Re:Zero EX: "Erring Life in Another World from Zero (Ayamatsu/Pride IF)"

This is the customary April Fools' project. Since the content follows a parallel path to the main story, character relationships have changed in various ways, though some characters remain the same. Please proceed only if you are okay with that.

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—What dominated his consciousness was an intense "heat" originating from the center of his body.

"Gu, uuuuu! It’s hot!"

Feeling the sensation of the hard ground against his face, Subaru realized he was lying face down. Yet, the limbs he needed to stand up would not move. It was as if he were no longer himself; the freedom of his physical body had been stripped away.

And yet, the scorching heat burned Subaru without limit, which was no joke.

—Hot, hot hot hot hot hot hot hot.

When he opened his mouth, what spilled out instead of a scream was a large amount of blood. At the end of pain and suffering, he felt as if he were drowning in his own overflowing blood, forced to taste the very pinnacle of this world's agony.

—Just what on earth did he do?

An escapist desire to flee from the suffering caused that whimpering thought to spin repeatedly in the back of his mind.

Just what on earth did he do? He was aware that his way of living had certainly not been one worthy of praise. But that wasn't limited to Subaru. No one should be able to live their daily lives so blamelessly that they could boast to all of humanity. Everyone must have things they feel guilty about, things they regret, things they turned a blind eye to, and things they compromised on.

And yet, why did he alone have to suffer like this? Why was he alone forced into a fate that every other human was spared from?

"Ah, damn it..."

A murmur leaked through the gaps of the gurgling, overflowing blood. It was regret, it was hatred for his own helplessness, it was loathing for fate—and,

—It was also a sense of exasperation toward himself.

"————"

Even after being hurt this much, even after suffering this much, even after facing such death-defying experiences. Even if his body was scorched by heat, literally carved by sharp pain, and even if his life was threatened.

Because the image of the girl burned into his mind was nothing but a repetition of smiles and a sorrowful look of death.

"I will."

Now, once again, he speaks his determination. He speaks his resolve. He speaks his lingering attachments and regrets. Seeking a future that would not be reached no matter how many times he challenged it, no matter how many times he crawled around, no matter how many times he prayed.

The "pain" and the "heat" were all distant; the underdog would howl unsightly, just like an underdog should.

"Surely."

The brandished lethal blade ruthlessly approached the dying spark of life just before it was extinguished. However, even that did not enter his sight. His resolve was already absolute.

—I will save you.

The moment he embraced that wish once more, Natsuki Subaru lost his life.

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—Seeing the familiar sight once again, Subaru felt a strange sense of relief and exhaustion.

"I have returned safely, so I can rest easy, I guess."

While gazing at the traffic of the Royal Capital, Subaru used a picked-up tree branch to draw "tally marks" on the ground. After continuing until he was satisfied, he stepped on them to erase them and sighed.

Natsuki Subaru was an ordinary third-year high school truant from the third planet of the solar system, Earth. Looking at his rough appearance—wearing a tracksuit and sneakers, holding a plastic bag from a convenience store—no one would likely doubt that fact. However, that logic only applied to a cultural sphere where the meanings of loanwords like tracksuit, sneakers, and convenience store were properly conveyed and values could be shared. In other words, what he wanted to say was—

"—Being summoned to another world is tougher than I thought."

A lizard as massive as a horse pulled a carriage, kicking up a cloud of dust as it crossed in front of him. Naturally, such a sight could not be seen in the Earth sphere Subaru knew. If so, was that a horse with special effects makeup, a so-called theme park cast member? He couldn't easily nod to that either.

Because that lizard wasn't the only one; they were overflowing everywhere in the streets and the city, and there were too many people who followed those lizards who had also received special effects makeup. Humans dressed as humanoid beasts—races like demi-humans or beastmen—numbered at least twenty or thirty within Subaru's field of vision. Of course, there were many general visitors with the same shape and form as Subaru, but they were buried under the violence of individuality that was their outward appearance and didn't really enter his consciousness.

In the first place, he couldn't spend his thoughts on this escapism forever. Neither the demi-humans nor the lizards were cast members or part of a movie shoot. This was a cultural sphere where this was the norm, and the foreign object here was not them, but Subaru.

—Subaru, who had already spent what felt like over a dozen days here, realized that painfully well.

"...Let's go."

Cutting off his fruitless thoughts, he brushed off his backside and stood up. Subaru, still holding the picked-up tree branch in his right hand, stepped into the street with a vague gait—not blending into the crowd of the main street, but stepping into the back alley.

Unlike the crowded main street, the back alley sandwiched between tall buildings was sparsely populated. The place, which had become an appearance truly fitting for a back alley, was filled with a silence as if it had been isolated from the outside world just by crossing one street. To put it simply, even if something happened here, a scream would likely never reach the main street.

Therefore, if Subaru, looking every bit the tourist, wandered into such a place, it was only natural for villains targeting him to show themselves.

"Yo, big brother. Why don't you hang out with us for a bit?"

Turning toward the voice, three figures stood blocking the path. A lineup prepared to meet all needs—Large, Medium, and Small—Subaru felt their serious research capabilities. He didn't know what they were researching, though.

"————"

Tilting his head, he looked at the path opposite the trio. Behind him, this alley was a dead end; to get to the main street, he had no choice but to let the trio pass. And as for whether the trio had any intention of letting Subaru out to the main street—

"Hey, hey, what's with that dazed face?"

"He probably doesn't understand the situation. Why don't we teach him?"

At Subaru's sluggish behavior, the trio began to plot their torment with vulgar smiles. From their perspective, Subaru was a complete amateur. A convenient mark—he couldn't blame them for licking their lips in front of him.

However, that was a complete miscalculation on their part. It was true that Subaru had never been in a proper fight, nor did he have a hidden past of learning martial arts. Their judgment of him as an amateur was not wrong.

But, if it was only regarding his experience points against this specific trio, Subaru was already a veteran of a hundred battles.

"—Ah?"

Thrusting his arm toward the off-guard giant—whom he had named Ton of the Ton-Chin-Kan trio. In that arm was the tree branch he had picked up on the street earlier. Its tip wasn't particularly sharp, but it dug into the soft part of the throat and, after a slight resistance, pierced through.

"Hey?"

At that instantaneous event, Ton's eyes widened, and Chin and Kan, standing to the left and right, froze. With this, Ton was out of the fight. And of the two frozen men, Subaru reached out his free hand toward the one of medium build—Chin—grabbing his hair and ear and swinging him around. He wouldn't let him resist. Using the momentum, he slammed the man's head into the side wall all at once. The sound of something hard being crushed echoed, and Chin collapsed, leaving a trail of blood on the wall.

Simultaneously, Ton, with the tree branch still stuck in his neck, fell to his knees and collapsed with his eyes rolling back. It was a bad way to fall. Because he fell forward, the branch stabbed even deeper.

With this, two were incapacitated. Only one remained—

"Hi..."

The small man—Kan—was turning pale at the sight of his two companions being defeated in an instant. If he had abandoned the two and run out to the street just like that, it would have been a contest of leg strength with Subaru, and there might have been a chance of survival. And yet, Kan looked at the two fallen men and hesitated to flee. Not knowing it was already too late, he wasted the limited one-second grace period.

Idiot. A total idiot. Receive the reward for making such a foolish choice.

"Gu, ga, aaaa..."

Wrapping his hand around the thin neck, Subaru used his strength to pin Kan against the back wall. He lifted the struggling small body while keeping it pinned to the wall. He poured strength into both hands and squeezed. Lifted until his eyes were at the same height as Subaru's, Kan, who was being strangled, widened his eyes, and his loosely opened mouth gasped for oxygen. However, with his airway forcibly blocked and his freedom stripped away, no salvation would come to him.

"Do you know how many times I've met you guys in total now?"

"Ku, ko..."

"It's eighty-eight times. It's a lucky number, isn't it? Smile."

Glaring at the face that was gradually turning reddish-black and leaking tears and drool, Subaru said. But, naturally, Kan had no such leeway. Soon, losing even his resistance let alone his leeway, Subaru threw the limp body onto the spot.

Looking down at the three fallen men, just in case, he stepped hard on everyone's necks once. If there was the sensation of the sneaker's heel crushing something hard, he could be at ease for the moment. Only Ton's neck was thick, so it was necessary to step on it five times thoroughly. He just couldn't get the hang of this no matter how many times he did it. Luckily, there were cases where it was settled with one time each.

"Strangling isn't smart. ...The sensation is disgusting too, so I'll stop doing that."

Based on those points of reflection, Subaru borrowed two knives from Chin's body. Then, he moved the three corpses to the side of the road appropriately and left the back alley as if nothing had happened.

Entering the alley and encountering the Ton-Chin-Kan trio, he had made things happen quite early. He took a little time processing the trio, but it was only a matter of ten-odd seconds. Subaru hurried through the main street and made his way toward his destination.

"————"

Gazing at the state of the street, he breathed a sigh of relief that he had made it in time. The main street called the commercial district was also crowded with people shuffling left and right, fulfilling its role in proving the bustle of the Royal Capital, Lugnica. Even just standing there, the clamor was enough to jump into one's eardrums. However, the atmosphere of that bustle suddenly changed into a different form.

"—Wait! Jeez! Wait!!"

What cut through the bustle of the main street particularly high was a silver-bell voice that one could fall in love with. While harboring a desperate atmosphere, that voice, which could not hide the gentleness of its owner's temperament, was directed at a small shadow slipping through the crowd.

"Hehe."

With a cat-like smile, a blonde girl wove through the gaps between people. Something shining was held in her hand, and a sense of having finished a job could be clearly seen. Then, toward that girl, a pale blue glow—an ice spear—flew.

"—!!"

Surprised by the unexpected attack, the girl dodged the ice spear by jumping and leaping. That magic attack was unleashed in a street full of people, and sudden confusion arose; the people of the Royal Capital opened the way all at once and raised both hands as if to say they wanted no part in it. It was a very coordinated movement. Getting caught up in trouble in the Royal Capital was a daily occurrence—well, it might be close to that.

Anyway, running through the wall of people that had opened the way, the person he was looking for appeared.

"————"

The moment he saw "her," Subaru felt as if everything in the world had frozen. He could no longer feel the wind, the voices of people, or even time; everything in his consciousness was stolen by that form.

Her long silver hair danced, and her jewel-like amethyst eyes shone with strong intent. Slender white limbs, and a mysterious white outfit that looked as if it were tailored for a fairy—

In a world where time had stopped, she alone was exempt from the stillness of time and passed before Subaru.

