whispers, "We're getting out of here. Hang in there!"

"Where do you think you're going?" Not about to let two of her targets escape, Elsa dashes forward at speeds only an accomplished assassin could achieve. Lunging out her right arm, she would've gotten a perfect strike on Frederica had it not been blocked.

To their left, one of the windows suddenly fractures. A figure leaps in and blocks the blade a split second before it would've made contact with Frederica's maid outfit.

"Heh! The Capt'n kept sayin' the best defense is a good offense! So if my amazin' self used a shield meant fer defense ta attack instead…"

The newcomer bangs their fists together, each fist covered in a small, durable shield that extends halfway up their arms. "The best defense and the best offense come together, makin' my amazin' self the strongest one 'ere, right?! Don't ya think so, Sis?"

"Garf…you're here?" Frederica says, stunned at the sudden appearance of her brother that she has had little to no contact with for so many years.

Taking a good look at his sister, it was now Garfiel's turn to widen his eyes, "Wow Sis, ya really grown, haven't ya? Yer still taller than me…" He ends his sentence dejectedly, his pride as a man taking a hit.

"You have too. Compared to when you were a small baby, you're over triple the height now."

"Yer comparin' me to when I was a baby?!"

"P-Please…help…" Hanging on Frederica's left shoulder with only a small amount of strength, Petra whispers a cry for help. Whether it's directed to Frederica or Garfiel, neither know.

Finally the shock of their reunion dissipates and they resume focus on the matter at hand, "Did this freak do this to 'er?" Garfiel points to Petra's right leg, or lack thereof. Frederica nods.

"Can I interrupt your happy reunion now?" Elsa sighs, sounding bored.

"So nice of ya to wait fer us!" Garfiel mocks. However, to an extent he is grateful she actually let them talk for a minute. Based on what Subaru had told him about her, she was never this considerate.

"Garf, can I really leave her to you?" Frederica asks, worried that her brother might die just as quickly as they reunited.

He smirks and states proudly, "The Capt'n asked my amazin' self to deal with 'er personally. Go find Rem, she'll help the lil' girl."

After one more expression of shock, Frederica smiles, "I see, you've really grown up."

"Yep! Ain't proud to admit it, but it took longer than it should've. But now, I'm a new tiger! Free from the Sanctuary's walls, the first thing my amazin' self is gonna do is smash the first wall the outside world has put in my way!"

"How wonderful, that resolve! Let's put it to the test, shall we?" With another lick of her lips, Elsa finally resumes a battle stance.

Thus, as the elder and younger maid run away together, the newly freed tiger and the Bowel Hunter begin the most intense confrontation the mansion has ever bore witness to.

-Back Garden-

"Whew! Done!"

Wiping his brow, Otto sets down the bucket he just used to dump oil onto the concrete steps leading up to the mansion. He looks back to the other two in attendance with him, Subaru and Rem.

After arriving at the mansion, the four immediately got to work in spreading the oil around the mansion in a ring formation. From that ring, a few lines were drawn inwards towards the mansion itself, so that the flammable timbers the mansion is largely made of would eventually be set alight. By fully enclosing the mansion in a wall of flame, Elsa and Meili would be contained and unable to retreat.

Subaru did not want another case of what happened in the loot house. If Elsa were to be let free again, who knows what sort of trauma she would induce on the camp later on. Letting Meili escape again is likewise undesirable. However, unlike with Elsa, Subaru made it very clear he didn't want Meili to be killed. She's still a young child, and from the little bit of information he's been able to get ahold of, it seems that Elsa is her boss. For how long, he doesn't know. What he does know is that she's still likely very impressionable, and having worked under Elsa, has learned many awful habits from her. If the Emilia camp could take Meili in and rehabilitate her, then she could lead a much better life than she is now.

For now, that's all wishful thinking on Subaru's part. The current priority remains in successfully constraining or neutralizing their opponents. The distribution of the oil is step one in making that reality.

However, despite that, Otto turns to the group with a look of concern, "...Is this really the best course of action? Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to remain after this! All that will be left of this prestigious mansion is a pile of ashes and burnt planks. I can't even imagine what the damage costs are going to look like. And as far as I'm aware, this is the place Rem-san spent a large portion of her life at."

Rem appears to hesitate for a brief moment before firmly nodding her head, "We already discussed this at length, Otto-san. It's true, me and Nee-sama spent many years at this place. Due to my complicated history with the village I lived in prior to moving here, I've always felt this was my true home. Many wonderful things happened here, and many wonderful memories were made here with Subaru-kun, Nee-sama, and Emilia-sama. I'll never forget them. But now that I know what that clown has done, I can't view this place in quite the same positive light anymore."

"I see…"

She adds on, "The burning of the mansion also serves as punishment for what he did to us."

"I too hold quite a number of fond memories here." Subaru says, "But also my fair share of…not so positive ones. It's complicated. I'm kinda sad about seeing it go, but Rem-rin reassured us there are other mansions Roswaal owns or is affiliated with. So we'll probably move into one of those after this."

Rem nods, though a frown etches onto her features "...Correct, losing one mansion will overall not hurt him that much. We need to move. Garfiel-san has already entered. We'll light the fire once we confirm both assassins are inside."

The other two agree and enter through the back door that connects to the garden, as it'd be quicker. They run around to the front side of the mansion, hoping to find any of its residents or Garfiel as quickly as possible.

-Foyer-

Upon arriving, the three come to a sudden stop when they hear some loud rumblings up on the second floor.

"Those sounds, don't tell me…" Subaru trails off.

Rem grits her teeth, "They've already arrived! Combat is occurring upstairs somewhere!"

"You really weren't kidding about them arriving early!" Otto says.

As Rem looks to Subaru on what to do next, she suddenly hears her name being called. Atop the stairs is a tall woman holding a younger girl, and they're rapidly descending.

"Frederica-san?!"

"Rem! Please, there's no time, heal Petra's wound! She's losing too much blood!"

Laying the wounded and now unconscious girl down on the floor, all three observe the amputated leg with horror. Otto appears like he's about to puke while Subaru's heartbeat begins to escalate. Rem kneels down and begins applying her healing magic.

"What happened to her leg?! D-Don't tell me, Elsa…?"

"Yes." Frederica replies solemnly, clenching a fist. "I…I was too late. I heard sounds of trouble and hurried as quickly as I could to her, but…"

"Damn it!" Subaru curses as he helplessly watches Rem wrap up her healing magic.

"Rem-san…is there any way for her leg to be reattached? Assuming…we find the…original?" Otto, still recovering from the gruesome site, asks in a nearly pleading tone.

"N-No…I cannot. If Felix-sama were here…he could do it. My healing skills, while sufficiently developed, is nowhere near enough to recover or reattach limbs. All I can do is close off the wound. There, the bleeding has stopped. She should be alright…minus her limb."

Picking up Petra in a princess carry, Rem examines her one final time. The gaping wound is fully closed up and now all that remains is a stub.

"Petra, I'm so sorry." Subaru rubs her head affectionately. As she's still unconscious, there is no response. "I promise we'll finish this, once and for all."

Just then, a rumbling can be heard that is coming from a different direction from the one on the second floor. A few seconds later, the smashing of windows are heard, and numerous mabeasts of various types and sizes show their wretched faces.

"Now our other uninvited guests have arrived." Subaru gnashes his teeth as he whips his head around to the hoard. "Otto, take her and go!" Grabbing Petra from Rem, he places her on Otto's shoulder.

"But what about the docu-"

"There's no time for that now! Plans have changed! Do that thing and get out of here!"

Otto gives Subaru another hesitating look. However, seeing the seriousness in his nasty eyes, Otto senses there is no other option. Quickly nodding, he, along with the unconscious Petra, make their way out the front door.

"Well we~ll! Our re~union happened a bit so~oner than I thought it would. I wo~n't humiliate myself this time!"

Announcing that in a proud voice, Meili, atop a wagpig that is at least triple or even quadruple the size of Subaru and Rem, commands it to move forward slightly.

"Meili." Instantly activating her horn and bringing out her Morningstar, Rem pronounces their enemy's name with dripping venom.

Frederica takes notice of this slightly unusual level of hostility, "Rem, have you two met before?"

"Multiple times. Back in Arlam village when I thought she was a normal resident, and very recently when she tried to take my and Subaru-kun's life." And succeeded. She adds on internally.

