Re:Inventing Life in a Different World from Zero (Humility If - The Witch's Apostle) - Geisterivain - Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 (2024)

Chapter 1: Prologue - Red that suppressed the White of the Snow

Chapter Text

Everything was covered in a crimson blanket. No matter where he looked, that crimson shade just would not fade away. What was going on? It was normal for the entire landscape to be completely white. He was in a complete daze, until only seconds ago he was taking a nap in his bunk. He rubbed his eyes roughly, looking to check if the crimson filter would finally disappear. He opened his eyelids again, suddenly an unbearable pain ravaged his retinas. Instinctively he closed his eyelids again, while pressing his eyes with his thumbs. He would rather gouge them out than continue to endure such abominable pain.

"Stop! That's what the enemy wants you to do!" Before he could remove his eyeballs, a furry hand prevented him from doing so. Before he could reproach it for the interruption, the one who had stopped him forced him to his feet. "Come on, get up, if we don't get the hell out of here we'll die too."

"I-I can't... I c-can't..." He muttered in a broken voice; just like his spirit. If that was what they wished for, if what those f*ckers wanted was his death, then he would gladly end his own life; all for the sake of ceasing to suffer such unbearable pain.

He tried to resume the removal of his eyes, but then he received a strong punch on his cheek. "It's all in your mind, man, you can beat it." That was easy for him to say, it was clear that his willpower was unbreakable; only that way was it possible to survive an encounter with those who were attacking them.

Despite the fact that he did not consider himself capable of resisting the powerful force that was subduing him, he finally decided to comply with his partner's instructions and focused on the sensations in his own face. What he felt was not real. He focused even more, now on the sensations in his eyes. That pain was not real.

"I think I'm doing it, yeah, I'm resisting it!" He exclaimed excitedly. The pain was finally subsiding. "I made it Ha-!" But before he could finish speaking, a powerful explosion took place just over a yard away from him; right behind where his partner was standing. His body was thrown several meters away from where he was. "W-wha? Koff! What happened?" He managed to ask between groans of pain and fits of coughing.

Once again he tried to open his eyelids. He feared that terrible pain would return with a vengeance, but to his luck, this did not happen. The crimson filter remained there. He looked to where the mercenary should have been, but only a crimson crater covered in fleshy remains remained there instead. Nausea struck him and he was forced to look away.

It was then that he finally realized that he was soaked, completely soaked from head to toe. He could finally understand. That crimson filter had nothing to do with his eyes, the answer was as simple as everything around him was bathed in a red liquid. The first thing he thought of was his friend the mercenary, but he dismissed that option. It pained him to think about it, but it was clear that so much blood could not come from a single body.

Shocked, he felt drops falling on his hair and face, and soon looked up at the sky. There loomed a wide, spiral-shaped cloud. A cloud so black that it could only herald the worst of storms, and yet the water falling from it could not be considered water at all. That was not rain, unless the sky had started to bleed.

"I'm sick of dealing with you people." As he gazed absorbedly at the black cloud from which blood was raining, he could hear a disdainful voice originating from a place a few meters away from him. He reacted quickly and looked towards the place where the unknown voice came from. There stood a man, glaring at him.

"T-The Witch's Apostle." He managed to utter, completely terrified. That was the first time he had seen that man, yet he was not unaware of the name by which he was called. The dark jet-colored hair that stuck out from the hood that covered his head gave him away. In Gusteko it was not usual to meet individuals with that color of hair, but when such a thing happened, it was to be expected that problems would arise.

The man was clad in a dark purple robe; a purple so dark that it could easily be mistaken for black. His barely visible arms were wrapped in multiple layers of bandages smeared with bloodstains. In his hands he carried some sort of weapon that was not unfamiliar to him. And his face was highlighted by the malevolent look he possessed, though with a simple glance at his darkly bagged eyes, it was evident that he was exhausted.

"Hmm... Hearing that moniker at another time would have annoyed me, but I suppose I've gotten used to it by now." Whispered the Witch's Apostle more to himself than to him. "Anyway... I'm tired that no matter how many of you I murder, you always find a way to keep using my ideas to your advantage."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about..." He replied, trembling.

"Of course not, your bosses simply put you and your colleagues to build my inventions for them without providing you with any details. I'm afraid they haven't paid me for royalties, though."

"Royalties?" He asked in confusion.

"Don't mind me, I was just saying something stupid." He replied smiling slightly at him, a smile so creepy that he was tempted to run away on the spot. But it was useless. "I have to send a message to your bosses, so I can't leave any of you alive. I'm sorry."

"N-No! Please!" He begged, dropping to his knees. But that only got the apostle to burst into laughter.

"If begging were enough, maybe I wouldn't be here..." He remarked, his voice laden with a certain air of melancholy. "But I fear that dealing with you has taken up valuable time, and my mistress expects me to fulfill a mission for her in a few days." After saying this, he pulled a black book from his tunic and glanced at it. After a few seconds a gesture of annoyance took shape on his face. "Tch! I've had enough of this stuff. Well, whatever. I'll take care of everything as quickly as possible and go back to look for Capella. When I find that sneaky bitch I'll make sure to squeeze every last bit of information out of her."

"..." Puzzled by the Witch's Apostle's demeanor, he remained silent as he stared at his disgruntled looking face.

"Anyway. This was all nothing more than a swift personal mission of mine, so I must take my leave." Said the apostle, giving a small bow. After that, he brought his hand to his chest.

Both looked at each other without anything happening for several seconds, and then the apostle winced in pain and anguish. For an instant, he did not understand what was happening; it was then that he felt something cold in his chest. He looked down, only to find that streams of blood were now gushing out from under his shirt. Before he could check what was happening to his body, he collapsed to the ground completely devoid of life.

The Witch's Apostle stared for several seconds at the corpse before looking away. "If I hadn't taken her deal, maybe I would have ended up just like him... Even so, I'm still too weak, far too weak. Too weak to protect them all, too weak to kill them all. If only I were stronger..." Whispering that, he vanished from those illegal weapons manufacturing facilities.

Chapter 2: Cruel Humility

Chapter Text

Humility If

"Humility is the virtue that consists in knowing your own limitations and weaknesses..."

ARC I: Reinventing Life from Zero

Two Months since the Last Death (Three Deaths)

What is death? The end of the life. The rule that measures all beings, regardless of species, status, or age, equally. You can escape the pain, you can escape the consequences of your actions, you can even escape any type of problem that may appear throughout your life, but you can never escape death. That is a universal law, which applies even to the heavenly bodies and the universe itself. Everything that has a beginning has an end. Everything except Natsuki Subaru.

And make no mistake, it isn't that Subaru is incapable of suffering, changing, or dying. Subaru is a human like any other, without any quality that makes him stand out above the rest. He isn't very intelligent, and he isn't in excellent physical condition either; definitely, he is mediocre in every way. Except for one detail, and that is that every time his life is severed from him, time itself is rewound in his favor, until he is placed in a favorable position, in which he can escape from any upcoming danger that may end his life.

That is not an ability he was born with. In fact, Subaru is from a different world than the one in which he finds himself in the present. He himself doesn't know why or how he ended up in the fantastic world in which he is now, the same applies to his peculiar ability: Return by Death. He also doesn't know if going back to his world is even an option. One could even affirm that, within himself, he is aware that doing so is impossible; at least is not an option that has been presented to him.

Unaware of the reasons why he is where he is, and unaware of the existence of other people who are in the same situation as him, Subaru decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and started an enterprise. The idea crossed his mind shortly after understanding his situation, but at the time it occurred to him, he had yet to solve a problem that, if left unsolved, would lead to the death of three people, including a girl with a big heart that didn't deserve such a horrendous fate...

"¡Subaru! ¡Subaru!"

"What-!? Ouch!"

Subaru woke up abruptly, falling from his bed in the process. Still with his consciousness submerged in the waters of a deep and stormy dream, Subaru blinked a few times. Through the curtain of his room, the rays of the morning sun were filtering. Due to its low brightness, it couldn't be later than nine in the morning; although of course, that time measurement doesn't apply where he is now. Rubbing his eyes, in order to wake up completely, Subaru broke free of the sheet that was binding his body. As he got back to his feet, he heard a voice call him again, while the door to his room was knocked with annoying insistence.

"Subaru! Wake up! I have a message that you really need to take right away!"

Understanding the urgency that carried the voice, Subaru decided not to waste time changing his nightwear and approached the door. The door itself had nothing to attract attention, it was brown, of a wood that could not stand out in any detail and was supported by two rather thick hinges. What stood out was the set of locks and bolts that kept anyone out of the room.

One could relate the exaggerated amount of security at the door, to the fact that Subaru had two months of having arrived at that world, but that would be a misconception. It was due to the three deaths suffered the first day he arrived in that world, that Subaru began to fear that he would find himself involved in a similar situation again. What if the terrifying gut-loving woman returned? What if the trio of fools returned with a group of thugs to take revenge? Those questions would not allow Subaru to sleep peacefully, without taking various considerations before going to bed; and even then, fear would never completely disappear.

"What is it, Leith? You know very well that I've never been a morning person." Removing the last lock, Subaru said that to the person behind the door, as he opened it.

Leith was the name of the guy who was there. Leith hair was combed to one side, like the typical nerd image existing in his world. He wore a brown coat over a white cloth shirt, trying to imitate the clothes of those nobles of the upper class, although it was obvious to the naked eye that the quality of his clothes was very poor. Still, Leith was a man with excellent manners, at least most of the time, who struggled to rise from the social class in which he was born.

"Here." Leith, ignoring Subaru's comment, handed him a sheet of paper carefully.

Subaru narrowed his eyes at the care with which the boy treated said paper sheet. Taking it, he noticed that it was not a simple paper sheet; it was an envelope. The envelope was made from a completely neat white paper, at a level never seen by Subaru in that world. Considering that the printing press there was not as developed as in his world, it was not surprising that the paper was slightly dark in color and rough to the touch, but that was not the case with the envelope Leith had given to him.

"Who sends it?" Subaru asked, looking up to meet his partner face to face. Considering the quality of the envelope, it must have been from someone important.

"Look behind it." He indicated.

Subaru looked down at the envelope again, but before doing as Leith had told him, he ran his finger over the wax seal that held the envelope closed. There was not much to point out, because the letter that was drawn on the wax was unrecognizable to him.

In the time he had since he came to that world, Subaru dedicated part of it to studying the writing of that place, which was very different from his native home; curiously, both places shared the spoken language, with the only difference of some accents.

In that world, the writing is divided into three types of glyphs, i-glyphs, ro-glyphs, and ha-glyphs, the first being the most basic and the other two being of a more advanced level. Until now, Subaru has barely managed to reach a medium level of understanding of i-glyphs, although that is not very far from what a child of that world can read.

With that in mind, the character marked on the envelope seal was nothing more than a meaningless drawing for Subaru. Realizing that he would get no information from the seal, he finally turned the letter over and saw that there was information written there. Seeing it, he couldn't help but frown. That information was also written in glyphs that he was not able to read, and Leith knew that Subaru could only read i-glyphs. So why did Leith insist that he turn the envelope over?

When Subaru was about to point out that mistake on Leith's part, his gaze caught something that did indeed make sense to him. Right on the left side of the envelope, in the lowest part of it. It was a name, or so it seemed. Subaru brought the envelope closer to his face so he could be able to read better the only i-glyph words on the entire envelope.

"Anastasia... Hoshin... Anastasia Hoshin." Subaru repeated the name, as if hoping to understand what Leith apparently hoped he could understand. But after a moment, he gave up and looked back at the guy. "Am I supposed to know what that name means?"

Leith sighed at Subaru's comment. "I really don't understand how you have been able to survive all this time."

"I already told you that I came here from after the Great Waterfall, that you don't believe me, won't change that I'm someone new in this world." Subaru replied, shrugging his shoulders as if that was a worn detail.

Subaru initially thought about lying about where he came from, but after many people began to doubt the ideas, he was trying to sell them, he decided to choose to tell the truth. That was perhaps not the best solution to the problem, as people began to doubt his sanity more, but at least it solved the annoying insistence that some people had to find out where he came from.

"Anyway, leaving that aside… I can understand that you don't know many things, still... you really don't know who Anastasia Hoshin is? Didn't you leave the workshop yesterday during all day?"

"Well, I was working on a new design, so… no. Anyway, stop playing the mystery and tell me who's this Anastasia Hoshin." At Subaru's exasperated response, Leith sighed again.

"Whatever. Do you remember that yesterday it was revealed who're the five candidates for the Royal Selection?" Subaru nodded at the question. In the time he was in that world, Subaru learned various things from the world he was at.

It is made up of a single large continent, with no oceans, which is surrounded by the Great Waterfall. This continent is divided into four major countries, the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko to the north, the Holy Empire of Vollachia to the south, the States of the Kararagi City to the west, and the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica to the east. Subaru is in the latter, specifically, in the royal capital, Lugnica. In addition to these four main countries, there are others which are smaller and of lesser importance scattered throughout the continent.

Regarding Lugnica, is governed by the royal family, although recently this was eradicated by an illness, so a selection is about to be made to tell its next ruler. The importance of this fact is due not only to a political issue, but also because the future of the country depends on it. Its name, Lugnica Dragon Kingdom, comes from a pact made hundreds of years ago, between the royal family and the dragon called Volcanica. This dragon is the one who protects the country from all catastrophes, so keeping such a pact is truly a matter of life or death for the kingdom.

"So, this Anastasia Hoshin is one of the candidates?" Subaru questioned; Leith nodded. "And what with that? You know I'm not interested in politics…"

"That is why I say that your ignorance of the current situation's so dangerous! Anastasia Hoshin isn't only a candidate for the throne, but she's also the owner and president of one of the most important companies in Kararagi, the Hoshin Trading Company. She's considered a genius next to the legendary merchant Hoshin of the Wilderness, from whom she took her last name and the name of her company. That a person like her is interested in us... in you, is something that we cannot miss."

"Okay, okay... From what you say, I understand that she's a person that I should have been aware of since I entered the world of commerce. In that case, let's open the envelope and see what the letter inside say." Subaru, realizing that this was a great opportunity for the business he was beginning to bring to life, broke the seal and took a paper sheet out of the envelope. The letter was written on the same type of paper as the envelope and was written entirely in glyphs that were unknown to him. Without saying a word, he held out the paper to Leith, who took it without questioning his actions.

"Ahem!" Leith cleared his throat and proceeded to read the contents of the letter.

Subaru stared in horror at the future that was about to reach Satella, the kind and stubborn girl, Felt, the thief girl, and Old Man Rom, Felt's adoptive grandfather. Subaru had considered escaping, selling the cell phone he brought with him from his world, and starting to do business with his knowledge of the "new world", but his conscience stopped him.

The family, the woman carrying tomatoes, the tomato that fell, the tomato that was crushed by a carriage. None of that could be related to what was about to happen, and even so, it was enough to remind him of the terrible fate that these three people were about to suffer at the hands of Elsa, the terrible woman who rejoices at taking the bowels of her victims.

With that in his mind, Subaru entered an alley, where sooner rather than later he encountered the three insistent thieves. Regardless of how many times he had died so far, their presence remained an inevitable fact. Therefore, Subaru had already concluded that these men had decided to assault him since before Subaru spoke to the apple guy.

Without much time to act, Subaru began to think about what the correct course of action would be to take. He was aware that while he could defeat them if he attacked them in the correct order, he still risked himself to get stabbed in the back, just like his previous death. With that in mind, Subaru decided to leave his stupid and unwarranted pride behind and began calling the guards using a female voice.

They are more likely to come rescue me if they think I am a woman, he concluded. Subaru knew of the existence of guards, not only because during his previous tours around the city he saw more than one guard wearing his armor. But also, during his previous death, he heard the three stupid muggers talk about the possibility of being arrested for the crime of having murdered him.

And although for a moment he feared that no one would come to his rescue, a red-haired man of intense aura finally appeared on the scene. The goons fled, not without first claiming that the man was the Sword Saint. From their reaction, it was obvious that he was not a simple guard, which surprised Subaru since he was finally starting to have some luck since he arrived in that world. The man, who was apparently named Reinhard, exuded an aura of kindness and incomparable power.

"So... Subaru. Is there anything else you need my help on?"

Subaru smiled, excited, and began to ask the knight, who according to his words was off duty, to accompany him to the Old Man Rom's Loot Cellar and then... he stopped. Reinhard looked at him puzzled, as he considered what he was about to say. Subaru must be sincere, in his heart two unpleasant emotions pulsed and intermingled: envy and pride.

Of course, he was grateful to the knight for saving him, and of course he wanted to ask for his help. He had already made him come to that alley, why not go a little further and take him to the Loot Cellar? It is true that the danger presented by Elsa is enormous, but that is no reason not to ask Reinhard for help, quite the contrary; but Subaru was aware that he would not be able to fulfill his promise if he took Reinhard with him.

Because Subaru told Satella, on their deathbed, that he would save her. If Reinhard accompanied him, Subaru would be relegated to be a mere spectator, nothing more. With that in mind, Subaru was about to settle for telling the flaming redhead to look for Emilia in order to warn her that it was better to avoid the Loot Cellar, and that he would take the responsibility for returning what had been stolen from her. But before doing so, Subaru recalled the pain of his previous three deaths.

Being stabbed in the back can be considered a disgrace to a knight, but it still doesn't compare to the pain of feeling how your abdomen is being cut opened. The feeling of how your bowels spread on the floor, while liters of blood flow out of your body, leaving you dry. All while the cause of such pain rejoices of your death. No, Subaru would not be able to deal with something like that again.

Furthermore, Subaru couldn't afford to be so selfish. It took three deaths... no, less. With only one death it was enough to understand how weak he is compared to the people of that world, compared to Elsa. If he goes in place of Reinhard, all he can do is condemn Old Man Rom and Felt. And what will he gain if Reinhard finds Satella and tells her not to go near the Loot Cellar? Most likely, that just drives her to go there.

No, to follow that path would be to follow the path of pride, the path of envy; the envy he feels for beings like Elsa, with her enormous power and coldness, or Reinhard, who with his mere presence deals with the thieves who have already killed him once. So, the only option would be to be humbler and accept his limitations as the simple human that he is.

Thinking deeply about it, it's even likely that everyone's death was only due to his presence. The first death, he found the body of Old Man Rom, and that caused Elsa to kill him and Satella. The second time, Elsa murdered them for saying that he would return the insignia to Satella. And that made sense, Elsa in the first place was the one who hired Felt to steal the insignia.

Although, it is also very possible that Elsa murders everyone regardless of the result... For the same reason, the body of Old Man Rom was laying death in the Loot Cellar the first time around. And nothing is going to stop Satella from going for her insignia, that's for sure. So there is no way he, Natsuki Subaru, can prevent the death of Satella, Felt, and Old Man Rom. Satella... the girl who saved Subaru before his first death, the kind-hearted girl who doesn't accept that she has the weakness of needing to help anyone in trouble who crosses her path, regardless of whether she needs help herself.

Satella… From her reaction the last time he met her, it became clear that this was an alias. But why did she react so badly to that name? The people around him did too. So, chances are Satella, or as she put it, the Jealous Witch's name, was an alias that was meant to drive Subaru away. If the Jealous Witch can cause such a stir, to the point of being considered taboo, then there is no doubt that driving him away was the objective of "Satella".

So, recapping. Subaru is weak, unable to influence the fight against Elsa. "Satella" is not interested in being bothered by anyone, so she is willing to use a taboo as an alias; although of course, that is not useful against an ignorant like him. If he does nothing, the three people involved are most likely to die by the end of the day. And finally, in front of him is a man capable of scaring criminals with just his presence, Reinhard. No doubt…

"I need to accept my shortcomings and be humbler... I'm sorry, "Satella", but I can't be the one in charge of fulfilling the promise."

"Did you say something, Subaru?" Reinhard questioned him, bewildered.

"No, no... It's nothing." Subaru said, by then he had closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again, as he locked eyes with Reinhard, who was waiting attentively for what he was about to say. "Reinhard, this may be shameless of me, but I need to ask you for another favor."

"No problem, Subaru. If it is within my range of abilities, I will gladly do so." Radiating even more aura that conveyed confidence, Reinhard replied with a smile. Subaru, inwardly, cursed his own weakness; he cursed himself for not been as trustworthy as that man.

"I will be brief. There's a Loot Cellar, located deep in the ghetto, where stolen goods are stored. There, the sale of a stolen insignia is about to happen, and the buyer's a gut-obsessed killer named Elsa." Subaru could notice that the redhead's expression changed upon hearing Elsa's name, hi face took on a serious tone. "Does the name sound familiar to you?"

"Yes. She is a very dangerous person who usually works in the north, who is even known here in Lugnica. Can I trust the information you just gave me?"

"I can understand if you don't believe me. But on your doing so, depend the lives of three innocent people… Or at least one innocent girl. So, I beg you, go to that place and stop that despicable killer!" Swallowing his pride further, Subaru ducked his head, pleading for Reinhard to accept his request.

"You don't seem to be lying to me... Okay, Subaru, I will trust your word. Leave it to me, I will stop Elsa."

Subaru, without understanding very well, felt his cheeks begin to moisten, as he watched the knight of enormous mettle leave the alley. After a few minutes, he dropped on his knees. There was nothing more the weak Subaru could do anymore. If Reinhard were to fail against Elsa, then Subaru really would have run out of options.

"I leave everything in your hands... Save "Satella" for me, please. Fulfill the promise that I couldn't keep… Reinhard."

Soon after, Subaru left the alley and began to walk aimlessly. Seeing Subaru's condition, the apple man took pity on him and offered him a basket of fruit, that he could survive with for a while. Subaru refused, and instead decided to ask him if he knew of any merchant to whom he could sell his cell phone, which in that world was mistaken for an expensive "Metia."

With the money from the sale, exactly twenty-one sacred gold coins, Subaru managed to afford a room in a tavern. After a night in which he was unable to sleep due to the constant fear of being attacked, Subaru went in search of some craftsman interested in giving life to the ideas he brought from his world. Of course, Subaru was ignorant of the inner workings of most of them, so he would have to settle for giving life to the least complex to reproduce.

After several days of negotiations with multiple craftsmen, blacksmiths, tailors and merchants, Subaru began to lose hope in finding someone willing to work with him. It was then that he met Otto, a friendly merchant who knew an artisan who might be interested in a new business like his; this is how he met Leith, with whom he formed a commercial alliance to reinvent objects from his world.

Chapter 3: Beautiful Greed

Chapter Text

Two Months and Three Days since the Last Death (Three Deaths)

"... So, is that what you aspire to?" Subaru asked sardonically, pointing to the mansion that stretched behind the gate in front of which they stood.

"Heh! I don't aspire to anything like that. And if I did, that would be nothing more than a childhood dream." Leith replied, snorting. "No, I have my feet a little more planted on the ground. Also, that level of ostentation's far outside of the spectrum of my tastes. And what do you say, Subaru? Isn't it your dream to wake up every day in a mansion like that?"

Subaru and Leith were in the high-class area of Lugnica, in the upper part of the city, not far from where the castle was located. The gate next to them was black, with metal rods bent like a drill and had a plate that was placed right in the center of it. Behind the gate was a ceramic tile path, surrounded by a beautiful garden planted with all kinds of floral bushes, and at the end of the path was a multi-story mansion, about five or six floors, the distance making it difficult to determine by just counting the windows.

The mansion seemed to be divided into up to five wings, one in the center and two on each side. In front of the central or main wing, there was a huge fountain of several feet of diameter, and in its center were several statues reminiscent of the Greek art of Subaru's world. The mansion itself was painted white, a white as neat as the morning clouds, and multiple statues were distributed in front of the mansion, each separated by about fifteen or twenty feet. The mansion was large enough to comfortably accommodate about five hundred people, or so it appeared.

"Nah, I agree with you. There's a limit to how wasteful one can be. And my limit is far below that of the owner of the mansion. Seeing that, are you sure that woman, Anastasia, is really interested in our work? It's true that the last few weeks have been especially good for us, but we've only been working on our ideas for just over a month, I don't think it's time enough to attract bigwigs as a candidate for royalty..."

"They are your ideas, not ours. And I cannot deny that I also have doubts about it, but I think we lose nothing by accepting her invitation."

"You don't have to be so humble. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to give life to five percent of the ideas. Mine is hardly a canvas without color, it's thanks to you that the canvas can finally become the products that we've been producing."

"I would never have thought of any of the ideas we have been working with, so the one who's being too humble is you. But anyway! Either way, the important thing is that we're here, and a very important person's about to meet with us. We should focus on taking advantage of this opportunity, even if we, after all, leave here empty-handed."

"At least we can say that Anastasia Hoshin took an interest in our work. That will suffice to make our products better known. Otto will be very pleased with that."

Subaru smiled, remembering the friendly merchant who served as the contact between him and Leith. If it hadn't been for Otto, he would never have met his partner, which would mean that Subaru would still be trying to survive with just the money obtained from the sale of his cell phone. Certainly, twenty-one sacred gold coins is not a little money, but without that money, bringing his ideas from his old world to life would have been impossible. So, avoiding spending as much as possible, had been one of his main goals from the start.

After serving as a bridge between Subaru and Leith, and hearing about their business idea, Otto asked to join the alliance. The alliance forged between Leith and Subaru wasn't particularly complex. Subaru contributes with the ideas, detailing as much as possible the future uses of the product resulting from them, while Leith's in charge of turning those ideas into that product. With this proposal, both decided to divide the profits in half. Using money from the sale of Subaru's cell phone, and part of Leith's savings, they were able to invest in the materials so they could start working immediately after they forged the business alliance.

Given that the profits were already divided, and Otto was not so abusive as to ask for part of them in exchange for joining the alliance without contributing with anything during the design or development stage, the three agreed that Otto could buy the products created by Subaru and Leith at a price twenty-five percent lower than the rest of the merchants.

In return, Otto would oversee promoting and selling their products, thus placing them on the market much more quickly than they would have done without his help. Firstly, it may not seem like a particularly good deal for Otto, considering that there was still no market for Subaru's ideas. But Otto himself spoke against that, stating that he could feel that he would eventually reap great benefits from such a business alliance.

"You could even say that any results we get from this meeting, will be beneficial to Otto. After all, he'll continue to buy our products at a twenty-five percent discount no matter what."

"I'm fine with it, if it weren't for Otto's great effort, we wouldn't have had such a successful start." Leith nodded at Subaru's comment, while smiling calmly. "If he didn't have such a low luck stat, it's possible that even his name would currently be widely recognized among all merchants, even at Anastasia Hoshin level."

"Luck… stat?" Leith asked, frowning in confusion, but Subaru simply ignored him. "Sometimes I just don't get what you're talking about... But it's true, Otto really is totally out of luck. If he wasn't that good at negotiating, he may be dead by now. I still can't believe the first shipment of lighters ended up in the hands of highway robbers..."

"Hey, you don't have to be that negative. At least that caused us to suddenly have a lot of clients."

"Half of them looked like they wanted to rob us, and the other half seemed interested in killing us. But I agree that a client's a client, no matter who he's. Although that can also be a very dangerous idea, I hope that doesn't come back to bite our asses one day."

"If it does, we'll find a way to get out of it." Subaru smiled as he scratched his head, as if to imply that all this was just a small talk. After a little while, his gaze returned to the mansion behind the gate. "That co*cky-eyed boy's really taking a long time to come back, don't you think?"

"Well, first of all, he didn't seem to trust us to be the merchants Anastasia-sama wanted to meet." Looking at himself and then at Subaru, Leith commented that with a gesture of having been scorned.

"Let him believe what he wants to believe, when he returns, he will have to bow his head while begging for forgiveness for his actions." Subaru scoffed, downplaying at what they were wearing. Now, Subaru was wearing an orange shirt covered by a black jacket and long pants, also orange.

In short, the first set of clothes he came across after opening his closet. He could even have gone with his beloved tracksuit, the only clothes he brought from his world, but Leith pointed out that he had been wearing it too much and that it gave a bad image when negotiating with merchants or clients.

"Tch, be quiet! There he comes." Correcting his posture, Leith motioned for Subaru to shut up and behave accordingly. Subaru would have liked to banter to annoy him, but he himself was aware that the meeting he was about to have could completely change the course of their lives, so he restrained himself.

On the other side of the gate, about thirty feet away, they saw approaching the boy who received them. About fifteen minutes had passed since he said he was going to notify his mistress of their arrival, and they were beginning to grow impatient. The difference from the first time, is that this time he was accompanied by another man. At the sight, Subaru frowned.

"It won't be that they will beat us up, right?" Subaru asked, whispering. Leith shook his head, as if to imply that he wasn't sure why the boy came back accompanied by another man either.

The boy had a slim body, dressed in a visibly luxurious black suit. On his fine complexion face, he wore a monocle over his yellow left eye, and had his purple hair was tied up in a ponytail that went down to his neck. Beside him was a man with very similar features, implying that they had a blood relationship.

The man had a stronger but not stocky complexion, his yellow eyes had a calm expression, and his hair, also purple, was loose, falling over his shoulders. What had really concerned Subaru and Leith was his clothing, as he wore a thin white suit with a high collar that completely covered his neck: the costume of the royal knights. Nervously, both companions waited silently until the two young men finally reached the gate. Once there, without delay, the knight proceeded to open the gate.

"Welcome, Leith-sama, Subaru-sama." The gentleman greeted, bowing his head in respect. The young man at his side did the same in complete silence. Leith, seeing such a show of respect, reacted similarly to them. But for his part, Subaru remained static. Not because he doubted the two young men, but because it was the first time that someone had treated him that way since he came to that world.

"Thank you very much, ehmm…" Leith started to return the greeting, but was cut off when he realized that he didn't know the name of any of the men. Noticing this, the knight lowered his head again.

"I apologize, apparently my brother's lack of decorum has led to this situation. My name is Julius Juukulius, the best knight of Anastasia-sama." The knight, Julius, introduced himself after apologizing for his brother's behavior. Thus, confirming Subaru and Leith's suspicions that they were being discriminated against. Subaru had little time to meet him, but he was beginning to like this Julius.

"Julius-sama, nice to meet you!" Leith apparently recognized the name since he lowered his head hastily while he spoke.

"There's no need to add the sama, Leith-sama." Julius pointed out, with a kind look.

"The Knight among knights definitely deserves it, more so if he is someone from the great Juukulius family." Leith, refusing to accept Julius's words, continued the exchange of words that way. For his part, Subaru was able to notice the grimace of discomfort made by Julius' brother when he heard about his family. "Furthermore, I can say exactly the same, the use of sama on your part is completely unnecessary."

"I insist, Leith-sama. Right now, I am only Anastasia-sama's knight, so as such, I must treat her guests with due respect." Leith finally fell silent after the knight's firmness, so Julius continued the procedure. "This young man next to me, is Joshua Juukulius, my brother. I apologize for his attitude towards you upon receiving you earlier. Unfortunately, he still has trouble recognizing the value of people."

"As my brother says, I deeply regret receiving you two in such an unsightly way and keeping you waiting."

"Subaru and I fully understand it, no apology needed, Joshua-sama." At the young man's words, Leith replied meekly, causing Subaru to frown.

"Why should we apologize? He's the one who prejudiced us because of our way of dressing, walking, or speaking. I am not going to apologize for his mistake in judging us. Julius, I accept the apology, thank you." Ignoring the annoyed look he received from Joshua and Leith, Subaru looked at Julius as he said that. The knight lowered his head once more and then indicated to be followed. Just then, Subaru heard Joshua whisper something.

"It seems like I wasn't wrong with him." Noticing that the young man was looking over his shoulder at him, Subaru prepared to answer him, but Leith stopped him before he could.

"Could you not forget where we are?" His partner scolded him.

"Me? Since when're you so docile to someone? Don't tell me that you behave like this just because they're noble."

"No, that's not why... My family owes the Juukulius family a lot, that's all. They may not remember it, but when my family and many others were close to bankruptcy due to the Demi-human Civil War, they saved us all by giving us a large donation. If it weren't for them, the Lugnica working class would have ended up worse than the lower class."

"Well, they didn't do much for the ghetto people, so it doesn't seem like something to suck on the soles of their shoes for." At Subaru's response, Leith frowned, but said nothing more about it. Out of the corner of his eye, Subaru could see that Julius was reprimanding his brother for his comment, which made him smile while ignoring Leith. "I like that Julius better and better."

After walking the ceramic path, the four men reached the entrance of the mansion, which led them directly to the hall of the mansion. The lobby was as large as could be expected considering the size of the mansion. It had several armchairs and tables where guests could sit. A huge chandelier hung in the center, and at the end of the hall, wide stairs, covered by an intricately patterned carpet, led to the second floor.

There they were met by multiple maids, dressed in a fine suit that was reminiscent of Subaru's world French maid suit, but demurer. Among the maids, Subaru noticed a being that stood out among all, it was a huge demi-human in the shape of a wolf or dog, he had a huge Mohican whose forelock protruded from his forehead, and his teeth-filled muzzle seemed to be smiling. His was bare chest, and he was barely covered with shoulder pads and wristbands, while his lower part was covered by leather pants.

"Julius, 're these the merchants the miss will be meetin' with?!" The werewolf, as Subaru decided to call him in his mind, asked Julius with a thunderous voice, as he approached them.

"Well, it would be more appropriate to call them craftsmen, but yes, it's them." Julius replied, while apologizing to Leith and Subaru through his gaze, for the werewolf's comment. To which both implied, with their gestures, that it was something of little importance. After all, if the situation called for it, as during Otto's absences, they would both carry out the tasks of a merchant.

"Terrific!" The werewolf smiled harder and turned to Subaru and Leith. "Name's Ricardo, and I'm kinda like the miss's chief of security. So, ya guys should be careful of what ya do around 'er."

Although his way of speaking did not indicate hostility, his words were another matter entirely. But Subaru couldn't help but pay attention to something completely different. It was Ricardo's accent. As someone who came to that world from Japan, and who never learned another language of his world, aside from a few words in English, it would be expected that he was naturalized with the accents that can be heard in his country.

And right now, that werewolf was speaking with the accent from the Kansai region. A rather curious detail. He wondered if he would find more accents from his country there, or even other languages of his world. If that were the case, he would definitely have to start wondering again about the connection between that world and his; which meant thinking of unpleasant things, like the last thing he said, or rather didn't say, to his mother. Or the fact that he could never see them again...

"Is something wrong, Subaru-sama?" Being pulled out of his thoughts by Julius, Subaru immediately shook his head.

"Nothing, it's just that the werewolf comment made me a little nervous." Wanting to hide the reason behind the expression he was surely making, Subaru excused himself saying that.

"Werewolf? Well, I'm a demi-human wolf, so I guess that name isn't too bad, boy. Still, I'd rather be called by my name." Ricardo scratched his forehead, completely ignoring the rest of what Subaru said outside of his nickname.

"Yes. Sorry, Ricardo..." Subaru decided to change the subject apologizing, because in first place, he said werewolf because he didn't think very well what he was saying.

"Can we meet Anastasia-sama, Julius-sa... Julius, at once?" Leith, understanding Subaru's objective, asked Julius if they could finally meet the woman they went to meet; narrowly succeeding in fulfilling Julius's wish not to be called with the sama treatment. The knight nodded, and still accompanied by Joshua, indicated that they should follow him again.

After going through a series of hallways, they reached the end of the last wing of the mansion located on the left, at the bottom of it. After crossing through a double door, they finally reached the office where the woman who invited them to meet with was. She was sitting at the back of the room, behind a considerably large wooden desk, especially considering the girl's size. Above the desk were multiple file heaps and other office supplies. A scene that Subaru had seen in more than one of the manga or anime that he saw throughout his otaku life.

In front of the desk was a shorter, elongated table, and in front of the table were multiple chairs. The entire room was covered in a rug that made it easy to just take a step. Behind the large piece of furniture was Anastasia Hoshin. A small woman, not more than five feet tall, wrapped in a white dress.

On her lilac hair, which was tied to her forehead with a star-shaped brooch, she wore a fur hat that was reminiscent of the hats seen in one of the countries of Subaru's world, called Russia, a very wintery place. Two furry pom-pom-like ball hung from the fur hat.

The woman gave a totally wintery air, at least what she was wearing, since she also had a plush fox-shaped white scarf around her neck. In addition to the whiteness of her clothes, the girl's innocent smile gave the sensation of seeing a small animal that you want to pamper. Completing her beautiful figure, her skin was snow white and her eyes were large and round, like turquoise gems. The innocent beauty of the woman was such that Subaru could not but compare her to that of "Satella".

"It's a pleasure to finally meet ya, Leith Hendar and..." The girl paused briefly, an instant that felt like hours to Subaru, who was being scrutinized by Anastasia's beautiful gaze. "... Subaru Natsuki."

"The pleasure is all ours, Anastasia-sama. That you have taken the time to meet with us, pleased us significantly." Leith ducked his head in respect, but this time Subaru did not forget to imitate him.

"Terrific. Now, please take seat." The girl pointed to the two chairs placed right in front of her desk, chairs that Subaru had not noticed before. Apparently, while lost in Anastasia's gaze, Julius or Joshua arranged two of the chairs previously placed in front of the smaller table. Subaru and Leith immediately obeyed. "Thanks, Julius, Joshua. Ya can wait outside the room."

Heeding their mistress's orders, the two young men ducked their heads in unison and left the room. After that, only Subaru, Leith and Anastasia remained in that place. Considering that they were never checked, Subaru began to doubt the security protocols in that place. Then, out of nowhere, something jumped on his legs.

"Onii-san, don't you think you've been lookin' at my lady too much? If you plan to do somethin' bad, Mimi will take care of avoidin' it."

Subaru, bewildered, looked down, to found two big eyes like Anastasia's. Subaru would have thought he was before the girl's daughter or little sister, if it hadn't been because there stopped the similarities. The kid had two hairy cat ears on her head, her hair was orange and was combed in two little pigtails. She was dressed in a white robe or cloak with orange stripes on the edges. Also, she carried a small cane on her hands, with which she was aiming at Subaru.

"Huh? Who's she?" The one who asked wasn't Subaru, who was still completely baffled, but Leith.

"I'm Mimi, Mimi! I'm in charge of seein' to it that nothin' happens to the lady while she negotiates." The kid smiled as she pointed to herself, proud.

"Mimi, ya know very well that ya cannot be disrespectful to the guests. Get off Natsuki-kun." Anastasia rebuked Mimi like she would a child, and the little girl obeyed without saying a word. Jumping up, she dropped off Subaru's knees, then placed herself on Anastasia's knees. "Sorry, it seems today my servants have been very disrespectful towards ya. I apologize on behalf of 'em, as their mistress." Anastasia made a complicated gesture while apologizing for Joshua's and Mimi's behavior. "I just want to point out that she's Mimi, the second in command of my security team, and she'll accompany us to make sure that no problem arises. Do ya've any problem with her keepin' us company during' the meetin'?"

"Of course not, Anastasia-sama!" Leith was quick to respond. "And I'm sure Subaru thinks the same despite—" Before he could finish answering instead of Subaru, who was silent, Leith was interrupted.

"Miss, Mimi only did it 'cause the black-haired Onii-san was lookin' at the lady suspiciously." Mimi defended herself, jumping on Anastasia's lap. Subaru, still in a trance, was unable to understand how that kid was called the second in command of Anastasia's security team, and nobody seemed to react to it. Even so, he couldn't point out that seemingly minor issue.

"Ehmm, I also apologize on behalf of my partner, if he bothered you, Anastasia-sama." Leith nudged Subaru in the side while responding like that. Subaru, who had been exchanging his gaze between Anastasia and Mimi, coughed, and proceeded to apologize as well.

"Sorry, Anastasia-sama... It's just that your accent sounds very familiar to me." Once again, Subaru took advantage of a peculiarity of his interlocutor to hide his shortcomings of attitude, as he did with Ricardo. In this case, Subaru took advantage of the fact that he could notice the same accent from the Kansai region that he heard before in Ricardo, also in Anastasia.

"Oh! Have ya already been to Kararagi, Natsuki-kun? Or have ya met someone from there? If that's the case, that must be why it sounds familiar to ya, as it's the accent we all speak there."

"No, excuse me. It must be that I got confused, because I've never been there, and I've never met anyone from Kararagi either." Subaru lowered his head while apologizing for his attitude, while storing in his mind the information he had just received; perhaps he could find a clue that would give him back hope that he could get back to his world, to his parents.

"Putting that aside... Could you tell us the reason why you called us to this meeting, Anastasia-sama?" Leith decided to take the opportunity to return to the reason why they were there. Not that he and Subaru were completely unaware of why Anastasia had called them to meet, they just had to make sure they were under no false illusions.

"Sure, that's why I called ya here." The girl smiled, but it was evident that her expression became more serious, leaving behind the innocent look of just a moment ago. It was time to negotiate. Ideally it would have been done in the company of Otto, their fellow merchant, but he was not in the capital, and Anastasia had already assigned the meeting date. "As I indicated in the letter, I'm considerably interested in your business project."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that. Thank you, Anastasia-sama." Visibly moved, Leith thanked Anastasia's evaluation.

"There's no need to thank. My opinion's what it's, due to the results ya've obtained thanks to your efforts. No... It goes further. Your business's a new one. Too new, in fact. Any merchant at my level, especially an owner of a large company such as mine, would avoid doin' business with a small company with such a short time of existence like yours. Since, before ya can talk about business, contracts or pacts, a business must be consolidated. By then, one can be sure that the foundations are firm enough and will not crumble and end up causing loss."

"Then why…?"

"Why're ya two 'ere?" The girl smiled sweetly, as she finished Subaru's question, while crossing her hands and placing her chin on them. Her eyes were shining with mesmerizing sagacity. "'Cause I'm a greedy gal who wants everything and who gets everything. If I want it, it will end up in mine hands. And after that, I'll make sure it grows, giving me even more. I plan to do exactly that with this kingdom, and now I wanna do it with this interesting business of yours..."

The girl kept talking, but Subaru, who had decided to become humbler, had simply ceased to be able to understand what she was saying. How is it possible that someone so greedy exists in this world? That doubt didn't leave his mind. What the girl was saying was supposed to be disgusting to him... So why wasn't it? Maybe he admired her? He admired her determination to fulfill her wishes, her determination not to settle for less...

Subaru knew it. Anastasia was a girl who was born in poverty. Orphaned, and living on the streets, it was only time until hunger ended her, until she ended up dead in an alley, or ended up selling her body. But she used her head to get out of her situation, with her perseverance and her great vision for business, she started working for a company in Kararagi, and started to climb ranks thanks to her incredible performance. To finally become the owner at the age of twenty.

After that, she changed the name of the company to Hoshin Trading Company, as well as she took that last name for herself. Anastasia decided to have it all and started doing something about it. It is true that Subaru was unaware of all this until a few days ago, but after investigating her biography to prepare for the meeting, it was then that he understood who Anastasia Hoshin was.

Of course, even a moment before he saw her, he had doubts about her. Since all that information could have been exaggerated, or directly fabricated. But now that he had her face to face, he was sure. That woman was the one described in that biography, there was no doubt; that's what those turquoise eyes conveyed to him.

That woman who didn't accept the humility in which she was born and worked hard to improve her condition. Leith, the young man who struggles to honor his family's name, raise his social status, and ensure a future for his progeny, so that they do not suffer the cruelty of poverty. Those two people who were life fighters were facing each other. Making him, Subaru, the one who cowed and decided not to fulfill the promise he made with the girl who helped him, out of tune.

Subaru, who settled for who he was, and decided to leave everything in the hands of the Sword Saint, while he stepped aside and accepted his weakness. Is that humility? Or is it just cowardice? Subaru didn't know. What he did know is that he wanted to follow someone like Anastasia, he wanted to have someone like Leith as his partner, he wanted to do business with someone like Otto. Who, despite his bad luck, continues to struggle with the chances as the merchant who he's. So that's why he didn't dislike the girl's extreme greed, because he admired the determination that lay beneath all that desire; determination to complement one's greed.

The humility of knowing your own limitations, but still doing something about them; that's what Subaru wanted. Anastasia, who was born in the humblest cradle, and accepting her limitations, decided to exploit what she excelled at. Because a girl like her, who used what she had on hand to climb so high, would have to be very self-aware. That, that is what Natsuki Subaru wanted to do with his life, with his supposed humility.