Her goal was the blonde girl who had slipped through just before—Felt. Something was stolen from her by Felt, and she would run through the Royal Capital to get it back. And for her, that was a path leading to an unavoidable fate of misfortune.

But, he wouldn't let that happen. He would never let her be caught by a fate of "death."

"I will surely save you."

Toward her receding back, Subaru made his eighty-eighth vow. He didn't know how much persuasiveness a vow that continued to be broken like this could have. He didn't know, but if he didn't give up, if he continued to resist, if he continued to wish to save her—

"Please wait for me. —Satella."

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The power to rewind time upon death, "Return by Death." This was the eighty-eighth time Subaru had used this "Return by Death" power to redo the world.

It was a challenge that was already nearing the milestone of a hundred times, but all of it had been spent to save the silver-haired girl—Satella—from the dead end of fate.

"I've tried this and that, through trial and error... but it doesn't go like it did with the Ton-Chin-Kan trio."

And that was Subaru's conclusion regarding the greatest enemy of this fate—Elsa Granhiert.

The one who requested Felt to steal the item, the insignia, from Satella was that jet-black woman named Elsa. This woman was a dangerous person who repeatedly drove Satella to her death. Up until now, during the eighty-seven challenges, Subaru had many times rushed to eliminate this Elsa and ensure Satella's safety, but he suffered defeat before Elsa's combat power, which was already in the realm of the inhuman, and had his belly sliced open and died over fifty times.

A sadist who loved to open bellies, Elsa was not an opponent he could win against in a fight. If it were a group like the Ton-Chin-Kan trio, he could pattern their actions to some extent and devise a certain victory strategy. However, when it came to someone of Elsa's strength, the moment Subaru tried to take action, it wouldn't be strange for his head to be lopped off in the blink of an eye. In fact, there were many times when it wasn't his head, but his belly that was sliced open in the blink of an eye.

Subaru could not win in a fight. Neither could Felt, Old Man Rom, or Satella. After receiving that conclusion, the tactic Subaru chose was—

"Wonderful! Wonderful! I'd be happy if you entertained me more!"

"Guaaaa—!!"

Black blades flipped one after another, and every time the wind rose, blood sprayed out. The number of people falling in the street already exceeded what could be counted on both hands, and the expression of Elsa, who was bathed in the spray of blood, went beyond ecstasy and looked as if she were intermittently tasting a sense of climax.

Despite being in such a gruesome situation, Elsa's allure increased the more she was bathed in blood. In the past, there was an anecdote about a woman called a vampire who tried to maintain her youth by bathing in the blood of virgins, but the current Elsa looked exactly like that "vampire."

"...This is also a failure, huh."

Sighing, Subaru, lurking on the roof, narrowed his eyes while overlooking the carnage.

The location was a corner of the slums, a particularly desolate section surrounded by ruins, and with a space like a plaza as the stage, the carnage of blood continued to expand. Those who crossed swords with Elsa and were all falling to her lethal blades were the guards of the Royal Capital. People who received a report from a well-meaning citizen, discovered the dangerous person Elsa Granhiert, and lost their lives trying to capture her—it was a sight that made his heart ache as a well-meaning citizen.

"I didn't think there was such a difference in strength between ordinary guards and Elsa..."

At this rate, it was like offering sacrifices just to please Elsa. Subaru's expectation was that if they were people in a position like the guards protecting the Royal Capital, they might be able to strengthen their bodies through some kind of magical power and compete on equal terms with Elsa, but it seemed that was merely a high hope.

As expected, Elsa's strength was in a league of its own even in this world. His resentment toward Elsa grew even stronger. But no matter how strongly he held his anger, Subaru's power could not stop that vicious woman. He didn't think Elsa would be defeated by a lucky punch from the guards either.

"It's useless to just keep watching any longer."

He felt bad for the guards who became sacrifices, but he would end this attempt here. He didn't intend to let up yet, but even those who died here would breathe again in the redone world if Subaru ultimately failed and lost his life. As a sacrifice for that, he would have them stay dead for now while swallowing his tears. If there was another chance, he wouldn't expect anything from them, so he wanted them to protect the peace of the Royal Capital with peace of mind.

Just as Subaru concluded this and was about to leave the place—

"—Oh."

Stopping her feet, Elsa licked her blood-stained lips while her lethal blade was still raised. The overflowing madness and killing intent were the best proof that Elsa, bored with the game of massacring guards, had found a new prey. And the one chosen as Elsa's poor sacrifice was—

"—That's enough."

Subaru hallucinated that a red flame was standing there.

"————"

Gulping, rubbing his eyes, and looking again, he was finally able to recognize that it was not a flame, but a person.

It was a young man with red flame-like hair and blue eyes that seemed to contain the clear sky. He looked slender, but his tall body was supplely trained and wrapped in white clothing, and he carried a single sword with an incredibly grand mounting at his waist. His features were a divine creation so well-formed that if there were a hundred people, all hundred would look back and be captivated. The reason why he didn't make one feel the violence of beauty that transcended gender was perhaps due to the young man's calm demeanor.

At a glance, he had a presence that made one's soul know he was a being different from the masses—

"Knight Reinhard...!"

"Please step back. She is... the 'Bowel Hunter.' There are already too many victims. I don't want to see any more."

At the trembling voice of a surviving guard, the young man—Reinhard—said while slightly lowering his eyes. It was a pity for the lives slaughtered like dust, and it was also a righteous indignation toward the murderer named Elsa who had done it.

Even to Subaru, who was watching from a distance, the heart of the young man named Reinhard was visible. What a man who gets angry for such proper reasons, with such proper thoughts, and with such a proper mentality.

Grieving over death, hating slaughter, regretting his inadequacy, and rewriting regret with conviction. That was the way of being of that young man called Reinhard—the knight.

"Reinhard van Astrea. Of the 'Sword Saint' bloodline. Wonderful, how wonderful!"

"I feel like I'm being crushed by the weight of such excessive evaluation every day. You are the 'Bowel Hunter,' I presume."

"Yes, that's right. This won't do. What should I do? I have my main job to attend to, but to think I'd run into you in a place like this."

Leaking a hot breath of ecstasy, Elsa directed her heat-moistened eyes toward Reinhard. On the other hand, Reinhard's expression was nothing but serious, and his blue eyes held only a sense of duty with no playfulness at all.

The two faced each other with polar opposite ideologies, but the conclusion their hearts drew was the same.

That there was no choice but for each to strike down the other and achieve their goal.

"Normally, I would recommend that you surrender, but..."

"In the face of this carnage, you would say that to me? You're kind. To the point of being cruel to me and to them."

"—No, I agree. Showing you mercy here would not be sincere toward their deaths. Therefore, I will not ask you to surrender."

Reinhard slowly shook his head at Elsa's words as she playfully kicked the corpses of the fallen guards. Then, he reached out his hand to a guard standing by and briefly said, "A sword."

"Please, I beg of you."

When the instructed guard offered a sword, Reinhard gripped it and checked the sensation. At that sight, Elsa furrowed her brows suspiciously and said,

"You're not going to use the sword at your waist? I've heard rumors of the Dragon Sword's sharpness and wanted to feel it for myself."

"Unfortunately, this sword has a nature of judging the opponent it should be drawn against. It's a bit of a troublesome nature, but it seems the sword doesn't take a liking to you. Instead, I shall face you with this."

"Hmm."

Elsa sighed at Reinhard, who took a stance with the sword he had received instead of the sword at his waist. However, her attitude, which seemed somewhat dissatisfied, was only for a moment. Switching immediately, the woman licked her lips at the anticipation of the battle and blood with the young man standing before her. And—

"The 'Bowel Hunter,' Elsa Granhiert."

"Of the 'Sword Saint' bloodline, Reinhard van Astrea."

Naming each other, the two became the wind and clashed in the center of the plaza. The match was decided in a single exchange, just like that.

A slash with nothing unusual about it—it created a vortex of light, and the shockwave destroyed a corner of the slums. The sword strike of the man called the "Sword Saint" was truly "power" itself.

Natsuki Subaru was watching that scene with his eyes wide open. Without even knowing the cause of the tears streaming down his cheeks and his trembling knees—

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Although it was a development different from what Subaru had planned and expected, it could be said that the greatest goal of defeating Elsa had been achieved.

Reinhard's participation was unexpected, but if his wish was granted, it was all well and good. Thanks to that, the events surrounding Satella's insignia would be resolved safely. If the trading partner, Elsa, did not join them, Felt and Old Man Rom would not push themselves to secure Satella's insignia. It was also hard to imagine Satella killing the two in a fit of rage. The story centered around the loot cellar would conclude with the minimum necessary characters. That was a desirable result for Subaru as well. Therefore—

"—Why are you helping me?"

"I don't care if you don't trust me. If you're saying it's fine to be surrounded by guards and lose your chance for revenge, then cut me down and run as you like."

"————"

Subaru said as if spitting it out to Elsa, who was crouching against the wall behind him. Her entire body was covered in blood, her black outfit was torn in places, and her white skin was exposed. However, since painful scars were prominent on her skin, there was not a shred of room to feel shame about it. In the first place, Subaru had absolutely no interest in Elsa as a woman. He was merely using the opportunity because he thought she could be useful.

"The guards are looking for you with bloodshot eyes. I've led them in the wrong direction, so it'll take a while before they notice this way. Your wounds?"

"They hurt a lot. It hurts so much, I feel like I might die. Fufu, how wonderful."

"That's a sensibility I don't understand. It'd be a problem if you died, so I want to do something about it."

He was going as far as to risk danger to guide Elsa toward survival. If she collapsed here, or worse, if Subaru got caught up in the guards' search, the accidentally generated Satella survival route would go up in smoke. In that case, he would just keep rolling the dice until this result came up again.

"Can you make a path to the southeast of the slums? If you do, I can meet up with my sister. She should have prepared treatment for my wounds and an escape route."

"Sister! Ha, having a sister too is quite thorough and a hopeless story."

It wasn't that he was trusted, and it would make his skin crawl if he were, but Subaru made a plan to overcome this difficult situation based on Elsa's words. In the process of fleeing, they had already flowed quite far south. From here, it wouldn't take long to move to the place Elsa indicated. The people of the slums, whom Subaru had bribed with the holy gold coins Elsa possessed, were obstructing the guards' search and guiding them the wrong way. There was no problem.