"Go~tta admit, it's qu~ite surprising seeing the black haired man still sta~nding even after getting bitten and cursed ba~ck then. I was so~ sure I had you fooled! You sho~uld've died!"

Knowing that Subaru and even she herself had succumbed to the curse in past loops she no longer remembers further heats up Rem's blood to a near boil.

"You really did have me fooled for quite a while." Subaru admits before smiling proudly, "But thankfully a couple onis and a very talented spirit foiled your plans to kill me!"

I can't believe he can smile like that knowing she really did kill him via the curse once! Nearly twice! H-Had I not…had I not… Rem is nearly brought to tears upon remembering that horrific scene in the trial. However, Meili's voice quickly switches her dejected emotions to rage.

"We~ll, things are different now." Meili crosses her arms and smirks, "I'll be taking the ma~ids now. I'll be especially gentle with Petra-chan. She's my friend, after all."

"You don't call people you intend to kill your friend!" Subaru shouts, offended on Petra's behalf.

"Who~ said anything about killing her? A~nyway, if you'll all politely stand down, we can make this le~ss painful for you all."

"Over my dead body!" Rem takes a fighting stance, "Subaru-kun, please proceed on. Frederica-san, will you please assist me?"

"Gladly. As your senior, it's my natural duty to protect my juniors. Though may I ask where Subaru-sama is going?" Frederica turns to Subaru, "Will you be fine on your own?"

"To pick up the other resident. Yes, I think so. Please capture Meili alive. I'll be leaving her to you both." Subaru says before running down the exact pathway they just came from.

-Front Gate-

"Here goes nothing…"

Setting down Petra to the side for a moment, Otto reaches into a pocket and pulls out a tiny orange fire crystal. Under normal circumstances, the crystal does absolutely nothing. However, if mana is injected into it, it begins to light up into a nice orange glow. Continuing to inject mana will eventually cause it to overload and explode. The crystal will also explode if too much momentum is placed upon it.

So, holding his right hand high in the air, Otto lets out a "Hya!" as he throws the crystal straight onto a small patch of oil. The crystal instantly explodes upon impact, sending a number of small sparks into the air. Inevitably, some of those sparks land on the oil. Being highly flammable, the sparks quickly transform into flames, and set out on a direct path for the mansion by following the oil line.

"I still can't believe this risky plan was approved." He sighs to himself as he picks Petra back up. "Natsuki-san, please don't do anything wreckless."

Interpreting Subaru's order for him to leave as to head back to the Sanctuary, Otto turns and begins heading towards the stables where the ground dragons, including Patrasche, are being stationed.

Thankfully the stables are far enough away from the main mansion that the ring of oil surrounding the mansion does not include the stables within.

He initially attempts to board the same dragon carriage they used to arrive here. Unfortunately for him, Patrasche refuses to budge.

"What? You refuse to leave without Natsuki-san and the others?"

Interpreting the various growls and squawking as intelligible speech thanks to his Divine Protection, Otto very easily is able to ascertain why she won't move.

"I get your reasoning! I don't like leaving them here either! But Natsuki-san specifically told me to leave the area with Petra-chan! Unlike the rest of them in there, we'd just hold them up! Huh? Hide here in the stables until they return? I don't know, the plan was for Natsuki-san to get ahold of Beatrice-sama, whom he said would be able to get us all out of here in a flash. Well, I suppose waiting here just in case wouldn't hurt. Both of the assassins are already inside the mansion."

Deciding to remain at the stables for now, the pitiable merchant keeps a low profile while also remaining aware of his environment. Looking out into the nearby forest, Otto gasps as he sees multiple wolgarms slowly emerging from all directions.

"Thank goodness Emilia-sama supplied me with one of these." Reaching into a separate pocket than the one he used earlier, he brings out an aqua colored crystal that's about the size of his hand. Looking at the wolgarms again, he sees that they are deliberately avoiding the stables. "This should keep them out for a while. Patrasche-san, can you keep an eye out for anything coming our way?"

With her reply of approval, Otto finally sits down and sets Petra down in a sitting position to his left, leaning her head against his shoulder to make her as comfortable as possible. She's going to need as much rest as she can get. With the crystal's special property of warding off any mabeasts near it, they should be safe for the time being. Of course, Otto knew the stakes were high and anything could go wrong at any moment.

"Please don't make us wait too long…"

With a final shaky sigh, Otto twiddles his fingers, hoping the worst case scenarios playing out in his head don't come to fruition.

-Forbidden Library-

"Why are you here? Betty never called for you, I suppose."

Successfully entering the Forbidden Library on the first try as he always does, Subaru is greeted by the resident Great Spirit in a slightly annoyed manner.

"Sorry, but I'm the sorta guy who shows up whether I've been called to or not."

"You are as self-serving as ever, I suppose." Beatrice shakes her head at his stubbornness.

"That's right, I am selfish. I'm getting you out of here, Beatrice. This time you're gonna let me drag you out into the sunlight while not acting like a self-sacrificing doll! We're going to play until your dress is stained black with mud!"

"Who do you take Betty for, in fact?! Wait, you're taking me out of here? Mind your own business, I suppose. No one asked you to do such a thing." Pulling her Tome of Wisdom she's holding closer to her chest, she rejects his words.

"We don't have time to argue about this. Do you have any idea what's happening outside right now?"

"Betty is aware of the intruders in the mansion, in fact. But this is a Great Spirit's Forbidden Library, no matter what threat exists outside-"

Subaru quickly interrupts her, "No, Door Crossing only works on closed doors. She knows that. Also, I don't know how much longer the mansion will last."

"How does the enemy know that weakness? And what do you mean by the mansion not lasting much longer, I wonder?"

Subaru grits his molars, trying to piece together the best possible explanation for how she knows. The only logical way is Roswaal-

"Roswaal told her."

Subaru gasps at hearing Beatrice say the exact words that were going to finish his thought.

She continues, "That's how it is. It still doesn't explain the other part, I suppose."

"The mansion…it's probably already started to burn by now."

Her butterfly pupils widen slightly, "Why is the mansion burning, I wonder?"

"Elsa is a world-class assassin. She's feared by many, and survived an encounter against Reinhard by running away. She could easily create an opportunity to slip away again. So, to prevent that, we spread a whole ring of oil all around the mansion. If Garfiel can't kill her…then she should at least succumb to the flames."

"What sort of idiotic plan is that, in fact?!" Beatrice points an accusing finger at the boy. "Don't you realize that you've trapped that tiger boy and the maids in the mansion?!"

"Of course I do! I already have a plan in mind for how to leave!"

Expecting a rebuttal from the Great Spirit for being vague, Subaru is shocked to see a sad smile of relief wash over her face. "Betty is glad she won't have to watch anyone die, in fact."

"W-What are you talking about? Why do you have that look on your face?"

"Betty's death was written in Roswaal's Tome of Wisdom, I suppose. Betty's fate is already set in stone."

Aghast at the calm way she said those words, Subaru points a finger at her and shouts, "Does that book of yours say you have to let that psycho kill you?!"

She lays out the book on her lap and opens it up, "It doesn't say anything, I suppose. Betty's fate is blank, as it has always been."

"Then what reason is there for you to end up the way Roswaal wants?! Just decide for yourself what you want to do!"

"Decide for myself?" Her expression stiffens, "What has Betty ever decided for herself before now, I suppose? Betty has continued to obey Mother's orders here in this mansion all alone. What part of this did Betty get to choose, I wonder? What has this Beatrice done? Who is she, I wonder?"

"Beatrice…" He mumbles her name despondently.

"Betty's life is pure white, I suppose. It's well and truly completely blank. This one book was really all Betty needed, in fact." She closes her Tome of Wisdom and looks at him again, "Betty does have a soul, after all. As time passes, Betty thinks about many things. Betty worries and cease to believe, I suppose."

"There were so many nights when I couldn't remember Mother's smile, so I scraped all my memories together and tried to cling to them, in fact. There were even times when I was afraid to be alone and wanted to be with someone! But everyone leaves Betty behind, in fact! Mother, Roswaal, and Ryuzu too!"

Her voice initially growing more sullen, Beatrice ends her words in a shout. Subaru gasps a little at how much she's revealing about herself to him for the first time. Before he can get a response in, she continues with:

"The Great Spirit Beatrice is fated to be alone, to be left behind by everyone else forever." Pausing briefly, she gives a faint smile, "But…Betty feels a tiny bit relieved now, I suppose. If Betty was mentioned in the Tome of Wisdom, that means Mother didn't forget about me after all."