"-Hendar-kun... Natsuki-kun... I pride myself on knowin' when a business has potential and when it doesn't, and though yours is just startin', I can see that it has enormous potential. Enough to call ya here, before another merchant has a chance to do so." The girl paused again, looking into the eyes of the two young men before her. "I want us to make a commercial pact, one in which we all benefit. Ya'll give me your conditions, and I'll give ya mine. But before that, I want to know if ya're really interested in takin' this great step. It can bring about a great change in your lives, so ya've the chance to think it over, just keep in mind that I'm an impatient gal... And consider this: if ya accept, ya'll achieve all that ya've been working so hard for."

With a last mesmerizing smile that declared that she knew everything about the content of their hearts and souls, the girl finally finished her monologue. Both Subaru and Leith were completely thoughtful. Deeply sunk in a sea of thoughts, desires, and doubts. The first to react of the two was Leith, who with a rough voice due to the dryness of his throat began to say.

"The proposal is indeed tempting, Anastasia-sama. But as you said, this's something that we must consider carefully. Furthermore, our business project isn't only made up of the two of us. A merchant, Otto Suwen, who unfortunately was unable to attend due for professional reasons, is also in league with us. So please give us a week and... "But before Leith could finish speaking, Subaru finally came out of his mental trance and cut him off.

"I accept…!" With a gasp, Subaru screamed in a muffled voice. After gulping down some air and standing up, Subaru spoke again, ignoring Anastasia's slightly shocked expression and Leith's surprised face. "We accept, Anastasia-sama! Just tell us your terms and we'll sign it!"

Chapter 4: Reinventing Life from Zero

Chapter Text

Two Months and Three days since the Last Death (Three Deaths)

"... And you just accepted it like that?" As they both walked away from the high-class zone boundaries, the silence that had settled between them was finally dissolved by Leith. Subaru looked at askance, not taking his eyes off the road, but just kept quiet. "I won't say her conditions were especially abusive. But what if that had been the case?"

"We could have backed out, couldn't we?" Trying to put the issue aside, Subaru shook his hand while defending himself.

"Sure, we could have." Subaru smirked upon hearing his partner's response. But noticing Leith's expression, his smile faded. Holding up a finger, Leith continued speaking. "Only one day. Only one day it would have taken for no merchant or vendor from all over Lugnica to take us seriously. And after just one week, it would have been the same for the entire continent."

"Tch! Don't you think you're exaggerating?"

"Going back on a trade agreement, pact or alliance is already frowned upon if you are dealing with a simple merchant. But doing so with Anastasia Hoshin? It would have meant our commercial death. No one would have taken us seriously again; we would be branded as impulsive, unserious, and even unreliable. No merchant would open the door for us again and Otto's reputation would go to the ground along with ours, just for being part of our alliance. No, at the time you accepted Anastasia Hoshin's deal, there was no going back, no matter what her demands were."

"Well... If you put it like that, it's true that our commercial image would've been quite stained." Subaru smiled nervously, scratching his head. "But at least it wasn't necessary, so my impulsiveness didn't cause us as much trouble. Right?"

Leith, sighing, wiped away the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead, caused by the residual nerves from their meeting with Anastasia Hoshin. After that, he looked at Subaru again. "You know, she could have demanded that we break out our alliance with Otto. Easily, in her position as a merchant, she could have sought an exclusivity agreement for our products. Well... she did it, in a way, but allowed Otto to continue working with us. Which by itself shows that she was indeed interested in securing the signing of a commercial pact with us."

"But you said that my impulsiveness could've caused us to have no choice but to accept her demands. From what we've heard about her, her normal attitude isn't exactly the sweet persona that she showed us most of the time."

"Well, she's someone that tends to play with the expectations. But it's true, normally she isn't supposed to behave like she did today. Anastasia Hoshin's a fearsome businesswoman, who knows how to exploit the weaknesses of those with whom she negotiates. She would never have called us without having investigated everything possible about us, our past, present and future aspirations. Using her rivals' wishes in her favor, that's what Anastasia Hoshin does. So, the ideal would have been to get a week deadline, in order to give Otto, who knows much more about business than us, time to return to the city. And then discuss with him the conditions that we would ask to sign our commercial pact with the Hoshin Company."

"So…?" Not fully understanding the point Leith wanted to get to, Subaru pressed him to explain himself. "It's clear that she was aware of our wishes and, furthermore, we were at a disadvantage due to Otto's absence, so why not exploit it?"

At Subaru's question, Leith started shaking his head. "She was informed about my wishes; from her words, that's clear. But in your case... That would be the only explanation for why she was so attentive to your behavior the whole time. She didn't get anything from you, which made you difficult to deal with during negotiations. Sure, she could have pressured us and demanded a full exclusivity contract, forcing us to break our alliance with Otto. But, at the same time, she risked making us back off regardless of the consequences of doing so. If she opted not exploiting our weakness, it's because from the beginning she wasn't completely sure of which were our weakness. In other words, your impulsiveness and lack of past made you unpredictable, a wild card, a card that she preferred not to play against... "

"She couldn't find out anything about me? About my past? Well, that makes sense..." Absorbed by the explanation, Subaru realized that his place of origin definitely rendered useless any intelligence network directed at him and his past. In that world, he really is nothing more than a stranger who appeared out of nowhere with a bunch of eccentric ideas.

"So, leaving aside your lack of knowledge about the art of negotiation, which is a problem that we'll definitely have to deal with in the future with the help of Otto, I need to ask you again... Who are you really, Subaru? Where exactly do you come from? What's your objective? What do you aspire to?" When asked by an intrigued Leith who insisted on finding out more about him, Subaru winced in discomfort.

"What I aspire to?" That was a good question. Perhaps, what he thought while listening to Anastasia Hoshin was his true wish. Perhaps his true desire is to follow a strong willed person like Anastasia, in order to find a way to exploit that in what he can really excel at and stop being someone who uses his weakness as excuse to his shortcomings, while watching others fight to improve their status quo.

"Yes... What do you want? Is it money? Fame? It hasn't been long since we met, but I can say that what you want isn't that, or at least you don't convey to me the image of someone looking for that... So, why did you accept Anastasia Hoshin's proposal so quickly? What does she have that you desire?" With those questions slamming into his mind, Subaru looked up at the sky, as if hoping to escape from having to answer those questions, and whispered.

"I'm not sure... Actually, I also want to know it."

Two Months and One Week since the Last Death (Three Deaths)

"Well at least Natsuki didn't cause Anastasia-sama to force you to cast off your alliance with me, that would've been quite troublesome for my future. Especially now that I've invested so much time and effort in this project."

"And we really thank you for that, Otto." Leith smiled, bowing his head slightly in appreciation. "At least this time we can say that the mystery that surrounds Subaru and his past, served to help us get a good deal with the Hoshin Company. Also, with those terrifying eyes of his, it'll be enough to teach him a little about negotiation and he'll be able to intimidate anyone during a business discussion."

Laughing along with Leith, Otto held his abdomen as he added "Right! That may even have to do with the fact that Anastasia-sama didn't crush us with a totally cruel deal."

"Drop it! You know it's not my fault my eyes are like this!" Hiding his face, Subaru defended herself against the jokes of his companions. After a moment, the three of them calmed down momentarily, so Otto took the opportunity to continue.

"Leaving aside Natsuki's shortcomings when negotiating and his intimidating gaze, it's true that he got us a very promising pact. I just hope next time he doesn't get carried away by the beauty of his business rival and ends up sending to the waste this commercial project that we've worked so hard for."

"Hey Otto! That has nothing to do with my behavior at the meeting." Annoyed, Subaru denied Otto's mocking comment.

"Now that you say it, it's true that Subaru seemed quite dazzled by Anastasia-sama. Even one of her guards threatened him for it. Is that what you want, Subaru? Love? Don't you think you're aiming too high, though?""

"The worst thing is that, even if you make it, I'm sure that's a very difficult woman to keep satisfied. With how greedy she's, I doubt you're up to it." Otto continued to banter Subaru, while looking at him with a sly smile. For his part, he kept shaking his head, denying what his colleagues said.

"Don't be ridiculous. Why would I be interested in a woman that I didn't even know existed a week ago?" Tired of the teasing, Subaru decided to end the issue with a solid argument.

"I don't know. You're the one who should answer us. Why did you accept that woman's proposal so quickly?" Seeing his chance, Leith took the opportunity to repeat the question that Subaru was still unable to answer. "It's been four days and it looks like you still don't have the answer. If I didn't know you well enough to know how dedicated you are to our project, I'd even think that you're not taking it seriously enough."

"Leith..." Otto, noticing that the atmosphere in the room was getting heavier, raised his hand in Leith's direction, calling him by name. "You don't have to take it that way. I know you're upset that Natsuki could have caused me to be left out of this business project, but it wasn't the case. Also, I know that Natsuki's idea was never to jeopardize our triple alliance. So I don't think it's worth to keep pressing him on that matter."

"I... I know, it's just that without your help..." Leith spoke regretfully, clenching his fists in frustration.

Subaru was aware of the history between Leith and Otto. Not that they were both best friends and anything like that, in fact, they could both be considered lonely people who do better by they own. Even so, it was Otto who lent his hand to Leith to help him move his crafts, when he began working as a craftsman. Had it not been for Otto, it is highly likely that Leith would have given up years ago and opted for a job with less future but more stability.

Thus, seeing Leith's attitude, Subaru began to really understand how betrayed Leith must have felt, when he accepted Anastasia Hoshin's proposal without even thinking about it or consulting with his two partners. Leith wasn't only interested in discussing the terms of the deal with Otto just because he had much better business knowledge than they did, but he also wanted to take into account the opinion of Otto, who is undoubtedly as much a part of their project as both of them.

"I'm really sorry, guys... My intention wasn't to push you both aside or anything like that." Subaru, having understood the depth of her mistake, apologized in a totally sincere way. "I just… got carried away..." Sure, the project they were building between the three was born from the ideas he brought from his world. But by this point, Otto and Leith had been too influential to still consider it as Subaru´s project alone.

"Okay, what's done is done." Sighing, Otto spoke while smiling nervously. "The conditions Anastasia-sama asked for, are what we could've expected from any company as massive as hers. And if we wanted to take the next step, eventually we would've had to associate with some large company, so the only thing that happened was that we moved forward a couple of years. Now we just have to wait to meet her again and agree on the scope of the operation... For now, how about I show you the books of what I did during this month of peddling? Then, we should celebrate for having got an alliance with a large company. What do you think?"

"You guys do it, I'm gonna go out for air and think of new designs. Anyway, you know I'm not very good with accounting. About the celebration... We can see about it after I return if you like." Announcing his departure, Subaru approached the main door of their workshop. As he was leaving the workshop, neither Otto nor Leith objected or said a word.

Subaru walked along the street with his hands inside his pockets. His attention was on the carriages pulled by earth dragons, on the well-ordered rocks that make up the street and at the stalls located on the sides of the street, all at the same time. Not finding anything to distract himself, Subaru glance at everything that came his way.

Leith's words were still in his mind, preventing the guilt he felt in his chest from fading. Someone could say that just a couple of months aren't enough to strengthen such a relationship with another person, and although it is true that he didn't interact too much with Otto throughout that time, the same cannot be said of Leith. However, they both helped him a lot. He, a lost person in that world, to whom no one was willing to lend a hand.

His sense of indebtedness to both of them was so great that it could crush him. And even so, he had the gall to act like an impulsive, childish, and co*cky ignorant, who never considers the opinion of others. Subaru, sighing, regretted still being that person. What happened that day in the alley with Reinhard, after being murdered three times and having come back to life, changed his life enormously. Maybe if he hadn't accepted his weakness and shortcomings at the time, he would still be trapped in that cycle of death and return.

However, hoping that only that moment would completely change who Natsuki Subaru is and was, was ultimately too optimistic on his part. He could have died three times, but that didn't stop him from continuing to make the same mistakes. Just thinking about it was enough to cause his temples to hurt.

With a firm step, Subaru shook his head, as if trying to dispel that annoying thread of ideas. It was then that he realized that he had instinctively deviated and entered a path more than known to him. Smiling, Subaru quickened his pace until he found himself in front of a fruit stand, run by a muscular man with dark green hair. Seeing him, the man frowned, but immediately smiled.

"Hey, boy! How've you been? I haven't seen you in over a week. Have you been busy with that foreign item business of yours?"

"I've been fine, thanks. And yes, you hit the spot; I've been spending a lot of time in the workshop lately." Smiling back, Subaru returned the greeting to the man. "How've you and your family been? How's little Plum been? I hope she hadn't got lost again.

"We've been perfectly fine, thank you, boy. And Plum, well... You know what kids are like. She doesn't stop playing around and getting into trouble because of it, but it's impossible to get angry with a daughter like her." With a look full of feelings, Kadomon spoke of his daughter, whom Subaru met at the time he arrived in that world, before dying at the hands of Elsa for first time.

"It's good to hear." Subaru replied, now with his gaze fixed on the fruits that were scattered in front of him.

"What would you like, boy?" What would he… like? That question was obviously referring to the product he was selling, but that didn't stop Subaru's heart skipping a beat. "As usual?"

"Y-yes, please." Feigning a smile, Subaru avoided the man's gaze as he looked away.

That was already the tenth time Subaru had gone to that street stall to buy fruit since he started making money. That persistence wasn't only because he wanted to pay off his debt to Kadomon, for helping him through the death loops and then helping him sell his cell phone. But also because of the promise he made, that if he got a job, he would become a regular customer of his.

The reason why he clung to that promise in this way, was due to the unpleasant feeling left by being unable to fulfill his promise with "Satella". If he couldn't keep that important promise, at least he would focus on never breaking another promise in his life. Still looking to the side of the stall, Subaru realized that Kadomon was offering him a bag full of appas; which is the same as apples, but from that world. He took it and paid the man for it, and then asked while still looking to the side, where there were several people gathered at the end of the street.

"What's going on? Why're there so many people gathered there?" Subaru pointed at the crowd with his chin, causing Kadomon to also look towards the place.

"Haven't you heard about the announcing of the candidates for the Royal Selection?" Why does everything revolve around that lately? With that question in mind, Subaru nodded in response to Kadomon's question. "Well, there's a poster with the faces and names of the five candidates. It has been there for a few days, but people interested in knowing the faces of the five possible rulers of the country continue to appear."

"A poster with the faces of them? Until now I haven't seen anything like that. Though it's probably because I've been locked up in the workshop for several days... I'm only aware of the identity of one of them."

"You should go see. After all, as an inhabitant of Lugnica, it's information that also concerns you. I would accompany you, but I cannot leave the stall alone."

"Yeah, I think you're right. And no problem, I'll go alone. I just want to ask you one thing before." Kadomon gestured to him to continue. "What'd you think of the Fruit Peeler I brought you last time?"

"Hmm…" The man silently rummaged under one of the fruit counters, from which he retrieved a metal object, similar to a long, narrow spatula, with a hole in the middle and a wooden handle. "I'm not gonna lie to you boy, it really serves the purpose of its name. It's not much different than using a paring knife, but it definitely makes the job easier."

"Good to hear it. I hope you'll become a regular customer too." Kadomon snorted at Subaru's comment, causing him to smile teasingly. That Fruit Peeler he had given him was a beta version of the typical peeler from his world, and he was grateful that it really came in handy to old Kadomon. "Anyway, thanks for the appas. See you later." Then, after saying goodbye to the owner of the fruit stand, Subaru started to go to where the crowd of people was.

"Well boy. See you later. If you come back, come prepared to buy more fruit." Smiling, the burly man said goodbye. But just before Subaru had fully moved away, he heard him add something. "When you see the poster, you'll come to understand why so much fuss about it. I still can't believe that they'll allow a half-demon to be part of the Royal Selection..."

Puzzled by the man's last comment, Subaru approached the poster with even more interest. Once in the crowd, he had to make his way between multiple people, but he finally managed to reach the signboard. There, in the wooden signboard, were five posters with images of women and their names. Subaru stopped and started looking at them one by one.

Anastasia Hoshin; the first to read belonging to the girl he already knew, a beautiful innocent-looking woman. Then, he read one that left him speechless; Felt, the poster said. If there hadn't been an image under the name, of a girl no older than fifteen, he would never have believed that it was the same thief girl he met the first day he arrived at that world.

"What the hell happened that day?" Unable to understand what was going on, Subaru kept looking at the images. The next name was one he heard from Leith more than once; Crusch Karsten. A highly popular noblewoman in the capital. The image showed a woman dressed in a manly way, but just as beautiful as the rest. Beside her was the image of an incredibly beautiful woman with a proud glance; Priscilla Barielle. I had never heard of her, he thought.

Finally, his gaze fell on the last poster and that was when the surprise simply ended his thread of ideas. The name on the paper was Emilia, a name that would never have especially caught his attention had it not been for the image of the girl with that name. There wasn't any doubt, that was "Satella". It was impossible that he was misjudging the image, that really was the kind girl he met the first day in that world.

Now that he saw her there, Subaru understood Kadomon's last comment. At first, he was totally ignorant about the subject, but after two months living in that world, Subaru came to understand how deep-rooted the fear and hatred for the half-elves was. And "Satella", or rather, Emilia, is a half-elf; a fact confirmed by herself.

And Emilia isn't only a half-elf, but she is also a half-elf with silver hair and violet eyes; the living image of the Jealous Witch, Satella. Satella, the witch who consumed and destroyed half of that world, according to legends. With such a demon-like image, Subaru was able to understand, in part, people's reaction to Emilia, who's so similar in every physical way to Satella.

Thus, having now much of the big picture unveiled before him, Subaru was also able to understand Emilia and Puck's reaction to his disinterest in the girl's lineage. How many times did Emilia have to deal with discrimination against her? That was another question that he had no answer for. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he began to understand many of the situations that, throughout his cycle of three deaths, he was unable to understand. What he still didn't understand was why both, Felt and Emilia, were part of the Royal Selection.

Does it have something to do with the stolen insignia? Or does it have something to do with Reinhard? The more he thought about what might have happened that day, after he decided to relegate everything to the Sword Saint, the more he felt that he understood nothing. Finally, after several minutes of thinking, Subaru walked away from the posters and the crowd, and started the way back to the workshop.

"I decided to leave everything in hands of Reinhard. I abandoned them. So, I have no right to meddle in their lives." Muttering that, Subaru decided that it would be best to forget the subject and continue walking the path he had chosen for him that first day.

Sighing heavily, Subaru was at least glad to confirm Emilia and Felt's well-being. And although he didn't know anything about Old Man Rom, Subaru assumed that, given the result, he's probably fine as well. And it's not that Subaru had really doubted Reinhard's victory over Elsa, because thanks to Otto and Leith, he had already heard that the Sword Saint was perfectly fine. And if that man was fine, everyone else involved, except Elsa, was likely to be fine; though it was possible that Felt and Old Man Rom ended up in jail.

But now that he had more than solid confirmation of their well-being, Subaru felt a kind of relief go through all the veins in his body. Sighing once more, Subaru forced himself to smile. If his decision in that alley turned out to be the right one, then he really had nothing to regret. Emilia is fine, and she's even struggling to be the new king despite her similarity to the taboo witch.

"That has to be more than enough proof that everything went well... Now it's my turn to fight for the success of my artifact reinvention project and get my happy ending."

What Subaru didn't know, is that no matter which path he took, they would all lead to despair.

Chapter 5: Reinvention Project

Chapter Text

Three Months since the Last Death (Three Deaths)

"… With this signature, the agreement between the Hoshin Trading Company and the Reinvention Association of Subaru Natsuki, Leith Hendar and Otto Suwen, is official." Considering the agreement between Anastasia Hoshin's company and the association of Subaru, Leith, and Otto to be official, the man who was supervising the process took the contract with six signatures and rolled it up, then carefully stored it in a wooden cylinder.

The man who was supervising the procedure had the position of acting supervisor of the Hoshin Company, and was in charge of informing all the countries involved in the trade agreement about its officiality; in this case, it would be Karagari and Lugnica. Next to him was Russell Fellow, a man who was dressed in a wine-colored suit with a tie and had his dark blond hair and beard trimmed perfectly.

Russell Fellow is the leader and treasurer of the of the Merchant Guild in Lugnica, and his position there was that of a legal witness to the agreement and an intermediary in case a disagreement arose in any of the parties.

After exchanging words with Anastasia and Otto, Russell Fellow and the Hoshin Company supervisor left the room. And it wasn't until that moment that Subaru was able to relax. He let out an enormous amount of air that he had subconsciously been holding, and his shoulders dropped. The past few weeks had been especially stressful for him and his partners, because before they could form an agreement with Anastasia and her company, their commercial alliance needed to become legal before the Kingdom of Lugnica and the Chamber of Commerce.

In the absence of a royalty to take charge of the country, while the procedures of the Royal Selection are carried out, the country's Council of Sages is the one who has taken the reins of it. Considering all the problems that political power shifting entails, the speed at which legal applications, such as obtaining licenses, are processed has slowed considerably. Therefore, what would have been a process of a couple of days, became one of two weeks.

Finally, after several days of having presented the request for their commercial alliance to become official, an officer from the Lugnica Chamber of Commerce arrived at the workshop. There, similar to just moments ago, the three signed a contract and named their business alliance in honor of how Subaru had been selling his ideas in the days when he met Otto, and allied himself with him and Leith: reinvention of the "new world" artifacts.

Reinvention Association became the official name of its commercial alliance, its business, and its project. After that, they met with Russell Fellow and joined the Merchant Guild to cement the business. Now, as a legitimate business entity before the Kingdom of Lugnica, its Chamber of Commerce, and the Merchant Guild, the three were finally able to officially sign their agreement with Anastasia Hoshin.

Thus, Subaru couldn't help but smile. The signatures of Anastasia Hoshin and the vice-president of Hoshin Trading Company, the signature of the legal witness, Russell Fellow, and the signatures of him and his colleagues, marked the true beginning of his journey to reach his happy ending.

"Ya seem quite satisfied, Natsuki-kun. Not surprisin', though. After all, of the three of ya, members of Reinvention Alliance, ya were always the one who showed the most interest in formin' a business alliance with us." With a satisfied smile, Anastasia approached him.

On the opposite side of the room, Leith and Otto were discussing something with the second in command under Anastasia, his name being Finn Ryuushika. And from what Subaru had heard from him, he was the former owner of the company before handing it over to Anastasia. Finn was dressed in a full suit and appeared to be no less than fifty years old. Over his already gray hair, he wore a top hat, and his face was covered by a mustache and a beard that expressed refinement and status.

"I guess I can't deny it. Unfortunately, I'm not like Otto or Leith, who're better at hiding what goes through their minds." Slightly embarrassed, Subaru replied to the girl while glancing at his companions.

"Hmm… I don't feel that's entirely bad. If anythin', doesn't that make ya someone more genuine?"

"I don't think that's very useful in business discussions. And besides that, I'm also quite impulsive... It's true that I'm the worst at negotiations." With a depressed gesture, Subaru rejected Anastasia's kind comment. "It would only serve to make anyone with whom I am negotiating take advantage of my shortcomings. That is why I wanted to thank you, Anastasia-sama. I know this will sound pathetic, but I truly appreciate that you didn't take advantage of us and forced us to part with Otto." Striving to speak as formally as possible, Subaru ducked his head as he thanked his now business ally.

"Ya don't have to thank me, Natsuki-kun." Shaking her head with a tender gesture, the girl placed her hand on Subaru's right shoulder, causing him to look at her again. "I didn't do it out of kindness or anythin' like that, I just wanted to earn your and your colleagues favor. I hope ya to return it when the time comes." From the way she spoke, anyone would think that she was only being modest, but Subaru, who had her so close that he could feel her breath, knew that she was being sincere, of that he was sure. Even so…

"Still… I appreciate it. I'll make sure to pay you for that by coming up with all the possible reinvention artifacts. I'm sure, together, we'll make this project a huge succeed." Inspired, Subaru let himself got carried away, as he spoke with great expectation of what his ideas would accomplish being now in the hands of the great businesswoman, Anastasia Hoshin.

"Hmm… I see I wasn't mistaken with ya. I'll be waitin' anxiously for that." The girl gave him a flirtatious look, then indicated the end of the conversation. With a wave of her hand, she motioned for the other three involved in signing the contract to come closer. "Now, what do ya think if we go over how we'll carry out the procedures from now on? I think it's already quite clear, but I wanna go back to it so that it's completely clear."

Since no one refused, the girl signaled them to sit in the chairs located in front of the elongated table place in the middle of the room. At the time, they were in Anastasia's mansion, specifically her office; the one where they first met her almost a month ago.

Sitting at the table, Subaru could see Mimi, who was once again acting as Anastasia's bodyguard, sitting in a chair, fiddling with one of his creations; a puzzle cube. The image of the kid with a strange job, frustrated at not being able to put the toy together, was considerably cute. Still, this wasn't the time to be distracted by it, so he refocused on the conversation that was about to unfold.

"To summarize it; Leith-san will be placed as the leader of the craftsmen factory that we want to place right here in the capital. Thanks to his experience with the elaboration of the artifacts devised by Subaru-san, his role will be essential." Hearing Finn's words, Leith nodded in agreement. "Otto-san will be assigned the commercial coordination tasks related to Reinvention Project; which will make him the first to know about everything related to the distribution of products generated by that department of the company. A role worthy of the merchant who recognized the value of Subaru-san's ideas." Otto, like Leith, indicated that he agreed. "And finally..." However, the man, who until now had been sweetening his words about the positions assigned to each of them, was interrupted by Anastasia.

"Natsuki-kun will be the mastermind behind the enterprise. He'll serve as a counselor and guide, and help us bring to life the great ideas that swarm in his head." Anastasia looked at each of those present, and noting that no one intended to add anything, continued. "For this reason, I'd like Natsuki-kun to accompany me to Priestella. There he'll be able to meet with several of our designers and engineers, with the aim of helpin' them better understand the operation behind his ideas, in order to improve them. Of course, I'm aware that Natsuki-kun's new to the country, so I'm willin' to take him with me. Do all three agree?" That last question was directed at Otto, Leith, and Subaru.

"Anastasia-sama, you don't need to ask that question to both of us. Subaru is our partner, but we cannot interfere with the decisions he makes. Whether for better or for worse." Leith was the first to respond. "Still, I see no problem with Subaru going. Especially, now that we're part of the Hoshin Company, his ideas need to be understood by more than just us."

"I agree with Leith." Otto said. Then with that, the gazes of everyone else, including Mimi, fell on Subaru.

"Truth be told, I've no idea which city's that, but if it involves speeding up the making of the reinvented artifacts, then I'm in." And so, the five switched to more focused topics in the commercial agreement that merged their newly founded Reinvention Association with the Hoshin Company.

Four Months and Two weeks since the Last Death (Three Deaths)

The contract between Hoshin Trading Company and the newly founded Renovation Association was established on the terms agreed between Anastasia Hoshin, Natsuki Subaru and Leith Hendar on the day of their first meeting. The conditions demanded by Anastasia turned out to be simple: seventy percent of the income produced by their business project and that they agreed to be absorbed by her company. There were a few more conditions, but those two were definitely the ones that stuck the most in Subaru's mind.

Basically, what Anastasia was asking was that their business, the result of their commercial alliance, be annexed to the Hoshin Company; in short, the company would be absorbing them. If their project had been a fully consolidated business for years, the very idea would have been an insult to them. But Leith and Subaru had barely a total month of work, and everything they had produced had been with a few materials and tools that were paid for with their own money.

Becoming part of Anastasia's company, as agreed, would imply that she would assume all the costs of the project and that they would receive a salary; in other words, they would be hired. But it's not as simple as that. Since their Reinvention Alliance would become part of the Hoshin Company as a department apart from the existing ones, one focused only on reinvented artifacts; named Reinvention Project.

Within that department, the three would have administrative positions, which would come accompanied by certain freedoms that a simple employee wouldn't have. In addition, the three would still receive part of the net income generated by the sale of products, a not negligible ten percent each, completely separate from their salary.

Of course, some of the characteristics of their positions are due to the conditions Leith and Subaru came up with during the meeting. As an insurance that prevents Anastasia from simply firing them, appropriating products that could have been designed based on Subaru's ideas. Possessing freedom of choice and opinion regarding the future of that department was also one of theirs terms.

Overall, Subaru couldn't deny that he was satisfied with the result. Even more, considering that he has barely more than four months of having arrived in that world and already holds an administrative position in the department with the greatest potential, of one of the most important companies in that world. Subaru was convinced that impulsively accepting Anastasia's proposal was the right action.

"Amazing! Even though you talked to me along the way about what we'd see, the view is still shockingly incredible." Subaru spoke to the woman next to him, as he saw through the window of the carriage in which he traveled, the city that unfolded before his eyes.

After a few weeks of preparation, the trip that Anastasia had proposed was finally carried out, and after more than three weeks of carriage travel, they had finally reached the Water Gate City of Priestella. The name of the city was due to the fact that it had been designed as a trap to kill witches and mabeasts, beings believed to be created by the Jealous Witch, drowning them.

The city was built in the shape of an inverted cone, and was surrounded by four gates that serve as a dam to stop the water that surrounds the city. Inside, it was made up of streets surrounded by canals, similar to a famous city in Subaru's world: Venice. In itself, the image that the city gave was enough to leave everyone speechless due to its splendor.

The reason why Anastasia chose that city was because it's the closest Lugnica's city to Karagari. It's located in the middle of the Tigracy river, which functions as a border between both countries. Thus facilitating the meeting between Subaru and the designers and engineers who work at the headquarters of the Hoshin company, located in Karagari.

But, on top of that, Otto, Leith, and he suspected Anastasia was interested in finding out more about him and his past; something that he confirmed throughout the trip to Priestella. From the first day they met, it was obvious that Anastasia was intrigued by Subaru's existence, of which she probably had only the basic information that he himself revealed. So it wouldn't be surprising if the whole trip were, partly, an excuse to discover part of Subaru's past and the origin of his valuable ideas.

Of course, it wasn't that he personally felt upset about it. What's more, knowing that an important and beautiful woman like her was interested in him, even if it was in that way, made him feel nice. Although it was inevitable to think that all that was a useless effort, since it wasn't that he was hiding his place of origin; just that no one believed him. And aside from that, Subaru really wasn't interested in talking about his personal past. So for him, that was just a business trip and nothing else.

"Ya're absolutely right, Natsuki-kun. This's nowhere near the first time I come 'ere, and yet this place still manages to take my breath away." While stroking her soft hair, Anastasia looked out the window on her left side and responded to Subaru's comment.

Inside the carriage were Anastasia and him, in addition to Mimi and her two brothers, Hetaro and Tivey; which were triplets. And though all three were very similar, they all had very different personalities. Mimi being the hyperactive girl, Hetaro being the calm and overprotective brother, and Tivey being the intelligent and cunning boy. They all dressed similarly, but in Tivey's case, he possessed a monocle similarly to Julius' brother.

For his part, Anastasia's best knight was in charge of handling the reins of the carriage, and accompanying him as co-pilot was Ricardo, the werewolf demi-human. Joshua and Finn stayed in the capital, as they would be working with Otto and Leith to have everything ready as soon as possible, in order to start the Reinvention Project.

At that point, all it would take to get started would be a couple of material handling permits. So it's likely that when they return to the capital, they have already started working with the designs that Subaru elaborated with the help of Leith, through the three months they worked together before signing the agreement with the Hoshin Company.

"Mimi's already lookin' forward to exploring the city! Miss, Mimi can do it? Right?" As energetic as ever, Mimi expressed her desire to tour Priestella.

"Onee-chan, I'm always tellin' you that you shouldn't let yourself get carried away! You can't leave our lady alone, just to go around the city! I always tell you that and you always act the same every time we visit a place that appeals to you." For his part, her brother, Hetaro, rebuked her for her attitude.

"But, Onii-chan! The captain and Julius will stay with the lady! So we don't have to stay aaaall the time by her side!"

"Hetaro's right, Sis. You can't let go of your obligations like that every time we get to a new place." Staying on his brother's side, Tivey adjusted his monocle while expressing what was a given fact for him.

"It really isn't a problem if the three of ya go for a walk around the city." Breaking into the triplets' discussion, Anastasia agreed to allow Mimi and her siblings to tour the city. "For today I only plan to hold a short meetin' between Natsuki-kun and several of the design department employees, so that they can get to know each other and work together comfortably for the next few days. So I don't plan to leave the inn."

"Yeiii! Did you see, Onii-chan, Bro? The lady gave me permission to explore the city, and you'll come with me!" With expressions of defeat, the two brothers accepted that there was nothing to do to prevent their sister from taking a break from her duties as a guardian.

Seeing everything from the side, Subaru did nothing but doubt even more about how those three small demi-humans with feline ears were part of the vice-captaincy of Anastasia's guard. From what Subaru was able to find out throughout the trip, said guard was made up of a mercenary group hired by Anastasia, called Fang of Iron.

The group is generally made up of demi-humans of different races. With Ricardo, the werewolf, in the lead. From what he heard, the group is known for its effectiveness. Supported by the fact that since Anastasia became the head of the Hoshin Company, she hasn't suffered a single attack that has compromised her life. And although the group is hired by her, the relationship between its head members and Anastasia is closer than just that of an employer and its employees.

Of course, Hetaro, Tivey, and Mimi are part of the Fang of Iron, and all three are their vice-captains. Although, unlike his brother and sister, Tivey also serves as the group's treasurer. In this way, the three children that Subaru had not yet seen fight, continued chatting in a carefree way. Seeing that, Subaru said to Anastasia.

"It's hard to believe that they're vice-captains of a mercenary group. Are they really that strong? Or do their abilities lie in another area? Something like distracting the enemy with their cuteness."

Laughing lightly, Anastasia glanced at the triplets, while answering. "They're definitely strong, I can assure ya of that. I'll not deny ya that their cuteness's unmatched, though."

After that short conversation, the group crossed the city boarding gate. In doing so, a guard asked about their objective within the city. And after receiving the answer, the man made them sign a paper that had written the multiple rules that had to be followed within the city. Initially, Subaru was upset, as many of them were incredibly strict, but Anastasia assured him that signing was enough, that he didn't need to bother thinking too much about the matter.

After half an hour of navigating the streets of Priestella, the carriage, which was being pulled by a lizard-like being, but several feet long, stopped in front of an inn that gave Subaru a rather familiar air. The architecture of the place was extremely similar to an architectonic style from his native Japan, known as Wafuu. And although this would've taken him by surprise at another time, Subaru already knew about it.

In fact, Subaru was quite satisfied with the amount of knowledge that he gained from his companions, but especially from Anastasia, about that world, and mainly about Karagari. Sure, the information he obtained would be no more than basic knowledge, but even so, for someone like him, that would be the most valuable type of information.

During the trip, he heard Anastasia talk about her native country, its culture, and its history. Curiously, everything resembled the culture of the Edo period of his country. But the most interesting thing was to discover that all this came from a man known as Hoshin of the Wilderness. The same one from which Anastasia adopted her last name and the name of her company.

Apparently, Hoshin was a revolutionary merchant who traveled through the lands that now are Karagari, and brought to life multiple artifacts similar to those in the Subaru world, but especially similar to Japan's. For this reason, and the relationship between Hoshin and Japanese culture, Subaru deduced that Hoshin most likely was someone who went through the same thing as him; someone from his world who ended up in that world.

That being the first hint of someone else who went through the same thing as him, Subaru finally convinced himself that he wasn't alone. The real question was if at the time, was there someone else like him. Luckily for him, if that were the case, Subaru was convinced that his recreated objects would appeal to anyone whose birthplace was the same world as his own. So for now, all he has to do is go ahead with his project, as he already planned, and wait for time to bring the answers.

The group entered the inn, named Water Plumage Inn, while an employee of the place took the carriage and its earth dragon to the area designated for them. Once there, Subaru identified more traces of the culture of his birthplace, such as tatami rooms and a Zen garden located in the courtyard. Something that made him feel particularly nostalgic was seeing that there were no beds in the rooms, but futons. That night he would definitely sleep like a baby.

I should ask Anastasia where I can buy a futon, he thought, as he looked inside his room. Subaru was already aware of most of the things he would encounter at the inn, as Anastasia had told him that it was a place inspired by the culture of Karagari.

During that same conversation, as expected, Anastasia asked him in a roundabout manner about his place of origin. Subaru, feeling that there wasn't need to lie, said the same thing he had said to everyone who asked after getting tired of hiding it. Since the girl seemed to be disappointed by his answer, Subaru added that the culture of his place of origin and Karagari were extremely similar, which caught the girl's attention.

Then he told her a little about the technology of his world and how he brought his ideas from there. And although Anastasia didn't seem completely skeptical, it was clear that she didn't believe everything he said. However, whether she believed him or not, it really was of no interest to him. Whether she believes him or not, that wouldn't change where he came from or who he was before he got there. Just thinking about who he was before, had made his mood drop a bit.

"Natsuki-kun, everyone's gathered in the room that I reserved exclusively for meetings. May ya come with me?" Knocking on the door to his room, Anastasia called to him from across the paper walls. Without making her wait, Subaru put down the bag he was carrying, but not before taking some papers out of it, and left the room.

"Sure, Anastasia." He said as he left his room. "Let's go."

After several months interacting with her, Subaru ended up getting used to her presence, so, with it, his formal way of speaking ended up being replaced by a more casual one. She didn't seem to mind, so Subaru never bothered to correct that.

Together, they walked to another tatami room and entered it. Inside, sitting on their knees on a tatami seat, on the edge of a small table, were five people; three were men and two were women. At the end of the room, standing, was the ever-composed Julius. Ricardo was nowhere to be seen and, apparently, the triplets had already left for their walk-through Priestella.

"Natsuki-kun, they're Alba, Zeilt, Lance, Yand and Alexa. They all belong to the design department and, as the name says, they focus on designin' new products. They're also in charge of improvin' the product designs that we already trade with. During the next week, they'll work with ya to better understand the designs of your reinvented artifacts."

The five designers looked at him expectantly, causing Subaru to get slightly nervous. At times like this, letting people know that his ideas came from his world, and not from himself, was truly a relief. Otherwise, chances are everyone would start to believe that he's some kind of genius like Hoshin of the Wilderness.

And even so, those five people were looking at him as if that was exactly the case. It was possible that they believed that, the fact that his ideas emerged from a place after the Great Waterfall, was no more than an excuse due to enormous modesty; and just thinking about it caused him a headache. Therefore, during the first meeting with Anastasia and during the signing of the contract with the Hoshin Company, Subaru made sure not to leave unremarked the fact that he's only reproducing objects from his world and nothing else. The very name of his business made that clear.

"It really is a pleasure to meet ya, Subaru-sama. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that your work is simply amazing. Nothing remotely similar has been seen since the time of the Great Hoshin." It was the woman sitting to his right who spoke on behalf of everyone. Her skin was brown, she had reddish eyes and her orange hair fell over her shoulders.

With gestures of approval, the remaining four nodded. Sighing, Subaru sat down on the side of the table, with Anastasia opposite him, and began to explain about the designs he had worked on with Leith. Using the plans drawn by himself, Subaru discussed the functionality of each artifact...

"This's the Lighter. It consists of a strong metal frame that contains a piece of fire crystal, which's the one that allows ignition. With this switch located on the top, you can turn the flame on and off, which comes out through this hole located in front of the switch." That was the third design he presented, and until then all the attendees had been listening in silence. Therefore, he was surprised to see that one of them was raising his hand. "Ehmm… yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt ya, Subaru-sama. But I wanted to hear what ya think of what I just came up with to improve this design." The one who spoke was Yand, a young man with brown hair who was wearing glasses. Subaru, intrigued by what he had to say, motioned for him to continue. "Perhaps if we replace the cylinder-shaped metal frame with a cone-shaped one, we could facilitate control over the flame output."

"A cone? How'd that shape facilitate control of flame flow?" The one who asked wasn't Subaru, but another of Anastasia's employees, Lance. A demi-human with fox features.

"I agree with Yand. If we place the switch close to the base and design it in such a way that, dependin' on how much it's pressed, a flame of greater or less intensity is released, then I'm sure that it'll work. The conical shape may not influence the flow of the flame too much, but I do think it'd facilitate its control, as Yand says." Alba, the woman who spoke for everyone at the beginning, also gave her point of view. At the time, the four who had given their opinions were analyzing the design lying on the table.

"Ahem! Guys, don't ya think ya should let Subaru-sama speak?" It was Zeilt, the only one left to share his opinion, who pointed out that they had taken the reins of the conversation, leaving Subaru out. Zeilt was a man well into his thirties, he was bald and had a calm but firm demeanor. Repentant, the others lowered their heads in apology.

"N-no need to apologize. I'm really pleased with the development the conversation was taking. Anyway, our goal this week will be to make you understand as best as possible the idea behind my partner's and mine's designs, with the aim of improving them. So if we can start doing it now, we'd take advantage of it."

The five smiled gratefully and continued to brainstorm, this time including Subaru, whom they consulted every time they proposed a design change. Out of the corner of his eye, Subaru could see a satisfied smile on Anastasia's face. In this way, the six analyzed the ten designs that Subaru brought for that meeting, accompanied, in addition, by fleeting comments from Anastasia.

After a couple of hours there, the five of them retired and Subaru stayed with Anastasia and Julius. The former indicated that lunch was about to be served and invited him to accompany them. After eating, Subaru announced to Anastasia that he was going for a walk around the city. Nodding, she said him that she was about to meet some people related with her company and said goodbye.

Smiling, he went to the exit of the inn; now that he was so far from the capital, he felt that after a long time, he would be able to have a relaxing walk, without needing to always be on the lookout for muggers or Elsa. Once outside the inn, Subaru sighed heavily, before beginning to walk in the direction of the nearest canal.

While there, Subaru stopped to appreciate the beauty of the city he was in. Multiple canals that interconnected with each other were navigated by boats that were pulled by beings similar to a bluish-colored Asian dragon. Each street in the city was connected by multiple arched bridges, which rose above the crystal-clear water canals.

Looking at the level of crystallinity of the water, Subaru understood several of the rules written on the sheet that made him sign when entering the city; like not dumping any kind of waste in the canals. While appreciating the beautiful scenery, Subaru continued to walk the streets of Priestella. He was enjoying the beauty of Priestella from one of the bridges that allowed passage between streets, when a shiver ran through his body.

On the roof of one of the houses next to the canal that he was looking at, there was a figure. A figure that Subaru was quick to recognize. Her slim body was covered by a black dress that revealed much of her abdomen and cleavage. Her beautiful black hair was tied in the form of a braid that reached to her waist, and her face was made up of plump red lips and purple eyes that conveyed an aura of gentleness; although that was only in appearance.

"S-sh*t! W-What's that woman doing here?" Trembling, Subaru stared in terror at the assassin who, months before, had cruelly ended his life twice. The person who taught him the feeling of dying.

Chapter 6: Cacophony of Suffering

Chapter Text

Four Months and Two Weeks since the Last Death (Three Deaths)

His body trembled, his breath caught, and his heartbeat accelerated to its speed limit. With tears of despair building in his eyes, Subaru blinked multiple times, hoping that the figure he was looking at was nothing more than an illusion. But after a few tortuous seconds pleading for the figure to vanish, he had no choice but to accept that the figure was real. Elsa had returned for him.

Then, the questions began to swirl in his head. Why was Elsa there? Hadn't she been stopped by Reinhard? How did she find him? Why was she looking for him? Subaru in that timeline had never met the woman, so there was no reason for her to be looking for him. Unless…

"Did she hear that I sent Reinhard? Did she survive her encounter with him, escaped, and returned for revenge?"

Deep down, Subaru understood that didn't make much sense. How would she have found out that he was the one who sent Reinhard? Subaru may not have known the man very much, but the short time he was with him, was enough to understand that he wasn't the type of person to underestimate his rivals. Then the Sword Saint would never have revealed information that would have endangered Subaru.

Or at least that's what he wanted to believe. However, it was obvious that, for whatever reason, Elsa was there for him. His gaze met Elsa's, who kept her gaze relaxed. The woman didn't seem to react to being noticed, she didn't even move a muscle. It was like a predator examining its prey, patiently searching for the best moment to attack.

Subaru was aware that if he didn't do something, he would die again, and he wasn't willing to allow it. With his gaze still crossed with that of the assassin, he scanned his surroundings with the corner of his eyes. He was alone, in the middle of the bridge. The streets connected by the bridge were desolate, as he was relatively far from any of the main canals. And the nearest ship couldn't be closer than a thousand feet away.