"What I don't understand is your goal."

"I want to make you owe me one. It might come in handy someday."

"Owe you one, huh. That's strange. —You want to kill me so badly."

While lending Elsa a shoulder and helping her escape, she said that. Elsa's black eyes looked up at Subaru from close range, trying to peer into the emotions within. But there was no need to be suspicious and peer inside. The answer in Subaru's black eyes was exactly what Elsa had picked up. Subaru wanted to kill Elsa right now if possible. However, if he challenged her without thinking of the consequences, Subaru wouldn't win even against a dying Elsa, and in the first place, that was short-sighted.

Subaru currently assumed that the situation he was in was a very biased game board. A battle based on the premise of considering every move, trial and error, and making the best move. If he thought of this as something like shogi, it wasn't as simple as winning by just driving away the pieces on the board one by one. If possible, he would swap enemies and allies. If there was an opening, he wouldn't hesitate to change his standing.

For that purpose, he should even utilize the opponent he deeply hated and wanted to kill.

"I want to kill you. Surely, I'll kill you someday. But not now."

"I see."

Subaru revealed his true intentions to Elsa, as there was no need to hide them. If Elsa were a cautious person, she would have killed Subaru on the spot to eliminate any future trouble. But Subaru was certain that wouldn't happen.

It was a certainty of killing intent that could only be held by Subaru, who had been killed by Elsa eighty-eight times—over eighty of those times.

"Wonderful. To bind you and me together with hatred. Eventually, surely. Your words will surely be proven to me. That is very, very wonderful."

"————"

Loosening her blood-stained red lips, Elsa smiled like a maiden in love. Seeing that smile up close, Subaru thought from the bottom of his heart that this woman was hideous.

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"We'll surely meet again, won't we?"

"Bye-bye, big brother. I'll be grateful for Elsa's sake."

Handing Elsa over to the girl with dark blue hair who had joined them, Subaru breathed a sigh of relief. Waiting in the abandoned house Elsa had indicated was a girl still in her early teens. At first, Subaru was surprised by her youth, but the girl handled Elsa's wounds with a practiced attitude and quickly finished preparations to flee from the Royal Capital, leaving the abandoned house early.

Securing a means of contact with Elsa was the reward Subaru had obtained. Whether it was a reward commensurate with the danger he had faced was uncertain, but—

"That depends on my actions from here on, I guess."

Taking off his tracksuit jacket, which was stained with dried blood, Subaru tied it around his waist and started walking. His feet were headed toward the opposite side of the slums, in the direction of the loot cellar. He was only concerned about whether Satella had safely retrieved her insignia at that place where Elsa could not go.

"————"

Taking his time to reach the loot cellar, Subaru widened his eyes at the sight.

"This was unexpected."

The sight spreading in front of Subaru as he muttered that was the loot cellar frozen in ice. Rather than being frozen, it was more accurate to say that the loot cellar was enclosed in ice. Wondering what had happened, he did a light inquiry with a nearby resident.

"The old man who was the boss of the loot cellar and his granddaughter were hauled off by the guards. Apparently, they made an enemy of a scary magic user or something... I don't want to get involved."

"Are the granddaughter and the old man safe? What about the magic user?"

"I heard they weren't hurt, but I didn't see either of them clearly. That's enough, right?"

Perhaps finding Subaru's intense momentum eerie, the man shook off Subaru's arm and hurried away into the darkness of the back alley. Watching his back and ruminating on the man's words, Subaru breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't know how much of the man's words were true, but at least he shouldn't have misheard a story about someone dying for what he just heard. It was unavoidable that Felt and Old Man Rom were caught by the guards, given the business they were in. They should reflect on their actions while eating prison food for a while.

And knowing that Satella was safely saved as Subaru had hoped—

"Well then. From here, what should I do?"

Scratching his head, Subaru realized that his goal had become empty. Summoned to another world, given a power like "Return by Death," utilizing it to save that meddlesome and cute silver-haired half-elf. To achieve that, he had died eighty-seven times and reached this point.

"I messed up. Should I have died and redone it to find out why Elsa was trying to steal the insignia from Satella...?"

He should have asked while carrying the injured Elsa, but he had forgotten. However, if he had pried into Elsa's circumstances there and she found out that Subaru was emotionally on Satella's side, he didn't know how Elsa would have acted. As a result, both Subaru and Satella were alive now. If that was the correct answer—

"If possible, I want to know more about Satella, but..."

He didn't know where Satella came from, where she went, or if they would meet again. There was a way to repeat until he found out. If there was another way—

"—I wonder if you guys will tell me?"

In front of the frozen loot cellar, Subaru turned around while putting both hands in his pockets. There was no sign of people. And yet, in Subaru's vision, he could see countless shadows of people standing.

Mediocre faces, men and women of all ages moderately mixed, an uncoordinated group. If there was only one thing unified within that group, it was their eyes.

In all of them, their eyes were dead. Dyed in madness, seeking ecstasy, for that purpose. Surely, if he looked in a mirror, Subaru would have the same eyes.

"————"

Loosening his cheeks at that sentiment, Subaru looked up at the sky. A moon so clear it was scary looked down silently at the frozen loot cellar and the madmen.

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It was nearly two months later that Satella's identity was revealed in detail.

"Royal Selection! Silver-haired half-elf! Recommended by Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers! Not Satella, but Emilia—!"

Having had no progress and with detailed information that had been cut off suddenly jumping in, Subaru clapped his hands with an expression of joy.

The information unexpectedly flowed in through the announcement of the "Royal Selection" which was posted not only in the Royal Capital but throughout the country following an order from the Royal Castle. At first, Subaru, who had made light of it as just an election for a single country, widened his eyes at the information expressed primitively through signboards set up in the city.

Because among the five women set up as candidates was the girl he had been searching for.

"Royal Selection, Royal Selection, huh... A king candidate means a noble status. No wonder she was overflowing with elegance just by walking. Emilia, Emilia, I see."

Now that her real name was known, Subaru's heart became light as if it had grown wings. He had known for a long time that he had been told the false name of Satella. The reason why she—Emilia—had told Subaru a false name like Satella was also clear. Because if there was a silver-haired half-elf who called herself Satella—

"Naturally, people wouldn't approach her, suspecting involvement with these guys. It was a desperate measure to keep me away from danger. She thinks of such cute things with that cute face."

Despite speaking sadly about being a half-elf and having a face that seemed to fear being shunned, she considered the other person and used that to keep them at a distance from danger. What a pitiful and admirable girl. It was a thought that tightened his chest. Then—

"—Natsuki Subaru! Believer of love! Are you here!?"

"————"

A shrill, ear-piercing voice like a bird being strangled echoed, calling Subaru's name. Frowning at that voice, Subaru placed the signboard he had torn down from the Royal Capital on his bed, and reluctantly opened the door and went out of his private room. Outside the room, cold air and a dark space spread out. What echoed in that space was not only the ear-piercing voice but also the sound of abnormally hurried footsteps.

And as he waited with his back against the closed door, a man with a pale, unhealthy-looking face vaguely appeared through the passage, relying only on the dim light. When that man saw Subaru, he widened his eyes as if they were about to pop out, and—

"I was looking for you! Why, why, why are you indulging in sloth in a place like this!? We must! Diligently! Follow the guidance of the Witch and respond to her love!!"

"Stop making false accusations, Pete-san. I'm just following the instructions of the 'Gospel.' The 'Gospel' ordered me to spend time here."

"What! The 'Gospel' told you such a thing!? At this time, on this occasion, in this situation, why would it let a devout believer like you play around? What on earth is the Witch thinking? Someone like me cannot even! Even! Fathom it!"

He shouted noisily, and his body movements were also loud. Truly a madman—facing Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, Subaru struggled to suppress a sigh.

He was a madman he couldn't possibly like, but he was undoubtedly a useful opponent for Subaru. After all, the group Subaru had joined was full of self-centered egos, and as for the general believers, he even doubted if they possessed self-awareness.

Subaru privately speculated that the lack of emotion in the general believers was due to some kind of interference with their consciousness so that their affiliation would not be revealed in daily life. Anyway, such considerations didn't matter. What was important was the purpose of the visit of this Petelgeuse, who was in a position far removed from the general believers.

For these two months, Subaru had been welcomed by a certain group including Petelgeuse and was allowed to live a life that was, for the most part, free of inconvenience. However, although he didn't lack for daily necessities, he was inconvenienced in terms of action and spirit. In particular, the frequent opportunities to interact with madmen and fanatics were nothing but pain for Subaru, who could only possess a common-sense humanity.

His residence was a cave with a hidden entrance located in the mountains. It was surprisingly habitable, and he was treated well enough to be given his own room, but the distance from human habitation, the hardness of the floor, and the lack of warmth in the walls were tough for a modern kid like Subaru. However, he wasn't good enough at acting to hide his involvement with them in an outside environment. As a compromise, living here and accumulating knowledge of this world was useful.

"So, what business do you have with me in this hermit life?"

"Do you not know? The foolish event that is about to take place in this country!"

"In the country, about to... Are you talking about the Royal Selection?"

"Yes! The Royal Selection! But that is not the problem! What is important is not the Royal Selection itself, but the existence participating in the Royal Selection! Namely, the silver-haired half-devil!"

"————"

Perhaps to teach the ignorant Subaru, Petelgeuse brought the notice of the Royal Selection—the same one Subaru had decorated his room with—and thrust it forward. Naturally, there was the face of the beloved girl he had stared at until holes opened in it. Petelgeuse's finger, which was nothing but skin and bone, also pointed at the girl's face.

"Look! Her appearance! Her origin! Truly, a blasphemy against the Witch! For us, she is an existence that must not be overlooked! This is a time of trial!"

"Trial."

"Yes!!"

Shouting loudly, Petelgeuse pressed the notice paper against the rock wall of the cave. Then, he slammed his fist into the portrait of Emilia, and blood splattered. The madman, who enjoyed self-harm, was intoxicated by pain and blood as he blasphemed the Emilia drawn on the paper.

"If she fits, we embrace her! If not, we eliminate her! We must confirm if she is a vessel worthy of the Witch, and if she is suitable, we must welcome her into our fold! For that purpose, we must conduct the trial!"

"And you want me to help with that?"

"Yes, exactly! I called out to others, but I don't think those unfaithful ones will respond! Only 'Wrath' had a possibility, but she is currently far from the Kingdom... Therefore! We alone must go!"