"Oh give me a break!" Subaru says in frustration, "You're an idiot! You're just a huge idiot! You're so pathetic to watch, I feel like I might die to this rather than what's going on out there! You've had 400 whole years! Why is something that extreme the only answer you could come up with after all that time?! Isn't it possible your mother gave you the wrong book? Or maybe she didn't have the best of intentions for you?"

"You dare insult Mother I suppose?!" Beatrice shouts, offended on Echidna's behalf. "Mother always treated Betty well, in fact! She would never have made such a grave error!"

"Can you say that for sure?" He argues back. "So you really believe that your mother gave you a blank book?! A book that never tells you your future?!"

Beatrice quiets down, "That's…Must you put it that way? What is it you want me to say, I suppose?"

Taking a deep breath, Subaru begins, "Okay, I'll come right out and say it, so your dumb mother can hear!" Walking forward and stopping right in front of Beatrice, he grabs his hands and pulls them up a bit, "Don't let a blank book and a 400-year-old verbal promise rule you forever! Choose what you want to do for yourself, Beatrice!"

Seeing her look down in hesitation, he continues, "It's been 400 years! That's more than enough time for you to have one rebellious phase!"

"No matter what you say, Betty is under a contract, in fact. The contract is absolute…which means…"

"That's rich coming from the one who tried to find a back door in that contract, then wanted to die when it was unbreakable! If keeping a promise means you die, I'd rather break that promise and keep you alive! Is it so weird that I would make that choice?! And this wouldn't be the first promise I've broken."

"T-That's a very defiant, selfish way to think, I suppose." Beatrice mutters in a weak rebuttal.

"I know it's defiant, and I know it's selfish! But, I refuse to compromise on something that's important to me."

Another small bout of silence follows, and the one to break it is Beatrice, "If…you are…'that person'...would…would you be 'that person' for me?"

Looking at Subaru with possibly the most heartfelt and sincere expression she's ever given to a lowly human, Beatrice poses that question with utmost sincerity. If he's truly 'that person' then finally, finally Betty will be-

"There's no way I could be whoever 'that person' is to you. Because even if I-"

Before he could finish his explanation, Subaru is violently ejected from the Forbidden Library and slams right into a wall. Thankfully the impact isn't too severe and moving his limbs around, nothing feels broken. As a round of pain travels throughout his nerves, Subaru notices something's off. The impact felt a lot softer than it should've.

"Ugh…"

Hearing a groan right behind him, Subaru turns his head to see Rem sandwiched between the wall, floor, and his own body. From their current position, it appears that Subaru launched straight into Rem's chest and took most of the direct force of colliding with the wall.

"Rem! Rem-rin! Are you okay?! I'm so sorry!" He hastily gets off of her and examines her state. Aside from a couple bruises, she looks unharmed.

"Agh, Subaru-kun! I-I'm okay. A little blunt force won't do anything to me." She quickly gets up, "Look out!"

Subaru ducks in response to her warning. Swinging her Morningstar around where his face was a moment ago, Rem takes out a few mabeasts that bear a resemblance to bats. However, on either side of the hallway, there are many more mabeasts slowly advancing forward. "We're surrounded! What happened Subaru-kun? You got violently ejected into the hallway! Was there another mabeast?"

Subaru quickly reaches forward to the door he was thrown through just a few moments ago and opens it. Unfortunately, it only opens to a small guest bedroom. He sighs and closes it, "No…Beatrice kicked me out. She asked if I was 'that person', and she didn't take it well when I said I couldn't be 'that person'. Dang it! That loli is such a stubborn idiot for not even letting me finish my explanation!"

As Subaru explains his woes, Rem turns and runs down the hallway in the same direction she was initially going in before she was interrupted, telling Subaru to follow her. He asks what the situation is now.

"Meili ran off after springing a few of her larger mabeasts on us. Frederica-san told me to chase after her. I don't fully know about Garfiel-san, but I can hear faint rumblings on the other side of the mansion, so they're still fighting. I presume Otto-san and Petra-chan got out safely. You can see he's lit the oil."

Looking out the many windows, Subaru can see a large flame that is at least twice their height roaring. That goes to show just how much oil they placed down. With a flame of that magnitude, there is no way they're escaping unscathed. That is, unless they can recruit the assistance of a very stubborn Great Spirit.

Turning a corner, Rem shouts, "El Huma!" and the resulting icicles take out some wolgarms blocking their path in one go.

"I'm really racing against the clock…I have to find her again and clear up the misunderstanding! I hope it's not too late…"

"You'll convince her, I know it." Rem reassures him.

"Rem-rin…"

"You convinced Garfiel-san, and even someone as stubborn as me. You'll also find a way into her heart. Just be yourself and it'll all work out."

"You really believe in me, don't you…"

"Until the end of time." She smiles at him before they are halted by a gigantic mabeast that stands in their way. "No! Now I've lost where Meili went!"

"Ahaha! Don't worry~! I'm right here!"

The two quickly turn around to see Meili standing around ten feet behind them. In her right hand she holds a lit candle.

"I've got you now!" Rem immediately throws her Morningstar at her in such a way that it'd wrap around her. Unfortunately, she jumps out of the way and a wolgarm comes out from a door right next to her to tank the hit. Wrapped around in chains, the wolgarm comes flying back to the two. Rem immediately frees it from the chains and gives it a kick filled with the power of an oni. It barrels towards a window, smashes it, and falls to the ground below. As they are currently two stories high, it likely wouldn't survive the fall.

"Geeze~, isn't that a little much? Anyway, what do you two think of the Guiltylowe? Quite~ majestic, don't you think? He's one of my favorites."

"Terrifying is a much more appropriate term for that thing!" Subaru responds anxiously. "Is there no way we can talk this out?"

"I noticed what you all are trying to do with those flames. Quite a bold~ and risky~ strategy, don't you think? Trying to entrap us within these walls? Too~ bad it won't work."

"Huh, what are you talking about?!" Subaru shouts.

"My mabeast friends will protect me as I escape. As for Elsa, she'll probably get burnt a good bit~, but she'll be fine. Speaking of her, I should go see if she needs help! See you~! And thanks for the oil!"

Dropping the candle, she dashes off. The carpet below immediately erupts into flames at an unnaturally quick rate. In just a couple seconds, their escape route behind is completely cut off.

"Dang it! She completely set us up!"

The guiltylowe, which had strangely been inactive up until now, starts moving forward again. It's likely Meili temporarily held it off while they conversed.

"El Huma!" Rem attempts to send several small icicles into the body of the beast. They successfully pierce, and the guiltylowe groans in pain. However, it isn't enough, and the guiltylowe begins to run forward, intending to either ram them into the wall or crush them beneath its feet.

"Hold on tight."

"Ugh?!" Subaru grunts when Rem suddenly grabs him in a forceful manner and places him on her shoulder. She beelines for the broken window and jumps out of it, the guiltylowe quickly following behind.

-Another Part of the Mansion-

As Meili runs down the various hallways of the huge mansion, she awes at how quickly the inferno is approaching the outer walls.

"They're cra~zy! Willing to burn down an entire mansion just to trap us both within~? It's been a while since I've seen su~ch a reckless strategy being used. Their master will be fu~rious to see such an expensive mansion reduced to ash. I~f they survive anyway! Now, mi~ster wagpig, come here please!"

In an instant, a wagpig the size of at least two hippopotamuses stacked on top of each other crashes through the wall a few feet behind Meili.

"Ca~reful! You nearly crushed me! Now let's go see~ Elsa!"

Riding towards some clanking sounds that could only mean intense combat is taking place, the duo have no trouble finding their target.

The battle that has taken place thus far appears to be quite the intense one. Garfiel and Elsa lie a floor below Meili, duking it out with shields and blades respectively. It's very clear that the second floor the two were initially fighting on collapsed entirely. All the windows are shattered, the carpet is torn to shreds, and the pillars are severely cracked if not gone entirely.

Some mabeasts had also interfered in their fighting and failed to make any meaningful impact if their mangled corpses were anything to judge by. Even an entire guiltylowe lying off to the side on the first floor is nothing more than a mangled pile of flesh and blood. Just how strong is this tiger boy?