For a moment, he considered fleeing by jumping into the water canal, but he had already witnessed Elsa's perfect aim when throwing her combat knives. Leaving that option aside, he considered running away to one of the two streets connected by the bridge, but the danger of being stabbed in the back by a thrown knife was the same. After thinking for a moment, he realized that Elsa had revealed herself to him, because she had him cornered.

With increasingly larger tears forming in his eyes, Subaru began to feel a of phantom pain deep within his bowels. His body, before he knew it, had already given in to the idea of dying at the hands of the cruel killer. Realizing how desperate his situation was, his legs lost strength and, had he not leaned against the edge of the bridge, he would have collapsed to the ground. Up on the cornice of the house she was standing, the figure, which was an omen of death, smiled.

"D-Dammit…" With his jaw quivering and his teeth banging against each other, Subaru cursed that he was the victim of the Elsa's murderous games again. Seeing her with her erotic smile, full of satisfaction, the fear he had been feeling slowly turned into wrath. Until unadulterated hatred exploded inside her chest. No, he wouldn't let the woman enjoy making him shudder like a coward, without at least trying to do something about it.

"I d-don't plan to d-die here! Now it's m-my turn t-to fight f-for my f*cking h-happy ending!" Ignoring the urge in his body that begged him to surrender, Subaru stood up and started running towards the direction where he believed the main street was. Pleading that his sense of direction didn't fail him, Subaru ran without stopping, zigzagging with the aim of becoming a more difficult target to hit.

"Please! Please! The main street has to be this way!" Biting his lip so hard that jets of blood ran down his throat and neck, Subaru ran with all his momentum, ignoring the pain in his lungs caused by the lack of oxygen. His body, bathed in sweat, was being pushed to the limit, and even so, his speed didn't decrease in the slightest. Thanks to the adrenaline rushing through his body, Subaru was able to travel hundreds of feet in just a few seconds.

"I believe it's here! It has to be!" Once he reached the end of the street, Subaru turned left. As he remembered that that path should lead to the street next to the main canal. Considering that it was barely past lunchtime, he expected there would be quite a few people there. Hopefully, that would be enough to prevent Elsa from momentarily attacking him. After that, he would have to find a way to contact Anastasia. With her help, or rather, the help of Julius and the Fang of Iron, it should be possible to stop Elsa.

But his train of thought, which had bad become a bit optimistic, collapsed completely. With his lungs close to breakdown, his eyes clouded with sweat and tears, his head about to explode from a migraine, and his entire body about to collapse, Subaru stared at the end of the road. The end of his journey. The end of his life. In front of him was a lion-headed beast with the body of a horse and a serpent-shaped tail.

If there was anything from his world that Subaru could relate it to, it would be with the mythical creature called the Chimera. The being, which functioned as a barrier preventing him from reaching his destination, bellowed softly but in an incredibly hostile way; that was a threat, there was no doubt about it. Behind the monstrous being, Subaru could see the exit that led directly to the street next to the main canal, but there was nothing he could do to get there. And it was clear that if he tried to scream for help, he would be eaten before he could.

Exhaling a mouthful of breath, Subaru for a moment considered the option of returning to the street where he came from, in order to continue his escape. He couldn't think of a place to go to, yet the only thing his soul craved was to extend his life as much as possible. But that pathetic hope was devoured by Elsa's cynical smile, which was less than a yard from him, blocking the only exit he had left.

"Ha..." Mocking his own misfortune, Subaru gave a lone laugh directed at himself. Immediately, his body gave way, and with it, all the fluid inside his bladder was also released. Falling into a puddle of his own urine, Subaru stared blankly at the erotic figure of his death. "Ha... Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..."

"I think our target's already been screeewed up, Elsa. Do you reeeeally think there's any point in continuing with this? What a disappoiiiintment, after our client warned us soooo many times that we should be careful deeeealing with him, and it turned out that he was noooothing compared with what he told us." Subaru, despite his mind condition, could heard that a completely out of place voice, high-pitched and childish, came from over the monstrous being. Erratically, Subaru moved his eyes searching for the source of the voice, not caring if Elsa took advantage of that moment to open his abdomen.

"Hnnk!" Surprised, Subaru exclaimed with a stifled gesture. There, on top of the chimera-shaped beast, was a girl who couldn't have been more than twelve years old. Her small body was wrapped in a black suit, her blue hair was styled similarly to Elsa's, and her eyes the same color as her hair conveyed innocence. What was a girl like that doing in that place?

"Oh! The Onii-san seems to be moooore aware of his surroundings than I thought. Hi, I'm Meili! And this liiiiittle one's my friend Guiltylowe." The girl, noticing the gaze that fell on her, presented both herself and the monster she was riding. Finally, Subaru understood that this girl, Meili, wasn't just any girl. Her smile, which must have been innocent, was flirtatious and conveyed lust; something not at all appropriate for a little girl of her age.

"W-what's going on?" Having calmed down a bit, Subaru finally expressed the doubt that was overwhelming him. "W-why are y-you doing t-this to me?"

"I think you're right, Meili. Still, the client was clear in saying that we should make him suffer copiously before ending his life. And since we received full payment in advance, there is no other choice." Elsa, completely ignoring Subaru, answered Meili's question.

"Hmm… Whateeeever… You're the one who enjoys aaall that, so for the time being I'll make sure no one interruuupts us." The girl, with an indifferent gesture, climbed the body of the beast she was riding, until she disappeared behind its mane.

"You know well that what really fascinates me is appreciating the hidden beauty of the bowels. Torture isn't that bad, but I'm not satisfied with it as the beauty of the recently ripped bowels does." Elsa, smiling, proclaimed that her love was only directed towards to the bowels of her victims and nothing else. "Anyway, when I'm done with you, I'll definitely find out how beautiful your insides are."

"Hnk!" With his eyes wide open, Subaru slowly and painfully processed the conversation between the two assassins. Were they going to torture him? Why? "I-I don't wanna!" Crawling over the huge puddle he left after expelling all the fluid from his bladder, Subaru again refused to accept his fate.

He hated the thought of dying, the feeling of his life fading away is something Subaru wished never to feel again until his definitive final moment arrived, many years ahead in the future. But the notion of dying slowly, while being tortured... The horror that made him feel that thought was enough to make him fight again not to perish at the hands of Elsa. Still, it was clear that he was physically in no condition to put up any resistance, so crawling was his only method of showing that he refused to accept his fate. Unfortunately for him, that wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Ohhh… so are you fighting for your life again? Yes, that makes everything so much better. Fight, fight! Let's enjoy the slow end of your existence together."

"Arrghhhh!" A muffled scream escaped from Subaru's mouth, accompanied by saliva and blood. As he crawled, Elsa took the opportunity to kick him in the abdomen with all her strength, causing him to hit the wall of the alley. Feeling dizzy, Subaru could notice that his sight was starting to redden. Blood gushed from his head, completely soaking his face.

"Ahhhh… I hope that wasn't enough to discourage you from continuing to fight. Is your desire to live so small?"

"Hnngh! D-Damn bitch!" Spitting blood, Subaru looked at Elsa, who was right next to him. Knowing that no matter what he did, his destiny would be the same, made him feel extremely desperate. Of course he wanted to live, he wanted to fight, he wanted to escape that place alive. But no matter how intense those wishes were, there was nothing he could do. That's something he learned the day he arrived in that world.

"Hmm... hmm... So there was still some spirit within you. That's good, of course it is." The woman smirked as she pulled out one of her knives. "I suppose we can start now. What do you think, Meili?"

"I'm nooot sure … The only thing I hear is the Onii-san's patheeeetic whimpers." Meili, from the other side of the beast, replied apathetically.

"Well, in that case… We'll do this as slowly as possible. Fortunately, I know perfectly well where to cut to inflict as much pain as possible." Crouching down, Elsa took one of Subaru's arms. He tried to free himself forcefully, while exhaling violently, but any resistance was useless.

The woman started by making a cut in the inner crease of his right elbow, causing a scream to come out of his mouth; a howl that Elsa silenced by hitting him on the nose, after which she gagged him with a piece of cloth. Then, she slipped the edge of her knife between each of the fingers of his hand. Discarding that hand, Elsa then took the left hand. Subaru, distressed by the pain, squirmed to keep the woman from continuing her work. Once again, it was completely useless.

"Gugugu..." With both arms completely rendered useless, Subaru let out a pathetic moan devoid of all human intelligence.

"Okay, now let's continue with the fingers." Then, using her incredibly sharp knife, Elsa sliced each of his fingers, as if they were carrots.

Little by little, the woman stripped Subaru of his limbs completely, finally leaving a torso with a head. The sound of skin being torn, the sound of flesh being cut, the sound of bones being crushed; that cacophony of death sounds was fragmenting his being from outside to inside. How he was still alive, it was something he couldn't understand.

"K-Kill m-eh... Pleash..." Subaru, despaired, tried to vocalize through his gag.

"Hmm... Nooo, we're not done yet." The woman then proceeded to strip him of what remained of his pants.

Before he could understand what was about to happen, incredible pain clouded his consciousness. Elsa, using all her strength, had just castrated him, completely crushing his genitals with the knife handle. At that moment, everything began to darken for Subaru, his consciousness was dissipating… But tremendous pain woke him up again. In the woman's hands was what was left of his manhood; a piece of skin, probably scrotum, hanging from her fingers completely smeared with blood.

In his head there was nothing but suffering and hatred. Hatred towards Elsa, hatred towards the monster that prevented him from escaping, hatred towards the girl who was riding it, hatred towards Anastasia for taking him to that place, hatred towards Leith and Otto for helping him end up in that place, but most of all, he hated himself. He hated his weakness, He hated his lack of courage, he hated his behavior, he hated his lack of action, he hated everything about Natsuki Subaru. Because if he were a little stronger, diligent, and cunning, maybe he wouldn't be suffering as much.

Using his tongue, Subaru managed to free himself, in part, from the gag. Screaming with full force, Subaru tried to bite his own tongue, thus trying to escape the punishment he was suffering for his weakness. But Elsa dislocated his jaw with a blow, leaving him with a strong taste of iron in his mouth. Immediately after, Elsa cut off his ears and tore off his scalp, causing him to start convulsing.

Although Elsa didn't care, because she kept making cuts on his face, while she stopped him by straddling him. She cut off his nose and lips, then ripped out his teeth and tongue. And Subaru, who was unable to feel more than agony and pain, realized that the woman had got back to her feet. The pain he felt was so intense that he had never wanted to die so much, yet, for a reason he didn't understand, he didn't die.

It hurt, it hurt a lot, it hurt so much that he could die, it hurt so much that he longed to die. It hurt so much that his sanity had vanished. It hurt so much that his mind could only process pain. It hurt so much that he forgot where he was. It hurt so much that he forgot his name. It hurt so much that the pain was the only thing that was part of his being. Pain and more pain, now he was only a being of pain.

"I think we can go on with the dessert now…" Licking her lips, Elsa brought her knife to Subaru's abdomen and, ecstatically, made a cut along it. Then his intestines, like lava from a volcano, were expelled from his body and scattered on the ground, leaving a strong smell of blood and sh*t in the air. "Ohhh... Amazing! Your bowels are sooo beautiful. They have a splendid pink color. They really made it worth the effort..."

What's going on? Why do I feel so much pain? Why's everything black? Why's everything white? Why am I not with my parents? Where're my parents? I need them…! Why am I still alive? I'm scared, terrified. Everything hurts me, it hurts so much that death seems beautiful to me. I wanna die, I wanna die, I wanna die, I wanna die, I wanna die, I want to die, I want to die...

"I… w-a-n-t… t-o… d-i-e…"

"Are you suffering? Are you dying? But we were having such a good time... you know? At another time, I'd have let you die while appreciating your beautiful bowels, but our client was especially explicit that we'd have to give you an extremely slow and painful death, so... Meili."

"Finaaaally, I was getting bored... Little Guiltylowe, you know what to do. And don't forget to cheeeeew." Having received his master's order, the monster approached the shattered torso that was all that remained of Subaru, with its mouth open. "Elsa, don't forgeeet the magic ooore."

"Right... If we lose it, Mother will definitely punish us. We definitely don't want that to happen after our failure in the capital."

"Our failure? I didn't even participaaaate."

"Whatever... Finish him off at once, someone will soon realize everything that happened here." With a gesture of understanding, Meili finally indicated to the being called Guiltylowe to eat Subaru. "Before you die... For some reason, our client asked us to give you this parting message: You made the wrong decision. Now I'll do everything necessary for you to fix the mistakes you've made and comply with what is written in the book." After transmitting him that message, Elsa took the ore that she had placed on his body without him noticing and left him for the beast to swallow.

With his mind finally released from what was holding it back, an ephemeral part of his consciousness managed to catch Elsa's last words. Afterwards, everything went silent, but only momentarily, since the world was soon filled with the sounds of something breaking. It was his ribs, his severed limbs, his entire being, that was being chewed on. With one last wave of numb pain, Subaru felt his skull being crushed by the monster's powerful jaws. From there, everything went black and his body plunged into a sea of shadows that were loaded with alienated feelings.

Zero Days since the Last Death (Four Deaths)

"Arrghhhh!" Screaming, Subaru convulsed where he was. His head ached, his stomach was churning, and his body wouldn't stop shuddering. Shaking his head, Subaru hugged his body with difficulty, while escaping from the cruel hands of the assassins who were mutilating him. The tears flooded his eyes and his heart was beating so fast that he felt that at any moment he could have a heart attack; however, none of that mattered to him. All Subaru wanted was to escape the woman who kept brutalizing his body.

"Natsuki-kun?!" Even though he was hiding in his emotional shell, Subaru realized that that that voice didn't belong to Elsa. Slowly, he stopped covering his face, only to notice that a beautiful woman with aqua green eyes was looking at him with a worried expression. In addition, three children with similar characteristics to each other, also looked at him, bewildered.

"A-Anastasia?" Trembling, Subaru asked for the woman's name. As if the answer he received depended on accepting that everything around him was real.

"Yes, It's me. Is somethin' wrong, Natsuki-kun? Out of nowhere ya started screamin' and..." I came back, Subaru thought, before puking into the dragon carriage.

"I don't get how it happened... Throughout the whole trip he was fine and out of nowhere..."

"I understand what you are trying to say, Anastasia-sama... Are you all right? Did he hurt you when he started having the panic attack?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, Julius… It's just that… I'm still in shock. I've never seen a person have such an emotional breakdown. Not even when I lived on the streets of Kararagi."

"Hmm… It really is strange, miss. Julius, do ya think it could be due to a magical attack? Like a curse or something similar?"

"I've never heard of anything like that. Not something focused on mentally destroying the target. Besides, the healer we took him to said that wasn't the case… Anastasia-sama, what should we do with him? I'm against returning to the capital with the condition he is in, it could endanger both him and us."

"Hmm… He's now part of my company, so we can't just put him aside. But the magic healer made it clear that there's nothin' we can do for him, so I honestly don't know how I'd deal with the situation. Ricardo, what do ya think's the most logical course of action to take?"

"It's as ya said, miss. This's a complicated situation. The most logical thing would be to return to the capital to begin his recovery there, but as Julius says, his condition makes the return trip especially difficult to do."

"Hmm… I see this time we won't find an easy way out. If he weren't such a valuable asset to the company, I could just send him back to the capital, but I'm afraid this may be an indirect attack on both him and me. So for now we'll have to wait and see how his mental health progresses. In the meantime, I'll have no choice but to hand over to the design department the drawings that Natsuki-kun brought and wait to see if his condition improves during this week. If it doesn't, we'll have to think of somethin' else... "

Subaru was able to hear Anastasia, Julius, and Ricardo as they talked to each other. The three of them were outside his room at the Water Plumage Inn. At that moment, his body hadn't stopped shaking, his head felt like it was about to explode and his eyes were red from crying. The horror he suffered during his previous death was so great, that different parts of his body suffered spasms from time to time.

After returning from death, Anastasia took a Subaru in complete shock to the nearer magic healer's office, where he examined him. The healer determined that he was physically healthy and that everything was in his mind. Anastasia, on the way to the inn, questioned him about his condition. But just thinking about the horrors suffered during his torture made her nauseous. So after a while, she gave up on understanding what brought him to that condition.

With the help of Julius and Ricardo, Subaru walked to his inn room, where he collapsed completely. And now that he was alone, the voices of his traveling companions were the only thing keeping him sane. Just imagining being alone for more than a minute caused him to vomit and his body began to tremble more violently. So, with agony drawn on his face, Subaru hugged his own body and forced himself to sleep.

Eight Hours since the Last Death (Four Deaths)

The hot knife sliced through his flesh like butter. While Subaru pleaded, the shadow used its weapon to slice Subaru part by part, as if he were a vegetable. As much as Subaru pleaded, the shadow, smiling, persisted with its task. Finger by finger, muscle by muscle, bone by bone, organ by organ, the figure stripped Subaru of his humanity. It trampled on his being. And spat out his corpse. All to end up being swallowed as if he were the remains of the food...

"Ahhhhhhh! Stoooop! I beg you!" Bellowing, Subaru got up from the futon he was on, his face bathed in tears and his crotch soaked. Trembling, Subaru noticed that fear had caused him to urinate himself, again. "Fu-ck..." Drowning a shriek of pain, Subaru covered his face.

"Mimi, look for an inn employee, please. Tell him the futon will need to be changed."

"Yup, miss! I'll do it super-fast!" Hearing that exchange of words, Subaru looked up, to meet Anastasia's gaze. Realizing the situation he was in, Subaru hid with the sheet.

"Anastasia, I..." Unable to find words to justify himself, Subaru fell silent halfway.

Sighing, Anastasia sat next to the futon he was lying on, on the tatami mat. "I came to ask ya that if ya wanted to join us for dinner or if ya preferred the food to be brought to your room; but I see that it'll have to be the latter."

"Ehmm… Thanks, t-that would d-definitely be fi-ne." Ashamed, Subaru looked down, still trembling, as he spoke, stuttering a bit.

"Natsuki-kun, I really would like to help ya in some way... But if ya don't tell me or someone about what happened to ya, about what ya feel. It'll be impossible for me to do something for ya." Anastasia, radiating an aura of reassurance, spoke to him that way. As the owner of the company Subaru now worked for, and her traveling companion for almost a month, it was clear that she felt partly responsible for him.

"You don't need to b-bother so much a-about me, Anastasia-sama."

"Hmm… so now ya're gonna speak to me formally again?" Smiling softly, Anastasia tried to lighten the mood, but Subaru's expression didn't change. Sighing once more, Anastasia changed her sitting position. "Ya know, now I'm your boss, so it's my duty to care about ya. If my employees are unhappy, what does that say about me? Besides, I already told ya, I have high expectations for ya and your ideas, so I'm not interested in ya falling apart before I can make a profit." Her words were blunt, and from the way she spoke, it was obvious that she wasn't lying. However, they carried with them an implicit kindness that managed to slightly calm Subaru's heart. "So let me help ya. It doesn't matter if it's today, tomorrow or in a week. If ya feel ready to talk, I'm 'ere to listen to ya."

"Anastasia, why're y-you being so k-kind to me?" Subaru's question initially took the girl by surprise. But when she was about to answer, he continued. "And I'm not j-just talking about t-this moment. I'm talking about h-how you have treat-ed m-me since the day we met, when y-you allowed Otto to be part of the agree-ment even though it wa-wasn't necessary. Or through the trip... You w-were always attentive t-that I was comfortable… even if I… I don't deserve it."

Subaru was aware of the reasons behind all of that. Subaru had already discussed it with Otto and Leith; he knew that Anastasia was interested in the ideas that were inside her head. Even she herself had affirmed it. But in the condition he was in at the time, all his thoughts, ideas, and emotions were mixed up. And he felt that he wasn't worthy of that greedy kindness of Anastasia.

"Don't ya deserve it? Hmm... If ya didn't deserve it, I can assure ya that my treatment with ya would be totally different. And I can also assure ya that I'm quite good at judgin' people, hence I'm where I'm. If I consider that ya deserve a decent treatment, then ya should accept it and respond equivalently. So ya don't have to beat yourself up that much... "

"But my id-ideas aren't mi-mine... I'm just c-copying what the real g-geniuses of my world did... So..."

"Ya know the fact that ya come from after the Great Waterfall is very hard to believe, Natsuki-kun... Still, if that was the case, and your ideas come from there. Then that wouldn't change anything for me. Your ideas are yours and nobody else's, because no one else can have 'em. As much as ya try to copy somethin', it's inevitable that part of ya'll influence it in the process. So everythin' ya have devised so far, and everything ya'll devise, certainly it'll have a part of ya; makin' it, that way, yours… Or at least that's what I think. Does that answer your question?"

"I think s-so..."

"Well, in that case, I'll tell one of the cooks to send you the best they've. Mimi by this point should have already spoken to one of the inn employees, so at any moment they'd come change the futon." Getting up, Anastasia started to leave the room.

"Anastasia..." But before leaving completely, Subaru's call stopped her.

"What do ya want? Are ya finally in the mood to tell me what's got ya in that condition?" With her hands on her waist, Anastasia looked with an expression of interest and slight reproach at Subaru.

"C-could you s-stay with me?" But what came out of Subaru's mouth wasn't what she expected. "Please…"

Chapter 7: Tortured Soul

Chapter Text

Sixteen Hours since the Last Death (Four Deaths)

Darkness, everything that stretched before his gaze was covered by darkness. There, in the middle of that shadow world, the only thing that accompanied him were his own thoughts. He didn't understand why he was there, or how he got there. Nor did he understand what had happened to his physical body. At that moment, in that place, his being was only shaped by his thoughts, from there, nothing else existed.

Or that would've been the case, if it hadn't been for a particular shadow blending in with the rest of the shadows. A shadow that, unlike the rest of that world, seemed to possess presence and... consciousness. Radiating from that shadow, alienated feelings reached Subaru. At first it was difficult to understand it, but with the passage of time he managed to grasp what they were about; it was love. But not a pure and innocent love. No, it was a sticky, obsessive, unpleasant, vomiting love. And he didn't want to receive that kind of love.

A part of himself felt that he had already been there, in that place, in that world of shadows, next to that vile shadow. A part of himself told him that he must feel the same as the shadow. A part of himself, rooted in the core of his being, deep in his bodyless existence, forced him to reciprocate the disgusting feelings of the shadow. As if loving the shadow was etched in his DNA. But, for some unknown reason to him, that part had weakened.

Was it because he went several months without dying? And therefore he hadn't rejoined the shadow in its shadow world. Or was it due to his previous death? In which he was brutalized to his breaking point, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Subaru, in his current state, couldn't care less about the reason... Now that he had apparently returned to that shadowy world, he wanted to make it clear that he wouldn't be reciprocal with the shadow, that he never would.

Furthermore, now what existed within himself, replacing that fragment that compelled him to reciprocate the feelings of the vile shadow, was pure and condensed hatred, undiluted wrath. Subaru wanted to make it clear that those were his feelings now. Now that Subaru wasn't just him, now that his thoughts weren't his alone; now that his tortured soul had been fragmented, without him perceiving it, Subaru had been released.

And he would exercise that newly acquired freedom to convey all the hatred and wrath that were building up inside his fragmented being. Subaru wasn't fully aware of why he felt those negative feelings, what he was entirely aware of was that he needed to make it clear to the shadow that this was what he was feeling now; as many times as necessary.

The shadow seemed to realize what Subaru really felt, as it began to radiate "love" more strongly than before. Subaru, annoyed, tried to reject the feelings of the shadow. However, he had no eyes with which to convey contempt, a heart with which to feel hatred, ears which to cover to stop listening to the shadow, a tongue with which to transmit his wrath directed towards the shadow, a nose with which to smell the disgusting miasma of the shadow and thus be able to express his revulsion, or a body with which to avert the shadow. Still, Subaru wanted to make clear his contempt for the shadow, so he focused on expressing it in the only way he could.

"I loathe your feelings, I disgust your presence, I hate everything about it, your existence causes burning anger to fluctuate in my being... I despise you... I completely despise you. I f*cking despise you! Leave me alone! I spurn you! I hate you! Get away from me!" However, no matter how hard Subaru tried to convey his thoughts, it was apparently useless. Or that's what he initially thought...

The shadow finally stopped struggling to convey its "love" feelings. Now it was aware that that wouldn't work with him. However, it simply wouldn't just accept it. Subaru quivered, if that was possible without a body, limbs, or muscles. The shadows trembled, the entire shadow world began to shake, and then Subaru saw it. The shadow that, like water in a river, started uttering the phrase "I love you", incessantly.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you..." Her cloying voice began to distort as she approached him, followed by a swarming mass of darkness. Two violet gemstones appeared where its eyes must have been, conveying, for the first time, another feeling aside from the unpleasant "love"; it was hate. No, it was envy... Jealousy. "I love you, I love you, I... love you, I lo-ve y-you, I... lo-ve you, I… love… you..." Its voice, distorted, gradually stopped conveying love, and then started begging for love. "Love me, I love you, love me… I love you, love me… I love you… Love me, love me, love me... Love me! Love me! Love me! Love me! Love me!"

The shadows, like waves in a stormy sea, began to crash against each other, charged with anger, hatred, envy, jealousy...Toxic jealousy, obsessive jealousy, murderous jealousy... Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy, everything that was in that world was jealousy. Subaru, frightened, stopped thinking exclusively about how much he despised the shadow. Now he could only think of running away from that shadowy world never to return.

"Let me go, let me go, let me go... Let me go! Set me free! I hate you! I hate you! So set me free! Set me free!" Subaru screamed, feeling an incredible load of emotions that made him feel a strong sense of déjà vu. As with Elsa, his thoughts desperately began to collapse in a heap.

"Love me! Love me! Love me! Love me! Love me! Love me! Love me! Love me!" The shadows tsunami finally merged with the sentient shadow that insistently begged for his love. Thus transforming into a being taken from Subaru's nightmares. He, with his torrent of thoughts completely collapsed, watched as the tsunami of shadows engulfed him in one gulp, plunging him into a sea of jealousy. Little by little, his consciousness faded, until the last thing he heard was: "Subaru, love me..."

Hyperventilating, Subaru woke up from a nightmare for the fifth time in a row that night. Cold sweat ran over much of his body, especially his back. His eyes were watery and his limbs kept trembling violently. However, to his delight, that occasion wasn't drenched in his crotch.

Sighing, Subaru wiped the sweat from his forehead and rubbed his eyes, then immediately sat down on the futon. In his mind, he insistently tried to remember the dream that had just awakened him, but it was as if it had completely vanished. Until now, all his dreams had been nightmares involving Elsa, but this one had been different; it felt different. It felt more like he had been… remembering.

"S-Subaru, love me...?" Without fully comprehending it, Subaru whispered those words. They had been on the tip of his tongue and he had said them out of inertia, however, he didn't remember where he had heard them… Because, yes, he felt as if he had heard them somewhere, even though he didn't know anyone capable of saying those words to him.

Does it have something to do with what I just dreamed of? I woke up quite agitated, but I don't think it was that kind of dream. With that in mind, Subaru sighed wearily.

Discarding the possibility of an erotic dream, Subaru decided that it was not worth thinking too much about the matter and decided to continue sleeping. But before he leaned back, he scanned the state of the inn room he was in. That room, while very similar to his, was definitely not. The four additional people who were there, were proof of this.

Subaru was in Anastasia Hoshin's room. If someone had told him about that was going to happen a few days ago, Subaru would have certainly laughed at it; but that was definitely not the case now. After pathetically pleading with Anastasia to stay with him, she, sighing, accepted. At the time, Subaru's surprise had been paramount, as he was prepared for his plea to be rejected and even insulted.

Anastasia stayed with him until Mimi returned, and it was then, when she was about to leave once and for all, that Subaru tried his luck again. Shamelessly, Subaru begged her not to leave. Anastasia, finally grasping that Subaru not only didn't want to be left alone, but also didn't specifically want her to leave, showed a bit of disgust for the first time that day.

However, before he apologized and Mimi rebuked him for saying such a thing, Anastasia agreed to return after taking care of a few things. After that, Anastasia asked Mimi to keep Subaru company until she returned, and left the room. The employee who had arrived with the girl exchanged the futons and left the room, leaving him alone with the demi-human child.

Mimi, though she continued with her lively attitude, didn't address Subaru at any time, as if fearing that with it she would break him, like he was a porcelain ornament. So they were both silent, one lying down and the other fiddling with one of the artifacts he and Leith created.

After almost an hour, Anastasia returned with the news that he would sleep in her room with her and the triplets. That the triplets' presence was insurance against Subaru, or that they already shared a room with her as something normal, Subaru didn't bother to ask. Luckily for him, Anastasia had already finished the unfinished business, so she could finally stay with him.

After dining in Anastasia's room accompanied by her, the triplets and Julius, Subaru returned to his futon, placed in one of the corners of the room, and lay down on it, completely covering himself with a sheet. In all that time, he hadn't exchanged words with anyone other than Anastasia, and he never spoke to her more than necessary.

Subaru, despite having his consciousness relatively clear, was too emotionally damaged to attempt to interact normally with his surroundings. With the gazes of Anastasia and her guards on his back, Subaru closed his eyes. So, even in that state, with his mind clouded by trauma and his heart squeezed with fear, Subaru was finally able to fall asleep.

He knew it. That no one agreed with him spending the night in Anastasia's room. Julius had argued, the triplets had complained, and Ricardo had screamed. All those who watched over the safety of the businesswoman and candidate for the throne, were against her giving in to Subaru's pathetic pleas.

Perhaps, if they hadn't met him months ago, he hadn't become an ally and hadn't interacted with them daily for almost a month, none of them would have ended up yielding to Anastasia's firmness. She had realized that Subaru was hanging by a thread, and that a single push would be enough to make his mind break to the point of no return.

Anastasia was also aware that, for some reason unknown to her, Subaru was holding onto her as a pillar of emotional stability. So not leaving him alone and allowing him to spend the night in her room, was her way of helping him. If that's what he needed at the moment so as not to fall apart, then she'd have no problem granting it to him.

After all, despite behaving childish from time to time, she liked Subaru. Especially when she heard him talk about his ideas and where they came from; even if she didn't fully believe him about his life in a place beyond the Great Waterfall. Also, it never hurts to make someone as valuable as Subaru become an employee completely loyal to her and her company; and she was sure that, in that way, she would definitely make it.

Unaware of the reasons that had led Anastasia to condone his pathetic plea, Subaru watched her sleep. The girl was sharing a futon with Mimi, which made them an especially cute couple at bedtime. Not far from them, the two brothers were sharing another futon.

Just seeing them sleep so quietly, even if it was a little, relaxed him. It convinced him, if only for a moment, that there was no danger in the world and no one would threaten to harm them. But Subaru was aware of the truth, so that momentary peace they transmitted to him was nothing more than an illusion, one that could disappear from the face of that world at any moment.

Knowing it and doing nothing made him feel guilty. How it made him feel guilty to be using Anastasia. His broken heart, desperate to feel safe, clung to the most protected person in all of Priestella. So he needed to keep Anastasia close to him, because with her would be Julius and the mercenaries of Fang of Iron. Thanks to this, Subaru was now sleeping in a room located in the middle of Julius and Ricardo's. He was using Anastasia. He knew it, and so he felt guilty.

Use her that way, and still not warn her of the danger lurking in the city. How ungrateful could he be? Of course, it wasn't that he actively and of his own accord concealed what was about to happen, he was simply unable to speak about it without suffering a panic attack. Just thinking about Elsa, Meili and the monster was enough to make his stomach turn and feel the need to vomit, enough to loosen his bladder and make his head felt like it was about to explode.

Still… would they be able to trust me without giving them proof of my words? With this in mind, Subaru ruled out, to his self-satisfaction, that speaking was going to give any results. Striving until losing control of his body, for something that wouldn't change a thing. Subaru really wasn't willing to go through something like that.

Leaving aside the futility of him talking about the attack of the two cruel females that was going to take place at any moment, Subaru thought again about Anastasia and how he was clinging to her. It was clear that, first of all, he was doing so since, with her close, he would have a better chance of avoiding another tortuous and prolonged death at the hands of Elsa and the girl's monster. Although something inside him indicated that this was not all there was to it...

The way he was clung to her, and the way he had accepted her conditions without thinking during their first meeting, were making him feel confused. All of this made him wonder what he really thought about Anastasia Hoshin and her determination to obtain everything that had been denied her since birth.

Perhaps, having her close would help him get the answers he was looking for in his own life. Maybe that was the other reason he was holding on to her. Maybe… he saw her as a symbol of hope. Someone he needed to follow in order to find a way to overcome his weaknesses and exploit that he can really excel at.

"Th-this isn't the time to be thin-thinking about it..." Whispering as he stuttered, Subaru lay back down. In that moment, Subaru could only be sure that he would be eternally grateful for everything Anastasia had done for him, no matter what her intentions might be. Above all, he owed her his gratitude for extending her hand to him, despite the pathetic state he was in after his fourth death.

Glancing once more towards his surroundings, Subaru rested his gaze one last time on Anastasia's face, which was barely illuminated by the moonlight that filtered through the tatami wall. Recording the image of her, hugging Mimi while she slept peacefully, in his retinas, Subaru finally allowed himself to return to the dangerous world of his dreams.

One Day and Seven Hours since the Last Death (Four Deaths)

"Subaru, Anastasia-sama has to meet with several Hoshin Company commercial allies. And I know you understand that you cannot accompany her during the meeting. So Anastasia-sama ordered me to stay with you for the duration of the meeting. I'm aware that it isn't what you want to hear, but I hope that my company calms, even partially, your soul."

Subaru, who was sitting on his futon, still located in Anastasia's room, looked up without moving his head. His body was wrapped in a sheet, revealing only a completely gaunt face. His eyes were red and had huge eye-bags. His face was pale, his nose was bright red, and his hair was completely messy.

Julius, standing next to him, slightly twisted his face, in disgust. Such a pathetic image could move the heart of even the man nicknamed the Valuable Knight. Realizing his mistake immediately, Julius corrected his gesture to show his unflappable countenance of tranquility again. Not receiving any response from Subaru, he simply went to one of the tatami chairs in the room and sat there.

"It's still hard for me to accept that you changed so abruptly." Julius combed his bangs, while talking to no one in particular; He knew Subaru wouldn't answer him, so talking to him would be the same as talking to himself. "At first I thought you were up to something, that it was all an act... Ricardo thought the same." Then his gaze rested on Subaru. "But it's already clear to me that that's not the case..."

His intense yellow gaze wandered around the perimeter of the room again. The table, the chairs, the carpet, the two futons, everything was tidy and conveyed an incredible aura of clarity. But that boy lying in one of its corners, was completely out of keeping with that image. Julius couldn't help but think of his journey with his mistress, his companions and Subaru.

"It's strange, despite having interacted with you throughout the whole trip to here, I still feel like I don't understand you at all." Julius had the opportunity to exchange words with Subaru at various times throughout the trip, to the point where the latter asked him to speak more casually to him. Still, for Julius, Subaru remained a mystery.

"What do you want? What're you looking for? What's your goal? In your gaze I identify determination, determination like I have never seen in anyone. But at the same time, I feel that it's so loaded with regret and confusion... So, who're you Subaru Natsuki? What're you thinking right now? What made you end up in your current condition?"

Of course, Subaru didn't answer him, he didn't even react in any way to his questions. His body, covered by the sheet, remained unchanged. Seeing his chest rise and fall at short intervals was the only proof that the dark-haired guy was still alive. Since his eyes were open, it was hard to tell that he was asleep. Although it could be a case of dreaming with open eyelids, Julius didn't think that was the case.

"Are you looking at the door? Are you waiting for Anastasia-sama's return?" Again, Julius's questions faded into thin air without being answered. Sighing, Julius combed his bangs again. "Relying so heavily on a woman completely lacking in physical strength. Did you utterly lose the pride of a knight? Of a man?"

Julius, bewildered, stood up and approached Subaru. Taking firm steps, loaded with dignity, he placed himself in front of Subaru, who completely ignored him. His doubts that Subaru was acting had already vanished, that was true; throughout the night, he and Ricardo were in charge of keeping a watchful eye on his mistress's room, but nothing unusual happened.

That alone wouldn't be enough to dispel his doubts, but given Subaru's traumatic symptoms, difficult to act on, such as vomiting, fluid incontinence, crying, and incessant trembling, it was unlikely that he was playing any acting role. That, or Subaru was simply very good at it; but his intuition indicated him that this wasn't the case.

Still, on the other hand, his doubts about Subaru's intentions towards his mistress only increased. His brazen insistence on being unpleasantly attached to her caused him enormous discomfort. And not only for being Anastasia's best knight, but also for being a man. Maybe it was the wrong way of looking at it, maybe his focus was wrong. Still, the way Subaru showed weakness made him feel completely uncomfortable.

"Are you in love with Anastasia-sama? I couldn't blame you if that were the case, for she is an exceptional woman, but your treatment of her is nothing more than a pathetic display of dependency that is, bluntly, painful to watch."

Julius personally felt nothing for Anastasia other than loyalty, yet as a man he was, watching Subaru behave the way he did, was too embarrassing and unpleasant to testify. Although Julius personally didn't have much of a romantic experience, he knew enough to frown on Subaru's behavior.

"And if you're not in love or even attracted to her, then why're you so attached to her and nobody else?" His voice rose, as if hoping it would be enough to make Subaru react, but Subaru didn't even blink.

Love? Dependence? Greediness? Julius was convinced that Subaru wasn't acting, but even in his condition, he could be being moved by a feeling like that. Perhaps his attachment to Anastasia could be related to greediness. Whether he wanted money or political power; being close to Anastasia, he could get whatever he was looking for. There was a problem with that theory, though. That was definitely the worst way to win favor with someone like his mistress. On the contrary, Subaru would be the one to end up in debt; that's where that approach faltered.

Surely that wasn't the right approach, maybe Subaru was just holding on to the person with whom he had the most emotional connection in the entire group. Without a doubt, Anastasia was the person Subaru interacted with the most during the trip. Although, rarely did their topics of conversation vary from topics related to the ideas of the man who claims to come from beyond the Great Waterfall.

"Even if that were the case, the way you have clung to Anastasia-sama, like that of an infant with his mother, is definitely pathetic. Perhaps, if we knew what had you in that condition, we could better understand your attitude... Subaru, we really need you to come back to your senses. We're willing to help you, Anastasia-sama's stance is clear proof of this, but you must also do your part." Tired of receiving no response from Subaru, Julius returned to the chair in which he had been sitting.

"Anastasia-sama's a busy woman; a top businesswoman and merchant, as well as a candidate for the throne. If you don't come back to your senses soon, I don't promise that she can carry you around for long. Now, you're valuable to her, but if you stop being so, she may find herself needing to cancel the entire Renovation Project and return you to your colleagues in the capital. That would leave her with losses, no doubt about it, but maintaining the project without the brain behind it isn't feasible. I don't know much about commerce and business, and still I'm still aware of it. So I really hope you can recover before everything you worked for slips through your fingers."

Combing his bangs one last time, Julius finally fell silent. Talking a lot was never part of his personality, but seeing Subaru's state, remaining silent had simply been impossible for him. Now that he had said everything he thought, he set about spending the rest of the time prepared to act if necessary. He had not finished sitting down, however, when a loud rumble forced him back to his feet.

"What was that?!" With doubt and alarm clouding his gaze, Julius leaned out of the room to contemplate the panorama. The Zen garden had been demolished, as if something very heavy had fallen on it, and several bodies could be seen scattered on the ground. They were the bodies of people, people he had seen through his stay in that inn. "What's going on?!"

But before he could process what was happening, Julius managed to see a pack of beings shaped like dogs running towards the inn dining room; they were mabeasts. Specifically, Wolgarms, dog-shaped mabeasts, known for their ferocity and pack attacks. "Anastasia-sama!" Thinking of his mistress, Julius was about to go to where she was. But then he remembered why he was in that room and not next to her, as he should have been.

"Damn it!" Frowning, Julius cursed for the first time in a long time. His gaze wandered from Subaru, to where his mistress was supposed to be, and back. After a moment of considering it, Julius focused on Subaru again. "Subaru, I'm sorry, but Anastasia-sama must always be my priority, no matter what. Still, I'll make sure to send someone here to rescue you. I will pray for your well-being."

Julius then left the room and was about to close its door in order to increase the black-haired man's chances of survival. But before doing so, he heard him speak for the first time since he had his first panic attack shortly before entering Priestella. His voice sounded broken and fraught with terror, and though it was barely a whisper, Julius was able to hear it.

"T-they d-did it… They already started their attack... They'll come for me-me... They'll come for me!" With his voice laden with fear, he began to tug on his hair forcefully, in what seemed like another panic attack.

Julius wasn't sure if his reaction was due to his condition or if his crazed words carried some truth. He wished he could ask Subaru directly, but he no longer had time to waste. Finally closing the door to Anastasia's room, Julius ran in the direction of where she was. Subaru, for his part, didn't even notice that he had been left alone. His mind was only capable of processing the terror he felt knowing that he was close to suffering again at the hands of Elsa.

"Anastasia's n-not here, Anastasia's not h-here, Anastasia's n-not h-here, Anastasia i-is n-not here, Anastasia's n-not he-re..." Repeating that phrase obsessively, Subaru started to surrender to the idea of his fifth death. Now that he had failed to stand by his only hope of salvation, all was truly lost. "Anastasia, w-where d-did you go? Anastasia, where a-are y-you? Anastasia, w-where're you? I don't w-wanna d-die, I-I don't wanna die... I don't want to die. Damn, I don't want to die!"

Abruptly coming to his senses due to fear and adrenaline, Subaru hugged his trembling body, while covering his head with the sheet; with that, he now was completely covered by the white piece of cloth. At that moment, Subaru cursed to remain aware of his surroundings and wished to lock himself in his mind. At the same time, he cursed his weakness and inability to do anything. Many lives were about to be lost, and he could only think of himself… Cursing everything, Subaru closed himself to the world around him.

Chapter 8: The Siege of the Mabeasts

Chapter Text

One Day and Seven Hours since the Last Death (Four Deaths)

"Miss, get away from here with Sis and Hetaro and seek refuge. I'll see to it that you aren't reached. Even if I must sacrifice my life, I will!"

"Tivey... No, come with us! I'm not leavin' ya behind!"

"I can't do that, miss! You know it! If someone doesn't take care of containin' them, it'll be impossible to escape! There're too many!"

"Tivey, I..." Anastasia cursed inwardly; she knew Tivey was in the right.

"You're like an older sister to us, miss. You've been there for us since we're abandoned, and I don't intend to allow all that kindness to be wasted. Escape, miss! I beg you!" Tivey, obfuscated, looked ahead, and released another thunderous roar. After getting rid of the approaching mabeasts, he looked at his sister, who seemed to be in shock; her gaze rested on Hetaro's badly injured body. "Sis! Mimi!"

Blinking, the girl turned to her brother; her skin was pale and tears kept streaming from her beautiful eyes full of innocence. The two brothers exchanged glances, and without the need for words, they conveyed what had to be said. Mimi, feeling her heart squeeze, forced herself to resume her playful smile and took the hand of the little lady, of Anastasia.

"Miss, Mimi will take care of protectin' you! Leave the rear to Bro, I'm sure he'll be back as soon as he's done dealin' with those pesky mabeasts!" Taking one of Anastasia's hands, both began to escape from there.

Mimi didn't want to leave her brother behind. Mimi knew there were too many mabeasts for her brother to deal with all of them at the same time. Mimi knew that if they both focused on fighting with them and reunited with Ricardo and Julius again, then they would come out of that chaos with no problem.

But the little lady had no physical strength of any kind, and fighting with the mabeasts would mean leaving her unprotected. If she wanted to do her job, leaving Tivey behind was necessary... No, if they wanted to protect their beloved Miss, they would have to. Mimi didn't want to leave her brother behind, but she also didn't want to disgrace his conviction to stay behind and protect them. So Mimi was willing to accept his decision and focus on protecting the miss.

"Mimi, where're we headed?" With Hetaro in one of her arms and Mimi taking her from the other, Anastasia barely had time to process what was happening.

Until a moment ago, she had been in a meeting with several people of importance to her company, discussing the execution of the Reinvention Project, when the walls of the room they were in were destroyed by dozens of mabeasts that appeared out of nowhere. She knew the name of a couple of the species that attacked them, but had never heard of most of them.