With a sense of duty in his chest, Petelgeuse shed tears in torrents and, while sucking on his blood-stained fist, pushed it into his mouth and slurped at the wound. The corners of his mouth tore, and his front teeth pierced the back of his hand, creating a gruesome sight as they damaged the thin skin and muscles. Subaru merely endured with a steel-like spirit as he had been told, and while pretending to have a calm face—

"So, should I accompany you? I don't know how things work, Bishop-sama."

"You will accompany me! Ah! Ooh! How, how, how, how, how, how, how... joyful that is!"

"You're getting too excited just because I said I'd go with you."

The bitter smile that escaped was from the bottom of his heart. However, receiving Subaru's positive response, Petelgeuse nodded so many times it seemed his neck would snap, and then, as if switching instantly, he stood with his feet together, turned his back, and—

"We must depart immediately! Along the way, I have already given instructions to my 'Fingers'... We will join up with each of them and head to the Mathers territory. There, we will follow the guidance of the 'Gospel'!"

"Understood. ...By the way, what do we do for the trial?"

"A natural question. We test if she is worthy of being the Witch's vessel... In other words, we conduct an act to test if the container has the strength, the quality, and above all, the qualification to hold the Witch's soul!"

At the explanation lacking in specificity, Subaru nodded with a face that seemed to understand. He didn't know the details. But compared to that agonizing time when he didn't know about Satella=Emilia, it was much better. And with this, it seemed he could involve himself with Emilia again.

Only, for that purpose—

"—Now, now, now! Now, now, now! We go! We test! If this vessel is not worthy, the Witch shall be reincarnated into this world again! On this occasion when we have filled all the seats for the first time in hundreds of years!"

"If the Witch Satella descends, the girl who is the vessel will..."

"Become a noble sacrifice! But that is an honorable thing! If I could take her place, I would! If offering this body would suit Satella's heart, I would endure any amount of pain and hope for the time of reunion as many times as it takes!"

"I see, she'll disappear."

Following behind the rampaging Petelgeuse, Subaru whispered softly. It was a faint murmur that did not reach Petelgeuse, who was locked in his own world and continued to cackle—

"Heh, I see."

—The madman did not notice that Natsuki Subaru smiled very gloomily.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

He thrust the sword into the center of the slender body and twisted it. The response transmitted from the tip of the sword taught him the sensation of tearing away something important to life. At that emptiness, a trembling breath leaked out—

"Even if I say this, you probably won't believe me."

"Wh... y..."

"Among the people I hate, you were on the better side, Pete-san."

Eyes opened wide in shock looked down desperately at the black eyes that met them from close range. With the shock still lingering, the sword was pulled out of the body as it slowly fell backward. With that momentum, Subaru stumbled back and took a deep breath.

At his feet lay Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, falling into a pool of blood. Petelgeuse, whose heart had been directly destroyed by Subaru's hand, was now on the verge of death.

"I had a hard time creating this situation. You were a bit too meticulous while pretending to be insane. Honestly, I really held my head in my hands many times."

"What... are you... saying...?"

"I'm talking about how much trial and error I went through to get here. No, the strategy was one thing, but the trump cards were really dangerous. Seriously, I'm relieved."

Petelgeuse crawled, forcing strength into his powerless limbs. However, he had no strength left to stand up and counterattack. He was just crawling backward as if to distance himself from death. And even if he did nothing, Petelgeuse's life would not be long.

"At first, I couldn't even see the 'Unseen Hand,' and I panicked, wondering what to do. I was also troubled by how to deal with the 'Fingers'... Now, I'm filled with a sense of accomplishment that I was able to manage it somehow."

"Gu, uu, uuu..."

The flowing blood was the remaining amount of Petelgeuse's life. Rather than stopping the bleeding, Subaru watched the blood flowing out without losing its momentum and revealed the truth like a mastermind.

The 'Unseen Hand' that manipulated invisible black palms. Petelgeuse's subordinates, or rather, the 'Fingers' who were spare bodies. And the 'Possession' that allowed him to move into those spare bodies and prolong his life.

Petelgeuse, who tried to corner Emilia with actions that were truly 'diligent,' his catchphrase, while utilizing these—it really took a lot of effort to bring him down. To think it would take over four hundred trials and errors to reach this point.

"So without a doubt, you are the person I've exchanged the most words with in this world. It's a very selfish story, but I even feel something like friendship. I'm even somewhat impressed by your attitude of being single-mindedly devoted to your goal and trying to fight through using all the cards you have."

"What... what, what, what, what, what, what, what!!"

Into the body that was only falling toward death, a power similar to anger dwelled at the very end. Pouring all of it into his own existence, the dying Petelgeuse raised his upper body. Vomiting blood—literally, spilling the blood overflowing from his mouth and opening his bloodshot eyes, Petelgeuse turned toward Subaru and—

"Traitor! The traitor who turns his back on the Witch's love! I cannot, I cannot forgive you!!"

Raising his voice, Petelgeuse reached out his blood-stained arm. That was not an action to activate the 'Unseen Hand.' Invisible arms that could be seen through had no meaning. Here, the only means Petelgeuse clung to was—

The condition for the evil spirit Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti to take over a body. The process to 'possess' the body of a human with the aptitude of a spirit arts user. And there was only one person in this place who had that qualification—

"Your body—!!"

At Petelgeuse, who put his will into taking it, Subaru sighed softly. Then, he slowly stepped forward and kicked the face of Petelgeuse's desperate expression. With the front kick delivered with full force, his front teeth were blown away, and the recoiling Petelgeuse was shocked.

He could not move into the body he should have been able to take over. Rather than with words, Subaru proved the answer with the faint red glow floating at the tip of his raised left hand.

It was an existence called a minor spirit. A cute tool that had a contract with Natsuki Subaru, a spirit arts user, and had the role of only illuminating dark paths.

The 'Possession' of the evil spirit Petelgeuse could only move into the body of an uncontracted spirit arts user. Just how many deaths did he have to stack to figure out this condition?

"It was the longest three days of my life. For you, it must have been a short acquaintance, but..."

"Natsuki Subaruuuuu—!!"

"You targeted Emilia. —Regret it for a long time."

Kicking the chest of Petelgeuse, who was shouting in hatred, he brought the sword down on his face as he lay on his back. Without mercy, the sword strike pierced Petelgeuse's skull and destroyed his life along with his brain. The ear-piercing death cry was cut off, and Subaru leaned his weight on the sword that had pierced through Petelgeuse and into the ground, taking a long breath.

The fierce battle with Petelgeuse, which was short in real time but abnormally long in perceived time, had ended. Both a sense of accomplishment and a sense of emptiness rushed over him.

"Oh? It seems it's already over here too."

Then, a voice called out to Subaru, who was immersed in a moment of silence. Turning around, a huge shadow—a ferocious beast with black fur, a lion's head, and savage limbs—was walking toward him, pushing through the thick trees. Of course, the one who called out in a listless tone was not that ferocious beast. It was a girl straddling its back, sending a sidelong glance toward Subaru that was unbefitting of her age.

"Yeah, it's settled. You were a help, Meili."

"It's fine. I received the reward, and Elsa was also indebted to you, big brother. But was it okay? Weren't these people your comrades, big brother?"

"I wonder. If he hadn't tried to kill me at the end, I might have been able to call him an older friend, but since he tried to kill me... didn't he narrowly fail the friend test?"

Wiping the blood that splattered on his cheek with his sleeve, Subaru shrugged at the girl—Meili. Then, at those words, Meili put her finger to her chin and—

"Hmm. Then, since I won't try to kill you, big brother, does that mean I'm your friend?"

"By that logic, yes. You and I are friends, Meili."

"Yay, I did it. Now I have lots of friends, along with Petra-chan and the others."

Putting her hands together, Meili happily swayed her shoulders on the back of the ferocious beast. Raising his eyebrows at her childlike attitude, Subaru was surprised that she said she had friends.

"Heh, that's unexpected. I shouldn't say this, but you really have friends."

"That's right. Although I've already killed them all."

"————"

Smiling thinly, Meili said with a face that showed no guilt for that fact. Killed them—did that mean they were people she was involved with in her work? For a moment, he thought Meili had some childlike qualities, but as expected, her ethics were twisted. Since she was sisters with that Elsa, it was only natural.

"Anyway, it was a help that Meili supplemented my lack of hands. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for me alone to kill all the 'Fingers' lurking everywhere."

"I don't mind. But did it have to be us? You should have asked the proper knights of the country or something."

"If I did that, part of my goal wouldn't be achieved."

"Goal?"

Meili tilted her head, trying to probe Subaru's thoughts. But Subaru had no intention of explaining further, and after making an appropriate smile—

"From here on, it's adult talk. A child like Meili doesn't need to know."

"Ah! Jeez, treating me like a child like that! I don't know you anymore, big brother, I don't know you!"

When Meili got angry, the ferocious beast growled as if triggered by that anger. It would be bad if she set the ferocious beast on him here. Since he had gone through the trouble of killing Petelgeuse, he didn't want to end this loop in failure.

Somehow, to restore Meili's sour mood, Subaru worked hard to please the girl.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

In the few days since the start of the Royal Selection, the territory of the Lugnica Kingdom had changed quite significantly.

First and foremost, the biggest change was the withdrawal of Duchess Crusch Karsten, who was considered the most likely candidate for the Royal Selection—though Subaru was the only one who understood the facts of this. This was because the existence of this person named Crusch had vanished without a trace from this world, and even the fact that she "existed" was erased, and she was recorded in the world as if she were never there.

Therefore, the Royal Selection became something that originally started with four people, and the memories of those who should have supported the Duchess were also twisted, taking the form of joining different factions.

"The fog of the White Whale is a scary thing. To think it can even erase the records of others."

It was a mystery why it didn't take effect only on Subaru. However, since Subaru himself didn't remember doing anything special, it was just troublesome that strange discrepancies arose in other people's conversations. It was fine to forget about the vanished Crusch Karsten. No chance for a comeback would visit a person who died as a result of recklessly challenging a powerful enemy beyond their strength.

The only one who could obtain that chance in this world was Natsuki Subaru. Therefore, he would only keep the memory of the losers as a foolish act that must not be imitated.

There were other changes besides those that had no meaning to anyone but Subaru. That was—

"Emilia, one of the Royal Selection candidates. Defeating the Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, 'Sloth,' the evil follower who has tormented the world for many years...!"