"Hah!" As the two clash for the umpteenth time, Garfiel successfully grabs ahold of Elsa's remaining blade with his teeth. The other one had been shattered by him a while ago using his teeth and remarkable jaw strength. Now, he intended to do the same with the other. Biting down hard, he manages to break away the durable metal, leaving nothing more than a small, dull stick. After backing off, Elsa discards what remains of the blade, deeming it useless. Not only that, she retreats both her hands into her cloak to then pull out two new blades. Compared to the originals, they are much larger and are more straight instead of curved. Overall, they look fairly similar to butchering knives.

"Managing to break the blades I've cherished for all these years, rather impressive. You've been a splendid opponent!"

"Save yer praise! If anyone's worthy of praise, it's the Capt'n!" Garfiel spits a wad of saliva to the side.

"Oh? Don't you think you might be overestimating him?"

As he thinks up a reply, a rumbling interrupts his thoughts. Sensing imminent danger, he jumps back. A second later, a huge creature lands flat on its belly that would've crushed Garfiel had he not moved.

"Come on, wagpig! Get up already!" Up atop the foul looking creature, a young girl pounds her fist into the back of the creature.

"Meili, I was hoping you'd stay out of my way." Elsa complains.

"Ugh! Elsa, I ha~d to go through so much work because you ru~shed things! Show a little remo~rse will ya?!"

"Garf! So this is where you were!"

Rushing onto the battlefield, Frederica stands beside her younger brother, fists raised for combat.

"Sis! Where's the Capt'n and the lil' girl? Did ya get 'er to Rem?"

"Yes, she's stable now. She and Otto-sama have left. I do not know where Subaru-sama is."

"I see." Garfiel turns his attention back to the two assassins, "You two sisters sure are givin' us hell!"

They both look at him in slight shock. Elsa responds, "Sisters? Yes, we are sisters. So it seems that, oddly enough, both of our sibling duos are complete."

"Sure is a shame Ram ain't 'ere to complete the oni sister package!" Garfiel says.

"That may be for the best. With Ram's constitution, she'd struggle." Frederica reflects grimly.

"Hah…it su~re is getting hot!" Meili grumbles, wiping some sweat off her brow.

By now, the flames have fully entered the mansion, and numerous wooden beams, furniture, and other miscellaneous items have been engulfed in the flames. A few beams that have been cracked during the battle and later set alight break loose and fall.

Garfiel knows there's not much time left. These flames are keeping the bowel hunter contained within the few remaining walls of the mansion.

"Then let's wrap it up! It's rude to keep the Capt'n waitin' ya know!" Stomping his foot firmly into the ground, the dirt and stone in front of him rises up, throwing Meili off her wagpig. A fairly thick dust cloud forms between the two, but it doesn't stop Elsa from running back and catching Meili.

"That's my amazin' self's Divine Protection of Earth Spirits!" Garfiel announces loudly, "So long as my feet 're on the ground, everythin' I can see is within my strike range!"

"Meili, don't take a single step forward." Elsa commands after setting her down, taking a few steps forward herself.

"Sis, either stay behin' my amazin' self and watch, or check on the others." Garfiel states as he also walks forward.

The Bowel Hunter and Gorgeous Tiger square off once more for a final crescendo. As the mansion burns all around them, the heat sweltering up to nearly unbearable levels, neither of the combatants can think of a more suitable place for a final battle.

They begin exchanging mutual blows. Elsa strikes with her bigger blades while Garfiel counters with the small shields equipped on his arms. As they fight, Meili whistles, sending in various mabeasts that mostly either look like bats or king cobra snakes after Garfiel.

He briefly looks at them as his sister swoops in and takes out a good chunk of them in one go with a swipe of her beast claw. Nodding in thanks, he quickly turns his attention back to Elsa.

-Stable-

Back with Otto and Petra, the two have been sitting quietly, waiting for the situation to calm down. Unfortunately, the mabeasts have barely moved, as if waiting for their prey to reveal themselves.

Though there are two pieces of good news. One, Patrasche is keeping great watch over their surroundings. Two, the little girl sitting beside Otto slowly rumbles and her eyes slowly reveal themselves. She looks down, and her eyes widen immensely. Just when it seems like she's going to scream, Otto reflexively puts a hand over her mouth.

"Please don't scream! The mabeasts will find us if you do!"

WIth a deep breath, Petra lowers his hand and looks at her amputated leg, "It's…it's really gone." Tears threaten to spill down as she ascertains her leg further with her hands. "How…how is it not in pain?"

"Rem-san did everything she could to heal your leg. You're not bleeding anymore, but…she has no way of reattaching your leg. I'm sorry, you'll probably remain that way for the rest of your life."

Hearing that this would be permanent really made Petra stop and think. Without a leg, she could no longer freely walk and run around anymore. The days she spent playing hide and seek or tag with her friends in Arlam village are now distant memories, unable to ever be recreated. Even her job as a maid would be severely compromised. Who's ever seen a one-legged maid?

She could no longer step on a stool to clean a window up high. She could no longer carry a plate full of food to give to Subaru anymore. She could no longer hope to stand proudly beside him and say "I did my best! Please praise me today as well!" All of that was taken away from her by that evil, wretched, gut-loving assassin!

"It's not fair…it's not fair!" She sobs into her maid outfit, drenching it with tears.

"I know it's bad, but it's not completely hopeless! A wheelchair would let you move around on your own again if you can master it. I've also heard some guys will attach a wooden pole or something to where their leg once was and move around that way."

Hearing Otto's suggestions, Petra looks up at him with puffy red eyes, "Neither option sounds appealing at all." She bluntly admits.

"I can't think of anything else…" He sighs, "I was just trying to get your spirits up since we're still kinda in a life or death situation."

With that reminder, Petra's woes about her leg instantly leave her, "Ah! Frederica-san! What happened to her?! I remember now! She saved me right before that gut-loving assassin was about to kill me! I think I saw some blonde-haired boy after that, but it's fuzzy."

Otto quickly gets her up to speed on the current events. It includes everything from the plan to rescue them to what happened after she passed out.

"No way, Subaru-sama, Rem Nee-sama, Frederica Nee-sama's brother named Garfiel-sama, and you all knew about the attack and came to rescue us? Thank you! I wish I knew why they're targeting us! Even Meili-chan…I thought we were good friends!"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

Petra's jaw drops, "Wait, you know why they're attacking us?! If so, please, tell me!"

"You may never look at him the same way again if I do." Otto warns.

"Who's 'him'?"

"Roswaal."

She gulps. Despite the fact that she is the newest maid employed under Roswaal, she's barely ever seen him. By the time she was employed, he had already travelled to the Sanctuary. Before then, she had only seen him occasionally when he would visit Arlam village for business and rarely personal matters. Ever since she first laid eyes on him, she's always found him very odd and quite intimidating in spite of his friendly demeanor.

"I still want to know."

Relenting, Otto explains the complicated nature of why Roswaal sprung this attack on the mansion. How Roswaal was trying to force Subaru to choose to only pursue one person, Emilia, and ignore everyone else, even at the expense of their lives. Roswaal seems to have someone who he feels this way about, and tries to get Subaru to feel the same way about Emilia. So not only did he order the attack on the mansion, but he's also planning to set the Sanctuary into ruin by attracting a very dangerous mabeast to the area that will kill and consume anyone in its path. The source of all this information comes from Roswaal himself.

"That's absurd! What in the world is he getting out of trying to force Subaru-sama to care only about Emilia-sama? He's absolutely insane!"

Already, Petra can feel rage boiling up towards her master she's only had for a few days now, "So he's responsible for why we're all in this horrible mess and why I lost my leg! Oh when I get my hands on that makeup-clad face of his…"

She punches the air in front of her to show just exactly what she plans to do when she sees the clown in person. Otto can only let out a chuckle in response. "Yeah, I feel the exact same way as you. Say, want to do a two in one punch together for maximum effect?"

She thinks about it for a moment until shaking her head, "I think two individual punches will be more effective. Maybe we can knock out some teeth so he has trouble chewing his food later."

"Hmm, I get the feeling Rem-san might beat you to that."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"She really hates him now. I don't think I've ever seen a maid so angry at their master, or I guess former master now, until yesterday. I'm pretty sure if he wasn't still valuable to Emilia's camp, she would've tried to kill him."

"Did you say former master? You mean she's officially no longer working under him?"

"I think she said she still has to get it in writing, but basically yes. I don't know who she plans to serve next, but my guess is Emilia-sama."