If not for the quick action of Tivey, Hetaro, and Mimi, it is possible that everyone in the room would have ended up dead. Unfortunately, a pair of the people they were meeting with, two men who had been part of the company since before she became the owner, perished under the poison and the clutches of the mabeasts.

Before they could decide what course of action to take, a second group of mabeasts attacked. Among them was a strange Wolgarm of small size, who was capable of using magic; apparently earth magic. Due to the appearance of the Wolgarm, the situation became a lot more complicated, leading to Hetaro being bitten by an Arkalb, an arm-thick serpent-shaped mabeast, which exposed him to an attack by the Wolgarm. Now, because of it, his life was hanging by a thread.

"The captain was meetin' with several members of our group near the dinin' room, right?" Faced with Anastasia's question, Mimi responded with another question, referring to Ricardo and the group of mercenaries called Fang of Iron.

"Yes. They were plannin' the guard duty shifts of next week."

"Hmm, in that case, Mimi think it would be best to go first with Julius. Your room is closer, miss. Also, the mabeasts that attacked us seemed to come from the direction where the dinin' room is, so the captain's sure to have his hands full right now."

With a quick analysis of the situation that collided with her cute appearance, Mimi outlined the course of action they would take and the reasons for it. Proud, Anastasia nodded. Whether it was Ricardo or Julius, either one would be more than reliable; so really everything would depend on which one was closer.

After accepting Mimi's judgment with a nod, Anastasia focused on continuing to run alongside her bodyguard. The two of them, hand in hand, escaped through the internal corridors of the inn, running between multiple tatami rooms. Which, due to the thinness of its structure, allowed to hear the screams of agony of people being attacked and the sounds of the battles that were unfolding.

With her lungs and legs pleading for a break, Anastasia ran and ran again. At the time, the only thing on her mind was to escape the beasts that were besieging the inn and save Hetaro's life. The reasons for the attack, while intriguing, were not a priority at the time. Her life, that of her colleagues and that of her employees, that is all that was important to preserve.

Her greed prevented her from accepting the death of anyone important to her, so it was also necessary to find someone capable of healing Hetaro as soon as possible. Thus, with her priorities well defined, the girl ran and ran even further, unable to think of anything other than reaching her destination. It was then, that after turning in a bend, her body was thrown against one of the rooms.

Due to its walls being made of paper, her body crossed the tatami without problems, stopping when she collided with one of the wooden pillars that supported the structure. Feeling great pain go down her right leg, Anastasia tried to stand up, but the pain in her limb was so excruciating that she collapsed again. Looking with her gaze for the reason for her pain, her eyes widened at the realization.

Blood flowed freely from the base of her leg, from a cut deep enough to see the white of her femur. Releasing a squeal of pain, Anastasia tried to cover the wound with her hands. That had been her only reaction, trying to close the wound that was causing her life fluid to escape from her being.

"Ana, you need to make a tourniquet, otherwise you won't make it."

It was then that a soft, intelligent voice came from her neck. Anastasia was not frightened to hear it, quite the contrary. The voice was trying to guide her to the correct course of action, like every time she had needed help from the voice. Taking a deep breath, Anastasia tore a piece of the kimono she had worn since arriving at the inn and wrapped it tightly around her leg. Once she found it to be well adjusted, she used the wooden pillar to stand up.

"Mimi? Hetaro? Where're ya?" With her gaze, Anastasia scanned the room for the triplets. At the time, there seemed to be none in sight. Grunting with pain, Anastasia walked, dragging her injured foot, to the shattered wall she had entered. When she got there, leaning on her healthy foot, she prepared to return to the corridor. But she stopped when she caught a foul smell.

"Mi-mi? H-Hetaro?" In the corridor where she had been running just a couple of minutes ago, there was now a path of blood, bones, and flesh. Anastasia, trembling, left the room and began to follow the path. With each step she took, more tears formed in her eyes. Each step she took, the stronger her nausea. Each step she took, her hope faded even further.

Reaching the end of the corner, Anastasia was finally able to see it. It was Hetaro's head, which lacked eyes, an ear, and almost all his teeth; below his neck, only his esophagus remained, the rest were scattered down the corridor. With her eyes rolled, Anastasia knelt involuntarily, as she ejected the entire contents of her stomach onto part of what had been her beloved bodyguard.

Her mind was clouded, she was unable to think what to do at the moment. Her stomach kept getting rid of all its contents, until nothing but yellowish bile came out of it. From her already reddened eyes, didn't stop welling up tears, which had already left a trace along her cheeks. And her whole body didn't stop trembling. Anastasia felt her heart was about to break.

"Ana... Ana! I know this is painful to watch. I really know, since it hurts me too. But you need to keep moving, we can't stay in this place. We don't know if the mabeasts that attacked us could return. Besides, we have to find Mimi, she could still be alive."

Anastasia, who hadn't reacted to any of the arguments from the voice coming from her neck, finally did so upon hearing the name of the missing girl. Forcing herself to stand up once more, with one leg injured and the other trembling. Her gaze was clouded and her gait was erratic, however, Anastasia advanced along the corridor, which had signs of combat throughout it.

"This is... This is terrible. What caused this horrendous assault?" Anastasia, not in a fit state to speak, ignored the voice's comment. Which caused the fox-shaped scarf that was wrapped around her neck to shake, coming to life. What had once been a scarf was now a fox with white fur and sharp eyes. The fox stretched its body so that its snout brushed Anastasia's left ear. "I know this looks very bad, Ana. But you have to..."

Before the fox could finish conveying its message, a loud impact was heard and the fox, as it had agreed in the past with Anastasia, returned to its inanimate state at the possibility that they would meet someone. Her existence as Anastasia's intimate companion and confidant had always been kept a secret from everyone, and despite everything, this would continue; unless Anastasia indicated otherwise, it would remain so forever.

An orange-haired girl crashed to the ground, a few yards from Anastasia. "Mimi will not give up! Mimi will protect the little lady and avenge Hetaro!" It was Mimi, who with her small body covered in cuts and her own kimono bathed in blood, got up with difficulty.

Anastasia was about to call her name, when she saw that a large mabeast, which had an extremely bizarre appearance, as if it were made up of different animals, appeared in front of Mimi with the intention of attacking her. Anastasia had heard about that mabeast. It was a Guiltylowe, a monstrous and territorial being of incredible power who lives deep in the woods as its king. What was that monstrous being doing there, was another question that she would have to store in her mind for later.

"Growa!" Growling, the being used its powerful body to ram Mimi, who managed to dodge it with some problems and then attacked by screaming. Her voice, turned into a wave of magic power, struck part of the side of the mabeast. Had it not been for that monster's quick reaction, Mimi might have dealt a powerful blow. But not having done so, the beast took advantage of the fact that Mimi had left openings to lash out with its jaws open.

"Mimi!" Finally coming back to her senses, Anastasia called out the girl's name, seeing that she was about to be mauled.

Mimi, reacting a second late, was unable to save her right arm from her elbow down. Bleeding, with jerks of flesh and skin hanging down, and part of the bone sticking out, Mimi turned to Anastasia, ignoring the pain she felt. Seeing her mistress there, her gaze filled with an uproar of emotions. From joy to see that she was fine, to terror to see that she was there, so close to danger.

"Miss, you'd have gone straight to your room." Running in her direction, Mimi placed herself in front of Anastasia so that she could protect her, while rebuking her in a childish tone for not having gone to where Julius was.

"Ya know I couldn't leave ya behind, Mimi…" With pain in her gaze, Anastasia stared at Mimi's injured body. Finding a healer would be vital to keep her alive.

"Mimi wish you had, miss." With her back to Anastasia, Mimi faced the mabeast, who was looking at them both with a thirst for blood. "I don't think I can beat it on my own. But for you, Mimi will do her best, miss!"

Mimi, opening her mouth, let out another scream. The sound wave hit the ground, but nothing else, since the Guiltylowe had dodged without problem. However, to the surprise of those present, but above all, to the surprise of the beast, her back had received a deep cut. Roaring, the monster faced the one who had attacked it from behind. It was a man with a firm yellow gaze.

"Julius?" Anastasia, surprised, blinked a few times. There, in front of them, was the man with whom they were going to meet. If anyone could take care of turning the scales, it would be him.

"I am glad to see that you were able to endure all this time, Anastasia-sama. I beg your pardon for my delay. After all this has passed, I will be prepared to receive the corresponding punishment without giving a word of complaint." Tilting his face down while combing his bangs, Julius apologized for allowing his mistress to remain in constant danger all that time. "Excellent work, Mimi. Now I will take care of everything, you try to treat that wound."

Glaring at the Guiltylowe, Julius placed himself in attack position, his sword in front of himself, ready to end its life. The monster, exuding pride and anger, faced Julius. The first to attack was the mabeast, which charged at Julius at the speed of the wind, circling him. With his jaws, capable of crushing bones, ready, it launched himself at Julius from behind.

"I had heard that the Guiltylowe are beasts among beasts, that have great intelligence... But it's clear that you are still a mabeast in the end!" With a slash, Julius forced the monster back. The Guiltylowe, furious, hid in the shadow of the corridor, becoming one with them. "You men, take care of healing Anastasia-sama and Mimi! The rest cover my back!"

Without letting his guard down, Julius spoke to a group of Fang of Iron members, who were behind him. Without needing to address them directly, the two members capable of using healing magic nodded and ran in the direction of the two females. Anastasia, seeing that they were finally treating Mimi, couldn't help but smile a little; although her smile was stained with pain as she remembered what had happened to Hetaro.

"Tch! There's no way I can fully heal a wound like this! Only someone like the knight Felix would be able to reattach a limb." Said, frustrated, the mercenary in charge of healing Mimi's wounds.

"Mimi doesn't care. As long as I can continue to use my voice, Mimi will fight to protect the miss." Downplaying the matter, Mimi looked at Anastasia, who was also being treated.

"How serious do ya see the wound? Will I be able to keep walkin'? I wouldn't want to become a mayor burden at a time like this." Anastasia was aware that without the wound, she was already a burden due to her lack of defense methods, but being unable to walk would be an even greater burden for Mimi, Julius and the rest of the Fang of Iron.

"This is a deep wound, Anastasia-sama. However, I will do my best to keep you walkin'." The mercenary, whose body had feline features, determinedly answered Anastasia's question. Nodding, she thanked her employee for the gesture. After that, she returned her attention to the end of the corridor, where Julius had once again plunged into battle with the Guiltylowe.

"You are strong, beast. I grant you that." Making a side cut with the tip of his sword, Julius leaped back. His arm, which had just received a scrape, now had deep claw marks etched into its flesh. "Still... Ia, Aro! ¡Fell Goa!" Two spheres of light appeared behind him and enveloped his sword. Slicing in the direction of the mabeast a torrent of fire, propelled by a gust of wind, struck the Guiltylowe, burning half of its face.

The lights were spirits, one red and one green, and had an affinity for the elements of fire and wind, respectively. Julius, considered one of the few Spirt Knights of that world, has a contract with six spirits, related to each of the six elements of magic: Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Light and Darkness. Making him, of course, an opponent to fear.

"It seeeems like now it's my turn to deal with a diiiifficult situation. But it was to be expected, after aaaall, our client told us that our objective was accompanied by one of the caaaandidates for the throne." Julius, who was near the victory, looked suspiciously towards where the voice came from, at the end of the corridor.

"Who is there? Show yourself or else I will have to attack!" Julius, readying his sword, screamed towards the end of the corridor, still looking at the Guiltylowe.

"Aren't you suppoooosed to be called Valuable Knight? It doesn't seem to me that you're very valuaaaable." Riding a huge mabeast in the shape of a gigantic hippopotamus, a girl with blue hair and an evil aura appeared from the darkness. Julius recognized the mabeast as a Wagpig. Still, the girl's presence was a mystery.

"A girl?" Julius whispered, bewildered. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you the one who orchestrated this attack on Anastasia-sama?"

"Those are too maaany questions." Complaining, the girl shook her head, annoyed. "I'll only tell you that my naaaame's Meili and that my job is to prevent you from interfeeeering with my partner's work"

"Partner…?" The more he listened, the more impatient Julius became.

"Now... Keeping you and that big demi-human in yoooour places would have been impossible with the number of booooys I had before. But since the client ooooffered a lot of money. Mama allowed us to hunt down some small maaaabeasts in the desert around the Pleiades Watchtower. So that won't be a problem noooow." Smiling, the girl applauded twice, an action that was followed by the appearance of various mabeasts, including some that Julius didn't recognize.

There was another Guiltylowe, several Oiranguma, bear-like beings that were covered by the roots of the flowers that grew on their backs. And even an intimidating-looking being that had the body of a horse, a human torso where its head should be, a mouth in the abdomen of the torso and a huge horn where the human head must have been; his screech was similar to a baby's cry.

"Take Anastasia-sama away, get her out of here!" Julius, understanding the magnitude of the problem, signaled to the mercenaries who were healing Anastasia and Mimi to escape with them.

Anastasia, feeling a déjà vu that reminded her of what happened a moment ago with Tivey, of whom she did not know his status, was willing to claim and refuse. But noticing the gaze of her best knight, which was normally composed, clouded by urgency, she simply accepted the protection of her mercenaries. Mimi, who was in better shape now that the bleeding had stopped, took her with her one hand and motioned for Anastasia to follow her again.

"Hmm... There's no need to waste booooys on them. After aaaall, we'll need all the forces available to deeeeal with the Knight among kniiiights..." Smiling in a twisted way, as no girl her age should, the girl indicated to her mabeasts that focused on Julius.

Regretting the complexity of her situation, was Anastasia finally about to leave, when she remembered something. "Julius! What happened to Natsuki-kun?" The knight, who had been facing the multitude of mabeasts, looked at her over his shoulder with a gesture of shame.

"Anastasia-sama, you know that you are my priority... I found myself needing to leave him in your room. I sent a couple of men for him but, seeing the situation, I cannot promise that he is still alive."

"I… I get it, Julius. Thanks for thinkin' of me." Smiling faintly at him in appreciation, Anastasia last saw her knight. "I wish ya the best of luck in combat. And I order ya to return by my side once ya're done."

Smiling slightly, Julius nodded, and then cut off one of the Wolgarm who seized the opportunity to attack him while talking to his mistress. Focusing completely on combat, Julius began attacking with his sword and spirits every beast that approached him. In turn, Anastasia, Mimi, and several of the Fang of Iron mercenaries moved off in the opposite direction.

"Mimi, we need to circle these rooms and find a way to get to my room as quickly as possible." With a determined gaze, Anastasia expressed her wishes to Mimi.

"But miss..." Mimi, who wanted to escape from there as soon as possible to take her mistress to a safe area, decided to claim, but was stopped by Anastasia.

"Mimi, today I've left two of my esteemed employees behind. I did it 'cause I trust them, in their ability to defend themselves. But the case of Natsuki-kun's completely the opposite. Since I brought him to this city, I wouldn't forgive myself if I escaped leaving him to his fate, even more considerin' his current state."

"Miss..." Choking on her own words, Mimi couldn't figure out how to make Anastasia change her mind, so after a moment in silence, she nodded. "Okay! In that case, we should turn left at the end of this corridor. Then we'll have to turn left again. It's the only way to get there without crossin' where Julius and the others are fightin' with the mabeasts."

"Well, in that case we'd hurry up." Anastasia, with a look of determination, decided that she would not leave behind the boy who had recently joined her payroll and was now in a condition that had led him to depend on her.

Her heart was still pounding due to emotional pain, and her mind was clouded with fear and sadness. After having seen what had happened to Hetaro, it was expected that the internal conflict that swirled in her would be relentless. And still, she was determined to keep moving, because she didn't want to witness something like that again, especially if it involved one of her colleagues or close employees.

And although her closeness to Subaru was not comparable to the affection she felt towards Hetaro, even so the dark-haired man was not a stranger. She had shared time, food, and conversations with him throughout the trip from the capital to Priestella. And even before, she had signed a contract with him and his partners due to her expectations of the ideas he possessed. Subaru was definitely one of her peers, one of her employees, and one person she was placing high expectations on. That was enough for her not to ignore him and escape the inn without him.

"I don't know why ya've emotionally clung to me so much, Natsuki-kun, but I'll make sure I don't let ya down." With those words directed to the wind, Anastasia advanced to where she expected to meet a Subaru alive. Her leg ached and she could barely move it, but that wouldn't stop her.

Subaru had been kept covered by the sheets until just a few minutes ago. Refusing to accept what was happening, he shut himself up in his own mind and resolved not to leave. But his weakness was so great that just hearing the sound of the door being moved was enough to bring him back to reality. His heart began to pound, his limbs tensed, and his throat closed.

"Subaru-sama...?" An unknown voice reached his ears. From its tone, it did not appear to be hostile. Had they come to save him? Could he possibly regain some of his hope that he would not die at the hands of Elsa? Desperate to find the answer to those questions, Subaru poked his face out from under the covers; image that could make anyone believe that he was a scared boy who escaped from the monsters under his covers.

"Is this the man Julius-sama was talkin' about? He looks more like a scared boy than a man. How pathetic." Said one of the two men who had just entered the room, a canine demi-human dressed in the Fang of Iron uniform; similar to a habit or a robe, white with orange stripes on its edges.

"Julius-sama said somethin' happened to him and he ended up in that state. I met him once when he went to Anastasia-sama's mansion in Lugnica, and he seemed like a competent person." The one who answered was his partner, a demi-human who looked like a sloth.

"Unbelievable! What could have left him like that? Some kind of magic? Maybe black magic or a curse?"

"I don't know, Julius-sama didn't say anythin' 'bout it. Anyway, we'd take him and go back to Julius-sama. He was on his way to meet Anastasia-sama, so we'd hurry up and join 'em." With a serious gesture, the mercenary made clear the course of action to be taken.

"You're right. In that case, help me get him to his feet... Could he walk by himself?" As he approached Subaru, who was still staring at them with the sheet covering his body from the nose down, the canine-looking demi-human began to have doubts. "I'm not sure he'll cooperate, actually."

"Hmm… I don't know if it'll work, but we'd ask him." His partner replied, as he got even closer to Subaru. Once beside the futon, the mercenary looked him in the eye. "Subaru-sama, do you think you could come with us? Julius-sama sent us here to get you out of here and take you with us."

"Ana…"

"What does he say?" The mercenary with canine features narrowed his eyes, unable to hear well the muffled voice that had begun to come out of Subaru's mouth.

"I don't know... Subaru-sama, could you be clearer?"

"Ana... Anastasia... W-Where is-is she?"

"Is he talkin' 'bout the miss?" Exchanging his gaze between Subaru and his partner kneeling next to him, the canine demi-human asked to confirm what he had heard.

"It seems to be the case... Subaru-sama, if you come with us, you may meet with her."

"Anastasia... Yes... In t-that case, m-maybe, just may-be..."

"What's he talkin' 'bout?" Approaching both, the demi-human with canine features asked his partner.

"I've no idea. But it seems like he's willin' to come with us. Am I wrong, Subaru-sama?" Subaru, looking directly at him for the first time since they entered the room, replied with a nod; it even seemed that his gaze had regained a little lucidity. Satisfied, the sloth demi-human looked at his partner.

"Good! In that case I'll take him by the left arm and you... Aghh!" Spitting blood, the canine mercenary fell to the ground.

"Orph?!" Shocked, his partner stood up and approached him. As he did so, the features on his face twisted, conveying emotions like terror and disgust. Yards and yards of what had been Orph's pink and bloody intestines stretched below his feet. "What the hell-? Argh!"

"What a pity... What a pity... I'd have liked to be able to play a little more with you, but Meili would've been annoyed with me if I had. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to take charge of our objective." With a kind smile, Elsa positioned herself in front of Subaru, while licking the residual blood on her knife. In the blink of an eye, the assassin had sliced the two mercenaries to the point where only their whitish spines, visible through the trail of flesh and organs, held both halves of their bodies together.

"N-No..."

"Hmm… I smell fear in you. No, it's terror, horror. I've never met anyone who feared so much for his life in front of me. How interesting!" Ecstatic, the woman looked madly at Subaru, who was close to another breakdown. He returned her gaze with his own lack of lucidity.

"Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!" Whimpering and babbling, Subaru hugged his sheet-covered body. Digging his nails into each of his arms, to the point where blood began to stain the white sheet that covered him, Subaru cursed his own existence. He, even in his absence of sanity, was aware of the harsh reality; his death, once again, was near.

Chapter 9: Inaction and Consequence

Chapter Text

One Day and Eight Hours since the Last Death (Four Deaths)

"Blergh!" Unable to keep the contents of his stomach within himself, Subaru watched in horror as the intestines of the two men who had come for him, were now covering much of the floor in the room. There, right at the entrance, was the person he least wanted to see again in his entire life; Elsa.

"Now no one will interrupt us…" Closing the door to the room behind her, Elsa looked at Subaru like a beast would look at its prey.

Feeling chills run through his body, Subaru vomited up the little bile that was left in his stomach, again. What came out of his mouth was nothing more than a greenish-yellow liquid, which added to the list of fluids that bathed his futon and sheets. Blood and feces covered much of his futon, while the sheets and his clothes were full of his vomit and urine.

Subaru wanted to escape from there. Subaru wanted to find Anastasia so that he could escape the fate that was chasing him. With the help of the girl's best knight and the leaders of her mercenary group, Subaru was confident that his life could be saved. But that was no longer possible. Now that Elsa had found him, all he had left was to screech like a pig wallowing in his misery while accepting another gruesome death.

"Aaaahhh… you're definitely not what I expected. Our client asked us to be cautious when dealing with you. But it seems that, beyond having to separate you from the guards of the royal candidate you accompany, there will be no other complications. I don't think you can even defend yourself. You're so afraid and so bathed in your own contempt... I don't believe that I'll gain anything by torturing you, since it seems to me that you're already a tortured soul…"

"Agh... Agh... Agh..." Digging his nails with increasing force, pieces of meat began to be ripped from his arms. Subaru, who was on the verge of losing himself completely in madness, only wished that Elsa stopped talking and decided at once to finish him off.

"You know, your fear was interesting at first… but you're really giving a pretty pathetic display. If this's how you want people to see you, I have no problem with that. But depending on others like a newborn baby, while throwing a tantrum at ending up abandoned... Don't expect everyone to be willing to sacrifice for someone as unpleasant as you."

"Argh! Argh! Argh! Argh!" With his nails nailed deep into his flesh and desperate for his assassin's endless monologue, Subaru started shaking his head. With his eyes that couldn't stop overflowing with tears, Subaru looked at Elsa. Which was looking at him with a slight expression of disgust staining her always kind semblance.

"What do you expect of me? Do you want me to be like that girl?" The sound of Elsa's heels enveloped the silent room as she slowly approached him.

"Hnk!" Scared to death, Subaru's heart skipped a beat as he saw the woman approaching him. Each of Elsa's step was a click clack. Each click, his heart felt closer to collapse. Each clack, his mind felt closer to breaking completely.

"We were watching you, waiting for the right moment to attack. As long as that royal knight and the captain of the mercenaries were together, and you were next to the royal candidate, reaching you would've been almost impossible. So we watched you patiently, waiting for our opportunity, it was then that we saw how you acted. Just witnessing such a display of cowardice and filthy dependence, would be enough to convince someone to want to get rid of you..." The sound of her heels was replaced by the sound of blood and flesh being stepped on. "So I won't give you the quick death you want. Before, I wasn't going to do it by contract, but now I'm not going to do it, for pleasure. I'll make sure to enjoy tearing you apart slowly... You know? I don't understand why someone like you hasn't been abandoned by everyone around you... You really were so lucky..."

Elsa finally stopped. Her disgusted gaze focused on Subaru, who kept shaking his head and ripping his flesh with his fingernails. She, who was born in misery. She, who was never loved. She, who was never lucky. She, who got nothing until she did something for herself. She, who didn't know what it was like to live her life, until she gutted the pig that was about to rape her. Seeing someone like Subaru, worthless, being protected and loved, made her jealous, envious.

"K-Kill m-me… no-now." Desperate, Subaru forced himself to plead. His mind was fragmented, his soul was tainted, his spirit corrupted. His death was just the natural course of things, dying is what he should do; of that he was sure. His death was the next step, of that there was no doubt. But if it were possible to avoid the tortuous prelude, Subaru would be willing to do anything.

"I already told you, right? I'll see to it that you expiate your wretched existence through pain... No, that sounds like I'm doing all of this for a just reason. And that's not my goal. You were someone loved by the world, that's why you weren't abandoned, even when you're just a despicable and sordid being. And that's why I'll take care to fulfill to the letter everything my client has prepared for you. I'm gonna do your last minutes in life, the hell I wish you had lived."

"De-despicable?" Just as Elsa was about to start her work, Subaru spoke to her with a firmness that she didn't expect to hear from someone like him. Just by looking him in the eye, she knew that something had changed inside him; It was like seeing a completely different person from the person just a moment ago. "M-Me? Des-picable?"

"Hmm?" Confused, Elsa looked at Subaru closely. It was true that Meili at the moment must have been making time for her to torture their target. However, she was a free woman, and at that moment her curiosity needed to be satisfied.

"You call me despicable?" His eyes with dark pupils looked at her with hatred. Her arms, which had previously been pierced by his own fingers, now dangled at his side, shedding blood incessantly. His posture had changed, and now he was propped up on his knees. What had once been fear had now been replaced by unadulterated anger. "What do y-you know about m-me? You came to mu-murder me, so you've no r-right to talk about my li-life as if you kn-knew me. The only thing that con-concerns you is my d-death. Nothing else!"

"What are you talking about? After all this time in silence, just exchanging plaintive words with the royal candidate, you decide to talk to me like that. Don't you think it's too late to claim an honorable death?"

"I d-don't care! Don't talk about m-me as if you know me, b-bitch! What do y-you know about me? N-nothing! No one in this damn w-world does! You don't k-know ani...! The you of t-this moment doesn't know anything I w-went through! So I refuse to accept your f*cking judgment, damn bitch! That I look pathetic?! That I'm pitiful?! Despicable?! I didn't ask to end like this! I just wanted to reach my damn happy ending! I never hurt anyone! I never did anything to anyone! I never did anything at all! I was always a disgrace, I know that! But I refuse to accept my death for something like that! Something that only concerns me and my parents! The only ones with the right to f*cking judge me!"

"Hmm... Interesting. It seems like you managed to escape the fog that was clouding your mind. I would congratulate you, but I don't have time to continue with these games. I don't care if my words got to you or not, or if you decided to stop acting pathetically just before your death. None of that will change your destiny, which is to die from the cut of my knife. And your change of attitude won't change that I'll enjoy it. Additionally, now that it seems that you are willing to fight, I may enjoy it even more."

"D-Damn bitch!" Raging, Subaru decided to bite his tongue, just as he had done during Elsa's torture before his previous death. At that time, dying or living was secondary, what Subaru would not accept was to please Elsa and end up suffering a tortuous and long death. But just like the last time, Elsa kicked him in the jaw, making that withdrawal impossible.

"I see it was true that you were willing to die. Maybe I misjudged you. You're a pathetic but determined boy." With his jaw dislocated, Subaru glared at the assassin. His eyes were still watery, his nausea had not gone away, and his body wouldn't stop shaking, but his anger and hatred were strong enough to keep him afloat. This time he wouldn't allow himself to escape the world of madness again.

"Ih don plan toh giv' hup!" Speaking with difficulty due to the state of his jaw, Subaru leapt toward the shattered body of one of the mercenaries. Stretching out his hand, Subaru tried to take the sword that carried the corpse...

Frowning his face in pain, Subaru crashed into the tatami wall, crossing two rooms in the process. Before he could reach the sword, Elsa, at the speed of the wind, had kicked him in the middle of his chest. His body ached and part of his mind pleaded him to accept defeat. However, Subaru wouldn't accept it.

His death was inevitable, he knew that. His death was the way, that was true. But he vehemently refused to die again by the assassin's hand. Never more. Never, never again... The torture he suffered at the hands of Elsa broke him physically, psychologically and emotionally. Even so, after returning from death, the first was reversed; but it was not the same with the other two.

Subaru was traumatized, his body was barely responding, and his mind was messed up. So for that reason, Subaru would never allow himself to suffer the same torture again. If he suffered it again, there may be nothing left after returning from death; just an empty shell unable to interact with others.

Regardless of the time it takes, Subaru was willing to recover from the results of the torture and continue to fight for his happy ending. But to do so, he would first have to die without being tortured again; die by his own hand. Regardless of the method he had to use, achieving a quick death was his goal. After returning he could start looking for a way to stop Elsa and Meili, and after that he would lick his wounds, so to speak, and focus on healing his mind and spirit.

"I ha-have to h-hurry up and..." His jaw had returned to its place after the blow. And although he now felt a sharp pain at the base of his mouth, he couldn't care less at that moment. For a moment he considered trying to bite his tongue again, but he knew that time would not be enough. And he was right.

"Time is running out; for you and me too. So… It's moment to begin." Licking her knife, Elsa brushed off her long braid and approached Subaru intending to finally begin the torture. With his watery eyes looking at her, Subaru's psyche began to collapse again. The despair that shook his heart was so great, that it could kill him; unfortunately for him, Elsa would not allow it. Pulling out an emerald stone pendant from her black dress, Elsa stopped next to him. "With this, your spirit will hold on to your body no matter what. Now…" After placing the rock around his neck, Elsa took his hand and brought her knife to his fingers. By the time, Subaru had again lost every bit of strength to oppose.

"Darn it! W-What happened 'ere?! They're the guys Julius sent for Natsuki-kun... Mimi, a-are they dead?!"

"Sorry, miss... Mimi's sure they died"

"If they died, what happened to Natsuki-kun…? Natsuki-kun, do ya hear me?! If ya can do it, call me by my name. Please!" However, before Elsa could begin the torture, a female voice called out to Subaru from the room they had been in just a moment ago.

"Hmm… It seems like I took too long." Sighing, Elsa released his hand. "Okay. I'll take care of those annoyances and then continue with you. Wait for me, anxiously..."

"Anastasia..." Ignoring the assassin, Subaru muttered the name of the owner of the voice that called him. At that moment, his despair, which seemed to have peaked, further increased.

"Miss, it looks like they went through the wall on that side. Mimi's gonna investigate, wait here." Hearing Mimi's voice, Subaru understood that his destiny was inevitably going to directly affect those who had helped, accompanied and supported him during his mental decline.

No, that thought had come too late. The entire inn had been attacked, and with it, scores of lives must have perished by that time. And the only culprit was him. He, who fell silent out of fear and did not reveal what was about to happen. He, who stupidly hid himself in his emotional shell, while hoping that not separating from Anastasia was enough for Elsa and Meili not to attack him. He, who ignored everyone's lives except his own.

Cowardly, selfish and self-centered; those traits well described his current state. Where was that humility that he believed he had acquired the day he arrived in that world? Accepting the existence of his weaknesses had never been enough. Trying to fight for his future in a supposedly realistic manner, either. His mediocre, half-assed humility was but an excuse not to fall under the weight of his own guilt.

Subaru knew it, that's why he admired Anastasia; because he also wanted to learn to truly accept his weaknesses and genuinely enhance his qualities. Because everything had been a facade, deep down, he was still the same Natsuki Subaru as always. The cowardly, useless and proud Subaru. His inaction, in the end, had condemned everyone at his side.

And it is true that the day Subaru met Reinhard, he accepted that he would be unable to help and, believing himself to be humble, he left everything in the hands of the knight. But that day, he had been nothing more than a coward who, finally becoming conscious of all his weaknesses, fled from his promise, from the responsibilities that he himself had decided to carry. His was nothing but an indulgent humility, with which he had shamelessly excused himself.

In the end, Subaru was only aware of his weaknesses, but it was impossible for him to accept any of his supposed qualities, so that's why he had escaped. Following what would be the easy way for him, he decided to reinvent and recreate the works of truly diligent people in his world, in search of an easy life. But now he was able to understand it; no path would be easy.

That which he fled from, now had returned to haunt him. And since this time he was the target, it was impossible to escape without being chased for life. This time it was not him meddling in the problems of others, it was his problems meddling in the lives of those around him.

And since Subaru had vowed to go all the way with his Reinvention Project, and he didn't have an escape route anyway, all he could do was fight to get by with the cards he had in hand. Getting ahead with Anastasia, Julius, and the Fang of Iron was truly his only option. And making sure to avoid negatively affecting them by his actions, pledging to help them in any way possible, would be his only form of payment.

But first, he had to make sure not to tarnish his minimal honor, by preventing the people who endured his pathetic post-torture attitude, without understanding what was happening to him, cruelly perish at the hands of Elsa. Understanding what to do, Subaru was about to start yelling at Anastasia, Mimi and whoever else was accompanying them. However, his inaction once again had been too expensive.

While he had been deliberating in his mind and fighting his doubts and fears, completely alone, Elsa was already prepared for the attack. The first word had not begun to vibrate in his vocal cords, when Elsa's knife sliced through the abdomen of the three mercenaries who entered the room where he and Elsa were now. The three men fell to the ground, releasing agonized moans.

"Miss, it's a trap, run away!" Mimi, who had reacted on time, and thanks to her short stature, was able to avoid Elsa's murderous cut. Backing away, the little mercenary was about to return to her mistress, when a knife was stabbed into her small back.

"M-Mimi..." Whimpering, Subaru, who had accepted too late the course of action he must take, cursed his eternal inaction. The consequences of his lack of mettle accumulated before his eyes, which had never stopped spilling salty tears of frustration and fear. Why is it so hard for me to get psyched up? He questioned himself, cursing the slowness of his mind to process situations, information and feelings.

"Waaaaaaaahh!" Spinning over her body, Mimi screamed to where Elsa was. The woman, who had confidently gave Mimi up for dead, was caught by a powerful sound wave that sent her kicked out of the room by the roof. Elsa disappeared, leaving behind a hole in the ceiling, through which a little moonlight filtered, which barely illuminated the room; leaving it in a kind of twilight gloom.

"Mimi?!" Shocked and scared, Anastasia entered the room followed by three other mercenaries, who seemed ready to attack. The merchant bent down and, with tears in her eyes, took the girl in her arms. "Whoever knows how to use healin' magic, heal her immediately!"

One of the men, a mercenary with feline features, crouched down beside Anastasia and stretching out his hands, began to emit light from them. Another of the mercenaries, a lemur-like demi-human, crouched down on Anastasia's opposite side and carefully began to pull the knife out of Mimi's back; the process was facilitated by the fact that Mimi had passed out. Subaru had doubts about how deep that long knife had penetrated the girl's small body, but decided to just watch.

"The cut is too deep, Anastasia-sama... I'm not sure I can-"

"Just k-keep healin'! Please... Do e-everythin' ya c-can." In a broken voice, Anastasia pleaded with the healing-focused mercenary to strive to save the girl.

Subaru, who had grown a little fond of the energetic little girl, wanted to say the same. But did he have the right? Probably the three mercenaries who were there had spent more time with Mimi than him, so his words would not only be out of place, but also completely worthless.

"Hnk!" Unable to keep lying around watching, Subaru tried to get up to at least go where Anastasia, Mimi and the mercenaries were. The distance between them was not more than about thirty feet, but due of the complex situation, and the gloom that surrounded the room, they had not yet noticed his presence. However, his body was totally numb, so he collapsed before he could take the first step.

"Who-?! Anastasia-sama, take the vice-captain and run away from 'ere!" The mercenary who was not busy treating Mimi, reacted upon hearing him, preparing to attack.

"I-It's me... Anastasia, it's me, Subaru." Although each word caused powerful pain to surge from his dislocated and then forcibly reassembled jaw, Subaru managed to make his presence clear.

"Natsuki-kun? Are ya okay? What happened 'ere? Do ya know who killed three of my mercenaries and attacked Mimi?" Anastasia's voice reached him and, by its tone, it was clear that she mistrusted him at the time. Did she think he was someone else? Or was she just suspicious of him for everything that had happened? After the attack on the inn amid his insistence on being near her, it wouldn't be surprising that Anastasia had her doubts about him.

"I'm fine… At least I've no fatal injuries. And all I know is that an assassin was hired to kill me, and that's why all this happened." Deciding to be honest, Subaru revealed the truth of what was happening, to Anastasia. "Sorry Anastasia… I've been nothing but a nuisance. Because of me the inn was attacked. The two mercenaries who came for me were killed. And now three more died and Mimi was attacked…"

"Natsuki-kun... All that has happened, does it have somethin' to do with your condition of the last two days...? Did ya know that somethin' like this was gonna happen, and ya didn't tell us anythin'?" Her voice, Anastasia's voice... Was she angry? Sad? Disappointed? "And now it seems that ya feel better... Natsuki-kun, are ya workin' for the enemy?"

Anastasia's voice conveyed quite a few feelings. And even with that intense flow of emotions, it was clear that she felt betrayed. Had she really come to see him as part of her company? No, doubting it, would be being unfair to her after all she did for him all along. Whether for business or not, for greediness or for kindness, Anastasia always treated him with cordiality. And now that she doubted him, she was expected to feel betrayed.

"I know I've no way to prove it, especially now that I'm alive despite being attacked, but my fidelity belongs to you and the Hoshin Company; I signed our agreement with that in mind. I swear!" It might sound corny or cliche, but at the moment, with everything he had in mind, it was all he could think of. Furthermore, it is true that after all that had happened, he owed at least some loyalty to Anastasia and her company; especially her.

"I don't know if I can believe ya, Natsuki-kun. Just a few hours ago ya couldn't speak to anyone but me, ya kept stammerin' and tremblin', and your eyes were red from crying. And though I can't see ya well, it seems that ya're out of the dazed state ya were in... Also, ya were in the same room as the person who murdered at least five of my employees and stabbed Mimi. And from what I can see, it's true that ya haven't fatal injuries. It's too fishy... Still, I wanna believe I didn't misjudge ya and ended up placin' my expectations on the wrong person; call it merchant pride if ya want. So, for now, let's focus on gettin' out of 'ere."

"T-Thank you, Anastasia-sama. When we get out of this situation, I'll make sure to pay your trust." Subaru, who listened silently as Anastasia spoke in a voice laden with conflicting feelings, thanked her for finally deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt. Dipping his head to hide his embarrassment, Subaru regretted more strongly than before that he had allowed his weakness to prevent him from thwarting Elsa and Meili's attack.

"Natsuki-kun, can ya stand up? I'd like to help ya, but it's impossible for me at the moment." With Mimi in her arms, whose bleeding had not yet been fully stopped, Anastasia stood up and asked him that question.

"I may have some broken bones, but I believe if I try hard enough..." Before he could continue, the mercenary who had not been focused on Mimi's treatment, approached him and offered his hand. Apparently, Anastasia had already instructed him that Subaru was not a threat and to help him up. "Thank you." Taking the mercenary's hand, Subaru managed to get to his feet. As he did so, strong pain ran through his entire body; several of his ribs were broken, of that there was no doubt.

"Terrific… Let's get out of here and find Ricardo. Julius's probably occupied with a horde of mabeasts, so Ricardo's definitely the best option we've. I'd like to believe that the assassin died from Mimi's attack, but somethin' tells me that it won't be that easy. Anyway, receiving a shout from Mimi at point-blank range, should be enough to knock her unconscious for several minutes."

Agreeing with Anastasia, since he himself saw how Elsa was thrown from the room when receiving the powerful impact, Subaru walked to where she was with the help of the mercenary. Once there, the six of them crossed the hole in the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, Subaru noticed the demi-human's gesture of pain for leaving behind the corpses of his companions. Gesture that added weight to the guilt he already felt for being unable to avoid everything that was happening.

"Olaph, could ya continue to apply healin' magic as we go along?" The mercenary in question nodded at Anastasia's question and touched Mimi's body with the palm of his hand, which again began to emit light.

They were entering what had previously been Anastasia's room, through the hole Subaru had left behind after being kicked by Elsa, when he felt a change in the environment. The smell of blood and feces was the same as before, the sounds of combat in the distance were still audible, everything remained the same as before; however, the tension in the air had increased again.

"Aaaaahhh, that attack did hurt... It was incredible. To think that such a small body would have so much power." In her torn and bloody dress, Elsa emerged from the shadows; unbelievably, despite the state of her clothes, her body seemed to have little damage. Her pace was slow and calculating, but the smile on her face had only intensified. "I really need to see what the guts of that demi-human kid are like. I'm sure they're completely beautiful!"

"Attack her!" Without hesitation, Anastasia ordered her mercenaries to attack Elsa.

Leaving Subaru by himself and stopping Mimi's treatment, the men pounced on the woman in sync with their ready swords. But none of that mattered against a woman with Elsa's speed, agility, and strength. Subaru knew this, for neither Felt's speed nor the Old Man Rom's physique had been sufficient to cope with her.

"Ohh, it seems that today I met very capable warriors, of course I did... So I apologize, but my playing time's over a long time ago!" With a nimble movement of her waist, the woman dodged all three attacks, and in one fluid movement, two hands, one leg, and a cluster of intestines flew through the air.

Screaming in pain, the gutted man collapsed into a huge puddle of his own blood. Squealing, the man who lost one of his feet launched himself at Elsa with his sword raised. But she finished dismembering him and cut him along the neck in a single movement.

The last mercenary, the one who lost both arms, stared in terror at the woman, who simply beheaded him and cast him aside as she was bathed in his blood. With the terrifying whistle of the wind being cut by the edge of her knife, Elsa shook the blood that was pooling in it. Satisfied with the result, she returned her focus to Anastasia and Subaru.

Subaru's gaze met hers, and his body by then was already shaking non-stop again. From there everything was extremely confusing for him. Anastasia... No, her scarf moved, as if it had life. Something was supposed to happen, the scarf wanted something from its owner, but before anything could happen between them, a knife pierced the body of the scarf.

The white scarf became specks of light that scattered through the air. And at the same time, Mimi's body fell to the ground, along with Anastasia's arms. Screaming, Anastasia tried to protect the little girl, despite having just lost both arms. But Elsa, as if she were the wind, slid her knife vertically down Mimi's body, splitting her in two. Her brain, esophagus, lungs, liver, stomach and of course, bowels, were now scattered on the wooden floor.

Anastasia, finally falling into shock, collapsed like a puppet whose strings were cut. With her lost gaze, she began to babble things that Subaru would not have understood, even if he were in a position to do so. Blinking, Subaru, who was barely holding himself up, watched with his tear-clouded gaze as Elsa delighted in Mimi's scattered innards.

He was scared, but mostly wrathful. He wanted to flee, but above all he wanted to fight. He hated himself, but he hated Elsa more. However, he had already assumed it. He was aware of his weaknesses, from that day that Reinhard took over his own-made promise, Subaru understood that he would never fight again. So it was useless. No matter how much he wanted to do something, no matter how much the hatred burned within him and his desire for revenge scorched him inside; he couldn't do anything.

"I f*cking hate you..." Unable to contain the feelings of frustration within him, Subaru muttered as he hunkered down with difficulty near Anastasia. The girl was still staring blankly, babbling incomprehensible things.

"Aaaaahh... It's a pity, of course it is. And I was having such a good time..." Elsa spoke to him while still looking at Mimi. "I told you that you would suffer, didn't I? Now that you let the people who offered you kindness die… Now that you failed to the woman who didn't turn her back on you when you let out your most pathetic and unpleasant side… You finally are completely and truly alone."

"How did you get here? This city is completely fortified, how did you get in with all of your mabeasts?" Subaru had managed to see them when Julius went in search of Anastasia. It was just an instant before he could cover himself with his sheet. Even with his mind on the verge of collapse, Subaru could see the horned monstrous beings. As far as he knew, those were mabeasts; the beings created by the Jealous Witch. In addition, he heard Anastasia talking about Julius fighting against them, so that confirmed the presence of hordes of mabeasts at the inn. And if he remembered correctly, Meili was the girl who commanded them.

"Hmm...? It seems you lost your mind again... What a strange change of topic. Are you trying to escape the nightmare you are living? But if it has only just begun..." Elsa, smiling, looked at him again. The friendly glance was gone, leaving only perversion and wickedness. "Whatever... Nothing will change that you're about to die, so I don't mind telling you. We entered through the sewers; in a city full of canals like this, the sewer system is as spacious as it can be... Perfect for assassins like us, don't you think?"