He heard that the Kingdom was boiling at that news, and the achievement had spread far to other countries. That, which had an unexpectedly large advertising effect even for Subaru, was the result of Natsuki Subaru handing over the victory he had obtained after stacking four hundred deaths entirely to Emilia—to the man in the suspicious clown outfit who supported her.

Honestly, the negotiation to hand over the achievement to Emilia, and what kind of attitude the man considered a Margrave would respond with, was a gamble comparable to the subjugation of Petelgeuse, but—

"He was a guy who was disgustingly easy to talk to."

The Margrave, Roswaal L. Mathers, accepted Subaru's offer and readily agreed, immediately announcing the achievement of Petelgeuse's subjugation as Emilia's. While feeling something fishy about that attitude, Subaru did not find fault with Roswaal's actions.

Emilia was in a position where she was despised for silly reasons in this world. He would announce himself as her supporter, become her backer, and promote her participation in the Royal Selection. There must be a base expectation that if he was just a whimsical person, or in the unlikely event that Emilia took the throne, he could reap sweet rewards. The fact that he jumped at the report of Petelgeuse's subjugation while drooling was good proof.

"Fine. Do as you like, Margrave-san. As long as you are on Emilia's side, I'll be on your side too. Just as you expect, the one who becomes king is Emilia."

Natsuki Subaru would fulfill as much as possible for that purpose with this power to overturn "death." But if Roswaal were to have disrespectful desires or inappropriate thoughts toward Emilia, at that time—

"It's just a matter of one more tombstone being added to those lined up for Emilia."

Until then, he had no choice but to leave the public actions to Roswaal in order to continue acting behind the scenes without Emilia's knowledge. Instead, Subaru would weave all sorts of schemes under the surface. For that purpose too—

"I picked you up after all. It'd be a problem if you weren't useful, 'Blue'-san."

"————"

In the depths of the cave, there was a prison fitted with a makeshift iron fence. Chained in that cold space was a person in a filthy state. A girl—apparently a man—with flaxen cat ears on his head and his slender body wrapped in the white uniform of a Royal Guard.

He was a tool Subaru had found and brought back as a trophy while rushing to clean up the mess after Petelgeuse's death and the White Whale's rampage. However, he had not yet been blessed with an opportunity to show the talent for healing arts that was rumored to be called 'Blue.' On the contrary, he didn't even heal his own wounds and was just staring at the floor of the prison, continuing to mutter as if sobbing.

"...Someone, tell me. Tell me. What was I for... His Highness? What was I for? There was someone. There should have been someone. Otherwise, it's strange. And yet..."

"But, this is troubling. This looks like it'll take some time."

Scratching his head, Subaru took out the letter he had in his pocket. It was the notice of the Royal Selection's start, and it was something Subaru carried with him at all times. The content of that notice had changed from what Subaru knew. There should have been five candidates, but the portraits had become four, and the descriptions had decreased.

With the disappearance of Crusch Karsten's existence, had the changes been applied here as well? But Subaru's memory remembered. Although she wasn't in his sight, he had reread this article until holes opened in it. The name of Crusch Karsten's knight was Felix Argyle. It should have been this 'Blue' healer in front of him.

"My assessment was that when someone is erased by the White Whale's fog, memories change to correspond to the discrepancy to the point where it doesn't feel strange, but looking at this state..."

"Someone, someone tell me... His Highness, His Highness? Who was His Highness with...?"

"If the missing memory is too large to be supplemented, does it end up like this?"

If the existence that had a great influence on the formation of that person's personality disappeared from the world, naturally that person themselves would no longer be established. Therefore, the 'Blue' who repeated like a broken doll had ended up like this.

Unfortunately, Subaru didn't know how to heal a broken heart either. The only existence that could protect his heart's safety had no point of contact with Subaru. Even if he redid it, the time he could go back was not determined by Subaru. Therefore, Subaru didn't know what kind of story there was between him and her.

"Still, you're a piece I went through the trouble of finding. It's okay. I'll surely fill the cracks in your heart."

"Someone, please... tell me. I, why am I..."

'Blue' showed no reaction to Subaru's words. It seemed like it wouldn't lead anywhere, but Subaru was prepared to take his time and face him without rushing. The power to heal wounds, a knight who lost the connection he leaned on—there weren't many pieces as easy to handle as this. So, Subaru sincerely, with all his heart,

"This time, I'll properly find a way for you not to commit suicide."

He declared that he would face the will to die as many times as it took.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

All the entrances and exits of the mansion were blocked. The doors were nailed from the inside, and all the windows were boarded up. If one had the attentiveness to find the situation inside the dark mansion with the curtains closed strange, they might have noticed. Of course, he set this up after being certain that wouldn't happen.

"—!!"

A tremendous hellfire enveloped the massive mansion without exception, scorching it. The spread of the fire, with various parts of the mansion as the source, knew no bounds, and the building burned fiercely both above and below with a momentum that could not be extinguished, threatening to turn everything into ashes.

In the mansion enveloped in flames, it wasn't just furniture and decorations that were turning into charred remains. The many women who had spent a long time of suffering in this mansion were also caught in the flames and smoke, losing their lives and changing into charred remains that one couldn't even tell if they were human.

An act so cruel that it couldn't be helped if it were thought of that way. But who would believe that this was exactly what the women who were now burning to death had wished for?

"Don't, don't, don't mess with me!!"

The momentum of the fire was strong, and the man's curses echoed through the mansion, which was increasing in fire intensity as it caught the wind. It was a voice that was pathetically and unsightly strained within the collapsing building. The voice, while being in a frenzy of disbelief at what was happening,

"Number 92! Number 114! Even number 123 is fine! Where are you!? Where did you go!? Who do you think I am!? To think you women would just die on your own in this situation, leaving me behind, just how irresponsible and selfish can you be!?"

Shouting like a child throwing a tantrum, the one shouting with an inverted voice was a white-haired young man. Wrapped in white clothing, he made his mediocre features look like those of a demon and was raving. It was an existence too abnormal to be in a mansion fire that could collapse at any moment.

If he were a normal human, he would take every measure to escape from this fire intensity. However, that behavior could not be seen in this man. On the contrary, he didn't even think about dying, acting based on an ethics that transcended life and death.

It wasn't that the man was insane. —No, it wasn't accurate to deny that either, but the man had a corresponding certainty.

That there was no way he would die in this fire. Therefore, the reason the man was shouting was completely unrelated to the fear of his own death. If anything, it was a hard-to-overcome anger toward his wives, who must have started this suspicious fire. With an anger that was so blind to the situation and his own standing—

"Every single one of them, making light of my limited assets—"

"—I'd be happy if you closed that mouth that's unbearable to listen to."

"Wha—"

The face of that enraged man was directly hit by the sole of a boot that burst through the wall of flames. Taking a direct hit from an attack from an unexpected angle and, in the first place, an unexpected impact, the man's body was easily blown to the opposite side of the hallway. The wall there had also become brittle from the flames and, unable to withstand the man's impact, collapsed. Tumbling violently and falling flat on his back, the man stared blankly at the burning ceiling.

"Wha, t..."

"These flames are a sign of the letters of divorce from your many wives. To put it simply, the love that can be bound by fear is over."

The one who responded to the man's dazed voice was the voice heard simultaneously with the previous kick. When the man sat up as if bounced, a woman in a jet-black outfit entered the burning room, climbing over the wall the man had crushed.

She was characterized by a charming smile and a long black braid. But what clearly spoke of the woman's position more than anything was the kukri blade held in her right hand—

"A thief! Who do you think I am!? You'll regret doing such a foolish thing..."

"Do it," he muttered, and by swinging both arms, the man tried to launch an attack on the woman. However, that plan was thwarted by a light impact and the sight of his arms, severed at the elbows, flying off in the corner of his vision. Lowering his gaze, the sight of his missing arms entered his sight. Understanding, impossible. What on earth was happening?

"Invincible? Immortal? I forgot which one it was, but I heard the secret has already been revealed. You're just like a bug that's nothing but unpleasant."

"—! A whore like you—"

"————"

Forgetting even the loss of both arms, the man whose pride was wounded tried to curse the woman with foul words. But the woman wouldn't let him say any of it. Raising her long leg, she kicked up the crotch of the man who was sitting on the ground. With that power, the man's body floated up, and the blades held in both of the woman's hands drew death before he knew it.

Both arms were severed above the elbows, at the shoulders, and his legs were gradually sliced into rings from the toes toward the upper thighs. Toes, ankles, shins, knees, thighs—slashes entered, and while spraying blood, the man's body quickly changed into a truly miserable state.

"—Me."

"It's impressive that you're still trying to say something even in that state."

A direct kick was thrust into the torso, which had become much smaller, and it shattered the window that should have been boarded up, blowing the man's body out of the burning mansion. Along with the shards of the shattered window glass, the man who had lost his limbs fell to the ground without being able to take a defensive posture. It was lucky that the room was on the second floor; he avoided fatal damage from the fall.

Although, the current state of having lost his limbs and bleeding profusely was already sufficiently fatal.

"How could such a foolish thing happen... I, I am the most complete existence in this world. Not seeking much, knowing what is enough, living in poverty and without greed... Why am I, why am I being treated like this by flawed humans like you..."

"If you curse them so badly on a daily basis, it's only natural that it's brought to a divorce mediation."

"Wha!?"

The man who found it difficult to even turn over on his own—Regulus—saw another person in his vision. Who else but the boy with black hair and black eyes wearing a black robe—Natsuki Subaru.

Subaru sighed at the man who pathetically failed to see the situation, and—

"I didn't think the surroundings would be so cooperative, Regulus-san."

"You, why are you here... No, did you set this up...?"

"What else could it be?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Subaru smirked at the man—Regulus—who finally understood the situation. Being looked down upon by that smile, Regulus harbored a fierce anger in his eyes, and—

"Be cursed, you piece of trash! Do you understand what you've done!? My beloved wives, my wives! You burned them to death along with the mansion in front of me! Do you understand how atrocious and demonic that act is!? You wife-killer!"

"The angle is so unexpected that even I'm speechless. ...Just so you know, the ones who offered their lives for the countermeasure against your heart were none other than your wives."

"—Impossible."

Subaru, with an exasperated face, told the stunned Regulus while picking his ear. That reaction, which seemed truly unexpected, was hard for Subaru to understand.

