This time, Subaru understood he'd really reached a dead end with Rem. There was nothing at all that he could say or do that could fix his relationship with her. He'd tried to take advantage of his inevitable expulsion from the Mansion but that had just disgusted Rem. So he'd opted for the tried and true gambit of threatening his own life but Rem had already prepared herself for that. Then he'd gone for his absolute last resort and tried using Rem's physical attraction to him. Even he felt kinda shitty about that one. Still, Natsuki Rem had been pretty much insatiable so it was worth a try. Ironically, this had instead made this Rem believe that he only wanted her for her body.
If nothing else, he could confidently say that he had worked hard to the very end and had exhausted absolutely every single avenue in trying to get what he wanted. And as a result, Rem hated him. Ferris hated him. Crusch hated him. If Wilhelm had been let into the loop, he would no doubt have hated Subaru too. Subaru had burned all bridges and ended up all alone with his only remaining option being death once again.
And he had done so with the utmost diligence…
'Diligence! Diligence! DIIIIILIIIIIGEEEEENCE!' Yeah right… That's the last time I let words from a fucking Witch Cult Archbishop dictate my life!
And yet… The anger still wouldn't subside. The hatred, at least in the case of Ferris and Crusch, remained mutual. He still couldn't forgive them for refusing to help him against the Witch Cult. Neither them nor Anastasia nor Priscilla. A part of him still wanted revenge on all of them. But Subaru understood that wasn't in any way conducive to his ultimate goal of getting home with the woman he loved. Even his violence towards Ferris had been a lapse in judgment, as justified as it might have felt at the time and as much as he still believed the shitty Furball had deserved it and worse.
Rem knocked on the door to the meeting room.
"Enter" said Crusch's voice from inside as Rem let herself in, still pulling Subaru by his wrist.
"As requested, Lady Crusch, Rem has brought Subaru to meet with you. Rem would like to apologize for our tardiness." Rem curtsied politely while nudging Subaru until he bowed too.
Crusch was sitting down with one leg crossed over the other. As this was official business, she was wearing the masculine-looking military uniform that she was most commonly seen in whenever appearing in public. The same she'd worn at the Royal Ceremony when espousing her values. The same she'd worn when she coldly approved the murders of everyone in Arlam Village by the Witch Cult. Ferris, meanwhile was overcompensating for his Lady's lack of feminine aesthetic with his typical 'girly' attire and deceptively pretty face. He was standing slightly crouched behind Crusch with both hands firmly gripping the top of her chair as if intending to use her as a human shield.
Some sworn Knight you turned out to be, cowering pathetically behind the one you're supposed to be protecting. And you dare criticize me for being weak and lacking resolve?! Try looking in a fucking mirror sometime, you hypocritical piece of shit!
"Thank you, Miss Rem, the lateness is rather understandable considering the inconvenient timing of these summons. In any case, I shall try not to take up too much of your time nor of mine. I'm sure you are eager to begin preparations for your journey as soon as possible. In the meantime, feel free to help yourselves to some tea." Crusch looked the two over before fixating on something. "Before we begin, however, I must ask you something, Miss Rem… And only Miss Rem, please… Did anything occur on your way to bring Natsuki Subaru here?"
"Any occurrences…?" Rem cocked her head in confusion. "Rem does not understand what you may be referring to, Lady Crusch. May Rem ask if something is amiss?"
"It is probably nothing but I simply could not help but notice something on your person. Given the subject matter of this very meeting, I was merely concerned that Natsuki Subaru may have likewise committed an act of aggression against you, Miss Rem. Those red marks on your neck…" Crusch traced the location on her own neck so Rem did the same and began to shake when she finally understood which marks Crusch had been referring to. "…Is it not fair to presume that they are bruises?"
Have some fucking tact, gees!
"Ah! Ah! Ah! …Ummm… n-n-n-no, L-Lady C-C-Crusch…" Rem squeaked, turning beet red. Self-conscious of how her face looked, she covered it with both hands. "N-not… umm… not b-b-bruises."