"Thanks, bitch... I'll make sure to put that information to use when I get back from this hell!" Smiling back at her, Subaru quickly and without hesitation pierced his neck with one of the short swords that had belonged to the mercenaries, while with his other hand he ripped the emerald stone pendant from his neck and threw it into the next room through the hole he had left.

Everything had happened very quickly; while Elsa had been watching Mimi's guts, Subaru seized the rare opportunity, to take up the sword as he knelt down beside Anastasia. After that, he had hidden it behind him, holding it with what little strength he had left in one of his self-flagellated arms.

"Aaaahhh... It can't be-" Subaru felt the breeze generated by the woman's movement, but it was too late for both of them. He felt how the cold steel of the sword was piercing his neck from the right side to the left. He could also feel the rivers of blood running down his throat, flooding his esophagus, lungs, and stomach.

"Ih toh-ld yah soh... Ih re-fu-seh toh di-eh tor-tuh-red... byh yah." Spitting out gushes of blood, Subaru collapsed next to Anastasia.

By that time, his sight was already darkening, making him physically impossible for him to observe Elsa's reaction. But he was confident he had taken her by surprise. Now that he had foiled her plan, he might actually consider that he had finally stolen a victory from Elsa the assassin. By that time, his mind was already short-circuiting and his neck was in enormous pain, numb from the sensation of death.

The thought of dying continued to terrify him, and his heart and mind were being etched with deep scars. He would probably return with trauma as profound as those scars, after his now fifth death. Five deaths, but, death was still painful, death was still lonely, death was still tormenting him... However, paying his life as a price to avoid suffering the torture of the erotic killer again, for him it felt like cheap in that moment. That's how desperate he felt...

"I-I-I d-don't wa-nna di-e... y-yet... I'm s-sca-red... Echidna, he-lp m-me... Ju-lius? Ri-cardo? M-Mi-mi? He-taro? Ti-vey? I h-had a l-lot to li-ve... f-or... m-me a-nd... f-for... y-ya... I thou-ght I cou-ld do i-it... b-ut... I a-am sti-ll in-compl-ete... I'm mi-ssing... a l-lot... Echidna… I-I do-n't wa-nna go ba-ck the-there... I d-don't wa-nna g-go ba-ck to t-the gar-bage du-mp... I'm s-sca-red... I-I do-n't wa-nt... to die... in-comple-te... Sa-ve m-me... p-pleas-"

It was in his last seconds of life, when everything was darkening, that Anastasia's visage was engraved with fire in his retinas. The cunning and confident person she had been in life was now a fragile and scared girl. At that moment, Subaru was able to appreciate the weaknesses of the woman who had overcome them. On his deathbed, Subaru was able to understand what had previously been the babbling of a dying girl. And he felt identified; on their deathbed they were both the same...

When Subaru was unable to continue listening to Anastasia's delusional babble, his sight had long since vanished. In the end, only his thoughts and Anastasia's pleas remained. Subaru couldn't begin to understand everything he had heard, because it had been confusing and because he was in no condition to understand it. However, she had conveyed her feelings to him. And her wish to be saved, although it wasn't aimed directly at him, had also been conveyed to him.

For this reason, a deep sense of guilt invaded him in his last moments of life. He knew himself to be the great culprit after all the catastrophe that occurred in the inn; the consequence of his inaction. But hearing Anastasia's depressing death made him feel even more guilty, made him feel responsible. So Subaru promised himself something…

I will make sure to help you, Anastasia... If my ideas and my presence can help you achieve your dreams... Then I will make sure to give my all to it... I won't abandon you... I won't let you have a death like that again... I will save you... I swear it... This time I will comply... This time I won't run away... This time I will truly overcome my weaknesses and reach my happy ending... And I will make sure that you also fulfill your dreams and reach your own happy ending... I swear it...! Anastasia...

Parallel to how it was during his first death, Subaru felt the need to save this girl who died from his inaction. In order to clear the weight of the consequences of his actions and pay the kind treatment of Anastasia, who saved him, with her presence and actions, of losing himself in despair and madness, Subaru re-committed himself to saving someone; vowed to save her.

But this time, he would make sure not to give up. He would not abandon her like "Satella", like Emilia. This time he would make sure not to let his weaknesses be an excuse to escape. Melting into the darkness of death, one last thought flashed through his mind: This time... I'll make it! I'll help you... Anastasia! And I'll live up to your expectations!

With his mind and body becoming one with the jealous shadows, Subaru once more left behind a world filled with his failures. Once Again, Subaru vowed to save someone apart of himself. However, deep within himself, he knew he was not mentally prepared for the challenge of doing so. Subaru, oblivious, was walking a tightrope bearing the name of his mind.

Chapter 10: Eternal Weakness

Chapter Text

Zero Days since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

"Hnk! Hnk!" Choking, Subaru gulped air desperately, causing him to start coughing violently.

His consciousness, which came and went in intervals, was completely clouded, as if he had come out of the water after having been on the verge of drowning. His head ached, his stomach was upset, and his body wouldn't stop shuddering viciously. He was completely out of balance, as if he were floating in nothingness, due to the fact that his mind was unable to process the stimuli his body received.

"...-kun?!" Therefore, his ears were capable of picking up sounds from what was happening around him, but his brain could not yet to process them. He felt as if he had been swallowed up by an ocean of darkness, only to then be spat out into reality. He wasn't sure if that was related to him having been the cause of his own death, but he was sure that this was one of the worst comebacks he had ever had; only behind the previous one, in which he returned after being completely brutalized.

"-Baru?" Breathing, coughing, shaking. Subaru was fighting the feeling of daze, slowly escaping the darkness that refused to release him completely. His larynx was barely accepting the intake of air, probably because his mind had not yet realized that there was no longer a piece of iron piercing his neck. And that made it more difficult for him to regain consciousness.

"… atsuki-kun?" Subaru finally began to process the stimuli around him, thus managing to better understand his surroundings. His mind was finally gaining clarity. Now he was able to feel the beating of his heart, the blood flowing through his veins, the air struggling into his throat and lungs, the saliva splashing into his mouth, and his throat expelling the air in the form of a cough.

His body was recovering its life, his environment was gaining the color that had been stolen from it, his understanding of what surrounded him was slowly returning. Blinking, Subaru realized that he was out in the open; contrary to what he expected. In front of his eyes, everything that was spread out was blue, with certain patches of white. Not seeing the inside of the carriage, which was supposed to be the new "save point", Subaru once again lost understanding of the environment around him.

His mind, numb, simply was not able to process the data he was finally picking up, at the speed necessary to rebuild the world around him. Why am I here? Did the "save point" change? Where are everybody? His brain wasn't even capable of formulate those kinds of questions.

Completely stunned and confused, Subaru tried to lift his head to get a better perspective of his surroundings, but his neck simply refused to respond. Apparently, his body and mind were not yet in tune. But that was not all, the failed attempt to move his head cost him to feel horrendous nausea that, added to those he already felt, forced him to expel all the contents of his stomach.

Vomiting, but unable to move his head, Subaru felt his throat fill with a thick, acidic liquid. Then it was his mouth, which made him feel the unpleasant taste of half-processed food combined with the enzymes in his stomach. Unable to contain the vomit, his mouth fell open, expelling the liquid upward; which ended up bathing his face.

Convulsing, his brain began to fire thousands of alarms at his body. The vomit was now obstructing his oral tract, preventing him from accessing vital oxygen to live. Suffocating and unable to do anything to save himself, Subaru's vision began to darken once more.

Crying desperately, Subaru began to die again, incapable to understand why all this was happening. Unable to receive oxygen, his brain began to release all kinds of chemicals, which led to a near death experience. Thus, hallucinations from his previous deaths began to unfold in his mind.

The pain, the pain, the pain. His abdomen was open, Satella was about to die, he had not been able to warn her, it was all his fault... I will save you... Slowly, slowly... Elsa, satisfied, was delighted with the color of his intestines, while he bled out. Cold, very cold... His mind was shutting down... Pain, a lot of pain... A dagger was stuck in his back, he was going to die without even understanding why Satella had gotten mad when hearing her name, he was going to die pathetically in the middle of an alley, having achieved nothing...

Pain! So much pain! Death is a delight, death is a prize, death is the end of everything, death is the beginning of everything, death is the way out, death is the only way. Death, death, death, death, death... Pain, so much pain that his mind was fragmenting, so much pain, so much pain, that he only wanted his death...

Cold, very cold... But that was the way... His death was the only way that would take him forward... That is why, without hesitation, he had pierced his neck with a sword... But... Anastasia did not want to die... Death was the way, but not for that it was less painful, less lonely, less shocking… I had to die… I had to die… I will save you, Anastasia… This time I will fulfill my promise… Death… Only death…

"Natsuki-kun! What happened 'ere?! I left for a moment and Natsuki-kun's about to die chokin' on his own puke!"

"I'm sorry, miss. Mimi stopped lookin' at Onii-san for a second and all this happened… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, Mimi. Don't worry. Luckily, Ricardo was able to turn him onto his side, before it was too late…"

"Miss, have ya already found a healin' magic user available…? The boy was so fine just a few hours ago and now this's happenin'... It definitely can't be something normal. A magic attack, perhaps? If that's the case, we'd immediately go into Priestella. We don't know what might happen if we stay 'ere, and I'm concerned about your safety, miss."

"Ya're right Ricardo. It was definitely my mistake to ask that we brin' Subaru out for a breath… Now, about the healin' magic user… The guard at the entrance to the city says there's a healer nearby who could see Natsuki-kun immediately. Julius already received the healer's address from the guard, so we'd hurry up and… "

"Arghh!" Regaining his senses for the second time in less than ten minutes, Subaru again vomited what little was left in his stomach. Now that he was in a more comfortable position, the sour liquid flowed without pooling in his mouth.

"Natsuki-kun?!"

His shaken brain was more stunned than ever. However, through his eyelids, he could see the tender and concerned face of the girl who not long ago accompanied him during his deathbed. Anastasia, the girl who, again, he had promised to save, to help...

Perhaps, deep down, that promise was nothing more than a replacement for that promise that he failed to fulfill. However, his desire to help her has true. He really wanted to help the girl who supported his project in that world, the girl who took an interest in his artifacts and ideas, the girl who received him kindly in her business company, the girl who did not turn her back on him even when his mind snapped and he ended up clinging to her pathetically, the girl who accompanied him during his lonely suicide.

"Ana... stasia..." With tears in his eyes and his voice cracking, Subaru said the girl's name.

"How're ya feeling, Natsuki-kun? Are ya feeling better? Could ya tell us what happened to you?" Calmly, but unable to completely hide her concern, Anastasia inquired about his condition. But he at that moment was not able to think about any of that, he needed to tell them what was about to happen. Now that he was regaining clarity, he had to reveal everything about Elsa and Meili's attack.

"An attack-" Subaru began to remember what happened, Subaru remembered the torture, his death, the return to life, the attack on the inn, the death of Anastasia, Mimi and dozens of other deaths that he would never be aware of. He remembered the cold of the metal passing through his body. Terror, anger, pain... Everything so fresh. His mind had just returned and now he was forcing it to revisit those traumatic memories. Before he could begin to prevent them, Subaru's world returned to the darkness he just escaped from.

"Natsuki-kun? Natsuki-kun?! Ricardo, did somethin' happen to him?" Anastasia asked, looking at Ricardo urgently, though trying to stay calm and cool.

"Hmm... It seems the boy fainted. It doesn't seem serious to me. He's breathing normally. However, we'd go to that healer as soon as possible and see what happened to him. If it's an attack with magic or somethin' similar, we'll have to reinforce security immediately..."

Nodding, Anastasia returned to the carriage along with Mimi and Ricardo, which was carrying Subaru in his arms. Sitting in the driver's seat was Julius, and the two remaining triplets were standing guard around the carriage. Once everyone got back inside the vehicle, they entered Priestella and went to the healer's office that the guard recommended to Anastasia and Julius.

"This should've reduced the migraine and nausea by now." Stopping emitting light from his hands, the medic looked Subaru directly into his eyes. Subaru, who had just regained his consciousness for the third time that day, looked at him with an exhausted expression.

"Yeah, I think so..." His voice came out of his lips like a whisper that vanished into thin air. However, the doctor nodded satisfied. Subaru wanted to ask him to do more, to do everything in his power to heal his mind. But it was useless, the magic in that world could work miracles in the body, but it was unable to solve the problems that had arisen in the mind. And at that time, all his problems came from there.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing else I can do, Miss Hoshin. There does not seem to be any kind of intervention with his mana, and his body is completely healthy. Therefore, I am confident it's something that cannot be treated with magic; it's all in his mind."

"I understand. Thanks for assisting us so quickly." In a sympathetic way, Anastasia thanked the healer who treated them as soon as they entered Priestella.

"It's nothing. It's an honor for me to be able to be of use to a woman like you." Condescendingly, the healer praised Anastasia.

With an annoyed gesture, Subaru watched the exchange between Anastasia and the man. Why did he claim to have been useful? Why? His heart still felt broken. His mind was still fragmented into pieces. His emotions were still rampant inside him. Useful? That man had done nothing. Did he ease his migraine, his nausea? So what? At any moment, they would return; just thinking about the past, about his previous deaths, about what was getting closer to him...

"Ana… Anastasia…" Pushing himself to speak, Subaru forced the words out of his mouth. Feeling the pain spread throughout his body, Subaru decided that it was time to divulge the information for which he questioned Elsa about before committing suicide. He needed to reveal that they were going to be attacked, that the assassins and their beasts would enter through the sewers.

"Do ya've something to say, Natsuki-kun?" Approaching him with a calm countenance, Anastasia looked at him curiously. The urgency that had stained her face minutes ago was no longer apparent. Inside, deep inside, Subaru was satisfied that he had managed to cause that rare mood in the woman he admired.

"W-What I'll t-tell you... is ex-tremely important..." Like poison flowing through his veins, fear flooded him. The fear, the pain, the despair. He didn't want to remember Elsa, he didn't want to remember the suffering, he didn't want to remember the cold of death. But he had to, he had to warn her, no matter that they might not believe him. Once the words were out of his mouth, everything would be okay, finally.

"Yes? What's it?" co*cking her head cutely, the girl motioned for him to continue.

"We… are g-gonna… an assa… two assa… they're go-gonna ata… Blergh!" His fragmented mind, his broken heart, his body affected by a powerful phantom pain. Instead of words, instead of a warning, yellowish bile was expelled from his mouth, bathing his already-stained clothes in vomit. Anastasia would have been hit by the nasty liquid, had it not been for the negligible amount left in her stomach.

"Natsuki-kun?!"

"Miss Hoshin! Did you get vomit on you?" The healer, concerned, approached them with a cloth in his hands.

"No, apparently his stomach was almost completely empty. Natsuki-kun, what happened? What did ya wanna tell me?" As the doctor helped Subaru clean himself up, Subaru looked back at Anastasia, his eyes brimming with tears.

"I-I can't... Ana-stasia... I ca-can't... I'll f-fail aga-in... I-I don't wanna... b-but I c-can't say it..." Grabbing his head, Subaru started to shake it while he muttered. That behavior worried both his employer and the magical doctor. Before their eyes, what they had was a tortured soul.

After paying the healer for the medical consultation, Anastasia approached Julius. He had stayed near the exit of the healer's office, watching what was happening from a distance. With a wave of her hand, she motioned for him to help Subaru up and follow her. Subaru, who seemed to have calmed down a bit, shook his head and stood up by himself, starting to walk behind her with an erratic step.

"It seems the doctor couldn't do anything for him…" Slightly listless, Julius commented as he escorted Anastasia back out of the office.

"Whatever Natsuki-kun's going through, it can't be cured with magic. The healer says he found no trace of interference with his mana, so it seems like it wasn't an attack or curse either. Ultimately, just Natsuki-kun knows why he's in such condition."

"Are you sure of that, Anastasia-sama?" Looking at Subaru, who was walking beside them slightly behind, Julius added. "It doesn't seem to me that he's in all his senses. He may not even know it himself."

"No, I don't think that's the case… It seems like he wants to tell me somethin'. No, he needs to tell me somethin', but he can't. I'm sure whatever he needs to tell me, is related to what has him like this. Unfortunately, he just tryin' to express it seems to make his condition worse, so for now we'll have no choice but to wait for him to recover at least a little. " Sighing, Anastasia also turned to see Subaru.

"I c-can't… I-I ne-ed… to s-say i-it… B-But… I-I can't…" Visibly frustrated, Subaru kept repeating the same phrase over and over again. Thus, the three of them met with the leaders of the Fang of Iron and set off for the inn. The time that Subaru had to warn them about the assassin's attack, was less and less every second.

Eight hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

"I can't... I need to say it... I can't... I need to say it... I can't... I need to say it... I can't... I need to say it... I can't... I need to say it..." Over and over, Subaru repeated that phrase while pulling hard on his hair. He was aware of what he had to do and had the determination to do it. But his fragmented mind and tainted spirit just wouldn't allow it. Thus, the fight had moved into his being.

I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't. Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain, pain. Death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death. Cold and lonely, death was drawing near. The suffering and pain that wanted to drown him would come with it. He needed to say it, but he couldn't. He needed to say it, but his mind precluded him. He needed to say it, but his body refused.

"Please…" Shaking his body, Subaru rocked back and forth, hugging his legs. It was already getting dark and he was sitting on the futon in his room, completely alone.

He had refused to behave in the same way as the previous loop, when, completely broken, he pathetically clung to Anastasia. However, that in itself presented a huge risk, as Elsa had mentioned that his repulsive attachment to Anastasia had made it difficult for them to find the right moment to attack.

So, for that very reason, there was a possibility that at that moment Elsa and Meili were about to start their attack. The very idea set Subaru's heart racing. He needed to warn them, he needed to talk to Anastasia, Julius or Ricardo, and fully reveal the events that were about to happen. If he didn't act fast, the last piece of information he got from Elsa would be useless; if it weren't already. In the end, that moment of fearlessness would also end up in the trash. So he needed to do it, he longed to do it... but he couldn't.

"f*ck!" Pulling his hair even harder, Subaru screamed. After several seconds, he inhaled deeply and forced himself to calm down. After releasing his hair, several strands fell from his fingers, spreading across the sheet. With an expression of pain and frustration on his face, Subaru finally dropped down, being crushed under the weight of his inaction and the accompanying consequences.

Inhale, one, two, three, Exhale. Inhale, one, two, three, Exhale. Inhale, one, two, three, Exhale. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Until the body gets used to it, until it is recorded in the mind, until it is marked in the soul. Forcing himself to accept despair, Subaru, with tears in his eyes, finally stopped moving.

Face down, with his limbs splayed out, Subaru gazed into the darkness of his tainted spirit. With bloody tears, he gazed at the fragments of his mind. With a heavy heart, he contemplated his eternal weakness. Subaru had to accept it again, he had to accept that he couldn't do anything, that he wasn't the right person for the job.

Promises? Why bother? Why bother doing them? Why bother to comply with them? That's how he was, always hoping to achieve everything, always talking about how he would achieve everything; so that in the end they were nothing more than empty words. He, proud without reason, was nothing. His self-loathing only increased, as if in an upward spiral.

Subaru was aware of everything, the day he met Reinhard he was forced to see the truth straight in the face. But he had refused to really accept his weaknesses, had refused to truly accept their existence. However, the torture made everything so clear that there was no longer room for doubt. He was a coward who kept walking in circles, unable to get out of his loop of misery.

I am weak, I really am… My stupid unfounded pride, my big mouth, my childish attitude, my cowardice, my mediocrity, my self-indulgence. It was true, he had played at being humble the day he left everything in Reinhard's hands, but in the end he had only escaped. Escaped once more, escaped from his promise, escaped from himself, escaped from it all.

But now he couldn't keep running, he had to accept that he was weak, assimilate it. His weakness that was cruel, his weakness that was to blame for the death of those who were willing to give him a hand. So he had to accept it, assimilate it, and do something about it. He had to get up, assume he was who he was, and really do his best to improve himself. Strive to find his qualities and exploit them.

That is why he was following Anastasia, the woman who had accomplished just that. No, that was not entirely true... She had not completed the path, she was halfway there. She had taken the first step, the second and even the third. Unlike him, who was still stuck on the first step. But she was still far from her goal, far from achieving what she was fighting for. Subaru knew this from what he heard her say on their deathbed.

Anastasia suffered death like him, Anastasia was not satisfied with the end of her life, Anastasia wanted to continue living, to continue fighting. That is why it was necessary for him to overcome his weakness and reveal the proximity of Elsa's attack. So he had to ignore the pain caused by his weakness and take the second step towards his goal.

"Yeah, I really get it… Then why can't I do it?!" The surface of the futon absorbed Subaru's frustrated cry.

Subaru was aware of the course of action to take, Subaru had his goal clear. But he was unable to do anything about it. That's why he was in that state. He had accepted that he could do nothing, had accepted his weaknesses. However, he could not find the strength to do anything about it. Doubts clouded his spirit, holding him at a stalemate. What if they don't believe me? What if saying it makes everything worse? What if it's too late? Those were the questions that haunted him.

His mind was a mess. He was aware of everything, but he couldn't do anything. He had clear goals and desires, but they were not enough to move him out of self-induced stagnation; because of his doubts. He was frustrated, but couldn't find a way to release that frustration. He was at the end of a cul-de-sac that he had created himself and couldn't find his way out.

"I'll have to start all over again…" It was then that he finally found a way to release his frustration.

Using his two arms, Subaru raised his body slowly. With the sheet peeling from his reddened eyes, Subaru revealed a face that expressed resignation. Numb, he took the sheet in one of his hands and with a clumsy step approached the wooden pillar that supported the structure of the room. Looking up, he carefully observed the angle at which the pillar split into two pieces of wood that supported the ceiling.

Sighing, Subaru tossed the sheet up into the air, getting it through the gap formed between the pillar and the wooden beam. In a robotic way, without producing a word, he tied the sheet in a knot. Once he was sure that the sheet would be able to support his weight, he walked over to the table in the corner of his room and dragged it to the side of the pillar.

Sighing resignedly, Subaru placed himself on the table. Carefully, he rolled part of the sheet around his neck. Once he finished with the preparations, he looked down at his feet. The fabric of the sheet was snug against his neck as he hung from the beam. His legs wouldn't stop shaking; indication that he hadn't yet fully digested it.

"T-This is the only w-way…" If I die, I'll go back. If I die, I will have more time. If I die, I will be able to seek the courage to overcome my eternal weakness. If I die, I can put my doubts aside and say what I know I must say. If I die, I will be able to warn Anastasia in time. If I die, I can avoid being killed by Elsa. If I die, I won't have to witness their deaths again... If I die, I won't have to face the consequences of my inaction again.

Death was the way. Now that he was at a dead end of his own making, he would force his way out the only remaining path. His death was the answer. His death was the ultimate escape. He didn't want to keep running away, he needed to stop using his weaknesses as an excuse. But without the willpower to carry out that, he had no choice but to try again... He would escape once more, to be able to find the willpower necessary to stop escaping. Ironically, that in itself was one more excuse, another way of escaping. Everything about him, that instant, was ironic and contradictory. The absurdity of the man who lies to himself and ends up believing his own lie.

With tears obscuring his vision, Subaru glanced towards his bedroom door, which had taken on a reddish hue. It was dusk, darkness would come in no time, and with it, the two assassins would attack; he was convinced of it. If he could not overcome his fear and warn Anastasia of the attack of the assassins before dark, he would have to continue to resort to that path, to death.

Cold death, lonely death, painful death. He didn't want to accept it. As much as it was the way in moments of despair, he didn't want to resort to it. He did not wish to die. He did not want to continue suffering. But as long as he had no other options, he would be forced to accept it.

"I'm s-such a c-coward... It's e-easier for me to d-die, than to talk a-about what's about to ha-happen. I'm only good at running away, apparently..." Grudgingly, Subaru once again accepted his helplessness, unable to do anything to change himself. Silently, without saying another word, he kicked the table and dropped to his death.

The Pain, the pain returned. He gasped for air, his throat begging for a breath of oxygen, but the fabric wouldn't allow it. The weight of his body was causing the tension around his neck to increase, making it harder for him to breathe every second. It wasn't being a peaceful death. Convulsing, his body begged for survival.

With his lips turning purple, his skin whitening until it was camouflaged with the sheet that was robbing him of life, and with his reddened eyes about to pop out of their socket, Subaru finally lost consciousness. The darkness embraced him and his death, with frustratingly slow steps, approached him with a grim smile. I hate myself so much… Subaru thought, as his life faded.

"-baru!" Feeling his entire world tremble, Subaru was abruptly yanked out of the darkness. "Subaru!?" Thousands of alarms were ringing inside his brain, forcing him to take a deep breath.

Coughing, Subaru squirmed. His throat hurt, it hurt a lot. The mere entry and exit of air was torture for his body. Still, his lungs didn't stop doing their job, as if making fun of him. Slowly regaining his senses, Subaru opened his eyes, to find a face that would usually never show expressions like the ones it was showing.

"Subaru, why?!" Still trying to understand what was happening around him, Subaru was shaken by an alarmed Julius, who kept questioning him about something.

Slow to understand, Subaru began to realize that something was wrong. He was still in his room, the sheet lying beside him, torn. And the light, that filtered through the tatami walls, stained the place a reddish hue. Realization hit him hard. His death had been thwarted. He was still in the world that was about to be dyed red, by the blood spilled because of his eternal weakness.

Chapter 11: The Useless Employee and the Valuable Knight

Chapter Text

Eight hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

Shame and pain ran deep through his body, causing new tears to form in his eyes. Why was he still alive? Had Julius come for him just in time to save him? Subaru knew the answer, but refused to accept it. He was sick of all that, sick of the fate that played with him, as if making fun of his pathetic self.

"Arghhh!" With a squeak of frustration, Subaru pulled Julius, who was holding him by the shoulders, off of him. He was in no condition to listen to the knight's reproaches; he was in no condition to listen to anyone.

With a blank look on his face, Subaru took the rope, made from his sheet, that Julius had discarded. His gaze traveled from the makeshift rope to the rest of the room, to finally land on the tatami door. It was open, probably because Julius didn't even think to close it when he saw him hanging from the wooden beam. Through it, he observed the sky that stretched out over the rest of the inn rooms; it was already dark, completely dark.

"Subaru, you're not thinking…?" Julius approached him with the intention of snatching the piece of sheet from him, so Subaru threw it at his face. The knight, being caught off guard, tried to grab the rope out of reflex. That was the moment when Subaru took the opportunity to throw himself at Julius's waist to try to steal his sword. "Agh!"

But Subaru was weak, useless, incapable of anything… With a swift movement, Julius pulled his waist away while with one hand he pushed Subaru's shoulder. Thrown by inertia, Subaru fell, face first, to the wooden floor. With a groan of anger and frustration, Subaru started hitting the ground with his fist, to the point where blood began to gush from the injuries he was causing himself.

"W-Why? Why?! You just had to let me die! Julius!" Snorting, Subaru glanced at the knight. His pupils were clouded with fear, frustration, guilt, anger... hatred. Like a spring, Subaru got up and threw a punch at Julius's face. This time, waiting for it, Julius dodged without even touching him.

Stumbling, Subaru collided with the pillar. From his nose, his mouth and his forehead… blood didn't stop flowing from his face. Was the cause of it the hit against the ground? Or was it the blow against the wooden pillar? Subaru had no idea, and he wasn't interested in the answer either. At that moment, Subaru had only one thing in mind: to get even with the one who thwarted his death.

His wishes were frustrated, his ideas, his plans, his future, his happy ending, his life... and now his death too. Nothing happened the way he wanted, the way he needed. And when he found a path that seemed to lead him to it, it always ended in suffering. That's how his life was before, which ended with him locked in his room, escaping from his reality, and now, which ended with him escaping his death and... his life, without achieving it.

Therefore, for all the frustration it caused him to be unable to warn Anastasia, to be unable to overcome his doubts and fears, and to reveal what was coming. For being unable to fulfill his plans. For being unable to act. For being unable to die. For being incapable of everything... For this reason, due to the frustration that this caused him, Subaru wanted to retaliate with Julius, the man who denied him death.

Like a maddened man, Subaru threw punches into the air, in places where only moments ago Julius had been. Left, Right, nothing... Annoyed, he threw a kick and knee, losing his balance and falling in the process. Getting up again, Subaru searched Julius with bloodshot eyes. There he was, near the entrance. His white knight's clothing, perfectly neat as always, reflected the light of the newly looming moon.

With his fists clenched so tight that his nails had penetrated his skin, Subaru lunged at Julius, waving his fists in a completely erratic manner. Julius, without showing any emotion, without saying a word, just dodged it. Just like a dragon would treat an ant, Julius ignored Subaru. This went on for several minutes, until Subaru showed obvious signs of exhaustion.

"Could you stop, Subaru? I was just coming to give you a message, I must return to my mistress as soon as possible and your childish tantrum prevents me from doing so." Nonchalantly, Julius questioned Subaru. Still, the raven-haired man just kept shaking his fists, not paying attention to his words.

Realizing that dealing with Subaru in a civilized manner would not work, Julius drew his sword and, with its handle, lightly struck Subaru's left shoulder. Upon being stopped by the force of the impact, Subaru was exposed to another attack. Julius was about to finish that useless revolt, when he noticed Subaru's fist approaching his abdomen. At another time, under other circ*mstances, he would have praised his determination. However, after everything that happened, they would have only been wasted words.

"Do us both a favor, and stay put." Printing a bit more force than in the previous blow, the metal handle of his sword plunged into Subaru's abdomen. Stripping him of air and the strength to stand, Subaru collapsed to the ground once more; this time, he showed no signs of wanting to continue attacking him. Assuming Subaru was done, Julius returned his sword to its sheath. And it was then that he heard it.

"Ha, ha, ha... Ha, ha..." Subaru, who was still lying splayed out on the ground, started to laugh. It was a broken chuckle, product of the shortage of air in his lungs. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..." As he caught his breath, his laugh became more and more strident. "Hahahahahaha!" Until his laugh finally started to sound completely crazed. A tainted laugh that could have chilled the blood of anyone lacking in guts.

"Subaru?" Bewildered, Julius called Subaru. But he just ignored him. Subaru kept laughing, as if his mind had finally been broken.

"Hahaha… I made it… Hahaha… I finally made it." Calming down a bit, Subaru knelt and looked Julius straight in the face. For an instant, even Julius felt a chill run through his body. Subaru's face, bathed in tears and blood, had a twisted smile on her lips, while his eyes conveyed suffering and despair. "I made it… Your damn uniform is no longer as tidy and neat as you always pretend to be!"

"What are you talking about?" Subaru, as if reacting to Julius' question, looked down at the knight's abdomen. Mimicking him, Julius looked in the same direction and… finally understood. A drop of blood, a lonely drop that could be completely ignored if not paid attention, even considering the white of his uniform. That's what Subaru had been looking for.

"Now you too have your clothes stained with blood. Soon it will be your hands, your sword, your entire body will be bathed in the blood of your enemies and allies. You'll leave behind thousands of bodies, thousands and thousands. You're a royal knight, so I'm sure you're used to it by now. But will it be the same when it comes to the bodies of Ricardo, Mimi, Hetaro, Tivey… Joshua… and Anastasia? You'll bear the guilt… You'll bear the pain of failure… You, the best knight of a candidate for the Royal Selection of the country you serve…"

"Subaru, what are you talking about?" More firmly than before, Julius repeated the question.

"You'll get stained with blood... Like me! You and I will have failed! We'll be equal! Regardless of whether you are the knight and I the useless employee! We'll both fail! And all..."

"Subaru…?"

"And all because you didn't let me die! We'll both bear the pain and the guilt! So it would've been better if you had let me die! That was the only way out left! Don't you get it?! With my death we would have prevented it! But now it's too late... At any moment it'll begin, I'm sure. My damn, eternal weakness, led us to this hell one more time... And you... You took away the only way I had left!"

"Subaru!" With a voice so firm that it could have been mistaken for a scream, Julius stopped Subaru as he rambled incoherently. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I hope you can explain yourself once you calm down. But, for now, you have to start by understanding that your death wouldn't have solved anything."

"Anything…?" With a genuine gesture of confusion, Subaru finally stopped his crazed tantrum. "Wouldn't have solved anything... Sure, for you, things may be like that. But for me..." Before continuing, Subaru stopped, her doubts were once again preventing him from saying what he had to say... He won't believe me… "You wouldn't understand…"

"Understand? What do I've to understand? Death's the end, there's no magic or power capable of giving you back the life you have lost. There's only one person with a similar power, and he possesses it just because of who he is." A bittersweet frown formed on Julius's face as he said those last words. Subaru was not able to grasp what was going through Julius's head. However, that was not the time to try to comprehend him.

"I already told you, you would not understand. I doubt that there's anyone capable of doing so, and with that I include myself. The only thing you should know is that death was my only way, our only way. Now we'll have to bear the consequences of not having taking it. I'm sure it's too late by this point… And if it isn't, I'm sure you won't let me die, no matter how much I beg of you. Or am I wrong?"

"You're not… Subaru, I don't know what's going through your head, but I'm going to repeat it: Death is not the way."

"I already told you, you foolish knight! For me, it is! For me, it's the way!" Starting to feel quite annoyed, Subaru continued to insist on his point of view. Winning that argument was the only thing left for him to win...

"Accepting your death, or worse, being the cause of your own death, is no different than giving up. Are you doing that? Are you giving up? Are you running away from whatever it is that left you in your current state? Is death the only way out that your eyes, blinded by your emotions, can see?" Showing genuine interest, the Valuable Knight asked question after question. And unknowingly, each question struck Subaru deeply, who hated someone pointing out what he already knew.

"Am I giving up…? Running way…? Maybe…" With a deep wail leaving his throat, Subaru lowered his head. He hated Julius for saying it, and he hated himself for being unable to contradict him.

"That's the easy way out." Julius affirmed firmly.

"Easy?" For the first time during the entire conversation, Subaru firmly raised his face and glared at Julius. Anger ran through his veins, heating his body to the point of melting. "Giving up may be the easy way, escape may be the cowards' way out. I won't be so hypocrite as to deny that. But... Do you think dying's easy? Are you so closed-minded as to believe that accepting death's something easy?"

"I depends on..." Julius was about to counter, but Subaru didn't let him.

"It isn't! Damn it! It isn't! Accepting your own death sucks! Accepting that it's the only way, it's frustrating and painful! Death is pure suffering! Especially if it's you the one who carries it out!" Terrible memories of a sharp piece of metal going through his throat flashed through his mind, causing his hands to spasm. "I wish there were another way! I wish I didn't have to accept that dying's the only way! But there's no other way! Know why? Because it's the only way resulting from my own actions! My weak self caused all this! Me! Only me! Stupid me who is incapable of doing what's necessary! Useless me, who cannot do more than weep over his own weaknesses!

"I insist, death is not the way. No matter how closed you perceive the panorama, death is not a way. There will always be another way to take, you just have to search without losing your determination. And if there really isn't a way, you just have to forge the path with your bare hands. Therefore, I refuse to accept your logic." Taking a deep breath, Julius stretched out his hand towards Subaru. "I may not know you well enough to try to put myself in your place and pretend that I understand you. But I have seen your look, a look full of determination. Of course, in addition to determination, I perceive fear, doubt and frustration. But above all that, there's a great determination that prevents you from stagnating."

"I'm sure you saw wrong." Subaru replied, rejecting Julius's hand. "I'm someone who's only capable of running away, someone who uses his weaknesses as an excuse to sit back and regret everything he isn't capable of. There's no such thing as determination in me." Clenching his fists tightly, Subaru denied Julius's claim in a hoarse voice.

"You appeared out of nowhere, with no apparent knowledge about Lugnica or one of the neighboring countries. You looked for merchants and craftsmen, who were willing to help you, without obtaining anything for weeks, and still you didn't give up. You strived to bring to life artifacts lacking a market, and with the help of your colleagues, you built an unlikely business in less than a month… That's what I heard about the results of Anastasia-sama's research on you and your past."

"What does that have to do with what we're talking about?"

"You endeavored to learn the writing, the local culture and about business and commerce; although they aren't your strong suit. You accepted Anastasia-sama's offer without hesitation and rushed all the procedures to begin the Reinvention Project as soon as possible. Plus, you have created at least twenty completely innovative artifact designs. All in less than five months. "

"Why're you aware of all that? I'm a nobody! Why've you paid so much attention to me?"

"Not just me. Anastasia-sama and many people have been drawn to the mystery around you. For many, you're the new Hoshin of the Wilderness, a person completely out of the ordinary. Therefore, it's to be expected that even someone like me would be curious about you. Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your goal? What are you looking for? I'm sure you've heard those questions many times..."

"What's up with all that? I already told you, I'm a nobody. All my ideas are taken from really ingenious people where I come from. So none of that matters…" Subaru still remembered what Anastasia told him before his last death; that his ideas were his and no one else's. However, now that he was in a sh*t hole of his own making, it was hard to accept those lenient words.

"Leaving aside things related to the origin of your ideas and your place of birth, the point I want to get to is that."

"That? Which one?! Julius, stop playing with me!" Annoyed by Julius' roundabout way of speaking, Subaru urged him to say what he had to say once and for all.

"Everything I said." Insisted Julius, firmly, as if it were obvious. Then, noticing that Subaru still hadn't realize it, he continued speaking. "… Apparently you need me to tell you... In these four months you have worked non-stop, even obtaining a contract with Anastasia-sama. You have struggled to adapt to the new environment, you have learned from a business that you hardly knew about and still, you are already considered the new Hoshin of the Wilderness. Your determination has brought you here, this place and time, with us, with Anastasia-sama. Are you really willing to make all those efforts to no avail, for whatever has you in your current condition? Will you give up so easily? Will you fail the expectations of my mistress, who trusted you? Will you fail the determination that appears in your gaze, without letting itself be clouded by the doubts, fears and frustrations?"

"I…" Wordlessly, Subaru looked at Julius with a blank expression.

"The determination I saw in you, couldn't have been completely in vain..." Combing his bangs elegantly, Julius looked at Subaru with a strength and determination worthy of the Knight among knights.

"I…" Subaru remembered.

The pain of being killed by Elsa, him leaving everything in the hands of Reinhard, he seeking to make a living with the ideas of his world, he selling his cell phone and seeking support from a craftsman or merchant to start his business project. He remembered the nights full of fear, the days full of uncertainty.

He remembered entire days spent drawing designs with Leith, remembered entire nights doing business plans with Otto, remembered weeks spent helping Leith bring the designs to life. He recalled the efforts invested to make his business official, in order to sign their alliance with Anastasia. He remembered his promise to reach his happy ending. He remembered his promise to help Anastasia achieve the same.

Then he remembered even further back, his thread of memories traveled even before reaching that world. He remembered how hard his parents tried to get him out of his room... He remembered how much he made them suffer by ignoring and staying away from them. He remembered that everything happened, because he was unable to be like his father... He remembered that everything happened because of his inaction... His parents, whom he never listened to... His mother, whom he never said goodbye to...

And after all that time, even after acknowledging the existence of his weaknesses, he still acted the same. Allowing his inaction to define him, allowing himself to get away whenever things don't go the way he expect. Even after dedicating himself body and soul to the project he started with Otto and Leith, would he still make the same mistakes?

Perhaps the ideas weren't his, but Anastasia was right… Now that he was in that world, his reinventions would inevitably have a part of him. Would it be right to quit, when part of him was now invested in his ideas, designs, and reinvented artifacts? Would it be right to quit after putting Leith and Otto together with him in the same metaphorical boat? Would it be right to disappoint Anastasia, who had high expectations of him?

Sure, dying wouldn't be the same as giving up. He can return after death… But, seeing Julius's determined countenance when speaking of the determination he saw in him. Seeing him save his life, subsequently refusing to let him die. And after witnessing Anastasia return for him, to end up with both her and Mimi's life destroyed… Would he be able to say that dying would not be giving up and leaving them behind.

What assured him that when he died, they would not continue their life alongside a deceased Subaru? Was his Return by Death a change of dimension, or a return in time that erases everything that happens after his death? There was no way he could come up with the answer, so there was uncertainty... Could he disregard the kind gestures of the people of that world towards his life? Knowing that there is a possibility that after his death, they are left behind, dealing alone with the consequences of his sins…

"Death it's not the way…?" If death was not the way, then he would have to fight. Was that the correct course of action? Subaru didn't know it, but seeing Julius's determination, who claimed to see determination in him, he felt that betraying his expectations, like Anastasia's, would be despicable of him. But then, if death is not the way...

"No, it isn't. So get up and fight whatever brought you to your knees. And if you feel like you just can't, then don't hesitate to borrow my sword. We are allies now, as men under the command of Anastasia-sama. So it's my duty to ensure that you can meet my mistress's expectations and help her achieve her goals." Noticing the change in attitude in Subaru, Julius lowered his head slightly and again offered his support to Subaru.

"Do you think that everything can be solved with the sword, Julius?" With sarcasm, Subaru questioned Julius, who widened his eyes in surprise, as if realizing his error in judgment. But before the knight apologized for it, Subaru added. "Luckily for both of us, the problem that afflicts me could definitely be dealt with the help of your sword…"

"I'm glad to hear that." The knight expressed, smiling with his typical dignified expression. "Now, could you explain to me what you stated earlier? About the death of Anastasia-sama, the leaders of the Fang of Iron, and even my brother. From what I have heard you say, it seems to me that it is related to whatever ails you. Am I wrong?"

"No. You're not…" That was the moment, He couldn't keep relegating it. Fears? Doubts? Weaknesses? A new path has just been opened in front of him, it was time to put all that aside and say what he had been incapable of up to that moment. "There's something I've been trying to tell Anastasia, but I haven't been able to…"

"I know." Julius replied, nodding.

"My weakness… The weakness of my mind, my spirit and my heart, prevented me from saying it before, but… I'll take advantage of the fact that you are willing to listen to me and I'll get everything off my chest." Taking a deep breath, Subaru prepared to reveal what he had been unable to say.

Would he fail again? Would he breakdown again? No, he couldn't afford that. Not after everything Julius told him. If it was true that he could see determination in his eyes, then he wished he could live up to the knight's expectations. Same with Anastasia's expectations. To be less than that, would be a betrayal of all the efforts that he went through with Leith and Otto. It would be disappointing his parents, who loved him and wanted to help him, once again. Therefore…

"Tell me everything you have to say, Subaru. I pledge to listen to you silently. Once you finish, we can think about what would be the best course of action to take." Being the reliable knight that he was, Julius prepared to listen to him.

"Julius… They're c-coming… Two ass-… Argh!" Memories flowed through him. The pain of torture, the pain of death, the pain of loneliness… His stomach churned, nausea causing him to reel. His forehead was bathed in cold sweat, his skin turned pale, and thick tears began to form at the corners of his eyes.

His brain was breaking down. The trauma etched into his mind after the torture was so profound that just trying to mention it shook his entire body. That was the weakness that was holding him back, the weakness Elsa etched deep in his heart. And that wasn't all... What if he don't believe me? What if he thinks I know about it because I'm in cahoots with Elsa and Meili? What if all this is in vain? The doubts, one by one, accumulated inside him again. Piece by piece, Subaru began to fall apart.

His mind; clouded with doubts. His heart; oppressed by the trauma. His spirit; corrupted by pain and fear. Subaru knew that as long as his condition remained that way, talking about what was about to happen would be impossible without getting seriously hurt psychologically and emotionally in the process. He knew it… But he also knew that if he didn't do it, if he allowed it to stop him, then all the people who accompanied him, all the people who had been kind to him, all the people who had placed expectations on him, would die or be embraced by misfortune.

It doesn't matter if he don't believe me. It doesn't matter if I make it worse. It doesn't matter if it's too late. I'll say that what I've known all this time I've to say, no matter what happens from here. Whatever happens, it has to be better than the hell I witnessed before my last death. Fighting the doubts that gathered inside him, Subaru forced himself to keep talking.

"They're go-nna c-come…" With his eyes reddened, Subaru continued to fight his weakness. That was the second step... The first was to acknowledged his weaknesses, which occurred the moment he accepted that what happened in the Loot Cellar was beyond him and left everything in the hands of the Saint of the Sword. Now was the time to take the next step, and do something about his weaknesses; using them as an excuse was no longer an option. "Two p-people will co-me..." He paused again, searching for words that would stray as far as possible from the painful memories of his previous deaths. "A li-ttle girl and a wo-woman…" Every word that came out of his mouth, he felt like a knife was driven into his chest. "They're b-both… a… as… assa… assassins… A-And… they'll en-ter the c-city… throu-gh the se-wers… alo-ng w-with a g-group of ma-beasts…" Julius' eyes widened, but the knight refrained from stopping him, which Subaru silently thanked; had he stopped it, continuing would have been impossible. "I-I'm… their ta-target… B-but, they'll a-also attack… Anastasia!" Feeling a weight disappear from his shoulders, Subaru finished saying what he had to say, as he began to cough violently.