Regulus had surrounded many women in his mansion under the guise of being his wives and threatened them with violence, saying he would kill them if they disobeyed, enjoying a selfish married life. If it were just that, it could be thought of as a terribly malicious harem desire, but the ugliness of his Sin Archbishop nature didn't stop there. He was a madman who entrusted his "heart" to his wives and realized an immortality and "invincibility" by stopping the time of his own body.

To kill the Sin Archbishop of 'Greed,' Regulus Corneas, there was no choice but to return his heart to him. The only means for that was to kill all the wives he had entrusted his heart to, making him lose the place to hide his heart.

When he came across this fact, Subaru also struggled with the decision. However, the ones who resolved Subaru's hesitation were none other than the wives—no, the women—who were held captive by Regulus.

"Everyone said they wouldn't mind dying if they could get back at you. I've rarely heard such terrible things said about someone."

"Who would believe that... I, I loved my wives! So they should love me too! Isn't that right!? Otherwise, it would be strange! And yet! Just because they were failures as wives, why do I have to suffer like this!"

"...You're probably saying that seriously. That's what's truly scary about you guys."

Subaru muttered with a weary face and looked away from Regulus, who continued his verbal abuse and shifting of responsibility. At the end of his gaze, the black shadow that jumped down from the burning mansion and landed in the garden—Elsa—was reflected. She lightly brushed off the soot on her body and, noticing Subaru's gaze,

"Oh, are you worried about me? Don't worry. I haven't been hurt anywhere."

"I'm not worried. More importantly, what is this? I didn't tell you to make it such a tasteless situation."

At Elsa's carefree words, Subaru curled his lips and pointed at the limbless Regulus. At least, the Regulus Subaru had seen had limbs, so there was no doubt Elsa was the one who made him like this. At that point, she shrugged her shoulders and,

"It seemed like he'd be noisy if he had limbs... And besides, it was better to tell him the words from those people, wasn't it?"

"...That's true."

Unexpectedly, it seemed Elsa had a heart that cared for people. The women who became Regulus's victims—it was wrong to let them die without telling him the fact of how they had trapped Regulus with such resolve. And since she had told him—

"Gi, aaaaa!"

Elsa thrust her kukri knife into Regulus's chest and slowly lifted his body, which had become quite light. In a state like a skewered ingredient, Regulus struggled while bleeding, desperately thirsting for life.

"In one go?"

"No..."

At Elsa's question, Subaru put his hand to his chin and thought. Not just Elsa, but Subaru also had a heart that felt sympathy and righteous indignation like a normal person. And that heart appealed to him to reward the resolve of those women who had tearfully wished for death. So, Subaru ordered Elsa.

"Throw him into the low fire over there. I'll watch him burn to death."

"Yes, understood."

At Subaru's cruel instruction, Elsa nodded with a face that showed no hesitation. Then, she threw Regulus's body, which never stopped its hateful words, into the pile of scrap wood at the edge of the burning mansion where the fire had only slightly spread.

"————"

The scream of the man whose body was being scorched and who continued to be roasted by the flames until he died echoed in the night sky. Subaru and Elsa stood side by side and continued to watch without changing their expressions.

"A bug is better than that, since its chirping sounds more pleasant."

Elsa muttered softly as the long, long death cry ceased. Subaru felt the same way.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

—The sound of a broken glass sounded to Subaru like the sound of trust shattering.

"Th, is is..."

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't want to do this. Really, really."

Trembling with shock, the man leaned his elbow hard against the counter. However, unable to support his collapsing body, his upper body slipped, and he fell to the floor of the shop, knocking over the chair he was sitting on. Caught in that fall, the glass and bottle placed on the counter fell to the floor and broke, and the scattered contents stained the man's white uniform with the smell of alcohol.

His limbs were not free, and the blood was gradually draining from his face. His lips turned purplish-blue, and he repeatedly blinked at the sensation of his vision blurring, trying to distance himself from the approaching end. Subaru sat at the table and looked down at the man's desperate struggle.

He was a man with elegant features. He was tall and slender, and his demeanor when he entered the shop and the way he spoke to his friend were full of elegance. Truly a knightly knight.

"It's understandable why you're called the 'Greatest,' Julius Euclius-san."

"Y... ou..."

"But if you're going to be mindful of your position, you should have been a bit more careful of your surroundings. You're in the position of the first knight of a currently popular Royal Selection candidate. Naturally, you have to calculate that not only your master but you yourself will be targeted. Although..."

Giving a lecture to the struggling man—Julius—Subaru stood up and reached out his arm. That arm went toward the person who was sitting in the chair next to the fallen Julius. With flaxen cat ears and a lovely face, he gently pulled the slender shoulders close and stroked the head. Just with that, 'Blue' lowered his eyes in an intoxicated manner.

"Fe, ris... you..."

"It was quite a struggle to take advantage of a broken heart, you know? I didn't think I'd have to go to such lengths for the life of someone other than that girl. It was worth it, though."

"You, what are you plotting..."

"It has nothing to do with you anymore. Rest easy. In my estimation, if you drop out, I won't have to harm your master. I don't know if she'll be inspired, though."

In Julius's yellow eyes, bewilderment and anger, sadness and confusion, lamentation and suspicion were all mixed. But all those rapidly changing emotions were meaningless.

"Called out by an old friend, and this happens as soon as you have a drink at a bar. Trust is a sweet poison, isn't it, 'Greatest'-san? You drowned in it and misjudged."

"...o, ku"

"It's easy to do things you can boast about to anyone. I'm envious that it's so easy to live. You're going to die, though."

Crouching down, he peered into the face of Julius, whose consciousness was hazy. Julius's gaze was no longer on Subaru. He was not fixated on the man who gave the order to kill him. What dwelled in his eyes was the safety of his friend who was used for an unwanted atrocity and, presumably, the regret for his master who was not here—

"————"

"A knight to the end. How hateful."

Looking down at the dead face that had sunk into eternal silence, Subaru spat those words out. The reason his chest felt so sick was probably because there was absolutely no reason why this 'Greatest' knight had to have his life taken.

Subaru ordered a killing for which there was no justification for the first time. His heart didn't ache at all to let those involved with the Witch Cult or the Sin Archbishops die. However, for this killing, Subaru chose it simply based on which one was easier to attack.

Rather than the candidate Anastasia Hoshin, who was always surrounded by guards, the 'Blue' healer, whose alertness was low and who could be captivated and made dependent by words, was more useful.

"Subaru-sama, did I do well?"

"You did great. Sorry for making you do something painful."

At the side of Subaru, who stood up after witnessing Julius's death, 'Blue' asked in a faint voice. At that attitude, Subaru shrugged his shoulders and stroked the anxious head again. If that alone could calm an unstable heart, he would stroke it as much as needed.

"It's okay, as long as I can be of use to Subaru-sama. Because this is necessary to shape the future that His Highness and Subaru-sama wished for, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's right. For that purpose, I couldn't let your friend stay alive."

"Yes..."

With an expression that had become thin in emotion, yet perhaps feeling the sensation of his heart cracking at the death of his friend, 'Blue' gently pinched the hem of Subaru's clothes as if to fill the void in his heart. Then, as the dense scent of death continued to drift through the shop,

"—Oh, were you busy?"

Opening the door that no one should have been able to enter, a single elegant man entered the shop. If it were an outsider who saw a bad situation, one would think of silencing them, but fortunately, that elegant man didn't need to be silenced. He was an involved party.

"You're on time."

"Yes. Time is finite, and 'money and time are of equal value' is the merchant's way of thinking."

"You're quite thick-skinned to still call yourself a merchant. You're a 'Merchant of Death,' aren't you?"

"I can't really say anything to that."

The one who scratched his head at Subaru's words was a slender man with gray hair. Wrapped in a black suit and even wearing a black tie, his appearance at first glance was that of an ordinary man returning from a funeral or something, but if one looked closely, an unmistakable scent of death drifted from his entire body. His features were gentle and his eyes were calm, but the way he moved his gaze clearly showed he was wary of this side, suggesting he had been through many life-and-death situations. Above all, he liked those clouded eyes. Those were the eyes of a living corpse who had lost his reason for living, lost the meaning of life, and yet chose to live. They were eyes with a nature close to the 'Blue' standing next to him.

"I don't think I've heard your name."

"I've never introduced myself, and I don't intend to. Of course, I don't intend to ask for the customer's name either. That's safer for both of us."

"Well, it's as you say. It's not like we can become friends."

"Yes. If something happens, we'll immediately become enemies. This is the result of calling such a person a friend, isn't it?"

The man ridiculed as he gazed at Julius's corpse lying on the ground and 'Blue' snuggling up to Subaru. Subaru didn't say anything back to that irony and turned his feet toward the exit of the shop. Both the arrangement of the poison and the cleanup were prepared secretly in cooperation with this man. It would be troublesome if the Witch Cult were moved. Subaru was currently repeating a dangerous tightrope walk.

"Give my regards to Russell. Tell him I'll count on him again. You're his right hand, aren't you?"

"That person's right hand is attached to his right shoulder. I'm just a slave."

He had a very pragmatic way of thinking, and Subaru liked the man's answer, which was realistic for better or worse. At the same time, he also felt it was a pity.

If they could have become friends, they surely would have gotten along.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Trimming the candidates, trimming the Sin Archbishops who tried to stand in the way, and repeating the secret maneuvers for that purpose.

A mysterious group, a den of dangerous people, and on top of that, they didn't interfere excessively with each other internally. This group called the Witch Cult was a very convenient cover for Subaru.

It was a cover that must surely be eradicated eventually, but when used under such a premise, he could avoid feeling guilt for using them up and throwing them away.

He had no sense of camaraderie with the Sin Archbishops either. He was always vigilantly looking for a way to kill them, trying, and if it seemed executable, laying the groundwork. Even if he failed, Subaru had the power to redo the world each time.

Somehow, in this situation, Subaru also developed something that could be called a relationship with comrades. Although he knew that not a single member of the Witch Cult could be trusted and that he shouldn't increase the number of involved parties.

"We've been doing this together from the very beginning, haven't we, big brother? At this rate, I'd be happy if you let me help with more and more fun things, big brother."

"I don't intend to just favor you, but you still want to kill me if you have the chance. That's somehow very pleasant."

"If Subaru-sama is here, His Highness's dream will come true. So, I'll follow you forever. ...But, huh? When and where did His Highness and Subaru-sama meet...?"

"We're in a relationship of entrusting dirty work, aren't we? Camaraderie is ridiculous. Both you and I are unfilial people who can't even show our faces to our families. If anything, it would be easier if we could just die."