Subaru thought back to what he'd tried to do in the hallway. At first, he really had been planning to stop after the surprise kiss. So what had driven him to try his luck and take things further with Rem? He couldn't deny that it was at least partly because of desire. It had been so long since Subaru had last made love to his beautiful wife and he'd found the temptation overwhelming. Though that didn't mean he hadn't also been using it as a means to accomplish his goals. Subaru had reckoned that he'd have a much easier time convincing Rem to go after awakening her latent nymphomania, as she'd demand constant physical contact with him. If he'd gone all the way, he might have even managed to impregnate her, which would give her yet another reason to stay by his side. And then, if she would give birth to that child…
Rigel…
Would that child really have become Natsuki Rigel? Could they? Subaru wasn't so sure. After all, the circumstances and timing of that child's conception would have been totally different from Rigel's. And if Rem instead gave birth to a girl? Would they still be Spica, even as the firstborn?
I would just have to worry about that in the moment. Right now, Rem wants nothing to do with me.
Rem made eye contact with Ferris, giving him a look that was begging for assistance. At first, the catboy just tilted his head to the side in bemusement. Then he furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out what was going on. Then his eyes went wide with realization and he gasped audibly, putting a hand over his mouth a second later.
"Ah yes, I suppose those do appear rather strange for bruises… But then what could th—"
"Lady Crusch!" Ferris interrupted, sparing Rem any further embarrassment. When Crusch looked over at him, he just shook his head fervently. She scowled at first but relented nonetheless.
"Very well then." Crusch sighed, still clearly not understanding the sensitive nature of the topic she'd tried to broach. "We shall abandon this digression." She turned her attention towards Subaru, doing little to hide her disdain for him. "Natsuki Subaru, I trust Miss Rem has sufficiently explained the situation at hand and that you understand why I have called you here at this time…"
"Yeah yeah." Subaru replied dismissively. "It's cause I hit that damn Furball, isn't it?"
"Allow me to correct you on one point, Natsuki Subaru." Crusch began, her eyes narrowing into a piercing glare. "The name of my sworn Knight, the one you raised your fists against, is 'Ferris'. It is not 'Felix'. It most certainly is not 'That Damn Furball'. Nor is it any other manner of name or pejorative that you may come up with! Do I make myself clear?"
"…"
"Furthermore, I am not sure if you are aware of the precarious position you are currently in. As such, I wish to clue you in on something, ingrate Natsuki Subaru. It is solely, and I must reiterate, solely, because of Ferris' insistence that your foul-mouthed head, at present, remains attached to your body. For this reason, if for no other, you will treat him with the same respect as you would me!"
"Be careful what you wish for…"
Crusch had no way of knowing that Subaru's contempt for her was equivalent to or even greater than for Ferris. Ferris was just the lackey, Crusch was the boss. Responsibility for inaction to save the Witch Cult's victims fell primarily on her shoulders.
"I can see that you would rather be elsewhere, Natsuki Subaru." Crusch irritably massaged her temples. "It is admittedly likewise the case for Ferris and myself. Therefore, we shall simply let you give your response to our proposal so that we may all finish with this matter as soon as possible. Miss Rem did tell you what it entailed, yes?"
"Yeah, she told me and I've honestly given some thought as to how I wanted to answer."
Crusch leaned forward. "That being?"
"No." Subaru's lips curled into a wicked sneer. "And fuck you."
"I…" Duchess Crusch Karsten was completely taken aback by the unexpectedly belligerent reply. "…Beg your pardon?"
"Oh? Did you somehow miss what I said the first time around? Alright then. I said no and fu— OW! Ow! Ow! Hey!"
"What the hell are you doing?!" Rem hissed, after kicking his shin several times.
"Making sure you never have to see me again…" Subaru whispered back with equal malice.
"You know damn well that's not what I mea—"
"Miss Rem!" Crusch briefly raised her voice, grabbing the pair's attention. "Natsuki Subaru. My sincerest apologies, am I interrupting something important?" There was nothing sincere about her apology. If anything it seemed like she was the one waiting for an apology.