"Two assassins have been hired to kill you, but they will also attack Anastasia-sama and the rest of the camp?" Summing up Subaru's words, Julius made sure he understood the message by repeating it. Subaru, who was still coughing in agony, nodded. "And what did you mean earlier by "it's too late"? Do you think they are about to attack?" Subaru, who was finally beginning to recover, nodded again. "Subaru..." A change in the atmosphere caused Subaru to look at Julius. What he found was one of the sources of his doubts. "How do you know all this? Where did you get all this information? I am willing to believe you, but I need you to answer that."

There was no other way... Doubt was visible on Julius' face, but it was clear that, for the moment, he was willing to take his word for it. How high were his expectations of him? If that was the case, then Subaru would go as far as he could go. He had nothing to lose anymore, anyway. To hell with everything, he thought.

If he had finally managed to warn about Elsa and Meili's attack, talking about his ability to return to life after his death should be relatively easy. Besides, if he hadn't talked about his ability until then, that was because he hadn't had the need and didn't want people to doubt his sanity any more than they already did. But, in the situation he was in, that was the least of his concerns. Let whatever happens… Subaru thought, ready to reveal the reason for his knowledge of future events.

"Julius, your trust in me may be completely shattered by hearing how I know about it. Still, I'll tell you, so I hope you'll listen to what I have to say with an open mind." Julius, with a serious expression, accepted. "I've never told anyone, but the reason I know about the attack is because… I can return by dea-"

Julius didn't react. In fact, he didn't move at all. It took Subaru several seconds to realize it. Time had come to a complete standstill, including him. The dust in the air, the feel of the wind, the sounds of the people in the inn, even his breathing. The only thing that was mobilizing at that moment was the running of his thoughts. Was it the same for Julius?

Subaru was forced to abandon that train of thought when he realized that something was changing in the room frozen in time. It was a shadow, a shadow that was materializing in front of him. What the hell? He thought, unable to tear his gaze away from the shadow. Moreover, something inside him told him that this was not the first time he had seen that shadow; it felt like déjà vu.

However, he was sure that whatever it was, his life was in danger in its presence. Little by little, like the fluctuation of ink in the water, the shadow approached him, gaining the shape of a hand. Five fingers were visible, but the rest of the arm was nothing more than a stream of throbbing shadows, giving the impression that it was something toxic.

The hand-shaped shadow advanced until it touched his chest… No, the shadow went through his chest. Panicking, Subaru tried to shake himself, wallow, whatever it took to prevent the black hand from entering inside him. But it was all useless, his body did not move in the slightest. In terror of what was about to happen, Subaru kept his gaze fixed on Julius's frozen face, unable to check the state of his shadow-pierced chest.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, absolutely nothing happened. The flow of the shadow that disappeared behind his chest remained static. However, everything shifted so quickly that his brain had trouble processing the change for several seconds. When he did, a wave of pain, coming from his chest, washed over him completely.

If he hadn't been deprived of his voice, his cry could have been heard in every corner of Priestella. The pain that arose inside his chest was so great, that if time had not been stopped, he would have collapsed lifelessly right there. He wanted to squirm, he wanted to refuse, he wanted to resist, but he had no choice but to accept the torture the shadow was inflicting on him in complete obedience.

The pain in his chest, the pain in his heart, was compared to it being crushed with all the force of an industrial machine. For several agonizing minutes, the shadowy hand made his heart its toy. Subaru inevitably remembered the torture he suffered at the hands of Elsa. At first, despair and madness seized his thoughts. But, little by little, he got used to it.

It was maddening pain, as terrible as having your heart crushed can feel. Even so, Subaru eventually began to realize that Elsa's torture took the pain and suffering to another level, one that the shadowy hand had failed to reach. It was almost nothing compared to feeling your skin being ripped off, feeling your limbs being sliced off, feeing your scalp being cut like a sheet of skin, feeling your organs being ripped out. All, at the same time, while you are still alive. Pain enough to break you completely. The torture of the hand, while incredibly painful, still did not compare to it...

Then, with his mind starting to clear, Subaru felt something inside him. A fragment that was hidden inside him, waiting for the right moment to show itself. "I hate you... I hate you... I hate you..." Like a mantra, that fragment of his mind began to express hatred towards the shadow that was torturing him. And before Subaru could begin to question himself about it, the pain level increased; no, to describe it like that would be an understatement, a huge understatement. Apparently, the shadowy hand had reacted to the feelings in the piece of his fragmented mind.

His spirit, mind and heart, everything that represented his being, Natsuki Subaru, was then fragmented into thousands of pieces that the air took away. His heart, which had beaten to keep him alive throughout his existence, was crushed until nothing was left but a bloody pulp... Subaru, whose mind was unable to process all the suffering that was tormenting him, heard a voice. He heard a voice yell at him with jealousy, before everything in his mind went white. "Love me, Subaru!"

Chapter 12: Determination of the Tormented

Chapter Text

Eight hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

"… I've never told anyone, but the reason I know about the attack is because… I can return by dea-" Julius had promised to help Subaru, so even though doubts were plaguing him, he was willing to listen to Subaru. His honor as a knight compelled him to do so. "Arggggggghhhh!" However, instead of getting the answer he was looking for, Subaru's countenance changed in an instant.

The inventor boy, by no means, had maintained a completely stable attitude. Throughout the conversation, like a person on the verge of collapse, he screamed, threw tantrums, and wailed. But what he was seeing in that instant, was beyond anything he could have seen during the entire conversation. Julius, struggling to show a dignified and composed countenance day and night, let out an involuntary look of astonishment.

Screams of agony, as he had only heard during the worst tortures, reached his ears. Subaru, who had been kneeling in front of him until just a moment ago, was now rolling on the floor. With an anguished grimace, Subaru clutched his chest with both hands, just above where his heart was. With foam gathering at the corners of his lips and his eyes rolling, Subaru convulsed violently.

Julius would have liked to claim that it was all an act. The possibility that Subaru was acting to hide something, including sinister intentions, was a topic that he had already discussed extensively with the leaders of the Fang of Iron. Ricardo, Tivey, Hetaro and Mimi seemed to have doubts about Subaru. Even so, the opinion of the triplets leaned towards the idea that Subaru was not acting. Ricardo, on the other hand, refused to allow Subaru to stay at the inn, due to his suspicions.

Julius, for his part, kept himself in a more neutral position. He was willing to wait patiently while he watched over Subaru, as did his mistress. That was why Anastasia had sent him to Subaru's room, in order to see if they could get something out of him. Perhaps she would have gone there herself, had it not been for Ricardo's resistance; since Subaru seemed to maintain a normal level of consciousness about his surroundings, he represented a danger towards their mistress.

But now the situation was different, and it forced him to act quickly. None of Subaru's symptoms seemed the work of a performance, clearly he was suffering some kind of indescribable torture. Julius started to help him, when he noticed something that stopped him in his tracks for an instant. It was blood, blood was coming from Subaru's throat… no.

Not just from his throat. From his tear ducts, as if it were a hellish cry, drops of blood began to emerge. And the bleeding didn't stop there, as blood also began to gurgle from his nose and ears. Subaru's face was soon bathed in blood, pushing Julius's urgency to the limit.

Taking a piece of the rope with which Subaru had tried to commit suicide, Julius leapt at him and opened his mouth. After inserting the cloth into Subaru's mouth, in order to keep him from biting his tongue, Julius called out to one of the Fang of Iron mercenaries who had accompanied him. There were two men, and each stayed outside the room to stand guard in case something happened. Luckily, one of them was a user of healing magic.

"Julius-sama?" One of them answered the call, leaning over the doorway of the room.

"Olaph, I need you to use healing magic on him immediately!" With no time to explain the situation, Julius called the healing magic user by his name. The demi-human, with the white and orange Fang of Iron uniform, approached them and began to apply his magic, causing Subaru's convulsions and bleeding to gradually stop.

Reacting abruptly, Subaru regained his consciousness, turning away from Julius and the mercenary who was healing him. Coughing violently, Subaru instinctively expelled the piece of cloth from his mouth, as if his body completely refused to accept the foreign object. From the way he reacted, Julius couldn't help but think that there was something else behind that action, although he didn't give it much thought due to the situation.

Subaru, staggering, leaned with his hands on the floor, vomiting blood clots that had collected in his throat. With his eyes stained red from the multiple swollen blood vessels, Subaru looked at Julius. Showing a considerably disturbing image, Subaru kept still, as he seemed to process everything that had just happened to him.

"I can't…" He said abruptly. His countenance was ruled by an image of despair, which might as well belong to someone begging for his life before he died. "I can't tell you how I know." He added, lowering his gaze. His knuckles were white, due to the force he was putting on his fists.

Could it be a very well-crafted hoax? Julius wondered, as he watched Subaru. Sure, the bleeding Subaru had just had could hardly be considered an act. However, it would not be the first case of a spy or assassin taking his act extremely far in order to gain the trust of his target, even at the cost of risking his own life. Still, Julius's very doubts were buried under more doubts.

To what end would he cause so much harm to himself, if it were all an act? Are there not more effective and efficient ways to get closer to the enemy while letting him down his guard? At least Subaru, lacking a past and place of origin, could offer thousands of alibis that could hardly be denied on the spot. So… was it all true? Then…

"Subaru, what's causing you all this? Was the bleeding caused by you trying to speak?" What entity or being had Subaru in that condition? First was the panic attack inside the carriage, which nearly led to him choking to death in his own vomit. Now he was plagued by multiple internal bleeds that may well have ended his life.

"I don't know..." Looking lost, Subaru shook his head, as he replied with a lack of confidence. The situation was becoming more and more complex, and Julius did not know how to deal with it. Should I trust Subaru? Should I distrust him? Whatever the answer, he needed to act fast. If the attack Subaru mentioned happened, it was his duty to stand by his mistress and protect her.

"Subaru… I don't know how to deal with you. Should I put an escort on you and leave you under arrest in this room? Or should I take you to Anastasia so you can give us more information regarding what you said? Are you on our side? Or are you an agent of the assassins you speak of? Or else, are you an infiltrator who wants to distract us by talking about an attack that won't happen?" Expressing his doubts, Julius questioned Subaru, who was still staring straight at the ground. After a moment, Subaru seemed to find the strength to reply.

"Do you think I would've told you if I was in cahoots with the murderers?! I swear, Julius! All I wanna do is prevent innocent people from dying because of me! I'm the one they're looking for, but like I told you, they won't stop just with me! " Going into despair, Subaru crawled towards him, leaving behind a trail of blood. His face, contorted, looked him straight in the eye. "I beg you! Trust me! Please… don't close me off the last way I've left…"

"A misstep." Julius replied, keeping his gaze on Subaru's eyes. "A misstep, a wrong decision, a bad judgment on my part. That would be enough to put Anastasia-sama's life in danger. It's not that I want to believe you or not, Subaru. I just can't afford to make a mistake that leads me to fail my mistress... "

"Julius…" With a pleading groan, Subaru called out to the knight's name. His mind seemed to have cleared, and yet he refused to pay attention to his precarious state. The determination he had seen in his gaze, though clouded by a turmoil of negative emotions, was there. After some of the longest seconds of Subaru's life, Julius finally decided.

"I will believe you. Hence, I do not want you to disappoint me, Subaru Natsuki. Or I will make sure to end your life myself, with the edge of my sword." Firmly, the Valuable Knight exclaimed his judgment.

Nine hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

"Are ya sure about this, Julius?!" With a voice loud like thunder, Ricardo expressed his doubt towards his partner's judgment. Julius had just informed Ricardo, and the rest of the Fang of Iron mercenaries gathered there, regarding what happened in Subaru's room. The other actor involved was at his side, while he continued to be healed by a member of Anastasia's camp; in the absence of time to go to a professional healer, that was the only option.

"I already told you. I decided to take Subaru's word for it. That's why I need you to gather, as soon as possible, all the members of the Fang of Iron scattered around Priestella, here in the inn. We don't know when they will attack, but It might as well be tonight. " Expressing his decision firmly, Julius requested the collaboration of the wolf-shaped demi-human.

"Wait, wait! Julius, I'll repeat it again, are ya sure of this? What ya're asking of me isn't an easy thing to carry out. Besides, are ya aware of the danger posed by gatherin' all my men in the same place? Of course ya know! Now that a candidate for royalty's in a border town like this, we'd expose Priestella as a whole to an assault. Which would be completely counterproductive, even if what the boy says is true."

"They will enter through the sewers and their only target is the inn and its surroundings. That's right, isn't it, Subaru?" Julius questioned Subaru, who immediately looked back at him. Along the way to where they were, and with a little more confidence, Subaru had managed to gather the strength to explain the attack a little better to Julius…

Along the way, he had also had time to take a closer look at the information he obtained before and during his previous two deaths. Enduring the nausea caused by the memories, Subaru squeezed each one of them out as much as possible. His first clue came from an especially painful memory.

Elsa, before making the mabeast eat him alive, delivered one last message. Her memories were blurred due to the situation, but the message more or less was that he had made a mistake, had made the wrong decision and that whoever had hired the assassins would see to it that he complied with what some book said. Who had hired the assassins and sent that message? What mistake was he referring to? What was the wrong decision? What was the correct decision? What book was he or she referring to? What was the purpose of that message…?

Was it a merchant or company rival of Anastasia, who wanted to form an alliance with him? That might explain that wrong decision thing, but he still had no idea which book the client was referring to. After a bit more turning the matter over, Subaru decided to put it aside and focus on another topic.

The emerald rock. What was it? Why did he seem able to avoid his death no matter what they did to his body? Apparently, that rock was the tool used by the assassins, to be able to carry out their terrible tortures without killing their victims in the middle of the process. A horrible way to use such a valuable magic item, he concluded.

It was then that his train of thoughts was interrupted by his arrival at the dining room, where Ricardo was with the two boys from the group of triplets. Apparently Anastasia was still in the meeting Julius had mentioned. So the knight took the opportunity to submit the information, which Subaru had told him, to the noisy demi-human, who, according to his personality, reacted by screaming…

Subaru nodded at Julius' question. He could not be completely sure that the assassins wouldn't attack other areas of the city, however, he was quite convinced that this would not be the case. Why? Because during the first attack, Meili seemed quite concerned that no one would approach the alley they were in; indicating that they probably hadn't interfered outside of it. Another reason would be that until now, after his two deaths since arriving in Priestella, Subaru never heard the assassins speak of any more reinforcements besides Meili's beasts.

Sure, it was still a shot in the dark. If it went wrong, it could cost the lives of many, many people. Even so, the situation really called for taking the risk. And, in the worst case, there would be no choice but to take the only remaining way: his death. If there was a chance to prevent the tragedy from happening again, the right thing to do would be to take it. He was completely convinced of it.

"And how the hell does he know all that?!" Ricardo roared, making Subaru wince.

"He can't tell." At Julius' assertion, Ricardo's gesture became more severe. "It seems that he has some kind of curse or magic seal that prevents him from doing so. I saw it with my own eyes, Ricardo. Do you see how he is completely covered in blood? That's because he tried to tell me the reason behind his knowledge regarding the attack."

"But that doesn't make sense!" Ricardo, frustrated, took a deep breath to calm himself and continued. "The healer said there's no sign of interference with his mana, Julius. And while it's true that a particularly skilled mage or warlock might've concealed a curse on him, the probability is... Hmm... Julius, I really don't think taking his word for it's the right decis- "

"Julius's my knight, Ricardo. As such, I'm the one who'll decide whether his judgment's correct or not." Interrupting Ricardo, a beautiful lilac-haired girl dressed in a flowered white kimono with purple details entered the dining room, followed by a kid with orange hair and plushy ears, also dressed in a flowered kimono. Behind them, a group of several well-dressed people entered, probably executives from the Hoshin Company with whom she had been meeting. "Julius, they already briefly reported to me what's happenin'." Facing her knight, despite her short stature, it was Anastasia Hoshin.

"Anastasia-sama, the situation is as reported. Subaru warned me that we are in enormous danger of being attacked, he being the main target. He assures that despite being like this, you are also in danger. I am willing to give him my vote of confidence, so I will accept any punishment in case of-"

"Ya're my knight, Julius. I'll be the one to bear the consequences of your mistakes, not the other way around." At a loss for words, Julius meekly nodded at his mistress's words.

"In that case, miss. What position do ya've regardin' the boy's statements?" Ricardo questioned her, pointing at Subaru.

"Me? Like my knight, I'm willin' to trust him." With a gesture of utter surprise, Ricardo gaped at Anastasia. Apparently the captain of the Fang of Iron was expecting another outcome.

"But…"

"I trust Julius's judgment, Ricardo. Don't ya?" Silenced by the firmness of his employer, Ricardo closed his mouth again. That argument had apparently been enough to silence the demi-human's complaints. "Besides, I also believe in Natsuki-kun. So far, he hasn't acted in a way that led me directly to doubt him, quite the contrary. So I'll give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Anastasia-sama, if I may speak about it, my recommendation would be to contact the city capitol and report that we will need to use the bunkers in the area. We should also call the Fang of Iron patrols scattered around the city as soon as possible. Against the mabeasts, the numbers will be of great help."

"I appreciate it, Julius. Ricardo, send a message to the patrol leaders via metia. Tell them to return to the inn as soon as possible, and to inform us in case they notice any sign of suspicious activity in the city." Reluctantly, Ricardo accepted the order and, using an object similar to a pocket mirror, began to contact his subordinates. After that, Anastasia instructed one of the Hoshin Company executives who had arrived with her, to inform the Priestella Capitol regarding the use of the bunkers. "Now..." With short strides, Anastasia approached the bench where Subaru was standing, until she was in front of him. "Natsuki-kun, 'bout the attack… That's what ya tried to tell me all mornin', right? Ya wanted to warn us about this, but ya couldn't."

"Yeah…" With a depressing whisper, Subaru answered the shrewd girl's question. Nodding satisfied, the girl continued to question him.

"I'm glad ya finally managed to get it outta your system. So, Natsuki-kun, could ya tell me everythin' ya know in your own words?"

"Anastasia-sama..." Julius tried to say something to his mistress, but she stopped him by raising a hand.

"I'm aware of this… kinda curse that threatens Natsuki-kun." She nodded, indicating that she was informed about what struck Subaru every time he said something he was forbidden to say. "Therefore, Natsuki-kun, tell me everythin' ya're able to say to me without getting' hurt." With a sweet smile, Anastasia asked Subaru to reveal as much as he could.

Breathing deeply to strengthen his spirit, Subaru prepared himself to reveal everything possible. "We'll be attacked. I couldn't say exactly when, but it could well be today. Considering that there's a possibility that at this moment we're being watched..."

"That's ridiculous! We've men stationed at strategic points in the inn, no one should be able to enter or leave the place without us finding out." The one who interrupted him was not Ricardo, but Tivey, who was looking at him suspiciously through his monocle.

"Tivey-chan, could ya not interrupt Natsuki-kun? He's trying his best to give us as much information as possible, the least we'd do is listen to him." With a motherly tone, Anastasia rebuked Tivey, who nodded regretfully. With a movement of her chin, the girl motioned for Subaru to continue. From the corner of his eye, Subaru could notice Mimi hitting Tivey with her staff, which improved his mood a bit.

"Thanks." After thanking Anastasia, he continued what he was telling. "As I was saying, the assassins probably already know that we're aware of their siege, so they could attack at any time. To answer Tivey's question, I'll say that the assassin's an extremely skilled woman, enough to cause Julius trouble. " His statement, as expected, caught the attention of the aforementioned knight and raised the tension in the atmosphere of the dining room. "Her name's… E-El… El-sa… Elsa." Losing his composure again, Subaru forced himself to throw up the name.

"I have heard the name." Julius declared. "Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter. If it is that same Elsa, then Subaru is right in saying that we are dealing with an extremely dangerous person."

"But isn't she supposed to only work at Gusteko?" At Julius's statement, another voice joined in. This time it was Hetaro, who had been listening in silence. Apparently he had also recognized Elsa's name.

"Her area of work is mainly in Gusteko, but she has been seen recently in Lugnica. In fact, Reinhard Van Astrea fought with her a few months ago in the capital. From what I heard from him, the matter seemed to be related to the theft of an extremely valuable object… "Julius, thinking well what was correct to say and what not, decided to put aside that this was how Reinhard met his mistress, Felt, the last candidate for the Royal Selection. "He also mentioned that despite receiving a direct hit from him, she survived and escaped."

"She survived a direct hit from the Sword Saint?! Is she immortal?" Ricardo, who had just finished giving the new orders to his subordinates, joined the conversation again.

"There are rumors that, in addition to being extremely agile with knives, Elsa can withstand several fatal blows without being defeated. She really is an opponent that I would rather not face near Anastasia-sama." Listening to the conversation from the side, Subaru could feel a chill run through his body. After saying that, Julius looked directly at the girl. "That is why I would prefer you to be escorted to one of the bunkers in the city as soon as possible, Anastasia-sama. Besides, I want the triplets to stay with you as your bodyguards."

"Okay, no problem." Anastasia, in addition to Ricardo and the aforementioned triplets, agreed with Julius' request. "Will ya be fine without their help?" She asked, addressing Julius and Ricardo.

"I'm sure that if we divide the burden well, Julius and I'll do it without any problem." Ricardo answered confidently, while showing his enormous canines. Julius, silently, nodded showing that he shared his opinion.

"Terrific!" Folding her hands with a cute gesture, Anastasia was satisfied by the response of her subordinates. "In that case, I'll leave once I've finished listenin' to what Natsuki-kun has to say." Making her intentions clear, Anastasia returned her gaze to Subaru, who had been cast aside.

"O-Okay… Ahem!" Regaining some of the composure he had lost in naming Elsa, Subaru continued. "Elsa's the main assassin, but she's accompanied by a little girl named Meili. I'm not sure what her role is within the team, but I think she's capable of controlling the mabeasts; I'm not entirely confident about it, though." That is another of the conclusions he had reached when analyzing what happened before and during his previous deaths. "And as I said before, they'll enter the city through the sewers and will be accompanied by a large number of mabeasts, though I cannot say an approximate number." Although, if he hadn't locked himself in Anastasia's room, refusing to accept everything that went on outside, he might have a better idea about it. "I'm also sure they'll focus on attacking the inn only." Elsa had mentioned that Meili was buying her time, and was probably referring to Julius and Ricardo, reinforcing his idea that they would focus on attacking a single place rather than carrying out a massive attack on the city. "Unfortunately, that's all I got."

"Hmm… It's not poor information, Natsuki-kun. In fact, it's very accurate information. It really intrigues me how you got access to it, especially considerin' how suddenly you changed the moment we got to Priestella." Squinting her eyes, Anastasia carefully analyzed Subaru's expression.

"I'd tell you if I could, Anastasia. I assure you that. It's just… If I do, it's like the world stops and my heart… Hnk!" Fearing the shadows would return, Subaru abruptly fell silent, clenching his chest defensively.

The sensations had been etched in his mind and body. The indescribable pain, the terror he felt towards the shadow, the hatred, the jealousy... Once he returned to reality, leaving the shadow behind, and regained consciousness, Subaru knew immediately: the shadow would not allow him to speak about it, it would never let him reveal any detail of the Return by Death. He would have to deal with it alone, as he struggles to explain what he knows without being able to mention the Return by Death. Just thinking about it, he understood the hatred that fragment of his mind professed...

Sighing deeply, Anastasia stopped looking at Subaru and turned to Julius. "Natsuki-kun claims to be the main target of the assassin, so we cannot risk leavin' him in a separate bunker from mine without the necessary security. That's why he'll come with me." All the members of the Fang of Iron, in unison, displayed gestures of disagreement. However, Anastasia's expression, which Subaru failed to witness, was enough to keep them silent.

All but one. "Miss, I hope this decision doesn't end up killin' ya. I'd be very upset to be unable to remind ya dat I had warned ya." With a dejected gesture, Ricardo headed for the door as he spoke. "Let's get it over with. We also have to communicate everythin' to the inn staff and begin the evacuation, so we don't have too much time."

Obeying the captain of the Fang of Iron, everyone present began to leave the dining room in an orderly fashion. The first to leave were two mercenaries that Ricardo sent to communicate to the inn staff regarding the need to evacuate immediately. Finally, only the main actors remained inside.

After a brief goodbye, Anastasia, along with Subaru, was escorted out by the triplets, who have just said goodbye to Ricardo. The five of them were about to cross the exit threshold when a thunderous crash shook the foundations of the inn. Feeling fear running through his veins, Subaru remembered that this was how the attack had started the previous time. Once again, he had taken too long. However, this time everyone was informed, maybe they could make it...

"Hmm... It's not fair... With all the trouble we went through to prepare everything for this job, only to have it all ruined by our target." With a grim smile, Elsa appeared in front of him and Anastasia. "Apparently, our client was right about you..."

Chapter 13: After the New Promise

Chapter Text

Nine hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

As the Bowel Hunter complained resentfully, she fiddled with the knife in her hands. Both Subaru and Anastasia were paralyzed with fear, as if just the movement of a single finger could be enough to end up being disemboweled. In this way, a stalemate was formed between the murderer and the two victims. Stalemate that was not broken by any of the three main actors, but by one of the secondary actors who was only a few inches from the scene.

"Waaaaahhh!" A small figure jumped between Anastasia and Subaru, letting out a loud scream in the direction of the assassin. With feline reflexes, Elsa took a powerful leap upward, easily dodging Tivey's magical sonic attack.

"Miss, Onii-san, don't just stand there, follow Mimi! Bro, Onii-chan, you take care of coverin' the rear!" Going ahead of everyone, Mimi motioned for the only two non-combatants to follow her. Meanwhile, her two brothers lagged a bit behind them.

"Alright Sis!"

"Alright Onee-chan!"

Both brothers answered from behind. Subaru, who was barely able to process the information overload, just ran while pulling Anastasia, whom he had instinctively taken by the hand when Mimi motioned for them to follow her.

"Al Goa!" A gust of warm wind rumbled inches behind them, and with it, two cremated corpses of Wolgarm were strewn down the path they had trodden just a second ago. Subaru, with his heart in his mouth, watched as the remains of the mabeasts that were about to attack him flew into the air. Tivey, who was a user of fire element magic, had been his savior.

"Natsuki-kun, I didn't expect ya to have such good instincts!" Her voice high with tension, Anastasia praised Subaru's quick thinking, who had managed to react before her.

"I didn't expect it either! I guess circ*mstances really do make the ma-! Argh!" Jumping slightly to his right, Subaru barely dodged the attack of one of the serpent-like beasts, taking his boss with him.

"Waaaahhh!" A sound wave that colored the air a bluish hue exploded right where Subaru and Anastasia had just been, disintegrating the Arkalb that had attacked them.

"Hey! Be more careful, that attack almost hit me!" Subaru complained, looking over his shoulder at Hetaro.

"I'm sorry! But if I hadn't, you would've been bitten by it!" After apologizing, the little demi-human argued in favor of his action, then quickly attacked a Black Winged Rat that had approached from the flank.

"Mimi?! Where're we heading?!" Subaru asked the girl, who ran several yards in front of them and led the way.

"Anywhere safe for the lady! Our top priority is to escape to the nearest bunker, but first we must get rid of these annoying mabeasts!" Without looking back, Mimi answered Subaru's question. The orange-haired girl, in addition to guiding the step, was the one who was in charge of eliminating any obstacle that interfered in their path."Waaaaahhh!"

Jumping into the air, Mimi disintegrated with her scream a flock of Black Winged Rats, who were blocking the way along the corridor. Do they want us to go out to the courtyard? Subaru thought, looking out into the open space that stretched out beside the corridor they were escaping through. And as he did so, he realized something. The place didn't look like it did when he and Julius walked past it just a few minutes ago.

What had once been a Zen garden covered in river rocks, was now covered in multiple flowery patches that were completely out of place. And now that he was paying attention to them, he could tell that a strong sweet aroma was coming from them; one that made his nose burn. What is that supposed to be? He wondered, suspecting that the answer was related to the insistence of the smaller beasts to remove them from the corridor.

"Anastasia, do you see those flower patches spreading across the courtyard?!" Subaru, wanting to make sure not to lose vital information in case of failure, questioned the girl regarding them. "Do you've any idea what they could be?!"

"I'm sorry, Natsuki-kun, but they're as unknown to me as they can be to ya! Why, did ya notice somethin' important related to 'em?" Apparently, Anastasia had not yet realized the mabeasts' intentions; and it is not as if he could blame her, as the situation did not merit such analyzes of the environment.

"I think the mabeasts are trying to get us out of the corridor to force us go through there!"

"Oh! Ya're right, Natsuki-kun! How clever of ya! Ya thing those flowery patches are some kinda mabeast?" Surprised, the girl realized that Subaru's deduction made sense. You don't have to act so shocked, he thought.

"I'm not sure, but it's quite possible that it's some kind of trap, so we must avoid leaving the corridors at all costs!" With his heart beating faster and faster, Subaru conveyed his conclusion to Anastasia.

"Hmm… Did ya hear that, Mimi?!" After thinking about it for a moment, Anastasia asked the little girl.

"Yeah, miss! Do you want us to avoid leavin' the corridors?" The girl returned the question, after nodding.

"Yes, Mimi. We'll trust Natsuki-kun's judgment once again. I think after what just happened, it's the logical thing to do." Stunned, Subaru looked at Anastasia. She, noticing his gaze, returned it with a satisfied smile. "I told ya, Natsuki-kun, I'm a gal who's great at judgin' people!"

"T-Thanks, Anastasia! I'll do my best to get us out of this situation alive!" After that, both of them, hand in hand, continued running through the wooden corridors of the inn. While, around them, the triplets didn't stop launching attacks at the dangerous multitude of beasts that attacked incessantly. Blood, bone, and flesh rained down on them, painting the scene of their escape red.

Elsa, annoyed, watched from the ceiling of the dining room as her target and the royal candidate slipped out of her hand. Licking her lips, she readied her knives. The first to die would be the candidate. She would have liked to play with her a little more, to finally uncover her innards. The very thought of appreciating the bowels of a candidate for royalty made her shiver with arousal. However, that could wait. She had to take care of her first, then the triplets, to finally carry out her work.

The woman moved into position to gain momentum, a knife in each hand. First she would slice off the girl's legs, then she would behead her. That would stop her target and cause the anger of the little guardians. After that, she would only have to gut the three. Just thinking about the execution of her plan on the fly excited her enormously. Smiling ecstatically, the woman launched herself on the attack. However…

"I cannot allow you to take another step, Bowel Hunter, Elsa. My lady entrusted me with her safety and that of her employees, so it is my duty to prevent you from leaving here alive." Steadfast as a pillar, Julius the Valuable Knight stood in front of her, his sword drawn. Combing his bangs, the knight indicated that her life was about to be extinguished. This man's naivety made her smile widen.

"I see, I see... You are the royal candidate's knight, so you were expected to appear before me sooner or later. However, at the moment I have a job that needs to be done, so I don't have time to have fun with you. " Licking her lips, the woman looked directly into Julius's eyes.

"I think exactly the same thing. And since we both share the same idea, I believe we should stop unnecessary talking." The position of his feet changed, indicating that Julius was about to attack.

"It's fine by me…" With a thrust, the assassin lunged with the intention of stabbing the knight in his abdomen.

With agility worthy of one of the most prominent knights in the realm, Julius dodged the blade that was aimed at his gut. In the same sequence, he stretched out his arm, performing a powerful lunge. The blade of steel brushed the throat of the assassin, who performing a backward somersault, avoided by only one eighth of an inch the attack directed towards her neck.

After putting some distance between herself and her opponent, the woman cleaned the wound on her neck using her index finger. With her kind-countenance gaze focused on the blood pooled on her finger, Elsa smiled. Her grim smile conveyed an air of lust that could chill even the most trained of knights. However, Julius's visage was not the least bit altered.

"I see that what's said about you isn't a lie. You truly deserve to be considered the Knight among knights." Without looking at his face, Elsa praised Julius' skill with the sword. He, without feeling the least bit moved, remained silent, carefully analyzing each movement and gesture of the assassin. "Though… You can't even consider yourself the shadow of HIM…" It was for an instant, but something within Julius's gaze wavered.

"What are you talking about?" In an imperturbable voice, Julius questioned the woman.

"I'm talking about…" Sticking her tongue out slightly between her scarlet lips, Elsa licked her finger from one end to the other, wiping down the last particle of blood from it. Her gaze turning perversion, the woman shot him a bloody smile. "You don't get even a little close to him, the Sword Saint…" Her smile widened, showing her crimson-stained teeth. "Valuable Knight, you are too far from the level of the Sword Saint…" Frantically, the woman pointed one of her knives at him. "… I can beat you. And I'd really like to see what your insides are like!"

Resembling a spider, Elsa jumped off the ceiling and, swinging, fell gracefully onto one of the dining room tables. Julius, not wanting to waste any more time, followed her without hesitation. Returning to the dining room, he realized that there was no one left; only the corpses of various Fang of Iron mercenaries and multiple mabeasts. The siege, without a doubt, had begun.

There was no sign of Ricardo anywhere, so his only theory was that he was looking for the mabeast-controlling girl Subaru mentioned. If that was the case, then his ally, Captain of the Fang of Iron, would have finally begun to trust the emotionally broken boy's word. Which reinforced Julius's wish that his judgment had been correct. Sure, the attack Subaru indicated, transpired, but that still wasn't enough to calm his heart; quite the opposite...

"Anastasia-sama, I hope everything turns out well at the end of the day..." After whispering that like a mantra, Julius once again coated his heart with steel and prepared to finish off the enemy in front of him.

"You're truly a very well-trained dog, always ready to protect its master. I personally enjoy more of the freedom with which we're all conceived. Though I suppose I'm a very simple woman, since I'm satisfied with just observing the hidden beauty of the bowels whenever I get the chance." With her eyes radiating joy, the woman spoke of her passion to the knight who, according to her, lacked the freedoms with which every human being is conceived.

"You are but a sick woman who is satisfied with the lowest desires. My duty as a knight of the Kingdom of Lugnica is to extirpate beings like you, who compromise its safety." Without hesitating for a moment, Julius raised his sword and pointed it at Elsa. "Fell Goa!"

Two living dots of light materialized in the air around Julius; they were two of his six lesser spirits, Ia and Aro. Both spirits stood in front of Julius and enveloped his sword, while casting a mixture of fire and air magic towards Elsa. An attack, similar to a horizontal tornado of fire, embraced several yards in its path, consuming the table Elsa was on in the process. The entire place would have gone up in flames, had it not been for Aro's wind magic to hold the fire back.

"Not bad at all…" As Julius expected, Elsa had easily dodged her attack. Using the dining room ceiling as a support point, Elsa had jumped, bounced, and landed behind him. Arching her arm, Elsa managed to slice off part of Julius's uniform cloak, who had avoided the attack by rolling forward.

"Goa!" Before getting back to his feet, Julius ordered Ia to attack with the most characteristic fire element spell. A wall of flame was erected between Julius and Elsa, allowing the former to regain his posture. "Al Dona!" Now it was Ik's turn to attack. The yellow-colored spirit caused the portion of the ground, on which Elsa was standing, to explode, rising into the air.

"Too late!" But the murderer was no longer there. Attacking from the knight's left flank, the assassin lunged toward him. This time, however, Julius did not choose to use the power of his companions. Using his sword to intercept the attack, Julius threw a knee into the woman's abdomen. And even though she was able to arch her back in order to avoid it, she couldn't completely dodge his knee. "Argh!"

With his sword, which was now located at his side, Julius made a lateral cut aimed at the assassin's back. Elsa, reacting in time to prevent the attack, stopped the advance of the steel with the edges of her two knives. However, the force applied by the knight in his thrust was enough to wrench one of her knives from her hand. Still, using her remaining one, the woman managed to deflect the blow and back away from Julius.

"I may not be as strong as the Sword Saint. But that doesn't give you reason to underestimate me, Bowel Hunter." Firmly, Julius followed with a thrust, managing to throw the woman off balance momentarily. Temporarily defenseless, Elsa tried to back away even further, but the knight wouldn't let her.

Vigorously lowering the sword he had raised in the air, Julius sliced through Elsa's right arm, the one in which she had her last knife. The arm fell to the dining room floor with a thud, covering it in blood. Shredded skin, sliced flesh, and crushed bone, that was all that was left of the Bowel Hunter's right arm.

With the white of her humerus exposed and strips of skin, like folds of cloth, surrounding the visible piece of muscle that would not stop expelling blood, Elsa tore part of her black dress to make a makeshift tourniquet, all at enough speed to prevent Julius from delivering the final blow. Her gaze, unchanged, continued to observe Julius sinisterly; managing to slightly disturb the spirit of the knight.

Why do I perceive Elsa so far from defeat? Julius wondered, as he cautiously approached the now one-armed killer. One misstep could spell his end. However, Elsa had run out of knives and was missing an arm. So why didn't he feel like he was close to defeating her? His instincts, honed over multiple battles, told him something was wrong.

"This isn't the time to be stopped by doubts." He told himself. "Clarista!" Using his technique in which he used the power of his six lesser spirits to strengthen the edge of his sword, Julius lunged forward to deal the final blow to the cruel woman.

"I don't think it's a good idea to let that touch me…" Looking at the sword that emanated a magical glow, the armless assassin leapt back nimbly, leaving behind a trail of blood drops. Even her current state, the assassin was capable of mind-blowing stunts with incredible agility.

Managing to avoid Julius' attacks despite his insistence, Elsa was able to retrieve one of her knives. Even so, the knight only had to attack on the right side of the assassin to achieve victory. In what looked like a cat and mouse chase, Julius inched closer to the woman, who seemed to be losing stamina. Seemingly realizing her worsening situation, Elsa decided that her only hope lay in an all-out attack on which she would bet everything.

Using the wall to propel herself, the assassin propped up her heel and lunged at Julius, seeking victory in a counterattack. Julius, who was waiting for such a desperate move, stopped short and readied his sword. At wind speed, Elsa cut in the direction of the knight's abdomen. Covering that same point with his sword, Julius prepared to receive the blow. The attack would come from the left side, so he just had to focus on...

"Ahhhhhh… It seems that I was the one being underestimated." Using his sword to push the woman away, Julius put distance between them.

Losing his calm demeanor, Julius looked down at his thighs. There, piercing the muscle of his left leg from side to side, was one of Elsa's knives. How, if the one she had recovered was still on her left hand? Looking back at the assassin, a slight panic, uncommon for him, flooded his body. The arm that only moments ago had been sliced off, was back in the assassin's body. It was all a feint… He realized, too late.

"Miss, it doesn't look like we're managin' to lose the mabeasts!" Mimi's cry reached Subaru and Anastasia, who were still running with their hands joined. It was obvious that both, from the sweat on their foreheads and their labored breaths, were about to reach the limit of their stamina.

"sh*t! It's been almost f-five minutes… since we started escaping! How's it that… they keep finding us… over and over again?!" Subaru complained between breaths, in response to the girl's remark.

They had already gone through the entire structure of the inn almost completely, turning and swerving multiple times, but beasts were still appearing with the intention of assassinating them. They were at a point in the inn almost opposite to where the dining room was located, so the amount of mabeasts that kept appearing was much less than at the beginning of the siege. And luckily for them, the anomalous flower fields were no longer in sight.

"Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh…" Hearing incredibly forced exhalations and inhalations, Subaru looked to his side. It was Anastasia, whose snow-like skin was paler than normal.

It was obvious just by looking at her, that Anastasia's physical condition was not very good. And from the time he had spent with her, Subaru had realized that she was slightly sickly. However, because her line of work did not involve great physical exertion, Anastasia had lived a life with even above normal health. But now was when her weak and sickly complexion was most noticeable. And if they didn't do something to get rid of the mabeasts soon, she would be unable to escape alive.

"Anastasia, why haven't we left the inn yet?! This is where all the mabeasts are concentrated, if we leave here and go to the nearest bunker, we…" But before he could finish, Anastasia looked him straight in the eye.

"If we do that now, we'll only get the mabeasts to chase us outta the inn! We'd be endangerin' a lotta innocent people who've nothin' to do with this conflict! That would be very irresponsible of us!" Showing her more dignified side, the girl firmly refused to leave the inn when they were still being followed by the beasts.

Inwardly cursing his short view of the whole situation, Subaru fell silent and kept running without looking back. If only I were stronger, he thought in frustration, and then suddenly stopped in his tracks. As expected, his action sparked a reaction from the entire group. Mimi, who had been alert in the search for new escape routes, turned to them, prepared to attack whatever it was that had provoked his reaction. So did the two brothers who came after them.

"What happened, Onii-san?! Did you see somethin' that made you stop?!" As Tivey and Hetaro covered the perimeter around them, Mimi approached them.

"No! Sorry for alarming you Mimi, Hetaro and Tivey!" Responding to the little girl, Subaru apologized, while also addressing her brothers.

"Natsuki-kun, then why…?" Anastasia, who had been forcibly stopped at the moment Subaru halted his sprint, looked at him with slight reproach. Her face, pale, gave the feeling that at any moment she might fade.

"Anastasia, let me carry you!" Looking directly into her eyes, Subaru expressed his desire to help the girl. "I can tell that you're very tired, and though I'm too, I can still go on without any problems. Please let me start repaying you for your kindness by carrying you on my back."

"My kindness…?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion. For her, the only time Subaru touched on that subject was almost a month ago, after the signing of the alliance contract with her company. But for Subaru, it was a response to the conversation he had with her before his previous death. "Hmm… Ya mean what I told ya after the contract was signed? Ya didn't have to take it so literally." As expected, Anastasia linked it to what she told him after the contract was signed.

"I insist, let me help you. Besides, now that you're my boss, it's my duty to make sure you're okay by the end of the day." Subaru, holding out his hand, decided to approach the matter from the point of view of the employee-boss relationship. Smiling slightly flustered, Anastasia took his hand again.

"Ya're turnin' out to be quite reliable, Natsuki-kun. What happened to the dreadful condition ya were in durin' the afternoon?" As he hoisted her onto his back, Subaru heard Anastasia ask him about his mental state. For an instant, the thought that the girl was extremely light, flashed through her head.

"I decided that I would try to do something about it." He replied, glancing at her over his shoulder. Looking ahead again, Subaru whispered. "… To do something regarding my weaknesses…"

"Miss, Subaru Onii-san, the break took too long!" Alarmed, Hetaro indicated that time had run out. Looking at him, Subaru could feel his heart sinking and his stomach churning with nausea.

From the direction where Subaru assumed the courtyard to be, a dozen of oversized bear-like creatures rushed towards them. With their eyes dyed red and grotesque flowers protruding from their fur, the beings that had waited patiently in the form of flowery patches finally decided to make their move.

"Waaaaahhhh!"

"Waaaaahhhh!

Together, the brothers launched an attack towards the crowd of beasts. However, their attacks were stopped by walls of rock and fire that emerged from the ground. With his eyes wide with terror, Subaru saw two more groups of beasts join the one of the bear-shaped mabeasts. One was composed of creatures similar to a gigantic black hippopotamus. The other consisted of repulsive beasts with the body of a horse, a human torso instead of a head, which had a mouth vertically along its chest, and a horn instead of a human head.

Releasing a screech similar to the crying of hundreds of human babies, the being, which could only be compared to a centaur out of the imagination of the most twisted demon of all, released fireballs from what appeared to be a mane of flame that formed on his back. For their part, the hippo-shaped mabeasts joined the fight using their enormous body. And finally, controlling the land at will, appeared a cub-shaped beast that seemed to be functioning as the leader of the mixed group of mabeasts.

"Miss, Onii-san, we have to escape from here immediately! Dona!" Taking Subaru out of the trance he was in, Mimi indicated that it was time to continue fleeing, while magically creating some sort of earth barrier to cover them. Agreeing, Subaru strengthened his weakened spirit with determination and started running like never before in her life. However…

"Mimi! Hetaro and Tivey aren't followin' us!" Near his ear, he could hear the alarming statement of a very dazed Anastasia. Without looking back, Mimi answered her mistress.