"One more step, we're at a point where our long-cherished wish might come true. For that purpose, I wouldn't mind selling my soul to the devil. To a devil like you."

—Subaru himself didn't think he was doing anything worthy of praise.

Still, the fact that supporters of a sort eventually appeared for his actions. Perhaps it had become a salvation.

With the power of 'Return by Death,' Natsuki Subaru continued to wish and struggle to save Emilia. A lonely battle that he thought he had no choice but to fight all alone.

Perhaps, without him knowing, it had become something that was no longer just for one person.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

The Royal Capital was enveloped in flames, and Subaru was gasping at the creaking pain in his entire body, looking up at the sky.

His consciousness was clear. The sharp pain, on the contrary, pushed his consciousness toward awakening rather than loss. What happened, why he was here—everything was vivid.

"————"

In his arms, Subaru held the body of Meili, who had stopped moving. The girl already had her eyes open with the light gone, staring at a scenery that was not of this world. That cheeky attitude, that sweet voice unbefitting of her age, and the way she threw a tantrum when treated like a child—none of it would ever be seen again.

—Because Subaru had 'Returned by Death' and come back to this moment.

Even if the point of 'Return by Death' changed, he had never been able to go back further into the past than before. Since the starting point of 'Return by Death' had changed to here, and the dead Meili was held in the arms of the returned Subaru, her life could no longer be taken back.

"————"

Knowing that it was only to comfort his own heart, Subaru gently closed Meili's eyelids. He had no right to pray for the repose of the dead. These hands were too stained with blood. The same was true for Meili. She had piled up evil deeds for which she could never obtain peace after death. Her sins piled up and became a chain that dragged Subaru and the others to hell and wouldn't let go.

"Still..."

Just because he had met 'death,' giving up was the only thing that was not allowed. How many times had he stacked deaths to reach this point? It had already reached thousands, tens of thousands, blaspheming and trampling on all sorts of lives, desiring to fulfill his own wish, and he had come here. There were many times when he almost broke from the pain of 'death.' But each time, a fire burned in his heart.

That very first scorching heat, the sensation of the fingertips that faintly reached, brought Subaru to this point. He had come to a place where his long-cherished wish was just one step away.

After paying many sacrifices, he finally reached here. And yet—

"—That's enough."

The voice was sublime, falling upon Subaru from above. The Royal Capital being enveloped in flames was not a metaphorical expression. And as if he had taken that raging fire into himself, the figure that appeared on the slope looked as if it were shining brightly.

"Reinhard, van, Astreaaaaa..."

"There seems to be no need for self-introduction. I don't have many words to exchange with you either."

Reinhard's blue eyes shot straight through Subaru, who was crouching below. The light dwelling in those eyes was shaking with passion, unlike when he had seen him a long time ago.

The man who didn't lose his composure even when facing a murderer was, toward Subaru. He was glaring with a thick passion—hatred—that was difficult to even put into words.

"So you also had the function of hating people, 'Sword Saint'!"

"I'm surprised too. I didn't think I had such emotions within me."

"Did you discover a new self? Happy birthday. Happy birthday, Reinhard."

"Sorry, but today isn't my birthday. But it will be the anniversary of your death."

Even the affected phrasing was fitting for a handsome man like Reinhard. Being thrust with a death sentence in his own words, Subaru smiled.

He had broken that composed face and dragged out the emotions from the depths. Even if he knew that had no meaning, that was about the only thing he could boast about.

"Don't make me laugh, Reinhard! 'Sword Saint'! The sword of the Kingdom! You're a knight who's supposed to protect this Lugnica Kingdom, aren't you!? Where did you protect the country!? Tell me!"

"————"

Spreading his arms, Subaru shouted while spitting. The entire view of the Royal Capital that could be seen from the front gate of the Royal Castle where the two faced each other was entirely enveloped in flames—no, it wasn't just the Royal Capital.

Now, the hellfire was raging to destroy the entire Lugnica Kingdom. No matter how strong and excellent a knight Reinhard was, what could Reinhard do alone? He could do nothing. That was the conclusion.

"That's my gift to you! It's a trap I set to kill you!"

"To kill, me...?"

"How many times do you think I've tried to kill you!? How many times, how many times, how many thousands of times do you think I've challenged you!?"

"————"

At Subaru's shout, the meaning of which he didn't understand, Reinhard hardened his cheeks in confusion. He wouldn't understand. No one but Subaru would ever understand.

Subaru had already gone through all sorts of trial and error to kill Reinhard.

He had researched the man named Reinhard van Astrea, researched him thoroughly, tried every means he could think of, used schemes, and tried to kill him with every measure. But no matter what means he took, Reinhard defeated them all. As if to say that Natsuki Subaru's shallow wisdom had no influence on his existence.

Sacrificing Elsa, sacrificing Meili, sacrificing 'Blue,' sacrificing the man who could have become a friend, sacrificing the clown who called himself a co-conspirator, sacrificing the Witch Cult, sacrificing the Sin Archbishops—even after stacking all sorts of illegalities, atrocities, and outrages, he couldn't kill him. So, having lost the means to cut off Reinhard's life, Subaru decided.

"I'll kill you as a knight. I'll drop that grand name of 'Sword Saint' to the ground, trample it with these feet, and spit dirty phlegm on it!"

"For such a thing."

"Such a thing! Yeah, that's right, it's such a thing! For such a thing, I used all the lives of those around me and brought you down to the ground."

Laying Meili's body on the ground, Subaru pointed his finger at Reinhard. It was pleasant to see Reinhard unable to hide his agitation.

"You're a hero, Reinhard. I can't kill Reinhard. But even I can kill a hero. —This is how to kill you, Reinhard."

"————"

At the silent Reinhard, Subaru told him with a dirty, cracked voice while boasting. Exhausting every means, weaving schemes, creating sacrifices, shedding blood, stacking 'deaths,' and finally. Protected by Meili and having his life prolonged, finally, in this situation, he was able to face him.

After stacking this many sacrifices, he was finally able to stand on the same stage.

"...Hey, why is it?"

Suddenly, the momentum from just before was blown away by a hot wind, and a weak voice leaked out.

"Why are you so strong? Why are you so strong that I have to let those guys die just to reach you?"

The trembling voice was mixed with sobbing. At that, Reinhard's expression tightened. He must have no longer understood what Subaru was thinking. It was only natural. Even Subaru no longer understood himself.

He didn't even know the reason for the overflowing tears. When was the last time he shed tears? Surely, the day he was brought to this world was the last time.

The tears of that day, which brought Natsuki Subaru to this scene of fire, were the last.

"It would have been good if I were like you. It would have been good if I were straightforward and had the power to save everything like you. I'm envious of you. I hate you."

"You..."

The thing that overflowed along with the tears was surely the true feeling Natsuki Subaru held. It was when he saw the man, Reinhard van Astrea, who released Natsuki Subaru from the endless cycle in the first loop he repeated many times in the Royal Capital.

—At that time, Subaru was envious of Reinhard.

He was disemboweled many times, literally went through death-defying experiences, and yet could change nothing, his heart becoming more and more desolate and peeling off, and then, like some kind of accident, as if avoiding a pebble on the road, he easily rewrote fate.

He admired, envied, and felt jealousy and hatred for the strength that could do that.

"—I wanted to be you, Reinhard."

"—I don't understand your feelings."

Ruthlessly, Reinhard dismissed Subaru's words from the bottom of his heart as nonsense. That was correct. Reinhard, the hero, you are always correct.

—Where did it go wrong? Where did Natsuki Subaru err?

He didn't know. No, he knew. But no one could understand that. That was why, that was exactly why.

Natsuki Subaru was already a madman whom others could not understand.

"————"

Reinhard narrowed his eyes and slightly bent his waist. There was no sign of him reaching for his sword. Even from his eyes, he didn't need a weapon to defeat Subaru. Correct, there was no mistake. Subaru's fragile body would be blown to pieces by a single blow from him. If so, at least—

"—Isn't it a bit early to give up?"

"You—!"

The moment Reinhard jumped out, a black shadow jumped at him from the side. With a violent creaking sound, Reinhard's hand-sword met the slash delivered by the black shadow. Idiot. Why would he meet a blade with that much momentum with a hand-sword? Look, the blade shattered with a high-pitched sound. Idiot. Why did the blade shatter?

"You're truly outside the norm, aren't you?"

Spinning her body in mid-air and landing on all fours was the blood-stained Elsa. He thought she had died. He thought she had been used as a piece to create this situation and had been prepared to burn out her life there.

"It seems I failed to die. In this situation, it also seems like I've come to die again."

"Elsa..."

"Meili, yes, she died. What an unfilial younger sister to her older sister."

Putting the Meili lying on the ground in the corner of her vision, Elsa muttered a little sadly. However, she switched that with a single blink and turned back to the Reinhard in front of her,

"It seems you're also my sister's enemy, so would you care to dance?"

"You already have no weapon. And do you understand who you are protecting?"

"I don't like difficult talk. I do as I want. The guy behind me lets me do as I want. So, he's a good customer."

Licking her lips, Elsa answered Reinhard with a logic that only a murderer could understand. Reinhard gasped and braced himself against Elsa.

"This will surely be the last opportunity. It was fun. It was very wonderful."

"Elsa! I...!"

"Goodbye."

It was a quick farewell that was typical of her, not thinking about his intentions at all. The next moment, Elsa, who jumped with the agility of a wild animal, danced toward Reinhard, and the fierce battle between the hero and the murderer began.

The final blood banquet of Elsa Granhiert, which would be settled in a short time.

"—Damn it!"

He couldn't die in this place. Subaru turned his eyes away from Elsa's battle and Meili's corpse and started running toward the bottom of the slope.

Far behind, the aftershocks of the fierce battle echoed. The burning Royal Capital turned into a hell where buildings collapsed one after another and screams echoed everywhere. It was a hell where death cries were heard, where children called for parents, parents for children, men for women, and women for men.

Yes, this was the hell Natsuki Subaru had created. He created this hell, shattered Reinhard's image, and tried to fulfill his goal. The rest was—

"Yo, u are..."

"————"

His legs got tangled, and as Subaru was about to fall, a huge creature running alongside him caught him in its mouth and threw him onto its back. If he clung desperately, what jumped into Subaru's eyes was black fur and the face of a lion running fiercely forward.

"You... Meili is already dead..."