"Huh? Nah, just a little lovers' spat." Subaru grinned cheekily, earning himself an elbow to the ribs. "Owwww… Anyway, you heard me so just do whatever you gotta do so we can all get on with our lives."
"What I have to do, you say? Allow me to correct you on one point, Natsuki Subaru. If you are not willing to accept this very generous compromise, I will have no choice but to make an example of you. In which case, you would not be 'getting on with your life' as said life would be forfeit."
"Yeah, I got that."
Subaru's affirmation only puzzled Crusch even more. "And despite that… You still believe death by my hand to be preferable to swallowing your pride, even momentarily?"
"Yes."
"As you wish…" Crusch stood up and began drawing her blade from its scabbard. "Miss Rem, I would appreciate you distancing yourself from Natsuki Subaru so that I do not risk harming you as well. As confident as I am in my skill, I would rather not tempt fate. In addition, I am concerned that he may try to use you as a shield."
"Subaru would never…" Rem began before hesitation made her unable to continue. She glanced worriedly at Subaru, no doubt trying to convince herself of her own words. The anxious look on her face showed the millions of thoughts running through her head. Eventually, she seemed to have come to some kind of decision as she reluctantly stepped aside. Even then, Subaru could still feel Rem's eyes boring into him.
"Thank you, Miss Rem." Crusch finished unsheathing her sword, its blade glowing a phosphorescent green.
Come on. Come on. Come on! As these suicidal thoughts crossed his mind, Subaru couldn't help but grin maniacally from ear to ear. Halibel. Tia. Rigel. Spica. Rem. I'll do better next time…
"Natsuki Subaru." Crusch held her weapon aloft with both hands, tightly gripping its hilt. "For the crime of assaulting my loyal Knight and beloved friend, I sentence you to de —"
"STOP!" Ferris wailed, jumping in front of Crusch with his arms outstretched just as she prepared to initiate her attack. "Lady Crusch, please! It's clear that Subawu is nyot thinking straight at all! Just look at him! He's smiling like a madman! Ferri does nyot understand why but Subawu wants to die right now. He's been acting strange like this for most of the day and Rem can attest to that too, right down to threatening his own life. There's something seriously wrong with him and it's likely something out of his control. Ferri thinks executing him in those kinds of circumstances just wouldn't be fair. Ferri understands that Lady Crusch is upset with Subawu's actions and wants him to pay for them but this… this isn't justice!"
Give me a fucking break… One more second! Just one more second and Crusch would have freed me from this pointless dead-end loop!
"Hey, Catshit!" Subaru yelled, causing Ferris to instinctively put up his hands to defend himself from another potential beating. "I don't remember appointing you as my psychologist or my fucking attorney!" Subaru picked up a nearby wine glass and pointed it threateningly at the catboy. "Speak for me again and I'll shove this down your throat!"
A moment later, the vessel in Subaru's grip exploded, covering his hand in deep cuts and embedded shards of glass. He groaned in pain.
"Don't you DARE threaten Ferris!" Crusch's blade was radiating even brighter than before and Subaru realized that she had channeled her magic through it to destroy the glass he'd been holding. She pointed her sword's tip in the direction of Subaru's bleeding hand. "Let this be a reminder to you, Natsuki Subaru, that I am under no obligation to make your end quick or painless. Should you force my hand, I will personally ensure that you suffer for it!" This was a Crusch Karsten unlike any that Subaru had ever seen before. Wrathful, impulsive, and bloodthirsty. Gone was that ideal image of the stoic, cool-headed master tactician that she'd always presented herself as.
Everyone has their breaking point… And it looks like I've found yours, Duchess.
In a way, this was the perfect revenge for Subaru. Destroying Crusch's poise would cause longer lasting damage to her than any kind of physical wound. Though the satisfaction he got out of it still paled in comparison to what he'd felt when he'd embraced brute force against Ferris.