"I'm going to do it too then. There's no way I'm working under someone who deliberately puts the life of my friends at risk like this!"

As soon as Petra makes that declaration, Patrasche suddenly starts roaring. "W-What's going on? Why's that ground dragon suddenly freaking out?"

Otto listens for a moment. His eyes go wide and he quickly stands up.

"Otto-san, tell me! What's going on?! I can't stand up, you know!"

"It's a guiltylowe! And it's coming this way! The crystal isn't working on it!" Picking Petra up, he allows her to see exactly what he's talking about.

"Wah?! It's huge! What are we supposed to do?! I'm scared!"

Patrasche makes some noises.

"Climb on your back?" Otto says, to which Patrasche nods.

"You can understand what it says?" Petra asks in wonder.

"Her name is Patrasche-san, and yes. I have a Divine Protection that lets me understand what animals say. She's telling us to get on her back!" With that explanation, he swiftly throws Petra aboard and then himself. Notably, the dragon carriage is still attached to her back as he and the others did not have time to disconnect it.

She makes a few more sounds that Otto translates, "She's telling us to hold on tight!"

Turning to face the guiltylowe properly, Patrasche angrily roars, a bit of steam emitting from her nostrils. Otto grips the reins as tightly as he can while Petra clings to his back equally as tightly.

At first, Patrasche charges forward directly towards the guiltylowe, their distance roughly 200 feet apart. As their distance closes, Patrasche begins turning to the right. The guiltylowe also charges forward. Then, once they're only a couple dozen feet apart, Patrasche sharply turns left, nearly flinging Otto and Petra off her back.

Otto briefly wonders what she's doing when the dragon carriage behind them attempts to follow their sudden change in direction. However, it finds the guiltylowe straight in its path. Without any way to stop, it rams right into the beast.

The violent sound of a crash rings through Otto and Petra's eardrums. Upon collision, the dragon carriage immediately wrecks itself apart against the beasts flesh. Wheels, metal, and wood come flying apart. The guiltylowe doesn't fair much better, as its entire body is caved in by the impact. Toppling over to its side, it's underside is completely ripped open for the world to see.

Patrasche turns so they can all inspect the damage done. Petra nearly pukes at the amount of blood and gore that oozes out of the guiltylowe and has to turn away. Otto fairs better, but he too finds the guts extremely disgusting. In any case, the guiltylowe is surely dead.

"Well done Patrasche-san, you're a really smart ground dragon for coming up with that on the spot." Otto reaches up to pet her head.

Usually she doesn't really care about anyone other than Subaru doing this to her, but just this once she takes Otto's praise in stride.

-Another Part of the Mansion-

Landing on a stone walkway, Rem sets Subaru down as she turns to face the mansion they just jumped from.

"Stand back Subaru-kun, the guiltylowe will probably follow us out here."

"Do you have a plan?" He asks.

"Yes. If just one mabeast were to take me down, I wouldn't be worthy of protecting you. The attack I wish to do could not be done inside." Rem says, activating her horn, knowing she'll need as much mana as she can get.

As predicted, the guiltylowe peers out from the window, roars, and jumps out, meeting them on a level playing field.

"If you think you're going to take the life of my beloved, then you're dead wrong! Take this! Al Huma!"

Creating a huge nearly 32 feet long icicle directly above the guiltylowe, with the sharp edge pointed downwards, she promptly guides it telekinetically right into the beast, slaughtering it in an instant.

"Wow…" Subaru stares in awe. "I know I saw you make one of these back during the White Whale battle, but they're so huge and magnificent looking! I kinda feel bad seeing it all covered in blood now."

Rem smiles at him, "These do take quite a lot of mana to produce, but I'd be happy to create one any time you like Subaru-kun. Maybe we could even chisel one and produce a statue in your likeness! While I did enjoy making that snow statue with Nee-sama, the design having a heavy semblance to the clown ruined it for me."

"Ahaha…I don't really know how I'd feel about having a statue of me. Sounds a little too much."

While Subaru is happy to share a lighthearted moment with Rem, he knows that there is still a lot of work to be done. "...Rem-rin, I'm going back inside to look for Beatrice. The fire is already engulfing the mansion, and that ring behind us isn't going down anytime soon." He looks in that direction to see the wall of flames still going strong, "I'm going to get her out of that library if it's the last thing I do."

"I'll come with you then."

He shakes his head, "No, this is something only I can do. Besides, you still need to find Meili, don't you? I want you to check up on the others as well if you find them. We'll meet up after I get Beatrice, ok?"

"Subaru-kun…"

"Hey, don't make that face. I won't be reckless."

"I'm sorry, but hearing that from you isn't very convincing."

He laughs a little, "I suppose it doesn't. I can't blame you. But, I don't really see any other choice, and I don't know how the others are holding up at the moment. The mansion is really in flames now, so every second counts. I'll be back as quick as I can!"

Without waiting to hear Rem's reply, Subaru dashes into the mansion. She can see him opening a few of the doors to locate Beatrice.

Rem briefly holds a hand to her chest and sighs. He's already being reckless, but he's doing his best. Still, I don't feel comfortable letting him go alone like that. I'll just trail behind until he enters the Forbidden Library.

-Random Hallway-

Subaru runs down various hallways, opening as many doors as he possibly can. "Dang it! Why now of all times does the first door pick not work?!"

As the hallways continue to the burn and the flames rise high, debris falls all over the place. Navigating a simple hallway has now become difficult. Subaru has to constantly step over and dodge incoming debris, which are likewise in flames. The sweltering heat makes him sweat a lot. So much so that his feet are becoming drenched. He presses on amidst the discomfort.

Eventually, his efforts pay off, and he finds the Great Spirit after opening through one of the only doors that's still on its hinges.

"I finally made it back! Hey, you idiot! You've got some nerve-GUH!"

Not even allowed to finish his sentence, Subaru is blasted right back out into a fortunately stable wall behind him that hadn't caught fire yet.

"You're the one who ended our conversation. And now you…how impudent you are, I suppose." Beatrice says, despite him not being there to hear it.

In the distance, Rem looks on and sees Subaru getting thrown out. She can't make out what they're saying, and thinks of running to him, but he moves before she does.

"Cut that out already!" Subaru shouts, opening the door again, "You have the temper of a child! If you jump straight into violence, we'll never-"

"You need to cut it out, in fact!" Beatrice yells as she attempts to blast him out again. However, this time Subaru manages to latch his right hand onto the doorknob and barely hang on. Pushing through the turbulent wind, he successfully gets in and pushes the door shut behind him.

Rem waits to see if he gets blasted out again. He doesn't, and she breathes a sigh of relief.

"Beatrice-sama may be very stubborn, but she at least hears people out. I…on the other hand…" She fiercely shakes her head in an attempt to get that image out of her head. "I-I need to check on the others, just like he told me to!"

Running past the door Subaru used to enter the Forbidden Library, Rem looks for the other inhabitants.

-Another Part of the Mansion-

After initiating a few blows with each other, Elsa finally gets through Garfiel's defense and stabs him cleanly in the arm.

Roaring in both pain and rage, Garfiel transforms the injured arm into something fit for a gigantic tiger. With newfound reach and power, he swipes it across the stunned Elsa's face. The sharp nails rip the right side of her face to nothing. Her right ear, eye, and everything in between are stripped to nothing but flesh and blood. That's on top of her entire body being sent flying across the floor, somehow avoiding the nearby flames.

"Wagpig, go!" Meili gets off her wagpig and orders it to attack. Rushing forward, the wagpig clearly intends to crush Garfiel under its immense weight. He pushes his transformed and regular arms against it with all his might.

"Yes!" Meili pumps a fist. "Get crushed flat!"

His human strength alone not enough to push back against the wagpig, Garfiel transforms the rest of his body into the tiger form. The wagpigs push gradually grows weaker and weaker as the opposing force grows stronger and stronger. Soon enough, all motion ceases. The two stare into one another's pupils with their beastly eyes.

A mixture of groans, roars, and grunts rain from Garfiel's mouth as grabs ahold of the wagpigs maw and slowly twists it. Once he feels he's made some progress, he leaps into the air while still holding the maw of the wagpig, twirling around and around until the neck of the wagpig is twisted so much that its entire head snaps from its body. A mountain of blood erupts as Garfiel lands, tossing the lifeless head aside like garbage and roaring triumphantly.