"They'll stay behind so they can give us a chance to escape, Miss! Mimi also thinks there's no other way!" Staring at the road ahead, the girl declared her brothers' intentions.

Subaru, feeling his blood freeze, thought about trying something; he didn't want to survive at the cost of the lives of the two children. But nothing occurred to him, there was nothing he could do for them. Then, mired in frustration and pain, Subaru remembered Julius's strong words. For them, for everyone around him, life could only be lived once, and yet they were still able to display great acts of bravery due to the determination that moved their spirits.

Julius had told him that he must always fight to find a way, that death never would be a path to choose. Those children weren't just throwing away their lives, they were willing to give everything of themselves to save their mistress, and consequently, save him. They were all struggling, with the goal of continuing to live together with their loved ones.

And although Subaru could not yet fully accept Julius's words, he felt that not to go ahead would be to disregard their determination. His spirit was weak, but not theirs; so he would honor them by striving to deal with his eternal weaknesses. He would go on without turning back. He would respect their determination, and trust that he would meet all of them again after that nightmare was over.

"Trust them, Anastasia! If I stop now, their determination will've been in vain!" Encouraging the girl, Subaru focused on closely following Mimi, who with her screams disintegrated any mabeast that managed to make its way towards them.

"Ya're right, Natsuki-kun…" She replied, falling silent after doing so. Subaru would strengthen his spirit, that's what he would do to honor them all. In his mind he kept repeating that, while ignoring the guilt, pain and shame that kept building up in the back of his mind, like a leak during a heavy rain.

It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault… If I died, I could fix it… If I died, I could fix it… Putting more force into his strides, Subaru struggled to ignore those thoughts; what no one noticed, including him, was the look of utter despair on his face.

Chapter 14: Cure of Despair

Chapter Text

Nine hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

The muscles in his legs begged for rest and his lungs ached with every breath he took. His body, bathed in sweat, was close to collapse. After speaking so grandly, was that all he could give of himself? Subaru wanted to answer that question in the negative, but doing so would be lying.

"Al Dona!" Casting a spell, the little girl who was guiding them collapsed part of the ground on which was running a pack of Wolgarms that had approached them. Blood and chunks of flesh rained down, along with the paper and wood of what was, until a moment ago, one of the inn's rooms. Mimi seemed to be more used to using her screams than using her earth element magic, yet she had apparently already reached her limit.

Hyperventilating, the girl leaned on her knees, trying to catch her breath. It wasn't just about Subaru and Anastasia anymore, now Mimi had reached the limit of her stamina as well. All three were exhausted, but the endless flow of mabeasts had barely diminished since they were separated from the two remaining triplets; something that was not a good sign.

Frustrated, Mimi walked over to them. From her gesture, it was obvious that she had already run out of ideas. They had gone through each of the inn corridors, so they no longer had anywhere to go. The only option was to leave the inn grounds, but that option had already been ruled out by Anastasia. Even so, to continue like this, would only be to condemn themselves...

"Grooar!" Subaru, still in his current condition, was able to react to the attack of a lone Wolgarm.

The beast, which had been hiding in the shadows until just now, lunged to his side. Unable to completely escape its trajectory, Subaru did the only thing he could think of at the time. Using one of his arms, Subaru tore the lightweight Anastasia off his back and threw her to the side. As the girl fell onto the wooden floor, Subaru used her other arm to receive the beast's attack.

The beast's long canines dug into his limb, causing jets of blood to flow violently down the Wolgarm's neck. An enormous pain ran through the nerves in his arm, causing him to cry out in rage and agony. Struggling to free himself, Subaru hit the mabeast's skull; but it was useless.

Clamping his teeth relentlessly to ease the pain, Subaru kept hitting the demon dog's snout. But the blows were not causing the desired result, on the contrary, the fangs of the beast were increasingly introduced into his flesh, to the point where they were about to hit the bone.

Feeling the adrenaline rush through his body, Subaru chose to stick one of his fingers into the socket of one of the Wolgarm's eyes. Digging hard, Subaru ripped out the eye organ. The eyeball was expelled from its orbit, hanging from it by the set of veins that linked it to the brain of the bestial dog. Screaming, the Wolgarm finally released him, at which point Subaru took the opportunity to kick him away from him.

The beast had not finished falling on the wooden corridor, when a sound wave impacted its body, turning it into a heap of blood and mutilated flesh. Disgusted, Subaru stepped away from the blood-stinking remains and approached Anastasia, who was already on her feet. Slightly concerned, the girl approached him and took him by the arm where he was bitten.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I threw you out like that, but it was the only way I found to free you from danger." Gazing Anastasia up and down, Subaru searched for any sign of injury.

In the end, he noticed nothing but a small tear in the beautiful kimono she was wearing. Subaru had to admit that this was the first time he had noticed Anastasia's change of clothes. Probably because since arriving in Priestella, he hadn't had a chance to stop to appreciate the details, except for the short tour he took through Priestella; although just thinking about how it ended made him feel like he was about to throw up.

"I'm the one who should ask that, Natsuki-kun. Ya only acted in the best way ya'd think of to save me, so… thanks, Natsuki-kun." Smiling tenderly, Anastasia thanked him for acting in favor of her health, at a time when their lives had been placed on the edge of the abyss of death. "Now tell me how ya feel. This bite looks quite deep, so we should treat it immediately to prevent the bleedin' from continuin'."

"I'm fine, I'm fine… I don't think it's a big deal." Smiling sorrowfully, Subaru played down his injury. It might come to be considered that he was acting bravely for something stupid like male honor, but in truth he thought it was no big deal; especially compared to his latest injuries. And deep down, he hated he was starting to think that way... "And you don't have to thank me. I already told you that now my duty as an employee, is to make sure you're well by the end of this day."

"Hmm… In that case, you're doing a good job." Nodding, the girl appreciated the efforts Subaru had put into keeping her alive. After that, without much thought, she tore a piece from the hem of her kimono and began to make a makeshift bandage with it, to stop the bleeding from Subaru's arm.

"I… Um… I'm sorry, Onii-san, miss. Mimi couldn't react in time and that's why you're attacked. The worst part is that since magic or Mimi's scream could have damaged Onii-san, Mimi had to wait until he broke free to do somethin'… So I'm sorry. " Distressed, Mimi approached them, with a look that could destroy the heart of even the coldest person. Her blue-green eyes had tears in them and her breathing was still labored.

"You don't have to worry about it, Mimi. You've guided and protected us since the siege of the inn began, so the mistake was mine for not paying more attention to my surroundings." Seeking to cheer her up, Subaru claimed, not without believing it, that the real culprit was him.

"Natsuki-kun's right… partly, Mimi. I don't think there's culprit. The three of us are tired from escapin' from the mabeasts, so it's normal for this kinda thing to happen. Hence, this isn't the time to look for the culprit. We should think of another way to deal with the situation, because the current one is clearly not gonna work."

"Miss, Mimi already thought of somethin'." Regaining her determined and lively gaze, Mimi claimed to have thought of a way for them to escape. Pointing with her index finger at the room that had just been demolished by her attack, Mimi continued. "Mimi's scream opened a gap under that room. The debris partially covered it, leavin' barely a space to hide inside. So hide there while Mimi takes care of getting' the attention of the beasts. Wait for a few minutes and escape in direction towards the exit of the inn, thus you can get to the bunker."

"Mimi..." Reluctantly, Anastasia called out to the girl, but stopped before saying more. The plan, while far from perfect, seemed like the best option they had on hand. If Mimi took it upon herself to lure the beasts that had been chasing them nonstop, there really was a chance of finally fleeing to the bunker. However, Subaru could understand the girl's reluctance.

"Don't worry, miss. Mimi will surround these rooms and go back to Tivey and Hetaro. Together, Mimi's sure that we can stop the mabeasts. Once we do it, we'll return to protect you, I assure you." Taking her hand to her heart, Mimi pledged to defeat the beasts and return so she could continue to protect Anastasia. "In the meantime, please take care of the lady, Onii-san." Looking at Subaru, Mimi entrusted him with Anastasia's care.

Feeling lead fall onto his stomach, Subaru forced himself not to show a pathetic gesture at the girl's confidence. "I'll do it, Mimi!" Satisfied by Subaru's answer, Mimi nodded.

"See ya, miss, Onii-san!" Saying goodbye to them, Mimi prepared to raise a scream with which to attract the attention of the beasts, who might be nearby, towards her.

"Take care, Mimi! I look forward to your return with Hetaro and Tivey!" Showing once more a countenance of composure, Anastasia said goodbye to the little girl.

Having finished the makeshift bandage on Subaru's arm, together they approached the hole Mimi had mentioned. Anastasia came in first, followed closely by Subaru. The hole that had formed in the ground was barely enough for both of them to enter, and yet they were still considerably crammed.

Without complaining about the matter, Subaru moved a piece of wood that was nearby and covered the entrance, leaving just a small opening with which he could monitor the situation outside. Then, a loud rumbling was heard and the wait began. One, two, three, four, five minutes. During that time, the only thing that was heard inside the hole was the slight breathing of its two dwellers.

When Subaru felt that the necessary time had finally passed, he slowly moved towards the opening so that he could see what was happening outside. As he did so, he felt his heart skip one, two, and even three beats. With cold sweat forming on his skin, Subaru witnessed the crowd of dozens of mabeasts, lurking outside the collapsed room in which they found themselves.

Just a few feet away from them, there were multiple beasts prepared to kill them. Mimi's plan had failed, the beasts had found them again. And with a terrible sense of despair clouding his mind, Subaru began to pay more attention to the storm of negative thoughts that had been raging in the back of his mind for a long time now.

Both his breathing and heartbeat quickened, and tears of despair began to form at the corners of his eyes. Had it all been for nothing? He had forced himself to talk about Elsa's attack and Meili's beasts. He had broken the taboo of the shadow and been hideously punished. He had given himself up completely to escape with Anastasia and the triplets. He had agreed to leave the two brothers behind and had entrusted his life to the exhausted little girl. All for nothing?

His teeth gritted from the force he was applying on his jaws. Blood flowed from between her fists, due to the force with which he was digging his nails into the palms of his hands. He felt angry, frustrated, depressed, overwhelmed. Why was nothing going right? Why was nothing going the way he wanted? Could it be that fate, or whatever it was that controlled his life in that world, enjoyed making him suffer so much?

Was his life the amusem*nt of an unknown entity who rejoiced to see him die? Subaru knew that those kinds of thoughts would get him nowhere, but the situation was pushing him to have them more frequently with every second that passed. What used to be a leak, was now a river of pessimism that did not stop increasing, and was close to overflowing his brain.

Subaru remembered Elsa's last words again, before being eaten by the Chimera Beast. "You made the wrong decision", that had been the message that the person, who hired the two assassins, entrusted them to deliver to him before he died. What was the point of that message, if he was going to die anyway? What was the client's goal in getting him tortured? Subaru couldn't understand it, and it frustrated him too much not to, because that could be a valuable hint...

Valuable? Subaru's train of thoughts stopped in its tracks, further clouding his mind. Why was he thinking about it at the time? What would he get out of it? Revenge… That was the answer. Before he even asked to notice it, all the frustration and hatred had been directed towards the true culprit of the pitiful situation in which he found himself.

Something inside him craved revenge on the person that stained the path to his happy ending with pain. Now, regardless of whether he reached it, the scars left by the deaths, but especially the torture, would accompany him for life. And all because of an imbecile who believed he had the right to say which was the right or wrong path that he should take.

Revenge! I need to vent the anger I feel! I need to get revenge! I need to get revenge! I need to get revenge! I need to get revenge! His derailed train of thought completely lost its way. Hate and wrath were blinding his mind, Subaru felt lost in a world of frustration, fear, anger, hatred, horror...

Revenge? How would he get it being so weak? Overwhelmed, Subaru's train of thought derailed again; even more so, if it was possible. The situation had brought out the worst in him. He didn't know how to deal with what was on the outside, and now he couldn't deal with what was on his inside either. He was at a impasse, and now that his mind had been flooded with pessimism, the only remaining conclusion was the one that had always been there for him since he came into that world.

Julius's words and determination had been useless. Anastasia's trust had been useless. The sacrifice of the triplets was futile. The conclusion was the same again. That's how it had been since Subaru suffered the torture. His mind was stagnant, moving in circles, never leaving that quagmire of despair that was his present, his past and his future. Death was the way...

He didn't want to die, he hated the feeling, that's why he wished he could hold onto Julius's words. He wanted to convince himself that death was not the only way, but the feeling had been so etched in his heart during Elsa's torture, that there was nothing he could do to make it disappear. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, that he was positive and thought that determination could lead him to the right path, in the end, something inside him reminded him that... "Death is the only way."

"Natsuki-kun…" Anastasia's whisper reached his ear, but Subaru decided to ignore it. His mind and heart had already accepted again that only that way remained, so trying to pay attention to the girl would be useless; like water falling into a drain. In the end, Julius had been wrong...

"Julius… Death's the only way." He would start again, there was no other way. Even if it were detrimental to his mental and emotional health, Subaru would end his own life again. He preferred that to becoming food for mabeasts again.

Instinctively, Subaru picked up a piece of wood that had fallen into the hole. Its shape, similar to a stake, would be perfect to fulfill its objective. With an empty gaze, Subaru stared at the multiple, poorly lit wooden spikes protruding from its tip. Twisting his face, he concluded that this would be a worse death than piercing his neck with the edge of a blade.

Robotically, as if his body had been programmed to carry out that action as naturally as breathing, Subaru placed the tip of the stake on his neck. The minimal light from the moon that came through the small opening, that allowed him to look outside the hole, was insufficient to see clearly inside it. So hopefully Anastasia wouldn't witness too much of his suicide.

Leaving her alone in the midst of all those mabeasts, was already an incredibly cruel and selfish action. His heart felt heavy as he realized that he had been ignoring that fact, but that was not enough to stop what he was about to do. Once he returned to the earth dragon carriage, he could endeavor to pay for the sin he was about to commit. Once dead, he could start from scratch and wipe the traces of his previous failure with his bloodstained hands. He inhaled and exhaled, and then pressed the stake against his neck...

"Natsuki-kun!" Before the wood pierced his throat and choked him with gallons of his own blood, Anastasia realized what was happening and pushed the tip of the stake. The piece of wood, due to the impulse that Subaru had applied to it, fell to the bottom of the hole, far from Subaru's reach.

"Ahh?" Exclaiming stupidly, Subaru took a couple of seconds to comprehend that his suicide attempt had once again been thwarted. With his thoughts adrift, Anastasia took him by one of his arms and pulled him close to her, hugging him. That was not an out-of-place gesture of affection from the girl, but her pathetic attempt to prevent him from using his arms again to try to end his life. I could still bite my tongue if I wanted to, he thought...

"Natsuki-kun, why?!" But Anastasia's obfuscated whispers robbed him of the drive to carry out the action. "Until a moment ago ya were talkin' about respectin' Tivey and Hetaro's determination and continuin' to escape! Ya saved me and fought to escape from the mabeast that attacked ya! What happened to that determination, Natsuki-kun?!" Struggling not to raise her voice too high, Anastasia desperately questioned him.

"Look outside..." Without intending to argue with her, Subaru indicated that behind the opening was the reason for his actions. Anastasia didn't move. Maybe he couldn't see her face, but Subaru was sure that the reason why she hadn't done it, was because she thought he would try to kill herself again if she let go of her grip. "I won't do anything. I swear..." After hesitating for a moment, Anastasia moved slowly, approaching the opening without letting go of Subaru's shirt. As she did so, thanks to the filtered light, he could see the look of complete despair that was drawn on the girl's face. "There's nothing we can do anymore, we're finished."

"S-Still…" Hesitant, Anastasia answered him as she returned to his side. "Natsuki-kun, we'll gain nothin' if you die. I'll be left alone and ya'll have no life to fight for. So what do ya achieve by givin' up before tryin'?" From the tone of her voice, it was obvious that even she wasn't convinced of the strength of her words.

"Death is the way..." Like a broken-down tape deck, he repeated the phrase that he had spoken the most that day.

"What are ya talkin' about, Natsuki-kun? From what I heard, ya said the same thing to Julius. Didn't he save ya from a suicide attempt? Didn't he talk some sense into ya? So why do ya insist on this insanity that death is the way? " Anastasia insisted, moving closer to him, to the point where their breaths mingled. Inasmuch as that was the only way to carry on that conversation, without ending in the jaws of one of the beasts.

"He talk some sense into me…? As I already told Julius, you just wouldn't understand." Anastasia seemed willing to ask for an explanation, but Subaru stopped her before the words came from her lips. "I can't explain it to you either, or it would end very badly..." Clenching his chest, he remembered the shadow's torture.

"Ya're bein' quite uncooperative, Natsuki-kun… I just wanna help ya." Forlorn, Anastasia pressed her forehead against one of Subaru's shoulders. She, like him, was at her limit; the situation was too strenuous for both of them.

"I know it... Anastasia, I'd like to help you too. If there was a way to escape from here with the two of us alive, I would've already taken that path without hesitation. But there's nothing we can do anymore. You're an intelligent woman, so I'm sure you're aware of it. " In a change of roles, he was now the one trying to convince her. But instead of giving up and accepting his words, Anastasia pulled away from him like a spring and took his hands; the heat of her body spreading through Subaru's fingers.

"And will surrenderin' solve anythin'?! Natsuki-kun, while there's still a bit of life left in our bodies, we must go on. You said so yourself, when you stated that we should respect T-Tivey and Hetaro's will by running away! Now apply the same with M-Mimi! If you kill yourself, you'd be disregardin' her determination to give us a chance to escape! " Stuttering slightly, Anastasia recalled the triplets' determination to save their lives.

"But that doesn't change that we won't be able to get out of…"

"Since I was born, I found myself at a disadvantage." Refusing to listen to Subaru's negative comments, Anastasia continued. "I was born into a poor family and was orphaned as a little gal. I'd to earn a name, a name that I decided on for myself. I also had to earn a surname, a surname that I also decided on for myself. I was born with nothin' and I always refused to accept that there was nothin' I'd do about it. I wanted to live well, I wanted to get away from the streets... I wanna have everythin' that life denied me from birth, I wanna have everythin' that my hands can reach. And I don't intend to give up halfway through! I still have a long way to go, Natsuki-kun. I still haven't managed to win the Royal Selection and we still haven't managed to make the Reinvention Project a success. Didn't you say we'd make it a success together, Natsuki-kun? If you die, that will be impossible…"

"Anastasia, I…" His heart began to beat faster and faster, but not out of fear, and his mind started to clear.

"Natsuki-kun, the first and only belongin' we're born with is our own life, so we must value it above everythin' else. The first step to bein' able to own everythin', begins with valuing one's own life. For a greedy gal like me, seein' someone amazin' like ya, in whom I've placed so many expectations, decidin' to waste it by committin' suicide, is almost like an offence. If ya were to end your life, ya'd be defiling my expectations, Julius' and many others'. Didn't ya say ya'd repay the favor I granted ya and your partners durin' the negotiations, and that ya'd live up to my expectations?"

"But I never asked anyone to place such high expectations on me!" Feeling extremely frustrated, Subaru tried to block Anastasia's words by shaking his head, but she wouldn't let him.

"Ya really did, Natsuki-kun. Through your determination and hard work. Ya fought for the expectations we now have placed on ya, so ya can't pretend to ignore what ya did in the past just because ya wanna give up. There's no way my opinion of who ya've been up to now will change, Natsuki-kun. Only by changing the past, and that isn't possible."

"Hnk!" Choking on his own words, Subaru felt more and more cornered by Anastasia's words of support.

"So honor that determination ya've shown throughout your time in Lugnica. If ya are where ya are, it's because a great desire moves ya; even if it's unknown to everyone around ya. So fight to stay alive until the end and strive for all that ya desire. And show the determination necessary to achieve it!"

"But there's no point in fighting anymore! Mimi, Hetaro, Julius, Ricardo... We left them behind to cover our escape and nothing has changed. The mabeasts have us surrounded and we can't do anything to escape on our own..." Ducking his head, Subaru insisted that there was nothing left to do.

"And by endin' your life ya'll only tarnish the efforts of all of them! I refuse to think that their determination has been in vain. I'm sure they're out there, fightin' to give us a chance; that's how my trustworthy employees are. So we must stand firm, Natsuki-kun. Ya can't let your head drop because of the losses; and I know that I'm not the best person to say it, since I was hesitant to leave them behind, too… But we've to accept that we cannot do anythin' to help them; at least not right now. We who're non-combatants must focus on supportin' our comrades as much as we can and staying alive. That's the least we can do for them. Because no matter how much we want to, we can never fully embrace everythin'… So don't give up, Natsuki-kun. Let's fight to survive. Let's honor the efforts of those who stayed behind for us, survive this day, and reach our goals together!"

Squeezing his hand, Anastasia almost begged him not to give up. And Subaru, who had already exhausted his pessimistic counterarguments, could not help but admire the brightness of Anastasia's determined gaze, whose face was being illuminated by the light that filtered through the opening. With his body hot, to the point of almost boiling, and his heart pounding, Subaru couldn't think of anything other than Anastasia and her admirable determination.

With her tired breath hitting his face, Subaru felt the need to close the space between them. After all Anastasia had said, that was the only answer he felt capable to give her. She, the girl who had paved the way for his happy ending. She, the girl who had not abandoned him in any of his most pathetic moments. She, the girl who refused to let him give up and die.

How could he end his own life and leave her at the mercy of the beasts? Even if he returned, he did not feel capable of committing such a cowardly act. So, once again, the path of his death had been closed. And he didn't feel capable of taking it again while he still had something to fight for. He would finally commit to fully embracing the new promise, now more strongly than ever; repeating what happened with Emilia was definitely no longer an option. He would have to get up on his two feet and live up to the new promise.

Chapter 15: The Assassin and the Mabeast User

Chapter Text

Nine hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

"Anastasia..." With parched lips, Subaru tried to say something to her... But as much as Anastasia had managed to give him back the determination to fight together to get out of the situation they were in alive, nothing had changed. They were still surrounded by the mabeasts.

"Yes, Natsuki-kun?" Still agitated, Anastasia asked in a strained voice. Something to be expected, as she was probably still expecting him to say something against her words of support.

"I'll stay by your side, so you can relax..." In an attempt to reassure her, Subaru indirectly indicated that he would no longer seek his own death.

"That's good to hear… We've a lot to accomplish together, so I can't lose my newest and most promising employee." Making a slightly carefree comment, Anastasia led the conversation in a different direction. "Now… what can we do to get outta our terrible situation? I suppose it would be naive of me to expect you to come up with something." With a nervous laugh, Anastasia pointed out the obviousness that Subaru wanted to give up, because he had nothing in mind to overcome the situation they were in.

However, Subaru didn't answer anything... Anastasia probably couldn't see his face, because the only glimmer of light that filtered through the opening of the hole was illuminating Anastasia's tender face. And yet, she also remained silent, as if she realized that Subaru was thinking of something.

Now that his despair had been barely cured by Anastasia, and his desire to save her had increased, Subaru was focusing all his mental resources to find a way to escape the collapsed room without being devoured. What if we split up? No, we are both too tired, that would only make us easier prey. What if I go out first and…? Rambling on, Subaru thought of everything he could, but every thought that ran through his head ended with both of them dead.

If he could save at least her. If he could do something to at least ensure Anastasia's survival, he would not feel guilty about perishing. He could do everything he could to lure the beasts and try to survive the chase. If he died, at least he would do it for a good reason... With that in mind, Subaru again felt the despair surround him with its dirty claws.

He was weak, and so was Anastasia. Together, as much as they wanted to, they were unable to survive. Besides, he was not very resourceful, and although Anastasia was, it was clear that her strength was not survival in combat. Obfuscated, Subaru went over his options again. It was then that, on impulse, he said something that he had vowed never to say again: "If I weren't only able to return by…"

It had been completely involuntary. With his mind struggling to find a way out, he let out a comment that the only thing he could do was return by death. Realizing too late what he had done, Subaru noticed that time had stopped again.

Panicking, Subaru watched as the shadowy hand re-materialized. This time, not only its fingers had a defined shape, now its wrist and part of its arm even before his elbow also had it. The hand, like the previous occasion, went through his chest. It was then that Subaru understood that the shadow was still enraged by what happened with the fragment of his mind, during the first time he broke the taboo.

Then, pain so intense that it could cause him to lose his sanity struck him. For Anastasia it was only an instant, but for Subaru it was an eternal time during which his heart was crushed until it turned into a pulp of flesh and blood. Falling to his knees, Subaru vomited the contents of his stomach, which were mixed with blood. Apparently, on that occasion the bleeding had only concentrated in his throat.

"Natsuki-kun!" Alarmed, Anastasia tried to approach him. Due to the darkness, it had been impossible for her to understand what had happened; her only clue that something happened was the sound of Subaru vomiting. But fear ran through her body as she caught the unpleasant smell of vomit, accompanied by the coppery smell of blood. "Natsuki-kun…" Nervous, Anastasia called him again.

"I-I'm fi… fine." Spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth, Subaru tried to get to his feet, but he staggered and fell.

Subaru was unable to understand where the bleeding was coming from, but he was still alive, which meant his heart was still beating without problem. Even so, the shadow's torture had left him with consequences that made it even more difficult for him to get out of the current situation alive. It was as if it couldn't get any worse... Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case.

"Grrroaah!" Smashing the debris that had been covering the hole, three Wolgarms entered it and lunged at Subaru. It was in that instant, before being eaten by the beasts, that he realized something. It's me they've been following...

"Waaahhh!" But that thought, contrary to his expectations, did not accompany him to the third loop at Priestella. Because, the mabeasts that had been about to devour him, exploded in a shower of bowels that bathed both Anastasia and him.

Everything happened too fast for his brain to process it properly. He had been attacked by the mabeasts shortly after he stupidly broke the shadow taboo, only to be immediately saved by the scream of one of the triplets. Comprehending the latter, Subaru peered out of the hole, partially regaining his ability to stand.

Anastasia, who was not long in reaching out to help him, also peered impatiently. The image, while not bleak, was far from miraculous. They were Mimi, who was full of cuts and wounds, and her brother Tivey, who although full of bruises, was in better shape than his sister. Finally, Hetaro, who was on his brother's back, was missing one of his legs and one of his arms.

"Hetaro..." On the verge of tears, Anastasia stared at the dreadful scene. Subaru, without thinking twice, moved to get out of the hole. The girl, understanding his intentions, helped him walk and together they proceed towards the triplets. Once with them, Anastasia released Subaru and approached them.

"Miss, I'm glad you're okay…" With a remnant of her lively smile, Mimi looked at her mistress. But then she showed a gesture of sadness. "Mimi's sorry that the plan didn't work out, miss. If we hadn't returned in time, we may never..." Drowning a sob, the little girl was unable to continue.

"I must also apologize, miss. We couldn't stop the mabeasts from endin' up surroundin' you. And if it hadn't been for Hetaro, I'd be dead." A little more stable, Tivey also lamented for failing in his job.

However, Anastasia did not reprimand them, quite the contrary. Without saying anything, she wrapped the brothers in a hug. Tivey's eyes moistened, fogging his monocle, which had a break running through it. Mimi, on the other hand, broke down into tears, returning the embrace. After a moment, Anastasia pulled away from them, wiping away the tears she hadn't been able to keep from shedding.

"I'm glad ya came back." She said, smiling at them. After that, she looked at Hetaro with sadness. "Is Hetaro...?" The question finally caught in her throat, so she couldn't finish asking it. Tivey, to her reassurance, shook his head.

"He's still alive. However, if we don't do somethin' quickly…" Tivey's concerns were obvious. , but the situation made it very difficult to do so. "The amount of mabeasts in the inn is very high, and it seems that they keep appearin' non-stop. To make matters worse, some species are very powerful. It's likely that we wouldn't have been able to get here and kill the nearby mabeasts so quickly, if not for the fact that suddenly all the mabeasts ignored us and started runnin' in this direction..." Puzzled, Tivey explained the reason why he, his sister and his brother had managed to return to their mistress...

"I've an idea." Subaru, who had been watching them from the side, had come to a conclusion. Connecting the dots of what he noticed when he was attacked, and what he heard from Tivey, Subaru concluded that he could serve as bait to keep all the beasts out of the way of Anastasia and the triplets. He could finally be of use.

"Natsuki-kun?" Looking doubtful, Anastasia turned to him. Subaru wasn't sure why the beasts were following him or if it had anything to do with him being the target of the assassins, or if breaking the taboo was related to the beasts finding him in the hole. But he did know that he could be useful if he at least put his life on the line, in favor of those who had been protecting his life in his place.

"I'll lure the mabeasts and flee in that direction. Thus, you'll be able to leave the inn and seek help for Hetaro." Simply put, Subaru stated his plan, while signaling a point deep in the inn grounds.

"Natsuki-kun, in the condition ya are in, I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, how are ya so sure that ya'll be able to lure the mabeasts?" Expressing her doubts, Anastasia disagreed with the plan.

"I just know it, Anastasia. Besides, after everything you told me, I can't accept that you stop me from doing it. If I do it, it's out of determination to keep the three of you, and myself, alive. No matter how many mabeasts end up following me, I'll find a way to survive, I promise you. After all, I'm not gonna watch from death how you make my project a success by yourself. " Smiling, Subaru pointed to himself confidently. Although, of course, to anyone's eye, the trembling in his limbs indicated that it was an act to cover the fear he felt.

Sighing, Anastasia looked at him with melancholy. "I suppose I'd respect your determination, Natsuki-kun... In that case, I'll tell ya the same as my most important employees. I order ya to come back alive! If ya die, my company will suffer great losses!"

"I will do it!" Regaining a bit of his spirit, Subaru prepared to carry out his plan. However, a voice stopped him.

"Subaru, let me accompany you." Tivey, who had just handed over his wounded brother to Anastasia, walked over to him and looked into his eyes from his short stature. "Together we will lure the mabeasts and..."

"I'm sorry, Tivey. But I'm going to have to refuse your help." With a bitter gesture, Subaru was forced to say no to the determined triplet. Thus, Subaru had rejected his best chance of getting out alive after executing his plan; but not without a reason. "Of your siblings, you are the only one who seems able to continue fighting without problems. If you come with me, my plan would lose its meaning, because Anastasia and your siblings would be in great danger of being attacked."

"I… You're right, Subaru." Nodding, Tivey realized that what Subaru was saying made sense, so he returned to Anastasia's side without arguing.

"Well in that case, here we part ways. I wish you the best of luck!"

"Likewise, Natsuki-kun. Thanks for your efforts!" Waving her hand, Anastasia said goodbye to him in a simple way, having already said what she needed to say. Satisfied, Subaru set out to leave them, but again was stopped before he could do so, as he felt something on his feet that prevented him from moving forward. When he looked there, he noticed two watery blue-green eyes.

"Thank you, Onii-san… I hope you'll come back so you can keep givin' me interestin' toys." Mimi, hugging his foot, thanked him, in her own way, for what he was doing.

"Get everythin' you just said you would! If you do, I'll never doubt you again, Subaru Onii-san." Without saying anything else, Tivey also said goodbye to him, but from her mistress's side. After that, Mimi released him and returned to Anastasia and her brothers.

Looking at them one last time, Subaru began running with all his energy deep into the inn. Once he got away from the traces of blood and organs left by the mabeasts that had surrounded the hole, he noticed that several beasts began to follow him. Fortunately, most of them weren't very fast; which was to be expected, since those swift ones, upon arriving earlier on the scene, had already been exterminated by Mimi and Tivey.

"I don't know if I should try it." He said to himself. He wanted to see if breaking the taboo was related to the fact that the mabeasts had ignored Mimi, Tivey and Hetaro and had run to the hole where he was with Anastasia. But he feared that if he tried it, the aftermath would make it even more difficult for him to escape. He also risked being found by some of the more dangerous mabeasts, and in the state he was in, all alone, his death would be certain. Moreover, the very idea of suffering the torture of the shadow again made him back down... "However, to make sure that the mabeasts won't be chase Anastasia and the midgets, I must..." Determined to do everything possible to keep the mabeasts away from Anastasia and the children, Subaru took a deep breath and shouted... "I can die and come bac-"

The hand, now with its well-defined elbow, returned to take his heart again violently, transmitting a strong dose of jealousy in the process. And after a time that seemed eternal for Subaru, the gloomy hand finally released him once more. Unfortunately for him, what he feared most happened. His body collapsed, as blood gushed from his mouth and nose, and a herd of mabeasts of various kinds, including the bears with flowers on their bodies, approached him.

Dammit! I hope I at least managed to help Anastasia and… Subaru's thoughts collapsed like a tower of cards when hit by a strong gust of wind. From his legs, an agonizing pain ran through all his nerves until it collided with his brain, like a train whose brakes had broken down.

It was the sensation of fangs piercing his flesh. It was the sensation of the jaws tearing at his muscles. It was the sensation of canine teeth slicing his tendons. The pain came from multiple bite wounds inflicted by a dozen of mabeasts that wanted a piece of him.

Subaru was so stunned by the pain, that he was unable to react in order to fight for his life. After all, he was weak. As much as he didn't want to die, there was nothing he could do about it. With his gaze aimed at the ground, Subaru could watch the pool of his blood spread away from his body. In just a matter of moments his feet would be devoured, and it would be the rest of his body's turn. It was inevitable, he would die a terrible death again...

"Hmm… Guuuuys, stop! Now! Daaaarn it! There're so many, that keeping cooontrol of them has gotten extremely diiiifficult. Ahem! Guys, stop now!"

Suddenly, when his life was hanging by a thread once again, Subaru was saved one more time. Slowly, the beasts stopped chewing his legs and moved away from him. Blinking, confused, Subaru raised his face, looking for the person who had served as his latest savior. Putting himself in danger and being saved, that was all Subaru had managed to do, even though he was determined to try to change his situation.

"Hnk!" It was when he managed to capture the image of his savior, that Subaru choked on his own breath. There, on one of the hippo-shaped mabeasts, was Meili. The girl, noticing that her target was looking at her, smiled lustfully.

"Hiiii, Onii-san! I'm glaaaad I was around to keep you from dying eeeeaten by my boys." After greeting him, the girl looked reproachfully at her mabeasts. "It seems that your smeeeell attracts them and puts theeeem in ecstasy. Now I'm controooolling more mabeasts than the limit of my Divine Protection alloooows me. Besides, I'm controlling seeeeveral with which I don't have good compatibiiiility. So you should stay still, or you could end up getting eeeeaten without me being able to do anyyything about it."

Subaru, despite his condition, made an effort to listen to every detail of what the girl was casually saying. At least that way, after dying, it wouldn't feel like he had a meaningless death. Every piece of information was vital to making sense of each of his deaths. Since Subaru had pledged not to die without a fight, he would do his best to stay alive until the last minute and take advantage of every last second.

And while much of what Meili had said made no sense to him, he had heard various things that he believed might be important. The girl had mentioned a Divine Protection, and from what Subaru knew about them, they were a kind of blessing that anyone born into that world could receive. They vary in qualities and rarity, and the more useful Divine Protection is, the rarer it will be to meet a person with it.

Apparently, Meili had a Divine Protection that allowed her to control the mabeasts; or at least that is what she had implied. If that was the case, then it would explain how such a small and fragile-looking girl could act as the leader of so many dangerous beasts. In addition, he had discovered that she had reached the limit of mabeasts that she could control with her ability, and that this caused them to stop obeying her. Perhaps such information would not be very useful at that time, but if he died, which he was beginning to believe could not really be prevented, it would be.

"W-Why are you keeping me alive?" Subaru asked her, struggling to ignore the tremendous pain in his legs; comparable to having them stuck in the caldera of a volcano.

"Hmm? What kind of stuuupid question is that? It's obvious that I'm doiiing it because I need my partner to meet with me and do what we've been aaasked to do. With the state my mabeasts are in, if I tried to make them tooorture you, you would be eaten even before they staaarted. Honestly, I thought you already knew thaaat... Wasn't it you who discovered our plaaan...? I still can't believe you ruined daaaays of effort and work. We had been waiiiiting for you in the sewers, which smell soooo bad, just to be able to ambush you at the best tiiime. We were careful as our client aaasked us to be, and it still didn't do any good. To make matters wooorse, we would've attacked once we found out you discoooovered our plan, but we wasted a loootta time preparing the booooys. So I'm veeeery frustrated! Onii-san, tell me, how did you discover our perfect plaaaan?"

"I would tell you…" Subaru replied, smiling despite the pain he felt. Just knowing that he had ruined the assassins' efforts improved his mood a little. "… if I could."

"Hm!" Turning her face away, offended, Meili stopped looking at him. "Stupid Onii-san… Hmm… Elsa, where did you goooo…? If she doesn't get here soon, our target will bleed to deaaath. What it's taking her so loooong? Should I keep waaaaiting for her? Or should I just do the job myseeelf? Though, it's true that don't think it will wooork... The boys are too agitated, and most of the those I brought from the desert have almost stopped obeeeeying me completely... Hmm... What should I do-? Hmm? " As the girl rambled on loudly, the sound of approaching footprints reached the ears of her, her beasts and Subaru. "Elsa?"

Subaru, who was surrounded by multiple beasts that made it impossible for him to look in the direction from which the footsteps came, feared that it was the girl's companion. If it were Elsa, he was not sure he could end his own life before the torture, as he did during his previous death. If it really were Elsa, the emerald rock that prevented him from dying would be placed on his neck and he would suffer extremely once again. Thus, with his hearth in his throat, Subaru silently listened to the sound of footsteps approaching.

"I'm sorry I ain't who ya expected, little girl! But I'm afraid your mabeast party's over!" With a loud voice like a train, extremely familiar to Subaru, the owner of the steps assured that he would stop Meili and her mabeasts. Excited, Subaru had the luxury of having a little hope again, since Ricardo had come to exterminate every last one of the mabeasts attracted by, according to the girl, his scent.

Julius knew that removing the knife from his leg would increase the bleeding. However, not doing so would mean losing mobility, and he couldn't afford that. Applying force to his mandible, the knight ripped the metal weapon from his thigh and threw it away, out of the area that comprised the dining room. Until a moment ago, he had found himself at an advantage, but now the scales had been reversed and it was he who was at a disadvantage.

"I had heard that you are capable of cheating death, but I never expected that you would be able to regenerate lost limbs." Looking at Elsa warily, Julius made a makeshift tourniquet out of a piece of his cloak, to ensure more effective combat time.

"It's just a blessing that I owe to Mother. Thanks to it, I've always been able to fight without worrying about what happens to my body." Licking her lips, the girl began to approach him with the intention of resuming the fight.

"I think I know what that ability of yours is. Some call it vampirism, but its name is Cursed Doll. An ancient black magic technique commonly used in Gusteko for murder. Though I must admit that avoiding the side effect, which involves loss of self-consciousness in return of a supposed immortality, it's something worthy of admiration. " Having understood the origin of the Bowel Hunter's immortality, Julius exposed to the assassin the information he knew about her supposed blessing.

"Hmm…" Stopping midway, Elsa looked at him with apparent calmness. "You seem to have deciphered my blessing. Something to be expected from the Valuable Knight. Still, what are you planning to do with that information? It's not like it's going to help you kill me..."

"Thank you for confirming my suspicions. From what I see, you really don't mind that I know the secret of your supposed blessing."

"Why would I? I love fighting at a disadvantage, so if knowing my secret helps you to give me a better fight, then I'm willing to let you know." Licking her lips again, Elsa began to take up an impulse position.

"In that case, I will tell you that the Cursed Doll technique has a weakness, and that is that no matter how much damage the body receives, if the soul is damaged, the host will die. Something that is extremely advantageous for me, considering that my Spirit Knight's technique, Clarista, imbues the edge of my sword with a great amount of mana, making it capable of slicing the very existence of whom it reaches; including his soul."

"Hmm… A battle of life and death… How exciting! In that case, let's give it our all! Every last drop of our blood!" Having shared all the information they needed to share, Elsa finally lunged at Julius. He, without hesitation, dodged her and, making an arc with the tip of his sword, tried to slit her throat.

With her head brushing the ground, Elsa dodged Julius' attack, then pulled another knife from her dress and tried to sever the knight's ankle. He, realizing the assassin's intentions, kicked hard, hitting her elbow. The force of the kick was such that Elsa's newly regenerated arm was bent at a completely abnormal angle; it was dislocated.

The bones that formed the junction of her right elbow were completely separated, so Elsa was forced to move away from Julius again. Her arm was dangling, and now there was a strange bulge where her elbow was supposed to be. Still, Elsa had not dropped the knife in that hand. Smiling, the woman took his forearm and, without making the slightest gesture of pain, set about rearranging her elbow.

"Clarista!" Of course, Julius did not wait patiently for the woman to rearrange her arm.

Before the woman could finish repositioning her elbow bones, Julius' sword was already inches away from her face. Looking at her reflection in the steel of the weapon, Elsa could see that her face was now bathed in blood.

Without losing her wicked smile, Elsa applied all her strength to the forearm she was taking and, with a cracking sound, set her elbow bone in place. As she did so, gliding with her feet, the assassin moved away from the path of the sword, backing to the side. Releasing a whistle into the wind while cutting it, the sword formed an arc, leaving behind a trail of light, and returned on its way to attempt once more to cut through the assassin.

With a rapid movement of his feet, Julius was increasingly cornering Elsa who, feeling disadvantaged, was forced to jump backwards and fall on one of the few tables that had not been destroyed during the battle. It was then that she noticed a sharp pain on her face. From the base of her ear, passing through her cheek and up to her chin, there was a deep sword cut, from which blood was constantly flowing; the cut covered a great part of her face.

"Hmm… If this keeps up, I'll end up losing. I need to get the offense back." Carefully feeling the handles of her knives with the palms of her hands, Elsa surveyed what was left of the dining room. Part of it was charred, most of the tables had been turned into rubble and the wooden walls were full of holes, which had been made both during the combat between her and Julius, and during the brief combat between the mercenaries and the mabeasts.

Having a trajectory in mind, Elsa jumped up to one of the walls and, taking momentum, began to jump from one point of the dining room to another, as if she were a projectile. Between each leap she took, she took the opportunity to attack Julius, who had found himself needing to stay in one spot in order to defend himself from the onslaught. The combat was in its final stage, whoever remained standing in the next few minutes would be the winner, while the life of the loser would be extinguished. That was inevitable, so the question was: Who would die?

Chapter 16: The Cost of Living

Chapter Text

Nine hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

The assassin lunged swiftly at the knight, leaving behind the hiss of air being cut by her knives. Elsa used everything that was left of the dining room, to overwhelm Julius with multiple attacks at the speed of the wind. Propelling herself with one of the tables, Elsa launched herself with her blade aimed at the knight's abdomen, who reacted in time and deflected the knife with his sword.

The Bowel Hunter leapt against one of the walls again and returned aiming at the knight's right leg; another block preceded. In that way, both continued to collide with each other. Wall, leg, blocked. Table, arm, dodged. Floor, wall, table, abdomen, blades collision, wall, leg, dodge, arm, blocked, wall, neck, clash of edges, floor, wall, wall, Julius' back, blocked... Using her almost endless stamina, Elsa jumped from place to place, while exchanging attacks with Julius.

Slam, jump, cut, leap, cut, slash, cut, block, cut, slash. However, as time went on, it became increasingly difficult for both of them to keep up. Now, both the body of the knight, as the body of the assassin, were full of cuts; and in the case of the latter, her wounds were recovering more and more slowly. Even so, the fighting continued without any ground given by either of the two combatants.

"El Cluasel!" Determined to break the stalemate, Julius used another of his spiritual techniques. The tip of his sword was then surrounded by the six Quasi Spirits that accompanied him, beginning to glow. Extending his sword, Julius prepared to receive Elsa's next attack.

She placed her heel against the wall and propelled herself in the direction of the knight. With her right knife prepared, she made a feint on the ground and stabbed it hard into Julius' gut. I didn't damage any vital organs, the woman thought, bemoaning her blunder. Even so, before she could attempt another cut, a strong impact threw her to the ground; and, for a moment, an extremely powerful glow enveloped the room.

After a moment, the brightness faded away and then the results of the knight's strike became visible. Julius' sword had pierced Elsa's chest from side to side, and now her body was pinned to the floor. The knight had a knife stuck in his abdomen and the assassin had a sword stuck in her chest. The life of one of the fighters was about to end, of that there was no doubt.