"Ha! Is that the best you've got?!" Subaru heckled.
"EVERYONE, PLEASE CALM DOWN!" Ferris shrieked, his angelic beauty tarnished by a flow of tears and phlegm. "Ferri is tired… Ferri is tired of all this senseless violence." He put his hands over Crusch's and gently began pushing them down. "Lady Crusch, this isn't like you. You're letting him get into your head." Crusch seemed to be resisting this attempt at pacification. "Please, Lady Crusch… For Ferri… For me."
All this effort just to convince Crusch not to take my life…
"You…!" Crusch grit her teeth before finally giving in to her Knight's soothing voice and relaxing her stance. "You are right, Ferris. I let my rage get the better of me." She looked away and hung her head in shame, another uncharacteristic expression for her.
And yet you didn't say a WORD to save Emilia… To save the others in the Mansion… To save the people of Arlam… You… liar! You fraud! You hypocrite! You two-faced, backstabbing piece of shit! You might be able to fool everyone else but I've seen your true face, Ferris Argyle! I know how you can just stand by and listen in silence as your beloved Lady Crusch sentences a whole village of innocent people to be ruthlessly butchered! So why go so far for me?! Why not for them?! Where were your tears then, huh?! Why couldn't you have begged, pleaded, and cried for them instead?! Why?! Why?! WHY, YOU BASTARD?! BECAUSE I'M RIGHT HERE AND THEY'RE NOT?! FUCK YOU! I'D BEAT YOU TEN THOUSAND FUCKING MORE TIMES IF I COULD AND EVEN THAT WOULD JUST BE A FRACTION OF WHAT YOU DESERVE!
Not only had Ferris ruined Subaru's chance at an easy death, he had also shown to Subaru how shallow his principles ultimately were. Ferris supposedly cared about human life more than anything else and would do absolutely everything in his power to save someone from death. But this was all a façade. Clearly, the only lives that mattered to Ferris were those that he could see in front of him at the time. That's why the healer could go above and beyond to defend even someone who had so violently abused him while doing nothing of the sort to save a faraway community of innocents from being wiped out. Which essentially meant that he was just made uncomfortable by the idea of somebody dying in front of him. In other words, less the treasuring of life and more a glorified kind of squeamishness.
"Miss Rem?" Crusch was still looking away. "I am terribly sorry to trouble you but would it be possible for you to extract the glass fragments from Natsuki Subaru's hand and to heal his wounds? To continue this conversation while forcing him to endure that pain would be unnecessary vindictiveness on my part."
Rem curtsied in affirmation and got to work. She made no attempt to be gentle while yanking the pieces out. For each one that she removed, she muttered an insult at Subaru that only he could hear. "Brute…" She pulled the first shard. "Idiot…" The second. "Manipulator…" Another. "Abuser…" And another. Finally Rem reached the last one and her voice cracked as she said "heartbreaker." She left him alone again once the treatment was complete. Though she was trying to hide it, Subaru could see that she was constantly glancing concernedly in his general direction.
Crusch breathed in deeply and turned back to facing Subaru. "Answer me this then, Natsuki Subaru. Have I not been a gracious host to you and Miss Rem throughout your stay here? Has Ferris not done his utmost in trying to repair your Gate? Has Wilhelm not allotted a generous amount of his time to train your swordsmanship? And with my explicit permission, no less?"
"…"
"If you have no objection in regarding the validity of any of these statements, may I understand why you have such unrestrained animus for Ferris and myself?"
"Because I hate you." Subaru spat, putting special emphasis on the word denoting his loathing.