"N-No…" Meili mumbles in disbelief that one of the strongest mabeasts currently under her control succumbed so easily to that boy. She screams, "No! Elsa! Do something!"

"Well, isn't this interesting." Elsa says as she stands back up, her face fully recovering from the blow just dealt to her. Meanwhile, Garfiel exits his tiger form, collapsing onto his knees while panting.

Elsa continues, "While your body becomes injured all over, my wounds continue to heal themselves. Are you starting to find it unfair?"

He looks up, "Huh? My amazin' self ain't broken yet. If I just keep killin' ya till ya die, ya'll die. Right, vampire?!"

She eyes him with newfound interest, "You know?"

"I always liked readin' books. One of the witches was a vampire a long time ago. That witch is dead, so I can kill ya too. If ya swear ya won't do bad crap again, my amazin' self might let ya off the hook."

"You really are absolutely precious!" Elsa says in an adoring tone. "Gusteko, the land to the north where I was born, was a very, very cold place. I was abandoned as a child. I hurt people and stole from them day after day. I had no time to think about things like living or being happy. One day, during a blizzard, I was stealing from a shop, and its owner captured me."

"Shut up! No one asked ya!" Garfiel shouts, showing absolutely no interest in Elsa's life in the past.

However, she ignores him, "Since I was a girl, he took off both my clothes and my underclothes…But I just happened to find a shard of glass. I didn't give it any thought. I just drove it into his belly. At that moment, even as I felt like I might freeze in that blizzard, I had a thought. The thought that blood and innards are so very warm. If there is happiness in this world, it is the warmth that makes one forget the cold. It was the first happiness I ever found. You can't understand that, can you?"

"No, I most certainly cannot. I'd much rather sit next to my beloved and bask in the warmth of his body heat, rather than open him up and soak in his blood. That is the last thing I want to do."

A new voice that is clearly irate interjects into the ongoing conversation. Garfiel, Elsa, and Frederica turn their heads to see Rem. Trapped within her arms is Meili.

"Elsa! Help!" Meili cries out.

"You're awfully lucky Subaru-kun is as merciful as he is. Take a nap and stop causing trouble from now on."

Forced to take a punch to the forehead filled with the rage Rem has built up to this point, Meili is knocked out cold.

"Meili!" Elsa furrows her eyebrows and is about to go after Rem. However, that brief moment of inaction from seeing Rem knock Meili unconscious to calling her name is enough time for Garfiel to swoop in and attack. This time, he takes an entirely new approach. Opening his mouth wide and slamming into her, knocking them both over, he sinks his vicious fangs right into her neck. She quickly returns the favor by tearing into his neck.

Rem and Frederica flinch at the sight. The former says, "Frederica-san, should we do something?"

"You have a spell that can summon a huge icicle, right? When the two separate, drop it on her. Even with her insane regeneration capabilities, she can't survive an impalement of that magnitude."

"All the smoke is making it difficult to gather mana, but that should be doable. Al Huma!"

With considerable more effort put in than normal, Rem successfully manages to summon another gigantic icicle that should end this once and for all.

"Garf!" Frederica shouts his name. He stops tearing into Elsa's flesh to look up at them. Frederica points a finger upwards, and he gazes up to see the icicle. Instantly understanding what its purpose is, he quickly jumps back as far as he can.

Elsa barely has enough time to look up. Seeing the fire all around them being reflected brilliantly in that huge icicle, she smiles and says, "Fire is also very warm." as she gets completely crushed.

Garfiel gets up and stares at the icicle in all its beauty. The bottom most part is now covered in the Bowel Hunter's blood. "Is it over?"

"I really hope so." Rem replies. Frederica nods in agreement. He walks over to them.

Just as they were about to celebrate their victory, the ice cracks and crumbles. "But ice is very cold, how cruel."

Somehow, miraculously, the Bowel Hunter survived being crushed underneath all that ice, even with the tip having a sharp point. However, it seems only part of her body has recovered, and she's only barely able to stand.

Actually, upon closer inspection, Elsa looks nothing more than a husk of her former self. Her eyeballs no longer seem to hold any sign of life within them. Her skin is extremely pale and looks like it could break off at any moment. In other words, her body looks very identical to one of a corpse. Perhaps she really did die and some curse or spell is allowing her body to keep moving.

"I've had just 'bout enough of ya!" Garfiel roars, rushing in and headbutting Elsa with all his might. She's unable to block or dodge it, so she's sent flying onto one of the remaining walls still standing, which is currently engulfed in flames.

The wall, while able to stop Elsa's body from rolling along the ground, cracks enough to the point it can no longer support the structure above it. A section of the burning floor above comes crashing down and fully buries the Bowel Hunter.

Rem tosses Meili to Frederica and runs in to check if Elsa is really dead. Due to the amount of burning debris, Rem cannot see her body. She lets a few seconds pass, then a few dozen. There is no sign of the vampire emerging.

"I…I think we did it. For real this time." Rem says, a huge relief washing over her chest.

"Yeeaah! Nice job Sis and Rem! Couldn't of done it without ya!" Garfiel high fives them both. "My amazin' self can't believe it's over now. Now we just gotta wait fer the Capt'n to pick us up, yeah?"

"Yes. I know where we can go to wait for him. Follow me." Rem says.

-Forbidden Library-

Barely able to withstand and get through Beatrice's blast of wind with the help of the door, Subaru falls flat on his face after the door shuts behind him. "I endured that one!"

Beatrice glares at him in frustration, "You don't know when to give up, in fact!"

"Until you actually shut me out for real, I'll just come back over and over!"

She gasps, "Betty is shutting you out for-"

"No you're not!" He interjects, "If you were serious, would I have been able to come back here so many times?! You're just putting on a front!"

Beatrice's irritated look shifts to one of melancholy. She looks down, You…you're not 'that person'! You said yourself that you're not, in fact! You said it! You did, I suppose! If you were, 'that person'...if you'd said you were, even if it was a lie, Betty knows she would've believed you! Even knowing it was a lie, I would've had to believed you, in fact!"

"I know Beatrice. I know you would've." Subaru too looks down, though his reasoning is because of guilt.

"But you said you weren't, I suppose! You said you weren't, and Betty was dumb! That's what you said! Because I'm a fool, a huge fool who can't forget a 400 year old promise! So no matter what you say, it's over, I suppose!"

She raises an arm to kick him out yet again. The wind begins to swirl around and push against Subaru. However, this time, the wind is much, much weaker compared to before. It's as if Beatrice isn't even trying, and Subaru is able to hold his ground.

Meanwhile, the door behind him begins to emit smoke.

"But, if I had said I was 'that person', and you believed me…things wouldn't have gotten better." Subaru confesses, "And Beatrice, I don't want to lie to you, even if it would've made everything perfect. I'm not whoever 'that person' is. I'll keep saying it over and over if I have to! But, I want to stay with you, Beatrice. I want to be near you so you won't be sad, because you're a nice girl!"

A contorted expression comes upon Beatrice's face. The wind continues to blow, eventually opening her Tome of Wisdom and rapidly flipping through the empty pages. Tears form within her butterfly pupils. Finally, she shuts her book tight and stops the wind.

Unfortunately, Subaru couldn't celebrate, as the space around the entire Forbidden Library begins to distort and warp, almost as if the entire area is becoming unstable. A nearby large bookshelf toppling completely over seems to support that theory. "What the?!"

The distorting grows worse with every passing second, "Beatrice!" Lunging forward, he attempts to grab ahold of her. However, a rift suddenly forms, and via this rift, Subaru is ejected from the Forbidden Library once more. "No!" As he's ejected, though he cannot hear her, he can see Beatrice saying "Farewell" by reading her lips.

-Random Part of the Mansion-

"N-No…what? What's going on?!" Rem asks as she and the others arrive at the place she last saw Subaru. She remembers seeing him enter and shut the door behind him. But now the door has burned so much that she can see through it. And on the other side was no Forbidden Library. "The portal closed! Subaru-kun can't exit from this door now! Or wait, was he kicked out again?! Oh no…oh no oh no oh no!"

"Rem, calm down. Surely he couldn't have-"

"FIND HIM!" She screams, interrupting Frederica's attempts to calm her down. "Go through EVERY door you can find! NOW!"

The two are so stunned by how panicked she sounds that it takes them a couple seconds to react and follow behind her. At least, until branching paths emerged and they took separate paths.