"Graaaaaah!" Vociferously, Julius applied more force to his sword handle, piercing Elsa even further.

Since the blade of steel had pierced between her ribs, punctured one of her lungs, and the tip of it was stuck in the wooden floor, Elsa was unable to do anything to free herself. Spitting out blood non-stop, the assassin tried to drive her knife into one of Julius's legs, but he wouldn't give her the chance.

Pulling his sword towards him with extreme force, Julius sliced through a large part of Elsa's rib cage. His sword cut from the base of one of the assassin's breasts to her shoulder, where the edge of the sword came out. A huge opening formed in the woman's chest, from which blood and more blood gushed, to the point where the pool of red liquid covered much of the ravaged dining room floor.

Still, her life was far from over. Julius' technique, Clarista, apparently was part of the reason why her injuries were taking a long time to recover, the other part would be the large amount of damage she had received in such a short time. However, Clarista had apparently not been enough to completely sever Elsa's soul. And clearly, El Clausel, the technique he used to pierce her, had not succeeded either.

However, Elsa did not believe that Julius had claimed to possess such a technique capable of killing her, as a simple artifice to intimidate her. She was certain that Julius truly possessed a technique capable of completely extinguishing the eternal flame of her life. Which, for some reason unknown to her, he had not yet used.

For the same reason, even though her chest had been completely sliced and much of her blood had been spilled on the wooden floor, Elsa was still alive. But that did not reassure her, as she would have to wait at least a minute before she could continue to fight; time im which she was completely exposed and therefore in an was extremely disadvantageous situation.

"It's time…" And according to her greatest fears, Elsa was able to see Julius move away from her and get into position to unleash an attack. That was what the knight was looking for, to leave her immobilized so that he could execute his definitive technique: Al Clarista. A version of Clarista with greater range and power, in which his sword absorbs a gigantic amount of mana, with which he is able to release enough magical energy to vanish the target of the attack.

"Damm-it... I-It seems that o-once again I'm in a ve-ry disadvan-tageous po-si-tion." Spitting out blood, Elsa struggled to move, but it was useless. The damage her body had taken was too massive for her to move at all.

"I'm sorry, but if I don't take care of destroying every last part of your body, your soulless corpse may persist with the sole goal of murdering, until nothing is left of it. That is the inherent curse of the Cursed Doll. So I will have to eliminate your existence absolutely…"Declaring his intentions, Julius raised his sword in the air. "Ia! Kua! Aro! Ik! In! Nes! Al Clarista!"

The six spirits of Julius showed up again. Together they floated in the direction of the sword that he held raised above his head. The sword's steel absorbed the spheres of light, making its edge shine brighter than it had done until now. That technique was Al Clarista, the ultimate attack of the Valuable Knight.

As each second passed, the brightness was increasing, however, Julius clearly was not able to move freely during that time. That was the reason why he had sought to incapacitate Elsa, so that he could have the opportunity to strike her with the full power of his most powerful technique, without the risk of her dodging or escaping.

Beginning to recover, the assassin was finally able to start moving. Without a moment's hesitation, Elsa glanced at Julius and, with perfect aim, threw her remaining knife in the direction of his abdomen. Now it would be two knives that would be stuck in the knight's gut. Or so Elsa expected. However, the knife ricocheted against his body, unable to pierce him.

Opening her eyes wide, Elsa watched as her last resort of survival had been denied. The knife she had previously stuck in him was still there, but the one she had just thrown had not broken the knight's defense. The only explanation for this was the man's technique, Al Clarista. Seemingly, although it limited its user movement while executing it, it prevented attacks from damaging his body, due to the large amount of spiritual energy that enveloped him during its execution.

"T-That certainly is the ultimate technique of a k-knight with perfect control of the s-spirit arts…" Still spitting blood, though less than before, Elsa praised the Spirit Knight Julius' technique. "What an i-incredible opponent! I cannot perish without first appreciating the elegance of your bowels!" Ecstatic, Elsa forced herself back to her feet.

The wound that ran from her shoulder to her chest had not yet closed completely, nonetheless, being moved by adrenaline and excitement, Elsa crawled towards Julius. She had no more knives left, but she still knew they would be of no use to her. No, her intention was less desperate and much better thought out than that... Elsa planned to use the knife that was already buried in the knight's abdomen, in order to rip out the viscera that were inside him.

One foot, another foot, one foot, another foot. Dragging her heels, the ever-agile Elsa moved slowly towards Julius, leaving a river of blood in her wake. Another step, one more step, just one more. Excited, Elsa forced herself to live her life as she always had, even when she was only moments away from her doom. Elsa, the Bowel Hunter, would live up to her name even on her deathbed.

"Perish now, Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert!" Calling out the name of his enemy as a sign of his knighthood, Julius finally dropped his arms. With them, the sword made an arc in the air and released all the spiritual energy it had stored in its blade.

Elsa heard Julius' words and knew that her time was up. Refusing to die without seeing the insides of the man who brought her to the brink of death, the Bowel Hunter sprang toward him, propelling herself with her heels. Stretching her hand, stretching her fingers... Elsa felt it, felt the handle of her knife, which was stuck in the abdomen of her enemy; the key to her final desires. An excited smile appeared on her face and then everything was covered by the shine of the sword's edge...

Al Clarista had vanished all that was left of the dining room, leaving behind the rubble of what was once the place where he ate with his mistress. Emitting an exhausted sigh, Julius finally let himself fall. His entire body ached, but his abdomen hurt most of all. The knife Elsa stuck in him was a miscalculation, it shouldn't have happened that way. However, in the end he had achieved his goal, and that finally gave his heart a bit of a break.

Had it taken just one more second to execute Al Clarista, it is likely that Elsa would have managed to open his abdomen with the knife that was stuck in it. Now, it would be best to leave it there until healing magic could be applied, or he could bleed to death. "I need to return to Anastasia-sama's side…" The knight muttered, as his consciousness completely faded; as had the existence of the woman known as the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert.

"Arghh!" Swinging his three-foot-long blade, Ricardo sliced off every mabeast in front of him.

Since the inn's siege had begun, his goal had been to find the person in charge of controlling the mabeasts; which, the boy had said, was a little girl. Ricardo still felt reluctant to trust his word entirely, but since the little lady and Julius had decided to do so, he had no choice but to follow the same path. After all, Ricardo utterly trusted both of them, but especially his mistress.

"What a pain in the aaaaass! Could you guys get riiiid of him alreeeeady?" A childish voice reached his ears as he cut in two an Oiranguma that had pounced on him. It was the voice of the little girl who commanded the huge group of mabeasts; just like the boy had said.

After a long time fighting multiple mabeasts alongside several of his comrades, Ricardo had finally found her. Although doing so would have been something much more time consuming, if it had not been for the fact that from one moment to the next, all the mabeasts began to ignore them and piled up at one point. Ricardo had not understood the reason for this, until he saw the girl on a Wagpig. Had she gathered them? That's what he assumed, but he didn't quite understand why. And so it was until...

"Boy?!" There, amidst dozens of beasts, was Subaru. His legs appeared to be in very bad condition, he had an improvised bandage on one arm and was bathed in blood.

He wanted to ask him what had happened to the little lady, Mimi, Hetaro and Tivey, but it was clear that first he had first rescue him and get one of his subordinates to treat his wounds. His other priority, the main one, was to deal with the little girl. However, the idea of killing her did not quite please him. Even so, if he couldn't find a way to force her to push back her mabeasts, he would no other choice.

"Waaarrrghh!" With a powerful scream, Ricardo disintegrated much of the mabeasts surrounding Subaru. That magic attack had been of the same type as the one used by the triplets; something to be expected, considering that he was the one who taught them. Even so, from the pained expression on his face, it was obvious that the recoil damage was equivalent to the damage from the attack. "Go to the boy and start healin' him! I'll take care of coverin' for ya!" He indicated to several of his subordinates, after opening the way to the hostage.

Along with Ricardo there was a group of up to ten mercenaries. Within the Fang of Iron, outside the high ranks, they could be considered the best in each of their specialties. The mercenaries that their captain had addressed were three, a woman and two men. The woman was the best mage of the group, focused on the use of the earth element. One of the men was the best at using water element magic, focused on healing. The latter was a demi-human with tiger features, a rare species to see, even in a group made up of demi-humans, and his forte was hand-to-hand combat.

Without saying a word, the three specialists broke away from the main group and walked the path of mabeast corpses left by Ricardo's powerful scream attack. A pair of mabeasts that managed to survive rushed in their direction, to end up dismembered by the sharp claws of the mercenary focused on close combat.

Following a simple yet effective formation, the physical attack-focused mercenary stayed in the forefront, clearing the way of any beast that might come between them and the hostage. The healing-focused mercenary stayed in the center, where he could be covered by his companions. And the mercenary mage remained in the rear, where she could cast her earth-element spells at any mabeast that tried to attack them from behind.

"Argh! It's amazin' that a human girl's able to control so many mabeasts. How's that even possible?" The healer asked no one in particular, jumping over the remains of what until a moment ago had been a huge Wagpig.

"It's probably due to a Divine Protection, that would be the only explanation I can think of… Al Dona!" The mage, on her part, theorized while causing clumps of earth to explode under the feet of the mabeasts.

"Yiagh!" Sniffing the air, the mercenary warrior scowled in disgust. "Another explanation would be the smell she emits..." He said after wiping his nose. Of the three, he was by far the one with the best nose; and one of the few that had survived an encounter with the Witch Cult.

"What whiff do ya catch?" His fellow healer questioned him.

"Miasma… The girl reeks of the witch's miasma. Whatever the reason for this, it can't be good. We aren't dealing with a normal human girl, keep that in mind. If ya get a chance, finish her off without hesitation." Giving a grim reminder, the warrior made sure his companions had in mind that, if they could do so, they should murder the girl. The idea was not to anyone's liking within the mercenary group, but it was something that had to be done by ignoring any unnecessary moral rules during combat. "Though also…" Looking in the direction of where Subaru was, a gesture of suspicion formed on his face; even so, he refrained from saying anything about it.

Without commenting further, the three continued to advance in silence, with expressions of discomfort on their faces. Killing children or women, actions that are sometimes necessary during war, but that can corrupt the soul of everyone who carries them out. Even though she was a deviant child, Meili was still a child...

Subaru watched the three mercenaries approach him. Reminding him of an elite police team, the three always maintained their position within the formation. The mage covered Subaru, while the warrior made sure to cover his companions. The healer, without taking a second to think about it, approached the dark-haired human, helped him turn around and began to cast magic on his feet.

"Subaru-sama, how are ya feelin'?" Asking the routine question, the healer looked at Subaru's face as he magically treated the wounds inflicted on his legs.

"I've been better, to tell the truth." Laughing nervously, Subaru answered the mercenary's question. "Umm… Will I be able to keep w-walking?" Anxious, Subaru decided to ask what worried him the most. Losing the mobility of his feet would make him weaker and more useless than he already was, and the very thought made him want to throw up again.

"If we had arrived a few minutes later, it's likely that ya would never have been able to walk again. Luckily, that's not the case, so a week's rest should be enough for you to be able to walk and run again without any problems."

Subaru, after hearing the healer's reply, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; thus releasing air that he had not even realized he had been holding in his lungs. He was aware that wounds could be healed with magic, but the same could not always apply for the remaining effects of the wounds.

From what he had heard from Leith, there was only one healer in Lugnica capable of healing any wound and its effects, and the thought of having to ask Anastasia to help him with that, made him extremely disgusted by how pathetic it seemed to keep expecting help from her. Subaru wanted to help Anastasia, not continue to depend on her...

Satisfied, Ricardo observed how the three subordinates he sent for Subaru were already healing him. Now he had to make sure to eliminate all the mabeasts that were in the vicinity, after which he could question Subaru and find out if he knew anything about the whereabouts of Anastasia and the triplets.

Grinning strongly, Ricardo prepared to eliminate as quickly as possible the multitude of beasts. Had he had a Liger, doing so would have been a walk in the park. Unfortunately, the trip to Priestella was never made with a fight on such a scale in mind. Taking his great hatchet, Ricardo sliced, mutilated and dismembered any mabeast in his range of vision.

From the shadows, an imposing Guiltylowe emerged with the intent to assassinate him by attacking him from behind. Noticing the presence of the beast, Ricardo made an arc with his hatchet, slicing off one of its legs. The beast, unaware of the term surrender, crunched one of the mercenary's arms with its jaws, leaving behind deep battle marks. But that was the error of the mabeast, as Ricardo took advantage of the proximity to make a deep cut in its neck. The head and part of the mane fell to the ground, leaving behind a large trail of blood.

"This is baaaad. If Elsa doesn't get here soon, I'm going to end uuuup losing all my booooys." Squirming onto the back of the Wagpig she was riding, Meili complained childishly. Ricardo could see her out of the corner of his eye, and his stomach turned at the thought of killing a girl no older than twelve. "Hmm... How niiiiice! For a moment I thought you were gone, little oooone! Attack that louuuusy demi-human! Make an all-out-attaaaack! Kill him noooow!"

Ricardo saw how, betraying the innocence he had thought she had, Meili smiled wickedly as she pointed at him and ordered his death. He hadn't been able to understand what the girl was referring to or who she was talking to. Is it the Bowel Hunter? He thought, beginning to fear for Julius' life. But his speculations were wrong.

From among the mabeasts, presenting itself as their king, a gigantic Wolgarm emerged. Its size previously had to have been smaller than that of a normal Wolgarm, since Ricardo could not notice it until it stood out among the other mabeasts by several yards in height. Shaking the earth with its roar, the massive Wolgarm ignored the rest of the mercenaries working together to eliminate the mabeasts, and lunged at Ricardo.

"Heh! Is that all ya've to offer, mabeast?!" Its size had increased and, and while it was indeed more powerful than the other mabeasts in that place, it was nothing he could not deal with. Shaking his hatchet, Ricardo tore off several of the gigantic Wolgarm's fangs, which fell to the ground along with much of the gums where they had been attached.

Bellowing in agony, the huge beast tried to tear Ricardo apart with a claw, but Ricardo was faster and managed to dodge the attack with ease… Or so he thought. Just as he was about to avoid the attack, two spheres of fire were thrown towards his back. Realizing the situation he was in, Ricardo tried to flee upwards, but there he was received by the other leg of the Wolgarm, which made him bounce off the ground at enormous speed.

"Way to goooo, guys! Everybody attack him at oooonce, don't let him catch his breeeeath!" The girl, laughing, again issued orders to her mabeasts.

However, Ricardo, who was getting back to his feet while puking some blood, noticed that several of the mabeasts he did not know about didn't want to obey her. It was the same species of mabeast that had attacked him from behind with fire balls. That species was the second most powerful, behind the enormous Wolgarm, and it had something that gave Ricardo a very bad feeling.

"Those damn bastards are unpredictable." He muttered, dodging another claw attack from the huge Wolgarm. Shielding himself with his great hatchet, Ricardo received a second claw strike and leapt to the side, slashing deeply at the base of one of Wolgarm's front paws.

The unpredictable mabeasts attacked him from behind again, but Ricardo was prepared this time. Releasing a powerful magical scream, the beasts were turned into flesh pulp before they could attack with fire once more. But the lives of the two beasts cost him a deep cut on his back, caused by the claws of his main opponent.

"Captain, we've got your back! Get rid of that mabeast!" Slicing through a group of Black Winged Rats, two of his most trusted subordinates appeared. Apparently, the number of beasts had decreased enough that they could approach him to offer help. Smiling, Ricardo answered them.

"Terrific! In that case, watch from behind as I take care of that huge annoyance!" Aiming at the enormous Wolgarm, Ricardo prepared a scream that would leave him with a sore jaw for a couple of days. He needed to be reunited with his miss, so wasting time, even if it made a girl cry, was not an option. "Wwwwaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

A powerful sound wave came out of his throat, becoming a huge torrent of magical energy. The attack hit the Wolgarm's snout dead on, sending the lower part of its jaw, tongue and one of its eyes flying. Even so, the beast seemed eager to continue fighting, for it threw a desperate paw towards Ricardo. He diverted it with his enormous hatchet, and then ran under the mabeast and, stretching his arm up high, made a cut along the whole abdomen of the beast.

As Ricardo emerged from under the giant Wolgarm, the entrails of the beast, equivalent in size to it, were scattered over the courtyard of the inn. Releasing a very strong scent of blood into the air, the Wolgarm vanished, leaving behind a gigantic corpse. Ricardo and the rest of the mercenaries were about to celebrate, when the situation took a radical turn...

With his eyes wide open, Subaru watched as Ricardo got rid, by himself, of the huge beast that had come out of nowhere. Even the noisy demi-human's companions seemed surprised. For a moment, a smile of relief began to crept across his face, but it disappeared as soon as he witnessed the events that unfolded next.

It all started with the horrible centaur-shaped beasts, then the flowered bear-shaped beasts accompanied them. As if it were a revolt, the mabeasts began to fight each other, killing the rest of the mabeasts that did not belong to their two species. But the attack was not as optimistic as this. Amid the chaos, the same beasts began to attack the mercenaries in a crazed manner. In short, they were attacking everything in front of them, as if they were in berserker mode.

Chaos began to reign. In the midst of the disorder, Subaru noticed how dozens of beasts began to crowd around Ricardo, who were already quite injured. Exchanging glances with his companions, the tiger-like mercenary who had come to save Subaru, decided to go to the aid of his boss, leaving him with only his two companions.

With his heart pounding, Subaru watched as the bear mabeasts dismembered the beasts into serpent and winged rat forms. He witnessed the devilish centaurs incinerate the hippopotamus beasts. He observed how, amidst the chaos, many mercenaries received deep wounds; several even lost their limbs. And there, in the midst of it all, was Ricardo, whose hatchet was constantly slicing, cutting and quartering any mabeast near his attack of range.

"El Dona!" So distracted was he watching the pitched battle, that he didn't notice when nearly ten mabeasts approached him and his two saviors. The healer had just finished treating him, so now he was casting healing magic on the mage, who had apparently received one of the centaur's fire attacks. Once again, the situation was beginning to deviate towards the path of death.

"Darn it, they've rebeeeelled against meeee!" Then Subaru heard her. Looking to the side, he noticed Meili mounted on the hippo-shaped mabeast. She was surrounded by centaur and bear mabeasts, and only her mount was protecting her. Even so, the hippopotamus mabeast that Meili rode appeared to be much more powerful than the others of its kind, as it was holding its ground against the rebels.

"Ul Dona!" The mage next to him tried to form a dome of earth to cover them, but to no avail. A centaur mabeast burst through the wall of earth and launched a sphere of fire at the only remaining combatant near Subaru. "Damn! El Dona!"

The mage, unable to dodge the attack, decided to bet everything on the offensive. Spikes of rock erupted from the ground, piercing the demonic centaur. Before the mabeast could try anything else, the earth under its feet exploded, transforming its body into a pulp of blood. Being hit by the fire ball and exhaustion, the mage fell to the ground, unconscious. Without hesitation, his fellow healer rushed over to her to begin healing her.

However, Subaru barely noticed anything that had happened nearby him. His life has just been hanging by a thread once again, but his attention was elsewhere the whole time; at Meili. Subaru should have thought about the health of the people who had saved him. Subaru should have cared about his life. But, at that moment, his brain was covered in haze. All that was on his mind was the desire for revenge. Revenge, revenge, revenge… With his own two hands, Subaru wanted to take the life of the little girl whose mabeast took his.

Chapter 17: Blood Stains

Chapter Text

Nine hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

His eyes, reddened with hatred, were only able to focus on the defenseless girl surrounded by the mabeasts who had betrayed her. Subaru knew he was weak, utterly useless. So, although he had a great thirst for revenge that could cloud his eyes with hatred, he was not capable of doing anything but watching from a distance. If he couldn't take the girl's life, he would at least watch as the treacherous mabeasts did it.

Licking his lips, Subaru watched and watched. It was only a matter of time. The girl's life... No, the life of Meili, the Mabeast User and assassin, was about to end at a young age. And Subaru, who had been the victim of one of her beasts, was silently favoring the mabeasts who wanted to kill her. However, it was precisely a Guiltylowe, the same species that killed him, who appeared to aid the girl.

Emerging from the shadows, the chimera attacked one of the centaurs from behind, beheading it in the process. Frustrated, Subaru cursed the mabeast for interfering with Meili's death. Clenching his jaw tight, Subaru watched furiously as the shadowy mabeast then dispatched one of the bears with flowers growing on its body.

But the gesture of anger suddenly turned into a smile corrupted by hatred and madness, as he observed how three centaurs and a bear surrounded the Guiltylowe. The bear tore off part the Guiltylowe's back with a claw attack, and the centaurs took advantage of this moment to incinerate it alive. By the time the imposing mabeast fell to the ground, charred, Subaru was already laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha... You deserved it... Ha, ha, ha..." Guffawing, Subaru sneered at the Guiltylowe. Whether that was exactly the same one that fed on his tortured torso during his first death in the Priestella cycle, or not, he really didn't care. Whether it was the same or not, Subaru still savored its death as if it were just another revenge he had pending.

Being once again accompanied only by the mabeast that served as her mount, Meili finally began to show signs of despair. Was she crying? Subaru was not sure, for the distance and the darkness of the night prevented him from determining this. Even so, within himself he rejoiced at the thought of the conceited child crying out of despair.

Finally, the moment Subaru had most waited for arrived. Completely overwhelmed, the hippo-shaped mabeast fell, and so did Meili. Seeing the girl slip off the back of the mabeast she had been riding, Subaru's laughter took on a more deranged tone than before.

However, his glee was once again frustrated, as the Wagpig, a name that Subaru did not know, got back on its feet. Facing with its enormous body the Gabaou, or centaurs, as Subaru had been calling them, the Wagpig prepared to protect its mistress until it gave its last breath.

"sh*t!" Irritated, Subaru watched as Meili scurried away from the treacherous mabeasts, while her mount made sure to prevent her from being attacked. "Wait…" But then, Subaru realized. The girl was heading in his direction, apparently without knowing it.

With his mind increasingly clouded by hate, a hatred so strong that it made him feel as if he did not fully control his body, Subaru forced himself to stand up, leaving his saviors behind. They did not notice his departure, because the healer was completely focused on saving the life of the mage.

His feet hurt, they hurt a lot. Every step felt like he was undergoing the attack of the mabeasts again. Each step was as if thousands of knives were being driven into his thighs and calves. His wounds had just been majorly healed, but the sensations still lingered. That's why, partly, the healer had said he would have to wait up to a week to walk normally again. But Subaru was not going to miss the opportunity.

He was weak, very weak. However, Meili was still a child. If he, with his nearly grown-up man strength, caught her off guard, without the support of her mabeasts, he was likely to defeat her. Is this the right thing to do? She is a child... Am I going to murder someone? Am I going to murder a little girl? Something inside him kept asking these questions. However, his hatred and anger were stronger... The haze of anger and hatred that covered his mind was dense enough to keep him from thinking clearly.

She is an assassin... She is dangerous... She can control mabeasts... She allowed my torture... She caused my death... She caused me to be devoured while still alive... Refuting the nagging questions that kept popping up inside his dazed mind, Subaru kept walking, ignoring the pain.

He remembered that day, that moment... He remembered Elsa standing on the roof of a house... He remembered the mabeast that blocked his path... He remembered... He remembered his torture... He remembered his death... He remembered the sound of her ribs being crushed by the Guiltylowe's fangs... He remembered Meili's words... "Don't forget to chew," she had said, in her stupid childish voice. Subaru wouldn't forgive her... He would not forgive her... He would not forgive Elsa... And above all, he would not forgive the bastard who hired them...

Like a zombie being moved by hatred and anger, Subaru approached Meili. The girl was crawling erratically on the rocky floor, her body was covered with wounds and even one of her arms was burned. She had suffered injuries during the fight between the mabeasts, which made her a more suitable prey for him; a suitable prey for the weak Subaru. Now he was only a few feet away from her and, apparently, she hadn't noticed him yet. Impatient with a thirst for revenge, Subaru lunged at her.

"Onii-sa-?! Arghhh!" Meili felt him coming, but her current condition prevented her from doing anything to avoid him. Her target, the person she had been hired to assassinate, now had her by the neck. She and Elsa had been careful as the client said, so what had gone wrong? The fear that the girl had been feeling, after being betrayed by the desert mabeasts, increased.

Meili tried to take the knife she had stored in her dress. It had been a gift from Elsa. "At some point you might need it... In case you don't have your mabeasts around", those had been her words as she gave it to her. At the time Meili had thought it was a stupid gift. Why would she move away from her boys? But now she was grateful for the foresight of her partner… her Onee-san.

She managed to take the knife and, without hesitating for a moment, drive it into one of her target's arms. But he, as if he did not feel the pain, continued to press her neck, now with more strength than before. She took it again, pulled it out and stuck it again… But once again it was useless. She was running out of air, her body was losing strength with each passing second.

Meili tried to pick up the knife again, but her fingers failed and it fell to the ground, sliding out of her reach. Frantic, Meili cursed her luck and began to use the only thing she had left to defend herself. She dug her nails into her target's arms, tearing off the cloth bandage on one of them in the process.

Bite wounds, claws and nail marks appeared before her eyes clouded with tears, so she began to stuck her nails into those wounds without hesitation. Like a feline skinning its prey, Meili dragged her nails through the old and new wounds. Like shreds, the skin on her target's arms was ripped away, leaving the muscle exposed. And yet, the strength applied to her neck only continued to increase.

Kicking and wallowing, Meili struggled even harder to break free, but it was no use. She, the girl who had learned that murder was the only way, had been left without that option. Killing had become a habit for Meili, whose problems had always been solved that way; but this time she had run out of that way out, she had run out of options. The path of murder had been completely blocked.

The little girl could see her life flashing before her eyes… She remembered when the mabeasts adopted her, she remembered when Elsa came for her… She remembered how Mama trained her… Her short life was fading, her life was about to end abruptly. Elsa, Onee-san... Meili thought of her partner, begging for her to come and save her. But this time she was alone, completely alone. No one would save her...

Meili, only seconds away from her consciousness vanishing, looked her target directly in the eye and saw hatred such as she had never seen before in her life. However, she could also see fear, a lot of fear... The tears of her killer fell on her face, mixing with the blood that had also fallen on her... Now I understand, this was the only thing the path of death and the murder led to... I'm sorry Elsa Nee-chan... I'm sorry Mama... I failed... With those last thoughts emerging deep in her dying brain, her life was finally taken away by the hands of the one who had been her target...

Subaru could barely see through the tears that were clouding his gaze. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop… A part of him kept begging him to stop. But Subaru would not listen to it. He was doing nothing wrong, that was the way… Ignoring Meili's resistance, ignoring the pain he felt in his arms, Subaru remembered the torture once again. That painful memory was the fuel needed to stoke the hatred and wrath required to accomplish that task.

More strength!Stop!More strength!Stop!Much more strength!Stop now!Much more strength!Stop it!Much more strength!Stop it!Much more strength!Stop it now!More, more, more strength!Stop, stop, stop! Enough!More, more, more strength!Stop it, stop it, stop it now!Kill her!Don't kill her!Kill her!Don't kill her!Kill her!Don't kill her!KILL HER!

Subaru felt something give against his hands and then everything stopped… Feeling fear running all over his body, Subaru looked down at his hands. There lay Meili's neck, which was abnormally stretched and its skin was molded by the marks of his fingers. With blood pouring out of her mouth and her blank eyes bulging out of their sockets, Subaru realized that he had finally ended the life of Meili, the Mabeasts User.

An instant later, without releasing the shattered neck of the girl's corpse, Subaru throw up on her the little yellowish bile that was the content of his stomach. From his already watery eyes, more tears began to flow. Going into a state of shock, Subaru stood over the girl's dead body, over which he cried and vomited non-stop; the conflict in his mind had been completely derailed by the emotional shock he had just suffered. Once again, death had been the way...

Ten hours since the Last Death (Five Deaths)

He had killed. Subaru, throughout his life, had never taken anyone's life. In fact, before he came into this world, Subaru had never really fought anyone. And so he would have preferred to stay for the rest of his life. However, Subaru had not even an hour of having arrived in that world, and had already been involved in a real fight...

"… Let go of her, Bro." Subaru was unable to determine how long it had been since Meili's life vanished between his hands, and the moment Ricardo approached him and said those words.

Seconds? Minutes? Hours? For him that time had been nothing but a bloodstain in the middle of his life. A life that he could not consider worthy, but at least, until that day, he would never have considered himself a violent person, let alone a murderer. He had not lived a worthy life, yet at least he had never been a complete scumbag. But now it was too late, he had already soiled his hands. And with the blood of a little girl, to make matters worse.

Having been brought back to reality by Ricardo's words, Subaru was confronted with a grotesque image, one that he had been ignoring up to that point. His hands were still on Meili's neck, which was unnaturally stretched out and had black finger-shaped marks on its surface. Her eyes were protruding and completely stained with blood. Her face, devoid of life, was pale; a paleness that could be reached only after death.

And the arms, not the girl's, his... They had fingernail marks. Both forearms were covered by multiple puncture wounds, ranging from the elbow to the wrist, proof that the girl had not given up on live until the strength from his hands grip broke her neck. Or had she died from lack of air, and the break in her neck happened later? Subaru didn't know, and just thinking about it made him feel deeply nauseous; the corpse had already been desecrated by his tears, his blood and his vomit, but he did not wish to sully the image of the assassin girl further.

Subaru had then tried to release the girl's neck, but it proved impossible. A part, something deep inside him, refused to release her, as if having ended her life was not enough. The fog of hate that had blinded him had already dissipated, leaving behind only regret and pain. And yet, that part of him remained clinging to vengeance, as if all that gave it life was the hatred he felt for the perpetrators of the torture that started that cycle of deaths.

It wasn't until Ricardo, almost by force, helped him loose the girl's neck, that Subaru was finally able to begin to calm down. However, every time he tried, the image of Meili fighting for her life appeared in front of his eyes, making his body tremble, his eyes water and his mind breakdown a little more. The image of the girl dying by his hand would never cease to haunt him, of that he was sure...

Like a zombie, Subaru answered Ricardo's questions. He wanted to know about the whereabouts of Anastasia and her triplet bodyguards, so Subaru cut to the chase and told him the truth. Ricardo seemed doubtful, but Subaru would not bother to repeat it. When they met Anastasia again, it would be proven that everything he had said was true.

So, in silence, Subaru followed Ricardo and the rest of the surviving mercenaries. Several had died during the siege, but living up to the name of Fang of Iron, one of the most effective mercenary groups on the continent, the vast majority came out of the event alive. Of course, many had suffered terrible injuries; there were even some who had lost a couple of limbs. But Subaru, who was not even willing to think about repeating the loop, ignored the guilt that was building up inside him and kept walking.

His injuries had been re-treated, but, as expected, the pain had not completely disappeared. For the same reason, he was now being helped by one of the many mercenaries, who was lending him a shoulder so that he could walk. And just as the pain hadn't completely disappeared, neither would the scars. The multiple fingernail marks on his arms, both his and Meili's, would remain with him forever, as a reminder of his sins.

They walked for a while longer, until they returned to the dining room where everything had started. Even Subaru, whose state of mind prevented him from paying attention to his surroundings, was dumbfounded by the state the place was in. Someone called out Julius' name and Subaru noticed that the same healer who had treated him, ran to the remains of the dining room.

Being almost dragged away by the mercenary who was helping him walk, Subaru approached the place, where he could observe a very wounded Julius being healed. He was alive, or at least that was his understanding of the situation. One of the mercenaries removed the knife that the knight had stuck in his abdomen and the healer's hands began to emit light more intensely than before.

Subaru, assuming that Julius would be saved, ignored the scene and began looking for something with his eyes. Not that the life of Julius, the person for whom he was able to find the guts to reveal the information he knew about Elsa and Meili's attack, didn't matter to him. It's just that… That part of himself, that part within him, needed to confirm Elsa's death. If he didn't make sure Elsa was dead too...

Was that his priority? Self-loathing washed over him, realizing his true thoughts. Had revenge become so important to him? A short glance at his memories of him being tortured and devoured, of the suicide and the previous deathbed alongside Anastasia. Recalling all the emotional and physical pain he went through during that cycle of two deaths, convinced Subaru that the desire for revenge was only an expected outcome of events he had not provoked...

"She's dead…" When those words reached Subaru's ears, he was startled and looked in Julius's direction once more. Ricardo was kneeling beside him and it seemed that he had just regained consciousness. "The Bowel Hunter is dead, I made sure of that…" Julius said something else and Ricardo responded, but Subaru had already stopped listening to the conversation by then.

With his gaze fixed on a spot on the ground, a broken smile began to crept across his face. Right where his eyes had settled, there was a piece of black cloth, totally covered with blood. As rivers of tears ran down his cheeks, the smile on his lips widened even more. The woman who caused his first death… The woman who carried out the torture that broke him mentally… had died. The little girl and the woman, both assassins had perished.

"Ha, ha, ha..." Distressed and relaxed in equal measure, Subaru stared at the piece of cloth with his broken smile, letting out a laugh devoid of sanity. Was he happy? Was he ecstatic? Was he angry? Was he melancholic? It was difficult to define... But if he was sure of something, it was that he was relieved. Never, in all his life, had a death made him feel this way. "Finally..." He whispered, knowing that he would never be tortured by that woman again, knowing that his abdomen would never be cut by her knife again, knowing that he would never have to hear her voice again.

As he stopped laughing, Subaru noticed something. Near the fabric was a stone, an emerald-colored stone that was tied by a rope, turning it into a kind of makeshift pendant. Subaru recognized it immediately and, with his feet wobbling, tried to get closer to it. The mercenary he was leaning on tried to stop him, but he ignored him.

Taking a couple of steps, Subaru ended up falling to the ground. But Subaru didn't care. Stretching out his hand, he tried to grab it, but someone was faster than him. Slightly annoyed, Subaru looked at the person who had gone ahead of him in taking the emerald ore. It was Julius, who had apparently managed to cope with the effects of convalescence better than he had. Ricardo, as expected, was close to him.

"I'm glad to see that you're okay, Subaru. You even have time to think about precious stones." Subaru wasn't sure if Julius was being sarcastic or not, but apparently he didn't mean any harm, so he decided not to think about it anymore. Reaching out in his direction, Julius offered to help him get back on his feet, an offer Subaru did not refuse. "Here. For some reason you wanted it, right?" Once Subaru was on his feet, Julius offered him the emerald stone he had picked up.

"Thank you..." Subaru received it, but just touching it caused his hand to start shaking violently. Feeling the profound effects of his trauma, Subaru was compelled to return it to the knight. Julius, perplexed, took it back.

"Is something the matter?"

"Have you ever heard of a magic ore capable of keeping a person alive, no matter what happens to their body?" Subaru asked the question that he had had in mind since he saw the stone...

Subaru was not interested in the possible value of the stone. The reason he wanted to take it was because he had faith that it could give him some clue that would lead him to the last missing actor; the person who hired the assassins. The person he most wanted to get revenge on. Now that he had killed Meili with his bare hands, he couldn't just back out. And with the death of the only people who could lead him to the client, that stone was his only clue.

"Hmm… I didn't expect that question, to tell you the truth. To be honest, I have never heard of a magic ore or Lagmite with that kind of magic. The closest thing would be the curse known as Cursed Doll. The same one that gave Elsa her apparent immortality. Do you think Elsa got her ability from the stone? I am quite convinced that it was the curse of the Cursed Doll that gave that woman her supposed immortality. Moreover, Elsa herself confirmed it; although it is true that her words are not to be completely trusted…" Julius had misunderstood his words.

Subaru knew that the woman was considered immortal, but he only knew because Julius had mentioned it only an hour ago, shortly before the attack of the assassins. But Subaru hadn't asked the question with that in mind. Although, of course, Julius could not have known that he was actually thinking about what happened during the torture.

"No, I'm not talking about that... So there's no way to imbue a magic ore with that curse you mentioned or some similar magic?" Subaru, eager to get a clue, decided to pose the question differently.

"Hmm... I'm not saying it's not possible. I have just never heard of anything like it. Only a mage with incredible power could accomplish such a feat. Perhaps the Royal Court Mage, Roswaal L. Mathers, might know something about it. But he is someone... how should I put it... eccentric. Besides, he's not exactly accessible. Especially in the last few months, since he is said to have gone into a deep state of depression."

"I heard from the lady that that's no longer the case!" Ricardo said, interrupting Julius. "Supposedly his condition improved a few weeks ago. He even took it upon himself to deal with the Witch Cult, which attacked his territory after the revelation of the half-demon candidate. Of course, that was to be expected..."

After Ricardo's comment, the three of them fell silent. Subaru knew anything about this Roswaal guy. But apparently it wouldn't be of much help to ask him where the emerald stone came from; furthermore, he didn't want to ask Anastasia to help him contact the man, just out of his desire for revenge. From the beginning, he assumed that the stone would not be a very solid clue, but at least he had to try.

What did get his attention was the mention of the half-demon candidate and the Witch Cult. The first was Emilia, of that he had no doubt. So Emilia was related to this Roswaal? Was he her knight? Could a magician take that position? Realizing that his train of thoughts had deviated from the main topic, Subaru shook his head slightly.

The second name that had caught his attention was the Witch Cult. Its mention could not be considered a taboo at the level of the name of the itch, but it's not that far from it either. The followers of the witch, those who wish to awaken her; that is the Witch Cult.

Subaru did not know much about them, but he had heard mention that they were an enigmatic group obsessed with the half-elves, because of their blood relationship with the witch. Subaru agreed with Ricardo, it made sense that they would attack the lands of the person who supports the half-elf candidate. And although the fact that they had attacked the girl who saved him the day he arrived in that world worried him a little, at least it reassured him to know that the person who was with her was the court mage; someone much more capable than him.

"Ricardo..." Leaving aside thoughts related to Emilia and the Witch Cult, Subaru tried his luck one last time; it really wasn't worth continuing to brush against his trauma just because of a clue as poor as the stone. "I guess you also don't know of a magic ore or Lagmite capable of keeping a person alive, no matter how much damage is done to the body."

"Sorry, Bro, but like Julius, I've never heard of anythin' like it. Still, maybe the lady would be interested in sellin' somethin' like…"

"Subaru." Interrupting his partner, Julius called him. His gaze had taken on a semblance of firmness. "The reason I came to you, ignoring the healer's recommendation, was definitely not to talk about the stone... You really don't know nothing about Anastasia-sama's whereabouts?" As expected, Julius had not been satisfied with the explanation Subaru had given Ricardo and he had approached Subaru himself in search of more information.

"How I told Ricardo..."

"Julius-sama, captain! Anastasia-sama's back, and she's accompanied by several of our people and some of Priestella's guards."

"Speaking of the devil…" Subaru whispered, feeling the pulse of his heartbeat speed up. As expected, Julius and Ricardo decided to go meet their mistress, but Subaru momentarily stopped Julius before he left. "Save the stone for me, please. One day I might ask you for it back." Julius seemed to have been taken by surprise, but after a moment, he nodded.

"As you wish, Subaru…" After saying that, he remained silent for a while, showing no sign of wanting to leave yet. After a while, Julius combed his bangs and smiled at him. "I'm glad I trusted you." Having said that, the knight finally walked away from him... For the moment, Subaru was unable to hold the stone due to it stoking the pain of his traumas, but a part of him, deep in his mind, hoped that one day he would be able to use it…

Subaru was feeling nervous about his reunion with Anastasia. After all that had happened since his arrival in Priestella, his feelings towards her had changed radically. Before, he admired her and wanted to follow her, but now it felt like something… different. Subaru couldn't name it yet, and he felt that calling it love would be wrong; especially considering his current deteriorated mental and emotional state. So for the moment he would ignore those feelings and focus on fulfilling his new promise.

Still, that wasn't the only reason he was feeling nervous. His short-sleeved shirt, under no circ*mstances, was capable of covering the notorious marks on his arms. The scars left behind by his sins were very evident, and he did not feel able to show them with pride; quite the contrary. Those scars, left by Meili, were proof that he had once again taken the path of death; even if it was not his own.

But Subaru's thoughts differed a bit as his gaze fell on her. Her beautiful white kimono was now ripped and stained with blood, and her white skin was paler than usual. Still, to his relief, the girl seemed fine. Next to her was Tivey, but there was no sign of his two siblings. Furthermore, she had arrived accompanied by several of the Fang of Iron reinforcements that Ricardo had contacted and some of Priestella's guards.

"They're in the bunker to the north, both're already bein' treated..." As if she had heard his thoughts, Anastasia said those words... no, Anastasia said those words to him. Unaware of when she had approached him, Anastasia was now in front of him.

"H-How…?" With his pulse rising again, Subaru choked on the words he wanted to say.

"How did I know ya wanted to ask me that? Simple... I'd see it in your eyes." Smiling tenderly, the girl answered him. After a moment, the girl frowned slightly and looked at him up and down, as if analyzing him; which led him to hide his scars immediately. Without saying anything about it, the girl smiled again, and then give her verdict. "I'm glad ya're okay, Natsuki-kun."

Unable to resist any longer, Subaru pounced on her, wrapping his arms around her. The painful images of her death, his torture, and Meili's murder continued to float through his mind. The scars that had been etched into his flesh and spirit were very deep, and made him want to re-isolate himself from the world within his mind. But he knew he couldn't, he had to move on. He had goals to achieve and promises to keep.

I feel that… at least it was all worth it. He thought, as he hugged Anastasia a little tighter. The girl, instead of reacting negatively and pushing him away from her, responded by gently patting him gently on the back, as if she were… comforting him. Without realizing it, Subaru had started crying again; once again, he was venting some of the pain and frustration that had built up inside him since the torture.

"He predicted the attack, didn't he?"

"He was the one who killed the child, right?"

"Isn't that the one who just started laughin' out of nowhere?"

"Right, and on the way 'ere he seemed to be in a trance."

"Without him we wouldn't have won today."

"He seems like an interestin' person to me..."

"For me he's quite suspicious."

"Why does the lady allow that lunatic to touch her?"

"I think he has serious problems in the head..."

Ignoring the looks and comments of admiration, interest, reproach, dislike, suspicion, anger and other emotions caused by his actions and behavior throughout that day, Subaru held on to Anastasia. With her delicate body in his arms, feeling her warmth, her heartbeat, her breathing... Feeling those signs of life in her, Subaru could tell himself that everything had been worthwhile, and that he would definitely reach that happy ending he had sought since he left everything in the hands of Reinhard, the Sword Saint.

"Natsuki-kun…" After some time, Subaru finally released the girl. He, trying to hide the embarrassment he felt, listened to her while looking in another direction. "It's clear that we cannot stay here in Priestella. Even so, I've to resolve several issues related to the Hoshin Company, so I'll have to go all the way to Kararagi. Julius will return to the capital along with Hetaro, to have his injuries treated by the best healer in the kingdom; fortunately, Ricardo managed to retrieve his severed limbs, so he’d be able to put them back together again if...” Anastasia hesitated, ostensibly struggling to keep her composure. After an instant, she continued. “… we keep them in good condition... So if ya wish, ya can go back with them and return with yer colleagues. Although, ya could also come with me to Kararagi. There ya could meet the entire design department, which would be especially useful to bringin' forward the start of the Reinvention Project operation. Though I'd understand if ya don't feel up to it..."

"I'll go with you! I told you, didn't I? That together we would make Reinvention Project a success. I couldn't do any of the things we came to do in Priestella, so I refuse to return to the capital depressed and defeated. I will go with you to Kararagi!"

Subaru, having decided to accompany Anastasia to the headquarters of the Hoshin Company, left behind the Priestella's cycle of death. However, the scars etched on his mind, body, and spirit were extremely deep. And as much as he tried to hide it, he had changed because of it. For better or for worse... Now, within him, the burning desire for revenge grew stronger every day that he waited for a clue, leading him to the identity of the person who hired the assassins or the person they both considered their Mother.

Still, Subaru knew it was only a matter of time before "the client" made a move again; he just had to be prepared to deal with what transpired once it happened. Could his mind handle more? He wasn't sure, but for someone as weak as he was, no matter how hard he tried, sometimes death would be the only way...

"Whoever you are, I'll get back at you, you son of a bitch... You'll see..." Making one more promise, Subaru left Priestella, the city that broke him into thousands of pieces.

END OF ARC I