Surprisingly, and though it was surely what they expected, both Crusch and Ferris appeared saddened to hear it. To someone who hadn't witnessed the events of that fateful loop, Subaru would indeed seem like just an inconsiderate asshole with no appreciation for the myriad kindnesses the Duchess and her followers had offered him. And this fact infuriated him almost more than everything else. That his actions, driven by the product of his lived experiences, looked unreasonable to others simply because he wasn't allowed to tell anyone about them. He'd also been made to understand firsthand exactly how he would be treated were he to try and work around these limitations. At best, as a vengeful madman whose sole motivation was a long-standing vendetta. At worst, as a witch cultist. And when he'd tried to tell the truth instead, the heart of someone he cared about was crushed as a punishment. That was the moment Subaru began to see Return By Death as nothing more than a curse and vowed to never use it again. To never die again until he was ready to pass on. And that was precisely what he had done.
Yet…
Despite this determination to have his life end for good, the curse had brought him back anyway. And ever since the moment of his return, he'd been made to remember again and again just what it was that had made him flee in the first place. Not that Subaru needed them. As soon as he'd understood where he was, his only goal had been to run away with Rem once again. Had she agreed just like the first time, everything would have ended there and Subaru would have had no reason to open up his old wounds. Instead, he'd found himself stuck and the more he was forced to be in the presence of Crusch and Ferris, the more he thought about their betrayal. This was why he despised them both. Why he despised Anastasia Hoshin. Why he despised Priscilla Barielle.
"I see…" Crusch responded at last, her eyes downcast. "In truth, I had surmised as much from your demeanor throughout this meeting. What I find difficult to ascertain is the precise reason we have found ourselves to be targets of your disdain."
He wished he could tell them. To throw it in their faces and watch them scramble to make excuses. Like a pair of adept criminals with seemingly airtight alibis having their scheme uncovered in the final act by an intrepid detective. Had Rem not been in the room, Subaru would have gladly divulged his secrets and given everyone's hearts to the Witch of Envy's juice presser. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't watch Rem die again because of his actions, even in a world that no longer mattered.
"Because I know what you really are. Both of you." It was such a vague non-statement that nobody else could ever hope to understand.
Crusch's eyes widened. "And might I ask what exactly it is that you believe us to be?" She steeled herself for an answer that would surely displease her.
Subaru pointed accusingly at each in turn. "Duchess Crusch Karsten, a heartless despot who abandons the weak…" Ferris cowered when the finger moved towards him. "…And Sir Ferris Argyle, her spineless yes-man whose concern for others' wellbeing is nothing but a sham." The healer reeled from the condemnation of his character.
"Those are…" Crusch inhaled sharply, no less taken aback than her Knight. "Those are certainly some harsh words." She exchanged glances with Ferris before training her eyes on Subaru yet again. "Who was it that fed this information to you, Natsuki Subaru? Was it the representative of another Royal Candidate, perhaps? If so, I fear that you have fallen victim to disinformation and Ferris and myself to a targeted smear campaign. As such, it is paramount that you divulge to me the source of these libelous cla— Natsuki Subaru, I am afraid that I do not understand what is so amusing…"
"Smear campaign?" Subaru snickered derisively. "Of course that's your excuse! It's just gotta be someone else making you look bad! It's never your fault, is it, Your Highness?!" He bowed to Crusch mockingly while continuing to laugh. "Well, joke's on you this time. Because I heard it straight from the dragon's mouth! These aren't some secondhand rumors. These are things that I personally witnessed with my own eyes and ears! And if you don't believe me, why don't you check if I'm lying?"
Everyone was staring at him agape. Crusch especially was at a loss for words.
"When…" There was that same hint of dread in her eyes as he'd seen in Rem. "…did this conversation between us take place?"
Time to have some fun…
"Well, it's kinda hard to keep track but I'd say… around now? Give or take an hour or two." Subaru shrugged, watching with satisfaction as Crusch struggled to comprehend what he was saying.
"That is impossible!" Crusch's hands were noticeably shaking. "Are you trying to say that you have experienced multiple instances of this same moment?!"
Oof, cutting it a little close there. Better be more careful or Rem might die.
"Subawu!" Ferris interjected before Subaru could formulate a response to Crusch's question. "Are mew by any chance in possession… of a 'Gospel'?"