I'm not letting you die. I'm not letting you die. I'M NOT LETTING YOU DIE SUBARU-KUN! Now running throughout the mansion as fast as a hyena, Rem throws open every single door that is still surviving and wasn't opened by Subaru earlier. Much of the ground underneath the soles of her shoes is in flames now. While she does mind the fire for the most part, some flames do manage to scorch her legs a little. She grits her teeth at the pain, but she presses onwards, Subaru's life being the only thing on her mind.

-Front Door-

Subaru finds himself on the ground right outside the front of the mansion. Flames roar everywhere, both in front and behind him. The front doors, which have been holding on until now, finally succumb to the heat and collapse, revealing yet more flames within that by now have risen in ferocity to the extent that he cannot go back in and hope to survive.

"The entrance to the mansion…Is she telling me to just leave for good? If all the doors to the mansion burn down…her Forbidden Library will…"

He remembers a time when Beatrice explained how her Forbidden Library worked in greater detail. The Forbidden Library isn't a part of the actual mansion, but instead exists in another dimension entirely. Via the use of Door Crossing, Beatrice can connect one of the mansion's many doors to her library. Naturally, she could choose which door connected. However, if a door were to become unusable, then she'd lose the ability to use it as a teleporter. If every single door becomes unusable, Beatrice may very well become trapped in the Forbidden Library forever.

"'Farewell'?! You think I'm just gonna let you end it like that?!" He gets up and faces the mansion, "There's no way there are any functional doors left in there! Am I too late?! Wait…"

Remembering one of his loops in the past where he went into the basement of the mansion, he immediately treads a path towards it, being as careful as he can to avoid the fire surrounding him.

-Basement-

As the basement walls are made of some sort of stone or brick that glows patches of blue, the fire has been unable to spread down here. Unfortunately, Subaru is not totally safe, as the various structure beams and furniture collapsis from the upper floors onto the basement roof, cracking the foundation. In front of Subaru lies one wooden door. Flames from the other side desperately try to break through.

Upon reaching the door, he notices that the door itself is shaking uncontrollably. Whatever is occurring on the other side, it's apparent the door can't take much more of it. It's quite likely the other side of the door is already in flames and just hasn't reached his side yet.

"Beatrice, if you can hear me, listen. There aren't any other doors left. This is the last one. If I open it, I'll probably die. Rem's going to get really angry if I do." He grabs the door handle, "Beatrice, I have faith in you!"

Flying the door open, a rupture of flames spread out before clearing away. Closing his eyes, Subaru jumps inside, right as the cracks in the basement roof finally have enough and give way. Had he jumped a second or two later, he would've been crushed to death.

-Forbidden Library-

Upon opening his eyes again, Subaru finds the Forbidden Library still in a distorted state. Not only that, the fire has even managed to reach this other dimension. Books and bookshelves alike stand no chance against the flames' eternal hunger. While the flames only recently entered, it wouldn't be long until they engulf the entire library. This was Subaru's last chance to get through to Beatrice. If he fails here, he'll probably die.

"You are a fool." Beatrice greets him.

"That's the first thing you say?"

"Well, it's true, I suppose. It's a stalemate now. There is little more Betty could ask for now. My promise with Mother has been fully realized, I suppose."

"Then…" Subaru clenches his fists, "Hear me out until the end."

"You convinced Garfiel-san, and even someone as stubborn as me. You'll also find a way into her heart. Just be yourself and it'll all work out." Rem's words ring in his head. That's right. No more fronts. No more running away from either party. It's time to lay himself bare to her.

"Beatrice, please, save me."

"H-Huh?"

"I thought about all kinds of cool things to say, like how I was gonna save you from loneliness, or like how I wanted to save you similar to how Rem has saved me numerous times now, bringing me back from the brink right when I thought all was lost. But…you don't need me to save you. You don't need my help at all. You're strong, smart, and cute. You're plenty well equipped to survive on your own. So saying I'd save you or help you out wasn't enough. But even as strong, smart, and cute as you are, you were afraid to live on alone. You were hurting…and sad, weren't you? So no one could blame you for clinging to the idea of 'that person'"

Beatrice lightly grips her Tome of Wisdom, "Y-You think…you can just reject how I feel? What do you know about me?!" She looks at him angrily, but there's a certain level of pain within that expression as well.

Subaru shakes his head once, "I do know you. I know you're a kind girl. A girl who'd hold someone's hand and calm them when they're wracked by nightmares."

"Don't talk as if you know me."

"I don't have any strength, so I can't be of help to you. But if there's anything I can do because I don't want to leave you alone, it's to just hang on and keep begging." Subaru walks a few steps over to her. She gasps, and he holds out a hand.

Taking a look at his hand, he notices a number of burns and blisters that he must've obtained throughout the day. Regardless, he keeps it outstretched, "Beatrice, please help me. Without you, I'd be too sad to go on living. So please help me."

"Not fair…It's not fair…to ask me like that, I suppose." She cries, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "You said…that you're not 'that person.' You rejected Betty. And yet…Betty's been alone for 400 years, in fact. Even if Betty takes your hand here and now, you'll just die soon anyway. Compared to mine, a human's life is over in the blink of an eye, I suppose. Clinging to that now wouldn't…"

It's true. Return by Death aside, Beatrice would highly likely outlive Subaru. She's already lived for over 400 years. And though Subaru doesn't know the lifespan of a Great Spirit like Beatrice, it's probably safe to assume she can live for several hundred more years. His human lifespan by comparison cannot compare.

"But I'll still be able to hold your hand tomorrow. Tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that! I can't make it 400 years, but I can spend the days I have with you. Even if I can't be with you forever, I can treasure you right now and tomorrow too! And every day after for as long as I live. So Beatrice, choose me."

"But…you're not 'that person'..." Beatrice rebukes through her tears. 'How can you possibly understand?!"

"No, I'm not 'that person'. I'm me. I'm Natsuki Subaru. Just forget this crush on some stranger you wouldn't even recognize. Instead of fearing a goodbye that might or might not happen, live with me through a guaranteed lifetime of tomorrows! I'm weak, but I want a lot. I rely on others all the time. Since you're so caring, you'll be so busy looking after me, you won't have time to think about being bored or lonely. Choose me, Beatrice."

Subaru will repeat these words as much as he needs to. To get through to Beatrice's wavering heart. While the circumstances are different, Subaru can understand the conflicting emotions she's going through. This is a huge decision, one that will greatly impact her for the rest of her life.

"But you'll…go away…"

"It won't last forever. The future you're fearing will definitely come. The time when you're left behind, eternal as you are, will almost definitely come. But if you think only of the fear for farewells, and throw away all the fun of being together, it takes far too much out of both of our lives."

"But you'll leave me…"

"Let's be together. Let's live together. Let's go together. Let's make so many memories together that you'll be able to proudly say you've had fun! So many memories that you're be able to hold your chest high and say 'I had fun!'. So many memories that it'll account for those four hundred years in solitude, plus interest!

"Even if…that happens! I'll be alone someday!" Even after all of this. Beatrice is still afraid, terrified of the prospect that Subaru will leave her alone someday.

Subaru steps forward to close the distance. Her wavering eyes reflect in his determined eyes. "For someone like you who'll live forever, your time with me might only feel like a microsecond to you. So, I'll engrave that microsecond I'll have with you into your soul! That microsecond 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!

Rumbling and crashing sounds occur all around between the two. The fire closes in from all sides. More bookshelves come crashing down, and the fissure that engulfed and kicked Subaru out earlier becomes larger than ever. Soon, nothing will be left but the two of them.

Reaching out his hand one more time, Subaru shouts again, "Choose me, Beatrice! You want someone to get you out of here! Isn't that why you always sat right in front of this door?!"

Finally, Beatrice drops her Tome of Wisdom, which lands with a dull thud on the floor, and grabs Subaru's hand.

-Somewhere Outside the Mansion-

"No…No…where…WHERE IS HE?!"

As the mansion is now at the peak of its burning, there are no longer any places within that are safe to navigate. If Rem were to try to enter now, she'd get burned to a crisp. Even worse, she still hasn't located Subaru's whereabouts yet.

Her best guess for where he could be is the Forbidden Library, but with no more doors left standing, it's impossible to confirm that suspicion. Her only solace is that since she's not traveled back in time, he must still be alive.

At that moment, Garfiel and Frederica return from their searches. Over Frederica's right shoulder is Meili's unconscious body. Seeing that Subaru was not with either of them, she mumbles, "N-No luck?"