Carrying Subaru and running through the burning Royal Capital was one of the demon beasts Meili manipulated. The ferocious beast Guiltylow ran with Natsuki Subaru on its back. Even though its master was gone and it had no obligation to follow, the demon beast carried Natsuki Subaru and ran straight—

"Please, find her. She should be somewhere..."

With a prayerful feeling, Subaru hoped that Guiltylow would perform a miracle. Wrapped in an emotion he couldn't distinguish—whether it was relief or resignation—Natsuki Subaru's consciousness was on the verge of cutting off. But it was just before it reached its true limit.

"—That's enough."

Ice stakes were released, piercing the side of the running Guiltylow one after another. A scream rose, and the demon beast's legs got tangled, causing it to fall violently on the spot. Caught in that fall, Subaru also slammed his entire body against the stone pavement.

"Gu, a... wha, t..."

Opening his eyes blurred with pain, Subaru checked what had happened. Then, Guiltylow, with countless ice stakes in its left side, raised its body and was about to launch a charge toward a figure wrapped in a pale blue glow.

Raising its claws, Guiltylow let out a roar. It might have been its pride as a demon beast, or perhaps its pride as a single beast that served the girl Meili until the end. The blow it swung down had enough power to easily tear apart a human body if it hit directly.

However, before it could reach, a particularly large and sharp ice spear was released.

"————"

It entered through Guiltylow's wide-open mouth, pierced the throat, entered the body again from the chest, and came out through the buttocks, skewering the demon beast's entire body. A catastrophic blow that didn't even allow for death, and immediately after, the sound of air cracking echoed, white frost fell on Guiltylow's entire body, and it turned into a frozen ice statue.

Witnessing Guiltylow's end, Subaru slowly stood up. The reason his left arm wouldn't go up was probably because it broke or dislocated when he fell. Surely, there should be a pain so intense he'd want to cry, but his brain didn't perceive it.

Because if Subaru were to wail and scream here, everything would be ruined.

"—That's enough, villain."

On the left and right were the burning streets of the Royal Capital, and between the two was the ice statue of the frozen demon beast. Intense righteous indignation and a sense of duty burned in the amethyst eyes, and the black eyes shaking with unbearable joy intertwined.

Silver hair colored by moonlight, amethyst eyes with the highest jewels embedded. The heavenly beauty that never stopped stirring Subaru's heart, and the silver-bell voice he mistook for a fairy's song. The figure of the girl he had been chasing, chasing, desiring, and loving without end was there.

"—Emilia."

"Do you know me?"

Called by name, Subaru burst out laughing at Emilia's reaction as she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Just as he imagined—no, she was exactly the girl from his impression when they first toured the Royal Capital together.

Now, as a Royal Selection candidate, she didn't properly understand how much attention she was gathering in this country. It wasn't a lack of self-awareness; she probably just had a low self-evaluation.

Publicly, she was the hero who brought down the Witch Cult's 'Sloth,' 'Greed,' 'Gluttony,' 'Wrath,' and 'Lust,' and was trying to eradicate the evil that had tormented people for a long time. And that title would be completed today, at this moment.

"What's so funny?"

"No, sorry. How should I put it, I'm happy, I guess. Knowing that you, well. That you hadn't changed at all, I felt like I was rewarded."

"What do you mean? Have you and I met somewhere...?"

At Subaru's words, Emilia was desperately trying to search her memory. However, the figure of Natsuki Subaru did not exist anywhere in her memory. Naturally. That brief meeting remained only within Subaru. And only that brief meeting, only the final vow of regret, invited Natsuki Subaru here.

"You are..."

"Lia, it's no good, you shouldn't listen to the opponent's words properly."

"—Puck, huh."

Emilia tried to find a clue to her memory. What interrupted her was the gray kitten—the spirit—that suddenly appeared on her shoulder, and Subaru properly remembered its figure. The memory of that day was already distant, but he had been thinking about that day for a long time, even more than the number of times he had repeated it. He wouldn't forget the existence that carried a part of that memory.

"You call me quite familiarly. After doing this so flashily, just how do you intend to settle the score?"

"I'll settle the score. Just as you wish. —There's nowhere to run."

"—? You're quite ready, aren't you? How suspicious."

Subaru opened the front of his tracksuit and spread both arms to show he was defenseless. A tracksuit, yes, he was wearing a tracksuit. He had kept the tracksuit sealed until now, thinking it would be the best if he were to reunite with Emilia. He had been waiting for the day he could wear this and stand before her again.

"Everything I'm about to say is the delusion of a madman. Please forget it."

"—Eh?"

"I started the fire that's burning the Royal Capital now. Not just the Royal Capital, this fire is trying to burn the entire country. No one could prevent it. This is a failure of the country and the knights who protect it."

Subaru spoke in a low voice, and Emilia was greatly bewildered. Puck had a face that hesitated whether to stop Subaru's words, but he stopped the attack after seeing Emilia's state. While thanking him for that consideration, Subaru continued.

"Reinhard's honor as the 'Sword Saint' will also fall to the ground. The covenant that should protect the Dragon Kingdom Lugnica, since no one knows where it started, even the Dragon cannot save it. I've tried this many times, so there's no mistake. In the end, both Reinhard and the Dragon have only one body."

"You burned the whole country? You? Was that to destroy the country?"

"No, that's wrong. Because this is the only way to make you the King."

"————"

At the words of the smiling Subaru, Emilia opened her eyes wide in agitation. For her, Subaru's current statement must not have made any sense at all.

Since he called it a delusion, he didn't care if it was conveyed. If the result followed, Subaru would be satisfied.

"The final fire that drives the country to destruction—the person who spread this disaster, not Reinhard, not the Divine Dragon, but you will strike him down. None of the remaining Royal Selection candidates can create a greater achievement than this. You are the hero who broke the four hundred years of stagnation and saved the world!"

"That's not true... What are you saying!? Stop it, I don't understand at all! I don't understand what you're saying!!"

Emilia held her head, covered her ears, and tried not to listen to Subaru's words. Seeing tears accumulate in her eyes and fall down her white cheeks, Subaru's chest received a sweet shock. It was the guilt of making her cry, and it was also due to the dark pleasure of seeing her heart shaken by Subaru's actions.

"You don't have to understand. You don't have to understand. After this, the people around you will arbitrarily hold you up. You just have to fulfill your wish there. For that alone, I burned the country like this. Everything, for you."

"Lies, lies, lies! Because I... why did you..."

Emilia wailed at the devotion she didn't remember and the offering she didn't wish for. Her sadness was unavoidable. It was also unavoidable that she couldn't understand.

Subaru knew he had erred. Subaru knew he was not correct. Subaru knew this was not the way to make Emilia happy.

But this was the only way. To fulfill Emilia's wish, to make Emilia the King, and to shape his feelings for Emilia.

Knowing that, knowing from the beginning that it was wrong, Subaru came here. That was why Natsuki Subaru smiled. He sneered. He laughed.

"—Look at me, Emilia. Look at me, hate me, and carve me into your memory."

"Who are you? Who are you, from where...?"

At the question, Subaru closed his eyes. He felt like he had been waiting for that for a long time. To answer that question in front of Emilia, for a long time—

"—My name is Natsuki Subaru."

"Suba, ru..."

The hoarse voice called Subaru, and just with that, a flood of emotions welled up. Surely, just with this, Subaru was satisfied with coming here. So, with those feelings in his chest, praying that the following words would not tremble—

"—The Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing 'Pride,' Natsuki Subaru!"

"Sin Archbishop...!"

Giving his name with all his might, Subaru put all the strength in his body into his legs and kicked the ground. Gathering all the strength scattered throughout his body, the final sprint of Natsuki Subaru's life was there.

Sacrificing many, trampling on those who could have been called comrades, saved by what could have been a bond, and finally reaching the front of the beloved girl here—

"Scorching the world, shaking the country, killing the hero, and—"

"————"

"—The man who is killed by you."

Feeling the impact pierce the center of his chest, Subaru smiled thinly.

Collapsing on the spot from his knees, Subaru fell without support and rolled. Without reaching Emilia, he rolled unsightly and helplessly on the stone pavement.

Eventually, if he lay flat on his back and looked up at the sky, there was a blue sky looking down on the red Royal Capital. In a world sandwiched between red and blue, Natsuki Subaru met his end.

"Why?"

Subaru, who closed his eyes and was about to accept the end, noticed something and opened his eyelids. Standing right next to the fallen Subaru was Emilia, looking down. The tears that fell from her eyes hit Subaru's cheek and made him open his eyes.

"Why?"

The question was repeated and layered. Subaru thought about what that 'why' meant.

'Why' did he do such a thing? 'Why' did it have to end up like this? 'Why' did he come here to be killed by her?

Surely, there were various 'whys' there. He wanted to give an answer to all those 'whys,' but the time left for Subaru was only a very small amount.

So Subaru, as if letting out a breath, put the answer in his final breath.

"—I love you."

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

'Death' was approaching. The familiar 'death.'

Every time he met 'death,' Subaru was taken to a dark and lonely place he didn't know. It was truly, truly lonely, a place he couldn't endure if he were alone.

Every time he met 'death,' he was sent out from here. To that world of blood and pain, tears and wailing, and where there was something he loved just a little bit.

But it was fine now. He was already satisfied.

"————"

He felt like someone was whispering something in this dim world, welcoming Subaru.

It was a comfort, it was an encouragement, it was a confirmation, and it was a confession.

Why was it? This was not the person he loved. The person he loved would fulfill her wish and be rewarded in a place that was not here, in a place where he was not.

Because he paid many sacrifices for that, and finally offered himself. So it was fine. Even if she didn't save him. Salvation was given at the very beginning.

"————"

It was surely a call. Gently, affectionately, lovingly, his name was called.

So Subaru, while accepting that his existence was leaving the spiral of 'death' and moving away. While accepting it, he responded to the words of '————'.

"————"

—Even if you reject me, I will not forget you.

『Re: Starting Life in an Error World from Zero』 ~fin~

I decided by coin toss whether to write 'Kasaneru' last year or 'Ayamatsu' this year first. Considering the content of Volume 12 that came out the other day, I thought the reverse might have been better. It's been a while since I could write 37,000 characters in one day, and I thought I was amazing. Period.

Note: This route branches off from the fourth loop of the first chapter, when he is entangled by the Ton-Chin-Kan trio, if he doesn't call for help with a falsetto voice and Reinhard doesn't come to help.