Isn't that the black book Petelgeuse was obsessing over? So in other words…
"Typical. So now you accuse me of being affiliated with the Witch Cult…" Subaru shook his head in mock disappointment.
Usually, this would have been Rem's cue to leap in and defend him while indignantly rebuking Ferris for so casually implying such a thing. Instead, she was watching fearfully from the side as if she too couldn't be totally sure that Subaru wasn't a cultist. This was the definitive sign that their relationship had become irreparably damaged.
For a moment, Subaru considered confirming Ferris' suspicions and hoping for a guaranteed execution as a convicted Witch Cultist. He decided against it upon realizing that he was just as likely to end up imprisoned and interrogated for information about the secretive group's activities.
"If that is not the case…" Crusch's brow creased. "I really must insist that you explain your words implying that you have experienced an alternate sequence of these very events."
Subaru's heart skipped a beat as if anticipating the arrival of the shadow hands. He could tell how precariously close he was to invoking the taboo.
"Now that is something I can't do." He responded, clenching his fist.
"And why is that?!" Crusch prodded with a raised voice, evidently growing impatient with Subaru's evasiveness.
"BECAUSE IF I DID, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WOULD BE LYING DEAD ON THE FLOOR!" Subaru roared.
There was quiet as Crusch, Ferris, and Rem all tried, to no avail, to make sense of Subaru's cryptic statements. For a moment, the silence made Subaru worry that time was frozen because he'd revealed too much.
"Natsuki Subaru." Crusch's voice dispelled those concerns. "I am afraid that I do not understand what you are saying."
Now's my chance.
"Send Rem out of here and I'll gladly show you."
"That is your condition?" Crusch pondered the proposal. "I understand, but that is ultimately for Miss Rem to dec—"
"Absolutely not." The usually polite maid's uncharacteristic harshness surprised both Crusch and Ferris. "Rem was ordered by Lord Roswaal to accompany Master Subaru. Rem will not be leaving this room."
Damn it, Rem! I'm trying to save you here!
"In that case, please consider this as notice of my resignation. Both from Roswaal's employment and from Emilia's Camp in general. Now those orders mean nothing!"
"Be… Be that as it may…" Rem shifted uncomfortably while she struggled to digest the news. "It would appear that what Mr Subaru intends to divulge is a matter of great significance for both Lord Roswaal and Lady Emilia." She glared at Subaru. "Rem will not be leaving this room."
"Then I guess that's the end of that." Subaru shrugged as he turned back towards Crusch and Ferris. "You can both go to hell for all I care but I'm not willing to risk something happening to Rem." He could see Rem blushing out of the corner of his eye. "So you'll just have to accept everything I said as is."
"That is most displeasing, Natsuki Subaru." Crusch sighed. "But I suppose it cannot be helped at present. Perhaps we can discuss this again at a later time. In the meantime, it would be best to return to the topic at hand. So this hatred for us… Was that your motivation for hitting Ferris several times?"
"Ye—" Subaru stopped himself as he picked up on something in what Crusch had said. "Wait… 'Several' times?!"
"Is this not the case?"
"Nah nah, it is. It's just… 'several' is one hell of an understatement, don'tcha think?" Subaru raised an eyebrow.
Crusch glared daggers at him. "And what could you possibly mean by that?" She demanded, her tone stern.
Confused, Subaru saw Ferris standing behind Crusch with a petrified facial expression, making an 'X' shape with his arms while vigorously shaking his head. The message seemed to be that Subaru should not answer the question. Rem was also subtly gesturing something to that effect.
Then it clicked.
She doesn't know…
Subaru had been wondering why, all things considered, Crusch had been rather lenient with him. How she could have ever accepted Ferris' proposal to give Subaru the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. This was not the logical way to treat someone who had beaten your closest friend literally to death multiple times. And the reason for that self-restraint was simply that Ferris had pulled the wool over her eyes and only told her that Subaru had hit him 'several' times.
Fucking self-righteous piece of cat shit!