They shake their heads.

"W-What if…what if he's trapped within that library?! If all the doors burn away, there won't be any exit points!"

Both of the demi-human siblings wanted to reassure the oni and that she was overthinking things. But she raised a valid point that they couldn't fully dispute.

Just as they were about to consider their next move, a bright pink light nearly blinds their eyes. As soon as the light dies down a bit, they look up at the light that's now high and the night sky and notice a couple familiar figures.

"Subaru-kun!"

"Heck yeah! The Capt'n did it!"

"And Beatrice-sama is with them too!"

-Stables-

"Otto-san, look!"

Petra, currently sitting atop Otto's shoulders, points to the bright light in the sky.

He smiles in full relief, "My merchant's intuition is telling me Natsuki-san's plan was completely successful. I imagine you must be relieved as well Patrasche-san."

Even without the ability to hear animals, Petra could tell by Patrasche's satisfied grunt that she is relieved just like them.

"Subaru…"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Subaru…Subaru…"

"That's right. That's my name."

"Subaru! Subaru! Subaru! Subaru!"

"You did it. You finally called me by my name. Beatrice…"

"Betty knows, I suppose."

Floating high in the sky, surrounded by a dazzling light, Beatrice smiles at Subaru, finally calling him by his name for the first time ever.

Having formed a contract with one another, Beatrice can sense what Subaru wants to do next, and with only a simple calling of her name, she acts on it.

Scanning the ground for a brief moment, she finds her target and heads straight for it, holding Subaru's hand as she guides him through the sky. Upon landing:

"Subaru-kun! Oh I was so worried! Are you alright?!" Rem immediately gets up close and inspects as much his body as she can, healing any wounds, burns, or scrapes she comes across.

"I knew ya could do it Capt'n!" Garfiel proudly smiles at his captain.

"Thank you for bringing her out Subaru-sama. Elsa is dead, and Meili has been captured alive, as you can see." Frederica tilts her head to the shoulder Meili is resting on.

"Thank you everyone. Seriously, aside from everything burning down, this couldn't have ended more perfectly. Wait! No! Petra's leg! Oh I hope she and Otto got out alright…"

"Betty saw them on the other side of the wall of fire, I suppose."

"You mean they haven't left?! Oh when I get my hands on that merchant I swear I'll…" Subaru initially raises a fist but takes deep breaths to calm himself down. "Looks like we'll have two more passengers. Beako, I'm sorry to ask you something so soon, but…"

Beatrice initially sighs before smiling at him, "Don't underestimate Betty, I suppose. She has saved up 400 years worth of mana. Casting the spell on a couple more people will be nothing, in fact."

"Er…what sorta spell?" Garfiel asks.

"Murak."

"Woah!"

All at once, Rem, Garfiel, and Frederica begin to float a little off the ground.

"Grab each other's hand, I suppose. Then, one of you grab onto Subaru's hand and hold on tight."

Rem gasps, "Beatrice-sama, did you just say Subaru-kun's name?"

"Yes, do you have a problem with that, I wonder?"

"No, I was just surprised."

Garfiel, Frederica, and Rem all join hands in that order. Then, Rem clasps her hand over Subaru's. All at once, everyone soars into the sky and over the wall of fire to get to Otto and Petra.

"Natsuki-san! You made it back!"

"Otto!" Subaru sharply says his name, "I told you to get out of here after lighting the fire!"

"I'm sorry! I was going to originally, but Patrasche-san refused to leave without you!"

With that explanation, all of Subaru's anger towards Otto dissipates in an instant. "Oh? Is that so? I'm sorry for worrying you Patrasche." He goes to pet the ground dragon, who accepts his affection wholeheartedly. Then, he turns to Petra. "Petra…how are you feeling?"

"...I've been better." Petra sighs as she looks at the remaining bit of her right leg. She looks over to Rem, "Rem Nee-sama, thank you for what you did."

"I'm sorry I couldn't reattach your leg. If Felix-sama were here, he could've…" Rem looks down, feeling guilty for not being able to do more.

"It's alright. It's better that I'm like this rather than dead, right? If I can get my hands on a wheelchair, I could maybe get used to moving around without a leg."

Rem looks back up and nods, "Yes, you'll be provided a wheelchair as soon as possible."

"You're a very mature girl Petra." Frederica smiles warmly at her, "Most other kids your age would still be freaking out over losing one of their limbs like that."

"Well, I was really angry at first. Actually, I still am. But…I know that crying and lashing out won't do anything to change it. So the sooner I accept this, the better off I'll be."

"Well put Petra! I'm proud of you!" Subaru gives her both the biggest grin he can make and a thumbs up. "Well, as much as I don't want to cut this chat short, there's still one more thing we need to do. Beatrice?"

"Hold each other's hands, I suppose. Murak."

With that, everyone floats off the ground. After everyone holds each other's hand and form a link, Beatrice lifts them all high into the sky. With the Sanctuary as the target, they all fly forward at blazing speed.

-Author's Corner-

Well, this chapter was quite long, wasn't it? Next chapter will be the finale to arc 4.

It was a bit hard deciding what scenes from the mansion attack to include and which ones should have their focus reduced. Naturally, I pivoted towards fic exclusive scenes. Rem of course got a lot of focus, but I'm also happy I was able to give extended focus to Otto and Petra.

I didn't want to have the fight end the same way as in canon but with some different events being added or switched around. So…yeah, Petra's lost her right leg and is no longer able to walk on her own anymore. Due to her maturity she's able to take it relatively well, but things won't be the same for her as they were in the past. She'll need to continue to grow and develop in her new circumstances.

The "Choose Me" scene was included as requested. I wasn't able to really change anything about it from before because frankly, it's already pretty perfect as it is. I did change a little dialogue here and there though if you noticed. While I largely followed the anime's version of it, I did decide to sprinkle a bit of dialogue from the Web Novel version in as well.

Describing fight and action scenes isn't exactly my strongest suit, but hopefully everyone was still able to follow along with what was happening despite that.

Now that the next chapter will be the last of arc 4, it's finally time to reveal some of what I've got planned next. First of all, I'm thinking of going back and adding titles to all my chapters. I haven't done so until now because frankly, I'm bad at naming stuff. But I'm already planning on editing the chapter titles at least slightly to indicate what arc they're a part of. Let me know your thoughts on this please.

Next, there's going to be an interlude period. You know how there's a 1 year timeskip between arcs 4 and 5? Well, there will also be a period of peace here too. I want to take this time to make some more lighthearted or slice of life chapters that show the day to day life at the new mansion they'll take residence in. I'll probably do 5-10 short chapters like this. Now, while I do have a couple ideas for what they can do in these chapters, I'm also willing to hear out suggestions! If you have any you think would be a good fit, please mention them! I'll credit you for the idea at the end of the chapter (both on AO3 and FFN).

As for arc 5 itself, I'll talk more about that in the next chapter.

This chapter was not beta read this time, so apologies if there's more mistakes and grammar issues than usual.

danielsantiago4545: Thank you!

Maximum Rhapsody: As usual, I ask you to wait and see what will come of Rem's power. I will say that it's still a good ways off from being explored further though. I don't think her powers will be able to help Subaru's gate. Beatrice is the one who keeps Subaru's gate in check.

Deathenglegamers1144: Thanks! I too am happy that Ram is thinking more critically this time around. Roswaal will be struggling more in the future that's for sure.

RegulusCetus: Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

demon god noir: Thanks! Happy to hear that Subaru's love for Emilia becoming platonic came as a surprise to you! That won't change. Subaru and Rem is the only main pairing in the fic.

elmascapito2682a: Thank you! I too am glad I didn't go for the more harem route. I didn't feel like writing it and honestly I think the story is more suited to just have Subaru and Rem as lovers to each other.

Neodoma: As stated earlier, I didn't really want to change the dialogue between Subaru and Beatrice hardly at all. Rem somehow finding them and interrupting would've only complicated things and possibly ruined Subaru's chances of contracting with Beatrice.

HansenHan: Thank you so much! Of course Tappei never would've had Rem learn about RBD the way I let her. But it's true that if she were an active participant in canon arc 4, she probably would've shed some light away from Emilia, who was one of the biggest characters of that arc. And I just feel Subaru and Rem have a more natural romantic chemistry with each other compared to Subaru and Emilia.