It seemed that Ferris and Rem both had forgotten that Subaru was actively trying to get himself killed. So revealing this secret to him was the worst thing they could have done if their goal was to keep him alive. Now he needed only tell the truth in order to make Crusch understand the irredeemability of his crime, who in turn would then cut him down without a second thought.
"I'd be glad to explain." Subaru simpered, watching smugly as Ferris and Rem grimaced. The two exchanged a silent conversation with each other through various gestures, ending with Rem nodding slowly. "You see… hah… hah… You… hurrrk… gakkkk! BLEEEEEEHHHH!"
Out of nowhere, Subaru's head began to spin viciously as an unexpected wave of nausea hit him like a truck. It was so powerful that he soon found himself on all fours, barely able to breathe. The contents of his stomach resurfaced all over the floor in front of him. An all too familiar feeling of extreme tiredness and weakness overtook him.
What the… What the hell?! Was there something in the tea I drank?! Did Crusch have me poisoned?! Or worse, is this a Shaman's curse?!
Then he saw Ferris looking down with his cat ears drooped, as if he'd just done something he was deeply ashamed of. Rem, meanwhile, was biting her lip and looking at Subaru's wretched state not with concern but with pity. He realized from these clues and the spontaneity of the illness that Ferris might have done something with his Water Magic in order to prevent Subaru from incriminating himself.
No way… Can he just do that whenever he wants?!
"Oh nyo!" Ferris feigned panic. "It looks like all the stress has gotten to Subawu and made him really sick, meow! Lady Crusch, Ferris knyows how much mew were hoping to continue this conversation but it might be best to just end it here, do you nyot agree?"
"…"
"Subawu will probably feel much better once he leaves the Capital, meow. The quicker the better, honyestly. Rem, are both of mew ready to go?"
You bastard! It was you!
If Subaru still had any doubts about Ferris being responsible for the sudden bout of queasiness, the catboy taking advantage of it to silence Subaru and send him away was more than enough to make it a certainty.
"More or less, Master Ferris. It would not take long for Rem to gather up all of our things. It is unfortunate that circumstances are forcing us to separate in such a hurry but Rem understands that it cannot be helped." Rem curtsied. "Hopefully, a few cups of Sister's exquisite tea would make Subaru recover in no time." She giggled.
"Hmmm, yes. It's most likely nyothing. But better safe than sorry, meow. Have a safe journey back to the Mansion!"
Rem nodded politely and started walking towards the bent over Subaru.
"I understand that I am redundant here…" Crusch's voice, while quiet and steady, was dripping with venom. "Apologies, Miss Rem and Ferris. I did not intend to interrupt your arrangements. After all, you appear to have worked everything out together without the need for me to say a word. Congratulations, Ferris, I was unaware that you had been appointed the new head of House Karsten. Or would you prefer that I now call you by Lord Ferris instead?"
"Wh-Wh-Wha?!" Ferris froze. "Ferri did nyot m-mean to imply that your approval wasn't required, Lady Crusch! And certainly nyot that Ferris wished to take your place!"
"Oh? Are you quite sure about that? Would you not rather I abdicate and give you full reign over this House's affairs so that you may do as you please with Natsuki Subaru? Is this not the gist of your little 'conspiracy' with Miss Rem?" This was the first time Subaru had seen Crusch display so much ire towards Ferris.
"N-Nyo! Of course nyot! Ferri serves Lady Crusch, nyot the other way r-r-round!"
"How very kind of you, Ferris… In that case, my first order is for you to cease manipulating Natsuki Subaru's bodily functions so that we may resume our talk."
All the color drained out of Ferris' face. "Ehhhh?! L-Lady Crusch, Ferri is wounded by your accusation!"
"Ferris." Crusch glared at her cowering Knight. "That is quite enough dishonesty from you for one day, would you not agree?"
"F-F-Ferri—"
"I am not a fool, Ferris. It is obvious that this is your doing. Consider this your final chance. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-Yes, Lady Crusch. Ferri appreciates Lady Crusch's generosity."
"Allow me to correct you on one point, Ferris. The sole reason why I have not dismissed you for lying to me is because I know you typically have the best of intentions. Make no mistake, however, we will be discussing this in greater detail later and I will be expecting nothing short of the full truth at that time."
Ferris nodded and stopped using his magic on Subaru's body, mouthing a silent 'sorry' to Rem who looked down in dejection.
"As… I… was… hah… saying" Subaru gasped, still recovering from the potent assault. "This little… piece of… Shit, give me… a moment." His breathing slowly returned to normal as his body regained its natural strength. "There we… go. Much better. Yeah, so your trusted Knight has been lying to your face if he told you that I only hit him 'several' times."
"Ferris, in fact, only mentioned that you hit him without specifying further. I surmised it was several times based on the effect it had on him." Crusch's eyes narrowed as both hands gripped the hilt of her sword. "I recall you saying that was an 'understatement'. So then, Natsuki Subaru, how many acts of violence did you enact against my dearest friend?" She was practically daring him to admit it.
"Honestly…" Subaru snickered, his face all smiles. "I was having too much fun that I didn't even keep count!" He saw veins pop in Crusch's forehead, making him laugh even harder. "Oh, but that seriously is one hell of a regeneration ability he's got! If the shitty little Furball didn't have that, the things I did to him would have probably killed him about ten or twenty different times! Fuck… You should've seen the look on his stupid face as I broke every bone in his body! And don't even get me started on the blood, ha ha. Sorry about making a mess in that room though or whatever." Ferris couldn't help but tear up as Subaru made him remember the traumatic experience. "Honestly, I can see why you like him so much, Crusch. It's kinda nice to just have a punching bag on hand whenever you need to let off a little steam!"
That's gotta have done it.
Bloodlust filled the Duchess' eyes at hearing this remorseless confession of Subaru's heinous actions. Her blade began to glow a bright green again.
"Lady Crusch, pl—"
"Be. SILENT. Ferris. I will not have you intervening in this matter any more than you already have!" Crusch raised the luminescent weapon above her head, her stance a repeat of what it had been when she'd planned to execute Subaru earlier. "I would strongly suggest that you choose your next words carefully, Natsuki Subaru. They very well may be your last…"
Here we go! Onto the next one.
Subaru stopped laughing but kept a sneer plastered on his face as he sealed his fate.
"Hit me with your best shot… You bitch!"
Crusch swung her blade down with full force, a deadly embodiment of her rage. "Disappear from my sight, Natsuki Subaru!"
Subaru closed his eyes, awaiting the embrace of death and the start of a new attempt.
I swear I'll get all of you back… Halibel… Tia… Rigel… Spica…
"NO!" Ferris screamed.
He felt something hard crash into his side, knocking the air out of his lungs. It was a much blunter impact than what he'd expected from the magic sword attack. More confusingly, he didn't feel like someone on the brink of death. And he'd had enough experience with dying to know exactly what that felt like. He could hear noises of panic all around him. His dizziness from the collision subsided and he focused on the sounds.
"This is what Ferri was afraid of! This is why Ferri didn't want any more violence!" The healer's words were interspersed with bitter sobs.
"I… I… I never imagined… Why would… This should not have…" That uncharacteristically timid voice struggling to make a full sentence sounded like it belonged to Crusch.
Subaru opened his eyes to the distraught faces of Ferris and Crusch. He followed their gaze over to a pool of blood on the floor, decorated with spilled innards. Tracing the viscera back to its origins led him to the dismembered lower half of a body, its legs covered in long white socks that had been stained a deep crimson. Subaru began to wheeze rapidly, already anticipating the worst but needing to be certain of what he was seeing. His eyes soon found the torso right by his side, one arm outstretched in his direction with an open palm.
He now understood what had taken place in those short moments after he'd accepted death. The owner of these two, now separated, body halves had pushed him out of the way to save his life and had been killed in his stead.
The one he loved above all else.
The one he had once again failed to save.
…Rem!